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Episode 436: Federation Farce, RFN Edition

by Daniel Bloodworth, James Jones, Jon Lindemann, and Jonathan Metts - July 19, 2015, 9:57 pm EDT
Total comments: 26

We can't talk about this subject anymore. *Similarities to other podcasts are purely "Coincidental"

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Guillaume is out this week, presumably honing his survival instincts deep in the Yukon. In his place; Jonny, Jon, and James are joined by GameTrailers Managing Editor (and Planet GameCube staff alum) Daniel Bloodworth. During the intro, James announces the surprisingly gracious Virtual Console gods have bestowed Blaster Master (NES) for our new "RetroActive Jr." feature. There's already a forum thread open, and we won't wait long to discuss this one, so drop off some goodies!

The show proper opens with happy memories of the late Nintendo President and CEO Satoru Iwata; Dan carries memories of Mr. Iwata's time heading up HAL into New Business, with a revisit of Kirby's Adventure, and plays Witcher III for a second time. Next up, Jon finally joins the Splatfest with his impressions of Splatoon. How does the fan of online multiplayer shooters take to Nintendo's first foray into the field? Jonny follows with a look at the frenetic Hyrule Warriors for Wii U, the methodical Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate for 3DS, and the finally available Drive Club PS+ edition for PS4. Lastly, James catches up with 2005's DS adventure game Trace Memory.

Following Now Playing, it's time for yet another Radio Free Nintendo presents: The Lord's of Thunder Round. Rapid-fire email topics include: investing in a New 3DS, the value proposition of Ocarina of Time 3D, third-party Amiibo characters, the future of Fire Emblem, Pokémon Shuffle, video game composers, and the game that cannot be named.

Thanks to Dan Bloodworth for joining us. To see more of Dan, check out GameTrailers.com, the GT YouTube channel or GT's Twitch stream. Be sure to check out the BackTrack episode covering the music of Chrono Cross.

While we don't spend a lot of time on it, you can hear more from James on the passing of Satoru Iwata in this week's Nintendo News Report. He joins Donald Theriault, and Alex Culafi for an open conversation about the man and his legacy. In tribute, he sports a three-piece suit.

To see more of Jonny, along with NWR Director Neal Ronaghan, check out the GameTrailer's E3 stream in which the two of them breakdown Nintendo's announcements and presentation.

Lastly, be sure to check out the episode of Jonny's music podcast, Discover Music Project, that inspired the this week's email on video game composers. He and Radio Trivia's Michael "TYP" Cole explore the catalog of Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka - composer of many of Nintendo's most recognizable tunes.

This episode was edited by Jonathan Metts and James Jones. The "Men of Leisure" theme song was produced exclusively for Radio Free Nintendo by Perry Burkum. Hear more at Bluffs Custom Music.

Talkback

So, we're stealing episode titles from the Famicast now? I almost wish you guys were still on the same podcast feed! also, Dan Bloodworth is a voice I have not heard since I used to listen to Invisible walls! This is a really cool episode to have my e-mail read on~!

The way that Mr. Bloodworth is describing Witcher 3 is... really turning me off. I like my games to feel gamey, I have learned in my experiences with gaming that level design is something that arrests me, and that I can suspend my disbelief far more and remember the games SO much more vividly if i still have that mental map I can dust off when I revisit the game in my mind. It's a big reason I'm down on stuff like GTA, Goldeneye, and most importantly, any video game that Bethesda Softworks has ever made in the history of ever.

Bloodborne's level design is so rich, so lovingly crafted and etched into my mind the same way that Dark Souls 1 or a Castlevania game or Super Metroid is bored into my very concience. I can tell you where you're going to find things in games like that, and what the implications of finding said things are. I cannot tell you where you are going to find a copy of the Lusty Argonian Maid or your particular powerful piece of equipment that isn't afforded to you outside of like... a quest in Skyrim is.

EnnerJuly 20, 2015

Good show. Also, I want every (other) episode to end with laments over Metroid Prime: Federation Force.


On Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate: Wanting to only hunt a monster once goes against a lot of the appeal of Monster Hunter. You should be able to do fine playing the low-rank and high-rank Caravan and Gathering Hall quests with a mishmash of armor. You definitely need to cycle up towards more rare armor as having more defense is vital as you go up the monster ladder. Same goes for upgrading or creating new weapons.


