Recommending The Wonderful 101

Some mild spoilers of early game events and a few strategies here. Probably nothing to worry about since I left a lot out. The 2D games in the middle are all Mega Drive games which support either the 3-button or 6-button controller.
Patreon: / matthewmatosis

[@daneeyul759]

it has been *0* days since matthew has posted w101 content

[@ourDreamcatcher]

"If you're lucky, this game will send you back to a time where you cheered with all your heart for the heroic good guys to beat the cartoon villain." It absolutely does. The best cutscenes and sequences have me smiling from ear to ear and in some cases (in the quiet privacy of my own home) miming along with the Sentai poses. This probably doesn't work for many outside of Japan, but I also imagine the style sends many back to a time when a few cents worth of plastic could make your whole day.

[@PViolety]

Interesting

[@TheAssassin642]

Theres probably a decent amount of Power Rangers fans outside of Japan

[@DrWiley-fm3ik]

Matthew's favorite game btw

[@doooofus]

just ahead of rain world according to the lore

[@radpunk5144]

@@thomassowellaudiobooks6441 He said it a few times

[@alonor5189]

@@doooofus The lore runs deep Supposedly Alien Soldier and RE4 are afterwards, or at least not far behind.

[@Carpet_Carp]

Mine too. I was kinda displeased when everyone dismissed it back in the day and bashed the gamplay because they used the touch controls. This game is just insane, like most of the Platinum stuff.

[@Scroteydada]

I struggle to buy that tbh

[@Lefargon]

Ah, I see it's time for my bi-decadly reminder to play The Wonderful 101.

[@thekiss2083]

Consider this your bidecennial reminder to play Xenoblade Chronicles as well.

[@landinschumacher8998]

TheKiss Funny enough I just got done playing the Wonderful 101 to wait for Xenoblade DE to come out so I could play it again for the 4th time

[@elektrikid8463]

Hearing that ending passage come from someone like you, is just the kind of catharsis that makes following a critic closely a ride worth taking.

[@PViolety]

Yeah

[@mediocre9159]

well said man

[@TiroDvD]

12:05

[@houragents5490]

You gotta stop worshipping these youtubers man.

[@jadet-g1486]

@@houragents5490 Good lord just close up the word hole. This guy isn’t worshipping Matt at all. He’s just appreciating the video.

[@joebailey8294]

If Matthewmatosis of all people says something is “insanely cool,” you should listen

[@Entropic_Alloy]

Considering how the game bombed again, I'm guessing many people here did not.

[@pangur3257]

@@Entropic_Alloy Fuck em, at least Platinum made a good score on Kickstarter, and we got a good remaster of a great game.

[@letsBrn]

@@Entropic_Alloy Yeah but making a game exclusive for the wii u is kinda asking for problems.

[@keioboy7610]

Yep. He NEVER uses that kind of phrasing. It really stands out when he lets himself talk like that.

[@wwld9823]

Remember that time kamiya showed him a picture of his waifu, that waifu was 101

[@gestaltengine6369]

(nods in not Japanese)

[@viewtiful1doubleokamihand253]

The thing about "weapon-swapping" in The Wonderful 101, Matthew forgot to mention, is the fact that the "wake-up" animation on most Unite Morphs has hit-frames, which basically means that if you activate, for example, Unite Hand right under a falling enemy the "wake-up" will keep juggling them back up, because it is considered as a hit by the game. It's genius.

[@biker3982]

Fine have it your way, I’ll get the game.

[@JayTohab]

It’s OUR way, now.

[@IamReptar95]

Yer fond of me wonderful ones aint ye

[@Gustavo-yg8ro]

@@IamReptar95 HAAAAAARK

[@MaddisonBaek]

Junker2747 aye, The Lighthouse reference. I like that.

[@FunZies.]

So have you played the game? Do you like it? :)

[@tyler-xo3rb]

hearing matthew's smile grow as he repeats "wonderful" is a really sweet moment

[@fromthebay9925]

Would you mind doing a "How to enjoy The Wonderful 101" video on your second channel like you did for Bayonetta? It really helped me to get my foot in the door.

[@wonderguardstalker]

Seriously, that video singlehandedly got me from button mashing to comfortably working on Platinum Infinite Climax. Really can’t overstate how valuable that video is

[@asianbronyman]

He said he would do exactly that a while ago on Twitter. He said it'd be a pretty basic guide; another youtuber who goes by Setnaro X is also working on one which is probably gonna be a lot more complicated. If you're itching to watch something now, Saur has some good guides on W101 too. Hope this helps.

[@wuwei473]

It’s out now

[@FunZies.]

Not to take away from Matt's efforts, but for any Bayonetta fan who wants to Pure Plat stylishly by learning the mechanics, I fully recommend the channel 'Saurian.' This guy actually wrote the official Bayonetta guide book, so he knows what he's talking about. :)

[@IanZWhite00]

Is anyone here aware of anything similar for the Devil May Cry series? Specifically 5? I love listening to fans of that game talk about all its complexities and interwoven combat mechanics, and I totally believe them, but my minimal time with DMC5 was one of the most awkward and least satisfying gameplay experiences of my entire life, and as someone with basically zero action game experience, it boiled down to just having exactly zero understanding of what the game wanted from me

[@Worse_Alex]

Incredibly disappointed you didn't end the review by saying "wonderful" 101 times

[@thegondola9877]

in the last fifteen seconds of the video, he says the word "wonderful" five times, which would be 101 if written in binary rly makes u think 🤔

[@NetConsole]

Yes, that would have been so hilarious and certainly not overstaying it's welcome.

