Guitar_bard

Continuing my yearly Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin playthrough. Trying to 100% everything by Halloween. It will be the first time I have ever done it!

@Themagusx1 my goal this year is to finally 100% everything on it. I never have! I get caught up playing so many other games. This is the year though! (Hopefully before Halloween)

@Themagusx1 I totally agree! It is easily one of my favorite Castlevania games. I try and replay it every couple of years.

I have been on a big Castlevania kick lately, so I am playing:
Super Castlevania 4
Harmony of Dissonance
Portrait of Ruin

Also, I just picked up Silver Falls: 3 Down Stars on sale. I am so impressed by this developer working so hard this last year to fix what was a pretty troubled launch. It has turned into a pretty good game.

@SwitchForce I completely agree. It is amazing how out for blood gamers seem to be of things don't go their way.

It also really angers me that it doesn't matter how many accomplishments a person can have, they are only as good as their latest failure.

Yuki Naka and his teams have been responsible for a lot of my smiles in my and my friends' childhoods. I hope his next time is a huge success.

@Anti-Matter I agree with you, but have you tried the New 2DS XL model? Even minus the 3D, it feels really nice to play on.

@JustMonika Thanks so much for the recommendations! That is awesome. My daughter and I always looking for something new and fun.

Thanks again!

With how nuts the world has been lately, I wanted to play some fun games that make me smile, so I bought and have been playing a bunch of the DS and 3DS Lego games. It is exactly what I needed. Pirates of the Caribbean is so fun. So is The Force Awakens.

I also have been giving both Sonic Boom games on the 3DS another go. I don't understand the hate on those two. They are a ton of fun as well.

Not on Nintendo consoles, but the soundtracks to the Sega CD versions of Ecco The Dolphin 1 & 2 are my favorite game soundtracks to chill out to. I still listen to them all of these years later!

@BloodNinja Absolutely. There is no worse feeling than spending countless hours on something for it to just be discarded or disregarded. It is almost better if someone actually hates something that you created, because at least they are investing something into it.

I have a friend that worked for Xbox for a long time, and he said it was soul crushing hearing their experiments and creations be treated as just another commodity on the assembly line by supposed fans.

@BloodNinja Thank you for this. As a guitarist, composer, performer and recording artist, I am so relieved to hear someone else understand the symbiotic relationship between those that create, and those that are sharing in the creation (playing games, attending concerts, listening to cds).

I absolutely hate the term "consuming media" as it takes all of the beauty out of a shared experience that is meant to be enjoyed, not devoured.

EDIT: I just wanted to clarify that I wasn't trying to brag about what I do, or post a resume, engage in self-promotion, etc. I listed each of those things I do solely to show that each of those things are enhanced by the people I share them with, much like anyone involved in game creation. To me that even includes the packaging. It gives the creation more of a feeling of permanence, rather than something to be discarded after you are simply done with it.

@Refurin I agree 100% . Samus Returns is one of my favorite games of all time.

@Nin10dood I totally agree with you. I have beem collecting DS/3ds and some GBA games for the last few years, and all will be played by me.
The tough part is that some games I am really interested in getting are no longer worth it, because the prices are so insane, including for a loose copy.

Growing up in the 80s and 90s, this is soooo cool. I loved being a kid and trying to make my own costumes out of cardboard. (Never as good as this though!!) It was a lot of fun, and this really brings me back to a good time.

Thanks for this @Damo !. Really brought a smile to my face.

I really want a successor to the 3ds, with full backward with my DS/3ds library.

The Switch just has never done it for me. My daughter loves it, but I wouldn't even use it until I got a pro controller for it. Joy cons feel worse to me than the original NES rectangle.

I love the still amazing DS/3ds library, and I feel there is much more life to the dual screen concept.

As for Switch games, the only one I have bought is a physical copy of Dragon Quest 11s so that it can go with my DS/3ds DQ games. Other than that, for most games I would want to play on the Switch I just get them on my PS4 and they play and look better.

I would definitely get a Playdate down the road though! Lovely looking device.

@ecco6t9 I completely agree. I play my 3ds 10x as much as my family's Switch.

This week I picked up 3 games and so this weekend it is:

Tales of the Abyss (3ds remake)
Puzzle and Dragons Z (3ds)
Okamiden!! (DS)

I'm enjoying myself quite a bit with each of these. Of course, being a Dad I only get a few minutes here and there, but they have been fun minutes!

I am continuing my Metroid replay marathon, and am at the end of Fusion. The SA-X is kicking my butt...

Also, might finally beat Captain Toad (3DS version) and play more Aliens: Infestation (DS).

