CANOEberry

@GrailUK So "wholesome" is used in the darkly cynical, or Orwellian sense, then... as I suspected.

Peach is quite flexible. Awesome.

@SmileMan64 I was extremely unimpressed by Waluigi's silly walk/run until I realized that those legs of his would permit him to do a very interesting ballet with Peach. Just think of her floating, SMB2-style, while Waluigi tries to jump/walk after her...

This game looks like it would be hilarious to do commentary for.

@DiggleDog I would pre-order the game if it included this announcer doing French-language commentary. I admire his ability to say something like, "Il prend feu, Toad, il prend feu!" in perfect seriousness... hahahha. "Tous les coups sont permis" indeed!

exploring a Dutch-esque village, driving up a mountain

@Fizza Say what? That second part doesn't sound very Dutch...

I've been critical of LRG's business before, but I would be willing to give their retail operation a look-over. Alas that it's so far away! Then again, perhaps one could organize a cross-border raid aggressive shopping expedition to this Carytown. I see that the place is vulnerable accessible to canoes via the River Noose...

OTOH, perhaps more people would be willing to join in if someone organized a bus trip, say from Ottawa.

@Bunkerneath After watching the intriguing animation in your profile pic, I have a serious question: do you type your comments before or after you change your head? Extra points if your body types while you swap them out.

@masterLEON Oh, yes, I recall those times quite well.

The talented prognosticators at Forbes left us with this:

My guess is that the Switch may do at least as well as say, the Xbox One, which is estimated to have sold about 26 million units so far, and perhaps the Switch might get to 30-35 million when all is said and done.

Despite such a great milestone, there are signs that the Switch has passed its peak

Can we have a 1-year retrospective on this prediction in May 2023? I'd be very interested to see how this will turn out.

@Teksetter Thanks much for the update! 😀 You did seem upbeat, but it's nice to hear you've definitely recovered. I can't imagine seeing your daughter's case was easy, but kids seem to be mostly OK.

The damned thing is really circulating widely right now, it seems, particularly in N. America and E. Asia. I mean, poor Kate lives in what was probably the least-touched area of Canada, but it has been stronger even there. I hope your workplace was supportive and that you don't feel like you've lost too much time/ground.

I've been putting a lot of effort into securing a 3DS (at least, one in decent shape), aaaaaaaannd I missed that StS sale on Steam. ☹ I'm not proud of myself there... but I suppose waiting for a Switch sale is better. The game's presentation still doesn't appeal to me, but several trusted opinions from people like you have convinced me to give it a real try. I've actually been playing a lot of action games (Mega Man, shoot-'em-ups) lately, so it'll be a nice change of pace.

I feel like I want to swap more gaming opinions here, but let me close by asking: do you have anything nice planned for summer? I'm planning that New Hampshire trip for August (thanks again!), as part of a longer car camping trip down east. I think I'll indulge some Timbits then, when I'm more geographically proximate to you and Kate 😜

For those who enjoy games like this, I am not advocating against such things. (Although, normally, the "fan service" NL refers to is less crude than this, in my experience!)

The presence of a game like this on Nintendo's platform, however, in the face of Mother 3's absence, is... well, the fans (and the medium) aren't being "served" there, that's for sure.

The "new IP" will be Black Holes: Capitalism Dies Twice. This simulation game will feature rival corporate video game barons, as they build their empires through mergers-'n'-acquisitions, defiance of national parliaments, whale hunts, and - most powerfully - a scorched-earth approach that denies any future rivals a chance to rebuild on used market terrain. Any resemblances to Kotick, Konami or Android Wilson himself will be only incidental.

True artists, you see, work on what they know best.

I'm guessing "WTF" stands for "World Tennis Federation"...?

@SwitchVogel Intriguing review! The premise of this game seems well-suited to our times.

Does this seem like a fully fleshed-out game? Disco Elysium is quite "built out", if you will, but @HeadPirate's insightful comment suggests that this is a more limited narrative. I am just wondering if this game might see future updates, as so many indies do.

