Menu Systems

I must confess it's been nearly a month since I've posted anything, and I'm terribly sorry about that! I've been so caught up with the back to school rush and such, I've barely found time to play HM, much less write about it.  When I realized this fault, I kept putting it off, too lazy to come up with anything interesting to say.  As I put in my copy of HM:AP this morning however, I was marveling overt he convenience of the menu system.  

This got me thinking.  Why aren't all HM games this convenient? I know I've had real issues with some of the way menu systems were set up in past games.  I guess it's true that things only get better as they age, but looking back, I decided to compare and contrast the menu systems.  At first I was going to do a joint comparison, using all my HM games as an example.  But seeing as I have both a limited amount of time and a shorter string of patience, I thought it best to limit it to two.   After debating between Magical Melody vs. Another Wonderful Life and Tree of Tranquility vs. Animal Parade, I decided to stick to the general wii theme of the blog so far and compare the ups and downs of each using a three part judging system. 

Accessibility:

Tree of Tranquility - 8/10.  ToT seemed convenient at first, using the "c" button on the nunchuck (using the nunchuck/remote setting) to access the ring menu at the top of the screen, without using loading screens to slow us down.    However, holding down the same button to access the main menu was slow and lazy, reducing this score slightly.  

Animal Parade - 9/10.  AP improved in the menu accessibility by changing it altogether.  The same "c" button now open the general menu with a tap, and the down button on the control pad opened up the original ring menu.  While a bit awkward after so many hours of ToT, it was an easy adjustment, and much faster, earning AP the win for accessibility.

Appearance:

Tree of Tranquility - 10/10.  Everything about the menu appearance of ToT is perfect! The design is "tranquil" and incredibly done, giving an organic, rich feel that tied in beautifully with the appearance of the game.  Everything from the wrapping vines on the ring menu to the parchment-style background on the main menu really brought together the theme and feel wonderfully.

Animal Parade - 8/10.  I'll be honest in saying that I was not impressed with the menu style and appearance in AP.  Don't get me wrong- It was fine.  It just wasn't great.  The first thing noticeable is the difference in the ring menu.  The publishers have switched out the classy, elegant vines and gold for rounded, cutesy clovers and a more cartoony style.  As I said, it's not that I don't like it, I just don't love it.  The same issue arises in the main menu panels too, with a general feeling of something missing.  Therefore, ToT takes the win.

Functionality:

Tree of Tranquility - 9/10.  I loved the way the ToT menu functioned.  It was nearly perfect! The pages turned efficiently, everything was easy to maneuver and reorganize and data and stats were simple to understand.  The only fault was the short loading time to get to the menus initially, and that lacks in comparison to AP's noticeable lag.  

Animal Parade - 7/10.  The menu in AP just didn't cut it for me.  The loading time both to access the panels initially and to switch from page to page was barely acceptable, and the organization lacked in presence as well.  The bonus of characters ordered by heart level as seen in ToT was lacking and extremely inconvenient, and many of the other statistical pages seemed less convenient as well.  

Final Results:

Tree of Tranquility - 9/10

Animal Parade - 8/10

And the winner is, surprisingly, ToT, with a much more convenient menu in general.  What do you think?

Meringue's All Grown Up!

This post isn't exactly informative, and it may not even be exciting to you, but I was thrilled today while playing HM:AP, and had to share my excitement!  I was unable to capture the first few scenes on the "Child's Day", but they consisted of Gill and I talking, and then Meringue running toward us, exclaiming that she had "dressed herself for the special day".  We then followed her to the Church where Perry greeted us and gave her some "life advice".  Then it was back to Simon's Photo Shop for a family portrait.  Finally we headed back home at 12:00.  You can see what Gill's daughter looks like with her long blonde hair.  Her starter outfit is pink, but she also has a green dress in the closet.  Sorry the video is shaky, I'll check into a tripod next time. :)