Comments 219

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (28th February)

Joe11

Looks like Resident Evil is getting lots of love this weekend, but I've got a backlog to attend to!

Continuing to enjoy the wacky, uncomfortable Virtual Boy cardboard experience in short bursts. I'm trying to get the hang of Red Alarm rn, which I've found challenging and antiquated but worthwhile.

Otherwise it's a lot of MyGM on WWE 2K25.

And also CrossCode - an excellent, challenging, modern take on a 16/32-bit-era action RPG. I put this one down for a long time after getting about halfway through, but it feels good to get back to it!

Re: Every Nintendo Switch Online Virtual Boy Game Ranked

Joe11

Just replayed and got the best ending on Innsmouth no Yakata. I think it's underrated!

It's weirdly a play-for-speed, arcade-style experience, which is the opposite of any modern day approach to a horror game. But I can't blame the protagonist for wanting to get out of that mansion ASAP.

It's best played in short bursts, and it's not terribly long or deep, but that suits the Virtual Boy.

Re: Review: Insmouse No Yakata (VB)

Joe11

Playing this on the cardboard right now. At first I really didn't get it, but once I figured out that there's a running countdown/time limit per stage, it started getting pretty fun! And even moreso after beating it once and figuring out how to go for the best ending.

It's a simple game, and the full experience is probably just about 2 hours, but I think it's a fun time and one of the system's best offerings.

Now I gotta hunt down this Japanese Lovecraft flick...

Re: Best Mario Tennis Games Of All Time

Joe11

Mario 64 sits at the top for nostalgia reasons. I have great memories of it too! Fever is priced too high for me, so the next one I experience will probably be the Virtual Boy one 🤣

@Regulus6891 This list, and all those like it on Nintendo Life, are determined by reader rankings, not staff picks.

Re: Anniversary: The Legend Of Zelda Turns 40 Today - How Did You First Play It?

Joe11

At the age of 5, I had just moved from a different state, and I became best friends with my backyard neighbor over the course of 5 minutes of make-believe boasting.

And he HAD THE GOLD CARTRIDGE. We were hopelessly lost, never beat a dungeon, and his bulldog kept walking in the way of the CRT, but we had a blast exploring that wondrous little open world. The two-song OST has been stuck in my head ever since.

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (21st February)

Joe11

Lol at seeing Virtual Boy games in the poll responses! I'm "enjoying" this crappy system for the first time too 😅 Enjoying it in a campy pop culture history sort of way. But it's just too rough on my eye muscles to play for more than 10-15 mins at a time.

Otherwise, I picked up a copy of WWE 2K25 for $15, and I'm really enjoying it! I've never played one of these games before. And as long as you don't touch any DLC or microtransactions, it seems like a pretty great value with a lot of diverse content/ways to play. I'm trying to wrap my brain around MyGM currently.

Re: Poll: How Would You Rate The Nintendo Classics Virtual Boy Launch Games?

Joe11

I'll want to actually finish games before rating them. I won't finish any games quickly b/c of the strain I feel in my eyes if I play for more than 20 mins 😂

Wario Land is a real charmer. Red Alarm, I find intriguing but very confusing on the eyes—maybe I'll get used to it with more play.

3D Tetris is abysmal. Nintendolife reviewed it in 2009 and gave it an 8! No idea what they were smoking. Really awful experience lol.

https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/virtualboy/3d_tetris

Re: 'Can You Use Labo VR Goggles For Virtual Boy Games On Switch?' & Other Nintendo Classics VB Questions Answered

Joe11

Man, these comment threads are all overrun with repetitive complaints about not being able to play VB games in 2D or on a 3D screen.

1) VB games were coded for the specific stereoscopic effect of the VB. They would need to be modified/recoded substantially. We're talking "remake" here.

2) The games aren't good (except Wario Land), so there's no real reason to chase them down unless you're curious about the history of the VB, in which case... you should actually try to replicate the experience!

With only one exception, these games are not good enough to justify being remade. And maybe Nintendo should remake VB Wario Land someday—I'm only two levels in because this ridiculous device hurts my eyes, but it's great so far 😂

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (7th February)

Joe11

I finished Remake and was in the mood for an old school RPG, so I've gotten into Chained Echoes, finally getting it off the backlog 😅

It's great! It's also shown me that there's still a place for Switch 1 in my life. Switch 2's beefiness isn't useful for this 16-bit-styled game, so the lighter feel and size of the Switch 1 makes it the better handheld option.

I also picked up Crisis Core, which just went on sale, so I can get some more backstory before Rebirth comes out.

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (31st January)

Joe11

@DennyCrane The turn based combat in the original honestly wasn't very good. I've always considered it a bit of a low point for the Final Fantasy series! I think your have no reason to feel bad about your approach of prioritizing the story and exploration elements, which are fantastic and iconic. Not sacrilegious at all ⚔️

Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade?

