Dufniall

Wait, so it's pronounced Arkeus and not Arseus? Who knew!

There are not that many arcade racers on the Switch, let alone open world ones. So it's great to see that Burnout Paradise Remastered came to the Switch last year. Initially it was way too expensive, but the price dropped permanently to €29,99/£24,99, a much more acceptable price point. Currently it's 50% off making it €14,99/£12,49, and I know that was enough for certain forum members to take the plunge (including myself). I don't have any nostalgia for the series but I know it was a big deal when the original came out originally. I caved for this price, because I was in the mood for a no-nonsense racer (and this got a discount sooner than my other potential candidate NFS Hot Pursuit). So who here dares to admit as well that they are craving this EA game? The main reason for opening this thread is because it would be cool to set up some online races. I played an hour or so with @BowserBasher yesterday and even 1v1 it was already very entertaining. I can only imagine 8 people online and voice chat on the side would be amazing!

Here's some footage of how Tony rolls on the Switch:

A video comparing the Wii and Switch graphics has popped up:

This is a tricky topic for me to give input on, as I don't have any accessibility problems myself so I can't speak from experience. Sure, I have had issues with subtitles being to small or weird contrast/colour choices, but that's from poor decisions in the game itself. I'll try to give some of my feelings per subject: Visual: Colour-blindness is indeed quite common, but like you said there are quite a few different versions of it. It's hard to imagine how colour-blindness is experienced. In your case, would it work for example to play a game in greyscale? Shapes can be a great help. We have Ticket To Ride and at first I wondered where the were for, but then it dawned on me and it's clever! I can imagine this should be an option on match-3 kind of puzzlers, just slap a shape on a colour. Should be an easy fix. But making different filters for different kinds of colour-blindness, or even a mode for blind people, it's something I'm sure not every developer can or wants to dish out the resources for. It's a costly thing for a small target audience. Maybe the colour-blind filters can somehow be integrated in the game's engine so at least all games on the Unreal/RE/Frostbite engine can have it by default. Audio: First: I can't imagine playing a game without the audio. It's like watching a movie with the sound off. Sure, maybe play the occasional hour of Animal Crossing or grind a bit in a game but for the rest I want my audio. As a non-native English speaker I think subtitles should always be an option, and it's the least they can do from an accessibility point as well. But after that it gets difficult; how far should a publisher go? Hearing-impaired kind of subtitles (stuff like [ocean rustles in background]), coloured subtitles to differentiate different speakers. In shooters it also matters if sound comes from the left or right, should they implement visual cues for this as well? Again it's a trade-off between the demand and the resources it is costing a developer. Control: I agree Microsoft's adaptive controller is great. Since it is more an overall tool than a Microsoft product, and each PlayStation and Switch dock has a USB port, they should just integrate the drivers into their software. With regards to button remapping, it's now an option on the Nintendo Switch. Button mashing I'm on two legs; on the one hand I can see how it's difficult if you for example have less strength or reflexes in your hand. I personally don't like the ones where I have to maniacally flick a control stick because I don't want to bust it haha. On the other hand a sudden button mash trigger does add to the tension in a game, and it is a fair gameplay mechanic. Luckily the 90s already had a solution: the turbo switches! How do you feel about easy combos in for example fighting games? Dragon Ball FighterZ for example has easy combos/auto combos. I'm on the same two legs there. It takes away the feeling of mastery, but it does make the game more accessible. Difficulty This is one where I would really leave it to the developers. They make a game with a certain difficulty and target audience in mind. If they want a game that is accessible for everyone make it easy or with different difficulty options. If they want to create a challenging game not everyone can finish, it's up to them. And if it's a game where you want to experience the lore but the game is too difficult, well that's too bad. Luckily YouTube is full of play-throughs so you can catch up there. That said, Tomb Raider's 3 different difficulty system is pretty darn clever. As a general conclusion, there are definitely things that are easy to implement that can increase the accessibility of games but it can be a costly thing, especially for smaller devs. Maybe standardized mechanics in the bigger engines or the hardware systems can help. But there will always be people who are left out and won't get the full experience. It's easy for me to say as I don't have accessibility problems. But I'm a short guy, and I've experienced concerts where I could hardly see the stage because tall people would be standing before me. I know this happens and I accept it, instead of for example petitioning they should sort concert audiences on length and let the short get in first. You can't cater to everyone. Start making a game that is accessible for the blind, deaf, handicapped, and even then you will get comments that it is not inclusive on a different level.

