S.C.G

Pokémon Presents 27.02.2022 Roundup Now up on the main page. Full press release and video embed.

Pokémon Presents 27.02.2022 to be shown on Sunday 27th February Now up on the main page. The full roundup article should be up shortly after the presentation has aired. What will we see in the presentation? Well... probably some Pokémon. Otherwise, that truly would be subversion of our expectations.

Nintendo eShop new releases (week 06) The sixth week of releases, (from over a week ago) sees 1 retail title, 46 new digital games, 9 DLC's and 3 demo's added to the eShop. I've highlighted some of the games which stand out for various reasons. Highlight / Deal of the Week / Award for... / & Worth checking out (This (last) weeks article is a week on from the last one, the next one (this weeks, just about) will be posted... soon... potentially.) Check the article for the full roundup.

It's a nice bundle. Good that the disc is included, it all looks like everything is in used but generally good condition. The composite to HDMI converter is a nice extra, those can be a bit hit or miss, but generally, it will improve the video quality of a composite cable via upscaling. GBA link cable is always useful, especially as you can then opt to use your GBA as a controller.

For a Nintendo GameCube, GBA Player (with disc?) and all the leads, that would be a bargain. Just checking what they have sold for recently, it would still be a good deal at £150, as the player plus the disc have gone for that. See how it plays out anyway, if you're going to be placing last minute bids on it nearer the time, anything up to just over £100 would probably fall into the decent price range. It's all relative, as for the amount of use you can get out of a GBA Player, it's definitely worth it I'd say, but only you know how much would be a good price, for you. I found the original receipt for my GBA player the other day, I believe it was £44.99 from Dixons. Also, as an aside, if you end up going down the route of using the Game Boy Interface instead of the GBA Player software, it should give a really good picture, but the games look great using either piece of software, plus the GBA Player disc has some interesting borders to try out. GBA games look great on the big screen.

Hmm, OK. Maybe that's something which could be added in to a future update, though if that's how it's set up, then there are probably limits due to how the original layout of the controller is, and how the official USB to GC controller adapter works. It's a shame that the Raphnet N64/GC to USB adapter version 3.0 doesn't work with the Switch, as that could potentially allow you to use real N64 controllers on it. It's a great adapter if you want to use N64/GC controllers on a PC though.

Isn't there a way to remap controller inputs now? Since a few updates ago, I believe. I've never used it personally though, so perhaps there are limitations to it. The update at the time seemed to suggest that the remapping is done at OS level, though again, perhaps Nintendo Switch Online NES/SNES/N64 apps work differently?

Nintendo eShop new releases (week 05) The fifth week of releases, (from over a week ago) sees 1 retail title, 43 new digital games, 6 DLC's and 2 demo's added to the eShop. I've highlighted some of the games which stand out for various reasons. Highlight / Deal of the Week / Award for... / & Worth checking out (This (last) weeks article is later again, the next one (this weeks, just about) will be posted... soon) Check the article for the full roundup.

Might as well just put my quote from the other thread in here... It's a really good move, when Mario Kart 8 Deluxe came out on the Switch, I wasn't surprised, it was the right time to do it, because even if you just take it on face value, it's an improved version of Mario Kart 8, with a more stable framerate, slight increase in resolution(?) and the hardware it runs on is a fraction of the size of the Wii U Gamepad, let alone the size of the console and the controller. There are plenty of people who never owned a Wii U, who bought a Switch, so this is a new Mario Kart game to them. And even those who supported the Wii U and bought the game when it originally released, Mario Kart 8 DX is still worth picking up if you play it often enough. Adding DLC to a title which has "Deluxe" in the title, might seem contradictory, but for its time of release, being that the game will have been out for around five years even on the Switch, it's definitely worth it to get a bit more life out of the game. Especially as personally, it felt like I was playing the game on auto-pilot whenever I'd play it online, so some new tracks to learn are very welcome. Plus I now have a reason to renew my Nintendo Switch Online subscription, when I let lapse late last year... by the time these tracks start to be released, it will have been around six months since I last had NSO active on my account. It might only be £17.99 a year for the basic subscription, but a £9 saving is still worth it, and if you take that "saving" off the ShopTo price of the DLC pass, then all of these new tracks, have only cost £7 which seems to be pretty good value.

