Board 8 > November Game of the Month Club ft. Sonic 3, OFF, Zelda, and Xenoblade

(+) Yeah! (+)

Novembers Games:
Sonic 3 + Knuckles (everything)
OFF (PC)
The Legend of Zelda (everything Nintendo)
Xenoblade Chronicles (Switch/3DS/Wii) (will also run through December)

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 on the 25th
- 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 featured 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 featured game after the drawing for next month's games but before the end of the month
- You have 9 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

Just-for-Fun Top 20 Standings
KCF - 154
gameking - 116
ArkOfTurus - 94
Mr Crispy - 90
Lolo Guru - 70
Cody - 55
KnightOfNee - 35
MegamanX - 28
Wickle - 25
ViolentAbacus - 24
Arti - 23
scarletspeed - 23
FakeAccount - 21
darkx - 18
GreatPaul - 17
Fenny - 16
MZero - 16
Seanchan - 15
Suprak the Stud - 14
tazzyboy - 14

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

Additional noms this month
Abacus - 1
Cody - 1
Crispy - 1
Fake - 1
KCF - 1

Might play OFF, Sonic, and Zelda. Will see how I feel.

I already started Sonic 3 last night, but I of course first began by doing time trials for all the multiplayer maps. I think that I am up to Hydrocity Zone Act 2.

I will finally begin Xenoblade today. Not doing so in October will hurt my chances of beating it this year, but maybe I still can.

I am strongly considering trying out a randomizer for Zelda. It's that or bust out my Gamecube or pay for a service I don't want in Nintendo Switch Online, assuming it is on their NES list.

Obra Dinn is the replay topic game, and I'm definitely doing that.

I figured Crispy would have mentioned the official English translation download site for OFF, but I guess not and if I feel like playing it after the other non-Xenoblade games, then I will search for it.

I started the Sonic 3 on my lunch break, only played one act. This was the only one of the classic games that I played when I was younger, but never made it that far.

I don't know if I'll do Zelda or OFF. Probably dedicate a lot of the month to Xenoblade.

Should be in for Zelda. Itll give me a chance to use my NES Mini as more than a decoration.

Might play Sonic. Id have to buy it in a collection though, as busting out the Genesis would be a pain.

The Xenoblading will continue!

Tag for Zelda

Wikipedia links to this as the official download page for OFF
http://gaarabis.free.fr/?catid=1

Xenoblade chapter 4 Got Sharla and on my way to Colony 6. There are SO many quests....

Xenoblade progress:

Chapter 8 - ~24.5 hours - Level 38

Gotten some new characters joining the group, though I've stuck with the first 3 in my active party.

Did a slightly better job of not getting bogged down in the endless side quests these last few hours. Most of the quests aren't time limited, so I can always go back to do them later, should I need to grind, though I'm thinking that won't be necessary.

Oh I can actually play two of these. Guess I might try.

Sonic 3 & Knuckles somehow isn't on any of the Sega/Genesis collections I have (really annoying when I have four of them!) so I might pass on that.

TheArkOfTurus posted...

Sonic 3 & Knuckles somehow isn't on any of the Sega/Genesis collections I have (really annoying when I have four of them!) so I might pass on that.

Yeah, seems like there was a new Sonic only collection just released, Sonic Origins, that has it. But $40 is a little steep. Even with the upcoming Steam sale thats not going to get hugely discounted unfortunately.

Yeah, I think that I heard that all of the games contained in Origins were pulled from digital marketplaces, forcing you to buy Origins if you didn't already own it.

I forgot about iOS here. Turns out 1, 2, CD, and 4 are on the App Store. But no 3 & Knuckles

Sonic Origins is apparently not on iOS, or any mobile device, so I guess that is why they kept the individual games on it. Curious about Sonic 3 + Knuckles, but I looked into it, and I guess that the game's composer/co-composer did not want their work to be used, creating a legal situation forcing Sega to re-do all of the music.

