Every day is a painful reminder that I'll never get the chance to meet my hero...
I highly encourage everyone to buy thr "Ask Iwata" book if you haven't already. I'm not an avid reader at all (despite how much I write), but it was well worth it. Honestly made me shed a few tears...
Sakurai probably never actually said that and is going to be so confused when he logs onto X, lol.
Sometimes the American localization changes what Sakurai actually says. For example, in the Min Min gameplay demonstration that was recorded during the height of the pandemic, there's a part where a couple CPU opponents close in, and he pushes them away with Min Min's extendable arms. Sakurai made a joke in Japanese about social distancing, but this was translated as something else in English.
I don't doubt that Sakurai did make some sort of joke about why she was too suggestive to put into the game. But someone who understands Japanese should listen to that part of the presentation to see whether or not he explicitly used the phrase, "good boys and girls."
Maybe it's because I wasn't around in the 80's, but I've always thought cartoons from this era were kind of cringe. I've never seen the appeal in Transformers, Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles etc. They always just screamed to me, "How do you do, fellow kids?" with cheesy dialogue, only existing to sell merch. Even other shows from that era that weren't known for having a massive line of toys, like Smurfs, didn't appeal to me either and also just kind of make me cringe. No disrespect to those who grew up with and loved these kinds of shows. Maybe you can tell me what it is about them that I'm missing.
Honestly, it was a perfect name. The subtitles of Mario & Luigi games are always perfect--unless you're European, where they stupidly started throwing the word "Bros." at the end. Paper Jam is a great name. Dream Team is a great name. Bowser's Inside Story, Partners in Time--all great names.
Superstar Saga is probably the weakest name, but despite being arguably the best game in the series, Superstar Saga has the least specific theming.The plot isn't about aliens or time travel or dream hopping, which are easy themes to convey; it's a weird li'l game about weird li'l bean people whose villages are named after laughter, so how are you supposed to market that on the box? "Mario & Luigi: Two Beans in a Pod?"
I don't know when/if we'll ever get another Mario & Luigi game after this, but you can count on it having an absolute banger of a title. My bet: a game where animatronics take over the world called "Mario & Luigi: Bro Botics."
I still need to play through this game. I only just beat Brothership, so my schedule is freed up, but I don't know if I want to jump straight into another turn-based RPG so soon.
That's true. I think Nintendo definitely had an issue with that back in the Wii U era--either that, or they just had the completely wrong idea of what consumers wanted. Like the Japanese Club Nintendo poll where players said they didn't want story in Paper Mario.
Although, the more I think about it, the quote was actually something like, "only 2% of people who took the Club Nintendo poll made mention of Super Paper Mario's story." That's not to say the customers DIDN'T like story, but perhaps that Tanabe applied his own biases about story to the poll and reported the data in a dubious way that falsely seemed to support his claim. Like politicians do all the time when they say "Look how low the unemployment rate was when so-and-so was in office compared to now! We fixed it!" despite conveniently ignoring the fact that there was a pandemic.
After all, when Club Nintendo was a thing, I and probably most others would just right "n/a" or something to our answer to each question that asked for a written response like, "what did/didn't you like about the game?" So, of course there weren't many people who commented on the story, just like they probably also didn't make mention of the gameplay, graphics, music, or anything else. We just took those polls to get the points.
I appreciate that Nintendo isn't just a soulless corporate machine who chases trends and that the developers have a genuine passion for the games they are making. But it's a double-edged sword, because if you view it as an expression of art instead of just another 9-5 job, you're more emotionally invested and less willing to make compromises to please the fans. You have a clear vision, and the game you're making is your baby.
It's a tough one, honestly. I don't know what the solution is.
Cool, I'll definitely keep it in mind. I know Nitro Rad gave high praise to that game--he's probably the only reason I even know about it--but there's been at least a couple different times I've bought a game Nitro Rad gave a strong recommendation for and wound up being a little disappointed with it. Demon Turf and Sphynx: The Cursed Mummy both fall into that camp. (Granted, I didn't get very far into either of them. Maybe they would click with me if I kept going.)
I get strong Cavern of Dreams vibes from Corn Kidz. Have you played that one? If so, how would you say it compares? I played Cavern of Dreams when it came to Switch I think at the beginning of this year, and it was interesting--a very surreal, occasionally unsettling take on Banjo-Kazooie. But I got a little frustrated in that game trying to figure out where I needed to go next. I liked it, but I don't know if I see myself ever replaying it. I don't necessarily want one-and-done experiences, but rather games I'll want to come back to again and again over the years. Like Mario 64--that's a game I replay annually. A lot of indie 3D platformers haven't been doing that for me.
@World Yeah, it's very uncanny. I'm fine with his weird chibi anime face, but his stocky figure and running animations are too humanoid and I find it disturbing. Comparing his design to Banjo, another anthropomorphic platforming bear, I don't get that same unsettling vibe. Banjo has dopey animations that aren't exactly bear-like, but they don't feel like a human either. Whatever this character is doing with his hands is a bit too over-the-top for me as well, since you'll be looking at that the whole game. It's like they're trying too hard to make him a meme, but it doesn't work for me.
It's like Mario grabbed the Tanooki leaf but something went horribly wrong...
Gameplay looks great, but I'll be honest--the main character disturbs me a little bit. He doesn't look like an anthropomorphic animal but more like an adult male in a furry suit. Maybe society has just corrupted me, but I can't look at something like this without feeling like there's weird NSFW undertones. I can't be the only one, right...? Maybe it's completely innocuous and I've just been terminally online for too long. That's probably it.
Either way though, this game won't be an immediate purchase for me despite 3D platformers being my favorite genre because there's frankly too many of them on the market right now, especially by indies. The indie ones in many cases have been a bit underwhelming to me, and I don't see me playing through them a second time.
That's not to say I regret purchasing them necessarily, but as Nikoderiko went on for example, the cracks started showing, and despite having really solid controls and level design that rivals even DKC, it's littered with game-breaking bugs. I've gotten softlocked probably five times in my playthrough, and I gave up on the final boss because sometimes the hit boxes just wouldn't work and I couldn't damage him.
Kao the Kangaroo is another where I just felt like "Eh, it was alright, but not sure if I need to revisit it." It was certainly more polished (although I do distinctly remember losing progress in Kao because there was a save data bug at launch), but it was still just kind of middling.
I beat the first world in Demon Turf but just never continued because I didn't find it all that fun for whatever reason. (I'll go back to it eventually and give it another chance, though.) I have other games in my wishlist like Lunistice, Corn Kidz 64, and Spark The Electric Jester, but I honestly feel at this point that I'm forcing myself to play these obscure 3D platformers because I feel compelled to play every game in the genre.
For the longest time, we just weren't getting any 3D platformers at all. Once they gained popularity again with games like Mario Odyssey, Crash N. Sane Trilogy, Spyro Reignited Trilogy, and SpongeBob Rehydrated, it was easy to keep up at first. But now, I feel like they're becoming as common as RPG's, with several releasing every year.
When they were more rare, I could look past the faults of a game like Yooka-Laylee and still love it because it filled a void. But that void has been filled now and then some, so I'm not sure I have the willingness to buy a lot of b-tier platformers anymore as it's getting increasingly expensive and time-consuming to play them all. Even Penny's Big Breakaway, which did have a lot going for it, felt like a bit of a slog for me to finish. I think I'm just getting burned out on running and jumping.
Moving forward, I think I'll dial it back to the 3D platformers from major publishers for now, like whatever Ubisoft is planning for Rayman, a possible Spyro 4, and whatever Mario and Kirby do next. One big exception would be if A Hat in Time gets a sequel, though--I'd be there day one.
Don't get me wrong, this is a good problem to have. I'd rather the market be oversaturated with 3D platformers than to not get any at all, which was the case for probably close to a decade outside Mario and Sonic.
Thank you. I manage my OCD much better now than I used to. I spent about a year in therapy in 2021, and then I started medicating, which completely changed my life. I'm significantly happier now than I used to be. Many days can still be a struggle, but I would say I have more good days than bad, whereas before I started medicating, I would say 90 percent of the time life felt like a living hell from 2015, when my symptoms got really bad, to 2020.
I'm really grateful for the progress I've made, as I now genuinely love life again and am happy to be here. I'm not 100% back to where I want to be, but I hope to keep working toward improvement. I also hope I can help raise awareness about obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is a very misunderstood condition. I think most people--myself included for a very long time--think of OCD as just a personality quirk, someone who is a "neat freak." But that isn't an accurate representation at all.
One of the things that kept me going in my darkest hour was the thought that someday I'll be able to help others that are going through this. If not for that mindset, and also my religious faith, I don't want to think about what might have happened. I also had a strong support system from loving family, which is a big blessing. But you're right that things can and will get better; I'm living proof of that, and I want to share that message with others. 🙂
@nebzila In reality, I don't think it would have worked out that way. Sony created Crash Bandicoot to be their platforming mascot to compete against Mario. In an alternate timeline where Nintendo remained buddy-buddy with Sony, a lot of their flagship titles like Crash and Spyro wouldn't have needed to exist.
Maybe I need to start a blog or a podcast or something. I have all these ideas I want to convey but I don't really have an outlet outside of Nintendo Life. (I did start a YouTube gaming channel, but that's mostly for entertainment purposes and not the same kind of audience.) I've even thought about writing a manifesto on what I like to call "radical pacivism."
