Comments 2,340

Re: Review: Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen (Switch) - Red-Hot Nostalgia In A So-So Wrapper

somnambulance

@Tibob I’m not necessarily defending it, just saying that the price point isn’t nearly as outlandish as many people are acting that it is. It’s Mario Galaxy Switch version all over again.

It’s better value than many of the retro releases LRG has pumped out the last couple years, for example. I mean, Jaws on NES ported to Switch was $35. I don’t care if they added a music player, gallery, and additional content, that’s far worse value proposition when you compare the content and quality of the games.

Surely Capcom and Konami are putting out better retro comps and, for the most part, so is Digital Eclipse, but the vast majority of retro re-releases are basically roms sold at a price point comparable to indie releases, and Pokemon FR/LG is as a base game better than the majority of games releasing like this these days.

Re: Review: Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen (Switch) - Red-Hot Nostalgia In A So-So Wrapper

somnambulance

@Tibob honestly, $20 isn’t a terrible price tag for this. It’s a chunky game with plenty to do post-game. Same as the uproar about Mario Galaxy’s recent release, I do feel the pricing is surprisingly fair, though there could’ve been an alternate way to release it. Most retro style indie titles retail at $20-30 when they release currently, so it’s in line with current market values for retro games. I’m not saying that it’s better than releasing the game on NSO as a price proposition, but I’m hoping there may be a legitimate reason why, such as Home functionality or future release compatibility that is the real reason for tbis.

@cylemmulo Hopefully they DO do more stuff with it. There’s always the possibility things could be patched in and that they chose to release it in this fashion because they are planning to make other older Pokemon games compatible with the Switch and Pokemon Home. There’s the possibility that more could be in the pipeline to celebrate Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary that is being reserved for future announcements.

Honestly I’d not be so defensive about it had I not had so much experience with Pokemon-likes over the years and had gaming’s release slate not been so weak last year.

Re: Review: Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen (Switch) - Red-Hot Nostalgia In A So-So Wrapper

somnambulance

I dunno, man… 7/10 seems low. I’m playing LeafGreen alongside my son playing FireRed and honestly… I don’t know if it’s the father/son thing or what, but I’m enjoying going back to these ones far more than I expected. They hold up far better than I would’ve thought. The online features should be there, there should be something new in the game, but outside that, it’s still honestly a remarkable game. It has such little excess too, so its simplicity is such an interesting thing circa 2026.

And what’s more is that I can compare my nostalgic perspective with the fresh perspective of my son who is hooked on the game. It’s his first RPG and he’s understanding the consequences of picking Charmander as a starter, but he’s also figuring it out. I see him learning the same things I learned by intuition. The game doesn’t exactly tell you what you need to do, what Pokémon you need, but it does let you figure it out. I sort of realized how hand holdy most games are in the series going back to this one. Even the Let’s Go games make things more obvious than these remakes do. It’s such a pure Pokemon experience and rightfully so, as it is basically ground zero, even though it’s a remake.

Is the price high? Perhaps. Should these be on NSO? Probably. But realistically, going back and playing this game sort of puts most games I played in 2025 to shame and I wasn’t expecting to feel that way at all.

Re: Nintendo Indie World Showcase March 2026: Every Announcement, Game Reveal, Trailer

somnambulance

Why isn’t Öoo in the western presentation? It’s on Steam right now. The game’s really solid too. I think I preferred Elechead, but it’s one of the better indie titles released last year.

This presentation was sort of mid for me. I got a Steamdeck last year and honestly… the best games on here are out on Steam already. Denshattack might be the only one I’m interested in. Big drop off from the last Indie World Showcase for me. Not enough retro style stuff for me.

Re: Blue Prince's Excellent Mansion Mystery Arrives On Switch 2 Today

somnambulance

Don’t sleep on this one. This is one of the best games to come out last year. It’s a shame Clair Obscur overshadowed this one when they basically released side-by-side on Gamepass. The game was starting to get some buzz for a week or two and then it went sort of silent. I wish them a lot of success for this one.

