gb_nes_gamer

While UK retailer HMV specialise in music and film, they have recently started stocking games and have a wide selection.
The pre-order there is £44.99

I voted for Zelda Breath of The Wild. The first Switch game I played was just that good. One of the best adventure games I’ve ever played.

I like the protagonist on the JP cover but I voted NA / EUR for the city backdrop, the colours of the sky and the silver 3 in the logo.

I was a fan of the movie at that around that age. I think the context needs to be taken into account. Machines killing humans because they’re programmed to. The T-1000 being completely void of emotion.

I have the GameBoy game and rented the NES game. Both were difficult.
Really looking forward to the new game. With all the similar games that have come before, I think this will be a hit.

I voted Japan as the energy symbols are more within the frame rather than halfway on the edge. That aside, I prefer the rest of the artwork.

@Chlocean maybe they wouldn’t need to take quite that route with the visuals. That Mani Mani statue would be well served with those graphics.

As we’ve seen before, there are other nice graphical styles that work well.

The Forgotten Land was a great 3D entry with Mouthful Mode. I’m looking forward to what they’ll do with the next 3D game. Like with Mario, there’s lots of possibilities for new ideas.
I completed Earthbound on the Wii U. It’s an amazing game. I’d love a new entry in that series. And or an Earthbound remake with the same visuals as the Resident Evil remakes.

If the consumer-affordable tech was too slow to read from CDs then they were better off with cartridges. The games were more demanding with large 3D polygon environments. Games like Super Mario 64 needed to be fast and fluid.

@Chocobo_Shepherd I had an Atari Lynx 2.

If I remember correctly the manual said flipping the screen display was for left handed gamers where the d-pad would be on the right and face buttons on the left.

As someone who’s left handed I didn’t find this function necessary but maybe they had other accessibility issues in mind.

With the Switch 2, playing arcade games in Tate mode would be nice without the need for a 3rd party accessory.

There have been a lot of 2D games (Castlevania and otherwise) in the medtroidvania genre. There would have to be some very different gameplay mechanics in place for a new 2D entry to be interesting and fresh.
I’d prefer to see a 3D action game. There are plenty out there that have worked really well such as Darksiders 2. There would be more possibilities for varied gameplay mechanics.

I’ve had a good time with the demo but nice to have a review of the full experience. I’ll buy the full game.

I found a minor issue. I died unexpectedly and the screen with the ‘back to title screen’ or ‘retry’ prompt appears instantly and there is no ‘are you sure’ follow-up. This led to me going back to the title screen accidentally and loosing my progress.
I haven’t tried the game since. Are checkpoint saves kept if you exit the level?

Secret of Mana’s co-op play wowed me as well, when I first encountered it. I prefer real-time combat like in that game and Namco Bandai’s Tales Of series. Co-op play is definitely something I’d like to see more of.

An added bonus in the above games is that it’s optional. A second player can drop in and out any time.

There could be a direct with some surprises for February - April / May as the Switch 1 games are playable on the new hardware.
I would like to see that.

It depends on how much Nintendo feels the need to keep the new game momentum going before the new console launch.
Could be that winding down is necessary before launching new hardware.

@lovecraftINkafka I’ve just played through the first level on Regular Jo difficulty.

There’s a Doom Eternal air dash and a Borderlands 3 ground slide so traversal / level design is interesting.
Combat is satisfying in the usual way of gun / enemy sounds and animations.

This is just from the first level so not sure if I’ll be buying it yet.

I’ve just seen there is a demo for this if anyone’s interested. I’m gonna give it a go.

I wonder if there will be something more substantial brought to the table on the hardware front.
Like a second screen to connect to the top of the of console.
Maybe too much for a handheld-only use but playing in table-top mode means weight wouldn’t be an issue for longer play sessions.
If the second screen had a frame attached that clipped to the console, it could fold over making the clam shell design.

The USB-c port on top could be for various kinds of new peripherals or could just make it easier to charge when playing using the kick-stand.

Secret of Mana has long been one of my favourites for its real-time combat, soundtrack and the scope of the world.
It easily stands out amongst others of the time.

I browsed the mobile version on my phone. Very fast and fluid as is needed for such a vast library. I like dark mode and the music.
I hope this will resemble the eshop experience on the next console.

I completed the Wii version and didn’t get the 3DS version for the same reasons some are skipping this release.

I used one of the NSO game vouchers for the digital Switch version. It’s been 15 years, so I’m looking forward to play through it for a second time.

I played this several times over, first on easy and then on normal which gave extra parts of the map in certain places.
It was that good an action game with amazing set pieces. I haven’t played it on Switch, with the backlog of games, I experienced more than enough of this game on the GameCube.

I’ve recently completed Zelda Echoes of Wisdom. I’ll be continuing with Ys X and Dragon Quest XI.

I agree there’s no rush, but we could see a Direct this month, maybe as soon as next week.

@8bit-Man
The launch line-up is indeed a big source of the excitement beyond the hardware.

Epic Mickey is on sale 50% off until the 12th so I downloaded the demo. Like what I’ve played so far.

I think the new hardware could be revealed this month, as a Direct with launch lineup or simply a reveal video showcasing the hardware.
The hardware could launch in March. Like the Switch, which had the direct in January and release in March.
If the console launches after March then it could be June at the latest, if not before.

Some amazing titles there. When the Switch successor launches I think there’s a good chance we’ll get that RE 4 remake, if not at launch then within the first year of release.

