Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (19th July)

I've been playing through the Ridge Racer series. I'm currently on the 3DS one!

Hey everyone.
The last couple of weeks I finished Vigil: The Longest Night.
Absolutely loved it.

Started Tevi, really enjoying it.
It has a huge map with heaps of areas to explore.

Also grabbed DK Bananza so I'm looking forward to going bananas.

I have Shadow Labyrinth Secret Edition, Pipistrello and Chronicles of the Wolf on the way to me so I'll have plenty of games to play soon.
You can never have too many games.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Heard there was a new big monkey game out where you smash things. Might play that.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

I'm about to use a key to enter a palace, after finding all the collectibles. Before I continue though I'd like to clear the DLC with Radjen. I will be left with the Divine Trials and I like to get all my amulets to level +1. I'm sitting at 92.5%.

Tetris Effect Connected

Participating in the weekly ritual + full moon as usual.

Mario Kart World

Trying to get the third star I'm missing in three of the Knockout Tours.

Happy gaming! ✌🏻🧡🎮

I'll be getting to bananza at some point this weekend.

Donkey Kong and Mario kart back to back. It is a rainy day.

DKB, absolutely loving it 10/10 Masterpiece 🤩

The Drifter, a point-and-click adventure that was released just this week. There will be a Switch version later this year, but I couldn't wait, so playing on the laptop and the Deck instead.

if I had a S2, I would be playing DKB for sure. Hope you are all enjoying it.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Dark Souls III on my PS5, which is fantastic btw. A Dark Souls Trilogy for Switch 2 (with ports of the PS4 versions) would be a blast!

Almost no gaming for me! Friends and family this weekend. If I have the time maybe one hour or two on No Man's Sky. Happy gaming everyone!

I'll be switching between Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2/3+4 and Warriors: Abyss (newest update added Ninja Gaiden characters).

Since the last Splatfest I've been playing Splatoon 3 a little more again, so I'll be playing some of that.
Since they added Yoshi's Story to Nintendo Music I've also been playing that here and there. I never actually beat all the levels in that game, let alone doing an all melon run, so that's what I'm doing currently.
I'll admit, I've always found Yoshi's Story to just be a mediocre game, but now that I'm playing it more I'm really finding the charm in this one and that makes me happy.

No DK for me as of yet. But that'll come later. Depends on if I find it below a certain price or not, because a DK fan I am not. I have the amiibo at least though. That one's cool.

Probably something involving banana's.

Sonic x Shadow Generations

Other than doing my dailies and taking care of the latest event in Genshin Impact, definitely Donkey Kong Bananza. I played a bit of it last night, but I don't think I got very far.

Good evening.
This weekend I played The Sims 4 PS4 on my PS5 machine All Day Long. 😀

I renovated some of previous made houses and change the old furniture with new installed DLC furniture, change the interior and exterior looking.

Playing Donkey Kong Bananza on the Switch 2 at the moment. I’m at layer 1.100.
Also bought No More Heroes 1 and 2 last week on sale which I’ll be playing after.
Besides that some more Fortnite on PS5

Seeing as this week I treated myself to a Switch 2, I’ll mostly be playing Nintendo 😀 I’m quite enjoying Mario Kart World, though have mostly been working my way through the Grand Prix mode. Haven’t yet touched Knockout tour, which I’ve heard is better. Have to say, I love racing ON the water now rather than underneath, but this just makes me want another Wave Race game 😂 also playing Donkey Kong Bananza. Only a few hours in and having fun, but I’m a little worried the novelty of smashing everything may wear thin after a while. But I have faith in Nintendo and hopefully they will prove me wrong.
If I can pull myself away from my Switch 2, some Death Stranding 2 on PS5.

@Bentleyma Love to see this I need to get back into tales, Ive had berseria waiting on my shelf for ages!

"Super, smashing, great"

DKB has been a very pleasant surprise for me, as it's not the 'Odyssey but with DK' game I was expecting it to be. Yeah, there's a lot of collectables, but the skill tree makes a lot of the extra effort feel worthwhile. I think my only real disappoint, so far, is how quickly the boss fights are over. A few times now I've been left thinking "was that it?".

Anyways, this weekend is going to be DKB, Splatoon 3, F-Zero 99, and I really need to get back Xenoblade Chronicles X. Have a good one, team!

FINALLY beat the main quest of Tactics Ogre: Reborn after 220hrs spread across roughly two years. It was definitely on and off for me but I enjoyed the end game with a host of charm-users. I might jump into the other timelines and post-game but I might put that off too.

Going through a cute little puzzler called Carto with the wife, and I’m keen to try out Islets as well.

