Wow, this escalated quickly. We can't even live and let live about a decision on whether to have kids? Yikes.
I can't say I relate to "this is why I don't have kids" reactions. This is damaged stuff. If you had kids and you heavily value the stuff that much, I'm pretty sure it would be natural to keep them away from it.
But, yeah, kids (like all of us) make mistakes as they learn and need to keep learning and changing their minds about things as they experience life — they just don't have much experience.
I do think that bringing up kids is not for everyone, though. I could share about the joys of it, but my background and experience is likely very different (people are different!) I don't think much good would come of "forcing" people who don't want kids to have them and raise them.
DLC is an amazing positive addition to video games.
It distributes the costs to the people willing to get every last bit out of a game's potential. Video game enthusiasts (like people who read articles and comment on them) don't often seem to get how much more value they get out of an individual game than less dedicated gamers who only see 10-30% of a game before happily moving on to something else. I think it makes sense they pay less than someone who digs in for 85-100%. DLC helps that happen.
Of course, it's more money for bigger fans who will comment on it loudly. That's a considerable trade off. Also, there are always exceptions and hidden details (and considerations for inevitable price drops like here)
Subscriptions and microtransactions could also be a positive but are more often abused thanks to generating an irrational addiction from gambling-style play rather than a more healthy return to an activity that makes you feel better/happier/satisfied.
So... go DLC!
Also, if you have the money, there is value in paying for what you like in order to support its future, even when there are ways to save money on it.
@ironcore that is exactly what happens with art styles that are minimalist. Your brain fills in the details, very similar to reading, and it is a brain pleasure I don’t mind getting more of. This was really effective in early CRPGs like Ultima III, IV, and V.
Japan’s border is a photo of pool water. And it doesn’t look like there are any waves in the art. Also it looks like the “racers” are just riding along leisurely.
I prefer the action shot of NA and Europe, and black or red standard borders are far better than placing the game in a small pool. I went with NA because the red border reframes it so the wave is a bit more prominent. The waves are the star of the game.
Would be fun — crazy — if Nintendo opened up the development of a big franchise game and let us see the discussions and development over time — early access, anyone? Ha! Have no idea if that would be successful, but would be fascinating.
My hope is the long wait means plenty of content. That would be the way to build on the previous engine, really. The content is what takes the most time, and imagine how gratified many would be if there was a return to the traditional and intricate Temple/Dungeon/Level areas. No hint of that, but it's the kind of thing that would take a long time.
My teen kids were playing Splatoon 2 in earnest, getting warmed up for the Test Splatfest. So, we didn't get to Wave Race 64, yet, but that should happen soon. That said Splatoon is so great and even entertaining to watch. (though we were reminded of how awful trying to play with a friend is, they never had a match on the same team)
Been playing Minecraft myself and table top gaming with the card version of Terraforming Mars (Ares Expedition), which the whole family is enjoying.
Love this game. Can't wait to play later today. What always amazed me for years is that there was nothing else like it with the wave physics. Other water games felt pathetically flat. Somehow even the GameCube sequel (while beautiful and still enjoyable) just didn't match the fun, interactive, feel of the waves for me. (Maybe WR64 had exaggerated waves in comparison? I'll have to revisit my opinions...)
Howard Scott Warshaw is the guy that developed Yar's and E.T. and he has written about it in the last few years (I read articles in Wireframe magazine, but he also has a book) I found it fascinating, myself. He's pretty sharp and has clear ideas about how and why Yar's was such a success and E.T. was a disaster.
I just learned about the existence of Yars: Recharged. Yar's Revenge is my favorite Atari 2600 game, and this looks like a well-considered and interesting new version of it. Plus, it is releasing before Steam, it seems (edit: nope, not releasing on Switch until 23rd so same day). Gotta try it.
And Wave Race 64 is a classic. Will try that tomorrow.
Gotta agree that Kirby missing 4-player split screen is making me much more resistant to it.
@Fizza Thanks for that. I think the Wii U art erased the others from memory. The gold cartridge was always more important than the gold box to me, so I was not a fan of the Wind Waker box when I bought it for the Gamecube (NA). I was kind of hoping the Japan one would be really cool, but I find it repulsive, myself. The game was much better than the box!
@rjejr I think I'm "stuck" with Nintendo for a long while. I'm just too big a fan of the main franchises (Metroid, Zelda, Mario) and the Nintendo creativity, and proclivity for well-polished, good-natured fun and quirkiness.
I have one more year before my oldest is headed to college. And my youngest has 4 more to go. So, I'm a bit behind you, there. Congrats on getting them there. It has been such a rough world to push them out into.
Happy birthday, though! I'm recovering from getting a kidney removed right now, so feeling a bit older than the age on the tin.
With a nice, bright, 4k OLED, I really do enjoy the extra fidelity of games made for higher end hardware. (and TV/movies, of course), so I'll probably snag a PS5 when the time is right. Probably when the Jedi: Survivor game comes out.
Enjoy your vacation. As much as I talk about having a TV-only Switch option, I'd probably end up with a separate hybrid option, too, anyway. We bring it on trips and vacation and it is really handy, even in those occasions when someone just wants to play and the TV is in use. Nintendo really did it right, this generation.