[@Worse_Alex]

@@NetConsole Ok, boomer

[@ChaseFace]

@@Worse_Alex The death knell of one who has been properly refuted.

[@Oecobius33]

@@ChaseFace Next time don't try so hard... The OP was obviously joking, not making a serious suggestion.

[@CardboardBlueMage]

You laid it on a little thin, man. Let me reiterate: The Wonderful 101 is better than whatever you're playing right now.

[@alexlee4154]

You can take yakuza 5 from my cold dead hands And even then good luck For i will have glued it to my cold dead hands

[@slightlytwistedagain]

This review kinda reminds me of your old style reviews when you did the MGS and Zelda retrospective.

[@journeyman1218]

I hope those longer form/series reviews come back.

[@Pan_Z]

I don't share the feeling. Rather than a typical review this is enthusiastic candor on why he enjoys a game and a tutorial to help you enjoy it yourself. Matt's quality is consistently rising. I wonder what he'll put out a decade from now. Will he thoroughly cover every Kamiya game? Will he make another SpaceChem video? Will Matt decide he values his financials and actually make a Bloodborne commentary? He's already covered the Sonic Dreams Collection so anything is possible.

[@kingofthesharks]

For some reason I'm getting flashbacks of that one glorious Kamiya dream that Matthew drunkenly explained in a clip once.

[@kristianj.8798]

The funniest part about that dream, is that it's something we can all easily imagine Kamiya actually doing

[@rundasfromhalo8586]

Thanks Todd Howard, I'll buy your game now.

[@successfulfailure7563]

I actually picked up the game after watching his review. Holy shit man. How the hell did this slip under the radar? Oh, yeah. Wii U I haven't completed it yet, but it's the only game I've played for a week now. The concept of drawing a weapon to use in combat is unique and very fun. My only issue is the Joy con drift, but that is a manufacturing fault. God damn. I really love this game. Humor, action, large portions without Luka. These are the reasons to play

[@LaerHeiSeiRyuu]

Clean out your controller dude.

[@JT5ingh]

Not just the Wii U. In the US they released it next to GTA V of all fucking things. EU and Japan got it the month before

[@hipsterelephant2660]

@@JT5ingh On top of that, the game came out a month earlier in the states if you went to the PAX West panel Nintendo and Kamiya were at. That same scheduling also killed Rayman Legends

[@WestPictures]

6:41 Imagine Matthew making a 2 hour commentary video on Comix Zone

[@WaddleDee105]

Comix Zone is like 20 minutes long. I'd unironically dig a small commentary video about it, tho...

[@cons4943]

Matthew you king!!! Thank you for supporting this gem so publicly, haven't seen any attention elsewhere sadly.

[@JKSmith-qs2ii]

@David Nash Haha it’s funny to see people get filtered by then first level of spacechem. That game is great.

[@hipsterelephant2660]

I love how 7 years after this game originally came out, it still filters the casual journalists who play it

[@toooydoeur]

Tbf it's not thei3 fault the game does a poor job explaining certain mechanics (not to mention is not even that great overall)

[@lan.goblian]

​@@toooydoeurfound the journo lmao

[@toooydoeur]

@@lan.goblian nope! Not even close bud

[@healingchurchpotluck5352]

Some games are just harder to review than others. Ironically I think "independent" reviewers on KZbin fit the ign stereotype better than ign

[@hipsterelephant2660]

IMO it's still Platinums best game and that includes Automata.

[@Medytacjusz]

a keyboard based PC-gamer nodding silently while listening to a story about 6 buttons and weapon swapping

[@teneesh3376]

For anyone who wants to get the remaster, here are some things to take note of. The original wii u version didn't run at a smooth 60fps. Usually hovering from 30 to 55 most of the time. The switch version is about the same (even though bayonetta 1 and 2 on the switch actaully ran better their wii u versions). The ps4 is the one that runs at a smooth 60fps most of the time

[@stacetheface47]

Your comment about post game with Wonderful 101 is the 1 reason I love Platinum Games so much. Almost all their games get better on repeated play-through's and it explains why I find myself constantly going back and playing them again and again. Bayonetta 1 blew me away back in 2010 due to the fact that even after beating it on the hardest difficulty it gave me another weapon to use that further encouraged me to get better.

[@tomholt1080]

Thanks Matt my boss walked in whilst I was at my desk patting my head and rubbing my stomach

[@NeverSaySandwich1]

Damn you'll never stop talking about this game, keep it up. It's a masterpiece

[@Postwargamer53]

I finished the game today at 5 in the morning after playing it all night, and your right it is trully wonderful, I still need to play Okami and finish Viewtiful Joe, but I truly feel that this is Kamiya and Platinum's magnum opus

[@AesirAesthetics]

But why play video games when I can just rub my stomah and pet my head all day? Think before you post videos MatthewMatosis.

[@0Enigmatic0]

Honestly just repeating wonderful at the end sold me, you just sound so genuine :^)

[@jakejutras5420]

Your deep passion for this game is very infectious! You've covered it multiple times at this point and I always get the urge to play when hearing you speak on it.

[@WaddleDee105]

I've been playing the PS4 remaster and it's the first time I've played the game since 2015. Honestly, a fair amount of the parts I thought were frustrating before are much more tolerable now despite the remaster not changing any of it. The load times being so short will definitely help encourage me to actually try "Platinuming" the game this time around.