But importantly I haven’t touched any Zelda games since completing EoW…

I'm sure I'll think of something 🤔

At the moment I'm playing Paper Trail, which is a lovely little puzzle game. It seems to be quite short so I might finish it this weekend, and my copy of Shadow Labyrinth hasn't arrived yet so I'm not sure what I'll play in between. Maybe this would be a good time to go back and complete the Pokedex in Legends Arceus before Z-A comes out?

It would’ve been Donkey Kong if it the postal service weren’t taking their sweet time.

On PS5 i will be playing Flintlock The Siege of Dawn and Valkyria Chronicles Remastered. I will also be starting Banishers Ghosts of New Eden on the Portal.

On Switch 2 it's more Donkey Kong Bananza and Rune Factory Guardians of Azuma

Is it even a question? BANANZA TIME, BABY!!

Palia and Hollow Knight, too, if I have time.

DK Bananza !! This game is so fun, I played it for 6 hours or so, played it a little bit more than 1 hour in the train coming back from work, litteraly did not see time pass
And I heard things get better and better, especially toward the end, so I'm sooooo excited !!

Might play a little bit of splatoon 3 too, because this game ROCKS !!

Fantasy Life i and Patapon fighting for my time. In FL working on master and hero ranks. In Patapon grinding for a better army, because stuck on the desert worm boss.

@Zuljaras woaaaaaah the box art for soul reaver is so cool ! For what console is it ?

Playing some Donkey Kong in between Cyberpunk and Death Stranding 2 sessions on the PS5 after FINALLY finishing all shrines and beating TOTK. There's so many brilliant games one can simply not play (or finish) them all, and still there are people complainging. Can I use my fossils to upgrade to 36 hour days?

Well, I never did manage to complete Wind Waker prior to DK releasing, but I am determined to see it through! So this weekend I'm going to allow myself some time off to alternate between WW and force myself to progress past the tutorial level of DK, even though I'm having way to much fun punching through everything lol

GameStop screwed me so, not playing DK. Can't deliver anything on time.

The super duper awesome Donkey Kong Bananza. I love moving around, scanning the environment and collecting stuff. It is great to explore. So far I 100% finished the first three layers. I am halfway through the Canyon now.

Happy gaming everyone!

Last week's Splatfest has given me a bit of a taste for punishment, so I'm back on Splatoon 3 this weekend, until I get fed up with the lack of arena rotation, at least.

Gonna be getting into Shadow Labyrinth as well at some point.

Ooh, and I've just finished Return to Monkey Island, which was a nice way to close off a 35-year circle.

Peace, love and pixels to all xxx

Its been awhile since I last wrote a comment on a 'What are you playing this weekend' thread but as it's a long weekend in my country, I'll be working to finish up 'Octopath Traveller II' which I put down for a few months.

I FINALLY beat Ganondorf in TOTK after 275 hours and more than two years later. I also got all shrines and lightroots as well, so I'm happy to finally to put that cartridge back into its case and call it a day. And finishing it on Switch 2 felt poetically just.

For the next big game... I kinda have an itch for more along the same lines. So, maybe I'll give 'Immortals Fenyx: Rising' a go, and apparently it runs and looks a bit better on Switch 2. Or I'll go in the opposite direction and start Cyberpunk.

As it's a long weekend, I'll hopefully fire up either my Mega Drive or Saturn for some Sega retro goodness - especially as Sega are tentatively back in my good books after announcing Crossworlds will be fully on cart.

Happy gaming everyone!

This week I will be mostly playing

DK Bananza

Batman: The Telltale Series (SW) - Onto Episode 3. I've forgotten how dark this series really got.

Gears POP! (Android) - More YT vids.

Gun Bros (Windows Phone) - Slowly winding my way down to the end.

Dk and streetfighter 6 ❤️

It has been awhile since I’ve posted on here! Like just about everyone else I’ve been enjoying my Switch 2. I’ve barely played DK Bananza but can tell it’s already a gem from the little I have played so far. Plus I copped the amiibo because I’m a Nintendo sloot! I’ll continue on with Cyberpunk 2077 which I’m absolutely loving so far on Switch 2. Digital Foundry should really give more praise to just how efficient and uniquely designed Switch 2 is but that’s for another day.

Mario Kart World and my backlog will make up the rest of my gaming. I’m hoping we do get that rumoured Nintendo Direct next week! Hades II, Silksong and Metroid Prime 4 already have my $..just like my mortgage and kids!

I do feel sorry for my Switch 1…because it feels outdated when holding it now. Add this to the rest of the 1st World problems list.

Strains on deck this week…Black Jelly, Fruity Loopz and Comatose 😮‍💨

Apparently still in need of an avatar in 2025…

Enjoy your weekends weather rain or sun! 😉

Im a good chunk into Bakeru, so I'll be playing that. I have no intentions on picking up a Switch 2, so that will have to do as my source of 3D platforming. I'm enjoying it quite a bit. It can be a bit on the easy side (it is Good Feel, after all), but most importantly, it's fun.

