The Surlaw Reviews - 1/8/21 - 2020 Movies and Games Recap

I thought you were gonna write an overlong review for the overlong Superman movie!!!

Just read your PacRim review, and it's nice to hear about the 'childish' direction they took it, but I still don't think I'm gonna watch it. It just doesn't sound like my style.

In other news, I just played and finished Crystalis (NES) for the first time. I found it to be a pretty fun game, and only had to abuse save states two or three times to really enjoy it the whole way through (I don't feel too bad about one of these, where the use of my keyboard prevented certain movement that seemed borderline necessary to guarantee victory). It vaguely reminded me of Illusion of Gaia (SNES), although I can't really remember that game too well. I'd be interested to know if you've ever played it (or anyone else), and what you thought of it.

Out of curiosity, what do I do if I enjoyed an old game enough to feel like I ought to buy it, but refuse to pay ridiculous prices for original cartridges? I mean, buying it used doesn't really support the makers, does it? Plus, my friend has an original console, so I thought I could buy this for myself, but essentially give it to him.

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I am Srime

I've got half of a Superman review done! And half of like eight other reviews done too. Some day maybe!

Crystalis is one of my favorites! I haven't replayed it in a good ten years but I loved it when it was newish. It's definitely in the same vein as Soul Blazer/Illusion of Gaia/Terranigma, and all of those games are great.

A lot of good old games are available somewhere as digital purchases, but forgotten gems like Crystalis and a lot of Enix's non-Dragon Warrior games have slipped through the cracks. I like to own original carts of these games when I can, but when it comes to stuff like people asking $100 for a used copy of EVO I don't really see a problem with downloading a ROM. In an ideal world, all of these old games would be available on Virtual Console/PSN/XBLA.

As for Crystalis itself, there was a Game Boy Color re-release that I'd recommend but then I looked on Amazon and that version actually costs MORE than buying an old NES cart.

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Super Walrus Land: Mouth Words Edition

I mostly enjoyed Crystalis-- in fact for a while after I first got it I considered it my favorite NES game, but I did really hate some of the repetitive dungeon design. I remember sketching some dungeons on paper as I played so I wouldn't get lost.

I rewrote my very first Blog Review. I'm more critical of this game now. Will review the rest of the series later.



SoulCalibur V

And a custom character gallery:



SoulCalibur V Customs

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Super Walrus Land: Mouth Words Edition

Wow, rather in-depth custom character creation abilities. I love how you made Bob Surlaw.

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dOn'T MiNd mE! i'M jUsT CoNtAgIoUs!!!
Play Orbs CCG: http://orbsccg.com/r/4r6x

The voices you can give them are great too. It's a wonderful system that deserves to be in a better game. (I hope but know they won't add character creation to the HD remake of SC2)

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Super Walrus Land: Mouth Words Edition

Well, namco is in charge of things for the on-coming Smash Bros. game(s) (along with good ol' sakurai, or however his name be spellethed), and it's been announced and still slightly paraded that the game will have a more custom experience, which will be cool.

To what degree is yet to be determined, though. I'm partially hoping for, say, different attacks being able to be set to a character. For instance, mario can switch his DOWN-B attack from being that retarded FLUDD (disclaimer: Meowskivich loves mario sunshine and FLUDD, but in smash bros. it brings him angst to have one of mario's actually useful techniques replaced with squirtle's non-damaging and pointless water gun in the form of poor ol' FLUDD) to being his classic Mario Whirl, I believe it was called. Perhaps a few other things like that. I'm not saying making a whole custom character from scratch like in Bob Surlaw vs Soul Caliber, but more along the lines of custom choice moves of possible ones.
Another thing I'm minimally hoping for is the ability to change the button combo for the moves, whether or not you can change out moves all together. I mostly want this for jigglypuff, as I find it's SMASH-B should be Rollout and it's B should be Megapunch, and I end up accidentally triggering rollout when trying to do a stupid Megapunch anyway >_>
Especially since yoshi's egg roll is jigglypuff's rollout with no charge time, and it's activated SMASH-B.

Also, custom color palletes, maybe accessories.

So yeah, there might be a system of customization by namco in Smash Bros. Ultra, I dig custom characters at any time I'm given the choice for them.

Edit: Speaking of Smash Bros. Ultimate, I'm gonna go play some Melee, as I am beating All-Stars with all characters currently...and I have two more stages to unlock too.

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dOn'T MiNd mE! i'M jUsT CoNtAgIoUs!!!
Play Orbs CCG: http://orbsccg.com/r/4r6x

If Nintendo wants to make a billion dollars they'll do the miserable thing Capcom and Arc Systems have done and charge for different color palettes for every character. With Namco involved there's pretty much guaranteed to be overpriced, overabundant DLC.

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Super Walrus Land: Mouth Words Edition

Fantastic DLC for Game of the Year 2013.



Guacamelee DLC: El Diablo's Domain

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Super Walrus Land: Mouth Words Edition

I'm finally done replaying and writing about these games. This is the best one but it's still at least 1/3 junk, maybe more. I need to play something totally different next.



Devil May Cry 4

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Super Walrus Land: Mouth Words Edition

Might I suggest Kirby's Return to Dreamland?

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dOn'T MiNd mE! i'M jUsT CoNtAgIoUs!!!
Play Orbs CCG: http://orbsccg.com/r/4r6x

That's definitely one I've wanted to check out, I haven't played either of the Wii Kirby games.

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Super Walrus Land: Mouth Words Edition

I can say that Return to Dreamland is possibly my most favorite Kirby game, and hard mode is more than just a difficulty spike ;)

I've not played Epic Yarn yet, though. The one chance I had to get it I didn't, and the next day I went back to get it and it was gone (it was 9 or 10 bucks at a local used game store), and I haven't seen it since. I think that it's not popular, and you apparently can't die, but I still wish to play it because Kirby is my favorite game series of all and has been pretty much a determining factor for a lot of the games I've played and went for in my life, especially smash bros. Though Ness really sealed the deal by including my favorite RPG hero of all time in the game, but Kirby being on the cover is what got me to get it.

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dOn'T MiNd mE! i'M jUsT CoNtAgIoUs!!!
Play Orbs CCG: http://orbsccg.com/r/4r6x

Return to Dreamland is apparently rare, Amazon's cheapest copy is $54 + shipping and the game only cost $50 to begin with! I decided to start playing Wizorb instead because I'd bought it for $1 and hadn't tried it yet. It's a decent Arkanoid clone. Music's kind of bad.

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Super Walrus Land: Mouth Words Edition

lol, okay then, and in regards to RTD, just go to any retail store that sells games, it's still everywhere for new.

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dOn'T MiNd mE! i'M jUsT CoNtAgIoUs!!!
Play Orbs CCG: http://orbsccg.com/r/4r6x