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11

General Gaming / Re: Games Beaten, Completed, or Played in 2025

« Last post by M.K.Ultra on January 04, 2026, 02:29:06 PM »

An impressive number of Platinums broodwars! As to be expected from the backlaugust champion.

12

Reader Reviews / IT'S THE AX: The case for Daemon Ex Machina: Titanic Scion

« Last post by Evan_B on January 03, 2026, 11:22:04 PM »

Daemon Ex Machina was incredibly stylish, but not for me. I love me some mechs but I think that the demo did not do a great job of showing me why I might want to spend hours optimizing a build in order to tackle specific missions. On that note, mission-structured games lend themselves to trial and error a bit too often, and sometimes it can be a bit frustrating to feel that there's nothing else to do but simply take on the same set of challenges with little reprieve. So when the sequel was announced as a more open world structured experience with powersuits rather than mechs, my interest was piqued- not that I don't like mechs, of course, but this sequel looked to be attempting something different from various angles. My decision to purchase the game was further bolstered by a hefty demo that allowed for some free exploration and optional combat.

In retrospect, the way objectives are telegraphed in video games is quite important. I say this because despite the open world presentation of Titanic Scion, it is still very much a mission-based mech combat game, which perhaps begs the question of why it needs three large open world environments. Now, looking at these maps, it might not seem like they are very “open,” or at least, freely explorable in terms of terrain interaction. While Titanic Scion does have some surprisingly stringent altitude limits and the maps might look a bit narrow, there's actually huge swaths of open space, populated with all sorts of structures, enemy types, and collectables. Essentially, this is the je ne sais quoi I felt was lacking from a purely mission-based game: the ability to just go off and screw around in a powersuit if I was feeling bored by the main narrative or challenged by a particular mission.

There are several systems built into the open world that make it a lucrative venture, one being the various kinds of loot obtained from unstructured enemy encounters. The enemy types that can be encountered in the field are Immortals, Sovereign Axiom Forces, and Colossi, which roughly translates to "eldritch beasts, guys equipped similarly to yourself, and really big things that you'll probably waste all of your ammo trying to kill." Immortals and Colossi can drop fusion materials that can be converted into valuable skills at base, with some allowing for specialized weapon techniques and others generally enhancing base abilities. This does come with the added effect of slowly transforming your player character into an inhuman abomination, which is fun! The Sovereign Axiom will drop development schema and various types of equipment, which can be swapped on the field or sent back to your hanger for future use. Then, there are the bits and bobs to be found elsewhere: mineral deposits to be used in conjunction with development plans, basic items and drops, graffiti that can be copied as decals, and a few types of currency that can be gathered to convert into specific buffs. What might surprise is that missions don't randomly trigger in the open world- the fights with colossi must be sought and engaged with, and there are some scripted skirmishes that you can resolve. Every mission is initially started at your base, at which point the player must find the NPCs on the world map and help them out. Hence, another reason for exploration: doing so offers a number of spawn points that can reduce your travel time.

Mind you, travel from one location to the next is not hugely difficult. Any enemy won't really be able to impede your movement from one point to the next- if you remain airborne or sprinting. Both of these cost Femto, one of the game's stamina systems. Yes, I said one. There's also stamina that is used for guarding, dodging, and special skill inputs. Now, just traveling by foot is a bit slower, and Titanic Scion does offer vehicular travel, whether atop an Immortal mount or using a nice car or wonky bike. I have to say, if Metroid Prime 4's Vi-O-La is the zenith of smooth and easy to control vehicle movement, the mounts in Titanic Scion aren't quite the opposite, but are wildly rewarding as a result of their own inadequacies. They react to each minor bump, they vault off of hills at high speeds and flip over at any point. It's kind of awesome, in its own dumb way.

Overall, traveling the open world is fun, effortless, and can be made more interactive simply by going out of your way to explore, engage in enemies, or screw around with things. But what is there to do, really? Well, the game also features a number of Sovereign Axiom facilities and natural tunnels, which offer dungeon-like experiences for the player to explore. While the rewards within these areas are only occasionally worthwhile, they are capital-C content, and offer a variety of unique scenarios that can test particular types of builds. And boy, builds really are the name of this game's... game, you know? There's a variety of armor and weapon types that you could use to outfit your Arsenal: revolvers, laser rifles, shotguns, machine guns, sniper rifles, bazookas, miniguns, knives, tachi, beamswords, single and two-handed swords, knuckles, shields, bows, status-guns, railguns, missile launchers, drones... I might have missed a few, but yeah. That's quite a bit.

