Z Space Blog - Wii

Twelve Years of The After Years

2021-10-23T00:00:00-07:00

The year is 2009. Square Enix releases a digital sequel to the long-loved Final Fantasy 4, titled "The After Years". It concerns the story of Ceodore -- the son of FF4's protagonist, Cecil -- and his journey in saving the world from a mysterious moon that appears. The After Years pulls in all of the characters from the prior game, extends character development and story for a lot of characters, and introduces more; most of them simply the progeny of some main character from the prior game. Fan bait!

I had recently 100%ed Final Fantasy 4 Advance, back around 2008, so naturally I bought its sequel! However, it was not quite what I expected. While the new characters were welcome, a lot of the changes to gameplay negatively impacted my experience for the entire game, despite my initial interest in them. This article isn't a review, per se, but I will briefly discuss what I didn't like about the game, to add context.

The Moon Phase system turns the game's various damage types into its own form of Pokémon. Each phase makes one of the four types of damage stronger, and another weaker. This idea sounds cool on its surface, but changing the moon phase is done only by resting via Tent or Cottage, sleeping in a bed, or waiting long enough gameplay time for it to automatically advance. These mechanics turn the system into something tedious and unnecessarily annoying, forcing you to pad your inventory with Tents to have any sort of control over the phases.

Co-operative moves, called Bands, are another mechanic that seems interesting at first. The moves themselves are cool: they allow multiple characters to band together and pull off things like a team-wide heal or buff, a unique magic attack that neither character has on their own, etc. The catch is both characters get their turns tied up to perform the move (reasonable!) and the move itself takes about 3 times as long to cast as anything else. That translates to a good 7-10 seconds you have two characters sitting like ducks. You also don't know about what bands are available until you attempt to Band, and choose the correct menu option on the second character. As a result, there were a number of Bands I simply never acquired.

Next, the encounter rate was frustratingly inconsistent. The After Years was originally a mobile game, and sadly it shows. Most areas contain a higher leveled enemy ready to swoop and murder a member or two of your party, almost as if to add an arbitrary punishment to exploring. On a related note, the enemies you run into tend to be MUCH faster than you. I experienced this throughout the entire game, even after grinding at the end of the game.

Lastly, there are a bunch of items across the 8 or so episodes that are completely missable, and missing them blocks you from getting some of the best equipment in the game later. Yes, optional content is optional, but permanently missable things in an RPG leads to pointless replays.

So, with the character of the game established, I played it off and on for the first few years of having the game. Made it pretty far, about halfway through. However, the mechanics were really agitating me, and I was frustrated. Final Fantasy 4 was a great game; was I just not appreciating the design of its sequel? The characters weren't as well written as the prior game, either, but the story was still compelling enough to make me want to see the next scene.

It sat there, unplayed, for a good 5-6 years. Whenever I thought about playing it, I'd think about another classic JRPG I'd rather play, or a different game on my backlog that felt more rewarding. When I came back to it, I played through every episode until the last one, where it sat again for 1-2 years. I started the end of the game some time last year, in 2020, and finished it yesterday, 2021-10-12.

The After Years was a sort of "dark horse" game for my backlog. It's the game that I had the most trouble coming back to and advancing. Don't get me wrong, I've played through some bad games in the past, but none stayed in the backlog for twelve years. It's a ridiculous amount of time for a game to sit around unbeaten. Your mileage may vary, but there's my take on it.

Back in 2016, I started the vgstash project to manage my backlog; by that point I had more money than I did time, so the collection of unfinished games began to get bigger. The After Years was one of the first games to stick around long enough to consider tracking. I made the software to practice programming, and to optimizing my gaming time so I could catch up on my backlog.

In a weird sense, The After Years will be a special game for me going forward. Not because it was particularly well designed. It's not. (sorry, Matrix Software. This one was just a miss.) It's special because it was one of the stubborn games in my backlog. It motivated me to write code to solve my own problem. It helped me see why I was having a backlog problem, and how to solve it. Now that it's beaten, I can also say it gave me more patience. Not only for beating a game, but the greater lesson of waiting to buy a game until you have the space in your life for it.

Great deals happen all the time, even as much as 80%, and it happens on a yearly cycle. Since mainstream gaming is going digital (much to my dismay), the need to have a game right when it comes out is moot. Most games are published in unfinished form these days, and even if they are complete and just get DLC, there's always a "Definitive Edition" a few years later.

