Messages

26

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Music

« on: February 24, 2025, 08:24:22 PM »

Over a month since I've said anything in this thread. Since Wind Waker OST was added, the SNES overtook the N64 to now have the second most OSTs available after the Switch and last week finally saw the 3DS get added to the library with its first OST. And I was certainly not expecting Streetpass Mii Plaza to be that OST. Will Switch 2 have some kind of Streetpass feature? Is that why they're suddenly reminded everyone of it and bringing up the nostalgia so that people ask for Nintendo to do something like that again? Who can say? The last question now is whether Game Boy Color games will get their own separate section or be lumped in with the Game Boy games.

Super Mario Bros. 2 is this weeks edition which is a big shrug from me. Just not an 8-bit chip tune fan. I'll always prefer the Super Mario All-Stars versions of those NES games. I've listened to all the Game Boy and NES games so far. Even played through a couple times to see if I felt there was anything worth adding to the Favorites list I've been creating but anything that's ok or good there, I know there can be a better version found in another OST so I'll just wait for those. Like the Kirby or Metroid music.

I'm glad its been slower to add those OSTs but I'm also a bit surprised as I thought they might do a lot more of the older stuff than newer sort of like how Virtual Console or the Switch Online apps always seemed to roll out stuff more in a older to newer generation pattern. No DKCR OST added yet so it doesn't appear that newer releases have any inside track on joining the app.

What might we be getting next week? I'm going to guess a Kirby soundtrack and I'll go with the Kirby 64 OST as the specific one.

27

Nintendo Gaming / Re: What will Nintendo release in 2025?

« on: February 24, 2025, 08:11:23 PM »

Does the upcoming Pokemon Direct count as the first direct and thus the deadline or is it still an official Direct that we are waiting for?

28

I'M BACK / Re: God, the default theme is so ugly.

« on: February 08, 2025, 02:26:16 AM »

Now we know why people didn't seem to want to join the forums and went to Discord. No one wants the eyesore that is Default.

29

TalkBack / Re: Three More Titles Added To The Super Nintendo Switch Online Library Including First Party Import

« on: January 24, 2025, 03:10:47 AM »

When are we going to get Dino City?!

30

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Music

« on: January 14, 2025, 12:37:09 AM »

I was going to make a joke back around Dec. 30 that it was the day the music died when there was no update to the app. Rather than release The Wind Waker OST, Nintendo would rather just quit supporting the app at that point. Wondered if this meant we'd get two updates last week but it was just a single addition with DKC3. That said, maybe DKC3 is good enough to count for two OSTs. I do think it's a bit under-rated in the trilogy. It may not have any of the highs and instant classics that were in 1 and 2 but I also don't think there are any lows or at least less stuff I want to skip past like I do in some of the first two games. It's just pretty solid and more atmospheric and works well as background music.

That said, The Wind Waker has now finally arrived. Over three and a half hours. I didn't recall the OST being that big but that'll keep me busy listening through it now. I just hope it doesn't create a big longing for me to boot the game up and play through it again. I'd already been feeling nostalgic for doing another playthrough of the game before this so maybe it will drag me back in to its world. It's also the end of the list of music Nintendo advertised as coming to the app. At this point, it will just be a wild guess and surprise as to what's next unless Nintendo drops another of what's to come in a future direct or announcement.

I was wondering if we might see DKCR's OST with it releasing this week but that was not the case. Will it hit the app sooner or later though? Perhaps it will provide a clue of whether we might see XCX's soundtrack close to around the time it releases in a couple months or not.

31

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Music

« on: December 24, 2024, 08:14:24 AM »

So, I was right. The updated OST libraries of putting duplicates over multiple systems, like Wii U and Switch of Mario Kart 8, was something done last week. When on the home screen and clicking my user icon, there's a menu that mentions updates and clicking on that had a little blurb about that duplication being done.

After pining for the Wind Waker OST, of course we get Super Mario 64 this week instead. The old video game trope of never getting the item you want while getting everything you aren't asking for lives on. I did not expect the N64 to be the system pulling away in second place with available OSTs but here we are. Perhaps it has something to do with all that N64 NSO emulation work.

Wind Waker is now the last known or expected OST still left to grace the app after the reveal trailer. Does that mean next week is its time to shine or will it be put off another week and something else is thrown out of left field? (Like Super Mario RPG. Let's start pining for that top level soundtrack.) Maybe we see our first 3DS game next week if Wind Waker continues to be lost adrift in the ocean of OST content to come.

32

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Switch Year in Review 2024

« on: December 22, 2024, 01:15:18 PM »

As always, the Year in Review is a bit inaccurate. (And you gotta love how a whole month is left off in December because companies just want to compile this data quickly and then check out for the holidays in the latter half of the year. Can't even get last year's December included. It's always missed!)

Kvetching aside, here's my rundown of activity:

I played 29 games and 177 hours on Switch this year. (Maybe but not quite in the way it is broken down.)

Top 3 are:

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch Remaster) - 46 Hours
Lumines Remastered - 29 Hours
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life - 16 Hours

Surprised about number 2. Feels like its been a long time since I played that game and didn't think I spent that much time on it this year. I had been close to getting all the avatars but I haven't got back to this in months. Story of Seasons was something I just borrowed from the library to see what it was like having played the GameCube version a bit. I did like some of the updates and improvements made to the game and did end up getting through the first year I think but didn't think this would end up with enough playtime to end up in my top 3 either.

Likewise, my top genre is Action!  (Action 33%, Puzzle 25%, Adventure 20%, Party 10%. Simulation 6%, Construction and management 6%)

I played the most Switch in February at 59 hours. That month accounts for about 1/3 of my total time playing Switch this year.

January = 6 hours; N64 NSO most played
February = 59 hours; Lumines Remastered most played
March = Under an hour; Suika Game most played
April = Under an hour; Tetris 99 most played
May = 6 hours; Wheel of Fortune most played
June = 5 hours; Game Boy Advance NSO most played
July = 7 hours; Clubhouse Games 51 most played
August = 10 hours; It Takes Two most played
September = 47 hours; Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Switch most played
October = 27 hours; SNES NSO most played
November = 4 hours; Wheel of Fortune most played

So, what are the 29 games I'm supposed to have played? Here's the list from what I can select:

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch version)
Lumines Remastered
Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
Wheel of Fortune
SNES NSO
Suika Game
Tetris 99
Game Boy Advance NSO
Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
It Takes Two
N64 NSO
Super Mario Party
A Little to the Left
Mario Party Superstars
Kirby's Dream Buffet
Crime O'Clock
Game Boy NSO
Jeopardy!
F-Zero 99
NES NSO
Final Fantasy
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Minecraft Dungeons
Darkest Dungeon
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope
Cursed to Golf
EA Sports FC 24
NBA 2K24 Kobe Bryant Edition
Vampire Survivors

A Little to the Left, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Minecraft Dungeons, Darkest Dungeon, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, Cursed to Golf, EA Sports FC 24, NBA 2K24 Kobe Bryant Edition, and Vampire Survivors were Game Trials that I downloaded and booted up to get the 100 Platinum coins and then pretty much just quit and deleted. The one exception was A Little to the Left. I was a bit curious on that title since it seems to sell well enough and has some popularity. It seemed to me as though it was highly possible to have beaten the whole game during the trial period and I kind of contemplated doing that but only got around halfway through because it just wasn't the most compelling kind of puzzle game. So, to me these nine games are a lie along with the NES NSO which I know I only opened to select a title or two that again required being open to then get certain profile pictures in the NSO app. F-Zero 99 is the same thing. I would mainly just play it now to cross the finish line in a race and get the 100 coins when the NSO mission comes up. So, that's 11 games that just aren't true.

