Ooyah

@Chlocean Ah, thank you very much for this! For some reason, I thought that the first two games were a bit more inter-connected. If that isn't the case, I will grab this on Steam as soon as my backlog slims a bit! 😊

Focusing on the game... I really don't get why they remade 2 before the first game. I have never played 1 and 2, and would like to play them in order. I would love to know their reasoning behind that. Having said that, I have played The Room, Homecoming, and Downpour, which felt more "stand alone", so maybe the order doesn't matter so much?

Wow, the NA art really is amazing! Hands down winner for me! Imagine the disappointment at the time, though, upon excitedly getting it home and loading it up!

AI is evil, and nasty, and...

sees Peach in the Star Wars video

😍😍😍😃😃😃❤️❤️❤️

@PJOReilly I do indeed know how to make a circuit board! Take a blank board, add circuits, simmer for 25 minutes, and season to taste! Serve with salad.

@TrueBlueYoshi @LikelySatan Oops! I was going off the list in the article! This is great news... thanks, guys!

I was hoping to see Ghost Rider in this. He would be a really good fit, I think!

I love all of the potato references they dropped in there... chips, mash, wedges... 😆 This game kinda passed me by initially... I should probably check it out, as I sure do love a good rogue like/lite.

@Yalloo Ah, thank you, that is very kind of you. Underneath my condition, I think that I am quite positive and optimistic, so I always try to maintain that, although it is hard with the depression. But yes... let us GAME ON! 😊

So, this is my first time of owning two current gen consoles. Usually I just have one system per generation. I still feel a bit guilty about it... do I really have enough free time to justify this? It's a bit extravagant. But it sure does give me access to a wide range of games. Maybe, as a depressive, I don't feel that I deserve it. But, I can distract myself with... games!!! The irony... 😆

NINTENDO SWITCH 2
Donkey Kong Bananza (During the previous gen, I felt that some of Nintendo's games were lacking character and charm, and felt sterile and a little bland. That definitely can't be said here! This is certainly a game which can make me smile, which I need right now).

Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection (Long time fan of the series, but I never picked this up for some reason. The lovely recent article from the titan known as @PJOReilly made me wishlist it, and it has just received a deep discount in the UK (go check it out!), so I snapped it up. Bloody excellent so far).

ROG ALLY X
Trails In The Sky 1st Chapter (I was going to pick this up on the Switch 2, but I have heard tell of some issues with that version, so I have turned to Steam instead. Shamefully, as a huge fan of JRPGs, I have never played an entry in this series! Will start today).

Have a great weekend, guys, and please take great care of yourselves out there.

@canaryfarmer To be honest, we have been seeing this trend for a while, but this one is just so blatant... 😆

@PJOReilly Gosh, I watched the video, and it looks like a complete Dragon Quest rip off!!! Shocking! 😆

I would just like to say that I enjoy the Arcade Archives reviews when you release them! So there are at least three of us! 😆

I have always liked the Japan cover, as it can look as if Yoshi is trying to get rid of Baby Mario by launching him away... and he looks so happy about it! I know that he is probably readying to catch him, but it can cut both ways! 😆

My mind began to race when I saw the thumbnail, but... it's just a ticket design. Sigh, well... that's my excitement for today! 😆

@Alpha008 Stock Keeping Unit. Each product, or variation of a product, has a different SKU, to differentiate between them. For example, the Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED would all have different SKUs.

If we are looking at "Animal Crossing but with Pokemon" here, then this could be an absolutely gigantic smash hit. I think that the potential on display here is tremendously exciting. It's also a really clever idea to have the main character as a Ditto, taking on abilities. Considering the quality of the devs on board for this, I think this could be something really special. Can't wait for this.

I think it's a bit of a shame that they've opted for such a bland "cartoony" visual style. The original game looked gorgeous in places, and the scenes had plenty of detail. But maybe time will prove me wrong on this one. I hope so.

I went for the giant sodding scorpion.

@FatWormBlowsASparky Hey, you! Who said that? Baby, how you been?

@Chapapa It's probably a mute button, so that it doesn't talk during the night, or in the middle of online meetings, etc.

@Grail_Quest Hi there! I'm playing the Tin Man video game adaptations via Steam. They're pretty good, and include the original illustrations! I love the FF books... had almost the complete set as a kid! Sadly, they are lost to me now. So many favourites... Forest Of Doom, Deathtrap Dungeon, Creature Of Havoc, Legend Of The Shadow Warriors... It looks like Tin Man are still adding titles, so I will look forward to seeing what comes next. Which are your favourite FF books so far?

@FishyS I always really enjoy your updates, as you seem to play games which few other people take a chance on! Witchroid Vania looks fun, so I will investigate that soon!

So, as I have said before, I'm a "one system per generation" kind of guy, and I went for the Rog Ally X, which is superb, and so I have no need...

Sigh. Er, well... I did hold out for a couple of months before cracking! It's all Donkey Kong's fault!!! 😆

So, erm... oh gosh...

NINTENDO SWITCH 2
Donkey Kong Bananza (No regrets so far!).
Ys Memoire: The Oath In Felghana (Ys is my favourite RPG series, but I have never played this one. Am loving it so far, but am currently stuck a bit on the fire dragon boss. I'll get him! 😆).

