Tonight, the Spearess and I are going out for dinner, so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Balatro (This is pretty much my Friday-evening, end-of-week comfort [stay-up-too-late] activity. I won one Gold stake run last night.);
Bejeweled Twist (Nintendo DS. It was a super-busy week, so I only added a million points in Zen mode in the past week. I'm now past 31 million in my goal for 100 million by year's end);
Civilization VI (I'm in the early going of the Trajan/Roman Empire revenge tour II. I made a couple bad blunders in the last game, and they cost me bad. I'm off to a decent start this time, pursuing a space-race victory);
Pinball FX (I gave up hope for a Switch 2 version of this anytime soon and really don't trust Zen Studios much, so I bought it on the PS5 and have been alternating between Pacha and FunHouse.);
Kirby's Pinball Land (I never played this back in the day but recently found a sealed copy and have been having fun with it. The battery still works, and it looks great on the GBC!)
The Spearess and I will be seeing family much of the next two days, so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Balatro (This is pretty much my Friday-evening, end-of-week comfort [stay-up-too-late] activity. I went two-for-four on Gold stake runs last night.);
Bejeweled Twist (Nintendo DS. I've added almost three million points in Zen mode since last week and have ticked past 30 million in my goal for 100 million by year's end);
Civilization VI (I'm in the early going of the Trajan/Roman Empire revenge tour II. I made a couple bad blunders in the last game, and they cost me bad. I'm off to a decent start this time, pursuing a space-race victory);
Tetris 99 (I unlocked the Super Mario Galaxy theme yesterday. One of the best ones they've produced in a long time);
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Still playing my original save file from 16 years ago.);
SnowRunner (This just hasn't grabbed me the way I'd hoped, and with motion sickness creeping in after about an hour of play, I've been limited in my progress. Still cruising North Port, Alaska, looking for upgrades.);
SteamWorld Dig (I started this on Wii U many years ago but got sidetracked and now the save file is corrupted. So I'm back into it on Switch and maybe 30 percent back to where I left off;
Cast n Chill (I think I need seven or so fish to finish up. I’ve finished the log book for almost every fish I’ve caught, so I’m very close to completion, save for a few achievements.).
Tonight, the Spearess and I are not going out for dinner. I've been knocked silly by some kind of bug, so I'm just laying low, barely doing much of anything ... so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Balatro (This is pretty much my Friday-evening, end-of-week comfort [stay-up-too-late] activity. I won twice on Gold stake last night.);
Bejeweled Twist (Nintendo DS. I've added about two million more points in Zen mode since last week and am now past 27 million in my goal for 100 million by year's end;
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Still playing my original save file from 16 years ago. I played the last two rounds of the Northern Trust Open last night and, after years away from this, was predictably bad, though I found my shots after a while and managed to play the last round at even-par);
SnowRunner (This just hasn't grabbed me the way I'd hoped, and with motion sickness creeping in after about an hour of play, I've been limited in my progress. Still cruising North Port, Alaska, looking for upgrades.;
SteamWorld Dig (I started this on Wii U many years ago but got sidetracked and now the save file is corrupted. So I'm back into it on Switch and maybe 30 percent back to where I left off;
Cast n Chill (I think I need seven or so fish to finish up. I’ve finished the log book for almost every fish I’ve caught, so I’m very close to completion, save for a few achievements.).
Tonight, the Spearess and I are going out for dinner, so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Balatro (This is pretty much my Friday-evening, end-of-week comfort [stay-up-too-late] activity. Rough night last night, though: only one Gold stake win.);
Bejeweled Twist (Nintendo DS. I've added about four million more points in Zen mode since last week and am now past 25 million in my goal for 100 million by year's end;
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Still playing my original save file from 16 years ago. I played the last two rounds of the Northern Trust Open last night and, after years away from this, was predictably bad, though I found my shots after a while and managed to play the last round at even-par);
Civilization VI (Still on the Trajan/Roman Empire revenge tour. I made a huge blunder in the end game and am going to need a lot of magic, despite having probably more foreign tourism than in any game I've ever played.;
SnowRunner (This just hasn't grabbed me the way I'd hoped, and with motion sickness creeping in after about an hour of play, I've been limited in my progress. Still cruising North Port, Alaska, looking for upgrades.;
SteamWorld Dig (I started this on Wii U many years ago but got sidetracked and now the save file is corrupted. So I'm back into it on Switch and maybe 30 percent back to where I left off;
Cast n Chill (I think I need seven or so fish to finish up. I’ve finished the log book for almost every fish I’ve caught, so I’m very close to completion, save for a few achievements.).
Tonight, the Spearess and I are going out for dinner, so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Civilization VI (Still on the Trajan/Roman Empire revenge tour. I made a huge blunder last week and am going to need a lot of magic, despite having probably more foreign tourism than in any game I've ever played.;
Balatro (This is pretty much my Friday-evening, end-of-week comfort [stay-up-too-late] activity. Won three more runs on Gold stake last night.);
SnowRunner (Spent about an hour and a half cruising North Port, Alaska, last night, looking for upgrades.;
Cast n Chill (I think I need seven or so fish to finish up. I’ve finished the log book for almost every fish I’ve caught, so I’m very close to completion, save for a few achievements.);
SteamWorld Dig (Restarted this on Switch after my Wii U's save file corrupted;
Bejeweled Twist (Nintendo DS. I've added a few million more points in Zen mode since last week and am now past 21 million in my goal for 100 million by year's end.