I also just picked up Capcom Fighting Collection 2 as a reward for getting a new job this week. I've been unemployed for 3 months, so it's been very rough searching for jobs. I ended up getting back into a previous job that I had really enjoyed through a really big stroke of luck. Anyway, when I lost my last job, I had wanted to buy this game, but held off for financial reasons at the time. Now I can finally play the Power Stone games again.

Donkey Kong is so good, that’s all I’ll be playing even though I have a dozen other games I’m half way through!

@DasWunderkind NES, SNES, N64 and GameCube pads next to old-school Optimus and Megatron - NICE 👌🏻

Greetings fellow video game enthusiasts. What am I playing? More like what am I NOT playing? The answer being every game except Fantasy Life i. Weekend.

I will indeed be playing more of the monkey game.

Never really found Odyssey that captivating (pun entirely intended) as I had quite a few problems with it by the end ...but Bananza has pretty much fixed all of them for me. It's just the purest form of fun to play, which I feel we all need in these miserable times we're going through right now.

For real, though ...It feels like almost every single thing I've experienced so far has just been an absolute joy to blast through (again, pun intended I suppose), and I wasn't even that interested in it at first. Sure washed away the disappointment I've felt with Mario Kart World at least ...Haven't even touched that one for over a month now. Can't wait for what the lovely folks at EPD Tokyo is cooking up for the next 3D Mario, as if it's anything like this ...we're in for a treat.

@kmtrain83 Yeah it's definitely a great game, but it's also getting quite hard now (on chapter 12). Looking forward to starting VC4 and Revolution.

Got some new Evercade carts so be mostly retro gaming. Still playing Dragon View (SNES) and near the end of replaying Tomb Raider (PS1).

Additionally will play some El Viento (Mega Drive) which I'd never got around too despite reading the reviews at the time, and Granada (Mega Drive). The Renovation collection is a really good one overall and I also picked up Duke Nukem Collection 2. Those PS1 'Duke Raider' style games are suprisingly fun, again, I never played them as I had a Saturn.

They work well on the Super Pocket too and I like that the saves are on the cart, so can continue playing portable from the VS-R.

No man’s sky and Mario Kart World. Still.

I’m close to 40 hours in NMS and some elements are starting to lose their initial shine but there’s still plenty I want to do, not least the main story missions. And I still find a good game to relax with and just take my time.

I'll be brief: Oh, banana!

Playing Bananza, of course! It is feeling like one of the funnest games I’ve played already!

Playing through the Soul Reaver 1+2 remaster (currently on the 1st game), it's been a fun experience so far though I do wish there were brightness settings.

Banana!! 🍌 Me and my partner playing DK coop, it’s actually a lot of fun. You can destroy the level so much easier than playing single player.

I’m very impressed with the fact that so much is going on and I have yet to see frame-rate drops. Well done Nintendo, this game is a solid 10 and imo the first must play game for Nintendo Switch 2.

Nintendo now DK is out how about that Direct please?

Hello there fellow gamers.
This weekend I´ll be playing:

• Death Stranding 2 On The Beach. Someone has to make the roads you all are using to travel all over the continent;
• Donkey Kong Bananza. Probably the most fun and terapeutic game I´ve played in a long time;
• Street Fighter 6. I´m kinda having a love/hate relationship with this game, but I can´t seem to stop playing it. Go figure....
  Cheers and happy gaming weekend to us all

DK Bonanza on switch and metaphor refantazio on ps5. Such a good combo!

Donkey Kong Frozen Ape

Pokémon Go: Gigantamax Lapras Raid Day (today) and Quaxly Community Day (tomorrow)

Didn't get any shiny Gmax Lapras... 😭 but I did get a second shiny with a ribbon (following on from yesterday's one). A shiny Chatot also fled from my Go++ when we lured up the town square after 5pm for the first day of the "summer concert" event (it's winter here in Australia). I did catch a Lotad though.

My physical copies of Castlevania (the DS collection) and Yakuza Kiwami also arrived from LRG, and I'm particularly looking forward to trying the latter. It's a crying shame that Sega hadn't issued a proper physical release of Zero on Switch 2 to complement it.

I'm playing through the best Bioshock having just finished the second best Bioshock (a close second)

Today I’ve got one sad obligation (funeral) and one happy obligation (going to see the Superman movie), but tomorrow is forecast to be a rainy day, perfect for bananas and chooms (aka DK Bananza and Cyberpunk 2077).

Shadow Labyrinth looks at me forlornly from the shelf, but don’t worry, my little pac buddy - I’ll make time for you soon!

