World

Even without the other games, I'd still love to see this! They could possibly repackage it with some kind of "The story so far..." content.

Shenmue shows its age more than a lot of other series, so I wonder how many new fans a full trilogy would even attract (not that I would say no to that either).

Yeah, I think like others said, it's Jetpac holding it up and perhaps even the Donkey Kong arcade game. I could absolutely see modern Nintendo being hesitant about their own game appearing in another game, lest subscribers get too much value (especially when it is also available as part of the Arcade Archives).

As far as whether or not I would play it again? I don't think I would. I fully completed it back in the 90s, got everything, and had a lot of fun. But I've moved on, and I see no reason to revisit it now.

I wonder if Nintendo is maybe looking to phase out the Direct format and is just making announcements on their own time again.

As much as I like the Direct format, it is admittedly not representative of what Nintendo seems to want to be in the modern period. It is inextricably tied to the Iwata era, and they've been slowly letting go of elements from that period. So it could be as simple as that, who knows!

@Not_Soos I grew up in the 90s, and most of the ones above I didn't get into because of their being too "violent" (well not Smurfs), but your assessment is largely correct. They're just kind of flat and formulaic (and fwiw 80s cartoons I DID watch like Rainbow Brite and Care Bears 100% fit your critiques too).

But I will say a few of these are either based on comics (TMNT and Smurfs) or have a long tradition of being comics (Transformers) that are much more well-regarded, so if you have an interest in the properties that's a much better place to start.

I'm not the biggest fan of Kairosoft, but wow does Heian City Story ever push my exact nerd buttons so I'm considering it.

There's also apparently a new Airport Hero game! I love those, but they're such an investment of time that I'll probably hold off on that one.

This would actually be an amazing improvement to the quality of browsing the eShop.

I personally think they should just ban the asset flips and AI slop outright, but this would be useful for horrible companies like Red Deer who do produce real games that are potentially even decent but present them in such odious ways that I personally never want to know what they are up to ever again.

@Not_Soos Hmm, I think to me the character just seemed like a weird lil guy, but not NSFW. I think it's that the character's design elements don't quite go together but sort of do, so it gives an unsettling impression.

I think this game looks really cool! But the most promising thing in that trailer seems to be that the "you are going downhill chased by a thing" level looks actually fun with fluid movement. Could be good!

@Teksette Choro-Q was what came to mind for me too! It doesn't look like it'll have anything like it, but it would be neat if it had the exploration/free driving elements of some of those games.

I'm ready to be wrong, but I don't know if it's possible for them both to compete at this point?

Nintendo has almost total domination of the handheld market, and the Steam Deck picks up any remaining slack, to say nothing of all the premium machines (e.g., Analogue Pocket), off-brand devices (e.g., Anberic handhelds, etc.), and weirdo boutique stuff like the Playdate. It's kind of a quietly crowded market.

More than that, Sony has tripled-down in the past few generations on mainly marketing to people who hate games or are embarrassed of games and only want consoles that look like futuristic appliances and games that look like movies, which are not things handhelds are known for.

Microsoft though??? Who even knows, haha
I truly hope they produce some nonsense that's gloriously unhinged, has like 30 games, and is never mentioned again a few years after release (I'd consider buying one if it were like this).

This seems amazing. Just impeccable vibes and you're just some weird dog that messes things up? This is, like, that vintage Namco bonkers vibe, from back when it seemed like they just released a Mr. Driller or a Katamari or some other oddball idea every other month.

Huh. That's neat. I like how they released all three over a short period of time, rather than all at once.

And also I didn't know there was a Donkey Kong Land 3?

Yeah, it just sounds like they couldn't get the rating they wanted and then refused to sell in those regions.

Does the ESRB/PEGI just "reject" things like that? Can they? I know countries can step in and ban certain games, but I've never heard of such a thing happening with these boards.

