SuperBro64

@Yoshi3 Thanks for the reply! You raise some great points there about how special it can feel to discover new Heart Pieces. One Piece of Heart I always really enjoy getting is the one in The Wind Waker where you need to bid for it. That auctioning minigame stands out to me as one of the series' most interesting minigames.

For me, while I can't currently speak for Tears of the Kingdom because I haven't gotten around to playing it yet, I enjoyed Breath of the Wild enough that there were some shrine quests I found quite memorable, like the one for surviving as a castaway on Eventide Island, the one for saving the malice-infested dragon Naydra on Mount Lanayru, and the one hidden within the pitch-black Thyphlo Ruins.

And as for the shrines themselves, beyond the simpler ones that had just one quick challenge, there were some that also really stood out to me. I particularly loved the electricity-based puzzles in the shrines around Gerudo Desert, but the best shrine in my view was the one called Trial of Power near Hryule Field's tower. That one wasn't just one simple puzzle but felt like a complete mini-dungeon, with a cohesive theme of knocking open giant doors in various ways. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sk0-0mUpHE) More of the shrines should have been like that.

@Yoshi3 I think I've seen you mention in a previous article that you are glad that Pieces of Heart are back. I'm glad for that too; I've always liked the idea of finding and assembling broken fragments of a Heart Container back into one.

Still, mechanically speaking, finding four shrines in BoTW/ToTK, completing their challenges, and getting four Spirit Orbs/Lights of Blessing to exchange for a Heart Container isn't too different from completing various challenges in other games to get four Pieces of Heart for the same outcome. Basically just four of a different item collect.

I'm curious to know, if you want to explain, what entices you to Pieces of Heart more?

Hopefully that didn't come across as argumentative. I just like discussing about what is also one of my favorite series. =)

If it has a screen, it can run DOOM.

I find the hostility here towards vtubers particularly odd, and that's coming from someone who's only watched a few clips of them here and there.

From what I understand, one reason some people use vtuber models is not for weird parasocial relationships or anything but because they are camera shy and don't want people commenting on their real appearance.

That specific image behind the new logo is NOT Super Mario World, yet it has been used so many times across the Internet to represent the game.

I also agree that the eShop is way too slow, especially when trying to load a new page.

@stevenw45 Yeah, a glitch was discovered in the remake that allows you to duplicate badges if you have a full badge inventory. And unlike what you said about the original, it doesn't corrupt the save data.

I hope they haven't patched out the badge duplication glitch.

@Pastellioli "It still does slightly bother me that I wasn’t able to get a 100% in Tooie like I was able to in Kazooie, but oh well. I think I should just appreciate the fact that I was able to nearly 100% it."

That's a good mindset to have, glad you're able to find contentment there. I know it would not be easy for me to do that myself, being a major completionist.

@Pastellioli I actually quit 100% completion of Banjo-Tooie a long time ago because of that exact same racing challenge. It was pretty frustrating at the time to have to leave the game without beating it.

But just earlier this year, at least like 15 years later, I looked up online a strategy for winning the race, got out my old N64 and the game, and finally won the race to get that last Jiggy and cheat page. It felt really validating lol.

So I definitely feel your pain.

As a a completionist, I like to finish games 100% if it can be done. I also like checklists a lot, so I maintain a list of games I've finished and games I have yet to play. It helps keep me organized.

There are some ROM hacks of Nintendo games I've played out there that I've really enjoyed, like:

• Newer Super Mario Bros. Wii / DS
• Super Mario 64: Star Road
• Zelda: The Missing Link
• Paper Mario TTYD 64

These hacks haven't made me think less of Nintendo's official games. In fact, they've made me appreciate them even more. Hacks just help give a new, fresh look on games I love.

@babyThorman "They haven't even made a new IP character that stands out in....I don't know, have they ever since the original NES?"

They made Splatoon just nine years ago on the Wii U. I'd say that series stands out quite a lot.

@_Figo_ Oh, they did? That's interesting, I guess I assumed that being online was the requirement to actually enter those games.

@MirrorFate2 I've thought the same thing. Them adding the tracks and cars from the BS version would be a really cool way to bring that little-known content back.

