Messages

1

General Gaming / Re: Community Event: Forum February 2026

« on: Yesterday at 08:13:11 AM »

Hey, I don’t appreciate being labeled as a tumbleweed. At least I’ve been trying to pos regularly on here.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 962: Flat Earther: Y/N?

« on: February 12, 2026, 10:57:31 AM »

The Tokyo Scramble segment was *chef’s kiss*. My interest in the game would have been higher if they had gone with that music in the Direct.

As someone who was listening and not watching the Stream, I was a bit surprised to see the Kyoto Xanadu dungeon exploration- I suppose it differentiates it more from the other Falcom series, but I find the 2D Metroidvania decision surprising.

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NWR Forums ID Verification / Re: My posting times

« on: February 12, 2026, 10:54:22 AM »

I can’t remember if I ever got **** like this about my posts, which were pretty hostile and inflammatory back in the day. But, I probably can’t remember because I was too drunk at the time where such critique would have been beneficial.

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Movies & TV / Re: Rate the last TV show you've seen

« on: February 10, 2026, 09:12:17 PM »

I guess I'm gonna be that loser and talk about Fallout.

So Season 2 was kind of a mess. Plot and pacing-wise it just felt sort of all over the place, from Lucy's "I'm addicted to drugs!" episode to "let's have an episode where the Ghoul is impaled on a lamp post." There was plenty of weird b-plots, also, what with Norm's odd expedition that felt like it went nowhere, to that witch doctor getting reintroduced just to have his brain wiped by Hank, and the show's insistence to keep its dual-plotline structure when half the flashbacks felt like an excuse to pad the paychecks for Goggins and Theroux, who is charming but speaks in vapid absolutes.

Whereas Season 1 felt like this wildly fresh and brisk introduction to this world, so much of this season felt like "here's where we introduce one thing so that it can be relevant later in this season (or more insultingly, this episode)." and it just made me realize how much I adored YELLOWJACKETS SEASONS 1-2 and less so season 3, BABY.

I spent a snowed-in weekend catching up on that series, and I quite enjoyed it, mostly because it does a very good job of projecting horror and supernatural spookiness but really just being about people doing terrible and redemptive things. The show really is about the horrific nature of perspective, as even the opening sequence from the pilot is completely (albeit somewhat sloppily) recontextualized by the end of the third season. The first and second season are much more tightly plotted, though the show starts to go off the rails by the end of the second season and through much of the third season, which feels much more meandering and ambiguous. If anything, it makes me want to watch more horror television- not like, overly serialized stuff like American Horror Story, tightly plotted stuff like Midnight Mass. I've already watched quite a bit of the Flanaverse, but I would be curious to explore more.

Yellowjackets has also made me pine for The X-Files. I think I might try to watch more of that.

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General Gaming / Re: Community Event: Forum February 2026

« on: February 10, 2026, 09:08:51 AM »

Hey, I’m still here! I’ve been plotting a thread for a bit that I think will generate some replies. I’ve also been a bit busy, which is the reason I sloped off during the weekend.

Can I get an Evan_Bee_2?

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General Gaming / Re: What are you playing?

« on: February 06, 2026, 07:32:05 AM »

That Pragmata existed as a pitch, let alone one that came to fruition is a wild and crazy thing. I am totally here for it, partially because it has scents reminiscent of Iji, one of my favorite indie Metroidvanias. I like that the hacking has an added buff/debuff system to it.

I also checked out the Monster Hunter Stories demo, which also runs on the RE Engine. Capcom is really getting their mileage out of that thing, as the environments look lovely and the art style really pops. Props to them for the (not quite as in-depth as the mainline, yet still) very granular character customization system, which has some very impressive hair options. These are the things I care about in video games.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: What will Nintendo release in 2026?

« on: February 05, 2026, 11:06:41 PM »

Well, so far I’m doing pretty poorly with this predictions thing. I was not expecting Rebirth so soon on Switch 2 and I feel like that and Elliot are going to be Square Enix’s big releases this year.

I also feel pretty stupid about completely forgetting about Bethesda. I’ve even been watching Fallout for the past two months, dammit!

