Comments 423

Re: Random: After 25 Years, Ash Ketchum Is Now The Very Best, Like No One Ever Was

Rocky2418

@ketrac
Well, I hope the clicks were worth it for them, only to lose multiple viewers... And yes, he did win the Orange Islands challenge in season 2, way back in 2000. He also won the Battle Frontier challenge in season 9. Though both of those challenges weren't league competition formats - just Ash working his way up to a singular challenge against one person, which I believe he could even retry again if he lost. It wasn't until season 22 in the Alola league that he won a true league competition (which couldn't simply be retried if he lost).

@Olliemar28
Well, I counted at least 25 of us here in the comments who were disappointed and/or frustrated that this massive spoiler was revealed right in the headline on the main page - 6 to 9 months before the episode can even be viewed in English. Along with at least two others who said as much in the comments, I will no longer be visiting this site going forward, even though I have been for as longer as I can remember. I've already asked my brother to just let me know about any Nintendo news that might interest me in the future. My only regret is that I didn't make this decision a couple of years ago, when Ash's first League win in Alola was also spoiled for me. I guess I didn't think anything as big as that could be spoiled again, at least not so soon. I've learned my lesson - too late, unfortunately. This was very, very disappointing and frustrating.

Re: Random: After 25 Years, Ash Ketchum Is Now The Very Best, Like No One Ever Was

Rocky2418

@Coolmusic
The Pokemon Twitter can apparently be blamed, yes. However, at least people like myself who still watch the show (in English, long after the Japanese release) could easily choose to never look at the official Pokemon Twitter account, for fear that something could be spoiled - which is what I do, I've never looked at the Twitter account.

This site, on the other hand, is supposed to be about Nintendo video game news - a far more broad topic that shouldn't cross paths with the Pokemon anime in any way. So watchers of the show like myself wouldn't generally expect to see articles about it here - let alone spoiled instantly in the article title without even having to click on it. That's why it's a bigger problem and frankly inexcusable to have it spoiled so inconsiderately in a place like this.

Re: Random: After 25 Years, Ash Ketchum Is Now The Very Best, Like No One Ever Was

Rocky2418

@MythTgr
Like @ThePizzaCheese , I would never have had this spoiled if not for seeing it on this site. I'm essentially never on social media, and I follow this site for Nintendo (video game) news. Crazy, I know. So not, in fact, impossible.

In addition to being in poor taste to spoil something like this and the fact that the topic has nothing to do with anything video game related, another thought occurred to me: Who exactly is the target audience for this article? Because the way I see it, some people never watched the show, some watched it in the past but stopped due to lack of interest, and some still watch it to this day. Well, those who never watched it don't care, so it's not for them. Those who used to watch it but stopped clearly care very little about it - at most, they might read it and say 'Oh, cool' or 'how bout that.' (Along with casual jokes about Ash being a 35-year-old kid.) Whereas those who still watch it have a central 25-year-long-built-up plot point spoiled.

So I'm genuinely curious who the target audience was, and whether any perceived reaction by them was worth the blatant spoiler visible without even clicking on the article.

Re: Random: After 25 Years, Ash Ketchum Is Now The Very Best, Like No One Ever Was

Rocky2418

@Luigi05
There's a big difference, though. As someone who watches the anime, I would never follow or check the official Pokemon Twitter, as I would expect to find spoilers for something Pokemon-related there. I wouldn't expect to have to avoid a site covering all Nintendo gaming news for fear of having something in the Pokemon anime spoiled. That would be unreasonable - I'd never be able to follow any Nintendo news at all in that case.

Re: Puzzle Game 'Plotting' Joins The Arcade Archives Line-Up

Rocky2418

@AndyRogan @michaelf @LeChuck
Yup, when I saw the game photo next to the article title, I immediately thought: 'That looks like Puzznic!' (In reality, the name of the game escaped me, but I was hoping someone in the comments would also remember it. Only reason I even clicked on the article.) I remember renting it multiple times and really enjoying that game as a kid.

