SmoothieBlender
I think this game was unforcantely forgotten for the final fantasy series. It's a nice action adventure game if you are not looking for anything intaully in your face RPG like main like FF or a multiplayer centric game like Chronicles.
While I havent played anything else in this series, I believe this game is a cool standout game that I lump with the experimental side series like Last Story. It was a pretty fun time to play with the physics, making everyone or the enemys explode.
Plus this is one of the few times quick time events didn't bug me. Its strange at first how you can skip leveling or getting items, but I like the freedom it gives for people to play the game in different ways their one time or for multiple runs. One of the only complants I'll give is I was you could have trigger Maisma yourself at some point to make getting health easier.
Other than that it had an exciting story reminding me of some older FF games while making something new!! Strangely this was one of the finals fantasy games that didn't stretch on forever, which was refreshing. I still love that in FF though.
I want nothing to do with Belle though, she makes me angry. Although it balanced out by another awesome Non-binary character with Amidatelion, they just came out of no where as a fun character to see on screen be methodical and bring a different pace to half way through the game. I felt every main character got their moment to do something.
Also as a last thing the game looks pretty for its time & had some of the best animation I've seen on Wii! It's pretty beautiful how the game gives you subtle expressions without directly speaking their mind.
I really loved a good bit of this game.
If you want to play something small, please give this a try, it was fun streaming!~ c:
While I havent played anything else in this series, I believe this game is a cool standout game that I lump with the experimental side series like Last Story. It was a pretty fun time to play with the physics, making everyone or the enemys explode.
Plus this is one of the few times quick time events didn't bug me. Its strange at first how you can skip leveling or getting items, but I like the freedom it gives for people to play the game in different ways their one time or for multiple runs. One of the only complants I'll give is I was you could have trigger Maisma yourself at some point to make getting health easier.
Other than that it had an exciting story reminding me of some older FF games while making something new!! Strangely this was one of the finals fantasy games that didn't stretch on forever, which was refreshing. I still love that in FF though.
I want nothing to do with Belle though, she makes me angry. Although it balanced out by another awesome Non-binary character with Amidatelion, they just came out of no where as a fun character to see on screen be methodical and bring a different pace to half way through the game. I felt every main character got their moment to do something.
Also as a last thing the game looks pretty for its time & had some of the best animation I've seen on Wii! It's pretty beautiful how the game gives you subtle expressions without directly speaking their mind.
I really loved a good bit of this game.
If you want to play something small, please give this a try, it was fun streaming!~ c:
2019
This review contains spoilers
I'd say this game was an alright, but i could see someone having a hard time getting into the game. Designed sort of in an old RPG way! but I love the creative chances it takes for its monsters, while not using evolution. Fun that the chapters are split like a story book in a way and love to see how by the part im in (by the fly saucer part) how the story matures and gets less edgy then some of the starting chapters.
Over all I like how they approach monsters and if you grind well I bet you could influence the stats of your monsters even if i wasn't personally motivated. Hope to pick this game up again, will just take a little bit of effort but it will be worth it for the style and approach to combat c:
Also the slime guys for funny to watch do things, they make me laugh.
Edit: was also a pretty go jumping off point to get me to try more indie monster captures!
Over all I like how they approach monsters and if you grind well I bet you could influence the stats of your monsters even if i wasn't personally motivated. Hope to pick this game up again, will just take a little bit of effort but it will be worth it for the style and approach to combat c:
Also the slime guys for funny to watch do things, they make me laugh.
Edit: was also a pretty go jumping off point to get me to try more indie monster captures!
2023
This review contains spoilers
SHORT SPOILER FREE:
This game hit all the points I wanted in a monster capture and did amazingly as an indie monster capture, making a unique feel compared to any other monster capture RPG. I loved this c:
7 PARAGRAPHS OF SLIGHT SPOILERS:
I think this game does so many unique things that make it stand out as a monster capture genre game. From it's gameplay to design philosophy/inspiration to how its character and world was handled. There is a lot I need to dig into for what makes this game special the more I immersed myself in it. Like steeping a light tea, getting it's full taste as I finished my cup. I defiantly have other things to say about the game in general, it's not perfect, but it served my tastes well.
