Tyranexx

@Mariotag I'd be on top of a remake package lol. The Golden Sun series need it IMO.

I had some life circumstances change, so I'm spending a bit less time on NL these days. It was a personal decision that has nothing to do with the site.

@SmaggTheSmug I agree that difficulty and accessibility are two different issues, though one can affect the other; I mentioned the two in the same sentence for brevity. But what's wrong with a dev including options that address both? Accessibility options can address issues for some who may not be able to play using conventional means. Various difficulty options can make purists happy while also making the game more manageable for those who may (examples) have less time on their hands or are dealing with slowing reflexes but still want to experience much of what the game offers.

I don't believe that high challenge as intended = ableism. Plus, "challenge" can take different forms. But a game's controls, peripherals, visuals, etc. can very well affect one's ability to properly play a game. Lack of accessibility options can artificially inflate the challenge for some, though of course each individual's struggles are unique. To me, there's a fine line between "Tough, but fair for all" and "Yeah, sorry, we didn't make this for people who struggle with X, go play something else". The latter comes off to me as a dismissal of the needs and desires of others.

@Serpenterror, @Vyacheslav333, @jojobar Thanks all, I appreciate the informative responses. I'm trying to gauge whether I want to preorder First Departure R. I've yet to play a Star Ocean entry, but the series caught my interest when Second Story R released on the Switch. SS is on my radar, but I've been waiting for the right time (because backlog) and a physical discount. SS seems almost universally loved, but it seems the franchise's overall quality depends on who you ask.

Of course this news drops while I'm driving. XD

I'd say I can't wait, but unfortunately as usual their chosen "time" for my particular zone horribly clashes with my work schedule. I'll catch the Direct when I can!

At the very least, my hope is we finally get release dates for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment.

How does this game compare to Star Ocean: The Second Story R? Many seem to consider SS to be the pinnacle of the series. I believe the original version of First Departure is the first game?

@Mariotag Long time no see! I'm still around, mostly just under articles these days.

I'd love for them to make a Golden Sun 4, particularly with how 3/Dark Dawn ended.

The last comment section was an interesting read (barring some insults and belittling language I saw; folks DO NOT sway me towards their perspectives this way), so please, continue.

I think difficulty and accessibility options are the best solution.

Now I can listen to Garoh's haunting theme repeatedly! And the various epic battle themes... Melancholic Lemuria....Jupiter Lighthouse....

Nostalgia intensifies

@rvcolem1 Sounds like me with some games that use chibi characters. I've played several that use them and enjoyed them, but I'll admit the look isn't my favorite lol. The main exceptions being recent Zelda entries (LA remake, Echoes of Wisdom).

I will preorder the Switch 1 version since I'm currently still rocking one. Can't wait to continue the Erdrick Trilogy!

The HD-2D games I've played have all been a joy. I don't understand the complaints of "being tired" of the art style. To me, this is equivalent to arguing that the classic 16-bit style is old and overdone. I played many of the games from that era years after the fact, and they aged very well IMO.

Where's the "They're both pants, bring on next week!" option?

I went with NA since it at least gives a potential buyer a very vague idea of what to expect with the background (And the lady, maybe? I've not played the game).

Why am I not surprised a lot of folks are playing Team Cherry's latest? Have fun!

For the most part, I only dabbled in NSO titles on vacation. But I did start Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor's Gambit via Ace Attorney Investigations Collection. I just finished the middle of Case 2: The Captive Turnabout. There are some very interesting new (and old) characters in this game so far, so I'm curious to see what happens next. As usual, I love the punny names. XD

I also picked up Neva in the current sale and plan to start the game later today. I enjoyed my time with Nomada Studio's GRIS a few years ago despite a couple minor complaints - no combat and pretty easy - but it seems Neva may address them.

Happy gaming! Here's to hoping a wild Nintendo Direct appears next week.

@Tasuki I had to make do with this.

A very good week for both the Switch and Switch 2. I'll pick up a couple of these eventually, but for now...nothing for me.

