Nine Patricks, Nine Beers, One Spoilercast

Coming to this years after the fact, but the "everyone dies" ending is the only time the game felt like it was truly cheating the twist.

Considering who the killer turns out to be, and who it COULD HAVE been, they generated a lot of fake suspense with that one. That said: helluva story and helluva lot of great twists.

Replayed this game. Despite its flaws, still a great game

Literally just finished it, damn..

One of the finest experiences I have had on any system. Brilliant throughout, only had a few very minor gripes like that you can't skip puzzles when replaying it. I kinda think you have to meet the story halfway, but if you do its fantastic. The characters are super well done and the game can get incredibly creepy as well. Some of those bad endings really made me uncomfortable. Something real special that I won't forget anytime soon.

Great video. Patrick's enthusiasm for the game finally convinced me to go back and play through it and I thought it was pretty great. The rough spots can be a drag, especially the text speed, but it's completely worth it in the end.

Borrowed 999 from my friend and just finished it. Amazing story, maybe the best video game story I've ever played, such smart plot design and tons of amazing details, somehow everything makes perfect sense. Such an amazing game

So I just finished 999. I was really expecting a Bioshock type thing with you being zero. Like you, the player. And I think it's kind of there, but less explicit. YOU the player summon all the participants by putting the cart in, YOU the player experience all the endings to make sense of things and direct Junpei around, YOU the player are the one manipulating the bottom screen (which is where all the zero narration takes place). Maybe I'm just reading too much into it. I don't know. Fuck I loved that game.

@Phatmac said:

I just beat the game so now I'll reward myself with this! Thanks @patrickklepek for making me play 999!

I'll have to echo that statement, just finished the game myself with all the endings. Thanks @patrickklepek !

I just beat the game so now I'll reward myself with this! Thanks @patrickklepek for making me play 999!

I also just recently finished the game, and Maaaaaan what a trip. So many times during the game I ended up putting the system down, just to do the math about who can do what that the game was already about to do for me, and also so many times I just had to set the game down for a few minutes to process some crazy new piece of infromation.

A few answers to the concerns Patrick had in the spoilercast are in the block below, and some other thoughts I just need to get out...

I think I need to just ordered a copy of VLR from Amazon. Doesn't seem to be a copy within 25 miles any other way. If you happen to need a second Patrick to chat up on that one later on... Just sayin'

I finished this game early this morning, so glad you started talking about it on the bombcast Patrick because it's a game that I always was interested in playing but never had that urge to actually buy it. Fell in love with the game, and now I'm probably going to buy a 3DS just to play VLR. Also really want to try the infinity series if I can find a way to play it.

Great idea to do a spoilercast. This series wouldn't be appropriate for a quick look, but it's too damn good to outright ignore. Looking forward to another for VLR.

So happy to see 999 getting the attention I think it deserves and that so many people are enjoying it. I randomly found it on Amazon one day, a Gamespot review said "this is good!", so I bought it on a whim and took it on a trip. I didn't watch any TV the whole time I was there, every spare moment in my hotel room or on the plane was with 999.

Also, it was the second game in as many weeks I'd played with a serious exploration of morphogenetic fields, which is quite apt and.....creepy, when you think about morphogenetic fields.

Over the past five days, I went from being vaguely angry and belligerent about people liking 999 so much after my own experience not liking the initial demo puzzle to immediately purchasing VLR as 999's credits rolled.

You win, Patrick.

@XtremePudim said:

EDIT: Just bought a copy of VLR and a 3DS online, cant wait for both to get here

I didn't care at all about the 3DS until I played 999, and now I absolutely have to get one. I'll definitely be doing the same soon enough.

#Team Patrick

Thanks to this, i finally got around to playing virtues last reward. which im very thankful for since its probably my goty now, most fun ive had all year with a game,

Also, whats are peoples problems with Sudoku, its super easy to learn.

Just finished 999 and had some thoughts I would like to share:

Watching 30% of this video compelled me to play 999 and even knowing some of the twists and turns of the story didn’t make this game any less amazing. it has, as Patrick likes to call it, "a earned twist" that may be one of the greatest twists in videogames, because it works in both a story and gameplay level. This game is amazing and is my favorite game ever for the DS.

Thanks to the community for nagging Patrick into playing the game, thanks to Patrick for playing it, talking about it and making this video, and fuck you both very much because now I need to buy a Vita so I can play Virtue's Last Reward.

EDIT: Just bought a copy of VLR and a 3DS online, cant wait for both to get here

Okay, just finally completed true end 999 last night.. words cannot describe. Jeebus. Go play this game if you haven't already. It's one of those rare experiences that leaves a large gaping hole in my heart that cannot be filled the moment I completed it.

I completed every puzzle including the Sudoku puzzle on my own, though I did have to run to my computer to learn the rules of Sudoku (and to be fair, they practically give you the solution to nearly every puzzle if you fail it enough times). With everything that was on the line during that final puzzle, I felt like I would cheapen the experience if I looked up the exact solution. Sudoku isn't too difficult, but it will still take a fair amount of time to "get it" and develop a method to the madness. Do not put down a number unless you are 100% certain it belongs there (there will always be at least one slot you can define with assurance at one time).

Also, I have to give props to how they delivered the story using the DS to its fullest extent in a way that it wouldn't work as well on any other platform; particularly during that final puzzle. Brilliant.

I definitely sympathize with being drawn towards flawed games that try something different. All of my favorite games are games that I could write books on how flawed they are, but at least they experiment and try something that isn't based on solid ground. I can't stand most big budget titles anymore because of how "perfect" they are.