Octopath Traveler came out on PC as well, and it supports a max of 3440x1440p on that. So it can also be a case of already preparing for a port to PC of Triangle Strategy.

A Shiny Toxtricity event is currently running through a variety of outlets. No UK yet though. Just put in my details on the Dutch Game Mania website, it was the same method as with Zarude last time. From serebii.net:

Just a reminder that the Digital Deals sale is live. I probably won't buy too much, but I did just pick up R-Type Dimensions EX for 50% off.

The credits have rolled for both Super Mario 3D World and Bowser's Fury. It's pretty unusual for me to blast through a game this quick, but I had quite some time over the weekend and in the evenings. Normally I can't play a single game for a long time in one go, but somehow this game hit the right spot (lovely aesthetics/audio, and the right difficulty; not too easy but not too frustrating either). I already gave my initial thoughts on 3D World on the previous page and not much has changed after finishing it. However, Bowser's Fury I started and finished yesterday in one sitting with 50/100 shines. It's fun, and a great bonus to an already entertaining game. But like said, €50 is a lot of money if you have enjoyed 3D World already for just this bit of new content. It's also a weird one as it has the elements, power-ups and enemies from 3D World but the play area differs vastly from 3D World, and it doesn't tie into the story (not that you need a clear story in a Mario game). It feels like an experiment as how to set up the next big 3D Mario game. It's a weird way of adding extra content to a game. The adventure itself is pretty entertaining and is indeed more about exploration. There are some tricky bits but having the option to switch to any power-up makes it pretty easy overall. I love how ominous calamity Bowser is, and the first few times it feels chaotic with his devastating fire breath. But as said before after a while he becomes more of a nuisance. I played the Bowser's Fury part on the TV because of the 60FPS, but the last half hour I played in handheld and then you really notice the game cutting back to 30FPS. Definitely recommend playing this adventure on the TV.

Okay, just watched it! Too bad Nintendo spoilered Splatoon 3 in their mailing to me but for the rest I went in spoiler-free. And it's a good one! Nice to see a Nintendo character enter Smash, although it is another sword user. The Final Fantasy Tactics x Octopath game looks great as well. Fall Guys is a nice get, and The Outer Wilds is supposed to be amazing although I'll probably pick it up on the PC. Plants vs. Zombies makes me wish they would just make a new tower defence game in the series, I loved them. Nice to have a release date on No More Heroes 3, although I still need to play 1 and 2. Mario Golf obviously, looks good enough. And the glorious return of Miis in both Golf and Miitopia (can't believe they are porting Miitopia of all games). Skyward Sword HD: the graphical style doesn't really hold up does it? If you look at these environments like the grassland, there is no detail in there at all. This should have been a HD collection along with Wind Waker and Twilight Princess for €60 (or even €75). Just wait and see them bringing WW and TP over for €50 as well... Happy anniversary! And Splatoon 3, loved how slow that trailer's first half was haha. I can't wait to play it, and showing it now I think is just a way to show Nintendo have things going on on the long run. Only doubt I have if it will have enough new stuff to justify a follow-up. Disappointments: No Galaxy 2, no Nintendo Online upgrade, no news about Mario Kart. No Tony Hawk.

It's tricky to see the interesting aspects of an area you know so well. What kind of photos do you usually take? It may be good to take a different subject. Go for nature, macro, urbex, portraits or anything you normally wouldn't do. Maybe it can also help to change perspective. Go for a place high up or lay on the floor.

