Messages

101

TalkBack / Re: Metroid Prime: Federation Force Is Great, Actually

« on: September 24, 2023, 06:48:25 PM »

Had to double check the date of the article to make sure this wasn't some weird bump.

102

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Unconfirmed(?) FTC Leak: MS hoping to buy Nintendo (and Valve)

« on: September 22, 2023, 08:51:35 PM »

Microsoft is a weird beast in this market. Despite these leaks, is there anything that tells us what is Microsoft's goal in videogames? What are they trying to accomplish here? What is their purpose?

It was said that when Microsoft first came into the market, it was because they saw what Sony was doing and realized there was potential to control the electronics of the living room. To be the entertainment hub of the living room. Hence the battle of HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray during the Xbox 360 / PS3 days. Both also pivoted to allow streaming services.

The problem is that people are no longer tied to just one screen. The strategy that helped the PS2 of being able to play games and DVDs to make it appealing to people to buy an all-in-one device just doesn't exist anymore. With so many streaming services and devices like tablets, phones, and laptops, the idea of needing an all-on-one entertainment hub doesn't really exist. Even when in people are together in a living room, maybe one person would be using a console on the tv but another person can be watching something on a tablet and another on a laptop.

So, what now? Microsoft seems to have seen this shift towards streaming by creating GamePass to try and become the Netflix of gaming. In that sense, these acquisitions of game companies make sense because it would help keep adding content to the service. But it also makes their hardware unfocused. Buy an XBox to access GamePass? Ok, but that can be done on a computer. Why else buy it? If Microsoft's goal is to get GamePass on Nintendo and Sony systems, that continues to appear unlikely although it oddly might have better success if Microsoft isn't making hardware. If they were now the biggest third-party publisher then it might be harder to resist accepting that service.

That's part of why I'd say Microsoft has struggled in the market since the Xbox 360 days. (Probably didn't help they had a lot of hardware failure with the 360. There was probably some consumer trust lost there). Of course, software has also been a weakness for XBox as well. 360 was the high point in some ways because the Halo brand was still good and they did get a few success like Gears of War. The play to be the "bro-gamer" console of choice with FPS games and online and multiplayer felt like Microsoft's identity in the market at the time but what is now?

Like, here's something that has come out in the leaks: https://twitter.com/Wario64/status/1704003068239782374?t=ZUN_p_WoxP03FlA-lnz7uA&s=19

One of the pictures there shows the innovation XBox has brought to market and it gets a big... shrug from me.


Potentially bigger news was this image that had been found of Microsoft's attempt to possibly do a Switch of their own.



As much as we bagged on Sony, say 15 years ago, of always copying Nintendo, Microsoft seems even less creative and just chasing after both what Sony and Nintendo are doing. Perhaps the initial XBox helped spur Sony into expanding more their online gaming and infrastructure plans they they initially might have had without Microsoft in the market for the PS3. But beyond that, is there anything one can point to and say Nintendo and Sony saw Microsoft doing this and copied it or made them change their plans?

Yeah, Microsoft remains a sort of threat in the money they can use to buy up things but buying something doesn't translate into a path for success either. The danger comes if they ever get someone who can bring in a sense of identity and culture to their gaming division and can implement a better organization for software development with all these companies they have acquired. That's the danger Microsoft poses. The potential they have. For now, the lassiez-faire attitude they seem to show and the idea that they'll just buy something to fill a weakness they spot keeps them kind of lazy in the whole endeavor.



Good luck.

103

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Unconfirmed(?) FTC Leak: MS hoping to buy Nintendo (and Valve)

« on: September 21, 2023, 03:06:28 PM »

Microsoft’s hardware release schedule is just available to everyone now. I’m imagining Nintendo prepping Switch 2 and a new 3D Mario looking at Phil Spencer’s email like, “Imma end this man’s whole career.”

104

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Unconfirmed(?) FTC Leak: MS hoping to buy Nintendo (and Valve)

« on: September 19, 2023, 04:07:30 PM »

Heh, Aug. 5, 2020. People talking crazy because of the pandemic.

These e-mails just seems like some guys talking up some dream scenarios almost like us forum users used to do back in the GameCube days of how Nintendo could become the console leader again... 

The one comment I find rather noteworthy is the first sentence by Phil about gaming being the most likely path for Microsoft to stay relevant with consumers. Many people have wondered over the years why Microsoft keeps pouring so much time and energy into the XBox brand when it just doesn't seem to be getting anywhere in the market and is always ending up 2nd or 3rd. It's at the point where a lot of their stuff is available on PC or they are releasing their stuff on other consoles (Cuphead, Ori,) to question why bother still making XBox as no one can see what the goal is for it anymore. Which is ironic in that at the end of Phil's e-mail, he says that Nintendo's future exists off of their own hardware when it seems that might be the case for Microsoft's gaming division.

Obviously, for a company like Microsoft that is thinking about who they could acquire to help give their brand momentum, it would be stupid for them not to think of acquiring Nintendo. If Microsoft were to buy Nintendo, it would probably be the end of the console wars. Expecially now that they have Activision/Blizzard. They could make everything exclusive to XBox/PC and what is Sony going to compete with for Playstation. As long as Microsoft is in the gaming business, they'll always be thinking about acquiring Nintendo. Whether that ever happens depends on Nintendo's board of director's and if they just want to profit and walk away from the company. That's basically all Microsoft has to win over to do it.

On the other hand, things have changed somewhat since this time. First, pandemic turned out to be huge for Switch business so the idea of Nintendo not making their own hardware and going software only does not seem likely. Switch was already doing fine up to this point but has done incredible since. Second, Nintendo has opened their business endeavors beyond gaming and started taking advantage of their IP in various ways such as the Super Nintendo World theme parks and now getting into movies and possible TV shows with their IP. The Super Mario Movie just proved that there is plenty more money to be made in this way. The Board has basically said in a stockholder report that they are shifting to view themselves as more of an entertainment company. While gaming will still be a core focus, they don't want it to be the only focus. In that sense, Nintendo is awakening to a future "off of their own hardware". Third, Nintendo has instead proven to be a good ecosystem for Microsoft to release games on. I'd love to know how the sales of Cuphead and Ori compared to other platforms they were released on. XBox just doesn't sell in Japan but thanks to Nintendo Switch Minecraft is a huge seller for Microsoft in Japan. Perhaps it is Microsoft trying to win over Nintendo in case they ever sell by being more agreeable to stuff and willing to work with them to allow things like Rare games on the N64 NSO or have Banjo-Kazooie and Minecraft in Smash. But it also aids Nintendo in staying independent because it makes their system and games library stronger.

