Jonnas

Dang. As much as I disliked a lot about the man... I do respect the music he made. This is one of those deaths that give me mixed feelings. Should be interesting to see the musical direction for the series going forward. Not just for new games (like XII), but even for re-releases. For example, I wonder if the DQIII remake will actually have an orchestral soundtrack, or if they'll keep respecting Sugiyama's wishes.

Also, it's spelled "Piranha"

What's this about Sora being a swordsman? He's only wielding a very sharp key, smh ...But FF7R already has Cloud in it

.... I definitely felt the "send-off" part of the presentation. It was for sure the end of an era. I wish Sakurai a very healthy retirement. But man, do I just... not care about Kingdom Hearts at all. Furthermore, Sora doesn't have a particularly interesting moveset,,, and there's no Disney representation at all... and none of the music got any new arrangements... But at least the stage is nice. Ultimately, I can't really argue against the choice to have him, either. Square can go fuck itself with that Cloud Version bull, though. Even I'm pissed at this, and I was never going to play them.

So, I picked this up again after months of inaction, and reached the end of Chapter 1 (well, close to it. I'm already moving towards the next town, and have yet to see "Chapter 2" pop up). My takeaways, compared to the Prologue: The difficulty has picked up a bit. I thought I'd be disappointed after the pushovers from the prologue, but no, Anihal still kicked my ass several times, and the optional asterisk fight gave me trouble as well. Meanwhile, Bernard was oddly easy (despite all the reports of him being super difficult), but I think that's just because I happened to accidentally use the most optimal setup and strategy on my first try; The job skills are... very weirdly balanced. First, they're learned surprisingly fast. I'm barely past Chapter 1, and I already about to learn Firaga and JP Up. I'm also gaining some oddly broken skills here and there, already (Defensive Offence being the most notable one). And none of them take more than 1 skill point to use? Meanwhile, the more recent jobs seem to have adequately balanced skills on the whole, which makes the occasional overpowered ones all the more apparent; Beastmaster is super fun to use. I thought it would be gimmicky (and it kind of is), but the fact that you can capture monsters as a secondary skill... and anybody in your party can release them, regardless of who captured it? Fantastic. I hear Octopath Traveller did this class first, but it gels really well with the Brave mechanic; Music keeps getting better. Love the ditty from the "Mansion"-type dungeons. Voicework keeps getting better too, with more and more accents showing up (and I'm appreciating the in-battle quips more, too); B&D is fun. Considering the similarities to Tetra Master, I appreciate the much clearer and fairer rules; The plot - both the main story and the sidequests - keeps surprising me, positively so: Finally, the scenery and monsters still look very good, but the humans... still super silly, with only a few exceptions that look good in this style (like Bernard). However, I did notice that whoever directed the cutscenes does a good job in obscuring these uncanny faces during the more dramatic/ominous moments. So yeah, I'm pretty dang pleased with the game so far, and I'm liking it quite a bit more than the first one. I just hope the job system doesn't get overly simplistic by the end, because that's the only yellow flag I'm seeing right now.

The Smash hype has been going for so long, it's starting to make me wrinkly. But I sure hope Sakurai takes off the kiddy gloves for this announcement.

Huh, I didn't even remember games like Goat Simulator, I Am Bread, and such. That sort of janky game that's mostly a sandbox engine showcase might be the most consistent sort of entertaining bad game. At the same time, it's a different feeling when the game is intentionally janky/unfinished... I'd say that sort of game reminds me more of the likes of Sharknado (which is intentionally shlocky and ridiculous) than The Room (clearly meant to be something decent/thoughtful). I guess even this sort of odd quality comes in different flavours, in either medium.

40 mins is the usual time these things take. It's lanky at best.

Wait, was Whatsapp out of commission yesterday? Because I got a message around 2 AM from somebody who should not be awake at that time. Was this the cause?

We've had a lot of Capcom spirits and Mii costumes during the 2nd Fighter's Pass, but no Capcom character so far since launch... ...in a vacuum, I'd say Resident Evil would be the most relevant series to add from Capcom, but the lack of a spirit event for Great Ace Attorney was MIGHTY SUSPICIOUS! Which is why, my last minute prediction for the last character in the pass shall be Phoenix Wright! ... Or maybe Crash, or Lara Croft I d'nno, I ain't Sakurai

Oh man, that's such an obvious shout! So many 3D Sonic games fit the definition, and like you say, much better to watch, rather than play. I'm reminded of the Game Grumps and the "unavoidable chin move" that prevented them actually finishing Sonic and the Black Knight. But the rest of it was entertaining to watch for sure (Knuckles: "I must take my own life...", Sonic: "Gimme a break!")

