@Shiryu You abandoned us, friend! 😉 I enjoy reading what all the NL personalities are playing each weekend, but your update in particular is like a safety checklist of Switch games I better get to or I’ll regret it! Our tastes in games really seem to overlap a lot. But I’ll survive the weekend somehow. 😂. Enjoy your time off!
Nice! I really liked the game’s music back on the Wii U - composer Hiroyuki Sawano was quite a high-profile musician at the time, for his music in Attack on Titan and other anime. He certainly has a flair for dramatic! I liked his work on XCX so much, I bought the soundtrack.
It’ll be great to climb back into a skell cockpit and explore away! I’m really looking forward to this release on Switch.
Not the kind of Thursday night “surprise/delight” I was expecting this evening. ☹️
Still, this eventuality was unavoidable, I guess. It’s the unfortunate nature of subscription services, right? Easy come, easy go! Maybe it’s best to prioritize playing those 3rd-party NSO games in which you’re interested. 😓
How am I supposed to afford a new Nintendo console when so many great-looking games keep being announced for 2025?? We’re haven’t even seen the big Switch Deux Direct yet.
@Daniel36 @Tetsuro
Thank you both, now I'm EXTRA hyped! A friend leant me his PS1 copy of Suikoden I and forced me to play it, back in our college days in the mid-90s. He insisted I drop everything and play it, because the game was that good. And I'm glad he did! I don't remember if I had time to play it through to completion back then, but I remember liking it a lot. I've been meaning to return to the game for years now.
It's great to think I'll get another shot, soon. If only this release hadn't been delayed, though - at the moment I'm neck deep into Freedom Wars Remastered, and Xenoblade Chronicles X DE is looming just 2 weeks after Suikoden.
It’s going to be great revisiting that first game, and playing the sequel for the first time! I just ordered a Famitsu “perfect guide” book from Japan to really savor the games and learn a little about the hundreds of recruitable characters. I’ll happily tune in for this preview event next week.
And can I just say, Kudos to Konami for bringing back these classics! They’ve really done a good job in the Switch era, with the Cowabunga Collection, the Castlevania and Contra compilations, and also granting us many arcade titles via Arcade Archives. 👍🏼
I hope this Suikoden release measures up, too!
I’ve been waiting for my copies of Ray’z, Dezatopia, and Steel Empire, too, and for much of 2024 was feeling quite peeved. But SLG started communicating last fall or so, and you can see they are trying to turn things around. I’ve since bought and received 2 or 3 orders of in-stock products, no problems whatsoever. And during their 7th Anniversary Sale (in December, I think?), when they said every 7th order was free, I actually won and was given a full refund for my order!
Overall, based on my experiences with them, I think they’re a caring company that bit off a little more than they could chew. So I’ll continue to be patient while they sort things out.
This is as strong a reason as any that thorough CURATION of the eShop is needed, and this dev has every right to be upset.
COOL DEVS S.R.L and their ilk certainly appear to be thieves blatantly ripping off the hard work of honest devs. Does Nintendo really want to be complicit in helping thieves fence their contraband? Why dilute your brand/eshop with these blatant ripoffs?
Incidentally, this is another reason why I prefer games on physical media. The higher barrier of entry keeps out the worst of the clowns.
I’m noping out until we get a paddle/spinner controller with which to play these brick-breaking games properly. Analog stick controls just don’t feel right for me.
@garfreek Haha that reminds me I took a “sneak peek” of a Transformers “Bluestreak” figure that my aunt left under the tree for me once. I knew it wasn’t clothes. 😄
Games like Mario 2 were always Santa gifts that didn’t appear till Xmas morning. Happy times! 😊
Love it! This game was one of THE hot kids’ gifts during holiday season of what was it, 1988? Somehow my Mom got me a copy for Christmas, and it’s still one of my favorite Mario games. These tracks bring back memories of my high school days. 😊
Allegedly, the frosty winter weather around here will relent a bit this weekend, so time saved from shoveling, salting, and scraping will go towards a drapery project and some more Freedom Wars Remastered. I was coasting along mission to mission in this game with nary a failure until recently - being underpowered for the Code 6 Exam mission has prompted me to go back and seek out materials to upgrade my weaponry, modules, and enhancements, in a very Monster Hunter way. It’s fun to be stymied, though. That’s why we play games, right? To hit a hurdle, puzzle and practice your way over it, and then feel that satisfying progress? I’m reminded often that games are wonderful things made by a wonderfully talented people. 😄
Wishing everyone an entirely satisfying weekend! 🕹💥🎉
I spotted this game just last night on a Japanese news article on my Switch. I thought it was a Japanese indie dev based on the article, and the genre and look of the game. I had no idea the game was from Wales! Although a couple of the character designs gave me pause, as seeming slightly "off" somehow from the 80s mecha anime archetypes they're channeling.
Really I was hoping Gun Dog was an action-adventure a la Assault Suit Leynos or Valken, but I love the mecha genre and it looks like they have an interesting story here. I may just try out the demo and weigh a potential physical purchase!
The premise of Hundred Line sounded fun and I preordered a copy of it not long ago at GameStop. Maybe getting a demo out there to people bodes well? I’m hoping that the devs are excited about the game’s quality and are trying to get more people’s attention, similar to Vanillaware’s Unicorn Overlord demo last year.