I'll start with the monster design, I think what they do pull is mostly really good. Even for a general audience, they have cute round designs to some more cool angular to mysterious inspiration to the few odd picks. Some are obviously a combonation of some and others I'm not thinking of, but they are really great. EVEN IF SOME APPEAL TO ME SPECEFICALLY. I think Braxsuit for example is a cryptid with cuter proportions that can be seen as odd, but has a funny suit they adjust their tie for. Bullentino to Artilirex is like, the antheses of dinosaur like Charizard/Rathilos/Greymon. Which is cool and has a silly component, being a rex made of a rifle. Not to mention its secondary evolution, Gearyu, fills that Machinedramon niche. Jumpkin was a simple design they repolished from their last game, a cute pumpkin with a nice gymic to catch. That turns into horror tropes of vampire and person chasing you with an axe, Draculeaf and Beanstalker. Common winter birds, vague garb, drinking bird and an ice pick gives you Icepeck a favorite. The amount of creatures based on folklore, cryptid, yo-kai, myths, is astounding for 140 of them. I love how some are close to the inspiration or almost feel like something different. There is a huger variety then I expected for an indie monster capture. Lots of these fellas will stay in my mind!! I wont spoil you by describing all the designs but going in spoiler free really kept me surprised for these 2 months. I have to stop myself anyways I would write multiple paragraphs on the feels a majority of them elicit in me.
Shift gears to gameplay, I feel this would be hit or miss for most. It is not your digimon or pokemon or yo-kai watch, it's a little different then most I see. It feels as if they emulated like the energy of the smaller pokemon fan games, it try's to shift it's gameplay. It made me think of my teams very differently, design or mechanic wise. Firstly its type chart does not make you deal more damage, it causes reactions creating status's. So you still have stuff akin to more damage, metal to ice gives defenses down. electric to air/metal gives you extra damage doing those attacks. opposed to poison/fire to grass, that's your toxic/burn. Glitter changes you or the attackers type to whats hit. Astral can attack with bigger attacks if hit by the main 4 elements, opposite when hit by synthetics. like the list goes on and the new kinds of types they use. It makes it all the more exciting to use a new type or monster. Secondly all the fusion makes reactions twice as powerful or hurtful, it ties in but gives you a goofy design made off a monsters determined parts. While some can get repetetive and some I wasn't the hugest fans on, I really liked the creatively on how YOU decided which you liked. Some where mechanical and great for the situation, some could have a silly design or color combo you think rocks. Best is if you don't like how it functions or looks, you can refuse them later and it will be different. I like the trial and error of it and understandable with the 16,000 fusions in the game you can log. It sparks what I loved about the fan games pokemon fusions or pokemon sweets, fusions and unfamiliar type chart! Heck even the double battle system was neat with how it works, very slightly like yo-kai watch in aspects. Grinding was tied to YOU not your monster. All were technically usable even if you had to build up moves and wait a couple battles to evolve some. I think that went faster though the higher level you were. my experience on my own I get 2 stars for evolution a battle sometimes.
BUT, this is to say I think this isn't perfect. I do think this inspires thinking out of the box instead of being used to one system. I think it works for digimon or pokemon in great ways, but for an indie game ... it's the striking concept that kept making me thinking!! Also moves are your level rewards I guess? It's strange to me but I think I've warmed up to it. They can stink for some evolutions though, but they can randomly be bought.
