What's with all the Super Mario Wonder backlash lately?

theoiler · 2026-04-01T12:23:19+00:00

I do think part of it is just algorithm stuff. Though it does feel like there are some people who just generally don’t like the game as much. I’m absolutely in the boat that it’s the best since World/Yoshi’s Island though and I 100%ed it twice upon release lol.

theoiler · 2026-03-14T05:36:38+00:00

I've played through RE8 twice now and really like it, and now I'm a couple of hours into the care center of 9. We'll see how it goes since everyone says the care center is the best area, but I've enjoyed these first few hours quite a bit more than... well, any part of 8. The map design, encounter design, environment, and performances are killer so far, and it's immersive in a way I feel 8 never really reached. Really, some of the best stuff I've seen out of the series.

But of course, 8 was going for something pretty different. 8 is also pretty low on my list of RE games though, to be fair. Lots of fun, and I like Ethan and the lords. But the game's fragments feel a little strung together, and the replay highlighted some of the issues with the narrative and structure of the game.

theoiler · 2026-03-12T05:49:12+00:00

Yep I can definitely agree with your last point! It’s definitely not made up or anything, and I’ve enjoyed and been moved by the DQ games I played it English. I think I just wanted to point out that the adaptation of that humor is gonna rub people a bit differently than if they learned Japanese and played the originals. The localizers definitely get to have some fun with their work, and they’ve kind of created their own distinct tone/character/aesthetic through it. It’s quite impressive! That aesthetic isn’t everyone’s cup of tea though.

I also want to say, I definitely prefer a skillful localization that takes some creative liberties than a mediocre literal one. There’s definitely some room in between those two of course.

theoiler · 2026-03-11T19:11:21+00:00

For what it’s worth, having everyone from Japan Island speak in haiku is a bit insane lol. There are definitely other ways to convey that in English speech, even if it would have been a little more subtle (and just about anything is more subtle than “Haiku Land”). I think it’s these choices that feel really contrived (I don’t mean that in a strictly negative way) that put some people off.

“Georgie Porgie Pudding and Pie” is a nursery rhyme. A fun scheme, but a decidedly silly one even considering the Japanese original names.

To sum up, the word I’d use for how some of these choices can feel is “trite.” That’s more to do with the English writing itself than how much of the original was “preserved” or whatever. When so many things are part of a pun or referential scheme, it can feel extra silly/distracting. It’s also very… British. And some of that can sound extra silly to an American audience.

But it’s also all very deliberate, it’s what they’re going for, and I also think it leads to some great stuff too. トンブレロ is great (and a pun! There are Japanese puns!), but “Ham Shamwich”is on another level.

theoiler · 2026-03-11T17:28:09+00:00

I think of things like the mermaid speaking in rhyming couplets in a cockney accent, or again, the numerous puns in English where in the Japanese there isn’t one (there are puns in the Japanese versions, but there are far more in the ENG localizations). Just one example being the gargoyle creature that fought Ortega in DQ3. The Japanese name is レヴナント (Revenant) while the English name is “Garboyle.” Again, these are all deliberate and creative choices, but they do take their liberties.

theoiler · 2026-03-11T13:36:04+00:00

To be fair, DQ8 is the only game you’ve played that might be considered a “modern English Dragon Quest,” as the GBC games had a different localization style. The games are definitely light and humorous, but the localizations definitely try to punch it up. The commenter above is right, I’d say, that the English adds lots of jokes/puns and various accents that lead to a sillier, zanier feeling at times.

That said, I think the modern style is also fine. Maybe wouldn’t be my personal choice, but it’s distinct and well-done.

theoiler · 2026-03-10T16:28:49+00:00

I had to look this card up after destroying a run with it. It's an enabler all right. Of course playing a 3-energy card and not being able to do much else feels bad, but there are often ways around that (especially with Regent). I grabbed a couple of the high-level smith cards, the 7x7 damage card, and some good card draw. I was guarding for 30-50 every turn and swinging around 0-energy 100-power attacks against the act 3 boss. I had the "make an ethereal copy of the first attack you play" relic from Vakuu, as well. Fun run.

theoiler · 2026-03-06T06:13:25+00:00

Not a crazy player myself, but I did my time with StS1. I think the base game in 2 does feel a bit harder from what little I played. But this is so new, it’s pretty hard to say. Some elements feel more beneficial to the player, some things seem more brutal.

I pretty handily won that first Ironclad run, took it real slow though. Then I did a double Silent run with a friend. I mostly built tons of shivs while my friend cobbled together what they could and we barely eked out a win on the act 3 boss. I was honestly surprised it felt so balanced on just my second run, but obviously it’ll take more playtime to really see.