I won't be seeing the Spearess tonight, as she's at a girls-only thing, so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Civilization VI (Still on the Trajan/Roman Empire revenge tour. Late game is here, and I need a boost. Unfortunately, the only way there may be to take advantage of France, which is in a Dark Age and has a nearly depleted military. Time to roll up the sleeves!;
Balatro (Won five more times on Gold stake last night.);
Cast n Chill (I think I need seven or so fish to finish up. I’ve finished the log book for almost every fish I’ve caught, so I’m very close to completion, save for a few achievements.);
SteamWorld Dig (I started this on Wii U many years ago but got sidetracked. Went back a few weeks ago but hit the dreaded Wii U memory error. So I'm back into it on Switch and maybe 30 percent back to where I left off;
SnowRunner (I'm almost seven hours into this but am progressing slowly since I can't play for much more than an hour without getting a little motion sickness, which is unusual for me. I need to keep it to short spurts during the day. I finished the Old Bridge Restoration mission in Michigan and found the garage there. Now working on the bridge repair in Alaska and some side tasks but mostly exploring to reveal more of the map.;
Bejeweled Twist (Nintendo DS. I've added a few million more points in Zen mode since last week and am now past 18 million in my goal for 100 million by year's end.
First of all, game-key card = no purchase no matter what. Second, Ditto is just too creepy looking in humanoid form. He looks like the improbable offspring of an alien and Adam Silver.
I have several DS Lite consoles, my go-to being a Polar White that rests in my middle desk drawer. It's always ready to go when I ask it to, even if it has been months, a year or longer! I will say, though, that it largely serves as a backup for when my DSi XL runs out of juice.
My PSP, on the other hand, almost never has a charge when I want to play it, even though I just bought a couple of new batteries.
Tonight, the Spearess and I are going out for dinner, so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Civilization VI (Still on the Trajan/Roman Empire revenge tour. Late game is here, and I need a boost. Unfortunately, the only way there may be to take advantage of France, which is in a Dark Age and has a nearly depleted military. Time to roll up the sleeves!;
Balatro (Won four more times on Gold stake last night.);
Cast n Chill (I think I need seven or so fish to finish up. I’ve finished the log book for almost every fish I’ve caught, so I’m very close to completion, save for a few achievements.);
SteamWorld Dig (I started this on Wii U many years ago but got sidetracked. Went back last week but hit the dreaded Wii U memory error. So I'm back into it on Switch and maybe 30 percent back to where I left off.;
SnowRunner (Just got into this about a week ago. I finished the Old Bridge Restoration mission in Michigan and found the garage. Now it's on to Alaska.;
Bejeweled Twist (One of my favorite DS games. I'm slowly building toward 100 million in Zen mode, adding a couple million a week in what I expect to be a yearlong project. Currently past 15 million.
Tonight, the Spearess and I are going out for dinner, so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Civilization VI (Still on the Trajan/Roman Empire revenge tour. I was gaining momentum toward a culture/tourism victory when the AI civs began banning my rock bands. They're currently headed overseas to resume work on friendlier soil. This may require some military help.; Balatro (Hundreds of hours after completing C++, this game still sinks its claws into me two or three times a week. I won a couple of runs last night.); Cast n Chill (I think I need seven or so fish to finish up. I’ve finished the log book for almost every fish I’ve caught, so I’m very close to completion, save for a few achievements.); SteamWorld Dig (I started this on Wii U many years ago but got sidetracked. Went back last night but hit the dreaded Wii U memory error. I've prepared for this day and will get to work on reviving my Wii U, but I just went ahead and restarted the game on Switch. Bejeweled Twist (I've gotten back into this DS gem. I long ago had a Zen game up to about 75 or 80 million points, only to have the save file glitch and knock the score back to 1 million or so. In the past week or so I've built it back up to 11 million (one higher than 10), and am adding maybe 250K or 500K a day.
Ninety-nine percent of people emulating on Switch are stealing. They're playing games that are on store shelves and Amazon right now but not paying for them. The people who say they make these apps so gamers can enjoy an enhanced experience are like the people who manufacture radar detectors, ghost guns or phony cable boxes: They're enabling law-breaking activity.
@Rykdrew I had Aces in my backlog for years. I assumed there was a legitimate motion option, which I suppose there is, but it's only available for certain play options. Otherwise, you characterized what I was feeling perfectly: It just doesn't feel like there's precise control of where the ball is going to go. It's more like turn-based tennis: choose this shot, choose that one, set up for the finishing move. I haven't picked it up in weeks and don't know if I will again. And if you're saying Fever is even more of what I dislike about Aces, then forget that.
@Rykdrew What do you think of Mario Tennis Aces? I tried it a few weeks ago and just couldn't get into the controls. After nearly 20 years with Wii Sports, I'm used to motion.
Tonight, I'm seeing the Spearess for Valentine’s Day supper and a little quiet time at home, so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Civilization VI (Still on the Trajan/Roman Empire revenge tour. We have a shot at taking Paris, which was somehow overrun by barbarians, and some outlying French cities, but messing with Eleanor is always tricky and can backfire in a big way. We’re pursuing a culture/tourism victory but lost out on the all-important Cristo Redentor wonder, so there may be a pivot.);
Balatro (Hundreds of hours after completing C++, this game still sinks its claws into me two or three times a week.);
Cast n Chill (I think I need seven or so fish to finish up. I’ve finished the log book for almost every fish I’ve caught, so I’m very close to completion, save for a few achievements.).