Then there's the games I'm just always going back to with family and friends to play a few rounds in. Super Mario Party, Mario Party Superstars, Clubhouse Games 51 and Wheel of Fortune. Those just seem to keep showing up every year. Tetris 99 is another perennial type title. I boot it up to keep acquiring themes and as a quick way to fulfill the NSO mission for each week. The Jeopardy! game is more for myself which I boot up on a rare occasion now to see if I can beat the high score I got in there. Hoping I can get lucky and crack the $500,000 mark in winnings some day but that requires getting pretty lucky in when the Daily Doubles are found to best double one's money.

Ultimately, the stuff I'd consider as true games counting towards the year because I played them for some purpose or aim would be The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch version), Lumines Remastered, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, SNES NSO, Suika Game, Game Boy Advance NSO, It Takes Two, N64 NSO, Kirby's Dream Buffet, Crime O'Clock, Game Boy NSO, and Final Fantasy. 8 games that aren't in an NSO app. The only one I really completed was Link's Awakening. Most of the rest were started but unfinished. Lumines is sort of done. Every mode has a 100% attached to it but there are like 3 avatars I still need to unlock based on certain challenges. However, I believe that's something I mostly achieved before this year so it doesn't really feel fresh.

As for the NSO apps, I can't recall all that I played there but I know a few things that I did. With the SNES, I went back to DKC to get the 101% and figure out where all the bonuses were again. I started a bit of DKC2 as that is the only one I haven't completed now on the app but still have much of it to keep playing. I started up A Link to the Past after completing Link's Awakening. It's only the second time I've ever actually played aLttP. Need to get back to it and finish it. I had finished the 4th dungeon or so in the dark world so I was close to wrapping that up. Played a few more levels of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island but still have yet to complete that on the app. Somewhere on the 4th World there. With the GBA App, I played the Four Swords part of the aLttP game on it with some people. However, I'd like to play more of it. I should look into finding some people for that. Pokepal talked about doing Amazing Mirror as a 4 player group and that's never happened yet. Played some WarioWare here and there. Everything's pretty much unlocked but because of my stupid completionist tendencies I've been playing all the microgames to flower them even though I've done that already on my actual GBA copy and Ambassador copy and didn't think I'd ever do it again! But loading it up and doing 5 or so here and there has me slowly chipping away at it. Tried The Legendary Starfy but really disappointed that we couldn't get some kind of English translation done for it. Just tried out the beginning and sure you can progress but it's less appealing when you've got a bit more trial and error by not understanding Japanese. Also started up Mario Advance: Super Mario Bros. 2 and got around to the second world there. On the Game Boy NSO, I'm pretty sure I've finished Super Mario Land 2 but it bugs me that it only shows 31 levels on the save file and not the full 32. I seem to have found everything when double checking with a FAQ and even replayed a bunch of levels over but nothing I do seems to get me to that full count. Just moving on but I am bugged about it! Started up Alleyway and played a bit into it. Did a little bit of the Game and Watch Gallery 3. Tried some old school Tetris and the latest Tetris DX that dropped on the app. Currently playing the Donkey Kong Land now. On the N64 app, I'd been playing Yoshi's Story early in the year. I had unlocked all levels and was then trying to do the 100% melon challenge with them but haven't gone back to it in some time. Also was playing Mario Party 3 and about halfway through the solo challenge in that game. I think I might have done a little bit of F-Zero X and Wave Race 64 racing for a brief couple days but so hard to keep track and years blend together a bit to know if it was this year or last. Still so much more I keep meaning to go back and do in the app and just keep putting it off. Going by the 17 games I mentioned here and then the other stuff I mentioned as being more indictive of games I did play and not "test trial" I could sort of come up with a list of 29 (or more) that I played on Switch which is truer than this year in review.

Overall, it was a pretty unfocused year in Switch gaming as may have already been evidenced with my lack of getting anything done during Backlaugust this year. (Speaking of, I really should go and do a summation / wrap-up on that topic.) Movies and tv are winning the battle again when it comes to my attention in entertainment. Maybe next year the pendulum will end up swinging somewhat back towards gaming.

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I'M BACK / Re: Fantasy Critic - NWR Community League

« on: December 19, 2024, 11:22:34 AM »

Ok. I guess I'll do it. Since no one seems to want to host another Safe Words game to see if I could go three in a row there......

34

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Music

« on: December 17, 2024, 09:54:24 AM »

After that Wave Race surprise, Nintendo has dropped the Skyward Sword OST we knew was soon on the way from the app trailer. That just leaves Super Mario 64 and Wind Waker as the two known OSTs that are supposed to be added soon.  Once those drop then it will really be a wild guess as to what might come next.

Also, I don't know if this happened with the latest update or sometime during the past week but I notice that Nintendo has sort of doubled up on some OSTs. For instance, Breath of the Wild now appears under Switch and the Wii U section. Mario Kart 8 does as well although its kind of incorrect by doing so in that Deluxe for the Switch has all the bonus tracks that have been added so it makes sense for all of those songs and that music to be included on the Switch side but Wii U does not have access to all of those tracks so having that same OST and music be shown for MK8 Wii U is technically incorrect. Yet, why go through the work of having a technically correct OST for Wii U and then have the bigger correct OST for Switch? It's just kind of funny that Nintendo realized and decided that these games also existed on Wii U so they could be considered Wii U OSTs also. With how much of the Wii U games have been imported, it would have made that section seem so tiny if they never included entries for both. Yet, do we really need options for both? Skyward Sword now shows for both Wii and Switch since it got ported to the system also (something I'd kind of forgotten about) Metroid Prime: Remastered now shows for Switch using the exact same songs and list as the GameCube Metroid Prime tracks that the app launched with.

This now makes 3DS as the biggest / most outstanding system to not have any OSTs showing on the app. (There's also Game Boy Color though maybe those games will just stay grouped in with Game Boy. There's also Virtual Boy but does anyone expect OSTs for that system to ever show up here?) However, there is Ocarina of Time showing in the N64 section. Ocarina of Time got a port to the 3DS so does this mean it should be showing in the 3DS section also? If Breath of the Wild and Skyward Sword are getting posted in two system libraries, why not OoT? And then, of course, is the question of where does the porting end? OoT was on the GameCube as well along with the Master Quest edition. It was on the Wii and Wii U via the Virtual Console and now on Switch with the 64NSO app. Will it just be based on physical release? If so, what will Nintendo do about digital only games like The Stretchers or Kirby's Dream Buffet? Release an eShop section on the app? I'm curious to see what will happen now with Super Mario 64. It was ported to the DS. Will it show up for both N64 and DS? Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. It included the original tracks along with rearranged music. If it gets released on the app, will it include both the old and new or will it separate the old to the Wii and the new to the Switch? Or will they just included the same music combined of old and new under both the Wii and Switch entries? Ah, fun decisions ahead for those working on this app.

What do you think? Will OoT suddenly become the first entry for the 3DS section? If not, what game do you think will be the first to break through for the 3DS? I want to be bold and say Pilotwings Resort but I'd much rather see AC:New Leaf or Super Smash Bros. for 3DS sooner than later.

35

Nintendo Gaming / Re: 3D Yoshi's Island

« on: December 17, 2024, 09:26:01 AM »

Oh wow. This right here is like a blast from the past. What forum posting used to be like 20 years ago. People coming up with ideas about what direction they'd like to see a game character or series take in the future and their ideas for a hypothetical sequel. Passion for a character they love on full display. I love it!

