DTFaux

It's super wishful thinking, but I'm hoping Capcom hits us with a "Hey guys, turns out we actually were able to figure a way to do cross-saves!"

Obviously it's highly unlikely at this point, but man, could you imagine?

The execution is impressive (especially seeming like a two-man job), but practically, it's way too overanimated.

It seems like it took some inspiration from the Sonic CD intro, but that one kinda makes every frame count (as does the Sonic Mania intro 9 years later), while this one feels like it loses a lot of its "oomph" from everything being so fluid in both frames and character modeling.

@Shadowthrone I'd argue that part of what made SA 1& 2 so memorable was the story. But Sega/Sonic Team has been struggling to re-capture that magic since then (though, I did enjoy Unleashed).

Yeah, gameplay comes first, but that can help elevate what little plot is thrown in (like Mario Odyssey).

Crazy to think what started out as the absolute lowest of expectations for the first movie has led to legitimate interest/excitement for its sequel.

I think it really is big thanks to the redesign. While it probably wouldnt have changed the plot of the first one, I just couldnt see a reality where it'd have been tolerable with the old gremlin version.

@Zuljaras That's less of a complaint about haters and more just a prediction of them. Which wound up being proven true even now, because it's practically a compulsion at this point.

In regards to Pokemon, it'd be way more surprising if we made it through an entire article/thread without someone lamenting its success (not that they arent allowed to complain).

Even as someone who's getting something from the recent Challenge Cups that NoA ran, I'm torn on which approach I'd personally prefer in the long run.

NoA gave sizeable prizes, but to a small pool. So if you weren't Top 8 or 16 (depending on the recent events), that's 3+ hours down the drain. But NoE giving a minimum of 10€'s worth of Gold Points to the Top 100 gives you a chance of walking away with something, even if it's not terribly valuable.

@HammerGalladeBro IDK if you'll be happy or distraught to hear, but Domino's (at least the North America division) actually brought the Noid back earlier this year!

What's impressive (if not a bit cursed) is how much detail Nintendo put into the villagers' fur patterns, despite the huge majority of players who will never see those details by default.

People are joking about the pervy or prudish, meanwhile AC fan artists see an opportunity for more accurate drawings :V

"Wait, don't be fooled! It's still the same moderate platform fighter with stupid cheap hats! It still has the same lack of polish it did before!"

"...But they got new hats."

Loose Simpson reference aside, it is nice to see that this game is still getting support. While it's a shame all this didn't just come at launch, I don't think I'd mind if updates and support kept coming to a point that maybe they'd pack it all into a "Deluxe Edition" way down the line.

@Lordplops My point is that there is unfortunate subtext when the response to attempts to diversify a workforce is "Just hire the best person for the job!"

You don't think the cases with Activision-Blizzard, Ubisoft, Riot Games(?), and lord knows how much else in this industry alone, didn't already involve hires considered "the best person for the job"? Clearly, that's not fixing the underlying issue here...

@Lordplops But where are you getting the idea that skills are being scarified explicitly for the sake of diversity?

It may not be your intention, but it's that kind of thinking that winds up heavily implying that one thinks women/minority hires are inherently less capable than whatever the "norm" is.

@nessisonett Because certain camps are conditioned not to be too invested or sincere in any conversation regarding sociopolitical issues. Basically, if you care, you lose.

Cuz, heaven forbid we acknowledge that certain groups consistently get the shorter end of the stick in certain industries, much less society... Also funny how some folks in these threads will posture on egalitarianism, as if that isnt some virtue signaling in itself, rather than push for pragmatic solutions and protections for the vulnerable...

Also, cant have an honest conversation without folks resorting to the same One Joke (TM).

It's depressingly predictable at this point.

@Dragonite89 It's literally impossible to make everyone happy. One of the curses of being one of the most popular franchises out there is that so many folks want to be armchair CEOs and devs.

Which kinda brings us back full circle...

@Dragonite89 I completely understand, but I also recommend being wary of projecting that desire onto others who many not feel the same way (at least to the point of insulting them).

Like, I'm pretty certain the lack of a National Dex has less to do with console power, and more to do with development times (and everything that goes into it) needing to line up with their other multimedia and merchandising endeavors.

I'm not saying you can't have personal hangups over how the series is being handled, but it doesn't really warrant being the moral crusade you're making it out to be. You gotta take a step back from your emotions sometimes and really think about the hill you're choosing to die on.

@Dragonite89 My point is that I get the frustration of them not reaching your own expectations (whether they're realistic or not is a whole other discussion), but to insult fans who are enjoying themselves just comes off as the kind of petty and bitter that people roll their eyes at.

I think what also makes it ridiculous is that we're getting a game that's looking to actually try some new things in a little over two months from now. It may not give you exactly what you want, but it seems out of line to think TPC and GameFreak are getting complacent.

Not to make it too personal, but it feels like you're too emotionally invested for there to be good faith discourse over all this...