Too bad nearly everything folds to flinch-rate melee attacks.

It's a bit of a shame, there's really only two matches in the game's coliseum battles that gave my high-mobility laser damage build a run for its money, which... I don't know, is maybe not-great for a game priding itself on variety of approach. But to be fair, that doesn't mean other builds wouldn't be as effective, and the coliseum is hardly the only type of skirmish that exists. There are plenty of Colossi battles that require more heavy-duty, longevity-focused builds to overcome, and the boss battles add some much-needed environmental and special-skill gimmickry for the player to grapple with. The added bonus is, much in the vein of the first game's ethos, you can replay these boss battles (and Colossi battles that you don't want to find in the field again) over and over for gear farming. Why, you ask, would you want to do that? Well, there are specific areas and enemies in the game that require highly specific gear composition. Some content even requires team-play (which I will never experience because I have no friends and refuse to be the carried member of a random squad)! There's also sort of randomly-generated dungeons you can access forever and forever on your own or with friends (that I don't have) that could make this game last forever. Because that's what every game needs to be these days: a forever game.

...I haven't touched the DLC campaign yet.

So, even if this game is pretty much "smash your toy robot against everything else," what is the actual story? That's a great question. It's also extremely hard to answer because you have factions within factions and traitors and schemes and dear god the main villain is named Void and I need to protect the Alpha from the Trinitas and the world is comprised of Humans and Outers and the Outers feel like puppets to the humans but the Trinitas have been ruling the world via the Sovereign Axiom and what the hell is happening? The thing is, the game starts with a genuinely compelling rebellion from within the ruling class and... this eventually is inconsequential because the plot is hijacked by a christlike figure who isn't you, the playable character. Not that it needs to be, mind you, but your own journey of redemption is compelling enough on paper to serve as the grounds for a game. And I guess the writers felt that would be a bit blase, so instead we got intense screaming, proselytizing, and monologuing out the whazoo. The end result is the most anime version of Children of Men you'll ever experience, but that's a lovely thing, isn't it? Children are the hope of the future, not some mirthless, awful future that involves suffering. And what is more inspiring for the next generation- I dare say what better way to show them the beauty of the world than sweet, sweet customizable armored powersuits?

...I don't know, I've returned to this place because I am reminded of a time when I would write, impassioned and free, about the merits of video games. As I age, I see how little people actually want to engage with this sort of discussion, and I gaze upon my own works and wonder whether my rants were because I believed in the artistic merits of a game, or if I just vehemently chose to defend my personal taste. In the case of Titanic Scion, I find myself enjoying a game quite a bit- the ability to just explore, and engage in enemy combat if I want to. I've hit forty hours and while I don't imagine I'll be able to wring much more out of its environments and missions, I know there's much more for me to find. The bosses in the game were pretty easily dealt with through some cheesy builds I created with a bit of tinkering and gear farming, but there are much more daunting enemies out there that I don't think I'll be able to best for a while longer- or without friends. And I find that satisfying, the idea of having something to keep coming back to play. I have other games to play, but Titanic Scion feels comfortable, despite its intense metallic rock soundtrack and desolate, grungy visuals. Heck, its comfortable enough that I find myself looking forward to the eventual model kits being produced by Bandai Namco that will probably be way too expensive in 2026 because what isn't, right? And I think about what games I choose to make a part of my personality- the things to which I commit myself, and try to prove worthy to others. If I can justify the existence of these games, then perhaps I have justified a bit of my own existence- if only a bit. Games are a power trip, but it depends what sort of trip you want to take. I think role-playing games appeal to me a great deal because of their payoff through commitment. With Titanic Scion, there is one unique fold introduced: that sometimes a build is well-suited for many different situations, and might even be appealing to me exclusively for a variety of reasons, but there are circumstances where my favorite thing might not work. The alternative is within grasp- the game will allow it, make it freely accessible, and when I learn to master that as well, I can save it as a preset and bring it out again in the future. It just takes even more time to get to that point. And that's kind of like life, yeah? So maybe I can exercise similar muscles, set similar goals, come up with new solutions to problems I'm facing, and turn them into a skill preset that I can whip out again. But it does start here, with intentional writing.

