WackerJr

I thought this was a joke post at first, but it really is a thing! They’ve actually turned it into a 2D platformer, as if it couldn’t be more retro and back when developers took a licence and turned it into a 2D platformer! I know this link is what they’re going for, but it’s still bonkers to see this. Weirdly though, I’m interested 😂

So I picked this up on Apple Arcade a few days ago and wow is this thing addictive! I’ve completed the eighth ante three times so far, but still don’t feel as though I’ve got a decent strategy. Any tips?

That’s interesting to know so far. I’m definitely going to watch it, and while I’m sure Netflix will do their best to drum up interest, they’re not going to risk burying the company with their recent buy-out. With the lawsuit still underway I imagine there’s only so much they’ll be able to cover on it. Until season 2 anyway… 😉

Those TLC matches were so good! I wondered what they could possibly do differently in that one, but the addition of Lita, Rhyno & Spike were brilliantly done. Such a shame how the Invasion angle turned out, considering how hot it started.

Oh thank goodness for that! I’m still not sure what the justice is in Gex having 3 entries and the, from the sounds of it, decent 2nd Glover game not getting a release. At least it’s not down to someone somewhere having a ludicrous number of Gex discs/carts sitting in their loft!

Wow, so Glover sells 150,000 copies and couldn’t get a second game, despite being decent from the sounds of it, yet Gex somehow shifts 15 millions copies and is rewarded with 3 games across multiple platforms? It’s not just about the critics is it?

I realise that we’re now midway through September and some of the games I’d have originally chosen have already been released, but the topic was too good not to get involved in! Stroopwafel: Monument Valley 3. The original games were so clever and excellent mobile games. The game looks very similar to the others and I don’t know if developers Ustwo can create some more original puzzles or come up with new mechanics, but they seem to be taking their time developing it as the five years since number 2 doesn’t jump out as being a rush job! Surströmming: Epic Mickey Rebrushed has already been mentioned, but I agree. I recall being excited by the concept of the original, but then it came out and was a real disappointment for both me and my wife. Graphically it was dark and dull, and the gameplay just became a bit laborious. Interviews with Warren Spector suggested Disney forced them to tone down the decision making process of Mickey acting good or evil. I loved the history lesson and bringing Oswald back, but I was desperate for a better experience. The remake sounds like it will look better, but they’ve a lot to do to update the gameplay to improve this, and with the short time between announcement and release I, sadly, can’t see that happening. Soufflé: This was going to Astro Bot and the reviews suggest it would’ve been justified. I can’t wait to get this. Since it’s already out though, I can’t resist the lure of a new Zelda game and while I’m on the fence with the open-ended style of solving puzzles, I’ve learned to trust the Zelda team. Hopefully they’ll do the Princess proud!

I’ve never played Splatoon 3, but judging by the videos, pictures and comments plastered throughout my social media, it looks as though Nintendo pulled off a fantastic event!

I think £400 is the upper price for me at launch. I still have plenty to go through in my backlog. The Switch itself was the first console I didn’t get on day one since the N64 and I didn’t feel as though I missed out due to the backlog I had at the time as well. If they suddenly came out with specs surpassing that of the PS5 and Xbox Series then I’ll reconsider this, but even without the rumours no-one’s realistically expecting this to happen. The launch line-up will be particularly interesting. They’ve had a bit of time to develop them, and others have mentioned the potential ports that would have an impact on Switch 2. With such a high user base and so many titles to go through, they need to demonstrate why people need a Switch 2.

The trailer doesn’t really reveal a lot. I hope they continue to use Gina Rodriguez as Carmen’s voice, although I couldn’t tell if it was her or not in the trailer and their website doesn’t say. Still, my daughter really enjoyed the interactive game on Netflix and I thought the humour in it was good. Will keep an eye on this as one she could potentially play. Does anyone else get the Carmen Sandiego theme song in their heads btw? 😂

That makes sense then, and the fact that you could guess the publisher based solely on how atrocious the game played gives a great indication of their reputation! I’d been keeping an eye on ‘Outright Games’ for the shortcuts they take in their family-friendly games (although reading reviews it sounds as though they’re at least improving… possibly!).

