Rockstar's Garbage Apology is Garbage

Image: Game News 24

On November 11, Rockstar Games re-released three classic Grand Theft Auto Games; Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The trilogy was released under the name Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition. These were to be upscale ports of the PS2 games with quality of life improvements, launching on all platforms. Well, that "Definitive Edition" was a big fat lie. Whether you bought the Definitive Edition on the PS4, PS5, PC or Switch, each version with rife with bugs and glitches. Yes, the PS2 originals had their issues but not like the myriad of problems in this remastered trilogy. 

Like any triple A game publisher that effs up big times, Rockstar issued an apology. You can read all about that noise here but basically, the apology is worth used toilet paper. There is no way Rockstar did not know that this trilogy was going out the door in such a pitiful state. That "apology" is littered with such eye rolling BS. I'd much prefer they issue a statement that read something like this.

We are stupidly rich. How rich? We can crap out three awful GTA ports that don't do the original justice and you fools that are none the wiser will be all over it like flies on stank. Welp, I'm out. These Cuban cigars ain't gonna smoke themselves.

Rude, yes, but that would be honest. 

While talking to some buddies of mine in a group chat, one of them posted the patch notes for the Switch version of the GTA Trilogy. She followed up the posted link with a SpongeBob gif. 

At first, I thought she was just having fun, but that gif perfectly summed up those patch notes. Taking every version of the release into account, the patch notes are quite extensive.

Anyone that bought the trilogy on PC will get the classic versions of these games that Rockstar delisted for free. That is, if you bought the trilogy from the Rockstar Store. And you can only play the games through their launcher. So I guess PS4/5, Xbox One/Series X and Switch owners that bought the trilogy are just stuck with these inferior versions that, as of this writing, still aren't up to snuff? 

Hey, Rockstar, a bunch of your fans are hold up a single finger to you on each hand. Can you guess which fingers they are?

Word from Digital Foundry is that the Switch version of the GTA Trilogy is the worst. But when the other versions are also trash, that is of little comfort. 

GTA Trilogy: The Definitively Awful Edition

Image: Rockstar Games

You've seen the videos, the memes, the reviews. Grand Theft Auto The Trilogy The Definitive Edition is a steaming pile of poo.

Three games. Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto San Andreas. Originally PS2 games, all of which are nearly 20 years old. I'm no tech wizard on porting games but considering the hardware we have today and how old these titles are, getting these classics on current game machines without the slew of problems this trilogy is riddled with should have been child's play. Well, it might have been if Rockstar Games actually cared about the quality of how this trilogy turned out. But given all the bugs, glitches and other myriad of performance issues across the board, it is clear as crystal that Rockstar couldn't be bothered to care about making sure these games were solid. Sonic Colors Ultimate? N64 Nintendo Switch Online Ocarina of Time? Sit down because you ain't got nothing on the GTA Trilogy The Definitive Edition.

I'm not gonna go into the details about all the problems this trilogy is rife with. Everyone under the sun is well aware of them by now. What brings my blood to a boil is the fact that a AAA game publisher has once again, released a polished turd. And a turd, no matter how polished, is still a turd. I suppose that is three turds this time since we're looking at a trilogy. 

There is no way Rockstar didn't know this trilogy was going out the door as a disaster. They didn't send out review codes to the gaming press because they knew the a tsunami of backlash was coming. The original versions of all three games were de-listed to make room for this inferior product. 

Sure, the many, many issues with GTA Trilogy can be fixed with patches. But if Rockstar truly cared, the games would not have released in such shoddy shape. I know Rockstar didn't develop the GTA Trilogy, nor did Take 2. It was handled by Grove Street Games, the company behind the mobile ports of these games and from what I've heard, those ports were not great. Knowing this, Rockstar still gave three beloved games to a studio with a proven track record that is nothing to brag about, at least when it comes to these three titles. As the publisher, Rockstar owns this fiasco. Rockstar is a company that is loaded with dough. They could have given this job to a far more competent company. But I guess they just had to rush this sucker out the door for that holiday demand. As if we didn't live in an age where news travels faster than ever and when a product is awful, it will rightfully be mocked to no end. 

The GTA Trilogy: The Definitive Edition is inexcusable. There really is no reason for these games to hit the market in such pathetic shape except for corporate greed, which once again, puts short term profits over long term gain. I was really looking forward to this trilogy, especially the Switch release. But since Rockstar couldn't even bother to get all three games on a Switch card and the trilogy is a joke, I just saved myself $60. I may as well spend that on an actual good product because practices like this release should never be rewarded.

Nintendo Switch Online EXPENSIVE Pack

Image from Nintendo

After that wonderful Animal Crossing: New Horizons Direct, which showed off a plethora of new content coming to the game in November, Nintendo dished out the details about Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, which includes N64 and SEGA Genesis games. I guess Nintendo didn't like leaving their fans feeling all happy and giddy with that New Horizon free update because they wasted no time getting us fuming by letting it be known to all that the price of Nintendo Switch Online along with the Expansion Pack would run solo payers $49.99 a year, a thirty dollar price increase. Doing the family plan? That'll be $79.99. This has lead some to calling it the Expensive Pack, a name I find quite fitting.

Given that Nintedno did not divulge the details on the NSO Expansion Pack during September's Direct, we were left to speculate on the price. I thought it might be $10 added to the $20 solo year plan. Maybe $40, which I would find more acceptable. But fifty freaking dollars?! For real?! You need only look at that massive dislike ratio on Nintendo's price announcement video of NSO Expansion Pack to see that the bulk of Switch owners are not cool with this. 

I can already hear the most die hard loyal Nintendo fans saying "But you're getting more games!" You know, you can be a mega fan of a company and still criticize them when they do something stupid and this is definitely one of those times.

Yes, we are getting more games with the Expansion Pack. But three years into NSO and the NES and SNES have come out at a snail's pace. Nintendo has been addicted to the drip feed style of game releases since the freaking Wii era. Nintendo has one of the richest libraries of retro games and not only do they move slow as molasses when it comes to releasing them, they don't even give you all of them. There is no reason we should not have access to every single one of Nintendo's NES and SNES games even the more obscure, Japan only titles such as Devil World and Joy Mecha fight and we should not have to create Japanese accounts to get them.

The other issue with NSO is that the online experience is TRASH. GARBO. DOO DOO! I'm not even talking lack of voice chat, though that is a problem, but the online play experience is a nightmare. How many lag filled matches of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate have you played? Or the atrocious slowdown that can take up Super Mario Maker 2 in co-op or versus matches? Yeah, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe runs great but it is the only exception to the rule. 

No longer can we say "At least NSO is cheap" because that argument was tossed out a ten story building and by Nintendo themselves. We're now paying $50 or more for an online experience with their games that isn't even decent. When everyone has good connection, games run great. But all it takes is that one player lagging to screw everything up.

The Genesis games, with the exception of some such as MUSHA and Strider are readily available via the SEGA Genesis Collection, with a ton of other games that you won't have to wait for to be squeezed out like the last bit of tooth paste from a tube that should have been chucked a long time ago. Contra Hard Corps and Castlevania Bloodlines can be played on the very excellent Contra Anniversay Collection and Castlevania Anniversary Collection. If you desire to play any of the aforemetnioned games, it will cost you less than what Nintendo is asking.

I will give Nintendo some credit. Two of the best battle royal experiences can only be played on the Switch with Tetris 99 and Pac-Man 99. It helps that these games also run very smoothly I only wish Nintendo would give us more games like these more often. Super Mario Bros. 35 was fantastic while it lasted. Also props to Nintendo for finally let us English speaking gamers play Panel de Pon and Mario's Super Picross, two Super Famicom games that were released on the SNES NSO app in the west for the first time ever. This marked the first time Panel de Pon was released in America under it's original name and not Tetris Attack.