13

General Gaming / Re: Games Beaten, Completed, or Played in 2025

« Last post by broodwars on January 03, 2026, 07:22:07 PM »

Well, this should be a ride.

Nintendo Switch/Switch 2

- Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (completed 100%) - 8/10
- Xenoblade 2 (completed. I beat the DLC years ago) - 5/10
     - Yes, I really don't like that game, but I had to finally finish it to play 3.
- Xenoblade 3 + DLC (100% completed) - 9/10
- Donkey Kong Bananza (completed) - 7/10
- Princess Peach Showtime (100% completed) - 6/10
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (played, but not completed yet)

PS4/PS5

- Silent Hill 2 PS5 (100% completed) - 9/10
- Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis (100% completed) - 7/10
- Alan Wake 2 (100% completed) - 7/10
- Unicorn Overlord (100% completed) - 8/10
- Beyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Edition (100% completed) - 8/10
- Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore (100% completed) - 6/10
- What Lies in the Multiverse (100% completed) - 6/10
- FANTASIAN: Neo Dimension (100% completed) - 8/10
- Okami HD (100% completed) - 6/10
- Indiana Jones & the Staff of Kings (100% completed) - 5/10
- Slitterhead (100% completed) - 7/10
- Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (100% completed) - 8/10
- Balatro (completed) - 7/10
- Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 (100% completed) - 10/10
- Wavetale (100% completed) - 6/10
- Metaphor: Refantazio (100% completed) - 8/10
- The Last Faith (100% completed) - 7/10
- Revenge of the Savage Planet (100% completed) - 7/10
- Nobody Wants to Die (100% completed) - 6/10
- Blacksad: Under the Skin (100% completed) - 7/10
- Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Remastered (played, but not completed)
- Resident Evil 5 (100% completed) - 8/10
- MMPR: Rita's Rewind (played, but not completed)
- Bendy & the Dark Revival (100% completed) - 6/10
- Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice PS5 (100% completed) - 8/10
- Pumpkin Jack (100% completed) - 6/10
- Heaven Dust (played, but not completed)
- Blue Prince (completed) - 7/10
- Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed (completed) - 5/10
- Robocop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business (100% completed) - 8/10
- Tamarin (completed) - 4/10
- Indiana Jones & the Great Circle + DLC (100% completed) - 7/10
- ArcRunner (played, but not completed)
- RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army (100% completed) - 7/10
- Disney Illusion Island (100% completed) - 5/10
- Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound (100% completed) - 9/10
- Gex 1 HD (100% completed) - 3/10
- Gex 2 HD (100% completed) - 8/10
- Gex 3 HD (completed) - 7/10
- Silent Hill f (completed) - 7/10
- TMNT: Splintered Fate (completed) - 8/10
- Anthem (played, but not completed and will never complete)
- Shinobi: Art of Vengeance (completed) - 9/10
- Tormented Souls 2 (completed) - 9/10
- Hotel Barcelona (played, but not completed)
- Shadow Labyrinth (100% completed) - 4/10
- Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (100% completed) - 7/10
- Yooka-Replaylee (100% completed) - 9/10

So that's...47 games completed in 2025.

14

General Gaming / MK Ultra's Games Beaten, Completed, or Played in 2025

« Last post by M.K.Ultra on January 03, 2026, 04:03:03 PM »

I finished 42 games in 2025. They are listed below by the system they were played on in the format
Title (play time, completion%, rating/10, replay)
All titles are first plays unless "replay" is indicated.

Nintendo Switch 2

• Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour (7 hours, 100%, 7/10)
• Mario Kart World (6 hours, any%, 9/10)
• Donkey Kong Bananza (20 hours, any%, 9/10)

Nintendo Switch

• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (24 hours, any%, 9/10)
• Super Mario Party Jamboree (19 hours, any%, 10/10
• Starlink: Battle for Atlas (23 hours, Keep Atlus Safe, 9/10, replay)
• Dawn of the Monsters (23/43 challenges, 8/10)
• Mega Man X6 (10.5 hours, 100%, 7/10)
• Owlboy (6 hours, any%, 7/10)
• Shantae and the Seven Sirens (11 hours, 100%, replay, 9/10)
• Monkey Barrels (5 hours, 100%, 9/10)
• Advance Wars (22 hours, any%, 8/10)
• Tunic (10 hours, missing 4 pages, 8/10)

