What are you currently playing? 4.0

[talonmalon333]

On another note... What happened when Rare was making DKC3? Nothing about this game comes close to DKC2 in quality. First of all, it's so unbalanced. In DKC2, Dixie was more convenient to use for portions of the game, but Diddy could still take care of himself without much more effort. DKC3, on the other hand, completely favors her, sometimes to the point that Kiddy Kong is useless against some bosses.

Then there's the fact that much of the level design lacks any flow. They feel like some kind of obstacle course in comparison to previous games'. In addition, certain parts of the game require you to stop completely. If you ask me, this is never good in a platformer, cause it just brings the game to a screeching halt. Look at the last games, where a skilled player could speedrun through levels and look like a pro in the process. Much harder in this one, and Kiddy's speed only makes DKC3 even more sluggish.

Then there is the lazy design of the Nintendo Coin system. Remember in DKC2? Those things were very cleverly hidden. But here, they're just thrown onto those Kremblings, and the trick to get them is always the same, without any exception. It gets even worse in the water levels, when they are always just slapped onto the very end of the level. Honestly, that's just the epitome of laziness. Couldn't the designers sneak in secret caverns in those water levels to contain the coins?

While this is far more subjective, I'm not a fan of how gimmicky the levels end up becoming as the game progresses.

On top of that is the technically inferior graphics and sound quality. And it doesn't help that neither of the main characters from the original are playable, making this game feel too far removed, especially when Kiddy Kong plays the same as Donkey Kong, and therefore has no purpose other than to make the game less appealing. Then there's the lame animal partners, and the absolutely pointless bears. It's still a good game, but it's nothing in comparison to it's predecessors. I'm guessing they just quickly threw it together before the SNES died completely in order to make a few bucks. And at that, it definitely excelled; it's one of SNES best sellers despite coming out in 1996. But hey, DKC sells. I still find it to be a cheap cash-in.

[gunswordfist]

NEVER say anything has too much combat.

So you're saying you wish Mirror's Edge and Jak 2 had more?

The less shitty shooting from Jak, the better.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Let's just agree to disagree. I honestly mean it, I didn't find anything to be difficult about their puzzles (Doesn't change the fact that the games are awesome overall. ). OoT and MM had more tough puzzles, but those games, as a whole, were still made up of mostly variations of the same puzzles.

The Triforce hunt in WW in and of itself was a major puzzle. To say you figured each step of that out right away without any thought process at all (in other words "insanely" easy) is a lie. Sorry, there's just no way that I'm going to buy that. And for the record, I found Wind Waker's puzzles to be on par with Majora's Mask (which itself was a step down from OoT, though that may admittedly be because it recycled a lot of the same puzzles from that game so I was already familiar with how thing worked when I first played it), and I can say that for sure because I've played both games more than once.

What happened is that, in the time I was away from the game, there were certain abilities that I had completely forgotten about, abilities that are second nature when you play a game frequently. So there was a certain part of the game I didn't know what to do because I had forgotten this. I can assure you I wouldn't have majorly failed had I played most consistently.

Haven't played TP myself, so I can't comment on the validity of what you're saying, but I'll take your word for it in this case since its not too hard to believe that current-gen Zelda games would be made easier than older ones for the casual crowd.

I do think puzzles should stay, I just don't think they should be as frequent as they are, especially in SS (which was entirely puzzles, even though the game had it's share of good ones).

In that case the next game should just to back to the standard amount of puzzles that you find in a Zelda game. It shouldn't totally regress and have fewer of them just because SS may have been over-saturated with them. To me, the puzzles (even the easy ones) involve a lot of variety and a lot of them are actually fun to play through rather than being tedious chores like other games that try to clone it (i.e., Darksiders), and to me that is a key point of Zelda games that belongs in the series. I'm fine with the game actually upgrading its combat system to have at least a little bit of depth to it besides just mashing buttons when an enemy is open, but I don't want the game to lean toward a hack n' slash route because that's not why I play Zelda games in the first place.

[talonmalon333]

The Triforce hunt in WW in and of itself was a major puzzle. To say you figured each step of that out right away without any thought process at all (in other words "insanely" easy) is a lie. Sorry, there's just no way that I'm going to buy that. And for the record, I found Wind Waker's puzzles to be on par with Majora's Mask (which itself was a step down from OoT, though that may admittedly be because it recycled a lot of the same puzzles from that game so I was already familiar with how thing worked when I first played it), and I can say that for sure because I've played both games more than once.

But I can say that. As soon as you can do the Triforce hunt, the game gives you a chart that shows you the location of every chart. You basically just gotta go to those spots and do something. The most complicated one is the one on the Ghost Ship, but even then, you are given a chart that tells you exactly what to do.