Even if licensing costs for third party publishers is an issue, Nintendo is still charging way too much for a sub par online experience and games that crawl out to on their chin. I'm a huge Animal Crossing fan and I have a lot of love for N64 and Genesis titles, but this is just wrong. Nintendo deserves every bit of negative press and criticism they get for this one. 

Thank You, Sakurai

Sora is the last character to be added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, bringing an end to the added content to a game that launched on day one with a plethora of characters. Seeing Mario and Sora shake hands with the entirety of Ultimate's roster present was quite the image. Fans that have been dying to have Sora in Smash finally got their wish. As great a day as October 5th was, it also marked the end of an truly magnificent era.

Hard to believe it has been a little over 3 years since Ultimate was announced. That fire version of the Smash symbol was a great throwback to how Ultimate all began. Every now and then, I'll watch reactions to Nintendo's E3 2018 Smash Ultimate presentation. Revisiting the genuine excitement and hype from the "Everyone is Here!" trailer will never fail to amaze me. Not only do I feed off other people's joy when I see their reactions, but the trailer itself is just so dang good. 

Not only has Ultimate taken us for a wild ride, but Smash as a series has been insane. 

With Smash being the behemoth that it is, it can be easy to forget that Smash started out as a side project with a small budget. Smash has gone from a series about Nintendo characters pummeling each other to this massive celebration of video game characters. Brawl ushered in the addition of third party characters with Snake and Sonic. Smash Wii U/3DS opened the floodgates with Cloud and Bayonetta. You've seen people lose their minds when Sora was revealed a few days ago. I had that very same energy when Mega Man was revealed for Smash in 2013. I grew up playing and loving his games so while Sora wasn't a character I initially wanted, I am very happy for those that love Kingdom Hearts because I know exactly how they felt.  

Maximillan Dood said some time ago that we are living in the golden age of Super Smash Bros. with Ultimate and yeah, he's right. When you stop and think about it, Ultimate is a game that really should not exist. Getting Nintendo characters back in the game was probably easy but all those third party reps? The deals worked out to be them in had to be freaking insane, not to mention the licensing fees. There will probably never been another Smash game as ambitious as Ultimate. How do you top something like this? If I were Sakurai, when closing up the Sora presentation, I would have strapped on a jet back and blasted off into retirement. Real talk, those never ask me for anything ever again memes are the freaking truth. After this game, we really can't ask him for jack. Man is an absolute legend. If Ultimate is the last Smash game he'll have worked on, so be it. He'll have left the series on the highest of high notes.

It has been said so many times already but we really cannot say it enough. For everything you have done, for all the time you've dedicated to making Super Smash Bros. Ultimate this spectacular game that it is, thank you, thank you, thank you so very much, Masahiro Sakurai. You and you team have thrown so much passion into this game and for that. It has been an incredible journey and I am so happy I was able to take it.

Am I sad the book on Ultimate is closing? Of course I am. But Sakurai and his team deserve a long break. As the saying goes, don't cry because it's over. Be happy that it happened. 

#ThankYouSakurai

About Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl Being a Budget Game

I realize I haven't said anything about Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl on this blog until now. But I've been very excited about the game since it was announced. I've only played a handful of Super Smash Bros. clones but this one stands out from the pack for two reasons. It was developed by the same team that made the PC cult hit Slap City (another Smash clone) and it has a roster of much loved Nick Toons. Still, those two wins haven't stopped people from pointing out that Nick All-Star Brawl looks like it was made with a limited budget.

All-Star Brawl has very cartoonish visuals, which given that these are all cartoon characters, makes perfect sense. I think the game looks perfectly fine as is. I wasn't expecting Smash Ultimate style visuals or beyond for this game but some have pointed out that the graphics do have a plastic, cheapish look to them. There are also no voices for the characters, which I gotta admit does kinda sting. PC gamers will probably mode voice overs in but those of us that are playing on consoles may prenatally be outta luck.

More than likely, Nick All-Star didn't get the biggest budget or even a huge budget and if that is the case, to that I say, so what? 

You know, there was this other game that started out with a small budget. It was released in 1999. Maybe you've heard of it. It was called Super Smash Bros.

We all know how huge Smash is, but this was not always the case. Heck before Nintendo characters were in the game and it was called Smash, it featured some generic, no name polygonal fighters. The cast was eventually replaced with Nintendo icons we all know and love and the fighting mechanics were super solid, ensuring we'd come back for more. Even so, the budget for the first Smash was not big. The game's initial roster was 8 characters with 4 unlockable characters and only nine stages. For 1999, those were still some tiny numbers for stages and fighters when compared to other fighting games that were out at the time. Fast forward to 2021, and four Smash games later and the Smash series is a huge cash cow with a budget the first game could only dream of.

Nick All-Star Brawl launched with over 20 fighters and stages and is already being embraced by Smash fans as well as those of Nick Toons. Sure, it may be a game with a small budget but we all gotta start somewhere. Nick All-Star Brawl could really blown up in a similar vein to Smash.

Sora is Finally Here!

Today was the day. Masahiro Sakurai had me wake up just before 10 AM for the reveal for the final character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As I watched the reveal trailer, marveling at the production values (seriously, these Ultimate trailers have been so on point), I wondered who it could be. And it turned out to be Sora from Kingdom Hearts.

Gotta be honest, I initially was disappointed in Sora being the final character. But happiness can be quite the viral emotion and seeing so many people beaming over Sora making it into Smash, I was quickly won over. Seriously, all you Kingdom Hearts/Sora fans know how to quickly bring a guy out of his funk. And your tears of joy are truly crowning moments of heartwarming.

I honestly didn't think Sora would EVER make it into the game. After all, Walt Disney, AKA, The Mouse has a stake in the ownership of the character. Getting him into Smash had to be a real legal nightmare and I shudder just thinking of everything Sakurai, his team, Nintendo and Square Enix had to go through to make this happen. Most people would rather have several root canals while bathing in acid than dealing with anything copyright related to The Mouse.

Like so many characters, Sora looks insanely clean in this game. True to his games, he kinda bounces around in his idle animation and he's quite the floaty boy. He also comes with quite the DLC privilege. What is DLC privilege, you? Why, it's all the good stuff that DLC characters get that base game characters don't get. Sepiroth's stupidly long sword can kill you through the stage, Kazuya has some super armor and several shield breaking moves, Terry has GO! meter at 100%, you get the idea. Sora has crazy high jumps, he can combo you to the blast zone, kill you and still return to the stage, and he's got fire, ice and thunder magic. 

Those alternate costumes though! Seriously, I think I am loving those alts better than his OG outfit! Call it blasphemy, but I think his Kingdom Hearts II alt trumps his original. That black just looks so dang sleek. But the one I will probably use the most is the Timeless River alt. Man, the effort that had to go into that one. Yeah, all those alts look amazing but Timeless River is gonna be my main Sora pick, much like how I always go Enderman when using Steve. 

Sora was a really good character to end Ultimate's huge roster on and I say that as someone who is not a Kingdom Hearts fan. He the most request character and all odds, Sora is here and he looks really freaking good. October 18th is gonna be lit.

Oh and I am totally getting that Doom Guy Mii Gunner costume and teaming up with Isabelle. I ain't even mad at all at that costume.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land: Kirby in BIG TIME 3D

The existence of a new Kirby title was sadly leaked one day ago. Even so, the reveal trailer for Kirby and the Forgotten Land during today's Nintendo Direct has gotten me far more excited about the game.

Set to release in Spring 2022, Kirby and the Forgotten Land will arrive just in time for the pink puff's 30th anniversary. I'm wondering if the game will release on Apirl 27, 2022, because that is the day Kirby's Dream Land released in Japan way back in 1992, but even if it doesn't I'm stoked regardless.