Also I guess I’ll try not to say “Ooh, BA-NA-NA!” too much this weekend. The kids think I’m a crazy enough geek as it is.

Wishing everyone a fun weekend! 🕹️🍌🍌

Taking a break from Xenoblade CX so I started Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia from the Dominus collection. Super fun so far and doesn't hold back (imo) from the get-go, pretty nice challenge and great music. Have a great weekend everyone!

Playing Donkey Kong Bananza! This is the first big Switch 2 release I've picked up (wasn't too interested in getting MKW). It's been nice to be a part of a new game like this on a new console alongside everyone else. Most other consoles were bought later (got Switch 1 in 2021 for example) other than the N64, when I didn't really understand or follow any gaming community stuff at that younger age! DKB is a bunch of fun so far, impressed!

Also getting stuck back into my playthrough of Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, which has hooked me right back in! Love this world and characters so far, even if still relatively early on at about 7 hours in.

In time for DKB, I did complete my playthrough of Xenoblade Chronicles 3! Clocked in at around 190 hours after doing all the option content I could find. Phenominal final few hours to close it out, and another masterpiece from Monolith Soft overall. It may rank last of the series so far behind 2 and then 1 for me, but that still places it as my third favourite game ever, so hardly a knock on it haha. Excited to get to the DLC/expansion Future Redeemed soon, and later to X: Definitive Edition at some point in the future, it's ready to go on the shelf.

Finally, my partner and I played through Thank Goodness You're Here! last night. Only a few hours, but they packed a heck of a lot into it! Had us both crying with laughter, very funny if the brand of humour is your kind of thing. The couple of neighbours arguing over their wheelie bin situation was a particular highlight.

This weekend I'm playing:
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake: recently defeated Baramos and entered Alefgard, I'm almost done with the game
Mario Kart Tour: I might as well briefly check out the Mario Kart World special campaign since it has some new content. It's been over a month since I last played the game, since I usually only play it on trips.
Also the usuals:
Pokémon Sleep
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket

Polishing off THPS 3+4 on Switch2... A real joy to play!

Props to the devs also for their efforts in curating the new/original levels (especially Waterpark!) which are genuinely quite decent.

Decided to essentially complete all the 'Pro Goals' in career mode, bringing both 3 + 4 to 100%, and then park the game. I'm not sure I have it in me to beat career mode with every character for various unlocks...

DK has me interested, but keeping it on ice for a week. Really interested in Wild Hearts, and praying the final release reviews better than the recent demo....
If WH reviews OK, I'll go for that - but if it bombs - DK all the way I guess.

This weekend will be dedicated to Bananza and the rest of Mario Odyssey's post game.

I'm at sublayer 600 in Bananza, and I can't really say how I feel about it yet. Donkey Kong is fun to play as and the destructible environment is cool but so far the game hasn't really introduced any new ideas or mechanics other than a short minecart segment and terrain that makes you slower.
Really hope the game ramps up or gets more creative with its levels in the latter half.

Well I have decided to show my love to wii-u been playing dk tropical freeze need for speed most wanted twilight princess hd FIFA 13 super smash Brothers which is my favourite smash of all time happy gaming everyone from Sydney Australia 💚💚💚🦕🦖🕹️🎮🐮

happy gaming nlifers!!! unfortunately im on vacation and i didnt wanna take my precious newborn (the switch 2) with me so nothing for me this week. i wanna go back to bananza tho.
@JohnnyMind it always amazes me how many games u juggle at a time. i could never, its pretty impressive!
@Jhena wow, already well on ur way to 100% it!!!! thats awesome
@Vil as a person who never loved odyssey, i totally agree w u. ive been all smiles while playing

Yup, I'm busy picking up BANANAS

Do I really have to say it? I think 99% of us will be playing the same thing haha

The familiar Switch hodgepodge drawn from installed series (Xenoblade, RF, Atelier, Persona, Castlevania, Tales) and standalone games (Little Noah, Skul, Grammarian Ltd, Bastion, Hogwarts Legacy, Wreckfest) with the probable addition of transferred items like Doom 3, Carto and Outer Worlds alongside their current base's [variably] native Cyberpunk and NMS. The other platforms might well see more FFXIII/XV and Watch Dogs, Ciel Nosurge and God of War, inFamous and Sakura Wars, Valentia and Etrian Odyssey Untold... so business as usual.

@thenikdavies Ape Out is actually six years old, but better late than never!

I’ll be alternating between the last of the mini games (mangoes and horses) on Echoes of Wisdom, and Paper Mario Sticker Star.

Yep, I'll be all over Donkey Kong Bananza like everyone else. I barely started it last night and I can already tell this game will dominate the playing time for a long time.