And I agree, Snake was the best character.

@Vyper said:

Awesome vid trickkkk

this game is sooo good

Great video and interesting to watch and listen to the spoilers. But Patrick, please, quit picking your nose.

And Sudoku's easy to learn. 9 squares of 9 blocks, 9 blocks across and down. (Hmmm, 999...) Each square, row and column must contain 1-9 with no repeats. I'm guessing them using Sudoku is to tie into the title, the fact that there are 9 characters you could see as the numbers in a game of Sudoku and the true ending is when you line up all of the numbers just right.

I actually just figured out what Lotus' connection was to the Nonary Game. It's in the sixth ("submarine") ending.

YES!

I've never had a more "INSIDE THE FACE OF THE TINY KID THAT WRITES WORTH READING" moment in my life. Cheers.

@Japanese games

Yeah, it's the meeting the game halfway thing. This is a problem larger that Japan, though.

I love that he did this on his own time. I also love that he's into this series now.

On Patrick's recommendation really enjoyed 999, just starting VLR. Wanted to say thanks, also great video.

The answers section of the 999 website has a ton of great questions answered by the writer (spoilers obviously), don't know if Patrick mentioned it: www.aksysgames.com/999/answers Mandatory reading if you've played through the game.

Hooray!

@patrickklepek Definitely glad to hear you weren't disappointed by the nagging. Glad you could see past the flaws of the actual game part to enjoy the overall, expertly-crafted unique story experience.

I mentioned the Infinity series. Uchikoshi was the lead designer on 999/Virtue's, and also the co-scenario writer for the Infinity series (Never7: The End of Infinity, Ever17: The Out of Infinity, Remember11: The Age of Infinity, and 12Riven: The Psi-Climinal of Integral being the key pieces of that franchise until the studio closed and everyone important went their own separate ways). It's a series I'd recommend for similar sci-fi story twists. Specifically, as I said in the pre-spoilercast thread, I'd recommend Remember11. It's the best story, with the most "what the fuck" moments that will take you years of on and off pondering to completely figure out (or constant scouring of wiki articles). Ever17 was the one which came highly-praised enough to make me leap in, though it might turn you off for being a little too "dating sim-y." Again, like I said, the ultimate payoff makes it well worth the experience if that's your turnoff.

Oh, and it's definitely necessary to note that these are all straight-up visual novels. No puzzle solving, besides the greater puzzle of the story.

Uggggh now I have to hurry up and finish 999 so I can watch this.

Thanks!

@patrickklepek Just because of you I bought 999 last week. Today morning I had the submarine ending, I think it's a great ending, I feel already satisfied, I started the second playtrought, I love to see the different sides of the story and I really hate the repetitions in some parts

@Protome said:

The idea of the multiple endings being different timelines sounds exactly the same as the twist in the anime Higurashi no Naku Koro ni.

I've never played 999, but I've watched a good deal of Higurashi and by listening to this it feels pretty similar. In the beginning everyone is confused as to what is truly going on in the series. Are they hallucinating? Are these different viewpoints of a single events? Are these retellings of the same scenario with different people switched around? The twist is fantastic in the series because it doesn't provide a solution, but a means by which to solve the problem in the future.

The same could be said for Steins; Gate and to a lesser degree Madoka, but they don't really have the same twists and mystery solving aspect.

Very interesting video Patrick!

SCOOOOOOOOOOOOPS!!!!!!!!!!

@bvilleneuve: There is a lot of good Japanese VN, even some good ones with Moe elements.

@patrickklepek You should totally check out Analogue: A Hate Story. It's amazing.

I get this weird feeling that Patrick's enjoyment of 999 is tied to the same preferences that made him a fan of Lost. Now, I liked Lost, but that was years ago, and I find a lot of twist-oriented media just tires me the hell out these days. Regardless, I do enjoy just knowing what the twists are in this series. It's cool that something really good seems to have come out of the Japanese VN culture.

SCOOOOOOOOOOOOPS!!!!!!!!!!

@Lyfeforce said:

Haven't watched it yet (cuz' spoilers), but nine beers over one hour? Patrick's drinkin' skills must be legendary.

Well maybe not legendary but even speaking as a Dane, sure, that's a lot of beer... Good luck with that. Also, christmas comes early, this is super awesome Patrick!

That's it, I'm ordering 999 from amazon.

999 Patricks and a bitch ain't one

Haven't watched it yet (cuz' spoilers), but nine beers over one hour? Patrick's drinkin' skills must be legendary.

Pretty sure that's not how you pronounce "coerce" Patrick :P

Whatever you think about 999 will be blown away in VLR. You might need to do a follow up video with a VLR spoilercast.

spoiler'n with scoops

The idea of the multiple endings being different timelines sounds exactly the same as the twist in the anime Higurashi no Naku Koro ni.

Great stuff, Patrick!:)

I ask this as someone with a huge amount of appreciation and admiration for 999: Why does everyone say that the knowledge you gain from previous playthroughs is crucial to later ones? The primary way the story branches is by choosing what number door you want to go through, and I haven't seen the path to get the true ending discernible in the game. I had to resort to a handy little flowchart I found on Gamefaqs.

Great stuff, Patrick!

@patrickklepek Your confusion on how June could be both dead and alive in the past, and alive in the present is understandable, but... Play VLR. It won't give you a straight answer, but it will broaden your understanding of how the universe of Zero Escape works.

Also, since you did one for 999, you are now formally bound to make a spoilercast for VLR :P