Last month marked the beginning of my own 40th anniversary. Nintendo will have something planned for Super Mario Bros.
Looking forward to see how they celebrate.
We already have 2 Mario Makers and a Game & Watch.

Merry Christmas. I hope everyone enjoys the holiday period.

I’ll be spending my Christmas Day eshop card on Dragon Quest 3.

I’m not sure a Dreamcast mini would have been feasible given the hardware required. By that, I don’t mean not possible but too expensive.
Would the controller VMU be incorporated or abandoned if the features could go without?

The final mini I would have liked would be the Saturn. The Saturn and 32X libraries combined would have enough hits for a reasonable number of games. Especially with the usual 3rd party support, which was impressive on the 2 Mega Drive minis.

The next best thing would be such a collection released on home consoles so maybe they’ll take that route instead. The demand is there for these past games that are otherwise hard to come by.

I recently picked up Dragon Quest XI S as it was heavily discounted. Stitch is still my favourite puzzle game with plenty of content left.
I’ll continue Ys X as well.

I reached one of the endings on Doki Doki Literature Club Plus. I’ll take a break from this over Christmas.

My most played game was Persona 5 Royal. Close to 150 hours. I finally got round to starting it last December. It was also my favourite game of the year.

With events like this I don’t want to be too quick to pass judgement on either side. It’s one of those things, unless you hear the truth from all the people involved, both sides, all you can do is speculate.
Maybe Nintendo did have a good reason going with a different company.
It’s interesting to look back and discuss but I think all that matters at the end of the day is Nintendo are still going regardless.

I think it’s possible there’s a Direct this month. It could by why it’s been quiet for longer than usual. Possibly a new console reveal or just surprise game announcements for Jan/Feb/March.

I’ve had the physical copy of doki doki Literature Club plus on the backlog for a while. Finally started playing that. Then there’s continuing the latest Zelda and Ys releases.

Last week I completed Castlevania Portrait of Ruin from the Switch collection. I loved the dual character gameplay. I’ll take a break from this set before starting one of the other games.

Will be playing Ys X and Echoes of Wisdom this weekend.

I think the new console could be revealed this year if the new console is backwards compatible. It shouldn’t hurt holiday software sales if upcoming releases can be played on the current or new hardware.

A difficult choice this week. Given the games story, I chose NA / Europe as it shows classic Sonic. I do prefer the colour divide on the Japanese cover. They could of had classic Sonic in the bottom left corner.

I did enjoy Zelda 2 on the NES but the combat was too difficult with some enemies more than others. I think for a Zelda game, going side scrolling is too limiting.
It would be a good idea if they can give enough depth to the combat.

I loved the first game on the Wii U. Been enjoying the sequel. It’s a fun, significant expansion on the gameplay with the different jobs and the numerous abilities they bring. The traversal of the sea in the sub, and the various upgrades around that.
It’s a strong sequel I’d recommend whether you’ve played the first game or not.

I’ve finally completed Persona 5 Royal. I think I clocked 155 hours. One of the best RPGs I’ve ever played. On the Switch, it’s right up there alongside Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

I’ve completed 120 of the daily puzzles on stitch. I’ll also be playing SteamWorld Heist 2.

@dudujencarelli yes, I did indeed.

I remember watching this on Channel 4. I won’t be buying a copy myself. There is slight appeal as a Zelda rarity, like how some collectors may appreciate owning the 3DO game.

@LadyCharlie maybe through NetherRealm or some other way, the demand will become clear to justify another release. If not anytime soon, we may see it somewhere down the line.

@NeonPizza the absence of such a collection is odd given their availability elsewhere as well as other collections like Street Fighter.

Does WB Games know there’s a market for retro collections?

I’ve had the Famicom Detective Club games for a while but hadn’t got round to them. Once the new entry had been revealed for release at the of this month I had to make a start. Playing through The Missing Heir.
Also playing Nintendo Championship NES Edition. Got my second silver and first gold in survival mode. Almost unlocked all of the speed run challenges.

I voted for NA / Japan. The additional characters and vibrant colours make it more eye catching and interesting.

I’m really enjoying this game. It’s perfect for short bursts of play in between longer sessions with other games.
While I have played these NES games before, the strength is that the speed run challenges make a new game out of an old / previous experience.
I’ve already completed each of the new challenges. I got an S grade on the DK and Zelda challenges.

I voted for Japan. I prefer the design. The match 3 part in the centre and the colours.

Looking forward to playing this. The 3DS entry featured Mario bros skins for planes accessed using amiibo. It doesn’t sound like that’s included with this game. It would be quite comical to see a Bowser style decal applied to a jet in this realistic setting.

@Purgatorium When I think retro, I also think of the 8-bit and 16-bit games of the 80s and 90s. That’s what retro means to me. Retro, because it’s the earliest more primitive design. Close enough to the beginning, if not quite the initial form e.g. Atari’s Pong.

I’ve recently started Lorelei and the Laser Eyes.
Loving what I’ve played so far. The review was spot on. Lot’s of info to absorb, then upon coming across various puzzles I found myself putting certain pieces together and finding the solution.
It’s very satisfying, rewarding gameplay in an eerie setting.

I’d be interested in knowing stats around retro games from 80s and 90s Vs modern releases.

There’s some clear division with the NSO offerings and Hamsters Arcade Archives and Neo Geo games.

Maybe highlighting that specific era where there’s 2D pixel art, 8-bit / 16-bit, only because there’s a starker contrast between those and modern games.
Early 3D PC / PS 1 games are much more technically advanced, to be closer to modern games.

Could look at people who played the originals at the time and those who are new to them on the Switch.