S.C.G

Ever since obtaining the Hylian Shield it has made me want to do that huge sidequest so that I can repurchase stuff like that when it inevitably breaks, I haven't even done the first part yet though as I keep getting distracted by other stuff in the vast overworld.

Oh it's the same for me, I tend to only watch programmes which are on in the living room when I get home from work in the evening and there just happens to be something on I want to watch, aside from that it's just the odd thing on iPlayer and that's it. As for the adverts though, they were fantastic, giving you just the right amount of information, concept and game footage, I usually hate all adverts, these ones were tolerable; even my Mum's response to Arms was "Oh you can throw punches with the controllers like on the boxing mini-game on Wii Fit?" and I just replied with "Yeah, it's like that in a way, but more accurate, in-depth and a lot of fun probably." so even the rest of the family are starting to take notice so I have a feeling I'm going to be bringing the console downstairs to play on the TV in the living room at some point soon. :p Yes, I have as I'm straight on those EZA podcasts the moment they are available, often on Wednesday night from around 11PM thanks to being a Patreon which is ideal for me. Regarding the stock issues discussed, I completely agree, if only Nintendo are able to meet the stock demand in general then that will really help them and should be their primary focus alonside getting the games out; otherwise it's just wasted potential. This, so much, one thousand times yes! Make it a brand new, built from the ground-up, exclusive title made to last for the duration of the life of the console, just refine the formula a little bit more, then shake things up but don't break what makes MH special. Also, if Nintendo don't do anything solidly locked to the console for voice chat then, I fully expect Capcom to do what they did for the Wii U version and just have their own dedicated chat channel when you're in a party in-game, this really should be included... otherwise it's back to communicating with gestures and shortcuts which is OK but less than ideal. It could still be the case though and when it is, the only logicial response will be... "Well that happened!" :p But we can still dream.

Definitely in the 5+ TV's category in this house, though that still doesn't mean that I don't use the Switch in hand-held mode... ...if anything I use it more, when I'm watching TV. Speaking of which, during the advert breaks of an hour long programme - well... 38 mins programme, 22 mins adverts - I saw no less than three Nintendo Switch adverts, one was for 1-2 Switch, then Arms and Splatoon 2 and soon after stating "but why aren't they advertising Mario Kart 8 DX when it's out this week?" bam! there it was in the very next advert break. It feels like a new era for Nintendo so let's hope that they manage to keep the momentum going by giving their fans what they want over time. : peace: There's so much potential with this machine that it's unreal, though I get the feeling that it won't be until next year that it's fully realised, at least it will hopefully have a really solid library of titles by then.

Woah! That's a really nice review there @Grazza, nicely done indeed. I've been meaning to play this glorious new take on an old classic but I just haven't got around to it yet. Reading all the above makes me want to dive right into it though, sooner rather than later.

I don't know... EA have done some pretty shady things to date. :p But I do understand the point you're trying to make, Nintendo releases Mario Kart 8 DX which will probably be their most popular online game, people end up loving it because it's fun and free... ...then bam! A few months later Nintendo announces that you'll now need to pay £30 a year to play this title and many other games - hopefully - online for the forseeable future regardless of what extra deal-sweetners are part of that. Of course I'd prefer it if all online services for consoles were free - even though I know that isn't the main issue here - but sadly a precedent has been set. It would have been better if Nintendo could have let us know up-front on day one what it was all going to eventually cost but I get the feeling that they don't even know yet. I'm certainly not going to defend it but if we do end up with an excellent online service which will hopefully end up costing significantly less than that of the comeptition while being almost on-par then surely it's worth it on some level? (I get the feeling a thread-rip from this point may well be required)

All the time, it's either a setting or it's related to how often people just leave their Switch consoles on but go away for more than a few minutes which I believe puts it into sleep mode, so the internet conntection is then not in use which means people show up as offline... I think. :p That's the only explanation I can come up with, some have chosen to show as offline and not show what titles they are playing - you can still change that setting just as you could with Wii U & 3DS - sometimes I've showed up as offline when coming back to the console, then online again when I've checked later. I don't think it's a big thing, hopefully something while will be patched to more accurately reflect online status plus obviously I hope we get a proper Activity Log - which doesn't require a parental control app which you need a different device for - and the ability to organise icons - not necessarilly folders - along with being able to backup data, transfer to another Switch, all that kind of stuff. I'm sure it will all happen in time, until then I'm just going to be very careful with my Switch console.

