Grazza

Just a warning about Earth Atlantis. I thought it was pretty decent at first, but it gets more unplayable the further you get into it (and it doesn't take too long either). It will be interesting to see what reviews say, because I think it's only for the very most skilled players.

Yes, I'm very looking forward to this one, although I would prefer it to be sub-£15 and digital-only.

I went for Earth Atlantis and Stardew Valley, but couldn't afford Axiom Verge. Earth Atlantis certainly seems pretty good. I can't say exactly how good, as I haven't played enough of it, but it seems solid enough for those who like the look of it. Stardew Valley... we'll see.

Today we get Axiom Verge, Stardew Valley, Earth Atantis and Volgarr the Viking (I'm interested in that one). This is actually crazy!

That's Axiom Verge, Earth Atlantis and Stardew Valley coming soon. I'm probably going to wait until later for Sine Mora and Tiny Barbarian, as they are considerably more expensive than the others.

@Dcubed is absolutely right about 60Hz. I got my Saturn altered just for the 60Hz switch. Mind you, I'm a purist who'll play Streets of Rage 2 as Bare Knuckle II just for the cigar!

I hope I've just had too many late nights recently, because I've been a bit hard-of-thinking! Anyway, yeah, it's there in mine. £13.49, which I don't think is bad. I'm guessing I just wouldn't be able to download it until it's available, but still, it's tempting.

Sorry, I don't quite follow, but I'm interested in the game so might be able to provide an answer. Most likely if you pay for it now you'll be able to download it on release date (or have I completely understood the question?)

Best thing I bought on Wii Virtual Console was Golden Axe. The only chance I've had to own the shorter, more exciting arcade game - bring it to Switch, Sega!

A hearty welcome back, @RedShell. I take a look at what you're playing on the Switch every now and then, but am glad you came back.

I don't have an awful lot to say about Super Metroid, so I'll just stick to the main feeling I got about it. Like @londragon, my first memory of it was seeing the huge box the SNES cartridge was packaged in. However, I never played it in the '90s and instead opted for Yoshi's Island (the other game with a huge box + guide). I didn't actually play it until Wii Virtual Console. It's a good game, but like @Hero-of-Time I didn't quite get what all the fuss was about. I'd played and loved Fusion and Zero Mission, and by comparison Super was missing a few things I'd become used to. I remember thinking it was quite easy in terms of combat (which I did like), but obscure in terms of exploration. One thing I really do still like is the graphics - gorgeous, colourful sprites that I still prefer to 2.5D any day. As I say, it's a good game, but I think its reputation as an amazing one is due to the huge leap it was over the NES and Game Boy Metroids at the time.

I think the reason a lot of people (including myself) think Spider Guardian is harder is because you need to be able to use your Morph Ball abilities in combat mode, whereas you normally use them at a leisurely pace. Boost Guardian, on the other hand, mainly requires you to use the 1st-person combat skills you've been honing since the first game.

Specifically, do you mean on GameCube or Wii? Apparently they made it slightly easier on Wii, but on GameCube, Spider Guardian was much harder. It's arguably the hardest thing that's ever been in a Metroid game.

Haha, semi-nostalgia's a great term. It's what I get from the Neo Geo games, which feel like the 1990s even though I never played them at the time.

I really hope get some pinball games on Switch, although I'm not familiar with anything newer than Zen Pinball 2, so don't know what the best ones are now. We're getting Senran Kagura: Peach Ball, so that's a start!

As much as I like Metroid, that's a very good point.

The funny thing about the three original games on DS is that they are rock hard, but you can get through them using certain moves and team combinations. I don't like the Untold remakes as much because they lessen the effectiveness of certain moves, and although easier to play (in terms of getting to the end credits), are more frustrating in the post-game. Etrian Odyssey IV, however, was just great all round, so I'm hoping this is similar.

ii Ah, that's good, although I think I'll still wait for physical. What did you think of the demo? What did your team end up looking like?

