#i ended up preordering the special edition for switch too

[asteria7fics]

SNOW DAY LETS GOOOOOOO

Who else is playing???

[fraeuleintaka]

I preordered the AAIC Checkmate Set!

This is the 4th post in the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection Countdown: 77 days left until release!

I did it! I preordered the AAIC Special Edition! It was surprisingly difficult because all the online stores my friends and I could find either didn't list it at all or already marked it as out of stock. It's not even released yet! Probably the number of promised copies for each store is so limited that they can't make more than a few available at once so it switches between being available for preorder and being out of stock as soon as that amount of preorders come in.

I set up an email notification on Meccha Japan to notify me when it's available and got lucky that it became such just shortly before I got up today 😄 So that's literally the first thing I did after waking up, I preodered it immediately! And good thing too because when I checked later today it was already unavailable again. You really have to hunt for this, it feels like!

I'm not sure if this will arrive on release day as it has to be delivered all the way from Japan but I'm okay with that. I still want the genuine physical release version from the West (even though you can play the Japanese game in all available languages). Since Investigations 2 finally gets properly released in the West I have to celebrate that! The EU only gets the physical version for PS4 so I'm going to import the Switch version from the US. (Once it's listed where I can order from...) Hopefully that will arrive in time!

But if not, I can still start playing on release day because I've also preordered the digital version for Steam! Does that mean I will have the same game in 3 different versions? Yes. Do I want it exactly like that? Yes! I'd love a mod for the Investigations Collection where you can still play Investigations 2 with the fan translation. I know we're finally getting the official one but I've played and adored this game with this translation for 10 years and it will always have a special place in my heart. It was on PC the very first time I played Investigations 2 and I will never forget it. Very likely the most emotional experience I ever had while playing a game. Ending the long journey towards an official Western release of Investigations 2 with playing it on PC as well would just feel right.

[plasticpony4]

♡ My 2023 retrospective: egl version ♡ PART 5/9

September

The first lolita-related thing that happened was that I received by Taobao order!

I was really happy with the lavender and white wristcuffs, ring and candy hair accessories: they look good together, are well or decently made, and they match my AP jsk perfectly. You'll see it very soon. I was disappointed in the bloomers, which are of a really thin material, not stretchy, and very small. I can wear them but they're uncomfortable. I will probably give them to someone else and buy a new pair. The socks, necklace and eyelashes were okay. You probably already know them. The white bows were a gift from a seller. Oh, and you can barely see it but I also got a ice cream ring that I plan to use with my Milky Planet skirt or some other sweet coord.

Talking about Milky Planet, I also received the Milky Planet headbow and I regretted choosing to buy it in sax (I wanted to use it with my Sugary Carnival OP that you can see in the picture, which is, in fact, sax, but a lot lighter and less saturated). I should have got the yellow one like a normal personal (my skirt is yellow).

It was still incredibly hot in September, though, so I definitely couldn't wear a blouse. I did end up wearing lolita anyway, because it was time to attend the local con, as I wanted to meet my friends and the guest of honor Igarashi Yumiko (she made Candy Candy, Anne of Green Gables, and other extremely important shoujo manga that influenced lolita fashion too).

This is the coord that I wore. It was inspired by her work. The JSK I'm wearing is Sweet Ribbon Strawberry Switching JSK by Angelic Pretty.

And she said I was cute and wanted to take a photo with me!!!

These are the things that I got:

I missed the second day of the con because I went to a job interview which was, funnily enough, held at the same space where the con was happening (I didn't get the job though).

On the third day I wore this super cute coord (with the accessories I bought from taobao) and went back again! The JSK is Angelic Pretty's Dream Drop JSK.

It ended up being one of my favorite coords of the year, even though it's nothing special. But I felt good and even pretty in it and it's now eternally tied to this pleasant feeling. I think that us lolitas tend to forget that clothes are supposed to not only look good, or to help us forget about how ugly our life can be, but we're also supposed to actually wear them and feel good while wearing them. If we always wear clothes that are too tight and uncomfortable we will connect those things to lolita and in the end that's what lolita will mean for us. I want to remember the joy and the physical sensation of wearing cute clothes and walking around in them having fun and being myself, and cherish them forever. Also I like how I edited this pics (but they're not heavily edited, so that's another plus for me).

Look at her, she's definitely one of us.

Also during this month I celebrated Talk Like a Pirate Day by wearing a pirate-inspired outfit. Though it wasn't a lolita one, I was wearing some lolita accessories and I liked how he looked with my bow.

October

In October I received my first ever order from Akatako, and one of the things I got is this Tama key holder (on the right). Even though the girl in this artwork is not wearing lolita, Tama is one of the most well-known artists that consistently draws lolitas. Sorry about the postcard on the left, I don't have a photo of just the key holder. It's still cute and consistent with what I post on my blog though.

It was the warmest October of my life and we even risked wearing short sleeves for Halloween.

I went to one of our local meets at the beginning of the month. @puredeathwish was there too! The theme was Sanrio characters and I obviously picked Cinnamoroll. As you can see, I was wearing Sugary Carnival. I have a love/hate relationship to this dress, as I bought it on preorder when it first released back in the day (I was like 15 then and I'm 31 now) and it was my favorite lolita piece ever for many years. Eventually I wore it too much and I started hating it. I think it faded over time and I don't know if I still like it or not, but it has too much sentimental value to let it go.

I'm a little bit of a Cinnamoroll fangirl, sorry.

Some other photos from said meet:

The woman in the background on the right in the first picture was too intent in staring at us and tripped and fell to the ground.

Dinosaur!

Oops, I reached the image limit for this post. You'll see more of that day and year in part 6!

[END OF PART 5/9]

[dandelliongirl]

What a start

to 2020

I have been working from home since the afternoon of the 16th of March and it feels like forever. I am so glad this week is Easter weekend and a 4 day vacation.

My family has been healthy and life for me hasn't changed that much other than working from home. My friend who lives across the street got a Nintendo Switch and Animal Crossing New Horizons for herself but she doesn't have Nintendo Online membership yet so we have been spending a lot of time together. Besides her and my family I have no other contacts. My friend works at the central hospital though, so it's obviously risky and probably stupid... She came to our cottage a couple of weeks ago and we had the best time going on a forest walk to collect sticks for macrame tapestries and finding photoshoot locations and spending the evening going to sauna, playing ACNH and visiting each others islands to see a meteor shower. We are planning a photoshoot for easter weekend but I think I’m going to move it to a later date. I really need time with my family and by myself after almost 3 weeks of being shut in.

I am so glad we have our cottage and I feel awful for people in one room apartments right now. Spending all my working hours and freetime within a few steps definitely affects my mental state even though I am definitely a homebody. Working from home has been going really well though since I have my own PC with two monitors and my work laptop with VPN separately. I am definitely super glad to have a stable job and the possibility to work from home through this whole covid-19 business. I really struggle coming up with local entrepreneurs to support when there are so many but I definitely feel like I have to because I am lucky enough to have a stable income.

So buying ACNH was an ordeal. My local electronics store didn't list the special edition Switch console bundle until launch day (March 20th) and the place I preordered from didn't get the shipment until 5pm. We drove about 2 hours and started off before 8 am to get the console and game from a different store only to see that it was stocked locally right after opening. Anyway I got the game and it has been an emotional journey. I hate that I got oranges and an orange airport. I'm also not very happy with my town name or my character name but despite spending months making lists and thinking about it I didn't really have better options. I also didn't want to place down the museum before I could access the other side of the river but turns out I needed to place it in order to proceed and lost one day of progress because of it. I was so upset. The map is pretty good and I eventually grew to like my island but then I got Pietro as my first camper and was forced to move him in.. I also ate 10 turnips this Sunday and was absolutely fuming because of it. The first week of listening to the same background music was also an infuriating design choice as well as the recent barrage of bunny day eggs everywhere. Anyway overall I like the game and have spent awesome times with friends playing hide and seek, doing treasure hunts and designing and decorating the place. I'm taking it easy and going my own pace even if it means avoiding spoilers (even from my boyfriend who constantly spoils something because he’s too excited to keep his mouth shut!) like the plague.

