BongoBongo

Tunic! Probably my game of the year so far but the only other games released this year I have actually played are Kirby, Elechead and Neon White (all great!).

Sports Story me up!

“Car Parking Madness School Drive Mechanic Car Games Simulator 2023“

I do appreciate the extra “Car” parked in the name of that game

@Fizza I would highly recommend checking out this musical analysis of the LA soundtrack that perfectly illustrates why the Face Shrine music is as it is. http://jasonyu.me/links-awakening-dungeons/

It’s set out from the perspective of the original GB chip set but carries through to the faithful (and amazing in general) remake music you posted.

“Oh, and Bongo Bongo, of course — whatever he is.“

A phantom shadow beast of course! Definitely not a bit of phallic anatomy with disembodied hands.

My own personal favourite is the Spirit Temple - such a vibe and peak OOT.

Bridge to the turnabout is a standout case for me - not just in AA but in gaming in general. Such a fantastic finale.

It’s mentioned honourably at the end but I’d have Rise from the Ashes in my personal top 3. A little long sure but masterful storytelling and linking to prior cases. Actually the only thing I’d knock it down for is how it fits in the Edgeworth storyline seeing as it was written post AA2

@JimNorman I have been playing Minish Cap for the first time and I am surprised at how good it is! Very tight/polished game I feel should be regarded higher! I had never prioritised getting round to it as it’s Capcom and I never really felt the Oracle games, but it’s entered my personal ranking at number 5 (13 of 19 played so far) which is high indeed considering how strong the series is as a whole.

@GregamanX congrats again on beating downwell. Spelunky can be another level of difficulty. I managed the normal ending after unlocking the shortcuts (getting the key to world 4 was probably harder than beating the game from that point) - but just getting to the extra ending seems impossible!

Also tried some Spelunky 2 and have done the shortcuts there but just the standard ending seems too hard at the moment

@Teksetter sorry a bit late to the conversation but also mentioned to Gregaman that I also beat Downwell for the first time a few months ago after playing it on and off for years and can agree it was incredibly satisfying! I used the boulder style actually as my strategy was to just get HP up as high as possible to carry through the hard final boss and that gives you a head start. The faster falling speed actually helps on the final boss as well which is a bit of a chase. You definitely need the knife and fork as early as possible - before world 2 really as eating the ghosts gives you so much health. And finally I’d agree the laser is best!

Can’t disagree with Gerudo Valley or anything from the great David Wise soundtrack for DKC2

Some curveball suggestions from me would be Monk Max Kashia from BOTW https://youtu.be/UlMuHQ2g-Cc

And more recently this banger from Kirby forgotten land https://youtu.be/uvg4ASNDPsM

Bonus - this version of the N64 rainbow road from MK8 goes hard https://youtu.be/NuG53TOJqlo

@GregamanX keep going - I finally beat the final boss on Downwell after playing on and off for about 3 years and it felt so good!

@Nanami_Ataraxi you might be thinking of the game Islanders which came out last year and is quite similar

I played the demo on steam deck and the controller controls are indeed very fiddly!

Loving Dorfromantik on Switch!

@Would_you_kindly so how exactly do you go about dumping your own roms? Just curious

Maybe the plot will involve Mario’s flat butt in some way. The only way to defeat Bowser turns out to be by performing a ground pound / butt stomp on him - so first Mario needs to find a way to reinflate his butt!

@dartmonkey you should definitely do a scorecard from the last set of predictions in the next version of that article (and maybe a comparison to the year before if there was a similar article then)

Came out right at the end of the month but Dorfromantik should be up there - can’t even see it amongst the honourable mentions.

NL - get a review out stat!

Price of this one seems high but I did get a lot of value from the £17.99 I spent on Treasure Trove back in 2017 which eventually gave me 5 games (they later put the price up) - so I probably owe them some extra coin for this one.

Not played Dig or Pocket Dungeon but the official BB ranking of the other games is:

1. Shovel of Hope
2. King of Cards
3. Specter of Torment
4. Plague of Shadows
5. Showdown

Playing Outer Wilds on my Steam Deck as I gave up waiting for the Switch version. Such an interesting game with a great sense of exploration and impressive game (astro)physics.

