Mika and the Witch's Mountain Review

Wed, Aug 28, 2024 Year 2, Winter 09

Al and Kev talk about Mika and the Witch's Mountain

Timings

00:00:00: Theme Tune
00:00:30: Intro
00:03:22: What Have We Been Up To
00:13:13: Game News
00:30:30: New Games
00:37:25: Mika And The Witch’s Mountain
01:08:10: Outro

Links

Animal Crossing Pocket Info
Melobot: A Last Song
Disney Dreamlight Valley “Dapper Delights” Update
Steamworld Build “Skull Valley” Update
Farming Simulator 25 Info
Smushi Come Home Physical Release

Herdling
Floatopia

Mika and the Witch’s Mountain

Disclosure: I received a free review copy of this product from https://www.keymailer.co #MikaandTheWitchsMountain

Contact

Al on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheScotBot
Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot
Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/

Transcript

(0:00:31) Al: Hello farmers, and welcome to another episode of The Harvest Season.
(0:00:34) Al: My name is Al, and we’re here today to talk about Mario- wait no, Cottagecore Games.
(0:00:36) Kev: And I’m Kevin.
(0:00:42) Kev: I’ll talk about Mario.
(0:00:44) Kev: I’m actually obligated to.
(0:00:46) Al: I suspect I’ve already made that joke though, haven’t I?
(0:00:49) Al: I probably made that joke a year ago.
(0:00:51) Kev: Yeah, that’s fine.
(0:00:52) Al: Um.
(0:00:53) Kev: Oh yes, cottagecore.
(0:00:55) Kev: But we’re here to talk about Cozy’s studio Ghibli likes.
(0:00:59) Al: Yeah.
(0:01:01) Al: Yes.
(0:01:01) Al: So we are going to talk this episode about Mika and the Witches Mountain.
(0:01:07) Al: This episode is the reason that Dave the Diver Month got delayed, basically.
(0:01:07) Kev: finally
(0:01:14) Al: We, we managed big news and full disclosure, because we have to say this.
(0:01:14) Kev: Yeah
(0:01:20) Al: Uh, we got a free code for Mika and the Witches Mountain for review.
(0:01:25) Al: Uh, so, um, thank you to Chibi Games for that.
(0:01:28) Kev: both of us oh oh okay sorry well ah that’s how you got it okay like
(0:01:29) Al: No, just you.
(0:01:31) Al: I paid for mine, but you, you got yours free, I paid for mine.
(0:01:35) Al: Uh, I mean, to be fair, I paid for it like three years ago in Kickstarter.
(0:01:42) Al: Um, so because of that, we then had like a specific time that they
(0:01:48) Al: wanted the review to be done by.
(0:01:50) Al: So we are doing the episode now, which means that hopefully next episode will
(0:01:55) Al: be the final episode of Dave the Diver Month, or maybe not because of new
(0:02:01) Al: I’m not going to talk about the Dave the Diver news in this episode,
(0:02:02) Kev: I was about to say or maybe not.
(0:02:04) Al: because there is Dave the Diver news.
(0:02:06) Al: We’re going to talk about that in the next episode, just cause it’s so close.
(0:02:09) Al: Um, so there we go.
(0:02:12) Al: So yes, uh, we’re going to talk about Mika and the Witches Mountain.
(0:02:12) Kev: And we can finally say #sponsored.
(0:02:15) Al: Um, the hashtag sponsored hashtag, hashtag ad.
(0:02:22) Al: Uh, I think it’s actually hashtag gifted.
(0:02:25) Al: It’s not an ad.
(0:02:25) Al: It’s not sponsored as gifted as a difference there.
(0:02:28) Al: Cause we’re, we’re obviously.
(0:02:30) Al: Getting the review code would not change our review.
(0:02:33) Al: We would be reviewing it in the same way, whether we were paying for it or not.
(0:02:36) Al: Uh, yeah.
(0:02:36) Kev: Yup, that’s why Nintendo won’t sponsor Alex.
(0:02:43) Al: Yes.
(0:02:44) Al: And, um, unlike the developers of that new game that I can’t remember the name of,
(0:02:49) Al: uh, we will talk about the politics of China.
(0:02:52) Al: Uh, yeah, I think that’s something like that.
(0:02:53) Kev: Oh my gosh, Black- Is it Black Wukong?
(0:02:58) Al: I can’t remember what the name is, but yeah, it’s something like that.
(0:03:01) Al: Very, very awkward.
(0:03:03) Al: All that news of them trying to stop people talking about things that people
(0:03:07) Al: are obviously going to talk about.
(0:03:08) Kev: Yeah, oh good.
(0:03:08) Al: Uh, but as far as I know, there’s no, uh, there’s no kind of big political issues
(0:03:16) Al: with chibi games, uh, so we’re going to just talk about the game, um, because
(0:03:20) Al: there’s no controversies that I know of to talk about before that.
(0:03:23) Al: We have some news and first of all, Kevin, what have you been up to?
(0:03:26) Kev: Well, a lot of meat primarily, but on the off chance I do get a breather, I look in
(0:03:36) Kev: meek at time of course, I played hey guess what, a Mario game, Chalker, particularly
(0:03:45) Kev: where was it, Mario World 2 Yoshi’s Island, I forget the swirlder land, but Yoshi’s Island,
(0:03:50) Kev: the first Yoshi’s Island for the SNES, yep it’s the one with the bait.
(0:03:52) Al: Is that the one with the babies?
(0:03:56) Kev: The SNES always surprises me, like how modern it looks compared to the NES or whatever,
(0:04:07) Kev: but anyways, I mean it’s a Yoshi game, it’s good, have you played any Yoshi games now?
(0:04:12) Al: I have played this one specifically because when I was playing through the Mario games,
(0:04:20) Al: the way that I defined it was anything that says “Super Mario” and is a platformer. So
(0:04:26) Kev: Okay, sure.
(0:04:26) Al: this one being called “Super Mario World 2, Yoshi’s Island” meant that I played this one.
(0:04:31) Al: But I also included then the first Wario World as well, because that was a Super Mario World
(0:04:37) Al: 2. Was it 4 or 3? I can’t remember. It was one of them anyway. So yeah.
(0:04:38) Kev: That was three, wasn’t it, I think.
(0:04:40) Kev: Yeah.
(0:04:42) Al: Back when they would make a random platformer for another character and just slap Mario’s
(0:04:48) Al: name on it. Yeah, yeah. Well, why not? I don’t think I’ve played any of the other ones. I’ve
(0:04:50) Kev: It was a good strategy. They go, “I should go back.”
(0:04:53) Kev: Um, yeah.
(0:04:56) Kev: Mm.
(0:04:57) Al: been meaning to play Willy World for a while just because it looks fun. But I don’t think
(0:05:00) Kev: Yeah.
(0:05:02) Al: I need to have a look at the list of
(0:05:04) Kev: Yeah, well, shocker.
(0:05:05) Kev: The core of the game, of a Nintendo game, has stayed pretty intact all these years.
(0:05:11) Kev: Um, it’s a fun one. I like it.
(0:05:14) Kev: Yoshi’s Island, um,
(0:05:16) Kev: introduces all the Yoshi mechanics that are just
(0:05:20) Kev: Mario stuff right not just the the eggs but the the flutter jump all sorts
(0:05:24) Al: Yeah, but I guess the interesting thing about this one was that it was you were
(0:05:24) Kev: of the Yoshi cop they’re all sorts of fun things if you want here
(0:05:30) Al: controlling Yoshi rather than controlling Mario on you.
(0:05:32) Kev: yeah that’s true yeah it’s true no longer your loyal steed slash jump
(0:05:37) Kev: assist when you throw him in the pit didn’t make that jump but yeah if you
(0:05:45) Kev: want to hear extended thoughts on Mr. Yoshi’s first
(0:05:50) Kev: spotlight feature, well that’s not true, he had that Yoshi puzzle game, whatever,
(0:05:56) Kev: go listen to Rainbow Road Radio, the show I do with Alex, that’ll be the next
(0:06:01) Kev: episode, he’ll be out by the time this is out, so yeah, go check that out. Other than
(0:06:07) Kev: that, I’m pretty sure I talked about Battle Cats a long long time ago on this
(0:06:12) Kev: podcast, it’s a mobile game, it’s tower defense, you control these goofy cats
(0:06:17) Kev: that’s sending your or me
(0:06:20) Kev: to get units to go fight the enemy CPU units or whatever
(0:06:25) Kev: I go on and off it
(0:06:27) Kev: one thing about it, they do collabs with all sorts of different properties
(0:06:32) Kev: the most wild ones like they’ve done Evangelion, Street Fighter
(0:06:36) Kev: and they happen to do one with Ruruni Kenshin
(0:06:39) Kev: which brought me back in hard
(0:06:42) Kev: do you know Ruruni Kenshin now?
(0:06:44) Al: - I do not, I was just about to ask, what is that?
(0:06:45) Kev: Oh, okay, um, it’s a manga/anime, uh, unfortunately.
(0:06:50) Kev: Of course, the very problematic creators I will acknowledge. Uh, by problematic, I mean awful. I won’t… yeah, not a great person, but the manga/… yup. Yup, not good things. Yeah, okay, criminal. Okay, let’s… okay, a criminal. A criminal creator. Let’s bump it up a little.
(0:06:55) Al: I’m going to Wikipedia and looking at, oh right, okay, yep.
(0:07:07) Al: That’s not just problematic, we’re not going to talk about that.
(0:07:20) Kev: - But, which is unfortunate, ‘cause the manga slash anime
(0:07:22) Kev: was very popular, was from like the ’90s, I believe,
(0:07:26) Kev: and very well-liked and whatnot.
(0:07:30) Kev: I watched it when I was younger, actually, in Mexico,
(0:07:33) Kev: because Mexico had a lot of anime going on back then.
(0:07:36) Kev: It still does.
(0:07:38) Kev: It’s a, you know, it’s a whole thing.
(0:07:40) Kev: It’s about samurais, basically.
(0:07:41) Kev: I’m just really cool and really enjoyable.
(0:07:44) Kev: And so, yeah, hearing that Colab got my attention,
(0:07:48) Kev: so I got into it back in about,
(0:07:50) Kev: and that was fun to see.
(0:07:52) Kev: And then, Zona Zen Zero, the whole reverse game,
(0:07:56) Kev: I continue to play it.
(0:07:57) Kev: I’m actually kind of getting finally invested
(0:08:00) Kev: into the story a little bit after like a month,
(0:08:04) Kev: some time to get through all the gobbledygook
(0:08:08) Kev: and nonsense words they use to finally understand
(0:08:11) Kev: what’s going on.
(0:08:13) Kev: One thing interesting about it is because it’s, you know,
(0:08:16) Kev: ongoing engine-type game.
(0:08:18) Kev: Like I–
(0:08:20) Kev: Kind of hit. I think the end of the available story, right?
(0:08:22) Kev: They do chapter drops or whatever and so now I have to wait for the next one.
(0:08:27) Kev: Which is just an interesting experience. I don’t think I’ve ever had to really deal with it, at least in a video game, right?
(0:08:33) Kev: But yeah, that’s what I’ve been up to. What about you, Al? What’s going on with you?