I’ve been playing the demo for Etrian Odyssey V (which is brilliant, like all EO demos) and wanted to gather some thoughts on it. I’ve maxed-out my team to level-10, obtained all the drops and defeated all the FOEs, so am getting a good feel for it now. Etrian Odyssey V really mixes things up by giving you 10 classes from the beginning, and also introducing the idea of races. The class skills seem to have been streamlined – I get the feeling there will be less wastage of skill points, and at a casual glance, the classes seem to be far, far more balanced. Races are tied to what you can do in the field (ie. mining) and which Union skills you can use (similar to the group skills in III and IV), so it's good to have all of them in your team (the game steers you towards 2x Earthlain, 1x Celestrian, 1x Therian and 1x Brouni). The Earthlain (human) have high HP and Vitality, but low Intelligence, TP and Wisdom. Good for fighting; useless at magic. They have a race-based Union debuff for binds and ailments: Fencer – Similar to the Royal from EOIII. Can “chase” a Warlock’s elemental spells, but doesn’t seem very powerful overall. No replacement for a Landsknecht. Verdict: Doesn’t seem very useful at the moment Dragoon – This game’s version of the Protector. The Dragoon doesn’t have as many dedicated protective abilities as his/her predecessors, such as Fire/Ice/Volt Wall, or any offensive shield skill such as Smite. Whilst they are undoubtedly useful, they may not be as essential this time. Verdict: May be useful later on Pugilist – Visually similar to the Gladiator from EOIII. Oddly, the Pugilist is the only class that can inflict all three types of bind. It’s unusual to have that in a “strong” character. The Pugilist is the closest thing to a Landsknecht, and so I wouldn’t be without one. Verdict: Essential Harbinger – The Dark Hunter of the bunch. Uses something called Miasma Armor, is pretty tough and can inflict a number of status effects. I was surprised at how much I liked this class. Verdict: Very good The Celestrian race has high TP and Intelligence, but low Vitality. In other words, they are the mages and summoners. Celestrians have an inherent Union skill that binds enemies: Warlock – This game’s Alchemist or Zodiac. Has all the elemental attacks you’d expect and need for certain conditional drops. I can’t imagine going through and Etrian Odyssey game without one. Verdict: Essential Necromancer – Summons wraiths for various buffs, debuffs and status ailments. Really not my cup of tea, and no competition for the Warlock, but I suppose EO experts may find a great way to combine them with another class. Verdict: Put them on the bench for now Therians are rabbit-like humanoids. They excel in Agility and Strength, but have quite low Vitality. One of their Union skills can stun, which considering how fast they are, may well be useful. Both Therian classes are good, and which one you pick really depends on which line you have a space on: Rover – This game’s bow-wielding Survivalist. Summons either a hawk or hound for arm/leg binding or a defence debuff. A nice class, but has competition from the Masurao. Verdict: Might use later. Masurao – The Samurais of Etrian Odyssey V. With solid attacks and a defence debuff, this one has a place on my front line. Verdict: Good Finally, the gentle Brouni are the medics and healers: Shaman – Specialises in buffing. Does everything you’d expect a Bard to. Verdict: Maybe more of a sub-class (if they’re in this game) Botanist – This game’s Medic. Although the description says he/she uses potions, they’re really just healing spells. Verdict: Essential To make matters more complicated, you can mix races and classes. For instance, if you like the Pugilist’s skills, you could have a Therian one who would theoretically be stronger (but with lower defence) than an Earthlain Pugilist. For what it’s worth, this is the team that really worked for me during the demo: Pugilist / Harbinger / Masurao Warlock / Botanist I really enjoyed the Etrian Odyssey V demo and can’t wait to get stuck into the full game.

Now that's what I call good 2D graphics.

Switch eShop is so packed I honestly can't remember everything I want, but I'm very interested in Sine Mora EX, Axiom Verge and Tiny Barbarian DX. In terms of retail I'm getting Super Mario Odyssey and maybe Skyrim. On 3DS eShop I want to pick up the discounted River City: Tokyo Rumble and River City: Knights Of Justice. For retail, I'm not quite done with Metroid: Samus Returns yet, but the main game for me is Etrian Odyssey V. The demo was brilliant, so I can't wait to get my teeth into that one.

The main thing they should do is make everything run cleaner. I know it'd take work, but I mean literally everything 60Hz, 1080p and 60fps. That'd be a great selling point, I think.

No, you need something from after a later boss than that.

As I say, I finished Samus Returns the other day and wanted to type out some more detailed thoughts when I had time. I've long thought that Metroid, especially 2D Metroid, was the ultimate form of game. Neither as simple as Tetris or Street Fighter II, for example, nor as elaborate as Zelda or an RPG. It has action, exploration and a real sense of progression as you upgrade your weapons and abilities. The formula is so good, it's baffling how it doesn't sell better. Mercury Steam Entertainment has managed to replicate the gameplay of Nintendo's own 2D Metroid titles almost perfectly, which I think is a stunning achievement for a non 1st-party studio. It's a clear contender for my personal Game Of The Year. But first, I must set out some things that I'd class as personal nitpicks. There's no getting around it, I prefer proper 2D graphics - ideally pixel art, but hand-drawn 2D would do. Samus has so much appeal in Super Metroid, but here she's represented by a few polygons. On the plus side, the polygons do allow a cinematic feel that wasn't in the older titles. The camera zooms in and out during boss battles in a way that simply didn't happen in the pixel art games, giving a varied sense of scale depending on what's happening. Another nitpick is that the Circle Pad does take some getting used to, especially when you are forced to change into a Morph Ball under pressure. The flipside of this is that the free aim the Circle Pad allows certainly is satisfying. Whether it's better than the combination of d-pad plus diagonal aiming we won't really know until there's another game without it and we miss it and want it back. The third nitpick is that there is no Speed Boost or Shine Spark. I particularly miss the former, as it added to the feel of being powerful when fully upgraded, as you could just run anywhere and through certain walls. But for me these weren't really things that took away from the excitement of the game, such as the amazingly atmospheric sound or fearsome bosses. If you've played Metroid II you'll be familiar with the monsters that Metroid larvae turn into. Here, they are more impressive than ever. I played much of the game thinking it could be a 10/10, but in the end there were two things that I felt knocked a point off. For one thing, the counter system is a mixed blessing. Although satisfying at times, it does turn much of the gameplay into something of a Quick Time Event. You've always needed good reflexes in Metroid, but arguably QTE-like moments interrupt the smoothness of the gameplay. The second complaint is that it's just a bit too tough. Whilst it was fun to learn the techniques needed to defeat the bosses, for me they hit just a bit too hard. It doesn't feel "medium" to me, and slowed the pace down enough to lessen my enjoyment. But as I say, Samus Returns is an absolute cracker, and deserves its place alongside Super, Fusion and Zero Mission. The best way to describe this game is "2D Metroid with the sensibilities of Metroid Prime". Mercury Steam Entertainment has replicated the gameplay of 2D Metroid brilliantly, but it feels like Metroid Prime is the game they really love. 9/10

Thankfully there are some we can test it with. From your last post: I'm genuinely interested in whether that offer will still apply on the 28th.