Re: Feature: Handheld Face-Off - Nintendo Switch OLED Model Vs Steam Deck

Rocky2418

@RainbowGazelle
I came down to the comments section solely to see if anyone else would be perplexed by that statement. And they actually said it twice! (The second time in the Verdict section, saying that one of the only ways to improve the Switch would be via a "slightly better d-pad". I mean... what?) Do they have access to some secret official joy-cons that actually have a d-pad? And if so, why didn't they show them off in the picture, rather than showing the standard variety with its clearly visible 4 buttons and not d-pad.

On a successor, I really hope they do use a real d-pad. And as a side note, I would actually like the chance to have it be all one solid unit (like the Switch Lite), but still be dockable - and let me just make the choice to buy a pair of joy-cons separately for games that benefit from using those. I've just always hated the slightly loose, wobbly feel of the joy-cons when playing in handheld mode. I'm probably more in the minority in wanting that, but nevertheless...

Re: Review: MLB The Show 22 - Sony's Switch Debut Isn't Just A Sinker Feeling, Thankfully

Rocky2418

I haven't played a true mainstream baseball game on a Nintendo system since the All-Star Baseball games 20 years ago. So maybe this is a stupid question, but is there an option to just pick a team as is and simply play a full 162-game season? I'm not particularly interested in all the other bells and whistles with actually managing rosters and building a team from scratch and whatnot, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Re: Square Enix Shows Off Chrono Cross Remaster Comparison Screenshots

Rocky2418

@chocolate_supra @Term
I was getting ready to explain this myself, as I did in the YouTube video of the 8 rearranged tracks. Thanks for saving me the time.

Yeah, it just seems to be a case of not being clear enough (Square Enix using the word "refined" when describing the enhanced music while the rearranged pieces of music were up on YouTube), and readers panicking upon first glance (understandably).

Re: Chrono Cross Physical Edition Coming To Asia With English Language Support

Rocky2418

@accc
Yeah, that was my thinking when I ultimately decided to go ahead and pre-order this. I prefer physical copies, but wasn't thrilled about paying twice the price in this case. However, once this inevitably becomes unavailable at some point, I could likely sell it for a profit - and maybe even use that to buy the digital version to replace it. Or, I might end up wanting to keep it. Either way, there's not really a big down side to getting it.

Re: Grab Some Headphones For This Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition Music

Rocky2418

@Mahhayo
I guess for me, the plot and characters are key aspects in an RPG, so I can't just forget something as big as my issue with the plot. And on the characters side, to me having 44 playable characters made it feel like they were just things to collect, rather than people to know and care about (aside from some, like Serge and Kid). As opposed to a small, intimate group of 7 that were all inexorably tied to the story and experience of Chrono Trigger. But hey, I know that some people preferred the endless variety of characters in Chrono Cross, and that's fine. Overall, the game never really struck a chord with me, but I'm glad that it did with others.

And yeah, you'll get no arguments from me over how phenomenal the music is.

Re: Grab Some Headphones For This Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition Music

Rocky2418

@CactusMan
That's actually my all-time favorite piece of video game music - and one of many from Chrono Trigger and Cross that I made into music levels in Mario Maker 1 and 2.

@Daniel36
I actually agree with you completely - particularly about them not sharing the same feel, style, and vibe. There are certainly things I love about Chrono Cross, but when I first finished playing through the game in 2000, that's the one feeling I couldn't shake - to me, it FELT almost nothing like the game it was the sequel to. (And yes, the back of the case says it's the sequel, so that's what it is.) I didn't need it to be "Chrono Trigger 2", but I was hoping it would at least feel like the first game. Also, I have played through the game multiple times since then, when I was no longer expecting it to feel like Chrono Trigger - most recently in 2016 - and I still come away from it feeling the same way every time. (The over-the-top complexity of the plot that tests the limits of my suspension of disbelief doesn't help, lol.)