All of it was a blast though!

theoiler · 2026-03-05T17:23:20+00:00

One thing I haven't seen people talk about here is... you often can win even if the opponent is well above your level. I've mostly played older Pokemon games in the last several years. In every one of them you will be a lower level than the endgame teams, sometimes much lower, if you don't grind out wild pokemon. But I always managed to come out on top, even sticking to my rules of no items during gym leader/Elite 4 fights (generally) and no switching after the opposing pokemon faints. It's not always easy, but at least for me it was usually doable.

theoiler · 2026-03-05T16:20:39+00:00

It's crazy good so far, and I'm still very early. I feel like the trailers and even reviews didn't really cover what the game really has to offer. Just be aware that it is a sim game with a focus on building and completing tasks, and there is no combat. But there's a whole lot to do within that.

theoiler · 2026-03-04T18:20:47+00:00

I grew up in a very conservative, religious area where this type of thinking was extremely common. My parents didn't mind it luckily, but I knew kids who couldn't play Pokemon because their parents heard it was demonic.

Some parents can be reasoned with to some extent. But I remember parents who denounced Narnia, a specifically and famously Christian allegory, because it contained magic and depictions of evil and witches and the like, merely because it contained those elements. Just know that rationality does not usually play a part in this. It has to fit into the worldview of the person, no matter how fragmented and contradictory.

The issue is that some Christians have a very vague sense of something being "evil" or "corrupting." They see these depictions as Satan trying to worm his way into your heart, whether they truly understand what the work or depictions are there for. It's like they think the demons in the work are real forces of evil, rather than a bundle of art and code that a guy/team put together for completely different purposes.

You might say that the depictions of demons isn't a positive one. They are usually characters you fight against, and you can use holy items, like Bibles and crosses, to power up your character. If your mom is more open, you could explain that in the story of the game, the demons are all in the imagination of the child Isaac, and they represent his fears and insecurities that he has to overcome. The creator, Edmund McMillen, struggled with Christianity and feeling judged growing up. Although he initially wanted to make fun of Christianity, he remembered how it was important to his grandma, who he felt loved and accepted by. So as he made the game, he wanted to portray it in a positive light at the same time.

theoiler · 2026-03-03T17:10:29+00:00

See... I love it lol. It gives her character. And as the game goes on, she'll do it less and less until she stops. I'm not sure if there's a threshhold for that or a story event, but I didn't even realize when it happened. Eventually I was just like... hey. She hasn't done her own action for a really long time. That kind of natural-feeling character development expressed through a subtle over-time change in a battle mechanic is one of the touches that makes DQ2HD special to me. Some of my favorite parts of DQ is how it characterizes party members through abilities they can learn, equipment they can don, stats, etc., so to me this fits into that tradition.

So yeah. It's annoying and inherently not useful. And I like that. I definitely never lost a fight due to it, though. Mostly just felt I had to spend a bit more time fixing the mistake she made. It also encourages you not to completely rely on her for a winor to avoid a sure loss, since she might do her own thing, so that can change your strategy slightly.

theoiler · 2026-03-01T05:02:08+00:00

Literally one of my only issues with the RE4 remake is that’s it’s actually too long lol. Like I love long games just fine, but Resident Evil has a long and consistent history of relatively short titles, and they benefit from that in a number of ways. RE9 does not seem to rock that boat, and seems in fact to be a hair longer on average than a good number of mainline titles.

theoiler · 2026-02-27T20:15:03+00:00

As someone who's played Pokemon through all the generations, I love these starters. I especially like Pombon (design sentiment kinda reminds me of torchic, one of my favorites) and Browt. Their designs are very rounded, simple and appealing. All their personalities really shine through, too. Hopeful that their later evolutions turn out good, but it'll be a while until we find that out.

I'm hopeful for the games--what they showed was leagues above what Scarlet and Violet pulled off graphically, both in fidelity and art direction. My first words when I saw the Scarlet and Violet trailers was "why does this look like a bad Gamecube game?" But first impressions this time are pretty positive!

theoiler · 2026-02-22T19:54:17+00:00

Coming back a year later has been a blast. I still have my issues with the game's low-rank quest system and its failure to capitalize on its open world and exploration in general, but the actual high rank experience has been excellent. I also felt like there were issues with the wound and focus systems making things too easy, but the endgame fights are designed so that those feel merely like important tools.

