It sounds like you can return to BotW if you want that experience. : )
I'm yet to play TotK, but I loved BotW for similar reasons to you. I loved exploring for exploring's sake and sometimes something like coming across a Lynel could be the kind of distraction I didn't want.
There are so many of these types of games that I tend to ignore them unless they're multiplayer, and a disappointingly few number are. It'd be a good way to stand out from the crowd.
There are so many games I'd already like to play on the Switch that I'll probably never get around to, I'd be happy in that sense if there was never another Nintendo console!
Of course I'd be sad about that too, but it took me over 2 years to finish BotW (a leisurely 170 hours), and I'm yet to play any of the Xenoblade Chronicles games for a start. Then there's Skyrim, Witcher 3, CrossCode, Sea of Stars, Assassin's Creed, Okami HD, Triangle Strategy, Ys VIII, Two Point Hospital, Subnautica, Dredge, not forgetting TotK, and so many more...
CrossCode for me. It's been near the top of my to-play list since I bought a Switch, and I'm enjoying it so far. ARPG-like Secret of Mana and even a bit of Link to the Past, but sci-fi.
I haven't played any of the Xenoblade games yet and would like to try one of those before Tears of the Kingdom.
I didn't start Breath of the Wild until late-2020 despite loving a brief play on a friend's Wii U when it was released, and it took me over two years to leisurely reach 170 hours, and even then I accidentally got to Ganon when really I was intending to explore more. The game itself helped me through the most difficult period of my life, and I didn't think I could love a game so much into my adult life.
I wasn't going to play Tears of the Kingdom, then I saw the preview here and on the Guardian and thought I'll have to, some day. I started CrossCode this week (a superb SNES-era inspired ARPG that was top of my list before I even started BotW), but how long can I hold off before trying Tears of the Kingdom?
I loved the shrine quest following the korok seed in the Lost Woods, and the whole of the Lost Woods really. The pitch black area was great too.
I reached Eventide Island very early on in the game and gave up to return for a second attempt later. I agree that and Tarrey Town are two of the best.
I thought it was brilliant. My face ached with smiling and laughing at times. From a nostalgia and fun perspective, I don't think I could've asked for more.
Looking at reviews from other newspapers/sites, it seems some people forget that a big (and possibly the most important) aspect of entertainment is fun.
People are complaining about the fast pace too, at a time when attention spans are worse than ever! At a time when so many films are bloated (e.g. Marvel, and I am a fan), 90 minutes didn't seem a minute too long.
Forums are much better than Facebook Groups, Discord, or whatever other replacements that have come along and killed off so many forums.
Discussions quickly get lost on Facebook Groups and Discord, which means the same topics tend to get repeated and repeated. Facebook Groups seem to encourage a "look at me" attitude too - that "my" view is more important so it deserves it's own post instead of being part of the original discussion.
Forums make it much easier to keep track of topics you're interested in.
Maybe the PlayStation had the edge with realistic car racing in Gran Turismo and Colin McRae Rally, but I've argued the N64 was the overall best of its generation for racing (and sports games). 1080°, WaveRace, Excitebike 64, F-Zero X, DKR & Mario Kart 64 etc.
Even for realistic car racing games, Top Gear Rally was quality but just didn't look quite as good as the PS equivalents. World Driver Championship was an excellent underrated game at the time too, and F1 World Grand Prix was more than good enough for my F1 fix. Beetle Adventure Racing was great fun, and we had split-screen 4-player on many of these games.
P.S. My trick with the degree symbol is to google [1080 n64] and copy and paste!
@mariomaster96 Coincidentally, I was writing about the Yoshi's Island soundtrack a couple of days ago. It's possibly the best Mario OST ever for me. It perfected what the previous games had brilliantly done already.
I prefer the SNES and Switch overall (N64 coming in 3rd), but the N64 has the best first-party games for me.
Lylat Wars (Star Fox 64) was my first cinematic experience in gaming.
Mario 64 was just wow, with Ocarina of Time not far behind in the wow stakes.
The sports games still hold up too; Excitebike 64 is still the best handling dirt bike game I've played, plus 1080, Wave Race 64, F-Zero X, Mario Golf...