I was far too slow to realize the clear hockey influences in this game (extensive body-checking, including that sequence of Luigi being sent into the electrified "boards", the faster-than-football speed, and more). Were the earlier games similarly aggressive?

An excellent illustration of the dangers inherent in acquiring a Canadian studio.

@SwitchVogel @Slowdive Thanks for your perspectives. I have yet to play this game, partly out of trepidation - the tiny bit of it that I have seen shows me how different it is from every other Metroid game, and the audience reaction to it came across to me very early on.

I think that Nintendo was always going to have difficulty with this kind of game, because Samus hasn't been extensively characterized in the actual games; still, my naïve perspective is that this title (at least in concept) represents an attempt to take this franchise seriously, and so I'm going to try to approach it with an open mind.

Silly question, but why all the Mother 3 coverage lately?

@AndyC_MK111 Ah yes? But the loud, pertinent people were telling us that this site featured nothing but Reggie articles...

I wouldn't be surprised if this is part of an understated push by this site to prod NCL into releasing Mother 3 at last. I seem to recall a video by Zion predicting that it would be released in the near future. If NL actually is encouraging the people in Kyoto to finally get down to it, I applaud them.

...the difference between Master Chief and Captain Falcon...
...Pokémon with extra children and fewer animals designed for punching...
...secretly Canadian...

You know, upon deeper consideration, maybe this isn't just a reflection of a unique (albeit sugar-fueled) writer. Weaving a coherent article out of all that... it might be like dadaism, or a combination of Monty Python and Kids in the Hall. What the heck are Yoko Taro and Tetsuya Takahashi doing with their lives right now? Just imagine a scenario written by those two, with dialogue from Kate. It might break your mind... and be the greatest JRPG of all time.

@KateGray Hiya Kate, hope you're feeling better. Maybe I should have warned you... please don't eat the entire box of Timbits by yourself. Kids develop those Superman delusions and jump out of second-story windows, and writers... well, writers produce articles like this. (I'm sure it actually feels like flying when you're writing it...)

I guess we've learned one thing from this: you won't soon be replaced by an AI, no matter what sort of input you feed the damned thing.

EDIT: I admit it, my knowledge of Timbit-delirium comes first-hand. We've all made that mistake once...

This weekend will be much as the last for me: I'll be swimming in bullets (Danmaku Unlimited 3) since the water's still too cold hereabouts. In lieu of destroying my Pro Controller in case of defeat by the 4th boss, I'll alternate by playing something easier, like Thunder Force III (AC), or Thumper.

I've been engaged in much spring cleaning of late to get ready for fur-shedding season, and in order to clear desk space, which I will need to trace my own pencil-and-paper maps in games like Legacy of the Wizard, and some CRPGs I've been longing to play. Long is the road to éliteness!

gave it to me now as a Mothers Day gift. 😅

@Teksetter Ah mon Dieu. I hope you're both alright.

Is this a red potion or a blue potion kind of illness? Should I consult my Skyrim alchemy notes to see what sort of compounds you might need? ... I see that StS is on sale. Perhaps solidarity would help? My own experience didn't leave me couch-bound, but I'm one of the lucky ones.

Take care of yourself, OK? I look forward to hearing more about arcades and pinball and stuff. I wish you the very best of Mother's Days, and many happy returns!

"just work a few more hours" is a cynical, ignorant, and frankly offensive sentiment, but i feel as though you didn't intend it that way

@-wc- Hahaha... I wonder if we can give old Ken Kutaragi the same benefit of the doubt 😁

But for USA and most of the European countries? What are 50 bucks?

@Olmectron USA and European countries... because we're all rich and stupid, yeah?

In Canada (we weren't included, but anyway), I've seen people drive kilometres down the road to avoid paying an extra 1¢ per litre for gasoline. You might be further surprised by the thriftiness and caution of rich European countries like the Netherlands, Italy, or Germany. As for France, they just had massive protests about the cost of living a few years ago (gilets jaunes movement). I myself can't buy all the games I want right now, because we've got summer coming up, and in my country you don't want to be poor and stuck at home this time of year.

