S.C.G

Thanks for the games. A few X2 matches this week, and one X4 featuring three Larry's and one Iggy, on a stage with very little room to escape from the screen-filling final smash. I got to play as all three versions of Samus, so I had a good run with the random characters. The X3 Steve match with Incineroar was fun, that went as well as you might think... Oh and Glen got the Star Fox taunt dialogue conversation as Wolf on a Star Fox stage, and no one hit him during the animation, so that was cool. Here's a link to this week's stream... - - - - - N-Europe Saturday Smash! (08/07/2023) - - - - -

Nintendo eShop new releases (week 27) The twenty-seventh week of releases. A selection of new titles are now available on the Nintendo Switch eShop. Check the article for the full roundup. - - - - - Thanks to @Josh64 for the recently posted articles, which include... Play Two Point Campus For Free With Nintendo Switch Game Trials Zelda Claims UK Number 1 Once More Pikmin Theme Sprouting in TETRIS 99 Tears of the Kingdom Updated to Version 1.2.0 The right amount of news for this week, considering that new Mario Kart 8 DX tracks are arriving next week, and there will surely be more news soon.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Wave 5 Release Date Now up on the main page. List of all new tracks and characters, plus video embed. - - - - - At least we got another GameCube track, plus the Wii tracks are reasonably good choices, the GBA track is decent, Tour tracks look reasonably good, and the new track looks fun, plus three new characters, so it's a pretty solid update overall, and I look forward to playing the new tracks next week.

Thanks for the games. The change of items was interesting, but it soon spirals into "how many red shells can I make hit if I space them out enough" unless that's just me? Plenty of well-placed bananas on the tracks too, and the Kalimari Desert race was interesting, as the items seemed to make us late for the train. Also, what was up with those boomerangs? "No! you're only getting one throw, and not three!" Erm... OK?!? New tracks next week, should be fun. Here's a link to this week's stream... - - - - - N-Europe Get Together! (06/07/2023)

No worries, you're welcome. I'm new to Smash Remix, though I heard about earlier characters being added in past updates, Marina was in the last update before this one, so is still relatively new, though when I heard that Goemon and more Star Fox characters had been added, I had to give it a try. Anyway, I played some more last night so here is some Marina gameplay... Smash Remix v1.4.0 on the Nintendo 64 Marina (02/07/2023) - - - - - Also, that video capture stopping from streaming thing happened again, it's some kind of resolution change which happens between the end scene and loading the credits, hence I've streamed characters seperately, which actually does make sense for anyone who just wanted to check out a particular character, but it is an oddity and I may check out other streaming software to see if it happens there as well, but as far as the game is concerned, it runs flawlessly on real hardware. Here are the other characters I've tried out so far... Smash Remix v1.4.0 on the Nintendo 64 Sonic (02/07/2023) - - - - - Smash Remix v1.4.0 on the Nintendo 64 Conker (02/07/2023) - - - - - Smash Remix v1.4.0 on the Nintendo 64 Peppy (02/07/2023) - - - - - Also, I want to give a shoutout to CMM1215 who joined from the Conker stream onwards, as they're the lead tester on the game (according to the official Discord) and they seemed to be really genuinely enthused to see the game being played and streamed, which was cool, and so I passed on my compliments to everyone involved in the project, mentioned the issues I was having with the stream (which is separate from the game, as the game runs well) and it was just really cool to chat about the game, plus all things Peppy from StarFox who I chose to play as. I'm glad I did as well, as the implementation of that character in particular is incredible. Check out the gameplay videos to see for yourself, and definitely try the game out if you can, as it's a lot more refined than vanilla Super Smash Bros, even though it's an unfair comparison... also, I'm hoping we do get Super Smash Bros. on the NSO N64 application this time, as it has been a while... the last time we saw it was on the original Wii Virtual Console, it would be worth adding for the online play alone.

Thanks for the games. A few X2 matches this week, and one X4 match which was fun. Oh and the best music track choice for the lobby, check it out, it's really chirpy. Here's a link to this week's stream... - - - - - N-Europe Saturday Smash! (01/07/2023) - - - - -

@RedShell You may wish to check out Smash Remix Version 1.4.0 as the main additional character reveal should prove to be popular... Also, seeing as I hadn't played Smash Remix yet, I decided to start with this latest update, seeing as it was released this evening. I played through a quick single player game mode as the latest character addition, which was pretty fun overall, the capture stopped streaming for some reason towards the end, but most of the run is there, so check it out if you're interested, as it's certainly very well made... Smash Remix v1.4.0 on the Nintendo 64 (30/06/2023) - - - - - @Ashley may find one of the recent character additions (added in the previous update) to be enjoyable, I can't remember if I mentioned this character when they were announced last time, but I still think it's a really great addition, and I may choose to play as them next time I play and/or stream the game. (spoiler - it's not Rick, but it's from an underrated 2D N64 platformer by a developer famed for many classic 2D and 3D shoot 'em ups and action games of the mid-Nineties to early 00's and beyond)

Nintendo eShop new releases (week 26) The twenty-sixth week of releases. A selection of new titles are now available on the Nintendo Switch eShop. Check the article for the full roundup. - - - - - Thanks to @Josh64 for the recently posted articles, which include... Sonic Origins Plus Launch Trailer Sonic Frontiers: Sonic's Birthday Bash Update Trailer Pikmin 4 Demo Available June 29th Additional Downloads Required For Upcoming Batman and Metal Gear Titles STORY OF SEASONS: A Wonderful Life - Launch Trailer Everybody 1-2-Switch! – Games Trailer Placid Plastic Duck Simulator Announced for Switch Nintendo Plan ‘Smooth Transition’ to Next Generation Plenty of great news articles this week.