Mum and dad had the rest of their house renovated during March since the bedrooms were renovated a few years ago. Me and mum spent so much time choosing the materials and planning the new layout of the kitchen and living room but it's so beautiful now! So open and light and airy and clean!

This whole covid isolation thing has really put all of my personal goals on hold. I feel like even though externally I haven't been affected too much the whole mental side of it has taken a toll. With no hobbies me and my guy are both constantly at home and even though I love it and we have a lot of fun together I also hadn't realised how much I relied on my couple of hours of weekly alone time to work on my crafts and baking and organising the house. I feel like the first 2 weeks were spent on survival mode and then ACNH took up all remaining free time and brain capacity as a form of escapism so I'm not getting anything done and that's eating me up. Also the lack of physical activity is taking a mental toll on both me and my boyfriend since we don't have a whole lot of room and I definitely don't feel like working out when he's just haning out on the couch in front of me.. I have also had a lot of restless nights and nightmares which tells me that I'm not as unaffected as I think I am. I have definitely been avoiding the news and trying to get into some new normal routines as fast as possible. I drafted this message while in a Teams meeting where our coordinators can do their own year and resource planning and ask me tech questions when they need help. Now I’m finishing and posting this before I start the next one. I don’t want to accidentally screenshare Tumblr..

My last post was from January 19th and since then we've had a fun birthday party for my high school friend on the 22nd, a brunch at and a visit to the future wedding venue for another friend on the 23rd, an adorable photoshoot with a big teddy bear on the 29th of January, sushi with my family on the 6th of March and this whole covid situation. My colleague with whom I had a lot of issues moved away and no longer works with us. Work without her has been great and I have been thriving. I love feeling important and needed, and it gives me hope for my future since my current contract ends at the end of this year. There are 5 of us in our team looking to get a permanent contract for one of the 2 open positions so we'll have to see what happens, but I'm definitely applying anyway.

Mum is on vacation this week and went to take food to granny and grandpa's door on Monday. Today (Wednesday) I plan on leaving work early and going to the cottage, and to work remotely from there on Thursday if I have no meetings that require a more stable Internet connection. Since the kitchen renovation and a relatively warm and snowless winter we got to start our cottage season early this year. My guy is also spending Easter with his family at their cottage. It's his 27th birthday next week! We are really bad at socially distancing ourselves from our families but apart from my friend those are the only connections we have.. My spring allergies started and it's definitely hard to know if I have flu symptoms or allergies but so far I've just felt sniffly and it helps after I take my allergy meds so I think I'm safe. If either of us or any of our loved ones got flu symptoms we would definitely stay home and we are well prepared for that.

In a few months once this whole thing calms down this will feel like such a weird alternative timeline or fever dream and it will seem very unreal that a disease drove us into global and local isolation of this scale where even schools were closed. Our capital is quarantined and the police are making sure people who cross the border have a valid reason to do so.. People are placing teddy bears and other stuffed animals to their windows for children to spot on their walks outside.. Wild.

Meanwhile I'll go back to playing ACNH, dreaming of summer and finding my new norms. I hope everyone stays safe and healthy! I’m trying to get the most out of my time working from home because it means I can do embroidery and other crafts during meetings.:)

[rainbowserenity]

On Friday, I got to go to the KH pop-up experience at Disney Springs!!! It was basically just a big room of merch and the demos and stuff, but I got to sit by a giant mural of the cover art so day made A++++ I also got pics of like EVERYTHING there, which is under the cut if you wanna see :D I got to play both demos (there was one for Olympus and one for Toy Story) and have a bunch of thoughts, but I’ll put that towards the bottom in case anybody’s avoiding minor spoilers (although I think these are the same demos they’ve been showing at a bunch of conventions so this might be ~common knowledge~ IDK I’M JUST TRYING TO BE CAREFUL)

I saw the sign pretty much immediately and was like LEMME IN OMG ALKSJF;LIWJE;FLIWJEF

THEY TEASE YOU WITH THE MURAL LIKE HEY LOOK AT ME IT’S AWESOME

I know everybody’s already seen it but YEAH JUST LOOK AT IT

I ran in there and took a bunch of selfies next to Aqua and the cast members were looking at me like I was crazy :(

BUT WHO CARES :D

and here’s the Destiny Trio looking fabulous as usual~*~

they also had these renders covering a wall, so naturally....

had to struggled to take a pic with Reekers~*~*~ (seriously, the cast members were staring at me like I was the only person to take selfies against the banners.....although judging from how many people wandered into the place asking, “What is this? A video game? Is it free?????” maybe they see it less often than I want to think lmao)

This area led to the demo area!!!

those screens played the trailers on a constant loop (and Dearly Beloved was playing in the background ;; it was a little hard to hear cause of the noise but STILL, THE FEEEEEEEEEEEELS)

better look at these signs~ I think it’s kinda funny that Sora/Donald/Goofy were only included on the posters if they had new looks lmao

Took this for @tensai-shoujo ;D They had an Olympus poster next to it, you could only see them when you were walking towards the demo area

HELL YEEEEEEAHHHHH

I like that they had those banners/murals/whatever up everywhere, as opposed to just setting up a bunch of screens lol IDK IT JUST MADE IT FEEL MORE SPECIAL

I just really liked that Sora art~*~

another view.......kinda wished I could’ve yoinked one of those banners lmao

BUT LIKE I SAID I played both demos and before I get into my thoughts on them, I shall show off the merch and stuff :D

WAIT FIRST THE KEYBLADES WHICH WERE LIKE....AS LIFE-SIZED AS THEY COULD BE I GUESS ALSKDJF;LIWEFJ I had to physically restrain myself from completely freaking out (y’know, besides the usual)

I feel like I should know what the second one is...?????? I though it was Starseeker at first glance, but it’s not so idr if it’s a new one......obviously the last one is the Toy Story one lol

They had a kiosk under here where you could preorder the game, but I was mostly just all THIS ART IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND SOON WE WILL SEE IT ON OUR SCREENS AS WE PLAY TT__________TT

and now for the merch!

the top shelf was the deluxe edition of the ACTUAL GAME, and even looking at the real case and stuff, it still doesn’t even seem real......like we’ve been waiting for 12 years, is ANY OF THIS FOR REAL OR NOT??? I kinda wanted those figures on the bottom and hey, there’s that one keyblade!!!

in case you can’t read the signs, the top shelf is a preorder bonus from ordering it from the kiosk....I kinda liked that lanyard lolol. the bottom shelf is bunch of awesome standees I vaguely recall seeing in the Squenix store (I’m not really up on all the merch lol I avoid looking at it too often cause it makes me WAAAANT it and I am poor, so I just don’t want to torture myself)

ngl I kinda want this......REEKERS MY LOVE.............

NEVER MIND I WANT THIS MORE LOL I’ve been wanting the Aqua play arts for so long, why do they have to be so expensive now?!? at least I got to see it in person lmao I SHALL TREASURE THE MEMORY FOREVER~

the KH3 Sora play arts~ THERE’S THAT KEYBLADE AGAIN WTF it must be a new one???