I will do my first two noms of the month in DEATHLOOP and Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom

I downloaded OFF and the LoZ randomizer, so we'll see when I get around to them.

I played some more of Sonic 3. I've been taking advantage of the rewind feature in the SEGA Mega Drive and Genesis Classics (luckily I bought this well before the Sonic games were delisted from it), so I have like 15 lives heading into Ice Cap Zone.

After all the hype I've heard about Xenoblade here for the past decade, I have found the first hour or so very underwhelming. Plenty of systems I don't care about, a battle system/structure that seems like an awkward amalgamation of FFXII, Dragon Age: Origins, and Tales of/Okami, and the "Definitive Edition" graphical update/overhaul only seems to extend to primary character models because everything else looks very rough.

KCF0107 posted...

After all the hype I've heard about Xenoblade here for the past decade, I have found the first hour or so very underwhelming. Plenty of systems I don't care about, a battle system/structure that seems like an awkward amalgamation of FFXII, Dragon Age: Origins, and Tales of/Okami, and the "Definitive Edition" graphical update/overhaul only seems to extend to primary character models because everything else looks very rough.

I'm 25 hours in and still trying to figure that out.

I'm on Chapter 8 at the moment and I kind of hate this area. It's fucking enormous in that empty, cavernous MMO kind of way. There's a bunch of islands that are a pain to navigate. Then there's the city with the, at this point, rote NPC quest givers and random items just spread all the fuck over the place, in a manner that takes just forever to go from one side to another.

At least the story bits have opened up quite a lot in this chapter?

I've also realized how stupid doing the combat is unless you're going to get quest rewards from doing it. I swear, you get more XP from just discovering new locations than you do a dozen random battles.

KCF has beaten Sonic 3 + Knuckles

I have beaten this before, but it has probably been around 20 years. I'm not a fan of the series/franchise and am a little baffled that it has lasted and became as big as it died, but this is among the ones I look at in a favorable light, mostly due to its competition mode if I'm being honest.

It felt like I had a bit of an input delay, so I shelved trying to do all the bonus stages I came across after awhile. I still managed to nab four of the emeralds.

KCF has beaten The Legend of Zelda

Having never used a randomizer before, it took some time to get everything right to begin. Then I quickly regretted the options I chose because choosing to shuffle bosses and dungeons meant I was essentially never able to enter a dungeon and finish it on my first try due to not having a necessary item or needing to have much higher defense.

I have beaten this game once or maybe even twice before, so maybe I couldn't fully appreciate what the randomizer offers. I should really do this for Link to the Past instead.

These might end up being my final two noms, but I'm putting up Hob and Paradise Killer

Hob is a fun Zelda-ish kind of game. Not without flaws but theres not enough games out there like it. Beat it earlier this year. Think I might have nominated it at some point

As is a common theme of mine, I have had the game for 4-5 years but just haven't gotten around to it. I even bought the Definitive Edition on Switch in the meantime, so I have two untouched versions.

Xenoblade progress:

Chapter 11 - ~37.5 hours - Level 47

Story has opened up a bit in the last few chapters. Got some plot points I kind of expected since they were alluded to earlier, but still interesting to see. I believe I looked up that the game has 17 chapters, so I'm on the back half at this point. Easy enough to tell too in that I've just reached Sword Valley on the Mechonis. I assume I will continue to traverse that in most of the last 7 chapters.

I'd recommend to always buy the books (to be able to upgrade a character's Arts) from any vendor that you see. They're the only real important thing to buy. I have bought weapons/armor occasionally but just doing the quests is usually enough to keep you in good shape.

Reached the shopping mall in area 2 of OFF.

Took a brief break from Xenoblades. The sidequests are killin' me.

On Lava Reef Zone in Sonic 3 & Knuckles

Abacus has beat Sonic 3 & Knuckles

About halfway through Zelda.

I have respect but no love for this game. The movement feels bad and it is sometimes unforgiving with the enemy placement, movement, and hit boxes.

