Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (31st August)

Finished Sanabi last week.
What an excellent game, didn't expect such a great story but man, it is so well told. Loved it

Also put in 30+ hours into Rusted Moss and still have heaps to discover. I have discovered hidden challenge areas that are as big as the main map. The bungee mechanic takes a fair bit of practice to "get" but once you do, boy does it pay off.
One of my top favourite Metroidvania's ever. Highly recommended to anyone that loves an original concept in a MV game.

Also started Bõ Path of the Teal Lotus
This game is amazing, beautiful to look at and a joy to play. Highly recommend this game to those like myself waiting for Silk Solong

About halfway through Metroid Prime Remastered. This game still looks great today but looks even better now with the remaster.

Edit:
I got The Doinksoft Collection as a father's Day gift!
Can't wait to get into that too.
Have a great weekend everyone.

Advance Wars 1+2 Re-boot Camp. Advance Wars has a special place in my heart, it was my first GBA game, just when I started working. It helped me survive that hard period. GBA was like magic for me that time, such a good little machine.

Nintendo Switch:
Persona4 The ULTIMAX ULTRA SUPLEX HOLD – completed on 100% Episodes P4 and P3. Completed on 100% Episode Adachi. Completed Arcade Mode as Marie, Margaret, Ken Amada & Koromaru, and Rise. Played online in Ranked. 3 loses and 1 victory.
Fate/stay night REMASTERED – met Berserker and his Master. Fate route.
UNDER NIGHT IN-BIRTH II [Sys:Celes] – played VS Mode. Played online in Ranked. 2 loses and 1 victory. Still D3 rank. Completed Score Attack Mode as Carmine and Enkidu. 10th place in leaderboards as Carmine, and 22nd place as Enkidu.
The King of Fighters 2003 – beated the game on Alternative Ending as Shingo, Kyō, and Iori team.
Windows:
Don't Starve Together – playing in LAN with my best friend. DST without mods is unplayable. It doesn't feature a normal minimap, geez! Playing it on console would be a nightmare...
Update #1:
Fate/stay night REMASTERED – got my first Bad End and 1st Tiger Stamp, I guess. Still only 4 Servants were revealed. Yeah, I'm trying to not spoil the game as much as possible. However, it seems like that I'm the only one who plays it since its release, probably.
Update #2:
Fate/stay night REMASTERED – stopped on the moment before going to school, before Shinji's reveal.
Persona4 The ULTIMAX ULTRA SUPLEX HOLD – completed Arcade Mode as Minazuki(without Persona), Junpei, and Yukari.
Well, for now, it's all what I've played on this week. Have a nice gaming weekend, everyone.

Happy weekend to all the NL readers participating in this weekly feature.

I am playing the following games:

• BPM: Bullets Per Minute: slowly getting better at it, reached area 3/8.
• Just Shapes And Beats: playing online runs here and there in between the other games.
• Tetris 99: my daily morning dose.
• Tears of the Kingdom: wandering in the Depths, riding dragons, collecting anything that fits in my pouch.

🎮✌🏻🧡

With nursing school and work I think my summer of carefree game time may finally be coming to a close.
But don’t cry for me Argentina, cuz if I get a chance I’m going to be all about my copy of the Outer Wilds that I should be grabbing from the store today!

See thumbnail. I am enjoying the Castlevania Dominus Collection. I picked up a PS Portal also, and I'm looking forward to just hanging in bed with my wife, thc, and some carry out. I need labor day BAD this year. Work has been exhausting. Anyway, I'll probably start a giant RPG on the Portal. Not sure which at the moment. Maybe Cyberpunk...

I'll be playing Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. 5 hours in, and I'm obsessed with the gameplay! This is the first time in my life I take out a console while I commute, it's great to play in burst of 10-15 minutes.

I'll also play Pocky & Rocky Reshrined: I'm terrible at this game, but enjoying myself nonetheless! Just reached world number 3.

@Freek Very interesting list, you just made me look up Sanabi, and it looks right up my alley!

Bought wii for playing arcade shooter games (like house of the dead 2), but the resolutions is kind of suck so I return it and bought wii u with cfw aroma instead, and man with aroma cfw, wii u is really good now 😃

Playing a lot of games on my wii u, it support basically all gamecube games so I've been playing all the games that I missed on that console (I didn't have gamecube back then), also replaying wii u games that I already finished back then (got wii u before ps4, sold it after I got ps4).

Also playing wii games that I missed back then, sin & punishment star successor (play really good on wii u gamepad, not as good on nunchuck & wiimote), just started playing mistwalker rpg the last story, and donkey kong country return with wii u gamepad support patch. It seems the wii u gamepad is way more comfortable than the switch, even though I already bought switch horipad.

Ring Fit Adventure but I’m starting to question if I can continue to enjoy it without feeling sucked into wanting to play other games. It has been such a great workout and motivates me to work on different exercises that I would normally struggle with continuing. It is hard to let go of.
Feeling a bit low at the moment.

It's gonna be a Genshin Impact-exclusive weekend for me, especially since Natlan just came out. I already got through the Archon Quests that have been released so far, and now I hope to take part in the current version's flagship event while also exploring the region and raising my Reputation with the tribes of Natlan.