In other recent videos it was stated that the online wasn't available, so who knows at this point? Either way, the online won't be 100% defined until later this year when the service rolls out properly so I'm not expecting anything other than what Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U offered online with the lobby system except maybe a bit quicker. It's a really odd situation though, that's for certain.

n-europe Presents VC Weekly #400 Demon's Crest About half a page of thanks in this milestone edition... ...there's an updated review in there somewhere though! I really don't know where that past decade went. (Let me know if you find it.) Anyway, thanks to anyone who's ever read VC Weekly. Check inside for the verdict. Enjoy! : peace:

A console I've never owned, always liked the design, have been curious about but never enough to purchase. Having said that, I do own a Phillips CDi though and I know which one I'd prefer to own. :p (Hint it's not the CDi) I might even sell it now that I don't own the rarest game for it any more... yep, Zelda's Adventure... too expensive for a game which isn't very good to keep in my collection, sold it nearly two years ago, ploughed the money back into my collection and never looked back. Seriously though, that 3DO looks really cool. What other games are you planning on getting for it? Wing Commander III is a solid first choice though, did you get it because of Mark Hamil's role in it out of interest?

Well the Switch is all about playing in a way which you find comfortable, the buttons are useable but personally I just can't accept them as a D-Pad replacement. If you find that the buttons work well enough for you then obviously that's fantastic and I'll be genuinely happy for you plus anyone else who finds them comfortable to use. The analogue stick is another point of contention for me when it comes to classic games, for some cases it will work but it very much depends on a game by game basis I've found. I'm merely asking for an enhanced set of Joy-Cons including a D-Pad, slightly improved ergonomics and possibly altered shoulder buttons to be released depending on which Virtual Console formats end up being supported while still having the other existing controllers usable so as not to split the user-base but just to offer options. : peace: Should this SNES mini come to light, it would be interesting to see if Nintendo ends up releasing some kind of USB adapter so that you could connect the controller from it or any other pad with a similar connection to the dock so that you could have extra options for when playing in docked mode, probably not needed really but the future is certainly interesting for Nintendo in addition to gaming in general.

They are usable, I'm assuming we're talking about the Directional Buttons on the Left Joy-Con? But personally I have to say that they really aren't very good for titles which require use of a proper D-Pad as I discovered rather quickly when playing the ACA NeoGeo version of Metal Slug which meant I played it on the big screen with the Pro Controller most of the time. Here's an exact quote from the review... It's already impacting games which are released now, so when Nintendo have that Direct to tell us all about their online plans and Virtual Console, they really need to make a set of Joy-Cons geared towards classic games for portable play. Otherwise, what's the point in making controllers in such a modular way if they can't be swapped for different augmented types later on down the line? That's just my view from the perspective of playing classic games on the go with no proper D-Pad option, everything else about the console I pretty much love.

Well, assuming this is true - I'm not entirely convinced - I wonder what ramifications this will have for Nintendo's plans for the Virtual Console on the Switch? If the games list is anything like I think it will be - if it even happens - then surely we'll get the following... Axelay Breath of Fire Breath of Fire II Chrono Trigger Final Fantasy IV Final Fantasy V Final Fantasy VI F-Zero Donkey Kong Country Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! EarthBound Kirby's Avalanche Kirby's Dreamland 3 Kirby's Super Star Mega Man X Mega Man X2 Mega Man X3 Pilotwings Super Bomberman Super Bomberman 2 Super Bomberman 3 Super Castlevania IV Super Mario All Stars + Super Mario World Super Mario Kart Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Super Metroid Super Punch Out!! Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past OK, maybe some wishful thinking for a few of those titles, maybe chop and change a few but I think that's roughly what we'll get. : peace: Feel free to call me out on that list though as it's a bit biased toward some of my favourites. Also, it's horrible to have to choose only Thirty games from the SNES era as I could easily choose between Fifty and a Hundred, still feeling that the quality of the titles would still be decent. At least there should be less extra controller problems being that it will use the same pads which were available via Club Nintendo which connect via the same connector and have a pretty reasonable lead length if I recall correctly.