I think shiny hunting & relationships in this game need a block moved out for themselves. Shiny hunting or as they call it Bootlegs in this game is ones of the more steramlined ways of this mechanic. For anyone who isn't familair, its a mechanic in a portion of monster captures where you can get different colors. in modern pokemon or Ooblets this is just aesthetic for any, in Yo-kai watch its only for a certian few but they look different and also play completely differently. Somehow this game marriaged the two in a way that not everyone will be happy with, but I think works effectively. So in this game you have 0.001% to 10% chance to find a monster in ANY TYPE, chaning their color and what moves they can get and obviously their reactions. Even for ones that match their given type they get rare moves, different ones at that. it changes how you interact with them and make them unique in Yo-kais way while making everyone happy with every creature getting one. I love it so much. Not the mention the higher 1% to 10% chances come from seeking out rouge fusions (semi-randomly genrated static encounters). so you have to search to find those a majority of the game till later. They have an actual item that confirms a type or monster the next rouge fusion, depending on the one recycled. Which doesn't flat out confirm I'm getting a bootleg Braxsuit that wind, but that it could be either. With smart planning you can find a guy you want, have a double of it, then go encounter them to see if that ones shiny or the other half. Which you can save reset from cause it remembers it. Like this has to be the most satisfying system for this while you can still fail them and the shiny itself will respawn in the same place. It's absolutely wild how much they put in for the player here :]
Okay short thing about relationships is I like how its short and sweet, character quest gives you 1 heart. You get to know them afterwards. You bond and can date them. You get to be best friends with other world Koromaru but normal. (a dog) I REST MY CASE.
Lastly character and world. So I enjoy how both go hand in hand to help you understand the mystery of why everyone is washed up and here on this island. I really don't wanna say their character, but I just loved Felix, Viola & Barkley. We may have not gotten anything concreate on why it exists or why we were here, wherever we are, but it strengthened the characters which is a part i focsued into. I have not done post story so maybe theres more and in the DLC, but I loved how it ended and what the archangels represented in a way.
Added:
I really wanna like, crunch every pixel. Very good chunky look.
I'm really running out of steam if you couldn't tell so I'll end it here! I really enjoyed my time with the game and I hope you enjoyed it or even give it a try if you read this far. I still play it after I've streamed it and I love so much of it <3
It ain't everyone's cup of tea, but sure as hell was mine!
This game hit all the points I wanted in a monster capture and did amazingly as an indie monster capture, making a unique feel compared to any other monster capture RPG. I loved this c:
7 PARAGRAPHS OF SLIGHT SPOILERS:
I think this game does so many unique things that make it stand out as a monster capture genre game. From it's gameplay to design philosophy/inspiration to how its character and world was handled. There is a lot I need to dig into for what makes this game special the more I immersed myself in it. Like steeping a light tea, getting it's full taste as I finished my cup. I defiantly have other things to say about the game in general, it's not perfect, but it served my tastes well.
I'll start with the monster design, I think what they do pull is mostly really good. Even for a general audience, they have cute round designs to some more cool angular to mysterious inspiration to the few odd picks. Some are obviously a combonation of some and others I'm not thinking of, but they are really great. EVEN IF SOME APPEAL TO ME SPECEFICALLY. I think Braxsuit for example is a cryptid with cuter proportions that can be seen as odd, but has a funny suit they adjust their tie for. Bullentino to Artilirex is like, the antheses of dinosaur like Charizard/Rathilos/Greymon. Which is cool and has a silly component, being a rex made of a rifle. Not to mention its secondary evolution, Gearyu, fills that Machinedramon niche. Jumpkin was a simple design they repolished from their last game, a cute pumpkin with a nice gymic to catch. That turns into horror tropes of vampire and person chasing you with an axe, Draculeaf and Beanstalker. Common winter birds, vague garb, drinking bird and an ice pick gives you Icepeck a favorite. The amount of creatures based on folklore, cryptid, yo-kai, myths, is astounding for 140 of them. I love how some are close to the inspiration or almost feel like something different. There is a huger variety then I expected for an indie monster capture. Lots of these fellas will stay in my mind!! I wont spoil you by describing all the designs but going in spoiler free really kept me surprised for these 2 months. I have to stop myself anyways I would write multiple paragraphs on the feels a majority of them elicit in me.