I also want to use this opportunity to collect some materials to level up my characters, as the game now has a feature where you can search for materials by giving you the general location for said materials (meaning I don't have to use the online Teyvat Interactive Map anymore and constantly have to switch back and forth between the game and the map).

Cult of the Lamb! I wanted to give a try to all the updates, ithas got a lot of great stuff! Mystery dungeon red still in the background, surely for the next months. Happy gaming everyone!

@Chichichurri
Great game. I didn't expect much but I'm glad it proved me wrong.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Mostly Animal Crossing New Horizons!
I've been feeling down a bit lately, so I figured making a third and final island on my secondary Switch Lite would be the perfect cure. I name all my islands of games/places that I revist more than once a year. My first one's called Hyrule, secondary one Crossbell and this third and final one Hogwarts!

Also finishing up SM3D World and then starting Bowser's Fury!

Finally completed Pikmin 2 this week, so going back to Pikmin 3 Deluxe to 100% that. Also continuing to chip away at Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga whose overall completion is at 93% now.

This week I will be mostly playing

Mario’s Super Picross
Two Point Hospital

This weekend I'm playing Mario vs. Donkey Kong, 51 Worldwide Games, and Luigi's Mansion 2 HD on Switch.

On PS5 I'm continuing towards my progress on the platinum in God of War (2018) and Ragnarök. Getting very close on both. I'm also playing Mystic Pillars, Concord and the Ace Attorney Trilogy, while waiting for Edgy.

Good gaming everyone.

Playing Yakuza kiwami 2 on my steam deck OLED...

OOT3D Master Quest

Shadow of the Ninja remake

Monster World IV

Castlevania Portrait of Ruin and Haunted Castle Revisited on the Dominus Collection...I've played the DS games before but this is a great collection. Still playing Kingdoms of Amalur on Switch too.

Also bought Timesplitters 2 and Future Perfect on PS4, as they have a new PS2 PSN release. I enjoyed 2 on the GameCube but never played Future Perfect in back in 2005, seems a good time to finally get to the game. Picked up the System Shock remake in a sale too as I've never played it, but may not get to that yet.

That you can digitally buy games on PlayStation Classics is good as I dont subscibe to PS Plus anymore.

My plans to play through my RPG backlog have been put on halt as I obsessively play through the DS Castlevania games for the umpteenth time, this time in the shiny new Dominus Collection.

Still some of my favourite games ever, and they play wonderfully on the Switch.

I know I've played them a billion times each, but... can't pass up a new version that I thought was never going to happen!

Next on my RPG backlog is Suikoden V, but I'm not going to start a huge RPG before Zelda Echoes of Wisdom comes out, so if there is any downtime between me being done with the Dominus Collection and the release date of Zelda, I'll probably just play through a smaller game.

Fresh off getting my physical collection reasonably accurately catalogued last week, I'm working on my digital collection this morning. It's a big job. I'm finding games that I would swear I've never even heard of e.g. Geki Yabber Runner Anniversary Edition - wtf? Gonna have to play that now just to see wtf it is like.

Who knows what else this task is going to throw up and force me to play. But I've also been adding to the collection this morning. Gotta give Serious Sam Collection a spin, surely. Dis gon be a long weekend...

Peace, love & pixels to all.

Sonic Superstars: Having played a couple 3Ds but never completed a 2D, this has been an interesting experience. Sonic and his friends move how you remember, just with a lot more fluid animation that definitely helps out in some of the tougher spots. There have been a couple of truly awesome boss fights and innovative zones, and the artwork is a perfect update to the classics.

My personal favorite has been Sonic: a good all-rounder with a decent moveset, but if I want to kind of cheese a level it's nice to have Amy. While I don't see it becoming one of my all time favorites, entries like this and Wonder from the Super Mario Bros series have definitely helped to change my mind about 2D platformers.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale. I had to say farewell to a dog earlier this week, so I'm in a sad mood. Gaming is not going to console me (pun intended), but Chicory is a great game in and of itself.

Also wrapping up the SMB Banana Rumble Adventure mode, and some more Horizon Chase Turbo. Their bright, colourful styles cheer me up somewhat.

EDIT: And Monkey Island Special Edition, which happens to be on sale on GOG. Wish there were was a Switch port, but Steam Deck will do. Don't have a PC, so the Deck is the only platform I can play it on.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Finished Emio yesterday so might just fiddle with GTA5 or something while I wait for Ace Attorney Investigations to come out.

I was at Nintendo Live 2024 Sydney all day. Disappointing that there were no new games on display, but it was an enjoyable day out all the same.

Played Pokémon Go pretty much the entire day, and the event coincided with Popplio Community Day, and I had caught nine shiny Popplio! My Go Plus missed an additional three, making for a grand total of 12 shiny encounters. I've never had such insane luck. I wonder if the Lure Modules increased shiny odds as the whole place was swarming with them. I did my part by contributing two gold lure modules. I also set up a Campfire meetup ages ago, with about 60 members, but I never met any of them in person, only a handful checked in, and nobody left any comments. Bah. 😕

I also caught a shiny Amaura first thing this morning.