Now we've had 3D Kirby games before. Kirby Air Ride is probably the first one that comes to mind. There was also Kirby 3D Rumble as well as Kirby's Blowout Blast. But Air Ride was a racing game and 3D Rumble and Blowout Blast were mini games. Outside of all being 3D titles, none of them were mainline Kirby games. They also weren't 3D in the same grand scale as Forgotten Land appears to be.

The Forgotten land sees Kirby adventuring through what looks to be a post apocalyptic world. Cities are littered with damaged roads and collapsed buildings. Buildings that are still standing have green growing out of them like crazy. Along with familiar Kirby enemies, huge, dangerous beasts are roaming the land and seas and a couple of them look like they wouldn't mind having Kirby as an appetizer. 

The title and look of this Kirby entry reminds me of one Kirby game in particular. No doubt you Kirby diehards reading this know the one. I am of course talking about Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards on the N64. In that game you went to different planets collecting the shattered crystal pieces. Your journey took you to a desert world, a lava world and of course, and yes, an ice world, Shiver Star, which was without question the most interesting of all the worlds you explored. No ordinary ice planet, Shiver Star appears to be a frozen Earth. The geography of the planet is very much like our own Earth. There are no humans to be seen but creepy factories with all kinds of weird creatures can be found here.

Shiver Star was an unusual area for a Kirby game at the time (the game released in 2000) and this is coming from a series that unleashes some nightmarish baddies upon the player. I couldn't help but be reminded of this icey, forsaken world when I watched Kirby roam through the Forgotten Land in the reveal trailer for his newest adventure. Like Shiver Star, we didn't see a single human in the trailer. Did the all leave the planet as was the case with Shiver Star? How much time has passed since the Forgotten Land came to be known as such? What other live dwells on the planet? So many questions that I want/need answers to.

Since Kirby's Return to Dream Land released, the series has given us massive lore dumps. You might not expect that from a kid's platforming game but Kirby lore has become one of the many reasons I've adored this series throughout the years. Magalor hinting that he might know Marx, the possibility of Void Termina being a warped version of whatever species Kirby is along with that crazy cult Highness runs; every bit of Kirby lore the mainline games gives us is like coming across water in a desert and we have to chug it down. I cannot wait to see what lore Forgotten Land brings to the table.

I was reminded of another game as I watched the reveal trailer; Super Mario Odyssey. Watching Kirby run, jump and float about in this strange world, I couldn't help but think of Mario's most recent 3D sandbox outing. If the team behind Odyssey is helping with Forgotten Land, I'm all for it.

Man, spring 2022 is gonna be lit. 

And how often will we be able to roll with a squad of chics/ducklings?

Screens from Nintendo

Kirby Manga Mania is Bonkers and is Awesome Because it is Bonkers

When I heard that a Kirby manga was being translated to English speaking audicences for the first time (legally), I was thrilled. First, I didn't even know there was a Kirby manga, but given the cute cream puff's popularity, it shouldn't have been a surprise. Second, well, there is no second, so that that pretty much wraps that up.

What is Kirby Manga Mania? If you're thinking the title sounds very similar to Super Mario Manga Mania that released last year, you'd be right. Much like Super Mario-kun received a name change for it's first official English release, Kirby's second longest running manga is getting the same treatment. 

Written and illustrated by mangaka Hirokazu Hikawa, in Japan, Kirby Manga Mania is known as Hoshi no Kabyi: Dedede de Pupupu na Mongatari, or Kirby of the Stars: The Story of Dedede Who Lives in Pupupu. Knowing what the manga was called in Japan after finishing the first volume, sheds a bit more light on the stories since King Dedede has appeared in every chapter. The manga ran from April 27, 1995 to October 27, 2006, clocked in at 25 volumes. The fact that English speaking audiences are already slated to get volumes 2 and 3 is excellent news for Kirby fans such as myself. 

But man, Kirby manga! How cool would this be?! Seeing Kirby go on all kinds of crazy, world saving adventures, defeating gods like he does in the games? Well, there was none of that. The thought occurred to me that Kirby Manga Mania might be different from what I was expecting, but what I got was something else entirely. Kirby Manga Mania is, in a word, bonkers. In two words, really bonkers. In three words, really freaking bonkers.

The premise for Kirby Manga Mania can be summed up as follows: Dedede is trying to live his life and like wrecking ball, Kirby swings in and ruins everything. Being a child, Kirby is often oblivious to making Dedede's life miserable but that doesn't stop him from using his Copy ability to often make things worse. In the first story, Dedede is enjoying a picnic until Kirby descends, accidentally gets drunk (the story says Kirby is "loopy" but we all know what that means) throws a tantrum and rants to his majesty about life. That may sound too crazy and unlike Kirby to be true, but I promise you, I did not make up any of what I just wrote. All of that is a legit. 

The Kirby in Kirby Manga Mania is the biggest mischief maker we've ever seen him be. Kirby has the time of his life while Dedede is burned, smashed or crushed over and over again. You might think this makes the manga stale, but the outlandish scenarios Kirby and the gang get into manages to keep things fresh. I think my favorite story involves Kirby and Dedede getting into a fight that escalates to them each founding their own nations. Yes, you read that correctly. 

Outside of Kirby and Dedede, Poppy Bros Jr., Adeline, Rick, Coo, Kine, Gooey and other Kirby familiars show up. The art style is very round-ish, reminding me a lot of earlier manga works. 

This is very much a children's gag manga and is a wonderful contrast to the more serious, dark manga the market is rife with. But just because children are the target audience, that doesn't mean adults won't get lots of kicks out of it. I sure did and I am eagerly anticipating the next two volumes and hoping we get more.

The First Big Mario Golf: Super Rush Update SUCKS!!!

Image from Nintendo

Ah, golf. It's... a sport where you whack a ball with a stick. I've never been a big sports fan. I'll watch someone else on the b-ball court or in the outfield before I get in on the action myself. Unless we're talking about video game sports. I might be down for that, especially if it is arcade style sports. But if Mario and the gang are involved then I am SO in. 

I haven't played a Mario Golf game since the GNC's Toadstool Tour and as far as tee titles go, that one was a GOAT. Mario Golf: Super Rush caught my interest with every passing bit of info I'd collected on the game. The mechanics are solid and continues to be a game I keep coming back to, even though golf titles always manage to tilt me some kinda way and Super Rush is no different.

One look at that character select roster and you could tell more characters would be added to Super Rush after launch. I'm glad we got some of my favorites like Pauline, Daisy and Rosalina right out of the gate (if you like Peach, you're dead to me). But when I found out Toadette was dropping along with New Donk City on in the new update, I was thrilled! And then I get to her on the character select screen and I get slapped in the face with disappointment. 

Um, where is Toadette's special golf wear? Yeah, she's got a golf glove but everyone has one of those. "Well, Yoshi doesn't have a golf outfit," you say, nonchalantly. Of course, Yoshi doesn't have a golf outfit! That dino has been going commando since 1990! Why would I expect Yoshi to start wearing golf clothes now?! Even Bowser cleaned up for his return to the links! Toad? That little dude is sporting some major swagger! But Toadette? Nope, they couldn't bother to give her new clothes.

Toadette has been moving up in the Mario universe. She was in Captain Toad's Treasure Tracker and was a full blown playable character. She was even the boss of the construction crew in the story mode of Super Mario Maker 2. She is not your average Toad. Yet she's treated like an after thought.

OK, so no golf wear for Toadette. How does she play? I've spent more time on the green with her than any of the aforementioned best girls. She's freaking great. Her joy gives me life and every time I get a bogey I feel like I haven't failed myself, but that I've failed her. She needs to be protected.

New Donk City? Best golf course in the game. It was a fantastic local in Super Mario Odyssey, so I'm always down to revisit it in some form or another. The streets server as rocky areas and when hitting your ball, you have to be mindful of the streets, stoplights and anything else that can server as a hazard. There are tons of chances for holes in ones here. I'm hoping we get more courses with this much care placed into them in future updates.

