Yeah, the Valis III video is going to be a bit delayed… but should be up tonight. If nothing else, it’ll be a far short wait than Switch owners who were looking forward to the Disney Afternoon Collection’s eventual release that never came… until now… and by now, I mean next month.
And… AND… it’ll come with TWO additional games; Goof Troop and Bonkers, both SNES games. How ’bout that?
So… does that mean the pre-existing Steam release will see an update? Or do I have to double dip?
Source: https://www.sescoops.com/article/wwe-2k26-king-of-kings-edition-triple-h
First, we’ve got Attitude. Then we’ve got Monday Night. Now we have King Of Kings edition… yeah… no… doesn’t work for me, brother…
The above image sums my feelings up nicely…
Valis I review coming up around 6 or 7 p.m.
Source: https://nintendoisgreat.substack.com/p/six-months-after-launch-is-the-switch
So today’s video review on Valis I for PC Engine is going to posted later tonight since I wanted to make a couple last minute editing changes before going ahead with the final render and I’m probably not going to have time to do those changes until the afternoon hours since we have a snowstorm and also we have extreme cold. Beyond that, we’re on track for the most part on things.
With that out of the way, I direct you to a recent post from Nintendo Is Great covering the six months of Switch 2 and whether the first-party selection is worth getting the console at this time. Obviously, it depends on the individual and obviously, those who already own Switch 2s at this point already know the answer, but it is an interesting read, regardless, and sort of lines up with my own feelings on the matter… although another part of my not wanting a Switch 2 at this time also boils down to pricing, as well as a backlog of material that will more than pre-occupy my gaming time for the foreseeable future.
Source: https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/monday-night-wars-edition-of-wwe-2k26-announced/
Funny how these things work out, huh?
No sooner after the post regarding the WWE 2K26 Attitude Era Edition went live did the announcement go out that now there’s going to be a Monday Night Wars edition of WWE 2k26, which will also include WCW Nitro content. Holy balls, Mean Gene. 2k must REALLY want me to spend hundreds of dollars for one year of supported premium content that’s going to get dropped like a hat once the NEXT game gets announced or even scribbled on a notepad during conceptual meetings.
Yeah… no… doesn’t work for me, brother.
Oh well… we’re going full-bore nostalgia train with this one, aren’t we? At least we can potentially recreate the Monday Night Wars in which the winner at the end of it all is Roman Reigns. That’s how it works, no?
How long before the Extreme pack gets announced? Come on, 2K. I know you want to, you lousy bastards.
Source: https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/attitude-era-edition-of-wwe-2k26-announced/
Yes, so the first official word or trailer for the upcoming WWE 2K26 video game that you people gobble up has some semblance of Attitude Era content… because apparently, the game didn’t sell well enough last year that we need to bring back one of the beloved eras of the 90s… or something.
In case anyone didn’t get the hint, I know nothing of the sales numbers. I’m sure they did okay. And I’m assuming this new game is going to be 2K’s attempt at their own take on WWE ’13 from over a decade ago. For those who don’t know, WWE ’13 was actually the final WWE game to be published by THQ before that company’s bankruptcy, which lead to 2K acquiring the WWE license that continues to this day. The only other thing that was seemingly announced was that CM Punk would be the cover star and there’d be a mode dedicated to him.
For the record, I haven’t touched a WWE video game since 2K22 and never really bothered with any of the follow ups, especially once they started stuffing a billion DLC packs for jobber talents and things of that nature. I miss the days when you had a full game first and then expansions came along to add replay value to the game. Now it feels like every game is half-baked and we’ll fill in the blanks later with DLC… but then again, it’s been like that for decades and it’s seemingly gotten WORSE.
So there’s a 100% chance that I’m not touching this thing, just as there had been 100% chances of my not touching the previous releases. What’s the point? You support this game for about a year or so before the next one is announced and then you drop all the online support for the old game to force everyone onto the new game, except the new game doesn’t play anything like the old game because of a couple needless changes you made and… look at that. I’m yelling at a cloud again.
As for them bringing back the Attitude Era content… yeah, we’re going back to that well again, huh? Despite the fact that you have guys like Cody Rhodes and others saying that we don’t need to revisit that era because this is the hottest WWE has been, 2k apparently felt otherwise. I don’t know what the mindset behind these decisions are, but is anyone really clamoring for Attitude Era stuff to be brought back? That stuff happened THREE DECADES AGO for fuck’s sake. I don’t remember the old Smackdown games deciding that we needed a game dedicated to the days of Sammartino, Morales, Ivan Koloff… quick, name me some other WWWF stars from the 1960s that I can fill the void with…
It’s sad that every one of these games have vintage 90s stuff being brought back in some form or fashion. I’m not entirely against the idea; sometimes, it’s nice to replay old stuff in these new games and seeing how slick they look. That’s the appeal of these WWE 2K games and their Superstar Profiles or whatever they’re called. But to do an Attitude Era edition after the last one… oh wait, WWE 2k16 was dedicated to Stone Cold Steve Austin, wasn’t it? That’s another Attitude Era game right there.