Due to the lack of new games, I saw little point in playing stuff I already owned, but I played a couple of rounds of Tennis in Switch Sports (which I have yet to buy), and there was a Mario Dojo setup where people compete in MK8D, with winners moving on to Super Mario Maker 2, and finally, a surprise challenge which is performed on stage (one was a round of Smash Ultimate, another was a boss stage in Mario vs. Donkey Kong etc.).

I couldn't win a single race in MK8D (though I'd come second a few times). I was even cunningly Machiavellian enough to pursue a table of mostly very young children and a couple of parents who didn't strike me as gamers, and I still couldn't manage a victory, but of course I deserved that. 😂 (there were a couple of occasions where smart steering was turned on, and I hadn't noticed until it was too late, which also cost me a couple of games)

I watched Charles Martinet's Q&A session, but didn't opt for a meet and greet. Part of me was tempted to grab an extra copy of Super Mario Odyssey for him to sign, but, meh... I'm not one for hero worship.

Seemed like a fun and friendly guy though. I'm still a little bitter that they've recast him (among other characters).

I've been busy playing Ace Attorney trilogy and loving it!I only played the original game when it was on the DS.And after playing this trilogy I also have the Apollo Justice trilogy to play!
On the PS5 I'm 60 hours into Trails Of Cold Steel 3,Monster Hunter World and Vampire Survivor.
Enjoy your weekend all.

Back in town this week, and this weekend is actually a tail end of what has been a tangible time to return to the backlogs before the work routine resumes on Monday. Switch has unsurprisingly continued to lead the charge, from finishing the NMS expedition (unless I get stuck at that one goal that gives me Dishonored trophy flashbacks) to tending to the various usuals (Xenoblades, RFs, Isaac, Terraria, Powerwash, Mudrunner) to making progress in other playthroughs across the board (Borderlands 2 and Doom 3, Dredge and Twilight Survivors, Atelier Marie and Dying Light, Danganronpa and Torchlight 2). Then there are the Deck ambitions for more XCX, Horizon, Starbound, FFs and the aforereferenced (is that a word?) Dishonored, but also the Elder Scrolls and Tales moods to possibly address on the two current gen platforms at hand; I've even been considering a return to ESO (which has hopefully gained enough update material to override the repair request that the previous uninstall/reinstall procedure inexplicably maintained), but with the growing reluctance to bench and later rebuild the Frankenstein's monster of GTA V's launchers, I would have to cut into the other large file playthroughs instead.🤔

Elsewhere, PS4 may also elbow in for some NFS2015, RE3R, MotorStorm Apocalypse and Sakura Wars while the handheld consoles beckon with their own backlog stuff like God Eater, Valentia, Endless Frontier and Persona Revelations as always. Here's to ultimately finding time for all of them in the next few days and/or down the autumn road.😄

Mostly playing Persona 5 Royal which I've actually been able to chip away at somewhat well... being on the Switch really does help get in on short sessions. I'm infiltrating the fifth palace and knocked down as many Mementos requests as I've been able to dig up.

The rest of the weekend is spent on school so there wont be a huge amount of variety. Getting preliminary plans together to set up a modest IoT lab. Busybusybusy.

Happy gaming everyone!

Splatoon 3! I'll finish the catalogue today, just in the nick of time. It may be a coincidence but the new update feels like it's improved match making. Last night's battles felt more evenly balanced in the couple of hours I played for. Better late than never, eh?

Disappointed that this is the final season, but it'll be nice to not feel obligated to playing it every day.

I've got Emio and Silvercase 2425 lined up. Completed the first Silvercase came on PS4 years ago, but feel like I might need to replay it before moving on to the second one. What a story it was though (from what I can remember...).

Coral Island, soul calibur 6, kunitsugami, and I think I’m heading back to Fire Emblem Three Houses. I still have two routes to go and I want to redo Silver Snow. Protect Lady Rhea at all costs. Since I finally have a day off I may do a really long gaming session. Also debating if I wanna start on my LEGO Deku Tree or not.

Haven't played much lately, apart from finishing Cat Quest III and making some progress on Child of Light. I've mostly been completely absorbed in a certain Xianxia novel... but I see myself playing some Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia soon

Cat Quest III takes the crown of being the open world game I've enjoyed the most as well as one of the ones I can easily return to after completing. I'm actually still more drawn to it than Child of Light, even though Child of Light is pretty engaging itself.