The expectation of infinite growth is probably the most ridiculous and problematic thing about the modern world.
At least Nintendo hasn't reacted like big companies like Netflix, Google, and Microsoft and made thousands of staff redundant despite still making huge profits.
I wouldn't even call it a "product of its time." There was no reason for Link to be a sexist misogynist, and that was far from the only problem.
With the Zelda cartoon and Mario Bros film, no wonder Nintendo have been so edgy about their characters being adapted into film and TV for so long since.
I was hoping this would improve on Golf Story, but the sudden release at Christmas after lots of delays and without advance reviews had me worried.
I wasn't a huge fan of Golf Story but did enjoy it. Hopefully the team can sort out the major issues and learn from this. If Sports Story isn't improved dramatically, then maybe for the next title.
I have CrossCode on my RPG-next-to-play list, but maybe I should try Chained Echoes instead? I haven't played any of the big 16-bit-inspired RPGs yet (maybe Golf Story comes closest).
I bought Terranigma around the time the N64 was released in the UK, and Terranigma and Mario 64 are probably my favourite two games ever. What a few months for gaming that was!
@DarkCoolEdge I've been playing console games since the NES, and I'm struggling to choose between the SNES and Switch as the best era.
The Switch has everything, from modern classics to great retro-inspired games like Full Metal Furies, CrossCode, Horizon Chase Turbo, Shredder's Revenge, and of course a load of outstanding Nintendo first-party titles (the best Mario Kart, best Mario platformer since 64, the best Metroid since the SNES etc). If I take my nostalgia hat off, I'm beginning to wonder if Breath of the Wild is better than Ocarina of Time. Yes, they include Wii U ports, but the best versions of MK and BotW are the Switch version.
If I could take any console to a desert island, it'd be the Switch.
@Moonlessky Even better, thanks for pointing that out. Given I'll play the game more, it'll probably encourage me to buy the booster pass for the extra tracks anyway.
The custom items may tempt me to upgrade, as I hate the ink weapon and don't play the game often for that reason (I struggle to see what's going on without my screen being blocked).
I haven't played the original Rogue Legacy, but it's great to see a sequel and a new game from Cellar Door Games after I absolutely loved their Full Metal Furies - which is one of the best co-op games I've played (single player is superb too) and for some reason didn't sell all that well. It was very well reviewed - 9/10 here on Nintendo Life.
After Full Metal Furies, I'm slightly disappointed Rogue Legacy 2 isn't multiplayer. Maybe it isn't the kind of game that suits it, but that stops it from being an instant buy for me.
I only bought a Wii U earlier this year. I thought I should given it's the only Nintendo home console I hadn't owned, and some of the games are uniquely Wii U due to the controller.
I haven't played it yet, but Year Walk looks interesting. Thanks to the Wii U, I finally own StarTropics!
@mudkipfan217 Thanks for the reminder! I was hoping for a half-decent physical price for the the Prime Trilogy on Wii, but I should probably take the plunge with the digital version before it's too late. I keep thinking it'll come to Switch though...
@spraff Same here - that's a Heron Addict t-shirt in my avatar!
I'm seeing Sea Power live for about the 50th time this week. I recommend anyone who is a fan of the soundtrack or live music in general to check out Sea Power if they get chance.
I bought Terranigma (cart and manual) from a friend for £7 about a year after it was released. I'd seen it for £59.99 new. It's my favourite game ever so easily the best bargain ever!
I think a time machine is the best way to collect retro games. Otherwise, focussing on games you really want to play.
There are lots of great bargains still. I went through a few 'best of' lists on Nintendo Life over lockdown. My favourite bargain was probably MadWorld for the Wii, new and only £2.99.
The DS and 3DS had some great bargains too, including new games.
Mine was A Link to the Past on the SNES. It was brilliant but still not one of my favourite SNES games. I preferred Terranigma, Secret of Mana and Illusion of Time.
Ocarina of Time is one of my all-time favourites though. Breath of the Wild is my favourite since then.
@dadrester I don't know what S-Rank means, but I gather it removes some of the "tiresome" aspects of the game mentioned in the review?
I appreciate you commenting. I've gone from "not sure" to "yes, I will purchase this game!" Especially as there's a physical release.
