(I've also been working on my weeklong not-quite-playthrough of Okamiden, of course, but you'll have to wait until Monday to read my thoughts on it.)
Anyway, as is par for the course for these "Shall We Do It?" posts, here are a few impressions of the titles that have hogged my attention since the holiday season came to an end.
Coming Out on Top (Mac)--For the longest time, this gay dating sim completely avoided pinging my radar. Eventually, though, I noticed that its official NeoGAF thread was getting a lot of action (pun intended) and so decided to see what was causing all the hubbub.
Two playthroughs later, and I can report, without hesitation, that Coming Out on Top is a blast if you're into visual novels that drop you into the trousers of a cute college boy and then let you, well, get into the trousers (eventually, at least--assuming you do and say the right things) of other cute guys.
As is typical of the genre, you're probably going to have to turn to some sort of walkthrough if you want to nab some of these studs, but if you can get over that hump you'll likely get a kick out of it.
A couple of highlights for me so far: the ability to modify, on the fly, the facial and body hair of each of your potential paramours; the amusing and clever writing; and the surprisingly effective sex scenes.
Fantasy Life (3DS)--Last time I published one of these posts, I mentioned that I'd finished this RPG's main story. In the ensuing two or so weeks, I've chiseled away at its post-game adventure, the bulk of which takes place in a unique locale called "Origin Island."
That journey got off to a rather bumpy start, I'm sad to report, thanks to the fact that Fantasy Life's overt chattiness continues well into its bonus content. Once I finished skipping through all of that blather, though, it wasn't long before I was back to giddily bashing baddies with the best greatsword I could get my hands on (or make myself, as a blacksmith).
The DLC pack adds a bunch of new areas, enemies, materials and even pets to the proceedings, by the way, so it's well worth buying if you enjoyed the main campaign.
I've now spent just over 90 hours with the game, in case you're wondering, which means I've put more than 15 hours into the add-on content alone. Not bad for $9, if you ask me.
Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley (3DS)--Although I got this controversial cart for Christmas, I failed to get past its title screen until yesterday. I've only devoted about two hours to it since then, but even that brief foray was enough to make me wonder if maybe this game isn't as bad as it's been made out to be (by my Nichiest Podcast Ever cohort, shidoshi, among many others).
The Lost Valley certainly looks better than I was expecting it to based on screenshots, though that doesn't mean I consider it to be a visual standout among 3DS titles. I'm also finding its gameplay to be acceptably entertaining this far, so it'll be interesting if that holds true after I've devoted a bit more time to it (which I'm planning to do tonight and this weekend) or if my attention and affection will deteriorate to some degree.
Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest 3 (3DS)--Sadly, I've barely given this Rocket Slime sequel any love in the last week or so, although I made some good progress on it early on in the new year. I'm now out on the open seas, tracking down new lands to explore and taking on any and all enemy ships that attempt to trip me up along the way.
That's one of the few ways in which Slime MoriMori 3 differs from its predecessor (the game known outside of Japan as Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime), by the way; rather than offering players more of the fairly infrequent tank-on-tank battles that were present in the series' second game, this third title ups the ante and not only increases their number (and switches them from tanks to ships, obviously) but also makes them more random, which I have found to be a welcome addition to the Slime MoriMori formula.
Another nice change of pace: it's possible to alter and upgrade your ship this time around, although I've yet to acquire the materials needed to accomplish that feat (or if I have, I've failed to figure out how to make use of them).
Although I've got plenty of other games on my plate at the moment, I'm going to do what I can to make sure Slime MoriMori 3 retains a spot on it for some time to come, as it's nearly as enticing as the DS title that came before it and that ended up being one of my all-time favorite games for the system.
See also: previous 'Shall We Do It?' posts
Sorry to hear that you're not wild about the extra chattiness in the Fantasy Life DLC! Where I enjoyed the localization immensely, I understand that sometimes it's a bother to wade through all that if you just wanted to play for a little bit and smash some baddies. Good to hear it's worth the price though! I'm excited to try it out soon myself.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, the Lost Valley visuals look unfortunately awful in a lot of screens, but I'm glad it's exceeding your expectations! I'm really intrigued by the fact that you can terrascape, or alter the landscape, to accommodate your farm/lakes/etc. I hope that it's more thought out than in Wonderful Life, where you just selected a predestined area to lay your chicken coop/second barn/etc.
This might be the most literal Shall We Do It? yet. I'm referring to the 1st game on the list by the way.
ReplyDeleteI remembered I had the COOT demo on my laptop yesterday and played through it. It was actually pretty fun! And you weren't kidding about the surprisingly effective scenes... though unfortunately mine was censored, since it's the demo.
