Messages

1

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Switch Forum Favorites

« on: March 10, 2025, 07:38:05 PM »

Going back to Multiplayer games, I gotta list the Mario Party games for that. If I have friends over, that's still the go-to series for multiplayer action. More than Mario Kart. Problem with Mario Kart is if some have played it more and know the courses better then its unfair competition. Mario Party keeps things more competitive.

Oddly, Wheel of Fortune was a big point of interest in others in my family trying out video games and willing to play one including my grandma.

Another multiplayer game that went over well with "casuals" was Clubhouse Games 51. Backgammon, Connect Four, Yacht Dice and Darts were kind of hits. In fact, my mother ended up buying the actual Yahtzee game after trying it for the first time on Switch. Actually, I'd kind of like to try playing some of the games on here with other NWR members. It was something I'd thought about making a thread for to see about getting some online multiplayer action on but never got around to doing.

Personally, I'm a big fan of Snipperclips Plus: Cut It Out, Together! and this has now reminded me that I'm still upset I've been unable to finish this game. Unfortunately, trying to get a second person to play it with me has been tough. I got my brother to do a bit and a cousin to join me also but they both wanted to quit after awhile and I just can't seem to get them to play more of it so I could finish it. Trying to figure out the right shapes and work together to solve the tasks was something I really enjoyed. At times, it could feel like you were doing some heavy thinking to figure things out so I think it broke the brains of my partners and started feeling more like work than fun. I even got some fun and laughs in a little bit of the multiplayer games that we dabbled in but, again, I seemed to like it more than them. When will I find my true Snipperclips soulmate?

BOXBOY! + BOXGIRL! has some two-player sections to it. I'm not sure the second player really makes a big difference in the gameplay. I was able to get my brother to complete this game with me. It seemed a bit easier  (and perhaps more fun) than Snipperclips. Having played the other three games on 3DS, I can't say it felt that fresh to me. In fact, it seemed slightly regressive. There was a bit of imbalance with him having to learn the Boxboy controls for the first time while I knew what to do pretty well at that point so you'd get some fails from incorrect button pressing. Then I found out that there were a few balloon stages that also require a second player so there's still a little bit more I need to do with a second person to finish this game.

1-2-Switch was a big ol' miss for most people who I had try stuff in it. There's a couple games in there I still like which showed off what makes HD rumble so different like trying to determine how many "marbles" are in your controller or safe cracking by turning a combination. In the end, it just seems to generate an "That's kind of neat" reaction without any follow-up interest to play those games again.

Last year, I did start playing It Takes Two with a cousin of mine. We got to the third world but we haven't gone back to that game since late summer. It's a mixed bag. I do like things about it but sometimes fighting enemies and bosses can be a bit rough as they usually require a two step process to make the players work together. Also, some of the levels can be very long and can feel exhausted after finally getting through a couple. I'd still like to complete this someday but it's also a game I easily forget about so it hasn't been the most compelling. Not sure if I'd recommend it or not at this point.

Going through my list of games, there's a few others I've been interested to try but just haven't gotten around to. I'd forgotten about Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. I'd bought it because it was on sale really cheap and thought it might be interesting to bring out a family gathering some time but have yet to ever do so. Curious how it might do. Unravel Two I got with the idea that I might be able to play through that after doing something like It Takes Two yet ITT seems like it may go unfinished. The Stretchers I bought since it was made by Nintendo and am curious what it would be like but have also forgotten I have it to suggest to play. It's made me hesitant to buy something like Blanc because even though the art and idea of the game has looked appealing, without someone committed to playing it with me and being unable to finish these other multiplayer games, why buy something else that will go unplayed?

Even stuff like Smash Bros or Mario Golf doesn't really come up when thinking of games to play with other people because it kind of goes back to the Mario Kart skill issue. If people haven't played those games before then it's hard to have fun which is why Mario Party is what ends up getting selected over them since it's more forgiving to infrequent gamers.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Switch 2

« on: March 03, 2025, 02:26:50 AM »

I think it was "Not-Wii-U-2" or N Woo 2 for those in the know.

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Movies & TV / Re: Khushrenada's Annual Oscar Thread. 2025 Edition.

« on: March 03, 2025, 02:08:56 AM »

And now, the results:

BEST PICTURE: Conclave Anora
DIRECTOR: Sean Baker
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: Adrian Brody
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: Demi Moore Mikey Madison
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Kieran Culkin
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Zoe Saldana
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: A Real Pain Anora
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Conclave
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE: I'm Still Here
ANIMATED FEATURE: The Wild Robot Flow
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: No Other Land
ORIGINAL SCORE: The Brutalist
ORIGINAL SONG: El Mal
CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Brutalist
COSTUME DESIGN: Wicked
EDITING: Anora
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING: The Substance
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Wicked
SOUND: Dune Part 2
VISUAL EFFECTS: Dune Part 2
ANIMATED SHORT: Magic Candies In the Shadow of the Cypress
LIVE-ACTION SHORT: The Man Who Could Not Remain I'm Not A Robot
DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Instruments of a Beating Heart The Only Girl in the Orchestra

16/23 is the final. A bit of a fall from grace after last year. Completely kicked in the teeth by the shorts this year. 0/3 in that touch section. Seemed like it was going to be a rough night at first when Flow won over The Wild Robot and then In The Shadow of the Cypress won in Best Animated Short. Just like that, I was already 1 for 3 on the evening.