This lines up very closely to the "Patient Gamers" ideology of waiting to buy games so you don't get burned by preordering or other FOMO tactics. The idea is, if the game is good then people will talk about it, and eventually it will go on sale or even become good if it was released unfinished. It's a wise way to purchase in the chaotic world of games publishing.

In the twelve years since starting The After Years, I went through some of my own character growth and struggles, just as Cecil and the gang did. I started and ended a relationship, injured my back, reconnected with my dad, met and moved in with my current SO, became more active in libre software, lost my dad and cat, moved in with the SO's parents, endured the loss of her father with her family, and now today... one step closer to a clear backlog, and relieved to be done with such a long, flawed game that I wanted to like but ultimately didn't.

The lesson to learn from all of this is twofold: (a) don't buy games you aren't sure you'll like, especially if they're digital, and (b) it's okay to remove a game from your collection if you don't enjoy playing it. I chose to stick it out through The After Years because I really wanted to know the story and finish the game legitimately, but pride isn't exactly a good reason. :) At some point, you have to be conservative with your use of time or you'll feel like the time you do spend gaming is wasted. Games are entertainment, and you're supposed to have fun.

What games have taken you forever to beat? I'd love to hear about other games people have had trouble finishing. Hit me up at zlg+backlog@zlg.space.

-z

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Review

2011-12-06T12:11:35-08:00

The Legend of Zelda series is known for its high quality games. From the beginning, Zelda has set the bar for the action-adventure genre. Other games in the same genre (and some in other genres) tend to emulate their success, but never seem to reach it. Among games, the Zelda series is at the pinnacle of quality and creativity. Skyward Sword is no different. Remember E3 2005? Nintendo promised us a Revolution. They said the new console would change the way we perceived and played games. Today, we can see the effect the Wii has had on the market, but motion controls still felt a little like an add-on instead of a full-blown innovation. We knew the potential that MotionPlus had, but nobody was using it for anything serious. Until November 2011, anyway. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the experience that Nintendo promised us at E3 in 2005.

To put it shortly, if you own a Wii you cannot miss this game. Skyward Sword is the reason the Wii was made. It's the full realization of every gameplay feature the Wii has to offer. It utilizes the Sensor Bar, the accelerometers in the Wiimote and Nunchuk, and is the best application of the MotionPlus. To ignore this game is to miss out on what the Wii is all about. I don't care who you are: you need to own (or play) this game.

Graphics

It's 2011. The Xbox360 and Playstation 3 have had years to slowly eke out the power of their hardware, and it's clear that they can produce higher resolution and higher detailed graphics than the Wii. However, graphics are not about just detail. Style matters far more, and Skyward Sword has it in spades. The game world is rendered in a smooth, painted style. If I had to compare it to past Zeldas, it would be somewhere between Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. It marries interesting detail with evocative personality. The Wii's not the most powerful system around, so Nintendo used a distance-based filter to make objects take on a painted look. So as you run further away from something, details blur out but retain the form of the object. It feels like the game world is an interactive painting.

From the beautifully styled Faron Woods to the distant Lanayru Desert and up to airy Skyloft, Skyward Sword shows that it's not power that matters, but style. Characters and enemies are just as well rendered, with fluid, life-like animation and a charm the series hasn't seen since The Wind Waker. Needless to say, Skyward Sword is a gorgeous game.

Music

Nintendo went all-out on this game's music. Much of the music in Skyward Sword is orchestrated, and takes the sound in Zelda to a whole new level. You'll find yourself immersed in the game, due in part to the music. The overworld feels vast and wondrous, while Faron Woods feels dense and peppy. Dungeons take on appropriate moods, but aren't particularly memorable. It seems apparent that the sound team focused more on mood for dungeon music than catchiness, as the music for dungeons fits them very well.

Boss music is exciting and gets your blood pumping, to keep you on your toes. With each strike of your sword, the music becomes more intense. Even normal encounters feel like they were infused with a bit of energy.

Sound effects are hardly noticeable, and that's precisely what they are supposed to be. Link's feet make appropriate noises on various forms of terrain, sword clangs sound great, and each item makes distinct sounds. Enemy and environmental sounds are no different. Bombs sound just like they did in The Wind Waker, steam vents are windy, and even bugs make appropriate noises.

Difficulty

Zelda difficulty must be judged on two levels: combat and puzzles.