Shift gears to gameplay, I feel this would be hit or miss for most. It is not your digimon or pokemon or yo-kai watch, it's a little different then most I see. It feels as if they emulated like the energy of the smaller pokemon fan games, it try's to shift it's gameplay. It made me think of my teams very differently, design or mechanic wise. Firstly its type chart does not make you deal more damage, it causes reactions creating status's. So you still have stuff akin to more damage, metal to ice gives defenses down. electric to air/metal gives you extra damage doing those attacks. opposed to poison/fire to grass, that's your toxic/burn. Glitter changes you or the attackers type to whats hit. Astral can attack with bigger attacks if hit by the main 4 elements, opposite when hit by synthetics. like the list goes on and the new kinds of types they use. It makes it all the more exciting to use a new type or monster. Secondly all the fusion makes reactions twice as powerful or hurtful, it ties in but gives you a goofy design made off a monsters determined parts. While some can get repetetive and some I wasn't the hugest fans on, I really liked the creatively on how YOU decided which you liked. Some where mechanical and great for the situation, some could have a silly design or color combo you think rocks. Best is if you don't like how it functions or looks, you can refuse them later and it will be different. I like the trial and error of it and understandable with the 16,000 fusions in the game you can log. It sparks what I loved about the fan games pokemon fusions or pokemon sweets, fusions and unfamiliar type chart! Heck even the double battle system was neat with how it works, very slightly like yo-kai watch in aspects. Grinding was tied to YOU not your monster. All were technically usable even if you had to build up moves and wait a couple battles to evolve some. I think that went faster though the higher level you were. my experience on my own I get 2 stars for evolution a battle sometimes.
BUT, this is to say I think this isn't perfect. I do think this inspires thinking out of the box instead of being used to one system. I think it works for digimon or pokemon in great ways, but for an indie game ... it's the striking concept that kept making me thinking!! Also moves are your level rewards I guess? It's strange to me but I think I've warmed up to it. They can stink for some evolutions though, but they can randomly be bought.
I think shiny hunting & relationships in this game need a block moved out for themselves. Shiny hunting or as they call it Bootlegs in this game is ones of the more steramlined ways of this mechanic. For anyone who isn't familair, its a mechanic in a portion of monster captures where you can get different colors. in modern pokemon or Ooblets this is just aesthetic for any, in Yo-kai watch its only for a certian few but they look different and also play completely differently. Somehow this game marriaged the two in a way that not everyone will be happy with, but I think works effectively. So in this game you have 0.001% to 10% chance to find a monster in ANY TYPE, chaning their color and what moves they can get and obviously their reactions. Even for ones that match their given type they get rare moves, different ones at that. it changes how you interact with them and make them unique in Yo-kais way while making everyone happy with every creature getting one. I love it so much. Not the mention the higher 1% to 10% chances come from seeking out rouge fusions (semi-randomly genrated static encounters). so you have to search to find those a majority of the game till later. They have an actual item that confirms a type or monster the next rouge fusion, depending on the one recycled. Which doesn't flat out confirm I'm getting a bootleg Braxsuit that wind, but that it could be either. With smart planning you can find a guy you want, have a double of it, then go encounter them to see if that ones shiny or the other half. Which you can save reset from cause it remembers it. Like this has to be the most satisfying system for this while you can still fail them and the shiny itself will respawn in the same place. It's absolutely wild how much they put in for the player here :]
Okay short thing about relationships is I like how its short and sweet, character quest gives you 1 heart. You get to know them afterwards. You bond and can date them. You get to be best friends with other world Koromaru but normal. (a dog) I REST MY CASE.
Lastly character and world. So I enjoy how both go hand in hand to help you understand the mystery of why everyone is washed up and here on this island. I really don't wanna say their character, but I just loved Felix, Viola & Barkley. We may have not gotten anything concreate on why it exists or why we were here, wherever we are, but it strengthened the characters which is a part i focsued into. I have not done post story so maybe theres more and in the DLC, but I loved how it ended and what the archangels represented in a way.
Added:
I really wanna like, crunch every pixel. Very good chunky look.
I'm really running out of steam if you couldn't tell so I'll end it here! I really enjoyed my time with the game and I hope you enjoyed it or even give it a try if you read this far. I still play it after I've streamed it and I love so much of it <3
It ain't everyone's cup of tea, but sure as hell was mine!
2016
This review contains spoilers
This game in general has affected my opinion so much because of it being one of the first times a game was there for me during a hard time.
