VGC's Anonymous/"General" Topic:

[kashell]

I've been enjoying my Switch 2. I tried Bananza on someone else's Switch 2. That's the way I suggest going about seeing if it's for you. I didn't care for it.

[telly]

I'm thinking of expanding into some other portable offerings before getting a Switch 2 for now. Either a vita, Playstation Portal, or going big and getting a Steam Deck.

[bikingjahuty]

Well I got to play a switch 2 today. Spent about 15 minutes with Donkey Kong Bonanza. My takeaways are...  immediate awe and enjoyment followed by sadness that I cant buy one. Because I cant support the company at its current pricing and posturing. But maybe someday

You could always buy a used one and used games for it. I've said this before, but I'm holding off until either there's some game that I cannot resist, or until the console has been out for at least 3 years or so. I figure by then we should know if Nintendo starts doing the key card thing with their first party games, or if some other ridiculous anti consumer, anti ownership crap is implemented. Assuming that doesn't happen, I'll pick one up and likely have a nice chunk of exclusives to catch up on. In many ways, The Switch 2 reminds me a bit of my experience with the Gamecube back in the day. I was never big into the Gamecube and still am not, but I eventually did get one during the console's run, as well as a handful of games I really enjoyed.

I knew I shouldnt have played Donkey Kong Bananza lol. I felt the same as you. I'm still not eager for it. I think its Nintendos least ambitious product in history. But I just had to play the game. A good 20 minutes too. But im gonna try to hold out for the 2nd  or 3rd masterpiece. I overall enjoyed my time with it but I waited almost 5 years before buying Switch 1 and I never play it now.  I dont wanna do the same with 2 and have it collect dust. Its still fairly underpowered.

Sadly it seems anyone selling used locally is trying to scalp and price gouge. I'd have assumed it would cool off with the stock replenish but all are 500+ on ebay (bundle) I dont get people who try to become Bezos by flipping consoles at like 5 percent gain each. Thats such a volatile and exhausting endeavor even if you manage to turn a profit by some miracle. Maybe ill wait until they get desperate and start selling at 425.

Is their a console seller that would force you to buy one? For example Mario Odyssey 2?

Funny enough, I've grown more and more fond of the Switch as time goes by. I never didn't like it and also bought one at launch, but I just find myself wanting to get the switch version of various multiplats instead. I also have a lot of first and third party exclusive games to get eventually which makes me happy since I rarely get to feel like I collector anymore due to me mostly having everything I want lol.


But I'd at least give it a few more months and you should be able to find a reasonably priced discounted used one. In the last week alone I've been to two different stores that had new ones in stock while I was there. This either means I was incredibly lucky or initial hype and demand is tapering off and supply is becoming readily available. I'm pretty sure it's the latter.


What's funny is I actually don't know what console exclusive would inspire me to get one. It would just sort of have to be revealed and really speak to me. It wasn't a first party game, but Resident Evil remake was the game that sold me on the Gamecube about two years into the console's life. For the WiiU it was Mario Kart 8. So it could essentially be anything. I'm hoping 2026 will be a floodgate of interesting exclusives, but we'll see.

[tripredacus]

Last weekend I got to work a pinball tournament that was part of the Stern Pro Circuit. Overall I spent around 48 hours in one location over 4 days. It was a weekend to remember for sure.

As far as the particular events go, I only did well in the side tournament where I finished 7th. For the main I finished 97th and in classics it was 67th. It is as to be expected, first I didn't have as much time to play as in previous majors I've competed in, plus I was also competing against pro players. The person who won the main tournament is ranked #1 in the world.

[Cartagia]

I'm thinking of expanding into some other portable offerings before getting a Switch 2 for now. Either a vita, Playstation Portal, or going big and getting a Steam Deck.

I love my Steam Deck and use it way more than I thought I would.  I think it ended up being my second most used console last year.

[dhaabi]

A real competitor to Animal Crossing is coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Switch 2. It adopts a free-to-play model, though, which will inevitably deter some people who'd otherwise be interested in playing away while also capturing the interest of those who'd otherwise not try it out.

[marvelvscapcom2]

Anyone excited for Plants vs Zombies Replanted here?

I grew up adoring Plants Vs Zombies. It was every kid my age ranges favorite middle school free to play laptop game. Then when they dropped the peggle 2 pack for 360 and PS3. It was a must buy for my entire class. All my friends were addicted. It's sonostalgic and to me the garden warfare games tanked what the original was and ruined chances of unique grid style rpg element sequels.

For 20 bucks. I think it will be a cute download. My wishes are

1. That the only improvements aren't just graphical. The game hasnt really aged poorly in original format at all. I cant see why overdo graphical upgrades. But some special effects and explosive qualities would be welcomed

2. New plants and levels (perhaps even a level where we deal with global warming or arid land so only hot plants survive like the pepper and the bomb plants and sunflowers must be watered). Although I know this is expecting coffee milk from a elderly cow knocker.

3. Dont dare to micro trans


Who else will buy this?

[bikingjahuty]

I used to live in Colorado (the Denver-metro area specifically) up until a few years ago, however I still go back frequently both for work and to visit family. It totally blows me away how much changes between visits (roughly every 3-4 months), but the thing that always gets to me the most is when old game stores, arcades, or just places that have to do with gaming in general go under. I just found out one of the best game stores in the Denver area, Game Force Boulder, is shutting their doors permanently early next year. This store was pivotal in my journey as a collector, especially in the earlier years. It also helped that when i first started collecting, Game Force was only a 10 minute drive away. Over the years I've continued to go back off and on and buy things here and there, but I definitely did the bulk of my shopping there between 2010 and probably 2015.