Boo hiss! I earned a few free eShop games thanks to gold points, but had to spend hundreds of dollars to do so (I buy physical almost always). They’ll yank this trifling incentive away now?? You’d think they’d wait till the Switch 2 was out and established, or just keep the system in place along with the sad and mostly useless platinum points. Margins must be pretty tight, I guess.😤
Or will platinum points be the new gold?? How nice that would be!!
Last weekend my living room set delivered on time, and I must say, Zelda herself couldn’t summon a comfier couch! It’s actually hindering my progress in Freedom Wars Remastered - in the evening when I settle down to play, often I’ll fall asleep before I start a mission!
Other than my favorite new MonHun community-service anime game, I’ll probably play a few Arcade Archive treats (like try to get past stage 3 in Märchen Maze) and I’ll probably shop Hamster’s Ake-Aka sale this weekend. Ninja Warriors at a discount is too tempting to pass up!
I’m with @LadyCharlie , I’d play this, but I’ll hold out for a physical release.
This reminds me that it’s been decades since I really tucked into a Musou game. I was there at the beginning, with the first 2 Sangoku Musou (Dynasty Warrior) games on PS2 in Japan, but maybe I burnt myself out on them then as I haven’t seriously played one since.
This Abyss game might scratch that Musou itch without being a such a huge time commitment. Or it may still be full of grinding. I guess we’ll find out soon!
OG I, Robot was wild enough on Atari 50, but sure, I’ll give this extra psychedelic version a try. Why not add it to a physical edition of last year’s Llamasoft Collection? It’s high time we got a physical release for that.
Ah these problems in the modern, digital age. EShop keepers and shoppers have to deal with the rising flood of crap “games” generated increasingly by AI, blatant ripoffs, and asset flips of games being rehashed infinitely. Unscrupulous publishers are burying the platforms with slop, making it harder for the cream (games created by humans with genuine care, passion, and ingenuity) to rise to the top.
I’m glad Sony took action, and I sincerely hope Nintendo ups their efforts too. Put a review board in place to weed out the slop! It’s a new age with new problems that will only get worse as people seem hellbent on making humanity subservient to AI.
I’ve had no living room furniture for 24hrs now as I await my new sofa and chair. If I was thinking more creatively last night, I would have sat on the floor criss-cross-applesauce in front of the TV and relived my youth with some Atari and NES games. 😁
I did pick up Arcade Archives Märchen Maze this week, just because it’s such a revered Namco game in Japan, and it’s been fun. A unique Alice in Wonderland style isometric bubble-blasting platformer with memorable music. I’ll play some more of that this weekend, along with Freedom Wars Remastered. It’s still early in that game - my character has only worked 10k years off of the million years of community service she owes to the Osaka Panopticon. But it’s been fun grappling around, hacking at weird robots and rescuing hostages.
Some excellent games there and I'm interested, but may skip on the Switch since I've got Operation Wolf and Night Striker on the backlog for my Egret II Mini console. I even splurged and got the "Cyber Stick" analog flight stick so they would control closer to the arcade experience. The Cyber Stick self-centers and is an upgrade from a digital joystick or gamepad, but it still pales in comparison to the Operation Wolf arcade's life-sized, thumping Uzi controller, with its grenade button on the gunstock. What a great gimmick that was!
This and the upcoming Breakout Beyond game really have me thinking that we need proper interfaces to play these classic arcade games. Lightguns, trackballs, and paddles/spinners have been all but abandoned the last few generations, and you just can't replicate those controls with the usual analog sticks and d-pads. I had more interesting and fun controllers on my Colecovision in 1983 than I do now for my Switch.
Physical all the way! Hopefully this news bodes well for them being able to fit the entire, playable version of the game on the cartridge. We’ll find out in March!
@Krambo42 Thanks for the tip! I took a look and I never would have guessed that the spinner is built into the joystick itself. That’s got to be a lot better than trying to play Breakout or Arkanoid with an analog stick. Although I imagine I’d prefer something closer to Atari’s classic paddle controllers,
If I happen to come across a neo VCS at a discount, I might consider it!
I was tempted to get Minoria, then tempted to get Momodora 1, and now it’s a tempting trilogy. I gave up and went to eBay. 😅 Momo 2 I’ll have to preorder with LRG. No doubt once I place that order, somebody will announce a physical trilogy pack. 😓 (None of the 3 games ever got a good physical release in Japan, so it could happen.)
@Krambo42 Do you mean a vintage Atari VCS? I remember having a lot of fun playing KABOOM! and other games with paddle controllers on my uncle’s VCS back in the early 80s.
Or is there some new retro VCS out there with paddles I should look out for?
Lovely! It’s so nice to see Atari games being revitalized lately.
But please, fer the love of Maude, can somebody please sell us a proper peripheral? These brick-breakers are way more fun with a spinner controller. I can use one on my Egret II mini-console, why not for the all-powerful Switch??
Sales of OG Switch sure are facing headwinds right now, with suppressed demand due to impending Switch Deux, and with most everyone on the planet facing "inflammation pricing" (as my daughter called it) and less money for discretionary spending. I expect the Switch 2 will launch into choppier waters than its predecessor did.