Wii U

• Yoshi's Woolly World (16.5 hours, 100%, replay 8/10)
• Pirate Pop Plus (12.5 hours, 100%, 9/10)
• Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends (18.5 hours, 100%, 6/10)
• Sonic Lost World (13 hours, 100%, replay, 8/10)
• Wii U Panorama View: Kyoto Sightseeing (8 minutes, 100%, 6/10)
• Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures (10 hours, 100%, 7/10)
• Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars (6 hours, Gold on first six worlds, 7/10)

Other Nintendo Consoles

• Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS, 20 hours, 100%, replay)
• Earthbound (SNES, 34 hours, any%)
• WarioWare: Smooth Moves (Wii, 8 hours, 100%, 8/10)
• The House of the Dead: Overkill (Wii, 3 hours, any%, 8/10
• The Addams Family (NES, 9 hours, 100%, 8/10)

Playstation 5

• Stray (8 hours total, 1.5 hour speedrun, 100%, replay, 10/10)
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (110 hours, !00%, 9/10)
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach (176 hours, 100%, 10/10)

Playstation 4

• Back to the Future: The Game (13 hours, 100%, replay, 9/10)
• Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (20 hours, 29/40 trophies, 8/10)
• Fallout 4 (Railroad ending, 9/10)

Other Playstation

• Kid Chameleon (PS3, 3 hours, 6/10)
• Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality (PSVR, 2 hours, any%, 8/10)
• C-Smash VRS (PSVR2, 1 hour, any%, 10/10)
• Half-Life 2: Episode One (PS3, 100%, 7/10)
• Marvel's Iron Man VR (PSVR, 5 hours, 27/42 trophies, 8/10)
• Ico (PS3, 6 hours, replay, 9/10)
• Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (PS Vita, 57.5 hours, 100%, 9/10)

Xbox

• Yakuza: Like a Dragon (Series X, 84 hours, 60/62 achievements, 10/10)
• South of Midnight (Series X, 11 hours, 26/40 achievements, 8/10)
• Cuphead (Xbox One, 28 hours, 100%, replay)

Other

• Sonic CD (Sega CD, any%, 8/10)

15

General Gaming / Games Beaten, Completed, or Played in 2025

« Last post by M.K.Ultra on January 03, 2026, 03:31:23 PM »

With 2025 officially over it is time to start another year of gaming. What better time then to post your records of games played, beaten, or completed. Personally I like to hear what system the games were played on, how long they took, whether you beat them any% or 100%, and if they were first plays or replays. Of course, feel free to post as little or as much as you want.

16

Nintendo Gaming / Rules!

« Last post by Order.RSS on January 02, 2026, 12:40:37 AM »

Rules/suggestions:

• You may submit between 1 and 10 predictions for the year.
• If you write your predictions in numbered list/bullet point format that’d be helpful, but it's not required.
• You get 1 point for being right, half a point for being half-right.
• You have until the first Direct (or major press release) of the year to submit predictions. It might be earlier this year than last year's February Direct. Obviously we can continue speculation afterwards, but it won't net you any tasty points.
• No points for guessing stuff we already know! See what we already know… in the post above!
• Non-predictions or super safe ones (e.g.: "Nintendo will not suddenly start selling alarm clocks orbital satellites") may be awarded no or negative points at the jury's discretion.

Stats below, choose your fighter wisely!

2025 Leaderboard:
Adrock: 6½ points [WINNER]
Mop It Up: 6 points [RUNNER-UP]
Stratos: 5 points [BRONZE]
Luigi Dude: 4½ points
M.K. Ultra: 3½ points
Order.RSS: 3 points

Lifetime achievements ranking:
M.K. Ultra: 26 points
Mop It Up: 25 points
Luigi Dude: 19½ points
Nickmitch: 19 points
Stratos: 16½ points
Adrock: 16 points
Safe Khushrenada: 12½ points
Bold Khushrenada: 9 points
Order.RSS: 9 points
MASB: 6 points
Khushrenada: 6½ points
Madness Khushrenada: 5 points
TopHatAnt: 5 points
Dinar87: 4 points
Evan_B: 4 points
Insanolord: 4 points
Lemonade: 3½ points
Pokepal: 3½ points
Mr. GlubGlub: 3 points
Oedo: 2 points
Fawful: 1 point
Broodwars: ½ point
Kairon: ½ point
Shaymin: ½ point
NotKhushrenada: -8 points

17

Nintendo Gaming / What will Nintendo release in 2026?

