It looks interesting but seems a little bit empty at the moment. I hope there are more goals than just 'fill your Pokédex'. Curious to see more information on this in the future, good to see them trying a new direction.
I will probably pick up Brilliant Diamond. Pearl was my first Pokémon game since Red/Blue/Yellow. The DS was the first handheld I bought myself, and Pearl was the first game I bought for it. I remember it being pretty enjoyable but have absolutely no memory of it/the region now, so it'll be interesting to play again so much later down the line.
I don't mind the art style TOO much, the character design in battle doesn't look bad. Not really a fan of the chibi characters outside of battle but I can get over it.
Reading this made me think I might be starting with tendonitis. I get this dull ache occasionally in my pinky and ring finger, sometimes the pain gets kinda sharp, and it can bother me when even when I'm just laying in bed. I game a lot on the PC, and my work is computer based too, but I noticed it a whole lot after playing Xenoblade 1 and 2 back-to-back on the Switch using my joy-cons. And these were long, twelve-hour or so sessions over the Christmas period - I wouldn't usually put that amount of time in but I kinda had nothing better to do in lockdown. I'm in my thirties and my mum and her mum both suffered from arthritis starting pretty young, so I thought it could be that, but it sounds more like what you described here!
I stopped playing Smash after beating the campaign, and don't own any of the DLC. I didn't have any expectation that anything would make me want to pick it up again... but this reveal had me grinning from ear to ear. Really unexpected! I was eight years old in 1997 when I first played FF7, and Sephiroth is such an iconic villain who still gives me an emotional response after all this time!
Maybe it sticks out more when using the home menu's dark theme? It's definitely more 'busy' feeling than the other icons, but I can't say that it bothers me.
No 'Day 1' purchases here for me, but I am considering picking up Empire of Sin and Fenyx Rising when a discount comes around, and possibly the former without if I manage to clear my backlog.
For now I still have Hyrule Warriors: AOC to work my way through, and I picked up Ni No Kuni when it was massively discounted the other week and haven't made a start yet.
I noticed it was pretty jerky in the first level too, and the initial feeling was of disappointment. I'm a big fan of the first Hyrule Warriors game as well as Fire Emblem Warriors, and the performance really felt to be lacking in comparison.
That said, I definitely noticed it less in some of the other levels I have tried, and I enjoyed my second look at the demo. I really like how unlocking stuff on the map works.
My original joycons that came with the device started having issues within the first couple of weeks, which I would put down to, "Oh, maybe the coffee table was kinda in the way?" but soon became "MY GOD THERE ARE ONLY A FEW FEET OF OPEN SPACE BETWEEN YOU AND THE CONSOLE".
My partner bought me a new pair of joycon one Christmas, which I immediately began to use as my main pair. I was also under the impression that drift had been fixed in later joycons, maybe I'd read something along those lines? A few weeks in... same thing. I persevered with them, until there came a point where as soon as you connected the joycon, they started wildly scrolling through the game select screen, any menus you might be in, spinning the camera around... They do the same connected to the Switch, too. They're essentially completely unusable now, and I've had to go back to my original pair with the more minor drifting. How long until they totally give in to the drift, too? Luckily we also have a pro controller which has never had any issues, but as I play Ring Fit and maybe 25% of my play is handheld I really do need a pair of working Joycon.
It's certainly not due to lack of care on my part. I look after my devices. I've never smashed a phone, I don't get gamer rage, I carefully attach my joycons back to my Switch when I'm done. I don't sit on them, or toss them around, and they've never been dropped. If drift wasn't an issue, then there wouldn't be so many reports of it happening. I love Nintendo, but I'm so disappointed by their apparent stance on this.
That's a neat little update, but my other half doesn't have any interest in the game. Anything with puzzle mechanics gets a hard 'no' from him! I need to wait a while longer to allow myself to forget the solutions to some of the puzzles before I pick this up again.
I own this game on PC. It's quite cute but some of the menus and graphics remind me of a Flash Player game from the 00's. I enjoyed the battles: you spend energy on different moves, more powerful ones cost more energy so occasionally you have to 'rest' a turn to get some energy back.