This is a unique game that truly doesn’t quite feel like anything else that I’ve played, which becomes a harder and harder thing to do with each passing year, of course. Unlike many games too, I’d recommend it to literally anyone. My wife loved it too. We actually ended up playing it side-by-side quite a bit last spring, with one of us playing on Xbox and the other on PS5. My son also enjoyed it, though he’s a bit too young to crack it beyond the initial feeling of discover the game can create.

It should’ve been in the GotY discussion last year. For me, it was up there with Death Stranding 2, Silksong, and Bananza as one of the absolute essential releases last year and ended up being the most enjoyable roguelike (though that genre’s not exactly accurate for it even though it also is) for me in a year that had Hades 2, which is really saying something.

Re: Nintendo Indie World Showcase Announced For Tomorrow, 3rd March 2026

somnambulance

Honestly, this is good news. Mina the Hollower and Witchbrook could get release dates. I know Orbitals was in the partner Direct, but it could get a release date too. Rubato could use a launch trailer to build hype for that game coming in a few days. Would really appreciate Future Knight’s demo being on Switch. Even though I played it on Steam last year, My Little Puppy is slated to get a release date in Spring for consoles. And the last Indie World Showcase had a lot to love too that we haven’t seen updates on. There’s a lot to be interested in with this one. Hopefully I’m not eating my shoe after I say that because you never know how these showcases will go, but honestly, I’ve sort of been wondering where the indie games are at this year since it’s been quiet on that front.

Do we need an update on first party games? Sure, but honestly there’s plenty of exciting games right now in the first half of the year. Hopefully Mario Day gives us a nice first party games only Direct. Would be nice to have one of those without any pesky third party announcements, right? 😅 Right now though, 2026 is trending far better than 2024 and 2025 did with Mario Tennis, Pokopia, Resident Evil, and Pragmata leading a strong charge for big games. Let the little ones shine too!

Re: Review: Pokémon Pokopia (Switch 2) - One Of The Most Enticing Pokémon Games Ever

somnambulance

As of right now, it’s looking like this might be the most cumulatively well-reviewed Pokemon game of all time, which is crazy. I’m looking forward to this one, even though I think it’s going to end up being a game for my wife and kids to play while I’m at work, Animal Crossing style, rather than something I play myself. I’m happy to support it though. I’m genuinely looking forward to the game in however way I experience it.

Between this one and playing LeafGreen/FireRed with me on one and my son on the other, having his first JRPG experience, Pokémon’s really hitting the spot right now.

Re: Feature: Nintendo Life eShop Selects (February 2026)

somnambulance

@PigmaskFan Yeah, I totally agree. Is Rayman a classic game? Yes. But even so, is it as classic as all the early Bomberman games? No… And all the problems with the release only make it more unusual as a choice. Usually Digital Eclipse does a lot better than that and makes packages far more worthwhile. In typical Ubisoft 2026 fashion though, even a good will style legacy release can’t help but be baffling.

Re: Feature: Nintendo Life eShop Selects (February 2026)

somnambulance

Bomberman was robbed. It deserved to at least be in the top 3 as a shadow drop and solid collection. If only Saturn Bomberman was on there…

Seeing the Rayman release above it feels sort of wrong, given how much more depth in content (and the original soundtrack) is present with Bomberman. Even Disney Afternoon Collection doesn’t feel like it should be above it, and that’s a fantastic comp too.

Re: Poll: Will You Be Getting Pokémon FireRed Or LeafGreen On Switch?

somnambulance

I’ll probably get Leafgreen. Might get both, so I can play side by side with my son.

I’ve got $150 in my eshop wallet right now, and… I dunno… I didn’t like the Darwin’s Paradox demo, so I mean… there’s not really much else I want at the moment and I sort of want to buy something with it because… Christmas/birthday money is for spending? Outside Pokopia and Rubato, there’s really not much I want on Switch 2 coming up the first third of the year at least.

While, sure, this should be on NSO, both games are absolutely great, so I’m not ruined by the fact that they’re being sold as standalone.