I've always been a deep thinker, but as someone who has long suffered from debilitating OCD and agoraphobia, I've had a lot of time on my hands while cooped up inside to sit and think about things in ways that the average person probably doesn't have the time to with their busy schedules.
If I can get my ideas out there and maybe in some small way help people get along and quell the tensions that make it feel like we're on the brink of a civil war sometimes, then I'll have found meaning through my suffering and it will have all been worth it.
Thank you both! I truly believe everybody has a shared human experience that makes us more alike than we are different. But unfortunately, many people are unwilling to look for that common ground. I've found in my personal observations (but I feel like it should be common sense, really), that the more you insult and act morally superior to someone, the more they will just double-down in their pre-conceived biases.
Going off of this, I've also observed that--more often than not--people are not radicalized by the party they identify with; rather, extremism is often a rebuttal against what they perceive as a hostile attack from the other side against their core values and beliefs. In other words, people on the far-Right aren't pushed there by others on the Right, but rather by those on the far-Left and vice-versa. Like the law in physics about "every action having an equal but opposite reaction," but applied to people. Fascists turn people into Communists and Communists turn people into Fascists.
So when I'm weighing in on controversial subjects, I try to choose my words carefully. For example, I always put the word "woke" in quotation marks, because although I have somewhat socially Conservative views, I think "woke" is: (1) a buzzword, and if you rely too heavily on those, it can make you look like you're in an echo chamber and devoid of original thought to the person you're debating, but more importantly (2) it's a derogatory word that elicits a strong negative emotional reaction from the other side. So, I'll use a word like that because the meaning behind it is widely understood, but I think the quotes help to put distance between myself and the word so as to say, "hey, I'm saying this only because it's common vernacular and not because I'm aiming to insult you."
How can you expect someone to listen to what you have to say and respect your opinion if you aren't willing to offer them thay same courtesy in return?
You might also notice I start sentences with "I think," "I feel" "Often," "Usually," etc. a lot, because I think another problem is that people often erroneously believe that their argument is infallible. Our culture teaches us to use definitive language if you want to make your argument seem credible. If I wrote a college essay and used that kind of doubtful phrasing, would get a worse grade.
But I think (lol) that saying "I think" illustrates that I'm willing to admit that I don't know anything with 100% certainty and am open to earnestly listening to opposing viewpoints and potentially change my mind. I think the world would be a much better place if politicians and scholars and even just everyday people weren't conditioned to believe they have to put on this front that they are infallible to be taken seriously--that saying "I don't know" or "I'm not sure" or "you may be right" doesn't signify a lack of intelligence or inability to lead. It doesn't mean you're indecisive, just that you're capable of introspection and growth.
My aim is never to get people to agree with me, so much as it is to bridge the gap in our incredibly divided culture and come to a mutual respect and understanding. To get people to say, "Well, my core values haven't changed, but maybe I should reconsider cutting off my friends and family whose values don't always align with mine."
@JohnnyMind Thank you so much! 🙂 I always appreciate the validation from others, as sometimes I feel like I'm just wasting mine and everyone else's time with obnoxiously long comments that run the risk of getting deleted by the admins for getting too sociopolitical. It always makes me happy to know it resonated with somebody.
If you have a PlayStation with a PSN subscription, you can download Rayman Legends for free. It was also on sale in the last eShop sale for dirt cheap, like $10 or maybe even just $5. I highly recommend it, especially if you're a fan of Mario. It was my introduction to Rayman, and it's my favorite 2D platformer of all-time. I love it more than Tropical Freeze or Mario Wonder or any number of games in the genre. It also has a Mario costume for Rayman and a Luigi costume for another character, Globox, which you unlock super early into the game if you're playing on Switch or Wii U.
It has an incredibly gorgeous hand-drawn art style that, even 10 years later, still holds up and has only been outdone by maybe Cuphead. There's also an insane amount of content, as the game has pretty much every level from the previous title. Rayman Legends, remastered in it. That's 10 worlds of content and over 100 levels. The controls are perfect; it's one of the few games I've played where even the underwater levels are a delight as it just feels buttery smooth to swim around.
I really can't sing this game's praises enough. I hope you check it out someday!
That said, I don't know how much that has to do with Ubisoft's current situation; they aren't going broke from being "woke," but rather from a myriad of poor business decisions. Releasing average to mediocre games that are really expensive to make, dedicating a significant amount of resources to fruitless projects like NFT's, hurting their consumer trust with unfinished products and microtransactions...
Although I have many qualms with modern-day Liberalism, that isn't the reason any of these companies are struggling--including Disney. Maybe a very, very small reason, but not the main reason. I don't know of anyone who has canceled their Disney+ subscription over politics, for example. But, they keep churning out offensively uninspired live-action sequels, buying out all these other studios and not knowing what to do with them, and having PR disasters like the Disney+ free trial acting as a liability waiver for Disney World.
Look at Nintendo's downfall during the Wii U era and their resurgence to popularity in 2017. What changed wasn't that Nintendo got more or less political; for whatever reason, they just completely disregarded the will of consumers and started churning out garbage products for a few years. That's all Ubisoft, ActiVision, and Disney need to do--they need to say, "Hey guys, remember when our products were actually GOOD?"
At the end of the day, Liberals will voice their distain toward what Chick Fil-A stands for, but most of them still eat there. Conservatives can get angry at the NFL and claim they won't be tuning into any more games, but most of them still do. And J. K. Rowling can face major scrutiny, but no amount of boycotting could keep Hogwarts Legacy from smashing sales records. Most people aren't going to take a moral stand if it means giving up their favorite things. If I didn't shop somewhere because I disagreed with their politics, I'd have nowhere left to shop.
But when Disney's movies or Ubisoft's games or ActiVision's games are just objectively bad? Yeah, that's what will hurt your business. If you can stay the best at whatever it is you do, the consumer will turn a blind eye to almost anything--i.e., our phones and clothes being produced in a sweat shop.
It's funny because if you look at Ubisoft, ActiVision, or even Disney, the companies that virtue signal the hardest to flaunt how "Progressive" they are are always the ones that have a deeply prejudiced history. Of course a company as historically racist as Disney or as exploitative of women as Ubisoft and ActiVision are going to preach diversity, equity, and inclusivity because it's a convenient moral shield they can hide behind in a vain PR attempt to absolve themselves of their past transgressions. It's disingenuous, and I think people are starting to see through it.
These companies have never had a moral compass and have always just done what they perceive to be socially acceptable, so why should we trust them to make changes for the better? "Misogyny isn't cool anymore? Well, I guess we'll just practice misandry instead." That doesn't solve the problem and just replaces one form of discrimination with another. It's a never-ending cycle. This is a problem with society as a whole, as people just jump on whatever bandwagon everyone else is currently on, regardless of who it hurts.
Life is a lot more nuanced than that. Things aren't as black-and-white as people make them out to be. As a white guy who lives in a dying coal mining community in the heart of Appalachia, where poverty and drug addiction run rampant and my people are stereotyped as inbred trash, initiatives like affirmative action just makes it all the harder for people like me to get a good education and a job and escape this heck hole.
DEI isn't a solution--it's just replacing one problem with another problem.
While every other company is trying to form a monopoly and invest billions of dollars into hostile corporate takeovers, Nintendo should hire every one of these employees when they inevitably get laid off by their CEO who mismanaged the acquisition.
I'm not expecting it in December, but I'd love to get one final Switch-focused Direct before the big "Switch 2" presentation that gives us the last handful of first-party games we've been hoping for. Wind Waker HD, Twilight Princess HD, Metroid Prime 2 and 3, a new Mario Baseball, Kid Icarus Uprising remastered, Yoshi's Woolly World maybe a new Wario Land or Rythm Heaven. Mostly ports and basic remasters, as well as some more niche budget titles.
Maybe we could get a Switch Direct in February and a Switch 2 reveal in March? I'm not counting on it, but that would be my ideal scenario.
I just passed 100 subscribers, which is a goal I wanted to achieve by the end of the year! I'm very thankful to everybody who helped me reach this milestone!
My nephew is spending the night with us, so me, him, and my dad have been playing Mario Party. He's also gotten me back into Hyrule Warriors, so me and my nephew have been playing it in co-op.
I still need to finish Brothership. Maybe I'll finally do that this weekend and then I can dive into Dragon Quest III.
Because of my religious views, I believe in "traditional" marriage between a man and a woman. But, I understand that not everyone has the same religious convictions as me. So, if a couple are going to pursue a gay relationship anyways--whether I think it's sinful or not--they may as well have the same benefits as straight couples. As a guy with socially Conservative views, I don't see that as anything "woke."
They deserve the same rights and protections as me because it's true that they aren't hurting anybody. We don't have to agree with each other's lifestyle decisions to still show basic human decency and respect. That goes both ways, though, and I shouldn't have to hide my Christian faith any more than someone else should have to hide their sexuality. It used to be that gay people were told to keep it in the bedroom because nobody wants to hear about it. But now, it's that people should keep their faith in the church because nobody wants to hear it.
Nobody should be ashamed of being their authentic selves. My faith is just as important to my core identity as someone else's sexuality. We should both have the liberty to be open about it, have difficult but mutually respectful conversations about it, agree to disagree, and still love each other at the end of the day and be willing to lend a helping hand to our fellow neighbor.
I'm a little nervous about posting this one, to be honest, as I'm not sure what the reception is gonna be. This is one of those comments that I think will probably get deleted. But hopefully, it can lead to some productive conversations and help us understand each other a little better.
