What are you playing on your 3DS/DS right now?

Yep, Castle Club mode was a disappointment.

I found it did more harm than good to the game, if only because it fragmented everything into two places: Castle Club, with its three "real-life" courses, and Mario Golf, with its Mushroom Kingdom-themed levels.

I didn't even realise the star coin challenges existed until I went into the menus of "Mario Golf" mode. It all feels like it lacks focus. Do I spend my time online doing tournaments in Castle Club, or do I do them through Mario Golf, mode, which fewer people actually play?

I ended up reviewing it in the "Games You Haven't Finished" thread.

Right now, I'm replaying Ace Attorney: Trials and Tribulations. It's bloody brilliant - far and away the best of the series. Damn you, main villain whose name I shall not spoil. You're a truly great evil character.

Now Bravely Default is done, there are two retail titles left for me to beat: Angry Birds Trilogy and Tales Of The Abyss. It's TOTA for me, after around a year of not playing it. Here's what I remember about it:

general Tales Of The Abyss:

That's it. TOTA is a big graphical and gameplay comedown from Bravely Default but, until tomorrow, it's what I am playing on my 3DS/DS right now.

The very acronym is enough to make me rage!  Tedious back-and-forth delivery boy stuff that it is.  I did like the characters though, apart from Luke.

I'm playing Fantasy Life, natch.  Expect this to change tomorrow.

Some game called Super Smash Bros

Never heard of it. Is it one of those Japanese sex games? Presumably a homoerotic incestuous one.

Unsurprisingly also Fantasy Life, it's gonna be a close and fierce competition for 3DS gaming time over the next few weeks.

That's racist

But yeah I've been going through both Smash and Fantasy Life and still will when I get an English copy of Smash

Agreed on Tales of the Abyss, I still wonder why it was so revered by the fans, especially when nearly every aspect of it was done better in previous games. The characters are great though, as Balladeer mentioned.

fronkhead wrote:

Agreed on Tales of the Abyss, I still wonder why it was so revered by the fans, especially when nearly every aspect of it was done better in previous games. The characters are great though, as Balladeer mentioned.

The characters have yet to be TOTAlly (ha) great for me, though I suppose the roster was only completed an hour of play ago, so there's still time. Of course, it will now mean prising Smash out of my 3DS, which may not happen for a few days yet.

The cast won't show its stuff until later, the game takes its sweet time building things up.  A bit of a double edge sword, it's a big commitment but on the plus the cast ends up very fleshed out and human as a result.  

fronkhead wrote:

Agreed on Tales of the Abyss, I still wonder why it was so revered by the fans, especially when nearly every aspect of it was done better in previous games. The characters are great though, as Balladeer mentioned.

I can't speak for others but for me personally an amazing cast can make something that is otherwise merely decent in to something amazing.  While in hindsight abyss as far as the actual game is my least favourite of the tales games I've played and the other three did better in every area the cast still just makes it worth the journey for me.



And since I'm posting I might as well chip in that I'm very very slowly playing pokemon y on a nuzlocke.  Normally I'd just let my signature do the talking but as I'm posting I'll take the opportunity to do some shameless advertising of the nuzlocke challenge and a bit of an update, and that folks can expect the first badly written chapter of Athrun the arrogant and almost sociopathic Pokemon trainer and his journey to his first badge some time in the future!  

Normally I wouldn't go with that sort of persona but I can't help it with the cast x and y present, it's either play up my uncaring side or spend my entire time begging for them to stop talking.  Pokemon is pretty cringe worthy at the best of times but x and y really played up the bad stuff.

Agreed. Your "friends". Your bloody, mouthy, won't-ever-shut-up-or-go-away "friends".

Awww, I liked the dancing friend.

For me, it's Shantae, the GBC original. At the minute, it's not feeling good. Shantae moves ponderously and her main weapon - the hair flick- has less range than a pregnant hippo. Yet enemies are fast and jump out with little warning. It's also a bit... jiggly.

This was a thing that worried me about the new Shantae games. The main character's pose is chest-to-the-camera, and there's a light reflection added, so that her breasts look like they've been made out of PVC.

Haven't picked one up yet, and it wouldn't have a huge effect on my enjoyment, I'm sure - but, y'know, it's not ideal.

Donkey Kong returns as I downloaded it on my jp 3ds and then completely forgot all about it

Absolutely nothing. It's been a slow, slow year for new 3DS software, though I have been playing Maestro: Jump in Music on the old DSi XL.

Athrun888 wrote:

fronkhead wrote:

Agreed on Tales of the Abyss, I still wonder why it was so revered by the fans, especially when nearly every aspect of it was done better in previous games. The characters are great though, as Balladeer mentioned.

I can't speak for others but for me personally an amazing cast can make something that is otherwise merely decent in to something amazing.  While in hindsight abyss as far as the actual game is my least favourite of the tales games I've played and the other three did better in every area the cast still just makes it worth the journey for me.

I don't believe so, especially when an RPG demands you spend 80 hours to unravel that story, and the story is only one part of the game. Bayonetta 2's story may be merely okay, but the cutscenes are still entertaining and the bulk of the game is terrific action: the story is only a tiny part of what makes Bayonetta 2, Bayonetta 2. Meanwhile Tales of the Abyss really isn't the sum of its parts.

Your own fault for not being a Smash Bros. fan. My 3DS has been my console of choice all month.

It's true, I really do feel like I'm missing out, annoyingly so. Heck, even New 3DS seems positively boring given there is little lined up for next year on 3DS. I really hope Nintendo is waiting until Smash/Pokemon are out of the way otherwise 2015 is going to be even quieter.

I'd have thought that something like Fantasy life would be right up your street, Fronk?

The_Jaster wrote:

I'd have thought that something like Fantasy life would be right up your street, Fronk?

I need to look into that, I have to admit some of the early reviews put me off, though.

It ended up getting some great scores, I think it's a slow burn from what I know about it.

But you are right 3DS been weird this year but always hard to follow last year but 2015 doesn't look that bad with Harvest Moon, Monster Hunter, Bravely Second, Code Name: STEAM but does seem to be it.

There will be more games in the pipeline (and the Xenoblade Chronicles remake), though, for sure. The 3DS eShop also really needs to kick into gear again, for me. There was a glut of ace downloadable titles that has really dried up in recent months.

I'm due to give FL another go, but on what I've played I can't really recommend it. It's definitely a slow burn, but the tasks you're slowly burning don't burn that brightly in any case. Er, if that makes a jot of sense.

fronkhead wrote:

The_Jaster wrote:

I'd have thought that something like Fantasy life would be right up your street, Fronk?

I need to look into that, I have to admit some of the early reviews put me off, though.

Fair enough just seems like it'd be the type of game you'd enjoy.

Balla wrote:

I'm due to give FL another go, but on what I've played I can't really recommend it. It's definitely a slow burn, but the tasks you're slowly burning don't burn that brightly in any case. Er, if that makes a jot of sense.

I have to get back to playing it myself as I enjoyed what I played of it but then a bunch of other games turned up and it took a back seat. (mainly because it's on a handheld)

I'm the same as well but I think it may be left a bit longer for me until I get back to it where by then I might even just start again