(0:08:38) Al: Well, I have obviously been playing Mika as well, and we’ll talk about that.
(0:08:44) Al: I have also, we are recording on the 23rd of August, which is the day the Harvest Moon Home
(0:08:50) Al: Sweet Home comes out. So, or came out, or has come out. It’s out. So, I have bought it, and I have
(0:08:52) Kev: against all odds with no no work no not a whisper of anything about it but it
(0:09:09) Al: a little bit. Obviously not very much, because it’s the first day, and I’ve been working today.
(0:09:15) Al: Well, I will obviously have a lot more thoughts about this in the future, but my first
(0:09:24) Al: thought is this game has basically no controller support, but it’s not completely not, right? It
(0:09:32) Al: has, I’ve found one thing that has controller support for, and that’s conversations. When you’re
(0:09:38) Al: you can proceed the conversation with the controller. Nothing else. And it’s so weird. So weird.
(0:09:42) Kev: That’s so weird. You have to play on your phone, but when you hit the conversation pick up your controller
(0:09:49) Al: It’s so weird. Well, that’s the thing. Because I have an Android phone, and I have an iPad,
(0:09:56) Al: I have to decide on which platform I’m going to purchase on, right? Because I’m not going to
(0:10:00) Al: purchase on both. Although I will say, interestingly, it’s not that expensive. It’s 18
(0:10:05) Al: £14 on IOS and it’s £14.
(0:10:08) Kev: Oh, I’m a darned.
(0:10:08) Al: It’s weird that there’s the difference there, but it’s not an insane, you know, it’s not
(0:10:14) Al: it’s not a ridiculous amount.
(0:10:16) Al: It was pretty good for what it is, but I’m probably still not going to buy it on both.
(0:10:23) Al: So I had to decide and I was like, I can’t, I think I decided originally to buy on Android.
(0:10:28) Al: So I bought it and downloaded it and opened it and it crashed.
(0:10:33) Al: And apparently they’ve had an issue on Android where the game is crashing just now.
(0:10:33) Kev: Oh
(0:10:36) Kev: Say yes, I have to buy both
(0:10:37) Al: And so I was like…
(0:10:39) Al: I went on to the Play Store and there was a refund button.
(0:10:42) Al: So I was like, “Oh, well, I’ll refund that and I’ll go buy it on iPad then.”
(0:10:46) Al: So I’ve been playing it on the iPad.
(0:10:48) Al: But the problem with that is obviously I would like to use my controller
(0:10:50) Al: because it’s on my iPad, right?
(0:10:52) Al: Like I don’t want to be like holding my 13-inch iPads,
(0:10:56) Al: trying to play touchscreen controls.
(0:11:00) Kev: Back to the Wii U days, baby.
(0:11:02) Al: It’s worse than that.
(0:11:02) Al: It’s so much bigger than that.
(0:11:06) Al: I do have an iPad mini.
(0:11:08) Al: So I will try it out on that and see how it feels on that as well.
(0:11:11) Al: But this this might not be a good start to it.
(0:11:14) Al: Although I will have to see.
(0:11:16) Al: I need to check this.
(0:11:17) Al: I meant to check this earlier
(0:11:20) Al: because Mac OS has a thing now where you can install iPad apps.
(0:11:23) Al: So I need to see if I can install that and maybe I can play it on my Mac.
(0:11:25) Kev: Ooh. That’d be nice.
(0:11:26) Al: We’ll see.
(0:11:27) Kev: Is there no blue stacks equivalent on Mac?
(0:11:30) Al: What that is, that is that.
(0:11:32) Kev: Oh, that is. Okay. Okay.
(0:11:34) Al: Yeah, it’s the same thing.
(0:11:35) Al: and technically developers can deceive.
(0:11:39) Al: So, we’ll see whether they’ve disabled it or not.
(0:11:39) Kev: Mmm, let’s see.
(0:11:42) Al: I would hope not, but we’ll see.
(0:11:42) Kev: Okay.
(0:11:44) Kev: Um, okay, about the game, okay, the big question about the game itself,
(0:11:49) Kev: is it, you know, a farming game?
(0:11:51) Kev: Don’t even know what it’s supposed to be.
(0:11:52) Al: Yeah, I would say it’s basically, it’s a Harvest Moon game. Now the question is whether it is a
(0:11:56) Kev: Okay, it is a harvest move.
(0:11:59) Al: Harvest Moon game, and they’ve definitely thought about it in terms of touch screen first. I would
(0:12:04) Al: say touch screen first, or touch screen only, clearly, because they don’t have the controller
(0:12:07) Kev: Okay.
(0:12:08) Al: support. Which is, I mean, the fact that they’ve thought about it touch screen first is good,
(0:12:09) Kev: Yay.
(0:12:14) Al: the fact that it doesn’t support controllers is bad. But yeah, it’ll be interesting to see
(0:12:16) Kev: Yeah.
(0:12:20) Kev: Okay.
(0:12:20) Al: how things go. I’ve not put enough into it to-
(0:12:23) Al: You know, an opinion on the story or the full mechanics or anything like that. That episode will come.
(0:12:24) Kev: Sure.
(0:12:27) Kev: Sure.
(0:12:30) Al: But yeah, so start off disappointing. We’ll see. We’ll see where it goes from here.
(0:12:36) Kev: - Nah.
(0:12:41) Al: I think I also- I launched- I bought and started playing
(0:12:46) Al: Natsumon? Is that real? Yeah, Natsumon, 20th century summer kid. I haven’t played a lot of that, though.
(0:12:52) Al: That’s probably for the future, because there’s a lot happening just now.
(0:12:57) Al: That was one of the games that Micah talked about, I think, last year. End of the year.
(0:13:00) Kev: Ahh, okay. Oh, I love that art style.
(0:13:04) Al: And they only added the English translation at the beginning of this month, so.
(0:13:09) Kev: - Okay, cool, cool, cool.
(0:13:11) Al: So yeah, that’s what we’ve been playing. So, into the news. Speaking of mobile games,
(0:13:17) Kev: Eh?
(0:13:17) Al: we have some Animal Crossing news. It’s been a while since we’ve had some Animal Crossing news, Kevin.
(0:13:22) Al: And now it’s time to talk about a game,
(0:13:23) Kev: It’s good for once.
(0:13:25) Al: now it’s time to talk about an Animal Crossing game that neither of us have really played.
(0:13:30) Al: I think I have downloaded it and I’ve opened it and got really bored really quickly.
(0:13:35) Al: But that is Animal Crossing Pocket Camp.
(0:13:38) Al: So the news is that the game is shutting down.
(0:13:42) Al: But don’t worry, they’re releasing it again offline.
(0:13:47) Al: So this is very interesting and I wanna know what you think.
(0:13:50) Al: But my opinion is that this is.
(0:13:52) Al: Because I think exactly what we want online games to do is when they shut down, they
(0:13:59) Al: release another version that allows you to play the whole game without in-app purchases.
(0:14:05) Al: And granted, it’s going to cost money.
(0:14:07) Al: And I accept that because it takes work and that’s life.
(0:14:13) Al: But it’ll be interesting to see how much it costs.
(0:14:15) Al: That will be the killer, I think.
(0:14:18) Al: I think overall, although some people we disappointed because they obviously…
(0:14:22) Al: It means there’s no new events in the game. I think that overall it’s a good news because it’s not going…
(0:14:28) Kev: All right, I heard, I cannot source or confirm, I heard that they will try to do some events
(0:14:34) Kev: still for the first, like, while for the offline version, but…
(0:14:38) Al: No, I haven’t seen anything about that. What they have said is that they’ll be doing events
(0:14:44) Al: and adding some items until the end of the current version, which ends, which is running
(0:14:48) Kev: Oh, okay, that’s why it would have hurt, nevermind.
(0:14:51) Kev: Um, but still.
(0:14:54) Al: until the 28th of November. That is when they’re going to shut it down. So they said there
(0:14:59) Al: will be some more events and items before then, but I haven’t seen anything about new
(0:15:04) Al: stuff in the in the.
(0:15:07) Kev: if uh if i’m employed by that point I will pick this up because i’m much more interested now that
(0:15:14) Kev: I can just play it all especially offline um because that’s uh that’s my idea
(0:15:21) Al: It’s going to be very interesting to me how much it costs. Will it cost like what Mario
(0:15:27) Al: Run cost? Was that like 20 dollars? Something like that? Or whether it ends up going like
(0:15:32) Kev: I was about to say, it’s in the new nintendo to pick the latest entry into the animal crossing
(0:15:36) Al: a full price switch game. I would be surprised if it did. But you never know, it is Nintendo.
(0:15:47) Kev: series, full price animal crossing, locket camp deluxe.
(0:15:51) Al: - It turns out the Switch 2 runs Android.
(0:15:58) Al: Look, we’ve got a new Animal Crossing game for the new console.
(0:16:02) Al: Yeah, the other thing is, they haven’t said for certain that it’s definitely 100% offline.
(0:16:09) Al: Let me see if I can find the wording.
(0:16:11) Al: It says, “We’re developing a version of Animal Crossing Pocket Camp that users
(0:16:15) Al: can continue to play with their save file.”
(0:16:17) Al: So that’s a key point your data will carry across.
(0:16:20) Kev: Oh, yeah that yeah, can you imagine if it did?
(0:16:21) Al: You would think that would be a minimum required thing for this, but just it’s good to have the clarification.
(0:16:29) Kev: You know in this day and age yeah, yeah, it’s good to have that clarification
(0:16:33) Al: You carry over your saved data by linking your Nintendo account.
(0:16:37) Al: It says, but you cannot carry over any remaining leaf tickets.
(0:16:40) Al: I think they were the like paid item that unlocked things in the game.
(0:16:42) Kev: score. Right.
(0:16:44) Al: So obviously it doesn’t make any sense if there aren’t, because it says it’s a paid app without in-app purchases.
(0:16:52) Al: The question of course is whether that means everything in the game, all the items will be unlocked for everybody.
(0:16:59) Al: And if so, do you have to do something to unlock them?
(0:17:03) Al: Like are there going to be challenges or is it just you can access everything like you had paid for it?
(0:17:10) Kev: if I were making the decision / this is my guess I’d say you there’s a new fake
(0:17:19) Kev: premium currency new leaf tickets what I would call it and you have to do
(0:17:24) Kev: challenges to earn that and that’s what so that way they can just leave like
(0:17:26) Al: That’s a possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if that wasn’t the case purely because that
(0:17:33) Al: sounds like work and is probably more less work just to have like I can’t I don’t I
(0:17:40) Al: don’t think I played long enough to know how these things unlock but I’m presuming it’s
(0:17:45) Al: just a shop somewhere and so instead that shop just has a cost of zero for everything
(0:17:50) Kev: - Oh, okay.
(0:17:52) Kev: Or can they change it to, I don’t know about this games,
(0:17:54) Kev: non-premium currency, I don’t know.
(0:17:56) Al: Yeah, we’ll find out. The other thing is it says it does not require constant data communication,
(0:18:02) Al: but that word constant would imply that maybe there is some internet connectivity to it,
(0:18:08) Al: but why would they do that if they’re shutting down the game? So I’m a little bit intrigued
(0:18:11) Al: as to what that means and what exactly it’s going to look like. They have said they’re
(0:18:16) Al: going to have more details about the new app in October, so I guess we’ll find out.