I had no idea there was a Roxas play arts??? or is this even released yet??? like I said, I’m not really up on merch news lol I guess his head must be interchangeable since you can have his hood on and pretend he’s super angsty about missing Axel and stuff

I’ve always thought these were kinda cute in a stupid way lmao

and I’ll unceremoniously end the images with lovely keychains and jewelry :D

Those are all the pics! now I’ll babble about the demos and my experience with the battle system, so stop here if you don’t want to know for whatever reason~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Like I said earlier, I got to play both demos! It was slow enough in there that I just moseyed back in through the line and I could feel the silent eyes of the cast members judging me 8))))))

I played the Toy Story one first cause duh, and I think it dumps you into the beginning of the world since poor Sora was all WTF WHY DO WE LOOK LIKE THIS??? And I started laughing when the “I’m Sora/Donald/Goofy” line came when they were introducing themselves, cause some things never change ;P

it took me a minute to get used to the buttons (especially since you obviously couldn’t customize anything but the camera directions) and I kept accidentally using Shotlock and stuff LOL. BUUUUUT it was really fun once I got a sense of what I was doing! it was very smooth and fast and fun~

to me, battling feels like a combination of KH2, Birth by Sleep, and Dream Drop Distance. the coolest thing was that you could do a command (like Thundaga), and a reaction command would pop up. If you kept doing it, you could chain them together into one big ol’ massive attack - in my case, it was summoning the Mad Tea Cups!!! I GOT TO KILL HEARTLESS WITH A DISNEY RIDE LOL

what was also really fun was that you can switch Keyblades mid-battle!!! I had no idea what they all did, but I’m sure in the actual game they have different abilities like they do in most of the games. now you don’t have to choose just one mwhahaha~

towards the end of the Toy Story demo, you had to fight against an evil toy and got to drive around a robot and shoot lasers! PEW PEW PEW

one thing I really liked was how SMOOTH the animation was. idk if I just read a lot into it, but Sora’s always felt kinda.....clunky when he runs? maybe it’s his big feet lmao but in this demo, he felt MUUUUCH easier to handle. talking to other characters didn’t bring you into another screen, either, you just turned them and talked in real time. IT’S PRETTY GREAT

The Olympus demo felt shorter, probably because it was mostly a boss battle, but the coolest thing is that YOU CAN RUN UP WALLS HOLY CRAAAAAAP!!! I think they’ve showed this in trailers so I shouldn’t have been so surprised, but it was awesome :D

they had different magic options, and this time I managed to SUMMON A GIANT TRAIN HELL YEEEEEAHHHH~ I also managed to get some kind of Goofy limit and he destroyed a bunch of Heartless instantly, so that’s why Goofy rules okay

since I had a little more of grasp on the buttons and stuff, defeating the Titan was sorta easy 8D;; I’m sure they gave you stronger magic/abilities/Keyblades in these demos so it’ll probably be more difficult in the actual game - however, they didn’t really have any tutorial in the demo. They basically had a screen telling you how to run up walls and that was it.....and yet, the reaction commands and new battle system were easy to grasp (especially if you’re a seasoned player lol). I mean, yeah, a lot of it was just mashing the triangle button, but there’s also a certain finesse to chaining them together so that’ll be fun to discover~

The demos made me EVEN MORE HYPED FOR THE GAME THAN EVER!!!!!!! and even though we don’t have too long to wait, IT’S STILL GONNA TAKE FOREVER ALKSDJF;LWIEJF;LWIEJFWE I CAN’T WAIT TO PLAY IT AND I FEEL LIKE WE’RE ALL GONNA LOVE IT!!!!!!!

IS IT THE 29TH YET AHHHHHHHHHHHH

....if you made it this far down, thanks for reading 8D I feel like I’m back in 2007 making a LiveJournal post, with what all the images and captions and babbling lmao

[strixmoonwing]

A special prayer to God of Video Games...

Dear God of Video Games,

I know you’re very busy right now fixing up all the numerous fuckups of Telltale and helping all those employees screwed over by said fuckups, but I have one simple wish now that I am preparing to actually by a Switch console (in preparation for my preordered Pokemon Let’s Go Eevee Edition cause though I resisted using my well-earned savings to by a Switch a year ago when Zelda Breath of the Wind came out, I no longer have the power to do so cause the monstrous all-powerful eldritch that is the Pokemon franchise literally has me by the fucking throat so I am now forced to buy a $300 game console so I can waste my time squealing over the evilly adorable Eevee with her new heart-shaped tail markings and the fact my fictional pixelated monster babies can now walk beside pixelated me within a fictional, pixelated world that my heart, body, and soul has been a slave to for the last almost 20 years and in which I see no possible escape from).

....But anyway, my wish is that among the numerous other games being moved into Switch format in the completing holiday season, I humbly pray that among those titles is this:

That’s right, Game Boy Advance’s Hamtaro Ham Ham Heartbreak.

......What? Oh, you’re wondering why anyone wants to see a game from 2002 (2003 for US) based off an anime for kiddies about ridiculously cute hamsters who’s goals are to save the relationships and love of those around them so much so that another title for game could be “Furry Shipping the Game”.

Well, you’re asking the right person cause I played this game so much many times as a child that I probably have the entire Hamchat Dictionary imprinted on in my brain.

First and foremost, this game is probably the most pure and wholesome shit that has ever graced this earth. The goal of the game is to spread love for goodness sake. You having a bad day? Absolutely overwhelmed by the horrible shit we’ve been seeing in the news Every. Fucking. Day. Play an hour of this and you will be consumed by bliss and realize that if something as cute and wholesome as hamsters spreading love to those around them can exist in this world, then maybe life isn’t as crappy as it seems. And even if it, at least this game can make it a bit more bearable.

And oh did I mention that love and relationships in the game aren’t just romantic? THAT’S RIGHT! YOU HAVE TO SAVE THE LOVE OF ALL SORTS!

LOOK! SIBLING LOVE RESTORED!

MOTHER AND SON LOVE!!!

FRIENDSHIP RESTORED FOR THESE TWO RIVALRIES.

LOOK ROBOT LOVE TOO CAUSE I KNOW THERE’S PEOPLE INTO THAT! YOU DO YOU DO PEOPLE! I’M NOT GOING TO JUDGE!

And you know? Cause I’m shipping trash, the ROMANTIC LOVE IS PRETTY FUCKING ADORABLE IN THE GAME AS WELL!

LOOKIE HERE! THE ONLY COUPLE IN THE SHOW THAT ACTUALLY GOT A WEDDING!

PRETTY SURE THIS MONKEY AND HAMSTER ARE GAY AND ADOPT A BABY CHICK AT THE END.

AND LOOKIE AT THIS TOUGH HAMHAM WHO’S ACTUALLY A SCARILY-CAT WHILE HIS PEACH-COLORED GIRLFRIEND HAS AN OBSESSION WITH HORROR MOVIES!!!

And in case you haven’t noticed from the screencaps, the locations and backgrounds of the game are pretty damn gorgeous and there is a haunted house location that, I’m not going lie, actually did give me the creeps while playing. 

So yeah, this game is absolutely perfect.

......EXCEPT FOR THE FUCKING LAST ROUND OF THE DANCE TOURNAMENT WHICH THE GAME GIVES NO FUCKING CLUES HOW TO BEAT UNLESS YOU LOOK UP THE STEPS ONLINE WHICH IS A FUCKING RIDICULOUS CAUSE I WAS A 12 YEAR OLD WITH NO KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU COULD ACTUALLY LOOK THAT UP SO SPEND WEEKS COMING UP WITH DIFFERENT DANCE COMBINATIONS BUT. COULD. NEVER. BEAT. IT. SO FUCK THAT ISLAND DANCE COMPETITION THAT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT BARRED ME FROM COMPLETING THIS FUCKING GAME WITHOUT THE HELP OF THE ALMIGHTY GOOGLE!!!!!

