Kienda

@SwagaliciousJohnson they still have pulling power.

They currently have a game in the to 10 paid apps on the App Store.

In free apps they are ranked 160, which is still respectable when you consider the competition.

For reference, Super Mario Run is ranked 125. Fruit Ninja 149. So it’s close to other fairly big hitters.

Sega already has Football Manager which is rank 3 in Paid. So having two in the top ten is quite nice.

I’d say Sega is buying mobile gaming knowledge and expertise more than they are buying Angry Birds.

Although, it’s not a bad franchise to have under the Sega umbrella.

Most people will be aware of Angry Birds from the games. However, if you have younger kids they’ll likely know them more because of the two movies and TV series. They also had some of the best Happy Meals toys too (before McDonalds UK got crap). My kids got into Angry Birds only a couple of years ago because of the Netflix and McDonalds.

So the brand recognition is still sky high even if the games aren’t so popular these days.

@Blofse you will know if you have drift.

It’s like having the stick stuck in one direction. So when you try to select a game to play your screen will be scrolling instead of stopping. You try to run left with a character and it runs forward etc. You’re constantly battling the drift and it makes games unplayable and even menus become unusable without the touch screen.

Sorry to see it get 6/10, but I guess it is understandable.

As a big fan of the original, I’m pretty sure this will be an 8 or 9 for me.

My kids love this show so I’m all for it.

The Japanese box art looks like it’s been cut out from the front cover of Edge Magazine.

What is wrong with you people? Is nothing sacred anymore? Won’t anybody think of the children?! Etc.

Anyways, that Splatoon idea has legitimately piqued my interest.

Happy Birthday Jesus! 🥳

@RiasGremory why are you posting spoilers?

Some of us are reading the comments to gauge whether we should buy the game. We don’t want to have it ruined for us.

The jank in this game is a double edged sword - both frustrating and amusing.

There is something about Pokémon games being inferior quality that makes them loveable. But I can’t help but feel one of the most profitable franchises in the world deserves better, and the fans especially do.

It seems they need more time. They probably need fresh developers on them and to abandon their old ways. But I feel this is locked between corporate suits demanding annual releases and older developers unwilling to change.

The whole franchise suffers as a result. But this glitch is quite comical.

That graphics comparison hurts my head.

They just played each track once and then used the replay with random camera angles to get a video up fast. But we can’t easily compare because the scenes are different angles and directions and everything.

It would have been better to just show the stages from the driving viewpoint.

@Ventilator thanks for the clarification. That’s exactly what I was saying. Third is like first on this occasion when going up against CoD and FIFA.

My parents always told me that video games were a waste of time and couldn’t help with anything real life.

WELL WHOSE RIGHT NOW MUM AND DAD?!

Ahem. Excuse me.

I will now never let my children skip another day without playing video games.

Let’s be honest, it was never going to outsell a CoD game that just released. And FIFA is just a month old.

So this is a great result.

The saddest thing is these types of stores are already in short supply.

If anyone truly cares about gaming they wouldn’t do this as it ensures these stores won’t be around for their kids to enjoy.

@theGamerPad I get that. I had Time Splitters 2 European version and I remember not finding the box art to actually match the game.

But I just thought the contrast between the two was quite striking.

European execs: “Let’s make an artistic cover that represents the game but in a uniquely stylised way.”

American execs: “Big gun. Power. Macho. Hoorah!”

@GuyProsciutto no need to call someone dumb for having a different opinion.

I’m not going to boycott, but I will likely be buying second hand (was planning to wait anyway).

People can make their own choices, but something doesn’t sit right with me about the whole thing (both the self righteousness of the voice actress and also Platinum’s practices).

In the past there were complaints when the main voice actor for GTA got “only $100,000” and now people are acting like $4,000 is greedy. And I think some context is needed to understand the difference. One could be for a years work, the other for a couple hours. We just don’t know.

I think some of the negatively around this has to do with how the Bayonetta voice actress acted too much like she was being persecuted rather than it being a grievance between two parties. I think some people reacted negatively to her over that. She may have a genuine point but maybe isn’t going about it the best way.

Likewise, some of the hate the studio is getting isn’t justified.

We shouldn’t be defending scummy business practices of multi-million-dollar corporations. Especially when they have a track record of bad practices before this one. But we don’t know the facts and until they come out I can’t pass a judgement either way.

I might not boycott, and I think it’s a bit rich asking, but that pay is crazy low.

