REVIEW – Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight (3DS)

Posted on Jan 29, 2016 by ollie

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Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight
Developer: Atlus
Publisher: NIS America Europe
Platform(s): 3DS
Release Date: February 12th 2016
Links: US Site

Reviewed by Oliver Jameson (@MinusWorld)

It’s safe to say that Atlus’s dungeon crawling RPG series Etrian Odyssey has become something of a staple on Nintendo’s portable systems. Starting life on the DS, the entire series is currently playable on the 3DS and its various incarnations, both through backwards compatibility, new releases exclusive to the system such as Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan, crossovers with both the Persona and Mystery Dungeon series, and the brand new Untold sub-series. The second title in this branch away from the main series, Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight serves as a semi-remake of 2008’s Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard, a DS title which sadly never saw release in Europe, but is now accessible to a worldwide audience with a wide range of improvements and new gameplay features, most prominently an original story mode that provides players with a set story and pre-determined characters to make their way through it with.

Whilst this new story mode goes against the traditional Etrian Odyssey formula, which tasks players to customise their own party of 5 characters, choosing their special abilities and stats from one of 12 unique classes (with an additional one coming as DLC at a later date), it is certainly a welcome addition, much like in the previous Untold title. The option of playing through a ‘Classic’ mode with full party customisation is still present for veteran players and those who want to experience more standard Etrian gameplay, but story mode offers an interesting and highly accessible option for newcomers to the series who want to avoid the often complicated decisions involved in party creation, or who wish for a more traditional RPG experience with a linear story. In a lot of ways there’s merit in playing through both options, as whilst the story is your fairly standard JRPG affair, it’s interesting to experience the relatively flexible gameplay of Etrian Odyssey, which offers the player quite a lot of freedom in terms of approach, accommodating a plot with scripted events.

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The Fafnir Knight‘s story mode makes great use of dialogue and character interaction, both through voiced segments such as random discussions that occur whilst exploring the labyrinth and with writing that creates a set of likeable characters you’ll become eager to discover more about; this particularly applies to Bertrand and Chloe, two characters who join your party a few hours into the game to bring the total up to five – initially their personalities appear flat and almost cold, but you’ll quickly take a liking to them as more of their character is revealed through both story and optional events. As a whole, the localisation quality here is high, as expected from an Atlus title, and whilst European fans may have felt slightly alienated by the delay between the game’s release here and in other regions, it’s clear that a lot of care has been put in to preparing it for western audiences.

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You’ve Probably Never Played… New 3D Golf Simulation: Devil’s Course

Posted on Jan 27, 2016 by ollie

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New 3D Golf Simulation: Devil’s Course (True Golf Classics: Wicked 18) 
Developer: T&E Soft
Publisher: T&E Soft, Bullet-Proof Software
Platform(s): SNES, PC9801, 3DO, Mega Drive
Release Date: March 5th 1993 (JPN), October 1993 (US)

Have you ever wondered to yourself ‘is there golf in hell?’ If the answer to this question is yes, then the budding Tiger Woods in you will be happy to learn that not only is golf played in hell, but the devil has his very own course!

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It has to be said that whoever came up with the name Devil’s Course had a truly brilliant mind; it’s a title that carries a true air of mystery, tension and drama, not at levels you would ever expect from a game of golf, real or otherwise. It’s easy to imagine that perhaps such a title merely suggest a particularly difficult golf course is featured within this ‘New 3D Golf Simulation’, but no, the title can be taken as literally as it’s written; this course is clearly the work of some kind of otherworldly being.

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Bargains, In-flight Entertainment and Carts Galore – Culture Collection #9

Posted on Jan 23, 2016 by ollie

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There’s no better way to spend your weekend than with some portable games. If Game Boy classics are your style, then FamicomSpirits has got you more than covered with this truly envy-inducing mound of carts! Whilst it’s obviously difficult to gauge the quality of this particular collection at a glance considering the sheer number of titles, playing through all of these games is certain to keep you occupied for some time.

