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Ray Falling

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Posts posted by Ray Falling

  1. I'd have to say that those super crazy difficult levels (like some of the mines levels) become really easy after a while. Uhm, that is, after you've learned to memorize them...

    My initial tactic was to just complete a level as best I can, and later on I got the needed practice when trying to get the remaining puzzle pieces and KONG letters.

    On another play through it was really simple to navigate through these once dreaded levels.

    Patience is a good skill to have when playing this game :P My patience only last for a little while and I know it's time to quit when I start damning things.

    I finished the secret final level on my first try, using the banana potion. When I tried it again I failed miserably time after time, trying to get the puzzle pieces. I got them eventually, using the Banana potion again.

    I didn't keep playing after that. Unlocking the remaining image galleries is just not worth it. And I hardly feel like playing every level again in MM.

    Incidentily, this game gave me a renewed appreciation for Donkey Kong Jungle Beat :D

  2. There's also a Mr. Game and Watch character in the background of the steamy factory level :)

    Okay, so I finished the game today. Spent about 15 hours total I guess.

    Some levels are really, REALLY evil; I don't handle frustration well at all :P

    Overall, I dunno, I guess the game is alright. I was a little sad when I realized that there were no real surprises since the few trailers I saw pretty much showed every single level there is T__T;

    The roll thing definitely lacks the awesomeness of the original DKC. I get the mechanic, I just don't like it. Especially when I lose Diddy and I have to put an effort into making even the simplest jumps.

    I may try and get those last secret levels (one more to unlock, and one more that I haven't beaten yet).

  3. I saw the news this afternoon. ;_;

    My girlfriend and I were watching Spy Hard just last saturday.

    Leslie Nielsen was one of the few actors I actually appreciate. He's sure got some funny stuff.

    'Wrongfully accused' is one movie of his I'd like to see again. I've seen most of his other movies more than a couple of times already.

    Now, to find some Police Squad clips :)

  4. Every trailer I see is so full of action 0_0; Which makes me a little worried that they're showing off a few of their awesome levels to give the impression that all the levels are like this. You know, kind of what they do with every movie trailer ever made :P

    I certainly hope there will be a good balance in pacing and action.

    Also, there is something about the visual style, the sounds, and the enemy designs that is really putting me off. I still want the game, but I can't help but feel that is not 'DK Country Returns' but 'DK returns...to a different country'

    IDIOT EDIT:

    Actually, after looking at some other gameplay video's I can say that there are definitely also more easy going levels that have plenty of charm in them :) I ish happy

  5. This immediately comes to mind :D

    Volley Fire (GB) :

    and some type of

    This song is so catchy I kept wanting to play it in my head over and over after having played the game over at a friend's place. I kept forgetting how the song went, but then I'd remember and woohoo! Party in my head :)

    I appreciate it for its great melody.

  6. Are people still going on about how Samus was totally ruined for them?

    The one thing I can't stand is how people keep saying "she was a badass". What does that even mean? A videogame character is only as "badass" as you manage to play through a game.

    You can't say "well, she killed this and blew up that so she shouldn't have this kind of emotion" because she didn't. YOU DID! You, the player.

    If you're a bad player, your so called "badass" character gets their ass handed to them by even the simplest trap or enemy. If you die too many times and quit playing the game out of frustration, Samus effectively never got anything done.

    Remember, you're in control of the character, but you're not going through the physical or emotional pain of your on-screen counter part: you're on your luxurious couch or whatever. You're not the one nearly dying dozens of times, or actually dying for that matter. You're not the one with the murdered family.

    It's a miracle Samus can get anything done really. With all that she's been through. Which is exactly the point where reality crosses into fiction.

    The thing with Metroid (and many games and movies really) is, it's crossed so far into the territory of fiction that any sense of reality (in terms of human emotion) just doesn't work anymore, it just doesn't seem real anymore.

    I still personally think the story and the way they made Samus' character is good. If only minorly overdone in some parts. MINORLY.

