Fizza

@Magrane I have absolutely zero issues with short games myself (haven't been able to get enough of them lately as a matter of fact!) but there's definitely a difference in overall enjoyment between a game being short....and a game being less than an hour long....which is what Mario Land 1 is XD

TTYD COMES OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY EXAMS NOOOOOOOOOOOOO I WAS AFRAID THIS WOULD HAPPEN 😭

Personal despair aside, I'm glad we finally have release dates for these two (and comparatively soon ones at that). TTYD coming out at the end of May will sting for me specifically but I suppose it'll make picking it up as an end-of-school treat feel all the better 😊

@Uncle_Franklin I doubt they'd actually do it given the original game's notoriously short length but if they did decide to give SML1 the remake treatment, I hope they go about it the same way Konami did with Castlevania: The Adventure back on WiiWare: fully redoing a middling-at-best game from the ground up to not only have it play significantly better, but to make it a love-letter to the series it's a part of.

still not sure whether it'd be worth €50 at that point myself but hey it's a thought XD

All jokes aside, I'm really looking forward to this. The first film was a highly enjoyable, if very by-the-numbers, adaptation/love letter to the series and I have full faith that the sequel will be just as delightful as before (if not moreso).

The wording of 'broadening Mario's World further' in particular has me very intrigued as it could be them implying they'll be pulling in characters/series from across the wider Mario mythos (Yoshi's Island? Mario Galaxy? Maybe even WarioWare?).

I can take it or leave it with Dr Mario GB personally but the Camelot Tennis/Golf RPGs getting added is a fantastic surprise; will definitely check them out when I have the time!

also where the hell is Mario Land 1 XD

Got a couple things on the mind for this weekend myself: going to be participating in Splatoon 3's latest Big Run on Eeltail Alley (though given that map's reputation, I'd rather let the Salmonids keep it if I'm honest XD) in addition to finally making some headway in my Stephen playthrough of Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game. Lastly, given how MAR10 Day is tomorrow, I thought I'd finally start up a Mario game I've had on the backburner for a LOOOOOOOONG time: SMB: The Lost Levels. Happy gaming everyone! 😁

I genuinely can't find the words to properly express just how shocked and saddened I am by this. While I didn't grow up on series such as Dragon Ball as a kid, it cannot be understated how important and incredible Toriyama was and is for modern Japanese culture as a whole. Manga, anime, games; this man's work has transcended just being pieces of entertainment and have become iconic and irreplaceable tenets of Japan as we know it. May he rest in well-deserved peace, 68 is far too soon for a man as brilliant as him ❤️

The Switch is probably the most significant console for me in terms of how I enjoy games these days. Back when I was younger, I had a very close-minded attitude when it came to playing games: if it didn't have Pokemon or Mario on the cover then I wanted nothing to do with it. The Switch however, thanks to it's utterly MASSIVE library of games as well as being the first console I had during my teenage years, was just the push I needed to step outside of my comfort zone and try out some new stuff and I've been introduced to so many of my favourite series thanks to it (Splatoon, Ace Attorney, Crash Bandicoot, etc.). Happy 7th Anniversary to the little tablet that could and I can't wait to see what the future holds 🥰

Tons of great stuff this month, with every game in the Top 3 being ones I plan on grabbing as soon as possible. Special mention especially has to go to Pocket Card Jockey; I still need to play the demo (hence why I haven't bought the game proper yet) but the minute I do? I know for a fact it'll easily be in the running for my GOTY alongside stuff like Apollo Justice XD

Got a couple things planned for this weekend, but only one of them is going to be getting my full undivided attention: Mega Man 9. I've been looking forward to MM9 for a good while now (especially after 7 and 8 were a bit of a letdown overall) and I can't wait to finally see how the progenitor of the modern 'retro revival' ends up panning out!

Other than the Blue Bomber then, I'll mainly be hopping on Splatoon 3 once again in order to check out all the new stuff Fresh Season 2024 has in store in addition to continuing my quest for 1000% in Side Order (currently got Pearl, Marina, Marie and Frye's Palettes out of the way so far) as well as continuing my on-and-off playthrough of Mystery Tower on NES NSO (a cute enough puzzler but GOD is it cryptic XD).

With the sheer quantity of dreadful news coming out of the gaming industry over the past while (layoffs, poor working conditions/management, etc.), it feels so refreshing to actually get something so overtly positive for once. Toys for Bob is easily one of my current favourite devs thanks to their work on stuff like Spyro Reignited and especially Crash 4 so to see them escape the CoD mines and go indie genuinely has me over the moon. And the fact they're still going to be working closely with Microsoft gives me hope that they're not quite finished with either Crash or Spyro just yet (or even crazier still: they might be able to make a new Banjo-Kazooie game XD). Super happy for the folks over at TfB and I can't wait to see what they're cooking up next!

