I believe Helena Taylor. I am very disappointed she is no longer voicing Bayonetta. I believe that most voice actors are not sufficiently paid for their work. I find it disturbing that PlatinumGames and Nintendo did not see fit to pay Ms. Taylor fairly to keep her around.
However, I will not be boycotting Bayonetta 3. Why not? Well, for one thing, doing so is harmful to the many other creative folks who worked on the game. It does reward the executives who made the decision to save a few bucks, but them's the breaks.
The bigger issue is that boycotts force moral equivalencies upon us. If we boycott Bayonetta 3 on this principle alone, we have a duty to also:
Boycott all other games developed and / or published by PlatinumGames
Boycott all games and devices sold by Nintendo
Boycott all other developers and publishers that have not done right by their creators, staff, etc. at some point
That leaves us with a few games to play on itch.io, probably.
Every major corporation has done bad deeds. You are probably reading this comment on a device that was made with unethically-mined materials, or manufactured in a high-stress, low-pay factory in a low-income country. The fact that our goods and entertainment products are often made through exploitation is not defensible, but small-scale boycotts are not going to be very effective in bringing about change. I don't claim to know what will work, though.
I love Box Art Brawl, and I love the Mega Man series, but I don't think there is a single instance of a NA or EU cover being superior to the Japanese version. The Western games never got it right, until they started using the same artwork worldwide.
I played and completed both Limbo and Inside shortly after they were released on the Nintendo Switch, and it was my first time with both. I greatly enjoyed the experiences, which, while similar in tone, are very distinct.
I am not one to try and find "meaning" in games or their endings. The endings of both Limbo and Inside were a little weird, but I attach no more import or value to them than I do to, say, Super Mario Odyssey. For me, it's all about the journey. As long as I had a good time getting there, the ending is not especially important to me.
The exceptions are games with strong, clear narratives; I look forward to seeing how things wrap up. My favorite examples of this are the first two Bravely Default games on 3DS, and Xenoblade Chronicles. The XC ending was among the most satisfying I have experienced in any RPG.
@WiltonRoots that's a great point. The Switch has far more of the titles that appeal to Japanese gamers. The surge in resources Square Enix has moved to Switch development is a sign of that, too.
Hat tip to the 12 people who bought a new PS4 in Japan last week.
I am genuinely surprised by the failure of the PS5 to catch on better in Japan. I know it's greatly hampered by supply chain problems and Sony's decision to prioritize USA customers, but I would think there would be stronger demand.
I spent dozens of hours just flying around Pilotwings 64's ersatz USA map, firing missiles at Mount Rushmore and other landmarks. Good times. I loved this game when I was a teenager and I am excited to play the improved version!
I met Mr. Martinet at a con just last year. He was the nicest, sweetest guy you could ever encounter. I got a photo and an autographed poster. I'll never forget it. Such a charming gentleman.
@Octorok385 I got a fair amount of enjoyment out of FFE as well. It wasn't enough to get me interested in the Monster Hunter games it imitated, but it was a pretty decent game that I put about 20 hours into.
Mine would probably be "Final Fantasy IV: The After Years." I originally played this game via the WiiWare installments, shortly after I completed Final Fantasy IV for the first time on Wii Virtual Console. I thought it was a great follow-up to the original game and it satisfied my curiosity about the many characters I'd grown to love. It got mixed scores from reviewers, particularly Jason Schreier, who called it the worst RPG he ever played.
@PBandSmelly exactly! We stopped calling FPS games "DOOM clones" a long, long time ago. It worked then because "FPS" hadn't been coined yet.
Super Smash Bros. created the platform fighting genre more than 20 years ago. It has developed and diversified a ton since then. Otherwise, we'd call Mortal Kombat a "Street Fighter knockoff."
Gotta be honest: this trailer does not do the game any favors. Choppy, clunky animation and unappealing character designs (to me, anyway) turned me off of a game that I should be interested in playing.
I really want to play it, but Nintendo won't sell it to me because I live in North America. What gives??? How could a freaking shmup from 20+ years ago run afoul of an ESRB rating? Sheesh.
Apparently I am completely out of touch with much of the Nintendo Life commenterati. I thought it was the best Direct in years. I was over the moon from start to finish. Fantastic, SS Tier, A+, 10/10 would watch again.
Yes, I am an old guy, lover of Square Enix RPGs, huge Zelda fan, Pikmin fan, Final Fantasy diehard, and old enough to have played Nintendo 64 when it was new while I was in college. I got everything I wanted except a Metroid Prime 4 update, and I'm not even a little bit unhappy.