Happy gaming, everyone!! ❤︎♥︎❤︎

Famicom Detective Club Emio The Smiling Man and then when I finish The Legend of Heroes Trails from Zero

Well I got a new laptop and the first thing I tried was Kingdom New Lands. I was expecting it to stutter and chop like always, but it runs quite nicely. Then I tried Wipeout Phantom Edition and it runs locked at 240fps, like I expected. This was the first time I've seen 240, so it was pretty exciting to see such perfect smoothness while playing my favorite racing game ever! Then I tried Tears of the Kingdom and it is dreamy. I've just been playing it at 60fps, but there's hardly any stutters, and I also played it at 1600p, and it's just a wonderful experience. I built this vehicle out of 3 long sticks (from a beachside lizalfos camp), 1 fan, and 1 steering stick. Then I put on the Mystic Headpiece and found that the thing can jump off rocks (this is The Second Quest mod, so I've got low gravity turned on). That was fun, but then I hit a really good jump and discovered this vehicle can fly, barely. I ended up flying 2/3 of the way across Hyrule, then adding elevator rails to it while changing the fan position. Now my crazy vehicle could make it to the sky. TOTK is such a blast!
I've also been playing TOTK on Deck with Standalone Recollection, or whatever the mod is called (it has about 40 new weapons and 15 new armor sets), along with a companion mod that let's you collect poes when you are within 10 or so meters (no button press required, you just vacuum them up!). So I've been having fun flying around the depths collecting 2000 poes so I can buy a Yaksha mask and Ridley's body. It looks awesome.
I've also been playing Tempest 4000 at 240fps which is eyeball meltingly good. And I love Haunted Castle Revisited on the new Castlevania collections, which I've been playing on Deck.
Lastly, I'm hoping Waikuteru can get Nintendo into court, like he's saying he wants to do. It seems likely he could defeat them, which would be awesome since they're trying to destroy his YouTube channel. Nintendo can suck it!

This weekend I’m playing Black Myth: Wukong. Wow. What. A. Game. While it shares some superficial similarities with Soulslike games, I think it’s more accurately described as a modern boss-rush game with a structure akin to God of War. The focus seems to be on tightly designed levels, thrilling boss battles, and an emphasis on exploration and secrets, rather than the punishing difficulty found in FromSoftware titles.

As for difficulty, the game doesn't penalize you harshly for dying, which contrasts sharply with the traditional Soulslike experience. This makes it more accessible and possibly more enjoyable for players who appreciate a challenge but don't want to be frustrated by constant setbacks.

Speaking of accessibility, there is a robust combat system with different stances and upgradable abilities, all of which makes your playthrough unique in how you approach fighting enemies. The ability to defeat mini-bosses and acquire their spirits as abilities adds a strategic layer to combat, making each encounter feel meaningful.

For me, Chapter Two is where the game was elevated from good to great. Despite its linearity, there is a wide mix of side quests, secrets with additional areas to explore, and boss fights. This design from the developers created an engaging experience for me that is very memorable. The game's ability to balance linearity with exploration—offering secret areas and hidden bosses—adds to the sense of discovery. Let’s keep in mind, this is Game Sciences’ first foray into the console gaming space.

This leads me to presentation. When it comes to enemies, there is a large diversity in enemy design, particularly the boss fights like Tiger Vanguard, Whiteclad Noble, Kang-Jin Star, Cyan Loong, and Fuban to name a few, keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting, especially environmentally. In fact, some (optional) boss fights, if given time, can perform moves that will open up new areas to explore. But what I really want to praise is the artistic direction—for its minimalistic yet stylish approach. The stop-motion cutscenes, in particular, are a real highlight that I don’t often see spoken about enough.

There are areas where the game can improve, but it never hindered my experience. There are a lot of invisible walls. While this may be a detriment for some, I think the controlled exploration is a result of budget constraints. The trade off is worth it given the high production value in other facets. The absence of a map is another (mild) complaint. While the game is linear, and the sense of discovery is rewarding, a map would ensure that no hidden item or character is missed.

Ultimately, this game has impressed me significantly, and is this year’s Lies of P. It’s been a phenomenal experience, with rich cultural elements, and varied, vibrant environments. It’s a game that has successfully combined fictional storytelling with modern action-adventure mechanics, and is undoubtedly one of the best games of the year. Sorry, Dragon’s Dogma 2, I have a new GOTY.

I'll be starting up Pizza Tower real soon, so I hope it's as good as they say. Also, depending on how far I get or if I need something calmer, I'm also planning on starting Animal Well soon.

I'm all over the place playing Stellar Blade (ps5), Forza Horizon 4 (Series X) and Smash Bros (Switch). Have a good weekend!

Castlevania Dominus. Looks like I'm part of the popular club this week.

Just finished Hollow Knight on Friday, so my metroidvania itch has been scratched. Thought about getting the Dominus collection next, but ultimately decided to choose something from the backlog instead.

Started a playthrough of Star Ocean First Departure R, and so far I'm enjoying it. I'm glad too, as I heard the second one was excellent.

Had to give the Wii U some love, my Gamepad is still in excellent condition so I’ve been revisiting the catalog. It’s an underrated system, somehow I had copies of Mass Effect 3 and Metroid Prime 3 unwrapped in their original copies. I might just have to replay the Metroid Prime Trilogy …still can’t believe they had it on sale for $9 at one time!

