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https://twitter.com/SnoopDogg/status/844994923363532802 Welcome to the Hyperdimension Neptunia megathread, that no one asked for! quote:Oh boy. Anime. No wait, hear me out. quote:Okay. What is Neptunia, other than weird anime garbage? Seems pretty popular, I guess, but I don't really get it. The Hyperdimension Neptunia series is Video Game Jokes With Cute Anime Girls: The Game. It chronicles the story of four goddesses representing major video consoles in the world of Gamindustri, as well as the war they battle with one another for supremacy (in theory, anyway). With some notable exceptions, Neptunia games are standard JRPG fare, popularized by its character designs, interactions, and dialogue. While they’re generally seen as mediocre games, the latest mainline entry, Megadimension Neptunia VII, is very much A Good Game™. If you’re wondering whether you will like the Neptunia franchise, ask yourself these two questions:
2. Do you like RPGs? If you answered yes to both of these, then you’ll probably like Neptunia. It’s a series that focuses mostly on video game/otaku humor and fun character interactions, so you shouldn’t go in expecting anything too deep in terms of mechanics. It’s just a good anime time for everyone. quote:Friends do not let friends Nep. Nep is good. But if Nep is too anime for you, might I suggest Persona 4 Golden? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE CAST OF CHARACTERS The CPUs/Goddesses of Gamindustri Neptune/Purple Heart Goddess of Planeptune, Gamindustri's Sega kingdom. Represents the Neptune, a Genesis/Mega Drive-32x hybrid console prototype. Neptune is the series protagonist and resident fourth-wall breaker. Her carefree attitude and self-aware dialogue are driving points for the setting of the series. Noire/Black Heart Goddess of Lastation, Gamindustri's Sony kingdom. Represents the Playstation 3/4. Noire is the twin-tailed tsundere trope who thinks she’s the best (even when her kingdom’s servers get hacked). A running joke is that Noire has no Blanc/White Heart Goddess of Lowee, Gamindustri's Nintendo kingdom. Represents the Wii/Wii U. Blanc is pretty chill with a love for books, but she also has next to no patience and will lash out at anyone who messes with her (or her books). She’s very protective of her kingdom (and her sisters) and is willing to crush anything that gets in her way. Vert/Green Heart Goddess of Leanbox, Gamindustri's Microsoft kingdom. Represents the Xbox 360/One. Vert is the series’ busty blonde gamer fujoshi. Despite her external elegance, she’s the type to stay up until dawn (ha!) playing Call of Duty or Four Goddesses Online (basically PSO2), canceling important meetings to get in more game time. She has the biggest… console. The CPU Candidates Nepgear/Purple Sister Younger sister of Neptune. Represents the Game Gear. Nepgear is easily the most level-headed and normal character in the series, meaning she’s by far the most boring (something that the series was not shy about pointing out for the longest time). She’s the embodiment of “I’ll do my best!” and, despite everything, is actually one of the more popular characters. Uni/Black Sister Younger sister of Noire. Represents both the Playstation Portable and the Playstation Vita. Uni virtually lives in the shadow of her older sister. All she really wants is to be noticed by Noire and to be helpful in protecting Lastation. She’s arguably more tsundere than Noire and has a love/hate dynamic with Nepgear. Also, her transformation is Black Sister. Rom and Ram/White Sister(s) Younger twin sisters of Blanc. Represent the Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS. Ram’s the bossy, confident one. Rom’s the subdued, nervous one. They’re children. That’s their trope. Depending on the game, they’re some of the most popular characters due to using ranged, elemental AoE attacks, so they get a pass. Usually, though, they’re kinda terrible, and I tend to ignore every scene they’re in. Other CPUs Plutia/Iris Heart Goddess of an alternate Gamindustri's Planeptune. Represents the Genesis/Mega Drive. Introduced in Hyperdimension Neptunia V/Re;Birth 3. Plutia’s whole shtick is that she’s a bubbly airhead who transforms into a dominatrix. Some of her scenes are good. Some of her scenes are uncomfortable. Regardless, she’s interesting enough and gets things done when necessary. In the games in which she plays a larger part, everyone is scared of her and keeps her from transforming as best as they can. Uzume Tennouboshi/Orange Heart Goddess of another alternate