Well... you see... It's just that... ...I don't drink anymore. (genuinely... the last time I had a drink was almost a year ago, and even that was because I felt obligated to drink)

Nice find. At that price, I ordered two, as I know my brother will want the new tracks as well. It'll be time to renew my Nintendo Switch Online subscription in March then. (I'm just going for the basic tier, as the N64/MD games and temporary access to the Mario Kart 8 tracks/AC dlc isn't worth it to me) Also, it looks like its been almost three years since I last ordered anything on ShopTo.

(Quoting in General Retro Discussion as I didn't want to derail the Kirby thread) Your N64 collection could well be worth that. If you're curious about its value, you might want to check as you may be surprised at what some of the games are worth. Of course, if you're attached to the original boxes, manuals, carts etc, then its worth is irrelevant, as they will be worth more to you in your collection. - - - - - I used to have quite a few N64 games, but I decided to reduce the collection by about half, just keeping the main games I grew up with, or which have either memories attached to them, or save files which I want to keep, but even then, I'm considering keeping even less. One case in point, is the original Super Smash Bros. as I don't have as much attachment to it, but then again... I may just keep it, just to highlight the difference between the base game, and Smash Remix which I'm definitely considering checking out, as I do like seeing what can be done with enhanced versions of original N64 games. I really like the GameCube as well, but there are titles on that machine which I know that I'll realistically never play again, so I have started parting with some of the games already, particularly ones which come with large peripherals, because as cool as they are, it really is just the novelty value. While the Switch isn't retro, I paired down the amount of physical games I had ages ago, and I'm still looking at a shelf of sixty games, which seems like far too many... and I must have had twice or three times that amount a couple of years ago... The SNES collection is quite concise, though that has been reduced because I didn't really want to keep the rare/obscure/import titles, because I just don't play them these days, and if I did, there are other official options available now, including VC (downloaded before the eShop cut off date) on the Wii etc... plus the Wii in itself is another console which I'll likely only be playing titles which support the GameCube contoller, as I really don't like going back to the Wii-mote, just as I don't tend to play games with the Joy-Con on the Switch. There are plenty of great games on the portable Nintendo consoles as well, though I think I'll be looking at those more critically soon. I can see a fair few GameBoy games being kept, but when it comes to DS and 3DS, of course there are some great games on the system, but there are probably only a certain amount that I still want to play or would replay. I'd definitely say, it's worth keeping any game you have, if you really think that you're going to play it, or if you're attached to it in any way. But for those games which you know that you'll probably never play again, it could be worth considering selling, especially if you either need to get a bit of money back from your collection, or if you need the space. - - - - - How do you view your Retro Videogame Collection now, compared to when you first started collecting? Is it still worth it? Have you found any bargains or gotten a lot of value out of certain games? Are there certain games which you keep coming back to? I think it's worth putting as much into it, as you get out of it. I've obtained value from replaying titles such as PSO, thanks to recently obtaining an ASCII Keyboard controller for the GameCube. Aside from that, it's either the classic games or fan-made variations/restorations which still interest me, mostly due to the passion and creativity behind them. I don't always post about retro games, but when I do, it's about N-E thing but playing them. (aside from PSO and a handful of titles)

Yes, I'm fine with the tracks being set out, but when it comes to vehicle restrictions, such as the Bikes Only nights, in particular the one with the slick tyres etc... (I know that was the point, as it's meant to be a terrible theme, but still) that's when it stops being fun. And when the fun stops, it's best to stop playing at that point. If there are no vehicle restrictions though, then no worries.

Nintendo Direct 09/02/2022 Roundup Now up on the main page. Press release, and video in the article. As far as Nintendo Direct's go? It was pretty good. Nothing really unexpected, but some well-received announcements, taken at face-value.

Should the thread title be changed to... "Will Mario Kart 9 be released?" At this point, might as well turn the "8" on its side... "Mario Kart Infinity" It's a good business move, Mario Kart 8 still sells... lots... and the best thing they could do for it is to add more tracks. Even if this is a move to recoup losses(?) or investment from Mario Kart Tour, it's clearly worth doing. Now it's a case of, once all the tracks have been released, by the end of next year?!? Will there be a retail release titled "Mario Kart 8 DX/Plus/Ultimate"?