(0:18:21) Kev: - All right, but like I said, I’m looking forward.
(0:18:23) Al: Yeah, I will. I will almost certainly purchase.
(0:18:26) Al: This will I regret purchasing it? We’ll find out. Stay tuned.
(0:18:35) Al: Next, we have a renamed game. What was previously called a last song is now called MeloBot,
(0:18:43) Al: a last song. MeloBot, MeloBot is a good name. I’m not a huge fan of like subtitles in games,
(0:18:44) Kev: I love Metabots!
(0:18:46) Kev: Classic.
(0:18:52) Al: but I get why they’re doing this one, right? Because it makes it very clear that it’s a
(0:18:58) Kev: yeah yeah i’m actually a fan of subtitles and the reason like because if they want to make you
(0:19:08) Kev: know franchise or whatever sequels like having different subtitles I think is better than the
(0:19:14) Kev: the numbering thing
(0:19:16) Al: I mean, I personally I prefer just numbering because then it makes it very clear the order.
(0:19:22) Al: But that aside, I think part of the reason I don’t like subtitles is because it implies
(0:19:28) Al: that they are going to make a franchise and it’s like, don’t assume that you’re going
(0:19:31) Al: to be successful enough to do a franchise. And often subtitles are really, you know,
(0:19:40) Al: stupid and not like, so let’s talk about the art games, for example, right?
(0:19:44) Kev: Yeah, yeah the pinnacle of subtitles
(0:19:47) Al: A perfect example of bad subtitles. They have their first game was Ark Survival Evolved,
(0:19:53) Al: right? Which, OK, sure, fine, you’re making it clear it’s a survival game. That’s fine.
(0:19:59) Al: Evolved, maybe that’s talking about the dinosaurs. Who knows? What I find confusing about it,
(0:20:07) Al: though, is that when you get to a second game, you then start to go, well, is Evolved the first
(0:20:12) Al: or the second game? Because Evolved would imply to me that it’s like an evolution of the previous
(0:20:16) Al: game. And then their particular problem is they have a remaster of the original called
(0:20:23) Al: Ark Survival Ascendant, which is very not clear what, like, why? Why those two names?
(0:20:31) Al: And how you meant to know which is which based on those names? That’s my main problem. And then,
(0:20:35) Al: of course, their new game is just called Ark 2. So they just can’t decide what they want to do.
(0:20:40) Kev: Beautiful.
(0:20:41) Kev: I like that.
(0:20:42) Al: But anyway, as subtitles go, this is not a bad subtitle.
(0:20:43) Kev: Mm-hmm.
(0:20:48) Al: I guess just a reminder to people, this is the game where you play as a robot on an alien planet and you are healing plants with salt.
(0:20:58) Kev: Yeah, there is in fact rhythm gameplay in this game.
(0:21:04) Kev: I was looking at the trailer.
(0:21:06) Kev: That looks nice.
(0:21:08) Al: Yeah, so it’s a little world that you walk around in and you find plants and then you
(0:21:12) Al: have to use your rhythm to heal them, which is a fun little idea. And, you know, I like
(0:21:16) Kev: - Mm-hmm, yeah.
(0:21:19) Al: the idea of kind of combining a, I don’t know if it’s open world or what, but like, you
(0:21:23) Al: know, a world traversal, also with rhythm.
(0:21:28) Kev: And somehow there’s still combat. I don’t know if that’s rhythm based, but there is you
(0:21:32) Al: I think it is. I think it is rhythm-based as well, based on the trailer. We’ll see.
(0:21:37) Kev: Which is a cool idea, um, it looks nice i’m down for this september 12th. That’s not far off
(0:21:42) Al: Yeah, so that’s the other news. It’s coming out on the 12th of September, and they’ve
(0:21:44) Kev: plus a month
(0:21:54) Al: or three weeks three weeks is that three weeks to go till it comes out next we have the full patch
(0:22:00) Al: notes for the new disney dreamlight valley update dapper delights so if you want them they are now
(0:22:06) Al: available and
(0:22:06) Kev: Did they add hot hot ones to the game the reverse of the collab?
(0:22:12) Al: Uhhh… no. I feel like I’m missing a reference.
(0:22:16) Kev: No
(0:22:18) Kev: Okay, you know what hot ones is right
(0:22:19) Al: The, like, wings challenge. Yeah. Yeah.
(0:22:22) Kev: Yes, yes, okay. Yes the talk show where people eat spicy food in the meanwhile or whatever, right?
(0:22:28) Kev: They’re they’re doing with Donald Doug and animated Donald duck
(0:22:30) Al: Um… why?
(0:22:35) Kev: It was I think
(0:22:36) Kev: 90th anniversary, I guess
(0:22:43) Al: Oh no, that sounds
(0:22:49) Kev: I mean the animations good. I will say that they’re not limping on it. But um, I
(0:22:56) Kev: Gotta love how the host is just gonna be talking
(0:23:00) Kev: itself I guess or standing Donald
(0:23:03) Al: I really don’t know what to say. I’ve never watched a full episode of Hot Ones,
(0:23:03) Kev: Good you got a little bit
(0:23:06) Kev: I
(0:23:11) Al: I’ve just seen clips on TikTok. Sorry, what now? No. As in, like, the animated character or as in…
(0:23:12) Kev: Haven’t either but um, yeah, I’m excited for it. Will this be as good as doofenschwertz on shark tank? I don’t know. Oh
(0:23:22) Kev: You didn’t know that dr. Doofenschwertz from a Phineas and Ferb was on shark tank
(0:23:30) Kev: That is correct, yes
(0:23:31) Al: But…
(0:23:33) Al: I don’t know what to say. So no, The Hot Ones is not suddenly in Dreamlight Valley.
(0:23:35) Kev: I’ll see you tomorrow.
(0:23:36) Kev: Bye!
(0:23:46) Al: But no, this update adds Tiana from Princess and the Frog, and she brings a restaurant with her.
(0:23:51) Kev: Oh, okay.
(0:23:55) Kev: Uh-oh, Rami’s facing competition now. She’s got to pick a side.
(0:23:56) Al: I don’t think I’ve seen the Princess and the Frog. Is that a thing she’s known for?
(0:24:00) Al: I’ve not seen the Princess and the Frog.
(0:24:02) Kev: Oh, that’s her entire thing. Like,
(0:24:05) Kev: her ho- she’s- works in a restaurant, wants to save up to own- open her own restaurant. That’s her dream.
(0:24:10) Al: Fair enough? Well, yeah, so the full details on the update are right now. And I did notice
(0:24:19) Al: that we do have confirmation now that the Act III of the DLC, which comes out with the update, is
(0:24:26) Al: the final in the Rift of Time expansion, which I think confirms that the next thing that they’re
(0:24:34) Al: hinting at, the next expansion they’re hinting at is our new expansion, because I looked on Steam,
(0:24:38) Al: and when you’re purchasing the
(0:24:40) Kev: Mm-hmm
(0:24:40) Al: expansion, you are very explicitly purchasing Disney Dreamlight Valley Arift in Time. So
(0:24:45) Al: I think that’s Arift in Time is complete and the next thing that they’re hinting that comes
(0:24:49) Al: later this year will be another paid.
(0:24:52) Kev: Sure, and other things, yeah. I wonder what it’ll be.
(0:24:56) Al: Yeah, I don’t think that I don’t think we’ve got any real hints on on that yet.
(0:25:00) Al: So we’ll we’ll see.
(0:25:02) Al: We’ll see what comes.
(0:25:06) Al: Next, we have a new update for Steam World Build.
(0:25:10) Al: The Skull Valley update is out now.
(0:25:13) Al: So this adds a whole new map
(0:25:15) Al: filled with piratey perils and opportunities.
(0:25:18) Al: Build your town town.
(0:25:21) Al: Build your town amidst palm trees,
(0:25:23) Al: canons and the looming shadow of the Kraken.
(0:25:25) Al: So there you go.
(0:25:26) Kev: Okay, I have not played this one. I’m out of the loop here.
(0:25:26) Al: And so this is the, it’s a town builder, a SteamWorld town builder.
(0:25:30) Kev: Kraken’s are cool.
(0:25:34) Kev: Yeah, I remember that.
(0:25:36) Al: So this is just a new map for the town builder with some new stuff in it, which is cool.
(0:25:41) Kev: The brand-new map is pretty cool
(0:25:45) Kev: Yeah
(0:25:46) Kev: Rockin school. Oh, oh there. I’m seeing the picture. It’s it’s cracking like in the desert. Okay. You could do is expecting that
(0:25:54) Al: Yeah, I don’t know whether anything will come with that or not, because it does say looming
(0:25:59) Al: shadow of the Kraken implies that something might come from that. But it does look very much dried up.
(0:26:05) Kev: yeah that that’s actually a fun aesthetic dried up pirate island um and I like that that’s cool
(0:26:10) Al: Yeah.
(0:26:13) Al: So if you’ve been playing SteamWorld Build, go get the update now. If you haven’t been playing it,
(0:26:17) Al: and you’re like, you know what I really want, what will make me buy this game?
(0:26:21) Al: Pirates. Well, there you go. Now you can go.
(0:26:24) Kev: You know what would make me buy a game, Al?
(0:26:25) Al: Nothing you say is gonna be true right now.
(0:26:29) Kev: Spinach.
(0:26:30) Kev: What if they’re gonna have spinach?
(0:26:33) Al: Oh, my word.
(0:26:33) Kev: You’re– ooh.
(0:26:36) Al: Farming Simulator 25, in our continual coverage
(0:26:39) Al: of this game for some reason, we’ve
(0:26:43) Al: got some more information on the game, more reveals.
(0:26:45) Al: There is a new map and there’s spinach.
(0:26:50) Al: So I don’t hate spinach, but it’s
(0:26:50) Kev: Do you like spinach, Al?
(0:26:55) Al: something I would particularly choose.
(0:26:58) Kev: So, I like-
(0:26:58) Al: But if I was having a meal that had spinach,
(0:26:59) Al: I’d be like, yeah, that’s fine.
(0:27:01) Kev: Yeah.
(0:27:02) Kev: I like, you know, baby spinach, the green leafy stuff.
(0:27:05) Al: Yeah.
(0:27:06) Kev: But, when you, like, book it too much and it turns that Popeye mushy stuff, uh, no, I can’t-
(0:27:11) Al: Yeah, that’s part of the problem.
(0:27:13) Al: You basically can’t cook it.
(0:27:15) Al: You just need to mix it into your hot food
(0:27:17) Kev: Yup.
(0:27:18) Al: and otherwise it’s overcooked.
(0:27:19) Kev: There’s…
(0:27:20) Kev: …too much dang water in there.
(0:27:22) Kev: Um…
(0:27:24) Kev: Well, there you go.
(0:27:26) Kev: Spinach fans rejoice. It’s incredible.
(0:27:29) Al: Oh, you’re gonna love this. So I’ve just been looking through the other previews they’ve
(0:27:34) Al: given us. So they are releasing with this game an ignition lock, a physical ignition
(0:27:44) Al: that you can buy, and insert the key to turn on your tractor.
