WackerJr

Game #3 for me. A classic selection to choose from and I’ll enjoy replaying each of them. I never completed #3 100% so I’d be happy for an excuse to try again! (Ok so I never managed to do that for #2 either, but no-one needs to know that...)

I absolutely love the Smash Directs. I’ve also been able to remain spoiler free so far (or at least only reading officially confirmed characters, modes, etc). More characters and more game modes would be fantastic. I love the high value that goes into the videos for the character reveals. So many characters I’d love to see included (mainly retro / N64 ones on my list mind). 40 minutes as well, should be pretty comprehensive. They’re throwing everything at this game!

I love the idea of this monthly game club and it’s given me a great excuse to play the original Castlevania for the first time! I’ve played the 3DS Virtual Console version and after a few hours I’ve now completed it. It’s a decent enough game and if I didn’t already know, I would have guessed it to be a Konami game, with an art style very reminiscent of other Konami NES titles. By that I mean nicely detailed backgrounds and a main character using a colour palette that ensures they stand out. The controls are intuitive and simple and, like others have said, the whip is a satisfying weapon to use. Playing on the 3DS thank goodness for restore points! I always thought I was a decent player of platform games, but I’m not sure if I would have stuck through the game without the restore points, owing to the amount of deaths I took (mainly at the hands of the bosses and those frustrating floating Medusa heads who constantly managed to damage me back into a bottomless pit!). The deaths were always my fault though, and I’m glad I did keep going as I enjoyed the game as a whole, and I can see that it set up a solid foundation for future Castlevania games to expand upon. I’m looking forward to seeing what suggestions come up for next month now.

I completely agree. I remember going back to the game a few years after I originally completed it and was quite happy to play through it all again. It’s a shame it hasn’t received (& seems unlikely to receive) a worldwide follow-up. The original was probably a little too light, and so a follow-up would’ve had so much scope to expand. I understand that not wanting to risk sales of the actual cards. I know others have already mentioned Pokemon Snap & Pinball. Along with the Trading Card Game these were the three games that immediately spring to mind, and I enjoyed all of them.

Well I’m in Sheffield this weekend coaching at the Trampoline & DMT English Championships. Whether it’s a good weekend depends on how well our talented club member does! Fingers crossed for a great performance in the morning!

I’m still really surprised that Nintendo haven’t done this. Especially if they want to keep extending the lifespan of the 3DS this seems an opportunity they’re not taking. With rereleases such as Starfix 3D, Zelda OoT, Zelda Majorca’s Mask, Donkey Kong Country and the upcoming Luigi’s Mansion they’ve shown they’re happy to do this, but with their vast catalogue there are surely more titles befitting a re-release?

I wrongly assumed they’d already been ported from GameBoy / DS to other consoles, but it’s only mobile it seems. Hopefully the additional 5th case from the first game will be included. It really is an excellent trilogy of games. If it helps the series reach a wider audience then great can only be a good thing. Now let’s see if they decide to release any new titles in Europe soon (or of course translate the one with Sherlock Holmes...)

Oh man, with how they’ve grown as a developer over the past few years, and been trusted with major franchises, this is a really disappointing shock! Sorry to hear about those talented people being let go.

What did you think of the single player back in the day? I really struggled to get on with it by myself but could see how much fun it could be with others. It’d be nice to know whether I should’ve given it another chance!

Retro games are still popular at the moment and while other companies, such as Sega, did a similar thing to Nintendo, and released a collection of older games on a standalone unit, Nintendo gained mainstream attention for actually marketing theirs and using decent emulation. They were also incredibly smart and did their old tactic of releasing only a small number of units and watching the demand soar as the ‘Mini’ sold out (I’m assuming it was a deliberate move anyway...). While the copying is laughable and unsubtle, it makes good business sense for Sony to do this. It will be interesting to see how well received it is and the games they actually put on it. While many Top Videogames of All Time lists include games included on the NES and SNES Minis, I’m struggling to think of many PS1 games that jump out as being included on those lists (FF7 notwithstanding, which is being re-released / remastered on all current gen consoles anyway).

I remember getting hooked on the original Worms demo on PC. My sister and I spent hours battling each other on the two available landscape types. Needless to say we finally got the full game once we’d saved up enough! I also remember downloading the Ghost Trick demo for my DS using the barely-populated Wii-to-DS download option. He developers created a special one-off Christmas level made just as a demo and not found in the game (although it borrowed heavily from an actual level). I was on the fence before, but after playing the demo I made sure to track down the game and don’t regret it at all, I loved it!

My trainer code is 7302 5557 3396 if anyone needs any extra friends for the Celebi quest.

More saddening news at a time when we have a lost a few former WWE wrestlers. I used to enjoy the Anvil and his outlandish laugh. It always frustrated me how WWE used to go on about Bret Hart being Natalya’s Uncle but rarely mentioned her father. I’m glad they gave him a very respectful and heartfelt tribute on Raw though. Wow just one member left? I agree that’s just crazy and sad to think!

