Krisi

I literally was looking on the eShop this week to see if there was a Picross with Konami sprites, because I saw the Sega and Namco ones.
What do you know.

Yeah, this is incredibly scummy. Super high price for what it is, not to mention you have to buy both versions separately, and even different language ones separately if you want options? This is just horrible.

@Chlocean Oh the music is straight fire in all of them, don't worry about that.

@9_10DOH64 A full collection would actually add one more GBC game, 3 N64 games, an MSX game, an arcade game, 4 PS1 games, a PS2 game, a GBA game, and a DS game... And if we want to be thorough, an LCD game and 2 pachislot games as well. And Goemon had quite a large part in both Wai Wai World games for the Famicom, and Konami Krazy Racers for the GBA, as well as its mobile sequel.

@Chlocean I wouldn't say MOST are like that one... In fact, I would say Legend of the Mystical Ninja is a somewhat unique transition between the older and the newer titles.
The first two Famicom games and the first Game Boy game are mostly like the "town" sections without the 2D platforming parts. They are really good, but you need a retro mindset for them. The stages can become quite large, and you need to search around a lot. And especially in the first one, you need to jump around randomly a lot to uncover secret passages. I love them to death, but you really do need some commitment if you want to play them. The Game Boy game is a bit more modern-friendly I would say.

The 2nd and 4th SNES titles are more like the first SNES one, but they have a much larger focus on the platformer stages. They do have towns, but much more infrequently, and you're mostly completely safe there with no real enemies, so they mostly only have shops and some friendly NPCs with a side-quest or two. The last GBC games, Seikuushi Dynamites Arawaru is also like these.
The second SNES one, Kiterestu Shougun McGuinness is a fan-favorite by the way, you should probably try that one first.

The 3rd SNES one is a bit weird, it plays somewhat like a Zelda game, with dungeons being 2D platforming stages, almost in a Metroidvania-style.

Kurofune-tou no Nazo for the Game Boy also plays somewhat Zelda-like, but actually more closely to the Famicom titles and the first Game Boy one, but you might want to stay away from that one. It does not look or sound good, it has stiff controls, and some incredibly rigged mini-games. If you die, fall in a pit, or lose at a mini-game, you're booted back to the title screen, which makes you restart the same, very long and not too exciting level (or the whole game, if you haven't saved the password). Combat has no rewards, character choices don't matter... I could go on. It's one of the few games that was so bad I needed to write a full review for on GameFAQs. It was made by Konami's short-lived Nagoya branch, which made such classics as Castlevania Legends and a bunch of sports games nobody cares about. Easy the lowpoint of the series.

And finally, Soreyuke Ebisumaru for the SNES is very much a spinoff that plays nothing like any other Goemon games. It's more like an action-puzzle game where Ebisumaru advances in a maze automatically and you gotta change tracks and whatnot to guide him along. I actually enjoyed it when I played it way back when, but it could've been absolutely anything else if it wasn't for the Goemon skin they decided to slap on it.

@Chlocean Out of these, 3 are turn-based RPGs. The 2 Gaiden titles on Famicom, and Tengu-tou no Gyakushuu on the GBC. There is a 4th turn-based RPG also for the GBC, named Mononoke Douchuu, but this collection does not have that one for some reason.
Anyway, that leaves 10 games on this collection for you to enjoy. Or 9, Kurufune-tou no Nazo is one of the worst games I've ever played. The rest all range from pretty good to fantastic.

@GoldenSunRM You really should! It's a really cool game, and a natural evolution of the Famicom Goemon games.

@RudyC3 That's true, but I'm really not sure if that's the reason. I've played and beaten both Mononoke games, and I felt like both were absolutely complete experiences even by themselves. Mononoke Douchuu is just a monster-collecting RPG, and Mononoke Sugoroku is just a card-based board game type thing. The connection between the two isn't much more than just a bonus.
Not to mention Nintendo has released the Pokémon Stadium games on Switch online, which are infinitely more dependant on the Game Boy Pokémon games. Sure, it's a different company, but still.

@GoldenSunRM Yeah, as I said, Sarawareta Ebisumaru, the first Game Boy Goemon was also released exclusively in Europe and only on the Konami GB Collection Vol. 3 cartridge, and it was called Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon there as well, which is super confusing, as the other Game Boy game (Kurofune-tou no Nazo, the terrible one) was also separately released under the same title. And yes, the first N64 game as well.

@Serpenterror Technically, Sarawareta Ebisumaru also for the Game Boy was also released in Europe on the Konami GB Collection Vol. 3 cartridge. They even colorized it! And they also named it Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon... Meaning that out of the 5 localized Goemon games, 3 are named Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, and 2 of them are even on the same console.

@GoldenSunRM It's actually 3 RPGs.

Awesome, I've been waiting for this for years, even though I have all Goemon games. I'm definitely going to get this. It even includes the soundtracks, which is great.

Obviously I would've loved more games (especially the N64 ones), but the strangest omission is Mononoke Douchuu for the GBC. The collection has all other Famicom, SFC, GB, and GBC Goemon games on it... so why leave out one of the GBC games? It's the RPG enjoyed the most. Sure, it's a cheap Pokémon ripoff in many ways, but still, it's strange it's not here.

