darksnowman

Who's Wanzer isn't always ready?

Strikers is back with 8 player 4 v4 online, items, tackles and hyper strikes!!

Thought you had two hopes, Bob Hope and no hope? In Fire Emblem Warriors you have three! Revealed in the Direct. Trailer to follow.

One more thing: Paper Mario Musou.

Are those polls just a popularity contest? As someone who has recently come off TMS #FE Encore, I expanded the lists you shared and was like:

What about Micro Machines! And Killer Instinct! And Alien 3! I've been wanting to play Terranigma since I was in P6 or something so it would be a good reason for me to get back on NSO if they add that trio... except I've seen on the Switch news feed that a big eShop sale's starting tomorrow. Why do they do this to us. Maybe they'll put NSO on sale... how pie in the sky is that! Hope you got yourself a good deal! Think I've still got Illusion of Time kicking around somewhere, if I'd known you were on the prowl for it I'd have hoked it out and sent it to you. Hard to believe Urban Champion wasn't the first game on the NSO NES service!!

Nighttime where though? Well, with this being N-Europe...

I would too with FF XIII. Also looking forward to Chocobo GP--as long as they don't botch the racing mechanics I reckon I will pick it up in a sale later in the year. And the award for why-oh-why was this given airtime in the Direct??!! goes to... With there being so many games to play already this is how everyone should be going in. Hope you have a good one! The film... As long as they drop it onto the NSO Expansion Pack in the shadows of the night then it should count.

Loved doing this with Nintendo handhelds. How are these games, then? I was a budding Fire Emblem fan back in the day--they played me like a fiddle with the inclusion of Roy and Marth in Smash Bros. Melee and I went on to play the series on GBA, Gamecube and Wii. I wasn't too bothered when Awakening came out as there were other RPGs to keep me occupied and I figured I'd get the next one (same thing that happened to Three Houses for me actually), and when Fates was revealed as multiple games I was immediately disinterested. It seemed tiresome to have to opt for one, be expected to buy both and then there was a third wasn't there? Pretty presumptuous on their part. I later added Valentia to my 3DS collection which despite boasting some really nice production values, I never got into. Still, I keep it within arm's length as I know one day it will call out to me and we will click. So yeah, nothing to add except c-c-c-c-c-combo breakerrrrr!!

There's plenty I want from S-E (FF XIII trilogy...) but expecting anything more than an update on Chocobo GP tonight is folly. DQB3! Seems more likely than my wildest hopes and dreams which are them going back on their word and doing another major Super Mario Maker 2 update and the fabled Animal Crossing: New Horizons QoL update becoming reality.

Haha, yes @Hero-of-Time they definitely churned out a Persona lite here rather than SMT X FE! I made good use of that levelling area at one point as I dropped Tsubasa from my cast as soon as the fourth character came along, meaning by the time I got around to doing her sidequests she was well behind. I'm sure that area saved me hours of grinding! BTW there are some nice costumes you can get from Persona, SMT and... the almighty ETRIAN ODYSSEYYYYYYY!!!