Sounds like a disturbance to the lifestream if you ask me.

BATTLE OF THE BANDS BABY YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

This is a great selection of choices this time round, I must say. It actually looks like it'll be a very balanced set of teams for once as well which, after the last couple Fests have been marred by popularity influencing the results, makes me extremely happy!

As for my own choice this time round then....well I literally already play piano as is so I feel like I kind of HAVE to go with Team Keyboard XD

Switch players can finally experience the horrors of TOTSUGEKI TOTSUGEKI TOTSUGEKI

Gaming as a medium feels like it's about to implode at any second now in almost every territority except Japan (for now anyway) and honestly? I'm absolutely f***ing terrified.

While I fully recognise the convenience of going digital in terms of gaming and have dabbled in eShop purchases numerous times in the past, I personally don't think I could live in a physical-less world. Not only is physical gaming nice for preservation/collection's sake, but physical games also have a major advantage I'm surprised I don't see more people talk about: file sizes. Physical games (at least on Nintendo consoles) tend to take up significantly less storage space than digital titles and can make a ton of series that'd otherwise be murder on stuff like SD cards (see the majority of Zelda/Pokemon games on Switch) much more enticing to play when I don't have to sit through hours of it downloading in the background and can simply hop in immediately.

Again, I fully understand why so many people have made the jump to 100% digital, but unless the apocalypse comes (which, given how the 2020's have panned out as of now, is probably more likely than you'd think XD), I'll continue to have a pretty even physical-to-digital split in terms of my games

I've had the Dex 100%-ed for well over a year at this point but I'll probably return to finally finish off perfecting every single mon's dex entry (got about 100-ish out of the way already so pray for me XD). I'll take any excuse to return to PLA though honestly; easily my favourite modern Pokemon game and I still can't quite believe we're getting a sequel 🥹

A lot of fantastic modern RPGs have entirely urban settings (think Persona and Like A Dragon for instance) so I'm very intrigued as to how this'll play out assuming this isn't Nintendo misinterpreting what was shown. It does make me wonder how you would go about catching mons though given how most if not all of them would be in a cityscape rather than the wild 🤔

@kkslider5552000 Adventure games like Pentiment usually get very little marketing prior to release for whatever reason (unless you're Ace Attorney). My guess is that it's both pretty hard to market a game/genre whose whole appeal is not knowing what's going to happen in terms of the story/gameplay along with said genre being the definition of an acquired taste, though I could be wrong here.

Probably doesn't help matters that Pentiment itself originally released three days prior to Pokemon Scarlet/Violet XD

THY PORT IS GOODETH THANKETH THEE LORD

I've been enamoured with Pentiment from the moment I first laid eyes on it as someone so massively into narrative-driven adventure games with fun art styles (especially those of the murder-mystery kind) so to see the Xbox-to-Switch conversion be as rock-solid as it is has me over the moon. Will definitely be picking up as soon as possible!

IT'S BEEN OVER A DECADE BUT POKEMON Z IS FINALLY REAL AND IT'S A LEGENDS GAME WDOBWJPHIFIHGUVYWGOUHFLGVCUWTIYOFHJLIHUGYEIHF

This is probably alongside the original Legends game as being one of the most surprising Pokemon announcements ever. NOBODY predicted this.... and I couldn't be happier. Can't wait for 2025 and I'm so happy Legends is officially a subseries and not just a one-time thing 🥰

also, whilst I'm here, THANK THE LORD THEY'RE TAKING A YEAR OFF I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE THE DAY 😭

What I hope this means: they'll spend less time talking about general mobile game news and actually discuss home console stuff for once.

What I expect this to mean: they'll spend just as much time on general mobile games and leave a fraction of the runtime to the stuff people actually care about.

The EU one is kind of the best by default due to it being the only one here that's not plagued by poorly-aged CG renders so I feel like I kinda have to go with it, you know? With that said though, I feel like the NA one could've been really cool if it was drawn rather than rendered as the composition is pretty great honestly.

only one thing on my mind this weekend and it's Side Order baybeeeeeeeeeeeee

Just completed my first run of SO with Pearl's Palette last night so I'm going to be aiming to knock out the rest of the necessary runs over the next while, it's just so good man 🥰

oh and I might also knock out Pocket Card Jockey's eShop demo as well; I'm going to be grabbing the game anyway, but I may as well try out the demo while it's available XD

I won't be playing any of them right away (Side Order has fully consumed my free-time as of now XD) but it'll probably be a combination of either Snake Rattle 'n' Roll and/or Killer Instinct as those are two I've wanted to play for ages even before they were announced for NSO (though Blast Corps is definitely another one that's tempting me 👀).

Are you sure you didn't give it an 8 just because of the pun?

