I got into Metroid by playing Super Metroid in the late 90s. I really enjoyed the game and it was like nothing else I had played up to that point. I kind of feel bad saying I really enjoyed it though because I never finished it. At the time I really never finished games because I wouldn’t press on past anything slightly difficult or confusing. I tried again in 2018 when I got back into gaming and also didn’t finish it. (To be fair I think I got distracted by playing Ocarina Of Time 3D) I am willing to press through difficult parts of games now (I loved Hollow Knight and Celeste). I need to give Super Metroid another try from the beginning at some point. I think I understand how to approach it and not get stuck now.
I do think newcomers to series like Metroid or Zelda are probably better off starting with a newer entry or remake than going with and SNES or NES era game. I find that I am better at appreciating the older games once I have built up enough to knowledge of the series to fill in the blanks where the older games don’t help me know what to do next as much.
@WCB I got a copy of Samus Returns (3DS) on eBay (US site) in January for $33. I do see it is $45 or so now. A year or two ago It used to be even cheaper than that. I decided to grab it in January when I saw the prices creeping up and figured it was because it was out of print since 3DS was discontinued. I bought a Wii U for the Virtual Console for playing Minish Cap and the GBA Metroids which all go for $80+ for authentic cartridges. I think used game prices are very high right now with the switch drawing people like me who played Nintendo games in our childhoods (but sold all our systems and games) back into gaming.
@roboshort
Thanks. I do almost always play the switch in handheld mode sitting on my couch so the Wii U gamepad should work fine. I guess a part of me feels like buying a physical switch copy would be more durable into the future because switch consoles should be pretty easy to find for quite a long time if one breaks. A digital copy on the Wii U may be less easy to keep access to if the Wii U breaks. I am probably overthinking it though. If I just buy it and play it right away it will be fine (I don’t replay games too much), but I already build up quite a backlog on the Wii U so I hope it lasts a while.
My Wii from 2007 broke the day I got the used Wii U so that got me thinking about consoles not lasting forever.
I’ve never played Wind Waker or Twilight Princess, but have been getting into Zelda more since I got back into gaming in 2018 and would like to play them. I even bought a used Wii U recently for the Virtual Console. If they shut down the Wii U eShop before confirming these for switch I’ll definitely buy them prior to the shutdown. Used physical copies for Wii U still go for more than the eShop prices.
The good news is I still have plenty of Zelda games to catch up on.
I finished the main quest in BOTW last weekend. I’ve started Samus Returns on 3DS, so I may play some more of that. Last night I also just finished a quick play through of the main game of Celeste. I am usually not one to replay/rewatch/reread, but I have been meaning to start doing a bit of that and I really enjoyed going through the main game again. Only took about 6h ignoring the strawberries for the most part. I have played Celeste quite a bit more than just the main game in the past, going back once in a while to play Core, a couple of B sides and collect more strawberries in the past, but this was my first fresh file replay. It was a lot of fun. Such a great platformer. Probably my favorite of all time, even if my nostalgia says Super Mario World or Super Mario Bros 3 and my other modern pick is DKC Tropical Freeze which I kept playing until the in-game progress said 100% (first time I ever did that).
Super Mario World (This one is set in stone in the top 5 by nostalgia)
Celeste
Hollow Knight
Hades
(one of the Zelda Games I’ve played. It’s hard to choose. Maybe Ocarina since it is the first one I played through in 2018 and there is a bit of nostalgia since I played it a bit - just the first dungeon - when I was 13 or 14 when it came out.)
I had one of those facepalm “so that was all I had to do” Zelda moments when I returned to Gordon City after feeling stuck and doing some other things. When I left I had a good idea of what I needed to do just not how to do it. Then when I came back I randomly hit the thing I was trying to activate with a weapon and it did what I needed 🤦♂️. I thought I would have tried that because I thought I tried everything.
(I’m being intentionally a bit vague to avoid spoilers for anyone else like me who is playing this game very late for the first time. And I don’t see where the markup for the comments is documented so I could do the black box spoiler text that I see some people do.).
XSS vulnerabilities are generally a problem because it can be used to perform actions as the user on the site the code is injected in to or to change the content of that site to something of the attacker’s choosing.
In this case the “site the code is injected into” is 192.168.0.1 on the switch’s ad-hoc wifi network so there is likely very little risk here. It is essentially the risk you take clicking on any link anyone sends you on your smart device. (The JavaScript runs on the device connecting to the switch — perhaps another switch? — in the web browser in the context of the 192.168.0.1 “domain”)
An example of where XSS would be a problem (but which is NOT the case here) would be if Nintendo’s actual website had an XSS flaw. In that case the XSS could potentially be used to take over your Nintendo account or to link you to an “official” Nintendo.com page with content of the attacker’s choosing on it.
Still playing BOTW for the first time. 40+ hours in. I’ve been going pretty slowly. I only did one of the divine beasts so far. Went to where another one is but got kind of stuck so I’ve been doing some other things first because I’m going to try to not look anything up.
I doubt they will ever do an N64 one because (1) N64 emulation being more difficult and resource intensive and (2) Rare games.
I’d love to so see a GBC and GBA “classic”. Seems like they are more likely to save this concept for when sales of their current console aren’t great and they need to tap into nostalgia to draw people back and get them thinking about Nintendo again.
Also given there is a lot of news about the semiconductor shortage it may not make sense to produce an extra hardware product right now if the ICs they’d need for it would be hard to come by.
I almost bought one in 2018 after owning a switch. I did buy one recently and loaded it up with some N64 and GBA Virtual Console games as well as Metroid Prime Trilogy. I will probably get the Zelda HD remasters if they don’t come to switch.
I haven’t played much yet because I tucked it away for my young kids to give me for my birthday 😄
Good price too $160 from Swappa for the 32GB console with a game pad, and extra Wii remote. Mario Maker, Yoshi’s Wooly World and Mario Party 10. Didn’t really buy it for the games that came with it but Mario Party may be fun with the kids. I already have Yoshi’s Wooly World and Mario Maker on the 3DS but didn’t really get into them, and Mario Maker 2 on switch.
Still working on my first play through of BOTW. Also getting towards the end of Star World in Super Mario 3D World. Last night I ended up spending some time with Pac-Man 99. Best I have done so far is 7th. In Tetris 99 I think the pest I’ve done is 2nd, and I did get 1st in Mario 35 once but only played it the first weekend it was out so it probably got harder.
This is an interesting topic. I guess I mostly focus on what I can do to legitimately access games I want to play.
I just bought a used Wii U and loaded it up with 9 games from N64/GBA/Wii (11 if I count Metroid Prime Trilogy as 3). Some of these I played years ago but never finished and many I’ve never played.
