Grazza

Great potential, but needs much higher resolution (perhaps 8k) and possibly some sort of optical way of making it more realistic.

Physically, I've only got Zelda, Mario Odyssey and Sine Mora EX.

Yeah, I think it's a cardboard sleeve that contains two normal Switch games and envelops the base of both cases.

OK, it was recommended to me before, but I'll have to get it this time. I'd love it if Switch got the "complete" editions of lots of last-gen RPGs, actually. My preference would be for the BioWare ones, although that's a big ask.

I thought that too. It feels like there should be a rematch with the dragon that placed the curse, but alas, no.

So you can play Wonder Boy IV (hint, hint, Lizardcube!)

That would be a short game. Sounds more like a pay-to-win!

WHAT?!! I honestly didn't think we'd get Double Dragon. I believe Arc System Works snapped them up more recently than Hamster brought them to other consoles. But I must say, I'm ecstatic to be proved wrong!

@Glen-i - We can get a 2nd copy each!

Yeah, just click the right analogue stick any time you like. I think it's much better in 3rd-person, but it's nice to switch to 1st-person to check out murals and things like that.

Unbelievable! I don't know how they managed it.

Well, it might happen as much, it's just that men don't consider it harassment. Compare a man putting his hand on a woman's knee to a woman putting her hand on a man's knee. The latter happens all the time, it's just that men would never consider it harassment. Same with sexual language. Which does make me wonder - if women won't tolerate the exact same thing, is that equality? The trouble with the Westminster dossier in particular is that we have no idea what the allegations even are, just that they are "harassment" of some kind. A political landscape has been created where a mere allegation has become a devastating weapon, as we saw with the case of the late Carl Sargeant. That is true, but I know from my male friends that women have touched their buttocks. They thought it was somewhat presumptuous, but (as I gather) didn't consider it a genuine sexual assault. You're right that women wouldn't tell me all their experiences, but neither would men tell everyone their experiences. Going back to my paragraph above, it does suggest men have more tolerance for an unwanted advance. Here's another good article that (I fear) people will like even less: http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2017/11/peter-hitchens-what-will-women-gain-from-all-this-squawking-about-sex-pests-a-niqab.html I do think Peter Hitchens makes a good point about how it was chivalry and manners that allowed male-female interaction in the West. A gentleman, for instance, would never assault a lady, but the option for interaction was there if the signals were present.

Cheers. Not played it, but hope to fit it in (hopefully they'll have a half price sale as I've bought loads!)

No, no, I didn't say I don't accept what they say happened (although the jury's always out until proven guilty). Let me be clear, I accept women feel they've been harassed more than men, but I don't accept they've actually been touched or spoken to sexually more than men. I don't know an employer who doesn't have an HR or Personnel department that wouldn't take this seriously if it was M/F. And my personal experience is that I do know far more women who grab men's bums than the other way round (I don't know any men who do it). Thanks for that. Even though you're generally agreeing with those on the opposing side to me, it's interesting to have the info. On the point of wolf whistling, that's an interesting point. The problem with setting the narrative that only women are the victims, is that the solutions only protect women. I've seen proposed laws that would specifically outlaw men shouting abuse at women, but not men/women shouting at men. Any laws should be gender neutral. As for the last point, I'm surprised you've never been harassed (or even grabbed without asking by someone you liked), but your experience is your own. Women have to take guesses, and most of the time they're right.

You're right. The truth is I don't think men consider it a sexual assault (which, admittedly, means it isn't). I flat out don't accept that men touch women or say sexual things to women more than women do to men. It's just that men find most women attractive to a certain extent, and so enjoy the attention. In this regard, it's probably an insurmountable biological difference between the sexes. Now if I thought a woman (who I didn't find attractive) was using me as an object to get a thrill out of, without considering whether I fancied her, then I would consider that sexual harassment (and yes, I'd be reluctant to report it). It happens, but admittedly not much.