I'll probably still pick this up at some point - even more likely if it gets a physical release. The music is stellar, and I do enjoy some other aspects of the game as well.

Re: My Nintendo Offers Some Sweet N64-Themed Keychains In The US

Rocky2418

One thing that's too bad is that you can no longer redeem points to secure the item, and then use the code to actually place the order and pay for the shipping at a later date. (I used to do that so that I could wait and see what other items became available before the code expired, to get more items I would actually want and combine shipping at that point.) Now you go right to the Nintendo Online Store before redeeming the points, and can't secure the item until after finishing the order and paying the shipping. Which means I have to either use up more points right now on something I don't particularly want, or paid the $7 (which is twice what the shipping should actually cost for something this light) for just the one item. I only really wanted the Ocarina of Time and Mario 64 set. Not sure if I care enough about it to both use up points and pay the shipping, though. Meh. If it sells out soon, so be it.

Re: Pokémon Is Airing A One-Hour Anime Special For The 25th Anniversary

Rocky2418

I have indeed kept up with it. Crazy that it's been 25 years. I remember watching season 1 while it was first airing (started in about halfway through the very long season).

@Olmectron
I was wondering the same thing. Would be a shame if she's not part of it too. Also, I suppose it'll be quite a while until it airs in English, as is the norm.

Re: Hands On: MLB The Show 22 Tech Test Impressions - Sony Takes A Swing At Switch

Rocky2418

Man, this was very disappointing to hear - enough to convince to probably just skip it (unless it drastically improves), despite the fact that I'm a huge baseball fan and haven't really had mainstream baseball games on a Nintendo system in about 20 years. The visuals, while disappointing, are largely unimportant to me. But the performance - the way it was described in this article? That's... a big problem.

@Silly_G
Yeah, I was bummed about the exclusion of baseball in Switch Sports as well. All I could guess was that a joy-con is too small to grip with two hands, like you could with the Wiimote - but I have no idea. Excluding baseball is the biggest reason why I'll likely be skipping that.

Re: Nintendo Blocks Another 2,200 Videos On YouTube Featuring Its Music

Rocky2418

Sorry to hear about this. I've made various music levels in Mario Maker 1 & 2, and in my YouTube uploads of them, I usually include a link to the original music in my descriptions, for the sake of comparison. And I recall that many of those links were to GilvaSunner's videos. (Guess I'll have to go through and change those at some point now.)

It's just really a shame that Nintendo decides to do something like this, when they themselves don't make their video game music available in any way. Yes, it's their right to do so. But it's also the right of consumers to draw further and further away from a company that insists on making decisions like this, if they so choose. Just seems like a needless lose-lose situation to me.

Re: Random: Every Time This NBA Star Scores, An Iconic Zelda Sound Gets Played

Rocky2418

That's very cool. I've also heard Mario sound effects during MLB games in various stadiums. In Cleveland, I'm pretty sure they make the Mario coin-collecting sound every time they score a run (at least for every runner that crosses the plate on a homerun, but possibly all runs); and they play the 1-up sound when their pitchers get a strikeout.

@Crockin
It's pretty crazy that you shared that. Because one of the things I was coming here to mention is that one specific Citgo station just a few miles from where I live has a cash register which, every time I've gone in to buy something, I could swear makes a sound exactly like the Sonic ring sound. And if I'm with someone else, I literally always mention to them. I first noticed it many years ago, maybe 8 or 10, and I'm pretty sure it still does it.

And then I saw your comment as the most recent one, right before I started to mention it in my own. That's really funny, and confirms what I was hearing. Interesting back story about it as well.