Alternatively, I've imagined the F-Zero 99 devs making an entirely new set of tracks and putting them into a new grand prix league. They could call it the Bishop League or something to fit with the chess theme of the other leagues.

@AlexanderDaniels Not sure if offline will ever be an option, unfortunately. The entire game requires an online connection, just like Tetris 99, Pac-Man 99, etc.

I've even previously had a momentary bad internet connection kick me out of the game while I was doing the single-player Practice mode. It's all online.

So glad that they have been continuing to update the game. It's become my favorite of the "99" games on the Switch (Mario 35 included in that).

Currently at Level 96, finally almost at the star levels!

Earlier this year, I bought a modified N64 cartridge containing that really good hack of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, called The Missing Link, billed as an interquel between Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.

Doug Bowser simply saying that he "appreciates the visibility", rather than decrying it or some such, is amusing to me.

According to an article on pcgamer.com from last year, Beyond Good & Evil 2 has been reported in some way to still be in development nearly 30 times since it was first announced!

Source: https://www.pcgamer.com/all-the-times-ubisoft-has-said-that-beyond-good-and-evil-2-is-still-in-development/

Super Mario Run is underrated, IMO, ever since I played it for the first time about 2 years ago. Happy to see it still getting updates like this.

Never personally played any Rhythm Heaven games, but only because the music in the series is really good and so I prefer to hear it online played by people who would be much better at it.

This news is pretty unfortunate, in my opinion.

I've always preferred the GBA port of A Link to the Past over the SNES original for the changes it made. I was pretty bummed when they made Four Swords Anniversary Edition on the DSi, added a single player mode to it, and then didn't include A Link to the Past in the package, as well.

I'm just glad I can still listen to video game music on a website called downloads.khinsider.com. I would be pretty upset if that site ever got struck by DMCA claims.

@LikelySatan You're welcome!

Game Boy Tetris is great. For anyone interested, there is a fan-made hack out there called "Tetris - Rosy Retrospection" that retroactively applies modern-day Tetris features into the game, like the ghost piece, hold queue, and better block RNG. It makes a great game even better.

As an alternative to this, the developers of the Ocarina of Time PC port, Ship of Harkinian, just released the initial version for their PC port for Majora's Mask. It's called "2 Ship 2 Harkinian", after a certain infamous movie sequel name.

https://github.com/HarbourMasters/2ship2harkinian

The differences between the two is that the recompiled port is more about getting straight into playing with minimal fuss, while the Harkinian port has a lot of optional enhancements to tinker with.

Besides the new GameCube badge, are all of the same badges in the Paper Mario TTYD remake in the same locations as in the original?

I know it supposed to replicate the original GameCube cover but it feels a little incongruous for it to say "GameCube" on it when it's still for the Switch. Still cool, though.

The NA cover because it clearly shows all four of the main characters in their balls, unlike the EU one where MeeMee is hidden behind the Official Nintendo Seal. lol

Based on the score, I'm guessing it's more of a "Chomp Chumps".

Rather annoying that nothing seemed to come out of it. Drifting happened with my Joy-Cons a few times. Just because it hasn't happened to some people doesn't mean the problem didn't exist for others.

And then when the company gives out statements saying things like "we aim to improve" in response to the controversy, it makes it more frustrating. Why not actually improve instead of "aiming" to?

In preparation for the upcoming remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, I've been playing through a great ROM hack of the original Paper Mario that retroactively adds The Thousand-Year Door's battle mechanics into the original game. It's called Paper Mario TTYD64. I highly recommend it if you're a Paper Mario fan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFngd-Uq6p0

A fan-made Super Mario Maker-style web editor for Super Mario 64 is already in development, actually, called Mario Builder 64. I personally think it looks great.

Example video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV5IK-Xm6n4

Well, just caught the results ahead of this article being updated. Bunnies got the most votes but it still wasn't enough. Now the Splatfest win total here in the US is 9-1-5. Poor Frye is definitely becoming the underdog (undersquid?) in this game lol.

I like the yellow background in the NA cover more than the blue background in the EU cover.