....Ahem...

So anyway God of Video Games, if could do me a solid and implant the idea into some Nintendo executive’s head that the world needs to see a revival of a game about cute hamsters saving love of different shapes and sizes onto the Switch and my television, that’d be great. 

My wallet and money will forever be yours.

[first-flower-of-my-house]

@shift-shaping 1. You have excellent taste. 2. Story time! So I’ve owned three copies of RF4, the first I preordered for 3DS and lost in mom’s car, the second was a Christmas gift replacement and then dad found my original copy cleaning mom’s car, and the third is the Archival Edition of Special for Switch. In between when I lost my first copy and got my second, @mamma-mercy lent me her copy to romance Arthur (I’d only romanced Leon up to that point), and just. Could not trigger Arthur’s fucking marriage event. So, genius that I am, I decided to start dating Leon as well to make Arthur jealous (which did not work lmao). I ended up married to Leon that file too.

Who do you romance in rf4????

Okay, I’ve done most of the marriage events for the guys bar I think just Doug? But it’s a toss up between Leon and Arthur for my faves from the guys.

For the girls, I’ve only married Dolce (and I love her so much) but iirc I also got Forte’s marriage event? I’ll marry everyone eventually in Special for the Newlywed Mode stories!

[plug2game-blog]

King of the traditional consoles-- what to place on your wishlist|VentureBeat

When it concerns bring in the video gaming public, prominent console manufacturers are seeking to fond memories as much as they are to online services and fancy peripherals. Simply in the last few years, Nintendo, Sega, Sony, SNK, and others have tossed basic circuitry into an adorable plastic shell to make players recollect-- and open their wallets.

As one of those individuals who yearns for the days of bits and beat-'em-ups, I have a nearly unhealthy fascination with the retro revival and all the items that have come with it. The thing is, just a few of these devices live up to their forefathers. A few of them, rather frankly, may offer you the desire to let the past die. Which ones are worth the cash?

Prior to I go into this ranking, it is essential to mention that none of these traditional consoles have a comprehensive list of video games. Don't go in anticipating to play everything that you keep in mind.

Above: The Sega Genesis Classics collection deserves your time.Image Credit: Sega If you truly desire to have a look at a specific video game, your finest bet would be to see if it has a PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, or Nintendo Virtual Console/eShop release. A number of business, including Sega and SNK, have launched collections that feature many old-school titles. The Sega Genesis Classics collection(available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch) is a great example. One more thing, the only minis I'm going to discuss are ones in my individual collection, so let's

get to it. The kings of the classics SNES Classic( Nintendo )The Nintendo "Classics"may not have pioneered the mini-console trend, however they turned it into a full-blown phenomenon. When the Japanese video gaming giant decided to come out with miniaturized homages to their Nintendo and Super Nintendo Home Entertainment Systems, the world took notice. And it stood in line with money at the ready. Now, almost every video gaming connoisseur has a Classic, or they're trying to find one. Both the NES and SNES Classics are extremely similar. They include a compact kind element, adoringly recreated controllers, user-friendly user interfaces, and great

video output. Games look fantastic and play without much input lag( this will differ, depending upon the television). You can likewise apply filters to get that tube-TV aesthetic-- if you're into that. Conserve states for every game are readily available. Above: The SNES Classic takes you back to the early '90s. Image Credit: Nintendo What really makes these models shine is the video game choice. And, for me, that's why the SNES Classic is

king. While it provides fewer titles than its NES big sibling, the library here is unbelievable. Super Mario World, F-Zero, Contra III: The Alien Wars, Super Metroid, Final Fantasy III(VI ), The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Street Fighter II Turbo are just a few of the highlights. As an included perk, Nintendo went ahead and consisted of Starfox 2, which never saw an official release until the SNES Classic struck shop racks. These 16-bit experiences hold up better than numerous other older video games. Just consider all the pixel-art indie titles out there. Where do you think they discovered their motivation? 2. NES Classic (Nintendo )Truly, the NES Classic is worthy of to be at the leading just as much as its SNES equivalent.

While the SNES edition provides deeper gameplay and more technically remarkable titles, the NES Classic is packed with renowned releases that introduced a new dawn for gaming. The initial

3 Super Mario titles, the

first 2 Legend of Zelda games, Castlevania, Kirby's Adventure, Ninja Gaiden, Punch-Out, and Mega Male 2 are some of the favorites that made the cut here. Above: The NES Classic is a mini marvel.Image Credit: Nintendo The NES Classic includes the same first-class develop quality and features as the SNES version. The one big distinction here is that it features one controller, not 2. If you wish to have fun with someone else, nevertheless, you'll require to pursue an extra gamepad-- which can be just as difficult to

discover as the console itself.

This does make the core package a

little less expensive, and you can utilize an SNES Classic controller if you occur to have one lying around. Enjoyable but problematic 3. Neo Geo Mini (SNK)When I heard that SNK was making a mini-Neo Geo to commemorate the console-arcade hybrid's 40th anniversary, I rushed to the very first preorder page I could discover. The end product itself may be the coolest device on this whole list, however it might just be the most infuriating. The Neo Geo Mini has an extensive video game list that need to satisfy most fans of

the original hardware

. SNK at first released two minis: one for Japan, and an "International "variation for other areas. Many of the games overlap between the two, however each mini has its own special offerings. Personally, I discovered this aggravating due to the fact that certain video games that I wanted ended up just on the Japanese system.

Regardless, amongst the Neo Geo Mini's 40 games, you'll get to play a slew of Metal Slug and King of Fighters titles, the remarkable Garou: Mark of the Wolves, Shock Troopers, Blazing Star, and the criminally neglected Last Blade 2. The Neo Geo library (and, as a result, the Neo Geo Mini's selection)has a heavy focus on fighting games. If you're not into that genre, you ought to most likely move on to something else. The

Neo Geo Mini gadget is different than most tribute consoles because it has its own LCD screen and arcade-style controls. This makes it a rather striking addition to any gamer's collection. While it's enjoyable to play these video games on a tiny game cabinet, the novelty wears away rapidly. And it deserves noting that the stick has no gate or microswitches, so you're generally playing with analog-style controls. This is less than perfect for the exact, arcade nature of

Neo Geo video games. The system is perfectly playable, however, and the screen's quality is surprisingly great. But I 'd rather hook the console as much as a TELEVISION, where I can have a more comfortable gameplay session. And that's where the Neo Geo Mini truly fails. The video output is flat-out disappointing. I can only tolerate playing with the "image quality optimization"filter made it possible for, which offers the video an extremely smoothed out appearance. I truly do not like the way it looks, however it's even worse when I turn it off. I paid for one of the gamepads that SNK released in combination with the Neo Geo Mini, so I might get the many of my TV play. These look nearly similar to the Neo Geo CD

pads that came out in the '90s. But the brand-new controllers don't include the satisfying microswitches from the CD system D-pads. To be blunt, the Neo Geo Mini controller is a disappointment. The D-pad feels unclear, and it's an ever-present distraction when I'm playing. And for some factor, SNK changed the order

of the buttons, so that adds an unneeded layer to my irritation. Due to the fact that it has its own screen, the Neo Geo Mini is in fact a little more costly than its classic colleagues. And you'll have to invest more money if you want one of the gamepads. Overall, the Neo Geo Mini is an excellent concept with an equally great lineup of titles. SNK screwed up in the execution, nevertheless, and it stopped working to provide fans with the worth they deserve. Still, this little thing has plenty of style(simply like its library ), and if you have actually constantly desired a Neo Geo,

possibly it's worth a shot. 4. Super Retro-Cade (Retro-Bit)This is the quirkiest console on the list, thanks to its random, yet unmistakably charming, selection of titles. Retro-Bit launched this gadget as a follow-up to its Generations plug-and-play mini-console. The Retro-Cade has a somewhat spartan style and includes two basic, yet strong, controllers(although, I wish the buttons and

