Mark E Posted September 16, 2003 Report Share Posted September 16, 2003 Anybody going to be able to give us impressions on this one? I have to admit that I admire the concept behind it and it's a pretty neat piece of innovation, but how it actually plays is hard to say. IGN gave it a pretty favorable review and reader reviews are currently averaging slightly higher. Good luck trying to play this on a cloudy day though . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavy liquid Posted September 16, 2003 Report Share Posted September 16, 2003 I'm going to have to get this. I'm a complete sucker for innovation, even if it may seem gimmicky. But I like the sensor idea a lot, and how it ties in with the vampire slaying gameplay. It's gotten mostly good reviews, although some have mentioned that it can be as short as around 8 hours. It'll probably take me at least 10, since I always have to explore every nook, cranny and unlockable item. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark E Posted September 16, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2003 Not even counting the fact that if you end up caught during the rainy season you may only be able to properly play the game once a week . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavy liquid Posted September 16, 2003 Report Share Posted September 16, 2003 Very true! I wonder if it could be tricked with something like a UV sun lamp? Hey, I could get my game on while getting a tan! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Daisy Posted September 16, 2003 Report Share Posted September 16, 2003 Hell, I think this is the first game that I will need to put on my SPF 15 before I play. Damn my family and my ultra white skin. I really do like the idea of going and sitting outside on a weekend and playing a game. Glen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre F Posted September 16, 2003 Report Share Posted September 16, 2003 No sun for me thanks. I guess I will stay away from this one. VERY innovative though, gotta respect that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavy liquid Posted September 17, 2003 Report Share Posted September 17, 2003 I got the game on my lunch break, and managed to sneak in about 15 minutes of gameplay: Quick impressions: The cartridge is cool. It's completely clear plastic with the Boktai sticker on it. It's bigger than a normal cartridge so the sensor will be able to get sunlight. The circuit board takes up the entire extra-big cartridge. My board seems to be loose, and rattles if I shake it. But it plays fine. When you first turn it on, you'll be asked to put in your date, time, and city. After everything is entered, it will tell you how much time is left until sundown! Hopefully I will be able to play a little more after work. The game is top down 3/4 view. Graphics are good. You can find different parts for your solar gun that can then be equipped for different effects. Only found one part so far. I haven't played in sunlight yet, but you hold down a button to charge the sunlight. Your character will seem to be holding up a Gameboy to the sun when you do this. There are two meters in the lower right of the screen. One is power for your gun, and the other is power left from the sun. There are also charging stations in dungeons where you can power your gun back up if needed. From the menus you can use items to restore health, equip items, and look at your map. So far it's pretty fun, and seems very well done. I'm looking forward to trying it with sunlight, now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark E Posted September 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2003 it will tell you how much time is left until sundown! That's totally awesome. I love when games include little throwaway things like that. It makes me think the designers were actually enjoying the project . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Daisy Posted September 17, 2003 Report Share Posted September 17, 2003 Man, that does sound pretty cool. I've heard that the puzzle stuff in the game is basic pushing blocks, etc, but this just sounds very cool. Looks like a great game to add to my collection. Glen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavy liquid Posted September 17, 2003 Report Share Posted September 17, 2003 I managed to get another 30 minutes or so in. I would have played longer, but the sun is going down and I'm barely getting anything on the sensor. For the sun meter, there are 8 squares on the lower right of the screen, right underneath your battery meter for your gun. The stronger the sunlight, the more squares are filled. I had one flickering square. This game is almost impossible to play without sunlight, because your gun battery can deplete very quickly when fighting the baddies. Also, he doesn't hold up a Gameboy to the sun. It's his gun (Gun del Sol). Makes sense. :oops: Warning - *slight spoilers* - - The goal of the first dungeon/castle is to get to the vampire's room, and drag his coffin outside. The same A button that charges your gun will also tie a chain to the vampire's coffin. It will stay tied until you release the button, which