I finished Do What You Want: The Story of Bad Religion. It takes a bit of a different approach compared to other bios I've read. First of all most bios of musician's I read were of individuals like Moby, Johnny Cash, Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden and Lemmy from Motörhead. This covers the whole band so a lot more different people are involved. It also is less heavy on the touring anecdotes (which is a shame cause I love these), but it goes a bit more into the lyrics, concepts and recording so that is pretty interesting. The only real gripe is that it is sometimes a bit too pretentious. All in all a good read. Now I'm reading Pet Sematary by Stephen King. After finishing a biography, it's always nice to read something easier after, so nothing from a series, or non-fiction. I'm about a quarter in and for now yeah, a classic Stephen King I'd say.

Third Party sizzle reel New Kirby game "Please understand... delay of game X"

I'm enjoying my time with this. I've played it quite a bit over the weekend and I believe I'm approaching the end of the normal playthrough. I can see how this is a favourite for some. The game oozes charm, the soundtrack is great, there is a good variety in the levels and the bitesize level format works great and makes it much more "pick up and play" compared to for example Odyssey. On the other hand it doesn't have the extremely clever ideas you can find in Odyssey or Galaxy (2). The game is pretty easy, especially in the early levels, and it has some of the worst boss fights in a Mario game (the Bowser ones are terrible). For me I think it will end up being a solid 8. Saturday I've spend an hour or so playing online with @BowserBasher and @Nicktendo and it was quite a smooth experience. There was hardly any lag and setting up a lobby is quick and easy. Nicktendo and BowserBasher were on voice chat, but I wasn't and what I'm missing here is any form of in-game communication. Some quick emotes (what we really need is the ironic hand-clap from the (S)NES online!) would be nice. I wonder if the bump in speed is intentional, or an unwanted side effect of porting the game and they just decided to leave it like this as it is not game breaking?

Got Mario 3D World in today, but I also found the 3 3DS games pretty cheap second-hand. I played 3D Land but sold it on after finishing it. But it was so cheap now I wanted it in the collection again. Tennis and NSMB2 I never played before.

Just finished World 1 as well and as a first timer I have to say, loving it! Well, besides maybe the obligatory bad to control racing style level but I guess every 3D Mario needs these (go home Plessie!). It has the same charm 3D Land had. I already knew the cat power up from Mario Maker but it's great to use it in full 3D.

It's here! Can't wait to get started with it. If anyone wants to test the online multiplayer this weekend let me know, I'm definitely up for it.

It's always interesting to hear how people get on with the Zelda series, especially as every game has its own unique elements and different styles. I love Zelda as a series, although it's not my favourite IP of all time. It started with A Link To The Past, a game which we had on the SNES. I was quite young still, so I wasn't really trying to finish it but just going around whacking everything with the sword. My brother who is 5 years older played it as well but couldn't finish it, and after not that long a time he traded it in for Super Soccer. I played it later on an emulator, but really played it intensely and finished it on the Game Boy Advance. In general I actually prefer the 2D ones over the 3D ones. The big exception here is Breath of the Wild which is just the best Zelda game. But besides that I prefer Link's Awakening, Phantom Hourglass and A Link Between Worlds over Twilight Princess, Wind Waker and yes, Ocarina of Time. I don't know what it is, I think I enjoy the top-down dungeons a lot more than the 3D counterparts. But I think it also helps I played a lot more handheld Nintendo in general in those days. Out of the main game series (not counting the remakes as separate ones) I never played Majora's Mask and Skyward Sword, so they are definitely on my list for completionist goals. Zelda and Zelda II on the NES I've played on the NES app, but I haven't finished them (yet). As a matter of fact I started Triforce Heroes yesterday, and it is very charming but I can see how it won't be a perfect experience in single player. I posted about getting the game before and I think some people were saying they want to play it again so if you do, let me know! Maybe a question for next week if you guys are diving into the spin-offs: We've seen Link in Soul Calibur, we had Hyrule Legends which is a Warriors-type game, and we got the cross-over with Cadence of Hyrule. Where would you like to see Link or Zelda appear in or cross over with?

I used to use Flickr when I was still posting photos, but haven't used it in years so I'm not sure if that is still a good place. An other option may be setting up a personal website and posting on Instagram and linking to your own site.