ReplyDeleteDating sims aren't my bag, and I'm probably never gonna play this one. But hey, what's good for the goose is good for the, uh, gaydar.
ReplyDeleteI did play Thousand Arms a long time ago for review purposes. It was an Atlus RPG with heavy dating sim elements. Seduce a partner and she rewards you by, uh, banging on your sword for a while. Blacksmithing as a euphemism for sex? That's a new one on me!
Speaking of dating sims, bring up Conception II around Steve, and see how long it takes for steam to shoot out of his ears. ;D
Ha! Yes, you're right, Sam. Nothin' wrong with that, if you ask me ;)
ReplyDeleteI haven't played through the demo, Scarritt, so I can comment on it, but the full game is a lot of fun! I went after the hunky football player first. I think his name is Brad? I almost went for the teacher in my second playthrough but went for the roommate instead. Ha!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's definitely a witty title, isn't it? The rest of the game's text is witty, too. A really nice little game, IMO--if you're into such things.
ReplyDeleteI haven't played enough dating games yet to know if they're my bag, to be honest. I think this was my third--with the first two being Hakuoki and Sweet Fuse?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I've liked all three, so I'll likely give another a shot sometime soon.
I will say, though, that I'm not really a fan of how much this genre forces places to use walkthroughs. It seems so ... boring, or something. I'd rather play through and choose whichever options I like most, but whenever I do that, I fail to "win" the person I'm after.
It's funny you brought up Thousand Arms, by the way, as I recently added that to my list of PS1 games to buy/try. It sounds like just the kind of wacky/weird PS1 game I'd like :)
Which Steve are you talking about RE: Conception II, BTW? The Steve of Obscure Video Games fame?
That's the one! He's had words about Conception II in the past, although I completely understand his frustration with the game. It edges a little too close to creepy for comfort.
ReplyDeleteYeah, dating sims pretty much force you to answer a questionnaire to advance, and I'm not big on that. If I wanted to fill in a bunch of dots with a number two pencil, I'd take the SAT. Plus they're generally not great anyway... remember Sprung, that DS launch title? No wonder everyone thought the PSP was gonna come out on top (heh) in the mid 2000s handheld wars.
I agree there's nothing wrong with that but there is everything right with it! To be honest though I find the art style a bit off putting. Seeing a screenshot of a fish on top of naked a guy did not help with that feeling.
ReplyDeleteI would personally suggest making dating sims play more like Zork or Maniac Mansion, giving them puzzle aspects rather than forcing the player to choose from an assortment of canned responses. Maybe not terribly realistic, but at least empowering to the player.
ReplyDeleteI recall a scene from Mass Effect 2, a game I otherwise adored, which took a few pages from the dating sim playbook. You had to lure out a serial killer sex vampire by seducing her in a bar. Fail to answer her questions just right and she either gets bored or suspicious, and leaves. Even if you take her back to your apartment, you can't survive the encounter unless you've been a supreme asshole to everyone you've talked to in the past twenty hours. You just stand there like an idiot getting drained until the vampire's mother steps in to rescue you.
(I know, I know, but trust me, it makes more sense in context.)
Well, that certainly sounds ... interesting. And weird. And cool. I think.
ReplyDeleteAh yeah. Fantasy Life. I see you went with a a battle job in the end. Kinda impossible otherwise :( Think it's a big Platinum dragon that guards the Woodcutters last tree? And scary pterodactyl the blacksmiths last deposit needed for *god* rank. :)
ReplyDeleteOh and Shidoshi is wrong on The Lost Valley. Don't trust her :D Still can't really swallow that CoD purchase (o_0)*>
Actually, Franggio, I've gone with a whole lot of jobs, and they're all at Hero level (I think--one may only be at Master?). Also, I'm pretty sure I've yet to play either of the enemies you described here--although I know I've at least seen the Platinum dragon (briefly, as I quickly scurried away from it fear).
ReplyDeleteAs for shidoshi being wrong RE: The Lost Valley, I sure hope that's the case in the end! Does this mean you're enjoying the game yourself, or you did at some point?
Oh yeah. The big dragons are scary :)
ReplyDeleteSorry if I Spoiled anything :(
I'm currently not playing Lost Valley. Around 12 hours in. I had gotten a great slew of recommendation from Kimimi so the Megadrive is in first spot for me atm. Decap Attack and Chiki Chiki boys first then back to lost Valley...if not the other recommend games turn up first :)
Oh, no, you didn't spoil anything. And even if you did, I rarely if ever care about spoilers, especially in games. After all, i spoil stuff for myself all the time (game plots, movie plots, etc.).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm glad to hear you're enjoying Lost Valley so far, even if you aren't currently playing it. Also, playing MD games instead always is an acceptable diversion, IMO! :)
Yeah the Megadrive always had a backseat in my home when I was younger. But now? When I finally have a home base, no more being sent on long work assignment abroad, I finally feel like I can play catchup with all the console games I missed out on :)
ReplyDeleteThat's great, Franggio! If you ever need any additional recommendations, I'd of course be more than happy to share some. I love the ol' Mega Drive.