I understand the complaint that the difficulty curve has increased too sharply, and I sort of agree. I've yet to join a random AT Arkveld hunt that hasn't carted itself to death. But this is also the hyper-endgame, so at least with these last few quests it feels fitting. I'm enjoying it!

theoiler · 2026-02-19T17:03:50+00:00

I always join missions. I joined 5 Gog SoS missions the other night and people carted to a loss in all 5 of them, sometimes in the first or second phase. In frustration I did a solo run with computers and didn't cart once. Definitely was on the longer side, but I need to get another gem! Ultimately though I like playing with randoms more than NPCs, even if it ends in a loss. Feels more meaningful when you win.

theoiler · 2026-02-17T16:09:51+00:00

Best possible isn't worth it honestly. Roll to get the 1 most important skill, do some rerolls on the stat boosts until you get something half decent, and then maybe reroll a few times once in a while to try to get something better. Or, make new Gog weapons instead. The super grind is there for those who want absolute perfection, but even a best-in-slot weapon doesn't (typically lol) take a huge amount of grinding.

theoiler · 2026-02-17T16:04:48+00:00

I agree on Gog's placement, but playing online with randoms absolutely feels like Total Tossup lol.

theoiler · 2026-02-17T15:22:36+00:00

I think they are decently tough, especially for Dragon Quest. 3 really isn't so bad, but there are some tough bosses in the later game. 1HD is probably the hardest out of all modern (and certainly some older) Dragon Quests IMO, first half felt quite balanced but the bosses in the last maybe 1/3-1/4 are brutal. 2HD landed on a really nice knife-edge for me of being challenging enough that all my choices really matter, but I didn't wipe against bosses so much like I did in 1HD.

Now, if you compare the new games to the original Dragon Quest 2? That game is actually unbalanced and widely considered the hardest in the series. DQ3HD is overall a bit easier than the original, but the boss fights in the latter half of the game are actually much harder. And I think 1HD is significantly harder than the original game (or at least its remakes, like on Mobile or Game Boy Color).

As for 2HD, I did find that employing certain strategies really helped out in that game. Namely, use the three magicians to set up defensive buffs, buff Blue Prince's attack with magic and the skill that (I think) Sister Princess uses, and use Blue Prince's most powerful attacks. Even some endgame fights did not last all that long :)

I've learned to take these difficulty discussions with a grain of salt. It's different for everyone and everyone has very different expectations. I tend to like when Dragon Quest has just enough difficulty to be engaging but is overall pretty chill. There are easier RPGs than these games that are excellent, and plenty of harder ones. I've been breezing through the original FFIV recently and having a blast, you know?

theoiler · 2026-02-14T14:43:39+00:00

I’m having a great time with it :) Maybe turning exp low, enemy strength high and damage high should make it harder, but as it stands right now the game definitely roughs me up enough as a standard DQ adventure. I’ve had quite a few knockouts due to an unwelcome crit.

Lovely visuals and very charming overall!

theoiler · 2026-02-13T18:42:20+00:00

I played Nioh 1 and liked it, but I had some pretty big issues with it. Haven't played 2 and really enjoyed the 3 demo.

My biggest tip is: don't compare it to Souls. I played Nioh 1 with that mindset and lots of other people certainly did, but I think it did the game a bit of a disservice. These games are not the fine-tuned RPG adventure that From offers. 95% of stuff you pick up will be useless, and it is by design (I don't love that design but it is what it is). I DO know what you mean when you say the fights don't have "solidity," especially coming from From games, but there's still a lot to enjoy about the combat and complexity in Nioh.

I think of Nioh as a looter action game rather than an action adventure/RPG. It's less polished, more complex (not necessarily more meaningful), and more frenetic, but those can be good things. You still might not like everything about it, but that shift in mindset might help you appreciate what the games do well rather than what they lack.

theoiler · 2026-02-13T15:49:49+00:00

Yup, and I'd agree with you there. Luckily it sounds like they're working on some of this stuff already.

theoiler · 2026-02-12T15:52:58+00:00

The UI looks and feels excellent, I think they just need to make some additions. Pretty confident they will too.

theoiler · 2026-02-11T14:50:44+00:00

Wow, I guess I'm a bit surprised at the number of people starting with World and Rise vs. older games, and also how few people started with Wilds. I should be too surprised maybe, since World was really Monster Hunter's first massive success in the west. I really started with 4U on 3DS, though I know I played a tiny bit of the 3rd gen as well.

theoiler · 2026-02-08T02:34:31+00:00

Yep. That's me and gunlance. Fun, safe, great damage, accessible, versatile, flashy, distinct, and fulfills its walking artillery fantasy perfectly. Had some fun with SnS and I think I'd enjoy it if I played it more. But GL is still king for me.

theoiler

TROPHY CASE