Have a great weekend everyone!

My Kindle is ready.

I am trying so hard to understand that some random criteria like camera perspective should dictate the price... but I just can't. I would have easily paid $60 for Shovel Knight or Steamworld Heist, and never thought twice. The sheer amount of fun I have had with both of those games would more than justify that. Same with Samus Returns on the 3ds! I can't wait for Metroid Dread.

Can you imagine using some pricing metric in a game like Wolfenstein, where number of nazis killed equals price??
"Well, the game developer only provided 600 nazis to slaughter in this game, rather than 1200. Should only be $30 max."

Or what about movies in the theater? Do Marvel movies get their own pricing structure compared to other movies due to the amount of special effects used?

Sometimes I think my fellow gamers are quite an entitled group...

Just finished replaying Metroid: Zero Mission, and now playing through Samus Returns again on 3ds. Such great games!

I am also playing:
Uncharted 4 (PS4)
The Way: Remastered (Switch)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

@SwitchplayerJohn Agreed. It just seems to be getting worse and worse. At least the announced Amiibo functionality for Metroid Dread is minimal (extra energy, extra missile tanks, I think).

Of course Metroid: Samus Returns locked an entire difficulty behind an amiibo, and that felt pretty horrible.

A few years from now there will probably be a free to play Zelda or Mario with one area initially available, and to unlock additional levels or dungeons you will have to buy the corresponding amiibo for each section. Gotta collect 'em all!

To make it even better: want to access the item screen? Get the Navi amiibo! Want to fight Ganondorf? Better have the amiibo for that too! Want to expand the amount of rupees you can hold? We have a Tingle amiibo for that too!

Sorry. Rant ended.

Yes, I had the same idea as everyone else after seeing the Metroid Dread reveal. I am going back through the main series, starting with Zero Mission (I played through the original NES game a few months ago).

Besides that, I am playing:
Dragon Quest 6 (DS)
Dragon Quest 11s (Switch)
Soul Calibur 6 (PS4)

@Radbot42 This is a pretty insightful perspective! I do remember the days of the rise of handhelds, and this being the pervasive opinion. It became home console = 3d, console = 2d.

Just because something can be 3d, doesn't mean it needs to be. (My opinion)

Since I wasn't into handheld gaming back then I didn't know what I was missing, because those were some amazing gaming experiences.

IMHO, I think gaming has progressed to the point that good experience = good experience, and that for a lot of us it isn't about the tech being involved, but the fun factor.

I think there are a few reasons for this, ajd that support a 2d Metroid being considered top tier, rather than a classic handheld release.

• The rise of great indie games (Example: Shovel Knight)
• A lot of gamers are older now, and miss having experiences that aren't just another 3d sandbox.
• The Switch bridging the gap between the handheld and home console space
• Last generation handhelds (3ds and Vita) delivered full featured console quality games

Now, a 2d game can be a choice of atmosphere rather than technological constraints.

Just my opinions, but I really appreciate your comments!

I bought Samus Returns right when it came out, and it blew me away. Absolutely floored me. I have no doubt I will feel the same way when I get Dread.

I love the Prime games, but I always felt a little like "this is cool, since at least it's a Metroid game, even though it isn't what I really want (a side perspective). Now here it is!

I am very pleased lately with the resurgence of side perspective games. I became really annoyed years ago when every game series had to be 3d (1st or 3rd person).

This looks like is going to be a great experience. I am as excited as I was as a little boy.

@LinktotheFuture I completely agree. It is such a revolutionary game that totally nails the controls, atmosphere, music, feeling of exploration, etc. I still go back and play it every once in a while.

I loved Mercury Steam's work on Samus Returns, and the Castlevania reboots, and I am so happy they are helping finally make Metroid Dread a reality.

Honestly, they were really seem to understand how to make classic IP's feel fresh and relevant. I hope that they get their hands on more and more sequels to classics.

For example, I think they should be given the keys to the Contra license, or Kid Icarus!

I know I am echoing a ton of other people, but Metroid Dread by itself made it a great presentation for me. The fact that they showed several games (especially SMT 5!) that I am really interested in? That made it absolutely stellar.

I haven't been this excited for a game since Samus Returns, and I wasn't disappointed then, since I loved it so much.

Actually, I am more excited for this. Metroid 5 is actually happening!!!!!

Being a huge Dragon Quest fan, I was ashamed I hadn't played 11 yet, so I just picked it up for the Switch. It is soooo good.