She was offered roughy 0.0009% of their $450 million profits.

She’s the main character in a popular franchise.

She’d not only have to voice the character but be expected to promote it. Visit expos etc.

They should value her far more than what was offered as her voice and talents helped create that character.

@PinderSchloss you are right that most of us don’t have dedicated CD players anymore, but most cars on the road have CD players (even if most new cars don’t include them). So there is that.

Also anyone with an Xbox One or Series X can play CDs on their console using an app. PS4/5, Wii and Wii U cannot play CDs though so that’s a bummer.

However, I guess most people interested in this would just want a nice piece of memorabilia on their shelf.

If they do use the CD it will likely be to rip the songs on their PC into digital media and play them through Spotify or whatever on their phones.

We can be thankful this isn’t Sonic 2.0.

Mario looks different but still the same guy we all love.

It’s like seeing an old friend who we haven’t seen for years. They look a little different but still the same person.

My kids are super excited it was great to see them so happy watching the trailer and they can’t wait for their Mum’s birthday (7th April) so we can all watch it together.

Let’s not forget they are the target audience and this movie will open Mario up to brand new audiences.

For my part, I loved it. Pratt’s voice is fine. The others were great. I love that Jack Black is in it.

I LOVE this game. I wish we would get a remake.

I went for NA/EU as that’s the box that sits on my shelf and gives me all the feels.

Splatoon is just a damn cool franchise and a fun game.

It’s one of the most funky/stylish games out there but doesn’t take itself seriously so it doesn’t offend people.

No one seems to hate on it like they would with FIFA, CoD and Fortnite.

Splatoon is just out there vining to it’s own beat, welcoming everyone young and old, pro and casual alike. This is what gives it such big appeal.

@octokid so you can keep it inside the Pokédex of your ripped jeans?

I miss the “Sonic Team” voice that used to accompany their logo.

Just thinking about it gives me those nostalgic feels from the Saturn era…

My kids love the Splatoon Mangas, both the mainline series and the Comedy Show ones. They also love the Kirby mangas and are working their way through Pokémon also.

So those above not keen on the art style, it seems to be no problem for kids (at least according to my anecdotal evidence).

Decent. Much better than other companies offerings so far this season.

Nintendo is also delivering on the first parties unlike the other two contenders.

@Scarko that’s pro-level trolling right there.

You can tell from all the other jokes in the video he knew exactly what he was doing. 😂

That’s actually really interesting.

I have no knowledge of programming but I know from various videos there are many clever tricks used by developers to create these illusions to captivate us in their game worlds.

Developers of old were the ultimate magicians using smoke and mirrors to amaze us. Now technology has caught up with their vision we will likely see less of these tricks, but it’s still cool.

I’m loving the big man and I’m sure he will be a popular additional mascot.

Also, Splatoon 3 has a lot more upgrades over 2 than I was expecting. Totally justified new game and I don’t know why people were doubting that.

@dojmin I think you might actually be missing some of what Splatoon has to offer (which is a shame because I don’t want you to miss out).

You are right that the main focus is multiplayer matches. But that doesn’t hold the franchise back and it certainly doesn’t take away from the single player aspect of the game.

The story is very light, but there is a good amount of single player content, especially Splatoon 2 and the Octo Expansion. There are 32 single player levels in the base game and 80 in the Octo Expansion.

We’re talking a 20-30 hour single player campaign (if you collect all items) and the levels have some of the most unique mechanics and boss fights you’ll find in games.

As for the Multiplayer, even Splatoon 1 is active and that’s only available on the Wii U, with an ever decreasing user base. But a few weeks back my son played some games on it and waited just two minutes for a game. That was a lot less than some other multiplayer games we play that have active user bases.

Additionally, the multiplayer is not hardcore stuff if you don’t want it to be. You can play co-op with the Salmon Runs or you can do turf war where the priority is painting the arena floors over getting kills. So it is very casual friendly also.

In all, Splatoon has a good amount to offer a single player minded gamer, has fantastic multiplayer gaming options, and is one of the coolest and most unique games out there. It’s quirkiness universe is one I would really recommend testing out.

They have a point. Okay, it isn’t entirely accurate to say “laziness” is the issue but it isn’t worth any outrage either.

Laziness can mean “lack of effort” and there is definitely a point to that. Not that the devs themselves are lazy but the business practices are.