Re: Best Mario Tennis Games Of All Time

somnambulance

Fever is the best of the bunch. The “campaign” is a let down, but the game-to-game, moment-to-moment gameplay is fantastic. The fever rackets add a lot of fun to the gameplay, especially in higher difficulties where it becomes a mad dash to screw over your opponent before they screw you over. It’s honestly a step up from the already excellent Mario Tennis Aces in every way except the campaign. It’s arguably the best Mario multiplayer game on Switch 2 currently.

Given how people complain about “lack of content,” it baffles me how much people love Mario Tennis 64. It’s a fantastic game as well, but it’s the most barebones and was sold at full retail price at launch. Nostalgia glasses are glued when it comes to that one.

Re: Poll: What's Your Favourite Gen 7 Pokémon?

somnambulance

Alolan Marowak… but that’s not an option. I love the Alolan versions of Pokemon. I think regional variants were the best idea the series had in a long while. All the Alolan forms are classic, not gonna lie. Honestly, Gen 7 is sort of a weird one where it felt like Pokemon was just trying new things out and it just worked most of the time.

For actual options, I went with another obvious one, but much like my pick for Gen 5, it’s because of that Poketoon they made. I just really loved it. The dynamic between Scraggy and Mimikyu was hilarious.

Re: Poll: What's Your Favourite Gen 6 Pokémon?

somnambulance

I know it’s a little cliche of a choice for me, but genuinely Greninja’s one of the most popular Pokemon of all time for a reason.

Honestly, I’ve got a soft spot for Gen 6. After Gen 4, I bounced from Pokemon. A friend of mine talked me into selling my PS3 for Pokemon X and a 3DS, and while that was a terrible trade, I enjoyed Pokemon X far more than I expected and even went back to retry Gen 4 and then play Gen 5 immediately after. It was like a Pokemon reawakening for me. I think the designs in Gen 6 are relatively solid, if safe, just like the games were, but that was a good thing to me at the time and it still is.

Re: Poll: What's Your Favourite Gen 5 Pokémon?

somnambulance

I voted for Scraggy. Not because of me liking him during Gen 5, no… but because I loved that Poketoon that came out a few years ago with Mimikyu that mimicked the style of 1930’s cartoons. I honestly loved that rendition of Pokemon so much, I have to vote for this guy.

To be totally frank about Gen 5, I love the Gen 5 games. They might be the best from a gameplay point of view, but they’ve got some issues in the art department and I’ve always thought Pokemon sort of lost the way a little bit this generation with the likability of the Pokemon designs. This is the generation where Pokemon started to look like they were monsters from Pokemon clone games rather than genuine Pokemon. That’s not to say there aren’t any classic Pokemon each generation, just that it feels like each successive generation has a handful of good designs, but also a bunch that feel like they were designed to pad numbers rather than being actually inspired.

I do wonder if, when we get to Gen 7, if regional forms will be in the voting umbrella.

Re: Poll: What's Your Favourite Gen 4 Pokémon?

somnambulance

Weavile forever! My favorite Pokemon. Period.

The ultimate dragon/psychic assassin. Destroyed so many friends’ teams with my homie over the years.

Gotta be honest: I’ve never really liked Gen 4 so much, but the Pokemon designs were a huge step up from Gen 3. They’re not quite as classic as Gen 1 and 2, but they’re the closest the series has ever gotten to getting back to that design magic.

Re: UK Charts: Mario Tennis Fever Serves Up A Decent Debut

somnambulance

Mario Tennis Fever is honestly quite enjoyable. It improves on everything Mario Tennis Aces did right. I’ve yet to play the adventure mode yet, but the tournaments and challenge modes have been an absolute blast and just having random matches is so frenetic and solid on the gameplay that I really, really like it. I found myself giggling when I had bounced back enough fever attacks to completely overload a rather difficult Baby Princess Peach cpu I had the other day to take a win after being behind by just a bit in the tiebreaker round. It’s incredible fun.

For what it’s worth, I think it’s the best multiplayer game yet on Switch 2 and potentially my favorite of the Mario sports games. While, no, it doesn’t have a fun RPG story mode like the GBA sports games, the minute-to-minute gameplay is utterly impeccable.

Re: Poll: What's Your Favourite Gen 3 Pokémon?

somnambulance

For me, Gen 3 was the first generation where I felt like Pokemon were sort of hit or miss in design. It was the generation where I started swaying from Pokemon a bit. I just remember thinking the gen 1 remakes were the better gen 3 games.