I never think creators should feel the need to justify a narrative device in a game, but it's cool to know when it's something I thought might feel like a waste of my precious time. 👍
The aspects mentioned as tiresome put me off though. I don't like to feel like my time is being wasted, so thanks Lowell Bell and Nintendo Life for mentioning that kind of thing in reviews.
I'm still very tempted, especially now I've seen it's a £20 physical game...
@UltimateOtaku91 The first one. It started to drag after 2-3 hours, and I felt it was wasting my time. Little things like the sequence after every battle (and I'm not generally a fan of turn-based battles anyway). It felt clunky too.
@UltimateOtaku91 I didn't like Ni No Kuni, so maybe that makes me more likely to want to try Calme! I really really wanted to like Ni No Kuni too. It looks beautiful, and the music is by one of my favourite composers.
This is the kind of list I've always wanted! I love games that are a bit different. I've only played two of these games and am unfamiliar with most of them.
@iLikeUrAttitude Why try hard to fit something to a genre? Genres are largely made up (or popularised) by companies to sell things, so it's good when a game goes against the grain.
Hey @BiscuitCrumbsInMyBed - thanks for your reply. I'm lucky to have supportive people around me who I can talk to. I've had to deal with an especially toxic person myself recently, and it was such a relief to have friends, family and strangers who are kind, supportive and listen.
I think we'll all struggle some days, but we can always get through those days, and sometimes that struggle makes the best days even better. I'm sometimes slow at replying, but feel free to message me if you ever feel like it might help to chat to a random stranger!
@BiscuitCrumbsInMyBed I feel like I might have had a breakdown if it wasn't for BotW. Probably my favourite hobby is/was hiking, and I couldn't get outdoors post-lockdown due to injuries.
I didn't realise it for a while, but exploring Hyrule in BotW helped me massively. Depending how my injuries go, maybe I'll find myself playing more open-world games. I used to avoid them, considering them a timesink when I saw the number of hours people put into them.
For me it was the exploration element of Breath of the Wild over the past year and more - after I got stuck in the house longer than lockdown thanks to an injury.
My favourite thing to do in 'real life' is wandering up and down mountains and along coastlines, and being able to do that on BotW when I haven't been able to in real life I think helped my mental health more than I ever thought a game could.
There was a time I wanted to finish the game to play something else, but I've been dragging it out for the past couple of months.
I've regularly received timeouts for the UK store over the past few weeks. Usually a refresh or two worked.
I've worked as or with web developers for nearly 15 years, and I haven't heard of a website being down for weeks before! The only thing I can think that would cause such drastic action is a security issue, but weeks still sounds ridiculous for a company of Nintendo's scale. I'm guessing the "will take a few weeks" message might be an error or they're over-estimating by a few weeks...
Comments 216
Re: Random: It's Zelda, Not Beyoncé, Who's Apparently Contributing To UK Inflation
Just as people were coming around to the idea that video games can be good for mental health...
Re: Soapbox: Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom's Busier Hyrule Is Making Me Miss BOTW
It sounds like you can return to BotW if you want that experience. : )
I'm yet to play TotK, but I loved BotW for similar reasons to you. I loved exploring for exploring's sake and sometimes something like coming across a Lynel could be the kind of distraction I didn't want.
Re: Review: Fights In Tight Spaces - A Fresh-Feeling Roguelike With Turn-Based Tussling
There are so many of these types of games that I tend to ignore them unless they're multiplayer, and a disappointingly few number are. It'd be a good way to stand out from the crowd.
Re: Eiji Aonuma "Interested" In Zelda Movie After Mario's $1 Billion Box Office Success
Get Hayao Miyazaki on board.
Re: Soapbox: If Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Isn’t Switch’s Swan Song, It Really Should Be
There are so many games I'd already like to play on the Switch that I'll probably never get around to, I'd be happy in that sense if there was never another Nintendo console!
Of course I'd be sad about that too, but it took me over 2 years to finish BotW (a leisurely 170 hours), and I'm yet to play any of the Xenoblade Chronicles games for a start. Then there's Skyrim, Witcher 3, CrossCode, Sea of Stars, Assassin's Creed, Okami HD, Triangle Strategy, Ys VIII, Two Point Hospital, Subnautica, Dredge, not forgetting TotK, and so many more...