You will be missing out on a lot of skills with a mishmash of armor. Having some useful skills early in the game makes some facets of the hunt easier. That said, I think you will be able to get by without them.


Check out http://kiranico.com/en/mh4u or Ping's Dex smart device app for your database needs.


Now to admire my Star Knight armor that I crafted after playing a specific and special DLC event quest 8 times in a row to get all the required materials.


On Metroid Prime Federation Force: Hey, Treehouse streamed a mission of it live. Doesn't that count for anything? (Cue snarking over not watching Treehouse archives equates to not doing due diligence.)


Given how Nintendo's Digital Event for 2015 felt weak and cobbled together, I don't find it fair to single out Federation Force in my complaints. To be succinct, E3 is ideally where video game dreams come true. And Federation Force is a nightmare for some of the Metroid devotee as it appears to be a spin-off title in the wrong genre, on the wrong system (maybe?), with the wrong aesthetic, and just plain wrongness.


I wanted a new adventure with Samus too, but it wouldn't be a year with Nintendo without some major disappointments.


Hmm, I guess that brings up the question of what years where there when fans only had minor peeves with Nintendo.

zalmuteJuly 20, 2015

Personally, and this is an unpopular opinion to be sure but, I feel as though there is nothing wrong with federation force.  I have had many arguments with people over this and actually agree with what Reggie said in that this is a similar situation to what happened with the wind waker.  Metroid fans flipped out because its not the realistic metroid game they were looking for.  The fact that metroid is getting a spinoff should be a good enough sign that nintendo intends on continuing with metroid.

However this outrage… This outrage made me realize that metroid fans have a persecution complex. Thing is, the game is a harmless spinoff made by people with a good reputation using a different part of the universe that the game is set in. The parallels Reggie and I talk about in regards to metroid vs zelda are in that the fans expected something that nintendo did not give them and whined. One thing that people seem to forget is that when the game came out (wind waker),  people liked it. We never said it was exactly the same situation but we should give it a chance.

This is a different game in the universe starring different people that live differently than Samus. The expansion of a known franchise's universe is only a good thing because they could use that experience as a good way to expand story telling. People that are set in their ways may not understand the potential benefits in having the universe shown from different view points because they are scared that their little view of what is could be disrupted without even giving it a chance.

Finally, Retro themselves are not working on it. The kneejerk reaction to this side story created by a completely different team is laughable and metroid fans should be ashamed.

gojiraJuly 20, 2015

Is this episode not showing up in anyone else's iTunes feed either?

NbzJuly 20, 2015

Quote from: gojira

Is this episode not showing up in anyone else's iTunes feed either?

Yeah it hasn't shown up for me all day

The feed will be fixed as soon as one of us gets back from work and finds the time.


This is what happens when I take a holiday! (j/k I love my cohosts taking over my duties when they can)

BloodworthDaniel Bloodworth, Staff AlumnusJuly 20, 2015

Quote from: ClexYoshi

The way that Mr. Bloodworth is describing Witcher 3 is... really turning me off. I like my games to feel gamey, I have learned in my experiences with gaming that level design is something that arrests me, and that I can suspend my disbelief far more and remember the games SO much more vividly if i still have that mental map I can dust off when I revisit the game in my mind. It's a big reason I'm down on stuff like GTA, Goldeneye, and most importantly, any video game that Bethesda Softworks has ever made in the history of ever.

Bloodborne's level design is so rich, so lovingly crafted and etched into my mind the same way that Dark Souls 1 or a Castlevania game or Super Metroid is bored into my very concience. I can tell you where you're going to find things in games like that, and what the implications of finding said things are. I cannot tell you where you are going to find a copy of the Lusty Argonian Maid or your particular powerful piece of equipment that isn't afforded to you outside of like... a quest in Skyrim is.

I get where you're coming from. Maybe it's harder to explain since so many open worlds do feel rather cookie cutter, but with the Witcher, it still does have that sense of feeling very intricately and lovingly crafted, but also convincing you that it's a real place rather than a level design. There are so many memorable places as you work your way through the game, and even after I was 80 hours in, there were spots that would catch me off guard with their beauty and craftsmanship.

broodwarsJuly 20, 2015

Regarding Federation Force, I've said it before but Reggie can't pull his old "PLAY...THE GAME!" bullshit when people CAN'T "play the game", and doing so costs $40-$60. If he wants to keep saying that, Nintendo can put out a demo for Federation Force.

