@Kayloo Do you guys still light your river on fire when you win? Downtown Toronto traffic absolutely sucks, but that's because... there's actually a city there 🤣
@AlanaHagues On behalf of Expos fans, steel clamshelled domes that rotate open, and the people of Canada, I thank you. May you be showered in the finest poutine and peameal bacon.
@Ellie-Moo The one with the ESRB rating, correct. It seems like it will be widely available here in Canada come March, and cheaper than the PEGI versions that I can see in my casual search. No idea how hard it would be to ship to the UK, though.
I certainly hope this patch will be present on the forthcoming physical version. It gets exhausting to track which releases have and haven't done the right thing.
Unfortunate that the one nearest me is located in a jurisdiction with such inhumane and xenophobic laws. I'll take the hit and go to Japan or Europe instead.
FF VI doesn’t need a remake. It is already perfect.
@Gitface Serious question for you, black mage - how recently have you replayed it? The word nostalgia gets thrown around a lot in this hobby - too much - but I'm wondering if that's actually applicable here.
FF VI was far too easy, even compared to FF IV, to say nothing of earlier installments. The magicite grinding could be vastly improved upon, especially when you consider the open/largely optional structure of the World of Ruin. The dungeons are definitely not the match of earlier entries.
I could go on, but RPGs have advanced a fair bit since 1994. I hope people here will remember that the existence of a remake that you personally dislike does not mean that the original somehow disappears.
Kind of annoyed to read many of the comments here, but - I'll try to understand where people are coming from. I get the respect that people have for this game (I share it). I personally don't feel that Metroid 3 needs to be remade, for example, so I... sort of understand.
That being said - the Metroid narrative/world didn't stop with that title; have the themes and characters of FF VI ever been revisited? I for one am delighted that people inside Square Enix feel this way, and I don't think they should be discouraged from thinking about this. I think that world could very much stand a re-examination, especially given the times we're living in; and people here, with their reactionary hot takes, aren't considering one thing:
Kitase takes the idea of a FF VI remake very seriously if he is comparing it to the huge efforts made for FF VII.
I admit - one never knows which Square Enix will show up for a given project - the AI/NFT/money-grubbing one, or the quality-oriented one. Even so, I don't want to foreclose the possibilities here.
@Teksetter I'm truly sorry for your loss. I hope you and your family are able to take all the time that you need, Teksetter. I'm glad you are touching base with us, and I look forward to hearing/reading more from you whenever the spirit moves you. 💙💙💙💙💙
This comment section is descending into "deranged AI" levels of incoherency and emotionalism. I think I finally might be understanding why people like to watch car/train wrecks.
Is five years a long time in AAA development these days?
Do people understand just what level of expectation exists around this game - and not just from the Metroid community?
Can this game aim to impress us even one iota less than Prime Remastered did? Do people think that real innovation in a well-developed genre like this emerges on a schedule, like frozen pizzas on an assembly line? Given the pedigree of the franchise and Retro's work on it in particular, does anyone think that this game can dare to simply aim for being an above-average, quality product?
Nintendo has evidently learned from its 2017/Bandai Namco mistake, and has seriously invested in staffing Retro Studios right up. I fully expect that this project is endeavouring to show the entire industry something new, and all on hardware that smartphone manufacturers turned up their noses at... before the pandemic. Even in the case of a Switch 2 exclusive.
@KateGray Much thankings for elaborating! That all makes sense. Your recommendation and reasonings come through clearly, in any case.
Is there a way for us to regularly read more of your stuff that doesn't involve Xwitter? For reasons I'm sure you can appreciate, I really, really really don't want to support that "service", even though I've missed out on quite a few good writers and knowledgeable folk still using it. I've absolutely refused to create an account of my own since the login wall came up...
@KateGray I must admit that I'm slightly confused* by this review. I found the criticisms quite useful and detailed, but the tone seemed to shift strongly at the end, leaving a review much more glowing than I would have anticipated from the bulk of the paragraphs. I'm guessing that you've had a long relationship with these games and are thus approaching them with a fresh eye, but I couldn't quite find the progression in your viewpoint here.
*Me being confused could always could be a me thing, of course. I'm not that smrt. Usually, though, when your words leave me slightly dizzy, I know it's because I've been personally targeted by them...
the two jokey Asinine Attorney episodes are still stuck on 3DS
@MirrorFate2 The USA has thoughtfully organized five interrelated and extremely asinine episodes for our viewing pleasure in the last few months. Recent highlights include one lawyer who fails to stand when addressing the judge and another who argues that his client is entitled to arrange assassinations without due fear of being brought before the legal system.
It's the greatest set of shows on Earth! Capcom doesn't stand a chance beside this free entertainment. And that's before you even consider the stakes!