D-pad were less stiff ). Like I pointed out earlier, the library of titles here is all over the place. You'll find game brawlers like Double Dragon from Technos and Capcom's great

Armored Warriors. You can jump into vertical shooters like 1942 and Varth. Or horizontal shooters like the goofy game romp Boogie Wings and R-Type III for the SNES. If you want puzzle video games, you can inspect out multiple Magical Drop games. Oh, and even the odd, Castlevania-like Holy Scuba Diver for the NES is here. Above: Yeah, Mega Male 3 is on the Retro-Cade. Image Credit: Capcom I ought to likewise mention that Bionic

Task force(arcade and NES), Strider(game and NES ), Joe and Mac, BurgerTime(NES ), and numerous entries in the Final Battle franchise are on this thing. The Retro-Cade's interface is straightforward yet functional. You can adjust the video settings to show a stretched or original aspect ratio, however the video games themselves look a bit too soft, with muted colors. Apparently, an upgraded version of the console is now readily available that lets you disable the smoothness filter, leading to a crisper image.

The"version 1.1"Retro-Cade also includes a revised

game list that includes

titles like Unrefined Buster. However I've only had the chance to experience the original gadget. Also, when utilizing the Retro-Cade, I needed to put my TV into video game mode to get less input lag. This is the norm for

many contemporary tvs when using video gaming gadgets, however with a few of the other consoles(like the Nintendo Classics), it wasn't as big of a requirement.

[geekysweetie]

Top 10 Nintendo Switch 2017 Games for Girls

Like a few of our lucky readers, I was fortunate enough to get a day-one Preorder for the Nintendo Switch. Sadly had to get the plain grey one, but beggars can’t be choosers right? 🙂 What games are you most looking forward to? For me, the only launch title right now that has caught my eye is Zelda, but that’s sure to change as we get closer to release. There are a ton of interesting looking games coming out by the end of the year for the new console.

Here are the Top 10 Nintendo Switch Games Due out in 2017 that I am most looking forward to.

NEW UPDATE: Check Out our List of Upcoming 2018 Nintendo Switch Games for Girls here.

Top 10 Nintendo Switch Games

Mario Odyssey

Mario Odyssey – The new Mario Game looks amazing. It reminds me a lot of Mario 64 with a huge open world full of lots of fun and crazy looking levels. Mario has some new abilities too such as being able to throw and jump on his cap to cross large areas. Mario will fly on an airship to travel to “strange new worlds” (for Mario and his friends), but the world is actually made up of different places that we know in real life such as New York City, and Latin and South America. Mario Odyssey’s release date is December 29th, 2017.

Pokemon Stars

Pokemon Stars – Although it is still a rumor at this time, several retailer leaks such as one that has since been taken down on Gamestop seem to refer to the existence of a new Pokemon Game for Nintendo Switch. The rumor is that it is a new version of Pokemon Sun and Moon with over 20 new pokemon added in. This rumor has not been confirmed by Nintendo and so no release date has been given.

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley – I actually spent the majority of this past weekend playing the PC version of Stardew Valley. True, you can already play this game right now today on PC and other consoles… But imagine being able to play it ON THE GO, away from home. This will be the title’s first entry into mobile or handheld gaming. Stardew Valley is an amazing “tribute” to classic Nintendo games such as Harvest Moon and Rune Factory – so it makes sense that it would find a home on the Nintendo Switch as well. It is such a relaxing game and the type of game that you can pick up and play as little as an hour, or easily spend 20+ hours straight with. The Nintendo Switch ability to switch from handheld to console form lets you play Stardew Valley whenever, wherever, and however you want. Although it is definitely for sure coming to the Nintendo Switch, there is no official word on a release date.

Seasons of Heaven – Seasons of Heaven is a confirmed Exclusive title for the new Nintendo Switch. Graphically it looks pretty amazing for a Nintendo console and much more like something that we would see on a PS3 or PS4. The game is based on a novel by the same name and features a boy with his dog as they travel a post-apocalyptic fantasy world. The fact that it’s exclusive to the Switch gives Nintendo some more advantage. In my opinion a console is only as good as its exclusives! I’m looking forward to learning more about Seasons of Heaven in the months to come. No Release date has been set yet for this title.

Dragonquest XI

Dragonquest XI – There will now be three versions of the newest Dragon Quest game all set to release in 2017. These include a fully 3D version for the PS4, a 2D/3D style for the 3DS and a 3D style version for the new Nintendo Switch. Clearly still, from trailers and screenshots, the PS4 version is going to still have the upperhand when it comes to graphics and resolution. However, the ability now to have a version where you can play on the go (as with the 3DS) OR play on the big screen (as with the PS4) all in one version now (on the Nintendo Switch), gives one some pause into deciding which version of the game to pick up. Regardless of which version you get, this already looks set to be an amazing game. Dragonquest has long been the best selling RPG franchise of all time (yes, even more so than Final Fantasy) and many fans around the world are anxiously awaiting the newest installment into the Dragonquest saga.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – Another exciting Nintendo Switch exclusive. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a direct sequel finally to cult classic Xenoblade Chronicles from back on the Wii. The Wii U also saw Xenoblade Chronicles X – However, that was more of a side game, and not directly related to the first. Xenoblade Chronicles remains one of the greatest games on the Wii and until the recent release on the Nintendo E-Store, it was a highly sought after collector’s item. Not only that, but it is a fantastic RPG. I’m so thrilled to see it getting a sequel that I’m almost just as excited for this title as for the new Zelda or SMT.

Fire Emblem Warriors – There is extremely little details known about this title yet. There’s going to a live event on January 18th at 5pm EST dedicated fully to the Fire Emblem series. Speculation includes that the live event will reveal more details not only about Fire Emblem Warriors but also about the upcoming mobile game that was originally announced for 2016 but got delayed until “Sometime in 2017”.

Shin Megami Tensei

Shin Megami Tensei – I am the biggest Atlus fangirl ever. Tokyo Mirage Sessions is my favorite Wii U game – and I’ve been hooked on Persona and SMT games ever since Playstation One days. I suspect that this will be a much darker game than say Tokyo Mirage Sessions or Persona, and go back to gameplay similar to that in Devil Summoner and Devil Survivor. I’m really excited to hear that a new SMT game is in the works. It is such an underloved and underrated series. I was most surprised by this announcement at the Live event last week. There’s barely any details yet, just that it will coincide with the series’ 25th anniversary.