Quote from: Bloodworth

Quote from: ClexYoshi

The way that Mr. Bloodworth is describing Witcher 3 is... really turning me off. I like my games to feel gamey, I have learned in my experiences with gaming that level design is something that arrests me, and that I can suspend my disbelief far more and remember the games SO much more vividly if i still have that mental map I can dust off when I revisit the game in my mind. It's a big reason I'm down on stuff like GTA, Goldeneye, and most importantly, any video game that Bethesda Softworks has ever made in the history of ever.

Bloodborne's level design is so rich, so lovingly crafted and etched into my mind the same way that Dark Souls 1 or a Castlevania game or Super Metroid is bored into my very concience. I can tell you where you're going to find things in games like that, and what the implications of finding said things are. I cannot tell you where you are going to find a copy of the Lusty Argonian Maid or your particular powerful piece of equipment that isn't afforded to you outside of like... a quest in Skyrim is.

I get where you're coming from. Maybe it's harder to explain since so many open worlds do feel rather cookie cutter, but with the Witcher, it still does have that sense of feeling very intricately and lovingly crafted, but also convincing you that it's a real place rather than a level design. There are so many memorable places as you work your way through the game, and even after I was 80 hours in, there were spots that would catch me off guard with their beauty and craftsmanship.

I can believe that. I'll probably hit up this trology some day. I have the second game on Steam, but not the first. I've just got to be not lazy. I really haven't played a wesern RPG I've really loved in a LONG time.





Also, as long as I'm posting in this thread, I love that I got James Jones to make sounds of flatulence with his mouth on an archived podcast with my letter. :P Still, I'm glad he questioned why Johnny brought it to Thunder round, because that means he probably was down for talking about it at lengh, and i would have LOVED to hear that discussion.

BloodworthDaniel Bloodworth, Staff AlumnusJuly 20, 2015

Quote from: ClexYoshi

Quote from: Bloodworth

Quote from: ClexYoshi

The way that Mr. Bloodworth is describing Witcher 3 is... really turning me off. I like my games to feel gamey, I have learned in my experiences with gaming that level design is something that arrests me, and that I can suspend my disbelief far more and remember the games SO much more vividly if i still have that mental map I can dust off when I revisit the game in my mind. It's a big reason I'm down on stuff like GTA, Goldeneye, and most importantly, any video game that Bethesda Softworks has ever made in the history of ever.

Bloodborne's level design is so rich, so lovingly crafted and etched into my mind the same way that Dark Souls 1 or a Castlevania game or Super Metroid is bored into my very concience. I can tell you where you're going to find things in games like that, and what the implications of finding said things are. I cannot tell you where you are going to find a copy of the Lusty Argonian Maid or your particular powerful piece of equipment that isn't afforded to you outside of like... a quest in Skyrim is.

I get where you're coming from. Maybe it's harder to explain since so many open worlds do feel rather cookie cutter, but with the Witcher, it still does have that sense of feeling very intricately and lovingly crafted, but also convincing you that it's a real place rather than a level design. There are so many memorable places as you work your way through the game, and even after I was 80 hours in, there were spots that would catch me off guard with their beauty and craftsmanship.

I can believe that. I'll probably hit up this trology some day. I have the second game on Steam, but not the first. I've just got to be not lazy. I really haven't played a wesern RPG I've really loved in a LONG time

I'd suggest skipping straight to 3. Since 3 is the company's first multiplatform title, they went out of their way to make sure the plot is as easy to jump into as possible. There will certainly be things you'd be better informed of if you played the previous games and read the books, but that's true of the first two games as well.

RSS is hard. Weirdly, I only broke the AAC feed (only). The MP3 one had problems from last week's show. Both are now fixed and show is subtly renamed.

gojiraJuly 20, 2015

Quote from: Crimm

RSS is hard. Weirdly, I only broke the AAC feed (only). The MP3 one had problems from last week's show. Both are now fixed and show is subtly renamed.

Thanks, gotta get my RFN fix.

Quote from: Crimm

RSS is hard. Weirdly, I only broke the AAC feed (only). The MP3 one had problems from last week's show. Both are now fixed and show is subtly renamed.

