Teksette

@AlleyCat
Oh how I wish I also was playing Geppy-X this weekend!

I was a resident of Japan and frequent haunter of used game shops when that robot game first came out in the late 90s, but it flew under my radar. A few years later, a friend and fellow sci-fi/super robot fan everyone called “Geppy” explained he got his nickname from the game and that I had to buy a copy. But already it was a premium game, going for $100+ used. The pre-owned price climbed to like $300-$400 more recently, because of its rarity and cult popularity. Too late I learned how the game is a fantastic, loving homage to classic robot anime, with an unbelievable roster of voice talent and theme song vocalists. I thought I’d never get a chance to play it! So the remaster on Switch was an instant preorder for me, and one of my most anticipated games of 2026.

My Geppy delivery seems like it won’t be in time for this weekend, but perhaps that’s for the best: Geppy is shipping with a copy of the Goemon Collection, and I don’t know how I juggle those 2 excellent games together with Splatoon Raiders this weekend. Gotta savor them all! 😁

Were it actual VHS size, it might’ve been a nice hiding place for some Switch/S2 carts.
It’s not likely someone’s going to accidentally try to play it on a VCR these days!

It’s nice that they optimized for S2 with features like gyro and joy-con mouse support, but 70 bucks for an eShop game? That’s too steep. I’ll probably watchlist and wait for a sale.

Yuk. I’ve got Hasbro on “ignore” since they abandoned their home state of Rhode Island.
100+ years in the state, and then as soon as the last member of the founding Hassenfeld family dies, Hasbro jumps ship and moved to Boston this year. 👎

@Zeeba
Haha I have strong feelings about the topic and felt like I had to speak up. 😅

Well there is a clickbait headline if ever I’ve seen one. Another analyst sensationalizing a limited statistic without any context, and Ollie here casting fuel on the fire.

Does our analyst Mat Piscatella dig into any possible reasons WHY physical PS5 game sales have been so tepid? Were the discs produced in sufficient numbers? Did they arrive in stores several months after the digital version went on sale? Was the digital version cheaper? Did the discs even contain the full game? Maybe they were basically game key cards! I suppose you could look at Mat’s data and say physical is dying. You could just as easily say physical is being strangled. Is demand down? Or just the sales numbers? Who knows!? Some measured, sound research into the how’s and why’s behind the data would be most welcome.

At least Ollie’s article concludes with a reasonable opinion - why not let physical game media remain an option, even if only as a niche product? Not profitable enough for the corporate elite and the shareholders, I suppose. Good will toward your customers must be seen as a liability in today’s world of limited empathy.

People who prefer to buy physical may be a minority these days, but we’re some of video gaming’s most passionate fans. Some of us have been shopping for console games and other media since the 1980’s, and for us, there’s familiarity and satisfaction in adding new titles to the shelves of games/books/movies/music we own. Taking away the tangible physical media and the autonomy we have over our purchase takes some joy out of the hobby for us. Ending physical will push some people out of contemporary gaming. I guess Sony just sees us as collateral damage. Hopefully Nintendo doesn’t soon feel the same.

But in the end, as long as enthusiasts with discretionary income persist, so too will physical games. Sony, MS, and even Nintendo might bail, but repros or new platforms will arise, just as sure as books and vinyl records have hung around for the physical faithful. /rant

I can’t wait to pick up my preorder this Thursday and absolutely devour this game! I’ve always liked the single-player modes and DLC for past Splatoon games, and I tend to have more fun with multiplayer when it’s co-op. And a nice campaign with plenty of customization and unlockables is always appealing for me.

My body is woomy!! 😆

@serrafemme
I see the concept of “day one patch” eludes you.

And who are the sheep? The people advocating for physical ownership and consumer rights, or those buying digital and blindly trusting that corporations won’t revoke access to the games they’ve “licensed?”
The companies are the ones herding us towards an all-digital future, you know. They’d like nothing better.
So perhaps ruminate more before you “baa” next time.

I’m finishing up my 9 days off of work single-parenting my kiddos and their dog, which has been a busy time with all the walks and meals, ferrying kids around and extra chores, but I’ve loved it overall. 😊

There hasn’t been much time or energy to game, but I advanced somewhat in R-Type Tactics with a smattering of quick plays of Universal’s Lady Bug and Taito’s Rastan, courtesy of Arcade Archives. I also logged a couple more futile attempts to beat Spelunky, where most often is the cause of death is greed. Some day I’ll learn…

On the horizon, I’m looking forward to my physical copies of Geppy-X and the Goemon Collection, but I have a feeling it’ll be Splatoon Raiders which totally hooks me next week.

