Comments 324

Re: Retailer 'GAME' Is Ending Its Reward Programme And Elite Membership

Grackler

As a ELITE Member half way through a membership, this is very annoying. One of the upsides was that if you didn't make as many points as it cost, you got the difference. Plus I've saved up £18 I have to spend real fast.
Worth also saying I've found on here. GAME have not even bothered to email to say this is happening!
Mike Ashley has run it down the toliet. Man only know how to bully underpaid workers to sell cheap, nasty, sweatshop, import sportswear in chav-tastic temples of sadness. Everything else he buys up he leads to utter ruin. (He's on the board of much-beloved Hornby next...)

Re: Nintendo Expands Switch Online's N64 Library With Two More Titles

Grackler

I’m glad to see less common titles, but I’m wary on Extreme G. F Zero X just doesn’t play properly on Switch Online, it is magnitudes more twitchy and uncontrollable than on OG hardware. This stick issue is common to the emulator, but usually only is really noticeable in certain sections (like first person archery in Zelda titles), however in F Zero X it really affects the core controls. Fear Extreme G will be the same. Also odd they went for Extreme G over the often preferred XG 2, maybe later?

Re: Staff At UK Retailer GAME Reportedly Facing Redundancies

Grackler

GAME really started to turn a corner after the management buyout, and seemed to have a solid strategy based on Waterstones success (become a physical hubs for events, wide aisle pleasant shopping experience, happier staff with reasonable working conditions to interact with etc). But COVID hit that hard; and that moron Mike Ashley harder still. Swapped loyality scheme for a high APR credit line (FraserPlus), totally unsuitable to half the audience, got rid of second hand resale (a massively profitable bit of the shop that is a well suited to physical shops over online in many ways), moved into dark, crapped, get-stabbed-for-your-PS5-outside corners of horrid Sports Directs…and now is squeezing the staff. He’ll run it into the ground, selling Chinese clothing tat at barrel scrapping prices is not the same market as video games retailers.

Re: Random: BAFTA's 'Iconic Game Characters' Poll Has Us Scratching Our Heads

Grackler

This list is pretty laughable. It's not about iconic, but just the favs of a very small grouping of industry people from the looks. Baldur's Gate 3 rando and Agent 47 ahead of Mario and mother-cluckin' Pikachu!? The iconic mascot of the most successful franchise in the world? That Pikachu? Tomb Raider may be British (as am I btw!) and reasonably well known, but I would bet my house that in a random sampling way of British people way more would know who Pikachu was. Agent 47 is just...not iconic. Same with Baldur's Gate peeps (I've literally forgotten their names as I scrolled down to write this!)

Re: Best Star Wars Video Games, Ranked - Switch And Nintendo Systems

Grackler

It tough to score some of the Aspyr re-releases. Jedi Knight 2 was lovingly ported by Raven on GameCube; they worked on the controls and multiplayer to fit the machine nicely. The Switch version is based on the superior PC game of that era…but it’s a bit of a weak effort in comparison, the controls are fussy, the multiplayer is missing, and it feels lazy. Same with many of the Aspyr ports, nominally better versions than old Nintendo hardware got, but so lazy compared to those old ports and with so much missed potential.
I really hope if they ever bring Rogue Squadron out they get Nightdive on it instead.

Re: Rumour: Xbox May Be About To Join The Switch In The Handheld Space

Grackler

"I want to be able to boot into the Xbox app in a full screen, but in a compact mode. And all of my social [experience] is there. Like I want it to feel like the dash of my Xbox when I turn on the television. [Except I want it] on those devices.”
I find this a odd take from Phil Spencer. They could do this right now. The Xbox on PC experience isn't stellar on a desktop, and it gets much worse on handheld PCs. They could through UI and software updates make the interface work better, like SteamDeck? Even just port their Xbox UI to these devices. That would seem like a good starting point, and allow some limited user testing before launching an all out handheld Xbox machine (something that would have stiff competition from Valve more than Nintendo I feel, with like-for-like games!).

Re: Soapbox: As Splatoon's Online Wraps Up Nearly 9 Years On, How Does It Compare To Splatoon 3?

Grackler

I agree with some people above, I loved Splatoon 1 but never got into 2 and 3. Maybe because I played the first so much, maybe the slightly different vibe, maybe that it wasn't so inventive the second and third times...probably a combo of all three! Whatever the cause, I appreciate the newer titles may be better in most practical terms, but I will always have a soft spot for the OG!

Re: Talking Point: What's Your Perfect Sunday Morning Game?

Grackler

I notice someone has flooded the votes with Charlie's Angels for the Gamecube! Funny, but please don't let however they did it start review bombing on the site; I'd hate for those great "Best Of" lists to be decided by bots ala Metacritic user scores.

I went for BotW. Once upon a time it was definitly Animal Crossing (Gamecube and Wild World), but since I play the Switch one with elderly parents now it's lost it's relaxing sheen for me (still a great game!). I love diving into a retro game. I don't have Sunday mornings free any more, but if I did I would likely boot up some Pilotwings 64 or similar to while away the morning!