Combat is easily the deepest part of this game. Link can attack in many more ways than before, and enemies are privy to his methods. This turns each enemy into a miniature game of wits. Things like Keese and Chu Chus are rather harmless, but Lizalfos, Moblins, and Stalfos will make you work for your victory. On this front, difficulty is satisfying. Some enemies are tough, but it feels much better when you defeat them.

Puzzles in Skyward Sword are not the most difficult. To long-time fans of the series, a little creative thinking and observation will get you ahead. To those new to the series, it may take a little longer to solve the puzzles. There is a distinct lack of blocks and locked doors in this game, which makes the puzzles feel a little fresher. Later on in the game, a special type of stone is found, which adds a layer of depth to Zelda puzzles we haven't seen before. The difficulty of puzzles in Skyward Sword is a little above average. The best part of the puzzles is that each item you acquire throughout the game never stops being useful. You'll be using the Slingshot, for example, up until the end of the game. I can't say the same for Twilight Princess, which had items that were mostly useless after their specific dungeon.

Gameplay

This is the meat-and-potatoes of most games, but especially Zelda games. Skyward Sword is the first in the series to introduce item crafting, which allows you to upgrade potions, shields, and even items, assuming you have the necessary treasure or bugs. It's nothing in-depth and farm-necessary like your typical JRPG, but it's a welcome addition and doesn't feel tedious. It also provides a use for all the rupees you acquire throughout the game, which was a big problem in Twilight Princess. In this respect, it follows the design of The Wind Waker, Phantom Hourglass, and Spirit Tracks.

Speaking of that, Beedle makes a return and still sells things for astronomical prices. Among them though, are Adventure Pouch upgrades. The Adventure Pouch is a new feature to Zelda that allows Link to carry up to 8 pouch items such as shields, potions, and medals. Medals grant special traits to Link, such as making more hearts, rupees, or treasures drop, or even increasing his life! This is another interesting addition to the series and keeps the main inventory from becoming too cluttered.

Collecting bugs in this game is a bit different compared to Twilight Princess. You actually have to use a net, and sometimes sneak up on the bug in order to catch it. It takes the place of fishing in past Zeldas as the slow-paced, relaxing past-time. These bugs are necessary to upgrade potions in the bazaar, so it's important to catch them.

The minigames in Skyward Sword are a little different. One is a minesweeper clone, one has you go on an insect hunt, and another has you doing precision skydiving. There are plenty of minigames to do to pass time if you ever get bored.

The most apparent gameplay aspect (besides the new swordplay mechanics) is the world design. While there's still a line drawn between overworld and dungeon, it's become blurred. Environments in Skyward Sword are filled with obstacles and hazards, so it feels like you're traversing a dungeon sometimes. This aspect is wonderful, because it keeps the game feeling fresh, even if you've traversed a specific section a few times. Later on, you'll find traveling become a little faster thanks to the new items in your arsenal. It feels almost like I'm playing Metroid sometimes. This is an aspect of the game that I hope makes its way to future games in the series. May we never see another empty Hyrule Field!

Story

According to Nintendo, Skyward Sword takes place before Ocarina of Time. Some timeline theories place The Minish Cap at the beginning of the storyline, so it's unknown if Skyward Sword is before it, but there's a good chance that it is. Skyward Sword tells the story of a goddess who lifts an island into the sky to keep the Triforce out of evil hands and a young man who becomes a hero. Without spoiling it, all I can say is that it lays the groundwork for the entire storyline and answers a few questions that were left unanswered by past games. Like most Zeldas, Skyward Sword's storyline is mostly self-contained, so no prior knowledge of Zelda is necessary in order to enjoy this game's plot. There are themes and references that are best enjoyed by veterans, but ignorance of them doesn't detract from the experience.

Final Verdict

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the best example of Wii technology to date. With it's creative puzzles, charming character design, and superior swordplay mechanics, I don't see myself playing 3-D Zelda any differently from now on. Nintendo has delivered on their promise of a revolution with Skyward Sword. It is a prime example of motion controls being used for something that is deep and engaging without being exhausting or awkward. As a Zelda game, it fills in some of the gaps in the story and clarifies how things came to be. I can't express how important it is that Wii owners and any serious gamer play this game. It represents the goal that the Wii set out to achieve and sets the bar for a new level of interactive entertainment. Skyward Sword will be relevant and remembered for many years to come, much like Ocarina of Time was.