Wishing all NL friends a fun weekend with some new finds and old faves! 🕹️👾🐞

I’m the solo parent of 2 kids and a spoiled doggo for the next 9 days, but the good news is I’m on vacation from work for that span, and I won’t be lonely!
In between the increased chores and meals and transportation, I’ll slip in some time for R-Type Tactics Cosmos, where I’m slowly building up my fleet. Also, I’ll dip into some Rhythm Heaven Groove multiplayer with the kids, and flip some turnstiles in Lady Bug, courtesy of the Arcade Archives heroes.
I must remember to zip out to GameStop to pick up my Mouse P.I. preorder, too.

Wishing all NL friends fun times and moderate temps this weekend! 🕹️👾🐭

Great news! I’d be thrilled if this patch made it onto the S2 physical release of the game that I pick up this weekend. (won’t hold my breath, though.)

@Debo626
Yes, when I set my Switch to airplane mode, Outlaws or Fenyx gave me a weak complaint but then let me play the games offline, without logging in. The console has to be undocked in order to start airplane mode, but once starting the mode and the games, it would let me play the game with the system docked.

It’s a nuisance, to be sure. I dont care about cross-saves. Their online service should be entirely OPTIONAL, especially for these single-player games.

Game key card and (I presume) mandatory Ubisoft Connect login means I will most certainly be skipping this one.
It’s easy to cross these off, when there is so much out there to play.

I’d be interested to hear if that Ubisoft Connect login is still mandatory. I last encountered it in Star Wars Outlaws and before that in Immortals: Fenyx Rising. I played those with my Switch in airplane mode, so I could avoid their annoying logins.

There are some fun games in these collections, that I’ve already picked up on Arcade Archives or on the Jaleco Arcade Collection 1 on Evercade.
I wonder if these are intended as physical collections of Arcade Archive releases, like Taito Milestones? Or are they just doing their own thing? Will these even be physical releases? I’ll keep an eye out for news.

We’re amidst a 3-day weekend here in the ‘States for Independence Day, so I’ll get a little extra gaming time.

Rhythm Heaven Groove has been charming enough to entice both my daughters into taking a few turns with me, quite the rarity these days. I’ll have to check out the multiplayer mode.

I’ve played through a couple stages of R-Type Tactics I&II Cosmos and even if it’s not the slickest game, that “upgrade your squadron” hook is present and keeping me invested.

I’ll also take the Star Fox crew on another trip around the Lylat system. I’ve barely touched the Challenges mode, and haven’t been brave enough to dogfight online yet.

And I’ve got to pick up Arcade Archives’ Lady Bug, this weekend, too! 😵‍💫
It’s the arcade version of a well-done dot-munching game my Sis and I played to death on Colecovision like 44 years ago.
When you’ve been video gaming since 1980, there’s not enough time or money to play all the appealing and nostalgic titles that keep arriving. I’m not skipping Lady Bug, though!

Wishing all NL friends a fun weekend! 🕹️👾🐞

@NerdyPaul
Nintendo will get here eventually
Don’t wish it into existence, man! Or do you actually prefer an all-digital games industry?

Personally, I like having choices and the autonomy to keep/lend/sell the items I purchase.
I love having the option to purchase hard copies of my favorite games!

Generally speaking, I’d rather spend wisely and prop up the good values out there than just moan and accept the inevitability of shrinkflation.

@Pillowpants
Amazing how this news has shifted people's views of Game Key Cards and Nintendo

But I still think GKC are hot garbage. I want THE GAME, not the dongle key of a game. And I haven’t yet forgiven Nintendo for rolling out those dongles before more affordable memory cards became available. But I also give Nintendo a lot of credit for navigating through these uncertain times as well as they have. I’m really pleased to see smaller titles like Hades II, Yooka Replaylee, Disney Afternoon, Orbitals, Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters, and the like get reasonably priced, full-on physical releases lately.

Whereas Sony is just like, screw physical and everyone who buys it. They’re making Nintendo look positively angelic by comparison!

The prophet has spoken! “Nintendo is going to be Nintendo.”

Some actually useful analysis would be to dig into these statistics that Sony and the other platforms love to throw around. “Our sales are 87% digital!” And what is your data set, exactly? Most likely the entirety of your software sales, which is (just guessing here) 70% comprised of digital-only titles. Do you count code-in-a-box or GKC as physical? And of the physical releases, how many were shipped to stores in an unfinished or incomplete state? How many of the physicals were available day & date with the digital release??

