Video Game Musings

The Knuckles “Event”… Eh.

After two Sonic The Hedgehog movies – that I liked – Paramount put out a Knuckles miniseries… oh wait, it’s not a miniseries. It’s an event. Ooh… aah…

Eh…

This is a show less about Knuckles and more about some guy named Wade and his wacky Jewish family… because that’s what I want to see in my miniseries… er, I mean, event… about a giant red echidna who feels out of place and is trying to adjust to life on Earth. I mean, you get some of that here… but it’s more about Wade and his business and… Wade is not that interesting of a character.

Dude, the CG characters are the interesting critters. Those are the critters you’re building this media franchise around, not some schmuck people are going to forget about in ten years time. I want to see Knuckles in a series called Knuckles doing Knuckles stuff. This stuff… this stuff with Wade, this excuse to play every single licensed song under the sun… the bowling tournament… these other schmucks that are poor stand-ins for Knuckles… what even is this?

I’m not saying this is a bad show nor am I saying this is a good show. I’m saying it’s a show I don’t like because I thought I was getting one thing and instead I got another thing… and, well, why am I watching this?

So… yeah… not a fan…

If you have a free trial, don’t waste it on this. There are better things to watch on Paramount+. There’s a bunch of old Ninja Turtles on there you could want if you want all the 80s and 90s nostalgia you can stuff down the marble zone. All of that is better than this.

Hopefully Sonic 3 will be good.

Forever Burnt – The Latest Limited Run Snake Oil Package

Source: https://www.timeextension.com/news/2024/05/limited-run-games-apologises-for-shipping-3do-games-on-cd-rs

So… yeah… Limited Run… insert rimshot here.

For those who missed the news, some folks ordered limited edition physical releases of classic 3DO game “D” some time ago. And those who got their physical releases (that they probably paid a premium for in the first place) were shocked to discovered that their limited edition new release of “D” for their vintage 3DO game systems were burnt CD-Rs rather than the proper professionally pressed CDs you’d expect from a physical release, especially that which you’re paying a premium for. Yes, the company that is supposedly about game preservation is content with charging you sixty bucks for a CD-R that you could probably make yourself for pennies. Now add insult to injury, most 3DO systems can’t run CD-Rs, so now these poor people who ordered this limited run of reproductions paid x number of dollars for a burnt CD that you could probably make yourself for pennies that won’t even run on your fucking console.

I’ve only purchased one item from Limited Run… that one experience was enough to tell me that they’re not worth the effort and I’ve never been a fan of their practices. Even so, I figured that they would at least TRY to put out a quality product for the prices they’re charging. In an industry that is bullish about piracy and using copy protection methods that end up being detrimental to the people who actually PURCHASE their products, the last thing I would expect is someone with the legitimate credentials of Limited Run to think that it would be a good idea to charge premium prices for fancy packages and burn the actual software on CD-Rs.

I hear that and I’m laughing my ass off. This comes across a joke. Part of me feels sorry for the folks who bought this thing and expected more, but on the flip side, it’s only a matter of time before Limited Run dives deeper into the garbage merchant handbook with other tricks of the trade that people will complain about and eventually accept as a way of life. And if this is the future of physical media in video games… then maybe we’d all be better off in the digital age.

I keep teasing about having this discussion… I feel like I need to sit down and gather my thoughts on this thing… I’ve got other stuff to do first, but… sooner or later… hopefully sooner…

Nintendo Releasing A “Nintendo World Championships” Game

Source: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2024/05/nintendo-world-championships-nes-edition-launches-on-switch-in-july

Finally, a non-wrestling post.

So yes, Nintendo is releasing a Nintendo World Championships game, which seems to be a bunch of speedrunner challenges on a variety of NES games. So it’s almost like an NES Remix type of the deal, but more of an emphasis on speed challenges.

I’ve played my share of NES Remix, I liked it, but I don’t need another one like it. I would’ve preferred a release that replicated the experience of those World Championship tournaments, similar to the brief period where reproduction carts of Nintendo World Championships 1990 were a thing, but this is a thing for some folks that will be available for purchase in July.

In the meantime, I’ll hold out hope for Rad Racer to become a thing again… later.

A Good Thing About Steam

So I’ve just got a refund on a pre-order for a ridiculously bloated and completely superfluous version of Star Wars Battlefront I & II with a borked online that I was never going to use and with not enough substantial updates to make me want to give up the old versions that I already have, which work just fine for my needs.

Anything on Steam that’s worth getting? That’s also cheap as shit?

On A Happier Note… Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection Coming Soon!

Source: https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-battlefront-classic-collection

For those who missed out on the original Star Wars Battlefront games… you can get them on Steam or GOG for relatively cheap. And you’re going to want to do it soon because these versions will undoubtably be replaced by the upcoming Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection, which will include both games, all the bonus content, online multiplayer functionality, and an enhanced Hero Assault mode that lets you fight on all the maps in Battlefront II rather than just the Mos Eisley map.

Though, to be fair, GOG still has the original Tomb Raider trilogy on sale despite also featuring the recently released remastered versions.

Hey, you know what? I’m happy to see these Battlefront games get the spotlight once more. They’re great games, I wish the company that developed them were still around so they could make more of them, and hopefully, there’ll be enough success with this collection that they might consider doing the PSP titles next, even if they are… not quite as good.

There you go… some happy news for a change. Not sure if I’m going Switch version with these or if I’m double-dipping on another PC version. We’ll have to see about that.

Gamestop Shutting Down Its NFT Marketplace… Whatever That Means

Source: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2024/01/oh-no-gamestop-is-closing-its-nft-marketplace

Gamestop is shutting down its NFT marketplace… a thing that apparently exists for some reason, but now it doesn’t, so… yay?