To mix things up though I do want to get into another of the Snowrunner (Switch) DLC maps/season. Last week I finished up the Season 9 Ontario, Canada map and looking to start another. This time I'm feeling like getting back into the "snow" terrain. The Ontario, Canada map dealt with wildfires, so it was the usual mud, etc. There's plenty to choose from, but I have to admit while looking through them all they all look so intimidating. That is the point of the game!

I'm about halfway through Lunar 2: Eternal Blue (Switch), and I've been playing a ton of Super Mario Kart (SNES) with the kids. They're at the point where they can beat me occasionally! They've also been playing Mega Man X (SNES Classic) and Mega Man X 4 (Switch).

I started DKB, it’s great, but went back to TOTK Switch 2. It’s my first play through. I’m
Taking my time and loving being in this world. Much more than BOTW. Perhaps the performance makes a big difference.

@GregamanX congratulations on your new job

Playing through Layton's Mystery Journey on Switch. While it's certainly an odd entry in the Layton series, I'm still enjoying it. Of course, I still have work and church this weekend, so it'll depend when I play.

Happy weekend and God bless!

I'll be finishing a Civ VI run as Frederick Barbarossa. I've got a space-race victory in my back pocket ... except two of the AI players are on the cusp of a diplomacy victory (lame way to win), so I'll likely need luck and ingenuity at the next World Congress session to prevail.

Otherwise, the Spearess and I will be taking a vacation next week, so I need to prepare the house for little Spear. But I think as you all can relate, NO WAY I go on vacation with unfinished business in Civ.

Hey, @JohnnyMind, I caught some of your Zelda Japanese tutorial this week. Awesome stuff! Much better than Rosetta Stone!

Happy gaming, everyone!

Good grief, you guys have been busy in here today. There's usually something like 55-70 comments when I wake up. These articles go up at 4 AM in my time zone, so there's no way I'm getting an early start on my only guaranteed weekly sleep-in day. XD

• Ys IX: Monstrum Nox (Switch) - Currently in Chapter 3. Balduq is really starting to open up exploration-wise; it feels like the game throws more systems at the player at once vs. how Ys VIII gradually eases players into them. I like the Monstrum angle in this game; it's akin to playing as superheroes protecting the city from a threat invisible to the normies. I'm starting to understand some of the performance complaints with the Switch version, but the frame drops haven't dampened my enjoyment.
• SteamWorld Dig (PC) - Finished this last night! I found all secrets and obtained all upgrades. A nice, short Metroidvania.
• Mario & Luigi: Dream Team - Didn't play it at all this week; I decided to take a break from the game to focus on the above. Back in the saddle this morning and continuing our favorite duo's adventures in Driftwood Shore.

There is a Quaxly Community Day in Pokemon Go tomorrow, but I'm skipping it. I'll be at a show most of the time period it runs, plus it's tied with Chespin as my least favorite starter.

Happy gaming!

star trek legends
star trek online- still doing dailies for a free ship
world of tanks console- last week of the event so I'm sill grinding.
destiny 2

@Tyranexx if you havent already played/heard i cant recommend Steamworld Dig 2 enough, was one of the first games I got for Switch and absolutely loved it

Monster Hunter Wilds and Lunar Remastered Collection for me this weekend.

Why, DK Bananza, of course! It's actually my brother's copy (physical), so when he needs a break, I'll be trying to sneak in some playtime of my own.
Otherwise, I'm sequestering myself in a separate room so that I don't see everything before I get to it myself. That means I'll be making some progress on reading Memories of Ice (I'm about halfway through--the siege has begun in earnest!).
If both of us need a DK break at the same time, we'll probably play either Nightreign or Windblown. Oh, and I'll be doing a little Xenoblade Chronicles X this morning with my cousin.

Since I now have a Switch 2, I'll be playing Mario Kart World! I'm having a blast with it! Been playing as Toad quite a lot lately, and I even changed my profile picture to him. He's adorable with his train outfit. Happy gaming, and have a great weekend, everybody.

Dk Bananza and MKW on S2

This 3 + 4 and Rise of the Tomb Raider on xbox

After getting donkey Kong bananza I am juggling a few games now. Lol. I also have raidou remastered sitting around. My best friend decided to buy me a copy out of the blue. He had a switch 1 and a switch 2 version. Since I wasn’t into switch 2 game key cards, I got the switch 1 version which heard ran nearly as well on a switch 2. The games I am playing now are:

Xenoblade chronicles X - I am on chapter 7 now. But still doing some affinity quests before I go through it.

Donkey Kong bananza - just got to the talking rock. Yes I am in the beginning. Lol. Good game so far.

Fire emblem the sacred stones on NSO - on chapter 4 now.

I haven’t started raidou remastered and zero time dilemma on 3ds is still being worked on slowly.

