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Oh snap, that is not a place you want someone to put a sword!

It’s June and E3 is in the air! I’ve been playing a lot of Mario+Rabbids and that game is GREAT! I’ve found myself laughing out loud at a lot of the gags. The soundtrack is also delightful, and I don’t think I can adequately describe the euphoria I feel every time I watch Peach blast an enemy with her OP shotgun. I also tried playing the Dark Souls Remaster and that game is INFURIATING. This is my fourth attempt at a Souls game (including the original Dark Souls PC port) and I don’t think I’ll ever get into that hyper punishing checkpoint style of gameplay outside of Nioh. The bubbling rage that playing a Souls game instills in me just makes me want to pick up a Platinum game and murder the living heck out of things in a chaotic ballet of violence. Speaking of which, I hope we see some Bayonetta 3 in Nintendo’s E3 Direct this year. Only a couple more weeks!

Published on June 3, 2018 by Alex Kolesar

leavescat

Huh. I guess I called it.
- Not Real
  
  Not lethal? What kind of superhero do you think he is?
  - leavescat
    
    It’s not lethal in that there are no vital organs there; if he missed the artery, he could probably live with surgery and a blood transfusion.
    - Kid Chaos
      
      Yeah, we’ll just rush him over to the nearest trauma center. Heck, I’ll even spring for a helicopter. 😵
- Arkone Axon
  
  I think the angle is being incorrectly depicted – it’s not going in at an upward angle. It’s going in straight through the upper torso. Think about your ribs, and how they protect some of your most important organs (the only organ more important being the brain – which is completely encased in bone, with fluid for padding against blunt trauma). Now prod your own armpit and notice how you’ve got a way past the rib cage… there’s some big blood vessels there, there’s the lungs… even if he missed the heart and blood vessels, stabbing the lungs means he’s going to drown in his own blood.
  
  This is why the armpit was a favored striking point for European fighters using a misericorde to finish off helpless armored knights: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misericorde_%28weapon%29
  - clogboy
    
    Could only be more graphic if he twisted the sword.
    I’m going to have to ask Butcher (Gangs of New York) whether that’s a kill.
- Razor
  
  I was thinking the same thing…but maybe the sword IS broken now, or at least bent? He really rammed it in there, but if that armor is totally impenetrable, I imagine the inside is just about as durable as the outside. A blade being rammed THROUGH his body into the armor would likely snap or bend, causing even more internal damage, but ruining the blade…and a katana was definitely not designed to be thrust that deep into someone.
Little Kingsguard

Well, it’s not painted, but it still looks higher detail… *maybe* it’s the end for the demons of sorrow?
Not Real

Have you heard the tragedy of Honou-Ko the Sorrowful?

It’s not a story the Wataro would tell you.
- Turul
  
  Poor Honou-ko just wanted a hug, that’s why he was so sorrowful…
Hfar

Honou-Ko: “Well…this is the pits.”
- KungFuKlobber
  
  “BLOOD MURDER STAB…Wait, I didn’t mean me!”
  - Not Real
    
    Honou-Ko: “Can’t we sword this out amicably?”
    
    Genchu: “Let me take a stab at cutting to the heart of the problem.”
    - clogboy
      
      Honou-Ko: Hilt it right there, I think we’re all a little on edge here.
      
      Genchu: Then why don’t we get straight to the point.
      - Kid Chaos
        
        “Steel isn’t strong…” 💀
        
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgN1sLcAQnw&t=3s&app=desktop&persist_app=1
Turul

YESSS
McNutty145

Oh damn. I was not expecting them to win this one.
EBeth

Another stunningly gorgeous page! Thank you, gents!
clogboy

Such a warm embrace
I would be interested in the four DoS death panels as wallpaper, and might have trouble showing restraint if they were offered printed on aluminum. Just sayin’…
- http://www.nn4b.com suburban_samurai
  
  I’ll see if I can throw together a wallpaper. Gonna be a pretty gruesome one, maybe don’t use it at work!
  - Tim “Azur3flame” Eldred
    
    I would absolutely use it at work! My center display is a 24″, that would be GLORIOUS
  - clogboy
    
    I definitely will
  - clogboy
    
    PS I’m all for letting sleeping dogs lie, but if said wallpaper was on Patreon then I could be tempted to part with some coffee money. Not Starbucks money, but still
  - Slograman
    
    I’ll use it for a child’s actual wallpaper in their bedroom. Don’t tell me what to do, you ain’t my supervisor!
    - Xinef
      
      Gotta teach your child some good values!
      … such as, where to stab to kill and look awesome while you’re at it.
Ocean Burning.