[@ourDreamcatcher]

I was hoping for a couple changes too, but in a way I also respect that they almost totally preserved it. The Vorkken's insides level definitely frustrated me again. But the final boss and Punch Out bosses made me forgive it 😂

[@chrispeng5502]

Other KZbinrs: Bloodborne is a masterpiece and almost perfect. Matthew: The lost soul art of Demon's Souls Other KZbinrs: Devil May Cry is an outdated and clunky game(while playing on NORMAL difficulty) Matthew: SS rank the DMD difficulty in your face. Other KZbinrs: Bioshock Infinity is 10 out of 10 Matthew: Nonsense plotline with average first-person shooting mechanics And you wonder why Matthew's fans love and respect him.

[@IDrinkLava]

"Other KZbinrs: Devil May Cry is an outdated and clunky game(while playing on NORMAL difficulty)" i hate that i know exactly what video you're referring to

[@chrispeng5502]

@@IDrinkLava Yep, there are few reviewers who can actually review DMC properly. They rushed the game and called it a "review"

[@sebsthexeno9460]

What review are you referring to that calls DMC clunky?

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

He said in streams that bloodborne is his favorite game on the ps4 so it’s not like he dislikes it.

[@chrispeng5502]

@@Gadget-Walkmen It's my favourite PS4 game as well but not my favourite Souls game or game. Guess that is why I am still playing on PS3 most of the time.

[@IanZWhite00]

9:43 slick reference to what was my first Matthewmatosis video Who is now, in my eyes, the Wonderful 101 of game critics

[@megasoniczxx]

Some other tips that aren't mentioned in the video. 1) During the sections where you're inside of a structure and the camera is right behind your leader character, you can hold the L button to center it and this reduces a lot of the headache you'd have with these sections otherwise. 2) I won't say why but there is a good combat advantage to getting your combo multiplier past 2.50 in this game so always try aiming for that whenever you fight enemies. 3) Keep in mind that you can turn off certain unite morphs and skills from the pause screen which may sound like a useless bit of knowledge but this will help you a lot when your fighting certain enemies in the game especially ones that can block, people who have played this game extensively will know what i'm talking about.

[@Jamradt]

Your enthusiasm for this game is infectious!

[@heitorbatista5392]

Another tip I think you forgot to mention: The Sword morph can reflects lasers. I don't remember the game telling the player this and it is insanely useful.

[@skippertheeyechild6621]

Aye, it does. There's a few QTE's where you have to deflect lasers with Blur's sword. I know it does it in the Orochee (sp?) boss fight.

[@heitorbatista5392]

Yes, there are QTE’s where this is the case, but I question the decision of teaching these mechanics in a 100% diagetic, although cinematic, way.

[@SpiritX100]

If you ever feel like doing it, you should definitely do one of your game commentaries for this.

[@gameswithtoasty3246]

One of my favourite games of all time. Its fricken awesome

[@viewtiful1doubleokamihand253]

It really, really is absolutely awesome.

[@LiquidSquidd]

You can really feel the passion you hold for this game. It put a smile on my face

[@saltycoffee8172]

Thanks for the birthday video Matthew!

[@Techn0taku]

Cynicism *IS* overrated.

[@SoShiBias]

I've finally played this wonderful game, and came here to drop my regards. Thankfully, the Wonder-Liner is easy for me to grasp and I quickly find how intuitive it is. It's crazy how much they demand of my right thumb alone yet it isn't detrimental to the action of the game. Had some troubles with the camera but I think I found out why from you here. Even though the movesets are smaller, but there's no limitation to how many weapons we can bring in this time. The entire arsenal is quite literally, at the tip of the finger. It also gives me joy that so many footprints from Okami can be felt here!

[@Elgar337]

Which version did you play? I don't know if I should get it on Steam or Switch. The fact that it includes drawing makes me hesitant.

[@SoShiBias]

I got it on Steam and playing it on my Dualshock 4. Fear not. Drawing is done by pushing the right analog stick of your controller. NOT by stylus or touchscreen. The right stick is the intended way to draw, and it feels completely natural! If you feel that way about the drawing mechanic, you probably have a skewed impression on it. It's a common misconception from newcomers looking at the game that I assume started as soon as the game's release (hence why this amazing game did not get the attention it deserved.) I'd recommend you check out another of Matthew's video called "How to enjoy Wonderful 101". Maybe you can feel out the mechanic better by watching that. Hesitate no more, buddy! If you like action games like the DMC and Bayonetta series like I do, this game will no doubt impress you :D @@Elgar337

[@SoShiBias]

Not sure if you get to read my first reply cuz I can't see it so here's another one to make sure. I got the Steam version and playing it on my DualShock 4. Fear not. Drawing is done by pushing the right analog stick of your controller. NOT stylus or touchscreen. The right-stick is the intended way to draw, and it feels completely natural. It is common for newcomers to feel intimidated by that mechanic. Their impressions were skewed for multiple reasons, which is why this amazing game didn't get the reception it deserves back when it launched. Visuals alone it may seems convoluted, but in actuality, it's very smoothly implemented. If you like action games like the DMC and Bayonetta series like I am, this game will certainly impress :D@@Elgar337

[@Elgar337]

Cool, thanks for the reply. I'll get it on Switch probably!@@SoShiBias

[@SoShiBias]

No problem. Glad to clarify it, and enjoy!@@Elgar337

[@Zimran03]

Please talk about Bayonetta 1 in your next video.

