Fizza

I actually quite like the dubbed version of the anime myself (horrifying I know) so this is a bit of a shame to see, even if it doesn't affect me as an EU resident who's had access to it for a fair while now.

@Yosher Considering how pretty much every single aspect of wider Pokemon media revolves around the games (anime, TCG, merch), it's to be expected honestly, as much as it pains me to say.

Damn: Team Solo really lived up to their name huh XD

Had a pretty good time this Fest even if I ended up losing overall, winning a couple 10x's and discovering the absolute menace that is Big Swig Express. Nice to see Big Man get another sweep and I'm excited for the next one to eventually roll around!

I'm not planning on playing too much in January due to both exams and Apollo Justice looming over the horizon but I've got a couple things in mind for this weekend, including participating in Splatoon 3's FrostyFest (TEAM FAMILY FTW) and continuing my first ever playthrough of Scott Pilgrim vs the World: The Game: Complete Edition (already got 4 of the Exes down so far and while the difficulty can feel a bit unfair at points, the vibes and OST more than make up for it so far!)

HOLY S*** WE'RE GETTING BOTH WJDNSBDKJGKWHFKGJWHJF

I've been eagerly awaiting Golden Sun's arrival on NSO ever since it was revealed to be on the way back in the February 2023 Direct and chucking in Lost Age for good measure is a fantastic surprise, can't wait to finally experience this amazing little series for the very first time! 🌞

@Eagly_lmtd_xmasskin

Saw this earlier on myself and, while it ended up being nothing more than a red herring, the fact that GAMESHARK of all companies did this is especially funny given their history with Nintendo XD

Well I'll be damned: they're pulling a (pseudo) DK94!

I was definitely in the camp of 'this is pretty cool, but nowhere near worth €50' and, while I still think it's a bit overpriced, this new content compared to the original definitely makes me more interested in giving it a go down the line (preferably after I play the original though XD).

also am I the only one who finds it kind of mad that we're less than a month from this releasing and this is only the 2nd trailer MvsDK has gotten?

Mentioned it in the speculation threads a while back, but I think the 'Nintendo Shift' would be the perfect name for a Switch successor. Rumours have been floating about for ages that the Switch 2 will basically be an iterative console like systems such as the 3DS: same general design and features as the previous systems, but with extra features and horsepower tacked on for good measure. And when Shift is already a synonym for Switch AND signals how Nintendo will (most likely) be entering a new age with their next system? Yeah I think it's a pretty nice name all things considered

oh hell no that's not Mario that's Mark 💀

DEEP CUT YEAHHHHHHHHHH

Been patiently looking forward to these new spirits ever since they got announced about a month ago and these are already some very good choices! Hoping we get some from other games as well like Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Pokemon SV, but I'll gladly take more spirits for my scoreboard regardless

The realistic answer is that it's probably just studios that they've already worked with consistently over the past couple years (Bandai Namco, MercurySteam, etc.), but that's not going to stop me from imagining all the potential a fresh take on one of their classic series by an entirely different dev could have.

Maybe get Capcom for another 2D Zelda (be it a remake of the Oracle games/Minish Cap or something new entirely) or Square Enix/ArtePiazza for a proper sequel to Mario RPG now that the remake has fully reignited it's place in the cultural zeitgeist or even enlist the help of proven indie devs for new entries in games they're already extremely familiar with a la Cadence of Hyrule (I'd kill for a new F-Zero by the people behind Fast RMX myself!).

Pretty much every single Ace Attorney game for me (to the surprise of absolutely nobody XD) though if I had to pick a single game, it would one million percent be GHOST TRICK: PHANTOM DETECTIVE BABYYYYYYYYYYYY

I somehow managed to stay completely unspoiled in the 13 odd years between it's original release and modern remaster and I'm so glad I did because oh my GOD: I wish I could forget everything all over again. Such a perfectly conceived story with some of THE most masterful twists and turns I've ever seen and I would trade the universe just to experience it for the first time again 💖

NOOOOOOOO MY CHILDHOOD IS VANISHING IN FRONT OF MY EYES

I may not have used Pokemon TV all too much in recent years but having an easy and official way to watch a bunch of Pokemon anime episodes (plus the occasional movie) was so good growing up and it makes me so sad to see it go (especially if they don't have plans to make the content on TV available elsewhere). RIP

Huh: fancy that XD

Great list overall! I'd personally add A Short Hike to the list myself (a super chill platformer filled to the brim with charming characters and cosy vibes all around) but this is going to make shopping for new Switch owners so much more handy all the same!