(0:27:48) Kev: now we’re talking I like that forget controller support where’s my physical
(0:27:50) Al: Oh dear. But that’s basically what it is. There you go, there’s a link you can
(0:27:56) Kev: key and lock support oh that’s that’s uh
(0:27:59) Al: look at, Kevin, this is quite something. So this comes with the collector’s edition
(0:28:08) Al: of Farming Simulator 25.
(0:28:10) Kev: oh my gosh this is great I love that this is genius always on the cutting edge um little farming
(0:28:17) Al: I was on something, though I will say the collector’s edition in the UK is 60 pounds.
(0:28:26) Al: So that’s not bad for coming with, you know, the physical ignition key, if that’s what
(0:28:33) Al: you want.
(0:28:35) Al: It comes with two keys as well, in case you lose one.
(0:28:38) Al: There you go.
(0:28:38) Kev: I definitely would so I appreciate that they’re thinking.
(0:28:42) Al: I feel like my key would just sit in the ignition the whole time.
(0:28:45) Al: I mean, it’s not like
(0:28:47) Al: someone’s actually going to steal it. Since we wanted to ensure a quality product that’s not
(0:28:53) Al: just functional, but also robust and reliable, our specialists sat down, designed and engineered
(0:28:59) Al: it directly in-house. It is something, that’s for sure. And the last piece of update news
(0:29:01) Kev: You look at that, look at that is expertise and it’s fine.
(0:29:13) Al: for games is that Smishy Come Home, I’ve got a limited physical release.
(0:29:17) Al: Which includes trading cards.
(0:29:20) Kev: that’s interesting five there’s uh three of five there’s only five of them um it’s like one of
(0:29:29) Kev: each biome um and then a nice one with art um five that’s okay I guess you know what all I care
(0:29:38) Kev: is that that box art is beautiful I might not I won’t be getting right now under my circumstances
(0:29:45) Kev: but that is beautiful and smooshie is a lovely um home
(0:29:51) Kev: you know what I posey is a foul word but it that is actually cozy and enjoyable and lovely game
(0:29:57) Kev: I highly recommend it to pretty much anyone it’s if you want a nice game to actually
(0:30:04) Al: My issue is not with the word cosy, it’s with developers or publishers using the name, using the word.
(0:30:12) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yes, yep, you know what, yeah, fair enough, yeah, so yeah, if you want
(0:30:13) Al: I think it’s fine for people to describe a game they like as cosy, I don’t think it’s okay for developers to say “this is a cosy game”
(0:30:25) Kev: a hug in a video game form, go play smooshy, smooshy, smooshy, smooshy.
(0:30:30) Al: So we also have two new games that have been announced. One is called Herdling
(0:30:36) Al: and this is the new game being published by Panic who do a bunch of stuff. They
(0:30:46) Al: did Untitled Goose Game and Firewatch and they make the the Playdate, the little
(0:30:53) Al: controller. They had a little games console with the Crank… yeah.
(0:30:56) Kev: Wait all those guys did that it’s a wild array of things
(0:31:00) Al: Yeah, it is. They are a wild array of people. Anyway, this game is being
(0:31:06) Kev: Yep, I you know hats off to them they are not cowards, but they will go with the good teeth
(0:31:13) Al: published by them. They’re not developing it, but obviously they’re not like a
(0:31:18) Al: massive publisher, so they must see something in this game which immediately
(0:31:22) Al: makes me interested. The blurb for this game is “Guide a Herd of mysterious
(0:31:28) Al: creatures on a stirring and beautiful day.
(0:31:30) Al: journey into the mountains and beyond, um, yeah, I mean, that’s exactly what it is,
(0:31:37) Al: right?
(0:31:38) Kev: Yep, I’m watching the trailer, and you are hurting.
(0:31:38) Al: Like if you watch the video, you are guiding a herd of majestical creatures, I don’t…
(0:31:44) Kev: They kind of look like full cow things, buffalo things. They’re hairies like yaks.
(0:31:48) Al: Yeah, different sizes, different sizes and colours and stuff like that.
(0:31:50) Kev: Um, it’s a pretty game. Yep. Some of them glow a little, twisty horns.
(0:31:57) Al: Yeah.
(0:31:58) Kev: It’s a very pretty game, very pretty world.
(0:32:00) Al: And it looks like there’s some… puzzles? You do.
(0:32:04) Kev: Take ’em on a boat, push things with your…
(0:32:08) Kev: It’s a cool thing. (laughs)
(0:32:10) Al: Yeah, do they have a name for these creatures? I’m not seeing any- Oh, here we go.
(0:32:14) Al: Calicorns.
(0:32:16) Kev: Okay, I’m down for.
(0:32:21) Al: Yeah, no, this looks cool. They’ve not announced when it’s coming out.
(0:32:25) Al: it’s on Steam, but they haven’t said what platforms it’s on.
(0:32:33) Kev: It says, “An emotional wordless tale.”
(0:32:35) Kev: Oh no, this game’s gonna hit me bad.
(0:32:38) Al: They have said it’s coming to console, but they haven’t said what consoles, so.
(0:32:38) Kev: It’s gonna do something to hurt me bad.
(0:32:40) Kev: I can already see it.
(0:32:47) Kev: Tell me to the play date.
(0:32:48) Al: More information as it comes.
(0:32:49) Al: I highly doubt it will come to the plate.
(0:32:53) Kev: It’s exclusive.
(0:32:55) Al: It’s a cool little console, but I don’t think it could cope with that game.
(0:32:59) Al: And finally, we have Floetopia.
(0:33:01) Al: Have you watched this trailer yet, Kevin?
(0:33:02) Kev: Oh, no, let me see. Are you ready for my…
(0:33:03) Al: Right.
(0:33:04) Al: Okay.
(0:33:05) Al: that you need to watch this trailer.
(0:33:08) Al: Pause the episode, go watch this trailer, it’ll be in the show notes.
(0:33:10) Al: Go, honestly, go watch the trailer before we talk about it.
(0:33:15) Kev: okay listen with my library action let’s see first reaction there’s an ad so
(0:33:22) Kev: give me a second one second almost there okay here we go oh the words ending
(0:33:30) Kev: that’s nice
(0:33:31) Al: Yeah, not ideal no ideal
(0:33:33) Kev: with cute little should be people
(0:33:37) Al: Yep, they’re running around trying not to die
(0:33:38) Kev: there’s there’s somebody very nonchalant about it
(0:33:42) Al: The end means I don’t need to go to work I mean fair
(0:33:46) Kev: there I admire the hustle they’re saying the world’s ending so come live to the
(0:33:53) Kev: cloud photopia people islands you definitely is yep you go from actual
(0:33:56) Al: So, I mean, that’s quite a dramatic shift in tone there, right?
(0:34:05) Kev: apocalypse with giant tornado in the background to happy joy music in the
(0:34:10) Kev: clouds we’re just gonna ignore all the people who didn’t make it
(0:34:14) Al: I think that’s a costume.
(0:34:16) Kev: why are all these people animals well not all of them but
(0:34:22) Al: I don’t think they’re actually animals.
(0:34:23) Kev: they well I know dog person was digging like a dog I don’t know man somebody
(0:34:30) Al: I wouldn’t be surprised if the costumes gave you abilities because they do talk about how you get superpowers and different characters can have different superpowers. So I suspect that might be what it’s from.
(0:34:44) Kev: Mm-hmm. Okay, they’re sliding on a cloud now on a cloud mobile card
(0:34:51) Kev: This is wild
(0:34:53) Kev: What a way to start that trailer. I’m looking for more of it. Where’s the apocalypse?
(0:34:54) Al: Yeah, like, I’m very intrigued. So, like, is that… My first thought is maybe that
(0:35:03) Al: part is actually just the trailer for someone… Like, it doesn’t actually happen anywhere
(0:35:06) Kev: Y’all definitely
(0:35:10) Al: in game. I’m thinking someone in the game is trying to sell you to come to this place
(0:35:15) Al: and they’re like, “Oh, real world is like the apocalypse, come here instead,” sort of
(0:35:21) Al: thing or whether it actually happens and then that’s
(0:35:22) Kev: It’s yeah, it’s just going to happen in like the opening cinematic and that’s it.
(0:35:24) Al: just the setup for the game.
(0:35:31) Al: Well, maybe, yeah, but that’s my question is does it actually
(0:35:32) Kev: Oh, oh, I think it does happen. Oh, and then at the end, it’s all inside a snow globe. Okay.
(0:35:33) Al: happen or does it not actually happen?
(0:35:40) Al: Hmm. So there’s the other interesting question. What is
(0:35:43) Al: happening here? Is this, what is this? And why are we, why did
(0:35:44) Kev: I don’t know what’s happening here.
(0:35:46) Al: we fly onto the moon? Why are we in amongst the stars? Like, is
(0:35:50) Al: that something you can do that seems to be inside a carton
(0:35:54) Al: of the snow globe on your desk? I need, I need to know more
(0:36:00) Al: about this game. I will I will 100% be buying this game.
(0:36:02) Kev: I need to know why the Gogotown people didn’t survive the-the-the-apocalypse.
(0:36:08) Kev: Because it’s-it’s something, um, that feels like just an announcement trailer, right? So,
(0:36:17) Kev: it’s all-I don’t think we actually saw any gameplay. Oh no, there’s a little bit there, minder bit.
(0:36:22) Al: We can’t wait we saw limited gameplay
(0:36:26) Kev: Yeah, because there’s a.
(0:36:27) Al: Anyway, I’m very intrigued. I wouldn’t be surprised if this turns out to be just another farming sim
(0:36:33) Al: But I’m a little or I guess it would probably be more like an animal crossing like rather than the farming sim
(0:36:38) Kev: Yeah, yeah, go, go, Town Vayne, like I said, um, it uh, it, yeah, I wish they…
(0:36:43) Al: Yeah, I don’t know cuz like
(0:36:45) Al: Yeah, maybe maybe kind of like that
(0:36:48) Al: Yeah, I don’t know, well, we’ll see, I’m intrigued, like they’re literally just
(0:36:52) Al: announced this at Gamescom, and it’s coming to Steam and Consoles, but we don’t know when yet.
(0:37:00) Kev: Who knows, I wish they’d lean into the apocalypse stuff.
(0:37:03) Al: Oh, the website just started singing at me.
(0:37:08) Kev: - That sounds right.
(0:37:09) Al: Oh, no, I don’t know how to stop it. There we go, I’ve muted it. Right, let’s try that again.
(0:37:14) Al: What were you saying?
(0:37:16) Kev: Just, I wish it leaned to the apocalypse more, that’s all.
(0:37:21) Kev: That’d be something.
(0:37:22) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’ll see.
(0:37:25) Al: Cool, so I think that’s all the news.
(0:37:30) Al: Next we’re going to talk about Mika and the Witch’s Mountain.
(0:37:34) Al: Just now that we’re starting this part of the episode, I need to put the disclosure
(0:37:39) Al: out there again.
(0:37:40) Al: We did receive one review code from GB Games, so that is what it is.
(0:37:49) Al: our review of the game will not be affected.
(0:37:52) Al: by that but that is something we need to tell you by law so a quick introduction to
(0:37:52) Kev: Nope.
(0:37:57) Kev: There you go.
(0:38:02) Al: the game as Kevin joked early in the episode it is I have forgotten the name of the yeah
(0:38:10) Kev: Studio Ghibli.