And I must say, you have opened my eyes on Yoshi potential. Yoshi games have sort of become pretty codified and static nowadays all based off SMW2 and, as a result, it seems to have caused the character to be stuck in this gaming rut as though that's all Yoshi can do. When Rare took Donkey Kong and made DKC and followed that up quickly with another couple DKC games, it totally changed what a Donkey Kong game could be and created a far more interesting world and franchise compared to another use of DK in the Mario vs DK series. You talk about Donkey Kong in 3D and yet the only game we've gotten like that is DK64 which is now 25 years ago. I absolutely enjoyed what Rare did with bringing DK to the world of 3D but it's been back to 2D ever since.

In fact, reading your post just made me start thinking about how much Nintendo has ended up sticking with 2D for so many of their characters after the 64 and GameCube era. At the time when taking franchises into 3D was still a big deal and change for all sorts of franchises, things sort of regressed in that progress. Yoshi never made the jump at all in his series being one of the few to stick in 2D for the 64. Kirby did also but at least played with perspective a bit. It's like Nintendo struggles to make Yoshi work in 3D because they seem to limit his use in the 3D Mario games. You mentioned at the end about Kirby having 3D options but, he's really only got one and that just happened recently. Took over 30 years for that to finally happen. Even then, there were times playing the game where it just felt like a 2D game but just with a wider perspective. In my mind, the only franchises that have stuck to 3D or been very successful are Mario, Zelda, and Metroid and Metroid's been on a sort of 3D hiatus since MP3 or Other M if you count the standing still in first person mode it could switch to. I suppose with Switch, you could add Pokemon but that feels like less of a significant jump considering its sort of like the jump of Zelda 2D to 3D.

Donkey Kong - Reverted to 2D. Barrel Blast is the only other 3D DK game and it's not exactly what one would consider a true DK game. Jungle Beat, King of Swing and Jungle Climber, DKCR and Trop Freeze, Mario Vs DK and, sure, Donkey Konga are all 2D. I guess there is also Diddy Kong Racing but like Barrel Blast it is more of a racing game and its own thing compared to fighting baddies and collecting bananas in platforming challenges.

Kirby - A tease of 3D with Kirby 64. Kirby's Air Ride was 3D but mainly a racing game. (Are racing games going to be a trend here?). With DS, Wii, 3DS, and Wii U, Kirby still stuck to 2D. Not a bad thing. A lot of good Kirby games were made still. Canvas Curse, Mass Attack, Epic Yarn, Return to Dream Land and Planet Robobot were all considered as top Kirby games. But it took Forgotten Land on the Switch for HAL to finally get ambitious enough to try Kirby in 3D. Will he stay there or soon revert back to 2D?

Wario - He hit 3D with Wario World for the GameCube and its an ok game. There's no transformations like in the Wario Land series and using the same wrestling moves to fight enemies loses its charm after awhile. Again, it's sort of like Forgotten Land or maybe Mario 3D Land in that it is 3D but feels more like just a wider perspective of a 2D game. After Wario's brief 3D foray, it was back to 2D for Master of Disguise and Shake it. As well, the WarioWare series took off and all of that is pretty much 2D. However, I would point to the WarioWare series as maybe hope for Yoshi. The Wario series was becoming pretty established in what once considered a Wario game to play like or what the mechanics of it might be like. There had been 4 Wario Land games and Wario World definitely follows some of that expectation but then WarioWare just suddenly appeared and gave Wario a new outfit / look and a new cast of characters around him as he suddenly was now about trying to make a quick buck as a video game maker. It still seems all kind of odd for him perhaps because there's never really been anything done to flesh out the WarioWare setting more or show him and those other characters like Mona or Ashley as hanging out together or being involved in any kind of adventure together. They're just all so shaggily joined together. Still, if Wario can be shaken up and given an out of left field new direction then perhaps the same could happen for Yoshi who could drop the baby Marios and Bowsers and Kamaks and embark in a bold new 3D adventure.

F-Zero - Oooh. Now we're opening up old wounds. DK and Kirby had 3D racing games because racing in 3D is a pretty natural fit. After F-Zero made the leap to 3D on the 64, it went back to 2D for the Advance but not a big deal since that's what that system was capable of. Mario Kart also dropped to 2D on it. Then we got F-Zero GX and the pinnacle of the series showing what an F-Zero game in 3D could be capable of. Nintendo followed up with two more 2D games on the Advance and dropping the series forever. How can we expect 3D Yoshi when Nintendo can't even do 3D racing games like F-Zero?

Star Fox - This is a weird one. Really all the games have been 3D since the 64. Nintendo did finally release Star Fox 2 when doing the SNES but since that was designed for the SNES and held onto for all this time, I wouldn't count that as the series going back to 2D. However, because the Star Fox series has usually stuck to on-rails levels, it doesn't often feel like its that different from being in 2D or the idea of 3D one has of being able to move around in whatever direction you wish to explore. The series has thrown in a few All-Range mode / levels in 64 and Assault but they're usually pretty small contained areas and the on-rails stuff still outnumbers them. StarFox Adventures might be the only game that really fits the 3D bill here in that you do have big levels and worlds to explore in 3D but you mostly lose the whole arwing combat part of the series in this jump to 3D. On the Arwing combat side, StarFox Command is oddly the closest the series got to 3D arial combat in that pretty much most of the flying is in small 3D zones to fight. The problem comes in that those flying combat zones start to feel pretty repetitive after awhile as though the developers struggled with ideas for what to do with having combat in a 3D space. I guess I often think about this series and contrast it to Star Wars: Rogue Squadron on the 64 and GameCube. There's a series with 3D arial combat and they made it feel like you were in large areas and kept the combat engaging and nothing Star Fox has done has compared to those games. After Command, we basically got two remakes of Star Fox 64. One for the 3DS and Zero for the Wii U. Again, a series with potential that Nintendo seems unable to figure out how to make it work in actual 3D combat like Rogue Squadron could do 13 years ago.

Earthbound - This series is most likely done and a new entry seems highly unlikely at this point. That's fine as not every series or game idea needs endless sequels. But, at one point, it was supposed to have a sequel on the 64 and then it all fell apart for whatever reason and instead got a sequel done in the same 2D style on the advance with Mother 3 and that was the end of it. Again, 3D failed with a franchise.

Kid Icarus - Only one game in the series was made after the N64 came on the scene and that was Uprising for 3DS. It sort of brought the series into 3D in a Star Fox like way. While all the characters and backgrounds are 3D, the arial combat is on rails and pretty static. You can't even move Pit a bit forward or backward during that combat. When you do fight on land then the game opens up into 3D but, once more, it's a very small and limited 3D space pretty and pretty much empty with you just moving around to quickly fire on any enemies that pop up in it. I believe this is another franchise that could see greater potential in further embracing 3D but clearly not a priority for Nintendo.

Fire Emblem - Technically, you can say the game has been in 3D since the GameCube and Path of Radiance. Maps and character combat scenes were using 3D models but its all very limiting. Three Houses embraced a bit more 3D with the Monastery section and being able to walk around and talk to people in it. In the end, though, the series is still tied to moving characters around the tiles of a map to engage them in combat with enemy units on that map. In that regard, I'm not sure how much it could ever move past that into a full engagement.

Punch-Out - Got a Wii entry but stayed true to its 2D roots by just being about the head on fight and ducking and dodging when necessary to get an opening. Nothing done to try something new within the 3D space.

And I think that about wraps up any Nintendo series or franchises before the leap to 3D. On the other hand, most of the stuff that debuted from N64 or later haven't really had this problem.