Xbox has a better chance of being a "good publisher" for all platforms
Microsoft gave regulators a better chance of standing on their hind legs for once and being good policy-makers, but regulatory capture has gone too far now, it seems. I guess this latest failure by governments to stop blatantly monopolist behaviour just means we'll have to do it for them.
Given how MS and ActiBlizz have both excelled at sucking the soul out of most franchises and studios they've absorbed, though, I just have to smile. The ROI for MS' many buyouts versus the development costs for Nintendo or Sony franchises is comically poor. Unsurprisingly, monopolists make bad capitalists...
@Morsel I'm sorry to read about your situation, and I want to send my best wishes. I think Teksetter already said it best, but I find that caregivers and homemakers aren't properly appreciated in our civilization. I hope you and your mother can find the support you deserve, hard as it may be to find sometimes...
@Teksetter I just read your message now - I'm so sorry, Teksetter. I know there isn't anything I can say that will make you feel better right now... I'll keep you, your father and your family in my thoughts every day. I'm fervently hoping that you do have a supportive shoulder/ears to reach out to. Please remember, people do care, even if they don't always show it.
The food always looks so delicious in Vanillaware games.
@OldManHermit I'm thinking you might grow your own food in your hermitdom, which would be awesome, but - given the way we Canadians get hosed on groceries, the in-game food will have to suffice at the $80 asking price, considering some of us can't have both at the same time...
Wait, I think I’ve asked you this before. My apologies. 😅
On the topic, I would be nonplussed if it was HFR.
@TotalHenshin No harm done! Was it the EMMIs that you perhaps recognized, or these handsome devils? I'm assuming the Henshin you're referencing is that notorious manga, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
HFR would fit with the "Nintendo-like vibe" Cuphead and Ori embody, but I think an open mind/elastic expectations are a good idea here, definitely. I'm going to be non-plussed regardless, because I thought MS making these games more broadly available was a time-limited thing...
If I'd been asked to predict Metroid Dread's potential sales figures after playing it, I would have put it at 10mil, minimum.
@Lightsiyd It's worth remembering that the sales curves of Nintendo games have long "tails", i.e. healthy sales continue well past the release period/year. I don't believe Dread will reach your sales figure, but it won't remain at ~3 million, I'm sure.
I could talk about Metroid with you fellows all day. Fusion is PTSD material, but the mere premise of Dread still sets me afire. Lure Samus to that planet, cut off her means of escape, strand her at the bottom of the map, give her the most athletic controls (and appearance) of any 2D game I've played, lean heavily into the moody lighting far underground, the implacable Chozo enemy... my fur stands up on end. I think Sakamoto was right in trying to build up the character of Samus, because the audience really reveres her and that alone could draw people in (I haven't played Other M, but I'm aware of its reputation, so I can't say anything about that yet).
I really wonder what you'd think of Super Metroid...
For some reason, my brief time with Cult of the Lamb did not engage me. I won't claim I allowed the game sufficient time for me to perceive its depth, but with updates like this, I wonder if we have the classic indie game dilemma of "least publishable unit", or "get it out the door" disease. To wit, the complete game can't be published first because the studio might fold if they wait that long.
@Lightsiyd @Poodlestargenerica @NintendoByNature I often wonder if Metroid has yet to expand much beyond its core audience because of the series' difficulty and an unwillingness by devs (and fans - such as myself) to change its core structure. I understand that Hollow Knight has its difficult moments, but Metroid has reveled in a certain labyrinthine quality which I don't think any other series can boast. I think I'm just as perplexed as the rest of you by Metroid's failure to launch, but I think the franchise is alive and well, and headed in the right direction.
I don't parse rumours closely as a matter of policy, so let me ask:
Do we absolutely know for certain this is going to be a recent game, that actually appeared on Xbox? Or, for all we know, might they finally buy SEGAtlus and bloody localize Shin Megami Tensei 1 and 2 already?
they are stimulating enough to override interest in other activities if a child has no other outlets. If parents don’t take the time to diversify a child’s interests and activities, you’ll get kids who prefer to play video games all the time.
@Solomon_Rambling The wisdom of Solomon!
I absolutely hate it when people indulge ageism and prejudice by attacking the boomers, so I'm not going to paint in broad strokes here. I do find it rich, however, that it's mostly the generation who built out suburbia, cut public transit and believes we need to sacrifice the environment for economic growth that attacks our hobby. Like, where are kids supposed to go?
Games like Zelda and Dragon Quest only enhanced my desire to roam...
I try not to let it bother me anymore. There's a severe lack of critical thinking in general out there - millions voted for Trump/Brexit, people are steeped in identity politics and narrow nationalism... stereotypes are hardly the most prominent example of intellectual laziness and weak-mindedness you'll find.