I began the weekend with nearly five hours of Balatro last night, after intending to play just two or three runs. That game is still impossible to put down.
I also played some Mario Tennis Aces last night, or tried to, anyway. With Fever out, no one is online anymore, apparently.
And for the rest of the weekend I'm looking forward to resuming my second Civ VI run as Trajan leading the Roman Empire. This one has gotten off to a better start than the last one did, but now we're embroiled in war, which can be a huge distraction.
Late to the after-party this morning after almost six hours of Balatro last night.
We're bracing for a severe snowstorm this weekend, which means lots of gaming time with no guilt. I'll likely start another Civ VI run as Trajan leading the Roman Empire, since I lost the last one by five turns or so. I had intended to take a break from the game, but a week later the defeat just isn't sitting well, and I don't want my ledger in the red for the long haul.
Otherwise, I'm planning on adding my new Atari 7800 to the game room this weekend. And I also expect to check in on Cast n Chill. I'm about two-thirds of the way to 100-percenting it.
As for Nintendo, it didn't brick the guy's console, it just took the island offline. He's free to continue using that island himself. The game is rated E, so I can see why Nintendo would do this. And while everyone's standards and morals differ, I'm sure there are some parents who wouldn't want their 6-year-old visiting this island.
Three-day weekend here in the United States. I'll be switching between Cast n Chill and my Civ VI run as Trajan leading the Roman Empire. We're pursuing a culture victory but have a lot of ground to make up against Vietnam, Mali, the Incas and Mongolia, each of whom is about halfway through their space-race projects. My master spies have wrought havoc in their space facilities, giving me time to gain ground. Fingers crossed.
I've been enjoying my game room so much this past week, as I spent much of last Sunday sorting through tangled cords and reconnecting consoles whose power cords had come loose and fallen into the abyss. I'm back to having seven fully functioning consoles up and running, and I've ordered a bunch of cool controller stands from Etsy to clear up my shelf chaos.
I didn't even know there was a new Super Mario Galaxy amiibo. I looked it up, and it's $40. Nintendo has changed so much this generation. It has just felt like a cold-hearted money grab ever since I bought my Switch 2. Sorry, folks.
Mixing it up this weekend. I'm still plugging away at my Civ VI run as Trajan leading the Roman Empire, going for a culture victory. Not looking good, as Vietnam is pretty far down the line in the space race, but my spies are working on that.
I've also been playing a lot of Cast n Chill on Switch 2. I bought the game Monday and already have more than eight hours in it. It's a fun little game with gorgeous landscapes.
I did a little post-game moon harvesting in Super Mario Odyssey last night. It had been years since I last played, and sheesh, it was like trying to ride a bike for the first time.
And I'll be grabbing the Animal Crossing skin in Tetris 99 at some point this weekend.
Hey, @Ganner, happy 2026. I think you hit the nail square on the head with this. ...
"What I mean is as we get older our "anything goes" headspace gets less and less due to real life. With that knowing we're about to break ground into something new (even if it's supposed to be fun) can weirdly feel intimidating some."
So when I finally get those five days to chill at home and do nothing but play games, my brain puts the brakes on complication and routes me to whatever is easiest to slip into.
@Rainz Yeah, I think it was a combination of a long year and having just finished a Civ run that was non-stop intensity and suspense for two weeks. I thought maybe it was finally time to take a breather from the game after more than 700 hours, but this latest run as the Roman Empire has been amazing.
Anyway, glad to have you in my corner! Hope you have a fun 2026!
Does anyone else experience this? I’m on a five-day break from work, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to begin a new game and make a good deal of progress before getting back to work. But whenever I get to this spot, I can’t find the enthusiasm to start something new and wind up playing a little of this and a little of that and then regretting the time “lost” when the vacation is over.
It happened again this week. I had decided to take a break from Civ VI after a hard-fought, super-tense and mentally exhausting comeback win as Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu leading Japan. (We won the space race after trailing by a good margin, thanks to my master spies gumming up the works in other civs’ space-port facilities.) But after a couple of days of indecision, I just went back to Civ. So I’m in a super-fun run as Trajan leading the Roman Empire. I’ve also been mixing in a lot of Balatro.
I'm still using my launch-day Switch for 90 percent or more of my gaming, closing in on 4,000 hours. I'm not going to bother moving the games over to the Deuce and will instead use the Deuce for new purchases going forward. There's plenty of room for two docks in my gaming setup — and a third on my desk.
The only issue I have with price is the recent few games that have been $16.99 U.S. Maybe it's because I grew up with these games. And then through much of the rest of my gaming life, I played these games on home consoles wishing they could duplicate the full arcade experience. To finally get that is worth $7.99 for me.
I'm in the final hours of my Civ VI run as Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu leading Japan. We're shooting for a space-race victory, but Poland and Mongolia are ahead of us in the late stage. Not looking good, but I've been closing the gap with two Master Spies who are disrupting my rivals' rocketry programs. Real James Bond stuff.
I've also been filling in time with Balatro and with Astro Tripper on the PS3.
To be fair, this is not really Marvelous but third-party developers who have almost zero connection to the team that developed the classic titles in this series. It's not as though they forgot how to make these games well — they had never done it at all. And now what they've done is build upon an existing game: They took a good game and brought it up to date with largely textbook ideas. Let's see them build one from the ground up, entirely with their own ideas.