  Project Octopath Traveler – a brand new exclusive from Square-Enix. The trailer seems to hint at an open world with multiple endings and a branching plot that is determined by choices the player makes. These types of games are always my favorite, so I am super interested in learning more about Project Octopath Traveler. It is being developed by the same team who worked on Bravely Default. The artwork is retro which is an interesting approach because as we’ve seen with other titles such as Seasons of Heaven, the console is definitely quite capable of more “Next-Gen” style graphics as well. This leads me to believe that this title will try to pander to us older fans from the 16bit era. Graphics and gameplay seem to remind me in some parts of some older Square games such as Final Fantasy Tactics, Saga Frontier, Legend of Mana, Live A Live, and Ogre Battle. Very excited to see where this one goes.

zelda breath of the wild

Zelda Breath of the Wild is by far the most anticipated and exciting launch title for the Nintendo Switch. There are several different collector editions for quite a large price! The collector editions include things like a carrying case, replica sword, soundtrack, cloth map, and coin. Amazon and Gamestop both sold out of these sets already. Best-buy began preorders for them today. But no matter if you get the Special Edition, or Master Edition, Or the base game is available for $59.99  you will be getting one amazing game. Keep in mind, if ordering the digital version, it will take up over HALF of the storage on the Nintendo Switch. Yikes! It is the first time for Zelda to take a more “western” approach to gaming, emulating features commonly found in Elder Scrolls games such as an open world and sandbox style gameplay. It also will have more than 100 Shrines of Trial to explore. It’s going to be a huge game. And from the launch trailer video, I feel that the story is also going to be very emotional and exciting. More so than any other game on the list, this is the one that should not be missed.

I also have to give a nod to a few other 2017 Switch games that didn’t quite make the list including the new Bomberman Game, Skyrim’s first foray into handheld gaming, Minecraft Switch Edition (for much of the same reasons as why Stardew Valley made the list), Mario Kart, Sonic, and Splatoon 2. With strong support from third party developers, and a few iconic Nintendo franchises making appearances, the gaming library for Nintendo Switch is already looking extremely promising.

Also the fact that the console is not region locked gives the fan translation community a chance to shine and bring us all the great games that Nintendo of America will either censor, or simply take a pass and not localize for North America. This could in theory mean that we could see some visual novels or otome games or more JRPGs on this Nintendo console provided that the English speaking Fan Translation community get behind certain projects.

The one franchise I expected to see, and didn’t see, was Smash Brothers. Also would love to see a new Donkey Kong Country game.

Although it is still early days, the future looks bright for Nintendo’s newest console.

Let us know in the comments below what Nintendo Switch Games You’re most excited for!

  Top 10 Nintendo Switch 2017 Games for Girls was originally published on GeekySweetie.com - Geeky & Kawaii Anime, Tech, Toys, & Game Reviews & News

[skywardstriker16]

Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 - Prediction Results

Oh. Oh boy...

—

The Nintendo Switch will launch on March 17th, 2017, with a base price of $250, including the Switch, Joy-Cons, and the dock.

Well, I’m shocked it’s coming two weeks earlier. I’m also shocked that there’s only one price SKU of $300, and it includes the Joy-Con Grip and Joy-Con wrist straps.

REALLY wish the grip was chargeable though.

-

The Switch Pro bundle will release with a Joy-Con Grip, more GB storage and the Splatoon port, costing $350.

No. No Pro bundle. Sorry.

-

Nintendo Switch will be at least as powerful as the XBOX One.

It will definitely run more efficiently and powerfully than people fear it will.

It’s more powerful than the Wii U. It’s surprisingly powerful in handheld too. But spec-wise, we still don’t know exactly where it is.

-

GameStop will get a TON of money from people trading in their Wii Us for Switches. (There’s probably no way to measure this, but I can’t imagine that they won’t)

They will. If not at launch, then quickly after.

-

Switch-Up Ports include: Mario Kart 8, Smash, Splatoon, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Pokken Tournament, Bayonetta 2, Super Mario Maker, Hyrule Warriors.

Mario Kart 8? Yes. Smash? Maybe. The others? We really don’t know.

-

Switch Launch Titles include: Super Mario Switch, Pikmin 4, Splatoon Port, MK8 Port, Skyrim Special Edition, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Rabbids RPG, others.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

That’s it.

oh and 1-2 Switch. And Super Bomberman R. and Skylanders.

and just dance 2017.

-

The Switch itself has a gyro-sensor, NFC, a matte, multi-touch 1080p screen with a better battery life than people think it’s going to have, stereo speakers, a USB-C port, a headphone jack, and the already-confirmed kickstand that’s a lot more durable than it looks.

not 1080p. besides that, pretty accurate.

-

Most of what Eurogamer and Laura Dale have reported will turn out to be true. There will be SOME inconsistencies but most of their information is spot-on, because not even the weirdest and smallest surprises can be kept hidden away anymore.

No. Not so much.

-

Yes. Breath of the Wild is coming in March. I can’t wait any longer, and neither can you.

Thankfully, we won’t have to.

-

Sonic Mania will come to the Switch eventually, along with Pokemon Stars, Yooka-Laylee, Bloodstained, Shovel Knight, and a whole slew of third-party games, at least for the first few months. Hopefully for longer.

Sonic Mania, Shovel Knight, Yooka-Laylee, whole slew of third-party games confirmed. Hopefully we will see Stars, Bloodstained and many more...

-

The Switch will sell over its 2M sales projection when it launches and probably won’t be easy to find in stores. It’ll also make several media headlines like Pokemon GO and Super Mario Run did for weeks on end, which will hopefully be enough to keep the Switch popular on the newsfront as E3 2016 approaches.

All preorders have sold out to date, and this is only four days after the presentation. If that doesn’t say anything...

I hope the rest of the sales do.

I really do.

[crystalized-dreams]

PC Gaming Show

So, as I mentioned yesterday, I would be talking more about Ooblets today! I was so excited to see a new trailer that not only showed a bit more of the customization aspects (with a clothing store and getting your hair done), but also more areas and even two new Ooblets, Glanter and Snurfler. I just genuinely can’t wait for the game? It looks so cute and charming and it’s really going to be a game I can see myself doing both updates here and videos like with Animal Crossing. I can’t wait until it comes out next year. Dooziedug and Petula are probably my two favorite Ooblets right now, but they’re all incredibly cute.

I will say though that I’m not sure what exactly is with the PC Gaming Show, but it always comes off a bit boring. When it shows Game Trailers, great, but things like random commercials and long spiels are just often kind of awkward. Despite that though, I was happy to finally see another game capture my attention–Tunic. The trailer mostly walked through some combat and a few level designs, but it’s really pretty and I love the isometric style of it. Unfortunately, they didn’t really say much about the game–I’m not sure if maybe they would have if sound didn’t cut out, but oh well. The game is actually about two years old now having originally been called the Secret Legend. It’s nice to see it back and looking forward to playing it in 2018 🙂

Oddly enough, even though I know Sea of Thieves will be on PC and it’s how I plan to play the game, I wasn’t expecting to see it on the PC Gaming Show and was excited to see it pop up. The Mixer stream was… glitchy, sadly, so I was excited to see more of it today. I signed up for the Insiders Programme so fingers crossed ❤ Ylands was up next and definitely looks pretty interesting to me. There was a lot I really liked about it and since you can make your own kinds of things and visit others' creations, I feel like it'd give me a lot to do similar to how much I played LittleBigPlanet. My only worry is about the Survival part. I don’t care much for Survival games and just don’t really enjoy them. I prefer things a bit more easygoing. Regardless, if it can be turned off (which, the site barely mentions the feature at all so maybe??), I feel like I’d enjoy the game a lot. I hope you can customize the player character too, though.

The PC gaming conference was definitely longer than I expected it to be, but I’m glad I found a few things that interested me during it.

Ubisoft

Ubisoft’s up next and I’ll be honest–I’m happy they didn’t go to a celebrity host this year. I haven’t enjoyed the hosting of their press conference these last few years now and the jokes were just… never funny. That said, it is Ubisoft so even without a celebrity host, I’m still expecting things to be kind of crazy.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was first up and even though it was essentially leaked already, I still have no clue how to feel about it. The Rabbid in Peach’s outfit is cute. Also Miyamoto bringing out the lifesized weapon was kind of cool too: I’m still going to wait to see actual gameplay of it to decide, but I don’t really think it’s a game I am going to want to play just from the promotional material and information alone. At the very least, the world DOES look quite nice: #gallery-0-5 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-5 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; } #gallery-0-5 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-5 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

But I’m not too into the combat itself so I feel like it may be a game I’d rather watch than play myself. I mean, it does look fun and silly, but I just don’t think I’d enjoy that kind of combat system. I do like the cute little bunny-robot thing that moves them when in combat, though.