It saddens me to no end to see another excellent game store go out of business. With them gone, there's one chain of indie game stores left that has leaned more into table top and CCG to remain viable, and there is one other Game Force store located closer to Denver that is owned by someone else. That's pretty much it for the area. There are a few shitty stores here and there, but I honestly wouldn't bat an eye if I heard they were going under. There used to be so many game stores, in that area, including way more Gamestops, but now there are barely any. It really makes me wonder what the video game retail landscape will look like in 10-years, hell, maybe even 5. I know many factors are at play here; the death of physical media, inflation, low/no wage growth, gen z not buying console games as much as older gens, but I hate seeing what is happening to brick and mortar game stores. Yes, even Gamestop.


But anyhow, I'll be stopping my Game Force Boulder one last time before they go out of business and hopefully buying something from them that is less of a spot to fill in my collection, and more something that will serve as a momento for me to remember them by. What an absolutely shame...

[kamikazekeeg]

Part of me was hoping that the extra time Game Freak got for Pokemon Legends ZA could mean they put abit more work into it, especially after how bad Scarlet/Violet was, but it seems like the put the bare minimum into the game again and it's so frustrating lol I want to like Pokemon and there's still things I could enjoy, but they just don't make good games.  If they were an indie company making these games for a relatively low budget and it had flat textured buildings, lacking features, low range pop in, and just in general very basic features, there's some leeway there and it wouldn't be an 80 dollar game, but something that's probably half the price. 

I can't even get auto box sorting in these games, what are we doing, Game Freak? lol

[telly]

Part of me was hoping that the extra time Game Freak got for Pokemon Legends ZA could mean they put abit more work into it, especially after how bad Scarlet/Violet was, but it seems like the put the bare minimum into the game again and it's so frustrating lol I want to like Pokemon and there's still things I could enjoy, but they just don't make good games.  If they were an indie company making these games for a relatively low budget and it had flat textured buildings, lacking features, low range pop in, and just in general very basic features, there's some leeway there and it wouldn't be an 80 dollar game, but something that's probably half the price. 

I can't even get auto box sorting in these games, what are we doing, Game Freak? lol

I'm picking it up today and I think I'll still enjoy it from a gameplay perspective but yeah - it's pretty rough. I just want voice acting in the games haha

[bikingjahuty]

Part of me was hoping that the extra time Game Freak got for Pokemon Legends ZA could mean they put abit more work into it, especially after how bad Scarlet/Violet was, but it seems like the put the bare minimum into the game again and it's so frustrating lol I want to like Pokemon and there's still things I could enjoy, but they just don't make good games.  If they were an indie company making these games for a relatively low budget and it had flat textured buildings, lacking features, low range pop in, and just in general very basic features, there's some leeway there and it wouldn't be an 80 dollar game, but something that's probably half the price. 

I can't even get auto box sorting in these games, what are we doing, Game Freak? lol

Gamefreak/Nintendo has zero incentive to improve or innovate Pokemon in any way. Between young kids who don't know any better and people between the ages of 18 and 40 who've made Pokemon a massive part of their lives, these people always come out in droves to buy the next Pokemon game regardless of how lackluster it is. Pokemon is literally some people's identity, and they will never give that up no matter how far the series sinks.


Personally, I stopped caring about new Pokemon games when Sun and Moon came out. I tried really hard to like Sword/Shield, but I was bored to tears after about 4 or 5 hours. Pokemon has just become so formulaic and sanitized over the years. Not to mention most new Pokemon designs and mega evolution redesigns are absolutely awful. This all genuinely makes me sad since I would have considered myself a pretty hardcore Pokemon fan all the way up to X/Y. I still have a soft spot for the old games, but my interest in Pokemon in general has really took a nose dive in recent years. So much so, I'm actually in the process of cashing in on a bunch of Pokemon cards I accumulated 10+ years ago. I can't believe how insane that part of Pokemon is right now, but again, it goes back to the blind fanboyism that fuels this series despite it getting worse and worse.

[kamikazekeeg]

After not playing Pokemon since the GBC era, I was hoping the Switch era would be this big great thing for the series and a way for me to jump back in, but other than nostalgia basically doing all the work for Let's Go Pikachu, and general enjoyment for Arceus (It still has issues, but I actually had abit of fun), it's been such a mess and I hate that they do have no incentive to actually make good games.  The brand guarantees things will sell, no matter how bad the game is. 

I will say I have seen more disappointed people with ZA, even fanboys, I think people were also expecting more after Scarlet/Violet and while the game runs smoothly, the graphics being so simplified down to something that feels multiple generations behind, along with lacking content and features, I could see this doing worse than even Arceus.  Of course I thought Scarlet/Violet would see worse sales than usual, but somehow it became the second best in the series, so what do I know.

I hate it, because I adore the brand, I've always loved it, it's why I struggle to get into other takes on the creature collecting genre because I like the designs and such.  I almost thought about getting into the new Digimon, it's generally similar while just being an overall better game and I have a soft spot for Digimon, but I also struggle to get into turn based JRPG's these days, and the demo wasn't drawing me in enough.