Ganner

Back on Snowrunner (Switch). I'm tackling the Taymyr map like it owes me money! I'll admit though it kick's my @ss at times but I love the challenge of delivering the cargo through the worst of terrain. I'm also in a small 'in between' time since I polished off Epic Mickey (Switch) last week. My next top priority game will be without a doubt Donkey Kong Country Returns HD when it releases next month. I have a little time till then so I'm debating about grabbing something small that I can for sure finish but we'll see.

I got a bunch of Nintendo eShop cash for Xmas so I'm torn on what to do. I really, really want to keep on the backlog and not let Snowrunner keep throwing a monkey wrench into it. However, there's so many discounts right now so I'm debating about picking up the ones I'll play "for sure" this year (at some point!). I'm just horrible about utilizing discounts properly. Just knowing I have purchased game(s) waiting to be played stresses me out, so I tend to not buy anything until that particular game is "on deck". The major downside in doing that is I miss out on the discounts and end up paying full price. I guess I technically pay money to not be stressed however I miss out on those really good discounts. I'm a mess.

@Spider-Kev Yeah. There's actual good quality versions of BTTF the Ride and T23D on YouTube. There's also good quality video of Captain EO and the original Star Tours.

I actually finished Epic Mickey (Switch) so I'm back to Snowrunner (Switch). I might pick up a short game from my backlog before Donkey Kong Country Returns HD comes out but we'll see. Snowrunner tends to just take over EVERYTHING

@Spider-Kev Now that would be interesting. Oh man I used to geek out so much at Universal whenever I did that attraction! That and the Back To the Future one. I'd go on those both repeatedly. Sucks that both are gone and what they replaced them with doesn't come close.

Snowrunner (176 hours)
Hogwarts Legacy (98 hours)
Hades (69 hours)

Snowrunner was such a out of left field winner. I put hours into more games this year due to focusing on the backlog. I thought for sure Sifu would have been in that list but once Snowrunner dropped in it was Game Over for the backlog.

35 Games with 705 hours!

The most played:

Snowrunner (176 hours)
Hogwarts Legacy (98 hours)
Hades (69 hours)

I played more games this year due to focusing more on the backlog. I thought for sure Sifu would have been up there, too. I never would have ever thought Snowrunner would be on any list for me. Took a random chance with it and it took me by surprise. Put the backlog on ice and all I played was Snowrunner.

I love this game and I need to rotate it in more often. I used to put a lot of hours into it weekly. I'll definitely be playing this event!

Well, when shopping around for any sort named person to employ, I'm sure she didn't cost much and had the time. Whether you like her or not is irrelevant since someone of a Morgan Freeman caliber cost millions and a Daisy Ridley caliber cost about a down payment on new Honda Civic and a free lunch.

I've been doing really good sticking with Epic Mickey (Switch) with my limited game time and avoiding Snowrunner (Switch). If I boot up Snowrunner first, then nothing else will get touched that session. Some plans fell through this weekend so in theory I should be able to get some extra gaming in. My honey-do list though is growing even as I type this so we'll see where that leaves me. I'm really hoping to get far (if not done) with Epic Mickey so I can lose myself in Snowrunner again.

"The beatings will continue until morale improves."

I'm all for Nintendo following this logic as long as the game(s) are fun as hell!

(Obviously I'm not completely serious. Just what comes to mind when I read the headline )

I finally put aside Snowrunner (Switch) for a moment and started concentrating on Epic Mickey (Switch) more. I also did the Tetris 99 event because I can never get enough of that game. I used to put a lot of time into it but lately it's only during the events. I need to rotate it in more because I have such a blast with it.

I have a lot going on this weekend so my game time will be limited some. I'm "playing hooky" from work today so I can get a jumpstart on some of the errands and 'honey-do list'. There's also an annual tamale fest going on in my town a few blocks away so I gotta go indulge some! Once I get back from that I plan on cracking open beers and getting some gaming in. I need to be smart here though. I should play Epic Mickey first THEN Snowrunner. If I attempt the other way around, then I may never get to Epic Mickey

I swear when I first saw the thumbnail I thought it was an Ewok game or something.