I’m always skeptical of companies’ (and politicians’) self-serving statistics. Stilted comparisons produce skewed results to support claims that “physical is dead!” and “this is consumer preference!”

Orbitals looked so 80’s anime cool, I went ahead and preordered last month even though I may never get to play through it because of the mandatory co-op! It’ll be my first purchase of a co-op only game, since Hazelight never bothered to make their titles full-on physical releases.

Orbitals will look pretty sitting in my backlog, if nothing else!

People's dismay (my dismay) over the ever-closer demise of games on proper physical media is real, and it's legitimate.
Our complaints must be "tiresome" to hear for some of the Nintendo Lifers here who've gone all digital, but let's allow people time to grieve, right?

The media format matters, what you get for your money matters. People have strong feelings on the subject. For every youngster on here who was raised on phones and tablets and digital downloads, there is an old-timer like myself who equate buying a game with a trip to the store and a box on the shelf, and control over what to do with our purchase, who wouldn't want it any other way.

I don't tell the all-digital crowd that they're wrong, and would hope the reverse would hold, too. How we like to consume our games just comes down to habit and personal preference, ultimately. That Sony and probably Xbox are eliminating options for us should be of concern to everyone, though.

@EVIL-C
Nice! I’ve never played a Rhythm Heaven game before, but it looks like a goofy good time for sure! I bet my daughters might even take an interest. And playable right off the cart, too, I’d wager.
There are so many games coming out and old preorders delivering lately, but I’ve a feeling RH Groove will be a good one for the library! 😄🎶

Well played, Bethesda. You’ll garner some support from us physical game lovers and sell a few more copies of Oblivion, I imagine.
I’ve got to go pick up my Rhythm Heaven preorder tomorrow - maybe I’ll put $5 down on a copy of Oblivion, too. 🤔

"Adapting to the consumer trend," right...
A trend they were only too happy to foment, and now make mandatory. Can't say we didn't see this coming, but the news still sucks.

No doubt Microsoft will quickly follow suit. We shall see how long Nintendo hold out. But when they abandon physical media, too, that's when I abandon contemporary games and go all retro. Just like I don't want to read digital books, I don't want to settle for digital video games. The physical media, the real ownership, is part of why I keep purchasing and playing games.

This makes me sad - it’s a fun throwback arcade racer. I was too busy driving UFO’s or unicorns on the track to remember if it had licensed cars in it, but I think it did? That’s probably what did it in.
I’m glad I have a physical copy on the shelf!

@sfb @CANOEberry

It’s funny you mention Star Control, because I also loved that game with a passion on Genesis, and it did come to mind when I was trying to think of hybrid tactics/action games. I didn’t bring it up because maybe it’s not quite a perfect fit (no grids) and because I’d droned on so long about the topic already.

But yes, it does fit the bill. I absolutely recommend Star Control to anyone who would appreciate Atari’s Asteroids mixed with retro space opera. And its sequel, Star Control 2 is sublime. Geeky-chic and humorous, with all the action of the original game plus a built-out space exploration and base-(mothership-) building story. I played a lot of that when the original creators sent it out open source as “The Ur-Quan Masters” for the fans. They’re also working on a direct sequel, one of those rare games I kickstarted towards with zero hesitation. One of the stretch goals they met was a Switch port! I’m praying for the day.
https://freestarsgame.com/

I love the looks of this! I just know I'm going to devour the main campaign this summer, and probably dip into multiplayer (co-op, yay!) a little bit, at least.

Seems like it has a roguelite vibe to it, and that it will have a lot of content for the price.

@LikelySatan
I remember you mentioned that critique about the sound to me a couple weeks ago! I meant to follow up with you. So the sound effects are weak compared to the PSP games? That’s a bummer. Having never played those I’d have never realized.

@CANOEberry
I have dreamed of the "ultimate space strategy game" since Atari's 1970s opus Star Raiders changed my life as a very young furball.

Oh I get that! I think I played Star Raiders on my uncle’s Atari 2600 way back then. Such a primitive game by today’s standards, but at the time it was a real imagination trip for us 8 or 9 year olds who’d just seen Star Wars or Empire at the cinema. IIRC, the game was like an arcade-y cockpit view space fighter game, but with sim elements. I’d play a tactics game crossed with Star Raiders anytime!