@sketchturner Zumba - Soccer Marble League?

So loading definitely isn't a silky smooth symphony, it seems.

@RupeeClock Thanks for explaining this for others. It's beyond me this early in the morning.

I'm genuinely excited for this one (on Switch 1). I've never owned a platform that I can play this game on before. Sure, it may not objectively have the most content compared to previous iterations, but I'll take it.

@Ulysses Exactly. I can see how these statements can be interpreted in more than one direction, but to me he seems genuinely excited to potentially revitalize the series. They don't come off as coercive to me.

Some seem to forget that game companies are, in the end, businesses. Devs, at least at larger companies like SE, often don't have much say in what they work on since profits are very influential regarding where resources are directed. As awesome as it is for devs to explore new ideas, remasters, and remakes, that doesn't mean every single one will bear fruit. There is always some amount of risk, especially with new IPs. This isn't to say I don't want studios to experiment and try new things; quite the opposite! But there are limits.

I love this soundtrack. Awakening was my first Fire Emblem and holds a special place in my heart. I've since went back and played the other localized entries that predate it other than the GCN/Wii entries (thanks to crazy prices).

Now please bring over Fates (there are many other great tracks besides "Lost In Thoughts All Alone"), Shadows of Valentia, and Three Houses!

Ah yes, I thought the atmosphere around my Switch was distorting again. All is now right in the world.

I've had to pump the breaks a little on game purchases this year, but September and October certainly aren't helping. XD There are so many good releases soon, and I'm sure the upcoming rumored Nintendo Direct will only add to my first world problem.

It's rare for a Nintendo Direct NOT to happen in September, plus it's Mario's 40th anniversary. I think we'll get something, but as usual I don't read much into this stuff until it's officially announced.

LEGO leaks are often on the money in my experience. I can't wait to see what each set entails, though the MSRP for the large set has priced me out of that one.

As both a LEGO and Nintendo fan, this looks like a very fun build! I quite enjoy LEGO but am very careful about which sets I pick up due to the expense. This one is a no-brainer for me. My first system was the Game Boy Color, but I've had some exposure to the OG brick as well.

Compared to August, September seems like a loaded month. I definitely want both Trails In The Sky 1st Chapter and Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles sooner than later. I might pick up Silksong in the FAR future should I discover I like the first game.

An Ys-y purchase, I think! I've been hoping they'd announce this one for the West.

I've had Kirby and the Forgotten Land backlogged for a little while and want to get to it soon, but this has me thinking I should wait until I own a Switch 2 before diving in. I might move up Kirby's Epic Yarn in the stack since I acquired the Wii version recently.

These are welcome changes. I've been stuck at level 43 for over a year since the special research is all PVP based. I don't care for PoGo's PVP at all.

That was a very good watch. It's clear a lot of blood and sweat went into this undertaking. I'd definitely watch a feature length Zelda film in this style! Though I do agree "Ghibli-inspired" is a better description.

If I were to guess, it's probably Hawlucha. It doesn't currently evolve, and I think it would benefit from a new form!

It's beyond time for a general Nintendo Direct. It'll happen when it happens, but not doing something for Mario's 40th is a missed opportunity IMO.

All the more reason for me to hopefully get to the original Final Fantasy VII soon-ish. This way, I'll be in the know regarding the source material when it comes to the FF7 remakes.

The library's stance makes sense. GKCs are exactly what's written on the tin: cards that contain a key to download the game. They don't contain any actual game data. Hence why they aren't eligible for preservation. What's the use in preserving a key for a download that will, sometime in the future, be rendered useless once the servers are taken offline? That may be decades from now, but it'll eventually happen.

@MarioVillager92 Try many, MANY rollercoasters. One theme park is on my bucket list; the other I've been to before, but that was when I was a kid. It has changed a lot since then. More on the exact whereabouts sometime after I return. Last night's concert was Linkin Park; I've LOVED their music for ages and am happy they're making music again after the lead front man's death in 2017 understandably brought things to a halt.