Buuuuuuuuut...

Despite bringing one of my favorite locals to a solid golf game, the first new big update for Super Rush sucks because of how they did my girl Toadette so dirty. You expect me to shut up and enjoy this super fun game, the free new course and character that is totes adorbs? Nah, son. #Toadettematters

I don't think I need to say so, but in case it went over anyone's head, I love the new update and I'm only a bit miffed that Toadette doesn't get a fancy golf costume. 

Apparently, Demand is Needed for FINAL FANTASY Pixel Remasters to Come to Other Platforms

How many times has SQUARE ENIX re-released the earlier FINAL FANTASY games? A-friggin'-lot, that's how many. The latest series of releases comes in the form of FINAL FANTASY Pixel Remasters, remakes of the first six FF entries. And because SQUARE ENIX felt like being on some Nintendo ish, they decided to toss these games to the PC and mobile market. Because getting these remakes on consoles would take demand.

Psst. Hey, SQUARE ENIX. I don't know if you know but THIS IS FINAL FREAKING FANTASY!!! OF COURSE THERE IS DEMAND!!! Of all the tone deaf... *Ahem*

Bringing Pixel Remaster to consoles, especially the Switch, just seems like it would be a no brainer. We have updated versions of FINAL FANTASY VII, VII, IX, X, X-2 and XII on consoles. Why keep remakes of the first six games off those same systems? The Switch has sold over 80 million units in just a little over 4 years time. That sucker prints money. FINAL FANTASY is a cash cow franchise and the Pixel Remasters will have some people's favorites among them. My personal fav is FINAL FANTASY VI and I was hoping I'd be able to play a version of it on the Switch someday. Looks like I'll still be waiting since SQUARE ENIX has to see if there is enough demand for them to be on consoles. 

This is a wait and see approach that isn't even needed. Pixel Remaster carries the FINAL FANTASY name. On mobile and the PC market, these remakes are going to sell like gang busters. Now that Pixel Remaster of games I, II and III have released and word is getting out that fan's initial reaction was overblown, I suspect more people that refused to buy these remakes or were on the fence about them will be making purchases. 

Actually, let's talk a bit about said overblown reaction, shall we?

When the Pixel Remaster games were first announced, they drew ire from gamers that weren't digging the new sprites. I get that these aren't the original sprites, but I wouldn't call them awful and they are heads and shoulders above the character sprites from the mobile versions of FFI-VI. Warrior of Light actually keeps his fierce NES-era expression in battle and the sprites have the, well, old-school pixel look of early FF games. Basically, the Pixel Remaster sprites do a better job of portraying the original sprites than the mobile versions. 

If you're still having trouble adjusting to the new sprites, take comfort in the fact that Kazuko Shibuya, a pixel artist that has worked on the original six games FF games (and more), has returned to work on the remakes. So think of these new sprites as tweaked versions of the older ones. Lighter in color but still very expressive. Until I was writing this up, I didn't know Ms. Shibuya had a very important hand in creating some of my favorite games. So I learned something today.

I also wasn't aware that Pixel Remaster has new music arrangements, supervised by the man himself, Nobuo Uematsu. I'll have more to say about the music in these remakes in later blog post. 

I do believe we will see these games on the Switch sometime. A pity that sometime isn't right now.

Screenshots from SQUARE ENIX.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics Open with Video Game Music Playing During the Event

Yesterday was the opening of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. If you caught the opening ceremony and your ears perked up to the music that played during the the grand event and thought "Waitaminit, I KNOW that song!" No, you weren't going crazy. They really did use orchestral video game music during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and it is every bit as badawesome as it sounds.

To those that aren't super into gaming, it may come as a surprise to know that video game music is freaking huge in Japan. Sure, it has made some greater strides here in the states with more albums on Spotify and the like. But long before streaming music was even a thing, game music was always a big deal in the Land of the Rising sun. In Japan, stores regularly sell video game soundtracks. We aren't that lucky here in America, but I gotta say, the fact that athletes around the world got to take the stage while so many video game bangers were playing? That is unbearably cool! 

So what music was used for those of you that missed it or weren't familiar with all of the tracks? Well, you can view the full list here, but among the tracks used were Roto's Theme (DRAGON QUEST), Frog's Theme (Chrono Trigger), Proof of a Hero (Monster Hunter), Song of the Ancients (Nier), Star Light Zone (Sonic the Hedgehog) and First Flight (Ace Combat).

No, there was no Nintendo music used during the event. Fossil Falls (Super Mario Odyssey) would have been EPIC as would Gusty Garden (Super Mario Galaxy) but Nintendo sucks at sharing their game music with others and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

But what was played? Maaaaaaaaaan, that was LIT!!! There's a lot of tracks I've never heard before or some I haven't heard in so long they may as well be new to me. I've got some new favorite tracks and I'm gonna have to check out music from the Monster Hunter series as well as Tales of Graces. 

I never thought I'd see the day where the Olympics open with music playing from FINAL FANTASY, SaGa, Gradius, Kingdom Hearts, and Soul Caliber, but in 2021, that is exactly what happened and I am SO, totally about it!!!

Why Streaming Will Never Completely Take Over for My Video Game Music Listening

Streaming services have drastically changed the way we watch shows, get our news and listen to music. I've long been a user of YouTube and Netflix but it took quite some time before I made the migration to streaming platforms for my music needs. It is super convenient to have all of my music accessible in one place. Well, it would be if the primary music I listen to, video game music, were more readily available on music streaming apps.

Be it rock, classical, jazz, or gospel, I can make a playlist out of those genres easily on Spotify or YouTube Music. Finding stuff from Chicago, the Spinners, the Bee Gees or Imagine Dragon, most if not all of the music from those groups and more can easily be found on popular music streaming platforms. When it comes to video game music, however, the selection is really lacking. 

SEGA, Bandi Namco, SNK, SQUARE EXIX and several other game companies have gotten on the ball and brought some of their game soundtracks to music streaming platformers. I can listen to just about every soundtrack from the Tekken series or choose from the playlist of my favorites on either Spotify or YouTube music. A hefty supply of music from SNK's history is available including the Fatal Fury albums, The King of Fighters, Metal Slug as well as the short lived Last Blade series. Thankfully, more recent titles such as Katana ZERO, Pander Paladin and Hades are on Spotify. Music from indie titles as well as the newer game scores are more likely to pop up on music apps. But older stuff like FINAL FANTASY MYSTIC QUEST, Cybernator and such are far less likely to appear on music streaming services, at least legally. And due to the tricky nature of copyright such as more than one party owning something, a lot of game music just isn't gonna be available on these apps. Frankly, what is currently available, while it may seem like a huge selection, is really a drop in the vast ocean that is video game music.

The video game music community has been a treasure to me over the years. Long before some of the game soundtracks on some of these streaming sites were up, they would provide game rips of tons upon tons of game music. The sad reality is, there are a copious amount of games that do not get official soundtrack releases. And if if they do, they are often out of print or are not easily accessible. For every Streets of Rage 2, a game that is highly regarded for it's amazing soundtrack, there are hundreds of MUSHAs, a lesser known game with outstanding music that has never had any sort of official soundtrack release.