I personally have enough Switch games on the shelf to last the rest of my life. I don't really need a new console, but I'm still curious to see what's next. So I'll be there for the Switch 2, even if I slow down my spending on it.
Thank you Tom! As always, another top-notch review from a true connoisseur of the genre.
I've liked military-themed shoot'em ups since Flying Shark (or does Time Pilot count?) and since I wasn't buying many shmups back in the PS/Dreamcast days, I'm making up for it now in the Switch era. When City Connection previewed Under Defeat for their Japanese release last year, I thought it looked and sounded great and preordered their nice collector's edition for it. I played a few credits' worth of games on it upon delivery last Xmas, and it didn't disappoint! It's one of my fave helicopter shmups, for sure.
I’ve played nothing but Pinball FX lately, unlocked some decorations and climbed to decent (for me) scoreboard heights on The Princess Bride and Theatre of Magic.
I’m starting to get the urge to play something more substantial though. Freedom Wars is unplayed and sitting sadly on my shelf, as well as Tails of Iron, Metroid Prime Remastered, and Ace Combat 7. Plus I barely started games like Metroid Dread, Echoes of Wisdom, and Tears of the Kingdom. I’ve got to sort out my guilt and pick something!
Wishing everyone a fun and fulfilling weekend! 🕹❤️👾
@nhSnork
Hi friend! Like others here, I bought Jpn eShop card codes from Playasia.
It’s only been 3 times for me, but all 3 times they’ve faithfully emailed me a valid card code within minutes of purchase. I’ll then go to the Jpn eShop to redeem the code right away.
It’s a shame we have to jump through hoops like this. I just pray that Nintendo doesn’t close this loophole, or lock foreign IPs out of the Jpn eShop entirely. We’ll see what the next gen brings soon enough.
I was under the impression that foreign credit cards never were accepted on the Jpn eshop! Years ago I tried and failed with my US credit card, and just resorted to buying and redeeming eshop card codes since.
95% of my Switch game library is physical, but I've picked up Japan-exclusive Arcade Archive games and other treats from the Jpn eshop over the years.
@Justifier The game listings in the Japanese eshop show what languages the game is playable in. Of course, the listings are in Japanese, but here are some examples:
The "Languages" header looks like 言語 English = 英語 French = フランス語 Spanish = スペイン語 Korean = 韓国語 Japanese = 日本語
I can't remember the Japanese characters Mandarin and Simplified Chinese.
@link3710 I included Echoes in that short list of imperfect outsourced games because I couldn’t help but feel that it’d have been a smoother, more elegant experience if Nintendo had their internal “A” team on it. Specifically I was thinking the echo selection system would have been more ergonomic and fun than a long single row of icons you have to parse through.
Granted, I’ve only played 2-3 hours of the game so maybe it’s not as potentially annoying as I imagine.
But I’m not saying that Echoes or the other games are bad, really, just that I feel they’re kind of middling when compared to Nintendo’s output pre-2024. Like you can sense R&D’s priorities shifted to Switch Deux.
You know, the likelihood that I would play any of the later stages in co-op is essentially zero, but even so this an "ape"palling oversight.
I imagine this flaw would seriously affect how 2 players team up on the game and is not the experience the creators intended. They should have ironed out this error in play-testing.
Boo. First Echoes of Wisdom, then Brothership, and now DKC Returns. These farmed-out "Nintendo 1st-party" games lately all have their little compromises, don't they?
I’ve had a physical copy of Tails 1 backlogged for a while now. Maybe waiting for the physical for Tails 2 will give me time enough to play the first one! I really liked the looks and concept of the first game, even if it’s a little gorier than I’d prefer. I’m glad it got a sequel. It’s like The Secret of Nimh crossed with Conan the Barbarian! 🐭🗡️
I would wholeheartedly welcome this game to a modern console. Hopefully this patent renewal amounts to something.
Eternal Arcadia intrigued me back when it came out in Japan, but I wasn't in an RPG-buying mood at the time. (I was giving all my time to Phantasy Star Online Eps. 1&2 on GameCube, probably.)
To right that wrong, lately I imported a used copy but haven't yet hooked up my old GC to try it out.
Yes, games of this caliber are worth owning physically! It became a must-buy for me when I learned all the Rastan games were present.
I think Taito would have to pull out all the stops in vol. 4 to top this. I’m thinking Cabal, Zoo Keeper, and the Chase HQ games would be needed. Lightbringer is a hidden gem that would jazz up the mix, and they haven’t put Grid Seeker, Gladiator, or Gekirindan on Switch yet, either. Taito has such a strong library of fun games!
It’s a performance weekend for my girls - they both enjoy doing musicals and they’ve got their first show of the year. So I’ll be enjoying that mainly, but afterward I’m sure I’ll try to go for a better high score in The Princess Bride table in Pinball FX. I really want to crack into the top ten on the leaderboards. What a pleasant surprise to see it features video clips and voice callouts from the actual movie! INCONCEIVABLE!
There’s a few frame hiccups that occasionally disrupt my flow, but overall I’m having fun playing Zen’s video pins on Switch. Maybe I’ll even flip the TV into taté mode tomorrow night to really soak up some pinball games and vertical shooters. It’s been ages since I played Downwell, too.