Pikmin - Debuted in 3D and stayed that way aside from Hey! Pikmin for 3DS.

Battalion Wars - Advance Wars debuted in 2D on the Advance and stayed that way for the DS and now Switch. BW was the 3D take on that series and got a second game on the Wii but has gone dormant since. I kind of liked its take on the AW series and how it found a way to convert that idea into 3D. I'd like to see a revival of it.

Animal Crossing - Debuted on the N64 and has stayed 3D also. Of course, the village your in isn't that big of a 3D world. As this post is suddenly making me very aware of, its surprising just how small of 3D space in games Nintendo has been able to get away with for so long. Mario and Zelda have done a lot of heavy lifting the company in what they do for 3D development.

Paper Mario - It's had fun playing with perspectives but has mostly stayed 3D with Super Paper Mario being the one game that committed more to the 2D form than the rest of the games in the series.

Xenoblade - Debuted in 3D and has stayed that way.

Luigi's Mansion - Debuted in 3D and has stayed that way.

Wave Race - Debuted in 3D and died that way.

1080 Snowboarding - Debuted in 3D and died that way.

I don't know. Maybe there's more I'm forgetting or could think about but, without going through every possible series as I've been typing this for long enough, what struck me when I was reading Caterkiller's first post and then started writing this one is that if a series didn't debut or start in 3D then it has still been a challenge for Nintendo to let an IP move past the 2D roots it started in. Even when they have been successful in 3D like with Mario and Zelda, they still don't want to give up the 2D style those series also excel in. It's just too bad the same thing can't happen with these other older characters and franchises where it seems to be 2D or nothing.

36

Nintendo Gaming / Re: My Video Game Collection/Museum

« on: December 12, 2024, 02:41:22 AM »

What makes them infamous?

37

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Music

« on: December 09, 2024, 09:11:39 PM »

Wave Race 64? Aw man. I was hoping for Wind Waker to get that GameCube count up.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Music

« on: November 28, 2024, 06:15:20 AM »

I wonder why some of the sound tracks are incomplete? It's Donkey Kong Country 2's, Jib Jig, that made me realize songs were missing. No way it's legal issues right? Gotta be some strange oversight.

Jib Jig is on there. You are probably just missing it by making the same mistake I did. I talked about it in my OP but here's the relevant point:

I was wondering why Nintendo was only selecting some songs for an OST instead of putting the whole thing on the app. Surely, that would get people complaining. On closer inspection, these are loafers I discovered I had just been clicking on the Top Tracks selection that first appears when selecting a game and not the All Tracks option just a bit further below. D'oh!

Make sure you select All Tracks when looking at DKC2 and you'll see it there.

One OST that I never thought I'd be so attached to is Kirby Star Allies. My son was so into that game a few years ago that I guess I just tuned out most of the music while playing. Now that I listen to it I'm finding so many of those songs really nice and already nostalgic.

Nice! I still need to play Star Allies. I was close to doing it to. I had taken it from the shelf and had it sitting next to me on the couch. This is the next game I'm playing, I told myself for when I finished something else. Then just didn't play anything for awhile and finally put it back on the shelf to tidy up and have forgotten about it again. 

For Kirby, I'm waiting for the SNES Super Star and Dream Land 3 games along with Kirby 64 for the more nostalgic Kirby sounds. But I will be curious to relisten to other games like Mass Attack or Triple Deluxe since it's been years since playing them and can't remember their songs too well. Will it bring back memories or not.

Also curious how the might handle some of the Smash Bros games. Will they have Sonic or Metal Gear music or other third party character songs?

39

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Music

« on: November 26, 2024, 06:54:30 AM »

Can you use the forums normally now, Insanolord?

40

Nintendo Gaming / Nintendo Music

« on: November 26, 2024, 04:00:12 AM »

Nintendo actually did an idea I'd had in mind for a few years now. An app for their OSTs to play and stream their music. I've seen people complaining for some time about Nintendo issuing copyright takedowns for people on YouTube who have put up videos and compilations of Nintendo OST. Often with comments from users that they wish Nintendo would make their music available to stream or purchase instead of just taking down the OSTs other people have gone to the trouble of making available. Well, now that request is finally happening but will it give the people what they want?

Nintendo's going the NSO approach of having a few titles available at launch and then slowly adding more soundtracks to the app. It appears that there will be an addition every Monday evening. It's one of those things that will no doubt garner complaints from fans who would like to see some specific OSTs now and question why Nintendo won't just put everything they have up at once. It does seem like they could probably at least done two OSTs a week but one per week is what it's been so far. I do get that by doing the slow drip release, it does keep a conversation happening about the app. It's a way of marketing even if sometimes that conversation might be hearing that Brain Age music has been added might get a shrug and everybody immediately forgets about it for the week. 

Personally, I've liked having the app and have been relistening to a few OSTs that I hadn't heard in a while. Usually been playing it when driving, not so much at home on its own. There are some soundtracks I'd really like to see added sooner than later so hopefully the wait isn't long for some of the good stuff. I'm also ok with the drip feed because it's been letting me work through what's available a bit more slowly while replaying some stuff and to keep up with what's being added. I still haven't listened through everything although part of that also is because I'm not sure yet if I want to listen to some soundtracks for games I haven't played before and hear the music now instead of possibly later. 

I also just discovered yesterday that I was missing some tracks. I downloaded DKC, DKC2 and BotW so that I could play them while driving and after listening to them a couple times over, it occurred to me that they were incomplete soundtracks. DKC was missing a couple tracks I could think of instantly and BotW didn't have the music for exploring inside the Divine Beasts which I rather liked. I was wondering why Nintendo was only selecting some songs for an OST instead of putting the whole thing on the app. Surely, that would get people complaining. On closer inspection, these are loafers I discovered I had just been clicking on the Top Tracks selection that first appears when selecting a game and not the All Tracks option just a bit further below. D'oh!  On doing some comparisons now, it seems like most of the OSTs are getting loaded. For DKC, I see nothing missing when comparing all the tracks to an OST on YouTube and their track listing. With DKC2, the only track I see missing on the Nintendo App is for The Flying Krock (the overworld map screen in which you can fight K.Rool in his airship) and the Bonus Level Intro. Not really dealbreakers or anything I'm going to seek out but I'm not sure why they'd have been omitted either. Considering today's update with Brain Age has like 6 tracks that are 5 seconds or less, it would seem like Nintendo would be including everything for a game's OST.

From the reveal trailer of the app, when it said more music would be added over time, the following games were shown:

Wii Sports (Now on the app)
Super Mario 64 (Now on the app)
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Now on the app)
Splatoon 2 (Now on the app)
Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Now on the app)
Donkey Kong Country 2 (Now on the app)
F-Zero X (Now on the app)


The updated music so far has been:
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Donkey Kong Country 2
Wii Sports
F-Zero X
Brain Age
Splatoon 2
Wave Race 64
LOZ: Skyward Sword
Super Mario 64
Donkey Kong Country 3
LOZ: The Wind Waker
Super Mario Kart
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Super Mario World
Golden Sun
Streetpass Mii Plaza
Super Mario Bros. 2


What music are you hoping to see show up? Should we do a competition to guess what next Monday's OST addition will be?

41

Nintendo Gaming / Re: 2024 NWR Forum Awards

« on: November 26, 2024, 02:42:30 AM »

As always, I've done my part by playing nothing released this year. (Although I've played some of the remasters and remakes in their original form). That said, there are some things I definitely do want to acquire and get around to at some point.

