DTFaux

MHS3 demo is great (really loving the QoL improvements), but it's hard not to feel a bit let down over the 30fps performance after being spoiled with the Switch 2 bringing out MHS2's full potential.

I can make do, but I'd love a "Performane Mode" if Capcom could swing it in the official release.

Gotta say, I've been hearing good things about Pragmata, and the demo definitely won me over. It really scratches an itch in the same vein as 'The World Ends with You' (DS) where you have to juggle your attention in real-time.

I'll need to spend more time with it to articulate more of my feelings, but it feels like a game plucked out of the PS2 era in the best way possible.

Konami really burying the lead by not showing off MORE Louies, tbh...

But biases and half-jokes aside, very excited to see such a sincere effort with this collection! Konami really could've just plopped these on NSO and called it a day.

This also gives me hope we'll see more Bomberman collections from other eras. The world deserves to know the glory of Bomberman Fantasy Race!

@Kyloctopus I was just about to mention Bomberman as an "out there" pick, but I'm praying Konami moves on from the R-Series.

I've never been a fan of the "Bomberman Bros." character writing, and it feels like the IP is just kinda going through the motions at the moment... I'd like to see the kind of ambition we saw during the N64/GCN era.

EDIT - Wow, Bomberman wasnt an "out there" pick at all! You were right on the money!!

@Hwatt But if we're pretty clearly talking about genAI (and tech that's built off of the greatest IP theft in modern history), then the other "discussions" are a moot point on this front.

Ambiguous promises of what "machine learning and other AI functions offer" also doesn't help the discussion, because that just muddies the water, which gives the tech bros cover and an excuse to ignore criticism.

The reality is that if there's any room to improve efficiency, user experience, or whatever in a given field/industry, bespoke tools are already being worked on by people in those industries, and will be ready when they're ready. And even then, you can only make things so efficient until you hit a hurdle zeroes and ones just can't solve. The kind of folks who show up out of the blue with a magic bullet should be treated with high scrutiny, because they're likely more concerned with profit margins and market control than they are with helping workers or consumers in a meaningful way.

@Hwatt Folks like you keep saying "Embrace it, evolve, dont bury your heads in the sand," as if people are blindly hating it for petty reasons, rather than the fact that perhaps many people can see the dead end fast-approaching.

Even ignoring all the ethical and moral reasons we keep trying to make clear, most of these companies trying to push the tech have yet to make it financially or technologically sustainable. And considering it's effectively designed to replace us en masse just so companies can squeeze a few more pennies, we're under no obligation to "embrace" this tech, and have full incentive to curtail it and push back.

The kicker is that all the money thrown into this black hole could've gone into the continued development of bespoke tools, and subsidizing people who could then help industries and society progress. But as per greedy folks with too much money to burn, the siren song of the "Do everything" machine was just too
attractive.

@RupeeClock Oh yeah, so much of it feels like it's coming from a place of what the devs personally found funny or interesting to include, rather than worrying too much about being "marketable" (in a good way!).

If I knew about the Kickstarter back then, I very likely would've jumped on it!

This game already feels on track to become a cult classic if the demo's anything to go by. I just so happened to stumble across it on the eShop last night before seeing any promotional material and coverage of it, and seeing the name behind it suddenly makes sense why it stood out to me.

Despite my "cult classic" comment, I'm really hoping this is a proper success for them!

A 'Switch 2 Lite' that's the size of the original Lite would feel WAY more justified than the original Lite to the Switch 1.

Love my Switch 2 for Tabletop mode, but begrudgingly put up with its size when taking it out with me for handheld use. I just miss when you didn't have to put as much thought into taking your portable consoles outside.

@MirrorFate2 If there's no mainline releases planned, it would be cool if we got something low-stakes similar to 'The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog', or a console port of Dream Team.

But yeah, merch and collabs are a given (and almost too much, if you ask me).

@Hwatt Thanks. The kicker is that it knows I've been in from the ground up (that part where it tells you about Switch 1 play history says 2017 for me), but currently doesnt pull up much more than that.