Happy gaming everyone!

F12020 on Xbox one
Final Fantasy adventure on switch
TMNT Shredders revenge on PS4
Gottlieb pinball classics on PSP
Have a good one folks 👍

Mine is still en route from France… but hey I got it for 49€ instead of MSRP 80€ 🤷‍♂️

@OctolingKing13
It is only natural to play it this way, since it is so much fun, that I want to experience everything the game has to offer.

I hope you enjoy your vacation!

SUPER MARIO BROS 3 (NSO NES/WU WII MODE VC)
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK'S AWAKENING (NSO GB/GBC)
METROID DREAD
SONIC SUPERSTARS (SWITCH)
Both MEGA MAN LEGACY COLLECTIONs
Plus the weekly TETRIS EFFECT CONNECTED Saturday event

Have a great weekend, everyone! God bless, stay cool, and enjoy your gaming!

@CammyUnofficial I love SteamWorld Dig 2! It's one of my favorite Metroidvanias. I've played it three times, twice on Switch and once on PC/Steam. I hadn't revisited SteamWorld Dig for years - last played it on the Wii U - and decided to take the opportunity since it was briefly free on Steam. Dig 2 is superior in nearly every way, but the first game has aged fairly well IMO. The gameplay loop in both games is quite addictive.

@MarioVillager92 I hope you're enjoying Mario Kart World! Love your new profile pic of Toad in train gear.

I don't want to get all Bananza'd out so I'm going to limit my play time with that but I was wondering whether or not to get Hollow Knight as I've never played it and everyone says what a good Metroidvania style game it is however I've heard that it's sequel Silksong is dropping soon so I'm wondering if the first one was still worth it.

@Tyranexx Thanks! I'm loving MKW indeed. And me too... choo choo! 🚂 The bike that Toad's driving is train inspired as well (it's called the Loco Moto). I like your new profile pic also, with Pikachu chilling out on a pool.

@MarioVillager92 The Loco Moto huh? Nifty bike name! On my profile pic: Thanks! I finally decided to switch from Ys X's take on Adol to something more chill and seasonal.

@Tyranexx ahh that's awesome to hear. I feel the same, definitely up there for me in the genre. Funnily enough I've owned the first Steamworld Dig for a while but never jumped in - I think the second one cast that long of a shadow I couldn't do it. I think enough time has passed where I should try, especially after hearing (more) that its good. Have a good one!

Most of this weekend is taken up by friends and chores, but when I can squeeze it in I'll be playing more Star-Crossed Myth: Department of Punishments! It's a bit of a change of pace from the kinds of otomes I normally play in that you get a number of "episodes" (as opposed to just one route with some combination of happy/sad/neutral endings) and the romance is a bit more at the forefront than, say, your average Otomate title which often feature heavier plots with romance woven into them.

I’ve been doing some achievement hunting lately on the Steam version of Skullgirls 2nd Encore. All I have left to do are the combo trials and the challenges.

@Qwiff Thanks for posting. Learning about under-my-radar games like The Drifter is one of the two main reasons why I like this weekly NL feature so much. Happy gaming.

Playing new Smash in its Classic mode just going through chars to clear and high score hopefully. Really can't be underestimated how charming and well-put together that game is, I take screenshots during almost every match because there's some kinda fun animation, taunt or face. I don't blame Sakurai if he isn't involved in the next one though, it must be so intense to develop.

Baldur’s Gate 3 (PS5) - Started playing this again 2 weeks ago after a 6 month hiatus. Act 3 was overwhelming then went on a vacation. Dove back in and quickly remembered how addicting this game can be. Thinking of starting a Dark Urge playthrough after this run. It’s off to finally face the Elder Brain this weekend.

@Dhaladog, from what I've seen and heard of it, it's a well-designed open-ended metroidvania platformer with a decent amount of challenge that you can buy digitally for pretty cheap, less then $20, if I recall correctly, plus, I usually prefer to experience an original before moving on to a sequel. Hollow Knight will probably be a good purchase. Heck, even I'm considering giving it a try someday if I ever have a spare slot in my gaming schedule. I highly recommend you get it, but it's your money, so you decide whether you want to purchase it or not. 😃

@datamonkey yes exactly that! I am hooked to DK, amazing game!

I just finished Metroid Fusion in time for Bananza. I hope all of you who got DKB are enjoying it as much as me! Happy gaming all!

@CammyUnofficial I will say there are a few QoL improvements in 2 that made going back to 1 mildly annoying at times, and in some ways it can feel more like a proof of concept in comparison. But I really enjoyed playing as Rusty again, revisiting Tumbleton and its characters, and the nostalgic rush of picking up a game that made a significant impact on me when I first played it on 3DS almost a decade ago. I still think SteamWorld Dig is worth a try even if I do agree 2 runs circles around it lol. Have a great weekend!