Re: This Gamer Is "No Death" Completing Some Of Video Gaming's Hardest Titles With His Chin

Rocky2418

At first I only registered the 'beating the games without dying' part, and my first thought was that I've actually done that with some of the games, like TMNT and Zelda 2. (In fact, the first time I managed to beat TMNT at all I took a video of myself beating it, that's how proud I was.) Then I read the 'with his chin' part. Holy crap. I quickly bow to his superiority over myself. I will absolutely watch some of those runs, that is amazing!

Re: Feature: How One Small Company Is Making The Switch Joy-Con You Always Dreamed Of

Rocky2418

@Medic_Alert
Yeah, I was thinking the exact same thing regarding the d-pad. I paid to have someone on Etsy supply and put on eXtremeRate joy-con shells with a d-pad a couple years ago, and the "d-pad" was awful - frequently triggered incorrect inputs, so much so that I sent that one back to them to do the same color but with the original buttons back on, which they were kind enough to do without charging any more (just the shipping).

I'm still amazed that Nintendo never made official left joy-cons with proper d-pads - like the Switch Lite has - for players to purchase separately (or ideally as an alternative option to just come with the Switch, for people who never use joy-con controllers individually). Ugh...

Re: Modernised 'Panda' GameCube Controller Hits Kickstarter, Instantly Smashes Goal

Rocky2418

So this controller is really just geared toward Smash players, correct (or original Gamecube games in general)? I'm guessing it's not particularly practical for other stuff, due to the unique Gamecube controller button layout. Because man, that thing looks really good, high quality, and comfortable. But I'm not a Smash player, and would really just want to use it for other stuff, like instead of my Switch Pro controller - which likely wouldn't be practical.

Still, looks great, and I hope Smash players enjoy it!

Re: Rumour: Chrono Trigger Sequel Chrono Cross Might Be Getting A Remaster

Rocky2418

I was quite surprised to hear this news. Chrono Trigger is my all-time favorite game, whereas I was greatly let down by the sequel. Not because it wasn't "Chrono Trigger 2" - rather, because it didn't even feel anything like its predecessor. Very heavy and somber in its tone much of the time - including the way CT's happy ending was essentially ripped to shreds just for the sake of Cross's back story. Also, with 44 playable characters instead of 7, the characters felt like things to collect rather than people to care about. Possibly the thing I loved the most about Chrono Trigger was that I got a lot of face time with all 7, the game focused on each one quite a lot, and each one was a big part of what was going on. And last but not least, the plot of Chrono Cross was one of the most convoluted, over-the-top, hard-to-understand things I've ever experienced in gaming. To be honest, I couldn't reasonably believe the insanity of a lot of it.

That said, Chrono Cross certainly has some great aspects to me. A few of the characters did end up being very memorable and special to me, and the soundtrack is obviously stellar. I've actually made many Chrono Trigger and Cross music levels in Mario Maker 1 & 2 as a result. All in all, I would probably be interested enough in a remaster of this to pick it up. (That's probably helped by the fact that it's been many, many years since the series has even been acknowledged, so I'm starved enough to jump on anything, lol.)

Re: Hardware Review: Game & Watch: The Legend Of Zelda - A Link To Link's Past

Rocky2418

I was concerned about how low the buttons were when it was first announced. Hopefully I don't find it too awkward or uncomfortable. And it's funny that the article asked why it didn't include the DX version of Link's Awakening instead, because the fact that the original version was included is the sole reason I pre-ordered this. While I do enjoy the color itself in the DX version, there are some facets about the original that I prefer, in addition to the nostalgia factor. And the DX version was already made available on the 3DS Virtual Console, so I already have that one. The original version, on the other hand, has never been made available in any way like that since its original GB release. So I for one was very happy to see that they included that version.

Mine is currently being shipped - should have it on Saturday, I believe.