On Switch I’ve been having fun with Ori and the Will of the Wisps it’s a superb game. I’ve been loving playing Untitled Goose Game with my daughter, and I’ve recently started the The Stanley Parable Ultra Edition..yeah that game that is….special 😳. Travis Strikes Again-No More Heroes has finally been started and I’m really enjoying it. I always wonder what mix of drugs Suda takes to come up with these games 🤔 I’ll check out the Blockbuster Sale on the Eshop as well

3DS even got dusted off ..I started Ace Attorney Trilogy for the very 1st time, it’s great! I’m thinking about also trying Fire Emblem for the 1st time

On XSX …been playing It Takes Two with wifey…such a great game! It really is a couples therapy session 😂. Dead Space Remake and * Mafia* are in rotation as well.

Strains on deck…have some really nice LA Kush Cake, Critical Diesel, Stinky Pinky 😝 and to close out summer and this Labour Day long weekend some classic Pineapple Express 🍍 🫠

Sad to hear about Johnny Gaudreau passing away! Don’t wait for bad news, a funeral or pressing times to hug your loved ones a lil’ tighter….just do it everyday!!!

Wish you all happy a weekend!
Happy Gaming!!!

I'm playing 'Xeonblade 2: Torna - The Golden Country' and I'm loving it. I'd forgotten how amazing this world is and I picked up the battle system again relatively quickly after two years since playing the main game - though the tutorials in 'Torna' helped a lot, they're far more superior! ... not so keen on the fact that you're forced to do side quests though to continue the story. I do a lot of side quests anyway when i play big RPGs but now it just feels a bit forced, a little more like a chore because I know I need to do them.

I’ll probably be playing a bit of Paper Mario TTYD, however I’ve started a new playthrough of Pikmin 1 so I’ll probably be playing that over the weekend. I might play some Super Mario Maker 2 levels as well.

For some reason it wouldn’t let me choose more than one game, I thought I usually would let me, but I could be wrong

I just got back into TotK. After finishing the game a year ago with 230 hours, I am back into it completing quests I never finished. This game is so good!

Happy gaming everyone!

Castlevania Order of Ecclesia of course! What else?
Also I'll probably manage to squeeze in a couple levels of Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble <3

Pikmin 4 still, getting towards the end but I may go for 100% which I never do (not enough time, too many games and it always feels like diminishing returns). But I’m just loving this game. I played the original on GameCube but never completed it and never played any of the sequels so this has been a lovely surprise.

Probably Splatoon 3, leaning more towards Salmon Run in preparation for next weekend's Big Run.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss (Vita) - I love Sully, he is always funny to listen to.

Microsoft Wordament (Droid) - Still Adventure mode and Dailies.

NBA Jam (Windows Phone) - Playing daily as well.

@cosmograph If you're looking for other exercise games, I can recommend Fitness Circuit. It's not as polished as Ring Fit, and the concept is different, but it always gets a good sweat out of me and the exercises incorporate a bit more of boxing and dancing (moves), so it's a good variation. Maybe when it's on sale it's even more worth it.

I should be finishing Schim fairly soon as it’s quite a short game. I’ve really liked it though! Other than that Monkey Ball Banana Rumble will likely be in the agenda too. I’ve been loving Banana Rumble. The main draw is the fantastic level design in the single player plus polish throughout with nice music and cutscenes. I’ve even enjoyed the multiplayer more than most! It’s definitely low quality but I honestly still have fun with it every time.

Yet another weekend of Balatro and the two Splatoons. I've unlocked all the Balatro decks, so the next hurdle is the gold stake.

I downloaded Pizza Tower on my Switch the day of the direct! It’s fun playing it on a bigger screen. I got up to the fourth floor, with all secrets, treasures, and toppins so far. In case you all didn’t know, I’ve already played this game quite a few times on my laptop.

I’ll also get the Castlevania Dominus Collection, as well as take advantage of some sales going on right now, like the Metal Gear collection and Ultimate MvC 3, the latter on my Xbox.

I’ll likely be playing Clannad whenever I hit the toilet if my wife isn’t using the Switch to finish Portal for the first time.

If she is playing Portal, I should be plugging away at Tales of Phantasia Cross Edition for PSP via my Vita, but JRPGs are a little harder for me to do in bite-sized chunks than other genres, including visual novels. On PC, I’m plugging away at the campaign for the original Starcraft.

In honor of this weekend, here’s a poem I read once in the Garfield comic strip:

Labor Day, shmabor day,
Boy what a dumb day -
Hire some jerk, then send him away
To celebrate work, by playing all day!

😁

I’ll celebrate the long weekend by playing more Grounded, plus get some quality mecha time with my latest purchase Gundam Breaker 4, where I hope eventually to create and pilot many bizarre-looking mobile suits. Plus, as always, I’ll open up the TV to the kids and see if they want to play any co-op games together.

Wishing everyone a fruitful weekend, whatever your occupation! 🕹👷‍♀️

Working PAX West, so not a lot of fun on the docket. Might have a few hours to start Emio, but standing around and talking about games for 9 hours takes a toll.

Havent had a chance to play yet; but I'll be playing dawn of sorrow, Zelda II, wind waker HD, and the quarry.

Home for the weekend, so I'll be able to play some Visions of Mana and a lot of Genshin Impact. The 5.0 update's shaping up to be one of my favorite updates, with Natlan immediately having some of the best OST and visuals out of the areas.