@PinballBuzzbro Thanks, haha. Calling it the weakest DKC game is WILD though, lol. Have you played DKC 3?
Personally, I'm one of those people who thinks this game is at least as good as Tropical Freeze, maybe even better. The only real downsides are that most of the bosses aren't anything particularly memorable, and the music isn't composed by David Wise. The mandatory Wii motion controls were also a pain, but that's obviously not a problem here or on 3DS. I'm curious why you don't like it.
I guess there's an argument to be made that the game is a little vanilla like New Super Mario Bros. and doesn't bring a whole lot new to the table. But considering how long it had been since there was a new DKC game, and considering Nintendo didn't make four almost identical DKC games over the course of a few years like they did with NSMB, I don't really have a problem with it.
I will absolutely buy this $60 port of a Wii game that retailed at $50 and was already re-released on 3DS for $40 (but I got that version for free on Club Nintendo).
Am I part of the problem?
Yes.
But at least I'm a big enough person to admit that.
@NFrealinkling Nah, I think Nintendo will still be able to blow past it pretty easily. The Switch still retails for $300 and hasn't gotten a single price cut yet. It's not like Nintendo will immediately discontinue the OG Switch the moment the "Switch 2" releases. It will likely still be on the market for another few years and maybe even get some kind of new SKU like a "Switch Slim" or "Switch Pocket" or something, I dunno.
Remember the Nintendo 2DS XL didn't release until after the Switch already came out, and first-party games were still coming to the console as late as 2019. Switch has a far larger install base than 3DS, so they may support it for even longer, especially since the new system will be backwards-compatible.
It might take a few more years, but I think the Switch can absolutely surpass PS2, no question.
So I guess the reason they went with the branching timelines for Ocarina of Time is because Ganondorf seized control of Hyrule while Link was in slumber for seven years, right? I always thought they meant Link died in battle, but I guess an alternative way to interpret it would be if Link never woken up or was unable to change the past for whatever reason. That makes more sense to me, rather than just "Oh, well, Link was beaten."
They could probably do another split with Breath of the Wild if they wanted, where Link is not successfully revived in the Shrine of Resurrection and Zelda is unable to maintain her hold on Calamity Ganon. Granted, I guess they could split the timeline anywhere-- "What if Skyloft never descended back to the surface" "What if the great flood never happened?"
I've never really explored the timeline too deeply, but it's fascinating to consider. If we view Ganondorf winning as a "what-if" scenario since Link was indeed successful in changing the past, I guess that means those games never actually happened and the heroes of those respective eras failed to exist. It's like if the atom bomb was dropped on a different city and you just had a completely alternate reality. Pretty wild.
I appreciate your level-headedness and willingness to reach across the aisle. I think much of the Left unfortunately lacks that ability, though. For example, during the election--even early on when Harris was projected to win--Fox was the only live coverage that left the chat open so you could see what people were saying in real-time. CNN, MSNBC, and PBS all had their chat disabled. Now why is that?
Likewise, if you go to PBS' YouTube channel now, you'll see lots of videos disparaging Trump and his cabinet picks, which all have comments completely turned off. Leftists are the ones who are severing ties with friends and family after the election. Leftists are also the ones who packed their bags and moved to Blue Sky so they wouldn't have to interact with Conservatives on Twitter.
If someone in Hollywood voices their Conservative views, they often get blacklisted. Employers can also discriminate on the basis of political views, which I think should be illegal. If you have a MAGA sign in your yard, you're more likely to get reprimanded by your local HOA board than if it were a Harris/Waltz sign.
And here on Nintendo Life, I can't make a rather bipartisan comment about people on both sides calling anyone who thinks differently from them Hitler without it getting deleted. I might would've voted for someone other than Trump if the left hadn't been so adamant about plugging their ears and ignoring my valid questions and concerns. If you think I'm ignorant, don't say, "It's not my job to educate you." It kind of is your job if you claim to fight for social justice.
People will tell you the economy was the main reason the Republicans won the election, but for me, preserving the freedom of speech was the thing that drove me to the ballots. As I understand it, people in the UK are even being prosecuted for their social media comments that are perceived as "hate speech" despite not calling for harassment or inciting violence against a group of people.
That's not to say there aren't plenty of stubborn Conservatives who don't give a care about what "the Libs" have to say and dismiss them as snowflakes and SJW's. But I don't see them cutting off loved ones for it, and say what you will about Elon Musk, but he's been a beacon of free speech. People talk crap about him on his own platform all the time, and although he has the power to restrict their accounts, he doesn't because he recognizes that censorship is the enemy of the people. Community Notes on X have been a game-changer, and Musk praises the feature in even keeping him accountable by fact-checking him if he spreads misinformation.
Yet, they say the Right is in the business of banning books, comparing it to Nazi bookburning. Thinking certain explicit material is not appropriate for an elementary school library is not the same as calling for it to be pulled from all libraries--and it's certainly not the same as physically destroying the books so no one can access the information.
It's frustrating. I wish more people had your level of open-mindedness. God bless.
•Week 3: Donkey Kong Land III (GB)
•Week 4: Donkey Kong '94 (GB)
•Week 5: Donkey Kong 64 (N64)
•Week 6: Diddy Kong Racing (N64)
•Week 7: DK King of Swing (GBA)
•Week 8: Donkey Kong Country 1-3 GB and GBA ports
All leading up to the release of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD. Would certainly be a good way to put DK back on the map ahead of the theme park expansion and add value to NSO. So how about it, Nintendo?
It's always strange to me how many people on the Left claim to be against discrimination on the basis of color, yet they won't hesitate to insult Trump for being "orange" instead of focusing their criticisms on his specific policies.
It's like when I see people saying that women need to stand up for each other and that body-shaming is wrong, but then when a woman supports MAGA, it's suddenly okay to call her a "fat pig" or an "ugly cow" and get thousands of likes for it. The hypocrisy is gross. That doesn't go for everybody on the Left, but it's unfortunately all too common.
...Okay, that's enough of me playing with fire for one day. I'll stop now, mods. 😅
This pretty much confirms to me that we're getting Metroid Prime 2 and 3 early next year before the release of Prime 4. SamusHunter on Twitter/X is also saying this is the case.
SamusHunter used to not have a great track record, but they called Xenoblade X and the Donkey Kong Universal Direct, so whoever their source is now, I think they're legit.
SamusHunter has also teased the idea of Silksong news soon as well. Maybe we'll get a Silksong release date trailer as well as a Metroid Prime 2 & 3 Remastered trailer at The Game Awards. Would be funny since Metroid Prime Trilogy was rumored to be at The Game Awards back in like 2018.
Would be a pretty good venue for both announcements. Metroidvania fans gonna be eating good, methinks.
These look like the things I got at the zoo as a small child. Like there was this machine that would mold these wax figures you could buy of different animals like gorillas and tigers. Childhood memory unlocked. Does anybody else know what I'm talking about?
Nice. It's inevitable these platforms would copy Nintendo eventually. In this case, it's an objectively good thing for them. Unlike when Xbox did Kinect and PS3 did PlayStation Motion or whatever it was called, this isn't copying a fad. This is the future of gaming.
@Bolt_Strike There will still be another US presidential election in four years. Trump is far from what the media tries to make him out to be. I say this as an Independent who has done dozens of hours of research across both Right and Left-wing news sources, comparing and contrasting the information and trying to draw as close to an objective conclusion as possible. Don't fall for the propaganda, but also don't just take my word for it because I could be lying to you just like CNN or MSNBC. (Fox peddles lies too though, for the record; don't think I'm saying they don't also perpetuate misinformation). God bless.
Thought I was going to be in the minority saying that I wasn't interested in owning a Banjo washing machine to display proudly in my home as a lovely centerpiece / conversation-starter. Looks like I'm not as much of a stick in the mud as I thought!
It would be hilarious if they follow this up with a $400 Canary Mary figure.
I'd love if they could somehow have a retractable second screen that could be pulled out when you need it like one of those phones with the keypad you can conceal. Not sure how it would work in practice, though.
I've also seen someone speculate how a two-screened Switch could have really interesting applications in tabletop mode where you could put them back-to-back with a player on each side like a game of Battleship. For something like ARMS, you'd be actually throwing your punches toward each other, which would make for a more immersive experience. It would work great for card games and the like as well.
If this second screen was detachable and you could use it as a makeshift GamePad while the other screen is in the dock to replicate the asymmetrical multiplayer of Wii U, then it'd be perfect. Also, I want them to include a stylus holder like the DS, and move the IR camera from the bottom to the top of the Joy-Con between the R and ZR buttons and put an IR sensor built into the dock to get the precise Wii motion controls. The bezzle above the screen should also have an IR sensor for when you're playing in tabletop.
Those features, coupled with the inevitably improved graphics (4k docked, 1080p handheld) and already confirmed backwards compatability, would make Switch 2 my absolute dream console.
The only thing that would sweeten it even further is if they brought back social features like StreetPass and Miiverse, offered more streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+, and released some kind of peripheral you could attach like a screen protector that all of a sudden makes the Switch 2 capable of glasses-free stereoscopic 3D. Since it would be an optional feature sold separately, it wouldn't drive uo the cost of the main unit for what some see as a "gimmick." I know that's a pipe dream that likely won't happen, but man, if only...
Now that this series is finished, I'm working my way through Super Mario Sunshine, although I don't yet have any videos up because I'm still in the process of uploading the Rayman ones. I upload one video a day on Mondays-Fridays and like to record in bulk, so Sunshine won't be up until sometime next week.
Otherwise, I've still been playing through Brothership and believe I'm very near the end of the game. I also played through all of Donkey Kong Land yesterday for the first time, which was enjoyable. Kind of surreal as someone who grew up with Donkey Kong Country to play this very similar game but with its own original levels and on older hardware. I enjoyed it, but I admittedly used the rewind feature here and there, as the level design and controls aren't as finely polished as the SNES games. There's one level where you're in the clouds and ride this platform that changes directions when you jump on it like the World 7 level in Super Mario Bros. 3 that I would frankly consider very poorly designed. Overall though, it was a fun little romp.
I'd love to record some videos of me playing online on the different Mario Party Jamboree maps, too. I uploaded one of me playing on Mega Wiggler's Tree Party online with Pro rules a few weeks ago and intended to do the same for each of the other boards but haven't gotten around to it. Maybe this is the weekend I finally do it? If so, I'll upload these on the weekends and break from my usual Mo-Fri schedule.
Oh, and I uploaded a short little video of me playing through a Bikini Bottom level I made in Super Mario Maker 2 several years ago, which I'm pretty proud of. Here's the link to that one, if anybody is curious:
I'm really thankful for how supportive the Nintendo Life audience has been of my new endeavor. A handful of you have subscribed or left positive comments, and it just means the world to me.
On one hand--sweet! On the other hand--just one Game Boy game this month? Really? We'd better at least get an N64 game this month as well.
I'm looking forward to beating this game, as I first played it a couple years ago when I downloaded it on 3DS before the eShop closure. But shortly after I bought it, they announced that Game Boy games were coming to NSO, so I never fomished it because I was expecting a Switch release. I guess now's the time.
Calling it Nintendo's "most important console" is quite a statement. Sure, it's currently Nintendo's best-selling system of all-time, but I'm confident the Switch will comfortably surpass it.
I understand it was revolutionary in a lot of ways--it was Nintendo's first system that fully took advantage of online play, local wireless and Download Play made multiplayer far more accessible than having a wired connection, having a second screen for maps and menu navigation without needing to pause your game was convenient, it introduced the masses to touch-based gaming well before the iPhone, and it successfully drew in a more casual audience.
But despite all those important features, I have a very hard time going back to the DS software library. I just don't think most of the first-party games hold up and were largely focused on gimmicks. Yoshi Touch & Go, Kirby Mass Attack, Kirby Canvas Curse, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: March of the Minis, and even Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks were too tethered to the stylus to the point where I never even picked up most of these because they just didn't look fun.
There are some good games on it for sure: WarioWare: Touched, Kirby Squeak Squad, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Mario Party DS, and Super Princess Peach are a few of my favorites. New Super Mario Bros. was enjoyable at the time, but it's easy to forget that after Nintendo milked the series to death. I even think Wario: Master of Disguise is a bit underrated. But most of the library was a bit weird. No mainline Donkey Kong game, instead you have DK Jungle Climber, for instance.
Admittedly, I didn't play a lot of third-parties, so I can't speak on those. Scribblenauts and Drawn to Life were a good time and offered a unique experience. But on the whole, I think the 3DS' library of games outclassed the DS in almost every way. Even Super Mario 64 DS has a myriad of problems, like the 8-direction control pad.
I also don't think the graphics of DS games hold up very well at all. In many ways, I think Nintendo 64 games look better, even if they have less polygons and textures, because they aren't compressed onto a super low-resolution screen, which results in jagged edges and just an overall unappealing look. DS has the fuzziest-looking games.
That's just my opinion, though. For all it's faults and gimmicks, I can look back much more fondly on the Wii, with its Virtual Console library and bangers like Super Mario Galaxy, Donkey Kong Country Returns, and Kirby's Return to Dream Land. The graphics still hold up decently well, too.
Thank you! I wouldn't say Gottfried got canceled for that, as I was born just two years before 9/11, and I've been familiar with his work all my life. And I don't just mean stuff that predated when I was born, but even stuff like the character Dr. Bender from Fairly OddParents and a cameo in SpongeBob, which came years after the fact.
Granted, he did fall into some controversy and lose his role as the Aflack duck after making a joke about the tsunami Japan suffered back in 2011. Ironically, Japan was apparently the world's leading consumer of Aflack insurance, lol. So maybe he somehow came back from being canceled and then was canceled again?
For me, a lot of it comes down to intent. I'm not gonna pretend like I've never made a 9/11 joke, but I think a lot of people--myself included--use dark humor as a way to cope. When I first learned about 9/11, I found it deeply traumatic and even to this day, I can't look at imagery of the event without it causing major distress. So, I think that's what Gilbert was doing--trying to bring levity--but when it's a joke about the death of a politician, especially one people have such strong opinions on as Trump, that's where I'm more inclined to believe it was meant sincerely.
The problem is there's no way to really know for sure, though. A comedian can come out and say, "it was just a joke, I never meant that," and how are we to know the truth? I don't want to make an incorrect judgment about a person's character.
Comedy is hard, and the internet just makes it worse. You may think you know your audience, but if someone records your skit and uploads it to YouTube, it's going to be seen by a much larger demographic of people who may not have the same sense of humor as someone who bought tickets to your show knowing what they were in for.
It's something I try to keep in mind on my own YouTube channel. A while back, I made an "Allahu akbar" joke in one of my videos, but then I took a step back and thought about it and decided that wasn't the sort of humor I wanted to make on my channel. My faith as a Christian is deeply important to me, and I don't like when others make jokes about my religion, so if there's a chance a Muslim person will watch my video and feel alienated or like I've blasphemed against them, I don't want to be the cause of that.
At the end of the day, I suppose I have to accept that there's always someone who is going to get offended, no matter how seemingly innocuous I think my joke is going to be. But, I try to make sure the jokes are never made with malicious intent. Because, again, I think intent is the #1 most important thing.
Comments 3,765
Re: Today Would Have Been Satoru Iwata's 65th Birthday
Every day is a painful reminder that I'll never get the chance to meet my hero...
I highly encourage everyone to buy thr "Ask Iwata" book if you haven't already. I'm not an avid reader at all (despite how much I write), but it was well worth it. Honestly made me shed a few tears...
Re: Croc Remaster Will Miss Its December 2024 Launch Window
Removed
Re: Random: Did Street Fighter 6's Next DLC Just Reference Sakurai's Famous Smash Quote? Some Fans Think So
Sakurai probably never actually said that and is going to be so confused when he logs onto X, lol.
Sometimes the American localization changes what Sakurai actually says. For example, in the Min Min gameplay demonstration that was recorded during the height of the pandemic, there's a part where a couple CPU opponents close in, and he pushes them away with Min Min's extendable arms. Sakurai made a joke in Japanese about social distancing, but this was translated as something else in English.
I don't doubt that Sakurai did make some sort of joke about why she was too suggestive to put into the game. But someone who understands Japanese should listen to that part of the presentation to see whether or not he explicitly used the phrase, "good boys and girls."
Re: Sonic X Transformers Collab Officially Teased, Photos Leaked Online
Maybe it's because I wasn't around in the 80's, but I've always thought cartoons from this era were kind of cringe. I've never seen the appeal in Transformers, Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles etc. They always just screamed to me, "How do you do, fellow kids?" with cheesy dialogue, only existing to sell merch. Even other shows from that era that weren't known for having a massive line of toys, like Smurfs, didn't appeal to me either and also just kind of make me cringe. No disrespect to those who grew up with and loved these kinds of shows. Maybe you can tell me what it is about them that I'm missing.
Re: Random: Nintendo And Acquire Brainstormed "Over" 100 Subtitles For Mario & Luigi: Brothership
Honestly, it was a perfect name. The subtitles of Mario & Luigi games are always perfect--unless you're European, where they stupidly started throwing the word "Bros." at the end. Paper Jam is a great name. Dream Team is a great name. Bowser's Inside Story, Partners in Time--all great names.
Superstar Saga is probably the weakest name, but despite being arguably the best game in the series, Superstar Saga has the least specific theming.The plot isn't about aliens or time travel or dream hopping, which are easy themes to convey; it's a weird li'l game about weird li'l bean people whose villages are named after laughter, so how are you supposed to market that on the box? "Mario & Luigi: Two Beans in a Pod?"
I don't know when/if we'll ever get another Mario & Luigi game after this, but you can count on it having an absolute banger of a title. My bet: a game where animatronics take over the world called "Mario & Luigi: Bro Botics."
Re: Square Enix Provides Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Global Sales Update
I still need to play through this game. I only just beat Brothership, so my schedule is freed up, but I don't know if I want to jump straight into another turn-based RPG so soon.
Re: Ubisoft Closes Two Studios And Will Reportedly Lay Off Hundreds Of Employees
@Darknyht
That's true. I think Nintendo definitely had an issue with that back in the Wii U era--either that, or they just had the completely wrong idea of what consumers wanted. Like the Japanese Club Nintendo poll where players said they didn't want story in Paper Mario.
Although, the more I think about it, the quote was actually something like, "only 2% of people who took the Club Nintendo poll made mention of Super Paper Mario's story." That's not to say the customers DIDN'T like story, but perhaps that Tanabe applied his own biases about story to the poll and reported the data in a dubious way that falsely seemed to support his claim. Like politicians do all the time when they say "Look how low the unemployment rate was when so-and-so was in office compared to now! We fixed it!" despite conveniently ignoring the fact that there was a pandemic.