My OG phat DS went through a lot of touchscreen abuse from early DS games (mainly Nintendogs and WarioWare: Touched!), as well as how hard the guitar pick stylus was on the screen from the Guitar Hero: On Tour series. So the input was off in some areas. That isn't what ultimately killed the unit, but I'll spare you the tale since I'm sure I've mentioned it before. Hopefully the padding in Brothership doesn't bother me too much since I do intend to play it sometime. 🤞

Congrats on being a bug catcher extraordinare in AC:NH!

@MarioVillager92 Thanks! Regarding both my vacation and Dream Team lol. I'm basically hopping between a couple theme parks for my vacation. I originally wanted to spend an extra day in one area and do other things, but my concert exploits this month made me cut back a little. I didn't really want to go to concerts on back-to-back weekends, but last weekend was more than my decision (including the hotel stay), and I couldn't miss the one I attended last night.

Giant battles ARE slow, especially when you have to go through most of the opening filler again when resetting (some of the "demo" stuff is thankfully skippable after a fail). Plus I'm not a fan of using my touchscreen much due to fear of wear [Insert OG DS nightmare flashbacks]. I had to switch to my OG 3DS from my N3DS XL partway through once I realized how touch-happy the game was. I try to touch as lightly as possible, but sometimes it wouldn't register input. Giant battles also feel very gimmicky and don't rely on the built stats and skills from the game's main battle mode. And the gyro controls on the last two giant battles....I had to read internet tips to get through those sections.

The padding was another issue. The tutorials do get old but weren't as bad as the Internet made them out to be IMO. My main issues were some of the needless dialogue and certain events that would delay progress and make you spend even longer in an area. I took a weeklong break from the game after the Mt. Pajamaja bit since that part seemed to drag on forever.

Those were my two biggest issues. There's plenty I like about the game too, such as: Luigi's character development + others acknowledging he exists as more than "Mario's brother", the fun Bros. and Luiginary attacks, exploring the Dream World (GREAT 3D effect!), most of the Luiginary Works in the Dream World, some returning characters (minus Starlow; she felt out of place), and the excellent music. There are some bright spots regarding the plot too, with some entertaining dialogue and events earlier on, but as it wore on it became less creative overall IMO. Other than a WTH moment during the ending. Antasma turned out to be kind of one note, and it was also way too predictable/meh for Bowser to be the final boss...again.

Sorry, this kind of turned into a mini-review. Believe me, I tried condensing it lol.

I was interested in the original game, then ultimately passed on it due to some of the feedback and being busy with other games at the time. I will seriously consider picking this one up for my future Switch 2!

I went with NA since I agree with the "show, don't tell" reasoning...but then I read the comments. If that's truly the Aussie box art, then it takes my vote! I had no idea there was a logo flub with the NA version since I had no clue this game exists. This reminds me of the IGN Okami watermark debacle.

Hey folks! This weekend starts off a weeklong work vacation, and next weekend is a long weekend in the US. I'm leaving early this afternoon for a concert and expect to return home in the wee morning hours. I'll then prepare for my Tuesday vacation departure. I'll be gone through next weekend, so I don't expect to post in this lovely weekly feature, but rest assured I will be putting ample time into Driving Simulator: IRL Edition (less fun) and Rollercoaster Tycoon: Live Participant Edition (Much better!). I will participate in the Rookidee Community Day in Pokemon Go on Saturday. I will take my Switch along but don't really expect to commit to any games.

In the meantime, I'm wrapping up my current games. I'm in the final dungeon of Ys IX: Monstrum Nox after completing all available side quests and nabbing all collectibles. I love this game almost as much as Ys VIII, but I will admit performance on Switch does take some noticeable dives in the late game. I also beat Mario & Luigi: Dream Team the other day. Dreamy Bowser was hard and cheap when it came to healing IMO; definitely the hardest final boss in the series to date, with Elder Princess Shroob from Partners In Time taking second place. Dream Team is a good game and has some high notes and fun mechanics, but it does enough to irritate me (Padding and my dislike of giant battles due to how slow they are and excessive touch screen use) that I'll likely never play it again.