LONG ANECDOTE ALERT
On a five-day canoe trip this past summer, the subject of video games came up among the older folk (55+), with all the disapproval you'd expect. One of them sidled up to me to say, "I hear you still play with those things".
When I said yes, I got a smug smirk and condescension, until I reminded the fellow that I was the one who planned and scouted most of the trip. This person was perpetually complaining about the weather (in late August!) and holding up our attempts to find a site every night because he was so out of shape.
So he's huffing and puffing and carrying less gear than some of the women, complaining about the humidity all the while, as we're paddling toward the freaking southern arm of the Arctic Ocean. This is someone who spends about five minutes a day outside (the time it takes to waddle from air-conditioned office to car to air-conditioned house) and he's putting on airs with me. ... And the older folk still subsequently agreed that games were ruining things.
@Joe-b How does it run on Switch? I'm definitely interested, but reviews mentioned that the pop-in as you roam the world is distracting. You're right, though, for that price (or even higher) it does seem worth it...
I wonder if this phenomenon has a name - the one where your brain rearranges headlines in the corner of your eye into something highly inappropriate - because I read the headline to this article as
I wonder if someone like Miyamoto, given his role and responsibilities, still feels a serious urge to create new titles/concepts/characters. I'm sure the corporate culture within NCL kind of dictates the answer to that, but I do wonder how the man personally feels...
Between this fellow and the truly heinous walking life-support system for a haircut that is Beedle, I'm beginning to think Ganondorf is not entirely wrong about the Hylians.
OTOH, Addison probably has a practical use, like growing mushrooms under his mop, or playing Missile Command with his head. Beedle is testament only to Aonuma's perversity.
Impossible Lair for £2.50 is one of the best deals in gaming, period.
@larryisaman Must say I don't understand the negativity around that game from certain loud members of the audience. It is not the match of the DKC games (old or new), but what's there kept me engaged, and I look forward to the next title.
@Cuinnhell Your words here remind me of the old "Switch has no games!" line from 2017-2018.
I suppose I can understand your quibbling with the word "saturated"; saturated is ultimately about the ratio of one thing inside another, and everyone knows the eShop has a huge volume of low-effort, low-quality titles.
I would ask you, though, to show me an online marketplace or platform that isn't positively purulent with inferior games. The fact is that Switch has an astounding library across many many genres and from first to third-party developers. I wouldn't say it's vastly superior to what's available on PS4 or Steam, but the exclusives are quite strong (can you name 20 AAA titles from Sony that are superior to what's on Switch?). Are you disputing that?
@KateGray I feel like I've already played a game like the one in question simply in trying to follow the British slang in your articles. Do we get to see a full Kate Gray review of this one? (Please?)
I'm bitterly disappointed by the absence of Herzog from this list. Herzog Zwei was a revelation to me (I had never played it before the AGES Switch release). That game is still distinct and viable to play to this day. I only wish I had regular online partners to play against...
@Summer235 This is how the whole Big Lie technique works (see also the somewhat related modern term, "gaslighting"). From Wikipedia:
Repetition is important, because the Big Lie works through indoctrination. The Big Lie then becomes its own evidence base – if it is repeated enough, people believe it, and the very repetition almost tautologically becomes the support for the Lie. ... People assume there is an evidence base when the lie is big (it's like a blind spot). ... [People also fail to realize] that there are people in our midst that lack empathy, have no care for the common good, are grandiose, arrogant, and willing to exploit and manipulate people for solely their own egocentric needs.
If trolls/bots like Ded_Nexus are so absolutely certain that the future is all-digital, that nothing can stop it and that we all have no choice - why do such "people" have to wade into threads like this constantly to convince us that this "future" will and must be imposed on us? Surely they can just sit back and quietly chuckle as choice is progressively taken away from paying customers, right?
I'm sure there were "people" like Ded_Plexus around for the Xbone launch in 2013 to tell us all that used games were dead, that we'd just have no choice in the matter...
@Spookles Having read that dust-up between Sisilly_G and the troll Ded_Nexus (whom I have already Ignored), I did see the comment about video game customers being treated with contempt. Sisilly is not wrong.
I ceased being a gamer from the mid-90s to the Switch launch, with a brief return during the Gamecube run. I think I'm bringing some perspective here when I say that the treatment reserved for gamers in the 21st century is about the worst I've seen for the general paying customer in any industry, with the possible exception of aviation. From Ken Kutaragi telling gamers to work harder for a PS3 to the Xbox One launch to EA's gambling shenanigans, I've been continuously astounded by the attitudes these companies publicly display.
I get it - this is a medium fueled by the 18-25 crowd (maybe more like 13-30 now). That isn't a bad thing, or at least it wasn't; younger people's enthusiasm is infectious and sustaining. But gamers (and industry types) need to ask themselves if they're OK with this hobby becoming disposable in the future, because older furballs like me have become increasingly important too.