If it does fix itself before the world moves on, I'll update my comment(s).

Seems there might be an error going around for some users (including myself) that it's missing a lot of data despite never having opted-out of this.

Mine starts tracking from May of 2025, despite my console Play Activity still noting the hundreds of hours in AC:NH and THOUSANDS of hours in Smash Ultimate.

I know it's not the end of the world, but hoping it's just an error they're working on fixing.

@EVIL-C I suspect this is one of those situations where maybe LRG approached Capcom and asked if they could get the rights to make physical prints of a title that otherwise would never have gotten a print.

Which on one hand, is exactly the niche LRG and their contemporaries are supposed to fill. But on the other hand, it feeds into the systemic issue where major companies that can afford to do their own "print to orders" will pass the effort and expenses onto a 3rd party and consumers.

Basically having 5 SKUs for the same exact game is kind of absurd if the only thing that's different is the cover art. They could've just been some kind of timed bonus if they really wanted to hit at that FOMO angle...

I doubt those things are that expensive to mass print relative to everything else going into this.

I'll say, in an era of tech where so many companies are trying to sell solutions in search of a problem, it's a breath of fresh air to see something that's trying to do fun for the sake of it.

(Now if only all this "fun" would stop demanding a high cost of entry...)

I definitely wouldnt turn my nose at Wilds on Switch 2, if true... But at this point, I feel like I'd much prefer a 60fps upgrade to Rise.

I just love the flow of the game, including the more arcade-y playstyle, riding Palamutes, and flying around with Wirebugs.

@Fizza It kinda brings us back to the ironic point that if there was any position AI could probably fill AND save a ton of money, it's the C-Suite. Of course, none of these guys will ever stand by any position that might put their own paychecks at risk...

@Dman10 Ignoring that automating creativity is not the same as other areas of automation (especially if folks are already complaining about mainstream games lacking soul), it's funny you bring up self-checkout: There's been rumblings that it's not the convenient, cost-saving boon companies were hoping for (as they need a dedicated attendant, and are susceptible to theft).

It's to the point that, apparently, some major US companies are quietly scaling back on it. Making the point that not everything is inevitable, and sure as heck doesn't mean we should blindly accept it being forced upon us.

The ambition of AAA games' development time being cut down from 5-10 years to one or two more speaks to the issue that AAA game development has bloated to an unsustainable point.

Turning to AI to solve that problem might be an appealing idea on paper... but then comes the issue where an already oversaturated market that people are actively being priced out of is only gonna get worse.

I'll once again say that it's funny how "passing the savings onto the consumer" is rarely ever part of the conversation, as we see these CEOs (and AI bros) hype this stuff up.

@Hern4ndeZzz Is it really that baffling? I already said that the general public is slower on the uptake, and that includes users on this site. A user keeping up with Nintendo and video game news doesn't magically mean one's immune to giving biased (derogatory), uninformed, or self-centered takes.

The biggest distinction with genAI compared to other over-hyped tech is that it gives the feeling of being actually useful, or giving some hope that it'll eventually be useful... But that doesn't mean people will remain so positive about it forever; especially if friction towards that convenience stacks up. And last I check, there's a lot of hands hoping to collect on their investment eventually.

And that's not even touching on the knock-on effects like how data centers are raising energy costs while giving nothing of value to local areas. Or how the RAM being diverted to AI endeavors is looking to cause consumer electronics to be more expensive or worse quality next year.

@Hern4ndeZzz If the poll translated to sales and people put their money where their mouths are, a >50% drop-off would raise more than a few red flags for the average company. And any PR person worth their weight in salt knows public sentiment can get worse if a company is too cocky or arrogant.

Regarding the "average consumer", they're historically slow on the uptake compared to everyone deeper in the weeds on any subject that doesnt immediately hit their homes or their wallets. And unless genAI can both be sustainable AND fulfill the impossible promises of being a boon for society (we've played these games before), I cant see people becoming increasingly okay with the current trajectory. Not even saying they'll actively protest; just not buy into the hype.