No man's sky- Gonna continue to just explore
destiny 2- Did not play at all during the week so I need to do some grinding this weekend.

I’m about 15 hours into BotW for the first time. I just finished climbing a tower with thorns to unlock some of the map, and now I’m in a shrine freezing time to get a ball to fall off a conveyor belt and into a hole.

@deecas Yeah, being forced to do most if not all the side quests to advance is what drove me away from the DLC..
Oh well, the base game was mid at best too, so I wasn't really expecting much from the DLC anyway.

Risk of Rain 2 is pretty borked at the moment so I guess some more Gori on the PS5 and the Castlevania DS collection on the Switch.

I returned from vacation last weekend, and am very happy to be back in my lair.
If you ever want to visit the most repugnant smelling public restroom in the world head on over to Clara City, Minnesota. It sits in a park that is unmissable as you enter town. It offers a medley of life-changing scents. Also: bring your own tp. Or wipe your bum on the walls like everyone else apparently does. Next time i’ll hold it and wait for the next stop. Well played, Clara City, well played.
Oh yeah, i played and beat Kirby and the Forgotten Land on Switch on vaca, though that is all i had time for. Kirby games are fun, happy affairs. I wish the 3ds titles would make it to Switch.
I will be starting my playthrough of all the ds mettyvanias in (yay!) Castlevania Dominus Collection. I have played through them all several times before, and am happy to again. I went through Haunted Castle Revisited a couple days ago. Immeasurably improved.
I am into winter in Moonstone Island and love the look of it. My treehouse looks especially dapper bedecked in fluffy white. I believe i am close to the end of the game, but i also believe i can find much to do after the final temple.
Oh, i bought and am reading Dune. First time. Really. Denis Villeneuve is responsible.
Take care all, and may Fishbo smile upon you!
Edit:Epyx Rogue is fixed, so back into that, and i bought Tiny Tina’s Wonderland on Steam for 3 clams.

I kinda don't know what to play, tbh.

I just recently beat One Piece Odyssey and a Pokemon hack game on my phone, but I'm in that slump again. I'm waiting to start my new job that I got hired for, but construction got behind, so I can't afford a new game. All I know is I have a friend coming out today and we'll likely play Smash or maybe some Pokemon Sw/Sh.

Primary: Final Fantasy 2 (SNES)

Almost 20 hours in now and the party just arrived in Toroia. Doing some grinding in the nearby lush, green forests. The game moves much faster than I remember. I felt like Cecil's transformation and Palom and Porom's stone sacrifice happened much later in the game. Struck by the beautiful storytelling. Powerful concepts that aren't bogged down by unnecessary exposition. The game takes a "show, don't tell" approach, just like a great movie.

Alternate: Dragon Quest 6 (SNES)

The one hour of grinding job levels per day continues. Just mastered the Metal Babble class after 299 battles and earned the "Big Bang" nuclear bomb skill! Next up for the hero is the Dragon class, which will take 279 battles (or 11 days). Gonna top them all off before diving deep into the alternate dungeon and tackling the secret boss! There are supposed to be little easter eggs from previous games scattered about in the depths of that dungeon!

Retro Collection News

This week's addition was Stunt Race FX. I remember being 14 years old, standing at the SNES demo kiosk at the local (new) Wal-Mart, trying out the game and marveling at the sophistication of the ultra powered SUPER Nintendo. The fact that it was pushing 3D was so amazing to me. Lol The frame rate was horrendous, but I didn't even know what frame rate was yet. The controls were awkward, but that didn't bother me either. The presentation of Stunt Race FX was so polished and clean. It had that Super Nintendo feel. I've wanted the game ever since and only now, 30 years later does it join it's brethren as I continue piecing together my final collection. I think there are 18 titles left on my SNES "Most Wanted" list before I move on to N64 and PS1. Slow and steady.

Switch: still playing The Minish Cap and enjoying my time with it, even if some bits are a bit obscure (like the button to Kinstone trade!). On the 4th temple now

PS5: played a bit of Sifu, levelling up and trying to get a better run but still can’t beat the last boss

Started up Immortals of Aveum - after a shaky start with a lot of exposition, I’ve started to really like the characters, world and combat mechanics

Just beat Castlevania Order of Ecclesia (DS) - what a fantastic game! I was unsure about the divided stages until reaching the last. Great music as well. 10/10

Relaxing with Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (Chapter 2, DS), Golden Sun (Just started, GBA), and more Wario Land (4th world, GB). On switch playing SMTVV (currently in the middle of the 2nd area). Happy gaming!

My weekends this summer have mostly been devoted to the JRPGs I missed on PS5, having bought mine just earlier this year. So Tales of Arise will be my primary focus this weekend. But! I am playing through Pizza Tower and chipping away at Final Fantasy 6 on the Switch on the side.

Easy Come Easy Golf, Emio the Smiling Man, Mario Party Superstars, and King of Fighters 13.

@Qwiff A pirate I was meant to be, Trim the sails and roam the seas!