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: What will Nintendo release in 2026?

« on: February 04, 2026, 01:02:39 PM »

Okay, so the Partner Direct is happening tomorrow so this is my last chance. Here’s to the year.

-I also believe that the Switch 2 will have a price increase. Probably around another fifty dollars? Nintendo will “offset” this with more hardware bundles, as it costs them nothing. Think of this as your Voucher Ticket, except you’ll need to buy an entire piece of hardware to justify your discount!
-I’m DOUBLING DOWN on Hi Fi Rush, this time having a Nintendo Switch 2 version that runs better than the Nintendo Switch version. That’s the only Microsoft-adjacent thing I can reasonably predict, as I don’t have enough knowledge of their other IP to comment.
-Wait, no. I lied. I think Grounded will get a Nintendo Switch 2 edition that performs better than the Nintendo Switch version.
-This might be the most basic prediction ever, but there is going to be a NEW Square Enix title announced and released this year that uses nostalgia/brand recognition of previously-released titles as a selling point. Not a sequel, a spin-off or new concept.
-Wishful thinking: Visions of Mana somehow comes to the Switch 2. I am personally happy about this.
-The Adventures of Elliot gets another Demo! Also a basic prediction. I gotta make that money somehow.
-Elden Ring: Nightreign also comes to the Switch 2 around the same time as Elden Ring. It might come out at the same time as a new content update for Nightreign, but it will not be as up-to-date as the current version (the more specific this prediction becomes, the less likely it will come true, but I don’t care).
-I think we’ll get news of a new Monster Hunter exclusive to Switch 2 for the later half of 2026. Rise and Stories 2 both released in 2021, believe it or not. Or google it.
-We get a tease of Pokemon Gen 10 later this month, but it does not have a 2026 launch. I expect it will occupy the Legends Arceus slot of 2027, and that we’ll see Pokopia (Ditto game?) as this year’s major release.
-Splatoon Raiders is a Summer release, because for some reason that’s when Splatoon games are released (unless they’re switched around with Xenoblade 3). I think that this game is going to have some Amiibo. HOT TAKE!
-If there IS a Mario-Galaxy-Movie-adjacent Mario game, it will not release within the theatrical run of said movie.
-We’ll get Twilight Princess on GCN Classics before they dare release WWHD/TPHD on Switch 2.

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General Gaming / Re: What are you playing?

« on: February 04, 2026, 08:48:47 AM »

I’m surprised to hear that Magnolia is more Metroidvania, because I got a very similar vibe from its loop in comparison with the (admittedly slight) amount I played of Lilies. I am going to go back to that game, if only because the strength of the boss fights here makes me think they probably had the right ideas the first time around.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Official Sales Thread

« on: February 04, 2026, 08:46:19 AM »

On one hand, it’s nice that Nintendo is giving respect to those non-A-listers, and I can at least respect that approach a bit. On the other hand, I think it’s a decidedly unsafe way to approach a new hardware launch, and feels a bit overconfident about the selling power of some of their IP.

I think the critical reception towards Banaza and Z-A was completely warranted, as both felt like extremely polished but conceptually half-baked products. Hyrule Warriors is going to sell off of the IP cache and the “this is canon, guys, honest!” marketing that they’ve been pushing, but I’ve played enough Hyrule Warriors (original and AoC) to know that my body isn’t prepared for more Warriors-style gameplay, which is essentially unchanged. The same goes for Mario Kart, which I still feel has not justified its 80 dollar asking price and will need some sort of roadmap (pun not intended) to justify returning to it, even over MK8 Deluxe. For Air Riders, it kinda feels like Nintendo said “make something for the Switch launch?” to Sakurai, and because of his influence/independence he was like “okay, another Air Ride.” It’s another very polished product and has all the Sakurai-isms one might want from a Sakurai game, but outside of Smash Bros., do his games have universal appeal?

