XiaoShao

@PokemonDMG Fixing bugs? I’ve actually experienced the treasure disappearing from the Flux Construct’s shoulder. I’ll have to update and check if I get a new treasure.

Anyone have thoughts on how this stacks up with Mario Golf and Mario Tennis on GBC? Those are two of my all-time favorites, but the review hardly mentions the RPG elements in Xtreme Sports. Is it not really in the same sport/RPG vein?

For me, it’s some of my 90s era big box PC games. Physical copies of PC games had glorious box art and a surfeit of manuals, art, and charts explaining the game. Some of my favorites were Lands of Lore, Warcraft II, and Lords of the Realm. At some point I just threw away all the boxes and manuals and kept the discs. What was I thinking…

Edit: more of these PC games coming to mind: Betrayal at Krondor, Baldur’s Gate. I remember the manuals for Blizzard games were especially impressive: over 100 pages and filled with background story and cool art. They really put to shame what’s in todays high priced special editions.

Already preordered the book. I’m someone who’s first video game purchases in the 80s were totally based on box art (for better and worse 😎). I love to see these artists getting their due, and based on other bitmap books, I expect the quality for this book will be exceptional.

@antisumo I actually think the cover is hilarious, for imitating an old PC game box. Even the quote from this review fits right in!

@Sisilly_G Sorry, my point wasn't clear. I'm not comparing how the games will run or the difficulty in porting older vs newer games. I'm comparing how much effort the publishers have put into offering a complete version of two classic games.

With Quake II, Bethesda included all original and DLC content, all versions of the game (N64 port), a variety of ways to have multiplayer, and created all-new content. With Red Dead, we're not getting multiplayer, not getting all content from the original (eg, multiplayer-focused DLC), no new content has been created, and all for a higher retail price than Quake II.

I might still pick up Red Dead if it at least runs well on Switch, because it's amazing. But it's really night and day how Bethesda and Rockstar have approached these ports, and it's not a good look for Rockstar.

I wonder how Red Dead Redemption's port will compare to this? My guess is not well...

@Daggot When they announced a delay for this release, Forever mentioned adding “functionality” to the game, which gave me hope. But with nothing more specific being announced, it does seem like my hope was misplaced.

The issue with the first remake was that for all the graphics were redone/updated, the underlying game systems from the original were left in place and had not aged well. This trailer does not give any indication that Forever has listened to this feedback and made changes to the gameplay. I'm interested and want to like these games, but I'll wait for a review to see how it plays before making a decision.

I used to appreciate that Best Buy offered sales/2-day shipping without a paid membership, and now they (and Target) are following Amazon’s lead and locking the best deals behind a paywall. Not exactly happy news for me…

@molkom I’m similar to Takoda: got sick of joycon developing drift, so I got the Split Pad Pro. Three years on still zero drift, and I’ve come to love the form factor.

@Devann Me too. Perhaps: “Former Devs of PixelJunk Scrappers and Cursed to Golf Open New Indie Studio.” Hate to wordsmith, but that title is filled with a lot of information…

It really is a silly argument to so generalize Nintendo fans. I admittedly have zero interest in COD, but I imagine a lot of Splatoon fans would love a COD on Switch.

Am I reading this right that NL is trashing on readers’ #1 choice? I appreciate the honesty!

I only played Sonic 2 on GG. It was my first Sonic game, and it’s sadistic moments put me off the whole franchise for years. I only learned years later that many of the Genesis games were genius.

Edit: Tails Sky Patrol was #1 when I wrote this comment; but it has now fallen to #8. I guess not many had voted when the article first posted!

Welcome back, Kate! Nobody writes reviews as funny as you do!

While I overall enjoyed Sparks of Hope, I found that there was already too much "filler" content in the original campaign and it was getting tedious by the end. More of the same doesn't sound particularly enticing.

@Magician wow, I didn’t realize. Fingers crossed my copy of Return to Monkey Island makes it!

@Magician Genuinely curious, how has Embracer changed LRG? I hadn’t really noticed anything, but I usually just scan upcoming releases and don’t pay that much attention.

I loved both games back on PS1, but I wonder how well they hold up in 2023. Triple Click did a play through of the second game a few months ago, and they found that many parts of the game had not aged well. Hope this is a proper remaster that takes some of the rough edges off.

@simonbelmont Last Crusade was a great game, and expanded on the movie in cool ways! But I think it was only released on PC, not a Nintendo platform.

@dartmonkey Right call on including Fate! It has to be on any legit list of Indy games.

Sounds intriguing, and I think I'll give the demo a try. The review always capitalizing "Real Time Strategy" is a bit odd though...

@Tobiaku No problem, and the tweet is confusing for showing Kokopolo but none of the other 3DS games LRG has published. Maybe that's a hint the new game is related?

@Jeff2sayshi Fair point. Since my understanding is that Nintendo ceased making 3DS cartridges months ago, LRG has likely had this game in hand for a while and sat on it until the eshop closed, hoping to benefit from the attention around the closure. But honestly, I think Nintendo is the bigger baddie here for shutting down the eshop, and LRG is just capitalizing on what Nintendon't.