Shit, there goes my theory.
Just about the only thing that almost piques my interest is the CM Punk showcase, which apparently includes a possible what if scenario regarding how Punk’s career would have turned out if he hadn’t left WWE back in 2014. I’m almost intrigued by what they come up with in their fantasy booking endeavors and how they’re going to navigate around certain holes in the roster that they can’t presently fill, such as Bryan Danielson, who won the WWE title at Wrestlemania that year, but is currently signed to AEW. There’s a number of talent from those days who are signed with AEW at the moment, so it’ll be interesting to see how they tackle that scenario with those restrictions.
Doesn’t mean I’m going to buy the game… not unless you offer a sweet, sweet deal to package all your would-be content at a genuinely affordable price. That was the main draw for the Steam versions initially; they’d come out months after the console releases, but the upside was that you got all the DLC included at no extra cost. Once the releases became synchronous and DLCs were no longer part of the deal – that and also my infrequency in playing these games that were mainly used for video fodder more than anything – it became difficult to justify purchasing these games.
And now I can’t even buy those older games because they’ve been delisted. This is where one would make the case for physical media, but that’s not the be-all, end-all solution, either. The physical media is just what’s on the disc. All the DLC that followed is long gone. Good luck trying to buy the extra WWE 13 content on the PS3 Shop. It’s not happening unless you’ve got a time machine of some sort.
I shouldn’t have to make this clear because I’d figured that this would be plainly obvious, but I am not telling anyone to not buy this game. If you want this, by all means, get it. I’m not giving you reasons to not buy this game. I’m giving you reasons to why I’M not buying this game. This isn’t a news site. I leave the source link for the news to anyone who wants it. This is a place where I type in almost a thousand words to digress about trivial things like this.
With that in mind, I’ve got more than enough vintage WWF and WWE games that lets me revisit the old days just fine. They might not have the prettiest graphics and some of the gameplay doesn’t quite hold up, but given the chance, they can be fun to play. I should probably fire those up one of these days.
Thanks, 2k Games. You might not have sold me on your latest $200 WWE game, but you’ve reminded me that I still haven’t touched Day Of Reckoning in a good long while. We might give that a whirl one of these days.
Almost 1,050 words. Nailed it.
Later.
So, some folks may have shown concern about Gamestop closing up hundreds of stores in the US at the start of the new year and I am wondering why people are so concerned. Aren’t we supposed to hate GameStop because they’re scummy people? Or has the narrative changed at some point?
Obviously, you feel bad for the people losing their jobs and also you kinda, sorta feel bad for losing a place that sold your games… but honestly, you step into a GameStop these days and what do you see? Walls of Funko pops, random anime and comic book merchandise, toys, action figures, collector’s pieces… and then somewhere along the way, you’ll find a small space dedicated to, you know, games.
But then again, this has been the GameStop operandi for years, hasn’t it? Once I stepped into a GameStop and started seeing more Funkos than games, that’s when I called it quits and stopped going to GameStop for my gaming wants or needs. GameStop used to be the place where you could get used games for decent prices and I’ve amassed quite the collection of Xbox and PS2 games as a result… but nowadays, even the used games hold their worth, even with they’re just selling the disc or Switch card.
And even when I did dive into a GameStop once or twice, it’s mostly to pick up a figure or two… maybe a game if they had a used copy cheap enough… but even that, I can get from Amazon or Best Buy.
If anything, I’d feel bad for the smaller, genuine gaming shops if they were to close down. My usual place at the old flea market shut down and I just barely made the final week… and the other place that’s still there is becoming more of a merch place than a gaming store. Fortunately, I found this other place in Montreal that specializes in video game stuff… if only the parking wasn’t so shit… and also, obviously, the pricing on these things. The loss of THAT place, along with others like it, would pain me more than the loss of a GameStop that I haven’t stepped foot in for years.
Still, some folks will lament the loss of these stores and hopefully if you’re one of those folks who has a GameStop close to them close up shop, then hopefully, you’ll find some other means of continuing your gaming needs in some form or another. But just to level with you folks… Gamestop going away isn’t worth shedding a tear over.