I played Side Order non-stop for about 5-6 hours yesterday and, while I can definitely see where you're coming from with the score, I'm personally having a terrific time with it myself. The roguelike mechanics are integrated into Splatoon's core gameplay loop so well you'd think they've been there from the start, the aesthetic is pretty much perfectly realised and the music/characters are as expectedly brilliant as ever. I don't think I prefer it to Octo Expansion just yet as the story does take a decent backseat to make the gameplay as good as it is, but overall? Yeah I'm having a fantastic time with it so far and I can't wait to eventually slay the spire! (wait wrong roguelike XD)

I'm expecting to be disappointed but if you want my hopes then I'm praying to the lord almighty that we get either a new Mystery Dungeon (be it an Explorers remake or an entirely new game), Gens 1, 2 and 3 on NSO or both. I would very much like to take 2024 off in terms of mainline releases so a year dedicated to spinoffs would be delightful.

knowing our luck though it'll be 24 minutes of mobile games before chibi N stares directly into our souls XD

I've become a huge fan of 'ninja' games this past while after beating Ninja Gaiden for the first time last year so I'm absolutely over the moon about this as I've heard nothing but fantastic things about Five-O myself. There's plenty of bad to say about LRG, but the Carbon Engine is absolutely not one of them and releases like this show exactly why

@SakuraHaruka @blindsquirrel I see where you guys are coming from and fully respect your advice, but with the way the internet is these days, it's practically impossible to avoid online leaks (especially if the one leaking them has a large following) unless you take a full internet sabbatical multiple days in advance.

That being said though, I'll probably try to do exactly that whenever the next Direct is looming on the horizon. I won't like it but eh: it is what it is I guess.

@PepperMintRex Maybe I'm just being uptight or something but I can't see how anyone could prefer learning about a game's existence through vague textposts rather than a trailer which shows the game off in as nice a light as possible, y'know?

@LadyCharlie But don't you like being surprised by something you didn't know was coming? I know for a fact I would've lost it at Pocket Card Jockey coming to Switch had Pyoro not hinted at it the day beforehand. Knowing what's going to happen in advance kills a ton of the enjoyment of presentations like these :/

It was....fine. Not the worst we've had, but also not nearly as good as the last one. Epic Mickey was a great surprise, the shadowdrop of all those Rare titles on NSO is wonderful and Pocket Card Jockey coming to Switch is genuinely one of the best announcements of any Direct but other than that? Yeah not much that grabbed me personally.

It didn't help matters that the presentation was made infinitely worse by a certain bird spoiling most of the really good announcements which is just f***ing fantastic.

Pocket Card Jockey, Epic Mickey and the Rare NSO titles are pretty much the only titles that really grabbed me, but stuff like Penny's Big Breakaway, Pentiment and Monster Hunter Stories all look like quality experiences as well.

Can't say I'd ever heard of the original Endless Ocean prior to the rumours of it getting a revival started up but I've been checking it out in the interim and yeah: it genuinely looks really cool! Don't know whether I'll fork out €50 for the Switch version (as I'd rather play the Wii original first if possible) but this looks like a super zen time nonetheless!

GAME FREAK'S MAGNUM OPUS ON A PLATFORM PEOPLE ACTUALLY USE PRAISE BE THE LORD

I was utterly devastated when I heard that Ride On would be locked to Apple Arcade when it was initially revealed so to FINALLY have it on Switch feels like destiny being fulfilled. Absolutely grabbing this the moment I can, god I'm so happy that one of Game Freak's most beloved solo projects is finally getting the spotlight it deserves 🥰

Probably the most surprising announcement of the lot from this Partner Showcase; never in a million years did I ever think EPIC MICKEY of all games would make a comeback. The framerate does feel a bit iffy from the gameplay shown, but the visuals have gotten a great facelift and the cutscenes look genuinely phenomenal. Cheers on THQ for managing to get this back and I'm very curious as to whether Warren Spector is involved in any capacity.

The Salsa's paw curls yet again....

Jokes aside, this is awesome to see, even if it's Japan-exclusive. I still have hope that they're gonna localise it as NSO's last hurrah before Switch 2 comes out but for right now? This is pretty cool

Seeing NSO stuff get chucked into a random Partner Showcase was wild enough as is, let alone the fact that it's RARE games!!!

I'm a little miffed that stuff like Perfect Dark hasn't come over (for now at least) but man this is a great drop of titles. Will definitely be playing stuff like Killer Instinct as soon as possible!

I mean the Splatfest changes look genuinely great and I'm pleasantly surprised by the sheer quantity of gear this season compared to previous ones....but christ this balance patch is bad. No nerfs to Snipewriter/Trizooka? Only 6 changes total? REEFLUX GETTING ONE OF THE HARSHEST NERFS IN THE SERIES FOR NO REASON???????????

