The Battle System in Yokai Watch is Fun, Random, Weird

While on vacation I’ve been spending some downtime playing Yokai Watch, the new RPG for the Nintendo 3DS from Level-5. While it’s been a huge hit in Japan, this is only the first release in the US. So far, I can see why: the game has a lot of charm. Not unlike the Pokemon series, you run around collecting monsters that you then use in battle to defeat and befriend other monsters. While the name of the game in Pokemon is tracking them all down and becoming the best, in Yokai Watch the focus seems to be on story rather than the Yokai themselves. The visuals and humor are fantastic and pleasing to see and hear, but the real kicker that’s been keeping me coming back into the world is the battle system.

Unlike most RPGs, you don’t directly control your Yokai in battle. Instead of barking orders at them and watching the outcome, each Yokai acts on its own. This is kind of relieving because most battles are 3 on 3 affairs, meaning you’d have a lot of micromanaging your moves to defeat enemies. I’m a traditional turn based RPG fan, but even I find it dull when you have to dish out commands to your team just to defeat the simple, easy to kill enemies. In this sense Yokai Watch is kind of great. But for those who love to hand pick every strategy like you might in a Persona game might not like the lack of freedom.

Lack of freedom isn’t entire true, because even though the game is hands off with the combat, you can still greatly affect the battle. The titular Yokai Watch let’s you store 6 Yokai on your team at once, but you only use three in battle. Instead of having the other three sit out for the fight, they can be rotated in by spinning the watch and bringing them into battle instead. You’ll be doing a lot of rotating because each Yokai is kind of weak on it’s own. It’s fun spinning your watch, bringing in new Yokai, and watching them pummel your foes.

On top of rotating your team, you can also activate each Yokai’s “Soultimate” attack if they have a full spirit meter. Doing so moves you into a small minigame like tapping floating targets or tracing an outline in order to successfully activate the ability. These special powers can make or break a battle, and each Yokai’s is different. Jibanyan, for example, uses “Paws of Fury” which unleashes a flurry of swipes at each enemy on screen, doing a lot of damage all at once. After the Soultimate is expended it has to be recharged, meaning you need to be wise in your execution.

Because you’ll be doing so much on the bottom screen swapping Yokai, activating abilities, giving health items, and maybe even trying to recover a fallen ally, it’s good the action happens all on its own on the upper screen. At first I was taken aback by this lack of interaction, but the more and more I played the more the combat opened up and gave me options to get involved. Now I’m trying to find the best combination of Yokai teams, since having Yokai with matching “Tribes” next to one another gives them more power and having a variety of Tribes on your team can help defeat the more challenging enemies. I’m only a few hours in at this point, so there could be more to come down the road, but so far I’m really enjoying the frantic, fast paced, and totally random combat!

Outside of the combat the story has been bare bones. You play as a young boy or girl who just so happens to stumble upon a strange tree that houses a friendly ghost Yokai. After the chance encounter you discover Yokai are all around us, some causing mischief and mayhem, others simply trying to make the best of their situation. One thing leads to another and you’ve got to stop the Yokai world from disruption the existence of the Human world! Like I said, it’s standard stuff so far, but I’m hoping the story will pick up later. There’s potential here to make it something more than a Pokemon ripoff about cute little monsters that you can collect. Give me danger, give me characters I care about, and most of all give me the type of storytelling I know Level-5 is capable of (They did make the Professor Layton series, afterall!).

I brought a handful of new games with me on this trip, thinking I’d try out a few and stick with the one I like, but having started with Yokai Watch I don’t know if I’ll be getting to Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon or Tri Force Heroes anytime soon. If Yokai Watch keeps doing super cute things like having my character take of his shoes when going inside his home, or putting on a rain coat while the weather’s bad outside, or even getting bonuses for waiting for and using the crosswalk then I’ll be more than happy to put those games on the sidelines!

Laters,
Jsick

 

Top Ten Game Pickups of 2015

Another year is coming to an end, and with it a great assortment of new games added to the collection. This year was a lot more memorable than the previous years, mainly because I was actually able to play a lot of the new games that came out! Just check out my Top Ten Games of 2015 and see what I mean! 2015 Was also the year I really got to enjoy my PS4! I’m looking forward to what the next year has in store for Sony’s home console. And who could forget the Wii U! Haters gonna hate, but I still love that system, and this year saw several great titles added to Nintendo’s black box. The 3DS is still going strong, and the next game I’m most excited for in 2016 happens to be for the 3DS (Fire Emblem: Fates!!). I never mentioned it before (or at least I can’t recall if I have), but this year also happened to be the year I surpassed 2,000 games in the collection! Yay for game collecting but boo for my aching wallet! Just like last year, instead of doing a complete rundown of all the games of 2015, here are the top ten best games I found last year!