@BartoxTharglod The comparison I was making was Switch to Wii, and Switch 2 to Wii U, not Switch to Wii U. Acting like success of Nintendo (profits) won't affect fans of Nintendo games is a big blind disconnect. Nintendo roles the dice on hardware and that shapes the games they make for it — every time. Sometimes it works great, sometimes it doesn't.
Not trying to make anyone worry, but it does generate my interest. What I might want Nintendo hardware to become might be different from what you want. Spikes or drops in the ability for Nintendo to profit as expected, could mean years of delay or a radical hardware shift that is right for some and not for others. It's all happened before.
@Clyde_Radcliffe Something is up with the graphics. Seems a mix of higher resolution and some sort of filter put on lower resolution graphics in places. It does give me some fond nostalgia for that time when 3D took over and only a few games tried traditional pixel art but at higher resolution in 2D. Some Saturn games...
Overall, though, the character animations and art seems really well done. Feels like some serious refinements would help the overall gestalt.
@rjejr I'm ready for Switch 2... but 2023 is only 6 years. Taking your point, these things tend to get delayed, though, and if it goes into 2024, then it gets interesting.
I'm really at a loss at what Nintendo should do with its next hardware. I'd be fine with an expensive powerful TV console alongside a boosted hybrid or handheld that were compatible.
Sort of a "Pro" for couch potatoes thing — Switch couch PROtato — alongside a separate compatible this-is-the-best-we-could-perform-in-a-handheld Switch 2 (that can dock, too).
Seems like a marketing and sales disaster, though, right?
@BartoxTharglod @mariomaster96 The success of Nintendo and the shareholders can have a huge affect on the games and hardware available from Nintendo, not to mention prices. So... there can be reason to worry.
I will say that Nintendo "against the ropes" like during the Wii U disaster years gave me some of Nintendo's favorite work like Splatoon and BotW and especially their marketing at the time. (Nintendo Direct). So, that helps.
I'm more concerned about the transition to new hardware. I don't think it is at all clear what even a "safe" next step should be. I can only say what I want, and I'm pretty sure that wouldn't be a strong next step (high performance non-portable console )
@Teksetter That extra level of strategic thinking makes it really fun. I randomly discovered the cheat to add continues, which made it much easier to practice later levels and work towards completing it. It was very difficult even then, if I remember right.
@rjejr Hoping everything went okay! I go into surgery in a week.
Too bad about the internship. That seems extreme. It's true that you can get into gaming from many different directions later, anyway. However, I'd still stress finding some sort of a passion to go along with programming. I know a few programmers that just don't enjoy the day-to-day very much — kind of mundane and they sometimes have nothing to do. Sounds good at first, but can be sort of soul-sucking. The good news is that almost every venture can use a programmer of some kind, so if someone is excited about some area, they can chase after it and bring your skills there.
From what I know, the second half of the degree allows for more electives and is probably going to be more interesting.
I'd be curious where the internship is, if you are willing to share.
Something in the original Atari 2600 lineup. I think Asteroids is the one I have the most vivid early memory of… but that’s cheating a bit and only home console (I probably played a home pong variation first, maybe? I was very young) but I also remember space invaders and asteroids as arcade games. So much Arcade gaming when I was young.
On this video. It is most likely a learning exercise and example for a portfolio/reel. It helps to spend time on things like this with a subject that one is passionate about.
It’s not some fan obsession done in “spare” time.
It’s a mixed bag in my estimation. I could be very critical of certain aspects for sure (animation and timing and most cinematic skills are amateur, but that’s why you practice)
Some of it looks really good and even fits the game. Some of it repulses me.
That’s all fine and congratulations to the learner.
I am getting curious what a Nintendo-led remaster could be like. But then, it’s Zelda. Every new game is a type of remaster. I much prefer BotW’s effort to return to the roots and what came of that. (Now, if they could just get those levels/temples/dungeons improved…)
@Dezzy70 That’s my dream too. I’d love for Nintendo’s next hardware endeavor to include a way for it to have it both ways. Launch a hybrid alongside an expensive TV-bound console that has no compromises for portability and plays the same games. That way some key games can get upgraded fidelity there while scaling back for the the hybrid. Dreaming, I know.
@Dezzy70 Would they sell more consoles? I mean, they’d be twice as expensive, and Switch looks to win console sales numbers again, so…
I’m with you that I’d prefer Nintendo’s big atmospheric beautiful games like Zelda and Metroid to have more powerful hardware to run on. Then again, not sure Nintendo would have any hardware at all by now if it just mimicked the Microsoft and Sony approach.
I expected that I’d prefer the Japanese box, and the front mech itself is beautifully painted, but it just looks static and like maybe it’s going to be a visual novel inside? The title does nothing to help.
The American mech is okay from the waist down and a disaster especially in the head, but there’s no doubt that there’s an action game inside and it even gives a hint at how epic the game can be. I thought the title was okay but not great. Even back then I though the style didn’t match the gravity of the name itself.
As for people commenting on westernizing they artwork… anime was barely a recognized thing in America back then and only in small circles. They may not have done a great job most of the time, but the market took a long time to look at typical examples of manga and anime styled artwork without the first reaction being “huh, this is weird”.