I lol'd.

famicomplicatedJames Charlton, Associate Editor (Japan)July 21, 2015

Quote from: gojira

Is this episode not showing up in anyone else's iTunes feed either?

Mine showed up fine.

In my Famicast feed from a few weeks back!

#BOOM

I've personally heard enough about Federation Force for a lifetime until there's something actually newsworthy released about it.  You guys even gave the mouthbreathers who signed that ridiculous petition more time than it deserved.  I understand the frustration, it's like if F-Zero fans finally got a game announced but it was a platformer starring Captian Falcon, but we're getting to the point of dead horse beating, I think alls been said that can be about it for now.

Hearing the talk about Monster Hunter 4 is making me crave another meaty grindfest after unhooking myself from Destiny a few months ago....gotta stay strong.  Also not sure if this is the kind of game I want on a handheld, I really liked the way 3 ultimate played on Wii U.

I don't regret upgrading to a "New" 3DS if only because the incremental upgrades were worth it to me.  The 3D that actually finally works is a big one.  I gave up on using the 3D slider at all on my old 3DS XL because it was just garbage.  I've become a fairly regular user of the 3D on the new model now that it seems to stick much better to your eye position regardless of how you hold it.  Extremely disappointed in the lack of support on the system so far though, and have pretty low expectations of the future, too.


KobeskillzJuly 21, 2015

I'm glad you finally tried Hyrule Warriors john and this may sound weird but you should keep playing the game and it will just click with you.


I played the game for about 6-7 hours and it was ok but I wasn't having a lot of fun with it. The combat seemed shallow, the game repetitive and confusing and i was getting my tail kicked by some bosses and overwhelmed with stopping them and the constant treat of my base being attacked.


Then it all came together! I started to know what the game was asking of me and what I had to do to be successful. My characters started to level up and unlock more abilities and become stronger. I started to mess with the weapon fusion system and I was getting better rankings in previous maps.


I started to get into the story and the characters and well the game just clicked. It turned out to be one of my favorite games that year.


Almost like getting an CD and you listen to it a few times and don't think much of it then you listen more to it and it all of a sudden becomes one of your favorite CD's.


So i would say keep playing and invest some decent time in it and inside lies a very well made and worthy game.


Remember glass half full guys!!!

TOPHATANT123July 21, 2015

I think the bosses are easily the worst part of Hyrule Warriors, they take FOREVER to kill and usually involve just holding the block button until they show their weak points, then rinse and repeat 4 times over. The rest of the game though is great.

KobeskillzJuly 21, 2015

Quote from: TOPHATANT123

I think the bosses are easily the worst part of Hyrule Warriors, they take FOREVER to kill and usually involve just holding the block button until they show their weak points, then rinse and repeat 4 times over. The rest of the game though is great.

I had trouble with them at the start because the game was very confusing and I didn't know what to do and you aren't leveled up so it took forever to beat them but at the same time all your bases are falling.


That's why it was hard. Once you level up and understand how to use strategy and how to attack a map and what to do the bosses become a lot easier and very fun.

Evan_BJuly 21, 2015

Quote from: TOPHATANT123

I think the bosses are easily the worst part of Hyrule Warriors, they take FOREVER to kill and usually involve just holding the block button until they show their weak points, then rinse and repeat 4 times over. The rest of the game though is great.

And here I am, blowing through an Agnorok and two Manhandlas every six minutes.

Quote from: famicomplicated

Quote from: gojira

Is this episode not showing up in anyone else's iTunes feed either?

Mine showed up fine.

In my Famicast feed from a few weeks back!

#BOOM

I love you, JC. <3

MilksteakJuly 23, 2015

Been a listener for almost two years now, just listened to this episode this morning.
Thought I would just pop in and say I love the podcast and look forward to it every week. Good job on another great episode.


Stick with Hyrule Warriors though! It gets pretty addictive after you've sunk some time into it. The DLC is amazing too, I'd argue Young Link is the most fun character in the game, it changes your entire mindset as you're pretty much never going to want to use your super move and instead convert your gauge into magic to turn into Fierce Diety. I'm also wondering if you have invested any time leveling up your characters through the item "crafting," it makes the game infinitely more enjoyable once you've put the time into unlocking all the combos for your character.