@TYRANACLES Yeah the game can be quite unforgiving at times but that's the whole point. It can either be the most kickback rewarding experience or a total nightmare slog. What makes all the difference though is diversifying your vehicles and trying out what works for you. Also, getting those upgrades and opening up all closed roads is a must before you start tackling the tasks/contracts.

I'm only using vanilla game vehicles and no DLC so I don't game break cheese it. First of all, the only garages in Michigan are in Black River and Smithville Dam. You need to use some good planning strategy in order to get around for the others. I also recommend placing/using fuel trucks around to help with any fuel issues. Once I started trying different vehicles for various tasks it really made difference for me. Also really fun! The ANK MK38 Civilian was my main workhorse for a lot of things. Raise the suspension and throw on some good offroad tires and dominate the terrain! A real gas guzzler though. The White Western Star 4964 (found in Smithville) was another workhorse for a large variety of tasks. I used the Pacific P16 for the long log hauls and big oil equipment hauls. Slow but gets the job done. For anything scout related getting the International Loadstar 1700 was a godsend for me.

Everyone will have their own opinion on what works best. Once I started diversifying my fleet I found those (with as much upgraded of course) made all the difference in the fun factor. There's endless stuff online but I didn't want to cheese it and enjoyed the challenge of some things out for myself.

The normal week and weekends have been a bit busier and will continue to get busier as the holiday season gets deeper. With that my already limited game time is getting smaller. Oh well goes with the territory.

Anyways, when time permits I'll keep getting things done with my unhealthy addiction to Snowrunner (Switch). That Taymyr is very deceptive! It makes you think it's just another muddier version of Michigan but it's way more than that. So many of the roads have just the perfect angle of a slant and/or deep berm that tips you over in an instant! All cargo dumped after a long haul You really need to watch the speed, pay close attention to the terrain and utilize the wench at the right time! If you don't you'll be sitting in silence, staring at the screen trying to process what the f#ck just happened! LOL

I'll also try to get on to Epic Mickey (Switch). I really need to finish that in time so I can trade it in towards Donkey Kong Country Returns in January!

The only one I really care to see is the Sifu episode. That was one of my favorite games this year so I hope they do it justice.

Absolutely! Tropical Freeze is pretty much my top favorite platformer of all time. Back in the day my ex-girlfriend played DKCR and she loved it, but I never got around to it. Always wanted to so I'm looking forward to finally playing it.

I totally understand those that are tired of re-releases. However I have to admit for people like me that missed the boat back then it's perfect for me. Since having Switch I've been able to play games I missed and never thought would come around again reasonably. Tropical Freeze, Call of Juarez Gunslinger, Skyward Sword, Red Faction GW Remastered, DMC 3 are just a few examples I've had a blast playing because of the Switch!

Yikes how Olympus has fallen. Seriously I'm tired of saying this but just release a solid remaster of Mortal Kombat Trilogy and my money is yours. No bullsh#t. My money is yours.

I say it every time there's a Sega update and I'll say it again. I NEED General Chaos and Skitchin'. Those games were religion in my household back in the day and I'd be all over them again if given the opportunity. They're so damn fun!

I definitely will continue my Snowrunner (Switch) addiction however I'll seriously try to split time with Epic Mickey (Switch). I'm so horrible with playing multiple games. Once I get into a game, I just stick with it especially if my gaming time is already very limited. Last weekend the wife filled up my time with a bonus feature filled "Honey-Do List" my game time dropped to hardly at all. Then once the work week started I didn't get much time. Hoping to make up for some of that.

During those quick sessions I did fire up some Sifu (Switch). I just love that game so much and since I've been away from it, I wasn't the kung fu master I once was. Still a blast when time is limited.

@Purgatorium I hear you. I'm willing to bet vital parts of my anatomy most aren't telling the truth. Just showing off toys. Nothing wrong with that I find it very fascinating. I wish I had the time.

Oh man I believe I got this as a birthday or Xmas gift back in the day and I was all over it on my original Game Boy. In those days it was so impressive to see a game like that on the system. I remember being having a blast with this and the Game Boy version of Killer Instinct.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll still be playing Snowrunner (Switch). Big surprise, eh? After I 100% the Alaska map I told myself that's it don't even look at the Taymyr map and get back to the backlog! I decided I'll just take a peek and that would be it. Yep, I started getting some tasks and contracts done. That place is a mud pit alright so yeah I'm excited for the challenge!