While the artwork here is beautiful, it does nothing to lessen my questions of WHO the *!?# is Honou-Ko, and WHY is his death happening here, and now.
- Turul
  
  Maybe now they can take off his helmet and discover it’s… Ennosuke Nakamura, the famous kabuki actor!
  - http://www.nn4b.com suburban_samurai
    
    It was the hotdog vendor.
    - Turul
      
      …who was also secretly a ninja, right?
      - clogboy
        
        I’m still saying it’s Lex!
      - Turul
        
        ohhhh of course! Now it all makes sense
    - Purphoros
      
      Stab-My-Own-Armpit Dibbler?
      Wait.., Dibbler… Dibule… Debilu… Devil… Devils of Sorrow… It’s a hot dog conspiracy!
    - Kid Chaos
      
      Nope, gotta be the tea salesman that Ken bullied Way Back When. 😜
      - jwkovell
        
        Look closely, they’re the same person
  - Ocean Burning.
    
    MIND. BLOWN. *explosion*
Kid Chaos

*sigh* Another one bites the dust, and it’s the second “Demon of Sorrow” to die by Genchu’s blade (well, third if you count what’s-his-name). Yori didn’t even get in a single blow, so I guess he’s still busy with Eijiro. Don’t stop not dying, Yorikiro! 💀
- Major Tom
  
  Third? Tadashi did himself in.
  - Kid Chaos
    
    Well, I *was* counting Tadashii, because Genchu gave him the coup de grace, but if you want to get all technical on me… 😵
    - Nos Rin aka CTCO
      
      >_>
- Ocean Burning.
  
  The more I think about it, the more it makes a lot of sense that Genchu has now killed the first and last of the DoS. Genchu has been an incredibly influential figure in setting up this story, although we didn’t find out about a lot of that influence until a good way into the story. In a way, everything that Yori did, he was following in the footsteps of Genchu by doing, including being fought with by the Demons of Sorrow. I think it’s worth it that Genchu’s influence is being acknowledged by the end of the story.
  - clogboy
    
    He’s the true unsung hero here. And if he, together with Yori, could expose Nataku then I can’t see why they couldn’t have a bright future in a more peaceful Wataro clan.
    Ofcourse they would have to make ammends, but a public execution of the treacherous general would go a long way.
    - Ocean Burning.
      
      Yeah. Lord Wataro is still a problem, although we may not 100% know what his current thinking is. (Unless the conspiracy theorists are right and Honou-Ko is actually Lord Wataro.)
- fantastory
  
  http://nn4b.com/comic/563
  Ryoushi “the Hunter”
  - Kid Chaos
    
    Yeah, that guy. 🐕
  - clogboy
    
    Who? Oh, the guy who died… Move along
Gandalf the Tsaagan

Well, Rest In (nearly) Impenetrable Armor, demon

Also, any expectations for Mario Tennis Aces?
Did you get to download the tournament demo?
Personally I can’t wait for it and for Jurassic World Evolution
- http://www.nn4b.com suburban_samurai
  
  I played the Mario Tennis Aces demo for about half an hour and got super frustrated! I don’t think it’s for me, even though the initial Direct reveal got me hyped on it. It seems like a game where I’d have to pull up FAQs and youtube tutorial videos to figure out how to most effectively use each kind of serve and hit type, too much work!
  
  I am also REALLY looking forward to Jurassic World Evolution. Gimme dat Goldblum!
  - Gandalf the Tsaagan
    
    Maybe I’ll be a noob myself, but it brings me memories of the tennis minigame in WiiSports and I had a blast with that game, so if the demo doesn’t turn me off I’ll definetly get it.
    
    And while we’re at it, do you have an intetest in dinosaur games?
    If yes, I recommend Prehistoric Kingdom and Saurian.
    The first is an ambitious dinosaur zoo game with special dedication to accuracy.
    Saurian is a survival/simulator that recreates the life and environment of Triceratops, T. rex, etc. 66my ago with as much detail as possible.
    They’re both indie projects with really nice people behind them.
    - http://www.nn4b.com suburban_samurai
      
      I love tennis, and I loved Wii Sports’ tennis game! But Mario Tennis feels more like a complex fighting game, and I’m afraid I may just not have the patience.
      