Thanks for the games. Nice to see @Ugh first aid racing once again, and doing well too. That worked out well for this week's races which almost weren't, just as well that my brother and his wife were already planning to join this week, as this meant we had enough players overall, so we were able to get three Grand Prix races in at least. Next week's theme night should be interesting. Here's a link to this week's stream... - - - - - N-Europe Get Together! (29/06/2023)

Yep, I agree with this. Especially after playing through some of the Game Gear games over the past few nights. It's probably just because the Game Gear had more Sonic games in general, but yes, in the instances where Master System versions are available, those would have been preferable. Out of the Game Gear games, the "mainline" Sonic games are worth playing, Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic Chaos, and Sonic Triple Trouble, while all the rest are either inferior ports, experimental or just plain obscure, but there is something to be said for Tails' Adventure, as it's a genuinely interesting spin-off. Check out my last Sonic Mania Plus stream, and the ones before it, if you want to see some of the games in action... Sonic Origins Plus on the Nintendo Switch (29/06/2023) - - - - - The Mega Drive and Mega CD games are still where it's at though, and the Game Gear games, cool as some of them are, just make me appreciate the 16-Bit titles more.

We weren't, but it was a very last minute decision, as I didn't read the forum for most of the day, rushed to get on for Mario Kart at 8pm, started streaming at just before 8pm, and then realised that no one was on, though I told my brother and his wife that we'd be playing, so I made a room, and people started joining, so it all (kind of) worked out. Don't feel wierd about joining late, I've sometimes joined late AND started the stream late, although not for a while. Anyway, it'll be good to have a decent turnout next week, so see you then. (this weeks stream highlights coming up in a bit...)

Six of us now, feel free to join.

How long before the room auto closes? I'd best start soon.

I've made a room, join if you like, already got three players.

Nicely done @Josh64, I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying your sober life. I'm grateful to witness this, and even though I'm not celebrating with you in person, as I live quite far away, I still raise a glass (of water) to you and your three month sobriety. Here's to many more months and beyond. I was looking back to the start of this year, as that's when we started to talk more about the news on N-Europe, games stuff and just talking generally when we can. It has been fantastic keeping in touch with you Josh, and I can see the difference in the articles you've been posting as well. It has been ten months since you splashed back onto the N-Europe front page with your Wave Race NSO article, and since then you've posted plenty of excellent articles which myself and everyone who visits N-Europe is grateful for. I'm not just glad that you're sober simply for the benefit of this site though - but if anyone hasn't checked out the front page in a while, definitely consider doing so, as the front page has lots of great articles on it now - I'm glad to see you enjoying life more, as it really shows and I'm grateful for you. As I've said before "You are enough" and I'd pass that advice on to anyone who is going through anything in life for whatever reason, if you're finding life difficult, and feel like you need to start somewhere, just start with saying "I am enough" to yourself, and go from there, as if you want to change anything around you, it all starts within you ultimately. - - - - - Anyway, if that proves useful to anyone, great, if not, no worries. But it is good to start seeing some good stuff being posted, as we've all got at least something to be grateful for every day. I'll continue the good stuff by saying that life is completely different for me, than it was around four or five years ago. I used to be in a part-time job which I thought of as "reasonable" at the time, but I didn't realise just how much it was taking a toll on my life, both physically and mentally, until one day I just left, and I've never looked back. I'm fortunate to be in the position to do that, and although there have been months when things have been variable on the financial front, something will inevitably turn up as I trust in what I'm doing more, as I know I can continue letting go of a lot more stuff that I don't need, while just keeping what I use regularly. I've been helping out others, as there are plenty of people wanting to buy games etc that I used to play but don't any more, and it's nice to see a lot of these items going to new homes to be enjoyed again. It takes energy, as does everything, but it's worth it. Just day to day life has been more enjoyable as well, I still post news on the site when I can, and I still play games, sometimes not as much one week, and then the next, every evening for a few hours, streaming the games (gameplay only) has given me a greater appreciation for them, and others who enjoy the same games as well, plus whenever we have N-E game nights on Smash or Mario Kart, there's a record of it, so anyone can choose to witness it whenever they want; it's not something I'm doing for monetary value either, as that doesn't seem to be worthwhile to me, but just the joy of it. I'm going to leave it there, as that'll do for this post. I just wanted to add something to this thread, and celebrate with others who have something to be grateful for, as I believe there's a lot of power in that. Thanks for the witness of this post, and for giving me the chance to witness your posts as well.

