Board 8 > April Game of the Month Club ft. Star Fox 64, FF VI, Yoku, and Dishonored 2

(+) Yeah! (+)

Aprils Games:
Star Fox 64 (N64/3DS/Wii/Wii U)
Final Fantasy VI (PC/Android/SNES/PS1/GBA/Wii/)
Yoku's Island Express (PC/XB1/PS4/Switch)
Dishonored 2 (PC/XB1/PS4)

What is Game of the Month Club?
Game of the Month is a community project open to all B8ers where users share, discover, play and/or discuss a select few games every month. The games featured each month are chosen by YOU the users (and Lady Luck)

The Basics
- Each month will usually feature three games that were chosen via a random drawing from a pool of games that users nominated
- For each game you beat, you get a cool point on our just-for-fun standings as well as a nomination for next month's randomized drawing
- In order to receive the point and nomination, you must beat said game within the calendar month
- If you beat one of the current month's games in the previous month, you can apply for a "recently beaten waiver," but you will only receive a point and no nomination should you do so
- Drawing for next month's games is usually around a week before the end of the month
- If you periodically keep us posted on your progress and/or talk about different aspects of the games, then everyone will think you are super awesome!

Nomination Rules
- You get one nomination automatically each month
- You receive additional nominations each month for every selected game that you beat
- Each game you nominate has to be unique from all other nominations and cannot include a game that has already been selected for GotM
- Each game must be a standalone game that can be acquired and played on its own (aka cannot be DLC/expansion that requires the base game)
- Nominations only carry over if you beat a selected game after the drawing for next month's games but before the end of the month
- As a special rule for only 2021, you have 11 supports you can use throughout the year. Your only limitations are that you can't support your own nomination, and you can only use one support per game per month

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Just-for-Fun Top 20 Standings
KCF - 127
gameking - 111
Mr Crispy - 73
ArkOfTurus - 71
Lolo Guru - 61
Cody - 36
KnightOfNee - 35
MegamanX - 27
Arti - 23
scarletspeed - 23
Wickle - 20
Fenny - 16
tazzyboy - 14
darkx - 13
Robazoid - 13
Suprak the Stud - 13
FakeAccount - 11
GreatPaul - 11
MZero - 11
Shonen Bat - 10

Spreadsheet with history
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1X8E8oqzES42W4S82j7WTfNnzNa8c3uXdSE1rnqYG7WM/edit?usp=sharing

Additional noms this month
Crispy - 3
Paul - 1

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Dishonored 2 is on Game Pass for XB1 and PC

Yoku's Island Express is $5 USD for PS4 and Switch
https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP4064-CUSA10654_00-YOKUSISLANDEXP00
https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/yokus-island-express-switch/

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FF6 has a party member who is a king that hits on literally all females. The women in the game pretty much roll their eyes at him, which is appropriate. But there's a small child NPC who says "His highness says he'll marry me when I grow up!" and I can't quite tell if the game knows how creepy that is or not. I can't tell if the writers are going "heh, he's like a weird uncle, that's funny," or if they're going "do I have to spell everything out for you, this guy is a pedophile."

Figaro castle is sick though, it's got an engine room because the castle itself moves.

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I started on Dishonored 2. Playing as Emily.

I had played the original Dishonored last year and found it to be...middling. I actually started on it back near the beginning of the pandemic, wasn't feeling it so I put it away for 6 months, then finally finished it in the fall. It felt like an old game in terms of visuals and mechanics. Plus I think it did a bad job of giving you interesting non-lethal powers. But maybe that's just a lack of imagination on my part when sneaking and choking worked so effectively.

So I'm hoping they get the balance better in the sequel.
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I also started on FF6. I've had the app on my phone for years but never got around to it. I played this back on SNES like 25 years ago (!!!) but never actually beat the final, final boss because that last dungeon was a doozy (what do you mean I need to have all my party members leveled up...).

The new sprites...are going to take some getting used to. As is the menu system in battles. I was playing using the touch screen but I'm going to try using a bluetooth controller next time and see if that works a little nicer for my old school sensibilities. BTW, this game still has great music.

With my slow play style I'm very skeptical I'm going to be able to make it through 20-30 hours of Dishonored 2 and 40-70 hours of FF6 in a month. But I'm going to give it a try!

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Nominate New Pokemon Snap

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Seanchan posted...

The new sprites...are going to take some getting used to. As is the menu system in battles.

Yeah, I can't stand them. I got it on Steam and modded it to look more like the SNES version, so I'm pretty pumped to play it again.

Also got Yoku on sale awhile so I'll play that too. I imagine I can fit Star Fox in somewhere, too

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Nominate NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139...

I couldn't deal with the new sprites at all either when I played it. Ended up playing it on the SNES classic, but probably would have done what MZero did otherwise.

Sad Yoku got taken off gamepass, but it's cheap enough on Switch that I'll grab it.

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Seanchan posted...

I also started on FF6

....

The new sprites...are going to take some getting used to

I googled them and holy moley

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I started FF6 pretty much immediately after it turned midnight last night, mostly since I stalled out up till then. Finished Narshen.

