What are you playing on your Switch 2: Play Harder

Hm, do you find that the font is too small to read in handheld?  I don't recall having that problem.  I'm glad you're enjoying it, I agree that there isn't a lot outside the story (the puzzles are pretty simple and there's a lot of back-and-forth) but I thought it was well-written in the kind of way you'd like.  

Balla progress update:
- Tunic - beaten the second big boss, unlocked the mountain.
- NieR Automata - I'm guessing the fairground is everybody's favourite bit?  It is pretty good, although I'm not sure about the hacking in the boss battle which I believe comes into play more later in the game.  I stopped upon reaching the robot(?) village.
- Subnautica - I'm still playing it!  Got a bigger oxygen tank, some fins, a knife, and several dents in my armour from Crashfish.  Little bastards.
- Persona 4 Golden - I've started this now, and it's the best evidence yet that the series as a whole probably isn't for me.  I've not actually done much dungeon stuff since I've not rescued the innkeeper's daughter yet, but all my issues from 3 with the battle system and the choice paralysis on the social side still apply.  I do prefer this one to 3, largely because of Chie.  She's fun.
- Jack Move - indie cyberpunk RPG none of you apart from Mas care about, and I've already updated him.
- Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories - uuuuuuh.  I'm not even sure what this is, and I've played about an hour of it now.  I think it's best described as an RPG-styled walking simulator, with Game Boy aesthetics and a writing style that apes the likes of Earthbound and Omori.  I don't think it's as good as those games though, the scenario is a bit too off-the-wall and the pace is slooooooow.  
Balla progress update ends.

Yeah bit too small and don't want miss anything.

Your about where I got in Nier Automata.

Got Pikmin 1+2 on the Switch for a decent price on the Japanese eshop so going to hop into Pikmin 1 in a bit. I enjoyed it a lot when I played through it a few years ago. Pikmin 2 not quite as much but I plan to give it a more thorough playthrough this time around - didn't bother with the post-game last time.

I seem to recall the game is basically all in the postgame, but I could be wrong. At least, that's where the story is more than just getting rich.

Smashed out Pikmin 1. Had 11 in-game days remaining which I think was a better better than my playthrough a few years ago. I didn't get the entries where Olimar starts losing his mind.

I'm in Pikmin 2 now and I've been enjoying it a bit more with the fresh perspective. The absence of a day limit doesn't seem as impactful now that I know I can get through Pikmin 1 pretty easily (like it may as well have not been a thing). I'm appreciating how much bigger the scope of this game is with the added variety of pikmin, enemies and approaches you can and have to take.

The graphical upgrade between the two titles is not insignificant either. Not sure if that's something that's more obvious at a higher resolution, but Pikmin 2 is a bit prettier with some nicer effects. Also liking the music a bit more.

I remember feeling that, even without doing the postgame, Pikmin 2 did go on a bit, but I found Pikmin 1 overly short this time around so I'm probably going to appreciate that more as well.

Anyone remember Fast RMX? The F-Zero wannabe from Shinen at the very start of the Switch's life? No? That's understandable. I've actually gone back to it. For some reason The Lady, who mostly plays intricate WRPGs with more dialogue choices than you can an analogue stick at, also plays Redout, another F-Zero wannabe on PC. So we tried this together. I'm actually finding it more fun than I did originally, not because I'm playing with The Lady (she's very bad at controlling the ships once you get her away from a keyboard) but because I just seem to be... better at it in general? Better at reacting to stuff coming up? Which is nice. How long before my reflexes begin to go the other way...

I remember it, that was the main online game we played in the early days of the Switch.

One Cappa and myself will likely be playing in November

I'm nowhere near as much of a grammar pedant as I used to be, and thank goodness for that - but seeing "it's lands" in a game trailer still makes me go   .  

Looks nice otherwise though!  Or well, the gameplay looks nice, the aesthetics have a bit of a 'we threw a bunch of stock assets together' look, but the gameplay has a bit of KIU to it.  That's always a bonus.