« Last post by Order.RSS on January 02, 2026, 12:38:34 AM »

Welcome to the 2026 predictions thread, where points are only barely less discontinued than Gold eShop Coins!
How it works: please post 1-10 Nintendo related things you think will occur this year, that's it!
Previous threads: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.


I will try to update this thread with all the major Nintendo releases of the year.
Here's what we know so far:

2026 Games/Software
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition January 2026. Switch 2.
- Mario Tennis Fever February 12th 2026. Switch 2.
- Pokémon Pokopia March 5th 2026. Switch 2.
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup In Bellabel Park - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Spring 2026. Switch 2.
- Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Spring 2026.
- Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream Spring 2026. Switch 1+2
- The Duskbloods 2026. Switch 2. (Nintendo co-publishing).
- Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave 2026.
- Pokémon Champions 2026.
- Rhythm Heaven Groove 2026. Switch 1+2.
 
2026 Hardware/Major merch
- Hardware: Virtual Boy - Switch adapter February 17th, 2026. Switch 1 & 2.
- amiibo: Meta Knight (Kirby Air Riders) March 5th 2026.
- amiibo: Mario & Luma (Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2) April 2nd 2026.
- amiibo: Rosalina & Lumas (Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2) April 2nd 2026.
- Movie The Super Mario Galaxy Movie April 3rd 2026.
- amiibo: Diana (Pragmata) April 26th 2026.
- Merch: Talking Flower Spring 2026.
- amiibo: Grace Ashcroft (Resident Evil Requiem) Summer 2026.
- amiibo: Chef Kawasaki (Kirby Air Riders) 2026.
- amiibo: King Dedede (Kirby Air Riders) 2026.

2026 notable DLC (paid/free)
- DLC: Animal Crossing: New Horizons 3.0 January 2026. Switch 1+2.
- DLC: Super Mario Bros. Wonder + Meetup In Bellabel Park Spring 2026. Switch 2.

2026 Nintendo Switch Online / Services / Mobile
- Virtual Boy - Nintendo Classics February 17th, 2026. Switch 1 & 2.
- Games added to Nintendo Classics apps:

• Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance TBD. GCN.
• Pokémon Colosseum TBD. GCN.
• Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness TBD. GCN.
• Super Mario Sunshine TBD. GCN.
• 3D Tetris TBD. VB.
• Galactic Pinball TBD. VB.
• Golf TBD. VB.
• Innsmouth No Yakata TBD. VB.
• Jack Bros. TBD. VB.
• Mario Clash TBD. VB.
• Mario's Tennis TBD. VB.
• Red Alarm TBD. VB.
• Space Invaders Virtual Collection TBD. VB.
• Teleroboxer TBD. VB.
• V-Tetris TBD. VB.
• Vertical Force TBD. VB.
• Virtual Bowling TBD. VB.
• Virtual Boy Wario Land TBD. VB.
• Virtual Fishing TBD. VB. Japan only.

Announced projects without dates/beyond 2026
- amiibo: Mineru's Construct (The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom) TBD.
- Cruis'n Blast - Online Multiplayer & DLC TBA. (Announced December 2021, Nintendo owned IP).
- Splatoon Raiders TBA. (Announced June 2025).
- Movie Untitled live-action Zelda movie May 7th 2027.

2026 Directs
- Pokémon Presents February 27th???

18

Nintendo Gaming / THE RESULTS!

« Last post by Order.RSS on January 02, 2026, 12:17:43 AM »

Looks they've already stealth dropped 2025 (Nintendo Switch 2 Edition), so I'd better churn my review out real quick!

Let's see here...

Half tempted to copy most of my 2024 since a lot of it was tied to Switch 2...

Oh! Forgot about this! Gotta get my predictions in!