I really do though need to split up the time though and get back into Epic Mickey (Switch). It's hard because when I boot up Snowrunner the hours just tick by.

@FX29 @TheLastSkyLoftian I'm so with you guys. I have such a hard time dividing attention. When I'm in deep in a game it's priority. I can only deviate from it for something quick like a round or 2 of Tetris 99, a run of Balatro, Hades or Sifu (games that were at one time previously a priority but now beaten to the point of satisfaction). I try to do at least 2 "main" games but if one is better than the other then I can't sustain it. For example right now Snowrunner is literally taking over everything. I'm trying to add in Epic Mickey but when I play that one I feel the pull back to Snowrunner. Apologies, backlog.

@Burning_Spear Like you with Balatro it's pretty much my main game. Like I said in today's post I'm getting close to wrapping up Alaska and had intentions to stop there...but the next map and some of those DLC maps have been looking very interesting. Oh crap.

I'm so curious what you're going to do with yourself once you complete Balatro to your satisfaction. Will you drop it entirely and move on to another obsession? Or LOL are you institutionalized and experience any separation anxiety. To be honest it's happened to me after being super deep into a game. I experienced that with Hades and especially Everspace. With Everspace I had to uninstall it because I just kept doing runs even after I 100% it.

I'm sure those of you that have been paying attention are probably rolling your eyes about me saying every week I'm playing Snowrunner (Switch). I'm getting to the home stretch of wrapping up Alaska. It definitely had challenge and tough routes however I think Michigan was just a bit more challenging. Probably because Michigan had a few more longer challenging hauls but I really dug the snow setting of Alaska. Can't get enough of the music, too. I told myself I'm stopping after Alaska to get back to the backlog quest but the Taymyr map is looking more and more tempting!

I'll try to play more Epic Mickey (Switch) too. I played a little last weekend but Snowrunner kept scratching at the door. This freaking game. I quit the Monster Hunter franchise for this very reason.

@Burning_Spear You're a beast! The developers should honor you with your own Joker or something. How many hours do you have clocked in that game? It has to be closing in on my old Monster Hunter era hours.

@Rainz Hey now! Just warning you if Snowrunner clicks for you it could spell doom for other games. It's all I've been playing. The game has a real slow start to getting the hang of things so I recommend to take your time with it. It's not everyone's taste by a long shot. I never thought in a million years this game would be my new gaming obsession but here we are.

Also, I totally agree with you about Cereza and the Lost Demon. I absolutely LOVED that game. The gameplay, the writing, the art style, and especially the music had me every time I booted it up. Not all was perfect though. I absolutely HATED the map system. It was so confusing and the online guides I found admitted it's confusing even with help. They were not wrong! Other than that headache I love it.

Excellent so it wasn't just me. It got real annoying trying to get it started at times so it's 'music' to the ears that it got addressed.

@TYRANACLES I'm playing on Switch. Yeah the DLC does add up if you don't get it on sale. I think there's like 14 Seasons worth now. I don't have any of the DLC though just straight vanilla game. I didn't want to cheese the game at all with any of the DLC vehicles either. I'm sure the DLC is worth it because there's tons of hours per map alone so I even just one or two additional maps add like a 100 hours or so.

Like I said in my post originally I was just planning to get through Alaska and attempt to get back to the backlog...but after all this time I'm so into this game and my fleet of vehicles. It's so cool when you get some vital upgrades and start getting things done a bit easier. Still a challenge but having a better engine, raised suspension and a better gearbox with better tires makes you feel like a workhorse. We'll see what I end up doing. I'll most likely start the Russia level to at least check it out.