[@raypolaris3381]

Hey, Matt. I enjoy listening to your perspective on games, but I'll have to disagree with the point you made about camera movement and control. Some games benefit heavily from free cameras like, Nier:Automata, or Metal Gear Rising: Revengence. Those games simply wouldn't work as well without a camera that you can fully control because of things like verticality and the need for precise aiming. A developer might favor a free camera over a fixed camera for stylistic or immersive reasons as well. Also, for larger scale games, the idea of putting thousands of camera scripts littered all over the place would require effort from developers that could otherwise be put towards the rest of development. Not to mention, any game with a first-person perspective (Red Steel 2 comes to mind) wouldn't work anywhere near as fluidly without some form of manual camera control. I don't entirely disagree with your point on developers needing to pull a little more weight when it comes to making creative use of camera work, but I don't think that fixed or free cameras are inherently better or worse than one another in general. I believe it should be handled contextually on a case by case basis.

[@smack007]

I think you got the wrong thing out of his arguments. He is not saying manual control cameras are inherently bad. Nor is it wrong stylistically. It's just unfortunate that they are necessary on their own. At the end of the day, controlling a camera is not a deep mechanic, it's a requirement for the game to function properly. They don't just benefit from a free camera, it is fundamental to their design. I think the weapon change system is a great point for this because they nailed it in an interactive way, rather than passive like the camera. Platinum asked a question: How do you take something fundamental and necessary and give it depth? An action game with fun and varied game play needed weapon switching in their eyes, and they decided it would not just be apart of controlling the game, but apart of playing. First person shooters support this argument as well. Aiming, for many people, is intrinsically joyful, rewarding, has an infinite skill ceiling, and has depth, in that the way you must aim can change based on situation, weapon type, etc. This FPS system has taken the camera and made it a deep gameplay mechanic. Matthew is stating that in an action game, this is rarely the case. Automata and other action game camera free cameras can be argued for because you must aim, but auto targetting, lock on, and projectiles being generally only a smaller part of combat diminish that depth. Outside of those games, many action games simply present controlling the camera as something that is necessary so that you can view your surroundings. Don't get me wrong, I think positioning, awareness of surroundings, and the technical skill required to move it properly and switch between moving the camera and other actions give free cameras depth, but it only goes so far. An experienced gamer goes into most action games a practical master of free cameras. W101 recognizes this by removing it as a factor and allowing you to focus energy into its other very deep systems. I think the true question to extrapolate from Matt's point is: how can designers turn systems that we recognize as fundamental into mechanics? In the way that Minecraft has you use materials in specific arrangements or breath of the wild has you play with food combinations, turning crafting into a deeper mechanic than going to a menu and pressing a button once you have the appropriate materials, or for honor has you use the analog stick to have true control over your melee weapon, or action games let you turn simple jumping or falling into opportunity attacks - other fundamental systems should be looked at with a closer eye. Right now, we mostly craft the those mechanics out of the situational risk and requirements of performing the task itself - like drinking the estus flask in dark souls or positioning a camera in an action game - the environment and enemies are what gives them depth, what calls for the need to strategize. But I think many games could really grow from wondering how the simple acts of navigating menus, pressing buttons, drinking potions, swinging swords, climbing walls and moving characters can be turned into something much more.

[@raypolaris3381]

4:29 - 4:59 is particularly what I was, and still am, refering to. I do not see how else you could interpret that other than with a negative connotation without injecting a huge dose of conjecture. He specifically mentions the right analog stick and how it's boring to use for camera control, so I believe a mechanic such as aiming with the right stick, which through trial and error, has been found to be the most functionally solid way of aiming for a conventional controller in a 3rd or 1st-person perspective, is completely fair game for me to point out as clear instances of camera control not being "boring" to a lot of people, which in it of itself, is a very broad and subjective label that's hard to argue against due to it's subjective nature. There are many unique games that take advantage of free camera control that could be considered action games. Looking up the term "action game(s)" with a quick internet search results in an incredibly broad line-up of games ranging from everything from Spore, to Assassin's Creed. So, with that in mind, I'll be taking some liberties with that information to give a short list of a few more action titles that make effective use of a free camera that many different people don't find "boring"... Monster Hunter, Dishonored, Dark Souls, Batman: Arkham, Nioh, and Ōkami. To be clear, I'm not arguing against unconventional camera design without the use of the right analog stick, I'm just pointing out the merits that a free camera provides, and all of the possibilities it has along with it.

[@michelottens6083]

These types of cogent reflections on post-sixth-console-generation camera conventions and their detriments have been frustratingly rare for fifteen years already. Thanks, mr. Matosis.

[@val-lu8nu]

It's mostly cause of your recommendation that I pledged to the kickstarter back in february and I just wanted to say thanks! Started playing a couple days ago and I'm absolutely loving it. I've always been a fan of dmc and platinum's games, though always much more the former than the latter. There were always a few things in platinum's games that kept me from replaying them much or going the full mile and 100% them like I've done with some dmc games, but I don't see that being the case with TW10. I'm beyond excited to finish the game and start a new save on the next level of difficulty, and maybe even go for pure platinum at some point. Thanks again for getting me to play this wonderful game!