1. Switch 2 releases 2024 with Backwards compatibility
2. Switch 2 adds things for their Online/VC library, but it is still underwhelming and limited from what it coudl and should be
3. Switch 2 includes some form of achievements/trophies
4. A new Fire Emblem is announced this year, but doesn't necessarily release yet.
5. Smash Ultimate gets a refresh/new DLC for Switch 2
6. We don't get Mario Kart 9, its just a refresh/update to 8 with a graphical overhaul, even more new and retro tracks, and some new modes and expansion to battle modes
7. Switch/Switch 2 finally gets a new Star Wars game that isn't Lego-based
8. Monster Hunter Wilds isn't coming to Switch, but Capcom throws something else MH related to the system.
9. Tears of the Kingdom gets new content, and it is tied to some new features of the Switch 2, either locking it to the new system or changing in some way that could be as simple as the Color Dungeon from the GBC Links Awakening dungeon
10. We get a new Animal Crossing, either a mainline one, a spinoff, or a massive new expansion/update for New Horizons

• I'll be generous and update the year to 2025, and yes Switch 2 indeed launched with back compat. 1 point
• Fire Emblem's newest entry was announced this year 1 point
• I'm counting Star Wars Outlaws as non-LEGO, 1 point
• Monster Hunter Stories 3 was indeed shown off! 1 point
• Those Zelda Notes apps in the Switch 2 Edition of TOTK coming in clutch! 1 point

Bummer on the Animal Crossing prediction just missing the year, but 5 points is a huge haul for some recycled predictions Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Predictions!

Yeah since I thought the Switch 2 would release at the end of 2024, I'll just reuse much of my prediction last year.

1.  The Switch 2 will launch with a new 3D Mario
2.  The new 3D Mario will be a fully open world game.
3.  The next Mario Kart will be revealed
4.  The next Smash Bros will be revealed
5.  A new IP will be announced for the Switch 2
6.  Nintendo will still support the original Switch with remasters and remakes.  I predict at least 3 more remakes or remasters will be announced for the Switch 1.
7.  A sequel to Astral Chain will be announced for Switch 2
8.  TurboGrafx/PC Engine games will be added to NSO Expansion pack.
9.  A new Animal Crossing will be revealed
10.  Metroid Prime 4 will not be a cross platform release.  Now last year I thought Nintendo had moved it to the Switch 2, but since we saw it was indeed still a Switch 1 release, it will stay just a Switch 1 release.  Best case scenario is if the game is played on the Switch 2, there might be some added benefits like faster loads times and a smoother frame rate, but there's not going to be a separate SKU for the Switch 2 that will look noticeably better like many seems to think.

• Bit of an edge case since 3D Mario turned out to be Donkey Kong instead. Not an entirely connected open world either, but maybe close enough? Ahh what the heck, here's ½ point
• Full marks for Mario Kart, 1 point
• New IPs aplenty! Drag X Drive and the hot new Switch 2 Welcome Tour franchise launched this year. Surely both will get ample sequels! 1 point
• Bang on the money with the remasters call. The OG Switch was graced by DKCR, XCX, and both Galaxy titles. 1 point
• Somehow we're not getting TurboGrafx, but we are getting Virtual Boy. Make it make sense
• Animal Crossing is an edge case, but I guess it's technically a new release plus a 3.0 title overhaul, so let's go with 1 point

A miss on Metroid, but that's still 4(½) Prime points!

Well so much for my Mario Kart 9 prediction 
At least I managed to snag that one in the Fantasy Critic game. Here are my purrdictions for 2025:

• New 3D Mario releases for Switch 2
• New game from Next Level Games releases for Switch 2
• Capcom announces a Monster Hunter game for Switch 2
• Nintendo announces Splatoon 4 for Switch 2
• Square Enix announces an HD2D remake of Chrono Trigger
• Yoshi’s Wooly World re-release
• Kirby Planet Robobot re-release
• Re-release of an older Zelda game
• Switch finally gets a line of reduced priced games (like “Nintendo Selects” but may have different name)
• Mysterious C button related to the audio functions of Switch 2

• Now hear me out on this one, but Next Level Games did support Retro Studios on Metroid Prime 4, soooo ½ point sound fair?
• Monster Hunter Stories 3 landing a second player a delicious 1 point!
• Bit unfortunate, since you had the right ideas with both new Yoshi and HD-2D titles, but they turned out to be a new Yoshi announcement for next year and another Octopath instead.
• Between dumping Wind Waker on NSO and the Switch 2 Editions of BOTW & TOTK I think that's a yes on a re-release of Zelda. 1 point
• Well, you need audio for GameChat I suppose. 1 point for the C button!