This looks utterly lifeless and generic, like it was cooked up by a boardroom to add value for shareholders but they forgot the customer value proposition part. It seems like Amazon was just like "Hey, you like IPs! Enjoy [series about IPs]"

This could've been a hand-drawn nod to the original cartoon series (with all the "robit" jokes anyone can handle) or something, but I guess that would've involved using union labour and oops I briefly forgot Amazon doesn't play that game. 🙄

Mostly doing schoolwork, so not a ton of time for games, but if I get a break I'm intending to check out Marron's Day, a nice little "help your friends with various tasks" game (on Steam/Itch and Game Boy).

I mean, why not. I doubt it will be a big player in the market, but the modern gaming landscape needs a few weirdo handhelds that put out like 20 games and then fade away.

I am super excited for Mission in Snowdrift Land and will get Steam Prison: Beyond the Steam at a later date (i.e., after I've finished the otomes I'm currently playing).

I am also intrigued by Snow Bros.: Wonderland. I like Snow Bros. and this one looks like an interesting take on the series.

Wow, this is so deserved! I just love Dave so much. Like, definitely one of my favorite indie game characters ever.

Ooh, that's really cool! I love the Super Famicom one 🥰

@Not_Soos Just want to say, I'm not American but this specific topic has been my sticking point for the last few weeks so you're not the only one. The body shaming, the homophobia/transphobia (calling Elon Musk "Elonia" and whatnot), it's all just so so unnecessary because Trump will never see that stuff but your friends who are fat, trans, whatever---they will and they'll know the measure of your heart and what you think you can mock people for.
So yeah, I'm with you on this!

On the one hand, they'd be silly not to try. On the other hand, the handheld market has always seemed to follow a "there can be only two" rule when it comes to the big players and I think currently that's Switch and Steam Deck. Could be interesting though!

@Thirteen1355 I appreciate your perspective, thanks! I guess when we're talking about media that claims to be in a certain genre (excluding stuff that transcends genre for this discussion), uniqueness is not something I look for or care about so much as if it's well made, if that makes sense.

I guess I see tropes as a shorthand for if I'll like a piece of genre media or not. So when someone says they'll defeat all the tropes or whatever (not in the context of satire), to me it comes across as showing contempt for the genre.

But yeah, I can appreciate what you're saying. Some people more highly value uniqueness in games and I can see how they'd prefer something like that.

Appreciate the thoughts!

@G_and_Thomas Yeah, came here to say this!

I'd also add that something made with such contempt for the norms of a genre is never an experience I personally enjoy (whatever media it happens to be in).

Tropes identify characteristics common in a genre and they are common because they are enjoyable. Even when the tropes are being satirized, those satires (the good ones anyway) come from a place of deep respect for the genre. Treating them like some kind of challenge to defeat is frankly ridiculous. If you don't like the tropes, make something else in another genre.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the DS, I'm playing my favorite DS game (on 3DS 😅), Umihara Kawase Shun Kanzenban. I'm mostly playing the DS version of the Super Famicom original, Umihara Kawase.

Oooh! Favorite DS games:
1) Umihara Kawase Shun Kanzenban (by far my favorite game on the system)
2) Giana Sisters DS
3) Solatorobo
4) Picross 3D
5) Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure

Well the physical copy I ordered two years ago from SLG came, so I'll probably dip into Dariusburst Chronicle Saviours.

I was kind of deep into a shmup phase when I ordered it, and now I'm not but hey, it's Darius so I'm sure I'll enjoy it anyway.

I don't really like story in games, but it depends.

I really like visual novels/otome games, so I like story in those as there's not much else.

But for games that are gameplay-focused, I'm not really interested in story. I feel like some intro text, a good setting and music is enough for me to get into the scene emotionally and engage with the game.