Re: Yes, Monolith Soft Really Did Help Out With Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Who needs Rare when you've got Monolith...
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 13th)
CrossCode for me. It's been near the top of my to-play list since I bought a Switch, and I'm enjoying it so far. ARPG-like Secret of Mana and even a bit of Link to the Past, but sci-fi.
I haven't played any of the Xenoblade games yet and would like to try one of those before Tears of the Kingdom.
Re: Poll: What's Your Game Plan For Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom?
@Beaucine I accidentally went into Ganon's room at about hour 170.
Re: Review: The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom - An Absolute Marvel, But Is It Better Than BOTW?
I didn't start Breath of the Wild until late-2020 despite loving a brief play on a friend's Wii U when it was released, and it took me over two years to leisurely reach 170 hours, and even then I accidentally got to Ganon when really I was intending to explore more. The game itself helped me through the most difficult period of my life, and I didn't think I could love a game so much into my adult life.
I wasn't going to play Tears of the Kingdom, then I saw the preview here and on the Guardian and thought I'll have to, some day. I started CrossCode this week (a superb SNES-era inspired ARPG that was top of my list before I even started BotW), but how long can I hold off before trying Tears of the Kingdom?
And then once I try it...
Re: Talking Point: Which Is Your Favourite Quest In Zelda: Breath Of The Wild?
I loved the shrine quest following the korok seed in the Lost Woods, and the whole of the Lost Woods really. The pitch black area was great too.
I reached Eventide Island very early on in the game and gave up to return for a second attempt later. I agree that and Tarrey Town are two of the best.
Re: Poll: What Score Would You Give To The Super Mario Bros. Movie?
I thought it was brilliant. My face ached with smiling and laughing at times. From a nostalgia and fun perspective, I don't think I could've asked for more.
Looking at reviews from other newspapers/sites, it seems some people forget that a big (and possibly the most important) aspect of entertainment is fun.
People are complaining about the fast pace too, at a time when attention spans are worse than ever! At a time when so many films are bloated (e.g. Marvel, and I am a fan), 90 minutes didn't seem a minute too long.
Re: Nintendo Will Repair Out-Of-Warranty Joy-Con For Free In The UK, EEA, Switzerland
I returned a joy con to be fixed (battery issue), and it came back unfixed and with a new clicking sound on a joystick.
Re: Community: Welcome To Nintendo Life's New And Improved Discord Server
@Grumblevolcano Agreed.
Forums are much better than Facebook Groups, Discord, or whatever other replacements that have come along and killed off so many forums.
Discussions quickly get lost on Facebook Groups and Discord, which means the same topics tend to get repeated and repeated. Facebook Groups seem to encourage a "look at me" attitude too - that "my" view is more important so it deserves it's own post instead of being part of the original discussion.
Forums make it much easier to keep track of topics you're interested in.
Re: Review: Dredge - A Haunting Lovecraftian Fishing Sim That Reels You In
Would've gone on my wishlist based on the review, then the mentions of a physical edition sold me straight away!
Re: Random: Amazon Is Turning Delivery Boxes Into Mario Question Mark Blocks
No question, I want one of these.
Re: Soapbox: 1080° Snowboarding Is The Coolest Nintendo Ever Got
Maybe the PlayStation had the edge with realistic car racing in Gran Turismo and Colin McRae Rally, but I've argued the N64 was the overall best of its generation for racing (and sports games). 1080°, WaveRace, Excitebike 64, F-Zero X, DKR & Mario Kart 64 etc.
Even for realistic car racing games, Top Gear Rally was quality but just didn't look quite as good as the PS equivalents. World Driver Championship was an excellent underrated game at the time too, and F1 World Grand Prix was more than good enough for my F1 fix. Beetle Adventure Racing was great fun, and we had split-screen 4-player on many of these games.
P.S. My trick with the degree symbol is to google [1080 n64] and copy and paste!
Re: Every Yoshi Game Ranked
@mariomaster96 Coincidentally, I was writing about the Yoshi's Island soundtrack a couple of days ago. It's possibly the best Mario OST ever for me. It perfected what the previous games had brilliantly done already.