Gamindustri's Planeptune. Represents the Dreamcast. Introduced in Megadimension Neptunia VII. Uzume’s a rough-around-the-edges tomboy-type who fights with a megaphone. It’s hard to get into Uzume’s whole deal with delving into V2 spoilers. She’s great, though. Peashy/Yellow Heart Goddess of Eden, a kingdom that shows up in Victory/Re:Birth 3 for plot reasons. Represents the NEC TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine. Don’t worry about this one. Other Characters IF Information specialist. Represents Idea Factory. Support character for the Nep cast. Good friend of Neptune. Compa Nurse trainee. Represents Compile Heart. Also a support character for the Nep cast. Also a good friend of Neptune. There are others. These are the important ones right now. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Neptunia games are available on both PlayStation consoles and Steam. Hyperdimension Neptunia (PS3) - Re;Birth 1 (PSVita, Steam) The game that started it all. Neptunia 1 is infamously terrible. It has some of the worst mechanics in any PS3 era RPG and is direly slow. The only thing that really kept people going with Nep 1 was the art (which has changed quite a bit since then) and the character interactions (which were helped dramatically by the localization team at NISA). Nep 1 is a strange retelling of the console wars in which Noire, Blanc, and Vert get together and beat the crap out of Neptune and knock her out of heaven. With no memories, she teams up with IF and Compa and eventually bands together with the original CPUs to stop Arfoire, a menacing woman who embodies the concept of gaming piracy. In short, the entire series is about console girls battling piracy, really. The game was eventually remade for the Vita as Re;Birth 1 and was a drastic improvement over the original. Re;Birth 1 is a great starting point to the franchise. However, it does exist within its own canon (the game takes place in the Superdimension, one of Nep’s many universe), so don’t expect any major coherence between it and following games. Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 (PS3) - Re;Birth 2 (PSVita, Steam) Neptunia mk2 starred the CPU candidates and was a push in the right direction for the series. The battle system was entirely revamped into a Quest 64-style turn-based system. Set in Hyperdimension (different from Superdimension), mk2 follows the CPU candidates as they attempt to rescue their older sisters from a group of villains who want to resurrect Arfoire (a different Arfoire). This game’s infamy lies in its Conquest End, where you can get Neptune and Nepgear to literally murder everybody. mk2 is something of the black sheep of the mainline games. This game was “remade” for the Vita as well as Re;Birth 2: Sisters Generation. The dialogue is largely the same, and the only “major” change is that the battle system better reflects that of Neptunia Victory’s. Unlike Re;Birth 1, it’s more of a port than a full remake. Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory (PS3) - Re;Birth 3 (PSVita, Steam) Neptunia Victory is the turning point of the Neptunia franchise, because its systems are used for all three Re;Birth games, and its assets are used for them as well as a few of the spinoffs. The battle system was polished and finalized. Victory begins in Hyperdimension but shortly moves to Ultradimension (yet another Nep universe!) which retells the console war of the 90s (sort of). Neptune meets Plutia, Ultradimension’s Planeptune CPU, a Famicom-colored Blanc, a Noire that seems to reflect the PS2 a bit more in design (though this is the game that references her servers getting hacked by ANONYDEATH), and a Vert, who is still the Xbox. The villains of this game are The Seven Sages, led by the strange Rei Ryghts. This game also has an Arfoire in it (and it’s a different Arfoire from the previous two Arfoires). Also remade for the Vita, Re;Birth 3: V Generation is a straight port of Victory with some added features and improved QoL stuff. If you played Victory, you can largely ignore this game. However, it’s a good refresher for the game that follows it and is actually a decent game to start on if you’re new to the franchise. Megadimension Neptunia VII (PS4, Steam) Neptunia Victory II is a direct sequel to Victory and is the best Neptunia game to date. Everything about this game is made better; it’s incredibly clear that Omega Quintet, Idea Factory/Compile Heart’s first PS4 RPG, was a stepping stone for this game. The battle system’s base mechanics remain largely the same but added new features such as Formation