you will need to do from time to time to fend off monsters while trying to drag the coffin outside. I was startled after fighting some spiders to find the coffin shuffling back the way we came. Creepy! Once outside, you have to drag the coffin to the center of the "Pile Driver", a circular area with two odd-looking machines on either side of the edge. You then have to fire your gun using a spread (a sustained blast that covers an area) at the "Generators" (the two machines). When a Generator is started, a beam of energy will shoot from it at the coffin. When the firing starts, the "Immortal" (vampire) pops out of the coffin, and is caught in the crossfire. There is a energy bar for him at the top right of the screen. The more squares you have filled from sunlight, the more damage the generators will do, and the quicker you can kill the Immortal. Killing an Immortal HAS to be done in sunlight, because of the Generators. They cannot be started if there is none. The Generators can only fire for so long and have to be re-started with a blast from you gun. While you're doing this, the coffin will try to crawl away from the center. I couldn't kill him because my lone flickering square was making it very difficult and take forever. It went on like this for a while until I figured I'll try tommorow at noon, and get those Generators REALLY strong! :twisted: So far, this is a really fun action/rpg. I'd love to play more, but guess I'll have to wait until the sun comes up tomorrow. :cry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark E Posted September 17, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2003 That is awesome, heavy, thanks for posting that. You seriously do a good job selling that game, you should get a commission from Konami. That sounds like a helluva lot of fun. I'm trying to imagine the logistics of playing this on a GameBoy Player though . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavy liquid Posted September 18, 2003 Report Share Posted September 18, 2003 You seriously do a good job selling that game, you should get a commission from Konami. That sounds like a helluva lot of fun. Hey thanks, Mark! By the way all you game companies, I'm now accepting job offers. In all seriousness, I wasn't trying to "sell" the game or anything like that. I just wanted to describe for everyone how the light sensor worked and how it tied in with the gameplay. I was really curious about it myself, and I guess I'm just happy that it's not a disappointment. It IS hella-fun! I'm trying to imagine the logistics of playing this on a GameBoy Player though . I think if someone had long enough cables, they could set their Gameboy Player by a window, or just outside a doorwall or something to play. The sensor on the cartridge should stick out enough for it to get sunlight. I think I might actually try an ultraviolet light and see if it does anything. If it does, I'll set it next to the GBPlayer so I can play after work. Damn job keeps interfering with gaming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark E Posted September 18, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2003 In all seriousness, I wasn't trying to "sell" the game or anything like that. Oh, I know. Just the way you were talking about it makes me want to buy it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavy liquid Posted September 18, 2003 Report Share Posted September 18, 2003 It seems that Django from Boktai will be in the upcoming Megaman Battle Network 4. Apparently he helps out Megaman by giving him the Gun del Sol chip. The Katakana in an advertisement with their pictures clearly says Django (read with my rudimentary Japanese). Have Konami and Capcom ever had a crossover or collaboration like this before? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavy liquid Posted September 18, 2003 Report Share Posted September 18, 2003 Quick update here. I wolfed down some lunch and sat outside to play some more. This time, with a 12:15pm sun beaming down, I was filling 7 squares, with a flickering 8th from time to time! Killing the Immortal was cake now. Right now I'm about 1/2 way through the next dungeon. A few tidbits: If you're in bright sunlight for too long (don't know how long that is, yet), your Gun de Sol will "overheat". It will stop working, and you'll have to sit in the shade and let it cool down. And if you stay in direct sunlight long enough, it'll shut down and it won't work until sundown. Remember - it knows what time it is! You had to enter your time during setup. I'm sure they did this so there wouldn't be a bunch of kids with 3rd degree sunburns. There's also a stealth aspect to the game which I'm enjoying. While you can always blast the monsters, you can sneak past some. Mummies for example, cannot see but have excellent hearing. You can sneak past them by pushing against the wall and then sliding along quietly. Like Link in Zelda: Wind Waker. Others can be distracted and led away by tapping against a wall. I've also forgotten to mention the music. Definitely one of the best I've heard in any GBA game. Some games I'll actually turn off the sound, but this I turn up. The sampled