I was all for it thanks to watching “Robotech” at the time.
Target Earth is great. One of my faves. One does need to give it some time. The first couple of levels are not that impressive and it’s not as clear as it could be about how getting a high score and reward is important for making more weapons available.
@rjejr Hope all is well with you. Been going through a bunch. Got kidney surgery coming up — that's the latest.
Always glad to keep in touch.
Funny about jazz and big bands and Cowboy Bebop. You may be watching too much anime!
I'll keep an eye out for Splatoon 3 promotions. My daughter is still a fan of Splatoon. She got pretty good. My son is into history and therefore computer war games, and recently got into Civilization 6.
My gaming has been Slay the Spire with my wife (who plays it constantly now on iPad), The Messenger (your favorite type of graphics ) and it has been a while, but I really enjoyed Jedi Fallen Order, 3 times through.
What I want, and almost definitely will not get, is a Switch home premium edition with automatic 4k resolution and other enhancements for games that take advantage. To be in the smallest way possible, this system would need a TV, a power plug, and a fan. I'm just ready of the next big "beauty" games like BOTW2 and Metroid Prime 4 and Mario to be more colorful and have a sharper resolution and smoother frame rate.
This is fun. I like the arcade cabinet style buttons. I feel like it could go further, so I predict copycats and remixes... some Atari, Intellivsion, Coleco flourishes are in order I think, as those are actual American companies that made consoles. (Though this does match the gist of how it was brought up in the show and it should be ridiculous)
Maybe they are about to release all their music on the big streaming services? One can dream and hope.
As it is, for VG music I'm left listening to fan music and the OST for games from other studios. It's definitely hard to understand why Nintendo would want to foster in gamers a tendency to pump themselves up with their competitor's music and IP.
Umihara Kawase looks really great! I'd never heard of it, but those grapple mechanics look sick.
@Silly_G Thanks for the tip, I had never tried the Nintendo Online games that way, and I'll be giving it a try.
Thanks to others sharing actual experience and knowledge about the lesser known games. It's hard to put them in context sometimes, and knowing where these games sit in history, who made them, what reputation they may have is really helpful.
This site has roots in tracking/reviewing all the classic games for virtual console, so I wonder if there is room for a set of lesser-known retro game release articles...
Nintendo and Sony aspirations were incompatible, but it sure is a trip to imagine a timeline where decided to split hardware profits and a successful Nintendo/Sony machine had been made instead of what we got with a separate PS1 and a later N64.
I can't even sort out the timing and details. Would it have been as 3D focused as the PS1 if it happened? Would Mario 64 be as great if they had started on that platform? Final Fantasy 7 would have landed there and 3rd parties would have swarmed back to a Nintendo (Sony) console. Makes me want to revisit the details of that prototype...
Maybe somebody could make some "what if..." versions of Mario and Zelda and Metroid and FF 7 on that different machine.
I'm split on this. Would rather see something different (Ocarina or another portable remake like Awakening). However, I'd also probably buy at least Wind Waker.
In the end, BOTW 2 was planned for this year... if it slipped, that doesn't mean there is something to just slide in. We will need Zelda games for the other years without the big new release.
@DK-Fan Well, not 6, since the Switch wasn't even announced 6 years ago (Oct. 2016). :/
Looking at the site (that still has very little info) and the maps in the trailer, it seems like the size of the maps is relatively small, so it is probably more like mini-metroidvania experiences rather than the sprawling seamless kind some people don't like getting lost in.
This seems like a fun one that doesn't take a huge investment of exploration or strategic deep thinking. Hard to be sure, though.
@Bunkerneath In all fairness to the deck-builder adverse, it looks like a light touch on deck building. More like complimentary combinations of boots and upgrades.
@Desrever That’s impressive! I think I’ll give up before getting that far. The randomness means that there are likely just too many runs that don’t provide useful build options at those levels of difficulty. The daily runs and custom will probably be what keeps me coming back. (Though maybe I’m fooling myself as we have done a couple levels of Ascension …. )
Such a great game and I voted wrong, read too fast (should have voted for already played it, but votes for I like it)
Been playing it for months and it has been my wife’s go-to game and still is. You are always making interesting decisions which makes it constantly engaging and you may find yourself in a game-trance not realizing hours have passed. Pretty great for a turn-based card game.
When 8-bit big band was nominated I added a bunch of their stuff to my music library. Still Alive is one of my faves. They don’t just show a great deal of care for the material, they are pretty amazing musicians technically.
@victordamazio Peers recognizing peers can be a distinct and valuable award. No one understands better the work that is being rewarded than others that do similar work.
All the hullabaloo around it and the marketing value is a distraction from that, but the Oscar’s and all these awards could go to a private, closed event and still be valuable.
I like how people made a physical vs. digital group. I'll have to do that. Sometimes I just don't want to get up and change the card.
I found the process of sorting these to help me find a bunch of games I've been meaning to play... the big culprit is my "metroidvania" group (no 'vanias in there, though!)
I have not continued on with Dragon Quest after very much enjoying the first one on the NES. I'm sure he deserves the honor, but I'm more gratified that my kid little nerd pastime has expanded to have awards shows that help peers recognize each other and push each other, and lifetime achievement awards. Been amazing to watch it grow.