If we want this hobby to become sustainable, an art form that grows across generations, then people will have to make a decision: do I want to be limited by my choices, like a console fanboy who thinks that Sonic/Mario/TLOU/Halo is the only game in town, or do I want my choices to broaden my world? The whole point of software (0s and 1s) is that I can choose different paths all the way along...
I’ll probably take a few retro fun laps inF-Zero 99
@Teksetter I HEAR THIS IN MY HEAD WHEN I DRIVE MY WHEELED, NON-ROCKET-PROPELLED VEHICLE ON THE ROADS NOW
IS THAT BAD
I’ll keep my ears open for any Tokyo Game Show news this weekend too.
... [deep breath] that reminds me! Thank you. You asked me a long while back about this past summer's Direct, which inspired me to go back and watch the last few Japanese ones, too (more later).
in another year there probably will be more DLC, and an updated physical release. I’ve been through this with SOR4, Attack on Titan, Dead Cells, and BOTW this far.
At this point, I've passed on so many games for this exact reason that I've missed proper complete releases out of sheer habit (Hades comes to mind). I'm with you on Dead Cells, and I'd really like to pick up the full edition of Mario-Rabbids from a few years ago.... And I don't think there's a reasonable way of judging in advance which edition of a given game will be the last. This is one of the reasons I respect the studios behind Shovel Knight, Hollow Knight and Disco Elysium...
with no mention of the DLC being a code or additional download. I should certainly hope not, at least! LRG would not want to associate themselves with an incomplete product in this case.
@Teksetter I've found at least one vendor stating that the physical package will be complete.
In any case, I quite agree with everything you're saying here.
Comments 1,596
Re: MLB The Show 24 Reveals "Home Run King" Vladimir Guerrero Jr. As Cover Star
@Kayloo Do you guys still light your river on fire when you win? Downtown Toronto traffic absolutely sucks, but that's because... there's actually a city there 🤣
Re: MLB The Show 24 Reveals "Home Run King" Vladimir Guerrero Jr. As Cover Star
@AlanaHagues On behalf of Expos fans, steel clamshelled domes that rotate open, and the people of Canada, I thank you. May you be showered in the finest poutine and peameal bacon.
Re: Gravity Circuit Lands New Boss Rush Mode In Latest Update, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
@Ellie-Moo The one with the ESRB rating, correct. It seems like it will be widely available here in Canada come March, and cheaper than the PEGI versions that I can see in my casual search. No idea how hard it would be to ship to the UK, though.
Re: Gravity Circuit Lands New Boss Rush Mode In Latest Update, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
I certainly hope this patch will be present on the forthcoming physical version. It gets exhausting to track which releases have and haven't done the right thing.
Re: Call Of Duty Exec Is Appointed As Blizzard's New President
Oh. And in case you thought diversity calculator was my term.
@Poodlestargenerica I never, ever click links to Kotaku. Can you provide a quote or two from that article to enlighten us?
Re: Super Nintendo World Is Coming To Universal Florida In 2025
Unfortunate that the one nearest me is located in a jurisdiction with such inhumane and xenophobic laws. I'll take the hit and go to Japan or Europe instead.
Re: Don't Expect A Remake Of Final Fantasy 6 Soon, If Ever
FF VI doesn’t need a remake. It is already perfect.
@Gitface Serious question for you, black mage - how recently have you replayed it? The word nostalgia gets thrown around a lot in this hobby - too much - but I'm wondering if that's actually applicable here.
FF VI was far too easy, even compared to FF IV, to say nothing of earlier installments. The magicite grinding could be vastly improved upon, especially when you consider the open/largely optional structure of the World of Ruin. The dungeons are definitely not the match of earlier entries.
I could go on, but RPGs have advanced a fair bit since 1994. I hope people here will remember that the existence of a remake that you personally dislike does not mean that the original somehow disappears.
Re: Don't Expect A Remake Of Final Fantasy 6 Soon, If Ever
Kind of annoyed to read many of the comments here, but - I'll try to understand where people are coming from. I get the respect that people have for this game (I share it). I personally don't feel that Metroid 3 needs to be remade, for example, so I... sort of understand.
That being said - the Metroid narrative/world didn't stop with that title; have the themes and characters of FF VI ever been revisited? I for one am delighted that people inside Square Enix feel this way, and I don't think they should be discouraged from thinking about this. I think that world could very much stand a re-examination, especially given the times we're living in; and people here, with their reactionary hot takes, aren't considering one thing:
Kitase takes the idea of a FF VI remake very seriously if he is comparing it to the huge efforts made for FF VII.