attacks and large boss battles. It also has the best soundtrack in the series. It actually exudes effort, which is rare for post-Victory Nep. V2 is separated into three chapters. The first chapter takes place in Zero Dimension, a broken world that Neptune and Nepgear get sucked into when they find a not-Dreamcast. There, they meet Uzume, who is pursuing a gigantic CPU-esque monster wreaking havoc. The second chapter takes place in Hyperdimension and tells the story of the Gold Third, some other girls who showed up, kicked the main characters’ tails, and then took over Gamindustri. You follow each CPU’s quest to fix the problem, which culminates into a showdown with a new set of villains. The final chapter brings the first two chapters together. I won’t talk about it, because it’s a good story. There’s also an Arfoire in this game. Also, the fanservice has been turned up a little bit compared to previous Nep games, but if you’ve made it this far, so what do you care? Megadimension Neptunia VIIR (PS4) Neptunia Victory II Realize is a remake of VII with a brand-new engine, altered mechanics, and some added VR content where characters interact with the player. The Player is actually an integral part of the story, sort of, as Older Neptune actively interacts with them during the main story. There's a bunch to type about this, so I'll get to it later. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Side Stories and Spin-off Games There are also some spin-off “non-canon” games. I put that in quotation marks, because there’s an infinity number of realities, Neppy, so they kind of exist within their own canons. Hyperdimension Neptunia PP: Producing Perfection (PSVita) Producing Perfection is a bizarre case in the Neptunia franchise. No one really understood if was a music game or an idol management simulator. Turns out, it’s not really either. It’s, more or less, a visual novel with some very basic management options. That’s really it. Neptunia PP’s story involves the goddesses entering idol careers to recover losses caused by MOB48, a parody of idol group AKB48 personifying the mobile game market. You play as the faceless protagonist (I don’t remember if it explicits states whether the character is male) who becomes their manager. Unfortunately, the conflict with MOB48 never goes anywhere, because they’re mentioned by name all of maybe twice. Still, the game has some great dialogue, and the interactions between characters are better than those in some of the mainline series entries. Producing Perfection is for serious Neptunia fans only. Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart (PSVita, Steam) I didn’t play Hyperdevotion Noire. From what I understand, it’s a bad Sting SRPG with a male protagonist who gets with Noire or something. The story takes place in the alternate universe of Gamarket (Game Market), where Noire does something dumb for Arfoire and causes some serious problems. A bunch of Lastation officers go off on their own, so Noire has to beat them up and bring them home. You can get this one if you can tolerate slower than usual SRPGs and absolutely love Noire. Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed (PSVita, Steam) Neptunia U is the Nep answer to Senran Kagura (and it’s even made by the same team, Tamsoft). It’s the first Nep game to include costume damage, which becomes a plot point. You run around, smash Square to beat up enemies, and move on. Done and done. The story of Neptunia U is literally Nepics in Gaming Journalism. The characters of Dengekiko and Famitsu, Gamindustri journalists based on magazines of the same name, are following a huge scoop and covering the goddesses of Gamindustri, while racing to make a superior article. Or something. The main villain represents the impending threat of next-gen consoles obsoleting the older ones. It’s paper-thin and really silly. It’s a serviceable game, and if you like beat-em-ups and the Neptunia universe, there’s plenty to like here. It’s unfortunately pretty short (aside from the grindfest that is Neptral Tower), and there really isn’t much to it in terms of story, but as with the others, if you love Nep games and want to hear the girls banter at each other more and more, you can’t go wrong with this entry. MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptunia Vs. Zombies (PSVita, Steam) Similar to Neptunia U, MegaTagmension Blanc is the Nep answer to Onechanbara. Also developed by Tamsoft, who also made Onechanbara, you run around, smash Square to beat up enemies, and move on. Except this time, there’s zombies! And a high