Snowrunner (Switch) keeps on being my backlog quest destroying time sink. I'm just over 135 hours into that beast and I started playing it about mid-September. What keeps fascinating me is that for the most part I'm just having a blast every time I play it. The only time the game grinds my gears (besides flipping over with cargo on the home stretch of a long haul) is when I ever attempt to play a quick session. This game is by no means generous to play it like that. If you try that you'll get nothing done and by annoyed. Every time I boot it up, I'm committing to getting some contracts and tasks wrapped up. By far the most 'out of leftfield' of a game. I thought for sure Sifu (Switch) was going to by my GOTY this year but Snowrunner may haul it out (pun intended). It made my flight to and from Maui last week feel super quick.

In an attempt to split things up a bit though I picked up Epic Mickey (Switch). Never got around to it back in the Wii era so it's great getting another shot at it. I played for a little and had a good time. I would put more into it, but Snowrunner keeps calling me. I'm getting pretty close to finishing Alaska and I told myself I'm stopping at that...but I'm having such a great time in Alask that the Taymyr level is starting to interest me...then there's all the DLC maps that are starting to look interesting...oh no what am I going to do My backlog is so mad at me and I was doing so well for a while before Snowrunner.

I'm in the camp of Bayo 1 and especially 2 were awesome. For 3 I feel it had the best gameplay. The new mechanic of controlling summons reminded me a lot of Astral Chain (which I absolutely LOVED) so I was quickly hooked. BUT...the whole multiverse thing completely lost me. I HATE multiverse stories. Once the story kicked in I was like "ah crap here we go let's just toss it all into a giant sandbox with a kid and his toys". I loved the gameplay but the story kept losing me. It was a very "yin yang" experience. Overall I had a good time and really happy with my purchase but yeah the multiverse thing was a total buzzkill. I'd would have preferred a "dimension" approach instead if they insisted on the type of story they came up with.

As for Viola...yeah I had mixed feelings. On one hand I did rather enjoy the change up of how to play the game. For me personally it freshened things up a bit and I still had fun. On the other hand I HATED her design. Totally reminded me of our world modern day social media "activist" type. I swear it's like they got a bunch of them together and instructed them to design a hip new character the kids will love. It's like on "The Simpsons" when Homer was tasked to design a new car for the everyday man. We all know how that turned out. And yeah I agree with others have said her attitude was also unbearable at times. I feel like they did her dirty and with more love & care Viola could have been a dope @ss character we'd all be clamoring for more of. Not the other way around. Just my 2 cents.

@Vyacheslav333 @JCWrites @MarioVillager92 Thank you!

In terms of actual gaming time this weekend (and into next week) it will be complicated. I'm getting married today in about 6 hours so I gotta get my @ss moving soon to shower up and shave, get back to the hotel, get half ready, get to the venue on time for the getting ready pictures, first look, pictures, private vows, etc., yada yada yada an "I do" somewhere in there, more pictures and then boozing into the night and hopefully not wake up dead tomorrow

We're taking off to Maui for the week afterward, so the new wife gave permission (or encouraged me) to bring the Switch for the flight and any relaxing downtime while we're there. I've been debating back and forth a lot about bringing it since I'm supposed to be "honeymooning" and not gaming. If I do end up taking it, I'll continue my addiction to Snowrunner (Switch). I just 100% Michigan and started to explore Alaska and holy sh#t even with snow tires the terrain there is rough! I can tell this will make anything in Michigan look like a child's sandbox. Hopefully it's not too much of a difficulty spike to where it becomes less fun and more frustrating. I'm all for challenge but there always has to be a balance of a fun challenge instead of just straight up time consuming brutal trolling. We'll see but I'm looking forward to the new areas and setting.

Still all over Snowrunner (Switch). This game continues its vice grip on my b@lls and I'm perfectly fine with that! I'm getting really close to finishing off Michigan. On the last few contracts which consist of a lot of big deliveries all over the place across some rough terrains. Once I knock those out, I'll finally move on to Alaska. Yeah, I know I could have moved on a lot sooner (especially once I ranked up and got better gear) but it made me nuts to leave Michigan without finishing the job(s). Alaska looks to be a whole different beast so I want to be able to fully commit to it when the time comes. Bring it on, nature you b!#ch!

Oh yeah. Back then I upgraded immediately to the New 3DSXL for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. I was so hyped and pumped I was in gaming heaven for quite a long time! I believe it also came with a MH4U theme that was such a cherry on top

Ah I had a feeling this one would get remastered. I had this day one for PS1 and it was such a mix of fun and straight up trolled frustration. I'm wondering how this remaster will play because if I remember correctly the game (at least on PS1) was janky as hell.