I started TTYD last week and I'm... overwhelmed. I feel a lot of pressure for my opinion of this game due to it's huge reception and how it's going to compare to my other favorite mario rpgs(Bowser's Inside Story[all-time favorite], Dream Team, and Origami King). I'm at the end if the 2nd chapter, and I am really enjoying it.

Other than that, maybe a little Kirby Clash Deluxe on the side and Kirby and the Forgotten Land if my brother is using the TV. Happy weekend!

Omg Youtube is horrible these days. Farking political ad every 2 minutes.

I picked up peglin & the castlevania collection on tuesday and I’ve been hooked on peglin ever since. Haven’t even started the castlevania collection which I look forward to as I missed out on the ds games back in the day because my health was terrible and I was broke.

@FishyS Really nice way to put it. I actually agree with everything you've mentioned about the game! 😃

And I would really rather get a #2 than yet another Fitness Boxing .. . 😅

So I beat the first Danganronpa this week. Such a twisted, sadistic game, making you get so attached to characters just before they kill them off! So, naturally, I…am playing the second one, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair. Apparently I can’t get enough of the suffering.

I’m on the first chapter right now. No murders yet. Some of the characters do remind me of the ones from the first game, but they haven’t proven quite as memorable…at least, not yet. But hey, at least it’s a break from asking “oh my goodness did they just kill Hina??” every time I find a body. (Granted, there is a character I liked that’s clearly based on Makoto from the first game, but I’m not stupid. He definitely dies first.)

Anyway, I’ll also be playing Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club now that the full game’s out. I’m on the third chapter right now. So far it’s pretty standard FDC gameplay, which admittedly does feel a little dated, but the story’s good so far, and Taro and Ayumi seem to get a 50/50 playtime split this time. This one seems meatier than the previous installments, too, so I might be at this for a little while.

I’ve been on holiday - without the Switch! But I return home this weekend so back to Red Dead Redemption.

I also picked up Super Mario Bros U Deluxe for cheap so I will also have a bit of fun with that.

@Yalloo @FishyS Thank you for the recommendation. I was curious about Fitness Circuit after seeing it being mentioned here frequently. I have tried other fitness games and for me they have fallen flat compared to RFA but I’m going to give FC a shot if I see it go on sale. I’ve heard about the motion detection issues with it so I appreciate that being acknowledged and then it still being worth it. I’m always on the lookout for new exercise routines. It’s my favorite hobby when I have energy and free time. I’ll let you know what I think if I pick it up. 👍

@FishyS That’s cool, I’ll check it out. Thanks!

I had a great session on Steam World Heist 2 today, I’m having a lot of fun with it.
For the rest of the weekend, I’m aiming to finish the base story on SMTVengence!
Happy gaming all

Still plugging away on Star Ocean 2 on Switch and Diablo 4 on Steam Deck with my brother. Hope to make some good progress on this extended weekend.

I will be playing the Superhot video game on my video game console fun time machine.

Trying to complete Sonic 2 without losing a life. Not using save states as we didn't have them when we were kids and you had to complete games in one sitting.

Also enjoying fun ways to kill Tales as the hapless sidekick of course.

If I get time, SF2 on level 7 as Ken without a continue. Vega will likely break me. I don't think I have the dexterity anymore but on an arcade stick maybe.

Visions of Mana (Xbox) is what's got me this weekend. Will take a break for some DnD with friends and possibly some Pokemon Unite.

I'm on what I think is the final boss of The Denpa Men 3, so hopefully I'll finish that. Also hoping to pop into Game and see if they have the new physical release of Outer Wilds on Switch.

finishing unlocking the last few aircraft on ace combat 7 before moving on to the shadow ninja reborn.

I just ordered a DD wheel for GT7.

Metroid Zero Mission is the main event, though I’d love to dip into the Dominus Collection soon…

I'm mainly playing Emio, Balatro, Berzerk (Enhanced Edition) and Sonic and Sega Allstars Racing.

@Freek Thanks to you and Chichicurri for talking about it - I just noticed Sanabi too.
How does this game from last year have 27 THOUSAND steam reviews and I never even heard about it??

@geshem
Awesome!
The more people that play this game the better.
It is excellent.
Glad to put this game on more people's lists.

Last night I completed Children of Morta on steam, a great action RPG with roguelike elements, wonderful narration, charming graphics, good combat system, I would 100% recommend.

Today I am playing Pokemon Violet to try and get two shiny goomys so I can help complete my shiny national living dex.

I am also currently playing Pikmin 1, Zelda TOTK and Power wash Simulator.

I kicked off this weekend with...

Cryptwalker
I've been neo retro crazy lately, so this was next on that backlog. I beat the main campaign. I'll save Handheld, The Extra Stages, and the Lost Sequel for another time.

Ring Fit Adventure
Dealt with Drageaux, but he took the gym masters as he fled, so on to the next world. Tough sessions, but I gotta keep the exercise going. I will beat the main game one day...

Fitness Boxing
A half hour of exercise hadn't gone by, so I finished my workout work this. I may have finally gotten through all the moves and routines, as something new wasn't introduced for the first time when I played. I think I may just be ready for Fitness Boxing 3 when it drops.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Now that I've gotten some backlog shrunken, I'm happy to return back to the main feature at hand.