Also: I went in with very low expectations and I ignored all rumors / leaks, except those of Liam Robertson, who nailed it as usual.
It's hard to complain, considering he's been honest with updates and has already delivered a lot of content for free. Oh yeah, and he's also becoming a preferred composer for Game Freak. Fox works his tail off, and I'm confident the final version of Deltarune will be worth the wait.
Japan's is obviously ruined by the Famitsu promotion, and I feel like EU and NA are a toss-up. I do like the Ghost Babel subtitle, though. It's very Kojima-esque, in that it is two unrelated words that make no sense but sound kind of cool anyway.
I cannot emphasize this enough: if you haven't watched the Did You Know Gaming? video yet, stop what you're doing and go watch it right now. It is absolutely worth every minute of your time.
I am one of those who has long been asking for an "Old Man Link" game that portrays Link as an aged, battle-hardened recluse, forced to come out of hiding near the end of his life to save Hyrule one last time. I am very excited to see what DYKG uncovered on Heroes of Hyrule.
YES!!! When I heard about the Sunsoft event coming up, I was hopeful that a Gimmick re-release or remaster would be in the cards. This is really fantastic! It's one of the most technically-impressive NES and Famicom games.
I imagine it will get a physical release, too, since Limited Run is part of the company now.
Golf Story was one of my favorite Switch games, and I've been waiting literally years for an update on Sports Story. I assume at this point it's vaporware, which is too bad because Golf Story was so great. The developer's last update was in December. Their Twitter account is abandoned, and their website hasn't been updated since 2019. What a shame!
I like Splatoon a lot, and I love Splatoon 2. But nothing I've seen so far has me excited for Splatoon 3. Nintendo will have to show an awful lot of brand-new modes and other surprises to convince me that this shouldn't have just been another expansion to Splatoon 2.
@steventonysmith I collect things because I enjoy them. I'm not trying to make money. It just happens that a lot of "worthless pieces of plastic" are worth a dang fortune these days. You don't have to collect if you don't want to!
I pre-ordered mine the day they went live, mostly because I'm a collector and I've become accustomed to these shortages. Seems like the global supply chain is going to take a decade to get back to whatever normal once was.
I'm surprised nobody mentioned the relatively well-known error on the NA / EU cover — part of the image is reversed. Look at the backwards "L" on Luigi's cap.
Probably the biggest cover goof ever on a first-party Nintendo title. Japan's art should win by default.
@Kiz3000 thanks for the clarification! At first glance, I thought it must be a Bravely Default spinoff, until I realized Square Enix has nothing at all to do with it.
I adore Korone-chan! She was my introduction to hololive and Vtubers, and I still watch her whenever I can. I have to type with my nose now, since she took all my yubis
I have Space Seeker in the Taito Milestones collection, and it's not great. Definitely innovative and interesting, but I played it twice and I'm done with it. Good old-fashioned arcade brutal difficulty.
This article is missing some important context: the stock was never worth very much to begin with. The 136 GBX peak is just $1.64 US. It fell to about 70 cents a share. So it is basically a "penny stock," not exactly a heavyweight in which most traders would invest.
Most publicly-traded game publishers are worth far more per share right now. Compare: Nintendo $56 Microsoft $251 Sony $84 EA $129
Devolver is in the range of other high-risk, low-reward penny stocks, like Atari: $0.15
I guess this is what happens when a small-ish publisher in a crowded market dreams too big and seeks an IPO. As others said, Devolver is now vulnerable to a takeover from someone like Tencent, Embracer, or the House of Saud.
Comments 1,259
Re: Exclusive: Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Locks In November Release
This looks really fantastic! It's basically made for old guys like me
Re: Talking Point: Would You Prefer 'Super Mario Odyssey 2' Or A Totally New 3D Mario?
As great as 2017 was, Nintendo did not release Splatoon 3 that year. (First graf)
Re: Jurassic World Aftermath Collection Unearths November Release Date On Switch
Love it. I will check it out for sure!
Re: Talking Point: Given The Voice Artist Controversy, Will You Be Boycotting Bayonetta 3?
I believe Helena Taylor. I am very disappointed she is no longer voicing Bayonetta. I believe that most voice actors are not sufficiently paid for their work. I find it disturbing that PlatinumGames and Nintendo did not see fit to pay Ms. Taylor fairly to keep her around.