It is interesting though that I am relying on this piece of hardware not dying in order to have access to this rather large backlog of games. I don’t tend to replay games a lot, but I can see myself wanting to in the future. I guess at the very least I am relying on the hardware being repairable in a way that preserves the licensing/encryption keys for my copies of the games or that Nintendo will allow me to buy a new system and transfer them. Those are both things that may not be available for long. Coincidentally the video output in my Wii just died. Didn’t have any digital games I care about on there though.
I also wonder if I am just chasing this idea of playing old games too much and collecting games on a platform where I can legitimately play them is sort of becoming a game itself. I guess as long as I am enjoying it it is fine, but it will be interesting to see how many of these Wii U games I actually play. I certainly intend to play them all, but who knows. The ~ $260 I put into it is probably worth it. But I sometimes think chasing more games to play starts to take away from my enjoyment of just sitting down and playing a game in the evening (currently playing BOTW for the first time), so I sort of have to watch myself.
I’ve considered buying and Xbox one just for Rare replay, but haven’t yet. If I just want to try out the old games Game Pass may be a good option though. I’m curious if they will add more Rare games. I’ve also considered picking up a copy of rare replay just to hold on to incase I buy an Xbox one later.
Related: I actually just bought a used Wii U for the virtual console. I never owned a GBA but there are several GBA games I want to try. I also want to own Mario Kart 64 because of playing it as a kid. Also gives me the opportunity to buy Windwaker HD and Twilight Princess HD if they don’t come to switch. I just hope they don’t shut down the Wii U eShop before announcing them for switch.
I’m very happy with my 3D All Stars I bought on release day.
Now maybe we can get N64 and GBA games on NSO for their anniversaries. Or even better, some collections we could actually buy and own. Or a GBA classic. I never owned a GBA back in the day, but am interested in playing some of the games. Also I definitely want to see Windwaker HD and Twilight Princess HD double pack for switch.
I am starting to feel very tempted to buy a used Wii U for the Virtual Console, even though I already have plenty of games to play.
I am not a real collector, but I have a motivation to collect the “ability to play” (in an official/legal form) games I once owned or wish I had owned/played. So I don’t care about CIB at all. 3DS virtual console works well for SNES as well as the N64 remakes on the 3DS. I do prefer physical copies. I just buy loose cartridges. All 3DS/DS games I have were bought used.
I was out of gaming from 2008-2018 and had sold all my old games and systems usually when the next one came out. The only one I still have is the Wii because I lent it to my sister for many years or I would have sold/donated it too. I got rid of most the games I had to re-buy Super Mario Galaxy for it.
The games I’d like to add to my “ability to play” collection are: Banjo Kazooie (and maybe Tooie as well), Jet Force Gemini, Mario Kart 64, Metroid Prime games (owned 1 and 3 but never finished them and sold them long ago).
But now that I have gotten into Zelda more than I was when I was a kid, I find myself edging into collector territory wanting to own every Zelda game “in some form” (but I’d count Virtual Console as owning it, even if I’d prefer physical). And then on that note, I sometimes consider buying all the Super Mario Advance games so that I have a physical copy of SMB2, SMB3 and SMW instead of just VC (I have the GBA Yoshi’s Island because I don’t consider Nintendo Switch Online as owning a game because it isn’t)
Your comment made me actually look it up to learn that GBA is region free. For some reason I assumed it was region locked. I’ll have to keep an eye out for EUR versions too then.
The USA versions have a much more plain red label. I see some JPN imports on eBay as well that are cheaper and may be legitimate, but for a Zelda game I think I’d want to be able to read the text and only know English.
I try to follow the tips I’ve seen on r/gameverifying to tell if games are legit, but some can be hard to see in photos (like the stamped number pressed into the label of GBA carts). I follow general eBay best practices of not buying from someone with a ton of copies for sale or someone with stock photos or someone shipping from China. Just because those are all very likely fakes.
I’ve seen people openly selling reproductions of minish cap (US version) that go for $40+ though.
It seems all Zelda games are quite in demand recently. A couple months ago I saw Spirit Tracks for $35-$40, but now all the listings are very expensive. (I didn’t buy that one figuring I should play Phantom Hourglass first and see if I like the stylus controls before spending that much on it. Phantom Hourglass was just $17)
I’d like to play this game at some point, but authentic copies are going for $100 on eBay and it just isn’t worth quite that much to me. I’d probably be willing to pay like $50. I don’t have a Wii U for the Virtual Console version. Hopefully it gets added to Nintendo Switch Online at some point.
I play almost exclusively in handheld mode and am unlikely to buy a new model unless I want some games that are exclusive to it. I hope that isn’t the case where there are a bunch of games exclusive to it. I just really don’t care about high resolution graphics much. I still play my 3DS a fair amount with its low resolution.
@Sszx09 I have to give Civ VI another go at some point. I also got it a couple years ago and in spite of having a good time with past entries (even thought I wasn’t particularly good at them), I had a hard time getting into it. For me it may have to do with trying to play it an hour or two at a time at night after my kids go to bed. When I played past entries I could spend all day on it.
As for me this weekend: I just started BOTW for the first time this week. I expect it will take me a very long time to get through it since I spent around 23 hours on Links Awakening DX which seems to be much longer than it takes most people. I may also play a bit of 3D World and Bowser’s Fury.
Thanks for the info. I definitely plan to try to lose myself in it and get absorbed in the world and wander around. I’ve been getting a bit better about that in more exploration based games.
I think I just tend to start looking forward to the next game I want to play part way through a long game. Maybe I need to let myself pause and play something else and then come back to it when that happens. I think the actually coming back to it and getting back into it can be a bit difficult sometimes. I think I will keep some notes of things to explore which may help if I end up pausing.
My times on Zelda games tend to be longer than the how long to beat “Main + Extras” times (and I am not 100%-ing), and BOTW’s “Main + Extras” time is 96 hours. That is fine if I am able to enjoy it for that long. Maybe if I can’t it is just a sign I should take a break for a few weeks, play something else, and come back to it.
Got my switch at the beginning of 2019. I am planning to probably start BOTW for the first time in the next couple weeks after wrapping up the main game in Mario 3D World and Link’s Awakening DX. The prospect of a 100+ hour main game is a bit intimidating though. The most time I have spent one one game is ~50+ hours (Ocarina Of Time, Hollow Knight, and Majora’s mask — but with over a year break in the middle of MM)
Maybe Nintendo will use the success of their limited release of Super Mario 3D All Stars to convince Microsoft to allow a limited release Rare Replay 64 🤣. 25th anniversary of N64 this year, right?
Seriously though I’d rather have time limited re-releases than no re-releases. I appreciate that it is tough for folks with more limited gaming budgets though.
I’d love to see re-releases of the Metroid prime games (I played 1 and 3 a bit many years ago but never finished them). I’d also like to see Windwaker and Twilight Princess re-releases at some point because I haven’t played them.
Great article! This reminds me a lot of the way played games as a kid. I rarely beat any games and played a lot that I couldn’t get into because I didn’t understand the genre (ALttP and Ocarina among them).
