Whirlwound

Whirlwound

Critter • QI-tter • Go 8-Bitter

Comments 788

Re: UK Retailer GAME Closes All Standalone Stores As It Enters Administration

Whirlwound

@Hanniebis Any F thrown at Fat Mike Ashley or Fraser Group sure as hell ain’t out of respect.

He is a pox on this country. Even a Mackem such as I, who dined mightily on his comedically disastrous run as Newcastle Utd owner (those custard cream away strips still make me chuckle), can see he’s done far more damage than that to the high street.

Re: Feature: "Demoralisation Is A Strong Word, But It Accurately Describes The Situation" - Why Do So Many Games Get Delayed?

Whirlwound

And next, how about something on stuff getting cancelled on NS1/2 after being announced - or the Nintendo consoles just getting flat-ass-out ignored.

My last non-Nintendo units were an X360 and a PS3. Neither have been on in years; not even to watch a DVD or Blu-Ray. As much as I wanted to play certain games, it really wasn’t enough of a pile to warrant buying anything M$ or Son¥ beyond those two.

Nintendo versions of established classics, both indie and big-dev/big-publisher, are progressively feeling ever more like an afterthought. Before I left for Japan, I visited a mate up the road in South Shields to drop off some Christmas presents - while I was there a copy of Blue Prince landed for his PS5. You can’t tell me that game wouldn’t be possible on a Switch 1, never mind NS2.

I am jonesing harder than a deer in Nara that’s spotted a pack of senbei crackers in a hooman’s hand to play stuff like BP, Clair Obscur E33 et al, but not to the tune of another hefty triple digit sum for the currently required hardware - especially if prices are going to be pursuing a non-downwards vector. Why should we have to lash out ridiculous money just to play a few games? Dunno if you remember, but some of us just luzzed £400+ up the wall a few months back!

When I see the platforms at the end of a trailer, it just feels sometimes like they can’t be arsed to include Nintendo gamers. I would say ‘anymore’, but then again some never could be bothered with us in the first place. It’s felt like that since the OG Switch emerged, if not before. My heart sinks when I see yet another big title announcement with no Switch logo at the end.

I mean, it might partially be down to devkits being as thin on the ground as basilisk droppings, but there’s an easy remedy to that: get more devkits out there! Rocket surgery it really is bloody not!

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (24th January)

Whirlwound

Hi. I’m Whirlwound, and… I am weak.

I had a bit more than I expected coming back from Japan, so I went for FF7 Remake Intergrade.

On… [sob]… on a Game Key Card.

And just to make it extra toxic, it had a free Magic the Gathering FF booster. (F Wizards - and that's paying disrespects.)

I haaaaaaaaaaate that they’ve driven me to this. I would have happily taken a full-to-bursting 64GB True Physical if I still had to download 25 gigs-or-whatever of audio. but kicking on for a good 10% of my µSD-EX? Ow, sir. OW.

Untitled

So I'm playing Ikaruga on my new Miyoo Flip in protest. Told you I had a bit more; struck out on targets in Akihabara, and that Famicom-coloured GB Micro in Chiba will have to wait ‘til next time.

(I mean, Ikaruga. Dreamcast Ikaruga. Fully working on an emulator the size of a GBA SP. SMOOTHLY. 🤯 )

Re: Feature: 40 Games We'd Love To See On Switch 2

Whirlwound

+1 for both Blue Prince & Clair Obscur E33. Particularly the former; there is no earthly reason that couldn’t work on either Switch.

Also, Pure Pool Pro - but I got very flimsy excuses about that. Surely the drought of devkits isn’t still going on, is it?

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (10th January)

Whirlwound

The amount of stuff I got for folk at Nintendo & Ghibli, it should be something fitness-based.

But I played Kirby Bowl at the Museum yesterday, and nearly got through a whole course before my seven minutes ran out. If I hadn’t flubbed three putts I might have managed it. Still a belting game. Plunk it on when I get back to my hotel in Kanda I think.

Wish they’d add BS Special Tee Shot to NSO Classics though.

Re: Nintendo Denies Using AI Images In New 'My Mario' Marketing

Whirlwound

Only time I’ve ever seen a thumb go that way is when it was broken. And it’s three times as thick as her other digits.

If that’s not AI, someone on image cleanup had either a Photoshop or caffeine crash. Maybe both.

The number of ads espousing AI over here is horrific. Even on the metro line to Ogura.

Re: Konami Appears To Have A New Switch Game In The Works

Whirlwound

I just saw this today at the Taito Game Station in Ikebukuro, and was intrigued. It’s my first full day here, the legs are still howling at me after the imperial palace queues, so I’ll get a proper look at it next time. That won’t be the last TGS I trip over these two weeks.

Maybe the smaller physicals will lead to some changes. A larger name like Konami going true phys on stuff might encourage others to do the same.

