Undertale, EarthBound and The Appeal of Quirky Games | Slightly Something Else
нийтэлсэн 12 өдрийн өмнө
Үзсэн тоо 22мянга.
This week on Slightly Something Else, Yahtzee and Jack talk about quirky games like Undertale and Earthbound and what their appeal is.
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SKay
3 өдрийн өмнө
Thanks for answering my question. This just makes me think how far game design has come when the only main limitation it has left is the people working on it and what their priorities are.
Michael Wolfe
4 өдрийн өмнө
When did jack get a zero punctuation character.
Jen Weatherwax
4 өдрийн өмнө
The Toffee bell! flappity-flap
Z
7 өдрийн өмнө
I think it is very funny that they think they are going to completely avoid talking about Dark Souls so they choose to talk about deconstructionist games, which Dark Souls is a prime example of. It just deconstructs action rpg mechanics instead of jrpg mechanics.
Luke Macri
8 өдрийн өмнө
I didn't know how NPR they could get until they turned the NPR dial up to 13 at 24:40.
Anguila Hombre
8 өдрийн өмнө
Regarding the whole discussion of Undertale and its Earthbound influence, there's another major influence that's lesser known but of significant importance: the Touhou Project series of bullet-hell shooters, created by a solo dev known as ZUN. Aside from the implementation of SHMUP mechanics in Undertale's battle system and some overall story similarities (human(s) in a world of monsters, war between humans and monsters, barrier keeping them all together, Papyrus~Cirno, etc.), the influence manifests mostly in the soundtrack. Toby Fox's music has long been compared to ZUN's, and he's been a massive Touhou fan since middle school. Much of his interest in composing music was a result of trying to play Touhou songs on the piano at a young-ish age. The attitudes and ideas of Touhou's creator may have also rubbed off on Toby (a bit more speculative here), such as a focus on solo-development, an openness to and encouragement of fan creations, composing the music first then figuring out the story afterwards... It's also an exemplar of the idea Yahtzee put forth at 30:00, that an indie dev shouldn't let the fact that they can't draw get in the way of their vision. I was gonna ask if either Yahtzee or Jack was aware of the series, but I missed the stream. I guess feel free to pass this along, Nick, if you feel like it. Thanks
todpolle
8 өдрийн өмнө
I played Jimmy and the Mass. I must warn that it can be very hard.
Toby Grice
9 өдрийн өмнө
This weeks not coming to Spotify?
Realag666
9 өдрийн өмнө
27:35 Funnily enough, When I was 12 years old I watched Event Horizon on late Night Television when my parents were out of the house for the evening and had nightmares for a week.
PinothyJ
9 өдрийн өмнө
Why isn't the show just renamed to "Dancing Around Dark Souls"?
The Oreo
9 өдрийн өмнө
A mention of home of the underdogs! Yahtzee my man!! I didn't think it was possible for you to be any cooler, but you just proved me wrong!
Mr. Bennett
10 өдрийн өмнө
Night in the Woods is another one of those supremely quirky games. It takes a bit of a dive at the end, and it's more walking sim/puzzle adventure than it is a traditional platformer, but it is freakin' quirky, that's for sure.
Labrn Mystic
10 өдрийн өмнө
Did the audio seem low for anyone else? I listen pretty regularly and have a set volume I normally can listen on, this time I had to put up to almost Max
Christian Schweda
6 өдрийн өмнө
Yep, same here. Mostly Jack beeing too quiet for my taste...
liquidcow
10 өдрийн өмнө
I'm playing Disco Elysium now. It doesn't feel to me like a 'pick-up-and-play' game, very much the opposite. Conversations and interactions can go on for so long, it's best if you can play it in big chunks in order to absorb yourself in it.
Paul Chapman
10 өдрийн өмнө
I just realized as they were talking about smacking old ladies with frying pans that Paula actually does that in EarthBound. I guess it’s easy to forget or ignore because you don’t actually see your characters attacking the enemy.
Connor Swenke
10 өдрийн өмнө
Disco elysium console release has FULL voice acting!
