Grazza

I wouldn't say there is any one particular game that cheers me up. Before 2013 my life was brilliant, then, during Animal Crossing: New Leaf it went terribly wrong, and unfortunately hasn't been the same since. Despite the fact I loved that game, I'm actually a little bit superstitious about playing another Animal Crossing now. That is ridiculous, I know. But generally, video games are great for taking your mind off things, especially if you have to focus on strategy. @Glen-i mentioned Pokémon Mystery Dungeon... well, my rogue-like of choice is actually one I reviewed for this site - Alchemic Dungeons. Despite not really knowing what to think of it at first, something about it hooked me and it became my go-to game if I was anxious or couldn't sleep etc. Recently I bought the Switch version, Alchemic Dungeons DX, and it's comfortably better than the 3DS one. It seems to be much more generous with materials, and there are more useful items to craft. That said, it still takes calmness and composure to complete a dungeon. Similar to what @Hero-of-Time was saying, if you make a mistake, it's (largely) your fault and you just have to work out a better strategy. Video games are a double-edged sword. They're great escapism, but can also be too addictive. If they keep you up too late and limit your sleep, that causes problems of its own. Partly for this reason I have never, ever become tired of classic beat-'em-ups, especially Streets of Rage 2 or Final Fight. You know they're going to provide an hour of great entertainment and not going to do any harm - apart from to the enemies you're bashing!

It actually annoys me a little bit when I see games being constantly updated on the Switch. I mean, do they really need it? It's one thing fixing bugs and spelling errors (although as has been said, that means the cartridge version is never complete). In theory developers could tinker with the balance of a game when you liked it as it was - I often see updates happening and hope it's not changing something I like. But hey, what can you do? Unfortunately, that's modern gaming.

I wonder if Sega senses more appetite for physical toys with the games built into them? The Mega Drive Mini seems like it's going to be popular, and it's M2 making the games for it anyway, so hopefully their work will at least keep going in these. We could see a System 16 or System 32 joystick like Capcom's Home Arcade. Or how about a steering wheel with the Model 1, 2 or 3 racing games? Either way, I hope Sega Ages becomes more popular when rarer/more desired games are released. We've all been able to buy Sonic the Hedgehog and OutRun recently... personally, I see the likes of Virtua Racing as much more exciting, so I hope that does well.

I must admit I have changed as a gamer, so I can't blame it on E3, but personally the only thing that would really interest me is a quantum leap in VR. Maybe if one of the consoles was paired-up with an 8K, high-field-of-view headset... but that probably won't happen until PS5 or the next Xbox is shown (and it'll probably be 4K). Still, I'm looking forward to Animal Crossing.

Well, it gets a bit complicated... I think it's Wonder Boy IV and the 3rd Monster World game. It's Wonder Boy in Monster World on the Mega Drive anyway - a great game (I haven't played V). In other news, I downloaded and completed Alchemic Dungeons DX. I reviewed it on 3DS years ago and found it addictive but frustrating. Nevertheless, I've come to love the game over the past couple of years, learning all its little quirks. I'm happy to say the Switch version has been nicely rebalanced - it seems more generous with materials, and there's a post-game bonus mode where you can basically craft whatever you like as long as you're skilled enough to keep going. Also, Aggelos has received an update, but I don't know what it fixes - probably the game starting in Japanese and ending in Spanish!

This is really making me want Wonder Boy IV and V remakes. Hopefully LizardCube will do them after Streets of Rage 4.

Ah, that video really took me back. Revenge of Shinobi is one of the classic Mega Drive games - I have to be honest though, I never liked it as much as you were "meant" to. I did get the good ending though. Although I remember "Batman" and "Spider-Man", I don't recall them looking so much like the real thing, and I have no recollection of Godzilla at all. In fact, I'm pretty sure there was a trademark acknowledgement in the PAL version that Marvel owned Spider-Man and DC owned Batman.

Aggelos is completed! It gave me a workout, but I also got a genuine sense of achievement from beating the final boss. Overall, it's a very impressive piece of software and very easy to recommend if you're up for the challenge.