      I haven’t heard of Prehistoric Kingdom, but I’ll check it out. I contributed to the Saurian Kickstarter and I’ve been playing the Early Access version on and off to see how it’s improving (but I don’t want to get burnt out on it before its official release). I love when a game or other media bothers to present dinosaurs as accurately as possible, and not just continue to pretend that the original Jurassic Park is the gold standard for Cretaceous depictions.
      - Gandalf the Tsaagan
        
        To be honest, Frontier has done a decent job on their depictions of some of the dinosaurs considering Universal’s meddling.
        
        But we desperatedly need more media depicting dinosaurs with updated looks and more natural in general.
Purphoros

I hope Bayonetta 3 will be as good as the first part again, I found the second to be a bit lacking. Lots of recycled ideas, very little traversal and exploration, just walking from one combat to the next. Also the fact that there’s always some idiot around shouting at you to hurry up when you just stop two seconds to open an Umbra shrine… And when you do hurry he wants you to wait up, the stupid slowpoke. I wanted to kill that little brat more than the actual boss… Ah, but I’m drifting into rant mode. Yep, curious for Bayonetta 3 too.

Also anything about dragon quest builders 2, can’t wait to finally build a castle with a pool on the roof.

Rabbids… I hear Mario & Rabbids is a great game, but I just can’t not hate those damn Rabbids. They are even worse than Minions, and that is a major achievement.
- http://www.nn4b.com suburban_samurai
  
  I love Bayonetta 1, but I was obsessed with 2, it just felt more fun to play, with great enemy variety. Also, I liked that Bayo2 really committed to the time travel stuff from the first game, and took it to another level. I think I’m just a sucker for time travel. And Bayo2 is a really pretty looking game! The first is kind of muddy. I did love the dual rocket launchers in 1, though.
  
  I was totally indifferent to Rabbids, but that are legitimately funny in the game.The Mario cast is basically the straight man to the Rabbids’ wild antics, and it produces some comedy genius. The whole thing is elevated way beyond any other Rabbids related product, you shouldn’t let it discourage you, especially if you dig SRPGs.
  
  I’ve never played any Dragon Quest, but Builders looks like a good time. Being an illustrator, though, I’m always kind of hesitant to jump into a game that involves building or creating, as it makes me feel kind of guilty that I’m not investing that creative energy into illustration. I know that sounds nuts, especially since I’ll happily spend hours playing a game that involves no building.
  - Purphoros
    
    Call me nuts, but that actually makes sense to me too.
    Unique ideas are limited in supply, unused inspiration too. Creative energy… I think you can deplete your energy, but not your creativity. Still, what good is creativity if you run out of energy, inspirations and concepts…
    
    On Bayo 1+2, I did like that they expanded on the story of the first. I found it especially satisfying to learn more about Balder.
    The storytelling methods don’t live up to the first part though.
    
    For one, it never really has you guessing. Remember when Bayonetta ran into little Cereza the first time? The connection was blatantly obvious, but the details were not clear right away. So my brain immediately started up theory mode, trying to work out what the hell is going on here. Bayo2 just reveals new info, but fails to facilitate a proper buildup that makes the player want that info.
    
    Sure, you have the “Why is he chasing the guy” Question, but that’s quite binary, you’re just trying to confirm the pick of a side there.
    
    Then there’s the characterization. Bayo1 starts off as a ridiculous, over-the-top action spectacle with badass characters engaging in witty banter, and bayonetta as strong, sexy, independent main. So does Bayo 2.
    
    But in the first part, there’s a subtle hint to a deeper truth behind the outer persona the Characters put up. By juxtaposing Bayo and Cereza, the game shatters that image, and heavily compels the player to think about the characters beyond their superficial expressions, what makes them act the way they do, and how they became who they are. Bayo1 shows you a world behind the curtain without ever lifting it.
    
    Bayo2 is lacking this brilliance. You have some characters making remarks in the vein of “tryin’ to do it all on your own again, eh, bayonetta?” or “Well, maybe you should be a little nicer to him then.” which is pretty much the author just plugging the narrative directly into the dialogue. It’s not as subtle, and compared to the first part feels a bit lazy.
    