(also cheers for the tipoff @jump & @Vortexeo )

the timeline from the build-up to the teaser trailer to the dev reveal had me on one hell of an emotional rollercoaster let me tell you XD

Can't say I'm all too familiar with the source material this is based off of (I'm a pretty big anime novice in general to be honest) but Eighting have proven themselves to be highly capable at making some banger fighters over the years so as long as it's not 'Anime Arena Fighter #475745957505867439', I think it'll turn out alright.

Don't really like either to be honest but for entirely different reasons. the NA/EU one is incredibly bland (and reeks of early 2000's 'graphic design is my passion') but is at least very good at signalling exactly what the game is. The Japanese version meanwhile is a lot more visually appealing (admittedly helped out by the horizontal nature of JP GBA boxes but still), but also has literally nothing that alludes to it being a Mario Golf title outside of the logo (which only has the Big M's silhouette at that).

Gonna go with JP overall but yeah: not too enthralling of a decision this week XD

Gonna be at a wedding for most of today and tomorrow so probably not much but if I do find the time for anything, it'll probably be Castlevania III (specifically the original Akumajou Densetsu Famicom release as it's both a bit easier and has an extra sound channel for the glorious OST).

I've not been too hot on Castlevania so far from the games I've played in the series (1 was good, 2 was bleh and The Adventure is probably the worst game I've ever played) but I've heard that 3 is when the series REALLY starts to pick up in quality so I'm excited to give it a go nonetheless! 🧛

PEACH IS GONNA SAY [REDACTED]

I know plenty of other 1st-Party Nintendo games have gotten an E10+ rating (hell, even other MARIO games have gotten it like Odyssey), but it's still so funny whenever it happens (insert 'Nintendo then vs Nintendo now' engagement bait image here).

Was torn between going with either Team Family or Team Solo initially but ultimately ended up going with Family as, at the end of the day, I feel like it's always more enjoyable to celebrate the holidays with those closest to you.

plus we all spoiled each other a fair bit this Christmas so that definitely helped sweeten the deal XD

I imagine this is going to lead to a lot of Dragon Jeers over the next couple days.

@TheImperfectInsider Yeah, I know that's a possible option I can take, but I'd personally rather take my time with Another Code rather than trying to rush through it in order to have it beat before AJ Trilogy comes out as I'm genuinely really excited to try it out for the first time. Plus if I wait I can probably get a decent discount on the physical version so that'd be nice too XD

Nintendo's iterations on previous consoles for newer systems have almost always gone down as some of their best pieces of hardware (Game Boy to GBA, DS to 3DS....ok maybe not so much Wii to Wii U but you get my point XD)so an iterative successor sounds like a great idea in my opinion. The Switch's concept is so sound and fulfils a gap in the market (handheld gaming on par with that of home consoles) that will likely stay around for a very long time that literally all you'd really need to make it even better is just a buff to it's overall horsepower (though fixing stuff like the stubbiness of Joy-Cons or the oh-so frequent controller drift would also be a massive bonus). If they did all that kind of stuff then I'd be glad to fork over the €400 asking price predicted here.... once an entry in one of my favourite series is on the horizon that is (i.e. Pokemon or Splatoon).

don't like the insinuation of higher game prices though, keep that s*** at €60 max thank you very much

Definitely picking up the Apollo Justice Trilogy the nanosecond it comes out; I've waited the better part of 3 years for this and I sure as hell ain't gonna miss it XD

Also going to grab Another Code Recollection at some point too, though the release window of literally one week before Ace Attorney was pretty much the nail-in-the-coffin for me getting it on/around release. Loved what I played of the eShop demo though so it'll definitely be one for later in the year!

Goddamnit I JUST got off of a massive eShop splurge during the last sale, yet I'm extremely tempted to pick up a bunch of beatemups I've had my eye on for the past long while here like Streets of Rage 4, TMNT: Shredder's Revenge and Lego DC Super Villains. WHEN WILL IT EVER END 😭

Happy New Year everyone! 2023 was a year filled with very high highs and very low lows for me so hopefully 2024 will be a bit more normalised by comparison XD

YESSSSSS INSPECTOR CABANELA, YOU'VE GOT GOOD TASTE BABY

2023's been a great year in terms of new Nintendo characters so narrowing it down to one should be difficult....but nonono, my favourite is very easy to pin down: Kieran.