Honestly, I know nothing about the NFT things other than the propaganda peddled by both sides of the coin. The only one I dabbled in was MJFCoin and all I lost was enough change to buy me a happy meal. Still, at least Gamestop is shutting down that aspect instead of its stores. If only they’d shut down their Funko Pop shops and start selling some actual fucking games for once, we’d all be better off.

Eh, what does it matter? I haven’t bought anything from Gamestop in years.

Switch Security (Allegedly)

Source: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/08/denuvos-switch-emulator-protection-is-now-available-via-nintendos-official-dev-portal

Denuvo – the PC security company fucking up PC games with their security methods designed to curtail software piracy but actually hurting the people who buy the games and forcing them to pirate their purchased software… GREAT JOB, LADS.

So yeah, they hooked up with Nintendo to prevent Switch emulation. Now Switch owners can not only complain about subpar ports of AAA games because the developers couldn’t be bothered, but now they’ve got questionable security gimmicks that could potentially fuck up their games even further, prompting the people who buy their games legit to find ways to be able to play them properly… which usually entails – wait for it – PIRATING THEIR GAMES OR RESORTING TO EMULATION!

Why does this fucking company exist? Who gives these fuckers money? Their methods do nothing to curtail piracy and do more harm to the people who actually buy the games legitimately, which forces them to pirate their games or find patches to circumvent that nonsense. And they’re not the only ones guilty of this.

If you want to fight piracy and curtail emulation of your products, Nintendo, then maybe consider doing things to discourage such behavior. This is only going to boost that further. Morons.

The Dolphin Steam Debacle

A little late to the party, but when has that stopped me before?

Countless times, actually… but I digress.

So the Dolphin people who run and operate the Dolphin emulator program of Gamecube and Wii hardware stuff made an announcement some time ago that they were going to release their fancy emulator onto STEAM… and naturally, this got to Nintendo, who immediately told Steam runners Valve to get that shit off their service. The Dolphin people tried to counter, but Valve told them that if they want to put their emulator onto Steam, they’ll need permission from Nintendo to do so. Since Nintendo and emulation are a match made in heaven… the Dolphin people decided to abandon their efforts in getting steamed… maybe they can try the Epic Store or something. Have better luck there.

What did they expect… really?

I know that they have the RetroArch emulator on there and I’m shocked that it’s still there… there’s a lot of things online that I’m shocked are still a thing considering Nintendo’s notoriety for protecting its IP. But trying to get the Gamecube/Wii emulator onto Steam and not expect Nintendo to go ape shit is rather foolish. I’m sure some people are sad by this development and I wish the Dolphin folks all the best in the future, but this is one instance where there was only one outcome and it shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone.

Anyway, I got a thing coming up… hopefully, it all works out.

Dive…

Capcom is shuttering online servers for the online mobile game Rockman X Dive in Japan. There’s a couple events you can take part of before the service goes offline in September. The global servers, apparently, are going to be kept up indefinitely, whatever that ends up entailing, but… yeah, I tried it for a bit. It’s a thing where it plays somewhat Mega Man-ish, but you have auto-aim, the levels are short, you need to build up resources in-game or via microtransactions, which I never did.

I mean, the game was okay. Got a couple months mileage out of it on the mobile and even tried it on Steam for a bit, but it was never a game that had me going “Must play more.” I sampled a bit, moved on to something else. In terms of mobile gaming and these sorts of Gacha titles, Dive isn’t entirely worthless, but nothing special. It’s no Legacy Wars, which I did spend some change on for the extra characters and such and now I haven’t touched it in years and it’s on a device that’s crapping out, so… I am over the mobile game craze. I’m over microtransactions.

So look, if you’re a big fan of Dive in Japan, enjoy it while you can because in a couple months, it’ll be all gone unless you find a way to play the global servers… I don’t know. These sorts of games have a limited shelf life. They go up, they get a couple years of mileage, people spend money for trinkets, and then everything is shut down. Such is the trials and tribulations of mobile online gaming… I don’t know; maybe somebody can turn this into an offline thing that can be played offline or something… but then that would be illegal and why would anyone do that… or something? I don’t know. I don’t care much either.

Now, with that said, Capcom did announce an offline version of Dive was coming soon. They even had a trailer for it and everything… yeah, we’ll see about that one. I’d be much happier if they announced a new proper Mega Man game. Classic, X… maybe go left field and actually produce that Legends sequel everyone wanted or continue where ZX Advent left off…

No Resurgence Outside The Epic Store Equals No Buys For Me

Source: https://www.engadget.com/star-trek-resurgence-launches-may-23rd-on-most-platforms-170248699.html

A bit late to the game, but for those wondering, the new Star Trek: Resurgence game will be hitting stores on May 23rd and will be available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series Whatever, and PC. Which is all well and good, but the PC version will be offered exclusively through the Epic Games Store.

Which means it’s a no-buy for me.

I hear someone decide not to buy the game based on Epic Store exclusivity and that got a snarky response about “taking a stand.” I can’t speak for that individual, but this is less to do with “taking a stand” and more to do with “I really don’t want another storefront to manage.” People may recall how long it took me to adopt Steam because of all the DRM and even now, I’d rather buy something off GOG if given the option due to the LACK of DRM. I’ve got a bunch of games on GOG that I still haven’t played and I’ve got even more games on Steam that I still haven’t played… and most of the Epic Game stuff that I’m even remotely interested in is shit from 20-30 years ago.

(It also doesn’t help that a lot of what I’ve seen of the game hasn’t wowed me. It’s one of those Telltale type things where a story plays out and you pick choices on how to react. I probably got one of those laying around somewhere and that’s all I needed.)

I don’t know… maybe once it hits Steam and it’s available on sale, I might consider it, but I don’t need a storefront to manage shit on unless it’s on another platform.