Miraculous: Rise of the Sphinx (PS5) How can a game be so fundamentally broken in the main mode it advertises you to play in? A game starring two superheroes and promotes the ability to play local co-op is a steaming pile of glitchy irritation when actually played in local co-op. There’s a decent concept here, but ultimately gameplay that feels unfinished and further emphasises that publishers care more about the picture on the box than its contents! For those unaware, Miraculous is a popular children’s show starring high school students and latex-wearing superheroes Ladybug and Cat Noir. My daughter is a big fan, and the game sees you playing as the heroes in a new storyline facing a few of the game’s recognisable villains along the way. The premise is actually ok, split between action levels and exploration sections. The action levels see you play as the two heroes in single-player or 2-player co-op, negotiating linear 3D levels leaping platforms and collecting orbs. Encountering enemies forces you to fight them. The exploration sections see you playing as the female student Marinette (the female equivalent of ‘Peter Parker’ I guess, with the locals unaware of her superhero alter-ego) walking around a small suburb of Paris, talking with friends to move the story along. In a very basic Persona-style nod you’re occasionally given dialogue choices with friends to improve your friendship level. The characters look like they’re taken straight out of the show and it even includes plenty of voice acting for the main characters. So far so good. Then you come to the actual gameplay…. Glitches, janky animation, twitchy controls, all there to cause immense annoyance! The game involves a LOT of jumping between platforms, you tap the control stick to move and your character will shoot off in the direction you push, while jump distance doesn’t seem to change no matter how long you press the button for and judging landings is incredibly tough. In single-player you can switch characters on the fly. The option for two-player co-op is great for an adult to play with their child, except the game is painfully unfair to the second player. The camera is automatic with no manual control. It usually follows player one and the view is pretty zoomed in. Should the other player veer off screen, even slightly, they’re forced to respawn. As a result, player two will frequently disappear off screen and reappear elsewhere. Characters move so quickly that often in co-op by the time I’d respawned, the place I was respawning to would no longer be in view, so subsequently forced to respawn again and again! It’s infuriating! Besides this, sometimes orbs will be collected, other times the game randomly decides it’s not going to let you pick them up, and you’re forced to leave them behind, lonely and desolate. Spot the orb. It’s not going anywhere! Single player seems less glitchy to be fair, but the general lack of polish is evident throughout. I will give it some credit for the boss battles. A couple of difficulty spikes notwithstanding, the method to defeat them is varied, from simple battles to quizzes on the series (my daughter loved the latter one and carried us through it!). Playing on PS5 there were some design decisions I find just bewildering in the modern day. You have one save file with no option for loading or even deleting your game. Orbs are gone forever once collected, so once you’ve finished the game, while you can still re-enter levels, the collecting aspect is essentially voided once you’ve collected all the orbs. You are given the option to play the full game one more time once the final boss is defeated, but then that’s it. I understand the decision that once orbs have been collected they’re collected, but the inability to even start a new game (more than one time) is perplexing. Especially as my daughter would’ve been quite happy to play this again with other unsuspecting friends or family. I guess I could go into the system settings and delete the game from my PS5 directly? I figured that at least the trophies would be easy to get… Hah! Even these are buggy. Some involve reaching maximum friendship level with each character. However, it turns out there’s some RNG shenanigans as to how much your choices improve your friendship level. So even selecting the best possible answers in conversation is by no means a guarantee you’ll max it out. Since the game doesn’t allow you to load, you’re given your two playthroughs to get the trophies (more if you delete the game from your settings of course). I’m not that desperate, but for trophy hunters this is a kick in the teeth knowing that success is down to how lucky they get. Given time to fix the issues, this could be a good game. My daughter enjoyed her time with it, but then she got to be player one throughout, while my wife and I exasperatedly battled with controlling player two. Sorry I feel I’ve taken up your time with this post simply venting! I’m just fed up with publishers getting away with cutting so many corners when it comes to games aimed primarily at a younger age group. Needless to say I didn’t fork out an additional tenner to get the DLC (consisting solely of just three outfits). *Deep breath* Thanks for indulging me and allowing me to pour out my resentment towards this game! 60 seconds of me reviewing the game

Haha! Tell me about it! My parents produced a box of old games they’d found in their loft. They find it hard to throw things away! I got my daughter to try some of the games to make sure everything still worked/was there. She managed 5mins of the LCD games before she got bored! 😂 Disappointingly though when selling the Subbuteo, my team Exeter went for just half the price of our rivals Torquay!

Thanks for the advice, that’s really useful and much appreciated. Reading up I’m worried I’ll make a dogs dinner out of fixing it, so if you would like it then I’m happy to send it to you. I’ll drop you a PM (no pressure so if you change your mind it’s no problem). I’ve got a Space Adventure LCD game that’s on eBay finishing tonight, although no bids yet though and it’s the 2nd time of asking with no bids. I’ve got Sonic 2 by Tiger which I think I will put on eBay. If nothing else, I recorded some gameplay of it working and I want other people to suffer the horrendously repetitive and grating music that I had to experience! 😂

So my parents have found some of my old LCD games. I’ve discovered one of them (Formula 1 by Systema) is missing a spring and battery contact. Does anyone know if this is fixable? To be honest I’m simply selling them all on eBay and it’s to know whether I can realistically sell this or if it’s destined for the bin!