I began the weekend with a few hours of Balatro. From here, it will be back to my Civ VI run as Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu leading Japan. Infrastructure is in place, we've expanded to another continent and everything is just about ready for an all-hands-on-deck push for our space-race project.
Nintendo looking at Spear's Switch 1 ... 3,700+ hours played, hundreds of games. Looking at Switch 2 ... five hours played. Maybe physical is a problem?
@SillyG I've been wanting to try one of these games for years, but if they can't get a game that was on the PSP to run acceptably on Switch 2 then it's an easy pass. ... made easier (and mandatory) by the Game Key Card.
My weekend began yesterday, as I had to take the day off to bring the Spearess to a doctor's appointment.
I started a new Civ VI run as Tokugawa leading Japan. We're pursuing a space-race victory. The difficulty step-up hasn't been as much of a problem this time, as we've assembled a military that's the envy of all. No one messes with us and our legion of samurai warriors, who are flat-out overpowered in the early game. Australia's John Curtain was uncharacteristically warring with everyone, and when his military strength fell, we swept in and grabbed his nearest city while he made measly — OK, insulting — peace offers.
For those playing along at home, the previous run as Pericles of Greece ended with a hard-fought diplomacy victory, which I normally shun but in this case was commendable for all the sleight of hand needed to make it work as I tried to overcome my first run on a new difficulty level.
Weekend!!! After a grueling week, I'm happy to be able to have a largely chore-free weekend to game, with the house all to myself until late Sunday,
I went for six hours last night on my Civ VI run as Pericles leading Greece. A run that long seemed doomed as I stepped up in difficulty and got derailed by war has turned a great deal in my favor. I thought I was very close to a hard-fought diplomacy win last night, only to suffer another setback. But I still have a decent shot. The outcome should be determined within two or three hours. After that ... next Civ run!
Long weekend here. I've mostly been plodding through my frustrating Civ VI run as Pericles leading Greece. I've been mired in war and unable to make up the deficit I began with because I stepped up in difficulty.
I've also mixed in some Balatro runs, which have gone much better.
@Anti-Matter Same. Pre-New Horizons always felt like being punished for not playing enough, no matter how often I played. And New Horizons feels like punishment no matter how much I play or don't play, particularly because of the breakable tools, the endless recipes, and the overload of letters, gifts, inventory scrolling, etc.
The Spearess and I got in late last night after an unbelievable holiday on the happy island of Aruba. Nothing but a beautiful beach and all the food and liquor we could consume!
Later today I'll get back to my Civ VI run as Pericles leading Greece. I stepped up in difficulty and paid the price. This one is not looking good, but I'm on the verge of capturing the Khmer kingdom's capital and hopefully some more of its cities after it declared war on me. I hope the expansion of my empire will get this run back on track.
I'm happy to be back reading about everyone's gaming plans. Happy gaming, everyone!
@Ganner Hey, Ganner, I feel you. I've been using a lot of my days off to help the folks with doctors' visits. But the way I look at it, when I was a kid my dad spent so many days off dealing with Little League and other activities for me, so I'm just paying it back. And my dad was a firefighter, so I'm sure he needed the days off much more than I need them now. (It's tough, though, when these games have their claws in you, right?)
Comments 2,244
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (11th April)
Tonight, the Spearess and I are going out for dinner, so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Balatro (This is pretty much my Friday-evening, end-of-week comfort [stay-up-too-late] activity. I won one Gold stake run last night.);
Bejeweled Twist (Nintendo DS. It was a super-busy week, so I only added a million points in Zen mode in the past week. I'm now past 31 million in my goal for 100 million by year's end);
Civilization VI (I'm in the early going of the Trajan/Roman Empire revenge tour II. I made a couple bad blunders in the last game, and they cost me bad. I'm off to a decent start this time, pursuing a space-race victory);
Pinball FX (I gave up hope for a Switch 2 version of this anytime soon and really don't trust Zen Studios much, so I bought it on the PS5 and have been alternating between Pacha and FunHouse.);
Kirby's Pinball Land (I never played this back in the day but recently found a sealed copy and have been having fun with it. The battery still works, and it looks great on the GBC!)
Happy gaming, everyone!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (4th April)
The Spearess and I will be seeing family much of the next two days, so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Balatro (This is pretty much my Friday-evening, end-of-week comfort [stay-up-too-late] activity. I went two-for-four on Gold stake runs last night.);
Bejeweled Twist (Nintendo DS. I've added almost three million points in Zen mode since last week and have ticked past 30 million in my goal for 100 million by year's end);
Civilization VI (I'm in the early going of the Trajan/Roman Empire revenge tour II. I made a couple bad blunders in the last game, and they cost me bad. I'm off to a decent start this time, pursuing a space-race victory);
Tetris 99 (I unlocked the Super Mario Galaxy theme yesterday. One of the best ones they've produced in a long time);
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Still playing my original save file from 16 years ago.);
SnowRunner (This just hasn't grabbed me the way I'd hoped, and with motion sickness creeping in after about an hour of play, I've been limited in my progress. Still cruising North Port, Alaska, looking for upgrades.);
SteamWorld Dig (I started this on Wii U many years ago but got sidetracked and now the save file is corrupted. So I'm back into it on Switch and maybe 30 percent back to where I left off;
Cast n Chill (I think I need seven or so fish to finish up. I’ve finished the log book for almost every fish I’ve caught, so I’m very close to completion, save for a few achievements.).
Happy gaming, everyone!