I do think a reshuffling of the branding around Nintendo Switch is in order.
It was very solid when Iwata and Miyamoto were selling fun, creativity, and novelty. When their back was against the wall with Wii U, they worked so hard to remind everyone how Nintendo has a different perspective and it was pretty great.
While everything is going okay, the Switch is an interesting device that has drawn people that had been away from Nintendo or never really preferred their games.
I wonder if they need to have a parallel marketing scheme of sorts. Keep the "toy factory all ages" Nintendo brand going in one track, and have another for the core gamers of all kinds, the lovers of video games that take them into esoteric corners. Something like that.
In light of the "great resignation" due to the pandemic and the consolidating of Nintendo offices forcing people to relocate or find work elsewhere, people sure are reaching for conspiracies, here!
Other companies are embracing more flexible office and home work options while Nintendo is moving everyone to one building. The response seems very natural.
There may be problems with the game, but pricing is an issue of the market, more than an incorrect choice — the choice in question was whether it was worth making in the first place.
It was always a gamble PG chose, but shmup fans have SO many options throughout history with retro-style graphics.
PG spent the resources and set the price based on what is needed for it to pay for itself and hopefully make a profit, but it just might be that shmup fans are not interested in new development and are not willing to pay the price to support the genre they enjoy.
Once I earned enough to have a budget for entertainment, I quickly realized I wanted to support the types of games I want more of and it made me happy to pay more, to back kickstarters, to support the genres I like.
That said, I have not followed this game too closely, but it sounds like some quality issues really make the price painful as well. Rather than lower the price, I'd like to see the quality go up.
@graviton Original Warcraft was a (very good) copy of Dune 2 so not really an origin, and it didn't really become genre redefining until the Warcraft 2 and Starcraft combo took off. World of Warcraft was a massive global sensation that took over people's lives.
StarCraft was one of the starting points for eSports and a phenomenon in South Korea.
Civ should get recognition for sure.
The games are slowly added and it is a very good list, really.
They also have a toy hall of fame that includes "stick" which is kind of awesome.
VR, mixed, AR is all going to go more mainstream, but there are technical hurdles to overcome over the next decade at least. There will be naturally emerging social playgrounds as the technology advances.
Facebook's metaverse was an important PR move to change the company name to meta because Facebook's brand is tanking.
Comments 6,335
Re: Random: Wii U Owner's Son Stuffs A Bunch Of Switch Carts Into The Disc Drive
Wow, this escalated quickly. We can't even live and let live about a decision on whether to have kids? Yikes.
I can't say I relate to "this is why I don't have kids" reactions. This is damaged stuff. If you had kids and you heavily value the stuff that much, I'm pretty sure it would be natural to keep them away from it.
But, yeah, kids (like all of us) make mistakes as they learn and need to keep learning and changing their minds about things as they experience life — they just don't have much experience.
I do think that bringing up kids is not for everyone, though. I could share about the joys of it, but my background and experience is likely very different (people are different!) I don't think much good would come of "forcing" people who don't want kids to have them and raise them.
Re: Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope Announces Season Pass And Gold Edition
DLC is an amazing positive addition to video games.
It distributes the costs to the people willing to get every last bit out of a game's potential. Video game enthusiasts (like people who read articles and comment on them) don't often seem to get how much more value they get out of an individual game than less dedicated gamers who only see 10-30% of a game before happily moving on to something else. I think it makes sense they pay less than someone who digs in for 85-100%. DLC helps that happen.
Of course, it's more money for bigger fans who will comment on it loudly. That's a considerable trade off. Also, there are always exceptions and hidden details (and considerations for inevitable price drops like here)
Subscriptions and microtransactions could also be a positive but are more often abused thanks to generating an irrational addiction from gambling-style play rather than a more healthy return to an activity that makes you feel better/happier/satisfied.
So... go DLC!
Also, if you have the money, there is value in paying for what you like in order to support its future, even when there are ways to save money on it.
Re: Fight Monsters And Clear Hairballs In This Upcoming 1-Bit Feline Dungeon Crawler
Looks really fun in motion.
@ironcore that is exactly what happens with art styles that are minimalist. Your brain fills in the details, very similar to reading, and it is a brain pleasure I don’t mind getting more of. This was really effective in early CRPGs like Ultima III, IV, and V.
Re: Fight Monsters And Clear Hairballs In This Upcoming 1-Bit Feline Dungeon Crawler
@Hydra_Spectre
Deja Vu on the Original Mac?
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl - Wave Race 64
Japan’s border is a photo of pool water. And it doesn’t look like there are any waves in the art. Also it looks like the “racers” are just riding along leisurely.
I prefer the action shot of NA and Europe, and black or red standard borders are far better than placing the game in a small pool. I went with NA because the red border reframes it so the wave is a bit more prominent. The waves are the star of the game.
Re: Random: We've Been Waiting Over Half A Decade For A "New" Mainline Zelda Game
Would be fun — crazy — if Nintendo opened up the development of a big franchise game and let us see the discussions and development over time — early access, anyone? Ha! Have no idea if that would be successful, but would be fascinating.