I am going to lose my marbles if she shows up in any capacity.

I know I've harped on it a fair bit over the past while but I honestly feel like Ace Attorney 7 could be revealed here:

• it's a series synonymous with Nintendo consoles so it'd feel like a shoo-in for a presentation such as this
• Ace Attorney is more popular now than it's ever been
• Capcom have had big announcements in previous Partner Showcases like Monster Hunter Rise/Sunbreak and Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection
• we finally have every mainline game on one system with the Apollo Justice Trilogy's release
• rumours of AA7 being in development have been circulating since goddamn 2019

Other than that then, I haven't got too many hopes aside from Pocket Card Jockey coming to Switch and maaaaaaaybe some Rare titles on NSO like Banjo-Tooie or Perfect Dark. Should be a fun little watch nonetheless though 😁

Those Youtube game descriptions aren't exactly the most reliable thing since, as @PikaPhantom has pointed out, its usually an automated process (my guess is that it heard the 8-bit music and applied GSC as a result) but I'd be very much down for a return to Johto. Ideally it'd just be Gen 2 on NSO but I'd also take a Let's Go or Legends game as well since those are actually made by a B Team at Game Freak from what I've heard. All will be revealed on Tuesday I suppose....

@DiamondCore

There's probably a bus metaphor here somewhere.

It's basically become a tradition for Presents to fall on Pokemon Day so I'm not particularly surprised by this myself. Personally hoping for something Mystery Dungeon related (be it an Explorers remake or entirely new game), Gens 1, 2 and 3 on NSO and NO NEW MAINLINE GAMES PLEASE JUST TAKE THE YEAR OFF I'M BEGGING YOU

ACE ATTORNEY 7'S GONNA BE HERE I CAN FEEL IT IN MY BONES

Copium aside, while I can't say I'm particularly surprised by this announcement, it's very nice to finally see a Partner Showcase once again. The last one we had was VERY good so I've got decently high expectations this time round. Can't wait to see what they have in store!

@CinnamonSonic While I can see where you're coming from, you have to look at this from a more realistic angle: the next Nintendo system is most likely going to be out in a year's time and will bring an entire cavalcade of brand-new entries in older series alongside entirely new stuff to look forward to. Under that assumption then, I think it's quite nice that Nintendo's using the success of the Switch to take chances with smaller, less intensive games that appeal to very specific fanbases as the console nears its inevitable end (Another Code and Paper Mario TTYD getting full-blown remakes is an excellent example of this).

also 2023 had brand new mainline entries in 3D Zelda, 2D Mario AND Pikmin so 2024 being a comparatively dry year is pretty much to be expected XD

I'm very much anticipating a year similar to the one we had back in 2018; a bunch of interesting though not world-shattering releases scattered throughout most of the year....right before a massive blockbuster comes in during the holiday season to blow everyone away. 2018 had Smash Ultimate and I'm very confident in saying that 2024....will have Metroid Prime 4.

Other than that then, I could see Ninty maybe persuading some of their closest 3rd-Party partners like Bamco or Square to put out some exclusive titles this year, planning out another big roadmap for NSO (and yes: I'm very confident it'll include Mother 3) and continuing their trend of remakes/remasters in order to fill out the existing schedule (I'd say stuff like Zelda WW/TP HD and F-Zero GX are very likely candidates myself).

The rumoured delay is, at most, probably about 4 to 5 months long; this feels highly reactionary, no?

FRIDAY'S NOT EVEN PART OF THE WEEKEND GRAAAAAAAAAAAAH

nah but in all seriousness, GG's everyone! I had a pretty good time this Fest myself

Great selection of letters this week! (and no, it's not just because I'm one of them XD)

That idea of a game switching from 3D to 2D and vice versa depending on where the Switch is docked does sound like a very cool idea (particularly for a potential Zelda game) though I do worry it'd be extremely difficult to program something like that, especially with how potentially easy it'd be to softlock yourself in an unintended location.

also I'd be very down for a Talking Point article on some of the staff's favourite gaming soundtracks

Easy choice for me this week; Japan's cover being framed like an in-universe ad for the toys is such a cute and clever way to show what the game is about and I'm immensely charmed by it as a result. The NA/EU one is definitely a bit more visually interesting, but I'll always appreciate when boxart is used in creative ways

I'm very much in the Side Order waiting room right now so I don't have too much planned as a result. I'll be repping Team Sunday in Splatoon 3's weekend Splatfest alongside finishing up my first playthrough of Alien Soldier on Mega Drive NSO (currently at what I believe to be the final boss and the game is absolutely fantastic....but god I am so bad at it XD). I might also dabble in stuff like LEGO Batman, Super Smash Bros Ultimate and Picross S from previous weeks but other than that? I'll just be taking my sweet time while waiting for Side Order to finally drop 😊