Re: 'Tetris Effect: Connected' Is Getting TATE Mode In A Free Update
I loved flipping my monitor around in Downwell.
https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/downwell
Re: Talking Point: Which Nintendo Console Has The Best First-Party Games Lineup?
I prefer the SNES and Switch overall (N64 coming in 3rd), but the N64 has the best first-party games for me.
Lylat Wars (Star Fox 64) was my first cinematic experience in gaming.
Mario 64 was just wow, with Ocarina of Time not far behind in the wow stakes.
The sports games still hold up too; Excitebike 64 is still the best handling dirt bike game I've played, plus 1080, Wave Race 64, F-Zero X, Mario Golf...
Re: The Best Endings In Games On Nintendo Switch
I loved the Odyssey ending - nostalgia maximised. And such fun!
Re: Nintendo's Share Price Takes A Hit Following Latest Financial Report
The expectation of infinite growth is probably the most ridiculous and problematic thing about the modern world.
At least Nintendo hasn't reacted like big companies like Netflix, Google, and Microsoft and made thousands of staff redundant despite still making huge profits.
Re: Feature: The Real Songs That Inspired Iconic Nintendo Music
I hadn't noticed the similarity in that Deep Purple song before.
The main Zelda theme sounds like part of the vocal melody in
France Gall's "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cv9NIzGmSI
The other way around, and this Offspring track seems to have been inspired by Donkey Kong Country:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESotrzAtglA
Re: Review: GoldenEye 007 - Aged And Flawed, But Still A Masterpiece Of Game Design
GoldenEye is still a good game, but Perfect Dark has aged much better. The multiplayer beats GoldenEye hands down.
Re: Early Donkey Kong Design Document From Miyamoto Showcases 'Popeye' Origin
It would've been just as good, but I wouldn't want to imagine a gaming world without Mario and the Donkey Kong Country games!
Re: Random: Zelda Cartoon Writer Admits Hiring Family Members To Help Write Episodes
I wouldn't even call it a "product of its time." There was no reason for Link to be a sexist misogynist, and that was far from the only problem.
With the Zelda cartoon and Mario Bros film, no wonder Nintendo have been so edgy about their characters being adapted into film and TV for so long since.
Re: Review: Sports Story - A Long-Awaited Sequel That's Sadly Not Up To Par
I was hoping this would improve on Golf Story, but the sudden release at Christmas after lots of delays and without advance reviews had me worried.
I wasn't a huge fan of Golf Story but did enjoy it. Hopefully the team can sort out the major issues and learn from this. If Sports Story isn't improved dramatically, then maybe for the next title.
Re: Soapbox: This SNES-Style RPG Is The Biggest And Best Surprise Of 2022
I have CrossCode on my RPG-next-to-play list, but maybe I should try Chained Echoes instead? I haven't played any of the big 16-bit-inspired RPGs yet (maybe Golf Story comes closest).
I bought Terranigma around the time the N64 was released in the UK, and Terranigma and Mario 64 are probably my favourite two games ever. What a few months for gaming that was!
Re: Best Of 2022: Which Is The Absolute Best Nintendo Console Generation?
@DarkCoolEdge I've been playing console games since the NES, and I'm struggling to choose between the SNES and Switch as the best era.
The Switch has everything, from modern classics to great retro-inspired games like Full Metal Furies, CrossCode, Horizon Chase Turbo, Shredder's Revenge, and of course a load of outstanding Nintendo first-party titles (the best Mario Kart, best Mario platformer since 64, the best Metroid since the SNES etc). If I take my nostalgia hat off, I'm beginning to wonder if Breath of the Wild is better than Ocarina of Time. Yes, they include Wii U ports, but the best versions of MK and BotW are the Switch version.
If I could take any console to a desert island, it'd be the Switch.
Re: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 3 Is Out Now With New Custom Items Update
@Moonlessky Even better, thanks for pointing that out. Given I'll play the game more, it'll probably encourage me to buy the booster pass for the extra tracks anyway.