Those pushing out games early do so because of multiple reasons: Deadlines and money are a key issue. A lack of care for the customers and the product is another. And part of that is a lazy attitude towards the art form of games.

I think it’s a bit stupid that people are attacking GQ for using a word that isn’t quite right. When the problem is an industry that accepts not just day one patches but multiple patches and bug fixes way beyond the release window instead of releasing completed games that require minimal patches.

Anyone who cares for gaming and particularly game preservation must understand that.

In 20 years time when game servers are shut down, the only way to play is off the discs. We will then be left with glitchy broken games and only have ourselves to blame because we allowed companies to have a lazy attitude when it comes to quality control.

I have 1 boxed and 40ish unboxed.

The only one I kept boxed is Cloud from Final Fantasy 7. He is on my bookshelf with all my other boxed FF7 figures and memorabilia.

I’m a sucker for that game.

@Axecon I agree and I feel Nintendo is missing a trick not doing more with the Splatoon franchise.

To be fair. There is some spin off stuff in the form of Manga. But nothing game related outside Smash.

My kids love Splatoon. My son had a Splatoon themed party. We have a number of the Manga and my kids love it. They also have cushions, hats, the Amiibos etc.

So yeah, there is some stuff. I agree there could easily be more and many people would eat it up (my family would at least).

I went Super Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting (SNES).

I love those E.Honda slaps and this is the only one that shows love for the big guy.

I was expecting something more “Ghibli” when I watched the trailer, but after reading that they specified Princess Mononoke (a unique Ghibli title) and Neverending Story, I can see some of that in there but clearly it’s a unique game of their own talent and making.

In some ways I think drawing Ghibli comparisons (and yeah, I know it makes news stories) doesn’t always help with the expectations of the audience.

Anyways, the game has piqued my interest.

Why are people so uppity about the female form being on display?

Teenage me was very grateful for that shower scene, however, it wasn’t just for the nudity (which I would argue was necessary). For me it definitely added to the brutality of the scene and it was far more impacting that my eyes were seeing something attractive getting attacked and I didn’t like that. It was actually far more impacting than I would have realised at that age. Especially as she fought back and didn’t just remain a pretty victim.

It’s a shame people can’t overlook nudity and see the real power of the scene.

Additionally, this movie was the first to take game characters I loved and present them in a believable and likeable way. Great on many levels.

I watched this movie so many times as a kid. Thanks for the reminder with this article.

This is not a game I would ever touch. But I think some of the outrage against it is taking things too seriously.

It’s better someone lives out a fantasy (especially a weird one) in a video game than in real life. There is no correlation between people playing these games and then acting them out in real life.

So I’m fine with letting people have their fetishes and keeping these games out in the open. It doesn’t really harm anyone.

It will be interesting to see if this gesture will have a wider effect on Japanese politics on this issue.

That ten shot bow spread attack at the end would be so much fun to mess around with.

I’m all for easy exploits like this. No need to glitch out a horse and turn the world upside down to achieve it.

We are spoiled for choice!

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is objectively the best.

Super Mario Kart deserves recognition for what it birthed and the ground it broke when it was introduced.

Double Dash is a personal favourite of mine. I invested hundreds of hours in my teens.

Mario Kart Wii was my children’s introduction to the series so holds a special place for me.

Naka is like a character in movies that you don’t think really exists until you see something like this.

It is equal parts cringe and hilarious.

I still appreciate Naka’s contribution to gaming. I love NiGHTs and I wanted Balan Wonderworld to be good. But the old man crazy mixed with a grumpy diva isn’t a good look.

@Gitface they haven’t gone back to plastic here in the UK. Two schoolgirls campaigned for it and ruined the joy for every other child.

Yay, more cardboard junk for my kids because they don’t make real toys anymore…

I’ll still buy them though but it’s a real shame McDonald’s eco friendliness only happens in the West while their restaurants in Asia offer proper plastic toys. It’s almost as if they’re only doing it to appease people or something…

Anyways, grumble, grumble, grumble etc. Take my money and get it over with.

@RasandeRose no, I’m not trying to make out he’s some blue collar worker or a saint.

I’m just saying that it’s quite harsh for him individually to take such a hit when there are far more than him doing this kind of thing, but more than that, Nintendo is notorious for going after real “little guys”. Even fan made projects have been hit with the Nintendo legal hammer.

That isn’t about protecting their business. It is about control and power and it harms their fanbase.

Nintendo needs to lighten up a bit.