Donkey Kong Bananza. Been looking forward to this one since the announcement of it. Still very early on but having a lot of fun with it so far.

Agreeing with everyone else that SteamWorld Dig 2 is amazing. I have no idea why Dig 3 never happened. The loop of going down - digging up a bunch of stuff and coming back up to buy things when your pockets are full is very addictive, and I'm not entirely sure why.

I finally managed to get a Switch 2 yesterday (woohoo!) so I'll be playing DK Bananza and Mario Kart World. But ironically, what I really want to do is finish Majora's Mask that I started on Switch 1 since I couldn't get a Switch 2. It's just a phenomenal and addictive game.

Donkey Kong, my dude! I'm a little overwhelmed at the game's scale, but I'm trying to just let go and convince myself that no, I don't need to systematically mine the entire world in fear of missing collectables. I get pretty obsessive with these kinds of games.

Donkey Kong and Mario Kart World.
I unpacked the Switch 2 camera and played MKW with my family. Tbh, wish I had done that sooner because it was incredibly fun and hilarious.

@DasWunderkind I almost choked on my lunch when I saw your profile pic 🤣 That dude!

I am just starting the (original) final chapter in earnest for Xenoblade Chronicles X. After doing nearly every side quest available and every nook and cranny of Mira (still searching for stuffed lobsters 🦞), my team is stronger on the ground than in skells, so I'm probably going to steamroll my way into the extra chapter.

Just surviving a week until a much needed holiday. If it weren't for the ability to just do nothing in particular on this alien planet, I'd have gone crazy over the past couple of months.

Happy gaming everyone!

@Dhaladog
Hollow Knight is widely considered to be one of the greatest Metroidvanias of all time. It’s not for everyone though. As was mentioned you can get the game on the cheap , I got it digitally for like $8. For the life of me I could not get into the game. I actually considered it wildly overrated for some time. I finally gave it a proper go and it’s become one of my all time favourites. It’s a masterpiece but it is challenging. I have over 100 hrs in the game so it’s ridiculous value for $8 that I spent. Personally I cannot recommend the game enough and with Silksong looking to launch this year(ha!) it’s a great time to start the series.

Shrine hunting in TOTK before final boss battle. Up to 140. Got all the ground ones; now sailing the skies.

@Ganner
Hey welcome back to the cool kids club now that you’re a certified Switch 2 member 😝! If it’s your cup of tea I’d highly recommend Cyberpunk 2077…it’s an excellent game to just get lost in and oodle all over its cool details.

Also I was pretty choked with how quickly the Oilers disposed of the Vegas Knights in the post season! I’m not an Oilers fan at all so I was hoping Vegas would take them out! Marner is a very nice addition though!

@Rainz Thanks! Feels good to have a seat at the table. Cyberpunk doesn't really interest me that much but you never know. I'm very picky with open world stuff because they can be long commitments. I finished Red Dead Redemption (Switch) just last week so I plan to take a break from games like that for a bit.

The Oilers were rolling hot so I wasn't too surprised they made minced meat of the Knights. Sucks but I was hoping McDavid and Co. would finally raise the Cup.

I'll be playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Through an innocent visit to Hateno, I'm now the holder of the Master Sword. It would take too long to explain how it transpired, but if you played this or Breath of the Wild, you know how one side mission becomes a whole other adventure.

Just finished Tokyo mirage sessions fire emblem now working on dead or school clearing up my back log of games till i get a switch 2.

Been making my way through Persona 5 Royal again. Because of beating the NG+ boss and the Reaper super early I'm in my 50s before the third Palace.

I got 102% on all 3 save files in dkc2 on cartridge. might try 101% for dkc1.

@Dhaladog Silksong coming out soon (I can only pray it's true) means it's a great time to play Hollow Knight if you like Metroidvanias. It's difficult but fair. The controls are very smooth and the combat is quite "crunchy" and satisfying. By crunchy I mean that you always feel the impact of each hit. It has some of the best and most satisfying boss encounters of any game of this type - and a LOT of them, especially with all the DLC.

Devoting all my attention to Death Stranding 2. Absolute masterpiece. I bought the first one and it sat on my shelf for year. Once I started I couldn't put it down. All of the reviews saying "walking simulator" are completely wrong. A story better than most modern movies.

I peeled out and JUST picked up Bananza. This will be my toaster strudel for the next month or two…

I don't know. I bought a Switch 2 played Mario Kart until I got fed-up with it. I don't fancy Donkey Kong.
Very poor line up of released games this time round.