Before you understand about how games work there is this magic that exists in the virtual worlds. I remember thinking I could fly from Chicago across Lake Michigan to my home state in MS Flight Simulator 95 because I had no concept that the game didn’t just have an entire model of the globe inside of it.
On the flip side of that (at least a few years before the flight simulator thing) I remember the sense of wonder I felt as a kid when in Super Mario World when we (probably mostly my dad) finished the first castle and the map moved on to the second world. I think playing old Atari 2600 games must have made me expect games to be a single screen type of thing.
I definitely remember following the train tracks in that Mario Kart 64 level (Kalahari Desert?).
Replaying games I played as and kid for me is especially fun in a couple of ways:
finishing “unfinished business” and sort of traveling back in time and completing a piece of your childhood. (Playing the Ocarina Of Time on my 3DS was very much this for me. I only ever played the first dungeon as a kid — even though I was 13 and probably should have been able to play it better)
Accessing these vague memories/recollections of where secrets are hidden (for me this was some secret exits in Super Mario world, and some of that first dungeon in OOT)
Super Mario 3D World and Links Awakening DX (on 3DS VC). I am really getting sucked in to Link’s Awakening DX. I played it more than 3D World this week. I am enjoying it more than ALttP, but I think that is more that I am more familiar with the games now than a difference in the games . When I played most of ALttP a few years back I think the 2D combat took a lot of getting used to. I also ended up using save states a bunch because starting at the beginning of the dungeon when I lost felt like a big deal, but now it doesn’t seem like a big deal. It seems easier to refill Hearts in Link’s Awakening, but I am not sure if that is just a perception as well.
I was trying to not use guides at all for Link’s Awakening DX, but I did have to get hints/ look up a couple of the golden leaves. That didn’t take away from the experience though.
Still love my 3DS. I got a New 2DS XL in 2018 so I was late to it. That was my return to gaming as a hobby after 10 years or so. At first I just got it to play SNES games and N64 ports, but I kept finding more to play and bought a switch a year later and have of course found tons to play on there.
SNES games look really good on the 3DS with the lower resolution screen. They look just the way I remember them.
Last year I didn’t act quickly enough when Nintendo was clearing out “refurbished” New 3DS XLs for $120 or $130 on their US store. However I was lucky enough to find someone on swappa selling a brand new one for $160. I’m glad I bought that. Playing Mario 3D Land and A Link Between Worlds in 3D was pretty cool.
Currently playing Link’s Awakening DX on the New 3DS XL
I hope they leave the eShop up for a while. I’ll probably at least buy a couple more Virtual Console games and probably will find more games to pick up on eBay for it.
This kind of makes me want to try the original LoZ. I am old enough to have rented LttP from Blockbuster, but totally didn’t understand it at the time. I owned Ocarina and Links Awakening DX as a kid, but never really got into them.
Since I got back into gaming back in 2018 I’ve enjoyed Ocarina 3D, Majora’s Mask 3D, LttP and ALBW and I just started Link’s Awakening DX.
I think I would have enjoyed LttP more if I had read a copy of the manual first. There are certain things that I just didn’t get about it and had to look up. Things that are obvious to anyone familiar with the game like falling through holes to lower levels or moving random blocks to make something happen in a room. The 2D top-down combat was hard for me to get used to and that resulted in me using save states very frequently which interrupts the flow and I think took away from the experience a bit for me.
I played ALBW without using a guide at all and really enjoyed it.
I read the manual for Link’s Awakening DX before playing it and at least so far I have found myself willing to trust the game more and not save state constantly. I think this is more a matter of me learning the games than a difference between the games.
I looked at the manual for the original LoZ a bit one day and it talks you through making your own paper maps and gives examples for the first dungeon or something. It seems like it could be an interesting “time capsule” experience to play at some point if I am willing to be patient with it and not try to just get through it.
Mario 3D World. Both co op with the kids and on my own. Really enjoying the variety of stages in this game. I got to the 7th World (castle world?) on my own save file last night. I started out the first few worlds trying to collect all 3 stars, the stamp and the golden flag before moving on even if it meant repeating the same stage a few times. I kind of backed off on that around world 3 or 4. I still try to collect them but I usually move on if I don’t. I’ll probably go back for them eventually. I feel like 3D World and 3D Land have just the right amount of collectables.
Probably some Bowser’s Fury with the kids as well
Finally finished A Link To The Past this week so maybe I’ll start Link’s Awakening DX on 3DS VC at some point.
It’d be nice to have them on switch. The only Zeldas I have played are Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, A Link to the Past, and A Link Between Worlds. I bought but haven’t played the GBC Zeldas (3DS VC), Phantom Hourglass and BOTW. So if the other 2 come to switch along with Skyward Sword I can pretty much complete my collection. (I know that’s not quite everything. I am not sure I am interested in the NES ones. If I get through everything else and really want to more maybe I’ll buy used copies of Minish Cap and Spirit Tracks, but those are rather expensive)
I’ve found the r/gameverifying subreddit helpful as well.
I only have three DS games and one GBA game, but I bought them all off of eBay and think they are real. I haven’t opened the GBA one though to look at the PCB.
As a professional software engineer I like to respect intellectual property rights so I always try to buy legitimate copies. It just feels like the right thing to do.
I can see how some folks feel it doesn’t matter buying reproduction cartridges since on the secondary market the money is not going directly to the producers of the content anyway. However, I feel like the price of a game on the secondary market could influence rights holders when they are deciding on re-releasing or remaking games. Games having a good value on the secondary market may also help rights holders sell newer (physical) games for more money for longer if buyers feel confident in being able to resell them for a good price if they want to.
I buy digital and physical games, but I do feel good about the ability to resell physical games (even if I never intend to), it just feels like a good balance of rights. So I generally prefer physical copies especially for first party games.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (some of each mode). Enjoying it so far. I really liked 3D Land and 3D World is great so far. I think the video feature on 3D Land on here from last week hit the nail on the head when they said that it is the variety that makes these games great.
May play a bit of A Link to the Past if I want something else. I am on the final dungeon now. (Started it a couple years ago and returned to it for the last couple dungeons after finishing A Link Between Worlds last weekend).
I didn’t play it back when I had my first DS but I just bought a copy off eBay recently to try out at some point. I was going to buy spirit tracks too but I can’t justify $40 for it unless I play through Phantom Hourglass. I also haven’t played BOTW yet and it was on sale for $40 so I picked that up to add to the backlog.
I’d love to see windwaker HD and twilight princess HD come to switch.
I rented A Link to the Past as a kid and didn’t get very far. I also owned Ocarina of Time and Link’s Awakening DX as a kid and also didn’t get very far.
I have enjoyed rediscovering Zelda games as an adult though starting with Ocarina of Time 3D, A Link to the Past and Majora’s Mask 3D on the 3DS. I recently played through A Link Between Worlds which was the first one I didn’t look at a guide at all for. The others I’ve played always ran into things here and there that I had to look up.
I’m assuming I’ll be finishing A Link Between Worlds this weekend. One more sage to save then I’m assuming it is just a final dungeon and Boss. I’ve been enjoying it a lot. It looks really good in 3D. I haven’t had to resort to a guide or hints at all (I am not sure if this is because I am building up enough series knowledge now —having played OOT, MM and most of LttP — or if it is just because it is a newer/easier game).
Then maybe I will figure out what I didn’t finish in A Link To The Past when I played it a few years back and see if I feel like doing that.
I’d also like to play Link’s Awakening DX on 3DS, but if I start it after ALBW I doubt that I’ll have time to complete it before Mario 3D World comes out on Friday.
I went on a bit of a buying spree lately (All 3 GBC Zelda’s on 3DS VC, Phantom Hourglass, and Breath of the Wild). So I see a lot of Zelda in my future, but I will probably need to break it up so I don’t get burned out.
Great game! I first played it 2.5 years ago a bit after I got back into gaming with a New 2DS XL. A few months back I decided I had to experience it in Stereoscopic 3D so I bought a new New 3DS XL someone was selling. It was worth it. The 3D really adds to the experience. Currently enjoying the 3D in A Link Between Worlds as well.
Looking forward to 3D World + Bowser’s Fury next week. I’ve never played it. With the multiplayer maybe my kids will want to play it with me. They are currently really in to Mario Odyssey.
Finally finished Majora’s Mask 3D last weekend after starting it in 2018, taking a break for a couple of years and then getting back to it in August and then getting back to it again recently.
Started of A Link Between Worlds this week and I am really enjoying it. I played A Link To The Past a couple times as a kid but didn’t really “get” it. I played all but the last dungeon in LttP in 2018 also. I should get back to that at some point. I am trying to keep my own notes this time with ALBW to avoid feeling like I need to look at a guide if so end up taking a long break from it. I generally like to just use a guide if I get stuck on some puzzle that is too obscure, but sometimes I get sucked into following the guide more than I want to when I see all the things I could have collected by whatever point I am at in the game. Nothing wrong with following guides, but it does take away from my enjoyment a bit if I follow too closely.
I am feeling tempted to buy up the GBC zelda games on 3DS VC and authentic copies of the DS ones on eBay
Maybe some more Horace if I feel like a break from ALBW.
@Crockin I just got to chapter 9 about 7 hours in. It has been kind of up and down for me. Early on I was intrigued by where it was going to go with the story aspects. The platforming early on was definitely not great. I found some of the platforming in chapter 6 especially annoying. There are some things that reach out and kill you if you pass by too close which is annoying. In chapter 7 or 8 the platforming started to feel a lot better. I found the boss in chapter 8 quite annoying though. Platformers are probably my favorite genre. Celeste and DKC Tropical Freeze would be 10/10 for me (and Hollow Knight is another 10/10 for a metroidvania style).
Horace doesn’t compare to any of those as far as the platforming, but I don’t think that is what it is trying to be. I’ve enjoyed playing it but I am not yet sure if I will finish it. If Feb 12 and Mario 3D World comes before I am done chances are I won’t get back into it.
Update: 1 day later and I am starting chapter 12. I seem to keep picking it back up anyway.
3D land is great. I played it first on my New 2DS XL a few years ago, but 4-5 months back I found someone selling a brand new New 3DS XL that I bought because I felt I had to experience it in stereoscopic 3D and I was glad I did. It definitely makes good use of the 3D. I haven’t played 3D World, but I am looking forward to getting it February 12th.
It’d be great to see N64 Rare games on switch. I have been tempted to buy a current XBox One just for Rare Replay, but haven’t been able to justify it. Maybe if I can pick up one used really cheap after the new one comes out.
It seems like it would be a good move for both companies to get the N64 Rare games on Switch. I bet they could charge a good price for them. I know I’d pay $60 for just the N64 Rare games.
It seems like they wouldn’t have to put a lot of resources into getting the games on the switch either since they already have an N64 emulator. I remember reading that Rare games had their own GPU microcode or something since the stock GPU microcode had some issues. I read it in an article that was comparing PSX to N64, but Wikipedia also has a section about it: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_64_programming_characteristics#Microcode. If for some reason Nintendo’s emulator doesn’t already support that there may be some work there.
Lately I have been getting back into Majora’s Mask (3DS) after taking a break from it for... well... about 2 years. I am hoping I can finish it before I start on Mario 3D All Stars Friday.
I’ll probably play sunshine first because I never played it. I have considered going chronologically as well though, but I think if I do that I will likely need a break from Mario after 64 and I do really want to try out Sunshine.
I rented 64 a couple of times as a kid in the 90s, but didn’t really “get” 3D platforming until after that. I did play the DS version a couple years ago and enjoyed it aside from the controls. Didn’t complete it because the controls got too annoying as the difficulty increased. So I am excited to try 64 with proper controls.
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Re: Metroid Games You Need To Play Before Metroid Dread
I got into Metroid by playing Super Metroid in the late 90s. I really enjoyed the game and it was like nothing else I had played up to that point. I kind of feel bad saying I really enjoyed it though because I never finished it. At the time I really never finished games because I wouldn’t press on past anything slightly difficult or confusing. I tried again in 2018 when I got back into gaming and also didn’t finish it. (To be fair I think I got distracted by playing Ocarina Of Time 3D) I am willing to press through difficult parts of games now (I loved Hollow Knight and Celeste). I need to give Super Metroid another try from the beginning at some point. I think I understand how to approach it and not get stuck now.
I do think newcomers to series like Metroid or Zelda are probably better off starting with a newer entry or remake than going with and SNES or NES era game. I find that I am better at appreciating the older games once I have built up enough to knowledge of the series to fill in the blanks where the older games don’t help me know what to do next as much.
Re: Metroid Games You Need To Play Before Metroid Dread
@WCB I got a copy of Samus Returns (3DS) on eBay (US site) in January for $33. I do see it is $45 or so now. A year or two ago It used to be even cheaper than that. I decided to grab it in January when I saw the prices creeping up and figured it was because it was out of print since 3DS was discontinued. I bought a Wii U for the Virtual Console for playing Minish Cap and the GBA Metroids which all go for $80+ for authentic cartridges. I think used game prices are very high right now with the switch drawing people like me who played Nintendo games in our childhoods (but sold all our systems and games) back into gaming.
Re: Nintendo Doesn't Have Anything Else Planned For Zelda's 35th Right Now
@roboshort
Thanks. I do almost always play the switch in handheld mode sitting on my couch so the Wii U gamepad should work fine. I guess a part of me feels like buying a physical switch copy would be more durable into the future because switch consoles should be pretty easy to find for quite a long time if one breaks. A digital copy on the Wii U may be less easy to keep access to if the Wii U breaks. I am probably overthinking it though. If I just buy it and play it right away it will be fine (I don’t replay games too much), but I already build up quite a backlog on the Wii U so I hope it lasts a while.