One other thought to all this: It feels like the folks who really want to convince us there's no fighting this AI trend underestimate the power of human resilience, creativity, consumer leverage, and spite.

If we're fast approaching a point where we cant trust people to be willingly transparent about their usage of something a lot of people don't want to reward, then the next logical step is self-regulation.

Most regions already have a standardized agency that we could slap another branch on (ESRB, PEGI, AusCB, CERO, etc.). But if they can't step up to the plate... what's one more new independent, non-profit agency to help with consumer confidence and informed consent?

Every time I slow down and ask myself if my frustrations with the current trend of genAI are unreasonable, the fire is reignited when I'm reminded how enthusiastically a lot of wealthy, powerful, privileged, lazy, and/or ignorant people are trying to force this tech into every facet of our lives for their own benefit.

If no other argument against genAI should resonate with the average Joe/Jane, we at least need to recognize that none of the savings from the loftiest promises that AI is supposed to deliver is ever going to translate into savings being passed back down to consumers.

It's wild that there aren't more people finding it insulting that we're being asked to pay the same (if not more!) for products that will inherently have less soul at best, or will be of lower quality at worst.

Definitely in the camp that agrees this move makes sense. Especially considering how much game time one can rack up across a holiday break.

Also, it gives us something to chat about once things slow down in January.

MKWorld is such a fascinating case, because with every QoL update that feels like they should've been included at launch, you get the sneaking suspicion that they put all their energy into making the base game as polished and "content complete" as possible, while kicking every less important thing down the road.

It would explain why it's effectively a $50 game if you get it bundled with your console, and only offered for a short amount of time...

@SBandy1 Feels like part of the problem is that devs (or more likely, publishers) are getting a bit too comfortable having consumers subsidize their storage space (and graphics cards in PC gamers' case) rather than take further steps to optimize their games.

Of course, the original FF7 was so big, it notoriously had to be split across multiple discs... Which I dont think I'd actually mind returning to over GKCs, if it had to be an either/or.

@a1904 You keep throwing around "odd" and "weird", but that doesn't really articulate why that's necessarily a bad thing. And considering how gaming as a whole is (and always has been) "weird", it seems like the issue is more the flavor of weirdness than weirdness on the whole. Like, this is the same site that has no issue covering games like Lollipop Chainsaw, Bayonetta, and even Senran Kagura.

Heck, I've been on here long enough to have seen the fallout in the comment section when NLife reported on Xenoblade Chronichles X (Wii U) removing the "breast slider" (And looking back, it's funny to see arguments about how representation suddenly mattered on that front from more than a few people).

It seems more weird that THIS would be the line, if I were to give the benefit of the doubt.

@a1904 So the question I would then ask is: How much "sense" does it have to make to certain people before such a point of contention is considered a valid enough to be entertained? I also dont see what's so "odd" about what's been mentioned in the article... but that could be me having a much higher threshold for what others consider "odd".

Zooming out a little, I do think some camps dont quite know how to sit with their feelings long enough before they try to articulate them (or simply choose not to die on certain hills); hence why comment sections like these become so curated.

@Munchlax Exactly. It's not even a trend unique to the LGBTQ+ community. There's a parallel where black/PoC fans in certain fandoms will also adopt non-human fictional characters (Piccolo and Knuckles are classic examples).

It makes for an interesting and ultimately harmless conversation about representation and unique perspectives regarding franchises we all enjoy. And it's often ironic how quick reactionaries are to slap that down, despite them ALSO appreciating representation themselves (but dont have to think about it because it's usually a given for them).

@Samalik The kicker about the whole "Luddite" insult is that the Luddites weren't "anti-technology" AND they were right to be concerned about the socioeconomic consequences of the tech being pushed to undermine both laborers and consumers of the textile industry. History is basically repeating itself!

But yeah, the current breed of tech bros are much closer to the types who follow a religious faith blindly than they are to whatever flavor of "futurist" they think they are. It's a shame they suck up so much oxygen from a topic that is going to impact everyone's lives.