    That said, there is that cognitive dissonance, going from inside Samus' mind, back to my mind as a player and just continue blasting away at stuff with no fear, from the comfort of my couch.

    Now, a game would be really good if your character's emotion was your emotion and if that would actually affect gameplay. (I'm too tired to properly justify that statement with an example to pre-empt your misunderstanding of it).

  7. For everyone - What is the appeal of listening to video game remixes?

    For me it is being able to listen to my favourite video game tracks without actually having to play the game, so I can listen pretty much everywhere I go :)

    Now, the appeal to listening to remixes of vgm is to hear someone take a soundtrack to a next level. A lot of songs can be made much more awesome by way of remix, which is exactly what people here at OCR do best :)

    I love to be surprised by what people make of an original tune. Listening to remixes also introduced me to "genres" of music I didn't know or appreciate before, but now do.

    I dunno how much nostalgia actually plays a part in it. I just want to hear already great musics being turned into even greater musics. No amount of nostalgia can make me appreciate a badly done remix.

  8. They also went on to tell me I'd have to be careful who to submit that to, because if more professional people saw "The Otaku" listed as the one credited, they might be pretty "Ehn" about it.

    Are pseudonyms generally frowned upon? Are they okay if tasteful? Has anyone had first hand experience with terrible online names biting them in the butt? Any insight about this from anyone would be greatly appreciated!

    I think it is safe to say that most people, even professionals, are into the internet these days and may or may not have an embaressing thing or two to hide themselves.

    I think that the more casual you are about it, the less likely you are going to get 'bitten in the ass' by it later. Remember, even your future employer may have embaressing nicknames online.

    Also, if anyone is going to not hire you because of that, yet you have an awesome portfolio or resume or whatever, you're probably better off.

    That said, I can't really imagine that happening a lot. I could be wrong.

    You can always decide to go with something new, a new nickname or artist name. :) Pick something you are happy with, and stick with it.

  9. This sort of undermines the whole idea of creative vision though. I personally want a work of art to be whatever the creator wants it to be, not what I or the fans want it to be. If I end up not liking it, that's my problem, not his (beyond that whole money making business). Using fan feedback and demographic checks tends to water products down and make them much less risky and innovative. Sure, Other M's risks don't seem to be terribly popular. But a game like Resident Evil 4 broke from the traditional RE mold and ended up being a really great game.

    Just looking at fan sentiment, if we went by the fans, Metroid would simply become continual level add-ons for Super Metroid. I for one, despite liking Super Metroid, would not buy those.

    There is truth in what you say. And there will always be a group of people who won't like what developers did to a franchise.

    Still, I think there could be a balance in there in regards to customer feedback (i.e. not just ask some 'hardcore fans' who are set on one aspect of the game only). I remember Nintendo doing questionnaires when you had purchased certain games... I thought that was at least a good start.

    The thing that bugs me the most about games failing horribly (not that I think Metroid was a horrible failure) is that said failure is likely going to be the last attempt at a franchise this console's lifetime.

    Didn't like Starfox? Too bad, yer not seeing another one the next couple of years. Didn't like Donkey Kong Jungle Beat? Too bad, we're done with Donkey Kong now too...

    This can be very frustrating. But like we've established already, there are risks involved.

    All that said, sure there are a lot of angles to consider when dealing with this topic. And of course I can keeping playing that game I love so much, if I love it so much; but every once in a while, I would like to really experience that joy again in newer generation games. And to be honest, I have not felt that with any game so far on Wii; this includes everyone's favourites like Mario Galaxy.

    Anyway, that's my side of it, and I understand everyone's opinion and respect them :) The industry certainly doesn't revolve around my wishes. Unfortunatly for me this does mean that one of my old favourite hobbys/investments has stopped doing it for me. That at least makes me a little sad ;_; But not too much.