Re: Review: Genki Covert Dock 3 And ShadowCast 3 - A Surprisingly Compact Mobile Capture Duo For Your Switch 2
These are the guys who leaked the Switch 2 and taunted Nintendo about it. Easy pass.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (28th March)
Tonight, the Spearess and I are not going out for dinner. I've been knocked silly by some kind of bug, so I'm just laying low, barely doing much of anything ... so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Balatro (This is pretty much my Friday-evening, end-of-week comfort [stay-up-too-late] activity. I won twice on Gold stake last night.);
Bejeweled Twist (Nintendo DS. I've added about two million more points in Zen mode since last week and am now past 27 million in my goal for 100 million by year's end;
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Still playing my original save file from 16 years ago. I played the last two rounds of the Northern Trust Open last night and, after years away from this, was predictably bad, though I found my shots after a while and managed to play the last round at even-par);
SnowRunner (This just hasn't grabbed me the way I'd hoped, and with motion sickness creeping in after about an hour of play, I've been limited in my progress. Still cruising North Port, Alaska, looking for upgrades.;
SteamWorld Dig (I started this on Wii U many years ago but got sidetracked and now the save file is corrupted. So I'm back into it on Switch and maybe 30 percent back to where I left off;
Cast n Chill (I think I need seven or so fish to finish up. I’ve finished the log book for almost every fish I’ve caught, so I’m very close to completion, save for a few achievements.).
Happy gaming, everyone!
Re: PS5 Gets An Insane Price Increase – Will Nintendo Follow Suit?
I got my PS5 Pro on sale for $600 and still felt kind of guilty for spending that much money on a console. Now I'm glad I got it when I did.
Re: Nintendo To Change Pricing For Digital & Physical Switch 2 Exclusives, Starting With Yoshi
This is the way it should have been from the beginning of digital.
Re: Nintendo Misses Out On Top 10 In Metacritic's 16th Annual Game Publisher Rankings
Not many people know this, but Michelangelo's Metacritic rating tanked based on a few doodles he created while painting the Sistine Chapel's ceiling.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (21st March)
Tonight, the Spearess and I are going out for dinner, so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Balatro (This is pretty much my Friday-evening, end-of-week comfort [stay-up-too-late] activity. Rough night last night, though: only one Gold stake win.);
Bejeweled Twist (Nintendo DS. I've added about four million more points in Zen mode since last week and am now past 25 million in my goal for 100 million by year's end;
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Still playing my original save file from 16 years ago. I played the last two rounds of the Northern Trust Open last night and, after years away from this, was predictably bad, though I found my shots after a while and managed to play the last round at even-par);
Civilization VI (Still on the Trajan/Roman Empire revenge tour. I made a huge blunder in the end game and am going to need a lot of magic, despite having probably more foreign tourism than in any game I've ever played.;
SnowRunner (This just hasn't grabbed me the way I'd hoped, and with motion sickness creeping in after about an hour of play, I've been limited in my progress. Still cruising North Port, Alaska, looking for upgrades.;
SteamWorld Dig (I started this on Wii U many years ago but got sidetracked and now the save file is corrupted. So I'm back into it on Switch and maybe 30 percent back to where I left off;
Cast n Chill (I think I need seven or so fish to finish up. I’ve finished the log book for almost every fish I’ve caught, so I’m very close to completion, save for a few achievements.).
Happy gaming, everyone!
Re: Mario Kart World Hori Racing Wheels Releasing For Switch 2 This Month
Are the suction cups effective? I can imagine this thing constantly detaching.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (14th March)
@Stockpot Horizon Chase Turbo is an excellent choice! What a joy that game is!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (14th March)
Tonight, the Spearess and I are going out for dinner, so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Civilization VI (Still on the Trajan/Roman Empire revenge tour. I made a huge blunder last week and am going to need a lot of magic, despite having probably more foreign tourism than in any game I've ever played.;
Balatro (This is pretty much my Friday-evening, end-of-week comfort [stay-up-too-late] activity. Won three more runs on Gold stake last night.);
SnowRunner (Spent about an hour and a half cruising North Port, Alaska, last night, looking for upgrades.;
Cast n Chill (I think I need seven or so fish to finish up. I’ve finished the log book for almost every fish I’ve caught, so I’m very close to completion, save for a few achievements.);
SteamWorld Dig (Restarted this on Switch after my Wii U's save file corrupted;
Bejeweled Twist (Nintendo DS. I've added a few million more points in Zen mode since last week and am now past 21 million in my goal for 100 million by year's end.
Happy gaming, everyone!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (7th March)
I won't be seeing the Spearess tonight, as she's at a girls-only thing, so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Civilization VI (Still on the Trajan/Roman Empire revenge tour. Late game is here, and I need a boost. Unfortunately, the only way there may be to take advantage of France, which is in a Dark Age and has a nearly depleted military. Time to roll up the sleeves!;
Balatro (Won five more times on Gold stake last night.);
Cast n Chill (I think I need seven or so fish to finish up. I’ve finished the log book for almost every fish I’ve caught, so I’m very close to completion, save for a few achievements.);
SteamWorld Dig (I started this on Wii U many years ago but got sidetracked. Went back a few weeks ago but hit the dreaded Wii U memory error. So I'm back into it on Switch and maybe 30 percent back to where I left off;
SnowRunner (I'm almost seven hours into this but am progressing slowly since I can't play for much more than an hour without getting a little motion sickness, which is unusual for me. I need to keep it to short spurts during the day. I finished the Old Bridge Restoration mission in Michigan and found the garage there. Now working on the bridge repair in Alaska and some side tasks but mostly exploring to reveal more of the map.;
Bejeweled Twist (Nintendo DS. I've added a few million more points in Zen mode since last week and am now past 18 million in my goal for 100 million by year's end.
