S.C.G

Release dates for Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Now up on the main page. Seeing as The Pokémon Company put out all of the release dates of their Pokémon games at once... ...it only seemed right to roll them into one article, with zero fanfare and a banner which showcases it all. Enjoy? - - - - -

Monster Hunter Digital Event May 2021 Roundup Up on the main page. N-Europe's roundup of the event, full press release and video link. (will update with video embed, whenever the software enables it again) - - - - -

Nintendo Switch Online NES and SNES applications get new games added next week Now up on the main page. If you've not played Magical Drop II before, and you have Nintendo Switch Online... and you like Puzzle games, it's worth checking out. Also, online multiplayer gives this version a unique selling point over the ACA Neo Geo version. - - - - -

Monster Hunter Digital Event to be broadcast on Wednesday 26th May at 3PM UK time Up on the main page. N-Europe will have a full roundup available, shortly after the presentation on Wednesday. - - - - -

No worries. I can't give you a 'yes' or 'no answer personally, as I haven't played the game, but the general answer from the review would be a 'yes' I'd have said. Anyway, it's well worth reading, as it's a thorough review, which I enjoyed reading, and even though I'm not buying the game, I can see the appeal of it.

Here's the official N-Europe review by @Ashley which is well worth reading, and may help with your potential purchase decision... New Pokémon Snap N-Europe Review

Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind is out now Now up on the main page. Check the article for the press release and launch trailer. - - - - -

I have the game, I bought it on release, played it over a weekend, and have never played it since. I get it though, if you haven't got a GameCube set up, then there's that, then there's getting the bongo controller out and getting used to the peripheral again... Once it is all set up though, the game itself is great fun, from what I remember, and you could probably play it in an afternoon. But when there are loads of other games which you could be playing almost instantly on other consoles, I can see why Donkey Kong Jungle Beat doesn't get played much.

Project Justice: Rival Schools 2 Great game, I've played it a few times, though when it comes to Fighting games, I don't tend to stick with them. I've been going through a lot of my retro games, recently that has included Dreamcast as well, and I've only opted to keep a handful of Fighting games. This game was going to be one of the titles I'd choose to keep, but if it comes down to it, I can sell it... though I might play it again soon, just to see if I can persuade myself to keep it, as it is a pretty fun and original Fighting game... just as the original game is. Infact, it's a wonder that Capcom haven't ever capitalised on re-releasing either of these titles, aside from the original Rival Schools getting a PSN release, though that seems to be only in Japan, though I suppose you could make a Japanese account if you wanted to get it, but the point still stands, why not re-release both games as a double pack across all platforms for £25? We already know that both Power Stone games are on the cards, so I think Rival Schools and Project Justice at least have half a chance if that re-release sells.

Rival Schools

Game Builder Garage announced for Nintendo Switch, out on June 11th Now up on the main page. Full press release and video embed. - - - - - Nobody - "We haven't had a new game announcement in a while..." Nintendo - "Oh, here's this Game Maker software, it's out in a month, enjoy!" Clearly Nintendo is expecting us all to make our own games now in the "droughts" between major game releases. Oh well, it's good to have options.

I just thought that the game was lacking in so many ways, plus I tend not to play games which force the use of joy-cons. If I was in a situation where a local-multiplayer game was going to be played, and that game had to be a Mario Party title, I'd probably just play Mario Party 1, 2 or 3. Nintendo could re-release those on a cart as a compilation, or make N64 games available as part of Nintendo Switch Online, and they'd probably do pretty well, though N64 games as part of the NSO service, would probably be a bit on the generous side for Nintendo, when they know that they can make more by re-releasing compilations. Heck, why not a Super Mario 3D All-Stars style compilation, with the best Mario Party game from the N64, GC and Wii era? That'd be Mario Party 2, 4 and 9... right?

Nice to see this now has an online mode. It's not enough to save the game for me personally, I sold my copy of it recently, but this is a decent (if unexpected) update to the game either way.

Monster Hunter Digital Event April 2021 Roundup Up on the main page. N-Europe's roundup of the event, full press release and video embed. - - - - -

It most certainly is. It looks like that physical edition is Japanese only for now, but being that SLG had a physical version pre-order for the Cotton reboot, they might pick this up as well. Either way, I decided to not bother owning that many physical Switch games any more, though if this collection of three excellent Saturn shmups is available digitally for around £20? Then it's quite possible that I would buy it, I've only ever played the Neo Geo Pocket Color version of the original Cotton, and just going by that, this collection will be worth buying. As for other Sega Saturn ports? There are plenty of worthwhile titles, though assuming that Sega first-party titles won't be part of these licensed collections, I reckon other shmup/arcade compilations are a possibility at least... what about a Treasure collection? Guardian Heroes, Sillohette Mirage and Radiant Silvergun, that'd do pretty well I reckon.