I actually think WW was the easiest of the 3D games, for reasons such as the one above. One of the puzzles that I always had an issue with is a dungeon where you have to hit crystal switches in a certain order... But the game's camera zooms into each of them in the order you're supposed to hit them in. It just takes away some of the satisfaction of solving the puzzle, something I don't think OoT or MM would've done.

Again, WW is still a stellar game as a whole though.

In that case the next game should just to back to the standard amount of puzzles that you find in a Zelda game. It shouldn't totally regress and have fewer of them just because SS may have been over-saturated with them. To me, the puzzles (even the easy ones) involve a lot of variety and a lot of them are actually fun to play through rather than being tedious chores like other games that try to clone it (i.e., Darksiders), and to me that is a key point of Zelda games that belongs in the series. I'm fine with the game actually upgrading its combat system to have at least a little bit of depth to it besides just mashing buttons when an enemy is open, but I don't want the game to lean toward a hack n' slash route because that's not why I play Zelda games in the first place.

I just think that some "puzzles" are unnecessary. Like when you're in a dungeon and you see a cracked wall. No one's gonna be stumped by that.

Now, a clever bombable wall puzzle is, in OoT, in the Spirit Temple when you have to use bombchus to climb up a wall, and blow it up to unleash light into the room. It's not too hard to figure out, but it takes skill to pull off. Unfortunately, bombchus went bye-bye after merely a few games.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

But I can say that. As soon as you can do the Triforce hunt, the game gives you a chart that shows you the location of every chart. You basically just gotta go to those spots and do something. The most complicated one is the one on the Ghost Ship, but even then, you are given a chart that tells you exactly what to do.

Its tells you where they are. It doesn't tell you how to solve them. Not every puzzle in the game is balls-out easy like you say. Also, if the puzzles didn't interest you in that game than how is it a stellar game to you? Its not like it had many other elements aside from puzzle variety and exploration. If one of those elements was as severely lacking as you say, it automatically stops the game from being truly great. Also, by that logic I can say that Majora's Mask is an easier game than WW. The side puzzles based on time become really easy if you use you're Bomber's Notebook to keep track of everything, and in general I found that game to have the easiest puzzles in a 3D Zelda game that I've played, with just a few notable exceptions.

Needless to say, in my case I completely disagree with you.

[Spark Of Spirit]

DKC3 is a great game. Because they knew they couldn't top DKC2, they instead tried different ideas in their levels. Not to mention the huge world map and hidden things, the shop, and how unlike DK64 it's still centered on platforming. It's not perfect, but it's a lot of fun.

[talonmalon333]

Its tells you where they are. It doesn't tell you how to solve them. Not every puzzle in the game is balls-out easy like you say. Also, if the puzzles didn't interest you in that game than how is it a stellar game to you? Its not like it had many other elements aside from puzzle variety and exploration. If one of those elements was as severely lacking as you say, it automatically stops the game from being truly great. Also, by that logic I can say that Majora's Mask is an easier game than WW. The side puzzles based on time become really easy if you use you're Bomber's Notebook to keep track of everything, and in general I found that game to have the easiest puzzles in a 3D Zelda game that I've played, with just a few notable exceptions.

Needless to say, in my case I completely disagree with you.

Fair enough. Let's agree to disagree (I know, I know, I already said that. ). The reason I enjoy the game is because, well, I love everything outside of the dungeons (which encompasses puzzles). The exploration, the main town, most of the other locations, most of the side content, the story, the graphics, the music, the atmosphere, etc.

Also, I think MM was harder than OoT.

[Foggle]

Turbo Mode is really rough on my thumbs.

[gunswordfist]

Turbo Mode is really rough on my thumbs.

I remember I used to tear up my thumbs on Marvel vs Capcom 2.

[Foggle]

ALRIGHT YOU PRIMITIVE SCREWHEADS, LISTEN UP!

If you pre-purchase Max Payne 3 on Steam, you get ~free~ copies of the first two games. But I already own them! This is quite a predicament, because I will have ~giftable copies of Max Payne 1 & 2~ and ~nothing~ to do with them.

WHO WANTS 'EM!?

(they'll probably work on your computer even if it's from the stone age; the system requirements are extremely low)

[Spark Of Spirit]

I'll take one. It'll probably be years until I can properly play them, but it would be nice to have.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I'll take Max Payne 2 since its been years since I played that game, unless there is someone else you want to give it who really wants it. I have a steam account too, though I have never actually had a chance to use it before....

[Foggle]

I'll take Max Payne 2 since its been years since I played that game, unless there is someone else you want to give it who really wants it. I have a steam account too, though I have never actually had a chance to use it before....

Alright, cool! Once I get the giftable copies, I'll send MP 1 to Spark and 2 to you.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Thanks a lot. That's really cool of you to do. I wish I had something to send in return, but maybe I'll just donate the money I would have saved up to buy MP2 myself to the site when I finally get a job this summer.

[Foggle]

You don't have to man. I'm getting these copies for free as a pre-order bonus anyway.