Gavin Lane, Editor
ACNH done got me again. It's like a transporter incident has sent me back to 2020 and I'm once again finding solace in New Horizons' custom design tool, slowly crafting Star Trek-related patterns for my own amusement, watching hours zoom by as I move a single 'pixel' one square to the left and check the result. It's a happy place.
I'm steadily turning my upstairs room into Ten Forward, although I'm painfully aware that in the game somewhere, there must be better furniture to customise and more accurate green drinks to craft, which I just haven't found yet. I've even taken to working through the dreary DLC, hoping to access more cool items. Send help.
Kate Gray, Contributor
I've been playing Hundred Line for what feels like one hundred years, and I've JUST seen my first real indication that Uchikoshi is up to his usual nonsense. I knew he was, that crafty devil! It's so good, although I will say that A) it must have been a nightmare to review, and B) you can really tell where the frosting gets a bit thin. They've definitely shaved the plot almost to nothing in some places just to achieve the illusion of overall fullness. But, eh, I don't mind! The bits that aren't thin are pretty darn great, and there's more writing in this than I've probably read in a year.
Other than that, I bought a few cheapy games in the Steam Sale — Shelldiver and Rocket Rats, most notably, from the same developer. They're well-polished little incremental games, and they very much give me the feeling that this developer has what amounts to a well-oiled factory machine for making incremental games in his head. I bet he can crank these out as soon as he has the inkling of a new idea. Honestly, I have such a huge respect for developers that can do that! Making games in a particular genre is like working out a muscle — it sucks and hurts and takes forever at first, but then it becomes second nature. Having the basic frameworks already built helps a lot, too!
Oh, god, I just read that the developer is only 25. Gonna go lie down and have an existential crisis. Gagonfe, if you're reading this, I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY.
Mai Ladyman, Video Producer
I reckon it's pretty predictable what my games will be this week! After rolling credits on Dispatch, I know I'll be diving back in this weekend in an attempt to change up my ending and explore more of the what-ifs from my original playthrough. Knowing me, I'll likely rummage the eShop for some Telltale Games I may have missed out. Other than that, it's likely another weekend of Pokémon Legends: Z-A or finally starting Tomodachi Life on my trusty 2DS when it arrives!
Gonçalo Lopes, Contributor
Made my way to chapter 9 of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, loving it! But being a confused antisocial military bad boy who somehow is the love interest of three brilliant non-existent women is not the only fun way to spend the weekend: I have picked up House of the Dying Sun on PC, and it is brilliant! I always loved the Starblade / Star Fox untextured polygon aesthetic, and this game takes it to the absolute extreme with combined fleet micro management. Rumble Roses XX is proving to be a rather solid wrestling title, but a bit too much of a grind for my tastes. It will take me forever to unlock the playable roster, but it does help that I was a fan of the PS2 original. It remains better than the current Switch 2 offerings.
My game of the week is GRID Legends: Gold Edition. I will finally fully recover my investment on the GameCube controller for Switch 2 because no way I will ever play this without the analogue triggers. I was oblivious that the story mode for this uses old-school full-motion video and actors, which gives it a bit of nostalgic charm. I will be spending the next few weeks quite entertained in the virtual tarmac.
Jim Norman, Staff Writer
Last week was good timing for picking up a copy of Tomodachi Life, eh? Yes, I've been diving back into the 3DS original over the last few days, and I had forgotten how much I love this silly little game! I've scanned in all of the celebs (obviously), and have been dropping in every day to see what's happening with Reggie, Shaq, Christina Aguilera, Miyamoto and... Zendaya? I caught Aonuma rolling around his apartment floor the other day. GOTY stuff, right there.
Alana Hagues, Deputy Editor
While a chunk of my time has been spent playing a game for review (more on that next week), Animal Crossing has taken up most of my Switch 2 gaming. We've been snowed in basically all week here in central Ohio, so not much good trying to go out and have a social life.
But I've mainly been catching up on an RPG white whale, which I'm shocked isn't on Switch: Valkyrie Profile. What a weird, cool game — triAce esoterica aside, I love the tone and combat here. It's perfect for handheld play. Thank goodness for the PlayStation Portal... I'm eyeing up MIO: Memories in Orbit, but February is looking stacked. So we'll see. Keep warm, folks!
That's our plans for the coming weekend. Now it's your turn to tell us yours, so make sure to get busy with our poll, and let us know all about your weekend gaming plans in the comments!