Quality is also an issue when it comes to official game soundtracks. Just because it is an official release, that doesn't mean the sound quality of the music is the greatest or even decent. It would be ideal for every official soundtrack release to have superb sound quality but even some of the kings of game music end up getting screwed. Mega Man, a series known far and wide for it's music has music from Mega Man 1-6 on Spotify in some of the most shoddy quality. Mega Man 3-6 sound decent-ish but Mega Man 1-2 got horribly butchered and there is no way I can enjoy Wood Man's glorious theme in that pee poor quality. Capcom should be ashamed of themselves for representing part of the Blue Bomber's music in such a subpar manner. I've got gamerips of Mega Man 1-6 that sound worlds better than what Capcom has offered. Mega Man 7-10's soundtracks aren't even up on Spotify but considering how the previous game soundtracks turned out, that may be a blessing. At least Mega Man 11 came out unscathed and the Mega Man Zero soundtracks sound good. Mind you, I'm, not an audio freak but when someone as untrained as me can spot this lousy audio quality, there's a serious problem.

Oh and it isn't just Capcom that's in on this meh-music quality. SQUARE ENIX has also dipped a few toes in the water. Much of the FINAL FANTASY music that is up on Spotify sounds really, really freaking good. But the NES versions of FINAL FANTASY I and II are based off of the original soundtrack release from the 1980s in Japan. This album release has awful sound balance leading to you getting more sound in one ear and far less in the other. What's crazy about this whole fiasco is that SQUARE ENIX has had so many chances to correct this issue but each time the company has released the 8-bit versions of FINAL FANTASY I & II's music, they always go with this off sounding version. Again, I've got gamerips that had more effort put into them than the official material. Sometimes the fans really do appreciate the company's work more than they do.

If there's one company that knows what's up when it comes to getting music on streaming apps, it is undoubtedly Falcom. Looking through their discography on Spotify displays no meager selection but a plethora of gaming soundtracks from past to present. No, everything they've done isn't up. But compared to every other gaming company that has uploaded music to Spotify, they have done far more than the bear minimum. Falcom is a company known for having stellar game music so it shouldn't be that surprising that they've got the most to offer. Ys, Sorcerian, The Legend of Heroes, Best Selections, Falcom Special Boxes; if you're looking for it, you'll probably find it on Spotify. Slacking game companies, take notes from Falcom. This is how you give your game music better exposure.

I am eternally grateful that I can listen to game soundtracks such as OutRun, Super Hang-On, the near entirety of TEKKEN, the mainline FINAL FANTASY series, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, and so, so, so much Falcom material on Spotify. But there is just way too much game music that cannot be found on Spotify and other music apps. Because of this, streaming will never fully became my sole means for getting my game music fix. And until game companies start making more and more music widely available, I'll keep looking to the video game music community to let the music play.

Nintendo Switch LOLED (OLED)

Image from Nintendo

"Nintendo Switch Pro! 4K, baby!" If you're one of the many Switch owners, no doubt you've heard the rumors that have been spreading like wild fires about a new Switch model. This isn't the first time rumors like this one has made the rounds. Given Nintendo's history of updating their handhelds, thinking that a "superior" version of the Switch could be in the works isn't completely out of the question. And while Nintendo did put such rumors of a Switch Pro to rest, this didn't stop people's imaginations from running wild. Until Nintendo released this little video.

Meet the newest member of the Nintendo Switch family, the OLED model. Among the new features, it has better speakers, a wider screen and the ability to crush the hopes and dreams of leakers, rumor spreaders and those that believe them. 

Understandably, there was some, ahem, disappointment.

See kids, this is why I place zero stock in rumors. I don't even follow the dang things, but this Switch Pro business has been so persistent that it keeping myself unaware of the existence of such a rumor was impossible. I don't give a rat's buttocks how credible the source is when it comes to rumors. Unless the company in charge comes out, lays down some confirmation, a rumor is just a rumor, not true. So when the OLED was revealed, I couldn't help but find the news very amusing.

Yes, rumor spreaders, leakers and those that believed in the Switch Pro rumors, I am very much delighting in your misery. You have no one to blame but yourselves for getting hyped up for something that you didn't even have confirmation that existed. The salt you guys are generating is almost as good as Smash fan salt.

I do like the look of the initial OLED model. Like the Switch Lite, it may get more colors, but this one is looking super sleek. 

But do I personally have a reason to upgrade to this version of the Switch? Nah. I don't even use my Switch's kickstand because it just sucks. I bought a very nice Hori stand a few years ago and it still works just as well as the day I unboxed it. I'm also not hurting for storage at the moment as I've still got space left on my 256 GB SD card. Yeah, the bigger screen is nice and the built in Ethernet port is sure to make online players happy. However, right now, there isn't much reason for me to buy an OLED.

Those of you that don't own a Switch and have been considering buying one, if you can get an OLED when October rolls around, I say go for it. I can see Switch owners that have multiple Switch coping this thing. If I ever do buy another Switch, I'll probably get the OLED. 

For better and for worse Nintendo operates on a level that pretty much no on else in the video game industry does. "Lateral thinking with withered technology," was the design philosophy that the late and great Gunpei Yokoi lived by. Make great games with technology that has been around for some time. It was the driving force behind both the Game & Watch line of handhelds and the Game Boy, the later, of which went on to dominate every single piece of vastly superior hardware that tried to compete against it. Yokoi's line of thinking still resides within Nintendo to this very day. The Switch is not as powerful as the PS4, whatever the new Xbox is and yet it has gone on to break records. This method of designing gaming systems also keeps the cost of hardware down. People that want a 4K Switch probably haven't stopped to consider what the asking price on such a Switch would be. For what the current models of the Switch families can do, they are really affordable. 

Here's a little something for you rumor spreaders and those of you that bought into those rumors.

Kazuya Has Landed in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Image via Event Hubs

We saw Masahiro Sakurai demonstrate the intricate workings of Kazuya on Monday and I ain't gonna lie, I'm kinda shook. I'm not saying Kazuya is unstoppable, but the dude has so much good stuff going for him. And now he's available so we've been seeing for ourselves just how good he is.

Kazuya very much feels like a Tekken character. One of the most remarkable things Sakurai and his team have done throughout the Smash games is make characters feel faithful to the games they've come from. Having said that, it feels so weird to play as Kazuya in Ultimate. Like, his moves and the way he feels is freaking amazing but then I pause and think, "Man, is this really real?" I'm overjoyed that our Tekken rep is Kazuya but I guess I'm still reeling over the fact that this actually became a thing.

So many of his moves can kill. Even if you are at 60 or 70%, I would not relax around Kazuya. I'm not sure if I'd call him noob friendly. Despite being a casual fighting game fan, I have been playing the Tekken games since Tekken 2 and while I think some new players will certainly get some wins, he's gonna take some serious skill to use effectively. Forget the day one combos. I wanna see what invested players come up with in a few weeks/months down the line. 

You might wanna be careful shielding around Kazuya. Man has a couple of moves that are straight "Nah, son!" and a few are shield breaks. I already feel for Jiggleypuff mains. Pretty sure Hungrybox died a little when I saw those RIP shield moves.

When I hear some of the tracks being used during the Mr. Sakurai Presents "Kazuya" demo, I was getting excited. I am hype beyond hype that Moonlit Wilderness made it in. That track is a huge fan favorite and deserves all the love it gets. But when I saw that the song total for Kazuya was 39, my jaw dropped. I was expecting maybe 18 to 25 tracks. But 39? That places Kazuya as the second highest with songs from a third party series right behind Terry. 

There are 8 new arrangements and 32 original songs spread across almost the entire Tekken series. Even spin off titles like Tekken Tag Tournament and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 got song picks. Two tracks I did not expect to see are Opening Movie from Tekken Tag Tournament and Poolside from Tekken 5. Both of those rank pretty high on my list of Tekken jams so I'm stoked that they made it in.

Am I a bit miffed by the song list? Only a little. I would have loved for Eddy Stage and Nina from Tekken Tag Tournament to be among the tracks. Dragon's Nest is another one I wanted. But really, it's hard for me to stay sour. I mean, 39 songs, eight of them arrangements and a killer selection. Even if you aren't excited for Kazuya, you should get him anyway just to add these tracks to the game. And if you've never heard anything of Tekken music outside of what's in Smash, check out Bandai Namco's official Tekken soundtracks on YouTube. They are SO good.