I admit - one never knows which Square Enix will show up for a given project - the AI/NFT/money-grubbing one, or the quality-oriented one. Even so, I don't want to foreclose the possibilities here.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 27th)
@Teksetter I'm truly sorry for your loss. I hope you and your family are able to take all the time that you need, Teksetter. I'm glad you are touching base with us, and I look forward to hearing/reading more from you whenever the spirit moves you. 💙💙💙💙💙
Re: Random: It's Been 5 Years Since Metroid Prime 4 Was Rebooted
You're talking sense, @Tyranexx, as usual, but, uh... what is "chest DLC"? Given the way this thread has gone, I'm almost afraid to ask.
Re: Random: It's Been 5 Years Since Metroid Prime 4 Was Rebooted
@-wc- Fair point. NCL is clearly lazy, cheap and uninspired for their failure to hire Michelangelo.
Re: Random: It's Been 5 Years Since Metroid Prime 4 Was Rebooted
@Eggolor @Olliemar28 ROFL
This comment section is descending into "deranged AI" levels of incoherency and emotionalism. I think I finally might be understanding why people like to watch car/train wrecks.
Re: Random: It's Been 5 Years Since Metroid Prime 4 Was Rebooted
Is five years a long time in AAA development these days?
Do people understand just what level of expectation exists around this game - and not just from the Metroid community?
Can this game aim to impress us even one iota less than Prime Remastered did? Do people think that real innovation in a well-developed genre like this emerges on a schedule, like frozen pizzas on an assembly line? Given the pedigree of the franchise and Retro's work on it in particular, does anyone think that this game can dare to simply aim for being an above-average, quality product?
Nintendo has evidently learned from its 2017/Bandai Namco mistake, and has seriously invested in staffing Retro Studios right up. I fully expect that this project is endeavouring to show the entire industry something new, and all on hardware that smartphone manufacturers turned up their noses at... before the pandemic. Even in the case of a Switch 2 exclusive.
Seriously. Some perspective, please.
Re: F-Zero 99 Update Adds Secret Tracks, Private Lobbies And More, Here's Everything Included
@solarwolf07 @HalBailman I ISSUE FRIENDLY INVITATION TO RACE MY FELLOW NINTENDO LIFE PEOPLE. YOU ARRANGE, I ARRANGE, NO MATTER, I WILL COME
Re: F-Zero 99 Update Adds Secret Tracks, Private Lobbies And More, Here's Everything Included
S50, HERE I COME
Re: Metroid Prime 4 Development Updates Seemingly Discovered
Removed
Re: Metroid Prime 4 Development Updates Seemingly Discovered
@EVIL-C Am I to understand that this person was trolling the Metroid fans?
Re: Metroid Prime 4 Development Updates Seemingly Discovered
This is gonna be my first Metroid Prime game.
@IceDomino Fellow Metroid fan, why would you not play Prime 1 Remastered? Tell us how we can support you in your journey toward éliteness and enlightenment, all through the visor of Samus Aran.
We, the Metroid community, stand ready to embrace you in the warm glow of a invulnerably Varia-suited lava bath. (... a good thing, I promise you)
Re: Review: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy (Switch) - A Fine Remaster With Some Of Capcom's Best Writing
@KateGray Much thankings for elaborating! That all makes sense. Your recommendation and reasonings come through clearly, in any case.
Is there a way for us to regularly read more of your stuff that doesn't involve Xwitter? For reasons I'm sure you can appreciate, I really, really really don't want to support that "service", even though I've missed out on quite a few good writers and knowledgeable folk still using it. I've absolutely refused to create an account of my own since the login wall came up...
Re: Review: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy (Switch) - A Fine Remaster With Some Of Capcom's Best Writing
@KateGray I must admit that I'm slightly confused* by this review. I found the criticisms quite useful and detailed, but the tone seemed to shift strongly at the end, leaving a review much more glowing than I would have anticipated from the bulk of the paragraphs. I'm guessing that you've had a long relationship with these games and are thus approaching them with a fresh eye, but I couldn't quite find the progression in your viewpoint here.
*Me being confused could always could be a me thing, of course. I'm not that smrt. Usually, though, when your words leave me slightly dizzy, I know it's because I've been personally targeted by them...
Re: Review: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy (Switch) - A Fine Remaster With Some Of Capcom's Best Writing
the two jokey Asinine Attorney episodes are still stuck on 3DS
@MirrorFate2 The USA has thoughtfully organized five interrelated and extremely asinine episodes for our viewing pleasure in the last few months. Recent highlights include one lawyer who fails to stand when addressing the judge and another who argues that his client is entitled to arrange assassinations without due fear of being brought before the legal system.
It's the greatest set of shows on Earth! Capcom doesn't stand a chance beside this free entertainment. And that's before you even consider the stakes!
Re: Square Enix To Slim Down Its Gaming Lineup To Ensure Higher Quality
@Greatluigi Thank you. All of those old DS releases, including DQ7, are worthy of another run. But we have yet to even receive DQ10, so...