ROG ALLY X
Hollow Knight (This is my second attempt at playing it. Have got further this time... have just defeated Soul Master and Dung Defender. It is a great game, I can see that, but I am also finding it a bit drab and bland, to be honest, sadly. Am not sure if I will continue).
Fighting Fantasy Classics: House Of Hell (truly a real classic of FF).

Have a great weekend, guys, and please take great care of yourselves out there... and avoid naughty temptations! 😆

I played the first one years ago, and really enjoyed it... it merges genres really well, I think. I will partake of this for sure!

The Europe cover is gorgeous, and it is the only cover which actually shows a harvest moon! I think that is maybe why they went for a night-time setting... to show the actual moon. It makes a lot of sense.

I want the Latte Float Canisters, despite not having a single clue what a Latte Float Canister actually is.

The side story involving the caterpillar is also heart-breaking and disturbing. It's so sad. It really is a brilliantly emotional game, with some hard hitting moments. One of the very best games on the system, I think.

Ignore the change requests, Jim... enjoy your Sunday and the Bank Holiday weekend! 😆

For seven years I have resisted the Silksong hype... but the past week has got to me. lol As such, I am currently downloading Hollow Knight on Steam. I started it on the Switch years ago, but bounced off it. I can't remember why... but it should be my sort of thing. I am also playing the following:

Jack The Nipper - Was overjoyed to find this on Steam!
Jack The Nipper 2 - I have always wanted to complete this. I got close back in the day!
Auf Wiedersehen Monty - I completed this on the C64, but want to do so again! Very under-rated game.
Fighting Fantasy Classics: Temple Of Terror - I downloaded a bundle of the Tin Man games... am starting here! Forest Of Doom or House Of Hell next! 😃

Hopefully that list will evoke some happy memories for some of the older heads here! 😆

Have a great weekend, guys, and take great care of yourselves out there.

"And we've only just starched the surface!"

Is this some kind of a Persona in-joke? Or just absolutely lamentable proof-reading?

"...why Silksong took seven years to make..."

Took. Past tense. Does that mean that it is finished now, then? Or is it just careless phrasing, or an attempt to bait?

I wonder if we're on for another thrashing this week? Japan for me, all the way!

Lies Of P is one of the very best games that I have played in the last decade, and I really hope that it comes to Switch 2.

That is such a cruel sub-header... had my eyes bulging for a second there... 😆

I always thought that the the NA / Europe cover was incredibly garish (although Wario himself would love that!), so I am one of the three people who will vote for the Japan cover!

But will the kids try to eat the rattle?

@PJOReilly I remember that the title screen on the C64 version was mesmerising, with Daley's arms apparently spinning around his torso... 😆 I wrecked so many Quickshot II joysticks with that game, though...

I find the Japan cover very dense and noisy... the image is just one big splodge! So I went for NA/Europe this time.

"(cheek kissing, baking)"
Cheek kissing?!?!
Oh. I see.
Ahem.
Carry on, very good.

@Fiergala I think that you read more into that than I intended... I just meant that it can be hard to maintain positivity when faced with an absolute deluge of negativity. Possible, of course, but oh so tedious. 😊 But the web is full of people who want to appear smarter or wiser than others, and that seems to be where a lot of the more cynical takes are coming from, maybe.

I guess that I am not a man of taste but, to me, it looks like it has been dropped in many puddles! It looks worn and dirty. I don't get it! 😆

@jolteon23 I just wanted to say that I thought this was a very intelligent and relevant letter. I feel that it applies not only to the Switch 2, but pretty much everything. I often feel that my own feelings are "tainted" in some way by the negative things that I read online, although I try to resist such things. It can be difficult, though, when faced with an avalanche of negativity, as it can make one feel as if they are missing the point if they are feeling positive about the thing in question. I guess that sometimes it is hard to discern the trolls amongst the valid criticisms. A hard topic indeed. Great letter!

Gosh... I really loved the old Ocean logo, it was so cool. Made me smile to see it again. I would still have to go for the NA cover, though!

I'm stuck in a loop of "should I start playing another game or not?", which is annoying me! 😆 I am still chipping away at Fantasy Life i, Ginormosia in particular. I have all regions up to level 3, so I am farming Legendary Events, which is kinda addictive. After 140 hours, there are still many goals to aim for, but I am finding it hard to commit to any of them in the way that I usually do. Hmmmm. I think that I will carry on for now! Have a great weekend, guys, and take great care of yourselves out there.

I think it's a shame that Pac-Man has gone in a "grimdark" direction. I would love to see a return to Pac-Land!

DM appears to be fighting robot toilets in the third screenshot, so hopefully the "toilet humour" is plot related, other than anything else!

The Europe cover is very bright and cheery, and Don has a saucepan on his head, so that is my vote.

@Mr_Zurkon Ah, I think I know what you mean. But you can force a respawn by changing the area rank down one, and then changing it back up again. Can get a bit tedious, but I have managed to get quite a few boss trees, rocks, and fish to appear... in some areas, they appear as low as rank three or four. There is one area which has a boss tree and a boss fish really close together, which has been fun.

@Mr_Zurkon I know what you mean! I'm still enjoying it at the moment, but am very unsure where I will stop. Did you have a stomp around Ginormosia? Loads to see and do in there... but the grind there does feel somewhat... inexplicable.