Diogmites

@BenAV Thank you for the info and recommendation! I will do that.

I don’t know why i like chibi characters so much. The Pokemon Diamond/Pearl remakes rank inordinately high for me, and i suspect it has something to do with the peculiarly proportioned persons provided.
I went through my first Ace Attorney games last summer, and though it was slow going over unfamiliar terrain for longer than i’d like to admit, the characters, the silliness and the historical context eventually won me over, and i managed my way through all of Ace Attorney Chronicles.
I should snatch up another Collection to play through at some point, and was intending to grab something with Ryunosuke’s eventual successor, Phoenix Wright, in it but the chibis have me in a tractor beam, despite Mind Chess, which sounds excruciatingly horrific.
It’ll be a bit before i tackle another one of these, so i’ll come back to Kate’s thoroughly awesome reviews before i make a decision.

@Olliemar28 Just noticed the game got an update, and i had a save file of my last run where the bug appeared, and it is now fixed. The dev has added an option to select to use or not use the scroll via the A and B buttons respectively.

I returned from vacation last weekend, and am very happy to be back in my lair.
If you ever want to visit the most repugnant smelling public restroom in the world head on over to Clara City, Minnesota. It sits in a park that is unmissable as you enter town. It offers a medley of life-changing scents. Also: bring your own tp. Or wipe your bum on the walls like everyone else apparently does. Next time i’ll hold it and wait for the next stop. Well played, Clara City, well played.
Oh yeah, i played and beat Kirby and the Forgotten Land on Switch on vaca, though that is all i had time for. Kirby games are fun, happy affairs. I wish the 3ds titles would make it to Switch.
I will be starting my playthrough of all the ds mettyvanias in (yay!) Castlevania Dominus Collection. I have played through them all several times before, and am happy to again. I went through Haunted Castle Revisited a couple days ago. Immeasurably improved.
I am into winter in Moonstone Island and love the look of it. My treehouse looks especially dapper bedecked in fluffy white. I believe i am close to the end of the game, but i also believe i can find much to do after the final temple.
Oh, i bought and am reading Dune. First time. Really. Denis Villeneuve is responsible.
Take care all, and may Fishbo smile upon you!
Edit:Epyx Rogue is fixed, so back into that, and i bought Tiny Tina’s Wonderland on Steam for 3 clams.

@Thumbsofsteel Just checked and both Rewind and Save States are available in OG Haunted Castle. The game is still terrible.
The new HC has neither save states or rewind, but is really fun.
It’s also much easier than the original Haunted Castle, even without the added QoL.

Castlevania Dominus is already mine, and at some point i am going to buy Peglin

@Everythingnotsaved The gameboy ones have some serious jank, barring Aria of Sorrow, which is still kind of boring imo. I would not recommend those first two to first timers. Circle of the Moon (which i still like a lot,) is a prickly beast, and Harmony of Dissonance(my fave of the 3 gbas) has some perplexing level design.

These games look better, have perfected the formula, and are all excellent titles.(Ecclesia mixes things up and is more difficult than the first two btw).

But if you played and got bored by Aria of Sorrow, i am not sure if i could recommend these, as while i dislike that game’s pace and boring level design, i think it is the best litmus for determining if the ds titles are up one’s alley.

@martynstuff None of these games(barring the original Haunted Castle) were that difficult in their initial forms, and the new Haunted Castle is baby soft. The DS titles have a save-state system too, so difficulty isn’t an issue if you decide to use them.
When people talk about the high difficulty of Castlevanias, they are usually referring to the action platformers from the 8 and 16 bit eras, not these titles.

@OldManHermit The og Haunted Castle truly is awful, and i avoided it too, at least until the first Cvania collection was released. The new one is fun and is a fast playthrough! I think you’ll really dig the art of Dracula’s final form.

An enjoyable read this review, and Ollie’s final score echoes mine. I think Ecclesia and Portrait are the pinnacle of the ‘troidy vanias(sotn is overrated). Haunted Castle Revisited is a much improved version, and though it is fairly easy, still a lot of fun.