    The combat really does flow better in Bayo2. Giving the first game a replay right after finishing the second was quite an interesting comparison. Bayo2 camera handling is just leagues above the first one, especially for fast movement. Bayo1 bosses are still better, the Bayo2 bosses had less impact and strategic puzzle aspect than the Bayo1 bosses.
    
    My favorite weapon was the chainsaws from the second part. Once you get those, ice skates just don’t cut it anymore…
    
    Hopefully they can pick out the best qualities of both for the third.
  - Purphoros
    
    Interesting… My reply was detected as spam. It wasn’t that long, was it?
    
    The appeal is also hanging in limbo for days now. Is rectifying false flags done by diqus or the site owner?
LordBolanderFace

When you go for a hug, but your bro goes for an armpit stab.
- LordBolanderFace
  
  On another note, I have the opposite stance on Souls and Platinum games. I just finished off the Dark Souls trilogy, plus Bloodborne, and loved every minute of it. But Nier Automata, the sequel to another one of my favorite games and developed by Platinum, I couldn’t get into because the combat is way too frantic and hard to tell what’s going on. But honestly, the key to enjoying Dark Souls is to not let yourself quit. I didn’t like it when I first started, but I kept playing because of the hype that surrounded them. It doesn’t click so much as you ease into it, learn how the game works and how you’re supposed to play it, and then you learn to enjoy it.
  - http://www.nn4b.com suburban_samurai
    
    Yeah, the learning curve with Dark Souls is obviously pretty steep. It was there with Nioh too, but the combat in Nioh was so much faster and more responsive, and had a smoother framerate. Also, I love samurai stuff, so I was drawn to the game even if a boss killed me three dozen times. On top of that, Nioh is much more open about how to play it effectively.
    
    Dark Souls’ aesthetic doesn’t appeal to me as much. I mean I love dark fantasy, but not so much that I’m eager to keep playing a dark fantasy themed game when it’s super obtuse and punishing with its game mechanics. Bloodborne was a bit more fun but it runs like garbage and desperately needs a PC release or some intense optimization on PS4. I’d hoped Dark Souls Remaster would be the sweet spot since it runs so well, but it’s still not grabbing me.
    
    I liked Neir Automata, but my favorite platinum games are Bayonetta 2 and Metal Gear Revengeance.
    - leavescat
      
      Dark souls is a lot better if you find a weapon you like. I got a Black Knight Sword early on in DS1, and used it the entire game.
      - http://www.nn4b.com suburban_samurai
        
        Oh! Where can I get a Katana early on? I know they’re in the game, I guess that would get me into it more. Also some samurai armor. Anything to make me feel like a samurai badass. I just want to look super cool, you know?
      - leavescat
        
        It looks like the earliest katana you can get is an Uchigatana from killing the undead male merchant in the upper undead burg. All the others require reaching Blighttown (a fairly difficult area to reach); one is found near the entrance from the Depths, and the other can be bought from a Forest Covenant merchant in Blighttown (as well as additional Uchigatana). The last one is an ascended upgrade from other katanas (Uchigatana is the ideal source as it’s the cheapest).
        
        From what I can tell, they deal decent damage and have good range+speed, making them solid weapons. I liked the black knight sword because it has a good horizontal hit area and high damage.
        
        All katanas scale with dexterity, except for the Washing Pole which also scales with strength. Uchigatana requires 14 str and 14 dex to wield.
      - Arkone Axon
        
        I haven’t played Dark Souls 2, but I know that there’s a katana VERY early on in DS3. The layout for the game world is different, and now you spend a lot of time going back to the same shrine (your “base camp”) where you can level up and buy spells and gear; all the vendors seem to end up there. But right outside said shrine is a duelist you can kill who drops the uchigatana.
        
        I would note that I never found Dark Souls to be all that tricky… but that’s because I grew up on the 8 bit NES games. “Nintendo Hard,” they called it. There have been literal decades of advancements in game design, but back in the 8-bit days they were still formulating concepts of game balance and learning curves and whatnot… some of those games were nigh unbeatable. I can think of at least one (“Faxanadu”) that I pretty much beat by accident, randomly wandering around the uber-tough final dungeon with the temporary winged shoes and then barely managing to kill what turned out to be the final boss. So… Dark Souls is tough, but at least it’s usually FAIR. You usually don’t have deliberately frustrating things like a flying enemy that suddenly appears and attacks when you’re jumping over pits and climbing walls (“Ninja Gaiden”), or lose all your gear when you die from a single hit (“Contra,” the “Gradius” series), or expect you to solve puzzles that require the purchase of expensive guidebooks because of inaccurate translations (“Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest”).
        