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I am up to around 18% done in Yoku, which surprised me because I have played for maybe an hour. I love playing the game, especially since you can't fail/die, but it is kind of tough to navigate the world. The map isn't especially helpful as I have no idea where a path/pipe will take me before using it, and making a wrong choice can make you circle back around to where you started.

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good timing with the Poll of the Day!

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Tag. Will definitely do a few different routes in Star Fox 64.

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I forgot how good Techno de Chocobo is. The music in this game in general is so good but Techno de Chocobo in particular stands out.

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I've started FF6. I just defeated Vargas. Funny, I seem to recall him being later in the game... Maybe this time I'll actually finish the game.

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I am around 50% done in Yoku now. The flaws with the map and navigating the world haven't really improved, but everything else is aces. I have uncovered nearly the entire map, and I can't imagine they will find ways to have me revisit places over and over, so I'm guessing that I'm getting pretty close to the end.

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FF6 progress:
I've completed Locke and Terra's scenarios at the split and am now on Sabin's. Just finished up the imperial camp.

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I'm up to Mission 4 in Dishonored 2. This is by far the most fascinating mission in a Dishonored game so far. I like to play slow and sneaky so...yeah, it's taking me a while.

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KCF has beaten Yoku's Island Express

I like pinball, so I of course was going to buy a game that incorporated pinball into other genres. The pinball aspect was great. Failure was impossible, and it never got too crazy to where you could always interpret what was happening on screen. I love the supplemental stuff like art direction, sound, music, and other things of that nature. Ultimately, I thought it was a great game, but a disappointing map (there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to zoom in close) and mediocre fast travel caused plenty of issues. It isn't clear where some tunnels and pinball sections lead, and if you make the wrong choice when you are trying to get somewhere in particular, it can potentially take some time before you can get back on track.

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KCF has beaten Star Fox 64

I decided to knock this out in one sitting (3DS saves after each level).

795 hits, and I believe that my path was Corneria > Sector Y > Katina > Solar > Macbeth > Area 6 > Venom,

I didn't know the D-Pad was used to do U-Turns and other maneuvers, so things got a little frustrating on Venom. Also, Slippy apparently was taken out without indication on Area 6. Peppy and Falco lasted every mission though.

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For my nomination theme, I'm going to do other IPs from developers we've done. I will start off with:

Fe (Zoink Games: Stick It to the Man!)
The Wonderful 101 (Platinum Games: Vanquish/Bayonetta/Nier Automata)
Murder by Numbers (Mediatonic: Hatoful Boyfriend)


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FF6 progress: Gau joined my party and I made it to Mt Crescent. I forgot how long Sabin's scenario is compared to the other two. No wonder I left it for last.

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Dishonored 2 progress:
Finished mission 4. Really, really great level. The mechanical soldiers talking to themselves was fun. Plus the whole transforming mansion and finding myself "behind the walls". Having Jindosh talk to you the whole time was also a nice touch.

Was kind of a pain in the ass trying to electrocute Jindosh and it also felt more cruel than just killing him outright.

I couldn't believe they actually had me drag Sokolov's unconscious body all the way back to the boat! That was another interesting little twist.

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I downloaded Dishonored 2 and should begin within the next few days

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Likely nothing for me this month unless I dig out my N64 for Star Fox.

I will nominate Tales from the Borderlands
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I probably shouldn't replay FF6 (particularly since I still haven't finished my replay of 5) but I started anyway >_>

At the end of the scenarios now.

Instead of nominating a bunch of rpg maker games, maybe I should go ahead and nominate some ps1 games since they might not be available much longer.

Nominate Tomba 2: The Evil Swine Return and Klonoa: Door to Phantomile for right now.

will try to decide on some more later for my other two nominations.

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Ragequit FF6 for the night.

After the gang is all back together and you have to protect Banon from Kefka's army. I took down almost the entire army but noticed one had slipped away. I ran toward him and I swear I caught the fucker but I must have been like a frame off and Game Over'd. Not doing that bullshit again tonight.

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ArkOfTurus has beaten Star Fox 64

Wasn't originally sure about playing this because of how much I was afraid of the first boss: finding my N64 and getting it working. I struggled against that boss a lot (it took about an hour of cleaning and turning the power on/off to get it to play any game,) but it was pretty smooth sailing from there. Took the left path. 1147 hits, 1 death (to Andross.) Game still holds up well, to no one's surprise. Fun to revisit.

At 31% in Yoku's. Just found my first chief. Not loving it (I agree with KCF's opinions on the map, and am overly impressed by any other element of it,) but I'm still enjoying it enough to continue.

Also finished mission 4 of Dishonored 2, was very impressed by it as well. It's kind of odd that it took me this long to play this game (I played Dishonored 1 at around the time of its release twice, and quite enjoyed it.) but I'm glad I finally am getting around to it.

Probably skipping Final Fantasy 6, especially considering most of my RPG time will be devoted to the Saga Frontier remaster coming in a few days.