Also Dynamites Arawaru also on the GBC probably goes for more online than the rest of the collection combined. A loose copy is currently at 245 bucks according to Pricecharting.

Tri-Force Heroes was absolutely fantastic with 3 players. Completed it (all challenges!) with 2 of my buddies, and had an absolute blast.

I've never had any problems with the Switch or Switch 2 split D-pads. And since the Pro Controller's D-pad is extremely inaccurate for some reason, I only play 2D games on these systems with their respective Joy-Cons.

I love how in the bottom picture Taranza's hands look like Santa's beard.

I love this soundtrack.

@AussieMcBucket Probably because you don't bet actual money, so your actual wealth isn't at risk, only Samus's.

Already pre-ordered.
After years of thinking, I've come to the conclusion that Kirby is my favorite gaming franchise overall. And Sakurai is my favorite game designer. And I spent countless hours back in the day 100%ing the original Air Ride, which I also really enjoyed...
So yeah, it's a no brainer for me. I'm super excited.

999 should've been 99th.

@LastFootnote It's a Kirby game. When it comes to callbacks to older games (including music), the Kirby series takes it very seriously.
For example, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse for the Wii U, an overall smaller spin-off game for Nintendo's least popular console, has 122 songs in its sound test, with almost 40 of them being completely new remixes of old songs that aren't even played during the game, but are just collectibles that are meant to be listened to only in the sound test.

Beat the original recently, and gotta say... massively overrated game with tons of problems.
Looks absolutely incredible though.

@HammerGalladeBro I see, thanks for clarifying!
Still, everybody knows the song from Sonic, and it was written for it. If it wasn't for the game, the song wouldn't exist, and even if it did, it probably wouldn't be nearly as famous or successful.
I understand that Johnny feels like it's fully his, but then again, to me, it's like he knows SEGA is a big company and hopes to get some easy extra money. I can't know how their contact was worded back in the day, but in any case, he pretty much risked his reputation for some possible quick cash with this lawsuit in my opinion.

@Isaix They do own it. Always have. The song was created for a SEGA game specifically. It's like if Kondou Kouji sued Nintendo because he found out they kept using the Super Mario Bros. theme after the original game. It's like if the guy who came up with Fire Flowers sued Nintendo for using it in later Mario games. It's like if the guy who wrote "It's a secret to everybody" in Zelda 1 sued Nintendo for referencing it in later entries.

@Sensible It's not bad, just overpriced. Sure, the gameplay way fresh, but it wasn't much more than an extended mini-game.

Still leagues better than Pokémon Dash, though.

I don't get all the negativeness. I might be both too much of a Kirby and Sakurai fan, but I have absolutely no doubt that this will be the best game on the Switch 2 so far. Knowing him, there is still a ton we don't know (like the end of the last direct was likely teasing a story mode, and we're probably getting some other modes, like the Top Ride mode from the first game is still missing), but honestly, if you really understand everything that has been said and shown in the first direct, it's already a really varied and packed game.

@Jujuman You do realize that using similar mechanics in games isn't necessarily blatant copying, right? Like summons in Final Fantasy and familiars in Castlevania are technically this mechanic, but they work and feel completely different from what Pokémon's doing.
Also, what if they patented the mechanics of Super Mario Bros. back in the day, like jumping? The entire platformer and metroidvania genre would not exist (except for Nintendo IPs), as well as tons of other games that use mechanics also seen in that game.

As much as I'm a sucker for fun, cartoony artwork... the European boxart is just awesome. Even if it conveys the spirit of the game less. I love it.

@Bolt_Strike I don't have a shadow of a doubt that this will be the best Switch 2 exclusive so far, even without any gameplay. Sakurai is someone who puts his all into his games, both in terms of quality, creativity, and amount of content. And I also think that the original Air Ride was ahead of its time in more ways than one, and was severely underappreciated. Now it might be its time to shine.

@sixrings How is the next big Sakurai game disappointing?

@boxyguy Have you played Kirby Super Star? For me, that's his magnum opus.

@NintonicGamer You misspelled Sakurai.

@StephenYap3 Same! I really like the rest of the series as well, and I absolutely see what each entry improved and everything, but the first game just hits the right spot in every way.

@N00BiSH That sure is a weird way to spell 9.

But does it come on a CD shaped like Yoshi's head?

I played Hotel Dusk for the first time about 2 years ago, and while it had a decent story, it pretty much had no purpose being a video game. 95% or the interactive elements was just mindlessly walking around, trying to find the next person to talk to.
Sure, I understand that it's kind of a visual novel, but even for that, I thought that it had too much empty parts with you constantly going up and down the same corridors.

I haven't played Last Window yet, and I heard it's better, so we'll see I guess.

I'll probably mostly use it with one of my friends just playing games separately and hanging out, talking about random stuff, occasionally showing each other interesting stuff that's happening in the game. Probably won't be a common occurrence, but could be fun.