Great review!
I love shmups, but this one is going to be a nope from me. I can't even look at the menus without feeling a little squicked out, haha

Yeah, the only things that I can really say to criticize this are mostly things that are due to the nature of how IPs work in the business (like the absence of Activision or Midway games).
I still would've appreciated a sample of Intellivision games, but it's not going to sway my opinion either way; this package is a template for how retro re-releases should go. It isn't just a dump of the games, but a genuine attempt to put these things into their cultural context. More of this, please!

I love SaGa 🥰
I'd say Romancing SaGa 3 is my favorite. Really my only complaint about it is that I wish there was a central repository of party members; it's annoying having to go around the map to get the one you want for a certain quest. I definitely wouldn't say no to a remake of it to complete the Romancing trilogy!

For me, in terms of November games, it'll be Steam Prison: Beyond the Steam at some point, but likely not this month as I still haven't finished the two otomes I'm currently playing, to say nothing of all the "real-life" stuff going on.

The first game is divisive in the otome fandom, but I enjoyed it. It has some of the best world-building in the genre, and the overall package to me came across as having a ton of effort put into it, beyond just the romances. I'm definitely looking forward to revisiting this world and spending more time with these characters.

Still on the third route of Hanaemu, Kare to & Bloom (Eng: Him, the Smile & Bloom), so probably that.

I have some other non-video game reading to get to, so not sure if I'll play anything else, but I've been meaning to get to Legend of Santa when I can fit in the time. And I see Andro Dunos II is on sale for a little less than $3CAD, so that's also tempting me to replay it on Switch (I have the 3DS cart).

I think it's great what they are doing here, but why include Intellivision in the timeline at all if you're not going to add those games? M-Network games are a cool addition too, but it just makes no sense to me to profile the console and then not feature its games.
That being said, I find it hard to complain too much because this is a really comprehensive collection in terms of what they could reasonably get.

@roe "Best 6/10 game" is such a mood. I feel like the PS1 was so good for these. Games that weren't necessarily the greatest of all time, but the vibe of them was so good that you couldn't help but play them 100 times over anyway.

@DDFawfulGuy I don't think it was long-winded at all! I appreciate your respectful exchange with me on this. Thank you for this explanation! I think you are right. I'm coming at this from a completely different perspective, and seeing video games as a product rather than art (which is not necessarily a deeply-held belief of mine, more just a reflection of my background and what I know, I guess).

I suppose I tend to think of censorship as when a non-market player (so not a regulatory body like ESRB, but something like a government) steps in and influences a product in some way. I'm Canadian, so to use a Canadian example: many folks in Quebec view Quebec as a nation. So if a company made a game that featured Quebec as a nation and then the Canadian government stepped in and made them have to remove that, in my mind THAT would be censorship.

But I see where you are coming from now. You are saying "the market" is not a sufficient reason to alter a video game's content because you view it as a representation of the artist's vision, and I can respect that perspective.

Once again, I appreciate the discussion!

@DDFawfulGuy Right. But my point is that it's still brand management and not censorship. Compliance with international market standards is just a part of doing business in our world.
Different regions have different things they want to see, and companies want to make money so they do that. My argument here is that it isn't censorship and decisions like this happen all the time with more banal things too. Very rarely does a company sell a product that is exactly the same across all markets.
Like, if Lays (or I guess PepsiCo) as an example reads the room and decides that a certain chip flavour will do well in one market with this ingredient and in another market they add some other thing to it, is that censorship? I'd argue it's not.
And maybe this is a flaw of international markets, I don't know. But the way the game is played as it is, companies are always going to be tweaking products across borders if they think that's what the market wants, you know?

Seeing as the physicals are coming from another rando online storefront, I'll probably just get this digitally, but I really respect the chutzpah of that collector's edition. 🤭

And December (maybe) release, cool! Perhaps this'll end up being my Christmas holiday game.

I mean, this is fine? I don't know if present-day me even has time to play a game like this anyway, but Nintendo can't fix that for me. 😭

On the topic, it isn't censorship when a private company makes adjustments to their own properties in the name of the changing public perception of their brand or getting a certain ESRB rating or whatever. (E.g., it's not "censorship" when Coca-Cola launches a new can design).