My Wii from 2007 broke the day I got the used Wii U so that got me thinking about consoles not lasting forever.
Re: Nintendo Doesn't Have Anything Else Planned For Zelda's 35th
I’ve never played Wind Waker or Twilight Princess, but have been getting into Zelda more since I got back into gaming in 2018 and would like to play them. I even bought a used Wii U recently for the Virtual Console. If they shut down the Wii U eShop before confirming these for switch I’ll definitely buy them prior to the shutdown. Used physical copies for Wii U still go for more than the eShop prices.
The good news is I still have plenty of Zelda games to catch up on.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 12th)
I finished the main quest in BOTW last weekend. I’ve started Samus Returns on 3DS, so I may play some more of that. Last night I also just finished a quick play through of the main game of Celeste. I am usually not one to replay/rewatch/reread, but I have been meaning to start doing a bit of that and I really enjoyed going through the main game again. Only took about 6h ignoring the strawberries for the most part. I have played Celeste quite a bit more than just the main game in the past, going back once in a while to play Core, a couple of B sides and collect more strawberries in the past, but this was my first fresh file replay. It was a lot of fun. Such a great platformer. Probably my favorite of all time, even if my nostalgia says Super Mario World or Super Mario Bros 3 and my other modern pick is DKC Tropical Freeze which I kept playing until the in-game progress said 100% (first time I ever did that).
Re: Talking Point: When Was The Last Time A Game Cracked Your Top Five?
I think right now I’d go with:
Super Mario World (This one is set in stone in the top 5 by nostalgia)
Celeste
Hollow Knight
Hades
(one of the Zelda Games I’ve played. It’s hard to choose. Maybe Ocarina since it is the first one I played through in 2018 and there is a bit of nostalgia since I played it a bit - just the first dungeon - when I was 13 or 14 when it came out.)
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 15th)
Still playing BOTW for the first time.
I had one of those facepalm “so that was all I had to do” Zelda moments when I returned to Gordon City after feeling stuck and doing some other things. When I left I had a good idea of what I needed to do just not how to do it. Then when I came back I randomly hit the thing I was trying to activate with a weapon and it did what I needed 🤦♂️. I thought I would have tried that because I thought I tried everything.
(I’m being intentionally a bit vague to avoid spoilers for anyone else like me who is playing this game very late for the first time. And I don’t see where the markup for the comments is documented so I could do the black box spoiler text that I see some people do.).
Re: Switch's Latest Firmware Update Contains A Javascript Exploit, But Don't Worry Too Much
XSS vulnerabilities are generally a problem because it can be used to perform actions as the user on the site the code is injected in to or to change the content of that site to something of the attacker’s choosing.
In this case the “site the code is injected into” is 192.168.0.1 on the switch’s ad-hoc wifi network so there is likely very little risk here. It is essentially the risk you take clicking on any link anyone sends you on your smart device. (The JavaScript runs on the device connecting to the switch — perhaps another switch? — in the web browser in the context of the 192.168.0.1 “domain”)
An example of where XSS would be a problem (but which is NOT the case here) would be if Nintendo’s actual website had an XSS flaw. In that case the XSS could potentially be used to take over your Nintendo account or to link you to an “official” Nintendo.com page with content of the attacker’s choosing on it.
For more information see: https://owasp.org/www-community/attacks/xss/
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 1st)
Still playing BOTW for the first time. 40+ hours in. I’ve been going pretty slowly. I only did one of the divine beasts so far. Went to where another one is but got kind of stuck so I’ve been doing some other things first because I’m going to try to not look anything up.
Re: Talking Point: Why Did Nintendo Give Up On Its 'Classic Edition' Concept So Soon?
I doubt they will ever do an N64 one because (1) N64 emulation being more difficult and resource intensive and (2) Rare games.
I’d love to so see a GBC and GBA “classic”. Seems like they are more likely to save this concept for when sales of their current console aren’t great and they need to tap into nostalgia to draw people back and get them thinking about Nintendo again.
Also given there is a lot of news about the semiconductor shortage it may not make sense to produce an extra hardware product right now if the ICs they’d need for it would be hard to come by.
Re: Talking Point: Is It Worth Buying A Nintendo Wii U In 2021?
I almost bought one in 2018 after owning a switch. I did buy one recently and loaded it up with some N64 and GBA Virtual Console games as well as Metroid Prime Trilogy. I will probably get the Zelda HD remasters if they don’t come to switch.
I haven’t played much yet because I tucked it away for my young kids to give me for my birthday 😄
Good price too $160 from Swappa for the 32GB console with a game pad, and extra Wii remote. Mario Maker, Yoshi’s Wooly World and Mario Party 10. Didn’t really buy it for the games that came with it but Mario Party may be fun with the kids. I already have Yoshi’s Wooly World and Mario Maker on the 3DS but didn’t really get into them, and Mario Maker 2 on switch.
Re: Feature: Why Do Games Get Removed From Switch eShop? It's Surprisingly Easy
Very informative. I was curious how this worked for indie games.
Re: PowerA Reveals Its Pro-Grade Switch Controller, Now Available For Pre-Order
I’d like to see Hori release an upgraded split pad pro with motion and rumble.
Re: Rumour: Is Something Going On Between Microsoft And Nintendo?
Rare Replay (even just the N64 games) would be great on Switch. I highly doubt it would happen though.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 10th)
Still working on my first play through of BOTW. Also getting towards the end of Star World in Super Mario 3D World. Last night I ended up spending some time with Pac-Man 99. Best I have done so far is 7th. In Tetris 99 I think the pest I’ve done is 2nd, and I did get 1st in Mario 35 once but only played it the first weekend it was out so it probably got harder.
Re: Talking Point: Which Indie Game Should Be "99"ed Next?
Into The Breach 99
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo And The Industry Needs To Get Serious About Game Preservation
This is an interesting topic. I guess I mostly focus on what I can do to legitimately access games I want to play.
I just bought a used Wii U and loaded it up with 9 games from N64/GBA/Wii (11 if I count Metroid Prime Trilogy as 3). Some of these I played years ago but never finished and many I’ve never played.
It is interesting though that I am relying on this piece of hardware not dying in order to have access to this rather large backlog of games. I don’t tend to replay games a lot, but I can see myself wanting to in the future. I guess at the very least I am relying on the hardware being repairable in a way that preserves the licensing/encryption keys for my copies of the games or that Nintendo will allow me to buy a new system and transfer them. Those are both things that may not be available for long. Coincidentally the video output in my Wii just died. Didn’t have any digital games I care about on there though.
I also wonder if I am just chasing this idea of playing old games too much and collecting games on a platform where I can legitimately play them is sort of becoming a game itself. I guess as long as I am enjoying it it is fine, but it will be interesting to see how many of these Wii U games I actually play. I certainly intend to play them all, but who knows. The ~ $260 I put into it is probably worth it. But I sometimes think chasing more games to play starts to take away from my enjoyment of just sitting down and playing a game in the evening (currently playing BOTW for the first time), so I sort of have to watch myself.