Cute article 😊 I think including God mode in all their games could possibly attract more young players, but even without, kids find their own way to play if they’re interested enough.
My oldest first picked up a controllers to play Super Mario 3D World (Mario Super World was her name for it) on the Wii U in co-op with me, before she had much comprehension of run and jump. But I would just carry her character, and I showed her how to go in a bubble and just float along. We had fun even if we weren’t playing the game seriously at all.
Likewise, my youngest took the controller a few years later in BOTW (aka “The Link Game”), but all she wanted to do was run around in a safe town where there were no monsters, and dream up conversations with the NPC’s.
At that young age, you just let them goof around. A few years later on, they were making their own islands in ACNH, or creating characters in Miitopia. Lately, they don’t play much and I’m somewhat relieved they’re not as addicted to games as I was at their age! But when the right game comes along, usually on the tablet, they enjoy it. Hopefully console games will continue to appeal, too, and be a fun distraction for them when they want in the future. They’ll be inheriting several bookshelves worth of games from me, so I hope they enjoy ‘em at least a little!
I thought I imported that Kunio-kun THE WORLD collection from Japan at some point, but hadn’t. So this will fit the bill nicely this year. It will be fun to think back and see which of these I recall playing in the arcades long ago.
I’ll comment before the whole comments thread likely gets shut down from the excessive arguing.
I for one really appreciated Vivian’s differentness when I played TTYD last year. It was a welcome moment of representation in what’s been an increasingly fraught political climate lately. In hard times, people love nothing better than easy targets, and conservatives here in the US At least have scored major points villifying trans folk especially. If all you hear about trans people is the negative rhetoric from these politicians, you’d develop some very unrealistic preconceived notions.
So the relatively rare occasions when a medium rrepresents LGBTQ people in a neutral or positive light, I welcome that. Good for NOA for righting a past wrong, rather than capitulating to the trend to just erase trans identities. My family and I are grateful.
Oh this is awful news. I was looking forward to Earthblade. What a shame such a conflict arose. I hope all involved can keep their chins up, move on amicably, and keep on creating.
I’m not a fan of accounts or subscription services and won’t be signing up for Sega’s service until there is some massively compelling incentive to do so, if ever.
As far as I’m concerned, game makers should focus their energies on producing and selling compelling games and hardware, not on collecting and monetizing players’ data.
Comments 2,857
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (1st March)
@Shiryu
You abandoned us, friend! 😉
I enjoy reading what all the NL personalities are playing each weekend, but your update in particular is like a safety checklist of Switch games I better get to or I’ll regret it! Our tastes in games really seem to overlap a lot. But I’ll survive the weekend somehow. 😂. Enjoy your time off!
Re: A Remixed Song From Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Has Been Released
Nice! I really liked the game’s music back on the Wii U - composer Hiroyuki Sawano was quite a high-profile musician at the time, for his music in Attack on Titan and other anime. He certainly has a flair for dramatic! I liked his work on XCX so much, I bought the soundtrack.
It’ll be great to climb back into a skell cockpit and explore away! I’m really looking forward to this release on Switch.
Re: Nintendo Switch Online Announces Removal Of Super Famicom Title
Not the kind of Thursday night “surprise/delight” I was expecting this evening. ☹️
Still, this eventuality was unavoidable, I guess. It’s the unfortunate nature of subscription services, right? Easy come, easy go! Maybe it’s best to prioritize playing those 3rd-party NSO games in which you’re interested. 😓
Re: We're Losing Our Minds Over This New Retro 'Terminator 2' Game
How am I supposed to afford a new Nintendo console when so many great-looking games keep being announced for 2025?? We’re haven’t even seen the big Switch Deux Direct yet.
Re: Konami Airing Suikoden "Special Program" Broadcast Next Month
@Daniel36 @Tetsuro
Thank you both, now I'm EXTRA hyped! A friend leant me his PS1 copy of Suikoden I and forced me to play it, back in our college days in the mid-90s. He insisted I drop everything and play it, because the game was that good. And I'm glad he did! I don't remember if I had time to play it through to completion back then, but I remember liking it a lot. I've been meaning to return to the game for years now.
It's great to think I'll get another shot, soon. If only this release hadn't been delayed, though - at the moment I'm neck deep into Freedom Wars Remastered, and Xenoblade Chronicles X DE is looming just 2 weeks after Suikoden.
As usual, too many games, too little time!
Re: Konami Airing Suikoden "Special Program" Broadcast Next Month
It’s going to be great revisiting that first game, and playing the sequel for the first time! I just ordered a Famitsu “perfect guide” book from Japan to really savor the games and learn a little about the hundreds of recruitable characters. I’ll happily tune in for this preview event next week.
And can I just say, Kudos to Konami for bringing back these classics! They’ve really done a good job in the Switch era, with the Cowabunga Collection, the Castlevania and Contra compilations, and also granting us many arcade titles via Arcade Archives. 👍🏼
I hope this Suikoden release measures up, too!
Re: Feature: Strictly Limited Responds To Switch Delays And Discontent, And Details An Ambitious Target
I’ve been waiting for my copies of Ray’z, Dezatopia, and Steel Empire, too, and for much of 2024 was feeling quite peeved. But SLG started communicating last fall or so, and you can see they are trying to turn things around. I’ve since bought and received 2 or 3 orders of in-stock products, no problems whatsoever. And during their 7th Anniversary Sale (in December, I think?), when they said every 7th order was free, I actually won and was given a full refund for my order!