Joe11

Just finished the main game and my mind was pretty blown the whole way through. A delightful experience, with really fun and well balanced action RPG gameplay, spectacular music, and impressive character development (Aerith was amazing). It's really given me new appreciation for the depth of the original FF7 story and the strength of its characters.

I can't (but will) wait for Rebirth. Here's to hoping my true favorites 4 & 6 see similar treatment some day.

10/10.

Re: Feature: "Demoralisation Is A Strong Word, But It Accurately Describes The Situation" - Why Do So Many Games Get Delayed?

Joe11

From a gamer's perspective, when I hear a game is delayed, I think, "great! They're taking the time to get it right." I grew up in an era of spectacularly disappointing games, usually built on movie IPs, that suffered from rushed development and producer apathy. There are like 10 times more games that I want to play than I possibly can already on the market, anyway.

I can understand why investors might care, but otherwise, why are we even worried about this? Does it affect NintendoLife in some way I'm not seeing?

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (24th January)

Joe11

Having hurt my back at the gym (🫤), my schedule is cleared for uninterrupted FF7 Remake. Playing it for the first time! Before starting out, I raced through the Midgar section on the bundled OG FF7--definitely not for the first time 😉

Interesting to see other commenters are playing FFXII. I played it for the first time last month (I've always been one of those FF1-10 snobs), and had a great time with it. I'm pretty sure I gravitated to it because of anticipatory Final Fantasy excitement, with Remake coming out on Switch.

Re: Review: Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (Switch 2) - A Big, Bold Reimagining, And A First-Class Port

Joe11

Pre-downloaded, and I can't freakin wait! Final Fantasy was my favorite series as a kid, and I've played FF7 half a dozen times. I'll never forget how it felt when I bought a PlayStation and started that incredible game. Pure magic 🎶

I somehow have held off from buying it on Steam, in hopes that it would eventually make it to a Nintendo console. And here we are!

Re: GameStop Kicks Off 2026 By Reportedly Shutting "Hundreds" Of Stores

Joe11

Screw GameStop.

I love shopping for games at brick & mortar stores. I like chatting with the employees, browsing games by box art like when I was a kid, hunting for 2nd-hand bargains, and eyeing interesting stuff not on my wish list.

But GameStop is a rotten company. The CEO is pure trash masquerading as a human. He doesn't care at all about gaming, and he's out to pillage the company he's destroying. And that's not even getting started on how disgusting of a person he is outside his work.

I canceled my membership the day they closed Game Informer (overnight), laying off its whole staff via twitter announcment (IIRC), and pulling all of its content offline. I used to spend 1-2k there annually.

Here's to hoping that the company folds sooner rather than later, making way for independent stores that treat gaming, customers, and employees with respect.

Re: Mario Tennis On Switch 2 Has 38 Playable Characters – "The Most In Series History"

Joe11

@Itsashame my recent Nintendo IP purchases were Metroid Prime 4 and Age of Imprisonment. I had a lot of fun with both, but they were good, not great. I thought Hades 2, Silksong, and Art of Vengeance were far better and much cheaper. I also have my eye on Yakuza 0, Cyberpunk, and FF7, all of which are meaningfully cheaper than 1st party games following sales that Nintendo games never seem to have.

I bought Drag x Drive and had a good time with it and don't regret it at all due to the low price. Bananza absolutely was worth $70. My worry about Mario Tennis is that I would move on fairly quickly (as with Mario Kart World) and that I'd get a lot more bang for my buck with 3rd party titles.

Re: Feature: Jump, Man - A Celebration Of The Greatest Jumps In Gaming

Joe11

I had a memorable real life jump yesterday! Went snowboarding for the first time in 10 years and I totally wiped out landing my first jump—it was an awesome moment of flight nonetheless!

Tony Hawk would fit in this list nicely. Maybe Drag x Drive too? I definitely enjoy the "wheelchair ollie" from that game.

Re: Nintendo Comments On Metroid Prime 4's Placement In The Metroid Timeline

Joe11

They should have consulted some Metroid fans before saying this, lol. After MP3 and before Super Metroid makes way more sense given the mainline entries' plot.

Also, FYI, most do not consider Other M to be canon. It contradicted the plot of the other games in multiple occasions, and its plot and characterization of Samus are widely regarded as embarrassing missteps best forgotten. This is why Nintendo doesn't even mention it.

Re: Talking Point: Our 2026 Nintendo And Switch 2 Predictions

Joe11

I'm surprised more people aren't predicting a new 3D Mario, exclusive to Switch 2. Nintendo is going to want to see big sales of Switch 2 next year, and that's the way to do it.

Switch 2 is also a system designed to capture more 3rd party ports, so I expect some ones that I'm really interested in: BG3, Clair Obscur, & Metaphor.

I'll hope for a new entry for Nintendo's overlooked but still beloved IPs: Star Fox, F-Zero, Wave Race, etc. Really, I want that Wave Race with some wow-me current gen graphics.