No Nintendo Select unfortunately, but we do have the opposite I suppose with Mario Kart World costing $80?
3½ Nintendo points* for you!
*=Nintendo points are only usable on Wii Shop**
**=Wii Shop is no longer accepting purchases

Whoof, a year with a new system launch is always a real wild card! Y'know, even moreso than usual. A launch opens up a lot more possibilities that a middle year wouldn't have. I have no clue what to even guess, but might as well just toss stuff out and see what sticks!

-A new 3D Mario will be announced this year.
It may not release this year, that'll depend on when the Switch 2 itself will be launched. The team seems due for a new game and having a new 3D Mario during the first year of a system is always a good way to build hype. Perhaps they'll go even bigger this time with a 4D Mario...!

-Re-release of a previous Zelda game.
I saw someone else predict this and yeah, I'll go with it. They're not gonna have a new one ready, so if they want Zelda content for the first year, something like HD Wind Waker or Twilight Princess is the best bet. And who knows maybe we'll get Tingle's Rupee Land 99...

-A new Fire Emblem announced.
Iunno, feels like it's been a while. Plus the Smash port will need some more anime swordsman DLC.

-The next generation of Pokémon games will be announced.
And everyone will be ticked that they're for Switch 1 and not 2.

-Another new sort of Pokémon app announced.
Pokémon Bathroom Break, anyone?

-A new IP of some sort will be introduced.
Something in the same vein as first-year Switch releases like 1-2-Switch, Snipperclips, or ARMS.

-A new Kirby game will be announced.
Might be a bit of a wild card here, but it feels long enough from the last one, and it seemed to perform well.

-Smash Ultimate Deluxe to be announced.
They're gonna want Smash of some kind on this thang, and they probably feel there's no way to top the last one. So my guess is they're just gonna do some sort of deluxe version with an awful title that retains all of the characters plus the DLC in one package. Though even this could be tough to do because of licencing.

-Another HD Wii Port
What it will be? No clue! But it feels like they're running out of Wii U stuff...

-Khushrenada will earn the most points in this.
What? That guy knows things! This is a safe bet, don't worry.

• No 4D Mario yet, but a genius prediction! Now once it inevitably releases I'll have to travel back in time to give the point after all.
• Always a smart move to copy someone else's homework. 1 point on the Zelda re-releases.
• No word yet on new Fire Emblem swordfighters, but I'm sure they'll Weave those into Smash eventually. 1 points
• No bathroom break theme, but will you settle for Pokémon Friends and 1 point? Both can be used on the toilet.
• Right on the money with the new small IP prediction! 1 point
• Not just any new Kirby game, but a sequel to the best previous one! 1 point
• The DKCR port had already been announced, but Mario Galaxy came along for the double whammy! 1 point
• Speaking of 4D moves, checkmating Khushrenada into not participating with this reverse psychology is worth 10,000 KhushPoints!

Boom, the queen returns with 6 points and also takes the KhushPoints leaderboard away from the man himself.

Gonna throw out some suggestions of my own:

• Within a week of the Switch 2 launch, some website will run a "taste test comparison" article, to determine whether Switch 2 cartridges have improved anti-lick technology.
• The mysterious new C-button seen on some Switch 2 renders is a shortcut to various bluetooth features, like instantly swapping headsets/controllers.
• Not all 3rd party Switch controllers will work with Switch 2 out of the box, resulting in a minefield of firmware updates and obsolete plastic.
• Xenoblade X Definitive Edition adds a new cliffhanger ending, infuriating fans.
• EA will publish Madden on Switch 2, but not College Football or NHL.
• Wario Land: Shake Dimension gets a port, releases on both Switch 1 and 2.
• Alarmo will quietly be discontinued.
• Konami adds TurboGrafx-16 as an NSO platform, but only for Switch 1 somehow.
• Recycling this prediction: Nintendo will co-publish Mina the Hollower to have it as a time-limited console exclusive in the Switch 2 launch window
• Shin'en will release a sequel to FAST RMX around the Switch 2 launch.

• Of course people couldn't resist licking those red cartridges. Jeff Gerstmann and NintendoLife came in clutch for this one. 1 points
• Firmwaremageddon was largely avoided!
• Xenoblade X did add some new stuff, but unfortunately for me I didn't see widespread fan outrage
• Knew I could rely on EA to half-deliver! 1 point
• FAST Fusion once again proved that Shin'en remain the one constant in this chaotic world. 1 point

3 points for me! It might be the lowest so far, but that's still a 300% increase over Khushrenada!

