Author Topic: The Bitching Topic (Read 125055 times)

Jake · « **Reply #6040 on:** December 25, 2011, 03:29:30 AM »

2011 was kind of a shitty year for music. Someone please prove me wrong.
I seriously started thinking about it the other day and I can't really think of more than five albums from this year that I've enjoyed to the point of repeated listens (or even listening all the way through).

Alex · « **Reply #6041 on:** December 31, 2011, 05:25:56 PM »

I feel the same way... apparently it's been a great year if you're into dubstep and other forms of electronica. Or if you really, really like Bon Iver.

Personally I think the new Nujabes album is brilliant, but in general, there's not much I really loved this year.

Clyde · « **Reply #6042 on:** December 31, 2011, 06:56:41 PM »

Yeah, all my favourite bands seemed to release an album this year and I was pretty underwhelmed by the vast majority of them.

Although, I REALLY loved the new Go! Team album, except I listened to it way too much and I can't really listen to it anymore. The new Feist wasn't bad and it went in a direction I really liked, but I think I am almost over that album too. New Mogwai was exciting, for Mogwai.

At least, I didn't have as bad of a year for music as you, Jacob. I at least listened to more than 5 albums over and over. But looking back, I don't even know why I listened to them over and over. I think I was trying to get to like them but it didn't seem to work (I'm referring to the new Fleet Foxes, Antlers, TV on the Radio, The Decemberists, Rural Alberta Advantage, Beirut, Battles, and St. Vincent albums).

Oh dear.

Clyde · « **Reply #6043 on:** December 31, 2011, 07:09:31 PM »

Also, does anyone else find Skyward Sword underwhelming? This post may have spoilers.

Don't reveal anything yet though. Right now I have spent maybe 30 hours on it, have 17 hearts, and still need to do the third spirit test or whatever they are called. I need to enter that creepy-ass spirit realm for the third time and collect those gems or whatever they are.

To be honest, I am kind of indifferent towards the game at the moment. The items you get are all similar or the same as items from other games (besides the beetle and the blower and I say the whip is basically the grappling hook from Wind Waker). Nothing has really excited me yet. At times it reminds me of Super Mario Galaxy which weirds me out (I am referring to the music while you are flying in the sky and how the world on the ground is not all connected and feels like individual levels).

I will wait it out, and perhaps I'll have a completely different opinion once I reach the ending. But for the most part, I am not really feeling much from this Zelda game yet. At least Twilight Princess excited me when I got crazy new items (like the ball and chain, the spinner, double hookshots) or had exciting and unique boss battles. Skyward Sword has yet to excite me. The closest it has got is actually with the spirit realm tests.

I admit, I like that they have made tons of changes (like stamina) and that areas before temples kind of play out like temples themselves. I also do like the cast so far. The mole people are great and I enjoy the shop keepers. But, I dunno. I have mixed feelings.

What do you guys (who have played it or are playing it) think?

Cardinal · « **Reply #6044 on:** December 31, 2011, 09:48:54 PM »

I really enjoyed Bon Iver's new album - I'm also a huge Bon Iver fan, so. :x

I haven't heard any of you guys' opinions of the new Los Campesinos! album. Did you all not like it? I really enjoyed it; find myself playing it pretty often now.
Also enjoyed the new Gambino album; Jake have you checked that out? You might like it if you haven't.

Genevra · « **Reply #6045 on:** December 31, 2011, 11:37:34 PM »

I'm currently sailing in Lanayru making my way to the fifth dungeon. I'm really enjoying the dungeons and I'd argue they are some of the best in the series. The concept of the motion controls is spectacular even if they can be a bit buggy (rolling bombs aughfgjkfdkj). But overall, it wasn't as much as a step up as advertised. It has good old Zelda creativity but it really doesn't bring anything new to the table aside from the controls.

I like it but it doesn't get me excited like the other Zeldas did when I first played them. :\

Clyde · « **Reply #6046 on:** January 01, 2012, 04:51:02 AM »

Unf! That last sentence really sums up my thoughts. I enjoy it, but it does not excite me.