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It has to be said that when it comes to a portable gaming solution, the original Game Boy isn’t exactly ideal by today’s standards; it’s pretty chunky, not to mention the added weight of having to lug around all those carts (and with a selection as big as FamicomSpirits’, you’ll have to be choosy!). Perhaps you’re simply looking for a more arcade or home-console quality retro gaming experience on the go? Luckily, as recorded by gameagentet, Korean Air have the perfect solution with their in-flight Super Famicom version of Street Fighter II Turbo. Despite the game having ‘Turbo’ in the name, this particular unit runs at an aggravatingly slow pace that’ll undoubtedly make pulling off complex combos a frustrating experience, but I suppose it’s the only alternative to bringing your own SFC onto the plane! I have to wonder if the actual World Warriors from Street Fighter would put up with playing this version of the game when they jet from country to country…

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Even 30 years after it’s release, the Famicom is still arguably one of the best-looking consoles Nintendo has ever made, a trend continued by its streamlined re-release, the HVC-101 (AV Famicom). kousuke0314_0314‘s snap of the two Famicom brothers is a simple but stylish one, showcasing their iconic design along with a pair of Bearbrick; I don’t know why this is, but it looks cool! Every so often Kousuke posts a short gameplay clip from a Famicom game, testing his follower’s knowledge by asking them to identify it from a few seconds of footage; this week’s title happened to be the classic Donkey Kong and you can check out previous week’s games on his page or at the links featured.

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I was inspired by Kousuke to take some Famicom snaps of my own! Recently I’ve been dabbling in a bit of Dig Dug II, the sequel to Namco’s arcade classic that adds island terraforming into the mix for simple but addictive puzzling action. I’ve also been putting my shooting skills to the test with the home version of Taito’s iconic lightgun shooter Operation Wolf. This game’s a real tough one to play using the Famicom controller, but unfortunately a combination of having a flatscreen TV and not owning a Famicom ‘Beam Gun’ (also known by its alternate title, ‘The Gun’, which I prefer for its unnecessarily dramatic tone) I’ve got no other choice if I want to save the POWs!

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Some would argue that the Famicom simply isn’t complete without its disk-based counterpart, the Famicom Disk System. The FDS gave birth to some truly beloved titles with its save function, just as The Legend of Zelda, Metroid and Castlevania, along with a whole host of unique titles that never made it westward due to their unique release format. However, I have to question whether or not it’s possible to own too many Famicom Disk Systems, because if it is, Kumao is coming pretty close! The sight of six, complete in box FDSes truly is one to behold, although these units aren’t even the most impressive part of Kumao’s collection, which you can see many pictures of on his Twitter feed.

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I’ve touched on robopanda777‘s fantastic custom Game Boy work in previous instalments of Culture Collection, but this time I’m highlighting a Game Boy photo of a different variety; this pair of Game Boy Micro systems priced at ¥2,000 each make up one hell of a bargain and one I’m personally very envious of! Even with the rising prices of retro games in Japan, if you’re as capable at repairing and modding consoles as Robopan, the junk sections of hardware stores house more treasure than they do trash! These two units are in great condition for the price they’re being sold at, so this is an incredibly lucky find!

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To finish off what has been a fairly Famicom-centric Culture Collection, I had to share kazzycom‘s snap of these gorgeous original carry-cases for the Famicom and Super Famicom. The glimpses of various other parts of Kazzy’s collection (which I’ve highlighted in the past) are enough to get my heart racing, but there’s something truly irresistible about the dated aesthetic of gaming accessories from days gone by. The strange messages printed on the front, especially on the SFC one urging Mario to get a move on with saving the Princess, have a certain innocence about them that just adds to their charm!

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Add some Zelda stylings to your wardrobe with EDITMODE’s ‘Battle Against Ganon’ collection

Posted on Jan 21, 2016 by ollie

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When battling against evil in fantasy lands, a good defence is as important as a good offence, and that includes a defence from the harsh elements. However, it has to be said that despite their supposed practicality, brightly coloured tunics, stockings and pointy hats force you to trade away one of the most crucial elements of being a hero in return for endurance; style.

Luckily, EDITMODE have you covered with their new ‘Battle Against Ganon’ collection, released as part of their officially Nintendo-licensed THE KING OF GAMES clothing line. This stylish fleece-fabric parka uses subtle cross-stitched images of the original Zelda‘s memorable sprite characters on the front, back and sleeves. Each fleece will also feature a random printing on the sleeves selected from 16 different enemy sprites, so you’ll have to try your luck and see if you’ll be able to snag your favourite!

This fleece is ideal for keeping warm in the particularly frosty winter months, as well as professing your love for the Zelda series with the striking image of Link and Ganon’s final battle, one unmistakably familiar to anyone who grew up with the Famicom.