[@jerm5466]

I disagree slightly on your point about the camera. A good third person action camera can make it feel like you’re the cameraman trying to get the best shot in an action movie. You’re capable of capturing more perspectives with a controllable camera. This isn’t boring to me at all, in fact it can elevate the visual engagement to a whole new level. I do think W101 has a fantastic camera, but I don’t think it’s necessarily better at everything than a well implemented 3rd person camera.

[@thenonexistinghero]

I don't think it needs to look like a shot from an action movie, it just needs to look awesome. That being said, there are some seriously underrated cameras in games. The camera in Ninja Gaiden (Black) and Ninja Gaiden 2 seems to be pretty hated by most, but once you actually get good at those games you'll realize that the camera is actually an amazing tool that you can use to make the battle go in your favour, since enemy AI and actions are tied to their position relative to the camera and whether they are on-screen or not.

[@elfireii328]

I think Chipcheezum's analogy describes the combat system best. Fun fact. Almost every quicktime event has a unique failiure screen. "Think of the unite morphs like inputting fighting game commands"

[@jerm5466]

As someone who’s struggled a little bit with their first play through, this video is really encouraging. It’s easy to get whiplash playing this game so I’m happy to hear it rewards you the more you keep at it.

[@DiscoMouse]

“At first brush”, very nice indeed, I’m sure you were happy with that one.

[@aBDKstan]

this game has a lot of great thing going for it but a lot of issues too. some of the set pieces and gimmick sections are pretty bad and the camera sucks.

[@Kriss_ch.]

If there's one thing I hope Kamiya learns from DMC5, it's when not to indulge his tastes at the expense of the core gameplay. Quirks like that are something you have to take when you let an auteur take the reins, but I have never met someone who didn't think the gimmicky sections of his games dragged even when they love his games. Maybe DMC5 is an overcorrection with how there's never any variety in gameplay modes beyond the playable characters, an occasional setpiece wouldn't have gone amiss to change things up a little and I think Kamiya's scripted boss finishers always feel awesome. But I really respect not doing QTEs, not doing simple arcade-style shooter sections and not wasting the player's time with frustrating one-off gimmicks. If they ever do make a Bayo X Dante crossover game, at this rate Dante's sections will be all character action while Bayo will ride a missile for half an hour instead.

[@64UPAllGOD]

To be entirely fair, I don't think DMC5 would be able to get away with its relentless core gameplay focus without the forced character swapping, at least outside the highly dedicated players. The core problem is that the actions games Kamiya makes have 3 speeds by default: Blisteringly fast, a dead crawl (think walking to next arena or basic platforming), or cutscene. The extraneous gameplay modes, while often falling flat, give the genre some middle ground for pacing purposes. DMC5 gets that partially through V, who plays a little more deliberately, but at the very least it can change up the kind of blisteringly fast engagement it offers.

[@LaerHeiSeiRyuu]

Literal 10/10 game once you learn how it plays. Pure unadulterated joy.

[@LaerHeiSeiRyuu]

Making something perfect is really about tweaking what you think works and doesnt work. This is easier and easier the less moving parts you have in a concept ( Like Tetris for instance) But that can only come after you've made a thing and really thought for years and years about its strengths and weaknesses. This is why a game like melee is still being played to this day and continuing to evolve with the techniques that players bring to it to exploit the dynamics they're playing around with

[@LaerHeiSeiRyuu]

Kamiya adding multi unite morphs at the very last minute for the initial shipping schedule to ratchet up the fun of the game is a really good testament to this fact that there's only so much we can see at any one limited duration of time when we're creating something.

[@joshuaquintero4817]

Crazy how God of War got the camera thing right originally and then the 4th game of the series regressed

[@weaverquest]

Can't relate. I don't really enjoy GoW 3 after playing GoW 4 and I play the latter all the time.

[@bowskiaws5432]

Now that a remastered version is available on PC I will finally be able to play it!

[@collette3428]

God I'm disappointed in the Switch version Matt. I did a media blackout and bought it blindly assuming PlatinumGames would keep the Switch version as the lowest benchmark. It plays so goddamn poorly. I prefer the WiiU version at this point. Looking at upgrading my CPU to get it on PC eventually, the Switch version feels unplayable in places. So goddamn crestfallen as I was hyped for it

[@Flameb0]

If you have a ps4 pro its pretty perfect on there

[@pangur3257]

>Looking at upgrading my CPU I have a shitty Pentium G4560 with two cores and 1050ti, and the game works at rock solid 60fps at 1080p. Not a single frame drop, no stutter, loads in about 2-3 seconds. It is a very undemanding PC port.

[@skippertheeyechild6621]

I'm eventually going to get it on PC. Not too keen on the soundtrack changes (the new versions of Tables Turn and Wonstoppable) but I'm hoping those get fan patched out if there's no option to revert to the original OST.

[@MasterHayabusa18]

I really love Platinum and Kamiya's previous games, but I must say one of the primary reasons I backed TW101 was your previous video in which you recommended it. And now after 74 hours already put in it and many more to come I must say: thank you. It really is a unique take on the action genre, which I love, and even if it has some flaws, like some annoying "alternative sections" (I really enjoyed the Punch-Out bosses, but for example the shoot'em up section you showed in this video is really annoying, especially for the camera), even if it has one of the most steep learning curve I've ever seen, in the end it really gives you back all you put in and it's incredibly satisfying to master, like only the best action games are.

[@CornishCreamtea07]

So I've had this on the Wii U for years, I got fairly far than quite as other stuff came out. I've since tried going back to it, however I've come to realise that this is not a game that you can just pick back up. So in order to complete it I have now got to go through early missions again to relearn how to play the game.

