RedShell

Thanks for the games earlier @Nicktendo, 2v2 probably wasn’t the best choice though, as you no doubt realised after witnessing my “skills”. Same goes for Hoops, was the first time I’d played that mode on Switch and only ever tried it once before that on PS4. Amazed this game doesn’t support video capture. Here’s hoping it’ll be patched in at some point. @Glen-i, I could join you for a few games at around 9:15.

THought it would be funny seeing as i’m slightly drunk already... And it was.

There's a chance I might be able to jump on for a few games of something here and there, but really can't say for sure. Hope you get some good games going though. And have a great new year!

Starting to get into this again now. Had a quick go on the PS4 version last night (right after playing it on Switch) and while it definitely looks a lot nicer, it actually feels somewhat slower in comparison. Not sure why, both versions run at 60fps... very weird. Also, this might be the only time that I actually prefer digital shoulder buttons for accelerating/braking in a "driving" game! Yeah, going back to the Dual Shock 4 for this felt really strange. Anyway, glad I finally decided to pick it up for Switch (especially as I'll no longer be able to play my PS+ version soon). The game is a blast regardless of platform, although I'm not sure about this trading malarkey they've added. That wasn't part of the game back when I was originally playing it, and I keep getting requests to trade, even though I only have like a hat and 1 decal.

My game of 2017 is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I had a good feeling about it early on... ...but didn't realise quite how significant is was going to end up being for me personally at that time. Long story short, had it not been for Breath of the Wild, I wouldn't have bought a Switch at launch, wouldn't have played many other games this year, wouldn't be typing this right now and... well, let's just say that it arrived for me at both the worst and best time possible, and as a result is one of the most important games I have ever played. Not just any game could've had the impact that Breath of the Wild did though, I mean it really is a masterpiece. From the beautiful atmosphere and its meticulous representation of nature, to the ingenious use of physics and unexpected gameplay mechanics, which are simply insane for an open world setting. The world feels truly organic and every journey would bring about new experiences and revelations. Every single session, now matter how long or short, felt like a bountiful adventure. I remember being blown away very early on by one of the puzzles in a shrine, or rather, how I managed to solve it (basically in a way which didn't at all feel like the intended method ). There was no video capture for Switch at the time, but I nabbed a screenshot of the puzzle in question: It was at this point I also realised that everyone who plays the game will likely get a completely different experience to everyone else. Sure, you can apply that logic to pretty much any game, but I think BotW definitely takes it to a whole new level. It's possible to bend the rules of the game in some truly wacky directions, to places the developers themselves probably hadn't even anticipated! There were many surprising solutions to problems throughout my entire playthrough and it made puzzle solving for someone like myself (i.e. a bit thick ) all the more enjoyable. Here's a recent example of my unorthodox style with the latest DLC... I just love the vast amount of creative possibility that is presented to the player in BotW, at times it's almost as if we're the ones designing the game as we play. And to create something with the scope of BotW, with that much potential variation is quite frankly astounding. Also, for a game from a series which more than anything sets out to tell a story, the commitment to ensuring it still offers high quality and compelling gameplay is something that I massively appreciate. At a time when games are increasingly becoming obsessed with presentation, narrative and zazz, often at the expense of gameplay, BotW is a wonderful example of exactly what makes video games such a great and unique form of entertainment in the first place. While I obviously disagree with anyone who didn't enjoy the game, I can at least understand some of the complaints, particularly from those who were perhaps expecting a more structured Zelda experience that's similar to the rest of the series. But I absolutely love how BotW returned all the way back to its roots on the NES, and gave Zelda fans of that specific era the chance to freely explore and embark on their very own adventure once again. So yeah, Zelda takes the top spot for me. As for everything else, in no particular order... Splatoon 2 - Amazing sequel. So much fun to play and evolving all the time. Super Mario Odyssey - Probably my favourite 3D Mario game since 64, astonishingly good. Yakuza Kiwami - Brilliant game. Plays great, looks awesome and is truly hilarious. Yakuza Zero - It's Yakuza... set in the 1980s... nothing else to say. ARMS - Fantastic fighter. Simple to pick up, yet quite a bit of depth to it. Miitopia - Super entertaining. Perfect 3DS swan song for me. Honourable mentions to (some of these weren't 2017 but new to me)... Team Kirby Clash Deluxe, Downwell, Golf Story, Thumper, DOOM, and probably Master Blaster Zero actually, currently playing that and really enjoying it.

Ended up nabbing Rocket League. It’s an impressive port but definitely a pretty big downgrade from the PS4 version I’m used to. The physics occasionally go a bit mental too, but other than that it’s still lots of fun. And on the plus side I can finally play this game without the accompanying sound of PS4 fans going completely crazy. Looks like I’ve got a lot of catching up to do though.

This still going on? I’m up for some games.

Did I mention that I'm terrible at the game? Because I am. This is probably still my greatest Rocket League achievement: And I'm not sure how much of that I planned, probably not much.