In a vacuum, $100 is definitely a lot. But when compared to a standard Pro2, an extra $10 isn't too egregious.

That said, I do take issue with such a simple design at that price. Feels like it needs a bit more stuff going on. At least more standout colors or something; even if it was just matching the color of an actual newspaper a bit more.

@Samalik It's a solid response to those who are already looking to justify the tech, as there's no real convincing them without more tangible consequences.

It's more the fence-sitters who need it spelled out for them, because it's specifically inaction from a would-be opposition that the tech bros are banking on.

@MasterGraveheart No need to be sorry about that. The brakes need to be pumped AT BEST.

It's clear that there's no altrustic future waiting for us on the other side with this type of tech with the amount of downsides we've already seen from it. And not enough people are getting angry enough over the fact that a minority of wealthy/powerful individuals expect us to suck it up so they can siphon that much more money and influence at our expense.

EDIT - Also, very tired of the "It's a tool" talking point from people outside of a respective field. Saying that does not make it immune to scrutiny. AI being a boon for the medical field doesnt magically make it acceptable in the creative/etc. field.

As someone still gunning for a 100% retail amiibo collection, but not a fan of horror games, here's hoping whatever RE9's set will be wont be too creepy or grotesque.

I fully own that is a biased and selfish ask, coming from someone who wont even be getting the game itself.

On top of every other reason why AI is a flawed premise no matter how "good" it gets (the lack of ethics, the lack of compensation for data collection, lack of transparency, potential economic upheaval, copyright concerns, the carbon footprint, demand near-exclusively on the supply side, etc.), another potential point of failure is the sheer lack of interest in seeing just what devs and artists actually need BEFORE thrusting this tech upon them.

No one knows better about what it takes to make something than the people who are in the weeds doing the actual work. They should have more of a seat at the table, and their opinions should carry more weight in all this.

I know it's gonna be an outlier (assuming his arm isn't twisted by higher-ups), but I really would like to see a return to this practice across the industry.

Some games make sense to have updates and roadmaps, but some should absolutely be complete packages, where the sequels are the "updates".

The price is still a tough pill to swallow, but seeing them in the Direct suddenly made sense why they have a higher asking price.

Feels like amiibo really are becoming luxury figures to display, rather than cute knick-knacks to collect. And ironically, at those prices, I'd be hesitant to take them out of the box.

I figured a delay was coming if no official release date was mentioned at this point. But I'm glad for it, because it's legit one of the games I'm looking forward to playing (again).

It reflects well on From Software (and more so Bandai Namco) that they're not rushing this out the door just to make the holiday season.

Dang. I'd like to think I was partly right about Nintendo never doing anything without reason (seeing as they're pointing towards their app and studio), but I fully concede to those who argued this wasn't leading to anything bigger!

What's kinda funny is that animations are kind of a no-brainer for Nintendo's brand. The fact that shorts, shows, and movies are still such a rarity from this company is kinda wild, considering their entire bread and butter is branding and IPs. But maybe it helps to avoid oversaturation and dilution of those IPs.

Oh hey, would ya look at that! Nintendo being as unpredictable as I said they often are in that other comment section!

I'm holding back being more insufferable just yet, because this doesnt actually confirm any bigger project or product so far (much less the Mario connection theory). But Thursday IS usually the day Nintendo drops a lot of their new games...

Not saying it's that, though. I'm suddenly getting "new mobile game/app" vibes from this, and I wouldnt mind being wrong there.

@N00BiSH The "major franchises" argument is fair, BUT Nintendo definitely isn't a stranger to vague marketing. While more niche, the "Who is Emio?" teaser from just last year had folks wondering what Nintendo was up to for an entire week, before it was revealed to be a new entry in the Famicom Detective Club series.