@Tobiaku The GoGo Kokopolo Anniversary Collection was released last September, so the pixelated box is apparently something else. Most of the frustrated comments are people who thought Kokopolo would be the last release and are angry it's not.

@Cashews For its 3DS releases, LRG has already produced them in limited quantities before they're put up for sale, so the game will ship shortly after you purchase. Totally fair if the price is too high for you, but at least this shouldn't have a long wait.

I don't recall LRG promising that Kokopolo would be the very last 3DS game. Looking back at their emails, they called it "one of the last 3DS games," which leaves the door open for more. All the way back in 2019 when they first announced the Atooi Collection, they were pretty clear that they were working on a number of 3DS games but were unsure how many they would ultimately publish based on their popularity or Nintendo not making carts anymore.

Personally, it's a nice surprise there will be one last 3DS release, and I'd consider it depending on the game. If the line 'good night, sweet prince' is supposed to be a hint, I have no idea what game that could be referring to.

Edit: I have a guess for the teased game: Gotta Protectors.

I wasn't familiar with this game. Thanks for the heads up NL, and this joins the list of the last games I'll be picking up for my 3DS!

Loved the first game, and very excited to hear about the sequel! Will keep an eye on this.

Thanks for this! There can be such a flood of games on the eshop, so I love it when NL showcases a few lesser noticed gems. Onion Assault looks like good fun!

It’s a little harsh to describe this game as a “grift.” The developer has explained in interviews that he was developing a retro RPG for the 3DS in which there would be a tactics mini-game. The announced closure of the eshop surprised him before the game was complete, and he only had time to release the tactics mini-game rather than the full RPG. He had promised on releasing Fragrant Story that he would provide free content to flesh it out more, and now he’s following up on that promise.

Have to chime in that my experiences with LRG have also been fine. Every game I’ve ordered has come through, and with one game that got lost in the mail, their customer service sent me another copy free of charge. For me it comes down to whether I like the game on offer enough for the price and long wait.

Thanks for the article NL! So many games get released on the eshop that it’s impossible to keep up, and I really appreciate these articles highlighting a few to check out.

Initially thought this was a port of old Jurassic Park games from SNES, MD, GB etc. I kinda want that now...

@SwitchForce I just preordered my copy on Target: https://www.target.com/p/fire-emblem-engage-divine-edition-nintendo-switch/-/A-87650537#lnk=sametab

According to the title, this is a list of best Contra games on Nintendo systems. When did Genesis/MD become Nintendo? Is the title more accurately best Contra games except those on Sony platforms (eg, no Shattered Soldier)?

This list should include the PS2 games, Shattered Soldier and Neo. Both were absolutely fantastic, but we’re largely ignored after the atrocious PSX game.

Not to be that person, but the figures being used are for revenue. Whatever format is most “profitable” would depend on taking out costs from revenue for each format, which doesn’t appear to have been done in the twitter post.

Other reviews have mentioned game breaking bugs in the Switch version. Have those been patched?

I guess the Destructoid article explains the trailer’s joke about this being GOTY 10 years ago? I guess this studio follows a very Nintendo philosophy in not releasing a game until it’s ready!

Love my special edition of Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon. I know a lot of people were turned off because it didn’t include the game on a switch cartridge, but it was really more a celebration of the whole Fire Emblem series and it’s history. The art book is fantastic, and I just love the glass replica NES cartridge!

@Kermit1 very cool, thanks!

I assume this is a port of the arcade original, not the game boy version?

Heaven’s Vault and Arrival is a solid pairing. One step further: Inkle released a couple of books further expanding the world of Heaven’s Vault.

@whitespy12 Yes, the soundtrack alone makes the Battletoad series worth preserving!

It will be interesting to see what they do to evolve the game. While I have a lot of love/nostalgia for the genre, revisiting some of the classics recently showed me how limited these games could be by modern standards. If anyone could do it, I imagine it would be this development team!

I love the game, but still think the name is poor. The idea that Triangle Strategy will “help users understand what kind of game they are playing” seems completely off. I appreciate the idea of trying to convey a game centered around three options/choices, but I think they needed to think harder on what that name should be.

I would also add Rhythm Thief and the Emperor’s Treasure to this list. Often very cheap on the eshop, but the cartridge is pretty rare. While it’s also available on smart phones, I prefer the stylus controls on 3DS.

Edit: looks like it’s no longer on smart phones, or at least not iPhone. All the more reason to pick up this gem on the eshop!

Anyone know if there’s plan for a physical release?

Finally need to get the last few games in Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball then!

What great systems; they will be missed!

Disappointed there is no special edition for NA. Will any of these retailers ship to the US?

@Axecon yeah, I agree the title isn’t doing them favors and seems unlikely to draw in the curious. I wonder if these titles work better in Japanese?

Regardless, I’m excited for it and will give it a try!

Rated T for Terrible Title…