It’s always grids and turn-based battles with these tactics games, though. Why not grids with side-scrolling or top-down shoot ‘em up or some kind of action? Where skilled play or tenacity could overcome tough odds? Maybe devs have tried such hybrids, and they were too repetitive??
Who knows?

But there’s probably multiple dozens of human and Bydo spacecraft and capital ships to earn in this collection, so even if it’s just a cut & dried tactics game, I imagine it’ll be fun enough to advance through. Much like the SD Gundam G-Generation games over the years.

Granzella kept us waiting 3+ years, but I picked up my preorder a couple weeks ago. Sadly, I barely started the first mission, with it being a busy time of year and Star Fox zooming in to draw my attention away.

But I love R-Type and always wanted to play these tactics games when I saw them advertised for the PS2 years ago. Eventually I'll sink some time into this collection and build a proper fleet. My first impression of Mission 1 was rather meh, certainly no Super Robot Taisen or Gundam G-Gen game, but I trust the appeal will grow on me as I play on.

@Tom-Massey
Thanks as always for the in-depth "review!" This read like a 7.
I wanted to mention, NL lists the genre for this Tactics I&II game as "action/shooting," which needs correcting.
(Years ago, I actually hoped that R-Type Tactics was a shmup/tactics hybrid. I would love such a combo! Why is there no such game in my life??)

@Ooyah
Yes yes, Global Gladiators was an utter shock when a friend and I played it back in the Genesis days - we had no idea a McDonalds-licensed game would be so fluid and fun! I think that at the time, Disney’s Aladdin hadn’t yet opened our eyes to the excellent quality of Virgin Games’ titles. What a treat to have both games on my Genesis shelf now!
And Cool Spot was by Virgin, too! I remember renting and liking it. I should keep an eye out for that one.

I’ve never played McDonald’s Treasure Land Adventure (had to look it up), but with it being developed by Treasure, I sure would love to try it!

It’s a relatively quiet weekend for me, so I hope to send General Pepper a couple more invoices, at least, in Star Fox. There’s still a couple stages to experience and all kinds of secret challenges I haven’t pulled off.

Now when I picked up my Star Fox preorder at my local GameStop on Thursday, I happened to encounter a stack of freshly traded-in Sega Genesis games. And since I’’ve been on a bit of a retro kick lately, I ended up spending more on old Sega carts than I did on Star Fox! I was thrilled to find an old favorite Mick & Mack: Global Gladiators there, and took home a few I’d never owned, like Sonic 3, Batman Forever and T2: Judgement Day. So I’ll be hooking up my Genesis this weekend to play a few old titles, I’m sure.

Wishing all NL squadron buddies good hunting this weekend! 🕹️⭐️🦊

An “arcade” controller without a joystick seems a bit odd to me.
Hmm… I think the original Space Invaders had no joystick. Maybe Track & Field, too? Oh, and all those mahjong games in Japan!

Either way, I imagine these leverless controllers must be really responsive and fine once you get used to them.

Game key cards suck.
Codes in a box suck even worse.
That’s about all I care to say about the matter. 😤

I've been counting the days to go pick up my preorder tomorrow, I enjoyed the demo, and it's relieving to hear the full game holds up. I never properly played SF64 (the original SNES game was where I did all my barrel rolls), but I'm sure I'll have fun going through the gorgeous-looking stages for a while.

I half wish that Nintendo didn't play it so safe with this reboot and took it "off the rails" somewhat, but hopefully this will lead to a slightly more daring Star Fox experience next time. (This is coming from someone who played more Wing Commander and Tie Fighter than the original Star Fox, though.)

Performance in the park this evening, so I have to prep a picnic dinner for that, then amidst the usual chores I’ll play some more BALL x PIT (nearing the end, I think) or have a go at Spelunky (1,890 runs, and I have not beaten it even once - I am too reckless and greedy to survive in this game).

Some wonderful Toaplan carts and an Indie collection delivered for my Evercade this week, and I picked up the mythic R-Type Tactics I+II Cosmos waiting for a go, too. I say “mythic” because I initially preordered the game in Feb 2023 - it was delayed so long I didn’t think it would ever release!

Wishing a fine, fun weekend to all NL friends! 🕹️👾🐍

I've wanted to play this game and was hoping they'd do something to address the draconian censorship. I might consider picking it up now.

Nope, never truly owned a N64 and I’ve never played Ocarina. I bought the Gamecube LOZ Promo Disc years ago, and had all this time to play Ocarina on NSO, but never got around to it. I’ll wait and just play the remake, presumably during the Holidays.