Haha, and how did I get past you in the game all of a sudden? I guess I've been playing Zelda A LOT lately. :x

As for the dungeons... I'm not sure if they are the best in the series at all. I find them very easy. The first temple I found the most difficult mainly because I couldn't find switches even though they were in obvious locations.

I admit, they do some neat things for the dungeons, but I find them to be the easiest in the series to get through. I find that they are way more linear than any other dungeons in the series. It is not a bad thing though. I dislike it when I have to wander into random rooms in a dungeon to figure out where to go next (like the Forest and Water temples in Ocarina of Time or the Mountain or Water temples in Majora's Mask). Skyward Sword's Temples seem to have a fairly obvious path to go through and I don't get lost or stuck it seems.

But, all the temples can be done in an hour or so it feels like. I'm finding that getting to the temples itself is usually a much bigger challenge and the temple always seems much easier in comparison. The bosses tend to kick my ass though and for the most part I just barely beat them. They seemed to get just the right difficulty down for those.

Genevra · « **Reply #6047 on:** January 01, 2012, 10:01:16 PM »

also clyde what're you talking about the tentacle monster boss was EASY

Clyde · « **Reply #6048 on:** January 02, 2012, 05:40:40 AM »

It just made me angry because I'd constantly mess up my spin attacks and the battle seemed to drag on forever.

At least at the end they give you tons of hearts so it was no problem at that point.

I found the boss before it to be way easier.

Number 38 · « **Reply #6049 on:** January 02, 2012, 07:56:09 AM »

Hm, surprised to hear that Kez. IMO the dungeons in Skyward Sword are poorly designed. It's hard to "get on a roll" because everything takes so long and dungeons are slow to navigate. I almost never got stuck on puzzles but the dungeons still took a long time... When TP first came out I played until I beat it, pretty much, but with SS I've boredom-quit many times.

I felt the bosses were tooooo simple but it might just have to do with how much of a grasp you have of the motion controls. (Last boss is a joke, btw. Cool fight but waaaaaaay too easy.) Clyde, you never /have/ to spin attack the tentacle monster boss!

All in all I felt the game was a chore to play, but the combat/aesthetic/small injections of world lore kept me going until the end. I did enjoy it overall but I think it's a very weak Zelda game in comparison to its predecessors.

Rosti LFC · « **Reply #6050 on:** January 02, 2012, 02:08:47 PM »

It can't be as bad as Phantom Hourglass on the DS, surely? Having played almost all the Zelda games on the GameBoy when I was a kid, I was massively disappointed with it and I still haven't finished it.

Clyde · « **Reply #6051 on:** January 02, 2012, 02:44:53 PM »

Rosti! I gave up on Phantom Hourglass too for like 2 years, then randomly went back to it as I wanted to attempt to beat all the games I own. Only reason I went back. :x

It is 10 times better than Phantom Hourglass, but that does not say much.

Twilight Princess excited me. There were so many bosses that were crazy fun and a joy to play (like the giant Ice boss, the skeleton dragon monster you used the spinner to attack, or ZANT <3). The bosses in this game are decent, but they aren't overly fun. They aren't as epic, that is for sure.

There is one boss you have to fight three times, and another boss I fought twice now and I'm sure I will have to fight a third time. Oh, and you technically fight a different boss twice when you revisit the desert.

Basically, you revisit places you have already been several times and many of the quests feature you going back to grab things. Remember catching the 15 bugs in Twilight Princess? You collect 15 tears in this one, so far 3 times. Fetch quests pop up tons of times.

You have to think more than any other Zelda game to get to Temples, but the Temples themselves are the most straight-forward in the series. It basically follows a linear path provided you do not head off in the wrong direction right off the bat. Temples in every other Zelda game for consoles typically lasted longer for me and had me stumped at times. Not Skyward Sword.

I am 43 hours into the game now and still am not finished, although I must be close.

