Dufniall

I'm able to join tonight, but may leave suddenly if the baby wakes up. It's been a while since I've played Smash so I'll probably be a bit rusty as well

Yes they are. Bad puns, one of them talks reeaallyy slow and they try to sound dynamic but there are pauses between them. It isn't helping that the games shown so far are mediocre at best. Slightly interested in ElecHead, Gunbrella and that crab game.

Starts in 3 minutes!

I have to say I kind of forgot about Bloc Party, only ever listened to Silent Alarm. But this post made me put on the new album and it's definitely enjoyable! What's more, I put on Silent Alarm for the first time in years and hearing songs such as Like Eating Glass, Helicopter and Banquet again brought back memories! Looking back 2005 was a good year musically, with albums such as Silent Alarm, Employment by Kaiser Chiefs, The Back Room by Editors and You Could Have It So Much Better by Franz Ferdinand coming out. It was also the time I started going to festival so having seen these acts live definitely helps with the positive memories!

Had to look up what Embracer does but THQ, Koch and Gearbox are part of it. With acquisitions going into the billions lately, 300 million seems like quite a good deal for Tomb Raider alone. Plus all the extra IPs. A new Thief would be a pleasant surprise! Reading that Twitter thread, someone is suggesting this may give Sony the opportunity to buy the Japanese part of Square Enix. I wonder if we see the Japanese part get sold as well.

There was a clearance sale at work so I picked up a couple of things. First of all a load of ethernet cables, so now I have a wired connection in almost every room in the house. Oh the stability! I also got a cheap Google Nest Hub. I already have a Google Home speaker in the house, and this is a nice addition with the built-in display. I'm quite surprised by how decent the image quality is on it. It's currently sitting on my work desk playing concert videos from YouTube. Finally I picked up a second-hand DJI Osmo Mobile 2 gimbal. More as a try-out to see if we can make our band's DIY videoclips a bit more professional and interesting.

I finished season 5 of Vikings last week. It's a great show, but as with many shows, the more seasons it runs the more the quality drops. It also does this Game of Thrones thing where months pass in a couple of minutes, and they just whack through character after character, introduce new ones who are gone after only a couple of episodes. I prefer when series keep their scope small instead of this endless branching out. I also thought season 5 was the final season, and the last episode could as well have been a show finale. So I was surprised that there is a 6th season, I'm going to watch it but kind of hoped it ended here.

Sad day! Such an iconic band, and as a bass player myself Henny was an example, the way he played and sang at the same time. Plus he did a ton of other music work for tv shows, collabs with other artists etc. I saw Doe Maar live once (at the show @Sméagol's video is from). I actually had tickets for a show in 2020, which got postponed to 2021, which got cancelled because of Henny's illness. Also a shame for the band that they never got to do their farewell tour. One more just because:

It's a bit worrying that what they have shown so far could just as well have been DLC for Splatoon 2.

If you want all content, don't forget to pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition. You want fun? It'll cost ya!

Not really bizarre, but the combination of pinball and metroidvania in Yoku's Island Express worked like a charm. Mario + Rabbids is also a funny one, with 2 franchises crossing over that mix pretty well, plus a type of gameplay new for both franchises. And all Warioware games are such a crazy blend of characters, microgames and random weirdness.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (Nintendo Switch) Around Mar10 day I finally saw a decent price drop for this game, the last 2D Mario title that I hadn't played yet. I finished the main game this week, that is, I defeated Bowser. To be honest I kind of rushed through it, not doing every world and not going for all the Star Coins. I think the main reason is that I’m kind of done with the “New” series. All titles blend into each other in my head, taking New Super Mario Bros. 1 and 2, plus the Wii one and this one into account. The graphical style feels outdated, and I really hope Nintendo freshens it up with the next 2D Mario title. Level-wise it is a bit the same old desert world, ice world, water world that we have seen numerous times before. But previous 2D Marios didn’t suffer from the similarity. Mario Bros. 1, 2 and 3 all are very different, and Super Mario World even more so. But all the New Super Mario Bros. games are too similar in style, despite the graphical jump per title. One thing that I also didn’t really enjoy in this game was the focus on moving platforms, and of elements jumping or moving into place. It felt unnecessary and chaotic. The gimmick power-up in this game (the super acorn) also didn’t work that great, although I do prefer it over the helicopter hat. While I’m nit-picking, I also got frustrated about dying and getting kicked back to the overworld map. I generally dislike the “New” ghost houses as well. And while it was fun in the earlier titles, the enemies doing a little move when the sound goes “ah!” got old quite fast as well. Man, I never have been this negative about a Mario game! There are some interesting levels though, such as Painted Swampland. Furthermore, I’m glad to see that Yoshi made a return! It also looks like some of the Star Coins are a proper challenge to get. I’ll probably dive back in for some more completion and to try Luigi U, but I think the main conclusion is that I’m finished with the “New” series. (maybe I should have waited a bit longer after finishing NSMB2 on 3DS not too long ago). I hope we get a nice, fresh, maybe hand-drawn or something 2D Mario soon, shaking things up again.