But it's also incredibly grindy. I only put 10 hours in before I got bored, and I still only had about 9 or 10 different Temtem by that point. There didn't feel like there was enough variety, and the TemTem take a long time to evolve in most cases (e.g. one of the first I caught evolved super fast, but after that nothing else evolved. I then read that they don't evolve at a set level, but once you've raised them a set amount of levels, such as 36 levels up from whatever level you caught them at).
They are developing more for the game, but with a focus on higher-level areas. I kinda wish they'd go back to the earlier levels, even just to add a handful of new TemTem to encounter. It would make a big difference for me. Going through a 5-screen cavern system and only seeing the exact same Temtem as outside was pretty disappointing.
I think that, as with all of the Pokémon games, the story element leaves a lot to be desired. But this never bothered me - I just like collecting the Pokémon and seeing what they evolve into.
Sword/Shield were definitely the easiest games I have played in the series, but again that never impacted my enjoyment of 'Oooh, I can't wait to see if this evolves', (I didn't play a couple of the gens so there are still older Pokémon I'm unfamiliar with) so it didn't really matter to me. I still enjoyed them. I felt like a kid on Christmas waiting for the delivery that morning and then playing all day!
I've actually been considering buying a second Switch lately, as I've been having to share with my partner a lot more than usual in recent months. I've been pretty close to caving in and getting the Lite prior to that, so that I can play games on the couch when the TV is already taken by the main Switch. We didn't really think that competition for the Switch happened often enough to warrant a second device, but that's starting to change.
A couple of colleagues of mine have gone out and bought Switches in the past couple of months for their kids to help keep them entertained during lockdown, too.
My favourite Picross game was the Picross 3D one for the 3DS where you chipped away at a block to reveal an image. I always wish they'd release one along the same vein for the Switch, but realistically I'm not sure how well it would work without touchscreen support.
I've actually started my third playthrough of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, taking on the Golden Deer this time and with the inclusion of the additional characters from the Abyss for the first time. There are still some supports I haven't unlocked between the original characters (and I've heard Claude's are interesting), but the 4 Abyss characters mean a whole bunch more for me to work on unlocking.
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is also nearing its end for me, and I've just been grinding to complete some of the high-level quests before I finish the main story line. I did have the game on my 3DS but never got past Colony 9 - I can't explain why it's just grabbed me a lot better on the Switch but I think the quality of life improvements probably have a lot do to with it.
I have a hankering for BotW, but unfortunately I lent it to a family friend at the start of the year and haven't been able to get it back since Covid forced us into lockdown! Now that it's beginning to ease, I hope to get my hands on it again soon.
A bit of Ring Fit Adventure as I really need to get back into it, for sure. I'm currently playing through Fire Emblem: Three Houses again to try and see as many support conversations as I possibly can and beat the only path I haven't seen yet. I'm also likely to play some more co-op Luigi's Mansion 3 and finish mopping up a few gems and boos. I'm tempted to pick something up in the eShop sale (Octopath Traveler, Dragon Quest XI?) but I'm loathe not to buy the physical copy if it's available.
I have both a gaming PC and a Switch, which I feel is a great balance. I have to say, though, I'm more reluctant to buy games on my PC these days. I'll look at something and be like, "Eh... I'd rather get that on the Switch..."
Comments 17
Re: Introducing Pokémon Legends: Arceus, An Open-World Prequel To Diamond And Pearl
It looks interesting but seems a little bit empty at the moment. I hope there are more goals than just 'fill your Pokédex'. Curious to see more information on this in the future, good to see them trying a new direction.
Re: Sinnoh Confirmed: Pokémon Brilliant Diamond And Shining Pearl Officially Announced For Switch
I will probably pick up Brilliant Diamond. Pearl was my first Pokémon game since Red/Blue/Yellow. The DS was the first handheld I bought myself, and Pearl was the first game I bought for it. I remember it being pretty enjoyable but have absolutely no memory of it/the region now, so it'll be interesting to play again so much later down the line.