 

Pokemon Picross Adds a New Twist, But Isn’t the Picross Game I Was Looking For

Whenever someone asks me what my favorite games are, I have a really hard time answering since I really do enjoy a lot. Instead, I come back with my favorite types of games to play, which include (in no particular order) fighting games, RPGs, and puzzle games. I think that last one is the most endearing of them all: puzzle games have been around for ages, but more recently they’ve been relegated to social media and/or smartphone titles that probably aren’t worth your time. But every now and then a good puzzle game is all I need to pass the time enjoyable. Take the Professor Layton or Picross franchises for example: both are epitomes of what I want in a portable puzzle game, and both are easily some of the best games I’ve ever played. So you could imagine my excitement when a Pokemon-themed Picross game came out a few weeks ago on 3DS.

On the surface Pokemon Picross seems to have everything a Picross game should: familiar puzzle gameplay, the same old strategy as before, and that sense of accomplishment when you’ve completed a tough level. But now with Pokemon to adorn every puzzle! Don’t even mind the “Free to start” mentality and the microtransactions to continue playing the game: just drop $30 at the beginning and the game is you’re, entirely unlocked without any other financial roadblocks. So what’s not to like

Well, for starters (get it?) this actually makes some big changes to the Picross formula. Usually in a Pircross puzzle there are definite ways to uncover which tiles to chip away and which to leave alone. Think of it like a jigsaw puzzle: you might have several pieces that are shaped the same, but only one piece will slot into another and make the picture look correct. In Pokemon Picross however, there are several times where you literally get to a point where you can’t logically choose the next step. You’ll just be poking around to see what might work without any definite strategy behind it.

And that’s where actual Pokemon come in! After clearing a stage and revealing the Pokemon, you catch it! From then on, you can select that Pokemon before a new puzzle to use it’s special ability to aid you in solving the next challenge. Each Pokemon type has a unique ability. These include abilities that reveal columns or rows of tiles correctly at the start of the match, highlight rows that you can use accurately figure out which tiles to eliminate, and even some abilities that automatically correct a tile if you incorrectly use it. Honestly, these changes are pretty damn awesome, and I really like using them! It feel cool having Snorlax take out some tiles in the beginning of the match, or having Oddish tell me when I’ve done something wrong. Future Picross games should try to incorporate these mechanics in some way, because they add a lot of fun to the puzzles, and give players with less skill a better chance of winning!

Despite all this the game just ins’t doing it for me like I want it too. I’ve been happily travelling through zones collecting Pokemon, but I get dragged down when there’s a puzzle, even with the special Pokemon abilities, that just can’t be beaten because you don’t have enough information available to win. It sucks! I understand the game wants me to go forward, collect bigger, more powerful allies, then come back to tackle these harder challenges, but it’s a drag! I praised this series in the past for it’s thoughtful puzzle design and how it made you feel like a genius when your brain finally figures it out! Now that’s all up in the air and determined by which friends you bring into battle with you. I wish there were a way to still use these powers but give the player a fighting chance even if you don’t have the most powerful Pokemon at your disposal.

I’ll still be playing Pokemon Picross for the time being, mainly because I don’t have anything else right now in y 3DS. Also, it still has the great pick up and play mentality of previous Picross games, which makes it super easy to play one puzzle or one hundred before getting old. I think my expectations were set high on this one, so the only thing I could do was be let down, which is exactly what happened. That being said, Pokemon Picross is still a fun game, it just isn’t as fun as the past entries I’ve played in the series.

Laters,
Jsick

 

Top Ten Games of 2015

The year that was 2015 is coming to an end, and as we tend to do as a community, let’s take a look back at the games that made the year memorable. There were some awesome indie releases, some great first party titles, and even some out of nowhere hits for just about every console out there. Instead of counting down the highest rated games across the board, here at SlickGaming I’m only looking at the games I actually played in 2015. Sorry Xbox One fans, you won’t see anything on this list. That being said, there were actually a great many awesome games released this year, and it was pretty challenging to narrow it down to just ten! Let’s get this grand spectacle started!