Who's to say this isn't also something along those lines? And how would doing so stop them from doing traditional marketing later? How many times do we think we have Nintendo figured out before they subvert expectations in some way? Them dropping an animated short on a random Tuesday with zero fanfare or context absolutely falls within that territory. And the one constant is that they rarely do something for zero reason.

I guess my last supporting point is that, if there was nothing else to this beyond just a cute little art house type deal, we'd at least see some credits or the usual stuff in their video description section like with their other shorts. The lack of even the most basic information (and especially showing up in their Nintendo Today! app) is what leads me to believe they're up to something. But again, I'll fully own up if this doesn't lead to anything.

@N00BiSH That "minor facial change" was still informed by the proximity of the first movie's release, despite having nothing to do with it. So I'm not saying, "This short confirms how Rosalina will literally look in the next movie!"

I'm saying, "What does it mean that this baby that looks so much like [a stylized version of] baby Rosalina is interacting with what's clearly a Pikmin?"

I fully concede that it could very well have nothing to do with the next film (or anything), but I don't see why suggesting there's any intent or connection behind all this sounds so farfetched when we're talking about a company that's always in Marketing Mode and loves to hold their cards close to their chest.

@N00BiSH It may not explicitly tie into the Mario Galaxy movie, but it also doesn't feel like a "The curtains are just blue" kind of deal. There's also no rule saying one can't break styles or characterizations across media (the Princess Peach Showtime cover art being a smaller example of this).

I guess I'm more operating off how Nintendo is trying to tie Galaxy into Mario's 40th anniversary (next year also makes Pikmin's 25th anniversary). But I'll begrudgingly eat my words if it doesn't lead to anything bigger.

The Pikmin stuff is kinda the low-hanging fruit. The bigger question is why, among any character they could interact with, does the baby look like an infant Rosalina? (Something others have mentioned in the other article)

And especially when you consider Nintendo isn't really one to drop cryptic stuff that doesn't circle back into marketing material... What's their end-game?

I dont know how to interpret that as anything BUT baby Rosalina. The hair swoop is one thing, but she straight up has the same eye color too!

Assuming this isnt just some artsy one-off, this very much feels like marketing for the Mario Galaxy movie, while soft confirming the idea that other IPs will play a role beyond cute references.

I've never been a huge fan of gaming discourse orbiting so hard around how much "better" a fan-designated underdog game is compared to its contemporaries that are still relevant and popular (dormant series are a whole other matter).

I don't doubt Sega/Sonic Team knocked it out of the park this time, but I worry for Crossworld's longevity, because I've seen the same story play out where the new hotness is quickly forgotten once it's no longer fun to use it as a bludgeon against the more popular/familiar/evergreen IP.

It comes off as high praise on the surface, but unless people keep uplifting those games down the road, it does a disservice to their legacy.

@IronMan30 I have a good feeling we might start seeing amiibo prices drop if stock and recent retail discounts are anything to go by.

This week, GameStop was offering some of the $30-$40 amiibo for as low as $16 only about 3 months since their release. If the Air Riders and Mario Galaxy amiibo see the same outcome, that might be a clearer sign for producers to lower the MSRP a bit.

Shoot, if Nintendo ever stopped producing 1st party amiibo, Capcom could carry the brand based on their output alone.

I wonder why no other major 3rd party is taking part? I doubt it's because Nintendo's locking them out when Activision and Yatch Club were able to get in on it.

It's been a while since I've been excited for a game update! A better way to track progress in Free Roam was basically at the top of my wish list!

It would've been nice to have slightly more thorough system, but this does a lot to reduce the friction in trying to find P-Switches and Medallions.

Only other QoL update I want now is just a Jukebox/Playlist mode. The game has a lot of amazing songs, but sometimes you just want a shortlist of a certain style (or have one on repeat).

Oh man, I'm so on board for this! Had a great time with BRC, so I have a lot of confidence in Team Reptile!

Mannnn, that only makes me wish more that the crossover roster just stuck with video game properties and deeper Sonic pulls...

I know I keep whining about this, but the Nicktoons inclusion, for as cute as they are on paper, just throws off the cohesion.