My Switch is Too Hot to Handel. No, Really, I'm Serious

The Nintendo Switch. Lovely system. Both a console and a handheld. A fantastic library of games. In the 3 plus years I've owned it, the Switch has become one of my favorite gaming systems of all-time. I've spent more hours playing it than anything else. Recently, I've been forced to cut back on my Switch play time because the little machine has been getting too hot. Like, really, really hot.

For those of you that have been fortunate enough not to have your Switch overheat, when it does happen, you're gameplay is interrupted and you're treated to this screen.

Image by NintendoSoup.

I couldn't find one in English and I don't think I'm fast enough to snap the picture on my Switch.

Some games are more demanding on the Switch than others but a game like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity are some of the more demanding games and have my Switch enter sleep mode, ruining my fun. 

I did some research and found out that more than likely, a broken fan is the cause for my Switch overheating. A small external fan can help with the cooling but all it does is delay the inevitable. So I had to make some unexpected purchases, which include a replacement fan, thermal compound paste and some screwdrivers. I got the thermal compound and screwdrivers but the replacement fan won't arrive until either early or late January. SMH. 

As you can imagine, a gimped Switch is quite the buzzkill. Limiting my Switch play time suuuuuuuucks. I mean, Sepiroth is out, I can't do as much as I want to in Animal Crossing and I really miss playing Age of Calamity. You really have no idea how fortunate you are to be able to play your Switch without these problems and until recently, I didn't realize how good I had it. 

It isn't all stormy weather. This whole situation did get me to fire up my 3DS. I've been wanting to run through Donkey Kong '94 again and I never did finish Poochy and Yoshi's Woolly World, which I decided to just start a new file on. I've also got my PS4 and bought the HD Strider that came out in 2014. It was on sale for $2.99 and its really dang good. I also bought Ginga Force as a Christmas gift and I picked up Arcade Archives GRADIUS III, both for PS4. 

So while some of the sting is take out of my overheating Switch situation, I'm still counting the days until I can get her fixed. 

VGM Saturdays #289: Does it Really Feel Like Christmas?

With 2020 being the year it has been, a lot of annual holidays have felt strange. I've wrapped a ton of presents, heard the songs and it still does not feel like Christmas. Even so, I'm still excited to see my family open their gifts and I do hope it feels like Christmas for you. We have some reappearing songs for this week's VGM Saturdays. Christmas-like music has become a reoccurring theme over the years of this feature and I don't intend to break that tradition. 

Stage 3-1 - Super Turrican (SNES)

The first Turrican game I ever played. Naturally the first thing I noticed was the soundtrack. Perhaps it was due to Super Turrican being my first game but this soundtrack is also really dang good! It is full of themes that scream adventure, action and urgency. The bells give this one an especially Christmasy feel.

Diamond Dust Act 1 - Sonic 3D Blast (SS)

The superior version of Sonic 3D Blast music. IMO of course. This is pure winter, Christmas music at it's finest. 

Freeze Man Stage - Mega Man 7 (SNES)

This one leans more towards winter than Christmas but I LOVE this track and I will jump at any chance to plug it. Despite the game's faults, Mega Man 7 remains  huge favorite of mine. The game is filled with secrets and in many cases, you have to use the special weapons from defeated Robot Masters to find them.

Cozy Cabin - Kirby's Epic Yarn (Wii)

This game is so freaking adorable. If you're looking for a chill game with a highly unique visual style that still holds up, Kirby's Epic Yarn is a wonderful jam.

White Ice (White Glacier) - Bomberman 64 (N64)

This little banger almost didn't make it into this week's VGM Saturday. I'm pretty sure I've posted this one before but those bells give it some added Christmas flavor and I'm going for more seasons greetings than anything else, so here we are.

Frozen Factory Zone 1 - Sonic Lost World (Wii U)

If not for Ice Cap Zone Act 1, this might be my favorite ice themed Sonic tune. I wouldn't end up playing Sonic Lost World until years after it released but I heard this song long before I played it. It was close to Christmas time, so for me, this song is one that I heavily associate with the holiday.

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Mario (Almost) Dies and Sepiroth is in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Did you watch the Game Awards? Me neither. The only reason I had the slightest interest in tuning in was due to the fact that Nintendo promised the reveal of the next Fighter Pass vol. 2 character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. I didn't have any ideas on who the character could be but when I found out it was Sepiroth, I erupted with laughter. I did not in a million years see it coming, as did a plethora of other games. And this, folks, is why I'm glad Sepiroth's reveal was not leaked. These kinds of things are just all around better when they don't get spoiled by idiots wanting their 15 minutes of fame.

I really like FFVII. It is one of my favorite games. I just replayed it on my Switch this year. And yet, I'm not a huge fan of Sepiroth. I think his design is cool but if you were to ask me my favorite FF baddie, I would pick Kefka over him any day. And yet, I can't hate on Sepiroth being included as a DLC fighter for Ultimate. Heck, I never thought we would get anymore FF reps, yet alone another from the same game. And yet, the pretty boy swords man is gonna be joining Ultimate's already huge roster and I am 100% cool with that.

