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Video Game Database Discussion / Xbox Series Accessories

« on: November 13, 2023, 04:32:45 pm »

Just noticed that all Xbox Series controllers and accessories have been moved to the Xbox One section. Is there a particular reasoning behind this? 

If its due to them being backward compatible with the Xbox One, then items such as the PS5 Pulse headsets need to be moved to the PS4 accessories section as they are clearly labeled as compatible with the PS4 on the packaging.

At this rate, shouldn't the Series X and PS5 consoles be listed under Xbox One and PS4 since they natively play these last generation games and games and accessories that are cross generation are being moved into older categories?

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Modern Video Games / PlayStation VR 2: Where we are now & where we COULD be

« on: April 01, 2023, 09:14:09 pm »

I jumped on the PSVR 2 during it's launch window and can say that it is a very impressive piece of hardware.  and I've been reading how Sony has had to lower sales forecasts, it's not moving units or software, etc.  And there are some very specific problems right now that is hampering adoption of the tech.  Here's my thoughts.

1.  The hardware is only available online through Sony.  It's pretty hard to expect to sell and bunch of units when the only place to buy them are on a single website.  Why are they not available at retail?  Pretty easy to understand.  Sony isn't selling to a middle-man (ie retailer), thus minimizing costs and maximizing profits.  Unfortunately, they aren't moving units this way.  They need to have a physical presence and be offered through more online retailers.

2.  There aren't very many PSVR 2 games, and even less in stores.  I'm a collector and a fan of physical games.  Along with zero hardware at retail, there are currently zero games at retail.  Sorry, I'm not spending $60 for Horizon Call of the Mountain to download or pretty much any other game.  I bought the Moss I & II set digital so I had something to play that was new-ish, but that was forty bucks and not $60 or more.  Which brings me to my next point.

3.  Since Moss I & II was ported (fairly) easily to the PSVR 2, why hasn't Sony issued patches for ANY of their VR games to run on the new hardware?  Or released "remastered" versions of any of them?  Astro Bot Rescue Mission was a fantastic game that I had a lot of fun playing.  Astro's Playroom on the PS5 was one of the best games I have played on the PS5.  Why not update this or reissue this for the VR2?  It seems to be more about laziness and forcing people into a digital-only route to me.

With these issues, my PSVR 2 while quite fun, has seen limited use.  I would love to play Horizon Call of the Mountain, Dark Pictures Switchback and several more upcoming games.  But I'm not paying full price for digital downloads.  Not gonna happen.  In the meantime, I play Moss I & II and Gran Turismo 7 and am going to update No Man's Sky to play in VR.

Gran Turismo 7 for all it's wonky sensibilities like the cafe and elevator music, is sublime in VR.  The racing is pure bliss.  And it's just gonna have to do for now at least.  Sony really needs to get to work releasing PHYSICAL games and getting the hardware into stores if they want it to succeed.  Get cracking on making original VR games compatible and advertise this stuff.

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Modern Video Games / IMO...the PS5 is a POS

« on: October 03, 2021, 12:15:26 pm »

Since finally scoring a PS5 on July 29th, I've played it mostly on the weekends since I work 12 hour days Monday thru Friday. Mostly, I've played Horizon Zero Dawn. After beating it and doing most of the side quests, I've moved on to Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut.

And in all honesty, the games by Sony are as always fantastic. The PS5 on the other hand leaves much to be desired. I could delve into how the dashboard is junk. How they STILL don't have a legitimate and easy path to upgrade the storage. Or how the system itself is a giant, unweildy, curved monstrosity. But no, my problems lie almost entirely with the system's reliability or lack thereof. It's a hot mess.

I've had over a dozen random crashes while playing Horizon alone. Ghost of Tsushima has been a nightmare just getting it installed!  It's been trying to install and update since last week!  After the latest update, the install is stuck around 36% .  Numerous complete system restarts have prodded it along a bit...until it threw an error installing a language pack, requiring yet ANOTHER system reset and hoping that I may be able to play a little more some *&$$ day!  At this point, I don't even really want to bother and halfway want to just delete the damn game.

All of the issues I have with the system are giving me a real case of buyers remorse. It's also stopped me from picking up Deathloop and I'm cancelling my Guardians of the Galaxy preorder for it. Hell, I am considering returning Death Stranding since I haven't opened it yet. