BulkSlash

I noticed the lag the other day. Just trying to scroll through the list of recent releases is way slower and jerkier than it should be. It's likely lazy-loading the list and if you scroll too fast you end up getting stuttering waiting for it to download the next chunk of games. Nintendo could probably fix it by either making the chunks of games bigger or triggering the load of the next block sooner.

I never finished the first two, but I did sort-of finish Luminous Avenger iX 2. That was the first one after Mighty Gunvolt Burst that really grabbed me. Sadly they locked the best ending away behind a Hard mode that changed so much about the game I really didn't feel like taking it on.

Definitely the Japanese version as it’s more in-keeping with the cartoon and is also more nostalgic for me as it’s the same art as they used for the Japanese version of Turtles The Arcade Game.

@ModdedInkling
That’s interesting, maybe I use gyro differently from others? I like to have the right analogue stick on maximum sensitivity (to the point where I can’t really aim accurately with it) and I use it to just point in the general direction of what I’m aiming at and then use gyro to fine tune the aim (I also have gyro on maximum sensitivity but I find it so accurate that it’s never hard to aim with).

IIRC the developers said they prevent up/down on the right stick to avoid players getting confused between the two or something, but I’m so used to it from games like Doom Eternal that I’m always trying to use it in Splatoon even though it does nothing. 😩 Hopefully they will allow its use in the sequel, but they should definitely make it optional so it’s not forced on players who don’t want it.

I guess this is explains why all my progress was gone when I booted up Splatoon 2 the other week for the first time since getting an OLED Switch.

Have they announced yet if you can look up and down on the right analogue stick when using gyro aiming?

I would watch Ugly Sonic, Uglier Crimes.

I might get Cotton and Snow Bros, they both look like they'll be fun.

I hope it's not the same team at Sega who have been looking after the mobile versions. They did a terrible job after they took over from Headcanno;, Sonic 1 was impossible to complete for at least a year as Sonic would warp into the ceiling for the penultimate level cut scene where Robotnik drops him down a pit.

Plus last time I checked the girders in the background in Chemical Zone just pop onto the screen halfway after the new team botched the parallax scrolling for the widescreen update.

Not to mention I paid for those games before they were turned into ad-supported versions as part of Sega Forever. I don't mind them changing the funding method, but at least they could have ensured existing users weren't forced into viewing adverts.

The man has impeccable taste.

“that hasn’t been a priority for Nintendo”

This could mean Nintendo have a different game they want Tantalus working on. Maybe WW HD (as he doesn’t deny that one) or maybe one of the N64 Zelda games (although that might be less likely with those games on NSO).

Hollywood really sucks at doing Resident Evil.

Looks really interesting although I’m worried it will have the same problems as Paper Mario Sticker Star after watching the gameplay. If you use all your cards up or use the wrong one it looks like you might have to restart the level.

I’d like it to be either Mirror’s Edge or Need for Speed Underground. I’m sure it will be neither though!

I enjoyed Donkey Konga but boy it really hurt my hands slapping those bongos after a while. (I didn’t intend that to sound as rude as it does)

Sold! Give it to me now!

Reggie is talking nonsense. I just did a quick comparison and the buttons on the Micro are bigger than the buttons on the 3DS XL and the Switch joy-cons I have to hand. They’re also flatter which means they don’t become uncomfortable when held down for long periods. The Micro’s d-pad is also the same size as the one on the 3DS.

There was absolutely nothing awkward about playing on the Micro aside from perhaps the screen size. I wish Nintendo would offer joy-cons with bigger buttons instead of sticking with those tiny bumps they currently use.

@Coalescence I bought it for that too. I keep hoping they’ll let us have the original either as an unlockable in this game or just putting it on NSO.

In a way this is a good thing. It means Squeenix can focus on making Final Fantasy games and not be perpetually disappointed when Tomb Raider or Deux Ex doesn’t sell eleventy billion copies.

It sounds a lot like Squeenix are retreating back to their traditional space and are abandoning Western game development altogether.