  10. I wouldn't say that. I mean you can almost always re-invent and improve an idea. I let Starfox Adventures slide because, hey, they were trying something new. It didn't work out. What killed Starfox, was when they returned to the prior formula and totally messed it up. DO NOT FIX IT IF IT ISN'T MOTHERF***ING BROKEN.

    Having given it more thought, I guess we can best hope that new ideas work out at least some of the time. Either way, a new entry in a series cannot take away anything from the entries in the series that we do like.

    But to be fair, more often than not we are left with disappointment. I wish developers would reach out to "us" more by involving us in the development process. I realize money and time will always be an issue, but some sort of pre-final build feedback could really help improve a game. That is, as long as the group giving feedback is balanced and not of the "It needs more rockets!" mindset :P

  11. In that case, would you guys agree that it is sometimes better to not continue on a series at all to ensure that it keeps its original glory as a whole and never have it taken away?

    For me, certain franchises are just 'done' and I look back at them with fond memories. Like...Starfox has all Starfox ever needs in Lylatwars (i.m.o). And F-zero has all F-zero needs in F-zero GX (again i.m.o), just to name a few.

    Yet at the same time, I do hunger for graphical updates of my old favourite games...they just usually end up having bad gameplay instead.

    As much as I want to see Donkey Kong Country Returns, I'm already fearing it'll go down the same path of recent games on the Wii. Same goes for the new Kirby game.

    I guess the only way you could get away with repeat performances (like the return of Ridley) is when you make sure people get that the game is compeletely separate from any other Metroid game ever. Which they don't.

    Then again, maybe sometimes you just need to be honest with yourself, as a game designer, and admit that there's just not much more you can do with your initial idea. (Like Mario...and Sonic...and Metroid and Kirby...and Zelda...and Halo...)

  12. During the first hours of the game I found my appreciation for the original Prime growing. I sat there saying "well, it's not Prime", but then I figured it's probably best not to compare them.

    I found most "reviews" a little unbalanced and also see the pattern Overflow is talking about.

    My rating of the game would be somewhat positive, but at the same time I was a little disappointed and felt I didn't really get value for my money.

    I would say the downsides of the game are its shortness, the lack of challenge (most of the time the game was simply too easy) and the diminished value and use of collecting items.

    I personally did appreciate the story and the character of Samus in this context. Overall it felt like a sci-fi murder mystery movie; predictable yet enjoyable for the most part. There were the occasional moments when I thought I wasn't really playing a Metroid game, but I played on nevertheless. Other moments were really good and memorable :)

    I don't really feel this is the type of game I'd want to replay over and over though. Which is why I initially commented saying the two days (10+ hours) of entertainment were not worth the price I payed for it.

    In a closing comment, I'm afraid that a lot of games (on Wii) these days are heading in this direction: short, easy and not enough staying power. Which is why I'm more and more doubting future releases of even my favourite titles, and less likely to invest in these games anymore.

  13. so how long is this game exactly? i'll buy it if its not too short

    It can easily be finished within 10 - 14 hours. To me that translates to two afternoons of play :S So two days of entertainment for 50 'bucks'...not worth it. Of course, if I could actually control myself and manage to play two hours a day, then I could enjoy it for at least a week.

  14. Out of curiosity: what purpose does the pinhole lens serve? Is it supposed to create a specific effect an ordinary lens cannot produce?

    Also: I've updated my website. Most of the content has yet to be written, but my photography gallery is already up and running. I also added an Animals category, which it didn't have before because I'm not particularly an animal kind of guy (for no particular reason).

    I did get some nice shots of some little bugz0rs the other day when I was walking around a nice natural environment with my girlfriend (+1 forum envy point):

    PH_ANML_F_0005.jpg

    PH_ANML_F_0007.jpg

  15. I'm very happy with Nintendo's new line-up of games :) I've been disappointed by pretty much every game I bought for Wii so far. It looks like there is some good stuff coming out indeed.

    Now, Kirby looks very appealing and would be an instant-buy for me, though I would like it to be somewhat more challenging than previous Kirby games.

