RadGravity

@syrupdash when you order you pre-pay import fees, as calculated by LRG.

By “Robinson’s mate” do you mean veteran UK games journalist Chris Dring? Since he responded to the tweet it wouldn’t really have taken long to do due diligence on that.

@GannonBanned- definitely there, obviously a wee bit different to the SNES one, but lovely!

@GannonBanned it’s on Arcade Archives, well worth £6.29!

@CharlieGirl I suppose it helps if you like shooters. I was delighted with the collection because I love Gradius II (one of my favourite games ever) and enjoyed some of the other treats on there too, but it’s not for everyone, I guess.

I’m probably an outlier, but I thought the series peaked with Sonic 2. I found Sonic 3 and Knuckles to be jam-packed with secrets, but either found myself speeding past alternative routes or slowing down to explore and feeling like I was missing the point of a Sonic game (which I always took to be the sheer speed at which he pelts through levels). The overly busy graphics with horrid effects, and the rancid music didn’t help.
Still, liked CD, Sonic Adventure, Colours, Generations, Mania, the first level of Secret Rings, and the handheld games had their moments, so it’s not all bad, but what a patchy run of form for a mascot character to have!

That was a slog.

What a lazy piece of crap. Beneath contempt. I’d happily play a graphically inferior version on the go along with the next-gen version, especially since they now have Frostbite working on Switch. Alas, no.

@gojiguy it would be difficult to say whether it’s worth paying full price or not- that’s purely subjective. The review discusses in some detail how the package differs from what was released on Wii U, but fundamentally it’s still Super Mario 3D World, so if you don’t see the value in playing that again with a few tweaks, you probably know whether or not you want to pay £50 for it.

Ultimately, age ratings exist for a reason. There’s a market out there for masturbation games, and as long as they are given adult ratings, there should be no problem. The problem comes when ratings are ignored by parents, usually for violent games like GTA and COD, with the mistaken belief that all games are suitable for kids.

I’ve got a Madcatz tournament stick and mayflash adaptor, so no need to swap out sticks/buttons for arcade parts, but this looks like a cracking wee stick!

@batata not sure how you’re drawing that conclusion, but okay.

Think I’ll give this a miss. The video during which she was given her Switch was very long and rather boring.

@LavaTwilight the comments section in Nintendolife is not historically a place of balance, consideration and respectful discourse, but we’ll see what develops, I suppose.

I mean... the Japanese version is clearly best, but I have a real soft spot for the European version, as I grew up with it, so went for that. Too bad the Legacy Collection uses the Japanese box art!

Yes! Can’t wait! Though with Strictly Limited’s turnaround time, I’m going to have to. Just got the Cozmic Collections through, so ready for more shooting goodness!

I find the key art and screenshot of the WiiU version in a GCN review pretty distracting, but I wish them well.

@Samwise7 presumably when Capcom pony up for the Area 88 licence, which they are unlikely to bother doing. Shame.

Lovely stuff!

@TheWingedAvenger Revenge of Death Adder WAS released internationally. It was the coin-op only sequel to Golden Axe, and is lots of fun. Maybe you’re thinking of Golden Axe III, which was not released on cartridge outside Japan?

It’s sold out pretty much everywhere and it’s rather more likely that a supermarket will stock FIFA and COD. That would pretty much explain it, I think.

@joey302 you’re fine. The ones you (and I) ordered are the only physical versions coming out in the west, so you were right to order.

@joey302 if the Japanese eshop versions are anything to go by, the western digital editions will probably be comparable price-wise to the Strictly Limited standard versions, so you’re not wasting any money. The SLs will be the only physical releases, according to them, anyway.

Agreed, it’s an absolute belter of a game. I’m glad slightly off-kilter choices are making their way to the online service!

@Enigminator HotD 4 was released on PS3, as was HotD 3 (and Overkill, but I don’t count it as a mainline game).