My hope is the long wait means plenty of content. That would be the way to build on the previous engine, really. The content is what takes the most time, and imagine how gratified many would be if there was a return to the traditional and intricate Temple/Dungeon/Level areas. No hint of that, but it's the kind of thing that would take a long time.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 20th)
@JasmineDragon That is super rough. So sorry to hear about your vision. Hoping the best for you.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 20th)
My teen kids were playing Splatoon 2 in earnest, getting warmed up for the Test Splatfest. So, we didn't get to Wave Race 64, yet, but that should happen soon. That said Splatoon is so great and even entertaining to watch. (though we were reminded of how awful trying to play with a friend is, they never had a match on the same team)
Been playing Minecraft myself and table top gaming with the card version of Terraforming Mars (Ares Expedition), which the whole family is enjoying.
Re: Review: Wave Race 64 - A Thrilling Racer That's Still Deeply Impressive
Love this game. Can't wait to play later today. What always amazed me for years is that there was nothing else like it with the wave physics. Other water games felt pathetically flat. Somehow even the GameCube sequel (while beautiful and still enjoyable) just didn't match the fun, interactive, feel of the waves for me. (Maybe WR64 had exaggerated waves in comparison? I'll have to revisit my opinions...)
Re: Nintendo Download: 18th August (North America)
@MontyCircus Oh cool. Glad I'm not the only one.
Howard Scott Warshaw is the guy that developed Yar's and E.T. and he has written about it in the last few years (I read articles in Wireframe magazine, but he also has a book) I found it fascinating, myself. He's pretty sharp and has clear ideas about how and why Yar's was such a success and E.T. was a disaster.
Here's a link to his stories on Wireframe (many of the pictures are removed, and I'm not sure they are the full articles, you can still download the full pdf versions of the magazine, I think)
https://wireframe.raspberrypi.com/articles/author/5p4cwRuzosD7RpJCYQZWq2
Re: Nintendo Download: 18th August (North America)
I just learned about the existence of Yars: Recharged. Yar's Revenge is my favorite Atari 2600 game, and this looks like a well-considered and interesting new version of it. Plus, it is releasing before Steam, it seems (edit: nope, not releasing on Switch until 23rd so same day). Gotta try it.
And Wave Race 64 is a classic. Will try that tomorrow.
Gotta agree that Kirby missing 4-player split screen is making me much more resistant to it.
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl: Duel - The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker
@Fizza Thanks for that. I think the Wii U art erased the others from memory. The gold cartridge was always more important than the gold box to me, so I was not a fan of the Wind Waker box when I bought it for the Gamecube (NA). I was kind of hoping the Japan one would be really cool, but I find it repulsive, myself. The game was much better than the box!
Re: Freedom Planet 2 Switch Port Now In Development, Arriving Summer 2023
@rjejr I think I'm "stuck" with Nintendo for a long while. I'm just too big a fan of the main franchises (Metroid, Zelda, Mario) and the Nintendo creativity, and proclivity for well-polished, good-natured fun and quirkiness.
I have one more year before my oldest is headed to college. And my youngest has 4 more to go. So, I'm a bit behind you, there. Congrats on getting them there. It has been such a rough world to push them out into.
Happy birthday, though! I'm recovering from getting a kidney removed right now, so feeling a bit older than the age on the tin.
With a nice, bright, 4k OLED, I really do enjoy the extra fidelity of games made for higher end hardware. (and TV/movies, of course), so I'll probably snag a PS5 when the time is right. Probably when the Jedi: Survivor game comes out.
Enjoy your vacation. As much as I talk about having a TV-only Switch option, I'd probably end up with a separate hybrid option, too, anyway. We bring it on trips and vacation and it is really handy, even in those occasions when someone just wants to play and the TV is in use. Nintendo really did it right, this generation.
Re: Nintendo Reports Drop In Sales For Q1- Should We Be Worried?
@BartoxTharglod The comparison I was making was Switch to Wii, and Switch 2 to Wii U, not Switch to Wii U. Acting like success of Nintendo (profits) won't affect fans of Nintendo games is a big blind disconnect. Nintendo roles the dice on hardware and that shapes the games they make for it — every time. Sometimes it works great, sometimes it doesn't.
Not trying to make anyone worry, but it does generate my interest. What I might want Nintendo hardware to become might be different from what you want. Spikes or drops in the ability for Nintendo to profit as expected, could mean years of delay or a radical hardware shift that is right for some and not for others. It's all happened before.
Re: Freedom Planet 2 Switch Port Now In Development, Arriving Summer 2023
@Clyde_Radcliffe Something is up with the graphics. Seems a mix of higher resolution and some sort of filter put on lower resolution graphics in places. It does give me some fond nostalgia for that time when 3D took over and only a few games tried traditional pixel art but at higher resolution in 2D. Some Saturn games...
Overall, though, the character animations and art seems really well done. Feels like some serious refinements would help the overall gestalt.
Re: Freedom Planet 2 Switch Port Now In Development, Arriving Summer 2023
@rjejr I'm ready for Switch 2... but 2023 is only 6 years. Taking your point, these things tend to get delayed, though, and if it goes into 2024, then it gets interesting.