Last month I broke the seal on TMS #FE Encore and gave it a playthrough. With it originating on the Wii U, I figured it might be a bit of a "babies first" RPG (spoilers: I wasn't far off the mark), so as I'm hoping to get stuck into SMT V sometime fairly soon, I opted to slot this in now rather than circle back to it later when a dumbed-down SMT might be less palatable. I finished it last week and now that the dust has settled a bit, here are some of my lingering thoughts on how it went and what kind of game this is. One of the things that kept occurring to me as I played was "so this is Chrom who gets hate for being in Smash Bros.? He seems all right!" Going in, I thought TMS #FE Encore pulled from the Fire Emblem series in its entirety, but that didn't seem to be the case, so I was thankful I'd played a few maps of Fire Emblem 1 on Switch (if you told me five weeks ago I'd be saying that...!) or else I wouldn't have known any of the FE characters, or Mirages I should say. Even by the end, I wasn't sure what was going on with the Mirages. By around the halfway point when I got the archer (my MVP) I was leaning towards them being robots and when the credits rolled I was still unsure how to interpret them. You know what? It worked for me that you just select where to go on the map instead of having to traverse an overworld. Normally, no overworld is counted as a negative but here I was okay with not having to traipse everywhere then later unlock the ability to fast travel. Some more areas/ streets to visit and explore would have been nice but the compact quality of the game made for a welcome change. I know I said it was a "babies first" sort of game, but that doesn't mean I didn't game over a few times. The battle system is lifted from SMT with the FE weapon triangle thrown in and session combos layered on top. The nature of this means you need to target and exploit enemy weaknesses for maximum damage + to trigger a session combo, and I won't lie, pressing sessions out of enemies was satisfying as it not only increases your damage output through the ensuing combo, but it increases the drops you're getting too. It's a two-way street however because for all the strengths your party members have, they have weaknesses too. One character cannot cover everything. And if you come across an encounter that can press sessions out of one of your weaknesses... you are going to be left scrambling in the space of a turn. It happened to me on a couple of bosses--which I expected and took on the chin--and it happened with a few groups of normal enemies too. I was glad mobs in the Idolosphere (that's what the dungeon areas are called) were keeping me honest and engaged rather than being left to level up and run through on autopilot. By far the worst part of TMS #FE Encore is how pervy it is. The female characters are bouncy, underdressed, and despite there being no romance options in the game, they all make it crystal clear to the main character that they go weak at the knees for him, and if only he'd make a move... It was uncomfortable to sit through. Yep, I'm aware changes were made after the original Japanese Wii U release but I think Nintendo could have done another pass-through for the Switch rerelease. And let's not even get onto Barry. Anyway. Wanna know what set my pulse racing? To the starved Wii U owner, I can see why TMS #FE would have been a must-own in its original incarnation, but on Switch, the landscape is completely different. TMS #FE Encore is polished and it's streamlined--what with there being no overworld, no expiring quests, no different outcomes from dialogue choices and nothing you can lock yourself out of (as far as I know anyway), and that's all good and a breath of fresh air in its own way. Heck, sights and sounds around Tokyo update as you progress to reflect the success of your group in their showbiz endeavours which is a nice touch... yet, I just don't think I could recommend this one wholeheartedly. The battle system is the best thing here and you can get that elsewhere on Switch from SMT III or (presumably) SMT V plus a more fleshed out game in general. Never mind there being a slew of other RPGs to pick from. And if you want Fire Emblem, treat yourself to Fire Emblem: Three Houses because what's here isn't worth the price of entry if you're coming for FE. Points for enabling d-pad movement (even though it was a rare occasion I didn't utilise it) and the pause screen was nice.

Mew or not, getting a measly certificate as a reward for getting all 150 Pokémon was bullshit. Gauging your progress by gym badges and Pokédex completion (seen and owned) was pretty cool though.

Really? For all this time I believed that the Japanese versions gave you Mew for getting all 150, instead of a certificate. You saying that's smelly chat? Sounds like he's saying getting it from an official event is not legitimate. To which I say the Shaymin I got from a Toys R Us event is 100% legit and I won't hear it any other way!

Right on! Tomorrow's Direct could be when they buck the trend.

Bingo. Yes, this seems realistic! I'm looking forward to an update on Splatoon 3.

You're no slouch yourself! Do they do Pokémon info in these presentations? New Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer for me if you please. ------------------ Sports Story? That'd be in a nindie vid wouldn't it? And Another Code will be saved for E3. Hmm. I hope they just say Advance Wars is on track, Zelda is delayed to 2023 then get to the Kirby 30th goodness, finish with a cringe-tastic demo of the 1-2 Switch sequel and we'll call it a night. Any other surprises that are peppered throughout will be welcome, such as DLC for Mario Kart 8 coming as part of the NSO Expansion Pack.

I beg to differ. Nintendo should incorporate this on the eShop. Xbox doesn't have to get everything. This thread isn't about how worth it 100% completion rewards are though.

I don't see any harm in knowing how much further you have to go in a game, be that from a review stating it's a 15-hour experience (or however many hours) and being able to estimate from that, or an in-game progression indicator. Here's some reactions: Super Mario World doesn't top out at 100? Have you checked? We're certain on this? Why wouldn't they want a nice round 100 on complete save files? DKC: An exclamation mark after the level name means you've got all the bonus rooms in that level? That's handy! Hold on, I've done that and now my file says 101%? How is that even possible? This isn't how my teacher said percentages work. DKC 2: Same again with the exclamation marks and now DK coins? Got it. But now I've finished with 102%...!! DKC 3: I know how this works. 103% here we come. Then the January/ February magazines said HARDR will get you 104% and TUFST 105!!! Well, that's Breath of the Wild done. I must've put 70-odd hours into that. What a monster of a Zelda game. Wait, what? I didn't even finish it 30%??!! Fook that.

What came first: the pocket monster or the pocket?

I don't think so, but it is interesting to consider. There are probably games I don't envisage ever firing up again (FIFA 2004 and Conker's Pocket Tales on Gameboy Color for example), but no hard cut-offs of the generational variety spring to mind. If I see Pong or Pac-man I won't say no to a game. D-pad all the way for me when it's available. A recent exception that proves the rule has been Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore in which you can control the main character with the d-pad but it does not feel good at all. Still, I applaud them for including the option. But then I've also been playing The Last Campfire which allows for d-pad control and it works a treat. Is Thundercats on the ZX Spectrum as good as I remember?