If licensing wasn't an issue, why not just port Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes across to modern platforms? Upscale it to HD, add in some extras, take out the Nintendo references for multiplatform versions, heck... port the GC original across to the Switch untouched. Or... just remake it again.

Beautiful Desolation gets a release date for Switch Now up on the main page. Check the article for the press release and trailer. And look out for an N-Europe Review, coming soon. - - - - -

Nintendo Indie World 14/04/2021 Presentation Roundup All up on the main site, N-Europe's Roundup of the presentation. Full press release and video embed. Once again, no expectations here, games were shown, plenty that I probably won't be purchasing, though there's clearly a lot of variety on offer. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge was probably the highlight, as that was a great trailer, showing more gameplay and a great soundtrack.

Indie World Showcase to be broadcast on Wednesday 14th April at 5PM UK time Up on the main page. We'll have the full roundup article with the press release etc up on the main page shortly after the event airs tomorrow. No expectations for this, aside from perhaps Panzer Dragoon Z.W.E.I. Remake being that it's due out this year... ...also, yep I saw that the first remake was on sale the other day, and I missed it again. Anyway, it has been four months since the last Indie World Showcase, so let's see what happens.

I've heard of consoles with batteries failing, causing them to lose the internal clock, meaning that you need to reset it every time you play, such as with the Dreamcast or GameCube. But for an internal battery to fail, and then require you to connect to a store which might not even be there one day, lest you not be able to play physical games? That's just flawed design... or, it could even be construed as planned obsolescence, if it never gets patched, and even if it does, it's not an ideal solution. I look at the library of PS4 games which I built up over the years, and there aren't even than many games in it which I genuinely want to play any more... That PS4 tower... will likely have half of the games sold from it, then whatever is left from the PS3 games can go alongside them, as that's probably a better use of shelf space. Yakuza Collection, Capcom games (Resi, DMC, Monster Hunter) Bioshock, NieR Automata, Shenmue I&II + III, God of War, InFamous Second Son and a few racing games. Those are what I'd choose to keep, as everything else, I don't really have any desire to play. - - - - - PS3 games, there are a few which I'd like to play... again, I'd maybe keep around thirty, as there are some good games on the system which I never bothered to play. Vita... well, I'm sure there are a few games on the system, mostly digital PS1 games, they might get some play time on the PS Vita TV. PSP... I have a PSP Go, I got it in some kind of giveaway years ago, nice machine, it came with some games, I like the console more than the original release, even though it's all-digital. - - - - - Once the stores go, I'll still have use for them, but I won't be trawling through like I did when the Wii had its Shop Channel deactivated. I might have a quick look though, see if there's anything that I really want for the consoles digitally, but I'm done putting money into consoles with uncertain futures. To that end, I can't see myself buying a PS5, or even an Xbox Series X for that matter, and I'm fine with that. I'm grateful for the games across the various Sony Playstations that I got to play over the years, but I have very little nostalgia for the platforms. It can be troubling, acknowledging how disposable gaming has become, along with all other forms of entertainment, especially if you really value it as well, but it can also be refreshing, forcing you to really weigh up what you really value, out of all this content. Ultimately, nothing lasts forever, though I understand the drive of people who want to preserve all of it, for as long as possible, so that others might still gain some enjoyment from being able to experience these titles in the future, even though these games are just distractions, as with all forms of media, they certainly serve a purpose. It's nice to be able to enjoy them, for what they are, and to escape into these digital realms, for a time. In the future, I expect people will experience these games in any way that they can, in whatever form they are preserved in. If games still remain playable, you can almost guarantee that they will still be played and enjoyed for quite a while.

Streets of Rage 4 gets Mr. X Nightmare paid DLC, plus a free update Now up on the main page. Check the article for the press release and trailer. - - - - -

Miitopia gets a new trailer, showcasing Mii Sharing option and more Now up on the main page. Check the article for the press release and trailer. - - - - -

Pac-Man 99 chomps onto the Switch, exclusively for Nintendo Switch Online members Now up on the main page. Check the article for the press release and trailer. - - - - -

Star Wars Republic Commando is out now on the Nintendo Switch eShop Now up on the main page. Check the article for the press release and trailer. And look out for an N-Europe Review, coming soon. - - - - -

It's not that I don't want to make some custom shout-outs, I had them in the other Monster Hunter games, it's just that every time I get on Monster Hunter Rise, it's usually in the evening, and I just get on with quests, plus there's loads to do in the game, but when I load up the game and play it single player offline, I'll likely change the shout-outs. Yesterday was the first day since the game came out, that I didn't play it, as I was playing PSO instead, but I would have done that regardless of whatever other game happened to be out, I may well be doing the same today for a bit, but after that I'll likely be back on the hunt in the eveninings during this Bank Holiday weekend. I did miss not playing the game a bit, but I don't really miss playing games like I used to... out of all the games, Monster Hunter certainly sticks with you, as a series.