No yeeting a losing opponent into a volcano/off a cliff as one of Kazuya's victory screens along with that smirk? Man, that is one seriously missed opportunity. 

Sonic the Hedgehog is 30 and that Makes Me Feel Old

This missed the June 23rd date, I know. I was working and crying about F-ZERO being dead. Despite not being on time, I wanted to have a write up on such a monumental anniversary.

I did not welcome Sonic with open arms. No, my arms were quite hostile. Those 16-bit Genesis/SNES wars you hear about? Well I took part of them! In the beginning, anyway. And they were glorious! OK, really all it was was kids on playgrounds arguing over how the SNES or the Genesis was better and how Sonic was so cool and fast and Mario was slow and for kids. 

My initial dislike for the world's most famous hedgehog came about from SEGA of America's aggressive marketing. They never missed a moment to slam Nintendo or their plumber mascot. To me, Sonic's very existence threatened Mario's so I had to dislike him. That all changed when I went over to Justin's house after Sunday school. Seeing the game in action for more than 30 seconds was life changing to my little 10 year old brain. Sonic was everything SEGA said he was, fast, heroic and yes, cool. From that day on, I found out that it was possible to like Mario AND Sonic at the same time.

Many would like to say that Sonic's best days have long passed him by. At the risk of coming off as some kind of Sonic apologist, I don't believe every game from the 16-bit era was 100% gold. In fact, I'm pretty vocal at expressing my distaste that some of those games before the Dreamcast and modern era are quite flawed (glaring at you, Sonic CD) and plenty of fans and critics alike are quick to dismiss those flaws or flat out ignore them. I also don't think every 3D Sonic outside of Colors is tripe that ruined the series. Yeah, there are some major stinkers in Sonic's catalog but to say that whole series should be taken out behind the barn and shot is pure rubbish. Besides if that happened, we wouldn't have gotten 2017's excellent retro-inspired Sonic Mania. Sure, Sonic may be past his prime but if we've learned anything from Sonic's long career it is that he's one hedgehog that you shouldn't think is completely out of the game.

Yup, Sonic is 30. As a guy that is just days away from exiting the 30s and joining the 40 club, that makes me feel a bit old. But he isn't too far behind me in age and he and his buddies did have a hand in helping make my childhood cool. 

I am very much stoked that one of my favorite Sonic games, Sonic Colors is coming back in HD via Sonic Colors Ultimate. I'm also super jazzed that Sonic 3 & Knuckles is going to be included in next year's Sonic Origins collection. Did SEGA finally get the music mess with that game sorted out? Man, I hope so because I will go ballistic to play my favorite Sonic game on the Switch. Yes, that is still my favorite Sonic game ever, sorry Sonic Mania fans. 

As for Sonic's 2022 game? I'm curious to see how that game turns out but at the same time, I can see why some would be preparing for the worst, given Sonic's history, but like I said a few paragraphs upward, he's one unpredictable rodent. 

Whatever the future holds for our spiky blue friend, you can count on one thing: no matter how many times he falls, he gets back up and keeps running. And if that isn't a valuable lesson from a video game mascot, I don't know what is.

F-ZERO is Dead

I love F-ZERO. 

Back in the 16-bit days when I really wasn't into racing games, the first F-ZERO entry along with Super Mario Kart helped get me into the genre. Since then I've played more racing games than I ever imagined, including every game in the F-ZERO series that made it outside of Japan. 

F-ZERO is freaking awesome. The cars, the characters, the comic book aesthetic, the rock/metal music, the insane tracks, the sanity crushing difficulty. I love all of it. Or I guess I should say, I did.

F-ZERO being dead isn't a newsflash. The last entry to release outside of Japan was F-ZERO GP Legend on the GBA and that was way back in 2004. When a game hasn't had a new entry in almost twenty years, that is what you call a dead franchise.

Nintendo's futuristic racer has never had the numbers of Mario or the Legend of Zelda series and like any game company, Nintendo is in the business to make money, which is part of the reason we have not seen a new F-ZERO in almost two decades now. The other reason is that Nintendo is under the strong impression that they need to do something new with the to bring the series back. 

I'm all for innovation but new ideas or new ways to play a game don't always pay off. Star Fox Zero was the Star Fox series long awaited return and due to Nintendo's insistence on motion controls and dual screen play, it alienated a large enough portion of fans to once again ground Fox McCloud. I firmly believe Nintendo could bring F-ZERO back on the Switch, introducing the series to a whole new generation, but as long as they remain stuck on a "grand new idea," F-ZERO is pretty much retired.

Strange as it may sound, seeing Kazuya throw Captain Falcon into a volcano during his Super Smash Bros. Ultimate reveal trailer, while it stung, helped me better accept that F-ZERO is dead. I think most would agree that it was very much symbolic of F-ZERO's status with Nintendo right now.

Yeah, F-ZERO is "sleeping" alright. Sleeping eternally. 

Nintendo, I'mma Need You to Chill

I wonder if Nintendo is making up for 2020 by dumping so many games on us for the rest of 2021. Between Nintendo and third parties, the Switch is loaded with the good stuff and I'm pretty sure I heard my wallet fear for its life during Nintendo's E3 Direct.

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania was leaked before Nintendo's E3 presentation, but I am still super jazzed for this collection. The first two Super Monkey Ball titles and Deluxe, remastered. Yeah, son, I am here for that. When I pre-ordered my copy, I saw that it comes with a slew of goodies like stickers and an art book. October is gonna be lit!

And speaking of October... Metroid Dread! All of a sudden Metroid Prime 4's development issues don't seem all that important because we got a shine new Metroid game that's just a little over 3 months away! Mercury Steam's work on Metroid: Samus Returns, a remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus was awesome and I am so excited to see them at the helm of the fifth mainline Metroid title. And it looks like we are getting those lovely horror themes from Fusion. As much as the SA-X creeped me out in that game, I'm down to run for my life once again. 

The last new entry in the WarioWare series was Game & Wario on the Wii U and that came out in 2013. WarioWare Gold for the 3DS was a greatest hits collection (still cool, tough) with some new microgames. WarioWare: Get it Together! is a straight up new game and it looks like crazy, Japanese, WarioWare craziness, sooo, *in Rual Julia M. Bison voice* of course, I love it! Can't wait to see what the WarioWare gang is up to! Is Mona still singing? Is Ashley still living in that haunted mansion? What kind of retro game set up in 9-Volt rocking? These are the important questions that we need answers to. 

Advance Wars 1+2 remakes? That was totally left field but I'm sure Advance Wars fans were like dogs on fire hydrants over Re-boot Camp. I actually own both original GBA carts. I've played some of the first one bur Black Hole Rising is still sealed in the box. And it is gonna stay sealed because the remakes look CLEAN. Thankfully this compilation doesn't release until December, giving my wallet a little breathing room.

Mario Golf: Super Rush is due this Friday. I had considered passing on this game but the more I see of it, the more stoked I get. So, yeah, I'll be playing it Friday after work. 

Breath of the Wild II, or whatever Nintendo calls it; I am so freaking happy that game isn't coming out until 2022. This year is already packed with too many games and my pre-order list is packed as is. The last thing I need is to squeeze in another $60 game. And I haven't even mentioned all the games Nintendo showed that I'm jazzed about because there are too many. 

Nintendo, can you please chill for a bit? Like, it would be perfectly fine if you didn't do any big Directs for the rest of the year. Before I watched that Direct, I already had several games on pre-order. Now, I've got way more and that is largely because what what shown is due this year. So, just chill for a while Nintendo. I admire that strong presents you got but I really need you to reign it in, or rather, my wallet needs you to.