Happy gaming, everyone!
Re: Poll: So, Will You Be Getting Pokémon Pokopia?
First of all, game-key card = no purchase no matter what. Second, Ditto is just too creepy looking in humanoid form. He looks like the improbable offspring of an alien and Adam Silver.
Re: Xbox Announces Next Generation Console, Codenamed 'Project Helix'
There was an Xbox this generation?
Re: Poll: 20 Years On, Does Your DS Lite Still Have Charge?
I have several DS Lite consoles, my go-to being a Polar White that rests in my middle desk drawer. It's always ready to go when I ask it to, even if it has been months, a year or longer! I will say, though, that it largely serves as a backup for when my DSi XL runs out of juice.
My PSP, on the other hand, almost never has a charge when I want to play it, even though I just bought a couple of new batteries.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (28th February)
Tonight, the Spearess and I are going out for dinner, so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Civilization VI (Still on the Trajan/Roman Empire revenge tour. Late game is here, and I need a boost. Unfortunately, the only way there may be to take advantage of France, which is in a Dark Age and has a nearly depleted military. Time to roll up the sleeves!;
Balatro (Won four more times on Gold stake last night.);
Cast n Chill (I think I need seven or so fish to finish up. I’ve finished the log book for almost every fish I’ve caught, so I’m very close to completion, save for a few achievements.);
SteamWorld Dig (I started this on Wii U many years ago but got sidetracked. Went back last week but hit the dreaded Wii U memory error. So I'm back into it on Switch and maybe 30 percent back to where I left off.;
SnowRunner (Just got into this about a week ago. I finished the Old Bridge Restoration mission in Michigan and found the garage. Now it's on to Alaska.;
Bejeweled Twist (One of my favorite DS games. I'm slowly building toward 100 million in Zen mode, adding a couple million a week in what I expect to be a yearlong project. Currently past 15 million.
Happy gaming, everyone!
Re: Poll: What's Your Favourite 3DS Model?
I only play my New 3DS XL, but to me, the original 3DS XL had the most comfortable contours and weight.
Re: Balatro's Back To Steal All Your Spare Time In New Switch 2 Version
@LinktotheFuture Same here regarding the Blackboard! Never hurts to start setting up for it in advance! Won a Gold stake run with it last night!
Re: Balatro's Back To Steal All Your Spare Time In New Switch 2 Version
Already C++ and 700+ hours on Switch 1. Highest recommendation if you haven't played it yet.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (21st February)
Tonight, the Spearess and I are going out for dinner, so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Civilization VI (Still on the Trajan/Roman Empire revenge tour. I was gaining momentum toward a culture/tourism victory when the AI civs began banning my rock bands. They're currently headed overseas to resume work on friendlier soil. This may require some military help.;
Balatro (Hundreds of hours after completing C++, this game still sinks its claws into me two or three times a week. I won a couple of runs last night.);
Cast n Chill (I think I need seven or so fish to finish up. I’ve finished the log book for almost every fish I’ve caught, so I’m very close to completion, save for a few achievements.);
SteamWorld Dig (I started this on Wii U many years ago but got sidetracked. Went back last night but hit the dreaded Wii U memory error. I've prepared for this day and will get to work on reviving my Wii U, but I just went ahead and restarted the game on Switch.
Bejeweled Twist (I've gotten back into this DS gem. I long ago had a Zen game up to about 75 or 80 million points, only to have the save file glitch and knock the score back to 1 million or so. In the past week or so I've built it back up to 11 million (one higher than 10), and am adding maybe 250K or 500K a day.
Happy gaming, everyone!
Re: 13 Switch Emulators Hit By Latest Wave Of Nintendo Takedowns
Ninety-nine percent of people emulating on Switch are stealing. They're playing games that are on store shelves and Amazon right now but not paying for them. The people who say they make these apps so gamers can enjoy an enhanced experience are like the people who manufacture radar detectors, ghost guns or phony cable boxes: They're enabling law-breaking activity.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (14th February)
@Rykdrew I had Aces in my backlog for years. I assumed there was a legitimate motion option, which I suppose there is, but it's only available for certain play options. Otherwise, you characterized what I was feeling perfectly: It just doesn't feel like there's precise control of where the ball is going to go. It's more like turn-based tennis: choose this shot, choose that one, set up for the finishing move. I haven't picked it up in weeks and don't know if I will again. And if you're saying Fever is even more of what I dislike about Aces, then forget that.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (14th February)
@Rykdrew What do you think of Mario Tennis Aces? I tried it a few weeks ago and just couldn't get into the controls. After nearly 20 years with Wii Sports, I'm used to motion.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (14th February)
Tonight, I'm seeing the Spearess for Valentine’s Day supper and a little quiet time at home, so I'll just continue with my schedule of alternating between:
Civilization VI (Still on the Trajan/Roman Empire revenge tour. We have a shot at taking Paris, which was somehow overrun by barbarians, and some outlying French cities, but messing with Eleanor is always tricky and can backfire in a big way. We’re pursuing a culture/tourism victory but lost out on the all-important Cristo Redentor wonder, so there may be a pivot.);
Balatro (Hundreds of hours after completing C++, this game still sinks its claws into me two or three times a week.);
Cast n Chill (I think I need seven or so fish to finish up. I’ve finished the log book for almost every fish I’ve caught, so I’m very close to completion, save for a few achievements.).