school! It’s literally just Onepchanbara, except really kinda terrible in comparison. In Blanc + Nep v Zombies, the goddesses are attending a high school. Due to declining birth rates, the school’s attendance has been dropping, and unless they come up with a plan, the school will close at the end of the year. To encourage new students to attend, they plan to add to the school’s popularity by filming a zombie movie there. When actual zombies show up, they decide to kill two birds with one stone to make it authentic. This one is better than Neptunia U in terms of gameplay, but it’s still generally more of the same. If you liked that one, you’ll like this one. If you didn’t like that one, there’s no guarantee you’ll like this one, but who knows? Superdimension Neptune Vs. Sega Hard Girls (PSVita) Also known as Hyperdimensional War: Neptune's Platoon vs Sega Hard Girls, this game does not take place in Superdimension and also doesn’t feature Neptune as a main character! In this installment, IF teams up with Sega OC, Hatsumi Sega, to stop a giant monster from eating history. Together, they team up with the Sega Hardware Girls, official personifications of real Sega consoles. Also, Neptune is a motorcycle. Developed by Felistella, the Re;Birth developers, Nep v Sega actually feels like a step down from the game that came before it, Megadimension Neptunia VII. The dungeons have been changed around a bit, and there’s some new mechanics in terms of exploration. IF “does her own stunts,” as it were, climbing walls and crawling through tunnels, and the Sega Hard Girls are fun characters. It’s especially fun to watch them interact with their Nep counterparts. Unfortunately, the price paid is a game in desperate need of a performance patch and a battle system that feels more bare bones than Victory’s. Still, if you want to try something different for the Nep universe and have a soft spot in your heart for all things Sega, give this one a shot. Despite everything, I actually enjoyed it a lot. Four Goddesses Online: Cyber Dimension Neptune (PS4, Steam) Description incoming. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dumb Games With Nep Cameos Neptune is everywhere. It’s not enough that she breaks fourth walls. She leaves them and gets into other games. Monster Monpiece The game has a Neptune card in it. Rubbing it can evolve her into Purple Heart. Mugen Souls Z There are Neptunia outfits in it. Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed There are Neptunia accessories you can equip. The pillow is actually a weapon. There is also a Neptunia anime billboard and in-game ad. Trillion: God of Destruction You can access Neptune attacks with some DLC. Spelunker World There's been at least one crossover promo event! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There’s also a Neptunia anime that you can watch on Hulu or FUNimation. It’s a weird mashup of the first three Neptunia games that’s serviceable enough but inferior to the games unless you are watching the dub. The dub fills the dialogue with a ton of dumb video game puns that are so stupid that it makes it funny. Still, largely ignorable unless you want more Neptune. quote:Oh my god, this is too much. Why did you think this was a good idea? I own a Vita. Takoluka fucked around with this message at 19:40 on Nov 20, 2017 |
# ? May 12, 2016 20:54 |
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# ? Jun 5, 2024 21:37 |
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Wallet Current sales on Neptunia stuff! Steam Sale (as of April 23, 2020): https://store.steampowered.com/sale/neptunia-franchise/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Resources Feinne did Let’s Plays of the first three games right here on our forums, so if you want to test the waters, check those out. Lady White Heart Presents Let's Play Hyperdimension Blanc: The Lady White Heart Story (Also Neptune Sucks) Video Games: The Saturday Morning Cartoon: The Video Game Fifty Shades of Purple: Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory ************** Mordaedil made a Stellaris mod featuring Nep-Nep! Steam Workshop: Download Takoluka fucked around with this message at 18:25 on Apr 23, 2020 |
# ? May 12, 2016 20:55 |
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nepnepnepnepnep
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# ? May 12, 2016 21:00 |
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Great OP. Once I stop suffering from money (or they go in a sale, whatever happens first) I'm picking up V-II and the Blanc game. Also, Nepgear is best Nep.