Anyhow, I'm not sure why people would think that rich, stupid people want to pay more for things than (we think) they're worth. I don't want Nintendo ripping me off either. You probably didn't care, but I hope this answers your question, hermano.

The episode also reinforced the need to consider fully the needs of your best and longest-term customers. By implemented the Ambassador's Program, we kept our strongest fans engaged

I think this comment section is about to define the galaxy-wide gulf between the concepts of "needs" and "wants"...

The article alludes to this obliquely, but here goes -

WarioWare has a somewhat similar concept and seems to be well-loved by a certain portion of the audience. I haven't played any WW game, or 1-2-Switch. What is the essential difference between these titles? How does 1-2-Switch fail to match the quality/appeal of WW?

All that sexy terminology in the article led me to believe that this game featured a furred hero/player character... but I see a human.

Maybe I should watch the videos before reading the article...?

I'm looking forward to playing the arcade version of RayForce on my Egret II Mini when it arrives

@Teksetter I am officially and intensely jealous of you. Clearly I missed a lot of true gaming experiences back in my "misspent youth". Maybe I can donate blood, or volunteer for a paid vaccination trial or something...

The furball, upon answering another random groping prediction on NL's comment section, has expressed confidence in rumour-mongers unleashing a double dump on Switch, containing both Wind Waker and Twilight Princess - emphasizing the certainty that if Nintendo don't do it this year, then they'll bloody well do it only whenever and if ever they please.

@Bluerangervegeta You know, I actually agree with you on the general premise that Nintendo has done a lot of anti-customer things in the Switch generation. Nonetheless, I gave your comments the Thumbs Down.

We can disagree with people without resorting to negative tones and ranting. Duncanballs asked you that question pretty politely, I thought, and replying "Seriously?" doesn't seem necessary. People have different perspectives; you shouldn't assume it's obvious that everyone else sees what you do.

initially company President Satoru Iwata turned the proposal down: "Nintendo does not give away precious content for free."

That old Nintendo arrogance. It is truly a shame that they don't understand about two-way streets. I do not give away precious dollars for free. Perhaps this is part of the reason I've purchased exactly one first- or second-party game on Switch in the last few years...

@Silly_G I see that your post went over some heads (that's life, I suppose). I think I follow you and mostly agree on the points of manufactured outrage and censorship. I've been trying to avoid spoilers around Mother/Earthbound for years now, so I'm not clear on what precisely the controversy here is. "Outrage-oriented journalist" brings a few publications to mind, but I don't read those, and it's hard for me to judge this issue without, you know, spoiling myself. Can you give me some vague hints here?

The thing about censorship and moral panics is... mores change. We now see SMT games, the DQ releases actually include that tasteless "puff puff" nonsense, and... I mean, one sees those GTA games on Switch. In our lifetimes, we've seen the hysterical denouncing types lose over and over. Shouldn't we assume the wind will change again?

To anyone else who may be tempted to respond to me directly here: don't. I'm serious about avoiding spoilers here - I didn't even read Kate's Backlog Club post on Earthbound. I will assume you are replying in bad faith, resulting in an immediate Ignore.

Might and Magic DS was one of my fav DS games of all time though I appreciate it's not really to do with the mainline series.

@LEGEND_MARIOID Interesting. How did it compare in quality and gameplay to the main series, for you?

@dsparil @Lowell As dsparil says, there have been quite a few Ultima ports to Nintendo consoles.

I want to thank you for this article. The Western roots of RPGs are too rarely mentioned these days, and almost never on this site. I would love to see remakes of the M&M series in particular. I'm sure there is a Christian Whitehead-type figure out there who would be interested...

there’s no precedent of Ultima games being ported to Nintendo consoles

There were at least three Ultima games on the NES, and one on the SNES.

I don't know much about Embracer Group/THQ Nordic, so I can't say what the likelihood of mass layoffs would be here... but I hope the governments of Québec and Canada are paying attention here. The last thing Montréal needs to lose is development expertise like this.

@Teksetter I've never known Timbits to be associated with anyone but that virally effective prolific donut chain, yes. I believe TH's lawyers would rival Nintendo's in terms of "brand defense" if someone attempted to imply otherwise...