Kazuya Comes to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to Yeet Cast into Volcano

Nintendo had their E3 presentation this week, via Nintendo Direct on Tuesday. As I suspected, they kicked things off with a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate character reveal. And since Masahiro Sakurai clearly wrote the script for this reveal, the trailer opened up with the death of a character, in this case, Gannondorf. Yes, the king of evil was chucked into a volcano by none other than Kazuya Mishima from the TEKKEN series. 

Looking at the third party reps we've gotten thus far, I didn't think a TEKKEN rep was out of the realm of possibilities. Sakurai did say in the past that he didn't think adding a TEKKEN character would be possible but I didn't hear of this until after Kazuya was revealed. But given the fighters in TEKKEN, if we were to get a rep from this series, my money was on two brawlers, Heihachi or Kazuya. Really, these two were the only logical choices to represent the series in Ultimate.

I'm not a die hard TEKKEN head but even as a casual fan, I do greatly enjoy the series, having played nearly every mainline entry. And Kazuya is a fun character even if you aren't maining him. There's just something about beating on your opponents with the scared Mishima that feels right. If you're worried about projectiles, fret not. Most of the TEKKEN cast are hand to hand fighters. Still, the TEKKEN fighters are some heavy hitters and Kazuya hits like a couple of tanks. That 10 hit combo you saw? That has been a TEKKEN staple since the very first game. It may be pretty complicated to pull off (I could never to the 10 strings) but even his normal moves look nasty. 

Kazuya is looking to have an impressive set of tools but his recovery is probably gonna be garbo. The TEKKEN crew aren't the best in the air and since he's from a fighting game, Kazuya will more than likely have the turn around mechanic that Ryu, Ken and Terry have during one-on-one fights, which I'm perfectly fine with. Being the dirty casual that I am, I can't wait to see how Kazuya is in free-for-all matches and with Spirits. 10 hit combo with Spirits? In the word of the late Captain Falcon, YES!

I gotta admit, it did sting to see Captain Falcon get yeeted like that considering how Nintendo has neglected the F-ZERO series for so long. 

But you wanna know the best part about Kazuya being added to Ultimate? We get TEKKEN music! Man, I don't think you can even comprehend how much I love the music from the TEKKEN series. From the first game up to the latest installment, TEKKEN beats are fire. Emotionless Passion is sure to be included in Kazyua's stage. We heard the original version as well as a sick arrangement during the reveal trailer. I would love for Bandai Namco to let Sakurai and the gang go wild like SNK did with Terry's music selection. However, if that doesn't happen, I do have some songs I'd love to make it in:

Man of Artificiality, I'm Here Now 7s remix, For Hidden Characters, Moonlight Wilderness, Moonsiders 1st, Eddy, Nina, Aim to Win, Dragon's Nest, Marine Stadium, Chicago, USA, Fiji, The Place, 1997, to name a few.

I'm hoping we get a lot of the PS versions of music from TEKKEN 1-3 songs. Not that the arcade versions are bad, but they really do sound like far less fleshed out tracks compared to the PS versions. 

And was anyone really scared for Kirby? Besides sucking, everyone knows the pink puff ball is famous for flying. Still, it was humorous to see Kirby shrug off being tossed into a volcano and just fly out like a G.

Oh and because I feel this post would be incomplete with out it, here's a GIF of Kazuya's (in)famous smile in the first TEKKEN.

Game Builder Garage Has CRAZY Potential

When Nintendo revealed Game Builder Garage in early May, eager would-be couch developer's eyes grew wide, mine included. A legit game creator editor, made by Nintendo themselves, the company notorious for crushing fan projects? Sign us up yesterday! And the asking price is only a cool $30? Gimme, gimme!!!

So, as I write this, the game has been out for a only three days. I've yet to play my copy because I've been busy working and I want some time to really sit down and enjoy it. You know, ease myself into game developing. Unlike Super Mario Maker 2, Game Builder Garage is a little more complicated. OK, so it's A LOT more complicated. Sure the game advertises that anyone can be a game developer but from what I've read and seen, some devs will adapt faster than others. There are some pretty in depth tutorials to help you get you going but even then, it may take you a while to do something like make a 3D camera, or make sprites.

Again, only three days have passed since GBG dropped and already, players have come up with some very impressive stuff. Sonic, DOOM, Super Mario Kart, troll games (yes, they are out there, deal with it) and so much more. As intimidated as I felt about dipping my feet in the water when it came to the first Super Mario Maker, I feel so much more apprehensive about making a game in GBG because in so little time, players have set the bar so tremendously high. At the same time that their creativity makes me feel inadequate, it also adds fuel to my fire. 

If people can build some of the amazing creations we've seen this early on, I can only imagine what we'll see when players get even more time with GBG, really start adjusting to it. The potential GBG has is freaking crazy. I really want Nintendo to give this game updates and new features. If GBG grows a community like Super Mario Maker 2, it could have a nice, healthy life span ahead of it. It looks like the only limit (besides the game nodes) is our imaginations and I'm ready to let mine run wild.

Also, I want a Person Node plush. Available in all the colors. Get on it, Nintendo.

Nintendo Has Created Its Own Legacy Problem

Image by The Verge

Nintendo has once again achieved victory over a site that housed some of its ROMs. If a site has ROMs to their games on, the Big N is not having any of that noise. And Nintey is perfectly within their legal rights to do so. These are their IPs and as everyone knows, Nintendo is quite the papa wolf when it comes to guarding their property. Unfortunately, Nintendo is sole big contributor to their legacy problem. The Switch could have every single one of Nintendo's NES and SNES (and probably N64 as well as GCN) games on it but the only ones keeping that from happening is Nintendo.

You see, Nintendo has this awful habit of, well, being Nintendo. They make some really strange, and quite frankly, stupid decisions on a regular basis. Yeah, I love the games that come from Nintey, but at the same time, I gotta call them out on the nonsense. Nintendo's odd ball choices include peer to peer online, which is why you get all that wonderful lag in Super Mario Maker 2.

"But Reg, Nintendo has old-school games on Nintendo Switch Online!" Those meager offering that amount to samplings? HA, I say, and HA again. What's currently available doesn't even scratch the surface of Nintendo's extensive old-school game library.

Say what you want about Disney. They are money and power hungry. But man, is Disney+ awesome. I love physical media but it is more than nice to have access to so much of Disney's history in one super convenient app. In the mood for some old Donald Duck or Goofy shorts? All the temper tantrums and hyucks are just a few scrolls and taps away. All of the Disney catalog wasn't there for our viewing pleasure on day one (it still isn't) but what was there from the get go was massive. And compared to Nintendo's drip feed, it is a joke. 

Nintendo has used the drip feed model for releasing retro games on current consoles since the Wii era. (For those of you that like numbers, that began in 2006) NES and SNES games are released on Nintendo Switch Online at a snails pace. We should not have to wait months for retro games to hit that app. Nintendo Switch Online has been live for two years and it just recently passed the 100 game mark. That is beyond pathetic. And Switch owners should not have to create a Japanese Switch account to play Japanese versions of retro games or games Nintendo has not released on the app for audiences outside of Japan. For crying out loud, regional switching options have become a standard feature of retro games and compilations.

The Switch remakes of both Famicom Detective Club titles, The Missing Heir and The Girl Who Stands Behind were some very pleasant, unexpected surprises. For many Switch owners, these remakes would be the first time playing either title and they also served as a reminder of just how deep the Nintendo well can go. I never imagined we would get these adventure games, let alone remakes of them. But for every Samus Returns and Link's Awakening on Switch their are tons of other Nintendo titles that won't get this treatment, which makes re-releasing retro games all the more important. But because Nintendo is gonna Nintendo, who knows when they will get on the ball and get their stuff together.

