I know, I know, it’s been almost a month since the last log, but it wasn’t exactly the smartest series to start as we began preparations for the biggest gaming convention of the year. Regardless, I went ahead and continued to play through to get a single log out before the big show, and I will likely continue the series towards the end of June. That is if Animal Crossing doesn’t completely take my life away.
We last left off when Mario and Luigi made it through the ruins of the Castle Town and stopped right before the bridge to Beanbean Castle. This playthrough had me going through the Castle Sewers, fighting off Queen Bean, and making it to the gate of Chateau de Chucklehuck, all while bringing back some of that interest I had when I first started the game. Yes, after my not so amazing experience in my other two playthroughs, things seem to be turning around.
First off, I’m getting a little more familiar with the controls. I still scroll around and mash the L and R buttons whenever I want to do a spin jump or what have you, but I’m definitely getting the hang of it. I’m getting better at timing my jumps and hammer attacks, and successful hits in this game feel much more rewarding than the equivalent in the Paper Mario series.
While the story isn’t taking any interesting turns just yet, I did enjoy the setting and the task at hand. After being thrown down into the Castle Sewers, my job was to turn a few valves and clog a few broken pipes, all while fighting the occasional enemy or two. It was simple and the light puzzle elements were enjoyable, but man, that underground theme pumping through the speakers was astounding. It really set the tone and fit the level quite well.
Queen Bean is essentially where I left off before picking the game back up. The fight was long and tedious, and the repetitive nature of the battle was frustrating. It wasn’t until today that I went back and leveled up both Mario and Luigi so that I could potentially fight her with greater strength. While the battle continued on just like it did before, a major difference came when I found out how to correctly use both Splash Bros. and Bounce Bros. as Bros. Attacks. It had not occurred to me that I had to wait a bit for the button that corresponds with the action to appear on screen before I could actually press it. I would always hit the button as soon as the attack started, and I always thought the timing had to be perfect. My fault, of course, but it definitely helped lighten the load in this boss battle.
To continue with my ignorance, I also realized that I could pick which stat I wanted the bonus roulette to roll for during a level up. For some reason I thought this only applied to HP!
It looks like Badges from Paper Mario are making their appearance here, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m all about powerful attacks, so being able to pick and choose what kind of stats I prefer will definitely help in the battle scene. I’m also interested to see what wacky and random pieces of clothing the brothers will get to wear. Wario and Waluigi costumes, anyone?
The next area, Chucklehuck Region, looks promising, and I’m interested to see how the story and the gameplay continue to evolve. As I mentioned earlier, E3 is coming and I’m putting the logs off to the side once again. Fear not, they will be back before the month ends!