(0:38:12) Al: no the film though yes Kiki’s Delivery Service it’s basically Kiki’s Delivery Service in
(0:38:13) Kev: Sticky’s Delivery Service.
(0:38:18) Kev: Sticky’s Delivery Service cross Wind Waker, because boy, that is a Wind Waker park style.
(0:38:18) Al: in a game, right?
(0:38:28) Al: Yeah, yeah very much so. So you are a little witch who has to deliver
(0:38:29) Kev: They promised and they delivered.
(0:38:35) Al: packages to people to get to the top of a mountain. And you honor a broom.
(0:38:39) Kev: Yes, they’re paying you to get them in you can buy the broom that that’s how it works
(0:38:44) Kev: It’s not as if they’re guarding their guarding your way to the mountain
(0:38:48) Al: Yeah, I guess we’ll expand I guess a bit more on the broom later on. But yeah, that’s kind
(0:38:48) Kev: You cannot pass until you deliver this
(0:38:52) Kev: Fish to the captain
(0:39:00) Al: of the summary of the game. I guess let’s start on quickly talk about the looks and
(0:39:08) Al: the sound and stuff like that, because obviously, we’ve both talked about we like how this game
(0:39:12) Al: looks before we’ve played it. But now we’ve actually played it. What do you think?
(0:39:14) Kev: Still like how it looks! Shocker!
(0:39:20) Al: Yeah, I just sometimes like, I mean, I don’t know how it runs on the switch, but it like
(0:39:22) Kev: Yep. No.
(0:39:24) Al: ran really well on my Steam Deck. I wasn’t seeing any issues.
(0:39:26) Kev: Yeah, it was running fine. It was running fine on Switch. I didn’t see any big issues either.
(0:39:31) Kev: Oh, I guess for context, Al has completed the game. I made it very far, but did not complete it as of yet.
(0:39:38) Kev: But I very much enjoy the game.
(0:39:44) Kev: It’s interesting how Chibi will shift art styles between different games set in the same universe or whatever, but it looks quite nice.
(0:39:52) Al: Oh and and boy is this set in the universe the same universe they make it very clear
(0:39:58) Al: this is set in the same universe. I counted I think four different characters in this game
(0:40:04) Kev: I was like, yeah they namedrop Mara, they’ll do well, we’ll get into that in the story I guess,
(0:40:13) Kev: but yeah, there’s plenty of familiar faces. Yeah, but no, I love the presentation, like it is very
(0:40:21) Kev: much just, you know, imitate Wind Waker, but you know what, I really like the Wind Waker art style,
(0:40:26) Kev: so that’s fine by me. They didn’t do a bad job of it, I’ll say that.
(0:40:29) Al: Yeah.
(0:40:32) Al: Yeah, yeah.
(0:40:33) Al: And sound wise, I quite liked the sound design and the music and stuff like that.
(0:40:34) Kev: Also, yep, it is, yep, and I agree. Also, I will give it problems for one more thing, so like I’ve
(0:40:38) Al: It’s all all very nice as well put together, I think.
(0:40:48) Kev: said, expressed before, that a lot of game companies are using Studio Ghibli-like or inspired or
(0:40:56) Kev: whatever, it’s a phrase, and a lot of times they don’t quite deliver on that, but I think this one
(0:41:01) Kev: actually did. It captured the spirit of Kiki’s delivery service.
(0:41:04) Kev: Pretty well so much that the person who sells your books is just like Kiki.
(0:41:10) Al: Yeah, that’s fun. I haven’t actually seen it yet, so…
(0:41:10) Kev: Um, yeah. Oh, well, that’s the view of Ghibli. It’s charming. Um, yeah.
(0:41:15) Al: I only know what people have told me.
(0:41:19) Al: I have so far seen one Studio Ghibli film, but I do plan to watch the rest.
(0:41:22) Kev: Wait, which one was it?
(0:41:24) Al: The Boy and the Heron.
(0:41:25) Kev: No, I’m not saying that, but I just looked up. All right.
(0:41:28) Al: It’s good. It’s very good. And despite everything, I would highly
(0:41:32) Al: recommend watching the dub, because the voice acting in the dub is
(0:41:38) Al: Excellent. It’s very good.
(0:41:40) Al: It’s not a lot of dubs are pretty half-hearted. This is very excellent. If you’ve ever won.
(0:41:44) Kev: yeah the studio Ghibli dubs usually I think are pretty solid they get good
(0:41:52) Kev: talent I got Billy crystal for us moving first castle oh really huh yeah oh well
(0:41:57) Al: They have Robert Pattinson and the boy in the heron.
(0:42:01) Al: He plays the heron.
(0:42:04) Al: And he puts everything into that, like he’s not folding it in.
(0:42:08) Al: It’s a very good performance.
(0:42:11) Kev: He is a good actor, and I’m glad he put effort into it.
(0:42:13) Al: Yeah.
(0:42:16) Kev: Unfortunately, he was not here to voice the captain, or whatever, but overall, I loved
(0:42:28) Kev: the presentation.
(0:42:29) Kev: There’s a few things, like the chibigs, the Walmart, or whatever you want to call it,
(0:42:37) Kev: of standard of slightly awkward English translations at times.
(0:42:40) Al: Yes.
(0:42:41) Kev: But in general, I didn’t have any problems with it.
(0:42:48) Kev: And you have access to pretty much the whole map at the beginning.
(0:42:52) Kev: You can fly around and see the different areas and stuff.
(0:42:56) Al: Well, except the bits that you need to get to at the end. But yeah, they’re quite limited to the
(0:42:58) Kev: Yeah, yeah, I said mostly.
(0:43:00) Kev: Yeah. Yeah.
(0:43:03) Al: extra bits. So yeah, it’s mostly you can access most of the game from the very start. And I guess
(0:43:12) Al: let’s go into that. So we could talk about the flying and the brooms because you start off with
(0:43:18) Al: a broken broom and you have to get it fixed and you have a fixed broom. And then of course, yeah,
(0:43:22) Kev: Because, of course.
(0:43:24) Al: Yeah, you have to do that.
(0:43:26) Al: And then as you do more deliveries and you get more money, then your friend can upgrade your broom for you.
(0:43:33) Al: And the broom does different things.
(0:43:36) Al: It can act as though there’s like air currents, which your very first broom can’t use.
(0:43:44) Al: You just kind of get pushed off to the side, whereas the second broom will let you use them.
(0:43:46) Kev: Yeah, you know both horizontal and vertical so you can speed boost or rise yeah
(0:43:50) Al: And then the later horizontal and vertical.
(0:43:54) Al: Yeah. And then there’s.
(0:43:56) Al: One that gives you this like extra air boosts that are hanging in the air that one of the brooms gives you access to.
(0:43:59) Kev: Yeah, like the midair jump sort of thing
(0:44:04) Al: And then the final broom there’s like a hurricane a tornado type thing not hurricane a tornado.
(0:44:10) Al: On one level which you can only use if you have the final broom and that like boost you really high up in the air and that’s how you get to the top level.
(0:44:17) Kev: Right.
(0:44:19) Kev: Okay.
(0:44:22) Al: So that’s obviously fine, it does the job.
(0:44:26) Al: I will say, when I first played the game, I got very confused with the flying.
(0:44:31) Al: I was expecting flying to be a bit different than it was, and this is probably a me problem.
(0:44:37) Al: But I was… I don’t know why I was expecting this. You know, I’ve already talked to Johnny
(0:44:43) Al: about this, and he definitely wasn’t expecting this. But I was expecting that you get on a broom
(0:44:47) Al: and you can, like, fly up. You can’t fly up, basically. You’re always flying down. You can
(0:44:52) Kev: Yeah.
(0:44:54) Kev: Yep.
(0:44:54) Al: have like if you’re close to ground.
(0:44:56) Al: And you get like a little boost so you can like go up a little bit so you are actually
(0:44:59) Al: above the ground.
(0:45:00) Kev: Right, right, yeah, you don’t want one on the graph.
(0:45:00) Al: But basically if you want to go up, you have to use the air streams or follow the land
(0:45:04) Kev: Mm-hmm.
(0:45:04) Al: and jump off a higher bit of land stuff like that.
(0:45:06) Kev: Sure.
(0:45:07) Al: And because of that, because of that’s how it works.
(0:45:10) Al: Like you know how when you’re flying, you can have like two different control schemes.
(0:45:14) Al: You either have like pull back, pulls you up and push forward, makes you go down.
(0:45:20) Al: Or the way this was, which is when you can’t like control going up and down.
(0:45:26) Al: Just control where you are.
(0:45:28) Al: Like forward makes you go forward and back makes you go backwards.
(0:45:32) Al: So like I was pulling backwards to go up and I was just turning round.
(0:45:34) Kev: Mm hmm. Mm hmm.
(0:45:35) Al: So it kept confusing me like that.
(0:45:38) Al: And I suspect that’s mostly a me problem, expecting something different.
(0:45:42) Al: And probably due to how much I played Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, where when you actually
(0:45:46) Al: fly rather than glide, that is what it is, right?
(0:45:49) Kev: Say. Yeah, yeah.
(0:45:50) Al: You pull up to go up.
(0:45:52) Al: So I got used to it, but yeah.
(0:45:56) Al: Was a little bit kind of jarring at the
(0:45:58) Kev: Sure, I didn’t have that expectation and like, I think the game, the presentation of you have, you know, a really basic broom or whatever like they’re clearly showing you’re going to be building up to it like it made sense to me.
(0:46:13) Kev: But, I mean, regardless, regardless of that bit. I think the flying overall feels great. It feels exactly like how I wanted it to feel.
(0:46:28) Kev: I had a demo some time ago and I was happy and they didn’t disappoint like everything else that they add to it. It all feels natural. It feels great. You can actually go pretty fast when you get the air currents and whatnot.
(0:46:41) Kev: You can go far and it’s almost a sort of platforming at times, right? Because you’re trying to hit air currents or jump on islands and whatnot.
(0:46:50) Kev: And I enjoyed it. Yeah, I think like, you know, this is one of the pillars there.
(0:46:59) Kev: I think they’re building the game on, cleared up front, and I think they succeeded.
(0:47:02) Al: Yeah, yeah, I agree. Once I got over my initial brain hump, I was, it’s enjoyable flying.
(0:47:09) Al: You know, it’s smooth. It does what you expect it to do. And yeah, you can get around really
(0:47:16) Al: fast once you’re used to it. And, you know, zooming around all these air currents, you
(0:47:19) Al: can get around their reasonably large island pretty quickly.
(0:47:22) Kev: Mm-hmm. Yep. Absolutely. Um, yeah, so yeah, good job, Chibi. You nailed the flying. What’s the important part?
(0:47:31) Al: Which is kind of important, yeah.
(0:47:34) Al: So the other main mechanic in this game is the deliveries.
(0:47:36) Al: So obviously you are taking items to different people.
(0:47:41) Al: And I thought this was quite interesting.
(0:47:42) Al: There’s a couple of different things here.
(0:47:44) Al: So first of all, you can start off by only picking up one item and you, you,
(0:47:49) Al: you pick it up in your hands and then when you go in the broom, it’s
(0:47:51) Al: like hanging below your broom.
(0:47:53) Al: As you get better brooms, you can have more items, I think up to a maximum
(0:47:57) Al: of three, which is, is, is fine.