Metadata

Platform: Wii
Release Date (US): 2011-11-20
Genre: Action/Adventure
Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

Mega Man 9 Review

2009-08-24T07:00:07-07:00

"Mega Man." When one hears it, they think "The Blue Bomber" if they're a gamer of any caliber or culture. Spanning across most consoles and at least 5 different series, Mega Man is one of the few franchises that can rival Mario in history and number of games. Its gameplay is timeless — a mark of the gaming of yore. Unlike 7 and 8, Mega Man 9 was made to appeal to classic gamers, who yearned for the days of 8-bit graphics and chiptunes. Mega Man 9 was released to PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and Nintendo WiiWare in the fall of 2008. Since then, it has been purchased and downloaded by hundreds of thousands of people. Needless to say, the game hit the ground running.

If you're after a summary, take it from someone who didn't care for the classic series much: Buy this game!

Graphics

Let's start with the most apparent aspect of the game. From the instant you boot this game up, you know you're in for an old school, 8-bit game. Gone are polygons, anti-aliasing, bump-mapping, and other 3-D technologies. When you start this game, you're looking at low-frame, low-color raster art, known to enthusiasts and artists as "pixel art".

Despite some reuse of old tiles and sprites, the game still feels pretty fresh. I'd like to add that the game doesn't actually adhere to all of the NES's limitations, but comes damn close. There's an option in the main menu to turn on flicker to emulate the NES's 8 sprites per scanline limitation, which was a very neat plus if you ask me. Overall, the graphics make you remember the days where you didn't have to go to work and pay bills. And it's wonderful.

Music

I'm a fanboy of this game's music. There isn't a single track on this game's soundtrack I don't like. If you like chiptunes from the NES era, you'll like Mega Man 9's music. It's even better when remixed! From the jazzy Jewel Man to Splash Woman's tide-like music, and Wily Castle's epic riffs, Mega Man 9's music will please any classic gamer. Unless you have no taste, of course. :3

Difficulty

I've heard kids — yes, kids; people who started gaming in the late 90s and early 2000s — complain about the difficulty of games like this. What they don't understand is that those of us who are in their mid 20s or older were beating games like this when we were kids. It was not uncommon for the average NES game to be rather short, but tougher than nails. Back in those days, a game relied on its gameplay and difficulty for its longevity; not graphics. This game is a homage to that era. Personally, I hope more developers follow the trend and start releasing harder games.

Old school gamer elitism aside, the game is tough. And that's just how I like it. You're not going to beat this game for the first time without continuing. Period. Don't expect to waltz right through the game. It's going to push back, and hard! Be prepared to grit your teeth in frustration! The best part is that you'll have nobody to blame but yourself.

Gameplay

It's classic Mega Man! You run, jump, and shoot your way through 8 levels and confront Dr. Wily in his castle across 4 more levels. It's the standard formula that's endured over 20 years. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is the modus operandi here. Mega Man 9 takes a lot of its level design ideas from Mega Man 2. You could call it Mega Man 2: The Sequel, since it doesn't include the powerups he got in Mega Man 3 through 6, like the slide and charging Mega Buster. That's fine, though; there's DLC for Proto Man mode, which does include those.

Speaking of DLC, there's a Boss Rush mode, Time Attack mode, and Endless Mode, which test your skills in speed and endurance. As a final icing on the cake, Mega Man 9 features built-in Challenges that will demand the utmost from even the most hardened gamer, such as beating the game without getting hit, or beating the game without missing with the Mega Buster. The game has plenty of things for you to test your skills with. There's even a leaderboard for each mode, so you can compete against the likes of other gamers around the world.

Final Verdict

If you're iffy about it, you can check out the demo if you have an X360 or PS3. Wii owners don't get that luxury, but it's not like you'll need it. If you have any appreciation for NES-era gaming and the experiences they offer gamers, buy this game. You don't need to know what happened in Mega Man 1 through 8; the story is self-containing and follows the traditional Mega Man formula. If you include the DLC, the game shouldn't run you more than $20-25 USD. That's a lot, considering the price! So stop wasting your time; go get Mega Man 9 now!

Metadata

Platform(s): WiiWare, Playstation Network, Xbox Live Arcade
Release date (US): 2008-09-22 (Wii), 2008-09-25 (PS3), 2008-10-01 (X360)
Genre: Action, Shooting, Platformer
Developer(s): Inti Creates, Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
ESRB Rating: E