I was starting to get into it near the end of my prediction guesses but ran out of time in my musings of just how popular Anora really was with the Academy. My other three misses were in underestimating how big a night it was going to have. It surprises me because it just didn't seem like the kind of movie the Academy would ultimately arrive on as the best picture. Usually, they seem to want something a bit more weighty but considering how CODA won a few years ago, it seems they are more open to stuff that may not be about an important subject but provides a sort of slice of life on a more underrepresented demographic. Looking back, I was already moving my picks towards Anora being a favorite but held back at the end after questioning Madison not winning Best Actress while the BAFTA win of Conclave seemed like it might have broader overall support and that might lead to it winning in the preferential ballot. C'est la vie. I'll just have to do better next year. 

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Movies & TV / Re: Khushrenada's Annual Oscar Thread. 2025 Edition.

« on: March 02, 2025, 07:30:34 PM »

The short form guess list:

BEST PICTURE: Conclave
DIRECTOR: Sean Baker
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE: Adrian Brody
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: Demi Moore
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Kieran Culkin
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Zoe Saldana
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: A Real Pain
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Conclave
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE: I'm Still Here
ANIMATED FEATURE: The Wild Robot
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: No Other Land
ORIGINAL SCORE: The Brutalist
ORIGINAL SONG: El Mal
CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Brutalist
COSTUME DESIGN: Wicked
EDITING: Anora
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING: The Substance
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Wicked
SOUND: Dune Part 2
VISUAL EFFECTS: Dune Part 2
ANIMATED SHORT: Magic Candies
LIVE-ACTION SHORT: The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent
DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Instruments of a Beating Heart

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Movies & TV / Re: Khushrenada's Annual Oscar Thread. 2025 Edition.

« on: March 02, 2025, 07:28:09 PM »

And now the tough stuff. Let's throw out my short picks for now which are always just a guess having seen none of the nominees.

Best Live Action Short - The Man Who Who Could Not Remain Silent

Best Animated Short - Magic Candies

Best Documentary Short - Instruments of a Beating Heart

Who knows? I'm running out of time so skipping my reasoning on those.

Documentary Feature - No Other Land

This is probably a mistake. Everyone seems to think this is a two-way race between No Other Land and Porcelain War. Porcelain War deals with the war in Ukraine. No Other Land deals with the Israel / Palestine conflict. Which way will voters go? I could see them sticking with Ukraine as that's a bit easier to get behind and it's what this category has been selecting for awhile. Navalny was about opposition to Putin. Last year's winner was also about the Ukraine War. Hollywood probably has divides about the Isreal / Palestine conflict so I could see people not voting for that documentary to vote for Porcelain War. Yet, despite focusing on a Palestine family, the movie was made by people from Isreal so its a rare case of the two races working together and the documentary has constantly come up at the top of Best of 2024 movies whereas I never see anything for the Porcelain War. Going to take a chance and say the Academy does go bold with this choice and shines a light on a film that has struggled to get shown and distributed in the US.

And now it all seems to come down to how much love Anora has among the voters and if it is going to win big tonight.

Best Editing - Anora

Conclave has broader support in this category and has won here in some other awards and there's talk that the Academy may be hesitant to award Baker this award along with Director and Screenplay. Yet, to me, the editing of Anora is important component of the movie. It also seems weird to me that people think Anora could win Best Picture while thinking Editing and Adapted Screenplay go to Conclave. That's more suggestive of a Best Picture winner. Going out on a limb here with Anora.

Best Original Screenplay - A Real Pain

I'm likely sabotaging myself now. The majority pick is for Anora here. But some people have gone rogue with A Real Pain and even The Substance. With Baker possibly winning awards for Directing and Best Picture if Anora goes all the way then voters may wish to award someone else in this category rather than give Baker another award here. Sort of like how Jordan Peele won here for Get Out. While it's possible this also opens the door for Corbet to get an award for The Brutalist, no one seems to be selecting that possibility whereas A Real Pain did get awarded at some other events leading up to the Oscars. Taking a chance here.