Oh, one thing I remembered (and I'm surprised @Dcubed forgot to mention as well), was the first-ever official release of the original Famicom Fire Emblem. That was a neat surprise that came out of nowhere, and a lovely experience.

So, this is a topic that's been in my head for a while. I'm sure we've all heard of The Room, the infamous Tommy Wiseau film, the poster boy for films that are "so bad, they're good": The more accurate definition would be "a film that's bad in a very specific, laughably entertaining way", but that isn't as snappy. Anyway, I've been thinking about if this specific type of entertainment can also be applied to videogames. Generally speaking, a mess of a film can still be watched (in horror, or in bile fascination), but a badly made videogame may be too difficult or frustrating to play. Furthermore, a film can be watched with friends during an afternoon, or while drunk, but games don't usually have that same ease of entry, either. An example of what I'm talking about: About a year or so ago, I watched a fascinating video on a bizarre game called Mystery of the Druids I understand if you don't have the time to watch it (it's about one hour long), but I do recommend checking it out at some point. It's basically a summary of a playthrough of the game. And by all means, it fits the definition of "So Bad, it's Good"... and yet, the game itself sounds like hell to play, figuring out some of the more cryptic parts of this Point&Click (especially that part with the cat in the docks) sound like real roadblocks in any attempt at laughing at this game. It definitely sounds like one that's better experienced in videos like this (at which point, it may just be a short film, anyway). And yet, not too long ago, we've been graced with this gem of a cutscene from Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin: If all of this game's edge is translated into cutscenes like the above, but the gameplay is solid (and it sounds like it is), then maybe the sort of game with hilariously bad plot, but is nevertheless playable, is actually more common than I thought. I do think this may be a far more subjective topic, however (and one that's rarely discussed or explored, I feel). I can see the case being made that FF Origin wouldn't count as a "bad" game in the same vein as The Room (because a lot of people believe a game isn't bad if the gameplay isn't hilariously bad either). What do you guys think? And more importantly, can you think of more games that would fit the definition of "So Bad, it's Good", and still be entertaining to play?

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been an excellent experience overall for me, and the portability aspect (allowing people to bring Switches into various places for meets) helped immensely. The general ability to play a game in my bed before going to sleep has enhanced a lot of games as well, whether that be an atmospheric Metroidvania like Dandara (playing in a smaller screen in the dark made it more immersive), or a simple Picross puzzles. Playing it handheld also helps a lot in quieter, smaller segments of large games, like exploring Garreg Mach in Three Houses: since no dramatic moment happens there, I don't make a point to play it on the TV. Ditto for smaller sidequests in Bravely Default II. Finally, Snipperclips is the best dang family game I've ever owned. That's a game where simple controls, compatible with separated joy-cons, helps a lot.

Interesting question. It depends a lot on what you want out of the game, and even that can vary according to genre. For an RPG/Adventure with solid exploration mechanics and/or interesting locales, that game can be as long as it wants to. Especially if the plot manages to weave some significant changes to the world as it happens (like if a significant city is destroyed by the villain). I find that games of these genres get old when the towns/overworld are bare, or when the plot does nothing but send you on fetch quests (at which point the game could just become a Visual Novel). Glen-i already mentioned Bravely Default as a game that's infamous for overstaying its welcome, but I feel like the problem there was that, besides the plot itself taking a dive, we've suddenly stopped visiting new places, and also we're fighting the same bosses over and over. That, more than the actual amount of time that it all takes, is the true problem with its "length", and I think it's the core of the question. Platforming games can stay fresh for its entire duration, but they do need to... stay fresh. Whether they do that via introducing new mechanics or simply by creative level design. They also need to be snappy to play, and if you recall, my main gripe with A Boy and His Blob is that the game-feel itself was excessively slow, and that made me wish the game was shorter than it was (even though the game doesn't lack ideas). Though I do admit I'm struggling to think of any other game of this genre that feels too long. Then there's genres like racing and fighting games, where it feels like the length is determined only by how fun it is to play. I think the only case you can make for "excessive padding" in such a game is when each character has a unique ending, and with a large roster it takes forever to unlock them all... and even then, I did play Classic Mode in Ultimate with every character. When the game's fun, it's fun. Even series like Soul Calibur - with its robust single-player modes - rarely get old. And that's all assuming you actually want to "beat" a game's main story/campaign before moving on the next one. Lots of people don't even care for that! (To be honest, I don't even remember the last time I felt a game was too short. There were times I felt like the game was incomplete, like with Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, but that's a separate issue, I think)