Connor Swenke
10 өдрийн өмнө
Quirk-by-commitee is how you get Life is Strange
Connor Swenke
10 өдрийн өмнө
@27:00 Speaking of Event Horizon, Shout Factory just released a blu-ray transfer! Mine's arriving this Tuesday!
Shannon McConnell
10 өдрийн өмнө
I was poking around today and discovered that Earthbound is selling for something like $1300. I bought it for about $80 Canadian in the mid 90s and loved it. I still have it complete in box with the game guide. The only reason I bought it was because my friend assured me I wouldn't be able to finish it in three days like final fantasy. He had been playing his copy for months. I did manage to finish it in two weeks between work with very little sleep unfortunately so the $80 price tag was still to steep in my opinion. Now I don't know whether to sell it or hold on to it. It was the best Nintendo game. I loved that when you were to powerful for the enemies the encounters would just poof away. I have it on the mini nintendo clasic now but never bothered to play it more than once. My next favorite game was Planescape torment on the PC that I never managed to finish because I had played for weeks and then my hard drive died.
Shannon McConnell
8 өдрийн өмнө
@dogtune01 Honestly don't know, obviously doesn't have anything to do with playing the game itself. It's an original physical copy of the game with the big box and scratch and sniff manual. It wasn't originally a popular game. So not a lot of copies exist.
dogtune01
8 өдрийн өмнө
I have the game for like 9 dollars or so on my 2ds. Why 1300?
kehraus
10 өдрийн өмнө
Curiously, what is the intro music from? Anyone know?
mutalord
10 өдрийн өмнө
a game needs the right amount of quirk to be good
David Lejeune
10 өдрийн өмнө
I remember holding the Earthbound box in the shop a couple of times and the front completely not matching the back. Being a kid, I didn't know what to make of it, so I chose something else every time. The front drew me in a certain way, but the back completely negated it. Had they just put Ness with his baseball bat on the front instead of that spiky golden idol, I might have chosen differently. Anyway, never played it, probably should.
askmitch
11 өдрийн өмнө
The question that asked about story and gameplay reminded me of Yahtzee's review of Anthem, where he mentions there is the story city "and literally walled off from it is the gameplay" One of the more horrendous examples, but another reason you cant trust AAA games.
Notte Boy97
11 өдрийн өмнө
I feel Dungeon Muchies gives off a lot of the Earthbound/Undertale vibes. It starts off as a wacky adventure of you being a zombie revived by a ghost to make magical food that is outlawed for some reason. Then it gradually reveals that this isn't some quirky random game as the plot moves on from just making food because funny ghost lady told you to being a story about estranged friends and how the world came to be after facing several apocalypses.
GameGod7
11 өдрийн өмнө
Stream starts at 1:50
Azur Aben
11 өдрийн өмнө
About undertale mechanics, I think that with some fights you can even get damaged while you are in the menus themselves as attacks keep flying around the screen!
Kaltes Bild
11 өдрийн өмнө
I haven’t played Omori yet but I watched a super interesting vid on it. I think either of you would like the themes if you get through it.
Animall bros.
6 өдрийн өмнө
The themes of Omori are very interested.
Luke Maguire
11 өдрийн өмнө
Just wanting to say how much I'm loving the slightly series
ManDevil
11 өдрийн өмнө
I can't look at the new show's title graphic without getting a strange craving for Special K breakfast cereal.
stop making me do this google
11 өдрийн өмнө
mother 3 is so absurdly hype to westerners that when i was a at a used videogame store in japan (super potato), a mother 3 cartridge cost me more than a super famicom + n64 combined
SnuSnuDungeon
11 өдрийн өмнө
From the description of that scratch and sniff book for Earthbound it sounded like they were trying to replicate the smell of an arcade
AgapeForgotten
11 өдрийн өмнө
Also Hal labs published both Earthbound and the first two Smash brothers. Legends of Localization said the translators did a pretty good job. And Omori is good.. the hook is that Omori seems unhappy even in a world that seems to love him.. it might be interesting to find out why..