Re: Pikmin 3 Deluxe Nintendo Switch 2 Rating Pops Up Online

Whirlwound

@Angelic_Lapras_King Ha. I'm getting that a lot with my music tastes right now too. Had a lot of albums getting anniversary editions in recent years; everything from Roxette that's hit 30 years so far (up to Crash! Boom! Bang!), the first four from the Lightning Seeds (cloudcuckooland to Dizzy Heights) - Tilt will likely be next from them.

Maybe that's why the middle two Metroid Primes haven't had a remaster, they haven't hit a big enough anniversary yet...? Echoes has missed 18, 20 and 21, and Corruption would hit 20 year after next... can't be beyond the wit of Retro to retool Prime 4's engine to take their content, can it?

Re: Arcade Archives Celebrates 500 Retro Releases With Special Commemorative Game

Whirlwound

@MontyCircus I managed to nail The Last Blade 2 when it was half-off a few weeks back, but the original remains resolutely at full whack. That was the first time either of those two had been discounted as far as I’m aware.

Definitely not going for this though. £6.29 for one iteration? Nuh-uh. I didn’t really feel Space Invaders until the ‘91 game, getting silly later with the ‘95 one - and then the Extremes happened on the DS. Hamster has wildly overestimated things here; even for nostalgia, it’s not worth the asking price.

Bet they don’t put a NS2 version of this out there.

Edit: Welp, I’m sure glad I missed that on the plane. Part II an’all - and that IS getting an NS2 release?! Hamster must have had a hell of a Christmas party hangover if they thought anyone but the most dedicated completist would go for them. Feels like they’re trying to restock the beer fridge there, but it’s gonna be Co-op own label lager if anything, rather than Kronenbourg…

Re: Beloved Superhero Comedy Dispatch Is Seemingly Flying Onto Switch 2 Next Year

Whirlwound

Come o-o-o-o-o-o-nnnnn-AH!

This bodes well for CR’s own planned game with AdHoc coming our way too then.

Also from what I’ve been reading, it could possibly be their next big venture, with a second season, actual animation series and TTRPG setting. It would work well with Daggerheart, given the whole hope/fear basis of any hero/villain themed works.

Re: Talking Point: Six Months Since Launch, How Would You Rate Switch 2?

Whirlwound

Too many things leaving a sour tang, as The Draw Play might put it on the old Chaos Report there.

The whole GKC bassline to the console rumbles on apace (what's the current percentage of True Physicals vs GKCs again - and 93 gigs for FF7RI?!), and it feels like we're still being left behind on some of the AAA darlings of the current scene - Blue Prince, Clair Obscur Ex33, Dispatch, Pure Pool Pro - same way we were on the OG. Not much word on devkits getting out there either.

It's decent enough in and of itself, but if I knew things surrounding were going to be like this, I might not have Day-1'ed it. Probably would have waited until I got back from Japan. 7/10.

[Prime 4 drops through the letterbox as I type]

...

7.5.

Re: Poll: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Is Out On Switch 2 And Switch This Week, Will You Be Getting It?

Whirlwound

OG cartridge preordered, NS2 update.

Eventually for the latter.

BECAUSE THE GIANT STEAMING DIPS**TS HAVE ONLY GONE AND BLOCKED MY DEBIT CARD AND PAYPAL ON THE ESHOP. AND ONLY THE ESHOP. AGAIN.

How many times have we got to do this sodding dance? I don’t have multiple debit cards or Paypals. Nintendo does NOT get to dictate how I use my data or money - they just have a problem with people using a VPN port or switching to a different WiFi hotspot if one falls over.

I’ve just been in London the past two days caning the damn thing! Woodall Services going down and coming back! Corner shop twice! Sainsbury’s twice! Five Guys! Two merch stalls in Wembley Arena at Monday night’s gig! I got Raiden Nova & Cipheur Trivia fine while in my hotel; I even ordered an Animal Crossing tote and a pair of pin badges using some platinum points - how d’you think I covered the two quid shipping?

But then I saw Air Twister - remember, Not-Space-Harrier-Honest-Guv? - and up pops those familiar old error messages.

This 30-day arbitrary softlock officially knackers me for doing anything with my card or PayPal on the eShop for the rest of the year. Ironically it might do me a bit of good with the Japan trip less than four weeks off.

But here’s the coda: I can get around it. Buy an eShop voucher code.

Which I can do on Amazon.

USING THE EXACT SAME DEBIT CARD THEY’VE BLOCKED. BECAUSE THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH IT.

Question that keeps going through my noggin, though: Why the actual blue arse should I have to?

Re: Marvel Cosmic Invasion Scores 'Deluxe' Physical Release On Switch And Switch 2

Whirlwound

@SegaDude113 Even if it wasn't small, you can't tell me it isn't possible to have a split physical-download game on NS2.

All this talk before about how the cards aren't fast enough for audio streaming. Fine. Have the card hold the actual game, and download the audio to the internal storage or any micro-SD-EX you might have.

Let's say that could happen with FF7 Intergrade. If the card can hold 64GB, it would go from a 93GB minimum download to under 30. Yes, I know, janky maths, it assumes much, but they know something like that would be possible. How long have we been running games off of discs with a download after first use and/or installation?