I got through the first two dungeons with no guide, but I then broke down to using an overworld map so I could know where the dungeons and items are. Life is too short and if I had played this as a kid I would have had the time and inclination to map it out, so I'm just taking the shortcut.

I've got most/all of the overworld items (hearts, upgrades, etc.). Got stuck on a Darknut room in Level 5, so tried Level 6 and got stuck on a room with Wizrobes and some other bullshit. Save states have helped my sanity some but it's like, I either need to be flawless (not possible) or grind for health somewhere because starting with 3 hearts fucking sucks.

Started Zelda earlier this week, currently through the first 3 dungeons. I used the map from the start because I do not have the time nor patience to navigate the game blind and finish this month. It definitely shows its age but I'm enjoying it so far.

Monthly Progress
Sonic - KCF, Abacus
OFF -
Zelda - KCF
Xenoblade -

Nominations
KCF - DEATHLOOP, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, Paradise Killer, Hob

Supports

Got through Levels 5, 6, and 7 in Zelda. Should hopefully finish that up tonight.

I'm 50 hrs into xenoblade....I gotta do it this is my chance

MegamanX posted...

I'm 50 hrs into xenoblade....I gotta do it this is my chance

What Chapter? I think youve got more hours than me now, though I have taken a break for Zelda.

Zelda beated!

Absolutely no way I finish that without using guides and save states (on NES Mini). Some of those later dungeons are AGGRAVATING! Game design has thankfully come a long way since then.

Xenoblade progress:

Chapter 12 - 43 hours - Level 54

Nothing much new to add.

Up to zone 3 of OFF. Not super impressed so far, but I think the story still has potential.

Did dungeon 1 of Zelda last night. Wandered around afterwards. ...Will probably just use a walkthrough.

Nominate Sifu

I'm still debating if I want to finish Xenoblade or not. Was gonna give it til I get to Chapter 8 to really decide.

Monthly Progress
Sonic - KCF, Abacus
OFF -
Zelda - KCF, Sean
Xenoblade -

Nominations
Abacus - Alice Madness, Danganronpa: THH, DUSK
Ark - Sifu
Fake - Job Simulator
KCF - DEATHLOOP, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, Paradise Killer, Hob

Supports
Abacus - Hob

Drawing in a week

ArkOfTurus has beaten... Has finished the game OFF.

I feel like I would have gotten more out of this if I played when it was closer to its release, rather than now after having played eight billion indie RPGs. Still appreciated how unique some of the design choices (especially the last area, and the music/sound design) were. The gameplay and puzzles did nothing for me, though.

Nominate Frog Detective 1.

Cody has beaten The Legend of Zelda

Definitely felt old, but it is a classic for a reason. Future installments did improve upon the formula for sure.

I will support Road 96 seeing as I just nominated it like last month.

I haven't touched Xenoblade since my initial session. I think it is safe to say that I will not finish it by the end of the year. I will try to get at least another session in by the end of the month though.

Monthly Progress
Sonic - KCF, Abacus
OFF - Ark
Zelda - KCF, Sean, Cody
Xenoblade -

Nominations
Abacus - Alice Madness, Danganronpa: THH, DUSK
Ark - Sifu, Haunted Island Frog Detective
Cody - Road 96, Punch-Out! (NES), Kingdom Hearts: MoM
Fake - Job Simulator
KCF - DEATHLOOP, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, Paradise Killer, Hob

Supports
Abacus - Hob
KCF - Road 96

Drawing tomorrow

Guess Ill nominate my usual choices:
The Pathless
Monument Valley 2

I dont expect to have much time in December for other games, especially with needing to finish Xenoblade.

Finished Zelda

not really much to say about it.

Nominate Space Funeral, Murasaki, and Mr. Driller Drill Land

KCF0107 posted...

I haven't touched Xenoblade since my initial session. I think it is safe to say that I will not finish it by the end of the year. I will try to get at least another session in by the end of the month though.

I have like 20 hours, but I feel like I just scratched the surface