Watched the first three episodes of The Cuphead Show. Animation is good and it's fun to see the characters from the game make an appearance. But I don't know if I really enjoy it. Clearly they wanted to make it somehow accessible for both adults and children (they even gave it a Dutch dub), and the thing I can compare it with most may be the good old Tom&Jerry cartoons. Episodes are only 15 minutes, so it's easy to watch one or two when you have a moment to spare.

It's been a while since my last update so time to catch up with two games I finished recently (next to Pokémon Legends Arceus which I discussed in its own thread). Dawn of the Monsters (Google Stadia) With my Google Stadia trial expiring early April, I figured I should try to play another game while the service lasts. Dawn of the Monsters was one of the free Pro games, and it ticked the right boxes for me to give it a try: published by WayForward, giant Godzilla-like beasts and it’s a beat-em-up so probably not too long. In Dawn of the Monsters you (and if available a local friend) control one of four behemoths in order to save Earth from the Nephilim, equally large enemies who are invading our Earth. You can choose from a Godzilla-like monster, a giant Crab-like monster and two giant mechs/robots (think Mobile Suit Gundam or Pacific Rim). Each character plays differently and has its own unique moves available. There are three rage attacks (your rage meter builds by taking damage) and a Cataclysm attack which is basically an ultimate move. Crab-girl Ganira for example summons a massive tsunami. You can further customize your character with three equip slots, which can do stuff like heal more from executions, increase the building of the rage meter or more advanced stuff like cut your defense in half but double damage. After every level you receive new and higher level equippables. The game starts off a bit bland, with a not so inspiring city to plow through, and a low variety of enemies. As the game progresses though it gets better. Environments are more varied, and the list of different types of enemies grows as well. That’s when this game starts to shine. Because it is fun! Stampeding around, picking up whole buildings to whack the Nephilim on the head with, unleashing rage attacks and an ultimate Cataclsym attack from time to time is pretty satisfying. I was also pretty happy to see Foz do Iguacu was a level, a beautiful place I visited myself and not something I would expect to show up in a game! The game is presented in a charming comic-book style, and there is voice acting aplenty. I like how you feel that you are controlling a big behemoth, as there is a sluggish feel to it but in a good way. I’m not the biggest fan of beat-em-ups but I really enjoyed Dawn of the Monsters. If you enjoy beat-em-ups and kaiju this is a no-brainer. Earthworm Jim 2 (Switch, SNES Online) I have played this game before as I borrowed it from a friend back in the day a couple of times. In retrospect, I think I never got past Puppy Love 2, but thanks to save states I finally got to finish this game! It’s weird. The whole game is like a weird blend of concepts (as @Hero-of-Time has pointed out in the SNES online thread). From platforming to Fireman-like levels, and from being an axolotl to having your head inflated, meanwhile avoiding grannies, carrying cows and for some reason there’s also a flying level. Without save states this would have been hell, especially taking Puppy Love 1, 2 and 3 in regard. But there is plenty going on in other levels that would have made the game hard. But, with save states it is fun to (re)visit this for the absurd humour, and for me nostalgia played a role as well. Is it worth playing? It depends, purely as platform game no, better to skip it. If you like the character, the humour and the experimental nature of this game? Go ahead, it’ll be groovy!

