rdm22

I bought a New Nintendo 2DS XL for Christmas and have been thrilled with the purchase. Late to the party, but it's a great system. And it's so distinct from Switch that I don't feel like I'm playing outdated hardware. Nearing the endgame of A Link Between Worlds, which I have loved. I also have taken ample advantage of the excellent eShop and the built-in games (no surprise Mario Kart 7 (pre-downloaded) is a blast — I love the way they use the dual screen with the live map on the bottom. But I was gobsmacked that the seemingly turn-on-once-and-forget-about-it Face Raiders is actually a hoot).

No reason to be bummed about another FE fighter given that we have 6 more coming our way! Plus, most of the FE fighters are fun to play as.

@Maschinenmensch Give Chromagun a try! It's no Portal, but it's cheap and scratches the itch.

@SirAwesomeness41 One word: Portal.

Very excited for Megaman Zero / ZX collection, but I should probably beat the MM and MMX Legacy collections first....

Time permitting, the games I will be choosing from are as follows:

Switch: World of Goo, one of the free download games from Qubic, start a new indie game (just completed Night in the Woods).

3DS: Link Between Worlds.

Mobile: Dr. Mario World.

Retro: Super Mario Land, Mario Golf (GBC), Final Fantasy, Metroid.

Gonner is pretty regularly on sale and is a dynamite rogue-like shooter platformer. The minimalist art and music are great, too. (Just to chime in on this list.)

First comment in two years, but just want to thank NL for recommending this title. It really is a deeply human story (despite starring all animals; strong Bojack vibes). Loved this game (even though it was a little tedious to run around and talk to everyone at times), wouldn't have picked it up but for the NL rec. So thank you!

Wasn't BotW pitched with an NES demo? It would be fun if Nintendo ever let that see the light of day (I think videos are available, but I meant to tinker with).

@Dr_Corndog Perfect description.

Interesting that it's an even split between NA and Japan right now.

I have never played any Fire Emblem (which I regret, but they are intimidating titles and there are only so many hours in the day), but Fire Emblem is now tied with Pokemon, second only to Super Mario in terms of representation. That's nuts! Few would say it's a top-three franchise in Nintendo's arsenal (at least in terms of cultural significance). I don't love super saturation from any franchise, but if you are going to go nuts, I think it should be with the heavy-hitters.

I hope for the next set of DLC, we dig deep into classic Nintendo games (even if they were owned by other companies; other companies want their IP in Smash!) that haven't been touched. Maybe Microsoft would be willing to let Nintendo revive other Rare stalwarts like Rash/Zitz/Pimple from Battletoads. Or Konami would loan out Bomberman. Or whoever owns Turok would let him jump in the fray.

Anyway, today's news is a net win because we're getting more DLC, and that's awesome. If only the Mario Kart 8 team could get in on the DLC love....

@KryptoniteKrunch @Pirlo_ze_sniper Yup! I spent the first 30 years of my life saying no game would ever be better than Ocarina of Time (well, 20; OoT wasn't around that first, dark decade). I'll spend the rest of my life saying BotW won't be topped (or at least until BotW 2).

FINALLY someone gets it right!

@Agramonte I can understand why one would have the "easter egg hunt" gripe, but I actually thought it enhanced the depth and sense of really living in the world of Hyrule to first see it in its ruined state and then be given glimpses of what happened via the scattered cutscene things (it's been a while since I played). It also fit the game both narratively — you wake up, have no idea where you are or what happened, and have to piece everything together — and functionally — BotW is all about freeing you up to explore at will, so it was nice not following the story in a deliberate, methodical way but happening upon it in pieces as you probed deeper into the [ahem] wild.

All that said--I get it and think it's an interesting point; and I'm also very excited to dig into Switcher once I have time (never played W3).

I haven't played the original, so selfishly would love a remake / remaster of that more than the original. But I think a sequel would be great for the Switch / JRPG lovers, so I would welcome that, too (I'd just pony up for a GameCube version; they're surprisingly expensive).

Impossibly awesome.

Late to the party, but I played A Link Between Worlds at length and it was a glorious time. Love this game.

@MS7000 I actually picked up the 3DS (well, New Nintendo 2DS XL) recently and have been kicking my self for my beyond-the-last-minute jumping on board. Definitely still a truly great system.

Yes, please please please bring this to Switch.

I have almost bought this game many times. Own Yono, so this is a definite download. Thanks for the heads-up, NL!

My 2DS XL arrives tomorrow — couldn't wait 'til Christmas! The eShop has so many stellar titles not available on Switch (or even Wii — I stockpiled before Wii was shut down; don't have a WiiU, so 3DS definitely fills gaps). Plus a loaded library of its own. Extremely late to the party, but I have zero regrets about investing in the 2DS XL rather than a Switch Lite (which I still don't fully comprehend the appeal of).

I wish I had the gastrointestinal fortitude to enjoy this game, but an experience where the praise being lavished on it is “traumatic; it's a nerve-shredding ordeal “ is simply something I cannot bring myself to embark upon. I have a hard enough time watching the films without having a meltdown. Cannot imagine having the beast actually stalking me.

Huge pity, because it sure sounds like one hell (as it were) of a game.

@Majora101 I am jealous of your shelf — and agree with your take that it's a toss-up between NA & Japan, but ultimately I go with NA.

Shocked there's not more love for Japan. That cover is awesome. But NA is pretty sweet, too.

