Messages

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Official Sales Thread

« on: Yesterday at 08:52:46 AM »

I didn’t find that Bananza’s gameplay loop showed any refinement of the ideas presented in Odyssey, and the game felt very mechanically shallow.

So some stupid website that has bad takes (not NWR) has reported a rumor that Nintendo is scaling back Switch 2 production in lieu of poor NA sales. Now, the console has already outsold the Wii U but the environment it is existing in, particularly for US markets, is not really making it a very appealing prospect. Nintendo’s relative quietness in regards to its 2026 releases is not personally inspiring much confidence in me, though as someone who missed out on all of the adjacent hardware’s third party releases, I’m not too concerned. However, I do feel that the Switch 2 is lacking purchase power in terms of its software lineup. Pokopia’s viral success seems to be the exception rather than the rule, and with another Mario movie releasing, they’re missing the chance to capitalize on a new Mario game, and not a bizarrely marketed and conceptually befuddling DLC upgrade.

Now, could I simply be projecting my personal feelings a bit too hard, and be out of touch with reality? Yes. I could see Nintendo scaling back Switch 2 production for reasons related to supply chain rather than lukewarm US reception. But I was curious to hear the thoughts of people who may or may not be lurking here, as I don’t want to go on Discord and get dunked on for my bad taste.

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TalkBack / Re: Indie World Presentation To Air March 3

« on: March 02, 2026, 11:33:04 AM »

15 minutes? Feels a bit slight, hoping the shadow drop is decent (and not Mina).

EDIT: that makes me sound incredibly negative about Mina, but I just have very little interest in the game and would prefer something more up my alley. Not a statement about its quality.

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

« on: February 27, 2026, 10:09:00 AM »

Score for me on Pokemon NOT-releasing this year! That counts, right? The trailer was the thing released.

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General Gaming / Re: What are you playing?

« on: February 26, 2026, 10:32:13 PM »

I hope you're all ready for HOT TAKES.

I started my extended snow day weekend with giving Ultra Age a try. It made a bit of waves as a shockingly good-looking action game for a relatively small developer/studio back around its release, and the Switch version... looks like the Switch version of any good-looking modern action game. That is to say, it runs, but it doesn't look wonderful. I guess I'm always looking for that action game that is going to make me feel the way people say that DMC3 makes them feel, but Ultra Age certainly isn't it. I've come to understand a bit of the game's mechanics as I sunk about four-ish hours into it, but without some deepening of the mechanics and customization, I worry it will lose its luster. It also has a roguelike mode, which I'm a bit more interested in and will report on after having sunk some time into it.

Then I played Crow Country, and while I do like games that emulate visuals from the early polygonal days, I'm not so sure I love games that are slavish in their commitment to 90s game design. This is a survival horror game with tongue in cheek dialogue, but its core gameplay design is "here's an esoteric puzzle to solve while you're stressed about dying." The map system sucks and the game has a hint system that is actually pretty unhelpful, with some puzzles being absolutely absurd in their design- the special puzzles being mercifully optional but ridiculously obscure. Then, the game commits the cardinal sin of most throwback survival horror games: it tells you that you have to conserve ammo and resources due to a small inventory and then has a sequence where you need to go in guns blazing. After playing this and Signalis, which was another moody and punishing survival horror game, I worry that this genre isn't for me, though I have previously enjoyed some Resident Evils and Evil Tonight. The puzzles are always a bit frustrating when they are too lock-and-key focused, and while the combat in this game in particular is more imprecise due its super puffy character models, I can at least accept the poor controls when its not asking me to throw its previous notion of careful, considered resource management to the wind.

Lastly, I finally booted up Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven after having conspired to play it long ago (and having picked up the Nintendo Switch 2 upgrade pack). SaGa games are a big swing due to their incredibly obscure game mechanics, but I've dipped my toes in the pool with SaGa-lites like The Legend of Legacy and The Alliance Alive. In short: what the hell, I think I love SaGa! The presentation and some quality of life features are definitely helping with the whole experience, but it's been very positive even when I see myself making very rookie mistakes. I have several save files backed up, which makes me appreciate a game complex and weird enough to justify making several save files. You progress through generations of characters in this game, some of which you can lose from fainting too often in battle or by missing a side quest, and while that might be frustrating for some, it actually makes me incredibly excited to play around with the game's systems and try to find a proper solution to my issues. Sure, I've "lost" some progress by accidentally advancing the game-clock and generations, but those multiple save files have helped me reconsider what choices I could make in a certain generation. I want a mermaid dancer, dammit, and I'm gonna get my mermaid dancer.

I can see how this game had a marked positive reception in Japan that might have contributed to the decision for a remake, particularly in how I see several of its narrative beats being echoed in later games. Maybe this game is also referencing some earlier work, but it does feel like the origin point for some of these side quest narratives I've found in later JRPGs, which makes me excited to see what the future holds.

...I'll be ranking these in my other thread.

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TalkBack / Re: Ys X: Proud Nordics (Switch 2) Review

« on: February 18, 2026, 10:01:55 AM »

God, I wish they had just released some sort of upgrade pack. I have no interest in unlock stuff for NG+ but I would have gladly taken the performance bump.

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General Gaming / Re: Community Event: Forum February 2026

« on: February 13, 2026, 08:13:11 AM »

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

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

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

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

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

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NWR Forums ID Verification / Re: My posting times

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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General Gaming / Re: Community Event: Forum February 2026

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

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

Can I get an Evan_Bee_2?

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General Gaming / Re: What are you playing?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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General Gaming / Re: What are you playing?

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

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

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Official Sales Thread

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

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

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

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

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Official Sales Thread

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

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

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General Gaming / Re: What are you playing?

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

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

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

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Nintendo Gaming / Re: Official Sales Thread

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

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

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

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General Gaming / Re: Community Event: Forum February 2026

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

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

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

« on: January 28, 2026, 11:01:17 AM »

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

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General Gaming / Re: What are you playing?

« on: January 20, 2026, 04:44:39 PM »

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

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

« on: January 16, 2026, 12:52:26 PM »

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

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

« on: January 15, 2026, 09:12:50 AM »

I played 95 games this year

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

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

« on: January 14, 2026, 11:03:10 AM »

I’m almost embarrassed to admit my numbers.

Almost.

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

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

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

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

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General Gaming / Re: What are you playing?

« on: January 13, 2026, 05:09:11 PM »

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

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

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

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