In a generation already filled with some of my absolute favourite rivals in the entire series, Kieran stands out as an utterly BRILLIANT subversion of a long-standing Pokemon trope, being the friendly rival. SPOILERS FOR BOTH POKEMON TEAL MASK + INDIGO DISK - Seeing such a genuinely well-meaning if distressingly paranoid character slowly morph into a spiteful and power-hungry husk as a result of YOUR actions sent daggers through my soul on my first playthrough of the DLC. AND SEEING IT REFLECTED IN HIS TEAMS WHERE HE STRAIGHT UP PULLS OUT AN ACTUAL VGC TEAM IN HIS FINAL FIGHT IS JUST AUGHHHHHHHHH

so yeah I think it's fair to say I like the angsty onion boy quite a bit

Gave Concierge a watch last night and had a great time; infinitely charming and some absolutely fantastic puppets, particularly on the Pokemon. Would love to see it get another season because it really does feel like the kind of show you could keep going for as long as possible

I'm in the camp where I'll most likely always enjoy Pokemon due to utterly adoring the fundamental aspects of the series (enrapturing creature designs/inspirations, fun characters and a highly deep competitive space) but as the years have gone by and my tastes have expanded, I've found myself also growing increasingly curious of monster-catchers outside of the Pikachu-emblazoned variety and Cassette Beasts is one I've had my eye on for AGES at this point (especially due to the heavy British influence; that kind of thing is exactly what made SwSh so enjoyable for me XD).

I'm not sure when exactly I'll get around to it as I've already decided that Coromon is going to be the first non-Pokemon monster collector I make my way through but Cassette Beasts is definitely one I have on the mind for the future. Plus having a pseudo HD-2D artstyle is always an easy sell for the diehard Octopath Traveler fan in me XD

Fantastic stuff to see! Pretty sure I missed out on a bunch of icons from FE Engage, Pikmin and especially Kirby's Return to Dreamland DX so I'll gladly take the opportunity to pick them up again!

still a shame that we probably aren't getting reruns of the NSO retro icons though 🥲

There's something deeply ironic to me about a retro collection designed to preserve older games and make them more accessible to the masses....getting delisted not even a year after release.

Despite 2023 being an absolute banger in terms of new releases, I didn't end up being interested in all too much from the year myself outside of Ghost Trick HD and GB/GBA NSO (though I do have games like Pikmin/Baten Kaitos 1+2 and Advance Wars Reboot Camp in the backlog ready to go for next year).

2024 however is a much different story; Apollo Justice Trilogy, Another Code Recollection, Paper Mario TTYD HD and DecaPolice (plus maybe Metroid Prime 4 as the year's holiday title if we really want to get our hopes up XD) are all titles that I'm almost guaranteed to be getting either on release or before the year's end. Couple all that with more retro purchases like the Metroid Prime Trilogy, most of the PS1 Resident Evil's and the entire Professor Layton series and I think 2024 is going to be a very good year for me indeed 😊

While gaming was my main focus this year (mainly on the retro-catchup end of things), I also dedicated a bunch of time to non-gaming activities as well, with highlights including finally making my way through the Indiana Jones quintology (Last Crusade is peak cinema btw) and getting to go on a proper holiday for the first time in nearly 5 years.

However, there's one piece of media I tried out for the first time that dwarfs almost everything else I experienced this year combined: Scott Pilgrim. What started off as just me wanting to get a feel for the story before the Netflix anime came out almost instantly spiralled into a helpless obsession with the series; the story, the wittiness and especially the characters all coalesced into this utterly unforgettable ride that I wish I could experience for the first time all over again 💖

Thanks a million for having me as the Star Letter this month guys; couldn't think of a better Christmas present if I tried! 😁

In regards to @Kazman2007's letter, I definitely have plenty of genres that I've grown into as the years have gone by (though that could just be because I only really played platformers, racers and RPGs growing up XD), chief among them being shooters and roguelikes. I distinctly remember how immediately turned off of a game I was if it had even the slightest whiff of being a shooter/having roguelike mechanics, yet nowadays I can't get enough of both genres (one look at my eShop spending history would make that immediately apparent). It's always fun diving head-first into a style of game you've never tried before to see if it'll stick with you and I'll probably keep doing it as many times as I'm able for the foreseeable future!

Merry Christmas folks! 🔔🎄💖🎄🔔

I actually just picked up Coromon in the Black Friday sales last month as my first proper Pokemon-like (ironic given how obsessed I am with Pokemon I'm aware XD) so this is awesome to see. Don't know when exactly I'll get around to making my way through it but it looks like it'll be a quality ROM hack-esque experience (but with the budget of an actual game of course), can't wait

Gonna be continuing my way through the most Christmassy game I could think of for the holiday season: Devil May Cry 3. Just about to start Mission 10 and hoo LORDY was it worth going through the first two to get to 3, this s*** is INCREDIBLE.