Similarly, Skull & Bones got my attention from the graphics, but considering the main gameplay sounds like hardcore PVP which is like… one of my least favorite kinds of gameplay, I’ll most likely end up passing on it.

It was then time for the annual Ubisoft concert to go with Just Dance and it was probably one of the most eclectic group this time. I liked the Panda though. The Panda was cool.

So, the first game I wasn’t expecting that I got interested in was Starlink: Battle for Atlas which features ships that you essentially can own and customize in real life and play with in the game and yes, please. My husband will probably talk more about it, but we’re likely getting it for the Nintendo Switch–especially due to the neat Joy-con Add-on. In the meantime, I really like this ship: Fingers crossed for a light pink one.

Also fingers crossed for more Imagine games, but considering it’s been four years since the last ones, my hopes and dreams are already crushed there. More Imagine Detective games would have been nice (SPEAKING OF DETECTIVE GAMES, I STILL WANT DETECTIVE PIKACHU. I will continue this discussion tomorrow with Nintendo). Going back to things that were actually being shown during Ubisoft’s press conference, Beyond Good & Evil 2 looks quite interesting. I never played the first game, but I still find myself intrigued by it.

Surprisingly, I feel like Ubisoft actually did pretty well? Between the hype from Miyamoto showing up, mostly focusing on the games and when they were talking about them, actually keeping it interesting… Like sure, there was the one weird concert part for the latest Just Dance title, but besides being expected, it was actually shorter than usual? And still kind of worked? I definitely didn’t like everything (I still don’t see the appeal in South Park at all for example) and heck, I may not even get any of the games shown (Maybe one??), but it was still really enjoyable and I feel like it’s been a long time since I felt that way from a conference.

Sony

So, I didn’t expect much from the pre-show, but this locket for the special Undertale physical edition is beautiful and also a music box and I need it: Moving on, I just really hope Sony fixes their issues because there have been so many audio issues and we haven’t had any stream buffer this much. It’s a little better on Twitch’s stream for it, but even their audio is kind of messed up. But well, at least we have sound now.

I don’t have much to say about Marvel vs Capcom Infinite, but it seems less like a Versus and more like an Alliance. Still looks kind of interesting though. They then got into their VR section which is frustrating because I’m just… not a fan of VR and Moss looks so cute and interesting, but I just would not play that as a VR game and I wish it could be a normal PS4 game. Like I would probably buy this at launch/preorder it if it was a normal PS4 game? But nope, VR only

Detroit Become Human still looks quite interesting and this was a completely different trailer compared to the first we’ve seen. Still no release date though… I’m not sure if I’d personally play it, but I think it’s a game I’d really enjoy watching.

We then got to see more of the upcoming Spiderman game which just… genuinely does look really good. Another game that I’d be watching over playing myself though. The conference was definitely a bit shorter than I expected, honestly. I guess because they showed a decent amount during the pre-show, but still. All the technical issues were terrible, though. I still want to know who this character is though…

I think Ubisoft, surprisingly, was my favorite for today. Tomorrow is Nintendo’s and the start of Nintendo Treehouse Live so I’m looking forward ot it!

#E32017 Thoughts – Day 3 ( PC Gaming Show, Ubisoft , and Sony) PC Gaming Show So, as I mentioned yesterday, I would be talking more about Ooblets today!

[extraquarterblog]

The art of saving money when buying video games

Playing video games is easily my favorite hobby that I heavily invest in. I have found no other past time more enjoyable than booting up a system, connecting with a friend online, and jamming out for hours. It pulls me out of the normal routine that I live every day, into a fantasy world where I lose all cares and grind through waves of endless monsters. 

It's a hobby that almost anyone can get into, that can fit almost any budget. From special holiday discounted sales on consoles to high-end PCs. For the most part, Gaming isn't an overly expensive hobby compared to where else you can be burning your cash on. 

That is until you start own multiple systems.

That's where things start to get tricky. We now live in a world of Season Passes, Preorder goodies, Special Editions with Limited in-game items, etc etc. For a completions purist, it can be stupidly expensive trying to indulge in every piece of content for a single game. I like so many others, rushed down that rabbit hole. It seems fine at first until the holidays come around and before you know it, there are 4-5 games you want to own. You total up the prices of Season passes or DLC, special editions, and suddenly you're flat broke and you still couldn't afford to buy each of them.

Then, there's the whole day one burn aka beta testers. Sadly, they don't make games like they used too anymore. Almost any game that's heavily dependent on online functionality is plagued with issues easily for weeks until the studio resolves the problems. God have mercy on your soul is the game is dependent on P2P connection. 

There's also all the additional content through patches that drop afterward, that tend to resolve players complaints, crashes, improve frame rate drops or just add new UI, change features, improve the quality of life the game. A great example was the Witcher 3. Don't get me wrong, the game is phenomenal, but the studio, over the course of the title release made enormous improvements to the game. 

Getting to my point, buying a game on day one release, just isn't the grand bonanza that it used to be. Not to mention becoming increasingly expensive if you're trying to game on multiple systems.

However, were gamers, we will game. Cash must be spent, games will be played, and our wallets can hurt less, depending on how willing you are to wait or chose to shop.

Console

Amazon Prime - If you have Amazon Prime, then you're in luck. If you Preorder a game before release or with-in the two-week window of the title launch, you will receive a 20% discount on the game. It's about one of the best deals for day one releases and also allows you to dip into the preorder goodies. On average, a $59.99 game will cost about $50 after tax.

Target - This is going to sound odd, but for some reason, somehow, Target will do crazy good sales for 48hrs on newer releases. Generally after 2-3 weeks when a big title is available, Target will do a special 20-30% price drop. Sometimes requiring to preorder a game to get the special discounted rate. But in the past, I was able to pick up The Witcher 3 for example at $39.99. Target also includes other great deals, such as buy 2 games, get 1 free.

eBay - Obviously, a no brainer, Ebay is the land that covers all. From rare titles to the latest, if you're looking for any game, there's a 99.9% chance you can pick it up on Ebay. Now, if you've used eBay before, you know the pitfalls of bidding and how expensive trying to buy a newer game can be. The trick is to be patient, I typically look at new titles that have been on the market for over a month or so, around that time prices have dropped 30-40%. I picked up Nioh, with shipping, for $38, basically bran new. I know Ebay isn't something everyone wants to put up with but for those who are willing to put in the effort, will save extra cheddar.

Goodwill Auction - This is piratically the underrated gem in the world of physically collecting games. Much like eBay, but with far less selection but also far less attention, meaning, less battling with others on trying to get the winning bid. Avoiding prices skyrocketing in the last 30 seconds. The biggest assumption people make that the latest titles wouldn't be available. While its true, there's less availability of newly released titles, you can still find them. I've found both Wii U and Switch versions of Breath of the Wild available at Goodwill Auction.

PC

Steam Holiday Sales - No shocker here. Steam is basically famous for it's over the top sales that it presents 4 times a year. Generally once per season, however, it seems the most famous is typically the Summer and Winter sale. Summer sale typically happens in June and Winter sale in December. If you can hold out for those times of the year, you can come across huge savings, not to mention deep discounts on DLC or other expansions.