Re: Microsoft: ActiBlizz Acquisition Gives Xbox A Chance To Be A "Good Publisher" On All Platforms
Microsoft gave regulators a better chance of standing on their hind legs for once and being good policy-makers, but regulatory capture has gone too far now, it seems. I guess this latest failure by governments to stop blatantly monopolist behaviour just means we'll have to do it for them.
Given how MS and ActiBlizz have both excelled at sucking the soul out of most franchises and studios they've absorbed, though, I just have to smile. The ROI for MS' many buyouts versus the development costs for Nintendo or Sony franchises is comically poor. Unsurprisingly, monopolists make bad capitalists...
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 13th)
@Morsel I'm sorry to read about your situation, and I want to send my best wishes. I think Teksetter already said it best, but I find that caregivers and homemakers aren't properly appreciated in our civilization. I hope you and your mother can find the support you deserve, hard as it may be to find sometimes...
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 13th)
@Teksetter I just read your message now - I'm so sorry, Teksetter. I know there isn't anything I can say that will make you feel better right now... I'll keep you, your father and your family in my thoughts every day. I'm fervently hoping that you do have a supportive shoulder/ears to reach out to. Please remember, people do care, even if they don't always show it.
Re: New Unicorn Overlord Trailer Showcases The Upcoming Tactical RPG's Exploration Features
The food always looks so delicious in Vanillaware games.
@OldManHermit I'm thinking you might grow your own food in your hermitdom, which would be awesome, but - given the way we Canadians get hosed on groceries, the in-game food will have to suffice at the $80 asking price, considering some of us can't have both at the same time...
Re: Rumour: Microsoft Will Bring Critically Acclaimed Exclusive To "Competitor System" This Year
Wait, I think I’ve asked you this before. My apologies. 😅
On the topic, I would be nonplussed if it was HFR.
@TotalHenshin No harm done! Was it the EMMIs that you perhaps recognized, or these handsome devils? I'm assuming the Henshin you're referencing is that notorious manga, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.
HFR would fit with the "Nintendo-like vibe" Cuphead and Ori embody, but I think an open mind/elastic expectations are a good idea here, definitely. I'm going to be non-plussed regardless, because I thought MS making these games more broadly available was a time-limited thing...
Re: Cult Of The Lamb Reveals New Update As Game Sells Over 3.5 Million Copies
If I'd been asked to predict Metroid Dread's potential sales figures after playing it, I would have put it at 10mil, minimum.
@Lightsiyd It's worth remembering that the sales curves of Nintendo games have long "tails", i.e. healthy sales continue well past the release period/year. I don't believe Dread will reach your sales figure, but it won't remain at ~3 million, I'm sure.
I could talk about Metroid with you fellows all day. Fusion is PTSD material, but the mere premise of Dread still sets me afire. Lure Samus to that planet, cut off her means of escape, strand her at the bottom of the map, give her the most athletic controls (and appearance) of any 2D game I've played, lean heavily into the moody lighting far underground, the implacable Chozo enemy... my fur stands up on end. I think Sakamoto was right in trying to build up the character of Samus, because the audience really reveres her and that alone could draw people in (I haven't played Other M, but I'm aware of its reputation, so I can't say anything about that yet).
I really wonder what you'd think of Super Metroid...
Re: Cult Of The Lamb Reveals New Update As Game Sells Over 3.5 Million Copies
For some reason, my brief time with Cult of the Lamb did not engage me. I won't claim I allowed the game sufficient time for me to perceive its depth, but with updates like this, I wonder if we have the classic indie game dilemma of "least publishable unit", or "get it out the door" disease. To wit, the complete game can't be published first because the studio might fold if they wait that long.
@Lightsiyd @Poodlestargenerica @NintendoByNature I often wonder if Metroid has yet to expand much beyond its core audience because of the series' difficulty and an unwillingness by devs (and fans - such as myself) to change its core structure. I understand that Hollow Knight has its difficult moments, but Metroid has reveled in a certain labyrinthine quality which I don't think any other series can boast. I think I'm just as perplexed as the rest of you by Metroid's failure to launch, but I think the franchise is alive and well, and headed in the right direction.
Re: Rumour: Microsoft Will Bring Critically Acclaimed Exclusive To A "Competitor System" This Year
I don't parse rumours closely as a matter of policy, so let me ask:
Do we absolutely know for certain this is going to be a recent game, that actually appeared on Xbox? Or, for all we know, might they finally buy SEGAtlus and bloody localize Shin Megami Tensei 1 and 2 already?
Re: Soapbox: "Go Outside, Get Some Fresh Air" - Why Won't Outmoded Gamer Stereotypes Die?
they are stimulating enough to override interest in other activities if a child has no other outlets. If parents don’t take the time to diversify a child’s interests and activities, you’ll get kids who prefer to play video games all the time.