Super Mario Party: Jamboree may well be the game that I play the most from everything listed as I still keep playing Mario Party with friends after all this time.
LOZ: Echoes of Wisdom is probably my most anticipated game to get to from this list with Princess Peach: Showtime a bit behind that.
I'll get Brothership (though I still need to get back to where I left off in the series with Dream Team), and Emio since I've gotten the other two FDC games at this point.
I'll likely acquire Another Code: Recollection at some point (so that I can play the second game) and not listed but I'll also likely get Endless Ocean Luminous.

After having played Mario Vs Donkey Kong a few times over, I've just no interest in rebuying and replaying it again at this point. Not a fan of NES games nor am I that interested in speed-running so World Championship likewise just doesn't interest me. I hem and haw about Paper Mario: TTYD. I've got it for GameCube so just not sure the HD-ness of it all is worth it. Likewise, after playing a lot of Dark Moon multiplayer with Mop it up and even getting all the different ghosts captured and logged from that mode, I don't have much desire to redo that all again. While I enjoyed the single-player of LM2 even with its broken up mission mode, I'd rather replay it with the 3D effect than having it with HD graphics.

Switching over to third party, definitely have my eye on Lorelei and the Laser Eyes. I don't know what to think of Thank Goodness You're Here! The trailers never really tickled my fancy but its supposed to be pretty fun however its also supposed to be pretty darn short. Ace Attorney Investigations Collection is probably my most wanted third party game to finally play all the AA games and see how a long outstanding thread from And Justice For All plays and wraps up. That said, seeing how Capcom always discounts these games so much, it just makes sense to wait for a sale on it.  Likewise, I'm surprised at the positive enough reception at Sonic X Shadow Generations and already had it on my watchlist because the first trailers for it evoked that SA2:Battle feel and love that I have for the Sonic franchise so will likely get this after ignoring Sonic games for awhile.

And then there's the Balatro of it all. Cue the Parks and Rec Andy Meme that I don't really know what Balatro is and at this point I'm too afraid to ask. I know that it is a game based of poker and that Jokers somehow play a factor and there are various decks which do... different things, I guess. But I just have still never really looked further into the game at this point. A big reason is because the screenshots and images I've seen of it don't do anything to convey any real excitement and it just looks kind of ugly and boring. It seemed to have a brief moment of people saying they really liked it when it came out and then talk stopped and I'd forgotten about it until it was named as a Game of the Year for TGA and it seems to have all this support again. People describe it as some kind of gambling-roguelike which really does not make me want to try it along with how there can be a lot of RNG stuff affecting wins and losses. Yet despite these things which should not be a selling point, the fact that people are still saying its great is the only thing that makes me curious to try it in order to find out just what it is that's supposed to be so wonderful about this game.

Finally, on the subject of some stuff that didn't make the lists above, there are some other third party games that are on my watchlist. I didn't really think anything of the Pentiment announcement early this year when word was spreading of Microsoft first party games coming to the Switch. However, after watching the trailer a few months later, it impressed me with its visual style and idea of a medieval mystery. Would like to give it a go. Also was glad to see Duck Detective get brought over. Little Kitty Big City and Europa were a couple games in an Indie Direct that grabbed my attention with their visual style and world ideas. I wish Stray had waited a bit longer for the Switch 2 to come out before getting ported but it is the only PS5 game I've really wanted to play at this point (although the cat protagonist idea is starting to get a bit crowded now with new games like Little Kitty Big City and others) so I'm glad it is available to the Switch ecosphere. Also seriously considering Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered. Have never played a Tomb Raider game before and being able to access the series and start from the beginning like that is pretty appealing. That's my two cents on the 2024 gaming situation.

42

Nintendo Gaming / Re: What's Next For The N64 Expansion Pack?

« on: October 29, 2024, 12:13:57 AM »

Super Smash Bros-Owned
Perfect Dark-Not Owned
Jet Force Gemini-Not Owned
Turok 2-Owned
Beetle Adventure Racing-Not Owned
Excitebike 64-Owned
Ogre Battle 64-Not Owned
Pokemon Puzzle League-Owned
Vigilante 8-Owned
Rayman 2:The Great Escape-Not Owned
Fighting Force 64-Owned
Extreme G 1 and 2-Owned both
Bio F.R.E.A.K.S.- Not Owned
Rampage World Tour- Not Owned
Fighters Destiny-Owned
Mischief Makers-Not Owned
Dark Rift- Owned

I would like all the n64 wrestling games but I bet there are rights issues.  Same reason why I didn't list Golden Eye

Oh ho! A list. And there's been some progress on it. I also stand corrected. Extreme G had been mentioned by someone for their N64 suggestions. Of the 18 games mentioned, 5 have since made the leap. There's also GoldenEye but it wasn't technically on the list. Natsume Championship Wrestling has appeared on the SNES app. While still a long shot, maybe a wrestling game could appear for the N64 app after all. Of the other games listed, if Turok 1 could be released than Turok 2 should be able to make the leap. Same with Extreme G 2.

Whelp! I did not see Shadowman and Turok 2 as being next for the app but here we are! Just like that, there are now 37 N64 games through the normal and mature apps. With Turok 2, BShy gets another game off her list.

What's a bit more significant here is that Shadowman has a remaster available on Switch and is even on sale right now. Turok 2 has also been for sale on the eShop. Despite that, both original versions are now coming to the app. So, the idea that because a third party is selling a game on their own means it won't come to these apps is sort of ruined and shows that their addition could still be a possibility after all. But Shadowman before DK64? Why, Nintendo, why?

43

Movies & TV / Re: The IMDb Top 250

« on: October 24, 2024, 05:30:31 AM »

After posting in UncleBob's Joker 2 thread and movies being released in theatres, there is one movie out right now that I am going to see and has been highly praised and that is The Wild Robot. In fact, it has already made the IMDB Top 250 chart. Whether it will stay there or not is another matter. Godzilla Minus One was on there for awhile earlier this year but has since fallen off. Anyways, that got me thinking about this old thread so I thought I'd try this experiment again to see where I'm at after four years. Maybe there'll be some slight participation again by others also.

At this point in time, starting from number one and working down, it is current number 76 that is the first film I have yet to see which is Oldboy (the original 2003 version). The next movie I've yet to see is the current 91 which is Requiem For A Dream (2000). In fact, those are the only two movies in the top 100 I've yet to see. Going over the whole list, I've currently seen 229/250 of all the movies listed. Seeing The Wild Robot would leave just 20 films or 8% of the list left. Maybe by next year I'll have that list complete. Heck still some time this year. Perhaps I can track down a few more and get it down to 15 left for next year.

Anyone else make any progress on their exploration in the world of cinema?

44

Movies & TV / Re: Joker 2 (mostly spoiler-free).

« on: October 24, 2024, 04:13:46 AM »

Man, fun isn't a word I'd use for the first movie. I've seen people use grim, dreary, depressing or intentionally off-putting which I'd agree with way more. People still seem to sum it up and criticize it as being a weird pastiche of Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy and the film as some kind of Scorsese Karaoke. I definitely get that although that was more from the story. The direction wasn't exactly what I'd call a copy of Scorsese.

Anyways, all of that is just to say that I've never felt like revisiting the film or rewatching it. We're just watching Mr. Fleck whose in a tough situation in life, one in which he seems to be contemplating suicide quite a bit because of it, and the way it was presented and told just didn't feel like it was a story worth going back to. I think it's been that memory in my mind and the feelings that first movie brings up which has been a big reason why I've been indifferent about seeing this second movie. It's like, do I really want to revisit that kind of world again especially since the trailers seemed to indicate it would still be that same emotional tone.