[@LaerHeiSeiRyuu]

mess around with the touch screen to reaclimate yourself to the pacing, then play with the stick once you've remembered how to use the various skills to control the flow of battle

[@jbailiaymen9192]

no game except tetris is without flaws I didn't hear this since long time really the simplest the game the more perfect it can be

[@darinfeagins6050]

Considering the devs shouted out his previous review...perhaps that last gripe will get addressed!

[@saiyangodbroly26]

Really appreciated this video. Was struggling with adjusting to the combat after routinely landing PPs in Bayonetta, but you've convinced me to jump in and give another try. Your passion for this game is so evident and it makes me want to enjoy it just as much.

[@charlesgray6385]

It can take some getting use to but once you have it’s incredibly satisfying. Hope you enjoy it.

[@petwisk2012]

6:50 i would love a reality where we had 6 face buttons and 4 aditional Shoulder buttons, the sky would be The limit for Action Games

[@kerred]

I loved the 5th and 6th buttons on the steam controller where I could jump without taking my thumbs off the sticks in a shooter. I hope future consoles integrate grip buttons or better yet how steam allows you to rebind controls for any game even if the game doesn't support it

[@racoonknux49]

You should have made it a point to say the word "wonderful" exactly 101 times

[@Sophie_the_Sapphic]

He said it 5 times which is 101 in binary.

[@omgcandy16Kimicari0]

I liked that you were able to re-phrase some of the points you made in your review years ago to make the game even more appealing and approachable.

[@JeY_k]

8:38 I feel like this is why I enjoy a much wider variety of games than my friends. They boot up a new game, they force it to try an play a certain way, and get frustrated when it doesn't let them, and then give up. I've seen this so many times. I've always been capable of letting go my expectations and seeing what a game wants from the player and deciding after giving it an honest attempt at the way it wants me to play it to see if its any fun. It usually is. There's a few games I couldn't get into, but that's reasonable to expect that I wouldn't like absolutely everything. This statement you make here is such a good and widely applicable statement. One of my friends hates Monster Hunter because he forces it to play a certain way that doesn't work. It's so disheartening since we could be playing it together if he let go of his expectations and gave it a fair chance.

[@timothylee6782]

So you would say it is possible to play a game wrong?

[@remembertotakeshowerspleas355]

@@timothylee6782 Absolutely possible if "wrong" means "not how the designers intended". This doesn't prevent you from having fun it does make it much less likely.

[@josiahferrell5022]

So there ARE people like me out there...

[@davidlynch4202]

Babe it's 4pm, time for your wonderful 101 playthrough

[@dashi-musashi351]

I _think_ I’m gonna check this game out. At first sight it doesn’t seem like the type of game I would ever get; looks like some kind of RTS, but that drawing mechanic sounds pretty interesting, and I keep seeing people recommend this as an action game with deep combat despite its look.

[@viewtiful1doubleokamihand253]

It absolutely is that. Hope you are enjoying it.

[@jonnymario771]

Damn this game looks so freaking fun, but also intimidating to try xD

[@StephenTheZ]

Been thinking a lot about W101 lately since it is a really unique and fun action game which led me back to watching this video again. I have to say after playing the game myself (which I had not when all of these videos came out) there is a certain bias factor here that I am not the biggest fan of. I understand Matthew has a deep love for the game (even saying it's his favorite in some other videos/live streams) but the entire middle of the video talking about weapon swapping and camera stuff is very disingenuous. Real time weapon swapping, for example, might not be a "mechanic" on its own but it is part of a gameplay concept in most games that use it, like DMC3 (the example in this video.) It's an extension of the freeform combo system concept. With no real time swapping you lose out on most of what makes the DMC3 combo system fun. It's essentially semantics to argue that it's not a mechanic, the simple fact is that the system does achieve a conceptual goal with combat design. Especially because true real time weapon swapping is actually not as common as this video makes it out to be. The way DMC does it for example lets you cancel recovery frames of your last attack (outside of finishers) and buffer in another action. Is a button that changes the state of your character not a mechanic? I mean it's easy to say many games have real time weapon swapping, but, I think we would all agree that it works completely different in DMC3 vs. say Elden Ring for example, yeah? In fact you can even take this further with what Team Ninja is doing these days with Nioh/SoP/Wo Long. You have just a simple weapon switch input but if you time the press correctly under certain conditions you can trigger unique attacks and counterattacks. Point being, it's not right to just lump "weapon swapping" into a vague categorical concept; it works differently in every game that has it. Framing the video as if W101 is solving "problems" feels very wrong to me. None of these things are "hindrances", they're all trade offs. It bugs me because it's very easy to turn all of these points around. I can easily say that W101's weapon swapping and camera system means the game has to have a much simpler moveset compared to other action games and there is less room for creativity. Makes it sound like the game sucks when I say that, even though I don't think that obviously. Very weird video in retrospect. It's better to celebrate the unique things that make W101 fun instead of using them as a springboard to lambast other game design choices.