(0:48:00) Al: Um, but the interesting thing is as you’re doing the deliveries, they have
(0:48:04) Al: like damage that you can do to them.
(0:48:06) Al: Um, and there’s different kinds of damage.
(0:48:07) Al: So you can either have, you know, uh, fragile damage.
(0:48:11) Al: I don’t know how I would describe that, but if you hit into a rock
(0:48:14) Al: speed, then that’ll damage it.
(0:48:14) Kev: It can break or whatever, you know.
(0:48:16) Al: Or there’s water damage.
(0:48:18) Al: Cause some of them are, you know, you can’t get them wet.
(0:48:18) Kev: We get letters or envelopes.
(0:48:20) Al: Like there’s letters and electronics and stuff like that.
(0:48:22) Kev: Yeah, don’t get them wet.
(0:48:24) Al: So, um, some things will have, will be fragile.
(0:48:28) Al: or some things you can’t get wet.
(0:48:30) Al: Some things it’s both, and so they have different amount of health as well, which
(0:48:36) Al: I found interesting.
(0:48:37) Kev: - Yeah.
(0:48:37) Al: So some things will have like three hearts and if you hit into something you lose one
(0:48:38) Kev: Mm-hmm.
(0:48:40) Al: heart, and some things will have, I think there are some things where you can’t hit
(0:48:46) Al: it at all.
(0:48:47) Al: If you hit it at all, it dies.
(0:48:50) Kev: Yeah, right.
(0:48:51) Al: So that kind of, I think, adds an interesting aspect to it where it’s like you can’t just
(0:48:54) Al: go as fast as you possibly can, you have to be careful.
(0:48:56) Kev: Or take any route, or whatever, yeah.
(0:48:58) Al: Exactly.
(0:49:00) Kev: Yeah, um, it’s nothing too overly difficult, I think, but, um, it is fun, right?
(0:49:06) Kev: Because I definitely, like I said, you can go fast, right?
(0:49:09) Kev: So I’m delighted and banged a few hearts sometimes.
(0:49:12) Kev: Um, yeah.
(0:49:15) Kev: Um, but yeah, I’ve been doing what they can to spice up essentially quest rate,
(0:49:21) Kev: the whole game, um, you know, it’s my, um,
(0:49:22) Al: Yeah, I think what you said, it’s not very difficult. Yeah, it’s not very difficult,
(0:49:30) Al: but it does add a challenge to it. Whereas if it didn’t have that, it would just be,
(0:49:31) Kev: Right.
(0:49:34) Al: you just take things between them. And that’s fine, but it doesn’t add any kind of feeling
(0:49:36) Kev: Yeah.
(0:49:39) Kev: Yeah.
(0:49:40) Al: of accomplishment. Whereas with that, you can be like, “Oh yeah, well, I’m on a boat right now,
(0:49:41) Kev: Mm-hmm.
(0:49:45) Kev: Mm-hmm.
(0:49:45) Al: and I have a thing that can’t get wet. Right, I need to make sure that I can get to land,
(0:49:50) Al: and trying to plot out where you’re going.
(0:49:53) Al: And making sure that you don’t land in the water, which I think made it more fun with that little bit of challenge.
(0:49:54) Kev: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And you know what, there’s, I think another thing that is an implicit
(0:50:08) Kev: sort of challenge is actually getting to the places, right? Because a lot of times you
(0:50:13) Kev: have to go make a delivery somewhere you’ve never been, right? And so since you can’t
(0:50:16) Kev: just blast up into the air, you have to figure out, okay, what platforms can I jump off?
(0:50:22) Kev: the air current.
(0:50:24) Kev: can I ride and whatnot on to kind of reach the area and it’s an open world
(0:50:29) Kev: and there’s different solutions but that is just something else that you have to
(0:50:34) Kev: think about where you bought how you’re going to try to get there which makes
(0:50:37) Kev: sense for a delivery service so you know pops it in for that as well yeah oh and
(0:50:41) Al: Yeah, yeah, no, I agree.
(0:50:44) Kev: you can fish or catch fish in a fishbowl that’s kind of fun you scoop them you
(0:50:49) Kev: you grab the empty bowl and scoop them right out of the ocean. Good times.
(0:50:54) Al: I think there was only one challenge in the game to actually do that.
(0:50:54) Kev: I wish they used that more to be honest, to scoop it and use water or something.
(0:51:03) Kev: Yep, yeah, that’s correct.
(0:51:04) Al: You can do it yourself, but I was not spending time doing that because whatever.
(0:51:09) Al: It was fun the first time you do it, but it didn’t really feel like I needed to do it
(0:51:11) Kev: Mm-hmm
(0:51:14) Al: again, right?
(0:51:14) Kev: No, yeah
(0:51:15) Al: Like once I’ve done that, I’ve done it.
(0:51:16) Kev: But it didn’t have to just be fish like I think scooping up water and pouring it on something would have been
(0:51:23) Kev: In something else to do right. There’s a lot of things on fire in this game
(0:51:28) Kev: Nick could have used a little bit of water
(0:51:32) Al: You’ve obviously not hit that point in the story.
(0:51:36) Al: Um, I don’t want to spoil it for you, but, uh, there are, there are bits of, you have
(0:51:38) Kev: Speaking of which, no, I’m fine whether you want to, it’s fine.
(0:51:44) Al: to put the fires out for, uh, yeah.
(0:51:45) Kev: Okay, oh, you do, okay, I have not reached that.
(0:51:48) Al: So that is a thing you do.
(0:51:50) Al: Um. Uh.
(0:51:50) Kev: Okay, well, there you go.
(0:51:52) Kev: Actually, I think I’m on one of those missions right now,
(0:51:54) Kev: now that I’m remembering.
(0:51:55) Kev: Yeah, I’m dealing with the plane,
(0:51:58) Kev: I think I have to extinguish the plane.
(0:51:58) Al: Yes. Yeah, you do.
(0:52:00) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m on that right now, actually.
(0:52:04) Al: No problem. No spoilers.
(0:52:05) Kev: Good.
(0:52:08) Kev: No spoilers, but just it’s not a spoiler that you see a cuz the planes always on fire
(0:52:08) Al: Cool. So just…
(0:52:15) Kev: You just see a burning plane out there the ocean
(0:52:18) Kev: And you’re just like well
(0:52:20) Kev: Well, okay. No one’s no one’s gonna address this and you know, it doesn’t get addressed for a good while
(0:52:26) Kev: - Well.
(0:52:28) Al: So just before we talk about the story, there is one other thing that I wanted to say is
(0:52:32) Al: that I do really like this game. I think this game is great. I would have liked a little
(0:52:39) Al: bit more. It’s not a particularly long game. And I always feel a little bit like a hypocrite
(0:52:42) Kev: Yeah, yep, yep.
(0:52:45) Al: when I talk about this, because I always do talk about how games are too long nowadays.
(0:52:49) Al: And I stick by that. But I think I finished this game in eight hours, which…
(0:52:56) Kev: Mmhmm. It sounds about correct.
(0:52:58) Al: It’s not like wildly short. It’s fine. And I had fun, but I do feel like I’ve been left
(0:53:06) Al: wanting more rather than feeling completely satisfied with it. And there are a few collectibles
(0:53:10) Kev: Yeah. Okay. So. Yeah. Yeah, you’re not really incentivized to do. Yeah, definitely. Um,
(0:53:16) Al: I don’t have, but I don’t really feel the enthusiasm to get them. I’m much more enjoyed
(0:53:23) Al: doing the story quests.
(0:53:28) Kev: I mean, yeah, on that note, like, I think this is the biggest flaw of the game. Like,
(0:53:33) Kev: it is kind of a one trick pony. That’s that’s the problem, right? Like, um, the island,
(0:53:39) Kev: Like you said, it’s actually a fairly decent size, right?
(0:53:40) Kev: And like, you’re up in the air a lot, but if you actually get down and walk around and run a lot,
(0:53:45) Kev: it’s actually a fairly detailed island, um, with different locations and people and things like that.
(0:53:52) Kev: Um, and like, looks like the flying’s enjoyable, the deliveries are fine and all that, but that’s
(0:53:58) Kev: kind of it. You don’t really get to run around and explore more or do different things. Like,
(0:54:04) Kev: this is one game that would have benefited from, I don’t know, little mini-games or
(0:54:09) Kev: or, you know, but not when
(0:54:11) Kev: but like more social interactions, right?
(0:54:13) Kev: Like raising people.
(0:54:14) Kev: ‘Cause there’s a lot of characters on the island
(0:54:16) Kev: and you talk to them and you have story moments
(0:54:19) Kev: and whatnot, but giving you a reason
(0:54:21) Kev: to go around the island more and interacting with it more,
(0:54:24) Kev: I think was what was really needed.
(0:54:27) Kev: Because I like, I haven’t reached the end of it,
(0:54:29) Kev: but I agree with you.
(0:54:30) Kev: It feels, it’s left me wanting more.
(0:54:33) Kev: Like I’m really enjoying everything that’s there,
(0:54:35) Kev: but there’s a lot more they could be doing.
(0:54:38) Kev: That is I think the biggest.
(0:54:40) Kev: A flaw of the game by far.
(0:54:42) Al: Yeah, yeah, definitely. And I do think it would have been fun to have some challenges,
(0:54:48) Al: like speed challenges or dexterity challenges, whatever, would be quite fun. And I do know that
(0:54:48) Kev: Mm-hmm. Oh
(0:54:50) Kev: Speed challenges would have been great. Yeah, you’re right. You know, I’m
(0:54:54) Al: they’re planning on adding some new quests and stuff, but I don’t think it’s a huge amount that
(0:54:58) Kev: Okay
(0:55:00) Al: they’re planning to do. But the other thing, I don’t even think it needed other types of things.
(0:55:02) Kev: Yeah, probably not but
(0:55:08) Al: I think that I feel like there’s story missing, right?
(0:55:08) Kev: Mm-hmm
(0:55:13) Al: There are things that happened throughout the game that I feel aren’t fully addressed,
(0:55:18) Al: and they kind of like rushed through them, and they could absolutely have expanded a
(0:55:20) Kev: Yes, right? That’s what I meant by, like, the social whatever, right? Like,
(0:55:22) Al: little bit more on certain things.
(0:55:28) Kev: there’s characters who have things to explore and whatnot, and you’re right,
(0:55:33) Kev: they rush through a lot of it. I’d like to know more about certain people or see,
(0:55:39) Kev: you know, trying to follow up on certain things. I fully agree with that. Yeah,
(0:55:45) Kev: which is a shame, because it’s a problem because they did a good job, right? Like,
(0:55:50) Kev: enjoying what they do. I wish they had a bit more to offer for me.
(0:55:53) Al: So it does look like they’re adding a speed mission in the next update.
(0:56:00) Kev: it’s sick is you’re right that would be great i’d love uh you know reach the
(0:56:05) Kev: goal in this time or whatever um that that could be pretty cool
(0:56:12) Al: And then the next update after that adds a fishing minigame.
(0:56:17) Al: So there you go.
(0:56:17) Al: You’ve got more fishing with your your glass orb and also apparently dungeons,
(0:56:18) Kev: There you go.
(0:56:20) Kev: Heh heh.