I thought it was because one of the authors for Sonic's Archie comics decided to sue Sega/Bioware over this game? I think they used a character or a concept that he claims to be his IP? Anyway, I checked Wikipedia, and though the lawsuit happened... ...even the Wikipedia article itself seems to believe the EA acquisition is the likeliest explanation for the lack of sequel. Seems I was mistaken.

Not sure if this belongs in this thread, or if there's something obvious I'm missing, but... with the recently announced Castlevania Advance Collection, I was reminded of something: Harmony of Dissonance and Aria of Sorrow, the two latter GBA Castlevania games, were once re-released as a collection within a single cart. But I never quite understood, how the heck did they ever fit two games - that were already quite large by themselves - into one cartridge? Surely if it were easy, we would've seen a lot more collections like this?

First of all, thank you very much for letting me know about this game. I imagine its release is far away (since all we have is concept art), but it's excellent to know that one of Goemon's creators is working on something whimsical like this. Second, most companies didn't give much to the NES/SNES service. All that Capcom gave was games from Ghosts&Goblins and Breath of Fire (two series they barely care about), whereas Konami only gave Gradius and the Twinbee series (pretty much long-dead franchises). Not a single Castlevania, Contra, or Metal Gear. This makes me think that no big franchise was ever making it to that service. The fact that Goemon was absent supports the idea that Konami still has some respect for it. However, the Mega Drive service does include Castlevania and Contra, which is quite a leap. Also, Banjo Kazooie is certainly a big get. I'm thinking 3rd parties are a smidge more motivated to get some games in the Expansion Pack than they were for NES/SNES (likely a hefty deal), which means that, at least for now, there's hope that Konami might give us something more. Maybe it's just silly optimism, but I do want to believe.

This may be the most excited I've been for a Kirby game in forever. Looking forward to seeing more of it. One moment in particular that caught my eye in the trailer was how Needle Kirby can roll around with enemies stuck to it, like a Katamari. Feels like a fresh take on an old power (and a change that makes far more sense in 3D), which makes me think they're reimagining most of Kirby's classic powers. I also hope there's plenty of collectibles, because figuring out how to use your powers to find optional stuff was the best part of Kirby's Dream Land 2&3.

I mean, it wasn't the genre that gave me pause, it was the demo. There's a lot to improve, from what I saw. Oh, you're not familiar with Keegan Michael Key? His comedic skits with Jordan Peele are fantastic. I swear, we'll see tons of parodies with his Toad as "Peach's Anger Translator" That's understandable, but hypothetically... considering Konami already contributed with Castlevania Bloodlines and Contra Hard Corps, do you think they'd be willing to make more of an Impact and have their N64 titles Dash, Dash, Dash onto the service?