If the Monster Hunter Stories 2 NSO trial comes to North America, I'll likely try out the game since I've had some interest for awhile. I quite liked Monster Hunter Stories on 3DS, though that was largely due to its world and mechanics. Less so the plot and characters.

Happy gaming!

Please come to North America as well! Just...not this coming week since I'll be on vacation. There's always the chunky demo to fall back on, I suppose. I recently downloaded it but wanted to wrap up my current games first.

The Monster Hunter Stories 3 announcement has rekindled my interest in the second game on Switch. I played and finished the first game on 3DS. I enjoyed exploring, the simple crafting, stealing "Monstie" eggs, and experimenting with genes. But the plot - for the most part - was meh and was very Saturday morning cartoon-like. Chosen hero player saves the world, edgy rival, bumbling bad guys, etc. To be expected for a game aimed at kids I suppose, but there are better plots out there in like-rated games. I did like the turn-based battles on 3DS but wasn't fond of some of the QTE type gimmicks. Not sure if the recent port to other systems fixes the gimmicks.

These RPG spinoffs certainly have potential IMO. I just hope MHS2 is an improvement on the first game and that MHS3 will take the series to even greater heights.

Guys, let's not get our bananas in a twisted bunch over awards, m'kay? We know these can be highly subjective. Hence why I stopped loaning these things a significant amount of brain cells years ago.

Wonderfully written/entertaining review! This was one of the 2-3 games that caught my eye during the Indie Direct. I think this is one I'll still get eventually, though likely on sale. And on Switch 2, once I decide to buy one.

This series is insanely wacky and weird, but that's part of its puzzling charm!

I haven't even started pulling from the latest set yet outside of the occasional Wonder Pick. I've been trying to clean house on older sets. Trading has helped a little at least.

Ignoring the Switch 2 distribution format - I'm tired of beating a dead horse - it still confuses me why they're releasing Proud Nordics so soon after releasing the base Ys X: Nordics. I was partway through the Western release when they announced this for Japan. Falcom are no strangers to enhanced remasters, remakes, and rereleases, but there's usually a longer release (and sometimes platform) gap. I'd much rather invest in an upgrade path than a full new copy of the game. If they stick with the latter, I'll probably end up getting this WAY down the line on deep discount on PC. Where I have more trust regarding carrying my purchases with me.

I'd like to play this game eventually, but I want to try the original FF7 first (Hopefully soon!). Not even sure if I want it on Switch 2 or a different platform. Glad it's coming, at any rate!

I was NOT expecting one of my early gen team staples to receive a Mega Evolution. XD It looks a little derpy - there are better Mega Evolution designs IMO - but I like it overall.

I was getting mild P.T. vibes from the found footage bit. I'd love a Pokemon horror game, even if in this case it took a goofy turn at the end.

Works for me! No Switch 2 for me yet, so I was planning on getting this version anyway. It's nice that there's an upgrade path that's worth peanuts.

@Anachronism Couldn't have said it better myself.

Simulated gambling? In games on Nintendo platforms? Nah. These don't exist. Game Corners in earlier Pokemon games were a fever dream. Casinos in Dragon Quest games are unfounded rumors. Luigi also definitely isn't a card shark.

Honestly, if there's a game that could possibly get me to play a MMO again, it's probably this one. I swore them off ages ago due to the crazy scheduling and the fact they're massive time sinks, but I've read that it's perfectly playable on one's own or with a couple friends.

This reads like it's a fun one, but I'm concerned about longevity. I think that's why I've stuck with MK8D as long as I have since it's easy to occasionally hop in for a couple online races. I like racing games, but the genre doesn't usually hold my attention long term. I'm still gonna keep an eye on this one since the masses don't have the finished product in their hands yet.

Holy cow, this is amazing! She is very talented!