@Solomon_Rambling The wisdom of Solomon!
I absolutely hate it when people indulge ageism and prejudice by attacking the boomers, so I'm not going to paint in broad strokes here. I do find it rich, however, that it's mostly the generation who built out suburbia, cut public transit and believes we need to sacrifice the environment for economic growth that attacks our hobby. Like, where are kids supposed to go?
Games like Zelda and Dragon Quest only enhanced my desire to roam...
Re: Soapbox: "Go Outside, Get Some Fresh Air" - Why Won't Outmoded Gamer Stereotypes Die?
... and some of them are gamers themselves, of course.
Re: Soapbox: "Go Outside, Get Some Fresh Air" - Why Won't Outmoded Gamer Stereotypes Die?
I try not to let it bother me anymore. There's a severe lack of critical thinking in general out there - millions voted for Trump/Brexit, people are steeped in identity politics and narrow nationalism... stereotypes are hardly the most prominent example of intellectual laziness and weak-mindedness you'll find.
LONG ANECDOTE ALERT
On a five-day canoe trip this past summer, the subject of video games came up among the older folk (55+), with all the disapproval you'd expect. One of them sidled up to me to say, "I hear you still play with those things".
When I said yes, I got a smug smirk and condescension, until I reminded the fellow that I was the one who planned and scouted most of the trip. This person was perpetually complaining about the weather (in late August!) and holding up our attempts to find a site every night because he was so out of shape.
So he's huffing and puffing and carrying less gear than some of the women, complaining about the humidity all the while, as we're paddling toward the freaking southern arm of the Arctic Ocean. This is someone who spends about five minutes a day outside (the time it takes to waddle from air-conditioned office to car to air-conditioned house) and he's putting on airs with me. ... And the older folk still subsequently agreed that games were ruining things.
It's better not to engage these people.
Re: Hideki Kamiya Hopes To Return To The Video Game Industry In 2024
Kamiya Hideki: Hello, my name is -
Employers: Blocked.
Re: Reminder: 103 Switch Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Hits For The Holidays' Sale (US)
@Joe-b How does it run on Switch? I'm definitely interested, but reviews mentioned that the pop-in as you roam the world is distracting. You're right, though, for that price (or even higher) it does seem worth it...
Re: Magikarp And Gyarados Make A Splash In Pokémon Unite Later This Month
I wonder if this phenomenon has a name - the one where your brain rearranges headlines in the corner of your eye into something highly inappropriate - because I read the headline to this article as
I've never played a Pokémon game, but I'm pretty sure zombies cursing out the player in Spanish and the subsequent medical emergencies aren't part of Game Freak's business model. Although, I thought, with Fortnite doing all these crossovers, maybe I'm behind the times.
Re: Shigeru Miyamoto Isn't Really Thinking About Retiring
I wonder if someone like Miyamoto, given his role and responsibilities, still feels a serious urge to create new titles/concepts/characters. I'm sure the corporate culture within NCL kind of dictates the answer to that, but I do wonder how the man personally feels...
Re: Soapbox: A Love Letter To My Favourite New Character In Zelda: TOTK
Between this fellow and the truly heinous walking life-support system for a haircut that is Beedle, I'm beginning to think Ganondorf is not entirely wrong about the Hylians.
OTOH, Addison probably has a practical use, like growing mushrooms under his mop, or playing Missile Command with his head. Beedle is testament only to Aonuma's perversity.
Re: Feature: Samus' Suits, Ranked - Every Metroid Box Art Suit Design, From Worst To Best
THIS WEB SITE NEEDS MORE SAMUS
THE GALAXY NEEDS MORE SAMUS
Re: 103 Switch Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Hits For The Holidays' Sale (US)
Impossible Lair for £2.50 is one of the best deals in gaming, period.
@larryisaman Must say I don't understand the negativity around that game from certain loud members of the audience. It is not the match of the DKC games (old or new), but what's there kept me engaged, and I look forward to the next title.
Re: 103 Switch Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Hits For The Holidays' Sale (US)
@Cuinnhell Your words here remind me of the old "Switch has no games!" line from 2017-2018.
I suppose I can understand your quibbling with the word "saturated"; saturated is ultimately about the ratio of one thing inside another, and everyone knows the eShop has a huge volume of low-effort, low-quality titles.
I would ask you, though, to show me an online marketplace or platform that isn't positively purulent with inferior games. The fact is that Switch has an astounding library across many many genres and from first to third-party developers. I wouldn't say it's vastly superior to what's available on PS4 or Steam, but the exclusives are quite strong (can you name 20 AAA titles from Sony that are superior to what's on Switch?). Are you disputing that?
