What are you playing at the moment?

[alms]

If I recall you get offered a machine gun if you trade in your starting pistol. The machine gun fired downwards acts like a jetpack, and makes some of the platforming you have to do considerably easier. I think if you hang on to the pistol you can trade it for something powerful later in the game.

You're right about the MG, the part I vaguely remembered was probably Booster V0.8 vs V2.0, though, see here: http://cavestory.wikia.com/wiki/Booster_V_2.0

[sabrage]

Some aspects of Japanese game design never change.

Bad game design is bad regardless of origin.

I've started Cave Story+. What was that thing about not getting the first jetpack you find but holding out for a better one?

I can't find that bit anymore.

Right after you fight the Monster X, DO NOT talk to the guy at the bottom of the pit.

[Heliocentric]

Right after you fight the Monster X, DO NOT talk to the guy at the bottom of the pit.

After I first read that I decided I had better things to do than play this.

[sabrage]

After I first read that I decided I had better things to do than play this.

I loathe Cave Story. The cheap deaths and ass-backwards design decisions frustrated me right up until the marathon back-to-back-to-back-to-back final bosses. I'd never recommend it to anyone, but not having the Booster 2.0 only makes the final chapter that much worse.

[fiddlesticks]

I'd never recommend it to anyone, but not having the Booster 2.0 only makes the final chapter that much worse.

It's been awhile since I last played, but from what I recall you can't even get to the real final level without the Booster 2.0. Having the Booster 0.8 leads you to a significantly easier version.

[alms]

Right after you fight the Monster X, DO NOT talk to the guy at the bottom of the pit.

Thanks. Seems I'll be putting on hold CS+ until I get a new pad, my d-pad has just broken in the sand zone :| next one will be an X360 pad proper, I'm sick of X360CE.

I loathe Cave Story. The cheap deaths and ass-backwards design decisions frustrated me

I don't love it either, up where I've got there's a whole lot of backtracking, sure not a lot of fun? but TVA put me in a good mood for platformers so I said to myself: let's give this one a second chance (also, a chance to scratch another off the backlog)

[sabrage]

It's been awhile since I last played, but from what I recall you can't even get to the real final level without the Booster 2.0. Having the Booster 0.8 leads you to a significantly easier version.

Yeah, there's about 8 other arbitrary bullshit hoops to jump through (all some variation of "DON'T do the thing that would logically help you progress") to get that level as well, so fuck it.

[LTK]

Does Cave Story hate the player even more than Limbo does?

[laneford]

Just finished Arkham City. Beat the main story mode, and all bar two (I think) side missions. Going to clean those up soon, although I think one may be bugged. Really enjoyed the game though, once you get past the feeling of being overwhelmed by constant stuff the game keeps throwing at you, (which is something I felt GTAIV was very guilty of)

Considering which of the backlog next to tackle...

I still have Zelda: Skyward Sword, which I've only just started.
There's also Space Marine which I'm halfway through, which is a lot less interesting, but a lot shorter thus better for backlog clearage.


Also still making the most of foot-to-ball-euro-fever by rinsing FIFA and the silly euro 2012 DLC. (Yes I'm a sucker)

[Ravelle]

Just finished Arkham City. Beat the main story mode, and all bar two (I think) side missions. Going to clean those up soon, although I think one may be bugged. Really enjoyed the game though, once you get past the feeling of being overwhelmed by constant stuff the game keeps throwing at you, (which is something I felt GTAIV was very guilty of)

Considering which of the backlog next to tackle...

I still have Zelda: Skyward Sword, which I've only just started.
There's also Space Marine which I'm halfway through, which is a lot less interesting, but a lot shorter thus better for backlog clearage.


Also still making the most of foot-to-ball-euro-fever by rinsing FIFA and the silly euro 2012 DLC. (Yes I'm a sucker)

Did you bother with the Ridler Trophies?

[Kodeen]

I still have Zelda: Skyward Sword, which I've only just started.

Skyward Sword is the only Zelda game (that I've played) that I didn't finish. I gave it a chance and played through the first dungeon, but it never became fun. The problem is the motion controls and the fact that you're constantly thinking about them, they never become second nature like pressing certain buttons.

That and the fact that this game has some of the heaviest bloom I have ever seen, and I could only play for about a half hour at a time before my eyes started to melt.

[laneford]

Did you bother with the Ridler Trophies?