EDIT by way of delete and repost: Mas, does the writing change much in Coffee Talk?  I started it recently and bounced off it a little because I found the first set of characters you meet not that appealing.  I'll persevere, I just want to know if you grew to love them or loved them from the off.  Also I don't care for the art much.

Also on yet another tangent, Cassette Beasts got the long-awaited patch today.  I'll give it another go soon.

I've only played Coffee Talk 2, which does start with some new characters which are pretty likeable and the old ones you can tell by the writing that they're regular customers.

I don't remember loving the characters themselves much, but I found their stories interesting enough to persist.

Hm. I find it pretty difficult to love anything story-focussed, from books to TV shows to games, if I can't get behind the characters. I'll see how it goes but that's pretty damning. Thanks though.

...did I know Andy was a VN fan?

I'd say there's no genres I'm against, just varying levels of impressed by the games within

If we're talking raw text, no gameplay I'd say I've not stretched massively far from Steins Gate, but I was into Analogue: A Hate Story and Digital: A Love Story back in the day.

Ah yes, too-too-roo! Also my regular plug for Fata Morgana because it's excellent.

It's on the list for sure, but I already have a long list of games to play in the reading genre and I am rarely well placed to play them as they neither fit in the easy bed time reading category, nor the regular game time category...

I'm currently playing VN Harmony, which was a timed exclusive on Switch and even featured in a Direct-thing.

Though I'm playing on PS4/5 as it was cheaper, though might work better as handheld game. Looking at the trophies it has 5 acts, which I'm halfway through Act 3, that thoughts will come soon in Last Game thread.

Currently say not that positive on the it.

Since finishing TotK I've been jumping between a few games.

Pikmin 4 demo

I swear the dialogue wasn't this annoying in the previous games compared to the opening of this demo, also the tutorials fall in to the bad choice of telling you what to do rather than letting you learn by doing which isn't like Nintendo at all. Though with that said those are my only downsides as when it let's you off the leash this is shaping up to be another fun Pikmin game.  

Bleak Sword DX

I heard this was short & really expected to rinse it in one sitting but it's bloody hard.
Despite the difficulty I do still like it but I'll probably just play it in short bursts so I don't go totally mental, the pixel visuals in a diorama setting are neat but the sound effects & music bring it together to create a top notch atmosphere I wasn't expecting at all.

The_Jaster wrote:

Bleak Sword DX

I heard this was short & really expected to rinse it in one sitting but it's bloody hard.
Despite the difficulty I do still like it but I'll probably just play it in short bursts so I don't go totally mental, the pixel visuals in a diorama setting are neat but the sound effects & music bring it together to create a top notch atmosphere I wasn't expecting at all.

I saw a little clip you shared of this and it looks grand!

Aye it's a good little arcade style action game.

I thought I'd boot up Game Builder Garage for the first time seeing as I bought it over two years ago and games featuring user generated content only last so long, except now I'm doubting whether I can even play other people's games on it. I was greeted by a simple but overly long tutorial and after that it was only options to make about 7 other games through lessons. I'm expecting I can play other's creations after I've done those but that first lesson was so long winded I'm not sure I can sit through them.

Picked up Disney Illusion Island and the hour or so I've played has been rather good. I've not watched the show this is sorta based on, but the cutscenes look great and when in motion looks decent.

I don't know how old your oldest is Smurf, know you said played games co-op with them and this has 4-Player co-op and has no combat that I could see it being a great starter metroidvania before an Ori in a few years.

Is it based on a show? Yeah I'm definitely getting this as soon as I can, she's been watching something Mickey Mouse related recently so she'll be excited when she sees this. I also want it for myself even though its not actually a sequel to the old Illusion games that I was hoping for.

I've started playing Portal 2 after playing the first game a few months back, this doesn't really need to be said but my word they're excellent games aren't they?

Sure I've seen a show that looks like it on Disney+, also mentions adventures they've been on but the could be just in genreal Mickey stuff.

I would love a collection of the newer Disney remake games they did during the Wii/360 era

Ducktales and Mickeys castle of illusion spring to mind!

Wouldn't even mind an Epic Mickey collection tbh

You all wanna get on Kingdom Hearts