Game Five Beaten!

I didn't plan to buy this game originally, but after I collected most of the NFC figures, which are extremely cute in their polygonal simplicity, I figured I may as well try it, since I liked Rumble Blast on the 3DS.

The game play is extremely simple. You pick a previously captured pokémon, like Psyduck, then start your level. Each one will have different objectives for you to meet. Then, button mash!! The objectives are usually pretty straightforward, Beat the level in X amount of time, protect _______, beat the level on a Sunday... So on, so forth.

You can use the little NFC figures to buy different moves for those certain pokémon. I haven't done that, since most of those pokémon weren't found in the later levels (that I've seen. Yet. I want to unlock all the pokémon.) So it wasn't really useful. I needed to save my coins to pay for a retry. The game gets kind of tough. I only bought them to display, anyway.

The only problem I had with the actual game, besides the normal "THE BOSS HAD MAYBE 3 HP LEFT WHY DID I DIE" frustration, was the frame rate dropping when there were a ton of pokémon on the screen at once being hit with the touch-power doodad. That's not a deal breaker though, I wouldn't expect it to run perfectly with that many models on screen, and it didn't inhibit game play at all. It was just a bit disconcerting because I was usually in the middle of the mob.

I found that farming the same pokémon over and over was helpful, since each one had a different move set. Even though each one could only use two moves, it was helpful to get, say, an Ivysaur with a grass and a poison move, rather than just two grass. And, since the game picks your three companions based on your chosen pokémon type, it's always good to use a pokémon with two types, so your helpers aren't beaten up extremely quickly by a wave of combatants.

The Squad

Now, about the NFC figures, themselves. Completely adorable, as I stated. They are quite fragile, though, and if you mess with them too much they'll break off their platform. They're pretty easy to reglue though. Definitely not everyday playthings.

There are 22 in total, including both Kyurems, those pictured here, Darkrai, Shiny Eevee and Shiny Pikachu. Completing the set would be awesome, but the shiny versions are too expensive.

My favorite two are Bulbasaur and Shaymin, since they're two of my favorite pokémon anyway. I actually received Bulbasaur in one of the blind pokéballs at Gamestop, but I had to order both Shaymin and Eevee. It was pretty fun to collect these, minus the 80 Litwicks I opened up my first go-through. I don't really know why Croagunk is one of the figures. I think Charmander or Squirtle would've been a better choice, but hey. I'm happy with what I got.

Overall, I enjoyed this game immensely. I've always wanted to play a beat'em up type of pokémon game, and this delivered quite well.

***

In other news, Worms Armageddon on the N64 came into the store. It's a relatively rare game, so obviously it must find itself in my collection. I'm also getting a copy of Mega Man 5 for the NES this week. It's the most expensive of all six of them, so that will be a great bridge to cross.

This Thursday I'm seeing my doctor for an update on my medicine, since I'm still not sleeping more than three good hours a night. Some people can handle that, sure, but I am not one of them. 

Currently, *** is at my house playing The Windwaker HD, and is in the Forbidden Woods. It's kind of fun to watch someone who hasn't played a game to death go through it. I think the platforms in this area look like almonds. 

"SUKIIIT" - ***

One thing I am thankful for, through all this crap I'm going through, are the people around me. Extremely supportive and available to help me get my mind out of the dark and into something fun/productive.