You can check out some more pictures below, or head over to the EDITMODE website and find out more details before they go on sale on the 26th of January.

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No crying until the end – An analysis of EarthBound’s finale

Posted on Jan 20, 2016 by ollie

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This week I beat EarthBound for the first time. I’d played it on many an occasion in the past, including almost to completion in its native Japanese thanks to the GBA compilation title Mother 1+2, but with the game finally receiving a legitimate release in Europe for the first time through the Wii U’s Virtual Console service, I knew it was time I saw it through until the very end. I thought I loved EarthBound before. Now I’ve beaten it, I understand why some consider it to be one of the greatest games ever made, a title I believe it is fully worthy of.

Whilst EarthBound displays such a level of quality found in few games throughout its entire duration, I’d like to talk in particular about the game’s ending section, the meaning behind it and its significance both to me personally and as a video game story. If you’ve yet to play EarthBound then I strongly advise you stop reading now, because massive spoilers will follow. I can safely say that you’ll be better off witnessing the events I’ll be discussing with your own eyes.

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REVIEW – Slice It! (3DS)

Posted on Jan 14, 2016 by Staying Frosty

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Slice It!
Developer: Com2uS/Arc System Works
Publisher: Aksys Games
Platform(s): 3DS
Release Date: January 14th 2015
Links: Official Website

Reviewed by Adam Mrozinski (@thekhaos – stayingfrosty.wordpress.com)

Slice it! was originally created by Com2uS, a South Korean mobile and online game development/publishing company.

The game had over 10 million downloads on iOS and Android platforms as of April 2011. Slice it! had also won the Korean Prime Minister’s Citation in 2010. Now fast forward to 2016 and Aksys Games have published a version of Slice it! for the Nintendo 3DS eShop that was developed in collaboration between Arc System Works and Com2uS. The title makes it’s Nintendo handheld debut on 1/14/16.

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You’ve Probably Never Played… Motoko-chan no Wonder Kitchen

Posted on Jan 13, 2016 by ollie

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Motoko-chan no Wonder Kitchen
Developer: Ajinomoto
Publisher: Ajinomoto
Platform(s): Super Famicom
Release Date: September 1993 (Japan exclusive)

When games are developed for advertising reasons, they have a strong tendency to suffer in quality, putting brand names and mascots before all else. The likes of Cool Spot, Chex Quest and Yo! Noid have become renown for their bizarre premises, in some cases being up front with their promotional interests, using brand mascots as protagonists and often using real-world food items as health pickups. In other cases, such as in 2002’s Darkened Skye, which made use of a strange magic system based on Skittles sweets, the use of branded items takes a back seat, not integral to the game but prominent enough that it’s impossible to avoid the branding from getting into your head. More recently, this is something that even Nintendo themselves have dabbled in, filling Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash with a plentitude of real-world confectionary as collectables (which, as a European player, was a little disorientating due to the use of many US-exclusive brands).

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Motoko-chan no Wonder Kitchen exists for a similar reason; to market a product, in this case, Ajinomoto-brand mayonnaise (with Ajinomoto being a large producer of various foodstuffs such as seasonings and cooking oils). It was, like several other games featured in You’ve Probably Never Played, a game released on a limited print run, with 10,000 units available for those who entered a lottery by mailing in two proof-of-purchase coupons from Ajinomoto mayonnaise. The game’s title makes the premise seem fairly simple to any onlooker – it’s just a generic cooking game that uses Ajinomoto mayonnaise, right? Whilst this stands partially true, you may be surprised to hear that the actual cooking makes up only a tiny fraction of the game, the rest being made up by a strange, confusing and incredibly unique point-and-click that, whilst brief in duration, is a very interesting for the sheer unexpectedness of its premise.

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3 Chills You’ll Find Nowhere Else

Posted on Jan 12, 2016 by Ben Parry

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With the advent of such titles as Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture and Gone Home, a debate has been sparked regarding what ought and ought not be categorised as a ‘video game’ in the first place. Some have dismissed these titles, and others like them, as mere ‘walking simulators’ undeserving of the label ‘video game’, for they offer little more than an imaginary stroll though an imaginary place, and do not much engage the motor functions of the player. I find this stance a little reductive, and ultimately something of a (minor) blight on the industry’s artistic growth.