Bought Blaster Master Zero and Mighty Gunvolt Burst yesterday have been really enjoying them so far! Blaster Master Zero in particular has been highly entertaining. For some reason (probably all of that Christmas wine ) I couldn't stop laughing at the various sound effects from all the different shot types! Fast forward to today and I'm actually able to play it without constantly cracking up, those sound effects are bloody awesome though. Still undecided about Rocket League seeing as I played a lot of it on PS4, but still have some time to decide. Anyone know if the sale will still be running on Thursday afternoon when they update the eShop? Wondering if they might add some new deals...

Finished it the other day. The last boss was tricky for me, even on Easy Mode! Got there in the end though, here's a cool moment I captured from the fight: Did a bit of exploring afterwards with the new power-up. Not sure if I'll ever make it to 100%, but will certainly keep coming back to it every so often to try and find more secrets, also to check out the upcoming DLC too!

Does this game support video capture? Looks like the kind of game that could create some memorable moments, you know... a bit like this: And we wouldn't want to forget stuff like that now, would we @Glen-i?

Epic post @Glen-i, great stuff. And thanks to you, @BowserBasher and everyone that takes part for keeping this fantastic N-E tradition going. Pretty sure everyone knows I’m only IN! for the funnies (as you so perfectly put it ) but having said that, it is nice to finally win one of these. Very much looking forward to even more N-E MK League shenanigans next year!

I wasn’t a huge fan of the original game when I played through it on PS4, despite really loving the demo. It’s just designed in a way that I found to be quite annoying, for example... I suppose that is at least understandable for the story mode, but the fact that you still need to farm materials in the free build mode is ridiculous! That was an aspect of the game I was really looking forward to spending time with, but because of the way they designed it I just couldn’t be arsed. Should’ve been unlimited resources and none of that “your character is getting hungry” malarkey either, just let people get on with easily building whatever they want. So yeah, unless that stuff has been seriously improved in the sequel, I won’t be picking it up.

You know what would’ve been cool for this game? A special Christmas day event where everyone in Turf War mode works together (spreading snow instead of ink) and the objective is to cover the map with as much snow as possible, while those enemies from the single player campaign (the ones that vacuum up ink) are trying to clear the snow. Could’ve featured Christmasy remixes of the Splatfest music tracks and awarded double XP/Super Sea Snails for taking part.

Very rarely. It’s a good idea to follow it on a price checker like PriceSpy or idealo to get notifications when it does drop, and you can see price history too. I’ve still not bought a Pro Controller for the Switch, primarily because of the price but also because I genuinely get on fine with the Joy-Con grip, it’s actually super comfy for me. If the Pro Controller ever gets a really good deal I’d probably get one though.

There was an update for this game the other day, it seems to have modified certain aspects of the UI and more importantly enabled the Switch's video capture feature! So of course the first thing I go and capture was this: Anyway, I'm on what must be the final boss battle at the moment, already failed a couple of attempts though. I am so bad a strategy games it's unreal. Will hopefully be able to beat it today. Then it looks like there will be quite a bit of backtracking to do, in order to hit 100% completion.

The absence of eShop cards online is very weird indeed. I see them all the time in shops. As already mentioned, WHSmiths is usually a safe bet, as is Wilko, always loads of them in there too.

Never say never and all that, but I doubt it. Pretty confident we’ll see a sequel though, probably not on Switch but at some point in the future. Hope so anyway. Yeah, saw the notification in-game yesterday when checking out the new character. Will be playing as Twintelle on that one I think, have always struggled with Master Mummy and his sluggish movement.

Yeah, just been reading about that. It’s a shame, but I guess the game just didn’t take off enough to warrant any more development time, especially on free DLC. Anyway, I’ve had a great time playing it and will probably continue to do so for quite a while yet, at least for the remaining Party Crashes.

Version 5 update is live! Did the new character steal part of Samus’ Varia suit?

What’s the plan for tonight then? Personally I’d like to do some Salmon Run, but if there are more than 4 players don’t mind doing Turf War or Private Battle instead. Anyway, will be heading online in about 20 minutes time. *EDIT* Nobody playing? I’m gonna go ahead and do some Salmon Run then, will set a room though so if anyone does want to join feel free.

Well, it was a shame we couldn’t do the reverse racing idea, but that was an entertaining final league night regardless. It’s been great playing with you lot again and I hope it will continue next year! We definitely need to do another “Smart Steering” GP at some point too. Cheers everyone!

@Glen-i, just when I thought you couldn't come up with anything crazier than the "Smart Steering" GP, you go and pull this utter insanity out of the bag! Needless to say I am very much IN!

Learnt a cheeky new technique from another player on Clam Blitz. They were on the opposing team and threw a clam towards me, which I initially tried to avoid, thinking it was a projectile , but once I realised it was just a clam and went to collect it, they then chucked in a bomb! Very nearly got me with it too. At first I thought they had thrown the clam by mistake (which I found hilarious at the time ) but looking back on it now it's actually a pretty cool tactical move. Captured a vid of it: This game keeps getting better and better, already played it way more than I did the Wii U original. Just wish they would patch out that bloody startup sequence! At the very least make it skippable!! It massively detracts from the quick pick up and play nature of the Switch.