Nice! Does anyone want to play this online later then?

Thank You, I appreciate the feedback. Also I've enjoyed reading your impressions on some of the ACA NeoGeo titles as well. Hopefully this will be a regular thing for covering NeoGeo games now that the format has been established. I think it's because they aren't Virtual Console games but I feel like they deserve the same coverage, if not a bit more seeing as they are eShop titles now under their own ACA NeoGeo label and because they are a significant upgrade from the Wii releases plus the fact that it has been ten years since then, it feels right to give them each a full review. : peace: Depending on how the release schedule pans out, VC Weekly and the ACA NeoGeo reviews should compliment each other over time, ultimately it should mean more reviews for the site which can only be a good thing. But yes, currently I think the ACA NeoGeo series is an asset to the Switch library going forward and I can't wait to see which titles get released over time.

n-europe Review ACA NeoGeo Metal Slug : peace:

I had that problem! I think it's an odd security thing possibly as it happened when I was buying a bunch of games. Anyway after searching for similar issues online the upshot is this... Make a note of the exact time you last attempted to purchases something and it failed. Wait exactly 24 hours and try to purchase again, it should be fine. It has to be at least 24 hours after the failed purchase for some reason, so if you're at all in doubt, then wait a bit longer, try again in a day and a bit perhaps. But if the sale ends tonight or something then... Another way you might be able to clear it is by buying a PSN card and redeeming it as that's different from using your credit card, I think ShopTo still do instant gift cards, though sometimes they take a little while to come through. In any case, that's all the info I have on the issue, it happened to me once and then hasn't happened again since, best of luck.

As it happens, I just completed the game this evening, I just checked on the map to see that my completion percentage is 15.38% after over 80 hours of play. The best part? I was only going into Hyrule Castle to get the Hylian Shield but because of the route I took, I managed to get all the way to the top without having to fight any of the minibosses and I thought, well I'll just go and have a quick look... ...an hour and a half later and I saw the credits roll. It's funny because I didn't even have all the power from all four of the divine beasts - I'm familiar with them though as I've watched a lot of videos during the review period - and that's supposed to make the battle easier by depleting half of the bosses health-bar but well... it seems I like a challenge. At one point during the penultimate encounter I was throwing everything I had at the boss by using stasis + on it during that half second window and then throwing energy at it from the Master Sword when possible after I completely ran out of bows; just as well you get given one for the final encounter otherwise, that could have been awkward. :wink: I enjoyed the battle, perhaps I only found it a little deflating due to it being more of what we've seen before in Twilight Princess or Ocarina of Time but on a much grander scale at certain points but otherwise it was pretty decent. Now I've just got to go back and beat all of the four divine beasts, locate all the memories, delve into the remaining shrines, complete all the sidequests and find every last sodding Korok... one day perhaps. This is definitely a game which I'm going to keep coming back to throughout the life of the Switch, otherwise there's no way that I could even hope for full 100% completion. I am oddly more motivated now than I was before though which is nice, straight after finishing the credits I did go and get the shield after all that, then I went and defeated one of those tougher Lynels like is was nothing. This game just keeps on giving and I truly love it even more for all the subtle brilliance on offer, you really do get out what you put in to this tremendous outing in the Zelda series which continues to evolve into something wonderful some thirty years on from the original.

Quite a nice in-depth review here... Obviously there are spoilers in it as it shows a lot of the game but if you're not too bothered then it's worth a watch if you have the time.