Want to vote Europe for sentimental reasons (StarWing!) but Japan wins again. Clean, uncluttered, quietly dramatic.

@BulbasaurusRex do you know what? This is at the point of trolling now. I have a degree in English. I teach English. I am confident that “in any case” marks a suitable shift in focus. I’m honestly bewildered at why you feel the need to continue with antagonistic pedantry.
Buy Puyo Puyo if you want. Don’t buy it if you don’t want to. I don’t care. I am rather concerned with the toxicity of NLife’s comments sections though. A few days ago the reviewer of Astral Chain was accused of corruption because he liked the game. Yesterday another of Mr Scullion’s reviews was criticised because he criticised the brevity of the experience. Enough!

@BulbasaurusRex I didn’t at any point suggest that the game should be marked down at all. “In any case” was my segue into pointing out that the commenters not reading what was a perfectly clear, well-expressed review might find their energies better spent playing one of the other, more fully-featured versions of the game. Didn’t suggest the game should be marked down for this at all. Don’t know why you’re upset here, but what you’re writing isn’t correct.

And... do you know what? I’m not a spokesperson or cheerleader for @scully1888 but I maintain it was perfectly valid for him to consider the dead online a “con”. One of the SEGA Ages range’s selling points is the additional features added to classic games: split screen multiplayer in Virtua Racing, widescreen output in Outrun, auto-mapping in Phantasy Star (etc). In this case, it doesn’t elevate Puyo Puyo. Yer man Scullion said as much in his review, but I begin to wonder if I’m one of the few people to actually read the thing.

@BulbasaurusRex the way I read the review, the game wasn’t specifically marked down because other versions are better, nor did I suggest it was, so I’m not sure what you’re driving at here.
Your analogy is a little flawed- should MK8 be marked down because a better game exists on a different platform? No. But if MK8 came out on the Switch, after MK8 deluxe, it would be remiss of any reviewer not to point out that a superior version of the game already exists on the same platform.

@JayJ you are absolutely right, I’m sorry! Totally read it wrong!
It is indeed a nice bauble for SEGA completionists, but I hope SEGA and M2 move on to some games that haven’t been ported a million times already. You know, after Sonic 2 comes out!

@JayJ he wasn’t necessarily expecting them, but given that the game, as it stands, is bare bones, the review reflects its limitations. I would respectfully disagree that the first game is best, but to each their own, I guess.

@dethmart that would be too sensible, I guess. Baku Baku Animal is a banger.

@tendonerd @Nagi the reason is pretty clear if you read the review- presumably you did that, rather than just the summary? The game is incredibly limited: you play versus the computer or against a human opponent (with no expanded scope via other game modes). That the online multiplayer is dead on arrival is a valid “Con” as online multiplayer is a new feature of this port, but pointless if no one is actually playing it. In any case, there are more fully-featured versions available: the MegaDrive Classics version, Puyo Puyo Tetris and Puyo Puyo eSports. So you could be playing one or more of those instead of making snide comments.

@sword_9mm every version is like this, I believe.

@AnnoyingFrenzy because the BFG edition on Xbox uses the existing Live Arcade ports, and the PS3 had new ports created by id for that version. Either way, they are separate products. Price-wise, it’s unlikely that a BFG port would cost £16, but I suppose stranger things have happened.

@Punisher67 given how a bit of effort in the porting would eliminate most or all of these issues (a homebrew version of Doom exists that runs more accurately), I would respectfully disagree. Doom is still a classic, but these ports are a bit shoddy. Given how they are identical across consoles and iOS (I don’t have an Android phone for comparison) it seems to be the way they were ported using Unity that has been the major factor.
If people don’t care, so be it. I’m reminded of the PAL Virtual Console version of Super Mario Bros., which was updated and weirdly sped up. It ruined the feel of the game, though there didn’t seem to be much of a brouhaha then. Go figure.