I don't mind the art style TOO much, the character design in battle doesn't look bad. Not really a fan of the chibi characters outside of battle but I can get over it.
Re: Soapbox: Video Game Injuries Are No Laughing Matter
Reading this made me think I might be starting with tendonitis. I get this dull ache occasionally in my pinky and ring finger, sometimes the pain gets kinda sharp, and it can bother me when even when I'm just laying in bed. I game a lot on the PC, and my work is computer based too, but I noticed it a whole lot after playing Xenoblade 1 and 2 back-to-back on the Switch using my joy-cons. And these were long, twelve-hour or so sessions over the Christmas period - I wouldn't usually put that amount of time in but I kinda had nothing better to do in lockdown. I'm in my thirties and my mum and her mum both suffered from arthritis starting pretty young, so I thought it could be that, but it sounds more like what you described here!
Re: Gallery: A Closer Look At The One-Winged Angel Sephiroth In Smash Bros. Ultimate
I stopped playing Smash after beating the campaign, and don't own any of the DLC. I didn't have any expectation that anything would make me want to pick it up again... but this reveal had me grinning from ear to ear. Really unexpected! I was eight years old in 1997 when I first played FF7, and Sephiroth is such an iconic villain who still gives me an emotional response after all this time!
Re: Random: The NSO Icon On The Switch Home Menu Is Driving Some Users Crazy
Maybe it sticks out more when using the home menu's dark theme? It's definitely more 'busy' feeling than the other icons, but I can't say that it bothers me.
Re: Video: 11 Exciting New Games Coming To Nintendo Switch In December
No 'Day 1' purchases here for me, but I am considering picking up Empire of Sin and Fenyx Rising when a discount comes around, and possibly the former without if I manage to clear my backlog.
For now I still have Hyrule Warriors: AOC to work my way through, and I picked up Ni No Kuni when it was massively discounted the other week and haven't made a start yet.
Re: What's Up With The Frame Rate In The Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Calamity Demo?
I noticed it was pretty jerky in the first level too, and the initial feeling was of disappointment. I'm a big fan of the first Hyrule Warriors game as well as Fire Emblem Warriors, and the performance really felt to be lacking in comparison.
That said, I definitely noticed it less in some of the other levels I have tried, and I enjoyed my second look at the demo. I really like how unlocking stuff on the map works.
Re: Nintendo Reportedly Arguing Switch Joy-Con Drift "Isn't A Real Problem"
My original joycons that came with the device started having issues within the first couple of weeks, which I would put down to, "Oh, maybe the coffee table was kinda in the way?" but soon became "MY GOD THERE ARE ONLY A FEW FEET OF OPEN SPACE BETWEEN YOU AND THE CONSOLE".
My partner bought me a new pair of joycon one Christmas, which I immediately began to use as my main pair. I was also under the impression that drift had been fixed in later joycons, maybe I'd read something along those lines? A few weeks in... same thing. I persevered with them, until there came a point where as soon as you connected the joycon, they started wildly scrolling through the game select screen, any menus you might be in, spinning the camera around... They do the same connected to the Switch, too. They're essentially completely unusable now, and I've had to go back to my original pair with the more minor drifting. How long until they totally give in to the drift, too? Luckily we also have a pro controller which has never had any issues, but as I play Ring Fit and maybe 25% of my play is handheld I really do need a pair of working Joycon.
It's certainly not due to lack of care on my part. I look after my devices. I've never smashed a phone, I don't get gamer rage, I carefully attach my joycons back to my Switch when I'm done. I don't sit on them, or toss them around, and they've never been dropped. If drift wasn't an issue, then there wouldn't be so many reports of it happening. I love Nintendo, but I'm so disappointed by their apparent stance on this.
Re: Reminder: Untitled Goose Game's Free Multiplayer Update Drops Today
That's a neat little update, but my other half doesn't have any interest in the game. Anything with puzzle mechanics gets a hard 'no' from him! I need to wait a while longer to allow myself to forget the solutions to some of the puzzles before I pick this up again.