@Dragonite89 I feel like the moment this argument comes up, all bets are off.

Like, it's not even about the quality of the game at hand anymore. It's just cynicism for the heck of it.

I feel it's in a good spot now after this update. But I think between Aces and now Super Rush, I wouldnt mind if they ditched Story Mode going forward.

I'd much rather some more content with way more replayability, than a mode that kinda functions as an elaborate tutorial with hit-or-miss dialogue.

It's a shame because NeoTWEWY is such a good game and one of the few JRPGs (action or otherwise) I couldnt put down.

Understandably, though, the series is ultimately a niche IP. It's kind of a miracle it even got a sequel... But I hope this doesnt scare SE from trying at least one more entry just to answer a few more hanging questions.

I only listened for a couple of minutes, and it sounds so surreal (in an endearing way) hearing a significantly older person effectively geek out over JRPGs of all things. I'll definitely have to check more later.

It also does put into perspective that folks playing hardcore games in their 70s and beyond will likely be the norm the further along we go. The market of "easily tricked grandparents buying the wrong games for their grandkids" will shrink substantially in the next 20-30 years!

I'm still not crazy about how unhinged the crossover potential will be, but I gotta admit, it actually looks pretty clean. The animations and effects seem to read really well (compared to Nick All-Stars).

My only hangup is that it's hard to get a feel for how fast the gameplay is. So much footage in this announcement video seems to be slowed down.

I will say, "Multiversus" is a solid portmanteau. Much more unique than another game with "All-Stars" in its title.

But it's still hard to get excited, as this is just them flexing their IP ownership again. They already spent their shot with both Ready Player One and Space Jam 2; the latter being way more frustrating for making an iconically simple concept unnecessarily complicated and ultimately forgettable...

@alecseus Unless you're being facetious, my general point is to not boil criticism [or praise] down to one or two words.

@alecseus I think tossing the criticism of "lazy" has simply become lazy in itself. Usually lobbed by people who dont understand (or respect) the work it takes to release a competent, functioning, game in the first place.

Even in cases where devs are legit lazy (blatant asset flipping, quantity over quality shovelware ratio, cynically low-effort overall, etc.), one could probably still elaborate with a bit more than two tired words.

@RupeeClock You actually can. Pikmin Bloom is pretty passive (mainly tracks steps and location when minimized). So as long as your phone has the computing power, you can play one, while checking in on the other.

The bigger hurdle is caring about Pikmin Bloom in the first place. Go has the incentive to walk, catch, trade, collect, and battle. Bloom kinda just has walk and collect.

Mad Rat Dead is one of the best platforming-rhythm games that very few people are talking about. It may be a big ask to get folks to both juggle conventional platforming while keeping the beat, but it's very rewarding when you pull it off~

There's also a meaty demo on the eShop that lets you get a good idea if it's for you. I highly recommend it!

@SamirMalik I would argue that who's doing the censoring, and how, makes a world of difference.

A private company saying "We'd rather not host this..." sucks artistically, but it's their console/platform. So long as it's not the bad kind of discrimination or burying of information, they can make that call, no matter how arbitrary we feel about it.

A government body saying "You can't say this or you'll be fined/arrested!" is a different kind of censorship that can be inherently problematic, but also has a whole realm of nuance to talk about, depending on country and politics.

Personally, I wish people (in a general sense) could temper their reactions to the various kinds of censorship. And I say this as an artist myself.

I don't know what's funnier: The fact that Playstation owners get the clearly superior version, or the STRONG possibility that these devs might find success and double down on the furry content.

Pretty sure it's just temporary. If they were intent on killing it off, they'd probably have a formal announcement.

They made progress beyond their original offerings of stationary, so hopefully they keep stepping it up.

I've always been a sucker for tech and games that encourage you to get up and go. But I do feel it's a bit of a gamble using a relatively niche IP like Pikmin, though.

Not to say it may not finally find a wider audience, but this feels like an idea that would work amazingly if integrated with a mainline Pikmin (or other Nintendo) release. Kinda like how 3DS Play Coins worked system-wide.

@MegaVel91 Without getting too descriptive, they made her a relatively family friendly "femme fatale archetype" in both demeanor and design.

It especially sticks out compared to, at least, the other female Sonic characters.

@Ryu_Niiyama If the internet has taught us anything, it's that the mind/heart finds a way when it comes to fictional characters.

And this isnt even getting into how official creators lean into it (Rouge the Bat).

I plan to get the expansion sub, but I it funny that Nintendo has been pretty quiet about when it drops outside of the day itself.

I think they accounted for backlash, but overestimated just how much good will they had on this front. Like, of course they're still gonna make bank, but they cant pull this again too soon.

Just once I'd love to see a big IP, non-Smash platform fighter reach their full potential. Too many get hampered by limited funding, short dev times, or middling devs.