Best Actress - Demi Moore

This is a tough category. Most people see it as a two-way race between Moore and Mikey Madison. If Anora is winning Best Picture then how can Best Actress not also go to Madison? That performance is what carries and makes the movie. If Madison doesn't win here, does that mean Anora isn't winning? At the same time, you could look to other stuff like Peter O'Toole not winning for Lawrence of Arabia while that movie still won Best Picture but that's old school Oscar. Still, the Academy has always been resistant in awarding an Oscar to a first-time nominee especially if that performer hasn't had a large body of work to already point to and say she's "deserving." Someone like Fernando Torres could see that happen. A longtime international performer getting there due for the first time at the Oscars but with a large body of work. Then there's the Moore narrative. Moore had a much talked about acceptance speech when she won the Golden Globe and it's kind of been that speech which has carried her through to other wins leading up to the Oscars. Yet, it's been debated as to whether the role or movie would have been that different if some other older Hollywood star had played the part. Considering Moore talked about how she was told she could never win an important acting award and that she wouldn't be taken seriously, would the Academy now want to stop her winning streak and support that notion? Sometimes the Academy likes a comeback and sometimes it doesn't. To Moore's credit, she was in a few Best Picture nominees before and I still remember her being big from the 90s even if I still haven't seen many of her movies. I think the Academy will just roll with it and go with her as a sort-of lifetime achievement award for what she accomplished in the 90s.

Best Director - Sean Baker

This should be easy, right? Baker won the DGA which usually means that he'll win the Oscar. And yet, there's some doubt about it. Some people think Corbet could pull off an upset here with The Brutalist. I kind of think so too but am chickening out and sticking with Sean Baker. Would get into this more but I'm already way behind in posting my picks.

Best Picture - Conclave

People are saying it is between Conclave and Anora to win. It's all about the preferential ballots and what people will be putting higher on their lists between these two films. In that regards, I can see Conclave getting more mild support over Anora which some people may flat out hate. It seems weird that Conclave could win Best Picture when the director wasn't nominated but I'm wondering if this will be a Green Book type year in which you had very different types of movies nominated with no clear consensus top choice and Green Book won simply by being more mildly liked rather than disliked and thus won through the preferential ballot. And to be honest, as I've thought about Conclave since watching it and thinking about it again this week, my appraisal of it has gone up somewhat. It just kind of feels like the most good enough choice of everything nominated in which voters may not be upset or hate it winning even though they may be disappointed that their favorite didn't win. Guess we're about to find out.

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Movies & TV / Re: Khushrenada's Annual Oscar Thread. 2025 Edition.

« on: March 02, 2025, 06:42:49 PM »

Best Sound - Dune Part 2

I've seen some picks for A Complete Unknown. It probably can't be ruled out. Sometimes, musical pictures do well in the sound category. However, when I think about the sound of ACU, I just think of a lot of Dylan songs (and some other musicians) being played and that doesn't seem too impressive to me. Dune, with its sand thumping devices, along with other touches, I feel is a better choice because those sounds help shape and create that world. Going with Dune 2.

Original Score - The Brutalist

I've seen one expert pick Wicked thinking people might choose the movie based on its Broadway songs and not realize those aren't part of what makes up Original Score but I don't think the Academy members are that dumb. These are people whose careers are in the movies so I think most are a bit more aware of nuances like that compared to if the public were just voting on these awards. There have been a couple picks for Conclave which I think is the main competition here and could pull off a surprise win. It's the only other nominee here in which I felt the music stood out more and made an impact on the film. I remember talking about the music after seeing Conclave with a friend when we were discussing it later on. However, I feel there are moments from The Brutalist which just stood out more like the opening with Brody's character waking up among a crowd and just before the intermission when there's talk of steel and a feeling of good times ahead. From moments like that, I think it will prevail.

International Feature - I'm Still Here

When the nominees were first announced, Emilia Perez was likely seen as a lock for this category with its 13 overall nominations. However, the Golden Globes Actress Drama award to Torres put this film on people's radar and the movie also ended up with a Best Picture nomination resulting in two International Films also crossing over to Best Picture. As more people have now seen I'm Still Here and a dumb twitter scandal hurting EPs already divisive reception, I think I'm Still Here will end up prevailing here. Surprisingly, of the 10 Best Picture nominees, it is the one with the highest score on IMDB. Good enough that it is currently on the Top 250 list. It's actually above Dune Part 2 which was another big favorite this year by the public. That suggests to me that there are more people likely to favorite that film over Perez. Plus, Torres seems unlikely to win Best Actress based on current trends yet she carries the movie and is the reason it has an emotional impact. Awarding it Best International may be the way to also show some love for that performance. Some people think Emilia Perez may still pull it off here but I just can't get behind that movie.