If Nintendo continues to dominate Japan, most Japanese developers will likely continue supporting them and that varied software will continue to help Nintendo make sales and have a foothold in places like NA and Europe even if Western developers continue to hesitate about developing for Nintendo instead of Sony or MS. With MS unable to get traction in that market, being friendly with Nintendo and putting stuff on Switch may be the key to getting their software to do well. In which MS almost needs Nintendo more than Nintendo would need them or to be bought by them. For MS, buying Nintendo would hopefully give them the market share and presence in Japan they would like and end that reliance but might the market then just flock to Sony instead? Nintendo's in a better bargaining position with Microsoft now by controlling that market and getting MS to partner with them on things and make deals. Likewise, Microsoft may be happy enough with the situation to use Nintendo for putting more of their software on their system and use them as a way to profit in Japan and less focused on buying Nintendo. Rather than spend the billions needed to buy Nintendo, they can just use that Switch pipeline to make millions or billions and not get through the whole return on investment from the buyout.

105

Reader Reviews / Re: Video Games: A Review

« on: September 16, 2023, 03:04:39 AM »

I'll try to keep this block of text shorter than the last.

Hmmmm. Mission failed, I think.

Sorry, other users. You know me...

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Reader Reviews / Re: Video Games: A Review

« on: September 16, 2023, 02:41:57 AM »

I think you and I are similar in this kind of thinking of wanting a complete picture of things, of having an expansive knowledge of a subject and wanting to then write about it well.

Oh good. I'm starting off with a quote by me. The sign of a great post!

I'll try to keep this block of text shorter than the last.

Just going back to how I feel like I relate to you a bit from your goal of reviewing games well. Back when I made that first post in 2015, that was a point in which I had accomplished my goal of seeing all the Best Picture winning movies of the Academy Awards. However, just doing that wasn't enough. I then decided to broaden my school and see all the movies that have ever been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. At this point in time, there have now been 594 movies to have been nominated for that category. (I'm also including the 3 movies that were nominated for Best Unique and Artistic Picture at the 1st Academy Awards. A category that was then removed as it made things confusing with the Outstanding Picture category which has become the Best Picture category. For those of you who may also be up on their Academy Award knowledge and wondering how I got that math. All ___ of you.) This is a goal that is sort of impossible to reach because one movie called The Patriot released in 1928 has been lost in that no complete copy of it has been found at this point in time. But you never know. Amazingly, people are still finding some lost and forgotten older and silent films even now and getting them restored. In any case, I have seen 515 of those films leaving just 79 to go (including The Patriot). Chances are that in 3 years, I'll likely have accomplished this goal.

And yet, my movie ambition hasn't stopped there. It was also around this time that I became aware of the book 1,001 Movies To See Before You Die. Now, I've seen other books before which might have talked about 100 Great Movies or collections like that yet I can't recall seeing one at that many titles and with that bold of a book title. Going through it, there was a lot of stuff that I'd never heard of that sounded interesting so I made a short list of around 100 of those movies I'd like to see. It was pretty close to this point that I got through that list. Then I just found online a copy of the whole list and put that on an Excel sheet and started continually checking things off that list or referencing what titles I still needed to see. From the original 1,001 titles that were in the book released around 2003, I have seen 613 of those titles leaving 388 still on the list. However, over the past two decades, the book proved popular enough that new editions were released over the years and the list was updated to reflect new movies that had since been released and revised opinions on some of the older movies to feature. As a result, another 212 or so titles have been since featured through these newer books. Sometimes a new movie was featured in a book only to be dropped in the next version a couple years later. Regardless, these titles have still been tracked online for people to follow along. In this way, there's been a progress list created through the 00 Decade and the 2010s. I said "212 or so" because even then there's been some creative counting on the part of the book editors by lumping the Lord of the Rings trilogy into one entry or Toy Story 1,2, and 3 as a trilogy entry. In any case, I've seen 109 of these other entries leaving 103 to go there as well. Who knows how long it will take there?

But that's not all. Back during the end of the 90s and start of the 2000s, there would be a special each year by the AFI on movies. First there was the Top 100 movies in general. Then it was the Top 100 Thrills, Top 100 Romances, Top 25 Musicals, at one point there was ten Top 10 movies in various genres and they redid the Top 100 movies ten years after the first list debuted. It was about a year later that I saw The Jazz Singer which completed that first Top 100 list. I've been pecking away at the others and most are near completion as well. The only thing preventing me from having seen everything on the revised Top 100 done ten years later is The Sixth Sense. Have yet to watch it after all this time. It's also on the Best Picture nominee list so seeing it would check off a couple things.

I was also aware of the IMDB's Top 250 film list and copied that out. A few years later, I checked on it and it had changed somewhat. As such, I've got 4 entries of various films that had popped up on their that I'm still working through. Altogether, that's around 44 movies to see from that and 24 were from the original list I started with. 

Surely, this would be enough to watch but no! As you encounter movies by directors and actors you like then you want to see more of their work. I'd like to see all of Humphrey Bogart's films or the films of Akira Kurosawa or Studio Ghibli's works and you find things not on these lists that you enjoy. There are new movies coming out every year that I'm making a note of wanting to see and get around to that might not be on any of these lists. Just looking at the TV listings for some movie channels can bring up a film I hadn't heard of before that has a premise or casting that catches my attention and now I'd like to see it. Recently, Steefosaurus (Order.RSS just isn't working) brought to my attention Time Magazine's recent Top 100 Film list to my attention on Discord. That list had like 30 movies I've yet to see on it. A few of the titles I was aware but there were still some new things there.

13 years ago, I felt like I had a strong knowledge of movies compared to a lot of people I knew in life. I was thankful for the Siskel & Ebert which became other iterations along the way because just watching that every week kept me aware of so many titles even if I never saw them. It just seemed to help lock some of that knowledge in for trivia games. I wanted to increase that strength even more with these quests and goals but here I am 13 years later and it seems there's still so much that I'm in the dark on.

That quest for knowledge and to know more is something I've had as a young lad and still stays with me. I discovered and started reading the Great Illustrated Classics series. Not sure if you or others were aware or remember these:



It's still the only way I've read Moby Dick. It was my first exposure to Charles Dickens. I read Great Expectations and David Copperfield this way and thought those stories were great. Also was my first exposure to the Sherlock Holmes stories. I'd heard adults around me talking about these things or them being referenced on TV through cartoons or being talked about on shows. I felt so ahead of my peers by understanding and knowing what those stories were and now being able to get some of the references to them. I had it in my mind to read all the classics of literature. I later discovered that what I had read were just simplified versions and the actual stuff was worded much more differently and often had more details and events included in it. Turns out I still had a long way to go there. Yet, again, it wasn't just the classics that I wanted to read all of. It was all manner of stuff that caught my interest. I guess I had the completionist aspect in me from a young age because I wanted read every Garfield volume, TinTin book, Hardy Boys novel, Dr. Suess book, The BabySitter's Club, The Wizard of Oz series, etc. So many series I'd start tracking the various titles in or began at Vol. 1 and start working my way through. Over time, a lot of that got dropped but some stuff I did succeed in as well. This still continued through adolescence and adulthood. Liked Agatha Christie novels. Started trying going through all her stuff and read a majority of it. Almost read all the works of Ernest Hemingway. Almost read all of Michael Chricton's stuff. I'd find something I like and keep on diving in for more.

