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On a side note, if I remember correctly Teleroboxer was one of the first Virtual Boy games I played. It was the game you could play at the demo setup in Target. I really liked it. When I finally got a Virtual Boy I never got around to getting it. I think I rented it, though. The games I had were the Wario game, Red Alert, and Mario Tennis.

When I can find time I plan on be all over Hades 2 (Switch 2). I'm finally starting to get better grips with it now that I feel like I'm playing it right. For the first X amount of hours I was playing it like Hades 1. As similar as they both look, play, and feel, they actually are quite different from each other. I have so many hours into Hades 1 that it was hard to drop that game's playstyle.

Also, if there's time I take a break from Hades 2 and continue the Season 1 DLC in Snowrunner (Switch). That one is a real doozy!

Not much time for games this weekend since I'm currently on the road to Vegas. Going with the wife, brother in-law and his wife for the Bears vs Raiders game. Hopefully I make it out alive. When we get back I took a extra day off of work to recover so I plan on being all over Hades 2 as much as possible!

While the wait is almost over for Hades 2 to dominate as my main game, I'll continue on Snowrunner (Switch) DLC Season 1 "Search & Recover". Man, this one is kicking my @ss. I was looking to get back into a snow setting and I definitely got what I bargained for (and then some). I'm really digging the challenge, so I'll be putting time into it.

I'll mostly focus on that and maybe some random stuff like a run on Hades 1 (Switch), Balatro (Switch), or Tetris 99 while I wait for Hades 2 to drop.

Loved Bayo 3. Favorite in the series with the best gameplay that reminded me a lot of Astral Chain (which is on my Mt. Rushmore of Switch games). BUT...I hated the "multiverse" angle. Not just in Bayonetta mind you, but anything multiverse in all entertainment media. It takes away any stakes, makes retconning too easy so that you can't invest in anything that happens, and makes it all feel like a kid in a sandbox mixing all his/her toys together. I could go on and on. I do understand though why they went with that story arch. Bayo 3 was cooking during the era where anything "multiverse" was the trendy thing in mainstream entertainment media. Obviously, it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

A little late to this article but I have to say anything posted about "Game Key Cards" is a straight up way to keep wacking the beehive for engagement.

@Burning_Spear Oh it ain't a mission to 100% Snowrunner. At my pace it would take years! I just regulated that game to a endless side game if I want to lose myself in something for however long. You still have to use the brain but once you get things going you can just sit back and get to work.

I have to admit I've been very entertained with your Civilization adventures ever since you finished Balatro. Your stories always sound so edge of your seat epic. I know nothing of the game but it seems intriguing by your stories. Perhaps someday I'll add it to the "long list" backlog.

I should be able to wrap up Captain Toad's Treasure Tracker (Switch) this weekend. What a cute, fun little game. Now knowing Hades II is around the corner I won't be starting the next backlog game for sure. Once I get my hands on that I see it being the main game for a long time.

I also finally settled on the next Snowrunner (Switch) DLC I'm going to tackle. After completing Season 9 which was based on the aftermath of wildfires, I wanted to get back to an actual snow setting so I decided on Season 1 "Search & Recover". I barely just started it, but I can already tell this one is going to be a real pain in the @ss. Bring it on!

I'll keep it simple.

I want Metroid Prime 2 & 3 remasters/re-release of some kind.

Hades II release news.

Wave Race Blue Storm on the GC NSO!

LOL here we go again (I'm sure I've said this in previous articles on here). The common denominator battle always seems to come down to 30 fps or 60 fps. We did this during the entirety of the Switch 1 lifecycle and we're doing it again. At this point I find it so insane with so many of you having other formats of playing a game why even bother with anything Switch(2)? You all should know by now what's to be expected regardless of the bells & whistles under the hood. Is the game fun? Go to town. If it sucks, then no amount of 'frames per second' will make that turd fun. It'll look pretty of course, but still a turd

Oh, hell yeah I'm going to be so biased and go all in on the NA version. That game had sooooo much mystique appeal to all us kids at school.