@Punisher67 there are several issues which make the first two games sub-par ports (not isolated to the Switch version). They are detailed in the video. If you haven’t watched it: the music and sound play at incorrect speed, the aspect ratio is incorrect, leading to inconsistencies in the graphics, and the frame rate being locked at 35fps, while accurate to the original PC version, leads to issues with modern displays which cannot output at 70hz. Are they still playable? Yes. Are the criticisms nonetheless valid? Yes. Some people, for example, don’t care about playing games or watching films at the wrong aspect ratio, but that doesn’t make it right, and bravo to DF for calling Bethesda out on an unnecessarily problematic port. I’ve bought Doom, btw, and will probably buy Doom 2 and 3 at some point, so I’m validating the publisher’s laziness!

The problem with porting the GCN versions is that the Switch analogue sticks cannot be wielded with the same precision as those on GCN, in part due to the lack of the octagonal gate around the outside. This allowed players to lock their stick into position, which was handy for some of the more exacting levels in SMB. The PS2 and Xbox ports suffered as a result of this (and the loose, imprecise PS2 analogue sticks exacerbated the control issues).

@MetaBunny it was more of an observation than a complaint. It continually nudges you towards using premium extras, which IS invasive, if no worse than Candy Crush. As you say, the multiplayer is not afflicted by this, and is a joy.

The review is fair enough. It’s a good game, but has invasive micro transactions. It’s different enough from standard Dr Mario to be worthwhile in its own right, and to be worth a try even for purists.

@YoshiAngemon TellTale are out of business, that’d be the main reason I think.

@Ralizah I didn’t read it as a moral judgement, more as an acknowledgement of the fact that one-handed games exist, and can be a bit much for people who don’t buy games for that sort of gratification. I did find it a bit odd that the reviewer knew it was a visual novel, yet was surprised by the lack of interactivity.

@akennelley1 While I don’t agree that Simon’s Quest is terrible, I think you’re being a bit harsh there. Yer man Scullion is one of the good guys- his reviews are always well-written and demonstrate that he has thoroughly tested the game/s concerned. His review here, incidentally, is spot-on. This is a great compilation- and I’d argue it counts as 7 games since the arcade games are sufficiently different (graphically, at least, in the case of Contra).

If anyone else cares about these things, the shield is emulated properly at last in Contra 3/Super Probotector. Each Virtual Console version (and the version on SNES mini) introduced a weird blurring effect that looked wrong. Now it is crisp and blur-free! And good on M2 for including 50hz versions as an option- I’m not going to pretend they’re better, but those were the versions I played for years!

Could see this coming. Miyamoto once bemoaned other developers copying Nintendo’s aesthetic without considering the underlying design philosophy, leading to empty facsimiles. This seems to be the situation here, sadly.

@NintoRich Gradius 2 IS on it. The game was renamed Vulcan Venture in the West.

@Blofse I think it’s out of order to suggest that review scores are bought. I don’t know the reviewer of this game, nor do I always agree with his reviews, but I respect his right to score the game as he sees fit, having actually played it for review. Do you have any evidence that reviewers are on the take? If not, any point you are trying to make about endemic corruption in games journalism rings hollow, and seems neither particularly clever nor funny.

While I can agree that the game selection is baffling, and the customisation lacklustre compared to normal arcade archives releases, I consider Vulcan Venture (or Gradius 2) to be one of the finest shoot ‘em ups ever, and Nemesis, Life Force, Thunder Cross and Typhoon are all very jolly. Don’t be put off by the fact that Haunted Castle is rubbish, or be too sniffy about the fact it hasn’t been handled with the care of a SEGA AGES release, there’s still some sheer joy to be had here.

Gs69 they are the arcade versions, hence the name of the collection. The title screen shots confirm this.
Personally, I can’t wait. Gradius II is one of my favourite games, and it will be great to have a portable version to go with the PC Engine CD download on Wii, and the AA version on PS4. Have the Gradius collection on PSP, but my PSP is resting these days.