Also playing:
Dragon Quest 6 - DS
Horizon Zero Dawn - PS4

With all of this talk of Super Metroid, I might have to do my yearly replay of it. Such an amazing game.

I never really got into the GBC back in the day, but when i got my 1st 3ds a few years ago I started to check out a bunch of GBC games on the eshop.

There have been some really awesome games on it, between the Zeldas, Wario Lands, Shantae, etc. I have been really happy to have the ability to play a bunch of them now.

@sketchturner Fair enough. Of the pre-DS 'Vanias, Super Castlevania is easily my favorite. Any list that includes Comix Zone is a good one.

This was a great article, thanks for sharing! This definitely put a smile on my face. I have so many good memories playing Sonic 2 with my brother and our friends. I remember passing the controller back and forth, and when we finally beat it, you could hear the cheering down the street.

@sketchturner Great list, but what about Castlevania: Bloodlines?

@Redfield70x7 I went through the same thing a year ago (I wanted all of the DS and 3DS versions). It was pricy but so worth it.

IV was an amazing game, and of course V is considered legendary, but I really am enjoying VI a lot. It is a very special game. In fact, I was checking out the 11S demo, and as great as it was, I stopped to go back to VI.

That is awesome that you got the strategy guides. I would love to find them for a good price.

I am out of town with the family this weekend, and so I brought one of my trusty 3ds's, and Dragon Quest VI. The only one of the Zenithia Trilogy I haven't beaten yet!

It is such a good time to be a Dragon Quest fan. Now they know how to celebrate an anniversary!!

@TheWingedAvenger I am glad I am not insane. I think V is still a great game, but I honestly liked the pacing of IV and VIII way more.

I am glad to see so many people love VI like I do. I am currently replaying it, and it is still great.

Also, VIII is in my opinion one of the greatest RPGs ever created. 11/10.

I have a hard time with a QOL change that almost every adventure / open world game has had as a normal feature for what, 15 years?

Can you imagine the hate Skyrim would have received if they had locked fast travel behind paid DLC?

I am fine with additional content and / or cosmetic changes, but what's next?
Having the Pause menu of a game locked behind an Amiibo?

*The World Ends With You (DS) - on Day 5. I like it, but it just isn't as amazing to me as it is to so many people. I am hoping it grabs me more as I continue.

*Sideswiped (DS) - Such an underrated Burnout style racing game. I bought this recently online and have put a lot of hours into it.

*Dragon Quest 6 (DS) - This is the only DQ of the DS/3ds re-releases that I haven't beat, and I feel it is time to.

*God of War (PS4) - I started this a while ago, and just haven't had the time to play on my PS4. If I can, I am going to try and make progress.

@ItsATM Thanks!! I completely agree. It is easily one of my favorite Zelda games, period. I can't believe how well it has aged!

I am still astounded by the GBA/DS/3DS library. Sooooo many classics out of those 3 generations.

Just finished LoZ: The Minish Cap. I hadn't played it in years, and it is just as good as I remember.

Next up is The World Ends With You (DS). I have actually never played more than 30 minutes of it, so I am excited to give it an honest shot.

Video and game rentals were a huge part of my childhood and teenage years, and I really do miss that whole experience. As a parent, it bothers me that I can't share that with my kids either!

Some of the best gaming times I have ever had were looking through and guessing which game to rent, and then spending a couple of days trying to get as far as I could, or thanking God that I didn't buy whatever it was I was playing.

I actually got into collecting physical DS/3DS games once the Switch started taking off, because I love the 3DS so much, and because I knew it was going to eventually be harder / more expensive to get games for.

Then, my interests branched out in what games I wanted to play, and over time, so did my collection.

I think there is less to do with Nostalgia and more to do with games that I really enjoy from an amazing time in gaming.

All of my current systems now collect dust, but i have no shortage of awesome games to play on older systems!!

@Yorumi Thank you for saying this. I have a pretty big DS collection, and most of the games I play and collect I never played when they were first released. Quality is quality.

Steamworld Heist is one of my favorite games of the last decade, so this is a no brainer for me. More Heist!!!

@SeantheDon29 Ha, I never thought about that before, but he does look a lot like him, and yes, that could be a really cool crossover (if done correctly).

The whole saga of this game really saddens me, because I was really hoping (before seeing the demo) that this game would signal the triumphant return of Yuji Naka as a significant creative force in gaming.

I remember how amazing Sonic was when it was new, as well as Nights. He helped change gaming in such an amazing way. I really hope he has another awesome project up his sleeve in the future.

I really loved this game when it came out. I replayed it recently and found that I still do! It isn't perfect, but still feels and looks so magical.