What's eShopping about?

Oh I have 5 games on my watch list at the minute and 12 games yet to finish or even start.

That sounds more like me!

I do have a play order set up for them but at the minute I'm really enjoying the MHGU solo challenge I'm doing.

New Alex Kidd game is coming  

Looks pretty. What's the 'big deal' about the Alex Kidd franchise? Obviously I've heard of it, but it seems to have a lot of retro love. Why's that, people who like it?

Well he was the SEGA mascot before Sonic, and he had a few games on the Master System

That trailer reminds me of Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap, which played quite nicely but reminded me that a lot of platformers from that era are actually a bit dull, even if you do put a lick of paint on them...

Balladeer wrote:

Looks pretty.  What's the 'big deal' about the Alex Kidd franchise?  Obviously I've heard of it, but it seems to have a lot of retro love.  Why's that, people who like it?

The Master System was popular in the UK (and Europe in general) and Alex Kidd was built-in to the Master System II model. This was still being sold in Argos throughout the 1990s, as a cheap alternative to the Mega Drive. I know the system lasted even longer in South America.

The first Alex Kidd (which this one is) has memorable music and some solid platforming - it even let you buy vehicles and weapons which separated it from the NES Mario games at the time. I don't know how the bosses will hold up because they were based on luck, or quickly changing your choice at the last minute to fool the enemy (boss battles equated to literal Rock, Paper, Scissors).

I have fond memories of it as it was my first game, but it did get rock hard and was of a generation where if you died on Level 8, you had to start from Level 1. Hopefully that's changed.

Ah - Sega nostalgia.

SEGA was the king of Europe till Sony come around that makes sense why a lot of nostalgia for it online unless you're a yank and told Nintendo saved games

Aye, I do remember seeing Alex Kidd in Miracle World playing in toy shop windows when I was a kid, admittedly before Nintendo got their act together with the NES.

I was really excited to play it on the Wii Virtual Console.
...yeah... ...

gjones wrote:

(I've more or less sacked Hollow Knight off at this point and fallen into the well of endless Switch goodness!)

May I ask why so, Mr. Jones?

Also, having finally finished Ladyquest (see Chat Thread), I have some time to play games again! I've picked up Monster Boy where I left off and immediately ran into a cavalcade of skellingtons. Bah.

The_Jaster wrote:

Oh I have 5 games on my watch list at the minute and 12 games yet to finish or even start.

I realised the other day I've downloaded 75 games through the eShop with my watchlist being just as long, I think I'm in the same boat as Steam users who love a good sale.

Two more were added to my watch list yesterday, Behold the Kickmen which looks like a fun take on an arcade football game and it's only 3 quid. (I'll be buying that today I think)



&

Ruiner which I know has been on ps4 for a couple years but has passed me by due to other game releases & I'd prefer to have a game like this in a handheld format. Though with that said I'm going to wait for a sale or if I get a good chunk of Switch games beaten before I get it. (latter isn't likely)

I was weighing up getting Behold The Kickmen, but apparently it's style of comedy is really up it's own arse, properly snooty and very condescending about football. I know it's only three quid, but I don't fancy feeling insulted.

~

The three games I’m keeping an eye on are all brimming with imagination, as they’re  enhanced ports from old Nintendo games from almost twenty years ago. 



The first one is Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary Edition, which itself initially came out in other systems in 2016. There’s added gyroscopic aiming, HD Rumble, developer commentaries and a whole new episode of levels for this Switch version. I’d been planning on replaying Duke Nukem 64 as I remember it quite fondly, but this update this aptly timed. It’s on offer too, with 50% off for the next couple of weeks. Four quid this Switch version seems like a bit of a bargain to me.



Star Wars Episode 1: Racer is the old podracing game from the N64. I’ve pointed this out as being one of the most overrated games ever – I don’t think it deserves to be in the conversation about the best N64 games. But I’m open-minded enough to give it another go, especially with the motion controls they’ve added. Early impressions from others is that it’s loaded with bugs and glitches though. It’s £12.29 too, which is a bit steep for a game I’ve already got on N64 anyway. I’m kind of interested, but I’ll wait for a sale.