Animated Feature - The Wild Robot

One of my few misses last year was Animated Feature. I'm worried it could happen again this year because of Flow. Normally, it would seem like a lock for The Wild Robot as it was an animated film that was able to get nominations in other categories in Sound and Score. However, Flow is one of the nominations for Best International Feature which also suggests there could be strong support for the movie as International Feature rarely has animated nominations. Normally, I might say go with the movie that has animals but both movies feature animals prominently. I do wish I could have seen Flow to judge it. Looking it up, it is more of a silent movie rather than actual talking animals so that may help it transcend language boundaries. On the other hand, The Wild Robot did get me to tear up when watching it so it was able to manipulate those emotions and its story of a parent/child relationship would likely have strong appeal with voters. The Wild Robot is slightly popular than Flow on IMDB with an 8.2 rating to Flow's 7.9. That 8.2 is enough to also get The Wild Robot on the Top 250 chart. That rating also comes from more than triple the amount of votes for Flow. It's harder to have a higher rating from more votes than less so I'm going to go with the people on this one.

Best Supporting Actress - Zoe Saldana

Personally, after seeing the scene La Vaginoplastia in Emilia Perez, I don't see how anyone could then think afterwards that Saldana should be getting an award for her acting in this movie. And yet, most people think she will win here because she's kept winning for this role throughout the other precursor awards to the Oscars. If people in the industry didn't think this performance should win, we probably should have seen someone else pick up an award or two in this category but it hasn't happened. I've seen a couple picks for Isabella Rossellini thinking there might be a pushback on voters from giving awards to Perez. It's a small role but she does stand out from the few scenes she has in the film so I get it. (And I've seen the theory floated that with David Lynch's death happening when voting was just beginning some may have been swayed to select her on memories of Blue Velvet but I think that's a stretch.) I've seen others stump for Felicity Jones but I'm not as won over. On my own taste, I'd have gone with Ariana Grande. I completely enjoyed her role in that. There was also some question of category fraud with Saldana here since she seems to be more the lead role than the title character and has more screen time than anyone. It seems that length is what is helping her here and maybe a feeling that she is due some recognition after being in a lot of high grossing franchises and movies while usually not showing her real face in them. Guess we'll see what happens but I'd be happy to be wrong here.

Best Song - El Mal

Likewise, one of the "powerful" songs by Saldana during the movie is El Mal which has sort of tried to tie its fortunes to Saldana as often being used when promoting her for Best Supporting Actress and thus tying the two elements together. If you liked her performance during this moment then surely you'd vote for the song too, I guess. Again, I don't think any of the songs in Emilia Perez are great or award worthy or will be remembered after the Oscars are over but this is such a weak category that there really isn't anything to challenge or stop it from winning. I've seen a couple pundits make a choice of The Journey which is from another Netflix film The Six Triple Eight but how many people have seen that and thought this is the song to vote for? Why would that be the song a Perez protest vote would be for? There's the idea being that Diane Warren would finally win an award in this category but how many people now she composed this song? I only clued into that when looking up the nominees over this week. It's probably Perez.

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Movies & TV / Re: Khushrenada's Annual Oscar Thread. 2025 Edition.

« on: March 02, 2025, 05:48:23 PM »

As for the actual predictions this year, time to start making some guesses.

Best Actor - Adrian Brody

Has mostly won all Best Actor awards to this point. Chalamet could upset here having now already appeared in 7 Best Picture nominees (2 of which are among this year's nominees) but I think the Academy may wait further yet sort of like how DiCaprio went years before winning. Having not seen Sing Sing or A Different Man, I'm not sure if either of those would be more deserving but I have nothing against Brody winning for The Brutalist.

Best Supporting Actor - Kieran Culkin

Why couldn't it have been Macaulay? 90s childhood nostalgia aside, I'm not sure what the role was like as I haven't seen the film yet. But he's won everything up to this point so its an expected win. Personally, I'm torn between Norton and Pierce as to who I would give the win to if I had that power. I enjoyed both of their roles.

Best Adapted Screenplay - Conclave

It likewise has won at different award shows in this category and is expected to continue the sweep here.

Cinematography - The Brutalist

Another expected win by must pundits. The look of the movie and various images have often been talked about when reviewing the movie and it is some of those images which have had the most staying power in my memory out of all the nominees. It seems right to me for this film to win here.

Costume Design - Wicked

Another consensus choice by the experts. Fantasy type costumes have done better in this category lately than period pieces so I'm willing to think Wicked will win here over Nosferatu which has been mentioned as a possible upset.

Production Design - Wicked

Likewise, there has been much talk about the sets of Wicked and how they were able to be both new and evoke the memories of the 1939 Wizard of Oz. Personally, I found the big room of Oz and the giant head as one of the most impressive sets among the nominees so I am on board with this winning here also.

Make-up and Hairstyling - The Substance

Having not seen The Substance, I'm not sure what it may look like but I do know that it is a bit of a body horror movie so no doubt the make-up will play an important part in that. Lately, this award has also usually been tied to an Oscar winning performance and with Demi Moore seen as the frontrunner in Best Actress, it would seem likely that The Substance would win here also. Personally, I'd have probably gone with Wicked here and Cythnia Erivo for the tie-in acting award but it doesn't seem like that will happen.