        My only real complaint about Dark Souls (Aside from how depressing it can be) is the forced PVP. I don’t have a problem doing PVP. I enjoy PVPing. But I prefer to PVP when I WANT to PVP, because I loaded up a PVP game, or because I went to a PVP area. I don’t appreciate getting ready to go after a boss and suddenly I can’t even enter the boss’ lair because some jerk invaded and then hid and waited for me in an area full of enemies, and no time limit on how long they can stay around… and if I shut down the game then the game tells me that I’M likely to be penalized. (Needless to say, when I PVP in Dark Souls, it’s as a white phantom – always fun to stomp on those red invader jerks)
    - clogboy
      
      I’m on the same boat. Had to explore both the graveyard and the tutorial level of Dark Souls / Bloodbourne (I think the latter) three times before finding an elevator hidden in the shadows. It’s not a button masher, it’s not your typical RPG, let’s say the best thing I can describe it as is a strategic top-down RPG. It becomes obvious pretty early on that you’re the monster, other than that I’ve not found any redeeming motivation. Freebie on PS Plus but a waste of time for me.
      
      Looking forward to Valkyrie Chronicles! And also, Xcom 2 is free on PS Plus this month (PS4).
    - LordBolanderFace
      
      I actually wrote up a list of tips for new Souls players. You can read it here, if you’re at all interested http://videogamecritic.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5084&t=16624
      - http://www.nn4b.com suburban_samurai
        
        Cool, yeah, I ‘ll give it a read! I still want to get into the franchise, and, like I’ve said, I love Nioh, and it’s arguably more punishing. It’s just that Souls is way more obtuse about how to play it well than Nioh is, so tips are great.
  - Pumpkin_Cake
    
    I can’t remember actually getting frustrated while playing Dark Souls. I had more than my fair share of deaths to be sure, but almost every time, I knew exactly what I did wrong and how to do better next time.
http://www.comicsagonistes.hackenbush.org/ Ginger Mayerson

This page is so awesome, I had to lean back from the screen so no blood got on me. Another great NN4B fight sequence. Thanks, guys.
Nos Rin aka CTCO

I want to play Nioh or The Surge which I believe is also a dark souls style combat.
I’m not really into the tryhard death around every corner crap, I do not enjoy retrying the save bit 50 times, and the dodgy mcroll roll combat system is, well not my favorite but it IS interesting and wouldn’t mind trying it.
But I mainly just can’t stand the overly dark and gritty atmosphere of dark souls. if one had the atmosphere of ES4, that would be cool.
theM

Shouldn’t…shouldn’t Genchu’s sword be visible coming out the other side of Honou-ko’s body? The blade is in him up to the hilt, and it looks pretty perpendicular to his shoulders……
- jwkovell
  
  It’s Genchu’s his wakizashi, so the blade is a lot shorter.
  - Xinef
    
    Not to mention, in order to come out the other side it would have to either pierce the armor from the inside, or find another gap in the plates.
Warcodered

But I was using those organs.
clogboy

Way to steal Yori’s perfect record, G-man! (Although Tadashii already did that for him)
http://rjthorwip.blogspot.com/ Redundant Jovian Thor

LONG TIME NO (NEED FOR) BUSHIDO!!! I’m all caught up, and HOLY WOW! what an epic adventure i’ve been missing out on!! HOLY WOW! Cho is even more badass than ever! <3 and THIS?!? THIS is pure awesome epic win.

Thanks for all the years of bushido you've provided! :O
Kid Chaos

“OW! MY FOOT!” 💀
Crestlinger

Apart from one hidden armpit wound, if someone wanted to impersonate this guy they now have a golden opportunity to do so.
RobinGoodfellow

Masuhiro: Nah, man, it’s cool, I totally meant for you to stand on me to deliver that strike. I’ll just stay put I guess?
Frank Royce Harr

Yeah, that tracks. <8(

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