Re: Review: Star Fox 64 - A Cinematic Series High Point

Rocky2418

I remember getting this when it came out in 1997, bundled with the all-new Rumble Pak - I was 13 at the time. I'll admit, I definitely had a blast with it. It was very impressive at the time. I guess I wasn't crazy about the fact that you essentially had to play through the whole thing in one go, not being able to save. But the paths branching depending on how well you did in each level was cool. I still remember trying and eventually succeeding in going through the most challenging route, along the top of the map. Ah, better times...

Re: Nintendo Launches Three New Zelda Websites To Celebrate Game & Watch

Rocky2418

@Curbie
Actually, that's a good point, and something I forgot about: In addition to trivializing the difficulty, the red/blue mails also rendered either the pieces of power or guardian acorns superfluous - just getting in the way - for the rest of the game. (If we're speaking technically, pieces of power would still give the slight boost in walking speed and lifting speed that the red mail didn't, but that's mostly semantics.) At the very least, it seems like the game should've stopped dropping one or the other for the rest of the game depending on which mail you took, once they became useless.

Anyway, yeah, the colors in DX were great. And I also preferred the visual difference in Marin's "transition" in the secret ending. But other than that, I prefer the original.

Re: Nintendo Launches Three New Zelda Websites To Celebrate Game & Watch

Rocky2418

@CharlieGirl
I completely agree. Link's Awakening is actually my all-time favorite Zelda game. (I know it's not the best - but because of nostalgia, and the mysterious bittersweet story I grew to love as a kid.) And the original GB version was the one I grew up with, and genuinely prefer. I thought the picture sidequest in the DX version felt tacky and out of place - plus, completing it (getting all 12 pictures) meant that every character would permanently call you THIEF, and you'd be forced to get 1 game over if you ever went back in the shop. And TBH, I prefer not having the color dungeon in the game. The difficulty of the game was set around not having that upgrade, so being allowed to get it after the second or third dungeon can trivialize much of the difficulty thereafter. (I could just not get it, but being a completionist, I would.) The DX version is certainly better in some ways, but overall I prefer the original.

The truth is, the only reason I decided to buy this Game & Watch is because they put the original version on it. It's the first chance I've had to officially have it again since the Game Boy itself.

Re: My Nintendo Physical Rewards Have Disappeared In North America

Rocky2418

Yeah, I noticed this a few days ago. I've gotten a few decent rewards, like the Skyward Sword acrylic panel art and Mario 3D All-Stars poster set. Some other things I got just to use up points and then sell, so my points wouldn't completely go to waste. But with this development, it's entirely pointless to even bother getting more points. (For me, that is. For others, it became pointless long ago, lol.)

Re: Nintendo 64 And Sega Genesis Expansion Pack Announced For Switch Online, Launches This October

Rocky2418

@GameOtaku
Yeah, I really wish they had continued the VC service, as an alternative to the NSO games. I very much prefer to pay for individual games I actually want and can keep. In addition, whenever I go into the NSO NES and SNES apps (rarely), I see the butt load of games I'll never ever want to play and sigh. I wish they would at least let me remove all the ones I don't care about so they wouldn't clutter everything.

Re: Rumour: It Looks Like Nintendo Will Soon Unveil A New Controller For Switch

Rocky2418

@danemord
Same here. I had someone put different color shells on mine along with a d-pad, but found that it didn't work well (wrong inputs detected), presumably because the joy-con doesn't have a central pivoting thing there to help it work properly. So I had the person swap it back out with the same color shell but the original directional buttons...

It would be nice if they ever sold one with a proper d-pad, for the many people like myself that don't ever use individual joy-cons for controllers.

Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl: Duel #89 - Chrono Trigger

Rocky2418

NA 100% for me. I like the more dynamic artwork - plus, I always found the versions of the CT characters in that Japanese cover artwork kinda goofy-looking compared to the main artwork of them.

Oh, and Chrono Trigger is my all-time favorite game, FWIW.

Edit: Come to think of it, it was the cover that first attracted me to the game, when I stumbled upon it in a game rental store in 1995. I'd never heard of it prior to that day. The rest is history.