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Dishonored 2 progress:
I spent like an hour working on the Jindosh Code in episode 6...only for it to not work. Must have screwed up one of my logic steps. Ah well. Just going to go ahead with the "regular" way to play the stage now.

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Abacus has Beaten Star Fox 64

I've done three routes so far and hit a different planet each time (when possible). It's pretty neat, never would have thought that there were so much variations through each level.

Also, thanks to Great_Paul for telling me how to do some of the different routes.

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FF6 progress report: Just landed in Albrook after boarding the airship.

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Working on Mission 7 in Dishonored 2. It's another mechanically interesting one.

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Nominate Wet

Gonna do Starfox 64 tomorrow

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I'm using a walkthrough to get myself unstuck in FF6 because I hate the song that's playing and it has been playing for like 30 minutes. It's a 4 bar loop in C minor that plays twice, then THE SAME 4-bar loop in E minor that plays twice. It's literally 4 bars of actual composition. Not a single thing changes except the key. I hate this stupid song.

like seriously, after the dinky little 15-second intro it is the same 4 measures over and over again. twice in c and twice in e. i hate this stupid song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AhqyAGGpog

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Monthly Progress
Star Fox - KCF, Ark, Abacus
FFVI -
Yoku - KCF
Dishonored 2 -

Nominations
Abacus - Nier
Cody - Tales from Borderlands
Crispy - Tomba 2, Klonoa
darkx - New Pokemon Snap
KCF - Fe, Wonderful 101, Murder by Numbers
MMX - Wet

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Star Fox 64 beated

I play through this game every so often so it was a good excuse to play it again. I did two routes for now where I went through the right side, followed by the middle and then the left side.

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For the people who've started Dishonored 2:

Did you all Go with Emily or Corvo? Having a hard time deciding between the two. Part of me wants to play Corvo to go with the same from the first game and part of me wants to swap it up and try Emily for something new.

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I'm not spoiler-ing this since it's practically the start of the game...and also I already said I picked Emily above. Just based upon the opening, it felt more like Emily's story than it did Corvo's.

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I also picked Emily, mainly to try someone new. I don't regret the choice.

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Something that's frustrating me in FF6 - I can't figure out how to condense the Magic menu. I have to scroll through a ton of blank spots just to get to the spells I want to use. On some characters, the entire first page is blank and I have to scroll to the bottom of the second page to get to anything. It seems so inefficient and I can't figure out how to adjust this at all so that everything I actually have on a character just defaults to the top.

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As far as I can tell you can't. At least I never figured out how. It was pretty annoying, but think it's just something to live with. Though I spent a lot of time grinding out espers and such so never had that much blank space.

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ArkOfTurus has beaten Yoku's Island Express

It was fine. I don't think I'll ever want to replay it, or explore it more (I finished at 52%), but it was enjoyable enough.

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Star Fox 64 beaten

You know i forgot about the true final boss thing


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I finished Dishonored 2!

It's probably a better game than the original. There's some better non-lethal powers and some of the missions (4 and 7 in particular) are fantastic. And yet...I still came away with that same sense of slight disappointment. I don't know.

Now I'm eyeing the calendar and wondering if I have enough time to finish FF6 before the end of the month...

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I probably won't finish FF6 at this point. My own nom lol. I just haven't been in a gaming mood lately.

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Aw, that's a shame, it's the best FF (to me)... But understandable. It's a long one to dedicate yourself to if you're not in the mood.

I've been putting off Dishonored 2, but guess I'm gonna start it this weekend... Will have to beat it before the 23rd.

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Underleveled posted...

I probably won't finish FF6 at this point. My own nom lol. I just haven't been in a gaming mood lately.

I don't think it's very fun! It does a pretty bad job of showing you what to do next.

And I don't think I like Locke. He's not like some Robin Hood thief. He's beating up random merchants unprompted to steal their goods and clothes. I know you're not supposed to think about it but I've played self-aware post-2015 RPGMaker games. I CAN'T not think about it.

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Nom:
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus
Yakuza 3

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ArkOfTurus has beaten Dishonored 2

Enjoyed it a lot. Mission 7 was definitely the high point, the remaining missions kinda felt underwhelming, especially in comparison. I would love to play more of that concept, but I imagine it was very difficult to make (not to mention impossible to balance difficulty-wise.)

The plot didn't feel like it really went anywhere, unfortunately. I think Delilah had a lot of potential that she didn't quite live up to, but I didn't play the Dishonored 1 DLC that she apparently featured in, so maybe that would have changed my mind. I enjoyed the gameplay more than enough to make up for any narrative shortcomings, though.

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Got back to FF6. Lost to Ultros on the river on my 1st attempt.

I was reading up a bit and I forgot about the fact that if you don't loot treasure now it'll be more valuable treasure...later. Mostly I'm still just picking up everything because why not.

Feels like I'm going to have to do some grinding at times just to level up some and get some money to buy items and gear. It's weird not being auto-healed after battles and actually having to use items to get back HP and clear status effects.

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