This is the first time I've seen them referred to as "Timmy Ho's", though. That sounds unflattering. Perhaps they didn't make a good impression?

I'll kick myself if you tell me what it's from.

@TotalHenshin Please don't do that, good fellow! To answer your question - the looming figures in the background are EMMIs (Metroid Dread). The handsome blue furball is a toothberry (last seen in DKC Returns, on the Wii).

Who's the dapper human if your profile? That's a very nice chapeau he's got.

I haven't played this one, and I'm looking forward to it - the rental being more affordable than StS right now!

That being said, I'm fairly certain there's a very pertinent story yet to be told here. How does a character from the Mother series manage to acquire timbits as a favourite food? I'm beginning to worry about the influences Kate is picking up in this country...

@Farts_Ahoy Your message is the only one in this thread so far which does not mention Dragon Quest.

Can you maybe change that? You're breaking the streak...

NINTENDOOMED... to deal with myopic shareholders who don't actually peruse sales charts.

Or, you know, hard data of any kind.

It's tough but you're in control of your destiny, a lot like my other favourite game, Into The Breach.

@Milton_Burle Intriguing comparison. I've been curious about this game for a while, and I've received some nice encouragement, but that may be the most enticing thing I've read yet (I haven't read too much of Kate's experience yet, since I like to go in fresh). I've tried demos of deckbuilder games, but none of them has seized my attention as yet. If this is best-in-genre, I'm open.

@KateGray I'm sorry to hear that our darkly-crowned enemy finally found you. Makes me wonder about NS's pandemic policy. Get well soon! I'm actually at peace with my "backlog" (library), but this series has prompted new thoughts, which is what writing should always aspire to. ... All those puns about bodies/biology make more sense now.

Also, after playing Carrion, this game is quite suggestive. I can't say more without revealing spoilers for that game... but a crossover with that one might be natural. I always wanted to know more about those organs I've seen in gaming so often, like leechlymphs and eyestalks...

... even with the wildly inefficient economics of interstellar shipping, this is a vision of the future, isn't it? Oh dear...

No disrespect to Alana Hagues here - the write-up was quite interesting - for some reason, given the subject matter, I feel like this is Kate Gray's beat...

@Shambo Thanks for remembering! I've been budgeting for a 3DS and worthy games for a while now, and yes, the EO games are definitely priced at some sort of mad Atlus collector fanatic premium. From watching Let's Play videos and such, though, I'm even more interested now.

At the moment it probably doesn't count as liberating games/things from "capitalism's prison system", as you were singing/rapping a while back, but I am pretty insistent on physical copies for worthwhile stuff - I take preservation quite seriously, and I've already arranged to donate my collections to the right people if my canoe flips in the wrong river one day. Actually, the 3DS makes a pretty potent symbol of what's going wrong these days - the games and system were supposed to be budgeted for kids and thrifty parents, and now they're being hoarded, with all that implies. The eShop closure doesn't help, just like copyright law, and the crass attitude these companies have toward their own cultural products.

I've actually learned a lot from the retailing of physical games (it seems every decent-sized town in Canada has a healthy market, whereas this used to be a niche hobby), and it tells me that some people are so blind with greed that they don't see their own feet burning. It seems to be worse with music, and even books aren't being printed in the numbers they should be. So yeah, there's more than just games involved here... just some thoughts... (I'll stop now)

I mean, a few substantial musical interludes would be fine, especially if they use some of the iconic Koji Kondo music

@sikthvash WHY IS EVERYONE HERE PANICKING?

Don't people know that we could very well witness inspired characterization, like the smouldering fires of this sibling rivalry, for example?

@GrailUK It's already happened, friend monkey. All those Yakuza games are a mission statement for them, not just entertainment...

@KateGray I see from your sub-headline that it must be spring in Nova Scotia.

He's still using his body, so I suppose he can't sell that yet.
...
Can I buy his Ready?

this definitely feels like BG trying to blame the public for their ... bills

@Kiz3000 I understand that this is a familiar phenomenon over there...