Re: Temtem Dev Reconfirms Switch Release After Cancelling PS4 And Xbox One Versions
I own this game on PC. It's quite cute but some of the menus and graphics remind me of a Flash Player game from the 00's. I enjoyed the battles: you spend energy on different moves, more powerful ones cost more energy so occasionally you have to 'rest' a turn to get some energy back.
But it's also incredibly grindy. I only put 10 hours in before I got bored, and I still only had about 9 or 10 different Temtem by that point. There didn't feel like there was enough variety, and the TemTem take a long time to evolve in most cases (e.g. one of the first I caught evolved super fast, but after that nothing else evolved. I then read that they don't evolve at a set level, but once you've raised them a set amount of levels, such as 36 levels up from whatever level you caught them at).
They are developing more for the game, but with a focus on higher-level areas. I kinda wish they'd go back to the earlier levels, even just to add a handful of new TemTem to encounter. It would make a big difference for me. Going through a 5-screen cavern system and only seeing the exact same Temtem as outside was pretty disappointing.
Re: Sword And Shield Are Now The Best-Selling Pokémon Games Since Gold And Silver
I think that, as with all of the Pokémon games, the story element leaves a lot to be desired. But this never bothered me - I just like collecting the Pokémon and seeing what they evolve into.
Sword/Shield were definitely the easiest games I have played in the series, but again that never impacted my enjoyment of 'Oooh, I can't wait to see if this evolves', (I didn't play a couple of the gens so there are still older Pokémon I'm unfamiliar with) so it didn't really matter to me. I still enjoyed them. I felt like a kid on Christmas waiting for the delivery that morning and then playing all day!
Re: UK Nintendo Switch Sales Are Off To An Impressive Start In 2020
I've actually been considering buying a second Switch lately, as I've been having to share with my partner a lot more than usual in recent months. I've been pretty close to caving in and getting the Lite prior to that, so that I can play games on the couch when the TV is already taken by the main Switch. We didn't really think that competition for the Switch happened often enough to warrant a second device, but that's starting to change.
A couple of colleagues of mine have gone out and bought Switches in the past couple of months for their kids to help keep them entertained during lockdown, too.
Re: Jupiter Is Releasing A Sega Themed Picross Game On The Nintendo Switch
My favourite Picross game was the Picross 3D one for the 3DS where you chipped away at a block to reveal an image. I always wish they'd release one along the same vein for the Switch, but realistically I'm not sure how well it would work without touchscreen support.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 27th)
I've actually started my third playthrough of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, taking on the Golden Deer this time and with the inclusion of the additional characters from the Abyss for the first time. There are still some supports I haven't unlocked between the original characters (and I've heard Claude's are interesting), but the 4 Abyss characters mean a whole bunch more for me to work on unlocking.
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is also nearing its end for me, and I've just been grinding to complete some of the high-level quests before I finish the main story line. I did have the game on my 3DS but never got past Colony 9 - I can't explain why it's just grabbed me a lot better on the Switch but I think the quality of life improvements probably have a lot do to with it.
I have a hankering for BotW, but unfortunately I lent it to a family friend at the start of the year and haven't been able to get it back since Covid forced us into lockdown! Now that it's beginning to ease, I hope to get my hands on it again soon.
Re: Random: Pokémon GO Grandpa's Amazing Phone Rig Has Gigantamaxed
@TG16_IS_BAE
After seeing your replies in the "Nontendo Direct" comments, this made me grin.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 4th)
A bit of Ring Fit Adventure as I really need to get back into it, for sure. I'm currently playing through Fire Emblem: Three Houses again to try and see as many support conversations as I possibly can and beat the only path I haven't seen yet. I'm also likely to play some more co-op Luigi's Mansion 3 and finish mopping up a few gems and boos. I'm tempted to pick something up in the eShop sale (Octopath Traveler, Dragon Quest XI?) but I'm loathe not to buy the physical copy if it's available.
Re: More Than 40% Of Switch Owners In The US Have Another Video Game System
I have both a gaming PC and a Switch, which I feel is a great balance. I have to say, though, I'm more reluctant to buy games on my PC these days. I'll look at something and be like, "Eh... I'd rather get that on the Switch..."