Remember kids, there was NO YouTube, streamers, video teasers, teaser trailers, teaser of trailers, etc. This game's existence started out in gaming mags with just pictures with paragraphs of descriptions trying to inform you of what you're seeing. It got us all pumped up of the sci-fi aesthetic and "you have total control of the movement". I could go on for days (you had to have been there). Once that first commercial hit I remember that earworm of "the future is Forsaken!" being on kids mouths all the way till launch. It launched, ran to Blockbuster, got home & plugged it in...and had a hard time trying not to puke every 7 minutes...

With my gaming going through another time period of being so spread out, I haven't made nearly as much progress as I should be by now. Hopefully I can get back on the ball. Stupid game of "adult life" keeps derailing things. Anyways, I'm still loving Huntdown (Switch). What a game and boss fights can be really tricky but a fun challenge. I've barely touched Captain Toad's Treasure Tracker (Switch). The little I've played was fun I need to get some longer form sessions with it.

I still haven't decided on the next DLC Season I'm going to take on in Snowrunner (Switch). Been some time since I played it and I find myself missing it. That game is such a kick back and lose yourself experience. Maybe this weekend I can finally choose one and get to work!

If I have any time I may try out Forsaken (NSO). Back in the gap that game made me almost puke. I rented it a few times and really wanted to like it, but it just kept ruining me. As an adult I'm still sensitive to motion sickness so perhaps I'll sit far back in the kitchen with the game on the living room TV? Could work.

I honestly forgot that the 'Mature' N64 app even existed.

Anyways, I believe back in the gap I was all pumped for this game. I know I rented it at least more than once for sure. However, I believe this game really made me motion sick, too. If I can stomach it (most likely I won't be able to) I would like to try again. I really wanted to be into this game but I kept getting sick so after 2 or 3 rentals I just gave it up.

Some of you may have already mentioned this but I'm willing to bet vital parts of my anatomy that it was intended for Drag x Drive to be a spinoff of ARMS. It would be exactly like ARMS with unique characters, designs, arenas, the whole nine yards. But because ARMS didn't hit and have that gaming cultural staying power as they hoped, they did an about-face and stripped it all down to the bare minimum. From the first time I've seen this game it gives me vibes of a "working in progress game". Reminds me a lot of that very first concept demo of the original Smash Bros. If I remember correctly, they were just colored blocky characters on an empty generic stage to showcase what the idea was.

@Rainz @jfp Yeah, Huntdown is dope. I've only been able to play it in short sessions. Seems like the perfect game to kick back with some beers and play through These indie studios keep knocking it out of the park!

Additionally, I had a blast with Ace Combat 7! Story for me was all over the place but the missions were intense and challenging! That was one of those games where I felt some melancholy after I rolled the credits. Some games do that to me because now my invested adventure is over. Yes, I know I can always replay them but its just not the same experience. Still fun, but missing that first time factor.

Now that I've wrapped up Bananza to my personal satisfaction, I dived headfirst back into the backlog. I started a retro inspired indie called Huntdown (Switch). For something so basic looking it's so freaking cool and fun! I've played a good number of indies in my backlog quest and every time they remind me of what's gaming all about. Just have fun. Don't need all the bells and whistles, benchmarks, etc. of the big dogs. Just make something that works and is fun.

I also picked up Captain Toads Treasure Tracker (Switch). This one has been on the list for a while and to mix things up a bit I pulled the trigger. Barely started it but I can already tell this one will be a charming game to chill with.

Like others have said I want Prime 2 & 3 remastered (or at least thrown on the GC app) beforehand. Even though I actually owned them back the GC/Wii era I never got around to playing them (you can put a lot of blame on Aliens vs Predator 2 (PC) for that). I was all over Prime Remastered because it gave me that opportunity I missed. Please do it again, Nintendo! Here's my money! Just hook it to my veins!

Ah, being 41 years old I've lived through the real "Console Wars" and generational leaps. History just repeats itself every time and I love seeing the reactions. Many get it in their heads the 'new thing' solves all problems of the 'old thing'. It doesn't. All I care about is: "Is the game fun?". If it is, let's go! If it sucks, then no amount of graphical enhancements can polish a turd. Just have fun!

I'll try to get further into Donkey Kong Bananza. With my gaming time being all over the place and my weekends get busier with life stuff this game is taking me forever. I love it but there's so much to do and can be overwhelming that when I do get time to play I feel like I'm not making much progress. I'm sorta in a torn state. I want to start a backlog game on the side but I believe with my limited gaming time lately doing that will push back completion of Bananza even further back. Debating if I should just main Bananza so I can finish it up whenever that is. We'll see what I do.