Visual Effects - Dune Part 2

As the only Best Picture nominee in the group, everyone expects this to be the winner. Part 1 did win for this award before so will the Academy want to look elsewhere? Maybe but probably not. Lord of the Rings won three years in a row for each of its three parts so I see no reason why Dune can't win for its part 1 and part 2 especially since the effects felt better integrated than some of the other movies nominated here.

These are the 8 awards I feel most confident about. Moving on to those that I'm a bit more cautious on.

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Movies & TV / Re: Khushrenada's Annual Oscar Thread. 2025 Edition.

« on: March 02, 2025, 04:31:42 AM »

Been going down a rabbit hole of what might win and what other people are predicting. People trying to show this or that stat to prove what might win. A real mess this year. But I said I'd rank the movies today so let me get on that.

Unranked - The Substance.

9. Emilia Perez - Yes, there are fans of this movie. I've seen some people sincerely praising it but I don't get what those people are seeing. This film is a mess. It's the worst nominee since Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Can't believe anybody thought it deserved to win awards and that it still is predicted to get two in Best Supporting Actress and Best Song. And, on that subject of song, how...? I get that Song can often be an underwhelming and weak category most of the time but to think any of the "songs" in Perez are Oscar Worthy is just inconceivable to me. I did a rare thing last year of a double feature at the cinema. Saw Mufasa and then Wicked. Both of these are considered musicals. Yet, it immediately hit me from the beginning of Wicked how much better the music and songs were compared to anything I'd heard from Mufasa earlier which shows the importance of the music for a musical to make it a success. It was my first time ever hearing anything from Wicked but I get why it's been a big broadway hit. Yet, even with Wicked as a nominee and showing what a real musical should look like, somehow, Emilia Perez was the frontrunner in nominations and had two songs from the movie nominated in Best Song. Just shaking my head how when it's clearly out of its league in that category which seems like it should be pretty important criteria for a musical like movie. Where's La La Land? It understood the assignment for making a musical. Anyways, there's lots of other stuff I could get into about how this movie just befuddles me but I'm moving on.

8. Nickel Boys - Some people really like this movie but it just didn't resonate for me. At times, the director threw in and included various random images and I just didn't always get what the purpose was of them or how they connected to what was happening or aiding the story in any way. They became a distraction. Likewise, it felt like it was trying to mimic the Terrence Malick style of almost free association or random included shots and moments of life but it's just not the same. Not that I always think Malick bats 100 with his movies. The first person perspective wasn't that big a deal. I've seen some comments from people that they felt it was pretentious or distracting but it didn't bother me. That said, I also don't think it did anything to make the story better or more impactful. In fact, to me, it kind of gave away the ending and where the story was possibly going. Sure enough, it ended the way I suspected. Ultimately, it just felt like a story that's been told and seen before and all the first-person and random images were just a way of trying to dress it up to make it seem like a fresh story. Instead, I think the direction works against the film and it ends up rather forgettable. I keep forgetting it's one of the nominees.

7. A Complete Unknown - Now it gets tough. Maybe I should rank this higher. Maybe it's in the right spot. But this is where the conflicted feelings begin for me and this years nominees. I've never been a big Bob Dylan fan. Can't say I've ever really sought out his music or felt any strong attachment to his songs whether performed by him or someone else. However, I did appreciate learning a bit about his early beginnings and gaining some musical knowledge and understanding about why he was such a force in music during the early 60s. It was well acted. I liked a few performances in the movie and I felt it was one of the better films to end successfully of this year's nominees while others sort of tripped up at the ending. Yet, I also thought it was a sort of drab and dingy movie to look at due to the location and settings of the film and I just realized it isn't a movie I've thought about at all since seeing it late January. Because of that lack of staying power, it's why I'm rating it lower but it's a perfectly fine movie. I wouldn't call it great but it's still pretty, pretty, pretty good. I don't know why I'm now quoting Larry David for this review.

6. Conclave - Maybe I need to watch this movie again to re-evaluate it. I think I went in expecting something else which caused some disconnect from how it ended up playing out as well as I think it is one of the movies I feel trips up at the end. Yet, it's also got great performances. There was definite enjoyment I was having throughout. I liked the cinematography and the score stood out at times. There's a couple lines and moments that have stuck with me. I was just expecting more of a thriller and conspiracy/murder mystery plot but that's not what this story is like or about. So, realizing that near the end sort of threw me and then some final info just also seemed sort of sprung on the audience without really having much to say about the implications and maybe too late to now be coming up in the story. It's well made and overall there's a lot to like about it yet it's not something I feel particularly enamored by. However, since seeing it and thinking about it all to judge it on its own merits and the story it actually is telling instead of what I was expecting, my opinion of it has gone up more than when I first walked out of the theatre. Just not enough to feel it is anything above the middle of the pack in the nominees.