I'd certainly only recommend Aggelos to very skilled gamers. Although the difficulty curve is not exactly uneven, it ends up so much harder than how it started (and is definitely more Zelda II than Wonder Boy in this regard). I still can't believe I managed this (optional) bit!

Whilst the 16- and 32-bit consoles had seen me through my teenage years, I had reached a point where I decided to give up gaming. As great as the Dreamcast was, I just couldn't get into any games on it. The last game I fully appreciated was Majora's Mask on the N64, which I did enjoy, but had begun to find that sort of challenge gruelling. After completing it, I sold all my consoles and forgot about the hobby. As I wasn't buying any gaming magazines or reading websites on the subject, I had very little idea of Nintendo's future plans. The only way I was keeping in touch at all was via Channel 4's Digitiser service on Teletext. Soon, I began to be aware of the GameCube. I heard that there was a follow-on to Mario 64, which had a very different theme, and a Zelda that was causing some controversy over its visual style. In the back of my mind, I knew I was going to have to play these sooner or later. As I was more into comics at the time, I received a leaflet from my local comics shop, which had branched out into games as well. I was impressed by the variety of 3rd-party titles Nintendo had managed to get on board - not to the extent of Xbox or PS2, of course, but they had certainly managed to get a taste of that market. It's worth pointing out that this was an absolutely superb time for games shopping, before the internet had established its dominance. We had a great many games shops in our town, and I found myself in one of these when something caught my eye - Wind Waker. Being only vaguely aware of the game, I was gobsmacked by how beautiful it was in motion. Quickly, I researched which games I was going to buy. I knew I was going to have to get Mario Sunshine and Zelda, and Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door also stood out to me with its origami-style bosses. I selected a black GameCube with Donkey Konga plus bongos, which is a bit odd, as I preferred the purple one and don't have any rhythm! Getting it home, I felt I had entered the next generation. The controller was instantly familiar, but advanced, with a subtle rumble built in that I had never bothered with on the N64. Mario Sunshine acted as the escape its creators intended (remember, these were much more turbulent times than the 1990s). It transported me to a tropical paradise, where I could almost feel the warmth of the sun. The game's differentiating mechanic, FLUDD, taught me the brilliance of analogue triggers, and why I couldn't defeat the stingray boss just by holding them down fully. But Wind Waker provided the true genius. Giving the player their own boat, it expertly encapsulated the feel of exploration and adventure. I remember first reaching Windfall Island and being reunited with Tingle - this and many other aspects of the game re-connected me with an era that, although experienced not long before, I had largely forgotten. As for the photographer who shows you the gallery of mysterious things he has caught on camera, and that you might find yourself out on the ocean... there's just something magical about that. To this day, I have hardly had such an emotional connection with a game. Of course, there were many more brilliant titles. Metroid Prime introduced me to a character I was unfamiliar with, was unlike anything I’d played before and took me years to master. F-Zero GX was similarly challenging, but very satisfying to get better at. Animal Crossing was really quite profound, and set the template for something that would deservedly increase in popularity, and Four Swords Adventure was like a tour-de-force of 2D Zelda. I mentioned multi-platform titles, and amongst my favourites of these were Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, Spider-Man 2 and the rather exotic Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. It was just enough to show Nintendo’s console could keep up with the competition, largely thanks to using disc-based media and general parity with the PS2 and Xbox. Everything about the GameCube made sense. Nintendo had learnt from its genuine mistakes, but kept hold of what made it unique. The games built upon its tried-and-tested gameplay templates from the N64 days, but were also incredibly bold, thematically speaking, and infused with real heart and soul. That’s why, for me, the GameCube remains the greatest console ever released.

I've completed two of the four "proper" dungeons in Aggelos (I assume there's a fifth, "final dungeon" of sorts). A word of warning - it gets a bit tricky in terms of puzzles. The dungeon design is more Zelda than Wonder Boy, and not all that elegant or user-friendly. I dropped into the 2nd boss's lair without using a save point... thankfully I just about beat it, but it could have been frustrating.

I've been confused since the first page!

