MY BRAIN HAD A THINK ABOUT A GAM3

Wow, that's practically a free-to-play model there.

Absolutely ludicrous gubbins. I wonder how many people own them all already?

Regarding Mario Kart track DLC - that's what they're doing with Tour isn't it? Only the tracks are free and everything else is charged for through the nose. I think.

Thing is I'd be quite happy to pay £453.59 for extra DLC I'm Mario Kart 8.

Sims always sort been like that and goes back to the old PC days, then guess nowadays instead of doing Sims 5 just add more stuff to 4.

I sort want to play the Star Wars add-on for Sims though.

Agreed with Mario Kart 8 DLC - I don't need a Mario Kart 9 right now; I think just more racey places please.

I'd take a Mario Kart 9 or would it be Nintendo Kart now? As crazy Switch won't get a new proper Kart, could it happen this year especially Nintendo planning on making a lot of money.

But MK8D keeps on selling though.

masofdas wrote:

I'd take a Mario Kart 9 or would it be Nintendo Kart now?

I have wondered that. I'd take it; the Zelda and Animal Crossing tracks were great, more of that please.

I honestly would like to see something new for MK9, even if it's not as phenomenal as MK8D.  Be that Nintendo Kart, a new track gimmick, or a big new mode (World of Light for Mario Kart yes please), I'm here for it.  Just don't put the tracks in the real world: that's daft. And dull, as they'll be on a single flat plane. Please don't do that.

Balladeer wrote:

Just don't put the tracks in the real world: that's daft.  And dull, as they'll be on a single flat plane.  Please don't do that.

This you?

A single locally flat plane.

I don't really know what I'd suggest as an addition for MK:9. I just want more of tracks to be honest. The zero g tracks in 8 were a masterclass because they looked great but didn't add a great deal of complexity. It's difficult to think of anything new that wouldn't muddy the waters a bit.

As somebody who hates horror and horror-adjacent, I've realised that I'm really quite keen on horror bits in non-horror games. Firstly the spooky bit in A Hat in Time and now another spooky bit in Ikenfell. I don't know why! Maybe it's the fact that I know there's going to be a happy ending, and some light relief when I'm done? Regardless, small doses of The Creepy work better than they should for me.

Anybody got any favourite horror levels or set-pieces in non-horror games? (Majora's Mask doesn't count, the whole thing's cosmic horror.)

Lavendar Town and its music still fucks me up, 'natch.

Some of the creepier encounters in Witcher probably count.

I'm also discovering that I also just actually do like horror, so what you gonna do?

Mad Monster Mansion from Banjo-Kazooie is my favourite horror level. Loads of individual little sections of it really stand out, like the hedge maze, the haunted church and it’s massive organ (don’t), the Ouija board and, of course, Loggo The Toilet. It’s a genuinely great platforming level regardless of it’s theme – there’s so much to explore and see and collect.

One thing to add – the Ghost House levels in the 2D Super Mario games are the worst levels in whatever game they’re in. They’re great in 3D, but meh in 2D.

Agreed that Mad Monster Mansion is one of the best anythings ever. Although with the 3D mascot platform adventure revival, I fear I'm horror-levelled-out. "Uh-oh, everything's a purple colour!"

Sometimes there's a decent puzzle or two, but usually it doesn't fill me with hope when I arrive at a big mansion and think about trying twenty different doors to find the right one.

Balladeer wrote:

As somebody who hates horror and horror-adjacent, I've realised that I'm really quite keen on horror bits in non-horror games.  Firstly the spooky bit in A Hat in Time and now another spooky bit in Ikenfell.  I don't know why!  Maybe it's the fact that I know there's going to be a happy ending, and some light relief when I'm done?  Regardless, small doses of The Creepy work better than they should for me.  

Anybody got any favourite horror levels or set-pieces in non-horror games?  (Majora's Mask doesn't count, the whole thing's cosmic horror.)

For some reason this reminded me that I had to play Super Mario Land 2 muted because of the jingle that precedes every boss battle. I'm someone who always has music going on in their head. I think I'm quite an audio and visual thinker, so you can imagine a youngster with a very active mind might find the music scary. Especially if it gets stuck in the head at night.

It also reminded me that I found Metal Gear Solid quite scary. Not because of the foxdie virus, or metal gear, or any of the cold war stuff. No all of that was beyond my understanding at the time really. It's more that it was the first game I'd played that involved a sense of loss. It's obviously a sneaking game, but I tried playing it as a shooter for a while and I can still remember the dread at running out of bullets and finding myself unable to beat the grunts. A lesson I've probably taken too far now because I'll often hoard things in games for no good reason. There is also a section in that game where Snake gets a cold and can't stop sneezing. Losing that sense of control was quite troubling as well!

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines is one of those cult classic rpgs that's obviously fairly dark given the theme. But other than it's litany of bugs the game is quite famous for a haunted hotel section that has the odd jump scare but really feels quite psychological. Made me feel a little on edge playing it anyway. Not a game I can recommend though, it's on steam but only really works with mods and even then it's a janky game that's best played with invincibility on.

The Lady loves VTMB! She does play it heavily modded though. I'll ask her about the hotel.

Lavender Town is an obvious great shout. MMM is a really good level with tremendous music, but not what I'm thinking of - I'd say it's more horror-comedy. Nothing in it really scared me, apart from the first time a gravestone started walking towards me. 2D Mario ghost houses can actually scare me as the time limit runs down. They're rubbish.

Buskalilly wrote:

I'm also discovering that I also just actually do like horror, so what you gonna do?

...envy you? I wish I could enjoy being scared.

Most horror doesn't scare me much* so I think it's more that I appreciate the aesthetics and stuff in the same way you do, just with more hardcore stuff.

*In the moment, at least. Horror scares me a few hours later when I'm walking to the shop late at night to get some milk, or a couple of days down line when I've just come down a mountain and found myself in an unfamiliar rural Japanese village when it's pitch black at night. Then all the horror I've consumed suddenly comes back and it's well scary. The feeling is quite exciting though, especially once it subsides.

I'm with you on that when it comes to horror be it in games or film, the style typically matters the most to me though if it can give me goosebumps I know it's something special.

Balla wrote:

Anybody got any favourite horror levels or set-pieces in non-horror games? (Majora's Mask doesn't count, the whole thing's cosmic horror.)

Not really a proper set piece or level but in Remnant: From the ashes it plays this little audio cue to let you know when an elite enemy has spawned within the map, and the first handful of times it happens the panic can set in as you try to clear out enough enemies & find out where it is coming from.

See, I'm a big old wuss who's scared at the time and can't sleep afterwards.

Seen this on Twitter earlier:



Those 1567 days between November 18th 2021 and March 3rd 2017 were rough.

That surprises me a little; I feel as though I've had my Switch longer than I had my Wii U.

Nah those first 1567 banging Mario Kart 8, Bayonetta 2, Super Mario 3D World, TW101, Pikmin 3, SMASH4U and whatever 3DS had which been decent amount of games.

Long list of games from mid 2013 to late 2014 there. I've had the Wii U since the day it came out, and while I recognise the quality of most of those games I also don't forget about Mario Tennis Ultra Smash, Animal Crossing amiibo Festival, Starfox Zero, Mario Party 10, Game & Wario the dozens of shoddy third-party games that ultimately made the Wii U era a very, very, very rough time to live through.