Re: Reminder: Rate Your Favourite Switch Games Of The Year 2023
550+ KOs IN F-ZERO 99
AND COUNTING
Re: Soapbox: Chants Of Sennaar Is The GOTY Candidate That Nobody Is Talking About
@KateGray I feel like I've already played a game like the one in question simply in trying to follow the British slang in your articles. Do we get to see a full Kate Gray review of this one? (Please?)
Re: Talking Point: What Classic Sega Franchises Do You Want To See Rebooted?
I'm bitterly disappointed by the absence of Herzog from this list. Herzog Zwei was a revelation to me (I had never played it before the AGES Switch release). That game is still distinct and viable to play to this day. I only wish I had regular online partners to play against...
Re: Oh Dear, Contra: Operation Galuga's Physical Edition Is A Download Code In A Box
@Summer235 This is how the whole Big Lie technique works (see also the somewhat related modern term, "gaslighting"). From Wikipedia:
If trolls/bots like Ded_Nexus are so absolutely certain that the future is all-digital, that nothing can stop it and that we all have no choice - why do such "people" have to wade into threads like this constantly to convince us that this "future" will and must be imposed on us? Surely they can just sit back and quietly chuckle as choice is progressively taken away from paying customers, right?
I'm sure there were "people" like Ded_Plexus around for the Xbone launch in 2013 to tell us all that used games were dead, that we'd just have no choice in the matter...
Re: Oh Dear, Contra: Operation Galuga's Physical Edition Is A Download Code In A Box
@Spookles Having read that dust-up between Sisilly_G and the troll Ded_Nexus (whom I have already Ignored), I did see the comment about video game customers being treated with contempt. Sisilly is not wrong.
I ceased being a gamer from the mid-90s to the Switch launch, with a brief return during the Gamecube run. I think I'm bringing some perspective here when I say that the treatment reserved for gamers in the 21st century is about the worst I've seen for the general paying customer in any industry, with the possible exception of aviation. From Ken Kutaragi telling gamers to work harder for a PS3 to the Xbox One launch to EA's gambling shenanigans, I've been continuously astounded by the attitudes these companies publicly display.
I get it - this is a medium fueled by the 18-25 crowd (maybe more like 13-30 now). That isn't a bad thing, or at least it wasn't; younger people's enthusiasm is infectious and sustaining. But gamers (and industry types) need to ask themselves if they're OK with this hobby becoming disposable in the future, because older furballs like me have become increasingly important too.
If we want this hobby to become sustainable, an art form that grows across generations, then people will have to make a decision: do I want to be limited by my choices, like a console fanboy who thinks that Sonic/Mario/TLOU/Halo is the only game in town, or do I want my choices to broaden my world? The whole point of software (0s and 1s) is that I can choose different paths all the way along...
Re: Surprise! Nintendo Is Officially Working On A Live-Action Legend Of Zelda Movie
@Teksetter Please, no. They'll probably get Beedle's voice actor to do his lines.
... please don't let the haircut be in this movie.
Re: Review: Star Ocean: The Second Story R - One Of The Very Best RPGs Of The Year
No sale for me. The "physical" version requires a 4 GB download. This is a remake of a 25 year-old PS1 game...
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 23rd)
I’ll probably take a few retro fun laps in F-Zero 99
@Teksetter I HEAR THIS IN MY HEAD WHEN I DRIVE MY WHEELED, NON-ROCKET-PROPELLED VEHICLE ON THE ROADS NOW
IS THAT BAD
I’ll keep my ears open for any Tokyo Game Show news this weekend too.
... [deep breath] that reminds me! Thank you. You asked me a long while back about this past summer's Direct, which inspired me to go back and watch the last few Japanese ones, too (more later).
in another year there probably will be more DLC, and an updated physical release. I’ve been through this with SOR4, Attack on Titan, Dead Cells, and BOTW this far.
At this point, I've passed on so many games for this exact reason that I've missed proper complete releases out of sheer habit (Hades comes to mind). I'm with you on Dead Cells, and I'd really like to pick up the full edition of Mario-Rabbids from a few years ago.... And I don't think there's a reasonable way of judging in advance which edition of a given game will be the last. This is one of the reasons I respect the studios behind Shovel Knight, Hollow Knight and Disco Elysium...
Re: TMNT: Shredder's Revenge Lands A New Physical Edition With DLC Included This November
with no mention of the DLC being a code or additional download. I should certainly hope not, at least! LRG would not want to associate themselves with an incomplete product in this case.
@Teksetter I've found at least one vendor stating that the physical package will be complete.
In any case, I quite agree with everything you're saying here.
Would it be paranoid of me to wonder aloud if there is future DLC coming which will supersede this version, as well? I've been looking forward to this game, which they've been brewing right in the heart of Montréal these many months... allez-y les gars, you've made some good stuff; be fair with the audience!