AgapeForgotten
6 өдрийн өмнө
@Animall bros. Great way to express it without giving the story away, thank you. I was blanking out on it.
Animall bros.
6 өдрийн өмнө
I'd say the central core of Omori is confronting the past, and the surreal world is an escapism. The Prologue is more so directed towards figuring out what's going, while also just throwing unfiltered surrealism; and the later captors are more anchored by an emotional story.
AgapeForgotten
11 өдрийн өмнө
I loved Earthbound when I got it without a box in a going out of business sale. I didn't notice anything about it despite getting Nintendo power, I think because I wasn't really into gross stuff. I may have said no if I did.. still suffered from a stupid, self imposed fear of ego death as I was little and had memory issues. Also Giygas isn't god.. if anything, it was a force greater than them killing Giygas. Also Mother came out in the USA, Earthbound beginnings.
Jamie Kay
11 өдрийн өмнө
Jack looks so good. He's like glowing. Love to see it :)
Triforceman1
11 өдрийн өмнө
Earthbound walked so that Undertale could run!
hackpo 101
6 өдрийн өмнө
And there’s mother 3 who became a national track athlete
micuu1
11 өдрийн өмнө
Home of the Underdogs? Now that takes me back
Burryto
11 өдрийн өмнө
Ahhh yes, the ol go to the arcade to beat up the local gang trope eh Yahtzee... every boy that grew up in America during the 90s has their fond memories of that life event.... no? just me?
Moartem S
11 өдрийн өмнө
Finally theyre talking about a good game, unlike dark souls.
PvtRyan96
11 өдрийн өмнө
Around the 40 minute mark, what moment during the Pacifist ending of Undertale is Yahtzee talking about?
retrograde riding
11 өдрийн өмнө
He describes that exact moment in his written review of Undertale.
Ryan S
11 өдрийн өмнө
Probably when you hug asriel dreemur
Aegix Drakan
11 өдрийн өмнө
I actually grew up with Earthbound. A friend of mine bought it (or maybe just rented it many many times) and I got to play it a bunch at his house. It was one of the first games that made me slightly more appreciative of boring old reality, showing me that you can find something magic in it if you look hard enough. The second game that did that, being Etrian Odyssey, which rekindled my childhood love of hiking.
ajuicejemas
11 өдрийн өмнө
bold opinion: omori is 4 times longer than it needs to be and had a garbage ending that ruins everything
Ezer Dezer
10 өдрийн өмнө
Yeah
FireInTheDiscord
11 өдрийн өмнө
I would be fascinated to know if Yahtzee ever played Chaos Rings and if so what he made of it. I seem to remember it being a mobile only release which I know causes immediate alarm but the premise of the story was bloody amazing and the way they dripfed you information made it impossible to put down. If memory serves it was a Squex pet project back when touchscreen phones were first becoming a thing.
FullMoonDeria
11 өдрийн өмнө
I've seen reviews for Omori. Seems like the quirk isn't just there to be quirky, I'm reluctant to go into any derails because the mid-late game seems pretty hard-hitting for some people, but there's logic to why it starts with it.
Christian Daniel
11 өдрийн өмнө
I just want to point out that we Westerners do have Smash Brothers to thank for Fire Emblem getting any Western releases, because of the enigma that were Marth and Roy.
Trilby Trillion
11 өдрийн өмнө
@Korbo Technically, Roy did appear, but only for a brief moment.
Korbo
11 өдрийн өмнө
Which is funny considering neither Marth nor Roy were in the first FE realeased in the west.
Arexion5293
11 өдрийн өмнө
I really hope Yahtzee gives Omori a proper look. It gets pretty damn heavy.
Animall bros.
7 өдрийн өмнө
I'm highly anticipating a zero punctuation review on Omori.
Ryan Geiger
11 өдрийн өмнө
I want a whole podcast with Dreary Critic Yahtzee/Jack.
Perian
9 өдрийн өмнө
You're watching it.
Netkat thegreat
11 өдрийн өмнө
So when are we going to get the slightly pets stream, that everyone wants? An hour of cuteness sounds good to me....