I'm really at a loss at what Nintendo should do with its next hardware. I'd be fine with an expensive powerful TV console alongside a boosted hybrid or handheld that were compatible.
Sort of a "Pro" for couch potatoes thing — Switch couch PROtato — alongside a separate compatible this-is-the-best-we-could-perform-in-a-handheld Switch 2 (that can dock, too).
Seems like a marketing and sales disaster, though, right?
Re: Nintendo Reports Drop In Sales For Q1- Should We Be Worried?
@BartoxTharglod @mariomaster96 The success of Nintendo and the shareholders can have a huge affect on the games and hardware available from Nintendo, not to mention prices. So... there can be reason to worry.
I will say that Nintendo "against the ropes" like during the Wii U disaster years gave me some of Nintendo's favorite work like Splatoon and BotW and especially their marketing at the time. (Nintendo Direct). So, that helps.
I'm more concerned about the transition to new hardware. I don't think it is at all clear what even a "safe" next step should be. I can only say what I want, and I'm pretty sure that wouldn't be a strong next step (high performance non-portable console )
Re: Four Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Games Have Been Added To Switch Online's Expansion Pack
@Teksetter That extra level of strategic thinking makes it really fun. I randomly discovered the cheat to add continues, which made it much easier to practice later levels and work towards completing it. It was very difficult even then, if I remember right.
Re: 'The 8-Bit Big Band' Wins Grammy For Kirby Arrangement
@rjejr Hoping everything went okay! I go into surgery in a week.
Too bad about the internship. That seems extreme. It's true that you can get into gaming from many different directions later, anyway. However, I'd still stress finding some sort of a passion to go along with programming. I know a few programmers that just don't enjoy the day-to-day very much — kind of mundane and they sometimes have nothing to do. Sounds good at first, but can be sort of soul-sucking. The good news is that almost every venture can use a programmer of some kind, so if someone is excited about some area, they can chase after it and bring your skills there.
From what I know, the second half of the degree allows for more electives and is probably going to be more interesting.
I'd be curious where the internship is, if you are willing to share.
Re: Video: What Was Your First Video Game Ever?
Something in the original Atari 2600 lineup. I think Asteroids is the one I have the most vivid early memory of… but that’s cheating a bit and only home console (I probably played a home pong variation first, maybe? I was very young) but I also remember space invaders and asteroids as arcade games. So much Arcade gaming when I was young.
Re: Video: 3D Graphic Artist Spends 1200 Hours Reimagining Zelda 64 - Zora's Domain In Unreal Engine 5
On this video. It is most likely a learning exercise and example for a portfolio/reel. It helps to spend time on things like this with a subject that one is passionate about.
It’s not some fan obsession done in “spare” time.
It’s a mixed bag in my estimation. I could be very critical of certain aspects for sure (animation and timing and most cinematic skills are amateur, but that’s why you practice)
Some of it looks really good and even fits the game. Some of it repulses me.
That’s all fine and congratulations to the learner.
I am getting curious what a Nintendo-led remaster could be like. But then, it’s Zelda. Every new game is a type of remaster. I much prefer BotW’s effort to return to the roots and what came of that. (Now, if they could just get those levels/temples/dungeons improved…)
Re: Video: 3D Graphic Artist Spends 1200 Hours Reimagining Zelda 64 - Zora's Domain In Unreal Engine 5
@Dezzy70 That’s my dream too. I’d love for Nintendo’s next hardware endeavor to include a way for it to have it both ways. Launch a hybrid alongside an expensive TV-bound console that has no compromises for portability and plays the same games. That way some key games can get upgraded fidelity there while scaling back for the the hybrid. Dreaming, I know.
Re: Video: 3D Graphic Artist Spends 1200 Hours Reimagining Zelda 64 - Zora's Domain In Unreal Engine 5
@Dezzy70 Would they sell more consoles? I mean, they’d be twice as expensive, and Switch looks to win console sales numbers again, so…
I’m with you that I’d prefer Nintendo’s big atmospheric beautiful games like Zelda and Metroid to have more powerful hardware to run on. Then again, not sure Nintendo would have any hardware at all by now if it just mimicked the Microsoft and Sony approach.
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl: Duel #103 - Assault Suit Leynos / Target Earth
I expected that I’d prefer the Japanese box, and the front mech itself is beautifully painted, but it just looks static and like maybe it’s going to be a visual novel inside? The title does nothing to help.
The American mech is okay from the waist down and a disaster especially in the head, but there’s no doubt that there’s an action game inside and it even gives a hint at how epic the game can be. I thought the title was okay but not great. Even back then I though the style didn’t match the gravity of the name itself.
As for people commenting on westernizing they artwork… anime was barely a recognized thing in America back then and only in small circles. They may not have done a great job most of the time, but the market took a long time to look at typical examples of manga and anime styled artwork without the first reaction being “huh, this is weird”.
I was all for it thanks to watching “Robotech” at the time.
Re: Four Sega Genesis / Mega Drive Games Have Been Added To Switch Online's Expansion Pack
Target Earth is great. One of my faves. One does need to give it some time. The first couple of levels are not that impressive and it’s not as clear as it could be about how getting a high score and reward is important for making more weapons available.
