cmbaum

@dew12333 thank you for you honesty

@dew12333 agree, it is good to be conservative. However decisions that lead to restricted access should be data driven and not based off of misunderstandings. I am not trying to stand up for the developer as much as the consumers who will miss out on this game, and I guess my biggest issue is that folks who don't understand it are jumping to bad conclusions.

Gambling is a serious issue and I think in a lot of areas there is a collective failure to address it. But if we are going to make an example out of something it should line up with something that actually does harm.

One thing you could accuse Balatro of (along with a ton of over games) is contributing to video game addiction. I feel the formula this game uses definitely can lead to that, and I'm not saying this in jest. I think there is a certain subcategory of games like this where it can be a real issue. But again, that's not what this discussion is about. I feel that most people are drawing false conclusions about this game just because it is based around a deck of playing cards and some terminology is the same as in poker.

By the way, casinos do have Classic Solitaire as a game, but if you released a Classic Solitaire video game it would not get a 18+ classification.

I will ask again: have you actually played the game? If not, I don't feel it's legitimate just to chalk this up to differences of opinion. I feel your takes are very uninformed no offense.

@dew12333 in multiple interviews Local Thunk has made clear that he initially was inspired by playing Big 2 with his fiends causally in a non-gambling context. Kind of like Hearts or Spades or other non-gambling card games. He initially started to program that game and then added in other non-gambling mechanics like the Joker system until it developed into what it is today. There are absolutely zero actual mechanics in the game that have any gambling elements whatsoever. Nor are any of the skills in the game remotely transferable to an actual gambling context (e.g. a game of poker). There are zero wagers and no "house". Moreover, the whole point is to manipulate your deck like any card roguelite game. There is no logical connection to actual gambling. By the logic being thrown out there, any video game showcasing an actual 52-card deck of playing cards should be 18+ including virtual Go Fish. Other than some of the terminology or the use of hands as basic mechanics (which by the way includes hands that don't exist in real poker such as "flush fives"), what exactly in the game encourages gambling behavior? Have you even played the game?

@dew12333 no it's not - it's based on Big 2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_two

@dew12333 what about Balatro "encourages gambling" exactly?

I am glad to see this but am still a bit put off by the misleading PR that accompanied the launch of this game. I feel like a lot of the early impression type articles and the early wave of reviews painted a dishonest picture of the game, whereas other (better) indies were neglected the same treatment. Just my 2 cents here.

2 10/10 games are missing from this list: Master Key and Rise of the Golden Idol. C’mon Nintendolife, at least put out reviews for these gems!

This is a very good addition. Possibly the best music on the system.

man no Ace Attorney games, 999, or Hotel Dusk. This is a travesty!

It is wild to think DQXI was originally a 3DS game. That would have been my favorite game on the system if it were ever released in the west

Cool! If Nintendo ever fixes the button mapping I’m ready to jump in

@Reptilio I never once noticed in Link's Awakening and I haven't yet in EoW. Maybe it's a difference between docked vs handheld as I use a Switch Lite

the frame rate issues are unnoticeable on the Switch Lite IMO

@Axecon that’s a pretty tall order given the strong competition this year! Eg Animal Well and Balatro

I don’t think averages in the mid 80s is particularly impressive given the hype behind this. A bit of a letdown tbh

can I just vote "No" without the "this year is stacked enough already" part? Not a fan of the poll options

Said it once and I’ll say it again - feels like a 97 on Metacritic!

I’m calling it now - 97 on Metacritic

Rise of the Golden Idol news please!

Give me a sale on the first 2 games and I’ll consider it

Hope they make the final boss just a tad easier this time! I just couldn’t overcome that gauntlet

@StarryCiel that’s because Link’s Awakening actually used the same game engine as For the Frog the Bell Tolls!

Japan gets the best game of the 4, easily

@Banks sorry don’t have a twitter account. I have LinkedIn and Facebook though

@Banks sure can loan to you for this. Do you know how to get an email thread going? Which games do you need?

I have quite the collection and may be able to support the cause. Contact me nintendolife

Time to get on my soapbox again - "black cartridge" games should absolutely be part of ranking lists for BOTH GB and GBC games. Why? Because they are fully playable on original hardware! It seems silly to exclude them. This means these games should be included:

Pokemon Gold/Silver
Pokemon Trading Card Game
Pokemon Pinball
Game & Watch Gallery 2
Game & Watch Gallery 3

Just saying...Top 20 looks a lot different if you throw these in

EDIT: I guess Pokemon games are 2nd party not 1st party. Still, G&W 2 and 3 should be added

More on Rise of the Golden Idol would be great

@Not_Soos Ok I’ll bite - I haven’t heard anything about a new Wario Land game. Is this an actual rumor going around? That would make me so happy…

There is a good chance I will never play a single game that was showcased today - so not my favorite direct

@Fizza if the rumors were true this would mean a terrible Q4 (holiday) sales period ahead for Nintendo. Thus the drop in share price

I cannot for the life of me understand how this remake has gotten so much attention. As someone who played the original, I saw these meh reviews a mile away.

Where is Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi’s Island? That’s my personal favorite

hmm contest is excluded in the US

@Kilroy I was referring to super Mario advance 2: Yoshi’s Island but I still liked Yoshi DS (minus the horrid music). That was a very challenging game!

I’m going to name 2 games that are afterthoughts for most people and may not have aged that well. But at the time they were very special for me. As someone who grew up with the gameboy and stuck with primarily portable systems my whole life, I really found the GBA Yoshi’s Island and DS Super Mario 64 to be incredible at the time. I would choose those if the era the games were released in were taken into account.

Another vote for Zero Mission as well but that is getting plenty of love already.

@jco83 this matters mainly if you are one of the crazy people (like me) that try to fully upgrade 100% of all armor. Lizalfos tails are easily the worst but this will certainly help in that effort

I know it’s not exactly the same genre but close enough: Return of the Obra Dinn and The Case of the Golden Idol both should be on this list! Top notch options

So happy to see T&T get an average over 9! One of my favorite games of all time.

AAI2 is also fantastic - I’d probably rank it somewhere in the 2-4 range

I would put Transiruby on this list for sure

I’m sure consumers love being told what to do

$40 off sales will help!

I get such good connotations from Super Nintendo Switch. Feels right to me

I wanted to vote for The Case of the Golden Idol but it wasn’t on the list of options! Bad oversight - it definitely belongs here

Very sad the best DLC I have ever played is missing from this list: A Hat In Time’s Nyakuza Metro. One of the best 3D platforming experiences of all time and easily the best stage in the game. It’s can’t miss

I’m actually pretty psyched for this one, NGL. Hope the controls don’t drive me crazy

I am psyched for 3 of these games (especially Braid) so I was a rare 10/10. Normally I don't really care about these Indie showcases. I think I have the lowest bar possible though.

Guess I’m resigned to playing on mobile…sigh

Still upset they are releasing games incompatible with the Switch Lite

@mereel Yes - I replayed the original a few years ago and this game holds up incredibly well over 30 years. I think it’s one of the best games ever made and with a fresh coat of paint it would be considered one of the best games on the switch had it been released for the first time this year