After all, when Club Nintendo was a thing, I and probably most others would just right "n/a" or something to our answer to each question that asked for a written response like, "what did/didn't you like about the game?" So, of course there weren't many people who commented on the story, just like they probably also didn't make mention of the gameplay, graphics, music, or anything else. We just took those polls to get the points.
I appreciate that Nintendo isn't just a soulless corporate machine who chases trends and that the developers have a genuine passion for the games they are making. But it's a double-edged sword, because if you view it as an expression of art instead of just another 9-5 job, you're more emotionally invested and less willing to make compromises to please the fans. You have a clear vision, and the game you're making is your baby.
It's a tough one, honestly. I don't know what the solution is.
Re: New Hand-Drawn 3D Platformer Is Bursting With Nintendo Inventiveness
@sketchturner
Cool, I'll definitely keep it in mind. I know Nitro Rad gave high praise to that game--he's probably the only reason I even know about it--but there's been at least a couple different times I've bought a game Nitro Rad gave a strong recommendation for and wound up being a little disappointed with it. Demon Turf and Sphynx: The Cursed Mummy both fall into that camp. (Granted, I didn't get very far into either of them. Maybe they would click with me if I kept going.)
I get strong Cavern of Dreams vibes from Corn Kidz. Have you played that one? If so, how would you say it compares? I played Cavern of Dreams when it came to Switch I think at the beginning of this year, and it was interesting--a very surreal, occasionally unsettling take on Banjo-Kazooie. But I got a little frustrated in that game trying to figure out where I needed to go next. I liked it, but I don't know if I see myself ever replaying it. I don't necessarily want one-and-done experiences, but rather games I'll want to come back to again and again over the years. Like Mario 64--that's a game I replay annually. A lot of indie 3D platformers haven't been doing that for me.
Re: Ex-PlayStation Boss Questions Future Of Consoles, But Not Nintendo Hardware
My first thought was that it's really offensive and insulting to Nintendo fans to compare the company to the state of Idaho.
Then I realized--wow, I must really hate Idaho.
Re: New Hand-Drawn 3D Platformer Is Bursting With Nintendo Inventiveness
@World Yeah, it's very uncanny. I'm fine with his weird chibi anime face, but his stocky figure and running animations are too humanoid and I find it disturbing. Comparing his design to Banjo, another anthropomorphic platforming bear, I don't get that same unsettling vibe. Banjo has dopey animations that aren't exactly bear-like, but they don't feel like a human either. Whatever this character is doing with his hands is a bit too over-the-top for me as well, since you'll be looking at that the whole game. It's like they're trying too hard to make him a meme, but it doesn't work for me.
It's like Mario grabbed the Tanooki leaf but something went horribly wrong...
Re: New Hand-Drawn 3D Platformer Is Bursting With Nintendo Inventiveness
Gameplay looks great, but I'll be honest--the main character disturbs me a little bit. He doesn't look like an anthropomorphic animal but more like an adult male in a furry suit. Maybe society has just corrupted me, but I can't look at something like this without feeling like there's weird NSFW undertones. I can't be the only one, right...? Maybe it's completely innocuous and I've just been terminally online for too long. That's probably it.
Either way though, this game won't be an immediate purchase for me despite 3D platformers being my favorite genre because there's frankly too many of them on the market right now, especially by indies. The indie ones in many cases have been a bit underwhelming to me, and I don't see me playing through them a second time.
That's not to say I regret purchasing them necessarily, but as Nikoderiko went on for example, the cracks started showing, and despite having really solid controls and level design that rivals even DKC, it's littered with game-breaking bugs. I've gotten softlocked probably five times in my playthrough, and I gave up on the final boss because sometimes the hit boxes just wouldn't work and I couldn't damage him.
Kao the Kangaroo is another where I just felt like "Eh, it was alright, but not sure if I need to revisit it." It was certainly more polished (although I do distinctly remember losing progress in Kao because there was a save data bug at launch), but it was still just kind of middling.
I beat the first world in Demon Turf but just never continued because I didn't find it all that fun for whatever reason. (I'll go back to it eventually and give it another chance, though.) I have other games in my wishlist like Lunistice, Corn Kidz 64, and Spark The Electric Jester, but I honestly feel at this point that I'm forcing myself to play these obscure 3D platformers because I feel compelled to play every game in the genre.
For the longest time, we just weren't getting any 3D platformers at all. Once they gained popularity again with games like Mario Odyssey, Crash N. Sane Trilogy, Spyro Reignited Trilogy, and SpongeBob Rehydrated, it was easy to keep up at first. But now, I feel like they're becoming as common as RPG's, with several releasing every year.
When they were more rare, I could look past the faults of a game like Yooka-Laylee and still love it because it filled a void. But that void has been filled now and then some, so I'm not sure I have the willingness to buy a lot of b-tier platformers anymore as it's getting increasingly expensive and time-consuming to play them all. Even Penny's Big Breakaway, which did have a lot going for it, felt like a bit of a slog for me to finish. I think I'm just getting burned out on running and jumping.
Moving forward, I think I'll dial it back to the 3D platformers from major publishers for now, like whatever Ubisoft is planning for Rayman, a possible Spyro 4, and whatever Mario and Kirby do next. One big exception would be if A Hat in Time gets a sequel, though--I'd be there day one.
Don't get me wrong, this is a good problem to have. I'd rather the market be oversaturated with 3D platformers than to not get any at all, which was the case for probably close to a decade outside Mario and Sonic.
Re: Ubisoft Closes Two Studios And Will Reportedly Lay Off Hundreds Of Employees
@Edu23XWiiU
Thank you. I manage my OCD much better now than I used to. I spent about a year in therapy in 2021, and then I started medicating, which completely changed my life. I'm significantly happier now than I used to be. Many days can still be a struggle, but I would say I have more good days than bad, whereas before I started medicating, I would say 90 percent of the time life felt like a living hell from 2015, when my symptoms got really bad, to 2020.
I'm really grateful for the progress I've made, as I now genuinely love life again and am happy to be here. I'm not 100% back to where I want to be, but I hope to keep working toward improvement. I also hope I can help raise awareness about obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is a very misunderstood condition. I think most people--myself included for a very long time--think of OCD as just a personality quirk, someone who is a "neat freak." But that isn't an accurate representation at all.
One of the things that kept me going in my darkest hour was the thought that someday I'll be able to help others that are going through this. If not for that mindset, and also my religious faith, I don't want to think about what might have happened. I also had a strong support system from loving family, which is a big blessing. But you're right that things can and will get better; I'm living proof of that, and I want to share that message with others. 🙂
Re: Nintendo Left Sony "Standing At The Altar" With SNES Disk Add-On, Says Former PlayStation Exec
@nebzila In reality, I don't think it would have worked out that way. Sony created Crash Bandicoot to be their platforming mascot to compete against Mario. In an alternate timeline where Nintendo remained buddy-buddy with Sony, a lot of their flagship titles like Crash and Spyro wouldn't have needed to exist.
Re: Nintendo Left Sony "Standing At The Altar" With SNES Disk Add-On, Says Former PlayStation Exec
@gojiguy Honestly, I'm a diehard Nintendo elitist, but even I have to admit that PS1 was a better console than N64.
I wouldn't say that about any other hardware generation.
Re: Nintendo Left Sony "Standing At The Altar" With SNES Disk Add-On, Says Former PlayStation Exec
"You have feelings for someone else, don't you...?
"..."
"DON'T YOU!?"
"Okay, okay, yes! I never meant to lead you on, but...there is someone else."
"I can't believe this. I think I'm gonna be sick... What's his name?"
"Phillip."
"Phillip what?"
"Phillips CD-i."
Re: Ubisoft Closes Two Studios And Will Reportedly Lay Off Hundreds Of Employees
(2/2)
Maybe I need to start a blog or a podcast or something. I have all these ideas I want to convey but I don't really have an outlet outside of Nintendo Life. (I did start a YouTube gaming channel, but that's mostly for entertainment purposes and not the same kind of audience.) I've even thought about writing a manifesto on what I like to call "radical pacivism."
I've always been a deep thinker, but as someone who has long suffered from debilitating OCD and agoraphobia, I've had a lot of time on my hands while cooped up inside to sit and think about things in ways that the average person probably doesn't have the time to with their busy schedules.
If I can get my ideas out there and maybe in some small way help people get along and quell the tensions that make it feel like we're on the brink of a civil war sometimes, then I'll have found meaning through my suffering and it will have all been worth it.
Re: Ubisoft Closes Two Studios And Will Reportedly Lay Off Hundreds Of Employees
@AJWolfTill @JohnnyMind
(1/2)
Thank you both! I truly believe everybody has a shared human experience that makes us more alike than we are different. But unfortunately, many people are unwilling to look for that common ground. I've found in my personal observations (but I feel like it should be common sense, really), that the more you insult and act morally superior to someone, the more they will just double-down in their pre-conceived biases.
Going off of this, I've also observed that--more often than not--people are not radicalized by the party they identify with; rather, extremism is often a rebuttal against what they perceive as a hostile attack from the other side against their core values and beliefs. In other words, people on the far-Right aren't pushed there by others on the Right, but rather by those on the far-Left and vice-versa. Like the law in physics about "every action having an equal but opposite reaction," but applied to people. Fascists turn people into Communists and Communists turn people into Fascists.