I love the character shown through Otus, to his teacher, and all the friends. Not to mention the small ones along the way. I think every character has their own thing going on. The talk about anxiety and how Otus deals with everything with his barrier of not being able to talk gave me something to connect to. Just, so much about how the people are written for comedy or deeper moments work real well here!
Not to mention the play style is a lil unique. Love the weapon swapping and using Twigs silk to sling around. Just feels great flying around most of the time instead of normal platforming. It was a good beath of fresh air.
I think that a lot to talk about for the years and years of replayed this. But theres alot I get and apprecaite espically looking at the developers.
Theres a lot to love for someone like me and the ending and post ending story I think is real great. I cant word it all, but I love this game so much.
I love the character shown through Otus, to his teacher, and all the friends. Not to mention the small ones along the way. I think every character has their own thing going on. The talk about anxiety and how Otus deals with everything with his barrier of not being able to talk gave me something to connect to. Just, so much about how the people are written for comedy or deeper moments work real well here!
Not to mention the play style is a lil unique. Love the weapon swapping and using Twigs silk to sling around. Just feels great flying around most of the time instead of normal platforming. It was a good beath of fresh air.
I think that a lot to talk about for the years and years of replayed this. But theres alot I get and apprecaite espically looking at the developers.
Theres a lot to love for someone like me and the ending and post ending story I think is real great. I cant word it all, but I love this game so much.
Okay this is so weird to call a DLC, but this DLC is almost liek a whole other game made in the same engine and feels like its seamlessly a part of the world happening at the same time. Most people you hang with feel like real real friends and builds on stuff I loved from the OG. Highly recommend and love the added digimon and designs :) Soft spot with this game. I loved how you could play either and would give you interesting insight and know how to try some cheese in the game.
I feel like this game is decent especially as an opener to Digimon as a whole. Its a neat RPG with some fun plot points and a surprising amount of the digimon from different parts of the series! I feel like its clean, love Arta and Yoko as characters. Just so much fun I have hard times explaining. Streaming this really struck a chord with me.
2013
This game had a lot of potential with their movement puzzles and communicating to do those puzzles were fun! I feel as if the enemy puzzles in the game made some parts for frustrating though near the end... Unfortunately the lag for online creates some problems. I do have to say I adore the looks of the game and music! Overall, felt great there was just, iffy moments. Recommend with a grain of salt in mind for the frustration.
I think Bug Fables started as a paper mario inspiration and became way more than that. Loved the lore in the game, how well they researched bugs, the art style and how neat they expanded on the battle mechanics. I think by the end I liked how the characters were wrapped up and how the game felt like to complete, really love this buggy game!
2013
This review contains spoilers
I don't think I can properly talk about this game without giving spoilers, but this is by far one of the few RPGs that kind of fit everything I want in a video game. I love the extra mile they go for side character, neat side content, the secret classes and the way they pull of the "yeah this story just keeps going" kinda thing... I think the twists with Ringabel and Airy is awesome. and the big baddy at the end with the camera showing you in the background. Also this game took advantage of almost every tool on the 3ds.
I just think I love how everything plays, looks, the comedy at times, music, and how this game followed me from its release till last year when I beat it. I can and never will shut up about Bravely default and their characters and wont for a while. Know it may not be everyone's' cup of tea, but sure is mine.
I just think I love how everything plays, looks, the comedy at times, music, and how this game followed me from its release till last year when I beat it. I can and never will shut up about Bravely default and their characters and wont for a while. Know it may not be everyone's' cup of tea, but sure is mine.
2009
This game came to me as a comfort game. Used this to deal with some of my anxiety. If I am to be honest, some of the dialogue for collection text is very questionable, but most of it is very good and this game is one I replay just to get into a relaxed feeling again.
2016
Seasons after Fall had a few neat mechanics and an alright story. The art style and how everything was executed in this game flowed together really well! Love the moral by the end and getting all the achievements wasn't too bad for me. Overall to be a wonderful experience when I needed it and I replay it every fall for the past 6 years. :) Recommend for a short comfortable game.