 

A Quick Update

Hello there, loyal SlickGaming followers! If you’ve been wondering what’s been going on with the blog and why there’s been nothing posted for a few weeks, it’s because WE’RE MOVING!! More accurately, we’ve already moved! Laura and I jumped from a tiny 2 bedroom apartment to a full fledged house! We’re both really excited for a new place and were hard at work making it our home. 

Unfortunately that means not a lot of downtime for writing. However, when I have gotten a few extra moments I’ve been spending it on Fallout 4I’m happy with the game so far: it’s been a long time since a game has had me wanting to just explore the world quite like this one! Have you all been enjoying the Commonwealth Wasteland too?

Outside of Fallout, I played a new board gane with some friends over Thanksgiving Break called Dead of Winter. It’s a zombie survival game, but the focus is on survival more than killing zombies. Think the later seasons of The Walking Dead and you’ll have a good image of what I mean. Either way, it was fun and I look forward to playing it with my friends again over their Christmas Holiday. 

I also dabbled in the Wii U’s Animall Crossing: amiibo Festival. While the game isn’t anything like a Mario Party game like I wanted it to be, it is a fun, simple tilted for Animal Crossing lovers. Also, I took the plunge and bought all the amiibos for Laura and myself. Even if the game isn’t extraordinary, the little Tom Nook and company sure are!

I’m hoping to get back into the full swing of things here soon. Likely a few Game of the Year candidates, then the annual yearly roundup. Until then, have a great day!

Laters.

Jsick

 

Some Thoughts on Fallout 4

As the entire gaming world knows, Fallout 4 released this week. And I, like the entire gaming world, am currently engrossed in the wasteland that is the Boson Commonwealth. As a die hard Fallout fan (and I mean diehard, I’ve played every Fallout game, including Tactics and Brotherhood of Steel) I had high expectations for this newest installment. While my first handful of hours with the game have been immensely entertaining, there are some differences and changes between Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, some good and some bad. Here’s a quick rundown of my thoughts on the game so far.

Perks are redone and the game is way better because of it

In past Fallouts, leveling up meant you could spend a few skill points to increase skills like lockpicking, small gun efficiency, and sneaking. Every few levels you would also get a new perk, which were like abilities in other RPGs. Perks were character enhancements like permanent increases to weapon damage, the ability to drink irradiated water and not suffer as negative an effect, and so on. In Fallout 4 however, this system has been redone completely. As you level up, you get 1 point to assign to a perk to unlock it or increase its rank. Perks include the old ones like Iron Stomach and Bloody Mess in their classic form, but there are also new perks that take place of the old skills. For example, if you want to hack a computer you need to take the hacking perk, and if you want to hack advanced or expert consoles, you’ll need to take the advanced or expert hacking rank as well. It means you don’t get bogged down with spending skill points as well as perk points, and instead can totally shape your character as you see fit. It’s limiting at first, but you’ll love the freedom later. Also, there’s no level cap, so you won’t have to worry about spending your last precious point on something you might not want! You can have it all!

Customization is crazy and changes everything

There’s also been customization in Fallout games, but in Fallout 4 it’s pretty much the main aspect. You can upgrade and customize your weapons, armor, and even the settlements you discover. The amount of modifications is kind of overwhelming, and not making it any better are the resources you need to do so. You remember all those useless coffee mugs and screwdrivers in Fallout 3? Well, they’re not so useless anymore as they provide you with the necessary components to build and craft those mods. I found myself picking up all kinds of random shit because I needed it to build a new stock for my gun. It’s a lot to get used to right off the bat, but using the game’s tag feature will help you find what you really need and weed through the junk.

Ammo is scarce but enemies are squishy(-ish)

Ammunition is harder to come by it seems, and even after taking the scavenger perk I still seem to have a hard time getting a comfortable amount of the ammo I really want. This might change as I continue exploring, but it does seem ammo isn’t as plentiful as in Fallout 3 and New Vegas. That being said, enemies are relatively easy to take down. A well placed sneak attack or close-range shotgun blast has been my savior for many a fight. Also, melee weapons are incredibly fun and useful again. I’m just sad I haven’t come across a Power Fist yet. Here’s hoping it’ll be soon!