Cinema is a young medium, scarcely past its first centennial and evolving even now into the realms of 48 frames per second, Dolby Atmos and IMAX 3D. It is also a medium that shares many traits with video gaming. Both sit at the crossroads of sight and sound, and it is the interplay of these facets that artists have manipulated for decades to evoke in audiences the full spectrum of human emotions, some of which might never have otherwise been felt. Of course, you are on Minus World, and this is not a piece about cinema, this is a piece about a component entirely lacking from it, an ingredient unique to video games and indeed one wholly present in even the most leisurely walking simulator: the element of interactivity.

My cause for concern with the stance that said walking simulators do not deserve the prestige of being categorised as video games is that, for many, the appeal of this very interactivity that defines video games is less in the opportunities afforded therein to run, jump and shoot in the shoes of a fictional character, but rather in the simple feel of those shoes and the possibilities of where the path underfoot may lead. Whether that path is littered with random encounters, audiologs or wooden boxes with question marks on is ultimately irrelevant. Titles like Grand Theft Auto V and Destiny showcase the medium’s capacity for blockbuster spectacle, and I’ve no intention of belittling the scope, scale or worth of these titles, indeed they’re titanic in terms of both ambition and success, but I find that far more unassuming titles are equally capable of delivering the very shivers that keep me playing games.

Below are detailed a scant few moments I’ve chosen to better illustrate that the equivocal nature of the definition of ‘video game’ means simply that fans of the medium are afforded even more opportunities to feel things. Absurd as it is, that the recent ‘feels’ meme has taken off as it has is indicative of a common desire for emotional resonance  in video games, and the gamut of affective means at the medium’s disposal is surely one that ought to be celebrated rather than streamlined. These moments are at once unrelated to the sorts of characteristics one might associate knee-jerkedly with video gaming, and yet would not be possible through any other medium; moments that encapsulate both video games’ capacity to move us and the contrast between their varying means of doing so.

(Please be aware that many of the moments detailed are significantly spoilerific, and will massively harm your experiences of the games if you’ve yet to play them!)

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Career Spotlight – Asuka Hayazaki

Posted on Jan 8, 2016 by ollie

This is the first entry of a new regular item on Minus World, ‘Career Spotlight’. In this monthly feature you’ll get an opportunity to learn about the unsung heroes who have been responsible for some of your favourite titles, often working behind the scenes and in many instances overlooked for the fantastic work they have contributed to the gaming industry. Composers, artists, developers and many more will all be given the spotlight here so you can discover more about their careers, projects and stories. Please enjoy!

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asuka-ohta-544Asuka Hayazaki

Residence: Kyoto
Role: Composer
Association: Nintendo EAD Sound Group
Tenure: 2003-present

Whilst it is unclear exactly how many games Nintendo’s EAD Sound Group have worked on, it’s easy to understand through listening to many of the fantastic pieces of music found in Nintendo titles, especially those developed by the EAD division, that it is home to some truly talented composers. Despite having only joined Nintendo in 2003, Asuka Hayazaki (often credited for her earlier works with her maiden name, Asuka Ohta) is such a composer, having already left her mark on the company’s history of remarkable music with some unique and memorable soundtracks.

When it comes to music, Hayazaki is easily what you would consider to be well-versed; playing a variety of different instruments and having taken part in a number of different bands over the years, as well as dabbling in a wide selection of musical genres ranging from techno to classical, which she was trained in whilst attending university, it’s no surprise that Koji Kondo himself was impressed by her knowledge and experience, leading to her recruitment into the EAD Sound Group in 2003.

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A Look at Super Potato’s New Year’s Lucky Bags – Culture Collection #8

Posted on Jan 8, 2016 by ollie

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It’s the first Culture Collection instalment of 2016 and what better way to kickstart a year’s worth of gaming culture coverage than with a look at some New Year’s festivities, Super Potato style! Japanese chain retro game store Super Potato is considered something of a pilgrimage site for many fans of Japanese’s gaming’s more dated delights due to its unrivalled selection of used games and hardware. As a yearly tradition, Super Potato sells a variety of ‘fukubukuro’ (‘lucky bags’), each containing a selection of random titles for a specific system; whilst there’s always going to be the chance you’ll come away disappointed, I can imagine there’s nothing quite like the thrill of testing your luck on a selection of classic gaming goodies!

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