Easy Allies * * * * * Review Must... find...time...for... ALL of the games! : peace:

While it's true that you can't finish whole worlds in one go, I certainly gave it a damn good try! After expanding the first world, I think I managed to get around 20 Pagies from it, including the two for both races without either of those two upgrades you mentioned, sure it took a few attempts but I feel good about clearing it without knowing about the other upgrades... had I known about then before, I'd still probably have done it in the same way; that's what is so great about Yooka-Laylee though, having a certain amount of freedom in how you want to collect a set number of items revolving around specific challenges. I too have some time off but after Easter so that will probably be the time when I'll plough through this excellent title. Regarding your earlier points about other people finding the game "too hard" or getting lost all the time, I think possibly they might not have played a Nineties era 3D Platformer before. That's the great thing, Yooka-Laylee was designed to be this exact kind of game which harks back to an era where you were just given a basic set of skills which you'd use until you'd got that you could out of them before acquiring more to progress but still going back to those skills when required. Learning the layout of each world is a joy, of course you might fall off the edge every now and then but at least there are no lives to keep track of, you just reload from whichever place you last came out of or the start of that world, the fact that there's no auto-refilling health here is a godsend and I'm so glad that it's one aspect of modern gaming that it even pokes fun at with its light-hearted, tongue in cheek humour. :p A joy to behold and a title which I can't wait to play more of. : peace:

I'm really sorry to hear that @Josh64 poor Banjo... at least you gave him the best life a Pug could possibly have though, still doesn't make it any easier I'm sure. Again if you need to talk then just give me a shout, wishing you all the best.

Right, last minute speculation time! Arms Tonnes of new stages Character breakdown Amiibo Punch Out!! stage & characters I reckon we're going to see some kind of Punch Out!! additions as the chance to do so seems so perfect, perhaps stuff will be unlocked with the Little Mac amiibo or perhaps we'll see some brand new ones. So we'll likely get Ribbon Girl and Spring Man as amiibo figures with Arms Little Mac possibly in a robot suit or something, that's my wild prediction anyway oh and Arms characters in Super Smash Bros. Switch of course. Splatoon 2 More stages New characters perks Amiibo Nintendo character themed outfits Online modes There doesn't feel like there's much to say about Splatoon 2 but I think we'll be surprised by just how much there is to it, a new Single Player campaign possibly building on the first one or even including it as a bonus but with more to do plus plenty about the lore within the series. All previous Splatoon amiibo will work with the game, Callie & Marie will get new figures based on their probably fresh new looks though you can use either to get the rewards which will be more arcade games and outfits plus the original arcade games maybe included in the base game because why waste the chance to include them for anyone who didn't have the original game? Oh and all amiibo figures will unlock either an outfit or a decal for your weapon or even themed weapons themselves. And the wildest prediction of all? Voice Chat of course, on the console, with your choice of headset, no mobile device required. Also Online detailed System Update Themes Mario Kart bundle Pikmin? The online will surely be at least touched upon, pricing etc... get some solid release dates out for all aforementioned games if possible, detail pre-order bonuses like the Arms Stress Ball which I know we are getting because... Nintendo updated the pre-orders and e-mailed everyone a few hours ago. :p Have several themes available soon, with one free while the rest will be paid for, talk about that Mario Kart Bundle because... it prints money, let everyone know about the amiibo support, briefly mention Pikmin on the 3DS maybe, cough a little bit as a tumble weed blows by with a Wii U logo attached to it. Oh and one more thing... Switch Virtual Console NES SNES N64 GC Wii GB/GBC/GBA All available, right now! Yeah right, drip fed... a few a week, if you have them on your NNID already then you've got them or a small fee, bring back some lost classics which we haven't seen in ages, talk about bringing back Sega platforms in the future. Then... boom! VC actually launches now with a few favourite titles but not the ones which they'll be keeping as the monthly paid subscription based ones but the upshot is that we'll get at least one GameCube title available right now which doesn't use the Digitial Click feature but fear not because there will be new GC joycons coming soon. Thanks for Watching!

ShopTo have it for around that price already with that aforementioned free digitial copy of Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy... I just re-ordered it on the site as I had it pre-ordered ages ago when I thought it was going to be £40... cancelled that one now though just in case, to be fair around £25 is much more realistic. Plus it includes access to the Uncharted 4 multiplayer, maybe I'll finally get around to playing it for a bit, that would be nice as I haven't played an online multiplayer game properly for ages now.

This is why I ended up ordering one of everything, it's not as if the game on its own will go down in value and it would be nice to have a sealed one for the collection.