We're going to get a Mr. Sakurai Presents Sepiroth on December 17th that will give us a deep dive into what Cloud's nemesis is all about in battle, but the trailer showed off a few things we can gauge on our own. For starters, Sepiroth's sword range is, understandably, loooooong. Like, why would you even bother trying to get close to your opponent when you can slice and them from that range? Most likely, Sepiroth will probably be a heavy. Some of his sword strikes look like they have some lag on them so faster characters may have an edge on him. Like any good heavy, Sepiroth will probably hit like a tank if he connects. If Ganondorf can kill with a few strong attacks, just image what Sepiroth is capable of.

Can we talk about that reveal trailer? I love it wasn't obvious for many until the music kicked in. The trailer could have shown Cloud right off the bat, giving who our new fighter would be away, but instead, Sakurai and company chose to wait until after that familiar track started playing to clue you in. Annnnnd then we see Sepiroth trounce the current roster of fighters. Be it with in-game footage or the gorgeous CG cut scenes, Sepiroth mops the floor with everyone that you can't even call it a fight. And what about that scene where Sepiroth straight up tries to murder Mario? I mean, sure he missed but Sephy really did try to kill Mr. Video Game! People were legit worried that Mario got stabbed, myself included. That trailer was one of the hypest things I've seen and did an excellent job of showing off how deadly Sepiroth can be.

Now, let's talk about the music tracks, or really, the lack thereof. We have seen Cloud, one of the most recognizable video game characters get crumbs for song picks in two Super Smash Bros games now. I don't know all of the specifics, but the FINAL FANTASY series has been heavily gutted when it comes to representation in songs and in the case of Ultimate, Spirits, in the case of the later, there are none to speak of. That may change once Sepiroth drops but I'm not holding my breath. We'll probably get JENOVA, the original track from FINAL FANTASY VII, or JENOVA Absolute, since that song is played in the Northern Crater and that is where you fight the final form of Jenova. One Wing Angel is gonna be included because it is Sepiroth's most iconic tracks. It could very well be the original version from FFVII and not the killer remix we heard in the reveal trailer. After the way Cloud has been done dirty two games now, I don't see Square Enix suddenly becoming generous, but I would love to be wrong here.

VGM Saturdays #288: Music to Warm You Up

I'm coming up on my second winter since returning home and it feels colder than the last one. One thing about living in Virginia is that fall wasn't as cold. I suppose I'm still getting used to the fall and winters back in my home state. With that in mind, this Saturday's music is a bit nostalgic and heat-based. 

Lankus - Darius Twin (SNES)

Not included as part of the mainline Darius games, Darius Twin is one of the two SNES Darius titles to come to the system, the other being Super Nova. Despite Darius Twin not being a stand out title, I have a soft spot for it since it was my introduction to the series. I can easily recall much of this game's soundtrack and while most might say it doesn't hold a candle to the mainline Darius games, I can jam to this stuff.

Fire Field - F-ZERO GP Legend (GBA)

This 2004 released would be the last time an F-ZERO game was released outside of Japan, making it 16 years since players outside the Land of the Rising Sun saw an F-ZERO game. I don't mean to harp on about the series absence but Nintendo really does not need some new, revolutionary way for us to play F-ZERO. At this point, we would take an HD remaster of GX and be happy.

Round 3-2: Under Magma ~Planet Scorch~ - Ristar (GEN)

If you missed out on Ristar when it originally released, have no fear. Thanks to SEGA's love for pumping out the same old retro games over and over, Ristar is easy to find on current platforms and PC. It is a solid platformer that really pushed the limits of what the Genesis was capable.

Heat Man Stage - Mega Man 2 (NES)

The game that put the Blue Bomber on the map, Mega Man 2, while not without fault, is a NES classic. This isn't my favorite version of Heat Man's theme, but over the years, I've warmed up to it. *Ahem* An arranged version of it is a part of Quick Man's theme in among the selection of songs in Super Smash Bros. Wii U, which also returned in Ultimate.

Tifa's Theme - FINAL FANTASY VII (PS)

I've had FFVII on the brain as of late with the remake, playing through the original months ago and watching some analysis videos on YouTube. When you got FFVII on your mind, you got FFVII music. As much as I love Tifa, I don't think I've ever posted her theme in all the years I've been doing this weekly feature.

Flame Gate ~Flame Stage Medley~ - ROCKMAN Dystopia

ROCKMAN Dystopia is the sister album to ROCKMAN Utopia. While Utopia focuses on the Classic series and featured lighthearted, upbeat arrangements, Dystopia is centered on the X series and houses more edgier music. I know the term "edgy" carries negative connotations these days, mostly due to overuse of YouTubers and bloggers but trust, ROCKMAN Dystopia is good egdy. My favorite part of this medley is 3:20 mark where Blaze Heatnix's theme kicks in. 

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