Whether solo or coop the gameplay was either fun arcade beat up style or annoying. The camera would sometimes be a nightmare. Some angles would completely block any visibility of enemies and they'd start shooting at you way before you could see them. That camera also would set you up to just fall off a platform.

Speaking of falling off an unseen platform there was also the random platform jumping areas. Those could be BRUTAL (especially in coop). The camera made it next to impossible at times to correctly judge where you had to jump. It was rather common to burn through all your lives at a jumping section. Game over.

Also, there was plenty of bugs. The most common I'd run into was where you would get stuck in a platform corner you'd jump to. Meaning if you landed too close to the edge of a platform, you'd get stuck for a few seconds at your waist and would just die.

In those days you put up with those things because there was still plenty of fun to be had especially if you really dug Star Wars. This game came out during the beginning Prequel Era hype of the early 2000's so it got many of us pumped up to play. It was a common game a gang of us would play coop because it felt dope to deflect blaster bolts and combo an enemy to pieces. You just had to put up with all that janky stuff however again it was a different time of gaming. If it reviews well, I may pick up but it's also very possible once I encounter a jump section and burn through all the lives again, I'll dump it.

@Burning_Spear Nice! Be careful if it clicks with you you're gonna really make Balatro jealous.

Whenever you give it a go keep in mind the beginning 'tutorial' portion can be a slog and confusing. The overall early game can be tough too. I apparently made it a lot harder for myself because I was using the crappiest vehicle choices and tactics but the game does a horrible job at helping you understand it all. I had fun but there was some moments in that beginning map where I felt like I'm over my head.

When my weekend starts, I'll continue being completely absorbed in the world of Snowrunner (Switch). I've made so much progress, yet it still feels there so MUCH I have to do! I recently felt so accomplished just getting one load of long logs across 2 maps, yet I still have more log deliveries needed to finish the job. Can't wait to get back at it! This freaking game is quickly becoming a strong contender for my 2024 GOTY. I've said before I'm sticking to the base game (no DLC's) for everything because I don't want to cheese it. I want to earn those accomplishments!

My backlog is so pissed off at me right now. I had a good rhythm going getting through it but once Snowrunner unexpectedly clicked they got put on ice.

I could go for a remaster double pack of the Rainbow Six Vegas games. That would be an instant buy from me!

@ChHa I really wish there was a way to strip older sports games of any team licensing/player associations and re-release them. I played the hell out of Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey and NFL Blitz/2000 during the N64 era. Sucks due to those licensing issues those games will never see the light of day again.

That OG THPS game was one of those cultural moments in gaming. All of us kids in school were playing it (I believe I was a sophomore in high school). That was a game kids would talk about high scores on this or that level with this skater, etc. That was a game where YOU had to put your money where your mouth is after school, and all go to Andrew's house to play "horse" and prove your abilities. Lots and lots of trash talking and intense close score battles in a crowded room. It was definitely a different time where the conditions no longer exist today. It will never happen again.

@cosmograph LOL oh I can promise you you'll get through lots of audible books and podcasts with this game. As for how it runs on Switch is subjective and will vary per individual. In general, it runs and looks good for Switch. The port was done by Saber Interactive and they have a great reputation for good ports. However, obviously there is usual Switch compromises done in the expected places. Saber sure did though work some magic so that the core of everything is there. Obviously on any other platform it will perform a ton better. The Switch is all I got and I couldn't be more satisfied. I'd recommend watching SwitchUp's review of it because they go in depth with the Switch version. The game has received a ton of updates since then so performance has improved a lot.

@Rainz Yes, it's digital crack but not in the way of "gotcha" mechanics and/or via instant dopamine hits. It's a very, very slow experience. Especially in the beginning as you're getting to grips of things (there's a whole lot thrown at you). There was a moment or two I was very overwhelmed I was thinking I might be over my head. But I stuck with it and once more things "clicked" (also with help from a few beginners' tips You Tube videos) I just got so engaged it's all I want to play.

