Julius

Great overview of what it's looking like right now at the time of launch in Asia from Mystic:

I love the PS2 with all my heart...but this is exactly where my first thought went too. If we're talking about the design aesthetics of a console - which, from other posts, I take it we are, rather than the design function - it's just so damn blocky - and, like you say, clunky - that it almost lacks that feeling of being consciously designed in a weird way; it's strictly functional (and hey, I don't know so maybe someone can correct this thought if I'm off base here, but maybe part of that was keeping costs down to further push the cheapest DVD player on the market angle). It's just a block on another block, kind of like a big book awkwardly balanced on a smaller one, with these ugly ridges across the top block of the console, made only uglier by the contrast with the lack of ridges on the bottom block. Man, this is one I was thinking about too. I never owned a GBA in any form growing up, but did borrow friend's from time to time, and growing up, man, what a practical console for a kid: it's so small and compact. As an adult, my hands cramp a little just thinking about playing on one, and so time and again that's been the thing to dissuade me from picking one up. I always liked to think of the GBA SP being so square as being an inside joke at Nintendo, what with the GameCube being their home console at the time, always seemed a nice little pair. Like "hey, you play your 3D games on your 'Cube, and you (ahem, mostly) play your 2D games on your square GBA!" Anyways, I should probably throw my hat into the ring, so I'm going to call out an entire offshoot line of handhelds: the 2DS line. You know what that is? A door wedge. A door wedge disguised as a console. Shame on you Nintendo. Look, I owned a 2DS from launch, it was the first Nintendo console I bought with my own money and I'm grateful that it was a cheap and accessible means to pick up and play Pokémon X when it launched in October 2013. But it is cheap, probably the cheapest feeling and most toy-like Nintendo anything I've ever owned (I got the Wii U GamePad complaints after getting one, I do, but that's down to lack of heft more than anything else I feel). It's a tough cookie, but not in the premium way; it's a tough cookie in the same way that kid's toys are tough cookies: you can throw it at a wall, cover it in spaghetti, probably brick someone over the head with it, and it'll still be in one piece, in the same way all of your toys from when you were really young are probably still kicking around somewhere on the face of the planet today. And then we have the 2DS XL. Just what we wanted: a clamshell handheld with a neck! So take the stuff I said about the 2DS and basically make it look like this: And you know what, to touch on a home console for a moment: the original Xbox is ugly as sin. It just looks so damn tacky, like a fake console made as a prop for a film. I remember the first time I saw this console - which I think I've seen once in my entire life in-person - at a friend's house (squarely middle class, dad invested in stocks, you know the type) and I can't have been more than 5 years old, and I thought it was ugly as sin then...and I'll double down nearly 20 years later and day it looks ugly as sin now, too. What the hell was in the water of the console designers that generation?!

I have a new favourite from today's session: I laughed so hard that I nearly choked on my facepalm

Worth mentioning that it looks like they might still be in the process of adding stuff, think I've just seen Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon Everybuddy on the site which isn't in the list, and I think Ridge Racer 2 is missing? Could be down to regional variety though. I mean, overall, it's a pretty solid list to start off with, definitely a couple of games I'm interested in playing already from the Classics catalog such as Wild Arms, Syphon Filter, Ape Escape and Toy Story 2. It's the initial rollout so it was always going to be a bit pared back, but they're definitely reaching to stretch out that list of classic titles (...Gravity Rush Remastered, really?). Also worth bearing in mind that there'll be the mid-month refresh next month before it launches over here, and so I imagine there might be a handful of changes/additions by then, but exactly how much of a difference we'll see is anyone's guess Anyways, opening to Ape Escape is looking pretty clean:

Duuuuuuude: Toy Story 2 for PS1?! Another one of those I played with my cousin a lot growing up but never owned, think we'd only ever get as far as Al's Toy Barn which was its own gigantic funhouse. Yeah...this service isn't going to be good for my backlog

Ah cool, thanks! And yeah, not too surprising that's the case after it wasn't mentioned at all in the Blog update we got on Monday, so will definitely be on a game-by-game basis...but it still kind of sucks. I think you're right about no-one out of first party really wanting to mess around with it, only other times I can think of might be potential wider deals for the service (such as if Square Enix ever comes to the service with a slew of freshly emulated titles in a big way).

Oh yeah, I think you're right about that, I'm definitely not expecting much in terms of trophy support from this first wave (I mean, not knowing what the first wave is exactly doesn't really help ) When would those places typically get trophy lists going up? I don't really see much trophy news (outside of some that felt really early) so have no idea what's the norm

I'm honestly surprised more hasn't turned up yet to be honest, as they're getting the service on Tuesday in Asia. Either way, we should be getting impressions and a pretty complete list of launch titles (any potential region exclusivity not withstanding) fairly soon, which is awesome Some really cool stuff in the description there too, seems like taking this a game at a time and really putting the effort in for trophies, filters, rewinding, quick saves, etc., could pay off in the long run for them, the only question really is how quickly they can get that done at volume to get them onto our systems. There's nothing yet which has made me go too crazy (I mean, I just want God of War 100% confirmed like I've said before), but I feel confidence in the service is already steadily creeping up.

