WackerJr

I also picked up Night Trap in the sale. Not because I’ve heard it’s particularly good, but I’ve read & watched so much about the ‘controversy’ that this game caused when it was initially released, despite how cheesy it actually is. I’ve always wanted to play it just to understand that a little more, and so I’m going into it, like you, expecting a not-very-good cheesy horror!

Yeh, thanks for posting the YouTube version too, as I was thinking exactly the same after seeing it on Twitter. I’m still excited by this, and I’m fine with the fundamentals and scoring system being kept the same as I loved the original. I suppose, being honest, that while it looks great by 3D Pokemon standards, I wasn’t as wowed this time as I was by the first trailer. Besides that beautiful water I thought graphically it just looked ok.

The 2021 AGDQ has now been and gone, and yet again raised a ridiculous amount of money (well over £2m)! I only caught a little this year, and pleased to see some of my very first games get a showing (e.g., Donald Duck Lucky Dime Caper). The videos are all up as usual, and already my mind was blown by the blindfolded Super Mario 64 run! Not only with the memorisation but the back-up strats to recognise when Mario had missed something, and I’m learning new things about that game all the time, such as the different sound effects where walls join. I’m beginning to change my opinion on the no-crowds too. While some games lose energy due to lack of reaction, at least you don’t get those late-night games where only a handful of people are left in the auditorium watching. The tech team for these events do a fantastic job!

Ah, so torn between some good games, which is a rather nice position to be in! Inside gets my vote. Thanks.

Some good choices for the PodPals game, so I’ll make sure to head to the other thread and cast a vote. It’s always fun to hear predictions and speculation for the year ahead. If I was looking for some hopeful and optimistic ideas for what’s to come this year from Nintendo I clearly would’ve come to the wrong place! 😂. To be fair I did enjoy it, and actually fear you both may be right on a fair few of those. The ports suggestion especially. As you said, which did make me chuckle, we actually know very little about what is actually due to come out this year, although this does help to make the predictions all the more enjoyable. The talk of the Hollow Knight sequel has reminded me that I’ve got the original & really need to get around to playing it, so thanks!

Yes that was my understanding. I believe it’s because it could take up to 10 days for symptoms to appear. So if you took a test on day one of her testing positive, you may return negative & yet symptoms may then appear the following day. I’m no expert mind, but that’s my understanding of the reasoning. It’s also why you would still have to self-isolate for those 10 days regardless. Good luck with the results. I’ve had two tests previously & my wife has had one. Thankfully each one returned negative, and each time results came back about 36 hours later. If you didn’t already know, then make sure to check your emails as well as texts, as we found the email arrive hours before the text.

I didn’t play any games released in 2020 worthy of mention (although I’m soon to start Last of Us 2 and 13 Sentinels), so mine is simply games played through this year. 1) Super Mario Odyssey (Switch): I played it wondering what all the fuss was about, then continued playing it, and playing it, and playing it - I just couldn’t put it down! The sheer volume of moons to find exciting and it’s been a fantastic experience that I’m still going to be exploring into 2021. 2) Kingdom Hearts 3 (PS4): Took the best bits from the vast number of titles in the series & wraps it together in a wonderful package that plays and feels as though you are in a genuine Pixar film! 3) Shadow of the Tomb Raider (PS4): The set pieces throughout the whole series are climactic and thrilling to play through. Another enjoyable entry in the successful update of the franchise. 4) Earthbound (3DS Virtual Console): So pleased I finally played this classic. The pacing was great without the need to do too much grinding. A little dated but still plenty to smile about throughout the whole adventure. 5) Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 (PS4): Terrific value for money with so many games included. I admittedly spent most of my initial time wondering what the hype was about, although I enjoyed the later games more and it persuaded me enough to give the excellent 3rd main game a go.