5. I'm Still Here - One of the few nominees that got me to tear up and feel some emotion. I didn't realize it was based on a real life story. It's biggest flaw is that I feel it runs out of steam and sort of goes on too long. Still, the beginning in relating a happier time and then how that happiness is ended is compelling and a strong start to the film. It's just that after a pretty sold first half, it feels like it starts to spin its wheels and becomes more meandering of a story. I do think it successfully conveys its point about the psychological effect a disappearance has on those left behind. Based on that and it succeeding in engaging me on an emotional level, I'm putting it here even though a restlessness also grew within me in the latter part of the film.

4. Dune Part 2 - Dune, Dune, Dune. I don't know what to do with you but that's how I feel with most of the nominees. Coming into 2024, it was my most anticipated movie at the time. Did I like it? Yes, I suppose so. On an intellectual level, there's a lot about the movie I admire. It just ultimately left me cold. I've tried to figure out why that is. I've wondered if it is because I've seen the David Lynch version about 8 years ago and so, at times, it was sort of like it was just refreshing my memory of the story and plot points I'd known about but kind of forgotten. Was it just the amount of beige in the film with so much sand and rocks that the look and cinematography of the film just felt unchanging and monotonous? At least, that's sort of what I felt after first seeing it. This sense or idea that visually it just felt barren in ways. The trailers made it seem like there'd be a big battle with the sandworms involved but it didn't really pan out that way. The ending battle / raid isn't really that big of a conflict and after all the build-up to this fight, it didn't seem to last that long and just sort of devolves into a knifefight between two characters.

Villeneuve talked about his goal with this movie when it came out, saying, "“When Frank Herbert wrote Dune and when the book came out, he felt that the readers misunderstood him. People saw Dune as a celebration of Paul Atreides, but for him he wanted the book to be a warning regarding messianic figures. In order to correct that perception, [Herbert] wrote Dune: Messiah that is almost like an epilogue. Chani, in the second part of the book, kind of disappeared in Paul’s shadows. The character becomes less interesting. But I thought there was a strong opportunity there to create a character there who would give us a new perspective on Paul, in order to get closer to Frank Herbert’s intentions." In that regard, he nailed it. I think we take on this view and the audience is taking in these events from her perspective and thinking. By the end, when Paul takes the war to the stars and betrays Chani's love by taking the Emperor's daughter for a wife to consolidate his power, we've lost the belief in Paul that he's got the fremans best interests at heart. Yet, it also ends in a way that feels like this is act 2 of a 3-act play. Villeneuve has talked about doing one more follow-up by adapting Dune:Messiah and with the way Dune ends, it almost seems necessary to do because it just doesn't feel fully resolved which may be part of why I walked away from this recognizing that it was technically great but wondering if I really liked it or not. I guess it engaged me mentally but not emotionally is the best way to sum it up.

3. Anora -

2. The Brutalist -

1. Wicked -

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Movies & TV / Re: Khushrenada's Annual Oscar Thread. 2025 Edition.

« on: March 01, 2025, 02:34:21 AM »

Let's jump into this years nominees. As you might have gathered when looking at my lists, I've seen 9 of the 10 movies nominated for Best Picture with just The Substance as the remaining one to see. The Substance being a nominee is something I really didn't expect as I never saw any reviewers talking about it as a Best Picture nominee. Near the end of the year it was seen as a possibility but there was other stuff like A Real Pain or Sing Sing that were still seen as more likely. It seems like Demi Moore's speech when winning a Golden Globe for her role in the film was a huge factor in getting that movie ahead of the other bubble nominees and getting on that list of ten. I'll probably see it soon enough in a month or two as I wait for the DVD copy I've put on hold from the library just like I did with Anatomy of a Fall last year.

In regards to this year's nominees, it feels like we've gone back to ten years ago and 2014 and 2015 when there just didn't seem to be any big frontrunner and the voters were split over multiple nominees. The past few years, it's been pretty evident which movie is going to win or for most of the categories to be pretty locked in. My Oscar picks last year showed this by getting 20/23 correct picks. That is going to be very tough to do with this year's crop. It's the wildest and most divided I think I've seen. Different people and films keep winning in the precursor awards. However, this probably shouldn't be too surprising as I kind of feel its indicative of the fact that none of the movies nominated this year could be considered slam dunk great movies.

I'm going to attempt a ranking of them tomorrow since its getting late tonight but it's going to be tough since they're a real mixed bag.

10

Movies & TV / Khushrenada's Annual Oscar Thread. 2025 Edition.

« on: March 01, 2025, 02:19:34 AM »

Ye gods! I can't believe Khushrenada is still doing this. No one cares about the Oscars. Why is this still a thing? 

Incredibly, this will be the 12th time I'm doing this so it's just a baked in forum tradition at this point. Besides, can you imagine a world in which I didn't talk about the Oscars?



So, with that pointless beginning over with, let's dive into things.