KobeskillzJuly 23, 2015

Quote from: Milksteak

Been a listener for almost two years now, just listened to this episode this morning.
Thought I would just pop in and say I love the podcast and look forward to it every week. Good job on another great episode.


Stick with Hyrule Warriors though! It gets pretty addictive after you've sunk some time into it. The DLC is amazing too, I'd argue Young Link is the most fun character in the game, it changes your entire mindset as you're pretty much never going to want to use your super move and instead convert your gauge into magic to turn into Fierce Diety. I'm also wondering if you have invested any time leveling up your characters through the item "crafting," it makes the game infinitely more enjoyable once you've put the time into unlocking all the combos for your character.

I completely agree with you. Though it does bother me that they talk about this game in a demeaning way just because it isn't a regular Zelda game.


Even James who likes it can't say he likes it without giving the disclaimer about how stupid it is and how it's just pure stupidity. Man if you like the game don't apologize for it.


It's a great fun game and severely underrated IMO. I loved the hell out of it and all the extra content has given the game tons of legs.


Going back to get high scores and collect the spiders is also a lot of fun. I hope we get another game in the series.

When James calls something stupid, he usually means it as a compliment. Not so with me, but I can like a game in spite of its stupidity, sometimes.

Quote from: Kobeskillz

Quote from: Milksteak

Been a listener for almost two years now, just listened to this episode this morning.
Thought I would just pop in and say I love the podcast and look forward to it every week. Good job on another great episode.


Stick with Hyrule Warriors though! It gets pretty addictive after you've sunk some time into it. The DLC is amazing too, I'd argue Young Link is the most fun character in the game, it changes your entire mindset as you're pretty much never going to want to use your super move and instead convert your gauge into magic to turn into Fierce Diety. I'm also wondering if you have invested any time leveling up your characters through the item "crafting," it makes the game infinitely more enjoyable once you've put the time into unlocking all the combos for your character.

I completely agree with you. Though it does bother me that they talk about this game in a demeaning way just because it isn't a regular Zelda game.


Even James who likes it can't say he likes it without giving the disclaimer about how stupid it is and how it's just pure stupidity. Man if you like the game don't apologize for it.


It's a great fun game and severely underrated IMO. I loved the hell out of it and all the extra content has given the game tons of legs.


Going back to get high scores and collect the spiders is also a lot of fun. I hope we get another game in the series.

Kobe, James means it like... how one might derrive enjoyment from Demolition Man (the movie, not the video game) or Commando (again, movie, not video game) by just turning off the higher functioning part of his brain.

There's a schlocky element to Hyrule Warriors, but it overcomes it with indomidable charm... sorta like how Evil Dead is so cherished and loved.

OedoJuly 24, 2015

Yeah, "stupid" and good/enjoyable are definitely not mutually exclusive when it comes to video games. I'm playing SMT Strange Journey right now and the game is not only stupid, but downright nonsensical and asinine in some parts. That hasn't stopped me from putting 40 hours into it over a week and enjoying it on the whole. If someone asked me about this game and I left out the fact that it was often insanely bizarre just because I enjoy it, that would be dishonest. It's not about being apologetic, it's about being honest. Besides, I don't think a guy who voluntarily discussed playing Conception II on a podcast not too long ago would feel the need to be apologetic about his gaming choices anyway.


Re: New 3DS exclusives, I upgraded having very little in the way of expectations for exclusives and Nintendo still managed to come in below them somehow. It's been out for 10 months and we haven't even gotten so much as an announcement for anything other than Xenoblade Chronicles 3D. Unless you count some vague comments from Reggie about digital games coming out that will be exclusive to the system, which is most likely a reference to indies like Binding of Isaac or Unity stuff and not anything developed by Nintendo (I don't). I'm still satisfied on the whole between the numerous smaller upgrades and the enhanced games (I'm sure I'll get a lot of run out of the NFC reader with AC Happy Home Designer too), but I feel bad for anyone who upgraded expecting decent support in the way of exclusives. They don't want to split the userbase; that's obvious and I get that. But I don't think it's asking too much for another couple of ports at least.

pokepal148Spencer Johnson, Contributing WriterJuly 24, 2015

I got my new 3ds because the old 'taco' 3ds was beginning to show it's age.

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