Re: Xbox Says It's "More Important Than Ever" To Preserve Gaming Icons And Classics
I’ve considered buying and Xbox one just for Rare replay, but haven’t yet. If I just want to try out the old games Game Pass may be a good option though. I’m curious if they will add more Rare games. I’ve also considered picking up a copy of rare replay just to hold on to incase I buy an Xbox one later.
Related: I actually just bought a used Wii U for the virtual console. I never owned a GBA but there are several GBA games I want to try. I also want to own Mario Kart 64 because of playing it as a kid. Also gives me the opportunity to buy Windwaker HD and Twilight Princess HD if they don’t come to switch. I just hope they don’t shut down the Wii U eShop before announcing them for switch.
Re: Nintendo Says Mario Will Continue To "Power-Up" As It Begins To Shut Down His Anniversary Celebrations
I’m very happy with my 3D All Stars I bought on release day.
Now maybe we can get N64 and GBA games on NSO for their anniversaries. Or even better, some collections we could actually buy and own. Or a GBA classic. I never owned a GBA back in the day, but am interested in playing some of the games. Also I definitely want to see Windwaker HD and Twilight Princess HD double pack for switch.
I am starting to feel very tempted to buy a used Wii U for the Virtual Console, even though I already have plenty of games to play.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 27th)
Mostly BOTW (started recently for the first time, expect to be at it for quite some time). Maybe some post-Bowser’s-world 3D World.
Re: Talking Point: Are You A 'Complete-In-Box' Or 'Loose Cart' Retro Gamer?
I am not a real collector, but I have a motivation to collect the “ability to play” (in an official/legal form) games I once owned or wish I had owned/played. So I don’t care about CIB at all. 3DS virtual console works well for SNES as well as the N64 remakes on the 3DS. I do prefer physical copies. I just buy loose cartridges. All 3DS/DS games I have were bought used.
I was out of gaming from 2008-2018 and had sold all my old games and systems usually when the next one came out. The only one I still have is the Wii because I lent it to my sister for many years or I would have sold/donated it too. I got rid of most the games I had to re-buy Super Mario Galaxy for it.
The games I’d like to add to my “ability to play” collection are: Banjo Kazooie (and maybe Tooie as well), Jet Force Gemini, Mario Kart 64, Metroid Prime games (owned 1 and 3 but never finished them and sold them long ago).
But now that I have gotten into Zelda more than I was when I was a kid, I find myself edging into collector territory wanting to own every Zelda game “in some form” (but I’d count Virtual Console as owning it, even if I’d prefer physical). And then on that note, I sometimes consider buying all the Super Mario Advance games so that I have a physical copy of SMB2, SMB3 and SMW instead of just VC (I have the GBA Yoshi’s Island because I don’t consider Nintendo Switch Online as owning a game because it isn’t)
Re: Twin-Stick Puzzle-Platformer World-Splitter Leaps Onto Switch Next Month
Looks like a neat idea.
Re: Feature: Zelda: The Minish Cap Is All About Seeing Things From A New Perspective
Thanks @Zuljaras !
Your comment made me actually look it up to learn that GBA is region free. For some reason I assumed it was region locked. I’ll have to keep an eye out for EUR versions too then.
The USA versions have a much more plain red label. I see some JPN imports on eBay as well that are cheaper and may be legitimate, but for a Zelda game I think I’d want to be able to read the text and only know English.
I try to follow the tips I’ve seen on r/gameverifying to tell if games are legit, but some can be hard to see in photos (like the stamped number pressed into the label of GBA carts). I follow general eBay best practices of not buying from someone with a ton of copies for sale or someone with stock photos or someone shipping from China. Just because those are all very likely fakes.
I’ve seen people openly selling reproductions of minish cap (US version) that go for $40+ though.
It seems all Zelda games are quite in demand recently. A couple months ago I saw Spirit Tracks for $35-$40, but now all the listings are very expensive. (I didn’t buy that one figuring I should play Phantom Hourglass first and see if I like the stylus controls before spending that much on it. Phantom Hourglass was just $17)
Re: Feature: Zelda: The Minish Cap Is All About Seeing Things From A New Perspective
I’d like to play this game at some point, but authentic copies are going for $100 on eBay and it just isn’t worth quite that much to me. I’d probably be willing to pay like $50. I don’t have a Wii U for the Virtual Console version. Hopefully it gets added to Nintendo Switch Online at some point.
Re: New 4K Switch Model Could Launch For $399, Analysts Suggest
I play almost exclusively in handheld mode and am unlikely to buy a new model unless I want some games that are exclusive to it. I hope that isn’t the case where there are a bunch of games exclusive to it. I just really don’t care about high resolution graphics much. I still play my 3DS a fair amount with its low resolution.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 20th)
@Sszx09 I have to give Civ VI another go at some point. I also got it a couple years ago and in spite of having a good time with past entries (even thought I wasn’t particularly good at them), I had a hard time getting into it. For me it may have to do with trying to play it an hour or two at a time at night after my kids go to bed. When I played past entries I could spend all day on it.
As for me this weekend: I just started BOTW for the first time this week. I expect it will take me a very long time to get through it since I spent around 23 hours on Links Awakening DX which seems to be much longer than it takes most people. I may also play a bit of 3D World and Bowser’s Fury.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 13th)
Super Mario 3D World and Bowser’s Fury with my kids. Also maybe some 3D World on my own file (Started the Star world recently).
Still Finishing up Link’s Awakening DX as well. On the 8th dungeon now.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 6th)
Probably finishing up Link’s Awakening DX (3DS VC) in the next few days (about to start the 7th dungeon).
Also, more 3D World solo and with kids. In my file I am on the last level in Bowser world.
Re: Anniversary: Nintendo Switch Launched Four Years Ago Today
@Spoony_Tech @imgrowinglegs
Thanks for the info. I definitely plan to try to lose myself in it and get absorbed in the world and wander around. I’ve been getting a bit better about that in more exploration based games.
I think I just tend to start looking forward to the next game I want to play part way through a long game. Maybe I need to let myself pause and play something else and then come back to it when that happens. I think the actually coming back to it and getting back into it can be a bit difficult sometimes. I think I will keep some notes of things to explore which may help if I end up pausing.
My times on Zelda games tend to be longer than the how long to beat “Main + Extras” times (and I am not 100%-ing), and BOTW’s “Main + Extras” time is 96 hours. That is fine if I am able to enjoy it for that long. Maybe if I can’t it is just a sign I should take a break for a few weeks, play something else, and come back to it.