Re: Exclusive: Twin-Stick Roguelite Platformer 'Revita' Blasts Onto Switch This April
@sfb @Zulzar Belated thanks for the tips on other games.
Re: 'The 8-Bit Big Band' Wins Grammy For Kirby Arrangement
@rjejr Hope all is well with you. Been going through a bunch. Got kidney surgery coming up — that's the latest.
Always glad to keep in touch.
Funny about jazz and big bands and Cowboy Bebop. You may be watching too much anime!
I'll keep an eye out for Splatoon 3 promotions. My daughter is still a fan of Splatoon. She got pretty good. My son is into history and therefore computer war games, and recently got into Civilization 6.
My gaming has been Slay the Spire with my wife (who plays it constantly now on iPad), The Messenger (your favorite type of graphics ) and it has been a while, but I really enjoyed Jedi Fallen Order, 3 times through.
Re: Rumour: Down Time For 'My Nintendo Store' Could Point To A Direct Next Week
... or Silksong. That would tide me over until Nintendo catches up with TVs again.
Re: Rumour: Down Time For 'My Nintendo Store' Could Point To A Direct Next Week
What I want, and almost definitely will not get, is a Switch home premium edition with automatic 4k resolution and other enhancements for games that take advantage. To be in the smallest way possible, this system would need a TV, a power plug, and a fan. I'm just ready of the next big "beauty" games like BOTW2 and Metroid Prime 4 and Mario to be more colorful and have a sharper resolution and smoother frame rate.
~ dreaming ~
Re: Random: Hyperkin Recreates The 'Americantendo' From Stranger Things 4
This is fun. I like the arcade cabinet style buttons. I feel like it could go further, so I predict copycats and remixes... some Atari, Intellivsion, Coleco flourishes are in order I think, as those are actual American companies that made consoles. (Though this does match the gist of how it was brought up in the show and it should be ridiculous)
Re: Talking Point: Video Game Music Is More Popular Than Ever, So Why Is Nintendo So Behind?
Maybe they are about to release all their music on the big streaming services? One can dream and hope.
As it is, for VG music I'm left listening to fan music and the OST for games from other studios. It's definitely hard to understand why Nintendo would want to foster in gamers a tendency to pump themselves up with their competitor's music and IP.
Re: Nintendo Expands Its Switch Online SNES And NES Service With Three More Titles
Umihara Kawase looks really great! I'd never heard of it, but those grapple mechanics look sick.
@Silly_G Thanks for the tip, I had never tried the Nintendo Online games that way, and I'll be giving it a try.
Thanks to others sharing actual experience and knowledge about the lesser known games. It's hard to put them in context sometimes, and knowing where these games sit in history, who made them, what reputation they may have is really helpful.
This site has roots in tracking/reviewing all the classic games for virtual console, so I wonder if there is room for a set of lesser-known retro game release articles...
Re: Newly-Translated Article Reveals Sega And Nintendo's Worries Of A '90s Atari-Style Crash
Nintendo and Sony aspirations were incompatible, but it sure is a trip to imagine a timeline where decided to split hardware profits and a successful Nintendo/Sony machine had been made instead of what we got with a separate PS1 and a later N64.
I can't even sort out the timing and details. Would it have been as 3D focused as the PS1 if it happened? Would Mario 64 be as great if they had started on that platform? Final Fantasy 7 would have landed there and 3rd parties would have swarmed back to a Nintendo (Sony) console. Makes me want to revisit the details of that prototype...
Maybe somebody could make some "what if..." versions of Mario and Zelda and Metroid and FF 7 on that different machine.
Re: Talking Point: As Switch Hardware Sales Slow, How Long Can Nintendo Delay 'Switch 2'?
@SmacLac New consoles launch during the lifecycle of the predecessor not after. For instance, 3DS was not discontinued until September 2020.
Re: Rumour: Could Switch Get Zelda: Wind Waker And Twilight Princess This Year?
I'm split on this. Would rather see something different (Ocarina or another portable remake like Awakening). However, I'd also probably buy at least Wind Waker.
In the end, BOTW 2 was planned for this year... if it slipped, that doesn't mean there is something to just slide in. We will need Zelda games for the other years without the big new release.
@DK-Fan Well, not 6, since the Switch wasn't even announced 6 years ago (Oct. 2016). :/
Re: The Knight Witch Is A Magical Metrodivania Shmup Coming To Switch Later This Year
Looking at the site (that still has very little info) and the maps in the trailer, it seems like the size of the maps is relatively small, so it is probably more like mini-metroidvania experiences rather than the sprawling seamless kind some people don't like getting lost in.
This seems like a fun one that doesn't take a huge investment of exploration or strategic deep thinking. Hard to be sure, though.
Re: The Knight Witch Is A Magical Metrodivania Shmup Coming To Switch Later This Year
@Bunkerneath In all fairness to the deck-builder adverse, it looks like a light touch on deck building. More like complimentary combinations of boots and upgrades.
Re: The Knight Witch Is A Magical Metrodivania Shmup Coming To Switch Later This Year
Looks great to me. I even like the deck-building angle as simplified as it looks.