[@SoShiBias]

Great points. I've heard that the weapon swapping in DMC3 started off as a limitation at first, but of course limitations breed creativity. I would consider the properties offer between the swap a mechanic, though I am not sure if that was a happy incident initially. In any case I'm glad games down the line has taken it and spin their own flavors with it. This is what I have been thinking after playing DMC4. I'm really tempted to call the ceiling of that game "infinite" because of how much potential it offers by some of those 'hidden' mechanics', and all the high level play I've seen is unique to each player. When you're playing with "style" beyond that stylish bar, it becomes pure player expressions. But since I heard that 'inertia' was deliberately removed in DMC5, those mechanics felt like glitches and bugs left open to the benefit of the game. Whereas Bayonetta and TW101 for example, the intent of their mechanics came through clearer, purposefully included, and solidified by interacting with other design elements. So on the DMC-side we have all hell broke loose, the limit is each player's ability, and the Platinum-side we have a more intricately designed full course meal. Almost like 2 schools of design philosophies. I don't think I have a preference at this point though.

[@SoShiBias]

Gave your comment and the points made in the video some more thoughts and I here's what I think. Ideally, DMC3 will not require a single press of a button to swap out a moveset, and lock behind another. If there are enough buttons allowed on a controller, each movesets can just be their own button, available at all times. Imagine you play DMC3 on a keyboard and you can assign 1 key on each weapon. But of course it will be very complex to learn, in exchange for that freedom. At 6:27 ~ 6:46, Matthew addresses this. Every quirk that is offered by the Swap itself (ie Animation Cancel) can still be available without Swapping. In fact, it may become easier. You just tap a button to another in the correct rhythm or timing. If we limit it to 2 melee weapons using DMC3 as an example, Let's bind them to J and K, you just have press J, then K. Animation cancel happens between that sequence naturally. But with the current state, the "Attack" button has to activate the attacks of *both* weapons, on top of the Swap. You now need to do 3 button presses to do the sequence I just described (Attack, Swap(AC), Attack). This reminds me of the points Matthew made in the Context Sensitivity video haha As far as I know, you can do weapon swap in DMC3&4 at any given time even when you're in a damaged state, bypassing anything happening in real time. You just can't actually initiate them when staggered. But as Matthew said on 6:58, Weapon Swapping in TW101 is a full-fledged mechanic that you have to consider while doing it. It interacts with the rules given at that point. Now, a lot can be said still with the usual Swapping function. Say if we really do allow all weapons being available and easily cancelable in DMC3, will mashing buttons become overpowered? Is dedicating the AC property to the Swap button better suited to tamper the mashing issue? Maybe animation cancel then should be done within the character animation frames itself? Press the next attack button within whatever frame to get proper AC, lenient or precise, to circumvent mashing? Can the Swap button becomes a mechanic that erases animation on a "10 weapons available at all time at your fingertips" action game? This is all very interesting indeed. Thanks for reading if you did. I hope I get my points across by threading on Matthew's words.

[@levajsics]

I'm extremely proud to announce I successfully pulled off petting my head and rubbing my stomach on the first go

[@outsider8683]

Insightful analysis, bruh. Good work.🦝

[@froggywoggy473]

"No game, except Tetris, is without flaws." Subscribed

[@Treem0re]

"Controlling a camera is simply a boring task" *sweats in MOBA*

[@superbn0va]

Love Wonderfull 101 💙

[@OtogiMyth]

Wonderful 102 can't come soon enough

[@ericvargas5362]

your description of the weapon drawing mechanic makes me remember of Okami, where you had to draw the technics you wanted to use

[@FaustoRomano9]

That's likely where the pulled it from, considering it's made by the same people. Platinum games is the studio that the people from clover made after clover shut down.

[@LaerHeiSeiRyuu]

@@FaustoRomano9 Its Okami x Pikmin x Power Rangers x Bayonetta.

[@SenseiRaisen]

As a friend describe it: its the best Guren Lagann / Power Rangers game ever made.

[@viewtiful1doubleokamihand253]

It truly is.

[@Jesse__H]

Is it only on the switch and the wiiu tho?

[@maahesghulainn9480]

You mentioned before in the original review and here that some enemies block your ability to draw in a certain direction, and then later mention Attack Liner, but I'm surprised you never mentioned that Attack Liner is why you cant draw towards armored enemies.

[@Flameb0]

This game probably has one of the steepest learning curves of any single player game in the past decade. But I'm glad I stuck with it, it might by my favorite game of all time right now. If you have a Ps4 pro, get that version over the switch.

[@viewtiful1doubleokamihand253]

Still. The best. Thing. I have ever played. In my life.

[@skippertheeyechild6621]

The ending dude. The ending. PROTECT EARTH.

[@viewtiful1doubleokamihand253]

@@skippertheeyechild6621 with a counter-attack the name of which is literally an amalgamation of all things good, opposed to malice and hatred of a character who’s name is literally “evil galaxy”… The secret intelligence this game possesses is off the charts. It is masking its pure heart and serious face under clown makeup for most of the time, but is telling a story of bulwark hope, determination and shining heroism.

[@skippertheeyechild6621]

@viewtiful1doubleokamihand253 Could not have said it better myself. I just love the way everything clicks with the ending. For example, Vorkken and Immorta's ships coming in to join the Virgin Victory and then you realise what shape their laser charge up forms. The game literally has you draw the games icon as a final attack to save Earth. It's so sad the game will never get the love it deserves.

[@viewtiful1doubleokamihand253]

@@skippertheeyechild6621 Very true. That is why I have been annoying people into playing it ever since it came out the second time with the remaster and will CONTINUE doing so as long as I can.

[@jabronijackpot]

Matthew, this is the 7th week in a row you've shown the wonderful 101 in class

[@MegaMar14]

Sorry guys, 101 just doesn’t click with me.