    While enjoyable, those games were simply too easy.

    I couldn't believe the new Donkey Kong Country announcement! I've been dreaming about a new DKC game for so long!

    I'm just missing those classic enemies like the Kremlins. I'm guessing those are tied more to Rare? I'm not a fan of the Jungle Beat-esque enemies.

    Nevertheless, DKCR is a must-buy for me!

  16. I quit going to the gym at the end of last year, after having made some great progress in just 10 weeks, regarding to pyshical condition/stamina, but seeing how it took me about three weeks to recover from 1 simple session.

    That's when I went back to the doctors' to talk about my possible CFS/ME and it turned out they had already given me that diagnose a while back, but somehow I was not informed :S

    I've tried going to the gym a couple of times after that, and sometimes it was good, but most of the time my symtpoms were just too bad to even go.

    I still swim once a week, but my pains and fatigue have gotten so bad that not even swimming really does any good anymore.

    After a week of playing Final Fantasy 12 I really messed up my sleep rhytm and lost 3 kilos (bringing me down to a nasty 52) , which are a pain to gain in the first place.

    So these days I'm trying to take better care again and somehow getting myself to eat more often during the day, to gain some much needed substance.

    So far, no real improvement but I have noticed my appetite is getting better, which is something I can be happy with :)

    Can anyone recommend some good types of drinks/snacks that are actually non-destructive? Stores here are filled with 0% fat crap and 'light' products, which actually contain stuff worse than sugar 0_0;

    Like, what kind of fruit drinks can you actually trust to have actual fruits and vitamins in them?

  17. Out of curiosity, have you gotten any response on your videos from any serious 'players' in the industry? (Or anyone in the industry really?) Because I think you've got some really good points, as many people here seem to agree, and it would be a shame if no one ever heard them and did something with them. Though I suppose whether or not someone can use such ideas might depend on their employer/other factors.

    I think a game would be really interesting if the aftermath of your choices would actually impact your own character's life, and not just those of people in the game world, and actually have you face the consequences of your actions (and not just in some cutscene either).

    And I like the idea that you don't know particularly what kind of action gives you points towards good or evil, but rather have you 'pick up the bill' at the end of the game, making you really think, in general or when choosing to replay the game.

    But most importantly, there should be an absolute moral standard (heck, you could even introduce different laws and rules for different countries a player might visit). Why? Because otherwise I can get away with slaying 1000nds of beasts, kings, demons and GODS, and then never die because I have enough money to buy an infinite supply of Phoenix Down :P. Some responsibility would be nice.

    That's what I like about our actual reality. There IS a moral standard (being God's law) and at the end of life it's either heaven or hell, and that be the end of it and there'd be no do over. Now THAT makes you actually think about your actions and presents substantial reward/punishment.

    Anyway, good video :) and good luck with your carreer and such!

  18. In light of game freezes:

    I have an import version of Skies of Acradia for the Gamecube, and there are occasions when the game freezes and I get the disc read error.

    This particular thing happened after I beat the fire temple thing and get into the Gigas fight. T__T it just takes so darn long, and you can't even win it, so you just have to sort of sit it out untill you get to the following bossfight against the chick in her magic ship.

    So first I lose that battle, forcing me to re-do the Gigas thing as well. And then, after Mike knows how long, I manage to beat both bosses and the game freezes!!!

    So now, everytime I play that game I hold my heart and save like I've OCD.

    As for the real aww s#*! moment:

    I finally have my own copy of Star Ocean III (PS2), discover that I can get tons of nice stuff by beating the game, I end up making it to the final boss with EVERYONE dead (save for one), no healing items, no revival items...NOTHING.

    And the save point doesn't heal/revive my characters!!!

    So I'm thinking "can I actually get out of this dungeon? Can I heal somewhere? Can I beat the boss with just my one dude?"