The one thing I will give much credit and praise to the first Joker movie is its ending particularly the talk show interview. As much as the movie is playing up that Fleck seems to be preparing to kill himself in front of everyone on live TV, I was fully expecting him to use it on the host or audience based on The Dark Knight Rises. However, even with that expectation, the ending still comes as a sort of shock and surprise and the whole way it plays out felt to me like it was worth the price of admission. Even know, 5 years later, I still think about that ending scene a lot and it's stuck in my brain which is a sign that it did something right as there are hundreds of other movies that I just don't think about after seeing them or have forgotten much about them. If someone asks me if I'd recommend that first Joker movie, I'm torn because, overall, there's a lot I've forgotten about the rest of the film because the story was so-so for much of it and certain things I could see coming like the love interest subplot. And yet, I would say it's worth watching because I don't think the ending would have the same impact without seeing most of that build-up to that final confrontation if you were to just skip ahead to it. Because of the lasting power of that ending is the main reason why I'd say it is worth a watch but there's also a lot of other stuff I'd want to recommend to someone over that movie. It's a mixed bag.

With the majorly negative reviews of the sequel I've seen from critics and audiences along with my mostly dour feelings about the first movie, it kind of felt like a relief that it likely wouldn't be in any Oscar race this year and I could sort of give myself permission to skip it. With how weak this year seems like it will be thanks to the Writer's and Actor's strikes last year, I wondered if this sequel might end up in the Oscar race again. Thus, I was preparing to sort of see it out of duty rather than any real desire or enthusiasm to revisit this cinematic world. With all the news of it bombing at the box office and picking apart what went wrong, it seems to me like it won't really be appearing in any best of the year lists either so I can't say I plan to see it anytime soon if at all.

On the other hand, I actually did contemplate seeing it yesterday since it was cheap ticket Tuesday and to see just how bad it actually was. And also because there's just not much else I see in theatres right now that's of much interest to me. It just seems like it's a dire time for the box office and movie theatres with what's being offered and shown right now and looking ahead to what's coming does not inspire confidence of better things to come. Gladiator 2 and Moana 2. Two big shrugs from me. Kraven the Hunter and Mufasa: The Lion King? Pass! Sonic the Hedgehog 3? I've still yet to see either of the first two. Checking out what some people are considering could be Oscar and Award Season contenders, I can't say I'm too excited from what is showing up on such lists. Right now, Wicked might be the top film for me simply because I've long been curious what that musical might be like. (Also find it weird that it's going to be a Part One of Two which lessens the enthusiasm.) The Brutalist might be up my alley. Seems like it might be a throwback to 50s and 60s Hollywood epics with an intermission even included. But overall, it seems like a weak year and slim pickings from what is being made. Ironically, this could actually play into Joker 2's favor. Most likely, it will get pulled from theatres pretty soon to make way for this new stuff, whatever its ultimate quality may be, as per usual for films doing poorly at the box office. Yet, I think if it were to actually keep running throughout November and start of December (albeit with fewer screens and showings), it might actually see a steady enough stream of customers simply because people may be curious to see just how bad it actually is and because it still seems more compelling over the competition and other stuff coming out.

45

General Gaming / Re: Shocktober V: The Dream Child

« on: October 20, 2024, 12:18:41 AM »

Alrighty. So, recently wrapped up my time with Link's Awakening that was remade for the Switch. I rarely see the need for a hard mode but, in this case, I'd sort of recommend it especially if you've played Link's Awakening before. I'd beat it on the normal difficulty at first but had made a couple mistakes resulting in three deaths by the end of the playthrough. One of the mistakes being that I thought having a fairy in a bottle would automatically bring me back to health but not this game. You have to actually release the fairy to get its benefits. So, thought I'd then just do the Hard Mode and also beat the game that way but it definitely changed the way I had to play the game for the first half. Great Fairy locations suddenly had real importance and even left dungeons a couple times just to get healed and then re-enter. In the end, I wrapped it up by also playing through all of the Dampe challenges along with acquiring all hearts, seashells and chamber stones so that is the end of that game all done and dusted.

But it did get me craving more Zelda action. Having not acquired Echoes of Wisdom yet and wanting to go back and replay Link to the Past for some time, I finally booted up the game in the Switch SNES app to revisit it. I've only played a Link to the Past once and that was by borrowing a friend's GBA copy of the game. It was the first time I played a Zelda game and after that I then leaped to Wind Waker and was even more blown away by the series. Anyways, it's been maybe 18-19 years since my only play through of the game. Coming back to it after Link's Awakening Switch has been a bit eye-opening in how the series was still figuring itself out. Link's Awakening really helped codify more elements of the series than I realized. Not having a button for the shield because its supposed to always sort of be there is weird. Looking for a big key in dungeons that will open things like the treasure chests with new weapons / items and some doors along with the dungeon boss is odd. Also surprised at just how much one can acquire from the start of the game. Like, before I got the Master Sword, it seemed like I'd been able to traverse like 85% of the map and had 9 items along with a lot of enhancements like the Zora Flippers and Pegasus Boots. Up to 9 hearts now. It seems like the game would be half over with just the Dark World now to get through but there's got to be like 5 dungeons there or so which suggests I'm not quite at the halfway mark. The only key items I'm seeing are the hammer and hookshot along with a stronger ability to life rocks for the dark green ones I can't pick up. Can't see much beyond those for anything to hold back my progress in fully exploring the land at this point. Some items just seem pointless. Got the ice rod early on after being told about a cave to explore after the first dungeon but have seen no real use from that thing. Just seems like there are items thrown in for the sake of having more items to collect.

Anyways, both games have skeletons and cemeteries and ghosts so that's two games that can classify here and have got me doing some gaming again this year after a pretty long draught of doing much in this sphere of entertainment.

46

Nintendo Gaming / Re: What's Next For The N64 Expansion Pack?

« on: October 19, 2024, 04:22:25 AM »

I mean we did get Castlevania Bloodlines and Contra Hardcorp on the Genesis part of the Expansion Pack and those are from two collections Konami is already selling on the Switch.  Konami is willing to play ball with the extra money the Expansion Pack is offering so I wouldn't be surprised to see most of their N64 lineup shows up, which includes the Hudson games they own as well.

Ah. I never use the Genesis app. Didn't know there were a couple Castlevania games there. Welp, then that changes my thinking in the above post. We may see more Konami games in the future after all if the price is right for Nintendo and Konami. Right now, their stuff seems more likely than Square Enix and Battle Ogre based on this.

There's also the possibility of connecting the game with Pokémon Home, which seems like it'd be a lot of work that Game Freak wouldn't want to do.

Oh yeah! They did not want to do that.

If they wanted to get really ambitious they could add Game Boy games to the service and let you transfer Pokémon from those to Stadium.

Man, I just want a few translations done on some of the simpler games. You want some whole cross app game connection services done. Talk about ambition!

I'm betting Goldeneye 007 will release in 2022, since we haven't gotten a game yet this month, so there are four more slots left.

Not quite. January 2023 is when GoldenEye did come out. Just missed the 2022 expectation. The game a month schedule has long dropped off though. At this point, the app should be around 48 titles even with some leeway in the fact that it launched with like 13(?) titles. Only coming to 35 now. That said....

There is getting to be enough games I would want to play that I don't have physically that I could consider buying the expansion plan. But there is a time issue for me. Maybe once things settle down in life and I actually get to play Switch more consistently it would be worth it.