I couldn’t agree more with everything you’ve just said! 😄👍🏻

Phew!!! Well again not the most convincing of England performances, especially considering how good some of the other countries look. We’re still in it though & at the end of the day, only the results matter! Our draw has been incredibly kind to us & Sweden don’t tend to play as dirty as Columbia so it should make for a better game on Saturday.

So I haven’t found this in any other threads but a few weeks ago was the release of the next official Harry Potter game, released on mobiles to a less-than-stellar reception. I like the premise of the game, becoming a new student at Hogwarts in the years preceding Harry Potter & co, allowing a story that has many nods to the stories we know, but allowing an adventure that isn’t restricted to following the exact tales of the Boy Who Lived. It all sounds promising, and I’m currently in Year 2 & I’m actually intrigued by the story. Unfortunately everything else is just maddeningly dull, slow & frustrating! I’ve played many mobile games before with microtransactions but few as aggressive in trying to take my money for so little reward. For those that don’t know, most activities require you to use energy cells to complete. You tap to use them & they replenish every 4 minutes. However, you only start with a capacity of 25 and most activities require a lot more, so you’re forced to wait or pay for more. It really ruins the pace of the game. Maybe I’m expecting too much from a free game... what do other people think? Oh, but at least the bugs are fun! If I were a child at Hogwarts I’d be less inclined to sit & read the blackboard & instead learn how Professor McGonagall can occasionally make her whole head disappear, or even roll down her arms!!! 😳😂

Again a good selection of games. I like the story- and decision-based games by Quantic Dream, and enjoyed Beyond: Two Souls. The only downside for me is that I already purchased the PS4 ones before, but at least it gives me a month to put a dent in my huge backlog of games to play!

Yeah. A real shame as it would’ve been a brilliant send-off for one of the great Premier League managers.

I enjoyed the first season & think it’s a great idea. Like others have said, it can be a bit hit or miss, but then it’s still early days and they’re trying to work out what works. I enjoy both Dara & Ellie (& enjoyed her writing when she worked at Eurogamer too). Worth a watch for those that haven’t seen it and thanks RedShell for the heads-up on Season 3!

I love the Royal Rumble event and yet again I’m excited about what could happen tomorrow night....! I still haven’t learned though, as I’ve been excited the past few years and each time come away with a feeling of bitter disappointment afterwards. The Women’s Rumble has been a long time coming and I’m glad they’re running it with the same rules as the men. I always like a surprise and feel there will be many more surprises in the Women’s one (not least because they have, what 20, active females on the main roster and there are 30 spots in the match!) I hope the Men’s match isn’t as predictable as having Reigns or Cena win it. Nakamora seems a possibility but I’d prefer a huge surprise, such as Ziggler, Bryan or Jericho. Incredibly unlikely I know, but a man can dream!

I found the original game incredibly addictive once I’d got to grips with the controls. I loved the story & I’m so pleased it’s going to get a wider audience. I don’t know how it sold originally but I’d imagine it wasn’t a huge seller as it was a new IP on a fairly new console at the time, so hopefully it’ll get the sales it deserves now.

Wow it really snuck up on me this year. Sounds like I have a few good runs to catch up on! The Awful Games section was fun (Superman 64 finally gets a section! Plus Bart vs Space Mutants was one of the most disappointing games I ever owned). It still impresses me that these runners do it so well in front of a live audience. Watching ‘I Wanna Be The Boshy” right now, which is ridiculously tough, and the guy is absolutely blitzing it!

After Ancel declared that BG&E2 wouldn't be shown this was the 1st E3 in years where I genuinely didn't believe Ubisoft would show it. Then suddenly it's right there on the screen! Ok, so I'm a little disappointed if it's true that it's a prequel, as I've been waiting so long now following 'that' ending! Still, I'm just so pleased it's finally coming. I love Ancel's show of emotion, and it really would be the icing on the cake if somehow this was on Switch and it was a timed exclusive.

I remember having this game as child and spending many an hour trying to complete it (which didn't help as I bought it 2nd hand without a manual so I took a long time before I discovered how to actually use items!). They look like they're going all out with the remake, I think it looks terrific and I'm really looking forward to it! One of the best Master System games!

I agree. They trusted Ranieri to work miracles and win the League, surely they can trust the man who knows his players to keep them up. It's a ludicrous decision! Look at the managers who had bad spells yet their clubs backed them: Ferguson, Wenger, Benitez... Instead they're relying on their players getting used to a new voice, new tactics, in the space of a couple of months. Where's the trust and loyalty!? Leicester fans and board aren't worried about the FA Cup. They're succession the Champions League has been phenomenal, and they're still in with a shout in their home leg. This will please the owners as it'll give them attention across Europe. Yes they've had a poor League season so far, but with few new players since last year and players not hitting the same form again they were always at risk of struggling. On the plus side, the man isn't going to be remembered for this season, he'll always going to be remembered for one of the greatest footballing achievements this century!