Re: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass Wave 3 Is Out Now With New Custom Items Update
The custom items may tempt me to upgrade, as I hate the ink weapon and don't play the game often for that reason (I struggle to see what's going on without my screen being blocked).
Re: Review: Rogue Legacy 2 - A Roguelike Legend Returns In Fine Form
I haven't played the original Rogue Legacy, but it's great to see a sequel and a new game from Cellar Door Games after I absolutely loved their Full Metal Furies - which is one of the best co-op games I've played (single player is superb too) and for some reason didn't sell all that well. It was very well reviewed - 9/10 here on Nintendo Life.
After Full Metal Furies, I'm slightly disappointed Rogue Legacy 2 isn't multiplayer. Maybe it isn't the kind of game that suits it, but that stops it from being an instant buy for me.
Re: Soapbox: After 10 Years I'm Finally Getting A Wii U, But Where Should I Start?
I only bought a Wii U earlier this year. I thought I should given it's the only Nintendo home console I hadn't owned, and some of the games are uniquely Wii U due to the controller.
I haven't played it yet, but Year Walk looks interesting. Thanks to the Wii U, I finally own StarTropics!
@mudkipfan217 Thanks for the reminder! I was hoping for a half-decent physical price for the the Prime Trilogy on Wii, but I should probably take the plunge with the digital version before it's too late. I keep thinking it'll come to Switch though...
Re: Talking Point: The Mummy Demastered - Has A Better Game Ever Come From A Worse Movie?
The film has plenty of faults, but I enjoyed it.
Re: Feature: Meet Sea Power, The Talent Behind Disco Elysium's Exquisite Music
@spraff Same here - that's a Heron Addict t-shirt in my avatar!
I'm seeing Sea Power live for about the 50th time this week. I recommend anyone who is a fan of the soundtrack or live music in general to check out Sea Power if they get chance.
Re: Talking Point: What's Your Favourite Music Track From A Nintendo Game?
Stickerbush Symphony by David Wise from Donkey Kong Country 2. The Protricity remix of it is incredible too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtcAw3U6LPk
Secret of Mana's Spirit of the Night is another favourite. The SNES had some great soundtracks.
The version of Deep Purple's Highway Star on Rock 'n' Roll Racing.
Chicago from Perfect Dark.
Big Blue from F-Zero (there are some great metal covers of this).
Song of Storms.
Top Gear on the SNES has some great stuff.
Impact's tune from Mystical Ninja Starring Goeman is great.
Most recently, I love a lot of the Unravel Two soundtrack and the main theme from Full Metal Furies.
Re: Talking Point: Which Zelda Game Should You Play First?
Wind Waker HD is like a bridge between the two best Zelda games, Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild, so I'd pick WW for an experienced gamer.
But if it was someone new to gaming, I'd probably suggest Breath of the Wild for its wonder and the way it eases the player in.
Re: GoldenEye 007 Is Returning To Nintendo Switch
Should've been Perfect Dark, or at least an update of the multiplayer based on Perfect Dark.
And yep, Perfect Dark is probably even less likely on a Nintendo console given the new game in development.
Re: Talking Point: What Was Your First Mario Kart Game?
My first was SNES Mario Kart, and I thought it was okay.
I loved Mario Kart 64.
Similarly with F-Zero, I wasn't a huge fan of the original but love F-Zero X and GX.
Re: Watch: How To Get Good At Collecting Retro Video Games (Without Breaking The Bank)
I bought Terranigma (cart and manual) from a friend for £7 about a year after it was released. I'd seen it for £59.99 new. It's my favourite game ever so easily the best bargain ever!
I think a time machine is the best way to collect retro games. Otherwise, focussing on games you really want to play.
There are lots of great bargains still. I went through a few 'best of' lists on Nintendo Life over lockdown. My favourite bargain was probably MadWorld for the Wii, new and only £2.99.
The DS and 3DS had some great bargains too, including new games.
Re: Talking Point: What Was Your First Legend Of Zelda Game?
Mine was A Link to the Past on the SNES. It was brilliant but still not one of my favourite SNES games. I preferred Terranigma, Secret of Mana and Illusion of Time.
Ocarina of Time is one of my all-time favourites though. Breath of the Wild is my favourite since then.