My poor backlog. I was doing so well tackling it and pulled the trigger on this game. Ah well I'm having a blast.

Snowrunner (Switch). This freaking game. This freaking game has me by the b@lls. Completely out of left field. I just can't explain how compelling this game is. I finally got myself a good off-road vehicle, tossed some upgrades on it and it became a workhorse. Those long cross-town hauls through the nastiest of roads are going down! Bring it on, nature!

I'm also sticking to the base game vehicles and avoiding any of the DLC stuff because I don't want to cheese it.

The latest rumor I heard is that it's going to launch in such a stable state it won't need any system updates for at least halfway through its lifecycle.

@Yoshi3 @Zuljaras @Truegamer79 I totally agree with everything said. Being in my 40's and living through most of the great gaming leaps in tech really grounds me in what is most important. And I used to be a PC gamer (I was the cool kid on the block when I got the 3DFX Voodoo2 graphics card ) throughout some of those eras. Now living in present day I know that matters most. Just make a fun game!

Lastly, when these types of articles come out I find it so amusing to see how history just repeats itself. On any sort of possible eve of the "next big thing" of hardware any of today's problems are considered to be solved once that next big thing comes out I can now say in all confidence...it won't! Rinse and repeat!

@Burning_Spear I don't know anything about the season packs because as of now I'm only playing the base game. And that alone is massive. It looks like the season packs add a ton more.

I may force myself to play a round of Balatro today because once I boot up Snowrunner then nothing else gets touched. Be careful because it could happen to you!

@Burning_Spear I think the last one I beat was the green stake using the green deck. I think the green deck is my main because of always getting some money coming in. And yeah that boss blind that has an extra large blind is straight up troll. That one has b!tch slapped me more times than I'd like to admit. If it ever comes around I'm hoping it's towards the early runs, or have any of those blind killing jokers. Or even that one joker that requires you to only have like 25% of the amount to pass.

Balatro though may have been put on the backburner a bit for me though. If you see my post on this topic (#93) you'll see why. I think I'm toast again in such an unexpected game to do it.

Oh man I think I can honestly say now that I've stepped in it big time. Early last week I picked up Snowrunner (Switch) and it's all I've been playing ever since. I have no desire to touch anything else and my backlog run I've been so good at getting through just got put on ice. I've never thought in all my years of gaming that this of all games would just have unexplainable voodoo black magic over me. I've put in hours and I'm still in the beginning area.

As I'm typing this, I can't wait till I can continue trying to deliver medium and long logs across town with low tier vehicles that will probably get stuck all the time and I have to grab another vehicle to hopefully winch them out. Why is this so freaking compelling!?

@Burning_Spear That game has you so by the b@lls Every week when I see your post I already know what you're all about. I totally get it that game is awesome and 'all hope is lost' at the same time for me. Meaning I could be having the most bulldozing run and then I hit a wall of a boss blind that just torpedoes me. I've unlocked most of the decks so to keep my sanity I hack at it on and off. Otherwise I'd be like you

In my quest to stay concentrated on the backlog and push myself to play games that aren't what I would normally gravitate to, I worry I just made a huge mistake. I picked up Snowrunner (Switch) and started very slowly figuring things out during the week. I have to say it's completely out of left field of anything I'd ever touch but I would always hear so much about it (Switch Up for years always brings it up). I say I possibly made a huge mistake in the sense that it's very slowly digging in meat hooks into me in a way I could see myself putting that backlog on ice (again!).

I honestly don't know how to explain it. I'm nothing of a "trucker" type person and/or have any desire to be. But yet as I learn more and more of this game's mechanics, I find myself losing track of the real world and just being absorbed into Snowrunner's world. I don't get it. It's a freaking slow (and I mean slow!) paced game but it's grabbing me. This game is so massive and literally hundreds of things to do on each map. If this continues, I could see my quest of the backlog being once again at a standstill (I've been doing so good the year or so cracking at it!). I never expected I'd be so fascinated with conquering an antagonist that is nothing more than an environment...?...crazy.

Honestly, it's really tripping me out. I've been gaming on some totally awesome games all over the spectrum lately but there's something about this game that feels the most unique and unexpected. Anyone else know what I'm talking about?