What are the feelings towards the N64 app compared to two years ago when it launched? Are people happy with its offerings? Has the amusement of revisiting older titles worn off? Still using it or don't think about it much anymore? Any titles not mentioned before that you still hope may grace it like Space Station Silicon Valley or Mickey's Speedway USA?

47

Nintendo Gaming / Re: What's Next For The N64 Expansion Pack?

« on: October 19, 2024, 04:01:27 AM »

Super Smash Bros-Owned
Perfect Dark-Not Owned
Jet Force Gemini-Not Owned
Turok 2-Owned
Beetle Adventure Racing-Not Owned
Excitebike 64-Owned
Ogre Battle 64-Not Owned
Pokemon Puzzle League-Owned
Vigilante 8-Owned
Rayman 2:The Great Escape-Not Owned
Fighting Force 64-Owned
Extreme G 1 and 2-Owned both
Bio F.R.E.A.K.S.- Not Owned
Rampage World Tour- Not Owned
Fighters Destiny-Owned
Mischief Makers-Not Owned
Dark Rift- Owned

I would like all the n64 wrestling games but I bet there are rights issues.  Same reason why I didn't list Golden Eye

Oh ho! A list. And there's been some progress on it. I also stand corrected. Extreme G had been mentioned by someone for their N64 suggestions. Of the 18 games mentioned, 5 have since made the leap. There's also GoldenEye but it wasn't technically on the list. Natsume Championship Wrestling has appeared on the SNES app. While still a long shot, maybe a wrestling game could appear for the N64 app after all. Of the other games listed, if Turok 1 could be released than Turok 2 should be able to make the leap. Same with Extreme G 2. Super Smash Bros is one of the last big Nintendo titles to hit the app. I wonder if adding online play might be a factor. Maybe that's what the whole Expansion Pass test that is going to happen will be about.  Already talked a bit about Mischief Makers and Ogre Battle in the last post. Just don't see Square supporting these apps. Considering how Ubisoft has kept re-releasing Rayman 2 so much over the years, I just don't see them choosing to have that game appear on this app when they may think they can resell it again down the road. Beetle Adventure Racing I also question mainly because of the licence with Volkswagon. Not sure what the negation would be like to bring that game to the app. As for everything else, well, I don't really have an opinion. They're pretty much unknown to me but that sort of obscurity could be in their favor in that third parties may feel that having such games on the app is the best value they'll get for those titles.

So just running down the list of stuff mentioned so far...

From the Wii / Wii U vc:

• 1080 Snowboarding Seems like a likely addition in winter.
• Bomberman 64 Requires Konami to wake up, so 50/50 I'd say.
• Bomberman Hero This never hit Wii U vc, but was on Wii. Lower odds than Bomberman 64 I'd say.
• Cruis'n USA Was on Wii. Nintendo recently remembered they own this, so barring rights for the car, sure?
• Donkey Kong 64 Very likely imo.
• Excitebike 64 Only wrinkle I could think of might be branded bikes/billboards.
• Harvest Moon 64 The Story of Seasons split could be an issue, but that was in 2012 and Harvest Moon 64 hit Wii U after that.
• Mario Party 2 The safest bet out of the 3.
• Pokémon Puzzle League Added in July.
• Pokémon Snap Added in June.
• Ogre Battle 64 Person of Lordly Caliber Square seems determined to forget about Ogre Battle/Tactics Ogre.
• Super Smash Bros. Was on Wii, not Wii U. Toss up. I lean "no" since Smash Ultimate starts with the 64 roster.
• Wave Race 64 Added in August.

As mentioned in my last post, both the Wii and the Wii U Virtual Consoles offered 21 N64 games for purchase but the line-up had some differences between the two. Of all the games listed above that still haven't come to the Switch, Ogre Battle 64 is the only game not to do so that was also available on both the Wii and Wii U for purchase. Does that mean it may be more likely to appear than other games listed here after all? Who can say at this point. Surprisingly Donkey Kong 64 wasn't available for the Wii. I guess that required Expansion Pak power was just too much for the Wii and needed the Wii U's computing power to make it available. Meanwhile Bomberman 64 was available on Wii U and not the Wii while Bomberman Hero was available for the Wii and not the Wii U. Again, Konami and what thought goes into releasing its past Bomberman games is a mystery.

If you combine the Wii and Wii U VC libraries, there were 25 unique games offered through them. That helps show how much more successful the Switch N64 app has been in comparison. Of those 25, 19 are available on Switch with the 6 listed above as yet to make the leap. DK64 is likely to show up at some point. I still think Smash Bros will too. Nintendo's history with Cruis'n makes me lean towards those games showing up to further add depth (or quantity) to the titles available on the app. It's the Konami and Square offerings that are in doubt.

Others Nintendo owns:

• Custom Robo Added in July (Japan only).
• Custom Robo v2 Added in July (Japan only).
• Dr. Mario 64 Already on the app.
• Hey You! Pikachu Would need a mic, so probably not. Creatures Inc. owns it now I think.
• Mario Party Probably not what with the glove + Superstars.
• Mario Party 3 Not sure why this one has been kept in the vault, anyone know?
• Pilotwings 64 has never been re-released, might be an issue with Paradigm?
• Pokémon Stadium Don't think so, but HAL made it so it'd be a choice, not a legal issue.
• Pokémon Stadium 2 Don't think so, but HAL made it so it'd be a choice, not a legal issue.

Big progress on the bottom half of the list with all those titles hitting. Hey You! Pikachu is now the lone exception and, as mentioned, the microphone requirement will likely keeps this from joining the app. (Unless Switch 2 has some kind of microphone addition to the controllers or special feature.) But also, I just don't think there is much demand for Hey You! Pikachu. Considering how Nintendo has just tossed some untranslated games into the NA apps, maybe Custom Robo ends up coming to NA as well but I feel some kind of translation would be pretty necessary for those games to know what's going on or how to play them.

I get the whole cost and question of whether it would be worth doing the translation on some of these games but I wish Nintendo would do it. I was playing the first Starfy game on the GBA app and, yeah, you can progress and sort of figure things out and I know the story isn't anything special since I played the Starfy DS game and expect it would be the same level as that yet it just makes the game feel so arbitrary and pointless in a way. It's like I'm playtesting a game or something and just trying out some rough build of it. If Nintendo plans to keep using these VC apps and back library going forward for a benefit of people playing for their online services then I wish they'd invest in doing the translation work for a few titles. Twenty years later, are they still going to just keep offering an untranslated Starfy game as new gamers get introduced to their back catalogue or as a way to keep their old titles available to be played? To me, doing some translation work on a few titles like Starfy or Mario's Super Picross will be of benefit to make them a bit more appealing into the future if they want to keep making them available for the North American audience.

Some baseless speculation on my part:

• Castlevania 64 if Konami wakes up.
• Castlevania Legacy of Darkness if Konami wakes up.
• Hybrid Heaven if Konami wakes up.
• Knife Edge: Nose Gunner this is made & owned by Kemco, who are still around.
• Mahjong 64 Was a Japan-only Koei game. Since Winback is here, why not at least in Japan?
• Mystical Ninja Goemon if Konami wakes up.
• Mystical Ninja Goemon 2 if Konami wakes up.
• Rakugakids if Konami wakes up.
• Rayman 2: Great Escape Ubisoft has re-released this like 10 times, what's an 11th?
• Tonic Trouble Seems less likely than Rayman 2, but maybe Ubi won't turn down a cheque.