Overall, based on my experiences with them, I think they’re a caring company that bit off a little more than they could chew. So I’ll continue to be patient while they sort things out.
Re: New Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Trailer Is Our Best Look Yet At The Upcoming Remaster
Lin: “How much longer do we have to keep fighting?”
Me seated on the couch in April: “Well, I’m only about 100hrs in, barely earned my skell license, and haven’t done any online play yet, so…” 😅
Re: "They Stole The Whole Game" - Horror Indie Dev Fights The eShop Scam Blatantly Ripping Their Work
@betterthanvegas
I heartily approve your sarcasm there! 👏🏼
Re: "They Stole The Whole Game" - Horror Indie Dev Fights The eShop Scam Blatantly Ripping Their Work
This is as strong a reason as any that thorough CURATION of the eShop is needed, and this dev has every right to be upset.
COOL DEVS S.R.L and their ilk certainly appear to be thieves blatantly ripping off the hard work of honest devs. Does Nintendo really want to be complicit in helping thieves fence their contraband? Why dilute your brand/eshop with these blatant ripoffs?
Incidentally, this is another reason why I prefer games on physical media. The higher barrier of entry keeps out the worst of the clowns.
Re: Atari And Choice Provisions' New Take On 'Breakout' Gets March Release Date
I’m noping out until we get a paddle/spinner controller with which to play these brick-breaking games properly.
Analog stick controls just don’t feel right for me.
Re: Super Mario NES Banger Joins Nintendo's Music App, Here's The Full Tracklist
@garfreek
Haha that reminds me I took a “sneak peek” of a Transformers “Bluestreak” figure that my aunt left under the tree for me once. I knew it wasn’t clothes. 😄
Games like Mario 2 were always Santa gifts that didn’t appear till Xmas morning. Happy times! 😊
Re: Super Mario NES Banger Joins Nintendo's Music App, Here's The Full Tracklist
Love it! This game was one of THE hot kids’ gifts during holiday season of what was it, 1988? Somehow my Mom got me a copy for Christmas, and it’s still one of my favorite Mario games.
These tracks bring back memories of my high school days. 😊
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (22nd February)
Allegedly, the frosty winter weather around here will relent a bit this weekend, so time saved from shoveling, salting, and scraping will go towards a drapery project and some more Freedom Wars Remastered.
I was coasting along mission to mission in this game with nary a failure until recently - being underpowered for the Code 6 Exam mission has prompted me to go back and seek out materials to upgrade my weaponry, modules, and enhancements, in a very Monster Hunter way. It’s fun to be stymied, though. That’s why we play games, right? To hit a hurdle, puzzle and practice your way over it, and then feel that satisfying progress? I’m reminded often that games are wonderful things made by a wonderfully talented people. 😄
Wishing everyone an entirely satisfying weekend! 🕹💥🎉
Re: Sci-Fi Visual Novel 'Stories From Sol: The Gun-Dog' Launches On Switch Today
I spotted this game just last night on a Japanese news article on my Switch. I thought it was a Japanese indie dev based on the article, and the genre and look of the game. I had no idea the game was from Wales! Although a couple of the character designs gave me pause, as seeming slightly "off" somehow from the 80s mecha anime archetypes they're channeling.
Really I was hoping Gun Dog was an action-adventure a la Assault Suit Leynos or Valken, but I love the mecha genre and it looks like they have an interesting story here.
I may just try out the demo and weigh a potential physical purchase!
Re: New Tactical RPG From Danganronpa & Zero Escape Creators Scores A Demo
The premise of Hundred Line sounded fun and I preordered a copy of it not long ago at GameStop.
Maybe getting a demo out there to people bodes well? I’m hoping that the devs are excited about the game’s quality and are trying to get more people’s attention, similar to Vanillaware’s Unicorn Overlord demo last year.
Re: Nintendo Is Discontinuing Gold Points, One Of The Switch's Best Incentives
Boo hiss! I earned a few free eShop games thanks to gold points, but had to spend hundreds of dollars to do so (I buy physical almost always).
They’ll yank this trifling incentive away now?? You’d think they’d wait till the Switch 2 was out and established, or just keep the system in place along with the sad and mostly useless platinum points.
Margins must be pretty tight, I guess.😤
Or will platinum points be the new gold?? How nice that would be!!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (15th February)
Last weekend my living room set delivered on time, and I must say, Zelda herself couldn’t summon a comfier couch! It’s actually hindering my progress in Freedom Wars Remastered - in the evening when I settle down to play, often I’ll fall asleep before I start a mission!
Other than my favorite new MonHun community-service anime game, I’ll probably play a few Arcade Archive treats (like try to get past stage 3 in Märchen Maze) and I’ll probably shop Hamster’s Ake-Aka sale this weekend. Ninja Warriors at a discount is too tempting to pass up!
Wishing everyone a fun weekend! 🕹🥷
Re: We're Getting Some Strong 'Inside' Vibes From Konami's Upcoming Octopus Platformer
Looks fun! Somebody at Konami must have been inspired by Pixar’s Finding Dory movie. 😁🐠
I’d buy this if it gets a physical edition someday, hopefully on Switch Deux.
