Comments 324

Re: Random: There's A New Hill In London, And People Think It Looks Like Super Mario 64

Grackler

What on Earth is that monstrosity!? And who would pay to walk up a hill? Sheffield is all hills, I’d pay for flatness in hot weather!

Top tourist tip, see Marble Arch, and then just jump on a train 99% of the UK and walk up a real hill for free (and if it has caves inside they will look more like SM64s Hazy Maze Cave and less like a bunch of scaffolds Bond would fight Scaramanga among!)

Re: PowerA Has Released A Blood Moon Zelda Controller For Switch

Grackler

@Liam_Doolan ah nice! It sparked a bell when I saw it on Twitter as it looked so good! I’m pretty content with the Pro Controller myself (and all the amazing battery life, HD rumble, motion control etc that comes with it); but for the (much lower) price these Power A ones seem decent quality. Got my sis a charging Pikachu wired PowerA one, and as well as a gorgeous case (like this Zelda one), the build was robust and it’s worked fine so far.

Re: Poll: Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Is Out Today On Switch, Are You Getting It?

Grackler

I have it and I liked it! Not my favourite, but I loved the motion controls, really felt new and exciting. That said, while I don’t dislike it as strongly as everyone else I know, I’ve not much interest in replaying it on Switch. If I did I’d boot up the Wii. For me it’s so tied to that console, controller and point-in-time (got to streetpass at the concert in London, play the E3 demos at the ignored booth at GAMEFest, enjoy the game with sibling over Christmas…good times!)
That said hope new players enjoy the remaster!

Re: Feature: Our Most Treasured Zelda Memories

Grackler

I’ve had some many great memories with the series, up to and including Breath of the Wild. But for me Ocarina hit at the perfect time, the 3D looked incredible, I was sucked into the world, and the scope and feel we’re mind-blowing everytime the game revealed something new!

Re: Random: Fan Project Is Making Super Mario Galaxy DS A Reality

Grackler

Graphically that outshines Super Mario 64 DS by quite a bit! The Mario model is much more detailed/high poly, as is the environment, the textures look quite high res for DS and it is running at a high framerate despite all that is going on. Would love to know how they got it running so well!

Re: Railway Empire Is Expanding With New Japan DLC

Grackler

Would love a review, particularly to know if it's of the quality of Transport/Railroad Tycoon (looks more like the highly focused management of Railroad Tycoon series than the more holistic Transport?). Also would like to know if it's any good or just some mobile-quality fare (there is a lot of subpar transport management games on phone app stores!)

Re: Random: What Is This, A Game Boy For Ants?

Grackler

@Damo "Is that an original Game Boy in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me?"
To be fair to @nhSnork, the late 80s/early 90's did have baggier trousers! (Personally I lacked the pocket size to keep an OG Game Boy in a pocket safely, never mind the Game Gear with all those AAs inside!)
On topic, this little thing is both mighty impressive in terms of how much is squeezed in, and looks like a hand-cramp nightmare I never want to use!

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 16th)

Grackler

Got a full 4 player Mon Hun Rise team on the go, working through low ranks learning the game, toying with equipment sets. Also playing some Command and Conquer Remastered on PC, which is a blast from the past (and a step-up control wise from the N64 controls I played it with back in the 90s!)

Re: Feature: Zelda: Spirit Tracks Finally Gave The Princess A Crucial Role To Play

Grackler

Spirit Tracks to me was a more polished Phantom Hourglass. The same great looking (...for DS) engine and sublime touch controls, but with a more interesting central dungeon, the Zelda mechanics and a more linear (but busy) overworld. For all its faults I really enjoyed it, the train riding was something unique (and the harder dungeon bits were satisfyingly puzzly!). Some great tunes too...

Re: UK Charts: Super Mario 3D All-Stars Sees Huge Sales Spike Ahead Of Its Removal From Stores This Week

Grackler

@Minecraft_Master "This is disgraceful. Nintendo forced all these people to buy All-Stars. People who didn't have the money right now ..."
The limited sale thing is a bit of a move for sure, but aren't you being a tad melodramatic? Forced people without money to buy it? It's not like Shigsy was waiting for them outside the supermarket with a gun, forcing them to pick up 3 old Mario games over the groceries!

Re: How To Improve Your Switch's Internet Connection

Grackler

@UmbreonsPapa
I agree! The jibe was still very funny though!
Win Phone 8.1 was an amzingly robust OS, ruined in the upgrade to Win Phone 10 and driven into the ground. That said most of the QoL UI features and under-the-hood reliability and security features that were stand out on WinPhone8.1 at the time are in iOS these days. Do miss how well it worked with Windows (but maybe I'd feel that way about iPhone if I had a Mac...)
I also have no issues with my connection personally (I'm a bit of a netwokring nerd due to my profession!), but this is a pretty good guide for the causal-Wi-fi-user-who-happens-to-be-a-less-than-casual Smash Bros/Splatoon player!

Re: Review: Monster Hunter Rise - A New Apex For Capcom's Beastly Franchise

Grackler

I'm so excited for this! Last MonHun game I plaed was 4U on 3DS, a good while ago now (played Tri and bounced off, but got really into 3U on Wii U). Sad that for now my MonHun gang can't go back to the 3U days of me on TV with Wii U, other 3 portable on 3DS, but post-pandemic (maybe with an expansion release??) I'm sure we will! A central screen making most of the noise was good, made the room feel less empty than all on handheld in 4U (which was still great of course). But we have online for now!

Wish I still had my days I booked for it this weekend: sadly my work is super busy right now so won't get to play probably until Easter weekend...will be voraficously gobbling up any NL articles about it on my phone in the meantime!

Re: Soapbox: There Might Be A Bright Side To Mario's March 31st Doomsday, After All

Grackler

I love: "And anyone who's read the Biblical story of Cain and Abel, or Joseph and his technicolour dreamcoat (or just watched the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical) knows what happens when one child is given all the attention at the expense of others: he gets murdered and/or sold to strangers."
That's the kind of writing I'm here for!
On the "Doomsday" I'm a bit disappointed as it seems so random and a bit lame (I get all games are limited: physical copies all have limited runs and digital shops close eventually; but this is a very short horizon). It's not the end of the world, and I hope this comes true and we see some more "Year of Luigi" type stuff after this!

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 27th)

Grackler

Not strictly playing, but I have some of those Nanoblock Pokemon and I’m building them. Sat for a hour with chill Nintendo music on, a warm tea, slowing making a bulbasaur (pikachu left, then I’m out for now), it is pure zen bliss.

Also Littlewood sounds interesting as a Fantasy Life spiritual successor, any chance of a review?