This also expanded to TV. Again, hearing from adults or references from other media on things like The Andy Griffith Show, I Dream of Jeannie, Get Smart, Gilligan's Island, Cheers, MASH, etc. During my teen years, we got cable and there were channels that would be playing these older shows. Using the VCR, I'd set it up to record episodes and watched through a bunch of these series and more. Some I watched over multiple times because they were great. Looking at you, MASH, and your 11 seasons. The result was that, yes, I did get that knowledge and indeed it made me be able to now see and understand references and jokes and what was so special about some of these shows. I found it made things easier for me to connect with other people of different ages. I could have conversations with people much older than myself on this stuff and it felt like I had achieved this knowledge of the past that I could keep building on as I kept up with the present.

Ironically, with media fragmenting so much on streaming services and so many cable channels, so many people are watching so many different things being made now that it is harder to have conversations or stay on top of what's out there these days. That lesser amount from the past made it much easier to have common experiences than now.

It ties into what I was going to wrap up this post with. If there's one thing this forum has always stood for, it is posting about religion. I'm not sure if many people here have ever read Ecclesiastes in the Bible but I love it. Such a great book. "Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!" and "There is nothing new under the sun" are just some of the quotes I like to reference from it. But the one that was in my mind and I think about a lot is at the end in which it says "Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body." I feel that also applies now to movies, TV Shows, and videogames. Of all the stuff that's already been made, it would hard for anyone to get through in a lifetime and yet there seems to be no end of it. The prospect of trying to stay on top of it all would make a person weary and worn out.

It reminds me of what Roger Ebert had planned to do shortly before he died. He called it A Leave of Presence but basically he realized that as he was getting older and his health was getting worse, he was going to leave the majority of writing film reviews on his website to others rather than keep up with the continual weekly releases he had been doing all his life. What stuck with me the most from his post is early on when mentions this: "What's more, I'll be able at last to do what I've always fantasized about doing: reviewing only the movies I want to review." It's been remarked on that people think the job of a movie critic would be so easy but it meant having to watch many things he didn't like or may have interested him. He sort of talks about this in another article back in 1992 about his life as a film critic. There he said "In the past 25 years I have probably seen 10,000 movies and reviewed 6,000 of them. I have forgotten most of those films, I hope, but I remember those worth remembering, and they are all on the same shelf in my mind." Imagine having to write 6,000 reviews on stuff you thought was average or mediocre or outright terrible. 20 years later, he talks about finally just watching and reviewing the films he wants or feels like watching and that was something he had been fantasizing about all that time. To his credit, he still championed and got excited for a new film that he thought was great and never got so jaded with the process but I do get the sense that he did feel weary from the process of week after week of reviewing things.

It's that comment which also helped me somewhat. While I have forced myself through some movies I've absolutely hated that have been on my lists or finished watching TV series that had long lost the entertainment value they first started with, I try not to let it be too much of a habit. Instead, it's better to just watch, read, play, cook, or do what excites you. What interests you and now just because you have to check something off a list or complete a whole series of something. Trying to keep up with everything and force your way through stuff you don't like will just make you weary of it all. Take it at your own pace. And if you find yourself with gaps in your knowledge because of it or can't keep up with the pace of releases, I think on introspection you may find it is not that big of a deal because you're (hopefully) happy with what you are pursuing in that moment. And, hey, maybe you will get around to it whatever it is you are missing out on now or you are able to adjust to playing more in a year without feeling burnt out. If it can happen then good. Just don't think you can't change your goals or ambitions along the way.

Not sure if any of this will help or apply to your situation but I hope it can at least show some of the sympathy and empathy you're looking for and at least provide a different perspective on the topic.

107

Reader Reviews / Re: Video Games: A Review

« on: September 15, 2023, 11:10:49 PM »

Now to comment further on Evan_B(rownies) latest post, I must admit I had forgotten about this thread before. I commented on it but I just don't remember the original post. Reading it again now, I was quite struck at your writing style. I quite like it. It's very engaging. It's a shame the NerdRage link doesn't work. I wanted to read more reviews.

From the post, it feels as though it was written at a time when you were bored / burnt out on playing games but I take it you must have found some enthusiasm / motivation for them again since you've continued playing stuff and now are coming back around to this way of thinking based on the second post.

I think you and I are similar in this kind of thinking of wanting a complete picture of things, of having an expansive knowledge of a subject and wanting to then write about it well. For instance, I joined up with the Pietriots crew with the goal of finally applying myself to game review and going through my game collection to really cover a lot of games well. But I soon found myself hitting a wall in that I wondered what is the best way to review a game. What standard should I be using? What's the best format that I could consistantly apply? In the end, I've never written a single review yet. I've just made a few various blog type posts. My most popular being the steps to follow to get the Master rank in Renegade for Clubhouse Games Switch.

In fact, that pondering about how to write about a games led me to start writing an article entitled Video Games - What's The Point? It still sits behind the scenes of Pietriot articles unfinished and unprinted. It was a long article going over my history with the medium and raising some of the questions you have here as to whether it's all a waste of time and holding one back from being productive or bettering their life. In the end, it just felt very long and unnecessary of an article which held me back from finishing it. Plus, I felt like I should almost chop it up into three parts to make it easier to read. Sometimes I still wonder if I should finish it but I can get to the ending pretty quickly.

My summation was that, yes, games are in many ways a waste of one's time but that doesn't necessarily mean they have no benefit. They weigh more on the entertainment scale. I don't think one should go into games expecting to get much insight into life from them compared to perhaps a book or movie which can focus or highlight some aspect of life in a more focused way. Some may disagree with that and feel they've had such meaning in games and certainly some developers are trying to incorporate such things into their stories but ultimately I view videogames the same way I do board games or crossword puzzles. I don't go into those expecting a great storyline or to gain a new perspective on life or learn a new skill. I do it just to give my mind a bit of a challenge and a bit of endorphin rush at being able to complete the objective which is often more pleasurable than other mundane stuff like washing the car or sweeping the balcony. Tasks that have a purpose and need to be done but games are a bit more fun to do. Yes, while there have been some articles talking about how gaming can have some positive effects for a person such as increasing their problem-solving ability or making them better at multi-tasking, I play because I just want to be entertained in a way that requires me to overcome a bit of a challenge and to keep my mind a bit more sharp. But I also have many other goals and things I want to do in life so I try not to let it be my only source of entertainment or recreation.

I also think multiplayer is a great use for videogames as it can provide a fun experience for a group, it gives you something to bond over and do while you also talk about other things, and it is a bit more fun to match wits with another person than a CPU.