Re: Koei Tecmo Shadow Drop 'Warriors: Abyss' Arrives On Switch This Week
I’m with @LadyCharlie , I’d play this, but I’ll hold out for a physical release.
This reminds me that it’s been decades since I really tucked into a Musou game. I was there at the beginning, with the first 2 Sangoku Musou (Dynasty Warrior) games on PS2 in Japan, but maybe I burnt myself out on them then as I haven’t seriously played one since.
This Abyss game might scratch that Musou itch without being a such a huge time commitment. Or it may still be full of grinding. I guess we’ll find out soon!
Re: Shinobi: Art Of Vengeance Brings 2D Ninja Action To Nintendo Switch This August
Yes please! Physical when?
Re: The Legendary Jeff Minter Returns With A New Psychedelic Arcade Reimagining
OG I, Robot was wild enough on Atari 50, but sure, I’ll give this extra psychedelic version a try.
Why not add it to a physical edition of last year’s Llamasoft Collection? It’s high time we got a physical release for that.
Re: Sony Does What Nintendon't By Removing A Bunch Of 'eSlop' Titles
Ah these problems in the modern, digital age. EShop keepers and shoppers have to deal with the rising flood of crap “games” generated increasingly by AI, blatant ripoffs, and asset flips of games being rehashed infinitely. Unscrupulous publishers are burying the platforms with slop, making it harder for the cream (games created by humans with genuine care, passion, and ingenuity) to rise to the top.
I’m glad Sony took action, and I sincerely hope Nintendo ups their efforts too. Put a review board in place to weed out the slop! It’s a new age with new problems that will only get worse as people seem hellbent on making humanity subservient to AI.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (8th February)
@Spider-Kev
OMG good point!! Just wish upon Tri and conjure up a princess chaise to lounge upon. And make moblins do the laundry! 🤩
Sadly, it’s much more expensive to summon furniture in real life. And my kids are rather poor servants. 😑
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (8th February)
I’ve had no living room furniture for 24hrs now as I await my new sofa and chair. If I was thinking more creatively last night, I would have sat on the floor criss-cross-applesauce in front of the TV and relived my youth with some Atari and NES games. 😁
I did pick up Arcade Archives Märchen Maze this week, just because it’s such a revered Namco game in Japan, and it’s been fun. A unique Alice in Wonderland style isometric bubble-blasting platformer with memorable music. I’ll play some more of that this weekend, along with Freedom Wars Remastered. It’s still early in that game - my character has only worked 10k years off of the million years of community service she owes to the Osaka Panopticon. But it’s been fun grappling around, hacking at weird robots and rescuing hostages.
Wishing everyone a fun weekend! 🕹🔮🧙♀️💥
PS:
@GregamanX
Happy early Birthday!
Re: 'Operation Night Strikers' Brings Four Action-Packed Arcade Classics To Switch This Year
Some excellent games there and I'm interested, but may skip on the Switch since I've got Operation Wolf and Night Striker on the backlog for my Egret II Mini console. I even splurged and got the "Cyber Stick" analog flight stick so they would control closer to the arcade experience. The Cyber Stick self-centers and is an upgrade from a digital joystick or gamepad, but it still pales in comparison to the Operation Wolf arcade's life-sized, thumping Uzi controller, with its grenade button on the gunstock. What a great gimmick that was!
This and the upcoming Breakout Beyond game really have me thinking that we need proper interfaces to play these classic arcade games. Lightguns, trackballs, and paddles/spinners have been all but abandoned the last few generations, and you just can't replicate those controls with the usual analog sticks and d-pads. I had more interesting and fun controllers on my Colecovision in 1983 than I do now for my Switch.
Hori and Hamster allegedly were working on a modular multifunction arcade controller - I would insta-buy such a device for the Switch 2.
Re: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Digital File Size Seemingly Reduced
Physical all the way! Hopefully this news bodes well for them being able to fit the entire, playable version of the game on the cartridge. We’ll find out in March!
Re: BIT.TRIP Runner Dev Is Bringing Back An Atari Classic With A Twist
@Krambo42
Thanks for the tip! I took a look and I never would have guessed that the spinner is built into the joystick itself. That’s got to be a lot better than trying to play Breakout or Arkanoid with an analog stick. Although I imagine I’d prefer something closer to Atari’s classic paddle controllers,
If I happen to come across a neo VCS at a discount, I might consider it!
Re: Mini Review: Momodora: Moonlit Farewell (Switch) - This Exquisite Metroidvania Is The Series' Best
I was tempted to get Minoria, then tempted to get Momodora 1, and now it’s a tempting trilogy. I gave up and went to eBay. 😅
Momo 2 I’ll have to preorder with LRG.
No doubt once I place that order, somebody will announce a physical trilogy pack. 😓
(None of the 3 games ever got a good physical release in Japan, so it could happen.)
Re: BIT.TRIP Runner Dev Is Bringing Back An Atari Classic With A Twist
@Krambo42
Do you mean a vintage Atari VCS? I remember having a lot of fun playing KABOOM! and other games with paddle controllers on my uncle’s VCS back in the early 80s.