I’d say give it a try if you have even a morsel of interest.
P.S. my rankings and scores , excuse the self-indulgence-
1. Portrait of Ruin (9/10)
2. Order of Ecclesia (8.5/10)
3. Haunted Castle Revisited (7.5/10)
4. Dawn of Sorrow (7/10)
5. Haunted Castle (zombies puking into your rectum/10)

@doomista That was certainly an issue, but i more just kinda hated it because it reminded me of Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

I’m preordering it for one game in the collection.

The first two Ryza games were great, but the third i put down after many hours of struggling to enjoy it.
I might hop back in with Yumia, depending on how the mechanics shape up.

Really surprised the STALKER games are coming to Switch. But also grateful.
I only ever played Call of Pripyat, and it left an impression.
I will be checking these out.
The Stalker film(1979) these are loosely based on is great.

I was banking on this being released when i let all 3 of my DS copies go last year for a respectable glut of cash.
Ecclesia and Portrait are my two favorites of this style of ‘vania, and i am happy to return to them. Buying on sight.

Preordered the physical. We get CvS2 next year too. Capcom has me swooning.

“I’ve experienced far too many books based on the world of video games that felt like they were written out of some begrudging obligation”
lol those are the books i wana read.

I will avoid this one, and i thank Kate for her review!

@OldManHermit Yah!
Your problems with Prometheus are not unsound to me.
There are some odd decisions the characters make in that film. Though, one that i see criticized a lot, is the geologist who foolishly removes his helmet in a potential(and actual) dangerous environment. While i know you haven’t provided this argument, i must defend his character’s actions in that he was clearly a lil off-kilter anyways, and i know a brilliant chemist irl who regularly makes terrible decisions haha.

Yeah, i see how Prometheus ruins the long-standing, unearthly and spooky enigma of the Space Jockey.
Albino bodybuilder lol .. i love it!
The engineers do look silly, but i love the final moments of Peter Weyland. And the idea of the engineers. Though, the utter mystery of the space jockey, provided with that eerie visual in the first , finds a poor substitute in why exactly did the engineers want to annihilate humanity, which can be quickly surmised.

I guess it makes the world they built in the first film seem smaller, but that doesn’t bother me for some reason. Maybe i haven’t fully connected the two films mentally… i dunno. I will say that Alien is near perfect to me.

Most of the joys i find in Prometheus are in its beautiful scenery and performances, as well as watching the ambitions of Shaw and her lover and Weyland come to ruin.

Also, i really dig David as a character and Fassbender’s performance.
For me, David stands alongside Ripley as a sci fi favorite.
Noomi as Shaw is great too, and that surgery scene is radical.

I agree Prometheus would be better if it was unconnected to Alien, way better, in fact, as it’s obvious the writers were jumping through hoops to force the connection.
Yeah , the black goo isn’t a thrilling origin lol

Before i saw the film, i had read that Ridley said it wasn’t about the xenomorphs, and would be more concerned with androids, and i thought, “this should blow.” , so i had my expectations tempered, which may have aided in me finding value in the movie.

Sucks we didn’t get Arnold in a third Conan film. I could've used another!
Sorry for the long reply!

Dude just served up a Commodore’s reference in the subheader…
lol 👍

@OldManHermit That’s nuts that shot only took two takes! That whole scene is fun.
The monastery idea does sound more interesting than what we got, but honestly, a sci fi correctional facility sounds kind of cool too. It was just badly bungled, i think.
Alas, our opinions diverge here as i like Prometheus more than Aliens lol. Though fully aware it is a left-of-center opinion.
But i’ll almost always pick Ridley Scott over James Cameron(though i certainly do like Aliens, True Lies and Terminator).
Digressing, have you seen the second Conan movie(The Destroyer)? I rewatched both of them about a week or so ago, and have long been a fan of the first film, but hadn’t seen the Destroyer since childhood , as i’ve heard it didn’t hold up, and was surprised at how much i dug it. I especially liked some of the bonkers sets.