    The answers to all of those questions are "NO! FOOL!" T__T And I ain't up for playing through the whole game again, just so I can finish it, do the things I wanted to do in the after game especially if some of those things require me to play AGAIN after that! ;_;

  19. I used to be anti-Sony back in the days, but later on I picked up a relatively cheap PS2 and some great RPG's. I sure had been missing out on a ton of stuff, but I'm glad to have been able to catch up a little. :)

    Of course, nowadays I don't play games anymore, but I did enjoy the ride when I did.

    I would have enjoyed my games more if I wern't such a freak to want to stay up and keep playing non-stop :D I probably missed half the endings of my sweet RPG's because I was too tired to watch. The endings are the whole reason I play in the first place ;_; ehehehe.

    Good times!

  20. I think franchises like Zelda could quite easily be ruined by trying to be too different though.

    And when you realize only one Zelda is coming out every so many years, you want to make sure it is a solid one, and sometimes that means sticking to some of the more familliar concepts.

    So I'm in a bit of a bind: do I want a new Zelda, that tries to be different, or do I want a Zelda that is so awesome at doing the usual trick that I'd never need to play another Zelda again?

    Some of Nintendo's franchises are like that; they're good as they are, and they don't need a lot of new stuff.

    A lot of my fav franchises were ruined, just because they were trying to be too different.

    Luckily, you can count on them to use the best teams for a game like Zelda.

    As long as this doesn't become 'Hyrule Garden Keeper', I'll be pretty happy :)

  21. Hmm, I love Baten Kaitos :D

    I've made a post in this thread before, I assume, but I'm going to go with this one for now:

    Shin Akuma on Street Fighter Alpha 2 (SNES)

    0_0; For the life of me I've never beat him. (I would have if I had set maximum rounds to 3 as opposed to 5 u_u)

    He's just super cheap and super cheat, because he can do everything the game won't ever allow you to, AND on top of that deal way more damage than he is supposed to do.

    My only means of getting close to beating him involve Ken, and doing a crouch kick to trick the enemy into jumping after which I uppercut his sorry face. But even that strategy will fail if he manages to get some hits in u_u;

    The absolute worst was when I was literaly one stripe of health away from pwning him and I couldn't turn around to do my thing ;_; He then smacked me in the back with his regular punch that now of course deals massive damage x_x "Ow my back!"

    I'll get you one day!!!

  22. Some Dutch online "newspaper" "reported" that many people had depressions or suicidal thoughts after seeing the movie, and realizing that planet it plays on does not exist and our world is crap :P

    It's probably taken horribly out of context though, seeing how it used "various forums on the internet" as its source...

    So...you guys experienced anything like that after seeing the movie? :P

  23. This is why I hate sharing :P

    I used to live at my mom's place for a while when in highschool, and I had all my consoles neatly set up in my own tiny room.

    Then came my sister and her boyfriend, out of the blue, to visit my mom. I came home later, and noticed someone had been playing on my N64!

    So I turn on my Ocarina of Time game, and to my horror I find my BEST savegame evah! to be deleted...gone...vanished ;_;

    To make matters worse, it seems that the culprit got so bored with the opening cinematic, that he never got around to playing/saving the game.

    So I'm sitting there, watching the darn opening cinematic, getting more angry with every second. T__T: WHY??????? Was it all for nothing???

    u_u; to this day, I don't easily let people play my games and I OCD on saving games in multiple save slots :D

    Still, even that won't keep me from making mistakes myself **accidentitly overwrites his best FF6 savefile**. :D

  24. Okay...so now I'm thinking: "what kind of subconscious influence could this subtle smirk terrorism have had on me all this time, during my formative years?"

    And then I look at my art:

    IL_T_0005.jpg

    Darnit!

    IL_T_0003.jpg

    Oh come on!

    IL_T_0001.jpg

    You've got to be kidding me!

    IL_F_0012.jpg

    Okay this one isn't that smirky, but it's like they can't even smile at all :D

    u_u; granted these are more or less angry faces, rather than smirky ones...I still blame western media for this!

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