While I took my chance to get DK Bananza on D1, together with the Kong & Pauline amiibo (my very first one), I unfortunately still haven't played it much yet, as I've been full of work lately.
I played it just long enough to feel a bit of motion sickness and ultimately fall asleep on it. Platformers usually give me this feeling when it's not the right time to play them—namely, when I'm tired. It should also be said that the game's camera didn't help tho.
So I went back to my BotW game for a few hours, as I found it much more relaxing and slow paced.
Anyway, this sunday I'm going to try to dedicate more time to DK Bananza and enjoy it.

Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (Steam) and NiGHTS Into Dreams (Saturn)

This weekend is all about:
-Sunderfolk with the mrs. We’ve been loving this game, doing the whole game in coop with two characters each. Highly recommended for anyone looking to scratch that tabletop fantasy rpg itch.
-MKW. Half way through 3 starring every gp in mirror mode. Trying to do one or two a day so I don’t get too frustrated.
-Splatoon 3. Just bought this and slowly but surely going through the story mode.
-MK Wonder. Slowly but surely going through the second world.

I’ve put my 200 hour effort on P5R on hold for now despite being on the precipice of the very end of the game as I’m just in a Nintendo mood rn.

Also, Bananaza will be happening but me and my wife will do it in coop together in a couple of weeks when we are on holiday!

Happy gaming all! X

Hi, everyone! I continued with Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, where I am now on Part 4 of Case 5. It's peak. Q.E.D. I also finished Trails in the Sky, and that was peak as well. Week of back to back peak, haha... I'll play Second Chapter sooner or later, but until then, I'm going to start The Oath in Felghana, which is fun so far! Last of all, Fire Emblem Heroes was another story Chapter, and some side stuff. Book IV is getting good! Happy gaming!

@Rainz agreed, Hollow Knight definitely tells you what it is early. I think the husk knight near the beginning really gives a rough welcome, although I came back and got the hold of the "kickback" you get in combat. Once I made it to the City of Tears, I was beyond hooked. But I can definitely see why many won't make it that far.

Deepnest I also the place of nightmares once you think youre comfortable comfortable enough 😅

I have been playing Donkey Kong Bonanza on Nintendo Switch 2 and Bomb Rush Cyberfunk on Steam Deck OLED. Both of which are very different, but fun experiences. Happy gaming for whatever is left of your weekend everyone!

Alrighty what do we got this week for WAYP? A kinda not busy one. Just been plugging away at games like Death Stranding 1 and Mario Kart and starting cool new things like Welcome Tour. Don’t listen to the haters y’all Welcome Tour is peak. That and spending time with the lovely GF. This weekend was mostly spent with Death Stranding Director’s Cut after spending some wonderful tender time in NYC with the GF. Think I finally got up to the point in DS that I was at before dropping it back when it came out. Honestly it’s where the plot gets a little crazy but I’m here for it now. Hoping to beat it this week and to get to move to DS2 On The Beach. Rest of the weekend I’m thinking is gonna be some Mario Kart World or Rune Factory Guardians of Azuma on Switch 2 and either some DOOM The Dark Ages or Clair Obscur or even Raidou Remastered on the PS5. Beating Indiana Jones kinda made me realize I can just push Assassin’s Creed Shadows to the side. It’s not really fun I’ll pick it up later maybe but I won’t put it ahead of say Ghost of Yotei. Rest of the week tho I’m hoping to start lots of fun stuff like of course the game everyone is loving right now Donkey Kong Bananza, Suikoden 1 and 2 that I got on a Prime Day deal, maybe even hopefully the new AI game: No Sleep For Kaname Date. And of course just small sessions of stuff like WWE2K25 and maybe trying a GOTY contender Blue Prince? Maybe some Robocop since I didn’t realize I got it free on PS Plus and the DLC is out? Wrestling thing of the week has to be the build to SummerSlam for WWE. Less then two weeks until it goes down at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and I got tickets and man I just can’t wait. Cody vs Cena 2, CM Punk Vs Gunther, Becky Vs Lyra, Rhea Vs Naomi Vs Iyo. So many great matches so far and still more to come like maybe AJ Styles Vs Dominic Mysterio. So damn excited man. Anime of the week gotta go to My Hero Academia Vigilantes, Guilty Gear Strive Dual Riders, Gundam Gquuuuuux, and Sakamoto Days. All amazing as always. Podcasts of this week gotta go to Castle Superbeast, Big Think Dimension, Into The Aether, RPGsites Tetracast, Minnmax, Jeff Gerstmann, Kit and Krysta, Punching Up, Easy Allies, Second Wind, Nextlander, Cultaholic Wrestling, Weapon Wheel Podcast, Let’s Anime and Remap Radio. As always yall stay safe, be awesome to each other. Have a totally safe and awesome weekend. And of course y’all Happy Gaming.