I would like to say my top four are all some of the best games on Switch.... umm..... I can’t escape those Paw Patrol anywhere it seems and may be the only time you see them and Mario Odyssey sharing the same screen! It’s only now I realise just how much I may have allowed my young daughter to play on the Switch... [emoji85]

My wife and I recently started playing it (in hindsight if only we’d waited a few more weeks!) as the new Tomb Raider games are some of the few adventure games she enjoys. It’s been good so far. Not sure it’s been quite as much fun as the previous two, but we’re only 2/3s through and determined to collect and find everything! The fact that my wife has stayed with it though speaks volumes to how good it is though! 😃👍🏻

Purchased a hair trimmer during the first lockdown, although boy they were tough to find! Yeah we went from tier 2 to tier 4, even though rates in our area weren’t anywhere near the same as those in surrounding boroughs. No complaints though, as much rather be cautious and the constant changing is tough to keep track of. I still don’t fully understand the constant explanation that children are seemingly safer. While they may not be affected, I haven’t heard anything about them being less likely to get it and pass it on to their families. Or have I missed that part? I also work as a sports coach and within my sport I’m constantly hearing people moan saying that children should be allowed to do it again since the school info suggests school children are so much safer. While I would love to be back coaching and I’m fully behind sport being beneficial to children and adults, I don’t understand that attitude and would much rather their families be safe. I also have a responsibility to the other adult coaches at our club, and I don’t want them to be put at extra risk either.

The Brodie Lee news was shocking, and I was so impressed with the outpouring of support and stories from his peers. He was so well-liked and respected by those that worked with him, it is so tragic. The AEW tribute was so well done, and the emotion shown by those involved was heartbreaking, and many of those only got to know him over the past year. Seeing Erik Rowan / Redbeard make an appearance with that sign & then embracing others in tears in the ring broke me 😢.

Okamiden (DS) can finally be crossed off my backlog. I can see it being impressive in the DS-era and is a fully fledged 20+ hour Action-RPG. While it is kind of open world it is very linear in that there’s little to do if not following the storyline, and even then isn’t always clear where you should be going. Like Okami before it, the gesture based combat and abilities are used throughout and are identified well when specific shapes are drawn on the touch-screen. The distinct visual design actually works well on the handheld and helps the game stand out. Ultimately though, I got a little bored with the game, finding it too repetitive for my liking, combat lasting a little too long (boss battles especially seemed to last forever!), and I was just wanting to get to the end of it hours before the credits finally rolled. Maybe just a product of it’s time, being nearly 10 years old!

I’m roughly halfway through so far, and I have enjoyed hearing some of that random news I hadn’t heard about. Updating Swapnote / Letter Box really is a peculiar decision. Although I admit to being one of the few still playing my 3DS regularly. More so due to my backlog for it (thanks mainly to store sales trying to get rid of their stock in the last couple of years). Not Letter Box though since, as you say, what’s the point? The Nintendo / Game scent thing? Hearing your news it’s apparently being made minutes away from me, and I wasn’t aware of any perfume makers in the area?! I’m not sure who is actually making the stuff unless it is Game staff themselves?? 😬 Anyway, with the hecticness of Christmas Eve I’d just like to wish you all (podcast presenters, N-E staff, all forum users) a good Christmas. Whatever your situation, hope you make the most of it & have a good time.

I’m always understanding that others may not share the same opinion, so glad you posted it. I watched through the full three hours of cutscenes of 358/2 Days and still had no clue what was going on! 😂 I agree with you about the simplicity of the story in the first game. I admit to struggling with the storyline throughout the series, whether that’s me or the lack of clarity in the game I’m not sure! Probably me!

Congratulations! I agree with those that mentioned the Wii U ports if you haven’t already played the Wii U versions. For the non-1st party games, with so many games in your list, Nintendo regularly hold eShop sales. So if you’re not in a rush to play specific titles then it may be worth waiting for them to get discounted through one of those sales. Do you have easy access to local co-op in your household? There are a few good games for that without the need to buy an additional controller. Saying that, I recommend a Pro Controller. They’re still a little pricey, but for me it’s been so much nicer to use when playing on the TV.

So I’m a little late to the party, but I finally decided to try the KH series. After playing through 1.5 + 2.5 I was still left wondering what the fuss was all about (I gave up on Re:Coded) as it seemed to be a great concept that hadn’t quite reached my expectations. KH3 was by FAR the best game in the series! It built on the better aspects of the previous games, added so many variety throughout the other worlds, the trophies were easier to get & I was happy to explore and grind to get to level 99. It looked lovely throughout too, as if you really were in a Pixar film. I’m glad I persevered through the series - great game!