So when I'm weighing in on controversial subjects, I try to choose my words carefully. For example, I always put the word "woke" in quotation marks, because although I have somewhat socially Conservative views, I think "woke" is: (1) a buzzword, and if you rely too heavily on those, it can make you look like you're in an echo chamber and devoid of original thought to the person you're debating, but more importantly (2) it's a derogatory word that elicits a strong negative emotional reaction from the other side. So, I'll use a word like that because the meaning behind it is widely understood, but I think the quotes help to put distance between myself and the word so as to say, "hey, I'm saying this only because it's common vernacular and not because I'm aiming to insult you."
How can you expect someone to listen to what you have to say and respect your opinion if you aren't willing to offer them thay same courtesy in return?
You might also notice I start sentences with "I think," "I feel" "Often," "Usually," etc. a lot, because I think another problem is that people often erroneously believe that their argument is infallible. Our culture teaches us to use definitive language if you want to make your argument seem credible. If I wrote a college essay and used that kind of doubtful phrasing, would get a worse grade.
But I think (lol) that saying "I think" illustrates that I'm willing to admit that I don't know anything with 100% certainty and am open to earnestly listening to opposing viewpoints and potentially change my mind. I think the world would be a much better place if politicians and scholars and even just everyday people weren't conditioned to believe they have to put on this front that they are infallible to be taken seriously--that saying "I don't know" or "I'm not sure" or "you may be right" doesn't signify a lack of intelligence or inability to lead. It doesn't mean you're indecisive, just that you're capable of introspection and growth.
My aim is never to get people to agree with me, so much as it is to bridge the gap in our incredibly divided culture and come to a mutual respect and understanding. To get people to say, "Well, my core values haven't changed, but maybe I should reconsider cutting off my friends and family whose values don't always align with mine."
Re: Ubisoft Closes Two Studios And Will Reportedly Lay Off Hundreds Of Employees
@JohnnyMind Thank you so much! 🙂 I always appreciate the validation from others, as sometimes I feel like I'm just wasting mine and everyone else's time with obnoxiously long comments that run the risk of getting deleted by the admins for getting too sociopolitical. It always makes me happy to know it resonated with somebody.
Re: Ubisoft Closes Two Studios And Will Reportedly Lay Off Hundreds Of Employees
@Poco_Lypso
If you have a PlayStation with a PSN subscription, you can download Rayman Legends for free. It was also on sale in the last eShop sale for dirt cheap, like $10 or maybe even just $5. I highly recommend it, especially if you're a fan of Mario. It was my introduction to Rayman, and it's my favorite 2D platformer of all-time. I love it more than Tropical Freeze or Mario Wonder or any number of games in the genre. It also has a Mario costume for Rayman and a Luigi costume for another character, Globox, which you unlock super early into the game if you're playing on Switch or Wii U.
It has an incredibly gorgeous hand-drawn art style that, even 10 years later, still holds up and has only been outdone by maybe Cuphead. There's also an insane amount of content, as the game has pretty much every level from the previous title. Rayman Legends, remastered in it. That's 10 worlds of content and over 100 levels. The controls are perfect; it's one of the few games I've played where even the underwater levels are a delight as it just feels buttery smooth to swim around.
I really can't sing this game's praises enough. I hope you check it out someday!
Re: Ubisoft Closes Two Studios And Will Reportedly Lay Off Hundreds Of Employees
@Poco_Lypso But Rayman tho... 🥺👉👈
Re: Ubisoft Closes Two Studios And Will Reportedly Lay Off Hundreds Of Employees
(2/2)
That said, I don't know how much that has to do with Ubisoft's current situation; they aren't going broke from being "woke," but rather from a myriad of poor business decisions. Releasing average to mediocre games that are really expensive to make, dedicating a significant amount of resources to fruitless projects like NFT's, hurting their consumer trust with unfinished products and microtransactions...
Although I have many qualms with modern-day Liberalism, that isn't the reason any of these companies are struggling--including Disney. Maybe a very, very small reason, but not the main reason. I don't know of anyone who has canceled their Disney+ subscription over politics, for example. But, they keep churning out offensively uninspired live-action sequels, buying out all these other studios and not knowing what to do with them, and having PR disasters like the Disney+ free trial acting as a liability waiver for Disney World.
Look at Nintendo's downfall during the Wii U era and their resurgence to popularity in 2017. What changed wasn't that Nintendo got more or less political; for whatever reason, they just completely disregarded the will of consumers and started churning out garbage products for a few years. That's all Ubisoft, ActiVision, and Disney need to do--they need to say, "Hey guys, remember when our products were actually GOOD?"
At the end of the day, Liberals will voice their distain toward what Chick Fil-A stands for, but most of them still eat there. Conservatives can get angry at the NFL and claim they won't be tuning into any more games, but most of them still do. And J. K. Rowling can face major scrutiny, but no amount of boycotting could keep Hogwarts Legacy from smashing sales records. Most people aren't going to take a moral stand if it means giving up their favorite things. If I didn't shop somewhere because I disagreed with their politics, I'd have nowhere left to shop.
But when Disney's movies or Ubisoft's games or ActiVision's games are just objectively bad? Yeah, that's what will hurt your business. If you can stay the best at whatever it is you do, the consumer will turn a blind eye to almost anything--i.e., our phones and clothes being produced in a sweat shop.
Re: Ubisoft Closes Two Studios And Will Reportedly Lay Off Hundreds Of Employees
@Edu23XWiiU @Judgedean
(1/2)
It's funny because if you look at Ubisoft, ActiVision, or even Disney, the companies that virtue signal the hardest to flaunt how "Progressive" they are are always the ones that have a deeply prejudiced history. Of course a company as historically racist as Disney or as exploitative of women as Ubisoft and ActiVision are going to preach diversity, equity, and inclusivity because it's a convenient moral shield they can hide behind in a vain PR attempt to absolve themselves of their past transgressions. It's disingenuous, and I think people are starting to see through it.
These companies have never had a moral compass and have always just done what they perceive to be socially acceptable, so why should we trust them to make changes for the better? "Misogyny isn't cool anymore? Well, I guess we'll just practice misandry instead." That doesn't solve the problem and just replaces one form of discrimination with another. It's a never-ending cycle. This is a problem with society as a whole, as people just jump on whatever bandwagon everyone else is currently on, regardless of who it hurts.
Life is a lot more nuanced than that. Things aren't as black-and-white as people make them out to be. As a white guy who lives in a dying coal mining community in the heart of Appalachia, where poverty and drug addiction run rampant and my people are stereotyped as inbred trash, initiatives like affirmative action just makes it all the harder for people like me to get a good education and a job and escape this heck hole.
DEI isn't a solution--it's just replacing one problem with another problem.
Re: Ubisoft Closes Two Studios And Will Reportedly Lay Off Hundreds Of Employees
While every other company is trying to form a monopoly and invest billions of dollars into hostile corporate takeovers, Nintendo should hire every one of these employees when they inevitably get laid off by their CEO who mismanaged the acquisition.
Re: Poll: After Three Quiet Months, Will We Finally Get A Nintendo Direct In December?
I'm not expecting it in December, but I'd love to get one final Switch-focused Direct before the big "Switch 2" presentation that gives us the last handful of first-party games we've been hoping for. Wind Waker HD, Twilight Princess HD, Metroid Prime 2 and 3, a new Mario Baseball, Kid Icarus Uprising remastered, Yoshi's Woolly World maybe a new Wario Land or Rythm Heaven. Mostly ports and basic remasters, as well as some more niche budget titles.
Maybe we could get a Switch Direct in February and a Switch 2 reveal in March? I'm not counting on it, but that would be my ideal scenario.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (30th November)
@Ryne-Gaia Thanks so much!! 😁
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (30th November)
I'm currently playing through Super Mario Sunshine on my channel:
https://youtu.be/FpJXRr42GxY?si=TM-95VYtU38h0FG2
I just passed 100 subscribers, which is a goal I wanted to achieve by the end of the year! I'm very thankful to everybody who helped me reach this milestone!
My nephew is spending the night with us, so me, him, and my dad have been playing Mario Party. He's also gotten me back into Hyrule Warriors, so me and my nephew have been playing it in co-op.
I still need to finish Brothership. Maybe I'll finally do that this weekend and then I can dive into Dragon Quest III.
Re: Nintendo Is Ranked The Third Most Sought-After Employer In Japan
Because of my religious views, I believe in "traditional" marriage between a man and a woman. But, I understand that not everyone has the same religious convictions as me. So, if a couple are going to pursue a gay relationship anyways--whether I think it's sinful or not--they may as well have the same benefits as straight couples. As a guy with socially Conservative views, I don't see that as anything "woke."
They deserve the same rights and protections as me because it's true that they aren't hurting anybody. We don't have to agree with each other's lifestyle decisions to still show basic human decency and respect. That goes both ways, though, and I shouldn't have to hide my Christian faith any more than someone else should have to hide their sexuality. It used to be that gay people were told to keep it in the bedroom because nobody wants to hear about it. But now, it's that people should keep their faith in the church because nobody wants to hear it.
Nobody should be ashamed of being their authentic selves. My faith is just as important to my core identity as someone else's sexuality. We should both have the liberty to be open about it, have difficult but mutually respectful conversations about it, agree to disagree, and still love each other at the end of the day and be willing to lend a helping hand to our fellow neighbor.