That said, I'm kinda getting sick of crossovers that have little substance or thematic consistency/restraint beyond the IP holder flexing their catalogue. Like, at least Nick All-Star Brawl keeps it to Nicktoon characters, rather than it being a Viacom/Paramount showcase.

@Anti-Matter It's also a question of how much relevancy Peppa Pig has these days compared to newer pre-school/family IPs.

Bluey seems to be the new hotness, and I suspect it would perform well if the rights holders struck while the iron's hot.

The holiday season is relatively packed with Mario Party, Big Brain Academy, the Pokemon D/P remakes on their way, along with AC:NH getting its second wind, and Age of Calamity getting its second wave of DLC. Then we got Arceus in January.

Not to downplay the hurt of a delay for devs or fans, but this is probably one of the easier delays to make for Nintendo. It should hopefully give what's ultimately a modest franchise more of a chance to shine outside the holiday onslaught.

@Tharsman It honestly couldn't be any worse than Byleth at the time (full respect to FE fans). Like, with Kazuya, it's decently deserved because Tekken is a prominent series, and with Bandai-Namco co-developing, it would be a completely fair pick getting one more character outside of Pacman.

That said, hearing this news about Sora kinda being a bonus makes me think that mayyyyybe Sephiroth was intended to be the final fighter, but they didn't want two SE characters back-to-back? Both characters' trailers have some strong "Last Pick" energy to them in their own ways.

@Lordplops Man, when has "Deal with it" ever actually convinced people to drop their complaints? Like, yeah, some stress is normal among some jobs, but it's not sustainable, depending on the amount and industry.

It's especially funny in the gaming industry, because there's a through line between sub-par work environments, game quality/output inevitably suffering, and gamers predictably complaining about the product they get. Oh, but dont you dare tell them to "get over it."

@nessisonett I mean, the cloud version is ultimately a digital exclusive with an extra step, less stability, and less ownership.

I'm sure many would've taken the storage hit over having to stream a game.

@BloodNinja We'll see how distracting my icon's blinking is when I shift it into MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE!!

But for real, I'll probably consider it down the road.

While stocks are something to keep an eye on in the long run, I'm glad they dont dictate the video game discourse as much as they did through some of the 2010s.

I guess it helps that people finally realize investors dont properly represent the climate of the video game industry.

I was talking with a friend that we all assume Disney was super picky over what could show up in Smash, but it's not outside the realm of possibility that Sakurai/Nintendo/SE also wanted to keep any KH reference strictly to non-Disney characters to maintain Smash's "game characters only" integrity.

Which I greatly appreciate the restraint. Crossovers feel a lot more meaningful when they can commit to some kind of criteria/theme.

@1ofUs The biggest concern is that a smooth cloud gaming experience is dependent on having an internet connection good enough to stream both gameplay and your inputs with the least amount of latency as possible. A bad connection = a bad cloud gaming experience.

The other issue is that, there's even LESS ownership of cloud games than you'd even get with digital games. Should the cloud servers be shut down for any reason, there goes the games you paid for.

The upside to cloud gaming is accessibility, where all you need is a device capable of streaming games, as opposed to a powerful enough console. It honestly makes sense for KH2.8 and KH3, but there's little excuse why entries that could run on PS2, PSP, and 3DS couldn't get a physical or even digital release on Switch.

I've literally held off playing my copies on PS4, because I thought the physical Switch version was only a matter of time... But this is gonna be a nah for me.

Someone get Limited Run Games on the line for a physical production license, because I would be more than willing to pay a Switch Tax to have physical versions of 1.5+2.5.

Even though he was one of my top picks, it feels so surreal that he's in!

This is like Banjo all over again where it just didnt feel like they could overcome the legal hurdles, but here they are!

It sounds like we really shouldn't expect anything mainstream, then.

If I had to pin point, Mike Jones (Startropics) would be my retro pick, while Mallo (Pushmo) or the Sakura Samurai would be the contemporary picks. Wild card would be Anthony Higgs (Metroid: Other M).

Either way, I'm both gonna miss this ride, and cant wait to get off.

After so many years of Square-Enix using esoteric titles for their games, this somewhat recent trend of comically simple names is giving me a bit of whiplash.

The earlier parts of that trailer were a bit hard to follow, but the game overall is looking to be super competent at the very least.

Like, the art direction and character designs gives me some strong "daytime cartoon" vibes, which is definitely not a bad thing.

@VoidofLight @ObeseChihuahua2 Thanks for the answers, guys!

I find it super interesting that this chapter is also releasing for free. Chapter 1 was sizeable enough in both narrative and gameplay to charge a couple bucks, and I cant see Ch. 2 being any different.

Is it just gonna be a free endeavor, and then they'll charge for the full package/physical release when the entire game is done?

@CharlieGirl In most cases, I'd agree. But with the trend of the Switch swiping so many Wii U ports up to this point, I dont think Star Fox Zero is entirely outside the realm of possibility.