Lego The Incredibles (Switch) Played through this almost completely in Co-op after trying to find a game my wife & I could play together. As a co-op experience it was fun, not being particularly complicated destroying enemies and much of the surroundings made up of the hugely popular little bricks. If you die you’re immediately plunged back into the action only being penalised with losing a few bricks from your total haul. The typical Lego humour is inserted throughout, although much of it comes off better if you’ve seen the movies. I did have a few major issues with the game though. It is incredibly buggy. It froze and had to close on over half a dozen occasions, usually at the end of a level which was a real frustration. We also managed to get ourselves into inescapable situations on a few occasions, such as being stuck on the rails of the train track (normally causing the character to die & spawn back on the train) so when the game wasn’t freezing we had to quit a level manually. I also found the objectives were not always clear. Both in the overworld and in levels, besides destroying things we weren’t sure what was going on or where we were supposed to be going on a number of occasions, even with two of us trying to work it out. I also found that the load times are looooong (over a minute to load a level). I don’t know if these problems are rife in other Lego games, and it’s a shame as it really affected our experience with the game, in what could have been a much more enjoyable co-op experience.

I was going to follow with a semi-sensible answer, but not sure I can follow the last two comments! 😂 Ultimately, like others have said, most of my multiplayer gaming is so much more enjoyable being able to be sociable & talk & share the experience. Nintendo absolutely needs some simple way of being able to talk to others. I enjoyed the few times I was able to join in a N-Europe Mario Kart session in the past, but only being able to share & see the experience others were having afterwards through forum comments wasn't quite the same as being able to comment & say things in the moment. Local multiplayer remains my favourite multiplayer experience. The downside, besides difficulty of arranging it, is also the lack of screen space. When you’re used to having a while screen to yourself, I’ve always found it takes a bit to get used to then only having half or a quarter of your usual screen-size.

The activities look like a great idea to keep people occupied and engaged (did Miyamoto’s app hint at 70 keys?). Like already mentioned though, how easy these are to do in a park full of people remains to be seen. No footage of the Mario Kart ride still. It’s a shame that there aren’t more rides, as so far it’s more like a giant playground than a theme park. It looks amazing though and really keeping the style in line with the world as we’ve seen it in the game. @S.C.G you make a great point that it must be an incredible feeling for Miyamoto to have this all brought to life. Those blocks are going to take one heck of a beating though aren’t they?!

I softly wept... Although I then realised it still leaves spots open for Phoenix Wright and/or Professor Layton! 😃

After Zero and then seeing that Rare again weren’t the developers I held back on my enthusiasm for this one. Reading up about the team developing it does make me a little more confident about how it might turn out. I don’t like the sound of the ‘seasons’ rumour, and as always it would be nice to see some actual gameplay.

I think the FFVII remake will have done a lot to revitalise Sephiroth’s popularity. I haven’t played either version of FFVII, but remember reading game character popular contests at sites like GameFAQs years ago & I was surprised at just how popular he was (along with the likes of Chrono, Cloud, Mario & Link). Does he quite hold the same popularity today? I don’t think he quite does, but there will surely still be a large fanbase for him which will only rise when / if the next part of the FFVII remake comes out. I think he’s a great addition to the roster. I don’t know if it makes it more or less likely for Sora to appear, but it’s good to see Nintendo continuing to work with Square-Enix. I expect the presentation next week will also include some Mii outfits to dash hopes of some of the wishes-for characters appearing.

Yeh Sora must be a nightmare to try and get it through the Disney-Square-Enix loops (I can only imagine James Bond being tougher, especially as rumours are Sakurai did want him in one of the earlier games), but I would love to see Sora. I’ve read the mention that it’s Doom’s anniversary today? Is that right? People love to reach, but it’s a possibility. Like already mentioned, surely a 3rd party character going by the audience for the announcement. My guess is Crash, which isn’t my preference but better than a Fortnite or Overwatch character imo.

I was hoping for this, after Joker a couple of years ago. You’ve got the audience Nintendo, please make the most of the opportunity! Let the speculation commence again.

Good discussion at the end, and good question @Hero-of-Time I’d forgotten about the Spyro Trilogy actually only containing one game on the disc & you having to download the rest, so even when you think you’re buying a physical copy you’re not always!