(0:56:24) Kev: Wha- Wha-
(0:56:25) Al: which depending on what depending on what they’re done.
(0:56:28) Al: So it says the great Montgone hides many secrets, but even more inside delve into
(0:56:35) Al: the heart of the mountain and explore every nook and cranny to learn about its
(0:56:38) Al: So that I feel like could be the thing that makes it feel
(0:56:42) Al: Not too small like if there’s more stuff added into the mountain
(0:56:46) Kev: Yeah, yeah, that that could be anything
(0:56:47) Al: That you can do there plus the speed
(0:56:50) Al: The speed challenge like I feel like that might be enough to satiate me, but I guess we’ll have to see
(0:56:54) Kev: Yeah, if all this stuff if they had just waited and put all this at release I think this game would have been a slam dunk
(0:57:01) Al: think that’s the thing is that it’s not a bad game, it’s a good game. I do feel like they kind of went
(0:57:09) Al: “we need to get this out now” and so they cut a bunch of stuff that they want to do clearly
(0:57:13) Kev: Mm-hmm
(0:57:14) Al: that they’re now adding in later on. And I think that’s a bit sad, but that is, I guess,
(0:57:16) Kev: Oh, yeah. Yeah, that’s that’s very much what it feels like. Oh
(0:57:22) Al: that’s kind of how games are just now, I guess. I guess I’m just a bit disappointed because that’s
(0:57:26) Kev: You’re not wrong, you know
(0:57:29) Al: not something that Chibig have ever done, all their games have done.
(0:57:31) Al: The game has been complete on release.
(0:57:33) Kev: Mm-hmm. Yeah, that is odd. Oh, it will be interesting to see what it’s like
(0:57:38) Kev: Maybe we should do a second harvest once everything’s out and then see what that experience is like
(0:57:44) Kev: Because because all those things sound great. I mean
(0:57:46) Kev: maybe the fishing minigames or whatever but but it all sounds like exactly what’s needed just more things to do basically to add to the interim.
(0:57:56) Al: yet it depends what it depends what the fishing minigame is. It looks like it’s just like I
(0:58:02) Al: collect all the different types of fish which okay sure fine but if they added I if they added
(0:58:04) Kev: hmm that’s a shame
(0:58:08) Al: a challenge to it I think that would make it more fun but we’ll see.
(0:58:11) Kev: like imagine trying to you have to catch the fish when they’re jumping as
(0:58:16) Kev: you’re flying on the broom I think you could do something but I don’t think
(0:58:20) Kev: they’ll do that I’ll probably just be regular fishing but we’ll see
(0:58:20) Al: Yeah, I think so. So yeah, let’s talk about the story then. Obviously we don’t want to
(0:58:29) Al: talk too much about it because we don’t want to do spoilers, but I think overall it’s a
(0:58:34) Al: fun little story. I think that the-
(0:58:35) Kev: Yeah, it’s… I don’t… Well, I’ve reached the end so I can’t say, but from what I’ve
(0:58:37) Al: sigh Yeah. No, no, no, but there are some-
(0:58:40) Kev: experienced so far, there’s not terribly much to spoil. It’s enjoyable, but it’s light.
(0:58:46) Kev: It’s not a deep narrative.
(0:58:50) Al: I mean, I’ll be honest, most of it was pretty predictable, right? Like when you meet, there’s
(0:58:58) Al: a capitalist guy who’s running all the energy for the whole island you might be, “Oh, that’s
(0:59:04) Al: a bit suspicious. Maybe something will happen there.” Spoiler alert, something happens there.
(0:59:06) Kev: Yeah, yeah.
(0:59:11) Al: Like a lot of it is pretty predictable, but it’s fun. And I think that one thing that
(0:59:18) Al: Chibig have always done very well as their character designs are…
(0:59:20) Al: very good and reasonably memorable and because of that they keep bringing their characters into
(0:59:21) Kev: They are yep
(0:59:23) Kev: You
(0:59:26) Al: other games as we’ve mentioned. I’m pretty sure there are four characters in this game that have
(0:59:33) Al: been in previous games.
(0:59:34) Kev: So I want to talk about, you know what, hold on, let me back up a second.
(0:59:39) Kev: So the initial setup is Mika wants to be a witch.
(0:59:42) Kev: So if she visits the witch, I forget her name on the top of the mountain.
(0:59:46) Kev: And the witch’s training is basically like, OK, come back to the top of the mountain
(0:59:50) Kev: and she just throws you off the side of the mountain.
(0:59:55) Kev: Right. And so Mika had to make her way up.
(0:59:58) Kev: Well, she needs a new broom or whatever.
(1:00:00) Kev: And so that’s why she she finds someone who’s willing to help her.
(1:00:05) Kev: It costs some money, so Mika picks up a job as a courier
(1:00:10) Kev: to make some money to buy the brooms and whatnot.
(1:00:12) Al: Because, because the couriers disappeared, they don’t know where the courier is.
(1:00:15) Kev: Yes, yes, yes, that’s right.
(1:00:17) Kev: She’s replacing someone, the courier.
(1:00:20) Kev: And that’s important because that is by far my favorite of the camp is
(1:00:25) Kev: because you in fact meet the previous courier.
(1:00:28) Kev: Spoiler, it is Mun, our friend from Encores Lost Days and other TV
(1:00:34) Kev: games, so I was pretty delighted.
(1:00:36) Kev: She’s just hanging off a tree, just the parachute entry.
(1:00:39) Al: I think, I think Mon is one of only two characters that has been in all the games, because she
(1:00:47) Al: was in Summer in Mara and Dayland as well. I think the only other one that’s in all of
(1:00:54) Al: them is Bram, but I’d need to do that.
(1:00:56) Kev: okay but um but yeah that’s really happy to see mine because like Angkor is the only other one
(1:01:03) Kev: i’ve ever played um so um but but yeah um yeah I mean I kind of rushed there yeah that’s brand
(1:01:12) Kev: forgot I couldn’t remember the ice cream that that dude um yeah um yeah I couldn’t uh
(1:01:16) Al: the chef. Because I’m pretty sure he’s in, he’s definitely in somewhere in Mara and he’s
(1:01:24) Kev: He’s in daylight, yeah.
(1:01:24) Al: in Deyland. Oh, he’s, oh, he’s maybe not in Ankara. So it’s probably just, it’s probably
(1:01:27) Kev: Oh, yep, that’s true, that’s true.
(1:01:31) Al: just Mon then. Cause Koa also isn’t in Ankara, is she? And she’s not in Ankara.
(1:01:32) Kev: Yeah.
(1:01:36) Kev: Yeah.
(1:01:38) Kev: But, anyways, I rushed through that, but…
(1:01:41) Kev: Yeah, so that’s the setup, right?
(1:01:44) Kev: She’s making deliveries, and then with the different characters you’re interacting with,
(1:01:48) Kev: you’re getting many stories with them and their personalities.
(1:01:52) Kev: That’s what the wealthy energy baron is.
(1:01:56) Kev: You meet a guy, a dude on a fishing boat, and his dad is too old to go out on the sea
(1:02:11) Kev: with him anymore, and you deliver some stuff between them, which I think is a very sweet
(1:02:16) Kev: sort of interaction.
(1:02:19) Al: they do a little bit more of their story later on as well, but I won’t spoil that for you.
(1:02:19) Kev: Yeah, they do.
(1:02:24) Al: Oh, have you finished their story?
(1:02:26) Kev: I don’t know if I finished it, but I know I came back to it to do more.
(1:02:30) Al: I thought their story, at the end of their story, was nice.
(1:02:33) Al: I really liked it, and that one wasn’t… I didn’t predict that one, which is nice.
(1:02:37) Kev: Hmm, yeah, I don’t think I finished it then because I can’t yeah, I don’t remember
(1:02:42) Al: There’s a very clear end to their story.
(1:02:43) Kev: Yeah, yeah, I would imagine so and I don’t I don’t I don’t think I’ve encountered that yet
(1:02:48) Kev: Um.
(1:02:49) Al: I think this is the thing is, I think they need to lean more into those,
(1:02:52) Al: as you’re saying, the characters and your relationships with them,
(1:02:58) Al: because that’s, I think, where they stand out. I care about a lot of these characters.
(1:03:02) Kev: Yeah, they’re not it’s not just their designs like they have defined personalities and you know there’s one you like and the other one’s clearly meant to be not liked and they’re at the end.
(1:03:06) Al: Um… Mm-hmm.
(1:03:16) Al: But even the ones you don’t even like, even the ones you’re kind of don’t like, you still
(1:03:20) Al: like them, right?
(1:03:20) Kev: Yeah, yeah, you’ll have to hate them.
(1:03:22) Al: Like the annoying kids, for example, they’re very annoying, but you also kind of like them,
(1:03:24) Kev: The annoying kids absolutely.
(1:03:26) Kev: Yeah, yeah, exactly right like they’re, they’re.
(1:03:32) Kev: They’re so well, well made characters like the you enjoyed, even, you enjoy them even if they’re annoying or nuisances or whatever.
(1:03:42) Kev: Yeah, the spoiled brats that that’s a good duo. And so yeah like this, again, I think is the biggest flaw in just being able, and not just flying like I wish you could walk around a bit more because there’s a lot of NPCs like generic NPCs and stuff.
(1:03:56) Kev: I heard that won’t be like the little village or whatever and I wish you could take.
(1:04:02) Kev: It would incentivize you to take some time to walk around and talk to more people and whatnot so you could enjoy the great visuals because it really looks great.
(1:04:10) Al: Well… and the interesting thing is, obviously the flying is the best way to play this game,
(1:04:12) Kev: Mm-hmm.
(1:04:16) Al: right? Like, it’s just so fun to do that. But the walking is actually more fun than
(1:04:21) Al: a lot of games, right? Like, it’s not like they just didn’t bother to put in the effort
(1:04:25) Al: to make that enjoyable, but it’s weird because they’ve put in a lot of effort to make it
(1:04:29) Al: actually fun to traverse the game in two different ways, but then given you no reason to do the
(1:04:34) Kev: Yeah, yeah, you’re right. You’re absolutely right because she walks and runs and she’s carrying the packages Mika
(1:04:40) Kev: And and yeah, you’re right. It is enjoyable
(1:04:42) Kev: But like yeah, not one delivery had to be done on foot which you think maybe that would have been the case
(1:04:49) Kev: space.
(1:04:51) Al: Yeah, and it’s if you had little things you had to do like in the town, for example, you
(1:04:56) Al: would probably want to walk between them, whereas everything is like either to the town
(1:04:58) Kev: Yeah, exactly
(1:05:01) Al: or from the town, not inside the town. And so it’s always more efficient to fly every
(1:05:02) Kev: Mm-hmm, yep
(1:05:06) Kev: Yeah, absolutely absolutely right I don’t know what shops or minigames or something inside the town I mean
(1:05:13) Kev: so like okay, so
(1:05:15) Kev: the the tent the whole
(1:05:18) Kev: island or town
(1:05:21) Kev: Like again to the
(1:05:24) Kev: going back to the Wind Waker
(1:05:27) Kev: influence.
(1:05:28) Kev: I mean, have you played Wind Waker, Al?
(1:05:30) Al: I have not. I keep waiting for them to release it on Switch.
(1:05:31) Kev: Okay.