Groovy, I've borrowed Earthworm Jim 2 from a friend a couple of times back in the days, but never finished it. May be fun to give it a go again, if only for the level completion screen.

Why is everyone under the impression that this game has not yet received a title? Clearly it's called The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

I was due a new phone at work so looked around at what is available. We have an arrangement where you can get €250 refunded once every two years. I was thinking about maybe getting a more high-end phone this time around (my previous phones were the Motorola G5S and the Xiaomi 9T), so looked at the Google Pixel 6, Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S21 fan edition. Also took into account some cheaper ones like the Samsung A52s, the Samsung A53 (new release, they advertise with free headphones worth €149, which they sell on their own site for €72...), Poco F3 and Motorola Edge 20. That last one had a cashback of €100 going, so I got the Motorola Edge 20 (sorry @drahkon, hope mine doesn't break down ) as I didn't feel like paying a lot extra as I haven't really felt like I missed out on not having a flagship. Specs are good, 144Hz OLED screen, Qualcomm 778G 5G processor which is very good for a mid-end phone, and the display is nice and big (6,7 inches). I figured I'd like a bigger display to use for Stadia games and watching series. Weird to think that 7 inch is tablet size and now I have a phone of almost that haha. I did have a Moto before (G5s), and like how Motorola uses a very clean version of Android, especially against the numerous Xiaomi apps that flooded my 9T. I dislike the lack of a 3,5m port which is quite common in the market nowadays, and the camera is sticking out quite a bit. One thing Motorola isn't great at (neither was Xiaomi) is software updates, but they promised at least 2 major OS upgrades so I should be set for Android 12 and 13. And by that time I'll swap phones again anyway. Anyway, happy to have the Edge 20, although I do miss my Xiaomi 9T pop-up camera which meant I didn't have a hole in my screen!

They don't have those in the Netherlands unfortunately. And with current Brexit regulations and taxes I think it's cheaper to buy a copy of Brilliant Diamond than to import a box of these!

It is done! After 71 hours, I have caught, registered and got research level 10 on 241 Pokémon. Only Darkrai remains, but he is locked behind a BD/SP save file, which I don't have. Luckily Lord Arceus doesn't count him, and also Team Galaxy neglects him and they decided to give me the Shiny Charm anyway. Time for the verdict! The Good I really enjoyed this game. The fact that I went for Pokédex completion (something I haven't done since Pokémon Sapphire), is an indication that it felt right to keep going, although getting the last bits of research required was a bit of a slog. I really love the setting of feudal Hisui, including the dress style and the idea of the Pokédex being a book. The new region variants are cool, and the Noble battles were surprisingly fun as well. The way the game is structured with regions opening up instead of having just one big overworld didn't bother me and I may even preferred it this way to give it a bit more structure. I enjoyed the side quests, especially the weirder ones like having a Geodude be used as a pickle jar Stuff I want to see in the new game is being able to change moves on the fly. Oh I need a sleep move to catch this Pokémon? Just swap out a move on the go, loved that! The choice of wanting to engage a Pokémon or try to catch them stealth style is something I loved as well and a reason why the game kept being interesting. Side quests also helped a lot! And finally, not having to trade Pokémon was a joy because it meant I could easily finish the game myself. But with the new game being 2 versions again I doubt this will stick. The Bad First of all the story. I can't imagine the reason why I have to be a time-travelling kid chosen by the God himself with a god-infused smartphone. Easily I could just have been a local kid, or the hero who walked with Pokémon who gets frequent mentions in the game. I think I'd also would have preferred to be a bit earlier in the timeline, and you are actually the first person ever to use a Pokéball. Other plot holes remain (like what happened to the Hisui variants? Is this whole adventure just a parallel universe kind of thing? And wtf how does Ginkgo get stuff like microwaves and refrigerators?), and the "threat" and dislike of Pokémon from the community could have been done better. That said, I like how the game has a slightly darker tone regarding mentions of dying in the field, and the fact you get shunned for being an outsider. The lack of voice acting really set me off. Cutscenes are just empty without audio, especially as characters' mouths are moving. Further, the game has some excellent tracks, but takes the BOTW approach to sometimes just leave out music or have a small ambient track in the background. I'm not the biggest fan of having to repeat catch Pokémon (something Let's Go also had), especially without a proper box ordering system. My boxes were a mess and the only viable way of finding something was the search option. Oh, and one thing that annoyed me a lot is the fact that when you face a trainer, experience is given after the whole fight is over. So if half of your team faints, they miss out on all XP. The Ugly Well, because this game is ugly isn't it? Water effects are bad, pop-in is terrible, environments are empty, Pokémon in the distance move at 5fps and the textures on rocks etc. are horrible. But somehow it didn't bother me as much as I figured it would have. Because the core gameplay was just so much fun. All in all I love this fresh take on the series, with a different approach, exploring the lore, craft items and roam the wilds to catch them all. After the good old 8 gyms and a Pokémon league this was a very welcome change of pace! I hope Game Freak keeps these more experimental games in their portfolio, but please hire a bunch of extra guys to polish your games graphically a bit.