There’s a Mr. Driller game coming out this week, and it’s an enhanced port of the GameCube version that only came out in Japan. I’m in two minds about it. All the Mr. Driller games are more or less the same – they’re fun but totally shallow. I’m not sure how different this would be to, say, the DS one, or the one that (somehow) made it onto the PlayStation Classic. But it’s a game I’ve wanted to import for years, and I know that I consistently enjoy the games in the Mr. Driller series. I’ll get this at some stage, but I’m unconvinced about slapping £15.99 on it when it’s re-released on Thursday.

Is anybody else thinking about buying any of these?

Pod Racer is the only one I might get then it be on PS4, I wonder which version it's based on? The DC version was the one I played and I believe is best version being an enhanced port from the previous gen.

Mr Driller is cool but I'd sooner just import it on GameCube

I'm somewhat amazed that there haven't been more podracing games, they've always been great. I got Star Wars Racer Revenge on the PS4, had it on the ps2 and played the heck out of it.

Mr Driller is a game I've never owned but I played the demos of it quite a lot. If it's on a sale I could be tempted to pick it up.

I loved Podracer in the arcades, but a big part of the appeal is sitting in the pod with the two control levers just like the film. If the motion controls capture that, this could be a banger. If not, it'll be a second rate F-Zero wannabe. I'll definitely give it a go.

And at that price, it's probably worth picking up Duke for when I'm done with the DOOMs.

I had Podracer back in the day and I don't think I was that keen on it so probably won't go back to it, same with Mr Driller which I had on the DS, ok but can't see myself ever playing it. After reading Cappa's thoughts though I'm curious about Nukem now, never played the series but for a few quid I'd be up for it.

The Cappuccino Kid wrote:

I was weighing up getting Behold The Kickmen, but apparently it's style of comedy is really up it's own arse, properly snooty and very condescending about football.

SOLD

I know do my release month thread but that's not always accurate for indies. Looking at this video from NL on the month of July, it looks a decent month for Switch.

Sure I won't get them all on Switch but certainly see playing Superliminal, CotM2, CrossCode for instance and chatting to you fine chaps.

Did anybody give Pokemon Café Mix a try? I’m pretty underwhelmed to be honest. I like the idea of it – and it looks and sounds brilliant – but the puzzle mechanics aren’t involving and it’s not very satisfying to play. I’ve spend hours upon hours on several of the free-to-start Pokemon games, but I think I’m done with Café Mix after only a couple.

Pretty much my thoughts on it, average.

masofdas wrote:

I know do my release month thread but that's not always accurate for indies. Looking at this video from NL on the month of July, it looks a decent month for Switch.

Sure I won't get them all on Switch but certainly see playing Superliminal, CotM2, CrossCode for instance and chatting to you fine chaps.

Superliminal is one I remember from previous Directs and might well get snapped up.  CrossCode caught my eye, but given my recent run of JRPGs and success rate is probably a pass for now.

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Different topic: Mas asked me on Discord whether he should get Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, and I thought I'd bring the response here. After a slow beginning, I really liked Monster Boy: the game feel and aesthetics grew on me, the exploration and use of new skills opened things up nicely, it's got some funny moments, and the music was always great. I am, however, giving it the past tense because I've temporarily put it down and haven't felt the pull to go back. I will, at some point! I just haven't felt that pull.

If I had to give it a criticism beyond some pretty by-the-numbers enemy design, it's... tough to put into words, but I guess it doesn't have a sense of place. You know how Hollow Knight felt like it was a cursed kingdom (ironically)? Yes... Monster Boy doesn't have that. Every screen feels like a videogame world, rather than a world in which a videogame is set. It doesn't really have an ambience.

Combining this with a lack of much story, which is what Mas/you seem to want from your games these days, and I don't think it's for you Mas. I would however recommend it to our more gameplay-focussed forumites if they can get it in a sale. It's a beautiful fun game and I'm not sure why I can't be too fussed about going back to it.

Thanks Balla, I still might give it a play as it was one of the four Pro games this month on Stadia, just more of do I play that or one of the many games in my backlog which will get bigger with Iron Man VR, Superliminal, CrossCode, Curse of the Moon 2, Ghost of Tsushima, Grounded and likely others that I can't think off