voices are also very well done. Also, what city you enter during setup affects the gameplay. For instance, if you enter Seattle, it will be much easier to fill up the sun meter because they get less light than say, Miami. Cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Daisy Posted September 18, 2003 Report Share Posted September 18, 2003 Ugh. I know I'm going to end up with this game now. It just sounds too damn cool. Glen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason One Posted October 6, 2003 Report Share Posted October 6, 2003 - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Daisy Posted October 6, 2003 Report Share Posted October 6, 2003 I haven't picked it up yet. I might just get it this week though. I have $80 in credit at Best Buy just itching to be used. Glen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavy liquid Posted October 14, 2003 Report Share Posted October 14, 2003 Hey Jason, No, I haven't beaten it yet, but I have gotten considerably further. It's a great game and it continues to impress me, and has only gotten better. I love the action/RPG-lite aspect of it. I've been on vacation for the past week, so I've been able to get some more time in with the game (and many others!). Unfortunately, this is my first day back at work. :cry: Playing it on TV really made me appreciate the graphics and (especially) the music. The music and sound effects are great, aren't they? I think it's my favorite music for a GBA game. Also, try to pay attention to when you play during the month. When I was playing last Friday afternoon, Otenko said something about it being a full moon, and something might happen later that night. It turned out that during a full moon, Django is able to gather green life particles from the air to restore his health from the moonlight using his Gun de Sol. How cool is that? I'm going to try playing during the new moon on the 25th to see what happens... I played inside on my SP, only going outside whenever I needed to charge the gun or use the Pile Driver. Playing outside has even more advantages. Most of the dungeons have areas where sunlight will shine through, enabling Django to power up his gun if needed. This makes it much easier to kill all the monsters without worrying about conservation. Of course, if you're not playing outside, there is no sunlight to shine through and the areas disappear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Daisy Posted October 15, 2003 Report Share Posted October 15, 2003 I really should have picked Boktai up before I came down here to Florida. There is just so much sun to enjoy here. Oh, well. I'm sticking to FFTA. Glen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason One Posted October 15, 2003 Report Share Posted October 15, 2003 - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Daisy Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 Well, EBgames was running a 30% off deal yesterday on a few games, and I picked up Boktai for $21 shipped. Hopefully I'll have it in the next week or so and I'll let you know what I think of it. Glen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogbert Posted June 7, 2004 Report Share Posted June 7, 2004 Boktai's on clearance at Target for $9.99 if anyone's still interested in it. I picked it up & got some good playtime with it over the weekend. I'm enjoying it, but I think the sun meter has the potential to be a real pain, particularly with the Pile Driver generators that require sunlight to destroy the boss vampires. No sun == not allowed to beat them. I enjoy running through the different dungeons - lots of tilesets, lots of puzzley things to do, lots of variety to the monsters. I enjoy the mechanics of the game - storing up sunlight, blasting vampires etc. I like the concept of the sun meter, but it has issues in use. I'm in Dallas on a clear sunlight day, 90 degree weather, sitting beside a window with a clear blast of sunlight, 1 bar. I go outside, 7 bars. I don't want to sit outside & get sunburnt any more than I have already this weekend. I can't see this selling in the UK at all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Daisy Posted June 7, 2004 Report Share Posted June 7, 2004 Regarding certain types of windows, my wife was in the hospital for a while earlier this year and while she was in there, I tried to play Boktai. Those windows soaked up all the uv rays that the sensor was looking for. As soon as I got home, it worked just fine. I guess each window is a bit different. Glen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackcalx Posted July 28, 2004 Report Share Posted July 28, 2004 I picked this one up during the Circuit City $4.99 sale. The only chance I've given it was in the car while in Seattle. It was a very sunny day but the car windows were blocking out all of the UV. I drug the coffin out to the Pile Driver but couldn't get it started due to a supposed lack of sunlight. What I played was fun and I'm looking forward to putting more time into it. Did anybody figure out if a UV lamp was enough to trick the sensor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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