I've got enough secrets to do the first three riddler hostages. Not sure if I can be arsed to collect enough to unlock the others... some of them seem ridiculous.

Skyward Sword is the only Zelda game (that I've played) that I didn't finish. I gave it a chance and played through the first dungeon, but it never became fun. The problem is the motion controls and the fact that you're constantly thinking about them, they never become second nature like pressing certain buttons.

I haven't played it enough to judge it yet. So far, I did not enjoy attempting to control / flailing madly when flying the bird, but the swordfighting seems ok (which is the most important thing for me at any rate)

[Fanbuoy]

Does Cave Story hate the player even more than Limbo does?

Limbo doesn't hate you. It just wants you to die.

[sabrage]

Does Cave Story hate the player even more than Limbo does?

A damn sight more I'd say, and the feelings are mutual.

[Sketch]

I've been playing Hitman: Contracts, and it's really a very good game. I know there was some critiscism because it has 4 remakes from the first game in it, but it's still an excellent stealth title, and not as easy as Blood Money either. The suspicion is really well balanced, much better than Hitman 2.

[Kadayi]

Sims 3. Noticed that Origin had a 50% sale on and snapped up Generations as it was one of the expansions that I'd passed over (plus 30% your next purchase). Rather than carry on with any of my existing worlds decided to start afresh just with generations and ambitions on (I'm saving WoA and Nightlife for later on when the family is grown up). I've generally stayed away from the family thing with Sims (doing the room mates thing on the whole), but have been trying it with a single mum with 3 young kids and it's proving to be quite entertaining given the extra activities that can be done. I did use some cheat codes to given a bit more money to the family as a starting point (and allow them to purchase a bigger house) and the first thing the mother did was decide that she'd like to send two of the kids off to Boarding school which was quite amusing. Interested to see how that plays out in terms of the dynamic between the siblings in the long term.

[Casimir Effect]

Venice declared war. I'd compliment them - a nation with a single province and port soley focussed on trade - on their temerity and the size of their balls if I wasn't laughing so hard.

Their fleet of 20 ships attacked my 8, however their one was produced by a trade port (brigs, sloops and, oddly, some trade ships) whereas mine was made up of 5th Rates, 6th Rates and headed by an admiral in a 2nd Rate. It did not go well for them. Surprisingly though I actually lost a ship: some dumbass 5th Rate got set on fire in a bad way and just fucking exploded. It was so cool I didn't mind losing the ship. That was it though, the rest of their fleet died and amusingly my 2nd Rate, which lead the fight, barely took a scratch.

Then their land forces split up to harrass my territory in Milan. They now have half the land forces they used to have an will be under siege very soon. A siege I'm happy to draw out until the end as damn the world hates me for expanding so much. Probably why Venice declared war in the first place. Hopefully my expansion diplomatic penalty will die off in the next few years as I plan to sit back and build for a while.

[vinraith]

Mass Effect 2 again, in anticipation of finally picking up 3. I decided to play back through with the character with which I originally beat 2 (and which I imported from 1) to see how that worked and because I enjoyed playing her. I'm a little surprised that not only her skills and level, but also all her equipment transfers (even the stuff that makes no sense, like the collector beam). There's little enough "stuff" collection in ME2 as it is, I assume this means that for my second playthrough there will be none. Does that mean no new anything to find? Because that's half the fun.

[Heliocentric]

Thanks. Seems I'll be putting on hold CS+ until I get a new pad, my d-pad has just broken in the sand zone :| next one will be an X360 pad proper, I'm sick of X360CE.

You want a Streetfighter 4 Fightpad
, its the best D pad I've ever used, but its not as clicky as a genesis or snes or wii classic but its very precise and I only play arrow key platformers like spelunky or whatever with it.


amazon fightpad link, mostly the prices are terrible

[khaz]

Bad game design is bad regardless of origin.

True but checkpoint right at start of boss battle is fairly common among Japanese devs. Brings back some terrible memories. Grandia 2 is one of my favourite rpgs of any kind ever ever but the absolutely brilliant realtime battle system meant that if you screwed up a few moves gainst bosses starting ALL OVER AGAIN against those monstrous HP tanks. UGH! Especially the "Beat every boss you already beat before meeting the final boss" gauntlet right at the end. Which is another awful idea and again common to many Japanese devs.

On the flip side, if I was in the mood, recovering from some poor decisions resulted in some glorious 20-30 minute battles against said bosses with satisfyingly smug smile on face. It really was such a good battle system. :)