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# ? May 12, 2016 21:10 |
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Thank you for doing a thread on this notable video game series. One day I'll beat rebirth 1 and try another nepnep.
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# ? May 12, 2016 21:12 |
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Dark_Tzitzimine posted:Once I stop suffering from money (or they go in a sale, whatever happens first) I'm picking up V-II and the Blanc game. I will update this thread's second post with sales on Nep games. vkeios posted:One day I'll beat rebirth 1 and try another nepnep. I have faith in you, Nep friend.
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# ? May 12, 2016 21:13 |
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Is the "you can murder everyone" deal the reason for mk2's rating of M while everyone else gets a rating of T?
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# ? May 12, 2016 21:16 |
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Sakurazuka posted:nepnepnepnepnep
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# ? May 12, 2016 21:22 |
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stupid self loathing garbage op
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# ? May 12, 2016 21:39 |
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When I nep you nep we nep There is a shitload of grinding if you ever want to 100% any of this poo poo so just be prepared. Thankfully they usually added some animation skips or something for the turn based games, at least after a point. I've never taken the time personally but I've watched people beat on these games for hours and hours on stream on max speed.
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# ? May 12, 2016 21:45 |
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Davincie posted:stupid self loathing garbage op Have you seen the E3 thread op?
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# ? May 12, 2016 21:46 |
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I have rebirth 1 from a sale ages ago but never played it. is now the time to nep?
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# ? May 12, 2016 21:49 |
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^^^ now is the time to nepCrashCat posted:When I nep you nep we nep Grinding for the plat has actually become easier over time. QoL improvements and some legitimately better design choices have lessened the pain substantially. Not to say there isn't always ONE trophy that is designed to cause grief.
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# ? May 12, 2016 21:49 |
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thank you, i learned more about the canon of nep then i ever needed.
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# ? May 12, 2016 21:52 |
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an important note about these wonderful trash garbage games is that they have some insanely ftw dubbing if only because voice talent like melissa fahn seem to embrace the Full Retard nature of this series present in the localization, which is very good and should be praised. happy nepping, everyone
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# ? May 12, 2016 22:21 |
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Yes, the dubs are fantastic. Do not listen to the dumb community that says otherwise.
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# ? May 12, 2016 22:25 |
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I'm a kangaroo!
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# ? May 12, 2016 22:33 |
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Good OP for the Nep thread. Just don't let anyone play the first two original games. I hope to one day give the Re:Birth games a try. Someone give me a copy.
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# ? May 13, 2016 00:09 |
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RanKizama posted:Good OP for the Nep thread. Just don't let anyone play the first two original games. quote:Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 (Steam) - $5.99 (Ends Saturday (I think)!) Also sporadicsarcasm posted:I'm a kangaroo! A good post.
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# ? May 13, 2016 00:19 |
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Takoluka posted:Also Takoluka posted:A good post.
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# ? May 13, 2016 00:21 |
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RanKizama posted:That would require me to play it on my old lovely PC rather than my glorious Playstation, but the price is definitely right. I'll think about it. If platform is a real concern, the Re;Birth games tend to go on sale every so often on PSN, and I will reflect that in updates here. I can't imagine your computer is so bad that it can't run a Vita game, though.
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# ? May 13, 2016 00:27 |
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the pc ports tend to run pretty well compared to the console releases, some of the ps3 rebirth titles choke hard at some of the most basic looking poo poo but it only adds to the lovely charm.
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# ? May 13, 2016 00:31 |
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Is the green girl's breasts large because the Xbox is huge?