1. Would you be interested in taking part? Yes. Now that I've established that the cost is £22.99 for all the DLC, this is something I will likely buy and renew my Nintendo Switch Online subscription for. 2. What day and time works best for you? Thursdays I can make, if it's at 8pm and if the session lasts the usual 45 mins - an hour. After that, it's a case of "Got to go, time for PSO" as that's the only game I'm regularly still playing each week... yes, this means that my GameCube gets more online play time than the Switch, or any other console currently. I can also attend Friday or Saturday as well though, so whatever works best for everyone. 3. Do you want scores to be tracked? I'm not bothered about the scores, and I appreciate that a lot of energy goes into keeping score etc... but if not many people are bothered about the scores, it might be best to just have this as a "N-E one for Mario Kart?" night or something, rather than it being a league. Or still keep score if you want, I don't mind either way. 4. Should Theme Nights be bought back? Theme nights, is as far as, specific tracks and characters yes, but on those theme nights when you have to "choose" a bike over a kart, I'd be less inclined to play, as it's just not enjoyable for me personally. I have tried to play using the bikes on these nights, I can use some of them, but certain bikes, with certain tyre setups etc just feel 'broken' to me. If they are supposed to handle like that, fair enough... but I prefer the karts.

Now there's an idea... I usually just post the press release, but I could potentially add in a few "awards" to liven it up a bit. "And the "N-E point?" award goes to... Wandering Around Aimlessly, the new walking simulator by Indie studio We Make Games, which puts you in the role of a non-descript character, who has been tasked with... wandering, through an endless, proceedurely-generated side-scrolling landscape, devoid of any interesting features, with the ultimate goal being nothing in particular. Coming to the Nintendo Switch eShop on February, 29th 2022."

Nintendo Direct to be broadcast today Now up on the main page. Zero hype, expectations, or expended energy into the hypothetical from me... ...though it will be interesting to see what's revealed in the moment. The usual Roundup article will be up on the main page later tonight. See you in just under twelve hours.

Nintendo eShop new releases (week 04) The fourth week of releases, (just gone) sees 2 retail titles, 40 new digital games, 9 DLC's and 4 demo's added to the eShop. I've highlighted some of the games which stand out for various reasons. The headings may change each week but are currently... Highlight / Deal of the Week / Award for... / & Worth checking out (This (last) weeks article is later again, the next one (this weeks) will be posted... dreckly) Check the article for the full roundup.

Math Gym is certainly a strong candidate for next weeks article. (this weeks releases) As for this week's article (last week's releases) which will likely be up on the site later. This title is looking like it will win the "award"... https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Starlight-Shores-2163974.html#Overview

Nintendo eShop new releases (week 03) The third week of releases, (just gone) sees 53 new digital games, 7 DLC's and 3 demo's added to the eShop. I've highlighted some of the games which stand out for various reasons. The headings may change each week but currently... Main Highlight / Deal of the Week / Award for... / Worth reading the writeup / & Looking for this? (I'm expanding the write-ups, while finalising the format, this (last) weeks is later again, the next one (this weeks) will probably be posted sooner) Check the article for the full roundup.

Welcome to the World of Pokémon!

Nintendo eShop new releases (week 02) This second week of releases, (just gone) sees 17 new digital games, 5 DLC's and 4 demo's added to the eShop. There are some Platformers, Fighting Games, and a cel-shaded Racing title. Highlight this week is the shmup Eschatos, which seems to be a solid title for just over £20, lncluding two extra Wonderswan shmups as well. Check the article for the full roundup.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land gets a new trailer and release date Now up on the main page. Full press release, and trailer, plus the release date. It looks like a really well-made and imaginative 3D Kirby game. The temptation of potentially purchasing the game on release day is there, though we shall see.

Nintendo eShop new releases (week 01) First week of new releases on the eShop for this year. It seems to be mostly Platformers, Puzzle Games and a 3D Retro-Styled Beat 'em Up, amongst other titles. Check the article for the full roundup.