I’ve still got my Club Nintendo coasters shaped like the bricks in Super Mario Bros. and they get daily usage. They’re brilliant as the raised surface and rubber material means you never get that annoying situation where the coaster sticks to the glass and then clatters noisily to the table.

Maybe the ‘90s Mario movie will end up being better after all!?

@AndyC_MK111 Yeah I love Super Luigi U, I actually just finished replaying it last night! 😅

The Wii U version is better IMHO as it would tell you when you managed a Super Play, for some reason when they took the MiiVerse stuff out of the Switch port they removed that too.

@AndyC_MK111 I gotta say I loved Armoured Edition, I played that so much, especially as it had great off-screen support and gyro aiming. It's definitely the definitive version of Arkham City for me.

I also love Super Luigi U, I think it's massively underrated, but sadly that doesn't count as a launch title! 😅

I never got Nintendo Land as I assumed it would be a few throwaway mini-games, but I've only ever heard great things about it from people who have played it.

I guess probably the GameCube. Regret is relative of course, it was hardly a bad machine but on launch day Luigi's Mansion was no match for Mario 64 and Wave Race Blue Storm wasn't as good as Wave Race 64 so it did feel a bit of a let down compared to the splash the N64 made.

A close second is the Wii U. I had a lot of fun with Arkham City and New Super Mario Bros U was decent but it was a pretty dull launch with no real standouts. The novelty of being able to switch to playing on the controller when the family wanted to watch TV is probably the only thing putting it ahead of the GameCube launch.

Is this a Metroidvania-style or is it linear like the first four games? If it's a Metroidvania I'm a bit concerned there's no mini-map in the corner as I get lost in these games so easily!

I think this is awesome, I always wanted to see what the "missing link" Metroid game on the N64 would have been like. It makes total sense for it to be third person as well, as at that time Miyamoto said he made both Mario 64 and Zelda third person because he felt you bonded more with the character when you see them on-screen.

I’d already bought it. That said, I’m replaying the single player part again as playing Splatoon is one of the weekly missions and I’ve got back into it. 😅

I still can’t stand not being able to use up/down on the right analogue stick when using gyro aiming though. 🙄

Honestly I’d be happier with MS buying Ubi than some equity group. MS would likely want Ubi’s studios in a long term sustainable situation where they can deliver great games to help attract people to the MS platform. It’s not in their interest to drive studios or franchises into the ground for short term share holder gratification.

MS have actually been accused of being too hands off with some of their new studio acquisitions. An equity group would mean a bunch of share holders demanding annual releases of games to make them money with the long term health of the studio, the employees and the quality of the games they make coming a distant second.

@ChromaticDracula Last time I tried it the nub did nothing, but it's been years since I last played it. Maybe I didn't download the patch as it's not automatic on the 3DS.

It's a shame this never got patched to support the New 3DS's analogue nub, as when played with the circle pad this was the best version of the game. The New 3DS could probably have done something for the frame rate too.

It’s quite amusing reading through Cifaldi’s evaluations. The vast majority of games are identical to final retail releases or near identical. There are plenty of fakes discovered in there too. I’d imagine someone submitting their proto cart in the hopes of making big money would have soon had their bubble burst when Cifaldi deems the cart identical to retail or fake. 😂

So while I do abhor WATA, I think Cifaldi is actually providing a useful service in busting the myth that prototype cartridges often have significant differences from the final release. Of all the protos I’ve owned, I’ve only ever seen one with differences from the final release.

I have to admit, setting them both in the same city would be quite cool. I wonder would they both look the same or would the city be cel shaded when playing JSR and "normal" when playing it in Crazy Taxi?

Having games like Outrun and House of the Dead using the same area would be pretty interesting too.

I love JSR and Crazy Taxi, but neither seem particularly suitable to be big budget "Super Games". The trouble with Sega is their arcade heritage doesn't translate well to long form games. They're meant to be quick sugar rush bursts of fun, not something you pad out into something you play for hours.

If these are ports and not emulation, I wonder if they’re based on the Christian Whitehead mobile ports of Sonic 1, 2 and CD? Maybe this is what they’ve been working on instead of Mania 2?