Tech Deth
11 өдрийн өмнө
Jack commits the stand up / interview #1 sin all the time. Yahtzee is a "yes, and" in conversation, where Jack is a "no, but".
Colin Munro
11 өдрийн өмнө
All I remember about EarthBound is that it had a playable character named Poo.
Paul Chapman
11 өдрийн өмнө
Each character has several “Don’t Care” names, and Ness, Paula, Jeff, and Poo are just the first names in the list.
Shoezz
11 өдрийн өмнө
@Bren Krasmer ah, you're right. Forgot about that.
Bren Krasmer
11 өдрийн өмнө
@Shoezz Either that or it's the name given by default when you tell the game "Don't Care" at character naming time.
Shoezz
11 өдрийн өмнө
Technically you have to give him that name
aBucketOfPuppies
11 өдрийн өмнө
I love Earthbound. I found a copy for the SNES in the basement as a kid and pretended to be sick for 3 days in a row to play it. I think I stopped playing somewhere around the desert area.
ItsHyomoto
12 өдрийн өмнө
I keep pausing and Jack ends up having some intense expression, I'm going to stop pausing now.
Succubu Harb Sama
12 өдрийн өмнө
Dark fantasy ARPG She Will Punish Them
B B
12 өдрийн өмнө
Well I'm glad Yahtzee kindly opted not to spoil Undertale ... unlike his ZP Assassin's Creed review that announced how a certain character died in the previous game. Anyhow, a fascinating discussion as always.
Shoezz
11 өдрийн өмнө
To be fair, and I'm a huge AC fan, the story to Undertale is generally more meaningful than those of most AC games.
Duddridge1
11 өдрийн өмнө
It's not like anyone ever plays Assassin's Creed for the storytelling anyway, especially for the segments outside of the animus.
Luke becker
12 өдрийн өмнө
You get the more nihilistic feel from Lisa in mother 3
Jo Stro
12 өдрийн өмнө
I'd agree with yahtzee's sentiment on omori starting poorly, I'd say though that once you get past the prologue it properly sets up the hook and improves alot.
DIYDylana
11 өдрийн өмнө
I think the prologues totally fine, I like it when stories take their time in the intro so I can get into its world and characters. That way the climactic stuff actually hits harder.
Mookae5
11 өдрийн өмнө
I definitely think they couldve pushed the first real dungeon back a little in the story so the other plot stuff can happen sooner, as the stuff that happens after that dungeon was what made me love the game.
Dargons
11 өдрийн өмнө
@Jo Stro Nah, I'd still disagree with that. I was invested from minute one.
Jo Stro
11 өдрийн өмнө
@Dargons ig it probably would have been more accurate for me to say "part way through the prologue" but that would have been harder to communicate easily without spoilers.
Dargons
12 өдрийн өмнө
Idk why people keep saying that, I thought the prologue was just fine. Sure, the really interesting stuff comes after that, but I was already having fun before that. Also the prologue does a really good job of setting up a lot of plot threads in a way more subtle way.
Jed Blazer
12 өдрийн өмнө
I wonder what Gabe's GOTY is this year?
SafeHaven
12 өдрийн өмнө
Sounds like despicable me music at the beginning 💀
Niall Collins
12 өдрийн өмнө
Look, we all miss Fact Jack. But I’d like to now put in an argument for Stern Critic NPR Voice Jack.
Prof Hobo
12 өдрийн өмнө
Starts at 1:51
The Chazzler
12 өдрийн өмнө
Hearing Yahtzee saying “of I think your find yourself having a *bad time*” is scary
Sujith Giridharan
12 өдрийн өмнө
This here, ladies and gentlemen, is the beginning of the end for 'ol Ben Croshaw. Whatever escapist claims this garbage is.. This is a sad end to Yahtzee's story..