I feared this would get heated, but let me just say, no one is defending sexual assault or rape. Those are matters for the police. It's more a general feeling I get about men becoming the sex that is not allowed to be sexual. There is no real evidence that men even harass more than women; just that women are reporting it. What man can say women have never grabbed his buttocks or said sexual things to him? You get people on TV saying this is a problem with men or male sexuality, but it's not - it's a problem with those who abuse power. In real life you have to guess who likes you and who doesn't. Most of us get it right, but I have to say, I never touch women unsolicited. There are three women who are very tactile with me and sometimes press their bodies right into me, but they're intelligent enough to know darn well I like it. I wouldn't dare do it the other way round. Every year the local leisure centre puts on a show featuring topless men - the poster is there right now with eight of them in a row. A female version would be called "female objectification" for "the male gaze", but the male version is not described as "male objectification" for "the female gaze". I have no problems whatsoever with the show; just the double standards. Same with "male privilege" and "female privilege", "misogyny" and "misandry", "menopause" and "andropause". The narrative is set that only women are the victims. Here's another article by a female journalist admitting she touched men and used sex appeal to get scoops: https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/11/sorry-for-touching-your-knee-michael-fallon-i-exploited-you-to-get-ahead/

An explanation I've heard for that is people are so used to dating apps, it's almost as though interaction now has to be through that. It would be a shame if relations between the sexes become so formalised. Not that it's necessarily the full explanation, but it's an interesting point.

For about half a decade now, I've been concerned about what I see as the rise of puritanism, prudishness and a widening chasm between the sexes. I've tried to bring it up a few times and it's usually resulted in quite a big argument. That's not what I'm after here, but I've just seen an article, by Lara Prendergast, that is so incredibly good, I had to share. Not everyone will agree (personally, I agree with every word), but it really is a superb article that articulates what I've been thinking much better than I could: https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/11/the-sexual-reformation-has-opened-up-a-schism-between-women-and-men/

I was thinking about this today (before I saw your post) and thought what an unusual machine Switch is. Spiritually, it's a home console (even just by the style of Mario and Zelda). Technically it's a hybrid. And a lot of people (most?) prefer it as a handheld! Actually, that might be the reason I've enjoyed 3DS more (although I think they're both fantastic) - it's that I prefer the sort of thing developers design when they know they're designing for a handheld. There's just a psychological difference. But still, the fact Switch can function as a pure handheld (if you want) has made me enjoy it so much more than the Wii and Wii U.

You know what, @Hero-of-Time has got a good point about the 3DS line-up. Switch has been essential, but I've enjoyed the 3DS games more. Switch had several must-plays, like Zelda and Mario. They were both amazing experiences, but Breath of the Wild isn't going to go down as anywhere near my favourite in the series. Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap was superb, but you know what I've enjoyed most on Switch? Quite possibly the Metal Slug series via the ACA Neo Geo range! Brilliant gameplay and actually fun. On 3DS, however, Metroid was intense and exciting, and really hit the mark for a 2D Metroid in the way that BotW didn't hit the mark for a 3D Zelda. Dragon Quest VIII is indeed one of the best RPGs ever made (the best, in my opinion), although I must admit I didn't want to play the 3DS port. I reviewed a title for N-Europe I'd never have been interested in otherwise called Alchemic Dungeons. It's massively flawed, but you know what? It's the game I turn to every time I'm listening to the radio - it's gripping because it constantly asks you to make decisions. And finally, I'm enjoying Etrian Odyssey V more than anything on Switch so far. Switch has been great, but don't underestimate the 3DS!

Nice. Actually looks like a Master System box!

I've got to 11F and, honestly, this is even better than I expected. It's as playable as IV, but streamlined as in "get up the Yggdrasil tree" like the earlier games (there's no overworld, which I think is a good thing in this case). As for classes, they've tinkered a bit and I'm impressed. The sub-class system from III and IV has been replaced with something that is actually more interesting. I don't want to say too much. but it adds a lot of strategy.

Earth Atlantis was a challenging game to review, as there was a pre-patch and a post-patch version. In the end, I hope I gave it a fair go in both iterations. n-europe Review Earth Atlantis As ever, thanks greatly to @S.C.G.

I played it loads yesterday and reached 7F. The game is utterly brilliant, with very smooth progress so far. Cooking feels a bit unnecessary (my food inventory becomes full before I ever use anything), but perhaps it feels more relevant later. I keep thinking I might change my Masurao for a Rover, but the team's working well so far. At the moment I slightly prefer it to IV, but the quality's up there either way.

It's funny how a consensus on games tends to form, when things are pointed out that are hard to disagree with even if you loved it. I certainly agree that swimming is not much fun, and there probably are too many Power Moons. The near-mandatory use of motion controls for some moons is also highly questionable. One thing I definitely don't agree with though is the idea that the game is too easy - to me, it's medium most of the time and challenging a lot of the time. I'm not sure I've seen enough to knock off a whole point from perfection though. 3D Mario is one of the few series that makes me yearn for the old 1-100 scale from magazines - I'd give it 95%!