I’m replaying Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at the moment, I’m particularly enjoying the new tracks from Tour with the way they change on the last lap.

I might go back to Chrono Cross, but I’m not really feeling it. The battle system makes absolutely zero sense to me and the frame rate is terrible.

@Jackpaza0508 I’m not sure that’s the video’s fault, I think it highlights the inaccuracy of Nintendo’s N64 emulation.

In the end credits to Mario Kart 64 on NSO, Mario says “Hey, you’re very good, see you next time!” before the music has finished playing and the end credits to Ocarina go out of sync too. Its because the emulator isn’t fully timing accurate and so things with a specific timing will go out of sync.

From the GameCube onwards I’ve bought every major Nintendo hardware release at launch (before that I was relying on parental generosity! 😉) I’ve only ever skipped minor updates like the DSi or some of the 3DS variants, like the 2DS.

So, yeah a new Switch model would definitely be an insta-buy for me, even though I bought the OLED at launch last year.

@Ade117 Oh yeah definitely, they can still work that magic when they want to. Even stuff like Labo and the remote controlled Mario Kart cars show they're still able to think up clever new things!

@retroman64 Absolutely. A lot of game companies tend to do more of the same with their sequels, but Nintendo are usually pretty good at trying to do something new with each game rather than just make a sequel with shinier graphics. Forgotten Land has been brilliant!

I voted SNES, but I think NES, SNES and N64 represents Nintendo at their creative peak. While they’re still a very innovative company, they don’t tend to make anything new anymore and just make sequels to the same games over and over.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing as Nintendo generally don’t make a sequel unless they feel they can make something new and unique with it, but it would be nice to see the Nintendo try more new franchises.

B for me. I lament Nintendo’s pivot towards making the “bottom” and “right” buttons the main buttons when throughout the SNES, N64 and GC years the two main buttons were left and bottom (i.e. Y/B on SNES and B/A on the N64 & GC) which were aligned with the direction of one’s thumb.

Nintendo’s bizarre switch from the DS onwards to make B and A the main buttons just doesn’t work for me at all, my thumb doesn’t point to the right like that. I still find using B to cancel and A to accept on Switch menus counter-intuitive and wrong. At least Sony let you choose if you prefer Square/Cross or Cross/Circle. 😢

Wait, how long has Guru Larry been writing for Nintendo Life?

@Emceehamster Can you use gyro and analogue stick at the same time? The review seems to imply you can’t but from what you’ve said you can. If it’s possible, I’ll definitely be getting this as playing with analogue stick and gyro in tandem works really well for me. 👍

That art is incredible, I love how faithful it is to the game while adding extra details that you previously couldn't see. I wish we could get the original game in the NSO app, but a remake with this visual style would be epic.

"See you at Axelay 2!"

I’m glad it’s not just me, I always leave the sleeping ones alone unless I’m trying to figure out the secret mission objectives and think they might be related. Same with that level where the enemies are just chilling around tables eating.

There’s also a level where there’s a bunch of sleeping enemies in a hidden area with a pile of food in the corner. Even though I needed some health, I left their food stash alone.

@Travisemo007 That's why I haven't watched it too. That said, I've just binged Ranking of Kings and it's amazing despite being one of the worst looking animes I've ever seen (aside from Ex-Arm). So maybe I should give this a shot.

Most likely just a salary bargaining posture. It’s like when Daniel Craig said he’d rather slit his wrists than do another Bond film, yet he still came back.

This better not be an April Fools! I hope Area 88 (UN Squadron) is in the next batch.

I hope they haven't locked the best ending behind the hard mode like they did with iX2.

That's a big meh. Why can't we have Axelay and Actraiser?

I spend ages tracking this down for the GameBoy as a child, I think it must have had a small production run as it's expensive on eBay now.

I'll definitely be giving this a shot I think. It reminds me a lot of Pang Adventures, which I thought was a great modernisation of a classic.

I think we’d have seen more of it if it was coming this year, so I’m not too surprised. I also suspect it will end up releasing towards the end of next year, not Spring.