@OldManHermit You and a buddy. We’re up to three fans! lol
Yeah it’s goofy fun for sure, with some memorable dialogue and fun action. Brad Dourif fully converted me to the film during his fatal scene. I was dogsitting when i first saw it, and during the birth scene had to comfort my charge, as my screaming laughter at Dourif’s subsequent coddling had startled her.
Also, Clone Ripley is an entertaining badass.
Yeah, i agree, the cg is truly depressing in Alien 3, and it is a slog, especially the director’s cut, which improves the story slightly, but adds a significant amount to the runtime. Agree that the ending is cool, and it was a joy to see Lance Henriksen again.
The part that really bothers me in Alien 3, is that Ripley refuses to confide in the one man who is clearly sympathetic to her(Charles Dance), and then spills her guts to the obviously hostile warden.
The first film will probably always be my favorite.

@OldManHermit I am an unapologetic fan of Alien: Resurrection. I seldom see it praised.
I’m glad you didn’t mention 3, which as commonly derided(and rightfully so) as it is, seems to still have more defenders than the fourth film. At least in the circles i lurk in.

Great feature, and the presentation is entertaining.

I’ve never played FZero X either, despite being a fan of the original. Someday i will correct this.

Looking forward to the next one!

My presence has been requested, and so i will be going on vacation in a week from now.
I am bringing a couple of backlog games on the journey, namely Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.
Of course, i’m still playing Moonstone Island. And have been doing a few runs in Quest of Dungeons, an excellent lil dungeon crawler in the vein of Rogue, Angband, etc.
I got my Magic: the Gathering cards from the giveaway i entered, so i’ve been organizing cards and planning decks.
Take Care all!

@deecas You’re welcome and glad the trip was good!

@deecas Have a safe trip!

@Teksetter I get that way occasionally , and it’s sometimes as you say, something in life outside of gaming that isn’t right and needs tending to. Other sources are that i just get disenchanted with the general trappings of the hobby, and need a little break, or i just have played so many mediocre games, i need to find something really special to pull me out of funkland.
Whatever the source, i hope you find relief to your gaming ennui!

I let myself fall back asleep twice this morning and i am feeling rare and rested. In aid of that, is that my cantankerous neighbor has finally been evicted after he threatened to negate my existence with a firearm. I’m glad he’s gone.
On the Switch is business as usual with Moonstone Island. I am into Fall now and acquired the Water Seal a few days before the seasonal change. I had gotten so busy decorating that i hadn’t notice the days whipping by! The change in seasons is fun and it’s more enjoyable than in AC cuz of all the new plants. I crafted a treehouse and set up my kitchen to whip up some tasty dishes too. I saw someone on Twitter saying they beat the game in two days and it shocked me. I am 35 hours in and imagine i’ll beat it in about 60. I’m in no hurry.
I started a Diablo 2 Resurrected run, mainly because Denpa Men and Epyx Rogue inflicted upon me a thirst for a dungeon crawl but failed to quench. Their respective failings being a f2p model and a glitch(which i hope gets ironed out).
PC- I started playing Magic the Gathering again after swearing an oath to never do so. The new expansion, Bloomburrow, is at fault, as it is filled with phenomenal artwork of critters. I am playing with physical cards as well as online with Magic: the Gathering Arena. Also, i won a Bloomburrow booster box on twitter!
The Table: It’s been a busier summer than expected , and now things have settled down so my partner and I will start back into our DnD campaign. (Yay!)
Alright, i’ve disgorged too much already, time to send this horde of words on its way.
Take care of yourselves and game well!

That Silver Surfer soundtrack is good stuff.

Alex actually had a chance to write “Goo 7/10” and didn’t take it.
His journalistic integrity far exceeds mine, that’s for sure.
In the hypothetical scenario where i am a journalist and have integrity, of course.

This is a fun interview with insights into the team’s localization processes.
Thanks to Shunsuke Nishida, Kenichi Hashimoto, and Janet Hsu for their time and answers and to Kate Gray for conducting the interview!

Good news! Thanks for the update!

@Vyacheslav333 Ah, thanks for the info! I didn’t realize PJ reviewed UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II Sys:Celes.

I like this game more than PJ(it weighs in at a 7 for me) and i find it far better than SNK’s overrated handheld crossover, but i did enjoy reading the review, and it’s evident the game got a few good licks in before PJ gave it hell here.
Thanks for the honest review, PJ!