New Sega Mega Drive titles added to Nintendo Switch Online June 2023 Now up on the main page. - - - - -

Plus, Nintendo have stated recently... (around 2022 I believe) that they insist the Switch is only about halfway through its life-cycle, though if that were true, it would mean that we probably wouldn't see a Switch 2 until Q1 2028... which is why I went with Q1 2026, as that would be exactly nine years since the Switch was released, as that seems more plausible to me than eleven years... but who knows at this point?

Switch 2 Release date 06/03/2026 Price - £333.00 Specifications Up to 4K docked Up to 1080p portable Three times as powerful as exisiting Switch hardware 256gb built-in storage Support for up to 1tb + Micro SD cards Higher Capacity game cards (downloads still required for some titles, despite this) Joy-Con + (The plus is the additon of a d-pad, and decent sticks) Fully backwards compatible with all games and most accesories Nintendo Switch Online Megaton Pass (Play a limited selection of new and old Switch games for £77 per year) Built-in voice chat... (OK, I had to throw something unrealistic in there)

Thanks for the games. Plenty of X2 matches this week, even a tag-team double match of sorts, and one X4 match which went as well as could be expected. Everything was reasonably smooth until the end, where the lag spiked to comedic levels. Also... who knew that the text number countdown at the end doesn't have to be tied to the audio... that's interesting. (Check the last few matches to see what I'm on about, someone else might be able to explain it better, but it's a new one anyway) Here's a link to this week's stream... - - - - - N-Europe Saturday Smash! (24/06/2023) - - - - -

I noticed the distinction between games when the characters were announced. So going by that logic, there's a character from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart Tour. If characters are being chosen from different games then characters from Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii are very likely. Perhaps we'll only more traditional console Mario Kart character, and the other one will be a Tour character. In which case, those are solid pics, though I still reckon Poochy could be likely.

It seems that when you put the game card in, even if you already own Sonic Origins digitally, it reads as the same game, so save data remains, and once you download the dlc, the title screen updates (but not the Switch icon) and you're informed of the extra content which is now available. I'll take the games for a spin later on.

Yep, I didn't either. I just pre-ordered it as in any case I wanted a physical version of Sonic Origins anyway. I only found out when the game arrived and I looked at the box, so thought it best to put the word out there, though after searching I found that there are news articles about it from a couple of weeks ago, but with the speed of how games are announced and released these days, I didn't even really think that much about it. The original Sonic Origins only came out a year ago, though I only purchased it at the end of last year when it was on sale, but I've played it a few times since then. It'll be interesting to see what happens when I download the dlc, as I already have the game digitally... so if I put the game card in, make sure it's updated etc, and then download the dlc, maybe it'll install to both copies? It's an odd situation. I did notice my original copy of Sonic Origins updated last night, presumably to prepare for the release of the Plus dlc. I'll post in here again when I actually download the DLC. I suppose it works out this way, as if a copy of Sonic Origins Plus was sold second-hand, then at least there is still an option of getting the extra content through the upgrade, though that should mean that second-hand copy should only be worth £20 or less on its own, as the dlc is £10.99 I believe? On the other hand, it's not that great for game preservation, as in the instance of the eShop not being accessible... you just have the Sonic Origins base game. Oh well, Happy Birthday Sonic!

I got my physical copy of Sonic Origins Plus today. For anyone unaware, the physical copy on the game card seems to be Sonic Origins (though it has the Plus label on it) until you use the download code that comes with it. Once you use the download code, then it's Sonic Origins Plus, effectively. I though this was worth mentioning in case anyone was wondering what the difference is between the physical version and just upgrading an existing digital copy. The dlc code unlocks Amy Rose and the Game Gear titles. Edit - Ah I just checked, apparently this was known about a few weeks ago, I just pre-ordered it and assumed it would all be on the game card... oh well.

True... but you're two years younger than me... I'm old, but it's all relative. I don't play games as much as I used to, but when I do, if I've been using a controller for for a while, I do notice when my finger joints have had enough, but then... it's still good to keep them well exercised, as otherwise they could seize up, so it's probably better to just keep playing, while being more aware of the wear. Speaking of which, I seem to remember that Super Mario RPG was the first game in the 'series' to start the whole timed button presses during combat and exploration, which I'd imagine will still be present, though I wonder if the amount of required button pressing will be toned down at all? Perhaps there will be more of it instead, especially with the overhauled battle system, and the assumed addition of 'limit break' attacks or even 'final smash' type attacks, depending on how it's implemented. It looks really decent anyway, and I can see it being hard to go back to the original game after this remake, unless too much is altered, though it seems as if the essence of the game remains intact, plus the art style really does suit this game, whereas in the Link's Awakening remake, the visuals seemed overengineered, as something more like a 2D HD style might have been more in keeping with the original game; basically, this still looks like Super Mario RPG, just in a higher resolution, which is all it needed to be.

Thanks for the games. Nice to see @Ugh first aid joining us this week. Some good track choices, and fun races all round. (plus a good few 'everybody saw that!" moments) Here's a link to this week's stream... - - - - - N-Europe Get Together! (22/06/2023)