Or is there some new retro VCS out there with paddles I should look out for?
Re: BIT.TRIP Runner Dev Is Bringing Back An Atari Classic With A Twist
Lovely! It’s so nice to see Atari games being revitalized lately.
But please, fer the love of Maude, can somebody please sell us a proper peripheral? These brick-breakers are way more fun with a spinner controller. I can use one on my Egret II mini-console, why not for the all-powerful Switch??
Re: Opinion: With Forecasts Slashed (Again), Absolutely Everyone's Antsy For Switch 2 ASAP
Sales of OG Switch sure are facing headwinds right now, with suppressed demand due to impending Switch Deux, and with most everyone on the planet facing "inflammation pricing" (as my daughter called it) and less money for discretionary spending. I expect the Switch 2 will launch into choppier waters than its predecessor did.
I personally have enough Switch games on the shelf to last the rest of my life. I don't really need a new console, but I'm still curious to see what's next. So I'll be there for the Switch 2, even if I slow down my spending on it.
Re: Review: Under Defeat (Switch) - A Boldly Hardcore, Cult-Classic Shoot 'Em Up
Thank you Tom! As always, another top-notch review from a true connoisseur of the genre.
I've liked military-themed shoot'em ups since Flying Shark (or does Time Pilot count?) and since I wasn't buying many shmups back in the PS/Dreamcast days, I'm making up for it now in the Switch era. When City Connection previewed Under Defeat for their Japanese release last year, I thought it looked and sounded great and preordered their nice collector's edition for it. I played a few credits' worth of games on it upon delivery last Xmas, and it didn't disappoint! It's one of my fave helicopter shmups, for sure.
Re: Nintendo Music Adds Classic Super Mario SNES Soundtrack, Here's Every Song Included
I looked and realized on Saturday that the SMW soundtrack wasn’t on the music app. My future self must have been trying to tell me something 😅
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (1st February)
I’ve played nothing but Pinball FX lately, unlocked some decorations and climbed to decent (for me) scoreboard heights on The Princess Bride and Theatre of Magic.
I’m starting to get the urge to play something more substantial though. Freedom Wars is unplayed and sitting sadly on my shelf, as well as Tails of Iron, Metroid Prime Remastered, and Ace Combat 7. Plus I barely started games like Metroid Dread, Echoes of Wisdom, and Tears of the Kingdom. I’ve got to sort out my guilt and pick something!
Wishing everyone a fun and fulfilling weekend! 🕹❤️👾
Re: Japan's Switch eShop Will Soon No Longer Accept Overseas Payment Methods
@nhSnork
Hi friend! Like others here, I bought Jpn eShop card codes from Playasia.
It’s only been 3 times for me, but all 3 times they’ve faithfully emailed me a valid card code within minutes of purchase. I’ll then go to the Jpn eShop to redeem the code right away.
It’s a shame we have to jump through hoops like this. I just pray that Nintendo doesn’t close this loophole, or lock foreign IPs out of the Jpn eShop entirely. We’ll see what the next gen brings soon enough.
Re: Nintendo Expands Switch Online's N64 Library With Namco Classic 'Ridge Racer 64'
Groovy! I had no idea Ridge Racer was on the N64. I’ll have to try it out!
Re: Japan's Switch eShop Will Soon No Longer Accept Overseas Payment Methods
I was under the impression that foreign credit cards never were accepted on the Jpn eshop! Years ago I tried and failed with my US credit card, and just resorted to buying and redeeming eshop card codes since.
95% of my Switch game library is physical, but I've picked up Japan-exclusive Arcade Archive games and other treats from the Jpn eshop over the years.
@Justifier
The game listings in the Japanese eshop show what languages the game is playable in.
Of course, the listings are in Japanese, but here are some examples:
The "Languages" header looks like 言語
English = 英語
French = フランス語
Spanish = スペイン語
Korean = 韓国語
Japanese = 日本語
I can't remember the Japanese characters Mandarin and Simplified Chinese.
Hope it helps!
Re: Bananas Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Platforming Problem Is Ruining The Co-Op Fun
@link3710
I included Echoes in that short list of imperfect outsourced games because I couldn’t help but feel that it’d have been a smoother, more elegant experience if Nintendo had their internal “A” team on it.
Specifically I was thinking the echo selection system would have been more ergonomic and fun than a long single row of icons you have to parse through.
Granted, I’ve only played 2-3 hours of the game so maybe it’s not as potentially annoying as I imagine.
But I’m not saying that Echoes or the other games are bad, really, just that I feel they’re kind of middling when compared to Nintendo’s output pre-2024. Like you can sense R&D’s priorities shifted to Switch Deux.
Re: Bananas Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Platforming Problem Is Ruining The Co-Op Fun
You know, the likelihood that I would play any of the later stages in co-op is essentially zero, but even so this an "ape"palling oversight.
I imagine this flaw would seriously affect how 2 players team up on the game and is not the experience the creators intended.
They should have ironed out this error in play-testing.
Boo. First Echoes of Wisdom, then Brothership, and now DKC Returns. These farmed-out "Nintendo 1st-party" games lately all have their little compromises, don't they?