Honorable mention goes to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. I will be making my grand return next weekend. If by some crazy chance, I may fire it up tonight.

I've been jumping between a lot of games recently. Before, I was slowly chugging through SMTV Vengeance and FFXIV pixel remaster. In addition to those, I have given Atelier Ryza 1 another chance and started the Switch remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening for the first time.

Well here we go with another jampacked WAYP. Been a stupidly awesome week around here. Lots of new games came out, I got those JJK volumes I mentioned and it’s another jam packed week like that again this week too. Loved that dual direct inside world I think my favorite announcement was Atelier Yumia tho I also picked up the Castlevania Collection so that’s probably hyped thing number 2. Most of the week was just the usual games like Dawntrail and SMTV: Vengeance and some Trails Through Daybreak. Also tried Concord and yeah it really is not as half bad as people make it out to be I had some solid fun with it on my day off it’s not like I felt it ruined my day off or something. Also got a preorder in on that new Life Is Strange so very excited for October when it comes out. But then yesterday I got to boot up both Emio and Visions of Mana and man oh man the good gaming time has arrived. Both were absolutely amazing and cozy. Emio felt like a warm blanket on a cold winters day. And Visions feels like the brightest most colorful thing in the world and I love the story so far. Characters too. Rest of the weekend I’m thinking is gonna be some SMTV: Vengeance as I still would like to beat that game before The Answer and Metaphor come out. Otherwise I’m thinking this week is mostly gonna consist of some Monster Hunter Stories, Trails Through Daybreak, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, Paper Mario, Bakeru, Dawntrail, Dragons Dogma 2, Emio, Concord, Star Wars Outlaws and Visions of Mana. Got the new Splatoon amiibos coming in this week and this is also when Astro Bot and Ace Attorney Investigations Collection comes out as well as Bakeru so I’m very excited for all of it. WWE Bash In Berlin was super hype I loved it. The best match was probably a 3 way tie between the Rhea Ripley match, the CM Punk match and the Gunther match they were seriously so incredible. Now we just wait until October and Bad Blood. That one I’m so hype for. Anime of the week gotta go to Oshi No Ko and Mission Yozakura Family. Yeah only got two anime this week as I saw the new Alien movie Alien Romulus on anime day and having never seen a Alien movie outside of Prometheus I have to say it was pretty freaking good. Podcasts of this week gotta go to Castle Superbeast, Big Think Dimension, Into The Aether, RPGsites Tetracast, Minnmax, Jeff Gerstmann, Kit and Krysta, Last Stand Media, Easy Allies, Second Wind, Nextlander, Cultaholic Wrestling and Remap Radio. As always yall stay safe, be stupidly awesome to each other. Have a totally wacky weekend and of course Happy Gaming.

I’ve spent a healthy amount of time with Peglin (I feel like this is the first rougelite of some recent games to capture the feel of Peggle) and Vampire Survivors DLC

Just started Famicom Detective Club trilogy. I grew up with 80-90s P&C/Text adventures, and the fact that there seems to be no quality of life upgrades to the actual gameplay, I’m kinda in my old-school wheelhouse. Loving every bit of having to churn through dialogue trees despite the “Oh, come on!!” moments. HOWEVER, I’m not looking at you Ending of Chapter 6 of The Missing Heir #IYKYK. Otherwise a completely fun and engaging story.

I'm playing Cross Code, what a gem. Game deserving of so much more attention.

I've been playing FANTASIAN (yes, it's spelled with all caps for some reason) on Apple Arcade. It's really fun, and it's coming to switch later this year.

I've also jumped into a bit of Lords of the Fallen (2023) on Steam. It's a lot like Dark Souls but I find it a bit easier to deal with. I liked Dark Souls, but the older I get the less patience I have for those sorts of games.

I did try and download CrossCode on steam, but for some reason the servers won't let me download that particular game. So I bought it on Switch and am refunding it on Steam.

I tend to get any physical Indies on Switch and keep my digital collection on Steam, so this is slightly frustrating.

So I finally finished persona 4 and my god I loved it I loved every bit of it again the only complaint I have is with the dungeons but in the grand scheme of things it really doesn’t matter the characters the story, the social links! I loved them all I loved the lighthearted feel of this game despite how dark it could get, the feeling of everyone being friends living right next to each other, plus the game not ending on such a sad note in comparison to the last game was great, it definitely made me feel more complete and helped with the post persona depression.

So about two days after I decided to finally go on to five royal, and oh..my..goodness! If everything about this game is just amazing like just amazing, the dungeons on my goodness, they are just amazing, like they just match the game perfectly, and are just so much fun to go through. They even kept the same dungeon style persona4 had with mementos which is also enjoyable to go through because of the mora car. But yep that’s going to be my week as I’m obsessed I have already put in about 25 hours and now I’m just afraid of finishing the game, I know it probably much much more to go considering my p4 playthrough was 75 hours but man…I still don’t want it to end. At least I have p strikers after this I guess but the thought makes me sad.

I also started playing my first castlevania game as well rondo of blood……and yeah it pretty rough lol