Yes, Title Screen, Options, everything. You can turn it into English, but I had to feel around in the dark. Anyway, I've given it a go now. I was a bit suspicious because there were no reviews, thinking there might have been an embargo due to low quality, but I can confirm that is not the case at all. Aggelos is absolutely glorious! You can tell the creator truly loves the Wonder Boy series, as it feels as authentic as can be. If I didn't know better, I could well believe this was a rediscovered Mega Drive game. Unlike some other retro-style projects, there is no knowing humour or self parody, just an earnest game exactly how they used to be. It's really charming and refreshing. Graphics are sharp and clear, controls are tight and the music is simple-but-fitting. It's a bit jarring how the tunes stop abruptly when you're looking at your inventory, but not a big problem. The whole thing just plays so well, with secrets hidden in all the right places and new abilities allowing you to backtrack at locations you'd made a mental note of. Like games of the time, there is no map (not a side-on, Metroid-style map anyway), but the game is simple enough for you to remember where to go. So far the difficulty is easy/medium, but that could change. I can't comment on the game's length or the quality of the overall design, as I haven't completed it, but I can promise it plays brilliantly. Easy to recommend if you're a Wonder Boy/Monster World fan.

Wow, so smooth and colourful! I've resisted the Sega Ages range so far, but think I'll get this one.

I'll post some impressions over the next few days. Wasn't very impressed that it was in Japanese by default, but hopefully that doesn't reflect the amount of care put into the actual game.

Ah, I didn't realise, sorry.

First, make sure you have the latest system update, then go to All Games (the grid on the right) and press R.

I re-bought this on Switch about a month ago and am really pleased I did. Whilst I was fairly negative about the stand-alone game on Wii U (and stand by most of my criticisms), I more appreciated what they were trying to do this time round. As for the DLC, it is all based on finding new ways to replay the main game, mostly with the same stages and bosses. These new modes are all more challenging than Shantae's main quest, as you only have a few hearts. Requirement conditions for the "win screens" are also much harsher. Pirate Queen's Quest brings back a lot of the core gameplay from Shantae and Pirate's Curse, such as gliding with your hat and bouncing with the cannon. WayForward has also taken the opportunity to reintroduce some previously missing enemies such as the Scorpion Woman, the Lobster Monster and the Imp Women (not sure what their proper names are!) It's pretty good fun, and Risky is a genuinely good character, so I look forward to returning to this one. Officer Mode is probably the best of all. It's based on Mighty Switch Force, and gets remarkably close to that experience. Arguably, the switching blocks are a bit too much to concentrate on in addition to the standard hazards, but it's certainly thrilling at times. Level 3-2's monster chase is memorable! Friends to the End has you switching between the three supporting characters, which is, again, a bit much to concentrate on, but I hope to finish it. Beach Mode is tough because it has a strict time limit where you have to keep collecting sun tan lotion. And I'm not quite sure what Ninja Mode is based on, but it's another mode for those who want it. Between them, the main game, Pirate Queen's Quest and Officer Mode are a sort of "Best of WayForward", showcasing the best gameplay they have come up with over various titles. All in all, Shantae's extra content hasn't changed my general opinion of DLC, but I definitely had fun with it. I recommend it if you like a challenge and don't mind the fact it's mostly the same content played in different ways.

I can just see you recreating Schwarzenegger films with that!

There are a few I've deleted that would otherwise be in there. I absolutely love Beat-'Em-Up Bundle and my ambition is to get it to the top!

I really want a Japanese one. Hope it has Bare Knuckle 3, as I believe that's significantly better than Streets of Rage 3?

I actually love the Capcom Home Arcade. OK, maybe it would be better if it just looked like two arcade sticks rather than a "Capcom" logo, and maybe there could be more games, but I think they've got the best ones - certainly the unlicensed ones. It's pretty amazing they've included Alien vs. Predator, but unfortunately no Marvel licenses. If the visual display, lack of input lag etc are all good then I'll probably get one. Next up we need a System 16/System 32 Sega Home Arcade with Golden Axe and Spider-Man.

I remember people talking about ray-tracing years ago, and some hoping it would be in the Xbox 360/PS3 gen, with others pointing out it was way too early. And now it's finally here. Not that I know what it is.

They've used the Time Stone to go back to 1989!