However, I will not be boycotting Bayonetta 3. Why not? Well, for one thing, doing so is harmful to the many other creative folks who worked on the game. It does reward the executives who made the decision to save a few bucks, but them's the breaks.
The bigger issue is that boycotts force moral equivalencies upon us. If we boycott Bayonetta 3 on this principle alone, we have a duty to also:
That leaves us with a few games to play on itch.io, probably.
Every major corporation has done bad deeds. You are probably reading this comment on a device that was made with unethically-mined materials, or manufactured in a high-stress, low-pay factory in a low-income country. The fact that our goods and entertainment products are often made through exploitation is not defensible, but small-scale boycotts are not going to be very effective in bringing about change. I don't claim to know what will work, though.
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl - Mega Man 4
I love Box Art Brawl, and I love the Mega Man series, but I don't think there is a single instance of a NA or EU cover being superior to the Japanese version. The Western games never got it right, until they started using the same artwork worldwide.
Re: Backlog Club: Exploring The [REDACTED] And Finding The [REDACTED] In 'Inside'
I played and completed both Limbo and Inside shortly after they were released on the Nintendo Switch, and it was my first time with both. I greatly enjoyed the experiences, which, while similar in tone, are very distinct.
I am not one to try and find "meaning" in games or their endings. The endings of both Limbo and Inside were a little weird, but I attach no more import or value to them than I do to, say, Super Mario Odyssey. For me, it's all about the journey. As long as I had a good time getting there, the ending is not especially important to me.
The exceptions are games with strong, clear narratives; I look forward to seeing how things wrap up. My favorite examples of this are the first two Bravely Default games on 3DS, and Xenoblade Chronicles. The XC ending was among the most satisfying I have experienced in any RPG.
Re: Japanese Charts: Splatoon 3 Cleans Up As NieR:Automata On Switch Places Second
@WiltonRoots that's a great point. The Switch has far more of the titles that appeal to Japanese gamers. The surge in resources Square Enix has moved to Switch development is a sign of that, too.
Re: Superb Shmup Radiant Silvergun Is Getting A Physical Release On Switch
I deliberately waited for a retail release, and I got it... now I can look forward to playing this in August 2023.
Re: Nintendo Download: 13th October (North America)
Waiting for the physical retail version of Atari Mania from (sigh) Limited Run.
Looking forward to playing it when I get my copy in July 2023.
Re: Japanese Charts: Splatoon 3 Cleans Up As NieR:Automata On Switch Places Second
Hat tip to the 12 people who bought a new PS4 in Japan last week.
I am genuinely surprised by the failure of the PS5 to catch on better in Japan. I know it's greatly hampered by supply chain problems and Sony's decision to prioritize USA customers, but I would think there would be stronger demand.
Re: Review: Pilotwings 64 - A Real Gem, Sparkling In The Shadow Of Mario 64
I spent dozens of hours just flying around Pilotwings 64's ersatz USA map, firing missiles at Mount Rushmore and other landmarks. Good times. I loved this game when I was a teenager and I am excited to play the improved version!
Re: Voice Of Mario Charles Martinet Thanks Fans For All The "Love And Kindness"
I met Mr. Martinet at a con just last year. He was the nicest, sweetest guy you could ever encounter. I got a photo and an autographed poster. I'll never forget it. Such a charming gentleman.
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl: Duel - Pilotwings 64
"Lark" is Nester and I will not be quiet about this
Re: Talking Point: What's The Worst Game That You Still Love For Some Reason?
@Octorok385 I got a fair amount of enjoyment out of FFE as well. It wasn't enough to get me interested in the Monster Hunter games it imitated, but it was a pretty decent game that I put about 20 hours into.
Re: Talking Point: What's The Worst Game That You Still Love For Some Reason?
Mine would probably be "Final Fantasy IV: The After Years." I originally played this game via the WiiWare installments, shortly after I completed Final Fantasy IV for the first time on Wii Virtual Console. I thought it was a great follow-up to the original game and it satisfied my curiosity about the many characters I'd grown to love. It got mixed scores from reviewers, particularly Jason Schreier, who called it the worst RPG he ever played.
Re: Talking Point: Which Zelda Game Should You Play First?
I went with A Link to the Past, but I do think Link's Awakening for Switch is very beginner-friendly and a good choice.
Re: Smash-Style Indie Brawler Slap City Gets A Surprise Release On Switch eShop
@PBandSmelly exactly! We stopped calling FPS games "DOOM clones" a long, long time ago. It worked then because "FPS" hadn't been coined yet.