However, I would caution against a person getting too competitive or serious over it. I think about how people often complain about online gaming in something like Call of Duty or the days of XBox live where other users are constantly trashtalking each other and making it an unwelcome environment. Much like how people are not going to like playing with someone who's taking Clue super seriously and complaining about the way others are playing the game. Unfortunately, that mentally of why we sometimes play a game (which is to see who among the group gathered can be victorious in the game) whether it be dodgeball, Scrabble or Mario Party can lead to further ambitions. It's not just enough to win a lot against friends, family or strangers. I want to be the best player in the world at this game and completely win it! To be acknowledged as the greatest player of this game ever! And it's that attitude which I feel gives rise to making video games more of a waste of time in people's lives. Spending so much to be the best Smash Bros. player or fastest speedrunner. Sure, they can accomplish some impressive feats by spending so much time on a game but ultimately, it often seems they do so to the detriment of enriching their lives in other ways. They're sort of dull people with little to talk about.

My brother once made the same comment about Olympic athletes. They've spent so much time focused on continually training and putting their lives on a specific schedule which often leaves little time for a social life. Then when they get interviewed, they've got little to say about other things. It was from this interviewing my brother pointed out how they all sound the same and are amazed at everything around because they've been living such an insulated and repetitive life up to that point from their routine. In some ways, gaming is responsible for this attitude as early games where all about getting a high score or fastest time to improve your best but most arcade games didn't really have an endpoint. Thus, it created a competition beyond the game of being the person to set the ultimate high score and "win" that way. Don't let games waste your time in high score chasing.

Despite wanting to be brief, it looks like I'm still writing out that article on Gaming. I guess I do have much I want to say about it. Still, to try and finish what my ultimate point was in that article and in this post, I don't go into games expecting to be able to learn carpentry skills, cooking skills or learn new science facts. Maybe it could happen but those would be rare exceptions. For that, I'll probably have to read a book, maybe watch some How-To videos or work with someone knowledgeable to teach me. Most important, I'd have to spend time just doing it and practicing. Which means not playing videogames. If that is how you feel, that videogames are wasting your time and leaving you feeling like you are missing out on other skills, then you are right. Stop playing them and focus on that other stuff you feel you are missing out on. It's no longer going to be fun or entertainment if you feel that way.

It doesn't mean it will be easy. Learning to play likely took some time so now you are good at it making it easy to keep playing games whereas learning a new skill can take time and be frustrating when it seems like progress is slow. It seems like it was easier for a lot of gamers to learn the controls for the Guitar Hero controller than actual Guitar. So, it could be tempting to quit that new thing and return to something you are already good at like videogames. It will be on you to make that choice to continue something else or not. On the other hand, you may try something and realize that this other thing you wanted to learn, say painting, is actually not for you and you don't really enjoy it. You'd rather spend time playing games. Then go back to playing games. In the end, we all have to make a choice with what we want to do with the time we have which isn't easy since we don't know how much time we'll actually have in our lifetime. For myself, I view videogames the same as I view the following:



Just a challenge to test my knowledge and skills with. A (hopefully) fun project to tackle and entertain myself with for awhile that's different from reading a book or watching TV shows. But not something to dominate all my time with. Since I'm not really sure how to review a maze puzzle in a book or the board game Trivial Pursuit, I guess it is why I've had a hard time figuring out how to review videogames also. It might be why you also find yourself struggling about that goal now as well. Going back to the subject of time, there's a lot of things I do want to do in life also. As such, I sometimes probably spread my time around haphazardly on all manner of different things. This can mean going weeks or months hardly playing games and then sometimes going steady for weeks on games. It's just how I choose to spend my time in way that keeps me happy enough with life. Maybe I never do learn to play piano. Perhaps I never cook and try all the BBQ recipes I've wanted to. It could be I never do finish reading the whole encyclopedia because I went and played Super Mario Sunshine again for the 20th time. Yet, I'm also at peace with myself and that decision because it's what I most wanted to do at the time.

That's how I think you have to see and treat games. Don't take them too seriously since they are just a game of some sort and make sure you are content with yourself spending the time on it. If not, if you feel it is becoming a burden on your time, schedule, goals then just drop it. You aren't going to have someone show up at your door from a game company demanding you get back to playing a game or preventing you from doing anything else except play it. Perhaps you feel like taking a break from games or quitting them is giving up. Losing to the challenge they ostensibly provide. Yet, one likely doesn't win every game they play. I don't win every Fortune Street played with friends. I can't always finish a Crossword puzzle in the paper. Losing a game is an outcome when playing a game. Going back to the point about not taking it too seriously can help overcome a mental self-image of failure for not playing every game you want or not accomplishing the goals in gaming you may have set out. Perhaps I never do get around to all the games I've acquired for myself. Again, I'm alright with that a bit since I see it a bit as an endless arcade game. No matter how many PAC-Man mazes (videogames) I get through, there will be another screen with another fresh maze (a new game) to get through. I'm not sure what my final high score will be but I'm also not competing with anyone else on that score. It's my own personal arcade machine and I can play it whenever and for however long I want in a way that is fun for me.

108

TalkBack / Re: Mario vs. Donkey Kong Remake Scampers onto Switch This February

« on: September 15, 2023, 09:45:59 PM »

The first game in the series doesn't have that Lemmings gameplay of leading the moving Mini-Marios to a goal. It is much closer to the DK 94 style of play and it is this first game they are remaking which is more a platformer puzzler.

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TalkBack / Re: Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door Remake Announced For 2024

« on: September 15, 2023, 05:32:36 PM »

Trusty sources report that it will have an uncensored shower scene.

Remaster the superior version confirmed.

Although what would really put it over the top is if you could customize some things. Like instead of being Mario, you had an option to swap in Wario or Waluigi. And instead of Peach, you could swap in Daisy or Pauline. Make the game even wilder!!

110

TalkBack / Re: F-ZERO Returns Today as the Next 99-player Title

« on: September 15, 2023, 05:25:06 PM »

How can gamers today hope to play a game like Tears of the Kingdom if they don't know their F-ZERO HISTORY?!?!?

Kids these days...

111

Reader Reviews / Re: Video Games: A Review

« on: September 15, 2023, 04:01:07 AM »

It's been about seven years since I started that journey. Seven years, and I have played around 300 video games or so in that time

Whoa! I've been playing games on and off for over 20 years and I don't even own 300 games. I think you may have really exhausted yourself on the whole medium. I like movies but I'll go weeks sometimes before I watch one. And that's just an average 2 hour affair.