I’d actually be curious to see how it runs on switch as the graphics aren’t complex altho the physics engine may be pushing the Switch’s capabilities.

I think while the 3DS eshop remains open I will continue to purchase games I missed from there. After that date though it’s a free for all as far as I am concerned.

In any case Steam Deck emulation feels much nicer for consoles without particular functionality like motion controls or dual screens.

@Masze Bongo Bongo was generally the favourite boss for my childhood friends group mainly because of the part of the male anatomy he resembled (very childish I know)

Is this guy actually a reliable source of rumours that turnout to be accurate, or is he another person trying to make a name for themselves by calling out the more obvious ports that people have been suggesting for a while in any case. I am not really sure why he gets so much coverage.

Does anyone actually have a list of things Grubb has actually predicted/leaked that weren’t generally easy wins like “a September Direct”?

Bit late to the party but downloaded this on a pre 3DS eshop closure whim and it’s definitely addictive and well worth the price - one of those bits of gaming history that it will be sad if there is no way to get this game after March 2023

@Ddude you have to wait until March 2023 to use that argument

@moodycat completely disagree. Hyrule in BOTW is a demonstration of tight game design across a whole open world. As good as The Witcher 3 is (particular with story telling), this copy and paste treasure cache with a ? clearly marked on your map so you never find it organically isn’t tight design and it can be incredibly distracting. BOTW could have filled its map out with ?s marking koroks or the hidden buried treasure chests but it would have been a far worse game for it.

Fantastic game already and this looks like a meaty update!

If you want a nifty baseball game that runs well on Switch then I highly recommend either Super Mega Baseball 2 or 3

I don’t agree that any game would suffer due to being surrounded by larger announcements at a direct - if anything that can only elevate its profile by being held in the same regard. Most keen gamers watching will usually end up with a few games in a direct they will be keeping an eye on - not just whatever was last shown, we are not talking about Homer Simpson here.

@Krull I’ve been playing Downwell on and off ever since it released and finally beat it last week! So satisfying! Great game and the soundtrack is incredible

Islanders is a great shout - had so much fun dabbling with that. Although actually in the later stages the islands last a while and it’s quite addictive!

Elechead is a great recent puzzle game which would be ideal for short sessions as each puzzle is only a minute or so long.

Good review - I’ve really enjoyed my time with this one. Some clever puzzles and use of the main mechanics

ElecHead for GOTY!

Will be getting Elechead - looks like a well designed puzzler

Release Outer Wilds already!

Hapi is the best!

Legitimately a 10/10 game

Well if Reggie said it then it must be true - Mr Rent-a-headline

Peach of a goal for the equaliser at 1-1

Not sure why Mario’s goal counted for 2 goals but I’m sure he will take it

They said they were from Bristol not Brighton in the presentation!

This game looks cool!

Spirit of Justice is £25 on the UK eshop! Dual Destinies and Apollo Justice are £20 each. We really need a sale more than the US where these games are already cheaper and were on sale a couple of months ago!

Would be good to have something like this in the UK so I don’t have to resort to other means hint hint

Probably less free time for gaming despite the long weekend since the weather is so spectacular in England at the moment!

Want to finish off the Forgo bits of Kirbs tho - really enjoying that!

Been playing through the Ace Attorney trilogy for the first time recently - some genuinely funny moments in that!

Cyber shadow and shovel knight are two incredible soundtracks

But overall a great list. Contrary to the incorrect comments above, BOTW has a fantastic soundtrack that’s not minimalist at all - go on YouTube and check out the 100 or so tracks!

@Zverik Is there an Irish store you can use?

Edit- looks like Ireland shares a store with the UK

Come on Ace Attorney sale in Europe!

Mine is 4 and a half years old and the main console is still in great shape (but have got through some joycons - thank goodness they are removable!)

Would be great if Capcom could do a ace attorney sale!