The story doesn’t have the same appeal as Fallout 1, 2, 3

With the exception of New Vegas, which I thought was an alright story but not incredible, the Fallout franchise has always had a strong story element. The first Fallout gave us a great story driven RPG with a lot of humor and dark themes, and the more recent Fallout 3 laid it on thick with your disappearing dad and teenage bullies right off the bat. But in Fallout 4 it just seems like I’m looking for my wife’s executioner and kidnapper of my son. Sure, those are as cliche as cliche can get, but they are good starting points for something better. I just haven’t seen it yet. I feel like I’m this careless father who’s just running around killing people and taking drugs. Hmm, maybe it’s better I never find them then…

I’m glad Power Armor has been reworked

A staple of the series, Power Armor has always (and still remains) the best armor you can wear in the game. But instead of making it so once you find a set you never wear anything else, unless you find a more unique version of said Power Armor, you can only use Power Armor for a limited time. This is accomplished by the introduction of fusion cores: they are the power supply for your Power Armor. There’s a limited number of them in the game, but so far they’ve been uncommon and not rare. But, this means you’re not going to just run around in your Power Armor and instead you’ll need a viable suit of “regular” armor to get through your exploration. It’s nice, and it really makes the visually creative and exciting armors in the game way more appealing and likely to be used. Good on you, Bethesda, for fixing something I didn’t know I wanted fixed!

This is still a Fallout game despite the changes

No matter how you slice it, Fallout 4 is still a great Fallout game. I think some changes have been for the worse, but time will tell if that’s just my initial love for the old, or if it’s actually a turn for the worse. But the good outweighs the bad. And if you’re a Fallout fan you’ll love Fallout 4. I think the game doesn’t lose what it means to be a game: you can carry absurd amounts of items, you can stop combat just to look at your equipment and even drop some, you can pretty much do whatever you want, and there is no repercussion for just wandering around and exploring (in fact, it’s usually rewarded!). That’s always why I’ve loved the Fallout games: you can do crazy things the game doesn’t expect you to do, but totally allows you to do. Want to lockpick a door and bypass the entire section and get the rewards? Sure, you can do that. What about equipping a dress and a pool cue and wrecking havoc on the next raider group you see? Why not? And you can do it all however you want, at your own pace, and without fear of the game yelling at you for doing it.

Fallout 4, you’ve been great so far, and I hope you can keep it up while I explore the rest of the Wasteland!

Laters,
Jsick

 

Top Ten Party Games

One of the best things video games can do is bring people together. Multiplayer has been around for decades, and with a general shift toward online multiplayer being the only way to play with others, local multiplayer and party games have been declining. Despite this, some of the greatest video games created were made specifically with local multiplayer in mind. Recently Nintendo seems to be the only publisher making games to fit in this genre, but there have been dozens of games released over the past years that exemplify the party genre. Here is my list of the ten greatest party games ever!

 

Video Review: Fortune Street

It’s been months since I was able to get behind my desktop, record some voiceover, edit a heck of a lot of video, and make a new review, but here it is!

Fortune Street on the Wii is not like any other “Party” game I’ve played. I think the misconception about the game is just that: it’s a party game. While Fortune Street is best enjoyed with other players on your couch, it’s just not as endearing as a Mario Party or a Monopoly. Unless you’re a stock broker who moonlights as a Mario junkie.

Laters,
JsickA

 

Sunday Roundup: 10/25/15

A Realm Reborn: Final Fantasy XIV PS3 Release Date: August 27th, 2013 Purchased at: Target (Sunnyvale, CA – $4) This game was repackaged and/or it was used, but for just $4 I wasn’t going to say no to a Final Fantasy game. I played and enjoyed the previous Final Fantasy MMO on the PC, FFXI, and I’ve heard some pretty great things about this game! I would prefer to play on the PC though, but a console MMO could be pretty fun! Maybe one of these days I’ll get around to checking this one out.

Laters,
Jsick

 

Pro Tips for Playing The Legend of Legacy

A spiritual successor to the beloved old Saga series, being developed by past developers from Square Enix and Level-5, and featuring wonderful visuals and an intricate battle system caused Legend of Legacy to get a small amount of buzz from RPG fans before its release. Regrettably I haven’t played a Saga game, but I have played plenty of RPGs and really love me some Level-5, so I was all on board to give this game a go. A few hours in I found out just how difficult the game was: I was losing to small mobs, getting absolutely devastated by bosses, and generally not having a great time with the game. I stuck with it though, and discovered how to actually play the game. If you were like me and you are struggling to get a foothold in the world of Avalon then use these tips to better your adventuring and conquer even the most difficult of foes!