Wow! This post is incredible. Looking at the date, I know when and where I was in life and this did not quite age well. For one thing, I started better keeping track of movies I watched and it is pretty rare for me not to have watched at least one movie a week. Second, I can't believe I didn't have 300 games at this point but I'd have been using Backloggery at this point to be able to check and see. I'm currently now at 728 and that's not even including the stuff available to me like NSO games. That's at least 429 games I've acquired in that time and may Backlog currently shows 445 unplayed/unfinished games which means the past 8 years hasn't seen me finish the number of games I had around 8 years ago. The past 8 years just made the endgoal even longer. 3DS!! You did this to me!! Including physical and digital, I've got 199 games tied to that system (and there's still a few more I'd be willing to pick up ). I seem to be showing some restraint with the Switch. Despite the amount of games available for it, even combining digital and physical, I'm at 93 total that I've purchased. I suppose all these ports and remasters have helped in that regard as I haven't been interested in repurchasing a bunch of game for the system. Even with that system, I seem to maintain a ration of only getting through a third of the games I acquire. I'm not sure I'll ever hit my goal of at least 50% if this keeps up. This might not be a *you only* problem.

112

TalkBack / Re: F-ZERO Returns Today as the Next 99-player Title

« on: September 15, 2023, 01:50:08 AM »

So an actual new game had no chance of realistically happening.  It was always either going to be a remaster of GX, or something like this.  I'd argue that something like F-Zero 99 is a much better way of getting people interested in the series then a remaster of GX.  F-Zero 99 allows 99 people to race at once in fast paced races that can end in people dying, or even killing their fellow racers is going to bring a lot more attention, especially with videogame streamers that have millions of views.  This is going to cause a lot more people who've never played an F-Zero before to become interested and try this out.

In comparison an F-Zero GX remaster would have been lucky if it could even get a dozen racers online, and that's assuming Nintendo would even be willing to spend the money on adding online play to such a remaster for a game that didn't sell that well back in the day.  Outside of people with Gamecube nostalgia, an F-Zero GX remaster would not have gotten the attention that F-Zero 99 will probably have in the future once more word of mouth gets out.

Seriously, anyone that wants a new F-Zero should be happy that F-Zero 99 now exist.  If it's successful enough then maybe Nintendo might seriously consider making a new game, because otherwise they have no reason to. 

While after starting to hear rumblings of an F-Zero GX Remaster for the past 2 Directs and what seemed to be a legit leak that something F-Zero related was happening for this Direct, I'd finally gotten my hopes up a bit for this Direct. I'll take an F-Zero GX Remaster at this point because I do think it would become the best selling title in the franchise due to the Switch install base and years of word of mouth since its release about how good it is. I'm sure there'd be many new gamers who'd check it out. Of course, a brand new 3D game would be a far better surprise.

The one thing I didn't want was another 2D entry. Please don't let it be a mistake that bad. When the F-Zero video came up showing the SNES 2D look, I was ready to start letting the expletives fly but, when it quickly became clear this was a new 99 type idea, and then I was like "well, that actually could work out ok...". It seemed like it took some of what helped make GX a better entry like spinning into rival cars to try and crash or destroy them and added it to the original formula. I also wondered if I might do pretty well at the game since I've still given F-Zero SNES a spin during the years.

In regards to the last paragraph, I do hope that F-Zero 99 can help create some interest in demand for an actual new entry. Yet, having played it, I can see the potential for this being a big hot burning flame that soon dies out because it unfortunately still has the SNES limitations to it. By that, I'm referring to the fact that it only has four vehicles to choose from and that it only has the 15 SNES courses to play on. I'm not sure what the numbers are like for Mario Kart 8 online play but I would think it is a highly successful online game for Nintendo and in general. I would also suspect part of what gives it such longevity and continuous play is the number of character and vehicle choices along with the large amount of tracks to play on which Nintendo has been continuously adding to now for the past year just about doubling the content of the game.

From the trailer in the Direct, I thought perhaps there was a bunch of the other racers featured in X and GX because it seemed like there were a whole bunch of different vehicles on the track. I see now that is just some of the cosmetic customization options being offered to the original 4 vehicles that made it seem that way. That's been kind of disappointing. Part of me hopes that maybe there will be an update in the future to add more racers but I'm not that hopeful about it. As for the tracks, I guess they'll be rotating things around at various points but, so far, there's been no option to play all the different tracks in the game. I've been unable to see less than half so far. After awhile, it gets a bit boring to be on the same 5 tracks or so, over and over.

The big event is the Grand Prix but you have to wait every two hours for a chance at it. That's also been a bit disappointing. It's the part I've liked the most but I've only been able to get three cracks at it because of that limitation. There's only a ten minute window to enter the event so you gotta set everything else if you want to play it. Wish it was a bit more frequent as I think that's what has the best chance of giving this game some legs to last for awhile.

If Nintendo does increase the frequency of the GP mode, adds in some more vehicles and goes so far as to add in another three cups (surely all those GBA 2D courses could finally have some use now) then this could turn out to be a top entry in the series yet. It's close to something special but it feels like it is being held back because Nintendo probably didn't want to put too much money into it out of fear of the franchise's possible reception.

On a quick personal note, I have been disappointed to find that my SNES 2D skills are nothing special. I have yet to finish first in any race although there have been times where I've been in first place and leading for awhile. Best I've done so far is 4th place. I've also yet to complete a Grand Prix. I keep ranking out near the end of the 4th circuit of Death Wind. Not sure why I keep falling behind in that race and ranking out. The last one I played was further heartbreaking because I had placed 10th on Big Blue and then 7th on Sand Ocean so I was feeling really good about my playing and then ended up ranked out around 32. Gah! I just want to unlock Silence at least.

Well, I guess I'll get one more crack at it in a few minutes here.

113

TalkBack / Re: F-ZERO Returns Today as the Next 99-player Title

« on: September 15, 2023, 01:12:19 AM »

What fans though?  The reason F-Zero hasn't had a game in 20 years is because the original on the SNES was by far the best selling game in the franchise and every sequel, sold worse and worse.  The original SNES game sold close to 3 million copies, while the N64 sequel barely passed 1 million, despite the N64 game being a huge upgrade in players and content.  Then you have GX which has even more content, and was obviously very expensive to make, sell even less.  It was one of the few Nintendo games on the Gamecube that couldn't even cross the one million mark.  Then you get the two GBA games based off the anime which were two of the worst selling Nintendo games of all time.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whhhoooaaaaa! First, the SNES game had a partial advantage of being a launch title with the SNES. I don't know how many copies Nintendo made of that game but, back around 2003 or 2004, I was able to buy a still shrinkwrapped Player's Choice copy of the game for 0.10 off eBay because the demand wasn't there for the title unlike other SNES stuff. How did so many copies of that game still end up being for sale new at that time? I don't know but it may have been that people could pick them up cheap later on in the system's life adding to those sales numbers and make it the "best-selling" title in the series.

As for F-Zero GX, word on the street was that it crossed 1.5 million and this knowledge came about 5 years ago from Nagoshi himself. Here's Nintendo Life's article in which he states it at that amount and being proud of the sales for it. F-Zero GX also made the list of Player's Choice games on the GameCube and had some copies made with the yellow branding which meant it was at least a million seller. Considering GameCube console sales were much lower compared to SNES and most other Nintendo consoles, the fact that GX did about half the SNES sales is actually a positive thing showing why the demand is there for a follow-up entry.