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# ? May 13, 2016 00:43 |
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Kirios posted:Is the green girl's breasts large because the Xbox is huge? Yes. I mean, the series has pulled some pretty nuanced commentary at times, but that's not one of 'em. My favorite is the character representing Konami being an unbalanced crazy stalker. I'm just sad that VII obviously got finalized before it went under, because they would have had a field day with it. Also Takoluka posted:Yes, the dubs are fantastic. Do not listen to the dumb community that says otherwise.
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# ? May 13, 2016 00:54 |
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# ? May 13, 2016 01:01 |
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Life is strange.
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# ? May 13, 2016 01:12 |
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Takoluka posted:I own a Vita. This should have been the thread title.
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# ? May 13, 2016 01:19 |
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I got to say, having some of the minor issues I've never realized being resolved in V-II (Able to both buy and reuse Idea Chips, for one, as well as having sane SP costs for skills) was a very pleasant surprise. Hopefully Steam users will enjoy playing more Nep games too. EDIT: Incidentally, if for some really strange reason you don't want Re;Birth 1 on Steam or PSN, GOG also has it available. Still waiting on the other games to pop up there too, even if it's only for a laugh or something. Ozdhaka fucked around with this message at 07:04 on May 13, 2016 |
# ? May 13, 2016 03:10 |
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LOVE LOVE SKELETON posted:thank you, i learned more about the canon of nep then i ever needed. same
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# ? May 13, 2016 03:44 |
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GBS is thataway
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# ? May 13, 2016 05:43 |
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Kirios posted:Is the green girl's breasts large because the Xbox is huge? Vert is based on the "foreigner" stereotype in Japan - namely, foreign women all have blond hair, blue eyes, and big boobs. It's because the Xbox is American, instead of being from glorious Neppon.
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# ? May 13, 2016 07:05 |
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MisterAlex posted:Is the "you can murder everyone" deal the reason for mk2's rating of M while everyone else gets a rating of T? it could have something to do with the scene involving Rom and Ram getting molested by one of the villains
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# ? May 13, 2016 10:05 |
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This looks like fun, I'll pick it up on a steam sale when I have time for it.
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# ? May 13, 2016 10:23 |
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I've only beaten the first game and I find the combat in the rest of the games too bothersome to get far in. I also really like Action Unleashed. And I buy all of these games because the humor and references is right up my alley. Also the creator of these games is awesome and willing to experiment with her creation:
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# ? May 13, 2016 10:40 |
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Mordaedil posted:I've only beaten the first game and I find the combat in the rest of the games too bothersome to get far in. Mashing Neptune Break 50,000 times doesn't count
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# ? May 13, 2016 11:04 |
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Stelas posted:Mashing Neptune Break 50,000 times doesn't count Neptune Break is small-time. I juggle the enemies never letting them get a turn, between two characters. And time my scene skips by memory.
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# ? May 13, 2016 12:27 |
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Dads Dip Cup posted:it could have something to do with the scene involving Rom and Ram getting molested by one of the villains Nah, I'm pretty sure child murder and the dialogue that comes with it are the culprit. CFW Trick is gross, but the game never really goes that far.
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# ? May 13, 2016 12:30 |
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Takoluka posted:Nah, I'm pretty sure child murder and the dialogue that comes with it are the culprit. CFW Trick is gross, but the game never really goes that far. They don't mention the former in their summary http://www.esrb.org/ratings/Synopsis.aspx?Certificate=31902&Title=Hyperdimension+Neptunia+mk2
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# ? May 13, 2016 12:33 |
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I stand corrected. God, I really did enjoy killing him in Re;Birth 2.
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# ? May 13, 2016 12:39 |
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# ? Jun 5, 2024 21:37 |
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Reminds me of how my friend who also likes Neptunia sat down to watch the anime with his girlfriend and CFW Trick is in the first episode and is just as gross. They didn't watch episode 2.
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# ? May 13, 2016 12:56 |