Clyde · « **Reply #6052 on:** January 02, 2012, 04:31:15 PM »

Oh, about my joint POF account:

Today, I randomly looked at people in other cities and I have determined that Edmonton is freak city. It is insanely difficult to find a profile of a person who seems normal in appearance AND writes with proper grammer. Usually it is one or the other or neither.

Well, somebody from Victoria randomly messaged us and he seemed awesome and normal. Then I looked at other people in Victoria and Vancouver and the vast majority seemed awesome and normal.

I clearly need to move to BC, haha.

Clyde · « **Reply #6053 on:** January 02, 2012, 04:32:38 PM »

Oh, and Sean:

I used the spin attack to cut the tenticles. What else could I have done? Regular attacks seemed to just bounce my sword off. :x

I assume I was doing something wrong, then?

Jake · « **Reply #6054 on:** January 02, 2012, 05:24:55 PM »

Quote from: Cardinal on December 31, 2011, 09:48:54 PM

I really enjoyed Bon Iver's new album - I'm also a huge Bon Iver fan, so. :x

I haven't heard any of you guys' opinions of the new Los Campesinos! album. Did you all not like it? I really enjoyed it; find myself playing it pretty often now.
Also enjoyed the new Gambino album; Jake have you checked that out? You might like it if you haven't.

I liked the new Los Campesinos! a lot actually. Every time they come out with something my initial reaction is always kind of meh but upon repeated listens I usually like it better.
I might have heard the new Gambino but I'm not sure. I downloaded his discography a few months ago so if it's come out since then no.

I do love the new Black Keys album too. It's pretty good.

Alex: I like dubstep and electronic but for the life of me I can't listen to it for more than like 20 minutes at a time. Too much wub wub pissing contest but there's nothing wrong with a pissing contest every once in a while.

Onto a real bitch: I was supposed to go and shoot this webseries in chicago this week but ended up not being able to go because I couldn't find a ride :| I was going to look at apartments and stuff too and I'm pretty bummed that I have to spend another week at home when I could have just gone back to Muncie.

Alex · « **Reply #6055 on:** January 02, 2012, 06:40:16 PM »

Scrolling through SS posts to avoid spoilers and missing out on other relevant comments, but wanted to through out that the new LC! album is my favourite of the year easily.

Rosti LFC · « **Reply #6056 on:** January 02, 2012, 07:45:06 PM »

Quote from: Alex on January 02, 2012, 06:40:16 PM

wanted to through out that

Genevra · « **Reply #6057 on:** January 02, 2012, 07:47:53 PM »

Clyde, you're supposed to do a horizontal skyward strike on the tentacles.

Rosti, it is definitely better than Phantom Hourglass. While SS you have to go back and forth a few times which is stupid, it's not nearly as excruciating as the temple of the motherfucking ocean king. I've had Spirit Tracks for a while now (my brother bought it) and I've still barely started it. Probably because it's so hard to take it seriously when Link's in his train outfit.

Empirical Pussy · « **Reply #6058 on:** January 03, 2012, 01:41:43 AM »

I can't really get into the new LC! like I did the last few albums. The first few songs are really catchy, but I can't quite break that "meh, pretty good but nothing too special" barrier with this album...

2011 was also apparently the year that I stopped listening to music, but I've only really had a couple albums come out this year that I liked a lot, and all at the beginning of the year.

The What Top 10 has been shit, every damn day, all of 2011.

Number 38 · « **Reply #6059 on:** January 03, 2012, 02:54:57 AM »

@Clyde, oh I didn't know spin attacks cut the tentacles! That's cool. I just used skyward strikes.

One thing to SS's credit is that there are almost always multiple ways to beat each boss (esp. with shield/without shield) which is something new, and I love it.

Alex mentioned that SS so far felt like the DS Zelda games to him. I never really noticed that, but I almost never think of the DS ones. Spirit Tracks is currently the only Zelda game I've never played and don't intend to..
Also I hate comparing top down Zeldas to 3D Zeldas.

News:

Author Topic: The Bitching Topic (Read 125055 times)