ReplyDeleteFor me, when I was younger, the MG (Genesis here) also kind of took a backseat to the SNES and TG-16, but not because I disliked the system or its games.
Rather, I simply couldn't afford to buy *yet another* system (and games to go with it) back then, so the only chance I had to play one was when I rented one from the local grocery store.
I rented one pretty regularly, though, and loved so many of its games as a result--especially RPGs like Lunar and Landstalker and Shining Force :)
Will definitely hit you up on that. On a later date though. Spent way to much already :)
ReplyDeleteWas kinda the same for me, never could afford anything other than the few SNES games. The fact was that I didn't work really during that time, to young, well just some simple things a young teen could do. Was only due to my constant nagging and my game loving mum and dad that I could convince them to buy a MD as well ^^ Think it was Beyond Oasis that finally pushed my mum to convince my dad that we *needed* the MD as well. I love my mum :D
Lunar <3
Shining Force <3
Landstalker I never did try though :(
I also was too young to really work when the TG-16, SNES and Genesis were out. Oh, I mowed lawns and stuff for some money, but that was about it. So, I had to rely on my allowance and birthday and Christmas gifts for any games and systems my brother and I owned.
ReplyDeleteWhy did Beyond Oasis convince your mom that you needed a Mega Drive, by the way? Does she like playing games, too, or did she like how it looked, etc.?
yeah, the lawns, the wood cutting, the everyday small tasks that needed to be done ^^
ReplyDeleteWell from what I remember it was as simple as you played as an Elf in this beautiful platform RPG. My mum really liked High Fantasy, Science Fiction and games my dad was the platform, racing and sports maniac. It wasn't once or twice only I would wake up to go to school as I found my dad just *finishing* this level, before going to work. Or finding my mum telling me to come home quicker so we could squeeze in another hour of Terranigma/Illusion of Gaia/BoF/FF or her favourite Lufia before I did my homework or went to my various sports training. Rule was, as long as I kept my grades up and didn't drop my sports I could play with my friends or my parents as much as time would allow ^^
So yeah I had it pretty nice on the gaming front with two parents that actually liked gaming. It was actually my dad that introduced me to it with this really old C64 and then a NES after he saw Mario.
Oh, wow, that's so cool! I mean, I love my parents, and they're also very cool in their own way, but neither of my parents were at all interested in playing video games when I was growing up. Thankfully, they also didn't try to keep my brother and I from playing games, so at least there was that. My mom actually plays some Wii and DS games these days, but mostly just Wii Sports of puzzlers like Tetris DS (which she was obsessed with for a time). She tried New Super Mario Bros. at one point, but really couldn't wrap her head around how to play it and gave up :P
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I decided to check the comments on this one! But as I've said many times before, I have no issues with sex in games. I probably would have given Coming Out On Top a shot if it had better artwork and/or was anything besides a visual novel (a genre which bores me to tears). My issues with Conception II are 1) it's a terrible RPG, 2) It's blatantly pedophillic, and 3) Atlus is (or at least to be) better than that. As far as I can tell, the game was a total failure, so at least we probably won't be seeing Conception III.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm thinking I'll go after the football player when I end up buying the game. I liked the dream sequence with the professor.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, the dream sequence with the professor was ... interesting :) The football player's storyline is nice, too, IMO.
ReplyDeleteWow. I called it quits at 44 hours. That was plenty for me, at least for the time being. I never even got to the point that I COULD start the DLC, which I find irritating. If I buy DLC, I'd like the option to play it without having to suss out HOW exactly, to get to it.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I'm aware, Justin, you have to finish the main story before you can gain access to Origin Island. Also, you have to be at level 50 or higher, I think--and there may be another requirement or two along with that as well. Kind of a bummer, I admit. Why'd you quit at the 44-hour mark, by the way? Did you just burn out on it?
ReplyDeleteI finished the main story. I told myself I would continue on to the DLC after that, but the requirements are level 50, beat the story, and then get Yuelia and Noelia to join your party. I can't find Noelia. She's not there. So I quit.
ReplyDeleteOh! So, you're at level 50? Noelia is on the ... floating island where the Creator lives. I think. Or in the Deep Elderwood town/village. One of those :|
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it sounds like the game kind of pissed you off, or at least burned you out. Sorry. I've once again walked away from it myself, but I've seen pretty much all it has to offer, so I'm OK with that. Maybe I'll come back to it this summer once another gaming drought hits.