My favorite Switch 2 game so far has been Daemon Ex Machina: Titanic Scion if only because it really swung for the fences in terms of its structure and theming in a way that no other Switch 2 game has done, personally. I won’t deny that it also appeals to my preferences a bit more, but that does leave me asking “what was I supposed to be excited about with this system?” The answer was “many of my Switch games perform better,” which was a delightful surprise, but not what I would expect from a new hardware launch.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Official Sales Thread

« on: February 04, 2026, 12:10:01 AM »

I have no interest in buying a PS5, and felt the need to get a Switch 2 because I’m a shameless Nintendo fanboy the Switch was getting to a point where performance issues in the games I was interested in playing were becoming a norm more than an exception. But I’d argue a part of the Switch’s success is Breath of the Wild, which is a big cultural moment game, and maybe Mario Odyssey and Splatoon. I don’t see an equivalent on Switch in its first year, is all. I know that these new hardware iterations are incremental and it’s just further emphasizing this sort of bland and mirthless vibe I get from all of the Big Three’s hardware offerings.

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General Gaming / Re: What are you playing?

« on: February 04, 2026, 12:00:37 AM »

I’ve been playing Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, which is a spiritual (maybe also actual?) sequel to Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Night. If you couldn’t tell, both games are pretty heavy on the melancholy, but more specifically, are Soulslike Metroidvanias with a distinct visual style and. Combat system that has you summoning assist spirits to perform your attacks, as your player character is a vulnerable child figure in both games.

Ender Lilies was a game that I started, but didn’t get very far into for some reason or another. I do know that the developer Live Wire Inc worked on one of my favorite Switch games in Harvestella, so I wanted to support them by picking up their other titles. Anyway, Ender Magnolia has a bit more of an alchemical/dieselpunk aesthetic in contrast with Ender Lilies, which was a bit more gothic/fantasy. This has resulted in a bit more artistic freedom and some truly gorgeously rendered environments, though the actual level geometry is still pretty standard for a 2D Soulslike. While the lore isn’t terribly compelling, the game is at least trying with its narrative and characters and I can respect that. I’m close to finishing now and feeling the Soulslike fatigue- while I do think generally better-designed games in this genre tend to avoid this, Ender Magnolia has this sprawling world map that also has a big final area with hard hitting enemies. This area also feels a bit less dynamic in design than other areas, which has somewhat tighter layout and decent gimmicks. I’m going to push through because the best part of the game are its boss fights, which are brutal dances that demand precision and tight inputs and also feature their own cute gimmicks. It’s not my favorite 2D Soulslike but it’s doing a fine job.

13

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Official Sales Thread

« on: February 03, 2026, 11:33:29 PM »

From what I understand, all this “fastest selling hardware” talk is just investor pandering. The industry has changed over the past forty years and the Switch 2 has yet to receive some sort of cultural zeitgeist moment, even as we move closer to its first year. Mind you, not every piece of hardware has that moment early on, but there’s usually a software release that captures the imagination and acts as an inflection point, even if it was Mario Kart 7 on 3DS. I just don’t feel that Mario Kart World has managed to drum up similar discourse or interest and I simply do not understand that game.

I noted that the Switch 2 has surpassed the lifetime sales of the Wii U, which is certainly sad, but Nintendo did have the 3DS as a consolation during that time. Still, I can’t imagine the very very very likely price hike this coming year will do much to keep this fast-selling momentum. I’d be shocked if any sort of consumer-friendly solution was made as a result of this, but a more aggressive digital software pack-in/bundle could mitigate this somewhat.

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General Gaming / Re: Community Event: Forum February 2026

« on: February 03, 2026, 10:10:19 PM »

I am up. Or down? This will not count as one of today’s three posts.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: What will Nintendo release in 2026?

« on: January 28, 2026, 11:01:17 AM »

With the announcement of the Virtual Boy release cycle, I guess I’m timed out of this experiment. Also, it’s the end of January so I think I missed my chance. I find the current state of the industry and Nintendo’s place in it to be a bit miserable, so I didn’t have the heart to predict any delightful surprises or rational expectations for what Nintendo will release this year. I hope all your dreams come true and you earn points for the Switch 2 hardware becoming more expensive, and I hope Fire Emblem is Nintendo’s biggest release of the year but doesn’t meet sales expectations.