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (31st January)
I began the weekend with nearly five hours of Balatro last night, after intending to play just two or three runs. That game is still impossible to put down.
I also played some Mario Tennis Aces last night, or tried to, anyway. With Fever out, no one is online anymore, apparently.
And for the rest of the weekend I'm looking forward to resuming my second Civ VI run as Trajan leading the Roman Empire. This one has gotten off to a better start than the last one did, but now we're embroiled in war, which can be a huge distraction.
Happy gaming, everyone!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (24th January)
Late to the after-party this morning after almost six hours of Balatro last night.
We're bracing for a severe snowstorm this weekend, which means lots of gaming time with no guilt. I'll likely start another Civ VI run as Trajan leading the Roman Empire, since I lost the last one by five turns or so. I had intended to take a break from the game, but a week later the defeat just isn't sitting well, and I don't want my ledger in the red for the long haul.
Otherwise, I'm planning on adding my new Atari 7800 to the game room this weekend. And I also expect to check in on Cast n Chill. I'm about two-thirds of the way to 100-percenting it.
Stay safe, everyone!
Re: Random: An 'Adults Only' Island Has Been Deleted From Animal Crossing: New Horizons
This is some piece of work. Well done.
As for Nintendo, it didn't brick the guy's console, it just took the island offline. He's free to continue using that island himself. The game is rated E, so I can see why Nintendo would do this. And while everyone's standards and morals differ, I'm sure there are some parents who wouldn't want their 6-year-old visiting this island.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (17th January)
Three-day weekend here in the United States. I'll be switching between Cast n Chill and my Civ VI run as Trajan leading the Roman Empire. We're pursuing a culture victory but have a lot of ground to make up against Vietnam, Mali, the Incas and Mongolia, each of whom is about halfway through their space-race projects. My master spies have wrought havoc in their space facilities, giving me time to gain ground. Fingers crossed.
I've been enjoying my game room so much this past week, as I spent much of last Sunday sorting through tangled cords and reconnecting consoles whose power cords had come loose and fallen into the abyss. I'm back to having seven fully functioning consoles up and running, and I've ordered a bunch of cool controller stands from Etsy to clear up my shelf chaos.
Happy gaming, everyone!!
Re: Opinion: I'm Happy amiibo Survived The Console Jump, But These Unlocks Are Getting Silly
I didn't even know there was a new Super Mario Galaxy amiibo. I looked it up, and it's $40. Nintendo has changed so much this generation. It has just felt like a cold-hearted money grab ever since I bought my Switch 2. Sorry, folks.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (10th January)
Mixing it up this weekend. I'm still plugging away at my Civ VI run as Trajan leading the Roman Empire, going for a culture victory. Not looking good, as Vietnam is pretty far down the line in the space race, but my spies are working on that.
I've also been playing a lot of Cast n Chill on Switch 2. I bought the game Monday and already have more than eight hours in it. It's a fun little game with gorgeous landscapes.
I did a little post-game moon harvesting in Super Mario Odyssey last night. It had been years since I last played, and sheesh, it was like trying to ride a bike for the first time.
And I'll be grabbing the Animal Crossing skin in Tetris 99 at some point this weekend.
Happy gaming, everyone!
Re: Poll: Will You Be Getting The New Joy-Con 2 Set?
They're the same colors as the OG set but with different trim. What happened to Nintendo's imagination?
Re: Mini Review: Cast N Chill - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition - Come For The Fishing, Stay For The Fin-tastic Vibes
I just picked this up on Monday and am already five-plus hours in and loving it. Sooooooo chillllll~
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (3rd January)
Hey, @Ganner, happy 2026. I think you hit the nail square on the head with this. ...
"What I mean is as we get older our "anything goes" headspace gets less and less due to real life. With that knowing we're about to break ground into something new (even if it's supposed to be fun) can weirdly feel intimidating some."
So when I finally get those five days to chill at home and do nothing but play games, my brain puts the brakes on complication and routes me to whatever is easiest to slip into.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (3rd January)
@Rainz Yeah, I think it was a combination of a long year and having just finished a Civ run that was non-stop intensity and suspense for two weeks. I thought maybe it was finally time to take a breather from the game after more than 700 hours, but this latest run as the Roman Empire has been amazing.
Anyway, glad to have you in my corner! Hope you have a fun 2026!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (3rd January)
Does anyone else experience this? I’m on a five-day break from work, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to begin a new game and make a good deal of progress before getting back to work. But whenever I get to this spot, I can’t find the enthusiasm to start something new and wind up playing a little of this and a little of that and then regretting the time “lost” when the vacation is over.
It happened again this week. I had decided to take a break from Civ VI after a hard-fought, super-tense and mentally exhausting comeback win as Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu leading Japan. (We won the space race after trailing by a good margin, thanks to my master spies gumming up the works in other civs’ space-port facilities.) But after a couple of days of indecision, I just went back to Civ. So I’m in a super-fun run as Trajan leading the Roman Empire. I’ve also been mixing in a lot of Balatro.
Happy New Year, and happy gaming, everyone!
Re: Feature: Farewell, Nintendo Switch - It's Finally Time To Bid Our Old Friend 'Adieu'
I'm still using my launch-day Switch for 90 percent or more of my gaming, closing in on 4,000 hours. I'm not going to bother moving the games over to the Deuce and will instead use the Deuce for new purchases going forward. There's plenty of room for two docks in my gaming setup — and a third on my desk.