(1:05:32) Kev: Okay, sure.
(1:05:33) Kev: Well, anyways, in Wind Waker, there’s an island called Windfall Island, and this game,
(1:05:40) Kev: this location, this whole island in Amica makes heavy inspiration from that with the…
(1:05:47) Kev: It’s like the most populated town in Wind Waker with…
(1:05:50) Kev: And one of the best parts about Windfall is lots of different character stories and things
(1:05:55) Kev: you can do.
(1:05:56) Kev: There’s like a late night auction and all sorts.
(1:05:58) Kev: A teacher with students and all sorts of fun, little side stories and side quests and interactions.
(1:06:08) Kev: And you really get that feeling of Windfall Island from this game, but without all those
(1:06:15) Kev: delightful interactions, there are little things to run around and explore, which left
(1:06:21) Kev: me a bit disappointed or feeling empty.
(1:06:24) Al: Yeah, I think that’s fair. Feels like a good conclusion to this game, right? Fun, enjoyable,
(1:06:31) Kev: Yeah.
(1:06:33) Kev: Yep.
(1:06:34) Al: they need to lean more into the strengths that they have, and looking forward to seeing
(1:06:43) Kev: Yeah, like we always just assuming beings tend to harp on the negatives.
(1:06:48) Kev: But overall, I still give this game a thumbs up like I.
(1:06:51) Al: Yeah, no, absolutely
(1:06:52) Kev: It’s it’s I was filled with joy playing it.
(1:06:55) Kev: It made me happy.
(1:06:56) Kev: The flying feels good.
(1:06:58) Kev: It looks pretty like everything it does well.
(1:07:01) Kev: It does really well, which is, you know, hard to do.
(1:07:07) Kev: Let’s say that so so props to them for that just again.
(1:07:08) Al: Yeah, yeah
(1:07:14) Kev: Because of that, I want more of this because they did so well.
(1:07:17) Kev: But hopefully all those updates will remedy this.
(1:07:20) Kev: So I definitely will be keeping an eye on it and playing that stuff when it comes out.
(1:07:25) Kev: And hopefully by the end of it, I can say, yeah, they fixed it.
(1:07:30) Kev: It’s great now.
(1:07:30) Al: Yeah, no, absolutely. I love the game. It’s fun. I just want more of it. And it’s rare
(1:07:34) Kev: Yep, yep.
(1:07:36) Kev: Mm hmm.
(1:07:39) Al: for me to say that a game isn’t long enough. So maybe that says something. But yeah, just
(1:07:44) Kev: Yeah, right, right.
(1:07:47) Al: because I want more of it doesn’t mean I think it’s not worth the money. I think it absolutely
(1:07:49) Kev: Absolutely, yeah.
(1:07:51) Al: is. I do not measure a game based on cost per hour. But even if you do, it’s not an
(1:07:56) Kev: Yeah.
(1:07:58) Kev: Oh my goodness.
(1:08:00) Al: expensive game. So.
(1:08:01) Kev: Yeah, and then there’s that.
(1:08:03) Kev: So yeah, easy recommend from me.
(1:08:05) Kev: Go out and check out Mykon.
(1:08:10) Al: - Yeah, absolutely.
(1:08:11) Al: - Awesome.
(1:08:12) Al: Well, thank you, Kevin, for joining me.
(1:08:13) Al: Where can people find you on the internet?
(1:08:15) Kev: Thank you all for having me on. Thank you Chibi for sending the poets. I could play the game.
(1:08:22) Al: Yeah, maybe we should talk about that. That’s the first time we’ve got like a proper big game.
(1:08:27) Al: Give us a code. That’s wild. We’ve made it.
(1:08:28) Kev: We’ve made it! We’re big shots!
(1:08:32) Kev: A personally e-mailing concern date, “Where’s my preview code for Haunted Shoppeltier?”
(1:08:40) Kev: Where is it in Stardew? Where’d you hide it?
(1:08:44) Kev: Yeah, so that is a good, you know, a great milestone for the show to end, so yeah, it’s
(1:08:50) Kev: on Golf Claps.
(1:08:50) Al: So yeah, where can people find you?
(1:08:54) Kev: You can find me at Google friends if you want to see my Twitter where you.
(1:08:58) Kev: You want to see me reposting smarter funny or more interesting people and a lot of memes there’s a lot of good memes these days, especially in the US.
(1:09:05) Al: Yeah, it’s a good time of a four year cycle for memes.
(1:09:09) Kev: Yeah, like there’s a lot going on but there’s some good means coming out of this for your cycle.
(1:09:17) Kev: Ha-Ohm.
(1:09:18) Al: Just so you know the meme that is the… I can’t remember the exact wording but it’s like the two
(1:09:24) Al: people talking about the end of the world and then one of them says yeah but we got a lot of
(1:09:28) Al: shareholder value in the end. I feel like that’s us and we’re like complaining about the end of
(1:09:34) Al: the world and you’re like yeah but we got some good memes.
(1:09:36) Kev: Basically! That’s what my personal account amounts to.
(1:09:41) Kev: I’m just doing all the horrors. Check out these dank memes though.
(1:09:48) Al: Oh is dank back? Oh goodness I thought that was well gone.
(1:09:50) Kev: Oh, it’s never left for me. Dank is here to stay for me.
(1:09:55) Kev: If you want to go check out my dank art that I post on the occasion, go to adspritersquared.
(1:10:01) Kev: Or more importantly, if you want to see me get really unhinged.
(1:10:07) Kev: Well, that’s not true, you can hear that on this show plenty.
(1:10:10) Kev: Go listen to Rainbow Road Radio, a show I do with our mutual friend Alex on All Things Mario.
(1:10:18) Kev: There was actually an episode without me just recently with his spouse, so that’s definitely a treat.
(1:10:26) Kev: And then, like I said, by the time this comes out, we’ll have an episode on Yoshi’s Island.
(1:10:30) Kev: So, I’m sure there will be many things to be said on verifying…
(1:10:36) Kev: …the physics of Yoshi’s World. What about you, Albert? We’ll be fine, you.
(1:10:40) Al: Well, you can find me on mastodon.scot and on twitter @thescotbot.
(1:10:47) Al: More importantly though, you can find the podcast on tumblr and on twitter @thspod.
(1:10:55) Al: You can send us feedback.
(1:10:58) Al: Go send us feedback.
(1:10:59) Al: Tell us what you thought of Mika and the Witches Mountain.
(1:11:02) Al: You can do that on our website, harvestseason.club.
(1:11:05) Al: We have a form there to send feedback.
(1:11:08) Al: So there we have links to everything to do with the podcast.
(1:11:10) Al: Including show notes and links to all of our other places on sites,
(1:11:17) Al: including our Patreon, patreon.com/thspod,
(1:11:21) Al: where you can support the podcast if you would like to do that.
(1:11:25) Al: If you do that, you get access to our Slack, where we talk about lots of things.
(1:11:30) Al: Today, Johnny was talking about
(1:11:34) Al: kicking children off mountains.
(1:11:36) Kev: Yeah, which it didn’t mean guys, you know, it’s points for him might be points for you, too
(1:11:41) Al: You can also get access to our back catalogue of bonus podcasts.
(1:11:48) Al: We had one, I think the Godzilla one is the most recent one.
(1:11:52) Al: Me and Spencer talking about Godzilla a couple weeks ago.
(1:11:52) Kev: I think so I have not listened to it I hope you I hope you don’t decide you were mentioned
(1:12:00) Kev: I hope biolante was mentioned um
(1:12:00) Al: Oh, we talk about lots of stuff. We talk about lots of stuff.
(1:12:04) Al: It was a good episode. I enjoyed it. We will have some more coming out.
(1:12:09) Al: I’ve been on holidays.
(1:12:10) Al: I haven’t had much time to plan what we’re coming, but we’ll have more.
(1:12:14) Al: We’ll have more in the next couple of months.
(1:12:16) Al: So sign up and you’ll get them and you’ll get all the previous ones we’ve done,
(1:12:21) Kev: and and those episodes are usually not
(1:12:25) Kev: Flame related so you can go but it can listen to them. I’m feeling too bored
(1:12:31) Kev: aside from the usual
(1:12:31) Al: Yeah, yeah, I think the only time-related ones are like the directs that we do and the
(1:12:36) Kev: Directs, yeah
(1:12:38) Al: Univision ones.
(1:12:39) Kev: Yeah, that’s true
(1:12:40) Al: Yeah, so I think that’s everything.
(1:12:44) Al: Thank you, Kevin, again, for joining me.
(1:12:45) Kev: Thank you all for having me on thank you Chibi for letting me play this game like
(1:12:51) Al: Thank you listeners for listening, and until next time, have a good harvest.
(1:12:54) Kev: Have a good harvest.
(1:12:55) Theme Tune: The harvest season is created by Al McKinlay, with support from our patrons, including our
(1:13:06) Theme Tune: pro farmers, Kevin, Stuart and Alisa.
(1:13:10) Theme Tune: Our art is done by Micah the Brave, and our music is done by Nick Burgess.
(1:13:14) Theme Tune: Feel free to visit our website harvestseason.club for show notes and links to things we discussed
(1:13:20) Theme Tune: in this episode.
(1:13:30) Kev: the actual music’s playing in my head. You know, one thing, one thing. Boy, can I relate
(1:13:35) Kev: to Mika getting fired when she just does her job well just to appease the corporate overlords.
(1:13:38) Al: Oh my word. I can’t, I can’t even with that. That was, that was dreadful. My, my main,
(1:13:41) Kev: Boy, I can relate to that.
(1:13:48) Al: my main problem with the story, right? This is spoilers. Now, uh, if you’re, if you’re
(1:13:52) Al: listening to the after credits, this is spoilers for the game. Uh, no complaints, please. Um,
(1:13:57) Al: the, there’s, there’s never really any like comeuppance for him. Like, yeah, sure. You
(1:14:02) Kev: - Yeah.
(1:14:04) Al: turn on, have you turned on the windmill yet?
(1:14:06) Kev: - No, I have not.
(1:14:07) Kev: I think actually I’m on that.
(1:14:09) Kev: That’s one of the things I’m working on right now.
(1:14:12) Al: So you turn on the windmill, and I think the implication there is that now you don’t need
(1:14:16) Al: to use his electricity.
(1:14:18) Al: But it’s just an implication.
(1:14:19) Al: There’s no like, you never see him being annoyed about that.
(1:14:22) Kev: Yep.
(1:14:23) Al: He never gets like kicked out of town or like loses his business, or you never see anything
(1:14:28) Al: about that.
(1:14:29) Al: It’s just an implication.
(1:14:30) Al: And no, I need, I need my, I need to see his comeuppance, right?
(1:14:35) Kev: When do we kick him off the cliff?
(1:14:35) Al: Not just have it implied.
(1:14:37) Al: Yeah, exactly.
(1:14:39) Al: Like it’s just, he needs to get his.
(1:14:42) Al: It, it, it, it needs to happen.
(1:14:46) Kev: Mika needs her own delivery service, too.
(1:14:48) Kev: I don’t know if that happens, but she does.
(1:14:50) Kev: OK, I’m done.
(1:14:52) Al: I mean, that’s essentially what she does after she gets fired, right?
(1:14:53) Kev: Yeah, basically, yeah.