Super Smash Bros. created the platform fighting genre more than 20 years ago. It has developed and diversified a ton since then. Otherwise, we'd call Mortal Kombat a "Street Fighter knockoff."
Re: Anime-Style 3D-2D Shoot 'Em Up Angelian Trigger Locks In A Switch Release
Gotta be honest: this trailer does not do the game any favors. Choppy, clunky animation and unappealing character designs (to me, anyway) turned me off of a game that I should be interested in playing.
Re: Talking Point: What On Earth Is Going On With Square Enix?
I can only pick 3 upcoming Square Enix titles that I plan to purchase? I'm getting more than that:
And I’m still waiting for ports of Chrono Trigger and the first six Final Fantasy titles xD
Re: Review: Radiant Silvergun - A Superb Shmup That's Still One Of The Very Best
I really want to play it, but Nintendo won't sell it to me because I live in North America. What gives??? How could a freaking shmup from 20+ years ago run afoul of an ESRB rating? Sheesh.
Re: Among Us Appears To Be Doing A Hololive VTuber Collab
As a huge hololive fan, I approve!!!
Re: Wolfenstein-Inspired 'Rise Of The Triad: Ludicrous Edition' Looks... Well, Ludicrous
OK now do Blood
Re: Poll: So, How Are You Pronouncing Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom?
It's just like the 1980s English pop duo, Tears for Fares
Re: Talking Point: What Did You Think Of The September 2022 Nintendo Direct?
@Rykdrew Golf was re-announced for NS Sports, but it was brief and we already knew about it.
Re: Talking Point: What Did You Think Of The September 2022 Nintendo Direct?
Apparently I am completely out of touch with much of the Nintendo Life commenterati. I thought it was the best Direct in years. I was over the moon from start to finish. Fantastic, SS Tier, A+, 10/10 would watch again.
Yes, I am an old guy, lover of Square Enix RPGs, huge Zelda fan, Pikmin fan, Final Fantasy diehard, and old enough to have played Nintendo 64 when it was new while I was in college. I got everything I wanted except a Metroid Prime 4 update, and I'm not even a little bit unhappy.
Also: I went in with very low expectations and I ignored all rumors / leaks, except those of Liam Robertson, who nailed it as usual.
Re: 2D Co-Op Platformer Disney Illusion Island Announced Exclusively For Switch
The trailer is pretty cute! The classic Mickey games are mostly great, so hopefully this continues that trend.
Re: Toby Fox Provides Deltarune Development Update, No "New Chapters" This Year
It's hard to complain, considering he's been honest with updates and has already delivered a lot of content for free. Oh yeah, and he's also becoming a preferred composer for Game Freak. Fox works his tail off, and I'm confident the final version of Deltarune will be worth the wait.
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl - Metal Gear: Ghost Babel
Japan's is obviously ruined by the Famitsu promotion, and I feel like EU and NA are a toss-up. I do like the Ghost Babel subtitle, though. It's very Kojima-esque, in that it is two unrelated words that make no sense but sound kind of cool anyway.
Re: Metroid Prime Dev Retro Studios Pitched A Zelda Game Called 'Heroes Of Hyrule'
I cannot emphasize this enough: if you haven't watched the Did You Know Gaming? video yet, stop what you're doing and go watch it right now. It is absolutely worth every minute of your time.
I am one of those who has long been asking for an "Old Man Link" game that portrays Link as an aged, battle-hardened recluse, forced to come out of hiding near the end of his life to save Hyrule one last time. I am very excited to see what DYKG uncovered on Heroes of Hyrule.
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl - Wave Race 64
NA and Japan box arts are both great. Nintendo of Europe was going through a difficult time in its life during the late 1990s, apparently
Re: Random: This Mad Lad Is Building All Of Breath Of The Wild In Minecraft
If and when he finishes, I would be delighted to check out his map! And buy him a sandwich or something
Re: Classic NES Title 'Gimmick!' Confirmed For Release Later This Year
YES!!! When I heard about the Sunsoft event coming up, I was hopeful that a Gimmick re-release or remaster would be in the cards. This is really fantastic! It's one of the most technically-impressive NES and Famicom games.
I imagine it will get a physical release, too, since Limited Run is part of the company now.
Re: So, What Does Embracer Group Actually Own The Rights To?