@RygelXVIII - a few of PJ’s scores:
Kirby and the Forgotten Land- 9/10
Triangle Strategy- 9/10
Windjammers 2 - 9/10
Metroid Dread - 10/10
Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes - 9/10

The original Famicom, for sure. Damien’s photo with the searing yellow SMB really put the hook in me.
It wasn’t really close between these, though i am very much a fan of the 3ds’ cart’s notchiness.
But the Gamecube with its itty bitty MiniDVDs(thanks wc!) is fairest to mine eyes.

I bought this game shortly after it was released , fell in love with it very quickly, and then this bug brought total ruin to my enjoyment. I only like playing in Iron Rogue mode, so i haven’t touched the game after the Scroll of Wild Magic brought my most successful run to its knees.
I messaged Pixel Games UK via email and on X last week.
So happy Nintendo Life ran this article and contacted the devs as well! Thank you, NL and Ollie!!

Switch - Moonstone Island, of course, which is getting a free cooking update at the end of the month. Also, i forgot to mention i went through the first Toree game,Toree3d last week. Really good 3d platformer for 1 dollah.
I picked up Epyx Rogue, and love it, except for a nasty glitch which i don’t have much hope will get patched.
And i’ve been playing a little bit of The New Denpa Men, which my partner adores, but i am finding hard to stick with.
PC- Finally finished Shadow of Mordor on PC. I will start the sequel, but if it’s not a drastic improvement over the first game, will drop it.
Take Care and have a good week!

I would be interested in Blood Omen.
This does seem a lil Nightdivey, it seems like they have so many projects announced already… including an enhanced version of System Shock 2, which is great.

@sfb I too have contacted them on X a few days ago and have received no reply, and just emailed them now.
I know very little about the workings of twitter, even though i have been on there for some time, and can’t really offer much help on why your messages to Pixel Games UK aren’t going through, except to say that the X site is a mess.
I did see another person on X mention the issue.
I should mention that in the Epyx Rogue Switch port, there is a mode that lets you save manually, so playing in that mode, negates the glitch to some degree, as long as one saves before a scroll is read. But i prefer IronRogue mode which doesn’t have manual saves(though it does save if you need to take a break in the middle of a run).
Hopefully, they fix the problem.

Online co-op would make this a must-buy, but i still am keen to snap it up sooner rather than later.
If only Rastan had a dodge-roll…

I hope Wilds comes to Switch U, or some other Monster Hunter title the undoubtedly and relatively weak Switch successor can run.
And since Wilds is being primarily developed by the World team, i hope the Rise team does something for Switch when they are done with what i am assuming is helping out on Wilds.
The only reason i initially bought a Switch was for MHGU.
And yeah, the investors should shut their mouths and trust in Capcom who have been kicking butt with the franchise for awhile now.

I might try Bo and i already grabbed SVC: Chaos.
Last week i bought the og “rogue-like”, Epyx Rogue (the Amiga port),and it is great fun, especially with the leaderboards. It did take a bit to get acclimated, but the real problem is that the Scroll of Wild Magic will end your game if you read it, because they included no way to interact with it. You simply have to shut the game off and start over if you read one. No spot on the leaderboard either, which is aggravating if you are having a great run. This deters the reading of any scroll, for fear of the consequence mentioned. Scrolls are a big part of the game, and i hope they patch this soon.
Added in edit- I should mention that there is a mode that lets you manually save, so playing in that mode, negates the glitch to some degree, as long as one saves before a scroll is read. I prefer the mode without manual saves.

I like the look of the game and the theme, and it’s been a long time since i played a metroidvania, so i might grab this.

@Anachronism I didn’t know that either lol… I’ll have to try that out next time i play.

@AmyTheBrawler-64 The badge is unfortunately imaginary, but it is very shiny.
You’ve come full circle!
Agreed, there is a Mii-ish-ness to the denpas.

@SuperCesco Thanks! Someone made a forum post for the game, and if you want to drop your code in there too, you’re welcome to.

These are nifty and my very favoritest ones are the GC with its x and y beanbuttonz and the EU SNES cuz of the colour variety.
We’re all crying.