Super Smash Bros. Fans & Anime Sword Fighters

Photo by NintendoSoup

Blade users. Sword fighters. Swordys. Whatever terminology you prefer, there are plenty of them in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The Fire Emblem cast alone accounts for 8 swordys but Byleth is highly debatable since his/her sword takes on many different forms, making him/her stand out from FE crowd, no matter how much players want to cry "Aggghhh too many FE reps!!!" Outside of FE, you've got the Links from the Legend of Zelda series, Mii Sword Fighter, Pyra/Mythra and Sepiroth. Yeah, that's a lot of people swinging around stabbing sticks. And while people love to complain that "Smash has too many sword fighters!!!", that isn't really the issue. When folks cry about Pyra/Mythra or Sepiroth getting in the game, that isn't what really triggers them. They are mad because the sword fighter they wanted didn't get in.

Dante from Devil May Cry and Sora from Kingdom Hearts are two of the most coveted characters to get into Smash Ultimate. Both are sword fighters. Any talk of "But Sora uses a Key Blade!" is arguing semantics. I've no doubt they would both bring something unique to the Smash table. But Sora is in that Disney web and I can only imagine the nightmare Nintendo and Masahiro Sakurai would have to trudge through to get him. But, the fact remains that Dante and Sora are swordys. Swords fans very much want, but swordys all the same. To some of these people, Pyra/Mythra are occupying Sora's precious spot.

Lloyd from the long running Tales series is another sword user fans have been clamoring. He had a Mii sword fighter costume in Smash 4 but it hasn't returned in Ultimate. At least not yet, anyways. He may not be as high on the gimme gimme list as Dante or Sora, but he's wanted. 

If we get a Smash Ultimate character reveal at this year's E3, I'll be happy for a number of reasons. 

1. It will be another character to add to the game's already massive roster. 

2. If it is a swordy fans will be peeved, leading to Smash fan salt.

3. If it isn't the swordy fans want, there will be Smash fan salt.

4. If it isn't the character fans wanted, there will be Smash fan salt and really, that is the best kind of salt. You can feed off of it for days. Delicious.

Being butthurt about sword fighters in a game of 80 plus characters seems pretty dang pointless. Are there a lot of sword fighters? Yup, but there are far more characters that don't use swords. Crying about sword fighters while also bemoaning the absence of the swordy you wanted comes off as hypercritical. But this is the Smash fanbase we're talking about. Good luck even trying to logic with this bunch. 

All Hail Pyra/Mythra, our Sword Waifus

A new character has been added to the roster of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Much to everyone's delight, it is another sword fighter. 

Pyra/Mythra aren't merely more sword fighters. They in fact are a sword. I can't really explain it because I've yet to play Xenoblade Chronicles 2. But I do plan on picking the game up. I just need to find a physical copy without having to pay through the nose.

I'm actually not peeved that the latest addition to Ultimate's massive roster is another swordy. Some of my favorite characters to play as are sword users like Toon Link, Sepiroth and Mii Sword Fighter. And after a few days of playing as them, I just may have to add Pyra/Mythra to the list of my favorite sword wielders in the game.

What we have with Pyra/Mythra are two characters in one. You can start the battle with either Pyra or Mytrha and swap between the two on the fly. Zelda/Shiek worked like this in Melee and Brawl but the difference between those two was night and day. Pyra and Mythra while not as radically different as Zelda and Shiek when they were a single character, have more than enough differences to set them apart. Like Pokemon Train lists Squirtle, Bulbasaur and Charazard as their own numbers, Pyra and Mythra listed as characters 79 and 80 respectively. Two characters for the price of one is a pretty sweet deal.

Pyra, clad in red, isn't speedy but she's powerful. Mythra, wearing white, isn't powerful but she's fast. I tend to lean more towards Pyra for big damage but when I need to strike quickly, it's Mythra's time to shine. I can see people gravitating towards Mythra due to her quickness. Me, I like to swap between the two on a regular basis. True, most of my death blows are landed with Pyra because she hits like a tank, but I've scored some KOs with Mythra. Her side B can make for a decent recovery and since I am an unapologetic, filthy casual, I use it to close the gap when I see opponents getting close to items. Meanwhile, Pyra's side B is a ultra fun edge guarding tool, also useful for keeping foes away from items. I do think Mythra has the better recovery and her jumps are definitely higher than Pyra's, which is great for keeping the Smash Ball upwards as opposed to left and right. Oh and I WILL totally trade a stock/point if I can kill with Pyra's down B or Mythra's side B off stage. Totally worth it. It should be illegal to have this much playing as Pyra/Mythra.

Oh and I am totally Team Pyra. FIGHT. ME.

Sepiroth, THE Anime Swordsman

"Sepiroth? Sepiroth?! Why are you talking about Sepiroth?! Pyra/Mythra are out in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate!! No one is talking about Sepiroth anymore!!" Well, I'm always late to do things. Life, even during a global pandemic is still crazy so blog posts have been behind as of late. And I'm starting to like the whole screw-what-isn't current-angle. I mean, I still need to write about Min Min.

Ahem, so Sepiroth, or as I will refer to him from here on out, Sephy. He's a lot of what I thought he'd be as well as some of what I didn't think he would be. For starters, I totally was not expecting THE anime swordsman to be a lightweight. Given his size, I had assumed he would be a heavy, but nope. Since Sephy is light, he's quite easy to launch, meaning you've got to play extra cautiously when at high percents. Sakurai and his team had to give some sort of trade off for all that power Sephy is packing.

Featherweight boxing division pickings aside, Sephy is really fun. You cannot talk about THE anime swordsman without getting into that super, ridiculously long sword. Range, range, range, RANGE. Sephy has it all day, every day. If you wanna stand across the stage and cut fools, Sephy is the pretty boy for you. No one can really chide you when you're swinging around a sword that's a big as a house. True, it does have a certain sweet spot and you'll deal more damage when connecting in the right places. But it is such a blast to just go ham, swinging that sucker all willy nilly, especially in free-for-alls. Nothing feels sweeter than forward Smashing two or three players into the blast zone. It really is the best.

The worst position to be in when fighting against Sephy? Off stage. Again, stupidly long sword. Which can actually go through the stage itself. If you're trying to recovery low, there is a very good chance you'll be eating a Down Aerith. You shouldn't just be worried about the pointy object he always keeps on him. Sephy has other methods to edge guard. Scintilla is great for stopping projectiles and as well as causing damage and good knock back. It should go without saying that have multiple Shadow Flares on you off stage is an almost guaranteed GGPO. But some players love to go for style points and it doesn't get more stylish than killing with Octoslash. Yeah, it'll cost you a point/stock if you go for the off stage kill, but at least you went out like a gangster. 

As much as I love FINAL FANTASY VII, I'm really not a huge fan of Sepiroth as a character but much like King K. Rool, I did not expect to enjoy playing as him this much. Now Cloud, I do really like as a character, but after using Sephy, Cloud just seems so meh. I'll probably use Cloud every now and then but I can easily see myself using Sephy on a near regular basis. He's just that enjoyable to use and I never thought I would love having him in Ultimate.

Cloud was massively screwed over when it came to song selection in Smash Wii U. We thought that maybe things would improve with Ultimate. No such luck. Every other third party rep looks like a king (well, Terry's 50 tracks is pretty hard to top) when compared to Cloud's messily 2 songs. Well, that's what we all said, but then Sephy came along and made it all better. Sephy's addition to Ultimate brought 9 more tracks with 4 of them being new arrangements. That alone makes Sephy's inclusion worth it. I never thought more FINAL FANTASY VII music would be in Ultimate. I think my favorite arrangement is the Main Theme of FINAL FANTASY VII, but Aeirth's Theme is also really good, celebratory even. I'm happy JENOVA made it in as it is one of the best tracks from the game. Woulda been nice to have JENOVA Aboslute, but I'll take what we got.

And Pichu and Sephy are good friends. Because why not?