Was 2024 a good year for movies? I'm not sure. You can always find articles of movie critics reviewing the year and talking about how it was a good year because of certain gems they felt came out. Maybe with time, I might find more of these gems but, so far, it has felt like a weak year to me but I was also expecting it to be. Last year, there was the dual writers and actors strike which slowed down production on a lot of stuff. Last time there was a big writer's strike was end of 2007 and start of 2008 and it resulted in 2008 having an incredibly weak slate of films. I could have sworn that years back, IMDB's Bottom 250 was filled with 2008 movies but looking through it now, it is much more of a mix of many different years. (Although it does feel like it's much more filled with movies from this century than last but that's also likely because of the internet being around more for more people to comment on the worst stuff that comes out currently than seeking out older stuff to pan it specifically.) Anyways, 2008 was filled with such greats as The Love Guru, Disaster Movie, The Hottie and the Nottie just to name a few of the fondly remembered titles.

That isn't to say all of 2008 was a write-off. Wall-E, The Dark Knight and Iron Man also hit theaters in 2008 but overall I'd say the bad easily outweighs the good. For that matter, the Best Picture nominees weren't that inspiring either and the talk was more about what wasn't nominated (The Dark Knight) leading to changes with Oscars and the expanded nominee field we've seen since 2009. And now, about 16 years later, while it's not exactly the same, it does feel like it was a sort of forgettable year overall. Personally, these are the 25 movies from 2024 that I've seen:

Argylle
Dune Part 2
Wicked Little Letters
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Civil War
Unfrosted
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Thelma
Horizon Part 1
A Quiet Place: Day One
Twisters
Trap
Conclave
Anora
The Wild Robot
Emilia Perez
Wicked Part 1
A Complete Unknown
The Brutalist
Gladiator II
Nickel Boys
I'm Still Here
The Colors Within
Mufasa: The Lion King

Can't believe Argylle was only a year ago. Feels like that was longer. All the talk was about Madame Web as the disaster of the year when 2024 first started although there would be other disasters along the way like Borderlands and The Crow. There's more I'd like to talk about with some of the films listed here like Horizon but for now I'm want to stick to the Oscars with the ceremony happening this Sunday. For now I will just add that I've made a list of movies from 2024 I'd like to check out at some point and this is what I've got so far:

I.S.S.
Robot Dreams
Inside Out 2
Evil Does Not Exist
Horizon Part 2
Juror #2
Sing Sing
War Game
A Real Pain
A Different Man
Hit Man
The Substance
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Wallace and Gromit: Vengence Most Foul
My Old Ass
No Other Land
Look Back
Hard Truths
Good One
Close Your Eyes
Rebel Ridge
Universal Language
Challengers
Hundreds of Beavers
Flow

Anything else you forum readers would suggest you feel is worth checking out?

11

General Chat / Re: NWR Data Question

« on: March 01, 2025, 12:10:42 AM »

On the subject, I've noticed something odd lately. There seem to be a lot of guests (possibly spiders or other web data gathering tools) coming to the site all of a sudden. Look at the bottom of the Main Forum Index. Most online ever is at 13,461 last month around early morning when the spambots like to show up. But like a week or so, the Most Online Today was at 3,999. Today it is just a paltry 951. I've noticed the views on topics have gone up as well. At least a year or two, you'd see article posted in Talkback with 0 replies and maybe around 50-90 views and that was just sort of the average stats. Now I'm seeing topics with 0 replies but around like 1000 views and this is for recent stuff. Not old topics that have taken a long time to accumulate views. Even in the other forums, the thread views seem super high all of a sudden. Over 14,000 views for a small topic I created in NWR Feedback about Connection Issues that's 4 months old. Why so many views?

I'm thinking it's like A.I. tools that are just running amok constantly scrapping all data they can find anywhere in the internet about a topic or keyword.

12

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Switch Forum Favorites

« on: February 28, 2025, 11:51:26 PM »

Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune are Ubisoft games.

Yes, I realized this on Wednesday also. Was searching through the eShop wondering what I might want to pick up since I had some gold coins expiring this month. Looking around at board game type games led me to Monopoly and Ubisoft and then going through Ubisoft's list of games I was reminded that they did Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. Wheel of Fortune is alright. If you're looking for a simulation of the show from about 8 years ago then it does the job ok. Jeopardy is poor. So bland. The board doesn't even look like a Jeopardy board. Sometimes in Double Jeopardy, the two Daily Doubles will both be in the same category. They'll also never be in the top row or bottom row. Just the middle three rows. I don't know how it selects categories but it's possible to play the same category or two again within a couple games. It's just such low effort. Wheel of Fortune has been the gateway game to actually have my parents play something on the Switch with me. Yet, even they keep asking if there's a new version as they can tell it could be better and are surprised that it isn't better. If I had a game company, I'd be targeting the rights to some game shows because I can easily see how to make a better product. Anyways, if you see Wheel of Fortune on sale and would like to pretend to be a contestant then go for it. Jeopardy I'd say skip unless you are ok with just answer multiple choice trivia questions and don't care too much about the presentation of those questions.