[@mirrorblade6268]

I didnt like it either. Perhaps try Okami which is a superior game by same developer?

[@MegaMar14]

Mirror Blade not big on Okami either. That was made by Clover, same members different studio.

[@SantiagoNasrax]

I bought Rain World because of your recommendation and I hated it. This looks cool though.

[@gungachingaunga]

We come to you in a time of great need, The Last of Us 2; a review from you would be great especially given your incredible prior commentaries and no bs objective outlook.

[@pepi7404]

Aww, that was a really wholesome conclusion.

[@Matt-gh2zm]

Yes to 6 face button modern controllers. This would add so much. The genesis/saturn button layout is excellent.

[@widdoo1013]

Team, Unite Up!

[@kinerino]

Roger!

[@randomthoughtJB]

I started playing this game last year and I couldn't get into it so I put it down for awhile but I promised myself I would give it another chance. I retried it this year and it's one of the best action games I've played. There are a few things that annoy me like the camera at points not being zoomed out fair enough for me or in a shooter section checkpoint placing me near a wall with barely enough time to open to door but the combat and over the top action is some of the best I've seen in a long time.

[@viewtiful1doubleokamihand253]

Glad you liked it :) To put the camera back push and hold a dedicated button, which is on the "L1" if you are playing with a gamepad, which is really the only way to play TW101 effectively. As to Kamiya's obsession for the shooter sections... Ye-eah, they are a bit arcade-merciless. I advise you watch NinjaSayo's playthrough of those moments - he shows a couple of useful tricks in terms of wonder-liner usage in the underwater shooter segments. That ending, though, right ?) Man, *THAT* ending :)

[@randomthoughtJB]

@@viewtiful1doubleokamihand253 Yeah I knew to pull the camera back but there were times I felt like it could of been pulled back a bit more but it's not a deal barker and I'll check Ninjasayos videos out at some point. And yes the ending was quite spectacular ^.^

[@viewtiful1doubleokamihand253]

@@randomthoughtJB This game, man... It is literally one sole thing from 2020 that I absolutely needed. Kind of amazing how much more 2020 needed this 2013 game then 2013 itself. Basically everything happening in 009-C is absolutely over-the-top goodwill-filled excitement. I seriously can't remember the last game I played that had this type of *absolutely positive tone about itself* . The way characters move and talk , how and what they say, how they act in the face of danger... It's tear-worthy, really - makes you realize that this is a game carefully mascarading as a kid's entertainment piece, which is made by adults with some serious understanding of what heroism is.

[@nhall129]

Welp you convinced me... and i love this game. Thank you!

[@elfireii328]

9:59 unite morphs CAN do stinger and rising commands! If you do the stick inputs and press the multimorph button rather than the attack button.

[@jamesrustle7536]

Matt gets it.

[@generalwoofles6240]

I played it again and really couldn’t get into it despite wanting to. Bad camera, annoying characters, and annoying objectives really turned me off.

[@jerm5466]

Reloading my subscriber videos to see you posted a video 1 second ago might be the best feeling Ive had in quarantine

[@maxgarcia6231]

Thanks for reccomending the game. I always wanted to play it since the first trailer came out because wonder red gave me viewtiful joe vibes, but I didn't get a wii u until like 2015, and I had already forgotten about the game by then. This channel reminded me of it again, and I just finished my first playthrough yeaterday. It was pretty fucking great. One of the best games I played all year.

[@viewtiful1doubleokamihand253]

:) Same here. I think this game quite literally saved my life.

[@lullaboid]

i've never played the wonderful 101, but now i feel like i should. the section about cameras in 3D games in general that you touch on at 4:29 got me thinking a silly thought for a moment. so the wonderful 101 addresses the point that camera systems are often an arbitrary barrier to gameplay by minimizing the amount of interaction the player needs to have with it at all, but what would the opposite of that look like? what if there was a game that wanted to try and fix that problem by going in the opposite direction, and trying to elevate the camera system into an actual element of gameplay? what would that even look like? ...i had an idea, but then this comment turned into an essay-pitch about a hypothetical game that will probably never exist, let alone be fun, so... maybe i should just go play wonderful 101 instead ^^"

[@-Zakedodead]

I feel like it would look like an fps or pokemon snap(an fps). Center an object in the camera frame and click.

[@ducksauce2696]

4/10 - Gamespot. I am thankful there are critics like Matthew to help us uncover gems like the Wonderful 101 opposed to most gaming journalists who can't take the time to sink their teeth into a project more complex than a traffic sign.

[@senecauk8363]

Critpoints did a recent blog post on this, about how the User Experience (UX) in this game is dreadful, resulting in huge barriers for new players. Matthewmatosis puts a more positive spin on this, so that is interesting...

[@alonor5189]

They had a nice little exchange on Twitter: twitter.com/Evilagram/status/1274859287169257472?s=19

[@mrhobs]

Which version is this? I'm stuck with the terrible Switch port. I'm guessing this is on the PS4 Pro or PC??

[@ChaosAngelZero]

This is also the reason why I prefer playing MGS3 with its original camera system: the entire control scheme is designed around not having to babysit the right stick.

[@LaerHeiSeiRyuu]

Babysitting the camera only really works in monster hunter because it teaches you about COMMITMENT

[@salehalhajri7745]

I would love to see you doing a commentary for this game

[@alonor5189]

That's his endgame plan, you heard it here first.