https://www.nintendo.co.uk/News/2022/March/Take-a-look-back-at-Super-Smash-Bros-fighter-reveals-with-Masahiro-Sakurai-Part-1-2186634.html Sakurai also gives his opinions on the Smash reveals. Didn't know where to put it but figured this would be a good topic!

Cool, I've recently (re)watched Spirited Away as my girlfriend hadn't seen it yet and loved it, although it gets a bit stretched out towards the end I feel. But the whole first half is amazing. As they are on Netflix we're watching a Ghibli when in the mood, so far we've seen My Neighbor Totoro (first time seeing it) and Howl's Moving Castle (second time for me). I think Princess Mononoke will be next.

First of all, I find it curious how fixed everyone is in fitting a game as either mainline or spin-off. I'd argue that you just have to separate the mobile games and put them in a third category: Nintendo mobile games. Goes for Mario Run, Pocket Camp, Fire Emblem Heroes, Dr. Mario and Tour, all could be classified either as a main series or spin-off with the right arguments but they are all mobile games based heavily on the console main series. Category 3. As for Tour, I feel there is a lot to it where main series Mario Kart could learn from. Most tracks have variations: remixes, reverse versions and trick versions with extra ramps for jumps etc. The game also isn't necessarily aimed at coming in first, it's all about scoring the most points which is done mostly by maintaining combos which would be a cool second mode for a new game. Every cup has a mini mission like beat giant Bowser, drive through rings, get all item boxes etc, almost similar to what the DS had. Next to that there are the plethora of characters and different costumed characters. The main gripe of course is the whole gacha mechanic but if you play it just for fun? You can unlock plenty and obtain enough coins and gems (in-game currency) to get a lot of good stuff. Controls are indeed simplified because of the inaccuracy of touch controls. You can hardly go off course, auto steering is there and tracks are generally wider. But the core gameplay (using items, drifts etc) is all there. But back to Dragalia Lost: I always had the feeling that game was more for Japan anyway, I'm curious how much revenue it generated there. I remember being in Tokyo and there were plenty of Dragalia Lost banners to be spotted:

Humble now also has a Support Ukraine bundle: https://www.humblebundle.com/stand-with-ukraine-bundle For +/- 35 euros you will support the Ukraine cause, and get titles such as Back 4 Blood, Spyro Reignited Trilogy, Slay the Spire, PGA Tour 2K21, This War of Mine, Wargroove and much much more. The games in this bundle are available on either Steam, GOG, or Rockstar Games Launcher for Windows — and some for Mac and Linux too.

That's something I noticed when I started playing Tour. Tracks are definitely wider, probably to cope with the way of control/more items/extra jumps etc they put in these tracks. Anyway, played the new tracks a couple of times and so far they are enjoyable. Sky Garden was one of my favourite tracks, and the remake is good but it doesn't feel like the old 2D track any more. Paris Promenade is fun with the twist in lap 3, and Ninja Hideaway is great as there are so many layers in it. The rest is decent to good. Slightly disappointed that they didn't sneak in a new car or character. And I'm already having that feeling of "alright, I've seen the new tracks". And the wait for the next batch can be a long one. Maybe 2 years is too much of a stretch to spread them out.

Have to declare myself out unfortunately, I have a baby here who doesn't want to sleep, and doesn't want me to play games either!