I remember the first time I played Sticker Star, having loved the first three games in the series. But I quickly dropped it because of the lack of a proper experience points system. Without it, the battles just didn't feel worth it if all I was getting as a reward was coins to buy more temporary sticker attacks, rather than getting a permanent upgrade to my stats.

It's for this same lack of experience points that I never played Color Splash or Origami King, despite the good things I've seen and heard about them in other aspects like the graphics and dialogue. So I'm very excited for a return to experience in the upcoming Thousand-Year Door remake.

@Luigivaldo Perhaps they didn't want to spoil who it was.

There was a video I watched recently that showed how Minecraft run on a Switch emulator on the Switch actually ran better than running it on the Switch natively.

I think I like bunnies the best. Partially because I like bunnies in general and partially because it would be kind of nice for Frye to finally win another Splatfest. I like all three members of the group but Shiver has won 9 times and Big Man has won 4, while Frye has still only won once.

I don't play simulator games myself, but I watch an Irish YouTuber by the name of CallMeKevin play them, and he is a master at absolutely demolishing them to bits due to how janky and glitchy they usually are. His video on Powerwash Simulator is particularly great.

@LinktotheFuture Kind of, though not really that much, as the human players still remaining are mostly the really good ones, and the CPUs, though varying in skill level, can be really good too.

@Yosher I've played F-Zero 99 fairly frequently since it first launched. I can tell you that on average there seems to be quite a bit fewer human players joining each race now than there were at the game's start.

I'm still happy that they are continuing to update the game though.

Only three things in life are certain:
1) Death
2) Taxes
3) Nintendo Switch stability

This is a cool update. Super Mario Run is underrated in my opinion. The fact that it's only a one-time purchase is very nice, as are the lack of ads. And I think the actual levels are well-designed and really fit the concept of Mario levels where you're always running. Doing all of the acrobatic maneuvers that you can't do in the mainline games makes me feel like a speedrunner.

As a pun-lover, I hereby support its existence. Or at least its name.

Another Mario game I think it is underrated is the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2, AKA The Lost Levels in the US. Yes, is it incredibly difficult, but I think its a fun kind of difficult, with entertainingly devious traps like the backwards Warp Zones. And I'd say it's still manageable once you get good enough, compared to some soul-crushing hacks out there like Kaizo Mario World.

Super Mario Sunshine is my choice for an underrated Mario game. It was the first Mario game I ever played, and I loved it. And I recently replayed it and I thought it was just as good as I remembered it.

I think it is the most "alive" of all the mainline Mario games, having a wealth of NPCs to talk to with great dialogue, contained in a cohesive world where all the levels feel very much like real locations, rather than the abstract series of platforms in other Mario games.

Also, while I understand people's complaints over being unable to do the level missions in any order like in Mario 64 (and I'd agree that being forced to do the first seven missions of each level to finish the game is rather limiting compared to just having to collect a certain number of Shine Sprites), I will heavily defend the episodic level structure.

It allowed the levels to have an evolving narrative as you progressed through them, from Gelato Beach looking towards the Watermelon Festival and Pianta Village preparing for the Fluff Festival. And because the same characters appear in each level across each episode (you can tell they are the same because NPCs have distinctive designs, unlike in Mario Odyssey), you can see their unfolding reactions to everything happening.

I really wanted some of the N64 icons they had a while back, but naturally they were only available to people with the NSO Expansion Pack... =/

I understand people saying that the Switch has games still available, and I don't support piracy of current games, but the system is seven years old now. Eventually, the Switch storefront will go down, too, and the games will become harder to find and/or purchase.

The creator of Yuzu also helped create 3DS emulator Citra, and now that's being taken down too, which is quite unfortunate.

I can understand people's arguments against emulating the Switch, but the 3DS is no longer being made and it's storefront recently got shut down. So this is a major blow to preservation on that front.

Switch emulation has allowed me to play mods of games I already own without having to risk hacking my Switch. In fact, I recently played a custom track pack mod for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

That is something I think emulation is great for, being able to elevate your enjoyment and appreciation of games you've played before by giving you the means to play them in new ways.