I picked Wynaut for Gen 3 because it’s a baby Wobbuffet.

Re: Poll: What's Your Favourite Gen 1 Pokémon?

somnambulance

Haunter was my first favorite Pokemon, so I’m sticking with him. I just remember catching my first one in Lavender Town and the Pokemon felt like a monster. I didn’t have trade cables, so I max leveled him and he never became a Gengar. Even still, I wiped the floor with him in the game.

Jeez, I wonder if I can still remember my first team…

Blastoise
Haunter
Kadabra
Hitmonlee
Nidoking
Zapdos

…I think that’s the first team I beat the Elite 4 with.

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (14th February)

somnambulance

@Divide_and_Wander Like @Chimaj, I consider games I’ve not yet played as my backlog or games I have played and intend to return to at some point. Mine was sort of gruesome for a few years, but then 2020 hit and I sort of had the time to sort through things and just play. By the time I was working again at the end of the year, I had things structured and there’s not much remaining in there now, at least not in a modern sense. I was sort of blessed as a kid with a rental store down the street from me, so I was typically pretty up to date on gaming throughout my youth. It was really only in that Switch/PS4/Xbone era that I didn’t keep up, and that sort of changed in 2020. In the meantime since though, I’ve redirected my backlog to feature retro games I’d like to play to completion and I work on that during slower release periods. 2024 and 2025 were a tad bit slower than your typical gaming years for me, so I was hammering away at things like Panic Restaurant and Whomp ‘Em and finally getting to start Terranigma. I’d say I’m pretty close to feeling caught up on the first three Nintendo home console generations and I’m basically caught up with PlayStation across the board. I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to work on that retro backlog this year, but since it’s all old games now, it’s not as stressful as when it’s new releases. I don’t like trying to balance those. Like when FF16 launched right after TotK, you know? Let a guy breathe! Lol.

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (14th February)

somnambulance

Mario Tennis Fever if I feel up to it. I’m feeling quite ill at the moment. Mario Tennis isn’t the only one with a fever, I suppose! Ha!

There’s some demos that were recently released across the platforms I’d like to play too. Monster Hunter Stories 3, Darwin’s Paradox, Lana 2, Replaced, and I think there’s a few more. The release schedule’s about to explode.

Re: Round Up: The Reviews Are In For Mario Tennis Fever

somnambulance

@Maxz The narrative!? Have you forgotten!? “The cake is a lie!”

But seriously, it’s insanity that the N64 golf and tennis games are considered beloved and 90+ on Meta if we analyze things a bit deeper. If people are complaining about how little content modern games have, they’ve never played “the classics,” which were also sold at full retail price of $60, which, if you account for inflation, was far a higher expense in 2000 than it is today, despite the $10 price increase of modern games. Imagine paying $60 for a game with no story mode and it getting 90+ on Metacritic.

Wild times some of us experienced before this renaissance of overtly critical thinking.

Re: Round Up: The Reviews Are In For Mario Tennis Fever

somnambulance

Anyone that is experiencing rage over this game being a 77, ask yourself how Mario sports titles typically review. This would be the 6th best reviewed Mario sports title of all time according to Metacritic scores, behind the second Strikers game, the GBA Tennis and Golf titles, and the original N64 Tennis and Golf titles. All in all, this one reviewed quite well for its particular genre.

Re: Review: Mario Tennis Fever (Switch 2) - Slim For Singles, But An Addictive Core Gives It Online Legs

somnambulance

It sounds like it’s a Mario Tennis game. The short adventure mode isn’t a con to me. It’s an appetizer. And it sounds like the main course of frenetic multiplayer action is well worth the meal. I honestly can’t wait to play this one!

This sounds like it’ll be my go-to Mario multiplayer game on Switch 2 for the future. I loved Aces too, as much as, yes, I’ve got nostalgia for the GBA Mario Sports games. It sounds like Fever, like Aces, will be some good, clean, simple, gameplay-first fun and I appreciate that.

Just gotta go easy enough on the kids, so they can develop some skill…