Apart from that then, it'll probably just be a mixture of Pokemon Scarlet (grinding out those current Delibird outbreaks), Splatoon 3 (preparation for the upcoming Frosty Fest) and maybe even Castlevania III depending on how quickly I get through DMC3. Overall, a very action-heavy end to the year all things considered. Happy Christmas everyone! 🎄🥰🎄

not even half an hour into starting my outbreaks and I already have both a Shiny Delibird and over 500 materials, good LORD this is busted

I've somehow never gotten a Shiny Delibird as of now so I'll gladly take the opportunity to get one (or more likely more XD), plus Delibird's material is probably the best one in the game when it comes to using the Item Printer quickly and efficiently so that makes me doubly excited to give this event a go!

oh and the Iron Bundle raid is cool too I guess 🥴

These deals don't apply to me as an EU resident (trust me: I've got my own Christmas sale to worry about right now XD) but I'm just going to once again implore anyone who hasn't already bought it to go and grab The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles as it's easily one of my favourite games of all time (plus you can get it AND the original Trilogy for only $20 combined in that Turnabout Bundle!).

OH THANK THE LORD I THOUGHT I'D NEVER SEE THE DAY 😭

@Lightsiyd I suppose that's what the 'Games We Missed' columns are for.

Fully-online elements instantly turn me off from this one as, with the exception of Splatoon and then 99 series, I've greatly cut down on online multiplayer games (simply put: they're just not great for my mental health XD) but this looks charming enough and the non-existent barrier to entry is nice.

Had a hunch from the moment I initially saw it but yeah this teaser has me wholly convinced Shinobi is being co-developed with/by LizardCube; I recognise that promotional artwork style from a mile away XD



Nice to see some more info on these so soon after their reveal, even if it's not much. I am very curious about Streets of Rage though as both the Revolution subtitle and brief game description appears to imply it's a reboot? Interested in seeing how that ends up panning out 🤔

NEMONA, ARVEN AND PENNY ARE FINALLY GOING TO BE IN THE DLC THANK ARCEUS

Definitely wasn't expecting a free epilogue to round things out but I'll gladly take it all the same. I've heard rumblings of a certain new mon being catchable in this as well so that sounds quite.... peachy too (sorry, couldn't resist).

Overall sounds like a lovely free update and a nice way to start off the new year

little dude saw Goku wasn't getting in and was FUMING

This is probably the most unexpected and hilarious way this could've possibly happened honestly. It absolutely still sucks that so many new fighters were spoiled, even over a decade after it actually happened (good lord where does the time go), but you do have to find the humour in the fact that all this chaos was caused by one employee's offspring going rogue XD

Been a fair bit since I last hopped onto F-Zero 99 myself but I'm definitely going to hop back on after this update (could probably use with a multiplayer experience after locking myself in the Pokemon mines for the last two weeks XD).

@Axecon I remember people finding the old Satellaview courses during datamines when the game first came out and I've been holding out hope for them ever since, it'd be such a great way to finally let the masses experience them!

we may have only 11 days left in the year but I think we have a new GOTY folks

It really is a shame just how infested the eShop has become with shovelware honestly as, when the browsing experience is already as miserable as it is with the amount of lag you have to deal with, seeing all these low-effort, keyword-laden releases just makes you not want to bother with it whatsoever.

If you want to browse deals from the eShop, please just use DekuDeals: I might have just saved your sanity.

Went back and forth on whether I wanted to give the demo a go as I usually like going into adventure/narrative-heavy games as blind as possible but I eventually bit the bullet, downloaded it and I gotta say: it's really damn good so far!

There are definitely a couple small issues I have with it, such as the environments looking a bit undercooked (then again I am a Pokemon fan so I probably don't have the legs to stand on in regards to complaining about environments XD) and I did have to finagle the camera settings a fair bit (because good lord who thought that default scroll speed was OK). But apart from those two grievances, it's practically all positives: the artstyle for the characters is gorgeous in both the models and in-game artwork, the characters in question (particularly Ashley and D) are really fun to watch interact and the game just nails this wonderful mixture of intensely eerie yet still very calming in terms of it's atmosphere.

I'm not sure whether I'll be grabbing it on release as a certain lawyer (who's doing fine) comes out a week afterwards but I'm definitely going to get around to Recollection at some point now after trying it out today, great stuff all around! 👻

WAIT A SECOND: LUIGI'S MANSION 3 IS ALL ABOUT LUIGI GOING ON A HOLIDAY GONE WRONG

IT LITERALLY IS MR. BEAN

Definitely grabbing Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game, Star Ocean: First Departure R and Signalis from this and might also bite on both Yooka-Laylee games + Dicey Dungeons because the discounts on those ones are WILD.