Yeah we suck Hell of a stat though. I'm sure we'll be in title contention next season after selling off 75% of our starting back four...

Closest team to get to the Quadruple by, what, an entire month? It's amazing what Klopp's done with Liverpool over the last 7 years, especially in the face of Guardiola's City, and this season could still be his greatest yet, despite the league loss - kudos to you guys. Love to watch both teams play, such different philosophies, and they push each other to achieve so much. It's basically the managerial/club version of Ronaldo and Messi debates, think we're going to be talking for a long, long time about their rivalry. Still, a shame we keep getting you lot in cup finals, but anywho...

They blew early considering Ederson was down with cramp for 2 minutes in stoppage time, but oh well Fair play to City, unlucky for Liverpool. Think this is the first time Pep's had a team that has been pushed this far on the final day. Fair play to Leeds too for staying up, that last minute Harrison goal was great

Steven Gerrarrrrrrrrrd He's come in, two-footed Pep, and lashed one in the top corner Back to you Jeff

Liverpool going to the last too, man this is a lot of fun to see play out Anyways, glancing over at Milan's score, it's 3-0 before half-time. That'll be a fun one to switch over to once all is said and done in the PL

Pep's game plan was legitimately "okay guys, anyone know he we can even attempt to upstage Aguerooooooooo?"

Oh my God 3-2 City Wtf

2-2 Well damn

City have scored, it's 2-1... Worth noting Pep long ago used all three subs, so no Grealish or other changes to be made

WHAT IS HAPPENING 2-0 to Villa...this is way too tense for a neutral

Well, today's the big day! As I did at the end of the 18/19 season when it last went down to the final matchday, I'll be watching the City game, as that's the one where the title will be decided -- think it's either going to be a comfortable win or a shock loss, but I'd bet on the former if I were a betting man. Pep and City have been unhinged since crashing out to Madrid in the UCL. Good luck to you Liverpool fans, though -- hopefully things go your way today And then, once the match ends, there should still be time to check out the second half of Serie A's final matches, with Milan at the moment in position to win their first league title in a decade, but Inter are hot on their heels and only 2 points behind. Really hope to see Milan win it, it's so great to see the Milan clubs at the summit of Italian football again

Tonight, Mbappé became the first active Sporting Director to score a hat trick Well on his way to proving himself to be worth checks notes 600 million euros

It's genuinely insane, and honestly just hurts a bit to see. I think Mbappé has huge potential as a footballer, sure - don't think anyone doubts that - but Ronaldo and Messi didn't need these things at his age, and both have put up with their fair share of unequivocally woeful managers, despite inarguably being the two best players in the world for a bit over a decade (Ronaldo had Juve lose their midfield and then add him as the winning piece to get the UCL with Sarri and Pirlo, then moved to the mess that is modern day United? Messi had to put up with Valverde and Setien?). That's called being a professional. I don't understand what this is, but it just doesn't sit right. At all. I genuinely don't understand how and why a CL-worthy manager would take the job there when your head is on the chopping block at the whim of one of your players. I honestly don't even know who they get in as manager now: twist the knife further and flip the bird to Madrid fans by bringing in Zidane? It always seemed like he was waiting for Mbappé to be signed in his second stint at Madrid, and to be fair, last I checked, he was on Qatar's payroll for the World Cup, so could be a nice station for him to have to keep him sharp for when the day finally does come that he gets to take the reins of the national team. I guess this is how the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rise to power, huh?

And it's official: Yikes. If FFP wasn't in tatters and PSG weren't humiliating themselves before...what are they doing now? Absolutely disgraceful. The rich, crazy and obsessed partner who just can't let go. Reportedly: Kind of hilariously: La Liga have filed a complaint now that Mbappé isn't moving to their league. Anyways, back to the move: it's disgusting. Casual reminder that some European royalty has been kept out of Europe over the last decade due to FFP and yet PSG - and I single them out as the worst example of this, but by no means the only example of this - get to make a loss and then flip it with investments from shell companies. Yeah Mbappé will make a load of money, maybe he gets that move to Real one day (I can see Flo holding a grudge, though), but personally at least, as someone a few days younger than he is and who unfairly thinks about how he's already a whole lot (yeah I know it's not healthy, and yeah I know footballing careers are heavily concentrated experiences) -- it makes me a little less jealous that I don't pull the run-around on my employer in the way he has over the last year or two...and then end up staying. There's been a lot of talk about his lack of maturity with how he reacts to losing, and I don't see how this helps his situation at all. Seems like he needs to do some growing up, at least from the outside looking in...and so do PSG

Kojima's response to Reedus letting things slip:

Square Enix aired a stream for the game yesterday which lasted nearly two hours, and someone has kindly cut together the gameplay clips: Continues to look great

Welp, not sure if I have enough willpower to not look into picking this up: Astro is getting a Nendoroid!