I'm a little nervous about posting this one, to be honest, as I'm not sure what the reception is gonna be. This is one of those comments that I think will probably get deleted. But hopefully, it can lead to some productive conversations and help us understand each other a little better.
Re: Poll: So, Will You Be Getting Donkey Kong Country Returns HD For Switch?
@PinballBuzzbro Thanks, haha. Calling it the weakest DKC game is WILD though, lol. Have you played DKC 3?
Personally, I'm one of those people who thinks this game is at least as good as Tropical Freeze, maybe even better. The only real downsides are that most of the bosses aren't anything particularly memorable, and the music isn't composed by David Wise. The mandatory Wii motion controls were also a pain, but that's obviously not a problem here or on 3DS. I'm curious why you don't like it.
I guess there's an argument to be made that the game is a little vanilla like New Super Mario Bros. and doesn't bring a whole lot new to the table. But considering how long it had been since there was a new DKC game, and considering Nintendo didn't make four almost identical DKC games over the course of a few years like they did with NSMB, I don't really have a problem with it.
Re: Poll: So, Will You Be Getting Donkey Kong Country Returns HD For Switch?
I will absolutely buy this $60 port of a Wii game that retailed at $50 and was already re-released on 3DS for $40 (but I got that version for free on Club Nintendo).
Am I part of the problem?
Yes.
But at least I'm a big enough person to admit that.
Re: As Switch Closes The Gap, Sony Officially Confirms PS2 Has Sold "Over" 160 Million Units
@NFrealinkling Nah, I think Nintendo will still be able to blow past it pretty easily. The Switch still retails for $300 and hasn't gotten a single price cut yet. It's not like Nintendo will immediately discontinue the OG Switch the moment the "Switch 2" releases. It will likely still be on the market for another few years and maybe even get some kind of new SKU like a "Switch Slim" or "Switch Pocket" or something, I dunno.
Remember the Nintendo 2DS XL didn't release until after the Switch already came out, and first-party games were still coming to the console as late as 2019. Switch has a far larger install base than 3DS, so they may support it for even longer, especially since the new system will be backwards-compatible.
It might take a few more years, but I think the Switch can absolutely surpass PS2, no question.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (23rd November)
@Zaruboggan Thank you so much!!
I don't know why I didn't get an email notification about your reply until today, lol.
Re: The Legend Of Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom Has Been Added To The Official Timeline
So I guess the reason they went with the branching timelines for Ocarina of Time is because Ganondorf seized control of Hyrule while Link was in slumber for seven years, right? I always thought they meant Link died in battle, but I guess an alternative way to interpret it would be if Link never woken up or was unable to change the past for whatever reason. That makes more sense to me, rather than just "Oh, well, Link was beaten."
They could probably do another split with Breath of the Wild if they wanted, where Link is not successfully revived in the Shrine of Resurrection and Zelda is unable to maintain her hold on Calamity Ganon. Granted, I guess they could split the timeline anywhere-- "What if Skyloft never descended back to the surface" "What if the great flood never happened?"
I've never really explored the timeline too deeply, but it's fascinating to consider. If we view Ganondorf winning as a "what-if" scenario since Link was indeed successful in changing the past, I guess that means those games never actually happened and the heroes of those respective eras failed to exist. It's like if the atom bomb was dropped on a different city and you just had a completely alternate reality. Pretty wild.
Re: Mailbox: The Death Of GameCube, Mario Party Matchmaking, Tariffs - Nintendo Life Letters
@Dr_Corndog
I appreciate your level-headedness and willingness to reach across the aisle. I think much of the Left unfortunately lacks that ability, though. For example, during the election--even early on when Harris was projected to win--Fox was the only live coverage that left the chat open so you could see what people were saying in real-time. CNN, MSNBC, and PBS all had their chat disabled. Now why is that?
Likewise, if you go to PBS' YouTube channel now, you'll see lots of videos disparaging Trump and his cabinet picks, which all have comments completely turned off. Leftists are the ones who are severing ties with friends and family after the election. Leftists are also the ones who packed their bags and moved to Blue Sky so they wouldn't have to interact with Conservatives on Twitter.
If someone in Hollywood voices their Conservative views, they often get blacklisted. Employers can also discriminate on the basis of political views, which I think should be illegal. If you have a MAGA sign in your yard, you're more likely to get reprimanded by your local HOA board than if it were a Harris/Waltz sign.
And here on Nintendo Life, I can't make a rather bipartisan comment about people on both sides calling anyone who thinks differently from them Hitler without it getting deleted. I might would've voted for someone other than Trump if the left hadn't been so adamant about plugging their ears and ignoring my valid questions and concerns. If you think I'm ignorant, don't say, "It's not my job to educate you." It kind of is your job if you claim to fight for social justice.
People will tell you the economy was the main reason the Republicans won the election, but for me, preserving the freedom of speech was the thing that drove me to the ballots. As I understand it, people in the UK are even being prosecuted for their social media comments that are perceived as "hate speech" despite not calling for harassment or inciting violence against a group of people.
That's not to say there aren't plenty of stubborn Conservatives who don't give a care about what "the Libs" have to say and dismiss them as snowflakes and SJW's. But I don't see them cutting off loved ones for it, and say what you will about Elon Musk, but he's been a beacon of free speech. People talk crap about him on his own platform all the time, and although he has the power to restrict their accounts, he doesn't because he recognizes that censorship is the enemy of the people. Community Notes on X have been a game-changer, and Musk praises the feature in even keeping him accountable by fact-checking him if he spreads misinformation.
Yet, they say the Right is in the business of banning books, comparing it to Nazi bookburning. Thinking certain explicit material is not appropriate for an elementary school library is not the same as calling for it to be pulled from all libraries--and it's certainly not the same as physically destroying the books so no one can access the information.
It's frustrating. I wish more people had your level of open-mindedness. God bless.
Re: Nintendo Expands Switch Online's Game Boy Library With Another Classic
Then, they could follow it up with a month or so of Wario:
Week 1: Wario Land (GB)
Week 2: Wario Land 2 (GB)
Week 3: Wario Land 4 (GBA)
Week 4: WarioWare: Twisted! (GBA)
Week 5: Mario and Wario (SNES, JP)
...Leading into an HD remaster of Wario Land: Shake It? I think that'd be pretty sweet.
Who am I kidding though, Nintendo doesn't like to do things that make perfect business sense.
Re: Nintendo Expands Switch Online's Game Boy Library With Another Classic
Can we keep the train rolling please, Nintendo?
•Week 3: Donkey Kong Land III (GB)
•Week 4: Donkey Kong '94 (GB)
•Week 5: Donkey Kong 64 (N64)
•Week 6: Diddy Kong Racing (N64)
•Week 7: DK King of Swing (GBA)
•Week 8: Donkey Kong Country 1-3 GB and GBA ports
All leading up to the release of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD. Would certainly be a good way to put DK back on the map ahead of the theme park expansion and add value to NSO. So how about it, Nintendo?
Re: Mailbox: The Death Of GameCube, Mario Party Matchmaking, Tariffs - Nintendo Life Letters
@Euler
It's always strange to me how many people on the Left claim to be against discrimination on the basis of color, yet they won't hesitate to insult Trump for being "orange" instead of focusing their criticisms on his specific policies.
It's like when I see people saying that women need to stand up for each other and that body-shaming is wrong, but then when a woman supports MAGA, it's suddenly okay to call her a "fat pig" or an "ugly cow" and get thousands of likes for it. The hypocrisy is gross. That doesn't go for everybody on the Left, but it's unfortunately all too common.
...Okay, that's enough of me playing with fire for one day. I'll stop now, mods. 😅
Re: Mailbox: The Death Of GameCube, Mario Party Matchmaking, Tariffs - Nintendo Life Letters
Removed
Re: Piggyback And Nintendo Are Teaming Up On A Metroid Prime Art Book, And It Looks Glorious
This pretty much confirms to me that we're getting Metroid Prime 2 and 3 early next year before the release of Prime 4. SamusHunter on Twitter/X is also saying this is the case.
SamusHunter used to not have a great track record, but they called Xenoblade X and the Donkey Kong Universal Direct, so whoever their source is now, I think they're legit.
SamusHunter has also teased the idea of Silksong news soon as well. Maybe we'll get a Silksong release date trailer as well as a Metroid Prime 2 & 3 Remastered trailer at The Game Awards. Would be funny since Metroid Prime Trilogy was rumored to be at The Game Awards back in like 2018.
Would be a pretty good venue for both announcements. Metroidvania fans gonna be eating good, methinks.
Re: Random: New 3D Scans Stop Classic Donkey Kong Country Figures From Being Lost To Time
These look like the things I got at the zoo as a small child. Like there was this machine that would mold these wax figures you could buy of different animals like gorillas and tigers. Childhood memory unlocked. Does anybody else know what I'm talking about?
Re: Sony May Be Plotting A New PSP To Compete With Nintendo's 'Switch 2'
Nice. It's inevitable these platforms would copy Nintendo eventually. In this case, it's an objectively good thing for them. Unlike when Xbox did Kinect and PS3 did PlayStation Motion or whatever it was called, this isn't copying a fad. This is the future of gaming.
Re: Mailbox: The Death Of GameCube, Mario Party Matchmaking, Tariffs - Nintendo Life Letters
@Bolt_Strike Have you listened to his full speech in any of those instances, or just 10-second clips?