Not these days, anyway…
Apparently, Switch (and Switch 2) owners will be able to get the Disney Afternoon Collection some time this year. This was a 2017 compilation of six NES games developed by Capcom comprising two Ducktales, two Chip N Dale Rescue Rangers, one Talespin, and the termite that devours your floorboards himself, Darkwing Duck.
I have this on Steam, it plays fine… but this should have been on Switch as soon as the console was out. What the fuck took so long?
…that the new Intellivision console to hit the market is NOT the one that was promised all those years ago, but rather one that is a remake of the original console released by the current incarnation of that console’s main rival in what is now known as the “first console war?”
I came home from a quick round of errands when I noticed a brown box by the door. I picked it up and after taking care of some affairs, opened it up to reveal the new Intellivision Sprint console that was released in December. For those who don’t know, Atari acquired the rights to the Intellivision name and software line… and decided to develop a mini console of sorts much in the same vein as their Atari 400 mini platform; has about 45 games built in, but with the option to include other games through other means.
As of this moment, I haven’t tried the console out yet… though I did film some unboxing bits for a future Gimmick Table down the road. Still, I sit back in awe as I look at this spiffy new Intellivision console that I didn’t think would ever be a thing… if only because the only thing that came to mind when the phrase “new Intellivision console” came to mind was that piece of vaporware called Amico.
I haven’t touched much on the Amicovision business ever since it became a thing. I was intrigued by its early pitch and its desire to develop a console without resorting to crowdfunding means – basically the opposite of what then-current Atari was doing with its Ataribox device… which, by the way, did see release and was eventually forgotten about by all but a few hobbyists. After a while and all the bad press that came about, I decided to veer away from that mess and focus on more tangible things.
When news broke that Atari had purchase Intellivision (but not the Amico), I figured that any hope of that project coming to fruition would be deader than dead. I’m sure there are a small, minute number of devotees who still believe in the cause, but it’s hard to hold out hope when most of the games that were pushed as the main draws of the console (that Finnegan Fox game that caused that one guy’s jaw to hit the ground and the Cornhole game) are appearing on other platforms. Let’s be real here; once the new Earthworm Jim makes its way over to Switch 2 and other things, any and all reasons for wanting an Amicovision will have gone out the window… not that there was much reason to begin with.
It’s unfortunate that things turned out the way it did. Do I think Amicovision would have amounted to much had it saw release? Probably not; it’d be a nice little novelty for the hobbyists and collectors, but not much more than that. Still, it’d be more than what any of the backers got so far, which was empty promises and a whole lot of fuck alls. Maybe some day, Amico will see the light of day… but maybe it’s time to just call it quits and move on. Tommy Tallarico sure as hell did.
Anyhoo… that’s my five cents on the matter. Let’s move on to bigger and better things… but first, I need to go to the bathroom.
Later.
This was sent my way a couple days ago, but I’m posting about it now to keep the post streak going. Long story short; head of physical snake merchants Limited Run Josh Fairhurst is stepping down from his CEO duties, citing other opportunities that he’d rather be pursuing. Obviously, I wish him all the best in all his future endeavors, good health and all that jazz… but anyone expecting this to change the dynamics of a largely shitty enterprise is going to be in for a rude awakening.
I’ve made no secret about not being a fan of Limited Run’s business model. I’ve bought one product from them that took months to ship and when it did arrive, it was a complete afterthought. Granted, it was a fine package for what it was – it’s the TIE Fighter limited edition – but was this the sort of thing that you’d expect from someone championing physical media? Meanwhile, I’ve ordered from a couple homebrewers who made their own carts and I got those in weeks time.
So yeah, nothing against the dude personally. I don’t know him, I don’t know how much he was involved in the way that business operated, and again, whatever he does next, I wish him nothing but the best… but nothing of value was lost from this company because there was no value to be had here in the first place. Why people insist on partnering up with these snake oil salespeople to this day confounds me. Hell, I almost purchased the physical NES cart for AVGN 8-Bit and was willing to spend a premium for that thing… until I realized that I’d be giving my money to Limited Run and thought better of it. That’s how toxic that company has become in my mind.
Anyway… that’s the story. Have a nice weekend, kids.
George Wood of Gaming In The Clinton Years fame had a challenge for Eidos. In Tomb Raider III, create a storyline in which Lara gets breast cancer. Imagine the drama of a vulnerable Lara Croft still persisting on her worldly adventures despite her illness. It needs fleshing out, no pun intended, but we guarantee the gaming world would be shocked, stunned, and moved by the effort to make Lara’s character more meaningful. We love Lara, but it’s about time the industry had a big shock for a change.
ChatGPT – ever the creative genius – had the following to say on this amazing video game idea.
Continue reading “I Asked ChatGPT To Craft An Amazing Video Game Idea”
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