To echo what some have already said I believe I rented Mythologies once back in the gap. I was so pumped for that game! Played the hell out of it but couldn't wait to return it.

@pingua08 Hell yeah, I also had the GB versions of MK 1 & 2. The 6 FPS of MK 1 didn't bother me at all and I loved it! Put so many hours into it. I got MK 2 for Xmas whenever it came out and once again put so many hours into it.

My gaming time was limited this week and may continue to be so this weekend. When I do get the chance to play I really need to focus on Donkey Kong Bananza. Having a blast but I'm being so slow with it.

I was also able to finish off Metroid Zero Mission (NSO). That game was awesome. Crossed off the backlog list! Now I'm debating just focusing on Bananza or start another backlog list game on the side. We'll see what I do.

On an unrelated to gaming note tomorrow evening I'm going to see Jerry Cantrell. LOVE his solo music and obviously big fan of all Alice in Chains catalog (yes, especially the 3 albums with the new singer). He's a dying breed of musicians from a bygone era.

@pingua08 ...I remember tekken on the GBA...

Dude, I remember having the best time when I got Killer Instinct for my OG Game Boy back in the gap. It wasn't uncommon while my older brothers and their friends played SNES Killer Instinct, I'd be on the couch or in my room rocking Game Boy Killer Instinct!

Simple answer. They're all locked behind the massive airplane hangar sized storage unit labeled "For Drip Feed Purposes Only". The amount of pressure pushing up against the walls in there gives the Hoover Dam a run for its money.

I'm hoping to get some longer playing sessions of Donkey Kong Bananza. It's been a slow progress because I keep getting easily distracted with going off the beaten path. There's just so much going on with this game! I'm starting to lean on the idea of getting through it to the end and then going back to hunt for the goodies I missed. Seems like many are adopting that strategy after spending too much time on the first few layers.

I'll also continue playing Metroid Zero Mission on the NSO. This game took me by huge surprise on how fun it is! I missed it back in the day and always wanted to play it at some point. It's exactly what I need to calm the brain down from too much Bananza.

Yeah, Hexen 64 was one of those games I rented multiple times from Blockbuster and had no idea what I was doing every time. A buddy and I (and sometimes along with my brothers) played a lot of the 4 player splitscreen deathmatch/team deathmatch. I remember all of us having a blast. Then again in those days if any game had a 4 player ability you'd play the hell out of it regardless of what it was. It was a real big deal back then. You had to have been there.

@Nintendo4Sonic Check this out. When I first saw this my car was actually making a noise that started at the beginning of a work week. When I finally got it to my mechanic it was over $600 in repairs to replace the water pump. The week before Switch 2 launch. Of course. Sums up our lives as we age.

https://youtu.be/KcA0KEtGsnY?si=ltOgRJv83x4RstZe

If they ever make a pool table game they should call it "Pocket Pool".

@Nintendo4Sonic Hey man. I read your post while on break at work and I made a note to make sure to office my own 2 cents.

I know where you're coming from. We don't have kids but my wife and I have been together 13 years. We both also work full time and just in the last year we finally got our schedules mostly lined up. Mostly. I'm also one of those 7 days a week gym rats (not a gym bro type!). The reason I'm mentioning all that is I totally understand the challenge of maintaining the gaming hobby. It played a big role as to why in 2018 I traded everything in (various consoles, handhelds, let the gaming PC age out) and just have a Switch (now Switch 2).

Trying to keep up with it all was making me a mess. As we age (I'm 41) our free time is becoming less and less. As @Medic_alert stated in his post. Very well-spoken words and no need to repeat what was said.

When I do get my gaming time, even though I'm having fun, sometimes I get stressed thinking about the backlog, how much longer this current game is taking up time, there's a new game about to come out and I'm way behind, etc. I don't want to speedrun games. I get the most joy out of them taking my time and playing it as I want. However, the trade off is with limited time the days turn into weeks, the weeks turn into months, and so on with just one game. For example, it took me 2 1/2 months to beat Metroid Dread. Between my all over the place work schedule, time with the wife, the gym, and life responsibilities, etc. it just dragged on for me while constantly reading on here how pretty much everyone polished it off in a weekend (or less). I really felt alone during that time. I had a blast whenever I played it, but it was hard to shake the feeling of being so behind. I know it's lame over a freaking video game but it's how I felt.

