Category: Video Game Musings

DLC Disguised As Plastic Toys

Source: https://www.engadget.com/legend-of-zelda-skyward-sword-hd-zelda-loftwing-amiibo-183316002.html

Nintendo sells plastic toy that unlocks feature in game, making feature locked behind a pay toy. If there is any example of the devil hidden in plain sight, there you go. Everyone will complain about the multitude of lootboxes and needless DLCs from the other third-party companies, but Nintendo gets a free pass because the toys are cute.

To put it another way, the video game industry is a bunch of Malibu Stacy dolls, but Nintendo has a hat.

Figure that one out, kids. I’m out.

Fodder For A Future Gimmick

Limited Run Games, purveyors of limited run (no pun intended) overpriced physical packages just released their take on the X-Wing and TIE Fighter physical packages in both “standard” action-figure like backboards and a “collector’s package” that comes in a box similar to the big box PC stuff. And while I didn’t jump on board for past Star Wars gimmicks – and it wasn’t for a lack of trying – I was on board for this.

The thought occurred to pick up both the X-Wing and TIE Fighter packages, but common sense prevail when I did the math and realized I would end up paying over a couple hundred bucks for two boxes of overpriced stodge and the miserable shipping rates. So I opted with just the TIE Fighter, since it is the much better of the two games.

And yes, once I get this, I will indeed be doing a video on it.

Nintendo Life Commenters Confound Me

So every once in a while, I frequent the news site known as Nintendo Life… because it has Nintendo news and I obviously own a current Nintendo system, so this sort of thing is relevant.

Every once in a while, Nintendo Life will post news about Brie Larson (she who played that Carol Danvers person in a couple Marvel movie and the one with the unicorn) and her love for Nintendo. This causes people to throw a fit because she is a meanie in real life. Also, every once in a while, Nintendo Life will post news about a new emulator gimmick and people will complain about things playing ROMs and stuff. And then sometimes, they’ll post a fluff piece about a glitch recently uncovered and people… well, you know.

I admit some of the things they post on their could hardly qualify as newsworthy, but seriously, fellas? If you don’t like the fluff pieces, don’t touch the fluff pieces. Sometimes, the HEADLIE is all it takes to decide whether a post is worth your damn or not.

Yeah, that’s all I got.

Laughing And Crying

eGadget Article begins with “PC gamers have to wait a little bit longer to enjoy titles like Battlefield and the Star Wars Battlefront franchise.”

I respond with “There are people who enjoy those games?”

I laughed… and then I read the rest of the article.

So EA Access, a subscription service thing, is making its way to Steam… which means more DRM (EA Access) on top of DRM (Steam) bullshit. And that’s why the only EA stuff I play is from twenty plus years ago.

Zelda Classic Is Still A Thing

Zelda Classic is still a thing… because they’re hosting a 20th Anniversary contest.

That’s amazing. It really is… and I’ve dabbled in Zelda Classic here and there. It’s a great game, a great port of the NES Legend Of Zelda, and there’s plenty of custom content that keeps that thing going strong. It is, for all intents and purposes, my preferred way of playing Zelda 1.
In a period where fan games based on Nintendo properties are C&D into oblivion, it’s nice to see that one of these fan efforts is not only still around, but still heavily supported to this day by the people developing the thing. The most recent version upgrades the engine further so that the gameplay can feel more like the later games.
Go check it out if you can, especially if you like your classic Zelda.

Pong Quest Trailer

So this is a thing that Atari is doing at the moment; a new PONG game with RPG elements and stuff.

The visuals are an automatic turn-off for me and I’m not particularly inspired by the gameplay that they’ve displayed. It reminds me too much of that one Pong remake from the 90s; too much gimmicky bullshit to make the whole thing worth a damn.

That having been said, though, a part of me is morbidly curious about this will turn out… not enough to actually go out and fork money over for it… but whatever, right?

The Intellivision Amico Pre-Order Gameplay Trailer

So Intellivision just put out a new pre-order trailer, featuring gameplay footage from some of the games for the system. A lot of these games look to be remakes of older Intellivision and Atari games from the 1980s and others seem like the kind of games you’d find on Steam or your mobile phone. It’s not the type of thing that appeals to me – I’ve got more than enough legacy titles on a variety of legacy systems to keep me occupied and the one Intellivision Lives compilation seems to satisfy the INTV itch just fine.

Own A 3DS? Get Mega Man Legacy Collection For A Few Bucks…

Source: https://www.siliconera.com/mega-man-eshop-sale-covers-almost-major-entry/

So, for the next couple weeks and in light of the Mega Man Zero/ZX series getting their own Legacy Collection, the Nintendo eShop has discounted lots of its Mega Man titles on the Switch… but the most notable is that the 3DS version of Mega Man Legacy Collection is now $5.99 for a limited time, down from its original $14.99. Now, honestly, that’s a way better deal than buying each of the individual Virtual Console releases, which aren’t discounted.

For what it’s worth, the 3DS doesn’t have any of the updates that the console and PC versions got; the controversial Rewind feature as well as the Turbo function, which eliminated all the slowdown. However, there is amiiboo support or whatever it’s called… so that’s something.

Ataribox Delayed Again… This Time Due To Coronavirus

Source: https://us.blastingnews.com/gaming/2020/02/atari-vcs-console-delayed-yet-again-due-to-coronavirus-outbreak-003063581.html

Anyone remember Ataribox? Of course, you don’t, but here’s the latest update for those who care.

IndieGoGo backers who contributed close to three million dollars to the Ataribox crowdfunding campaign and hoping to receive their brand spanking new systems next month after several delays… will have to wait a little longer since the release has been delayed again. This time due to the recent Coronavirus outbreak that has claimed over 1000 lives to date and it’ll be a while before the production plants will resume operations.

This is not the sort of thing you’d like to make a joke around; clearly, this latest delay in a series of them is out of the hands of Atari. It’s nature at work in this regard. But if the Coronavirus is a legit reason for the delay and not just a cover story for a delay that was going to happen anywhere – because I’m sure some folks will feel that – but I will give Atari the benefit of the doubt and assume the delay is nature’s fault.

So, hopefully, once everything is settled, Atari can get to release the console that they sold to people… and hopefully not delay the thing again because they need to defer money to their hotel business.

Think I’m joking? Boom.
https://hoteltechnologynews.com/2020/02/in-launching-its-first-hotels-featuring-immersive-virtual-reality-experiences-atari-isnt-playing-games/