No progress on the baseless hopes and dreams. Konami will release Castlevania collections of old games (unlike Bomberman) so they still see some value with those older titles hence why I'm doubtful that we'll see any of the N64 games. (The GB Castlevania game being an exception but a lot of companies don't seem to consider their GB games as having much value). Goemon, maybe. If Bomberman comes over then I think Goemon could but I think any of those titles could be a year or two away from appearing depending on how Nintendo wants to make these apps grow once they've finished with Rare and their own games on them and need third party offerings to bring up the number of titles. I'd be surprised about Rayman 2 and think something like Tonic Trouble has a better shot over it.

48

Nintendo Gaming / Re: What's Next For The N64 Expansion Pack?

« on: October 19, 2024, 02:57:48 AM »

Wooo-eee.

Banjo-Tooie hitting the app now. Just about coming to the end of the Rare contributions to the system. Including the Mature N64 app, that brings the total to 35 N64 games. Really seems like we'll hit 40 games for the app. Just how high might that number go? For everyone that was wanting an N64 mini back after the SNES mini-came out, I have to think this collection on N64 games basically covers what people would have wanted from that theoretical device. Obviously, there's still a lot of third party stuff people would probably like to see included and still a couple big titles missing like Diddy Kong Racing and Donkey Kong 64. But overall from the Nintendo/Rare side of things, pretty much all the big stuff here is and a bit extra.

So, let's look back at what's happened since this speculation started a couple years ago.

my personal picks are Donkey Kong 64 and Conker's Bad Fur Day.

Still waiting on both of those. At the time this thread started, CBFD seemed highly unlikely. Nintendo had not included any M rated games on any of the Console apps at this point and just didn't seem like they'd want to deal with the possible complaints of kids easily accessing an M-rated game through the app. But with the creation of the N64 Mature App, part of me felt like it was evidence that Conker may be on his way after all. Guess we'll see if that pans out but I'd say I've gone from thinking it was like a 0.1% chance to 75% now because of that.

If they're going to add more Rare games I would love to see Perfect Dark. On a different note, Harvest Moon 64, which I believe was on the Wii U Virtual Console, would be nice.

Insanolord gets his wish. Both games have hit the service

DK64 I expect pretty soon. It would probably be my choice as the next game after Pokemon Snap although maybe Banjo-Tooie could be that game if Nintendo wants to throw in another third party game before all their first party stuff is loaded up. Gotta think Tooie would be included if the first made it over.

Welp, I was way off. Still no DK64. I guess my desire to replay it is greater than most others. Banjo-Tooie finally fulfills the expectation of coming to the app since the first one did.

There are 21 games on the Wii U VC console. Only three of those games are third party: Harvest Moon 64, Bomberman 64 and Ogre Battle 64. If Nintendo does get a few Rare games like Banjo-Tooie, Blast Corps and Jet Force Gemini, then it will likely be able to just equal or surpass the Wii U VC.

All of those Rare games I mentioned are now going to be on the app. It has indeed surpassed the Wii U VC. Actually, both the Wii VC and the Wii U VC had 21 titles each that were made available but they didn't both have the same games due to different third party options. Harvest Moon 64 has made the jump leaving just three games that were available on the Wii U VC that haven't come to the Switch app. Bomberman 64, Ogre Battle 64 and Donkey Kong 64. Not so surprising about the third party games. Will they ever make the jump? But am surprised that DK64 has taken this long to be added. Harvest Moon beat it to the app!

The Wii U VC still has the following: Excitebike 64, 1080 Snowboarding, Wave Race 64, Donkey 64 and Mario Party 2. (Also Pokemon Snap but Nintendo showed that as a title coming to the 64 app). Of those games, I'd say DK64 and Mario Party 2 are the big titles Nintendo still have up their sleeve. I'm really curious how Nintendo will handle the Party games with Superstars for Switch. Will they just ignore those titles or will they re-release them with online play and possibly take away sales from Superstars?

On the subject of Mario Party games, let me just say that I'm glad Superstars didn't have an effect on these games getting added to the app. Added with online play for that matter too. Playing them again has really helped me understand why I like the GameCube Party games the best. The games can be a bit rough and being limited now to just 6 character choices in the first two right away takes away some appeal. The series was figuring itself out and in the GameCube era with orbs and capsules and some twists on how the boards worked, it makes for a more engaging experience. Still, I've been happy to revisit these titles and remind myself what they were like after not playing a couple of them for about two decades.

As for other third party games, I'd like to see Harvest Moon also but not sure it will happen. It's not like Harvest Moon SNES was added to the SNES app so if it wouldn't appear there, why would Natsume release it for the 64 app? Likewise Square has done nothing with the SNES app preferring to do their own re-releases so I doubt Ogre 64 is happening. Bomberman 64 might have a chance because who knows what Konami is thinking these days. However, like Harvest Moon, there have been no Bomberman games for the SNES app so why would they release some for 64?

I wonder if we might see a couple of the Cruis'N games show up. Can't imagine there is much demand for those old titles so whoever has the rights may be more willing to let those show up on the App.

Mischief Makers is a title I have some long shot hope for.  Are we going to be seeing Gex or Glover or Earthworm Jim 64 for the app?

Heh. Harvest Moon did make it to the SNES app after this and then we got Harvest Moon 64. So, I think the other apps are a bit of a key to tell what third party support may end up across them all. Will Bomberman show up on the SNES yet? Still think there's a chance we could see that series appear since Konami doesn't seem to care about bundling up old Bomberman games in some kind of a retail collection like Capcom might with Mega Man or Square with their franchises. Hence, I'm still pessimistic about Ogre Battle 64 getting a VC release. No idea if anything Cruis'n might appear. Meanwhile, Gex wants to go the Limited Games route instead of appearing on the app. We did see Iggy's Reckin' Balls and Extreme-G hit the app which were two third party games no one brought up and a sign we might see more of the weird third party offerings after all like have shown up on the SNES app. Earthworm Jim has appeared on SNES and Genesis app so maybe he also makes the leap to N64. However, Mischief Makers is the number one third party wish for me still. However, with the Square Enix connection to it, I'm pessimistic about its chances of appearing.

Also, it would be nice to get PilotWings 64, which for some reason was never on the Virtual Console on Wii or Wii U.

Another wish granted to Insanolord?! Come off it, Nintendo!

I would kill for Ogre Battle on Switch.

Well, if you're going to do that, may I suggest Insanolord? He's got all the games he wanted for the N64 app so he has no reason to keep living now. Nothing else to wait for and he didn't use one of his wishes for Ogre Battle ruining it for everyone else.

49

I'M BACK / Re: The Great Core Theme User Hunt

« on: October 03, 2024, 08:52:46 PM »

Hmmm. I don't like those odds.

50

I'M BACK / The Great Core Theme User Hunt

« on: October 02, 2024, 07:29:10 PM »

Welp, unfortunately, it does seem like the Core theme is borked for these forums. Maybe if more people took advantage of it then it would be the Default theme that was borked instead.

So, if you are unable to access the forums with your account then that is the most likely reason why. Currently, the forums show 61 users using the Core theme. For added fun, the forums won't show the names of those users so it will be a matter of trying to track them down and then getting them word on the steps needed to change their theme to default to access the forums again.

Currently, these are users who I can see have the Core theme still:

Insanolord
BlackNMild2k1
Mop it up
Stratos
BeautifulShy
Crimm
Arbok (last active 2019)
Athrun Zala (last active 2009)
Bill Aurion (last active 2012)
Bustin98 (last active 2020)
Ceric (last active 2017)
ClexYoshi (last active Feb. 2024)
Deguello (last active 2012)
jrlibrarian (last active 2014)

11/58

The hunt begins.