Re: Mailbox: The Death Of GameCube, Mario Party Matchmaking, Tariffs - Nintendo Life Letters
@Bolt_Strike There will still be another US presidential election in four years. Trump is far from what the media tries to make him out to be. I say this as an Independent who has done dozens of hours of research across both Right and Left-wing news sources, comparing and contrasting the information and trying to draw as close to an objective conclusion as possible. Don't fall for the propaganda, but also don't just take my word for it because I could be lying to you just like CNN or MSNBC. (Fox peddles lies too though, for the record; don't think I'm saying they don't also perpetuate misinformation). God bless.
Re: Mailbox: The Death Of GameCube, Mario Party Matchmaking, Tariffs - Nintendo Life Letters
Removed
Re: Banjo-Kazooie "Washer Banjo" Revealed, Here's A Sneak Peek
Thought I was going to be in the minority saying that I wasn't interested in owning a Banjo washing machine to display proudly in my home as a lovely centerpiece / conversation-starter. Looks like I'm not as much of a stick in the mud as I thought!
It would be hilarious if they follow this up with a $400 Canary Mary figure.
Re: Talking Point: What Would Be The Ideal Way To Play DS Games On 'Switch 2'?
I'd love if they could somehow have a retractable second screen that could be pulled out when you need it like one of those phones with the keypad you can conceal. Not sure how it would work in practice, though.
I've also seen someone speculate how a two-screened Switch could have really interesting applications in tabletop mode where you could put them back-to-back with a player on each side like a game of Battleship. For something like ARMS, you'd be actually throwing your punches toward each other, which would make for a more immersive experience. It would work great for card games and the like as well.
If this second screen was detachable and you could use it as a makeshift GamePad while the other screen is in the dock to replicate the asymmetrical multiplayer of Wii U, then it'd be perfect. Also, I want them to include a stylus holder like the DS, and move the IR camera from the bottom to the top of the Joy-Con between the R and ZR buttons and put an IR sensor built into the dock to get the precise Wii motion controls. The bezzle above the screen should also have an IR sensor for when you're playing in tabletop.
Those features, coupled with the inevitably improved graphics (4k docked, 1080p handheld) and already confirmed backwards compatability, would make Switch 2 my absolute dream console.
The only thing that would sweeten it even further is if they brought back social features like StreetPass and Miiverse, offered more streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+, and released some kind of peripheral you could attach like a screen protector that all of a sudden makes the Switch 2 capable of glasses-free stereoscopic 3D. Since it would be an optional feature sold separately, it wouldn't drive uo the cost of the main unit for what some see as a "gimmick." I know that's a pipe dream that likely won't happen, but man, if only...
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (23rd November)
I just wrapped up my Rayman Legends series on my channel--here's the link to the first episode, if anybody wants to check it out!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hSos0v2s8ZI&list=PL1acP4yB1eBBx9I4ltEI7OAkPPRYqU3KP&index=5&pp=gAQBiAQB
Now that this series is finished, I'm working my way through Super Mario Sunshine, although I don't yet have any videos up because I'm still in the process of uploading the Rayman ones. I upload one video a day on Mondays-Fridays and like to record in bulk, so Sunshine won't be up until sometime next week.
Otherwise, I've still been playing through Brothership and believe I'm very near the end of the game. I also played through all of Donkey Kong Land yesterday for the first time, which was enjoyable. Kind of surreal as someone who grew up with Donkey Kong Country to play this very similar game but with its own original levels and on older hardware. I enjoyed it, but I admittedly used the rewind feature here and there, as the level design and controls aren't as finely polished as the SNES games. There's one level where you're in the clouds and ride this platform that changes directions when you jump on it like the World 7 level in Super Mario Bros. 3 that I would frankly consider very poorly designed. Overall though, it was a fun little romp.
I'd love to record some videos of me playing online on the different Mario Party Jamboree maps, too. I uploaded one of me playing on Mega Wiggler's Tree Party online with Pro rules a few weeks ago and intended to do the same for each of the other boards but haven't gotten around to it. Maybe this is the weekend I finally do it? If so, I'll upload these on the weekends and break from my usual Mo-Fri schedule.
Oh, and I uploaded a short little video of me playing through a Bikini Bottom level I made in Super Mario Maker 2 several years ago, which I'm pretty proud of. Here's the link to that one, if anybody is curious:
https://youtu.be/I5AuGLcK3js?si=dpOvNTKyyWMRmenr
I'm really thankful for how supportive the Nintendo Life audience has been of my new endeavor. A handful of you have subscribed or left positive comments, and it just means the world to me.
Re: Nintendo Expands Switch Online's Game Boy Library With Another Classic
On one hand--sweet! On the other hand--just one Game Boy game this month? Really? We'd better at least get an N64 game this month as well.
I'm looking forward to beating this game, as I first played it a couple years ago when I downloaded it on 3DS before the eShop closure. But shortly after I bought it, they announced that Game Boy games were coming to NSO, so I never fomished it because I was expecting a Switch release. I guess now's the time.
Re: Feature: It's 20 Years Since The Launch Of Nintendo's Most Important Console
Calling it Nintendo's "most important console" is quite a statement. Sure, it's currently Nintendo's best-selling system of all-time, but I'm confident the Switch will comfortably surpass it.
I understand it was revolutionary in a lot of ways--it was Nintendo's first system that fully took advantage of online play, local wireless and Download Play made multiplayer far more accessible than having a wired connection, having a second screen for maps and menu navigation without needing to pause your game was convenient, it introduced the masses to touch-based gaming well before the iPhone, and it successfully drew in a more casual audience.
But despite all those important features, I have a very hard time going back to the DS software library. I just don't think most of the first-party games hold up and were largely focused on gimmicks. Yoshi Touch & Go, Kirby Mass Attack, Kirby Canvas Curse, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: March of the Minis, and even Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks were too tethered to the stylus to the point where I never even picked up most of these because they just didn't look fun.
There are some good games on it for sure: WarioWare: Touched, Kirby Squeak Squad, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Mario Party DS, and Super Princess Peach are a few of my favorites. New Super Mario Bros. was enjoyable at the time, but it's easy to forget that after Nintendo milked the series to death. I even think Wario: Master of Disguise is a bit underrated. But most of the library was a bit weird. No mainline Donkey Kong game, instead you have DK Jungle Climber, for instance.
Admittedly, I didn't play a lot of third-parties, so I can't speak on those. Scribblenauts and Drawn to Life were a good time and offered a unique experience. But on the whole, I think the 3DS' library of games outclassed the DS in almost every way. Even Super Mario 64 DS has a myriad of problems, like the 8-direction control pad.
I also don't think the graphics of DS games hold up very well at all. In many ways, I think Nintendo 64 games look better, even if they have less polygons and textures, because they aren't compressed onto a super low-resolution screen, which results in jagged edges and just an overall unappealing look. DS has the fuzziest-looking games.
That's just my opinion, though. For all it's faults and gimmicks, I can look back much more fondly on the Wii, with its Virtual Console library and bangers like Super Mario Galaxy, Donkey Kong Country Returns, and Kirby's Return to Dream Land. The graphics still hold up decently well, too.
Re: Nintendo Adds Metroid Prime 4: Beyond To Official Metroid Website, Says It's "Coming Soon"
I didn't even know there was an official Metroid website, lol.
Re: New Minecraft Movie Trailer Digs Into Steve's Backstory
@sikthvash
Thank you! I wouldn't say Gottfried got canceled for that, as I was born just two years before 9/11, and I've been familiar with his work all my life. And I don't just mean stuff that predated when I was born, but even stuff like the character Dr. Bender from Fairly OddParents and a cameo in SpongeBob, which came years after the fact.
Granted, he did fall into some controversy and lose his role as the Aflack duck after making a joke about the tsunami Japan suffered back in 2011. Ironically, Japan was apparently the world's leading consumer of Aflack insurance, lol. So maybe he somehow came back from being canceled and then was canceled again?
For me, a lot of it comes down to intent. I'm not gonna pretend like I've never made a 9/11 joke, but I think a lot of people--myself included--use dark humor as a way to cope. When I first learned about 9/11, I found it deeply traumatic and even to this day, I can't look at imagery of the event without it causing major distress. So, I think that's what Gilbert was doing--trying to bring levity--but when it's a joke about the death of a politician, especially one people have such strong opinions on as Trump, that's where I'm more inclined to believe it was meant sincerely.
The problem is there's no way to really know for sure, though. A comedian can come out and say, "it was just a joke, I never meant that," and how are we to know the truth? I don't want to make an incorrect judgment about a person's character.
Comedy is hard, and the internet just makes it worse. You may think you know your audience, but if someone records your skit and uploads it to YouTube, it's going to be seen by a much larger demographic of people who may not have the same sense of humor as someone who bought tickets to your show knowing what they were in for.
It's something I try to keep in mind on my own YouTube channel. A while back, I made an "Allahu akbar" joke in one of my videos, but then I took a step back and thought about it and decided that wasn't the sort of humor I wanted to make on my channel. My faith as a Christian is deeply important to me, and I don't like when others make jokes about my religion, so if there's a chance a Muslim person will watch my video and feel alienated or like I've blasphemed against them, I don't want to be the cause of that.
At the end of the day, I suppose I have to accept that there's always someone who is going to get offended, no matter how seemingly innocuous I think my joke is going to be. But, I try to make sure the jokes are never made with malicious intent. Because, again, I think intent is the #1 most important thing.