Re: Anniversary: Nintendo Switch Launched Four Years Ago Today
Got my switch at the beginning of 2019. I am planning to probably start BOTW for the first time in the next couple weeks after wrapping up the main game in Mario 3D World and Link’s Awakening DX. The prospect of a 100+ hour main game is a bit intimidating though. The most time I have spent one one game is ~50+ hours (Ocarina Of Time, Hollow Knight, and Majora’s mask — but with over a year break in the middle of MM)
Re: Nintendo Isn't Backing Down On Its Decision To Pull Mario Products From Stores This Month
Maybe Nintendo will use the success of their limited release of Super Mario 3D All Stars to convince Microsoft to allow a limited release Rare Replay 64 🤣. 25th anniversary of N64 this year, right?
Seriously though I’d rather have time limited re-releases than no re-releases. I appreciate that it is tough for folks with more limited gaming budgets though.
I’d love to see re-releases of the Metroid prime games (I played 1 and 3 a bit many years ago but never finished them). I’d also like to see Windwaker and Twilight Princess re-releases at some point because I haven’t played them.
Re: Feature: A Link To The Past's Dark World Changed Zelda Forever
Great article! This reminds me a lot of the way played games as a kid. I rarely beat any games and played a lot that I couldn’t get into because I didn’t understand the genre (ALttP and Ocarina among them).
Before you understand about how games work there is this magic that exists in the virtual worlds. I remember thinking I could fly from Chicago across Lake Michigan to my home state in MS Flight Simulator 95 because I had no concept that the game didn’t just have an entire model of the globe inside of it.
On the flip side of that (at least a few years before the flight simulator thing) I remember the sense of wonder I felt as a kid when in Super Mario World when we (probably mostly my dad) finished the first castle and the map moved on to the second world. I think playing old Atari 2600 games must have made me expect games to be a single screen type of thing.
I definitely remember following the train tracks in that Mario Kart 64 level (Kalahari Desert?).
Replaying games I played as and kid for me is especially fun in a couple of ways:
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 27th)
Super Mario 3D World and Links Awakening DX (on 3DS VC). I am really getting sucked in to Link’s Awakening DX. I played it more than 3D World this week. I am enjoying it more than ALttP, but I think that is more that I am more familiar with the games now than a difference in the games . When I played most of ALttP a few years back I think the 2D combat took a lot of getting used to. I also ended up using save states a bunch because starting at the beginning of the dungeon when I lost felt like a big deal, but now it doesn’t seem like a big deal. It seems easier to refill Hearts in Link’s Awakening, but I am not sure if that is just a perception as well.
I was trying to not use guides at all for Link’s Awakening DX, but I did have to get hints/ look up a couple of the golden leaves. That didn’t take away from the experience though.
Re: Anniversary: Can You Believe It? The Nintendo 3DS Is Now 10 Years Old
Still love my 3DS. I got a New 2DS XL in 2018 so I was late to it. That was my return to gaming as a hobby after 10 years or so. At first I just got it to play SNES games and N64 ports, but I kept finding more to play and bought a switch a year later and have of course found tons to play on there.
SNES games look really good on the 3DS with the lower resolution screen. They look just the way I remember them.
Last year I didn’t act quickly enough when Nintendo was clearing out “refurbished” New 3DS XLs for $120 or $130 on their US store. However I was lucky enough to find someone on swappa selling a brand new one for $160. I’m glad I bought that. Playing Mario 3D Land and A Link Between Worlds in 3D was pretty cool.
Currently playing Link’s Awakening DX on the New 3DS XL
I hope they leave the eShop up for a while. I’ll probably at least buy a couple more Virtual Console games and probably will find more games to pick up on eBay for it.
Re: Feature: The Legend Of Zelda Is The Robinson Crusoe Of Video Games
This kind of makes me want to try the original LoZ. I am old enough to have rented LttP from Blockbuster, but totally didn’t understand it at the time. I owned Ocarina and Links Awakening DX as a kid, but never really got into them.
Since I got back into gaming back in 2018 I’ve enjoyed Ocarina 3D, Majora’s Mask 3D, LttP and ALBW and I just started Link’s Awakening DX.
I think I would have enjoyed LttP more if I had read a copy of the manual first. There are certain things that I just didn’t get about it and had to look up. Things that are obvious to anyone familiar with the game like falling through holes to lower levels or moving random blocks to make something happen in a room. The 2D top-down combat was hard for me to get used to and that resulted in me using save states very frequently which interrupts the flow and I think took away from the experience a bit for me.
I played ALBW without using a guide at all and really enjoyed it.
I read the manual for Link’s Awakening DX before playing it and at least so far I have found myself willing to trust the game more and not save state constantly. I think this is more a matter of me learning the games than a difference between the games.
I looked at the manual for the original LoZ a bit one day and it talks you through making your own paper maps and gives examples for the first dungeon or something. It seems like it could be an interesting “time capsule” experience to play at some point if I am willing to be patient with it and not try to just get through it.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 20th)
Mario 3D World. Both co op with the kids and on my own. Really enjoying the variety of stages in this game. I got to the 7th World (castle world?) on my own save file last night. I started out the first few worlds trying to collect all 3 stars, the stamp and the golden flag before moving on even if it meant repeating the same stage a few times. I kind of backed off on that around world 3 or 4. I still try to collect them but I usually move on if I don’t. I’ll probably go back for them eventually. I feel like 3D World and 3D Land have just the right amount of collectables.
Probably some Bowser’s Fury with the kids as well
Finally finished A Link To The Past this week so maybe I’ll start Link’s Awakening DX on 3DS VC at some point.
Re: Rumour: Zelda's 35th Anniversary Will See The Return Of Wind Waker And Twilight Princess
It’d be nice to have them on switch. The only Zeldas I have played are Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, A Link to the Past, and A Link Between Worlds. I bought but haven’t played the GBC Zeldas (3DS VC), Phantom Hourglass and BOTW. So if the other 2 come to switch along with Skyward Sword I can pretty much complete my collection. (I know that’s not quite everything. I am not sure I am interested in the NES ones. If I get through everything else and really want to more maybe I’ll buy used copies of Minish Cap and Spirit Tracks, but those are rather expensive)
Re: Guide: How To Spot Bootleg Nintendo Video Games
I’ve found the r/gameverifying subreddit helpful as well.
I only have three DS games and one GBA game, but I bought them all off of eBay and think they are real. I haven’t opened the GBA one though to look at the PCB.
As a professional software engineer I like to respect intellectual property rights so I always try to buy legitimate copies. It just feels like the right thing to do.
I can see how some folks feel it doesn’t matter buying reproduction cartridges since on the secondary market the money is not going directly to the producers of the content anyway. However, I feel like the price of a game on the secondary market could influence rights holders when they are deciding on re-releasing or remaking games. Games having a good value on the secondary market may also help rights holders sell newer (physical) games for more money for longer if buyers feel confident in being able to resell them for a good price if they want to.
I buy digital and physical games, but I do feel good about the ability to resell physical games (even if I never intend to), it just feels like a good balance of rights. So I generally prefer physical copies especially for first party games.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 13th)
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (some of each mode). Enjoying it so far. I really liked 3D Land and 3D World is great so far. I think the video feature on 3D Land on here from last week hit the nail on the head when they said that it is the variety that makes these games great.