So-called industry insiders whipping us up into a frenzy with their hearsay and rumours does my napper in. I used to give them the benefit of the doubt thinking they probably know stuff but the company in question just ended up deciding not to follow through with the rumoured reveal at that time... but when the announcements never come? Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. I have a vague, shattered memory of the Wii outing utilising the speaker on the remote as a telephone...?

Ah yes, Walk With Me is the PAL name. My internet search for "DS pedometer game" gave me Personal Trainer. It was a good job it came with a pair of pedometers as one of mine went through the wash.

Favourite Games Released in 2021: Persona 5 Strikers Saga Frontier Remastered Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster NEO: The World Ends With You Favourite Games Played in 2021: The above plus you will be able to see what I enjoyed from the list below. 2021 Releases You Wish You Had Played? Still yet to unseal SMT V. 2021 Releases You Wish You Hadn't Played? Super Mario 3D World (Switch), Mario Golf: Super Rush and Game Builder Garage download version as they later announced the packaged version which I would have gladly waited for. I've been reflecting back on 2021--mainly those disappointments--and have been wondering if in future years I might be better getting a non-Nintendo console. I wasn't expecting either of those Mario games to be less than stellar, never mind both (thankfully, the bonus game Bowser's Fury was really good stuff with bags of potential). The Switch is a beast for third-party support which has been immense for me... but if I'm enjoying rough and ready ports more than Nintendo's output...? Well, it has had me wondering. Then last week I activated a free week of NSO and the SNES app reminded me of that Nintendo magic. Phew. So in future, I can buy a year of NSO again instead of a different console. Here's a list of what I played in 2021. Games I went back to are included, demo's are not. I compiled this list by ordering the games on Switch by last played and estimated where December 2020 became January 2021. Is there an easier way? Zelda comments were posted in the BotW thread (I went back and finished it 20-something%) and the Zelda 35 thread. DARKSNOWMAN'S 2021 IN GAMING: DEFINITIVE EDITION Agent A: puzzle in disguise -- Fun! Looking forward to the follow-up. Among Us -- Surprised there are no N-E nights on this as it has that mafia game feel. Dead Cells (NSO Game Trial) -- Seemed good. Scarlett Mysteries: Cursed Child -- Decent! Endless Fables: Dark Moor -- Decent! Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition -- Really solid. Still need to go back and see it out. Crypt of the Necrodancer -- Always fun to go back to for a quick run. Dragon Quest Builders 2 -- Went back to this for a weekend. Super Mario Bros. 35 -- Really fun. Wonder if there will be a Kirby 30? Enigmatis 2: The Mists of Ravenwood -- Decent! Ys Origin -- Still need to go back to this. Persona 5 Strikers -- Thoroughly enjoyed!! Collection of SaGa -- A really good package. Saga Frontier Remastered -- Unconventional. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past (NSO) The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons (3DS) The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (3DS) The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (Switch) The Legend of Zelda (NSO) Sega Ages Outrun -- Five mins of bliss every time. Ni No Kuni Wrath of the White Witch -- Bit of a slog by the end but really good overall. Game Builder Garage -- Really cool but I hate that they later announced the packaged edition. Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line -- Classic that I was playing off and on. Part-Time UFO -- Simple gameplay with catchy music. Metro Last Light Redux -- Pretty good. I remember looking around for ammo but the game wanted me to keep moving forward. The visuals were very (too?) dark. Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster -- Tremendous. Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition HD -- Totally okay for what it is. Sky: Children of Light -- Nice and relaxed but I don't expect to ever play it again. Mario Golf: Super Rush -- They forgot how to do rock-solid golf mechanics. Pokémon Unite -- Felt slow and heavy. Not my cup of tea. Tetris 99 -- When there was an event I was playing. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition -- I still revisit this. Animal Crossing: New Horizons -- Took up the lions share of my playtime. I've taken a break from island life since after summer when I failed to find the final insect I need and my NSO ran out. I'm okay being out of it but might go back in the summer months again... Super Mario Maker 2 -- One of my favourites on Switch. I would play it all the time if I could. NEO: The World Ends With You -- Fantastic. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury -- Years of Wii U hype for this? Bowser's Fury was top stuff and I'm looking forward to seeing what they do with the concept. Horizon Chase Turbo -- Always fun to go back to. The bonks are brutal. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe -- I became a sales statistic. Great game as expected. Castlevania Anniversary Collection -- I still fire it up for ten or fifteen mins on Super Castlevania IV. Paper Mario: The Origami King -- Thought I knew what to expect but it is still lacking. Good, but not very good. Dicey Dungeons -- Really fun little game. Fortnite -- Sometimes I give in to friend requests to squad up.

I watched the trailer for that and it just looks like naff. And the winner of the snog, marry, avoid award goes to...