Re: Arcade Archives Celebrates 500 Retro Releases With Special Commemorative Game
The only issue I have with price is the recent few games that have been $16.99 U.S. Maybe it's because I grew up with these games. And then through much of the rest of my gaming life, I played these games on home consoles wishing they could duplicate the full arcade experience. To finally get that is worth $7.99 for me.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (27th December)
Happy holidays to all!
I'm in the final hours of my Civ VI run as Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu leading Japan. We're shooting for a space-race victory, but Poland and Mongolia are ahead of us in the late stage. Not looking good, but I've been closing the gap with two Master Spies who are disrupting my rivals' rocketry programs. Real James Bond stuff.
I've also been filling in time with Balatro and with Astro Tripper on the PS3.
Happy gaming, everyone!
Re: Opinion: After A Few Missteps, Story Of Seasons Finally Nailed The Formula With Grand Bazaar
To be fair, this is not really Marvelous but third-party developers who have almost zero connection to the team that developed the classic titles in this series. It's not as though they forgot how to make these games well — they had never done it at all. And now what they've done is build upon an existing game: They took a good game and brought it up to date with largely textbook ideas. Let's see them build one from the ground up, entirely with their own ideas.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (20th December)
Happy Saturday!
I began the weekend with a few hours of Balatro. From here, it will be back to my Civ VI run as Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu leading Japan. Infrastructure is in place, we've expanded to another continent and everything is just about ready for an all-hands-on-deck push for our space-race project.
Happy gaming and happy holidays to all!
Re: Rumour: A Game-Key Card Alternative? Nintendo May Have Smaller Switch 2 Carts In The Works
Nintendo looking at Spear's Switch 1 ... 3,700+ hours played, hundreds of games. Looking at Switch 2 ... five hours played. Maybe physical is a problem?
Re: Review: Farming Simulator: Signature Edition - A Passable But Lacklustre Port Ploughs Onto Switch 2
@SillyG I've been wanting to try one of these games for years, but if they can't get a game that was on the PSP to run acceptably on Switch 2 then it's an easy pass. ... made easier (and mandatory) by the Game Key Card.
Re: Review: Farming Simulator: Signature Edition - A Passable But Lacklustre Port Ploughs Onto Switch 2
They lost me at Game Key Card.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (13th December)
My weekend began yesterday, as I had to take the day off to bring the Spearess to a doctor's appointment.
I started a new Civ VI run as Tokugawa leading Japan. We're pursuing a space-race victory. The difficulty step-up hasn't been as much of a problem this time, as we've assembled a military that's the envy of all. No one messes with us and our legion of samurai warriors, who are flat-out overpowered in the early game. Australia's John Curtain was uncharacteristically warring with everyone, and when his military strength fell, we swept in and grabbed his nearest city while he made measly — OK, insulting — peace offers.
For those playing along at home, the previous run as Pericles of Greece ended with a hard-fought diplomacy victory, which I normally shun but in this case was commendable for all the sleight of hand needed to make it work as I tried to overcome my first run on a new difficulty level.
I've also been filling in time with Balatro runs.
Happy gaming, everyone!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (6th December)
Weekend!!! After a grueling week, I'm happy to be able to have a largely chore-free weekend to game, with the house all to myself until late Sunday,
I went for six hours last night on my Civ VI run as Pericles leading Greece. A run that long seemed doomed as I stepped up in difficulty and got derailed by war has turned a great deal in my favor. I thought I was very close to a hard-fought diplomacy win last night, only to suffer another setback. But I still have a decent shot. The outcome should be determined within two or three hours. After that ... next Civ run!
Happy gaming, everyone!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (29th November)
Long weekend here. I've mostly been plodding through my frustrating Civ VI run as Pericles leading Greece. I've been mired in war and unable to make up the deficit I began with because I stepped up in difficulty.
I've also mixed in some Balatro runs, which have gone much better.
Happy gaming, everyone!
Re: Poll: 20 Years After Settling On DS, Do You Still Play Animal Crossing: Wild World?
@Anti-Matter Same. Pre-New Horizons always felt like being punished for not playing enough, no matter how often I played. And New Horizons feels like punishment no matter how much I play or don't play, particularly because of the breakable tools, the endless recipes, and the overload of letters, gifts, inventory scrolling, etc.
Re: Gear.Club Unlimited 3 Speeds Onto Switch 2 Later This Year
Great trailer. What's the game about?
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (22nd November)
The Spearess and I got in late last night after an unbelievable holiday on the happy island of Aruba. Nothing but a beautiful beach and all the food and liquor we could consume!
Later today I'll get back to my Civ VI run as Pericles leading Greece. I stepped up in difficulty and paid the price. This one is not looking good, but I'm on the verge of capturing the Khmer kingdom's capital and hopefully some more of its cities after it declared war on me. I hope the expansion of my empire will get this run back on track.
I'm happy to be back reading about everyone's gaming plans. Happy gaming, everyone!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (15th November)
@Ganner Hey, Ganner, I feel you. I've been using a lot of my days off to help the folks with doctors' visits. But the way I look at it, when I was a kid my dad spent so many days off dealing with Little League and other activities for me, so I'm just paying it back. And my dad was a firefighter, so I'm sure he needed the days off much more than I need them now. (It's tough, though, when these games have their claws in you, right?)