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General Gaming / Re: What are you playing?

« on: January 20, 2026, 04:44:39 PM »

I didn’t know what Unrailed was and now I desperately want to play it.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Switch 2025 Year in Review (now with December!)

« on: January 16, 2026, 12:52:26 PM »

I think it’s very likely that Nintendo considers non-turn-based RPGs as “action” games, particularly Xenoblade and also Legends Z-A.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Switch 2025 Year in Review (now with December!)

« on: January 15, 2026, 09:12:50 AM »

I played 95 games this year

It was a lot of returning to already purchased games, particularly a number of Switch releases on my Switch 2, in hopes of seeing base performance enhancements on the new hardware. But yes, I own way too many Switch games.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Switch 2025 Year in Review (now with December!)

« on: January 14, 2026, 11:03:10 AM »

I’m almost embarrassed to admit my numbers.

Almost.

I played 95 games this year with a total 964 hours. Gross!

My top three game play times this year were:
1) Pokémon Legends Z-A: 163 Hours
2) Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition: 98 Hours
3) Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma: 91 Hours

My top genre was “Action,” which is incredibly vague as a descriptor, but okay.
January: Korg Gadget for 8 hours.
February: Crypt Custodian: 10 hours
March: Xenoblade X: 23 Hours
April: Xenoblade X: 51 Hours
May: Xenoblade X: 23 Hours
June: Mario Kart World: 17 Hours
July: Rune Factory: 48 Hours
August: Rune Factory: 36 Hours
September: Daemon Ex Machina: Titanic Scion: 18 Hours
October: Pokémon Legends Z-A: 69 (acceptable) Hours
November: Pokémon Legends Z-A: 73 Hours
December: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond: 46 Hours

I’ll have to upload my stats somewhere so that I can do a direct link.

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General Gaming / Re: What are you playing?

« on: January 13, 2026, 05:09:11 PM »

What games do you recommend for a beginer who has never played anything? 

I recommend playing all the NES games you can then. With the NES, the videogame industry was still in its infancy so a lot of games are quite simple and controllers didn't have the amount of buttons that they do now. Since the games are simple they are quite easy so you should have a great time playing them, Mr. Spambot. A few good choices to start would be Metroid, Zelda II, and Ninja Gaiden. Happy gaming.

Just perusing this thread and had a nice chuckle. Profound perspective here.

Well, I might as well make this a worthwhile post, so… I’ve been playing Spiritfall. Essentially, it’s “what if Hades was Smash Bros. Classic mode?” Above anything, it has great movement, and the inputs are very intuitive. I am very happy with the movesets that you obtain, which essentially changes the entirety of your inputs except for a light ranged attack and air dodge. It really does not feel like anything is directly ripped from Smash, which is admirable given how many characters exist in Ultimate. Lots of escalating difficulty modifiers and quirks that add to the complexity of your run, but the “rooms/floors” are truly just waves of enemies, with a special instance that can be pure 1v1. My main complaint is the aesthetics, actually, as learning how some enemies move and attack was a bit strange, though the playable character is painfully generic. It can be modified with new “masks” and skins, some of which are based off of other more recognizable properties, but the game feels aesthetically more in line with Brawlhalla, or at least, what I can conjure of that game in my mind.

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TalkBack / Re: 2025 In Review: The Games That Angry Up The Blood

« on: January 06, 2026, 09:45:13 PM »

Video games… bad?

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond [Volt Forge]

« on: January 05, 2026, 08:01:43 PM »

I have defeated hard mode.

Sweet jebus that final boss.

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NWR Forums ID Verification / Re: Khushrenada's Fantasy Critic - Now with less blackjack and hookers!

« on: January 04, 2026, 08:52:15 PM »

I’m up for it! This sounds hilarious.

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

« 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.

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Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 954: Thangsgiving

« on: December 10, 2025, 02:48:28 PM »

Whoops, that's mostly on me. Thanks!

Not necessarily. I believe James refers to it as Calamity in the podcast also.