Humble Bundle - This is a unique service, dedicated to giving back to charity. The company works with studios on presenting games in a Tier packaged. You basically pay what you want. Typically unlocking all the games available for $15 or more. Its a great deal to pick up older titles that you might of missed. I always keep an eye out on what new bundles drop. 

Gog.com - Much like Steam, its a popular service that offers a wide range of sales constantly throughout the year. Gog claim to fame is being DRM free and Fair Price Packaging. A popular growing service that shouldn't be over looked. 

Green Man Gaming - A popular site that's always running sales, even for newer releases. At the time of posting, Mass Effect Andromeda was already having a 27% discount. GMG is also popular for caring titles not found on Steam or Gog. Filling in the gaps for your library. Another nice site to add to the collection.

Tracking it all

It's 2017, were no longer cave men. There's a world of apps, websites and other services that you can use to keep a track of when a sale emerges. Sites like cheapshark.com or isthereanydeal.com are nifty little sites that help track any deals happening. There's even software services like Razer Cortex that constantly monitors pricing on popular sites. 

This is however just tip of the iceberg, there's plenty of other deals to find. Places like Gamefly often offer great sales, that you can even get further discounted if you're a member. Also, you never forget nationwide holidays, retailers are always having sales, most famously black Friday held on the day after Thanksgiving is when basically every store is having more sales you can shake a stick at. 

Hopefully, you'll save a buck or two on your next game. 

[crystalized-dreams]

So, it had been a bit of a crazy weekend between desperately trying to get a party hat Pikachu before they left today and also getting a Nintendo Switch. I had been wanting to talk about this for a while, but just have not gotten the chance. I’ll get to more of that soon, but for now, let’s get to the start of it all. I will admit this does go into a bit more personal stuff so if you’d rather just stick to more game-focused things, I’d either skip to where I start talking about Pokemon GO or wait until my entry sometime later this week about the latest Story of Seasons game :) But yes, moving on…

With the weather being so… odd lately (in fact, it was quite cold today, is supposed to be hot tomorrow, and then snow sometime later this week…), it’s hard for me to really feel up to doing much lately. I’ll start to feel better and then suddenly feel like I’ve been hit with a bag of bricks and it’s the absolute worst and reminds me of some of my worst days when I was younger. That said, with the fact that this has been something that has been effecting both my husband and myself these last few months, we had a feeling we just might not be able to do the Nintendo World launch event for a Switch. Until the weather normalizes a bit or our allergies get used to it, we both would just end up being very sick by having to wait on line for 24+ hours. Thus, we decided to fully depend on Amazon this time around.

Due to the aforementioned issues, things weren’t going as smoothly though. I at least managed to get the Grey Nintendo Switch and the Special Edition of Breath of the Wild (sadly not the Master) right as Amazon put them, but I missed the Neon Switch (which was put up later), the Amiibo, and the Pro Controller which was pretty discouraging.

Regardless, I was glad I at least got the system and felt, even if we couldn’t get to the launch, at least we’d still have the system, right? And as I heard of some Master Editions being cancelled, I felt maybe it was okay that we only managed to get the Special Edition. Until my order didn’t update on Thursday. Or Friday. And thus, like many others, it seems our preordered Nintendo Switch was currently unavailable.

While I generally may have been able to wait, The Legend of Zelda is one of Mark’s favorite game series and he’d been excited for it since it was just announced as the next Legend of Zelda. And thus, I was pretty upset. Especially as I felt it was my fault for not encouraging us to go to the launch more where, even if maybe it wouldn’t have been the best choice for many many reasons, we would have at least got the system. Heck, we probably would’ve gotten everything else we wanted to. While I was able to somehow preorder all the Amiibo from Best Buy a few weeks ago (which thankfully did all come), we did still want the Pro Controller and who knows, maybe by some miracle they even had Master Editions.

Regardless, I was at a loss and didn’t know what to do. That was when I stumbled upon someone mentioning that the Nintendo NY Store still had Nintendo Switches and even some Master Editions along with plenty of many other things. They mentioned it taking about 15-20 minutes, but I was set and with some help (because I was just not doing great, driving wasn’t really an option), I was off.

The car ride took forever due to so much traffic. I did, however, hatch my 10KM Egg in Pokemon GO and get a Chansey which made me feel like maybe, things would work out and I’d get lucky. I also managed to FINALLY get some Party Hat Pikachu–both males and I was unable to get a female, but at least I’ll have one Party Hat Pikachu and Raichu now… Unfortunately, I wasn’t really dressed to be waiting long due to rushing (I wore a dress–I probably should have worn pants) and it was very cold. The line took about 40 minutes, but thanks to some nice people in front of me for talking to me on line, it made it a lot more bearable and helped me get my mind off a lot of it.

And despite all the craziness (and feeling even worse due to how hot it was in store compared to the coldness of outside), I did manage to get everything we wanted–the Neon Nintendo Switch, the Master Edition of Breath of the Wild, and a Pro Controller. I might have picked up Bomberman too, but it was already sold out. Regardless, I hope we’ll be able to get it soon. One thing I was really surprised about though is I only managed to get 8 StreetPasses… I’m really worried I may not be able to finish the StreetPass games at this point :/ I did complete the main “goal” of Market Crashers though with the most recent group:

And I did at least take some other pictures in the store as well: #gallery-0-9 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-9 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-9 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-9 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

We’ve been having fun playing Zelda since (I mean, we do sleep at points but besides that :P) and I’ve even gotten a Pink Horse I named Shortcake (because Strawberry was too long :( ): I plan to give it the flower mane.

I’m also hoping to find a plain pink horse to give the teal mane and name after the My Little Pony that was made for me: We unfortunately haven’t seen anymore pink horses though :(

I feel like it’ll be a long time before the game is done due to all the exploring. I don’t see us finishing the main plot until every other thing is done.

Moving onto Pokemon GO again, as I mentioned, I got a Chansey and two Party Hat Pikachu on Friday! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get more to either evolve one or get a pair of females as well now that gender differences are in. I really wish they were around longer and had their percentages upped again. They only had them upped once and that was halfway through the event and it still wasn’t enough for me to see them around my neighborhood at all. If I hadn’t run into Manhattan, I never would have gotten any Party Hat Pikachu :/

There’s a lot I like about Pokemon GO, but it just keeps finding new ways to disappoint me mechanic-wise. That said, right now Sprint and Pokemon GO have a fairly neat Rewards Program that will let you redeem some neat stuff including $10 gift cards for Apple Store and Google Playstore. There apparently will be special events as well and you do not need to have Sprint as your phone provider to participate.

Meanwhile, moving onto Fire Emblem Heroes, they are doing their new voting today. I’m stuck between Lucina and Elise, but something tells me Lucina is going to blow the entire competition away… Speaking of Elise, I FINALLY got her thanks to the new Princess Focus. Now Linde is the last super wanted character on my list. I’d like to get Azura as well, but she’s a much lower priority and I’m still debating on Klein who is in the Sibling focus.

I’m keeping an eye out for Super Mario Run’s Android release. I really hope my IOS progress carries over considering I connected it to my Nintendo ID, but I’m really worried it won’t be… Fingers crossed anyway.

I also am super curious about the Animal Crossing one, but still concerned. Regardless, I’m going to stay positive.

Besides BotW and Mobile stuff, I’ve mostly been playing Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns, but that will wait until my next entry~

Finally, here’s some lovely pictures of all the Master Edition stuff: #gallery-0-10 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-10 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-10 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-10 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Pokemon GO & Nintendo Switch Adventures (and a few other things) So, it had been a bit of a crazy weekend between desperately trying to get a party hat Pikachu before they left today and also getting a Nintendo Switch.