Gotta sneak this in before the Nintendo Direct in like five hours:

• Switch 2 will launch in the first half of 2025.
• New 3D Mario for Switch 2.
• At least one game that revolves around or at least significantly uses the rumored mouse-mode functionality dealie on the Switch 2 JoyCon.
• A new IP exclusive to Switch 2. I guess this could be the same game as the one above, but it’s 5:45 AM EST and my one brain cell isn’t brain cell-ing.
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will get a resolution/frame rate bump on Switch 2, not a dedicated remaster.
• Super Smash Bros. on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack will coincide with a teaser for the new Super Smash Bros. on Switch 2.
• Native party chat on Switch 2. I keep hedging my bets on this one. A girl can dream.
• Nintendo will publish a third party game (not its own IP outsourced to a third party to develop).
• At least one of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD or The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD. I will predict this every year until I get it right.
• Need something outlandish: Miiverse successor, Miiverse 2: The Reckoning (name not final), just some kind of social network or social network adjacent thing that hopefully, mercifully Nintendo does a much better job of moderating.

See y’all in the winner’s circle next year when cruise to victory with my hot and fresh takes (ignore that half of them were recycled from 2024).

• A little close for comfort, but June is still the first half, 1 point
• Drag X Drive didn't just use one mouse, it's dual-wielding them! 1 point
• Full marks on the new IP using the mouse, I almost wanna double them for specificity. 1 point
• I guess on BOTW one could argue the Switch 2 Editions are remasters of some sort... maybe? Idk, let's just say 1 point
• PartyChat is here y'all! Webcams optional. 1 point
• With regard to Nintendo publishing a third-party game... they did publish the physical edition of Hades II. I'll allow it! 1 point
• Well, Wind Waker is here y'all! In an app on HD screens! ½ point

Woof, a photo-finish! Adrock just barely snatches the win on what is sure to be a contentious last call! I'd hate to be that referee!

2025 Leaderboard:
Adrock: 6½ points [WINNER]
Mop It Up: 6 points [RUNNER-UP]
Stratos: 5 points [BRONZE]
Luigi Dude: 4½ points [SOLID MIDDLE OF THE PACK!]
M.K. Ultra: 3½ points [NOT LAST!]
Order.RSS: 3 points [LESS BAD THAN KHUSH!]

Lifetime achievements ranking:
M.K. Ultra: 26 points
Mop It Up: 25 points
Luigi Dude: 19½ points
Nickmitch: 19 points
Stratos: 16½ points
Adrock: 16 points
Safe Khushrenada: 12½ points
Bold Khushrenada: 9 points
Order.RSS: 9 points
MASB: 6 points
Khushrenada: 6½ points
Madness Khushrenada: 5 points
TopHatAnt: 5 points
Dinar87: 4 points
Evan_B: 4 points
Insanolord: 4 points
Lemonade: 3½ points
Pokepal: 3½ points
Mr. GlubGlub: 3 points
Oedo: 2 points
Fawful: 1 point
Broodwars: ½ point
Kairon: ½ point
Shaymin: ½ point
NotKhushrenada: -8 points

Thanks for playing everyone! New thread can be found here!

19

I'M BACK / START OF 2026

« Last post by Order.RSS on January 01, 2026, 10:55:22 PM »

With 2025 in the books we celebrate the winner of the first NWR Community FantasyCritic League...

Plufim takes the inaugural top spot, and becomes person to beat for next year!

Speaking of next year... 2026 has already begun!
If you'd like to join this year's League, please post below or DM me here/on Discord. Deadline: end of the weekend.

20

Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 953: Get a Grip, Game Journalists

« Last post by Laramie on December 31, 2025, 03:32:18 AM »

This article really hits home about the manufactured outrage cycle. It's easy to get caught up in the drama, especially in gaming. The whole "Black Friday is now!" thing is a perfect example – companies pushing narratives for profit. Sometimes I feel like the real connection to games gets lost. I'd much rather spend my time perfecting my skills in something like Drift Hunters, or just enjoying a good game instead of dissecting every single thing to death. It's a good reminder to step back and ask what's actually important.