When looking for Ubisoft's so-so Monopoly for Switch, I discovered you can no longer purchase the game. (Unless you can track down a physical copy). It was delisted last year so that Ubisoft could now sell a more expensive Monopoly 2024. Just what all Switch players were hoping for.

13

General-3 / Re: The Great Core Theme User Hunt

« on: February 28, 2025, 03:36:27 PM »

Switched over to the regular theme.   I had no idea this was an issue without looking on Discord in the Mafia Dead Server.  If you haven't already done so Khushrenada post about it in the main NWR Discord.

I have. It's come up a couple times in there but it's not something that's exactly easy to sticky or easy to alert the people that would need to know this info. Part of the issue is there doesn't seem to be a way to get a list of the users that are still using it. Even if a list could be made, it's going to be hard to reach those actual users if they aren't on that Discord. Like BlackNMild2k1 is not on the Discord that I can see. I might just try the e-mail on his account to let him know what to do and hope that e-mail still works. If not, I'm not sure what else can be done for him and some other users that would be blocked because of it.

14

Nintendo Gaming / Re: Nintendo Switch Forum Favorites

« on: February 24, 2025, 09:06:36 PM »

This thread just reminds me of how I thought I'd have played more stuff on my Switch by now but have just let so much drop to the wayside and never get around to it. Keep going back to older systems. There was a brief period (2019 - 2021) where I was playing quite a bit of Switch stuff. I'd recently got a system near the end of 2018 and dove into Mario Odyssey, Arms, Clubhouse Games, XC:DE, and Metroid Dread as well as older and indie games I'd wanted to try and play like Obra Dinn, Grim Fandango, Untitled Goose Game and Yooka-Laylee. But then the pendulum swung back away from gaming and I've just put my time into other things as the time commitment to a game keeps me from starting anything. When I do game, it seems to be about going to older systems or replaying older games whether with Switch online or on the original systems. Now with the Switch 2 coming round the bend, I look at these unplayed games and ask where the time went and why haven't I played them by now?

To answer what has been asked so far:

Favorite RPGs - Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition. Finally played though this game for the first time despite owning it on Wii and 3DS but never playing it on those systems. I'm sort of glad I waited. Tried the 3DS version for a little bit after completing the Switch version and I much prefer the Definitive Edition. Absolutely worth a play through. There was so much that impressed me about this game and I loved delving into so many of the sidequests and the whole chart of people and figuring out their relations and the worlds to explore. This game reignited the passion for gaming and helped keep me playing other stuff after it was over. It also seems to be the only RPG I've played on Switch. Haven't even played any on the Online apps. I did start the first Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster version last year but then I didn't get back to it as I returned right back into being a lapsed gamer.

Biggest RPG desires / games I do want to play: the other 2 Xenoblade games. I was kind of working towards this by trying to complete XCX and then going to XC2. Finally beat most of XCX last year although I still wanted to grind and push for 100% but may now just do it all over again with the upcoming XCX remaster. Also: Octopath Traveller and the Final Fantasy games particularly 4, 6, 7 and 9 but would like to play through the series with it mostly be available on Switch. There are other RPGs I own and would like to play but this is the stuff I'm mostly to get to if I want to play an RPG.

Ubisoft games: I don't think I've played any Ubisoft games although I do own both Mario + Rabbids games and have kept telling myself I should play that next when I finish playing (insert game title) and then, that's right, I never play it next. I don't think I own any other games by Ubisoft. I stopped buying Just Dance games with the Wii U. Never got Starlink though I keep debating it whenever it and all the DLC keep going on sale like they are right now but the trailers and gameplay footage I've seen just never enticed me despite seeing positive word of mouth about the game. Also still semi-interested in Immortals Fenyx Rising. It always seemed to get dismissed as a BotW rip-off but ripping off or copying a game like BotW shouldn't be viewed as a bad thing. I loved that game a lot so more of that should be a good thing and the Greek Mythology hook seemed like it could have good possibilities. But again, when watching trailers or clips of gameplay, the combat just doesn't seem compelling and the constant voice overs and dialogue and sound effects just seem like they would annoy me very quickly. Heck, I get tired of them just when watching clips of the game. BotW got it right. Sometimes silence is golden. I know Prince of Persia has been highly praised as one of the best games Ubisoft has put out in awhile and, again, a metroidvania is still something I welcome. Sticking to the theme of this paragraph, seeing the game in action just hasn't done anything to impress me or counter the indifference I feel towards it. When I think of the other stuff I still would like to play on Switch, that apathy to how I feel when checking out Ubisoft's games have made it easy for me to just not bothering purchasing them and adding more stuff to the ol' backlog.

15

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.

16

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?

17

General-3 / 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.

18

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?!

19

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.

20

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.

21

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.

22

General-3 / 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......

23

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.

24

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.

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: My Video Game Collection/Museum

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

What makes them infamous?