As for the GBA games, first there was Maximum Velocity (which was not based off any F-Zero anime but you probably weren't referring to that one). However, it should be commented on because it is its own weird thing. It goes back to the 2D racing after having 3D from X. Much like how Mario Kart Super Circuit just doesn't cut it after MK64, MV just isn't that great by going back to the SNES look and feel. Even weirder, the game takes place 25 years after the days the SNES F-Zero so it doesn't have Captain Falcon or Samurai Gorah as playable options but rather a whole new cast of characters. Pretty much all the race tracks are different worlds/places from the commonly used stuff. None of these characters and most of these track names are never used again in any F-Zero game which makes it a bit weird to call it that. Imagine Mario Kart that supposedly takes place in the future so you've got brand new characters you've never seen before racing in completely different worlds. Maybe the gameplay is similar but it just seems wrong.

F-Zero: GP Legend is based off the F-Zero anime and is the game that I shoulder most blame on for "killing" the series or at least keeping the series dormant for so long. I guess Nintendo hoped to capitalize on the anime that was done and the positive reception of GX and AX which led to them releasing another F-Zero game on the GBA but it was a poorly timed decision. First, if the anime played in the West, I never saw it on TV or knew about it until way after the GBA games were no longer on the shelves. Second, did the GBA really need a second 2D F-Zero racing game? No system had ever had two F-Zero games before. Did Nintendo really think this was going to explode? You had Maximum Velocity in 2001. F-Zero GX in 2003 and that same year in Japan (and 2004 worldwide) they then release another 2D F-Zero game. What was the market research that led them to this conclusion? Metroid doing alright with a sudden flood of titles? It's disappointing the game tanked but not that surprising either. It's like what killed Rock Band / Guitar Hero. Sudden oversaturation. Incredibly, Nintendo allowed a THIRD GBA F-Zero game to be made but F-Zero Climax only stayed in Japan ensuring it would be the most dismal selling of them all. (But maybe we'll see it ported on the GBA NSO yet!).

I sort of feel like I've become a big, if not THE, F-Zero guy on these forums over the years because of my love for GX and commenting on the series a lot. But it's not even in my top ten favorite Nintendo series. (Although not having had new entries for over 15 some years no doubt assists in  keeping it down my personal list). But the reason I'm so passionate about wanting another entry is basically because of my love for one game in the series and that is the GX GameCube game. It's possible this is a StarFox situation. Most people feel that series peaked with StarFox 64 and has been unable to figure out what to do since then. Perhaps it is the same with GX and that will be the high point of the series with no where else to go but I keep hoping it isn't. Mario Kart keeps going and while there can be some new features added in here and there to advance it, the main thing is that it has new courses to race on. To me, that's all F-Zero needs. Even if it keeps coping the GX formula, I'm just looking for new tracks to race on. It can't be that hard to come up with that aspect, can it?

F-Zero X is alright but it is a bit rough compared to GX so it's been harder for me to care as much about it. F-Zero SNES is about the only 2D F-Zero title I'll still play around with but I've also never owned a copy of F-Zero GP Legend to judge it accurately. My problem with F-Zero SNES is how it basic it feels. There's no 2 player mode. It's just the 4 racers to choose from. You've got three Cups to race in and that's about it. It's launch title / early SNES development days are apparant. And yet, I'd still choose to play that game over Super Mario Kart. SMK just feels wrong and obsolete now to me. F-Zero SNES still has a bit of the feel of its later entries and its speed and precision angling still give you that F-Zero vibe. There was a time when I was waiting for Mop it up to join me for an NSO SNES game session and she was surprised to see me play F-Zero SNES while killing time waiting for her. She didn't think anyone was still interested in played that game. Perhaps just by doing that, I really am the biggest F-Zero fan on these forums. 

114

TalkBack / Re: Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door Remake Announced For 2024

« on: September 14, 2023, 11:26:37 PM »

At last, all the Thousand Year Door fans can finally shut the **** up.

It's been a long sad saga. Especially since Sticker Star is superior.

Don't worry, I'm sure they'll find some change in the remake that they'll argue butchers the entire experience now.  Then they'll be mad that more people are playing the inferior Switch version instead of the superior Gamecube version.

And then after telling everyone not to buy it, someone points it that it is selling less than Origami King so then they freak out because that means Nintendo won't make a new Mario RPG since people clearly aren't buying the "best" RPG one so now they need to get people to buy it while still hating it. Will laugh-o if that happens.

115

TalkBack / Re: Another Code Games, Including Wii Title Unreleased In North America, Being Remade For January La

« on: September 14, 2023, 10:44:06 PM »

Interesting.

I *loved* Trace Memory so much that I bought and soft-modded a second Wii to import Another Code: R and play.  ACR was... okay.  Not the strongest game.

But... Hotel Dusk and Last Window... now *those* are two games that deserve a wider audience. And I think Last Window is kinda pricey to get now.

First Famicom Detective Club. Now Another Code (Trace Memory). Thank you Switch for making Nintendo start digging deep through their library and needing more ports to feed the library. Hoping for that backwards compatability on Switch 2 to further keep them digging up rarities like this. Hoping you are not only right UncleBob but Nintendo goes even crazier and makes a new game to add with Hotel Dusk and Last Window to make a Kyle Hyde trilogy!

116

TalkBack / Re: Another Code Games, Including Wii Title Unreleased In North America, Being Remade For January La

« on: September 14, 2023, 10:38:30 PM »

Captain Rainbow?

Which has a greater chance of coming to America? Mother 3 or Captain Rainbow? The race is on!

117

TalkBack / Re: Princess Peach: Showtime Launching March 22

« on: September 14, 2023, 10:33:58 PM »

Yeah, thinking about the Direct, this is probably the game that is my most wanted (aside from Mario Wonder but that was barely shown since it's already been promoted). It helps that it isn't a port or remake but something fresh and new from Nintendo (although I did feel a nagging in my mind that it seemed like something I'd kind of seen before). I do wonder what the difficulty level for it will be. For whatever reason, I felt like I was watching a pretty easy game being played but I may have to rewatch it again to see if I still get that impression.

As for that nagging, the whole costume thing for different abilities is probably what is triggering my mind. I guess the biggest thing it is making me think of is Wario: Master of Disguise on DS. And that game was rather so-so. With Super Princess Peach on the DS also being on the average side of platformers, it's the combination of those two memories that is keeping me from getting overly hyped on this game but just cautiously optimistic. There's also the whole thing about the game clearly playing out like various plays / dramas for an audience based on the setting and that it all seems to take place on a stage. That theatre aspect made me think of TTYD battles. Wouldn't you know it? That game would also make an appearance in the Direct.

118

TalkBack / Re: Picross S+ Bringing 3DS Games to Switch in 2024

« on: September 12, 2023, 05:32:46 PM »

a collection of all nine Picross e games

Nine?! There were only 8. I remember playing through them all. What's this nine you speak of?