Re: Review: Arcade Paradise - An Addictive Arcade Management Sim That Proves Laundry Can Be Fun
@dadrester I don't know what S-Rank means, but I gather it removes some of the "tiresome" aspects of the game mentioned in the review?
I appreciate you commenting. I've gone from "not sure" to "yes, I will purchase this game!" Especially as there's a physical release.
I never think creators should feel the need to justify a narrative device in a game, but it's cool to know when it's something I thought might feel like a waste of my precious time. 👍
Re: Review: Arcade Paradise - An Addictive Arcade Management Sim That Proves Laundry Can Be Fun
Arcade Paradise sounds brilliant!
The aspects mentioned as tiresome put me off though. I don't like to feel like my time is being wasted, so thanks Lowell Bell and Nintendo Life for mentioning that kind of thing in reviews.
I'm still very tempted, especially now I've seen it's a £20 physical game...
Re: Adventure Game 'Calme' Reminds Us Of Ni No Kuni And Octopath Traveler
@UltimateOtaku91 The first one. It started to drag after 2-3 hours, and I felt it was wasting my time. Little things like the sequence after every battle (and I'm not generally a fan of turn-based battles anyway). It felt clunky too.
Re: Adventure Game 'Calme' Reminds Us Of Ni No Kuni And Octopath Traveler
@UltimateOtaku91 I didn't like Ni No Kuni, so maybe that makes me more likely to want to try Calme! I really really wanted to like Ni No Kuni too. It looks beautiful, and the music is by one of my favourite composers.
Re: Best Switch Games... That Don't Fit In Other Lists Of Best Switch Games
@NeonPizza I've only played it once and didn't like Katamari based on that experience.
I think games that split opinion are a good thing though - if everyone loved the same thing, life would be boring, and no creators would take risks.
Re: Best Switch Games... That Don't Fit In Other Lists Of Best Switch Games
This is the kind of list I've always wanted! I love games that are a bit different. I've only played two of these games and am unfamiliar with most of them.
@iLikeUrAttitude Why try hard to fit something to a genre? Genres are largely made up (or popularised) by companies to sell things, so it's good when a game goes against the grain.
Re: Playing Games Probably Won't Make You Feel Worse... Or Better, Says New Oxford Uni Study
Hey @BiscuitCrumbsInMyBed - thanks for your reply. I'm lucky to have supportive people around me who I can talk to. I've had to deal with an especially toxic person myself recently, and it was such a relief to have friends, family and strangers who are kind, supportive and listen.
I think we'll all struggle some days, but we can always get through those days, and sometimes that struggle makes the best days even better. I'm sometimes slow at replying, but feel free to message me if you ever feel like it might help to chat to a random stranger!
Re: Playing Games Probably Won't Make You Feel Worse... Or Better, Says New Oxford Uni Study
@BiscuitCrumbsInMyBed I feel like I might have had a breakdown if it wasn't for BotW. Probably my favourite hobby is/was hiking, and I couldn't get outdoors post-lockdown due to injuries.
I didn't realise it for a while, but exploring Hyrule in BotW helped me massively. Depending how my injuries go, maybe I'll find myself playing more open-world games. I used to avoid them, considering them a timesink when I saw the number of hours people put into them.
Re: Talking Point: What Are The Nintendo Switch's Defining Moments (So Far)?
For me it was the exploration element of Breath of the Wild over the past year and more - after I got stuck in the house longer than lockdown thanks to an injury.
My favourite thing to do in 'real life' is wandering up and down mountains and along coastlines, and being able to do that on BotW when I haven't been able to in real life I think helped my mental health more than I ever thought a game could.
There was a time I wanted to finish the game to play something else, but I've been dragging it out for the past couple of months.
Re: My Nintendo Store Down For Maintenance, Possibly For Weeks (EU)
I've regularly received timeouts for the UK store over the past few weeks. Usually a refresh or two worked.
I've worked as or with web developers for nearly 15 years, and I haven't heard of a website being down for weeks before! The only thing I can think that would cause such drastic action is a security issue, but weeks still sounds ridiculous for a company of Nintendo's scale. I'm guessing the "will take a few weeks" message might be an error or they're over-estimating by a few weeks...