@UmmAchtually correct! Came here to say the same, but you beat me to it. And you have the most appropriate user name ever lol
Re: Hori Reveals The Split Pad Fit For Nintendo Switch
Love the design. But I really, really enjoy using HD Rumble, so I stick to the Joy-Con and Pro Controller.
I wish Nintendo would grant Hori a license to make Split Pads with HD Rumble. Even without NFC, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.
Re: No, Soccer Story Isn't The Sequel To Golf Story, Though It Looks Very Familiar
Golf Story was one of my favorite Switch games, and I've been waiting literally years for an update on Sports Story. I assume at this point it's vaporware, which is too bad because Golf Story was so great. The developer's last update was in December. Their Twitter account is abandoned, and their website hasn't been updated since 2019. What a shame!
Re: Poll: What Do You Want To See From This Week's Splatoon 3 Nintendo Direct?
I like Splatoon a lot, and I love Splatoon 2. But nothing I've seen so far has me excited for Splatoon 3. Nintendo will have to show an awful lot of brand-new modes and other surprises to convince me that this shouldn't have just been another expansion to Splatoon 2.
Re: A Japan-Only Mega Man Game Just Shadow Dropped On The Switch (US)
@Wilforce Yep! But still delighted nonetheless.
Re: Nightdive Apparently Has "A Few More" FPS Remasters On The Way
Blood is almost certainly one of them. Nightdive did a port for PC called Blood: Fresh Supply. I imagine it will come to consoles soon.
Re: Sega Genesis Mini 2 Stock Expected To Be In Short Supply Locally
@steventonysmith I collect things because I enjoy them. I'm not trying to make money. It just happens that a lot of "worthless pieces of plastic" are worth a dang fortune these days. You don't have to collect if you don't want to!
Re: Poll: Digimon Survive Is Finally Available, Will You Be Getting It?
Digimon is more popular than I realized. I've never been interested personally, probably due to being an adult by the time the first game released
Re: Sega Genesis Mini 2 Stock Expected To Be In Short Supply Locally
I pre-ordered mine the day they went live, mostly because I'm a collector and I've become accustomed to these shortages. Seems like the global supply chain is going to take a decade to get back to whatever normal once was.
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl: Duel - Castlevania: Circle Of The Moon
Love 'em both, but the Japan cover is just too busy for me. I voted NA.
Re: Random: Sonic Is Too Tall, And It's All Your Fault
More like Sonic the Leg-hog, amrite
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl: Duel #104 - Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
I'm surprised nobody mentioned the relatively well-known error on the NA / EU cover — part of the image is reversed. Look at the backwards "L" on Luigi's cap.
Probably the biggest cover goof ever on a first-party Nintendo title. Japan's art should win by default.
Re: Yuji Naka Erases Former Co-Worker And Sonic Creator Naoto Ohshima From Team Photo
Yuji Naka is trying to RTA ruining his own reputation. Peter Molyneux and Phil Fish best be advised, their records will fall
Re: Nintendo Download: 30th June (North America)
I'm interested in Little Noah, but I'm patiently waiting for a Nintendo Life review before I decide to buy.
Re: Little Noah Is A Casual Roguelite With Adorable Vibes, Out On Switch Now
@Kiz3000 thanks for the clarification! At first glance, I thought it must be a Bravely Default spinoff, until I realized Square Enix has nothing at all to do with it.
Re: Sega Announces Sonic Collab With Hololive VTuber Star Inugami Korone
I adore Korone-chan! She was my introduction to hololive and Vtubers, and I still watch her whenever I can. I have to type with my nose now, since she took all my yubis
Re: Taito's 'Space Seeker' Blasts Its Way Into The Arcade Archives Line-Up
I have Space Seeker in the Taito Milestones collection, and it's not great. Definitely innovative and interesting, but I played it twice and I'm done with it. Good old-fashioned arcade brutal difficulty.
Re: Devolver Digital Shares Plummet After Company Downgrades Sales Expectations
This article is missing some important context: the stock was never worth very much to begin with. The 136 GBX peak is just $1.64 US. It fell to about 70 cents a share. So it is basically a "penny stock," not exactly a heavyweight in which most traders would invest.
Most publicly-traded game publishers are worth far more per share right now. Compare:
Nintendo $56
Microsoft $251
Sony $84
EA $129
Devolver is in the range of other high-risk, low-reward penny stocks, like Atari: $0.15
I guess this is what happens when a small-ish publisher in a crowded market dreams too big and seeks an IPO. As others said, Devolver is now vulnerable to a takeover from someone like Tencent, Embracer, or the House of Saud.