Even this website can sometimes stress me out. Why? Because constantly reading about how so many are progressing and/or beating games like they're going out of style while I'm still on that one game. Again, it's stupid to think like that but it can really get to me when my days off get compromised with life crap and then the work week starts. Possible completion date of current game gets pushed back and backlog collects more dust. Rinse and repeat.

Maybe you could try what I started this year. I realized I was putting too much stock into video games as my main source of escape. When I couldn't do it or get some time with it, I'd feel myself going into various states of depression. So, I got back into reading novels. I used to read a lot back in the day but fell out of it when life became a lot busier and complicated. I read now before bed, when I can at work, even during the day sometimes. There were some adjustments to my daily routines, but I was determined to make it work. I've been able to get through more books this year than I thought I would and can't wait to read more. It's nice to split it up.

I ended up rambling on a lot more than I intended. In the end, you're far from alone on here. We feel you.

@OLD64FOREVER ...my n64 playing mortal Kombat trilogy love it Mario kart 64 conker bad fur Day 007 wcw revenge...

When I think back on my N64 days, MK Trilogy, MK64 and WCW Revenge are pretty much on my Mount Rushmore

It's been a very slow progress with Donkey Kong Bananza this week so I'm hoping to be able to 'dig deeper' into it. Really great game but because it can be so overwhelming with so much to do, I decided to slow things down some and start Metroid Zero Mission (NSO) on the side. I missed this one back in the day so it's freaking cool to be able to have a second chance with the Switch. Really helps calm the brain down because as much as I love Bananza, I feel the brain can get a bit overloaded. Or maybe that's just a me thing? I don't know.

I believe neither one is a big standout over the other but I'm going with the NA version. As a kid I loved that image and just pumped me up every time I rented it from Blockbuster.

@Rainz ... Hades II…it really will be quite the launch year for Switch 2!

Seriously, bro. Hades II will definitely be the biggest c*ck block for my backlog, for currently playing game(s), and anything coming out around in proximity of the release date. As badly as I want that game (now!), it gives me weird anxiety because I want to polish off as much as I can before it drops

Definitely will be putting in more time into Donkey Kong Bananza. LOL I'd be a lot further into the game if I didn't keep getting sidetracked with going on destructive hunts for goodies. I believe we all have a problem with that

I haven't decided on the next DLC Season I'm going to start with in Snowrunner (Switch). Whatever I choose will be such a commitment it's hard to decide.

To mix it up so that Bananza doesn't eat up all the time I might start the next game in the backlog. I'm leaning towards Metroid Zero Mission on the NSO app. I missed that one back in the day. We'll see if I get it started.

I'm confident even Stevie Wonder saw that coming.

Nope. Reason is the same as why I'm retired from games like Mario Kart and Smash Bros because I have nobody to play with. My wife hates anything video games and no real adult friends to play with. I would have been all over it back during my 20's when the significant other I was with was a gamer and we shared many mutual gaming friends. Those days are long over.

@Rainz Thanks! Feels good to have a seat at the table. Cyberpunk doesn't really interest me that much but you never know. I'm very picky with open world stuff because they can be long commitments. I finished Red Dead Redemption (Switch) just last week so I plan to take a break from games like that for a bit.

The Oilers were rolling hot so I wasn't too surprised they made minced meat of the Knights. Sucks but I was hoping McDavid and Co. would finally raise the Cup.

@DasWunderkind I almost choked on my lunch when I saw your profile pic 🤣 That dude!

Yep, I'll be all over Donkey Kong Bananza like everyone else. I barely started it last night and I can already tell this game will dominate the playing time for a long time.

To mix things up though I do want to get into another of the Snowrunner (Switch) DLC maps/season. Last week I finished up the Season 9 Ontario, Canada map and looking to start another. This time I'm feeling like getting back into the "snow" terrain. The Ontario, Canada map dealt with wildfires, so it was the usual mud, etc. There's plenty to choose from, but I have to admit while looking through them all they all look so intimidating. That is the point of the game!