May play a bit of A Link to the Past if I want something else. I am on the final dungeon now. (Started it a couple years ago and returned to it for the last couple dungeons after finishing A Link Between Worlds last weekend).
Re: Nintendo Registers New Trademark For The Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
I didn’t play it back when I had my first DS but I just bought a copy off eBay recently to try out at some point. I was going to buy spirit tracks too but I can’t justify $40 for it unless I play through Phantom Hourglass. I also haven’t played BOTW yet and it was on sale for $40 so I picked that up to add to the backlog.
I’d love to see windwaker HD and twilight princess HD come to switch.
I rented A Link to the Past as a kid and didn’t get very far. I also owned Ocarina of Time and Link’s Awakening DX as a kid and also didn’t get very far.
I have enjoyed rediscovering Zelda games as an adult though starting with Ocarina of Time 3D, A Link to the Past and Majora’s Mask 3D on the 3DS. I recently played through A Link Between Worlds which was the first one I didn’t look at a guide at all for. The others I’ve played always ran into things here and there that I had to look up.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 6th)
I’m assuming I’ll be finishing A Link Between Worlds this weekend. One more sage to save then I’m assuming it is just a final dungeon and Boss. I’ve been enjoying it a lot. It looks really good in 3D. I haven’t had to resort to a guide or hints at all (I am not sure if this is because I am building up enough series knowledge now —having played OOT, MM and most of LttP — or if it is just because it is a newer/easier game).
Then maybe I will figure out what I didn’t finish in A Link To The Past when I played it a few years back and see if I feel like doing that.
I’d also like to play Link’s Awakening DX on 3DS, but if I start it after ALBW I doubt that I’ll have time to complete it before Mario 3D World comes out on Friday.
I went on a bit of a buying spree lately (All 3 GBC Zelda’s on 3DS VC, Phantom Hourglass, and Breath of the Wild). So I see a lot of Zelda in my future, but I will probably need to break it up so I don’t get burned out.
Re: Video: Super Mario 3D Land Deserves to Be Remembered
Great game! I first played it 2.5 years ago a bit after I got back into gaming with a New 2DS XL. A few months back I decided I had to experience it in Stereoscopic 3D so I bought a new New 3DS XL someone was selling. It was worth it. The 3D really adds to the experience. Currently enjoying the 3D in A Link Between Worlds as well.
Looking forward to 3D World + Bowser’s Fury next week. I’ve never played it. With the multiplayer maybe my kids will want to play it with me. They are currently really in to Mario Odyssey.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 30th)
Finally finished Majora’s Mask 3D last weekend after starting it in 2018, taking a break for a couple of years and then getting back to it in August and then getting back to it again recently.
Started of A Link Between Worlds this week and I am really enjoying it. I played A Link To The Past a couple times as a kid but didn’t really “get” it. I played all but the last dungeon in LttP in 2018 also. I should get back to that at some point. I am trying to keep my own notes this time with ALBW to avoid feeling like I need to look at a guide if so end up taking a long break from it. I generally like to just use a guide if I get stuck on some puzzle that is too obscure, but sometimes I get sucked into following the guide more than I want to when I see all the things I could have collected by whatever point I am at in the game. Nothing wrong with following guides, but it does take away from my enjoyment a bit if I follow too closely.
I am feeling tempted to buy up the GBC zelda games on 3DS VC and authentic copies of the DS ones on eBay
Maybe some more Horace if I feel like a break from ALBW.
Re: Review: Horace - A Heart-Warming Nostalgia Trip And Must-Play Masterpiece
@Crockin I just got to chapter 9 about 7 hours in. It has been kind of up and down for me. Early on I was intrigued by where it was going to go with the story aspects. The platforming early on was definitely not great. I found some of the platforming in chapter 6 especially annoying. There are some things that reach out and kill you if you pass by too close which is annoying. In chapter 7 or 8 the platforming started to feel a lot better. I found the boss in chapter 8 quite annoying though. Platformers are probably my favorite genre. Celeste and DKC Tropical Freeze would be 10/10 for me (and Hollow Knight is another 10/10 for a metroidvania style).
Horace doesn’t compare to any of those as far as the platforming, but I don’t think that is what it is trying to be. I’ve enjoyed playing it but I am not yet sure if I will finish it. If Feb 12 and Mario 3D World comes before I am done chances are I won’t get back into it.
Update: 1 day later and I am starting chapter 12. I seem to keep picking it back up anyway.
Re: Feature: Remembering Super Mario 3D Land, 3D World’s Oft-Forgotten Predecessor
3D land is great. I played it first on my New 2DS XL a few years ago, but 4-5 months back I found someone selling a brand new New 3DS XL that I bought because I felt I had to experience it in stereoscopic 3D and I was glad I did. It definitely makes good use of the 3D. I haven’t played 3D World, but I am looking forward to getting it February 12th.
Re: Poll: Do You Play Your Switch More In Docked Or Handheld Mode?
I misread the options and voted for the inverse. I am 90%+ handheld.
Re: Microsoft Has A "Very Good Relationship With Nintendo" But Isn't Making Any Promises Moving Forward
It’d be great to see N64 Rare games on switch. I have been tempted to buy a current XBox One just for Rare Replay, but haven’t been able to justify it. Maybe if I can pick up one used really cheap after the new one comes out.
It seems like it would be a good move for both companies to get the N64 Rare games on Switch. I bet they could charge a good price for them. I know I’d pay $60 for just the N64 Rare games.
It seems like they wouldn’t have to put a lot of resources into getting the games on the switch either since they already have an N64 emulator. I remember reading that Rare games had their own GPU microcode or something since the stock GPU microcode had some issues. I read it in an article that was comparing PSX to N64, but Wikipedia also has a section about it: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_64_programming_characteristics#Microcode. If for some reason Nintendo’s emulator doesn’t already support that there may be some work there.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 12th)
Lately I have been getting back into Majora’s Mask (3DS) after taking a break from it for... well... about 2 years. I am hoping I can finish it before I start on Mario 3D All Stars Friday.
Re: Poll: Super Mario 3D All-Stars Is One Week Away - Which Game Will You Play First?
Oh and I played Galaxy 2 recently and loved it, but that means I can wait a bit on playing Galaxy.
Re: Poll: Super Mario 3D All-Stars Is One Week Away - Which Game Will You Play First?
I’ll probably play sunshine first because I never played it. I have considered going chronologically as well though, but I think if I do that I will likely need a break from Mario after 64 and I do really want to try out Sunshine.
I rented 64 a couple of times as a kid in the 90s, but didn’t really “get” 3D platforming until after that. I did play the DS version a couple years ago and enjoyed it aside from the controls. Didn’t complete it because the controls got too annoying as the difficulty increased. So I am excited to try 64 with proper controls.