This weekend I’m playing “try to get the lawnmower running again.” Also, I think a fat raccoon climbed up my birdfeeder last night and bent the pole almost to the ground. UGH 😤

In my downtime, I’m hoping to play some more BALL x PIT and something else. I don’t know. I’m drowning in unplayed games and feeling a bit paralyzed for choice. I might just stick to quick arcade games on the side, like Mr. Do! or Frogger. We’ll see.

Wishing everyone plenty of time for fun this weekend! 🕹️👾🐸

I read (was traumatized by) the first 50 issues or so of the comic and this seems like a decent enough beat 'em up. I may actually pick this up at some point!

@Nao120
Thanks for sharing! I imagine you’re right, and this countermeasure is aimed very squarely at stopping scalpers taking advantage of Japan’s proximity and the weak yen to serve the many people in China with no legitimate way to purchase a S2.

The yen is historically weak for the past few years. What’s the list price for an international model S2 right now? Maybe scalpers were buying domestically to sell overseas?

Or is it still hard to find and buy a S2 in Japan these days? Maybe the Japan-region model is plentiful but the international model is still scarce? (I wouldn’t want to settle for the region-locked model, no way.) Perhaps the scalpers are just selling domestically. Did Nintendo do away with the lottery system for Switch purchasers in Japan? And wasn’t the Nintendo Store the only retailer in Japan that sells the international S2 model??

Lotta questions this article didn’t address for me, so I can’t fully understand Nintendo’s tactics. Maybe @Nao120 or someone else living in Japan can provide some insight? I haven’t lived there for 20 years now, but I’m always curious for news.

@RupeeClock
Thanks for the lowdown on 1PG - really in our Switch Physical Releases forum thread here and elsewhere I have heard unflattering things about this vendor, and I’m done at this point.
I waited patiently for 3.5 years with nothing to show for it.
I emailed them my refund request today and will update the peeps here of any developments.
I don’t have very high hopes though!

Oh. Well, isn't this great. I preordered the Chained Echoes retail release through those villains at First Press Games on Dec 15th, 2022 and have been waiting ever since.

I'm happy for the kickstarter backers, as Mr. Linda and Super Rare will be fulfilling their orders, but those who went through First Press apparently are S.O.L. Looks like we have ask for a refund and pray it is granted.

From Super Rare and Mattias Linda's FAQ page:
Q: I purchased Chained Echoes through First Press Games. What does this mean for me?

A: Unfortunately, any enquiries relating to First Press Games orders not received will need to be directed to First Press Games. Please contact them directly on this email - [email protected]
Super Rare Games is not affiliated with First Press Games and cannot provide refunds, replacements, or compensation for purchases made through them.

Here is the FAQ page in its entirety:
https://superraregames.com/pages/chained-echoes-physical-info

There’s an even dozen games on the graphic I feel obligated to buy, and there’s at least 15 other smaller or boutique titles from Limited Run or Super Rare in the same span that I’ll end up buying, plus spending on new Evercade games, an inevitable Taito Egret II Mini expansion pack, and I splurged on a NEOGEO AES+ console and some games. All this spending on games this year! I’ve got to become more selective. But these games all look so good!! 😵‍💫

@UpsideDownRowlet
Hah! Well, I tried! 😂
I, too, may have to try the Sakurai dual-wield technique. Never gonna happen though. 😅

I love that mid-80's Dirty Pair anime aesthetic, and I'm thrilled to hear Orbitals is getting a proper physical release, but the mandatory co-op may put me off from buying.
I just imagine the game sitting on my shelf eternally unplayed, for lack of a 2P in my life.

@UpsideDownRowlet
What's your time zone and availability?

My ears perked right up when they mentioned Vanillaware and this game in the Direct yesterday. I've never played the original, but have long wanted to! I will pick up this reboot for sure, on Switch 2 if it is not a GKC, or on Switch otherwise.

News that the full game will be on the cartridge is fantastic! This game is officially on my radar now.
Iam8bit is advertising a deluxe edition with an actual wooden puppet of the protagonist.

Vive la France!!

I miss the days when some people in the US government actually cared about consumers, too!

My launch Switch joy-con eventually went nuts, but at least NOA repaired them for free when I sent them in.

A proper Direct deserves proper wishful thinking!

3D It's a Me!

Capcom Belt Action Collection 2 with Cadillacs & Dinosaurs and Dungeons & Dragons games

Port of Outrun 2006

Port of FTL

I mean, with Star Fox and Elden Ring I am pretty good for the 2nd half of 2026 already, but it's fun to just daydream.