This will be the first time Picross e9 will be available outside of Japan.

Oh! I didn't realize there had been a ninth version that was never ported over. That's weird that they didn't. I'm guessing this was after 3DS sales began falling with the Switch taking off and maybe they thought the market had moved on. Too bad. I still think it would have sold well enough but I guess the opportunity to play it will exist now.

Picross S+ will contain the content from Picross e for an estimated price of $4.99 (and equivalent pricing). The other eight releases will be available as DLC for an estimated price of $4.99 each.

Uh-oh. So it would seem I can't buy e9 individually like you could on the 3DS. I'd basically have to pay double for it. Buying the base e (Picross S+) version and then buying the e9 release for DLC of it. Ehhhhhh, not sure I'd want to play it enough to spend that much for it. The first e game is sort of the "worst" of the lot as the series got more refined and seemed to offer more puzzles with each new iteration. I'm hoping Jupiter will rethink this and release these packs individually like the 3DS versions.

119

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Official Sales Thread

« on: September 12, 2023, 04:15:03 AM »

Final Fantasy XVI is finally off the charts but Armored Core arrives to just in time to prevent a Switch 30 for 30. Time is running out for any Nintendomination of the charts this year.

120

General Gaming / Re: Backlaugust 2023! (Forums Aren't Dead Yet?) Edition

« on: September 07, 2023, 03:23:41 AM »

Looking forward to finding out if I need to bring a gift or a shotgun to the wedding.

121

General Gaming / Re: The Great(?) Video Game Spreadsheet Project: Year 32 Challenge!

« on: September 05, 2023, 04:44:22 PM »

I'm loving that Kirby's Air Ride is the highest rated GameCube game. Take that, Mario Kart! Even higher than the great TTYD. And ARMS! No one talks about ARMS anymore on the Switch. Splatoon got two releases on Switch while ARMS is left behind. That 2015 - 2018 when Nintendo seemed to be getting creative with game ideas and franchises.

Evan_B(iscotti) does have a Backloggery page though I'm not sure how up-to-date it is. It only shows 105 total unfinished games. I'm not sure if he'd be alright with me posting the link to it or not so to err on the side of privacy, I'll wait to see what he says after reading this post.

122

General Gaming / Re: Backlaugust 2023! (Forums Aren't Dead Yet?) Edition

« on: September 03, 2023, 04:11:18 PM »

Tunic has come up a lot. Should I have been playing Tunic.....? 

Well, Tunic is basically "What if NES Legend of Zelda were crossed with Dark Souls and Fez?", so...probably?

Oh, I'm aware of Tunic. I've got it on my Switch Wishlist. Waiting to see if it goes down to a 50% off or more sale. My comment was done more in the vein of Dumb and Dumber at the end when Lloyd's asking "How come I didn't get a gun? Did you get a gun?" since everyone seems to have a gun at the end.



Or I guess in any sort of comedy situation where a character is confused since everyone seems to be doing something the same and they wonder if they should be doing it. Was it Tunic month and I got it mixed up with Backlaugust? That sort of thing. But I wasn't aware of what the physical manual and pamphlets looked like so that was cool to see.

36 sounds good, I mean that is more than one game per day. Of course we had 56 last year, but more of the heavy hitters stepped up. Personally I am happy with any month where I finish more than 4. I am still hoping to host Shocktober this year, but until then perhaps someone else can resurrect another community event Pokepal started 

Last year was crazy! So many people were involved as well which helped make it the best year ever. (So far.) Even though XC3 had just released shortly before the month. Fortunately, I guess the majority of posters here weren't big on playing a new XC game right away so everyone put it off unlike TotK which seems to have continued dominating many users playtimes this year. Thanks for nothing, TotK! Looking back again, 39 total games were beat in the second Backlaugust (2021) so we almost matched that minimum record. That means this wasn't a huge disappointment or anything. That second time was the only Backlaugust so far in which I didn't get to double digits and finished with just 7 so I'm happy enough with still beating that personal marker.

Not sure what you mean by another pokepal community event though...? 

Oh, I s'pose I forgot to be mentioning on which platform I played some of the games!

It wasn't required or anything. I was just doing it more out of personal interest and to partially indicate about the "counting rule" in the case of a game having been released on multiple systems, a title will only be recorded once as beaten during the month by a player. However, thanks for noticing that detail and being willing to confirm the method with which you played some of those games. 

I just made it simple with Shinobi III and Shadow Dancer by calling them Switch games now since the Sega Genesis Collection can be counted as a Switch game. I put both A Short Hike and Tunic as Xbox Series X on the assumption that is the system you used when playing them. It's just more about the system used to play it rather than the system it was released on.

123

General Gaming / Re: Backlaugust 2023! (Forums Aren't Dead Yet?) Edition

« on: September 01, 2023, 11:34:41 PM »

Well, then you might as well add Tunic for me as well, because I played and 100% it for the first time this month via the PS4 physical release that came out at the start of the month.

Seems a lot of us on this Nintendo website played that game this month for some reason. 

So for me that would be Tunic, Process of Elimination, Death's Door, Dead Cells, and Balan Wonderworld.

Boo-yah! That's the spirit! Don't worry, *slaps original post*, this bad boy can fit so many finished game titles in it. Don't be shy, anybody else.

Tunic has come up a lot. Should I have been playing Tunic.....? 

Well, that brings the total of games beat this month up to 36! Not too shabby. Especially when it was looking so quiet for the first half of the month. If anyone else has something to add to the total, please post about it quickly. After this weekend, I'm ending the upkeep of submissions.

124

General Gaming / Re: Backlaugust 2023! (Forums Aren't Dead Yet?) Edition

« on: September 01, 2023, 11:30:11 PM »

As a quick wrap-up on that previous post:

Maestro! Green Groove - When trying to see what DSiWare might be worth picking up before the eShop closed, this title came up on a couple lists. Nintendo Life seemed quite enthusiastic about it in their Best of DSiWare list and stated: "Maestro! Green Groove manages to take two very different gameplay styles and combine them into one of the most unique and enjoyable gaming experiences available on the system to date. Not only is the game extremely playable, it also features some absolutely diabolical challenges in the later levels that should challenge even the most seasoned gamers." Their review as a 9/10. Sounds like it would be worth playing, right? Well, not quite. It would seem in my haste to look up titles worth getting before it was too late, I missed this later portion which states: "Although the game only features one area from the retail release (which never saw release in the US, with only a limited release in Europe), with all of the extra goodies and rampant replay value, you'll more than get your money's worth out of this wildly enjoyable DSiWare release." I guess that explains why it was the same 4 songs done over three times in a row except the levels went easy, normal and hard through each set. Don't know how much more of a complete package the retail game would have been but I have doubts it would make things better.