Kotaku loved it, too: https://kotaku.com/pokemon-sword-and-shield-the-kotaku-review-1839812633

The magic of Pokémon is that it lets you tap into a sense of wonder that becomes more and more difficult to access as an adult. Sword and Shield do that more successfully than any Pokémon release has in years. It won’t be everything to everyone, and it will not make everyone happy. I’m not sure it needs to. It’s a portal to a new world. And it definitely has something for Pokémon’s core audience: everyone in the entire world.

@Dm9982 @Brittroberts Thank you both for the helpful comments. Sounds like even if I can't coax anybody else to give it a go, it will be worth it. I always love seeing a classic get a fresh coat of paint that is nonetheless faithful to the original wining formula.

Is it worth it if you are going to play mostly solo, or really the game is intended and only genuinely enjoyable in multiplayer?

Megaman, Last Blade 2, Worms WMD, Super Bomberman R, and not sure what else.

@Roam85 Strongly agree. I was familiar with Fatal Fury, but had only played it in arcades / friends' houses a few times. My first real exposure to the franchise's rich cast of characters came when I was a teenager playing the (excellent) Capcom v. SNK 2, but for whatever reason I didn't pick up more titles back then. Having so many of the titles (maybe all of them?) available on Switch has been fantastic. Garou may well be the best traditional fighter I have ever played.

That Japan art is WILD. Kinda crazy to see how much certain character’s art has changed while others have remained more or less unchanged.

"...chances are you probably didn’t even know the NES Castlevania had a timer because it was generous..."

Strongly disagree with this, but that may be a reflection of either my lack of 'vania skills (had never played the series prior to picking up the collection) or my obsessiveness (have to make sure I explore / collect everything). At any rate, I was immediately put off by the timer in NES Castlevania in the collection, so there's no chance I pick up a game with a more aggressive time restriction. But I do love seeing hidden gems, as @Dayton311 put it, released, so kudos to Hamster and Godspeed (literally) to all of you faster vampire slayers.

@ummyeahnintendo the entire rap is now stuck in my head. Not a productive time at the office, thank you much.

Love the inclusion of Vivian. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is one of my absolute favorite RPGs (or games). Criminally underrated entry in a stellar series.

@suikoden Had the same question. I beat the GameCube game during a weekend rental from Blockbuster (sigh...). But this seems like a much more engrossing game. Plus the reviews (not just from NL, but pretty much all the sites I checked) have been very strong. Looks like this one is a must.

The US Cover is the least aesthetically pleasing, but it also is the one that piques my interest the most as someone who is unfamiliar with the game (What's the "quest for identity?" What is that morphing thing in the top right corner of the box?).

Recently picked this up on Switch per NL's recommendation, so I look forward to figuring out [Gilmour voice] "wot's . . . uh the deal?"

@Flammy Agreed. That game was fantastic.

I’m tempted, but I could also just fire up the GALF (or GALF Nights, or GALF Seasons — the options!) mini games in Golf Story for a retro golf fix.

@dethmart oh wow I just copied you without seeing your post sorry lol

Power Stone, Power Stone, Power Stone, hmmm and maybe more Power Stone.

I’m playing NES Final Fantasy now, and a whole host of spells are worthless (at least in the Western release) due to being bugged out. And a couple actually get way better (I’m thinking of a heal spell that works far better than it was intended to). None of these are gamebreaking at all — I actually find it kind of endearing that the first entry in such a seminal series was released in the West as almost a beta prototype (a bit of an exaggeration, but you get my point).

I have never played this game, but how is it that North America isn’t winning by a mile? It’s so gloriously absurd! I guess if you’ve played and enjoy the game, then having it sheathed in a laughably hyper-macho case that could have been a poster for a C-List Stallone movie (“Rambo: Mustache Blood”) is maybe not a plus. But from a comedic / time capsule perspective, the NA cover is priceless.

lol great subtitle for this article

@Hylian-Likely yeah, switch online is basically all about the single player games I would love to have in portable format for me, too. I haven’t sprung for it yet, but now that SNES is — blessedly, FINALLY — there, it’s just a matter of time.

...I would play this SOOOOO FAST on Switch. Never would happen (Nintendo is not so into the whole "using our IP without permission" thing), but in a fantasy world where that weren't the case and, say, Toad's mushroom cap was in fact a cap that he could remove as he pleased, and King Koopa had just the best New York accent (rather than being, say, Dennis Hopper), yeah, I would play this game SO FAST.

"Swing your arms, from side-to-side — c'mon, it's time to go; DO THE MARIO!"

@OorWullie and Akuma is essentially invincible

@Dang69 wow that’s an appealing pitch! Would love that, too.

@Dang69 @XBontendo

Oh, that’s interesting! There’s hope, then! I would definitely pony up for those, too.

@XBontendo those are Capcom properties, right? Regardless, would LOVE any and all Zelda remakes on Switch (and those would be next on my list).

Genuinely shocked this isn’t a 10. Though from surfing the web, seems everyone loves this remake but there’s a lotta hate for the dungeon maker (and some frame rate quibbles).

I SOMEHOW never played the original, and the one I got from a cousin a couple Christmas’ ago (it was lying around his room and he asked me if I wanted it and I said hell to the power of yes) had a busted save battery (remember those?). So I am ECSTATIC to play this, but may wait til the holidays to rekindle that ol’ “Nintendo under the tree” feel as an adult.

@16bitdave good on you! I kinda wish I had, too — case will be gorgeous and I, too, am playing through backlog (I just had no willpower lol).