@YunoboCo The sad reality is that Toadsworth does not even feel like that deep of a cut, as he was a pretty often used character in the Mario series, so he feels like an obvious choice, even though Nintendo wants us to forget him now for some reason. I don't really get it. He debuted in Sunshine, the same as Bowser Jr. and more importantly the Piantas, who despite not having an important role since said game, have earned a playable spot somehow.

Honestly, I don't think it will change much. At least not due to the increased price. My salary has increased by a larger amount than games since the Switch came out, and I've always been mostly focusing on my backlog and older games anyway. I don't think I've ever really bought more than 5 or 6 new games a year.

@BigRed40 Sure!
Mario Kart Double Dash, Kirby Air Ride, and F-Zero GX came out in the same year for the GameCube as well, by the way. So did F-Zero GP Legend for the GBA.

Anyway, they are super distinct.
There are 3 main modes: a normal race that you would expect, a top-down mode on smaller stages and completely different powerups and mechanics (like the Super Off Road arcade game), and City Trial, which is exactly like Smash Run, if you've played Smash 3DS: you explore a city freely, collecting upgrades and discovering secrets, while interacting with the other players, and you get a random (or pre-decided) challenge at the end, which could be a regular race, a deathmatch, a boss battle, a "try to fly into the middle of this target as much as you can" competition, the list goes on.

Being a Sakurai game, it's filled with content and unlockables. It was the first appearance of his Challenges board later used in Smash games and I think Kid Icarus as well: there's a checkerboard where each square represents a challenge, but you don't know what they are. Every time you clear one (by accident or on purpose), the ones around it get revealed, and by completing them, you usually unlock new characters, rides, music, etc. There is a board for each mode with I think 120 challenges apiece, so there are overall 360 different challenges to go for across all 3 main modes.

Being a Sakurai game, it's also pretty cleverly designed. Not only are the modes very different and interesting, but the controls are very unique as well: you only use one button other than the control stick. By tapping this button, you can inhale enemies to spit them out or get their abilities, and by holding it, you brake with most vehicles, but get a boost when releasing it. Since most vehicles don't stop on the spot, this is basically how you drift in the game, as you start charging around the corner, and release it after you've turned to keep your momentum.

Also all vehicles control very differently. In Mario Kart, most karts control roughly the same, with relatively minor differences in speed, acceleration, or handling.
In Air Ride, most work very uniquely. There is one that literally can't brake, making it harder to control for beginners, but it also means you won't lose any speed at corners. There's one that accelerates immadiately, but won't turn at all - except if you brake, in which case it stops also immediately, meaning you need to stop each time you need to go anywhere except in a straight line. There are ones that can't fly at all, but have other advantages, and there are ones that can fly much more than others, but have lower stats overall. There's also one that doesn't even start moving by itself; you'll have to charge it for a pretty long time to fill it with fuel, after which point it starts to move incredibly fast - until it's out of fuel. And the list goes on.

Bottom line, it's a super unique game.

YES! YES! ALL MY YES!

I absolutely LOVE the original Air Ride, Kirby is pretty much my favorite game series overall, and Sakurai is my favorite game director. This is going to be nothing short of incredible.

I adore Smash (remember, Sakurai is my favorite game director), but this is probably even more exciting for me right now. I understand that we won't get a new Smash for some time because of this, but it's absoutely worth it. I can't believe it.

I don't really have interest in Minecraft, but Napoleon Dynamite is one of my absolute favorite movies, so I might just go and see this.

@MeloMan Have you played Bakeru? It's really good, and it's basically a new Goemon game after 20 years - made by mostly the same people and all.

Don't get me wrong, I really like Gradius, but... where is our Goemon collection already, Konami?

We have the Marill & Azurill one from the first set. It's incredibly cute.

I don't really love either one. The Japanese version looks more exciting, but the Poké Ball is more prominent on the Western release, which is better for marketing overall. I voted for the Japanese version.

By the way, you used some kind of marketing material for the Japanese version, not the actual box art. I mean the overall design is the same, but this one has stuff like the price, the release date, and the title once more, which are not on the box.

@LadyCharlie What the selling point is is completely subjective. I, for example, barely use the online features, but play these retro game apps a ton. I probably wouldn't even be subscribed if these games weren't offered.

@Zuljaras You might say... you got the Collection Days Early?

Looks awesome. I'm hoping for the Famicom game to be included, like how it was with the new Getsu Fuuma Den game.

We already created a bingo card for it with my Pokémon fan friends last week.

I don't know, all these crossovers are just diluting MTG. Sure, they are cool for the fans of those specific franchises, but it makes the world of the card game less coherent.

My personal favorite is Wario Land 1, but thinking about it rationally, 4 is probably the best. Both are 10/10 games in my eyes, though.
2 and 3 are pretty great as well, but they are not as perfect in my eyes as 1 and 4.
The Wii entry is another step lower, but it's still great. Master of Disguise is obviously the weakest one, but I still enjoyed it better than most people.
Never played the VB one, though. I only really play official releases, and since the Virtual Boy is the only Nintendo system I'm missing, and it was never re-released, I haven't had any way to play it yet. Someday it will surely happen, I just never felt like paying a huge sum for a system that really only has one game I'm truly interested in.

It's Ninetales, not Ninetails.