Redtiger
11 өдрийн өмнө
@TrivialTales not really, literally all the people I talk to about it complain about narritive issues, and seeing as I'm "leaning conservative" (aka alt-right to Jack) a lot of the people I talk to are right of center. Amazingly none of them care that Kelly Marie Tran is Asian, and in fact a lot of us think Finn was tragically under utilized in episodes 8 & 9, some how we don't hate him because he's black. If you ask me the alt-right aspect of this is feels like a vocal minority, rather than a raging majority, and Jack proved just that with the study. Idk dude, think what you want, I'm sick of people writing me off as alt-right just because I didn't like TLJ. It's tiring as hell, and the fact that 4 years after it released we have someone I used to respect shitting on the idea that I can think independently of the "leaning conservative" mob. Clearly I can't critically think and come to my own opinions, I must just be spouting off racist bullshit that I heard from some alt-right youtuber like Mauler. Who, I might add, is a prime example of a person that isn't alt-right that really didn't like that movie. Tbh, the worse thing that Jack did, that is a lot less defensible, is equating "leaning conservative" with the alt-right. It just shows a lack of understanding, and I thought Jack was better than that.
TrivialTales
11 өдрийн өмнө
@Redtiger I mean, there was a big contingent of "alt right" outcry over the movie. I didn't like it either (although it's the strongest of the trilogy in hindsight) but that subset of people definitely used that movie to prop up their presence. There's no way Jack Packard thinks disliking the movie immediately makes you alt-right, since everyone else at Red Letter Media hated it, and they all still seem to be friends.
Redtiger
11 өдрийн өмнө
@TrivialTales TLJ, check his twitter. He's doubled down on it, repeating that the difference between conservative leaning and alt-right is really just splitting hairs. Therefore if you are right of center you've essentially admited to being alt-right in his eyes, and idk what he thinks it means, but I see alt-right as white supremacists and sexists. And that was in response to people being upset that he is propagating the misinformation that most people that didn't like TLJ fell for the evil plan of the alt-right, rather than just not enjoying a movie they saw. I don't know why it's so hard to believe that a lot of people just didn't like a movie, it MUST be an alt-right, oops sorry, a "leaning conservative" conspiracy.
Redtiger
11 өдрийн өмнө
@Isen apparently, kinda blown away that he wouldn't have had a more nuanced perspective, considering he hangs out with RLM guys, and last I checked they weren't that keen on it. But I guess they they are cleared to dislike it because he knows them? It's just depressing tbh
Isen
11 өдрийн өмнө
@Duddridge1 People would have batted an eye 20 years ago.
smith
12 өдрийн өмнө
levels, jack is too quiet
Moartem S
11 өдрийн өмнө
Its a metaphor you see.
Evan Andrews
12 өдрийн өмнө
They're both quiet but Jack the quietest.
Christopher Rowley
12 өдрийн өмнө
Everyday Yahtzee comes comes closer and closer to realizing he likes anime games.
Bao Le
11 өдрийн өмнө
@Thomas YOUywa he never said he dislike anime, same thing as JRPG he just enjoy the less conventional ones
Thomas YOUywa
11 өдрийн өмнө
I’d almost say persona 5 is even more cringe than anime anyways so he just looks dumb saying he doesn’t like anime
Bao Le
11 өдрийн өмнө
@DIYDylana meta
Christopher Rowley
11 өдрийн өмнө
@Bao Le I know about that but soon he will soon he will realize it for more anime games
DIYDylana
11 өдрийн өмнө
@Bao Le I call 'em "Alternative JRPG's" and the related more aventure/narrative/sim style games without jrpg gameplay "Post-JRPG's" I stole that from music genres hehe
GoldenSP
12 өдрийн өмнө
It was a pleasure to discuss it with you. I suggest you to actually Yahtzee actually restart Lisa, play Omori and at least look at Hylics 2
velour fog
12 өдрийн өмнө
Starts at 1:53
Tompsteri
11 өдрийн өмнө
A real hero
Kaltes Bild
11 өдрийн өмнө
Knew someone would have my back
Corey Sierchio
11 өдрийн өмнө
I scrolled down to find this. Thanks!
dynomar
11 өдрийн өмнө
Bless you