Re: Every Nintendo Switch Online N64 Game Ranked

Grackler

The trouble with this ranking is it’s based on the originals as much/more than the Switch versions. F-Zero X is an incredible game, but the Switch Online version handle terribly! It’s nigh unplayable in comparison to the old console, way too twitchy. Great game but not great on Switch sadly.

Re: Pokémon X Van Gogh Museum Merch Is Already Seeing Expensive Online Resales

Grackler

The Logan-Paul esque drive for Pokémon cards as financial assets is tragic. It’s a fun thing for kids to get into culture at a museum, the place looks like a Black Friday sale. I think Pokemon company should forgo rarity and just mass produce any card deemed “rare” in a way at this point. Flood the market for the sake of kids getting to enjoy Pokemon cards again!

Re: Video: Another Code: Recollection Side-By-Side Graphics Comparison (Switch & DS)

Grackler

I’m happy to have Another Code back, but I have to say it doesn’t look like the same game. More like a remake in the 2019 Resi 2 remake mould, with the same basic premise and setting but a quite different game. Obviously has to be that way somewhat, as the original was so tied to the DS hardware. But it seems to be generic looking, lacking some of the character of the Cing original.

Re: Round Up: The Reviews Are In For Sea Of Stars

Grackler

Interesting that the 3 Hookshot media outlets all had different reviewers (when it is obviously most profit-effective to have multi-platform titles that don’t have large technical differences share a review); hope it’s a sign that all 3 sites are doing well enough to support a wide range of writers! It’s nice to see more opinions when able (no shade on when you can’t of course!)

Re: Review: Turok 2: Seeds of Evil - A Painfully Incomplete Version Of An N64 Classic

Grackler

Honestly I think the review score is a bit harsh; Turok 2 is a great single player game and this is a stellar version of it! I got it on Xbox in the end, but I think Switch now has online multiplayer, jsut no split-screen. It is a big loss if you have any other consoles, but what's there is still great.
I wonder if that is why they haven't done Rage Wars yet? Would make up for Turok 2 lacking the deathmatch mode!

Re: Video: The N64 Kart Racer That Deserves To Be On Switch

Grackler

Great game, I don’t think it’s better or worse than Mario Kart 64; it has a different focus and different strengths. Much better single player, but a bit less pick-up-and-play multiplayer than MK. This and DK64 would be great additions (maybe Game Boy Donkey Kong 94 and with a discount on Tropical Freeze as well, Nintendo?)

Re: Talking Point: What's The Best Year In Gaming?

Grackler

Many good picks! I personally struggled between 1998, 2002 and 2007 (although in the UK pre-internet 1998/2002 blending into the following year, with delayed releases and such). I chose 1998 as there were so many genre-defining classics across so many consoles/PC games.

Re: Atari Enters Agreement To Acquire Night Dive Studios

Grackler

I hope this doesn’t lock Nightdive out of working with other firms. I don’t care as much for Atari’s old games as much as I’d like Nightdive to have a crack at Turok 3. Imagine if they’d gotten to do Goldeneye how good it could have been! Or some other lost N64/PS1 classics. They are masters of early 3D rereleases.

Re: Baten Kaitos Remasters Have Japanese VO Only, Frame Rate, File Size Revealed

Grackler

It seems like a dumb idea to miss out the English voices. Sure they had a “talking through a tube” quality, but it wouldn’t hurt to have the option! However I think the culprit could be that file size: 8GB. Adding another language would make it bigger…and thus step up the cost of the physical card as that (8 to 16) is a cross over point for cartridge sizes.

Re: Random: YouTuber Spends Nearly $23K Buying Every 3DS & Wii U eShop Game

Grackler

People are being very negative, seems like a positive thing to do. Museums can only really store things legally, so while there is a community ripping ROMs and such (and they are arguably more essential due to all the limitations of just buying on Account linked systems like this in the longer term); this is still a worthwhile way to give a museum a collection they can legal hold/use.
Also video and the general endeavour was quite fun I thought!

Re: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Version 2.3.0) Character & Vehicle Performance Balance Changes Revealed

Grackler

Even if it doesn’t fundamentally change the top-tier choices, it would be nice to see some more varied setups. Online is a sea of wrigglers and waluigi’s, or that bug-pram-thing. It’s never felt particularly unfair, as most aren’t top level players (I play as Yoshi in a race car and do well!), but it visually isn’t appealing to see a grid of repeating characters and karts.

Re: Scalpers Set Their Sights On Metroid Prime Remastered Physical Release

Grackler

This is a tough problem to crack, but in many cases it can be sorted. The problem is a company doesn’t make any extra from scalpers, but they also don’t want to make excess stock that won’t sell (they want every copy they make to sell, and ideally they sell as many as the market wants for maximum profit). Games Workshop has issues with stock of boxed games and did a Made to Order window (delayed delivery, but guaranteed to get from them at RRP). Selling in waves helps, as does chasing down scalpers and cancelling their orders if possible. But it could really do with some touched up laws, at least in the UK (like with ticket touting), some effort from the makers (with higher stock levels, doesn’t need to be insane) and eBay (you can’t sell preorders apparently, but zero enforcement at all). Also maybe consumers should avoid buying scalpers goods? Feeds the beast and costs you in the end!
(Limited editions or signed things etc will unavoidably always hit this issue, although eBay and co could help reduced it I think)