Games of Winter? More like... lying out of their sphincter. Forced rhyming aside, here're my opinions on the Direct, in broadcast order: Mario Party Superstars made me glad I watched the Portuguese stream. There was a nearly-missable bit of info where they said the game would have Brazilian Portuguese as a language option. So bonkers, the subtitles actually translated "Woody Woods", and it's just as silly. Regarding the game itself, I didn't care one bit; Voice of Cards is one I had heard about before, actually. It was reported that Yoko Taro was working on a card-based game of sorts, but it sounded like a Visual Novel when I first read about it. I have now played the demo and... it feels like a very regular RPG with a creative presentation, and not much else. It had some humorous writing, but it'll need to do a lot more to make me excited; Hyrule Warriors DLC wins the award for most uninformative trailer in the Direct. Amazing, how little it says with so much footage; Chocobo GP perked my interest. Mostly because STEINER IS PLAYABLE! Great to see FF9 get some love; Smash Bros Announcement Announcement. Called it! Kinda. October 5th is a holiday in Portugal, so that's neat; Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Called it as well! Been calling it every other month, sure, but still. What matters is that here is something I thought I'd never see: 3D Kirby! This was so delightful, I loved what I saw. It's also one of those really good trailers, you know?; Triangle Strategy should've been named Three Trousers, missed opportunity. Otherwise, I'm just thankful for the QoL improvements, especially the dialogue thing; Metroid Dread made me cover my eyes and plug my ears, I refuse to be spoiled on anything beyond the first trailer; N64 and Mega Drive on NSO was a pretty nifty surprise. I saw the N64 coming, but hearing "SEGA!" was a sudden tickle on my nostalgia bone. Ironically, I'm more interested on several games from the N64 library than the Mega Drive one (because I own most of those games on Steam already), but it's a solid thing to see. I likely won't return to a NSO subscription until Advance Wars comes out, though; Shadowrun Trilogy... I think I own this. Do I own this? *checks backlog* Yeah, on GOG. Nifty. Haven't touched it, though #justgamerthings; Castlevania Advance Collection is super groovy. Not sure what Dracula X is doing there, but I love that they finally started rereleasing the GBA Castlevanias. Is this the first time they rereleased Harmony and Aria since the GBA days? Might be; Actraiser Renaissance wins the award for most unexpected game reveal. The moment I saw that Mode7 spin, I flashed back to DCubed talking about the first level music... and then it played, with "Fillmore" in large letters. What a world; Mario Film Casting wins the award for most surprising reveal(s) in general. It's like Miyamoto was trying to one up himself with every actor revealed. Jack Black gave me a lot of pause, but Seth Rogen made me feel like this was an Onion article. Also, Cranky Kong!? And friggin' Keegan Michael-Key!? What's next, Jordan Peele playing Yoshi? I need to see and hear this for myself, it's so bizarre; Bayonetta 3 trailer got me good. Thought for sure it'd be Astral Chain 2 the moment I heard the soldiers speak Japanese. Excellent trailer, by the way, there's a lot to glean and theorise regarding gameplay, story, art direction... and they even snuck that cheeky "unfashionably late" comment. I really should check this series out properly someday. And that's it. Despite there not being much to personally hype me (that space in my heart is taken by Metroid and Advance Wars already), I feel like most of the stuff they showed is worthy of discussion (especially that Mario casting). I think it's reasonable to call this an excellent Direct. Lots of good stuff to show and reveal, and barely any dull moment.

Huh, does that count as a Luigi meme, now?

"And now, some Smash news!" *cut to Sakurai* Sakurai: "The reveal's coming at the end of November" *move on to the next segment*

This has been a constant in 2nd Season Pass reveals. When Sephiroth was revealed at the Game Awards, they let us know beforehand. The E3 Direct (the one with Kazuya) claimed to have Smash news. The Pythra trailer was made to look like XB2 DLC, seamlessly fitting in a Ninty Direct... if only the Direct announcement hadn't confirmed Smash news. Steve was its own video, and Min-Min was preceded by two warnings that this was an ARMS character, so they're different situations... but the forewarning was there in both cases., anyway. Could they suddenly go back to a surprise reveal, like with Joker? Maybe, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Isn't Splatoon 3 coming in 2023? I don't think they'll be showing anything for next year's Winter.

The Direct lands on my mother's birthday? So much for family-friendly... Very likely yes, videogame companies tend to consider it as such (and Nintendo has certainly done so before). I would imagine that the few non-Winter games they'll show will be quick snippets of games coming out soon, and maaaybe a teaser for a game with a far off release date. And as for my predictions: Advance Wars 1+2: Re-boot Camp will certainly be there. I expect them to give info on how the remake is structured (considering it's adapting two games that are half the same, half different to begin with); Fire Emblem Tellius remaster, because FE fans are looking for a bone here, and I don't expect it to be anything big. Something along the lines of that FE1 release is most likely, so a re-release of Radiance&Radiant it is; A Kirby game will be announced, because I always predict this. And what they likely aren't going to have: Very little Metroid Dread, if any. I figure, they've been releasing frequent videos on that game precisely because they weren't counting on having much room in the September Direct; Not the last SSBU DLC, not yet. For starters, SSBU is not a game coming out in the next Winter Second, when they do announce a Smash character in a Direct, they let us know in advance. And that's pretty much it. Wanna go into this with as few expectations as I can muster.