When looking up the game on Gamefaqs, there is absolutely no information on it so I don't know what all these extra goodies are supposed to be but that seems like a lie to me. The only thing about the game that I see is under the Board (forum) section. There is one topic for the game with no replies. The title is Quite possibly the worst video game i've ever played in my life. and the opening post to go with it is "Stay. Away. From this game". I will add that if you didn't purchase this before the DSiWare shop closed then you made the right choice.

Basically, you strum some lines on the screen at a certain point to play a note and to make the main character, who's always running from point A to point B, jump up or jump down. Sometimes you tap an enemy on the screen to further keep the beat. It's so-so in the beginning easy section and becomes a bore by the end. Definitely the worst thing I played this month. Snap judgement rating: 1/5 stars.

Mighty Milky Way - Remember Nintendo Power? This poster still does. I remember this game sticking out in a way few DSiWare games did as they would dutifully list and talk about software being released for that service. Later, having played and had a positive experience with the Mighty Switch Force games, it just made me want to go back and see what the other titles in this "Mighty" series were like. Finally pulled the trigger on getting it before the eShop closed. Having played it now, I see why it hasn't been ported anywhere since appearing on DSiWare. One, it does need a touchscreen. Second, it's not a platformer but more of a puzzler using gravity to get to the goal each level. I almost wondered if this game didn't do more with gravity than the Super Mario Galaxy games. I guess it's just a much greater focus here but some puzzles are about other planets interacting and swinging the main character along their orbit for a bit until a new stronger force takes them away because they can't land on that planet or need to avoid a tricky area. It's definitely something I consider more casual pick up and play in that, after doing maybe 5 or 6 puzzles, you may want a break and come back to later to do some more. Never really hooked me to keep on playing unlike Mighty Switch Force. I did laugh at the unexpected ending which helped give the game a bit more positive experience than I may have felt about it at time. Snap judgement rating: 3/5 stars.

Kirby's Blowout Blast - I know this was supposedly an enlarged mode from a mini-game in Planet Robobot. How much was added, enlarged or different from that game, I'm not sure on since I've still yet to play it. It's starting to become a source of great shame for a person who says they are a big Kirby fan. I really got some catching up to do on the series over the past decade. Planet Robobot, Battle Royale, Rainbow Curse, Star Allies and some other smaller spinoffs like this that I've yet to play. Supposedly Planet Robobot is supposed to be the best of the lot so I've been saving that one for later. Still, I guess that stuff is a bit moot. When I'd first seen Blowout Blast, I thought it was it's own little game for the 3DS system as part of a Kirby celebration happening. Unlike other stuff such as Kirby Fighters and Team Kirby Clash, Blowout Blast gave the impression of being perhaps more deeper than those and just seemed like a better gaming hook. Having played it, it's pretty short if you just want to get through to the credits. There are certain goals to be accomplished for each level like collecting all the coins in a level or not taking any damage to add some challenge and that will help in getting a high score for a gold trophy. Levels are pretty short though probably taking around three minutes or so to complete. I haven't seen everything this game has to offer yet so this snap judgement rating is very snap but, at least by providing some color, 3D effect and Kirby music, it helped stand out as a more positive and fun time this month. 3.5/5 stars.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles - And now we come to the big one of the month and a title I've spent some time with. Where to begin? I'm not sure. Which is why I think I'm going to skip posting anything about this right now.  Done a lot of typing already tonight and it's time to move on to other things. I will give it a snap judgement of 4/5 stars so you can at least have that comment on the game.

125

General Gaming / Re: Backlaugust 2023! (Forums Aren't Dead Yet?) Edition

« on: September 01, 2023, 10:36:48 PM »

So, Backlaugust is at end. This year's Backlaugust has made clear to me that I'm just not in a gaming mode these days. Part of that could be what I've been playing but, compared to the last few years before this one, I'm just finding it hard to get enthused about turning on any system to play a game. My attention and enthusiasm is elsewhere in different things. At the time I last posted on August 10, I ended up not doing any gaming until Aug. 21 and that was just to play Fortune Street with some old friends of mine who were in town visiting. We used to play that a lot together. I forgot how great that game is. I didn't really get back to my Backlaugust stuff until Aug. 25.

Instead, I continued to watch a bunch of movies and ended up going through all 12 episodes of the show Slow Horses and just about all of Ted Lasso. I'm halfway through the second to last episode of the series so will probably wrap that up tonight. Been reading some books and doing some organizing in my place. Just so many projects and tasks I've wanted to do or need to get done.

When I last posted in this thread, I had just begun the opening of the last chapter in the Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. I was into the 3rd world of Mighty Milky Way and at least halfway through Maestro! Green Groove. The way things were going, I was wondering if might get as high as 20 games beat during the month. However, I just wasn't feeling that engaged with most of what I was playing and it felt more like a chore. Plus, it just didn't seem like there was much interest with other users this year for the event which further sapped motivation to stay focused and keep playing through stuff.

Seeing other users start to post more later on started to get me feeling more like getting back into the event. Although learning that we may have split participation with Discord when RABicle posted about it here was sort of disappointing. Looking up that thread on Discord, it seems like we've created two small threads now instead of having one big one like usual. This fracturing of media has got to stop people! Yet, after seeing some posts and getting a spark to get back on the Backlaugust train I'd start thinking about playing through the same 4 songs in Maestro! Green Groove or chipping away at more puzzles in Mighty Milky Way or watching the next episode of a TV show I was enjoying, and gaming was losing that choice every time. Playing Fortune Street didn't help because all I wanted to was just start playing more of that again. It may be the best thing I played this month. Nothing like in person multiplayer.

In the end, as the deadline for the month approached, I finally got back at things. Played through more of Ace Attorney Chronicles on the 25th and probably got a third of the way through that chapter. On the 27th, I got back into Mighty Milky Way. Beat it on the 28th. Then returned to Maestro! and played through the last quarter of that game to beat it. I then booted up Kirby's Blowout Blast just to give myself a different flavor of gaming. It was a nice palette cleanser for what I had been playing up to this point. Beat it in a couple days just pretty much storming through the main levels. Will have to go back to it and complete everything. Finally, I went back to Ace Attorney. Played through a large chunk on Wednesday and yesterday, right around 10:30 PM, I rolled credits on it beating it and letting me just reach double digits for the month with 10 games beat. Still have some Accolades to acquire though.

And that's it for the month. Not sure what I'm going to do next my for my gaming. It's just unfocused right now. A big part of me wants to go back to XCX. It's been so long (two years!) since I took a break on it but it's what I most feel like playing and getting back into. Ready for more grinding there and wrapping up the main story at least. And yet, I've got a bunch of movies on tap I want to watch and TV shows to check out. I've got Netflix and Apple TV both for the first time in my life and working my way through a bunch of things on those services. I did a tally and I'm now over 150 new movies I've watched for the first time this year. I'm just a media consumer right now, it feels like. Must consume more content. Everything but games it is feeling like. Wasn't this a fun post to read.