Fizza

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 😊

The last Partner Showcase we had was absolutely fantastic so I'd be very excited to see what they have in store for next week should this end up being true!

I may love Kirby but I don't love it enough to willingly eat at McDonald's, even if I did live in Japan XD

I've just come off of a big Square Enix-centric spending spree so I don't know whether I'll be grabbing anything here myself, though titles like CrossCode, TMNT Shredder's Revenge and Captain Toad are definitely tempting me 👀

also, for those who might've been holding off until now, this is actually Advance Wars ReBoot Camp's first ever digital sale since release!

I'm a sucker for watching horror games (playing them....not so much XD) so I'll probably love this myself!

One small thing though: calling DOOM and Castlevania 'horror' games is a bit of a stretch imo XD

See, here's the thing: these costumes are really cool don't get me wrong....but I still feel like I have absolutely no f***ing idea what Showtime even is, yknow?

Phantom Thief Peach is pretty rad though can't lie XD

god seeing Wii U games turn 10+ years old will never not feel bizarre to me XD

Looming existential crisis aside, happy anniversary Tropical Freeze! While I haven't played it yet myself (though do plan on doing so before this year is out!), I still massively respect it as one of the kings of modern 2D platformers all the same. Hopefully we'll have a new Donkey Kong game by the time Tropical Freeze's next 10 year anniversary rolls around XD

absolutely inkredible choice of video background XD

As someone who's gotten VERY into roguelikes over the past year or so, seeing that Side Order pretty much nails the gameplay aspects that make me love the genre has me extremely excited to check it out. I think my main concern with it now honestly is that, while everything we've seen of it seems like it'll be good, I worry how the story is going to go given the by-design repeatable nature of roguelikes. We've seen games like Hades be able to marry the two together in the past so I'm praying they can do it here as well because the story/lore is probably the main thing I'm looking for out of DLC like Side Order/Octo Expansion 😅

THE SPLATFEST HASN'T EVEN HAPPENED YET WHAT

Can't say I saw this coming so soon by any stretch of the imagination but I'm really liking what's here honestly! Marlin Airport looks super cool (especially seeing how they're FINALLY using inkfans in stage design again) as does the new Salmon Run map (which looks straight out of Mad Max XD), the brand new Brella/Dualies seem extremely interesting (the Dualies especially like holy hell that range is NUTS) and that Splatfest-exclusive item seems like it'll be just the shakeup the mode needs (at least I hope). Overall it looks like it'll be another pretty cool season and I can't wait for the Twitter dripfeed of info to start up all over again!

also a small detail that I adore here is that the new Brella appears to be based off of the one Marie uses in Splatoon 2

Gonna be wrapping up Metroid II: Return of Samus on GB NSO the minute I get home from work today (got about 10 Metroids left to defeat and, as of now, I definitely feel like it's better than the first game, though not by much 🥴) and once I have that out of the way, I'm going to be tapping into my inner childhood nostalgia by starting my first ever playthrough of the original LEGO Batman on PS3. Should be a very fun weekend of relaxation overall (which, when you've just finished a grueling onslaught of exams, is exactly the kind of weekend I need XD).

also shoutout to whoever put down Metroid Prime 4 as their weekend gaming in the poll XD

@FishyS Same here honestly: while I also can't compare it to the originals as I started the series at Gen 5, BDSP was a blast from a gameplay standpoint with the impressively high difficulty compared to other modern entries and the chibi style, while it certainly benefitted some characters more than others (poor Cyrus/Volkner), looks really well done for the most part!

@CaleBoi25 @arabiansanchez In the voting process that happened last week, they specifically outlined that they wouldn't be including remasters like MPR or Skyward Sword HD as they fall into a sort of grey area between ports and remakes.

Seeing this list really does put into perspective just how many remakes they did for GBA and 3DS specifically because WOW there's a lot XD

I've always been an avid fan of remakes in general myself, especially in regards to comparing both the new and original versions and seeing what was changed, improved, removed, etc. Having said that then, I oddly enough haven't played that many Nintendo remakes in my time (I think I've played about 8-9 of the games here?) but I don't think my overall favourite is going to be changing any time soon: Link's Awakening 2019. Utterly gorgeous aesthetically, super fun gameplay-wise with great modernisations and the game that turned me into a Zelda fan; absolutely adore LA 2019 myself 💖

hoo boy there's a LOT to unpack here XD

Okami, Breath of Fire and Dino Crisis getting mentioned on the 'potential sequel/something with the IP' list makes me very happy, even if I'm personally doubtful anything will actually come of it, but it's the potential remake list that has me intrigued to put it mildly. Final Fight makes a pretty decent amount of sense given the resurgence of beatemups over the past couple years (plus I'm pretty sure a remake of it was mentioned in that Capcom gigaleak a couple years back). It's the mention of remakes for Mega Man AND Ace Attorney 1, 2 and 3 though that....perplexes me. Like don't get me wrong; seeing a version of MM3 that's actually polished would make me very happy and I'd scream if we finally got 3D models for the OG AA Trilogy cast....but why even dedicate time to something like that when the collections are right there?

Overall a very strange list but I'd be pretty cool with a lot of the stuff listed here honestly.

also yes I asked for Ace Attorney 7 at the end, can you blame me?

Gonna be down the country for the bank holiday this weekend so I'm going to take advantage of it and start up Mega Man 8 for the first time as a result. I've heard both good and bad things about 8 and am very curious to see what I end up thinking about it

Give how short Mega Man games tend to be though, if I get it out of the way sooner than anticipated then I'll probably be either starting my Stephen playthrough of Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game, continuing my Metroid marathon with Metroid II: Return of Samus on NSO or just knocking out another set of puzzles in Picross S (you can never have too much Picross in your life after all XD).

20XX is closer than ever guys

Ace Attorney cracking the physical Top 10 of any sales chart is honestly kind of astounding so I'm very glad to see it on here XD (plus a Mystery Dungeon game landing above TEKKEN in the charts is wild in the coolest way possible)

also there's a small mistake with the Top 10 console sales; the PS4 is above the Series S when it should be the other way around

I WAS WONDERING WHY THE HELL IT TOOK AN HOUR TO DOWNLOAD WHAT DO YOU MEAN 5GB!?

Definitely one of the more unusual Splatfest propositions we've had in the series (though I don't think anything is ever going to beat Front Toilet Roll vs Back Toilet Roll) but I quite like it honestly. Kind of torn on which one to go with too; Saturday would've been my go-to answer in the past but given how I'm at work for the majority of that day nowadays, I'm not so sure I should go for it. Hopefully Frye will finally be able to get another win from this too; I think it's been a year since she last won with Sweet? 🥲

@Croctopus They're promoting the Japanese Fest alongside 7-Eleven in Japan so I assume it's probably a collaboration between them and Ninty.

Not the biggest discount in the world (Square do tend to be a bit stingy in regards to FF sales) but I'm very tempted to get the whole collection now as it's effectively 6 games for the price of 5. I've never played a Final Fantasy game before in my life either so it'll be an interesting experience to say the least XD

I've genuinely become immensely interested in MvsDK thanks to a lot of the recent trailers so I'll definitely be giving this a go whenever I have the time!