I'm going to start off by saying I can finally roll with the rest of you Varsity players at the keggers and have my pick of the cheerleaders That's right, I finally got my Switch 2 gear. Came in last Wednesday and got everything transferred and good to go yesterday. After it was all said and done I booted up...Snowrunner (Switch). Until Donkey Kong Bananza comes out I'll be gaming on Switch 1 games which is exactly what I want to do most.

Since I polished off Red Dead Redemption (Switch) and the Undead Nightmare I'm in that "in between" zone for games. I really want to start the next game in the backlog but with Donkey Kong right around the corner I think I'll just wait for that. In the meantime, I'll mess around with my usual always a blast to play games like Snowrunner, Everspace (Switch), Tetris 99, Balatro (Switch) and maybe some Sifu (Switch) any others I can't think of right now to pass the time until Donkey Kong

It took me awhile but man did I have a blast with this game on Switch. Even the included expansions were awesome. I might give the online a try but I can guarantee I'll get embarrassingly destroyed.

And as others have said this was the first game that came to my mind for mouse controls. I got all excited that maybe it was patched in when I saw it updated itself on my Switch.

@Coalescence Thanks so much for understanding. I was actually expecting to get dogpiled by the usual current gen crowd.

It was games like this and Shadows of the Empire that got me into the Expanded Universe in those days. Let's put it this way. If I put the same effort and time like I did with the EU into something productive like guitar and/or medical studies, I'd be the next Eddie Van Halen and/or brain surgeon in the western hemisphere

This is probably unpopular opinion but there are times when it's best to just let things stay in the past. Given the current state of games, all the over bloated budgets, all the politically charged hijinks, how the current gaming "media" stokes the fires, etc. I could go on and on. Sadly, after all us gamers have been through anytime I hear about of anything from the past being rebooted and/or remade I get...nervous (I've already lost so much there's not much left to be burned to the ground).

But...can it run Crysis!?

This was back when anything Star Wars was cool. Miss those days. Anyways (before I go on a rant), the NA/EU version all the way. This is such a lopsided win this may trigger a mercy rule in my opinion. I'll never forget getting this game along with the expansion pack and just having my jaw drop to the floor with all its presentation.

Once again my gaming time lately has been pretty spotty but I was able to finish the main campaign in Red Dead Redemption (Switch). Very awesome game. As much as I want to start the next game in the backlog, I'm going to try out the Undead Nightmare mode. The little I've been able to put into so far has been pretty good, but we'll see once I get a long form playing session in this weekend (if I can).

On a side note, I did finally get my Switch 2 invite from My Nintendo earlier in the week. Dropped like $800 on all that I need and everything should be here by next Wednesday. Soon I will be rolling with the rest of you cool kids!

My gaming time has been so chopped up lately (especially my weekends) that I haven't advanced as much as I hoped by now in Red Dead Redemption (Switch). This weekend is another busy one so I'm hoping I can carve out a longer playing session because that game is so fun to just dig in and play.

And yeah, still on the outside looking in with my Switch 1. I'm wondering when they'll send out any new My Nintendo Store invites. When I search online for any conversation about it it's been really quiet. Before and a little after launch there was reports of many getting invites but it seems in the last 2 weeks or so it's been nothing.

For a split second when I saw a soccer ball after clicking on the article my brain immediately went to Sega Soccer Slam, baby! My brothers and I were all over that game back in the gap I doubt that one will ever get on the service.

Yep, still that dweeb loser in high school with just a Switch 1 while watching all you Varsity Switch 2 guys getting all the chicks. That's life. Again.

Anyways, I'll keep on my cowboy adventures in Red Dead Redemption (Switch). This game has really grown on me and is pretty much taking up all the time. I did last weekend get a bug up in the rear end and play a campaign mission in Company of Heroes Collection (Switch). It took like 2 hours but man was it a intense battle. There is just something to that game that I get all drawn too randomly. Everything about it is so atmospheric that just clicks so good. Maybe I'll do another mission but it really is a commitment once you start one. That game took me months to beat if I remember.

@ozwally That right there. Blue Storm without a doubt was my favorite GC game. That's one of those games I can always have a guaranteed blast whenever I play it. Being one of the big GC titles I have no doubts it will eventually come to the service. Most likely down the road like they did with Wave Race 64. Being summer season it would be a perfect addition, though.