Re: Review: Tails Of Iron 2: Whiskers Of Winter (Switch) - A Brutal Sequel That Just About Squeaks By
I’ve had a physical copy of Tails 1 backlogged for a while now. Maybe waiting for the physical for Tails 2 will give me time enough to play the first one!
I really liked the looks and concept of the first game, even if it’s a little gorier than I’d prefer. I’m glad it got a sequel. It’s like The Secret of Nimh crossed with Conan the Barbarian! 🐭🗡️
Re: Is Skies Of Arcadia Coming Back? New SEGA Trademark Gets Fans Excited
I would wholeheartedly welcome this game to a modern console. Hopefully this patent renewal amounts to something.
Eternal Arcadia intrigued me back when it came out in Japan, but I wasn't in an RPG-buying mood at the time. (I was giving all my time to Phantasy Star Online Eps. 1&2 on GameCube, probably.)
To right that wrong, lately I imported a used copy but haven't yet hooked up my old GC to try it out.
Re: US Physical Game Spending Continued To Decline Last Year, Now Sits At Half 2021's Numbers
Sad times that will make the corporations happy. I guess the era of sharing games is just about over.
I will buy physical to the bitter end, though.
It doesn’t help that in-person retail sales are down across the board here in the US. Stores are closing left and right and nobody seems to care.
Re: Mini Review: Taito Milestones 3 (Switch) - Third Time's A Charm
Yes, games of this caliber are worth owning physically! It became a must-buy for me when I learned all the Rastan games were present.
I think Taito would have to pull out all the stops in vol. 4 to top this. I’m thinking Cabal, Zoo Keeper, and the Chase HQ games would be needed. Lightbringer is a hidden gem that would jazz up the mix, and they haven’t put Grid Seeker, Gladiator, or Gekirindan on Switch yet, either. Taito has such a strong library of fun games!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (25th January)
It’s a performance weekend for my girls - they both enjoy doing musicals and they’ve got their first show of the year. So I’ll be enjoying that mainly, but afterward I’m sure I’ll try to go for a better high score in The Princess Bride table in Pinball FX. I really want to crack into the top ten on the leaderboards. What a pleasant surprise to see it features video clips and voice callouts from the actual movie! INCONCEIVABLE!
There’s a few frame hiccups that occasionally disrupt my flow, but overall I’m having fun playing Zen’s video pins on Switch. Maybe I’ll even flip the TV into taté mode tomorrow night to really soak up some pinball games and vertical shooters. It’s been ages since I played Downwell, too.
Wishing everyone a fun weekend! 🕹🪙
Re: Opinion: My Daughter Made Me Realise That Mario Wonder's Difficulty Options Need Work
Cute article 😊
I think including God mode in all their games could possibly attract more young players, but even without, kids find their own way to play if they’re interested enough.
My oldest first picked up a controllers to play Super Mario 3D World (Mario Super World was her name for it) on the Wii U in co-op with me, before she had much comprehension of run and jump. But I would just carry her character, and I showed her how to go in a bubble and just float along. We had fun even if we weren’t playing the game seriously at all.
Likewise, my youngest took the controller a few years later in BOTW (aka “The Link Game”), but all she wanted to do was run around in a safe town where there were no monsters, and dream up conversations with the NPC’s.
At that young age, you just let them goof around. A few years later on, they were making their own islands in ACNH, or creating characters in Miitopia. Lately, they don’t play much and I’m somewhat relieved they’re not as addicted to games as I was at their age! But when the right game comes along, usually on the tablet, they enjoy it. Hopefully console games will continue to appeal, too, and be a fun distraction for them when they want in the future. They’ll be inheriting several bookshelves worth of games from me, so I hope they enjoy ‘em at least a little!
Re: Super Technos World: River City & Technos Arcade Classics Announced For Switch
I thought I imported that Kunio-kun THE WORLD collection from Japan at some point, but hadn’t. So this will fit the bill nicely this year. It will be fun to think back and see which of these I recall playing in the arcades long ago.
Re: Nintendo Bags GLAAD Nomination For Paper Mario's Trans Representation
I’ll comment before the whole comments thread likely gets shut down from the excessive arguing.
I for one really appreciated Vivian’s differentness when I played TTYD last year. It was a welcome moment of representation in what’s been an increasingly fraught political climate lately. In hard times, people love nothing better than easy targets, and conservatives here in the US At least have scored major points villifying trans folk especially. If all you hear about trans people is the negative rhetoric from these politicians, you’d develop some very unrealistic preconceived notions.
So the relatively rare occasions when a medium rrepresents LGBTQ people in a neutral or positive light, I welcome that. Good for NOA for righting a past wrong, rather than capitulating to the trend to just erase trans identities. My family and I are grateful.
Re: Celeste Dev Makes "Difficult Decision" To Cancel New Game Earthblade
Oh this is awful news. I was looking forward to Earthblade. What a shame such a conflict arose. I hope all involved can keep their chins up, move on amicably, and keep on creating.
Re: Sega Launches Its Own Free Account Service With Unique Member Rewards
I’m not a fan of accounts or subscription services and won’t be signing up for Sega’s service until there is some massively compelling incentive to do so, if ever.
As far as I’m concerned, game makers should focus their energies on producing and selling compelling games and hardware, not on collecting and monetizing players’ data.