I really liked Chicken Wiggle, so it's good that this reviewed well. That being said, the graphics frankly look pretty bad although I like the idea of switching to the original graphics in that other mode. So I'm definitely torn. I'm sure the gameplay is fine, as the other one had solid gameplay, but why does it look...like this? It just looks kind of bland compared to the relatively distinct Chicken Wiggle graphics.
Like, who is the target audience for this new character? I don't get it, I guess.

Japan for me this week!

I give at least a few surreal humour points for the face on the NA box art, but it's one of the worst Black Box covers in my opinion, and the EU one is the worst aspects of both the JP and NA box arts in my opinion.

@Not_Soos Yeah, I mean, I have a few friends who do Twitch streaming and I think over time you develop a character who is you but also not you. So that's normal that you'd be an introvert, but also be able to function in front of a camera.

Anyway yeah, I'm happy to lend a view where I can or some words of support! Keep up the good work! 🫡

@Not_Soos Oh yeah, keep it up! We love to see it 🥳

As I said last time about the Bower's Fury video, you have a good dry humour and comfort in front of the camera that I think is great and it's true in your Banjo video too. (I'm a bit traditional and/or old, so I like a presenter/creator who is comfortable in front of a camera, and doesn't do that weirdo "Hey gamers" circus performer kind of stuff.)

And I don't "use" YouTube (like I don't subscribe or whatever and never log in), so dropping the links here is fine with me.

For me, at least some of the third route in Hanaemu, Kare to & Bloom (Eng.: Him, the Smile, & Bloom).

Not sure if I'll be playing anything else, as I'm also indulging in my forbidden, non-gaming hobby...reading.

(Well, I guess otomes are also technically reading. But, like, books.)

Haha, I for one find this hilarious? They should've showcased this in a trailer, maybe with a Banjo-fied version of Yakety Sax.

So I have to confess: for some reason, I find all the Dave the Diver collabs like instinctively annoying, but Balatro crossovers seem fine to me? (I guess I've been primed by decades of licensed playing cards?)

This seems....fine? But I'm a bit concerned that they're missing the point.
The original game had a mediocre reception not because it looked bad. (In fact, in my opinion, it looked great!). It's that by the end it felt like eighty half-baked ideas in a trenchcoat.
The early levels were good in my opinion, and then the space level at the end was also good.
But the casino was dire---just a sea of bad ideas that were poorly executed---and then the lead-up to the final boss (and the boss itself) were like the worst excesses of the Banjo-Kazooie games turned to 11.
This idea could be good, but only if the developers understand the changes that need to be made to make the game better.

I feel at this point that perhaps David has too many friends. (I guess it's good for his sushi business though.)

Honestly, this seems like exactly the kind of 3D platformer I like. A bunch of collectibles, not too many weird gimmicks, just a little guy who can jump. Sounds good to me!

This game is only seven years old. It is essentially a current gen game. Sure, it had its flaws, but those flaws were related to the game design (i.e., the fiasco that is everything about the casino level and then also the final boss), not the limitations of the technology. Why not just make a third game at that point?

That said, I hope in the remaster they reveal whatever that poor little robot was loading all this time.

I think the changes are all minor and also good.
Generations came at a time when the Sonic gang as we know them now was still finding its footing, but in the interim the characterizations have really solidified thanks at least in part to Sega's heavy use of various social media, traditional media, etc.. So removing some of the messier/looser characterizations makes sense in my opinion.

I feel a few different things about this game. This review makes it sound great! I like a good DKC-style platformer and don't have any attachment to the original platformer, so I could possibly enjoy this.
However, one of the screenshots I saw showed this horrendous looking "buy some kind of lootbox [presumably with non-microtransaction things you find in the game]" screen, which just about turned me off the game entirely.
Like, I get that the game doesn't have microtransactions but it just looked really trashy and hideous anyway.