Can't help but notice "Knight" in the name (Shovel Knight, Hollow Knight), but that's fine and they even put it in the middle instead of at the end.
Indie action platform and especially metroidvania developers must all consider including "Knight" in their title. It's a genre staple.
Looking forward to finding out more about this game, though, for sure.
Re: Backlog Club: Slay The Spire Part One - Be More Tortoise
@Desrever That’s impressive! I think I’ll give up before getting that far. The randomness means that there are likely just too many runs that don’t provide useful build options at those levels of difficulty. The daily runs and custom will probably be what keeps me coming back. (Though maybe I’m fooling myself as we have done a couple levels of Ascension …. )
Re: Backlog Club: Slay The Spire Part One - Be More Tortoise
Such a great game and I voted wrong, read too fast (should have voted for already played it, but votes for I like it)
Been playing it for months and it has been my wife’s go-to game and still is. You are always making interesting decisions which makes it constantly engaging and you may find yourself in a game-trance not realizing hours have passed. Pretty great for a turn-based card game.
Re: 'The 8-Bit Big Band' Wins Grammy For Kirby Arrangement
When 8-bit big band was nominated I added a bunch of their stuff to my music library. Still Alive is one of my faves. They don’t just show a great deal of care for the material, they are pretty amazing musicians technically.
Re: 'The 8-Bit Big Band' Wins Grammy For Kirby Arrangement
@victordamazio Peers recognizing peers can be a distinct and valuable award. No one understands better the work that is being rewarded than others that do similar work.
All the hullabaloo around it and the marketing value is a distraction from that, but the Oscar’s and all these awards could go to a private, closed event and still be valuable.
Re: Retro Shmup 'Galactic Wars EX' Docks Onto Switch In April
@GrailUK To me, it looks like being zoomed out further will make co-op play more manageable.
Re: Nintendo Wants To Know What Switch "Groups" You've Created Since The Latest Firmware Update
I like how people made a physical vs. digital group. I'll have to do that. Sometimes I just don't want to get up and change the card.
I found the process of sorting these to help me find a bunch of games I've been meaning to play... the big culprit is my "metroidvania" group (no 'vanias in there, though!)
Re: Dragon Quest Creator Yuji Horii Receives GDC Lifetime Achievement Award
I have not continued on with Dragon Quest after very much enjoying the first one on the NES. I'm sure he deserves the honor, but I'm more gratified that my kid little nerd pastime has expanded to have awards shows that help peers recognize each other and push each other, and lifetime achievement awards. Been amazing to watch it grow.
Re: Samantha Robertson Has Left Nintendo Of America After 11 Years
I do think a reshuffling of the branding around Nintendo Switch is in order.
It was very solid when Iwata and Miyamoto were selling fun, creativity, and novelty. When their back was against the wall with Wii U, they worked so hard to remind everyone how Nintendo has a different perspective and it was pretty great.
While everything is going okay, the Switch is an interesting device that has drawn people that had been away from Nintendo or never really preferred their games.
I wonder if they need to have a parallel marketing scheme of sorts. Keep the "toy factory all ages" Nintendo brand going in one track, and have another for the core gamers of all kinds, the lovers of video games that take them into esoteric corners. Something like that.
Re: Samantha Robertson Has Left Nintendo Of America After 11 Years
In light of the "great resignation" due to the pandemic and the consolidating of Nintendo offices forcing people to relocate or find work elsewhere, people sure are reaching for conspiracies, here!
Other companies are embracing more flexible office and home work options while Nintendo is moving everyone to one building. The response seems very natural.
Re: Sol Cresta Update Fixes A Bunch Of Issues
There may be problems with the game, but pricing is an issue of the market, more than an incorrect choice — the choice in question was whether it was worth making in the first place.
It was always a gamble PG chose, but shmup fans have SO many options throughout history with retro-style graphics.
PG spent the resources and set the price based on what is needed for it to pay for itself and hopefully make a profit, but it just might be that shmup fans are not interested in new development and are not willing to pay the price to support the genre they enjoy.
Once I earned enough to have a budget for entertainment, I quickly realized I wanted to support the types of games I want more of and it made me happy to pay more, to back kickstarters, to support the genres I like.
That said, I have not followed this game too closely, but it sounds like some quality issues really make the price painful as well. Rather than lower the price, I'd like to see the quality go up.
Re: Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Could Be Inducted Into The Video Game Hall Of Fame
@graviton Original Warcraft was a (very good) copy of Dune 2 so not really an origin, and it didn't really become genre redefining until the Warcraft 2 and Starcraft combo took off. World of Warcraft was a massive global sensation that took over people's lives.
StarCraft was one of the starting points for eSports and a phenomenon in South Korea.
Civ should get recognition for sure.
The games are slowly added and it is a very good list, really.
They also have a toy hall of fame that includes "stick" which is kind of awesome.
Re: Random: Reggie Fils-Aimé Doesn't Think Much Of Facebook's Metaverse
VR, mixed, AR is all going to go more mainstream, but there are technical hurdles to overcome over the next decade at least. There will be naturally emerging social playgrounds as the technology advances.
Facebook's metaverse was an important PR move to change the company name to meta because Facebook's brand is tanking.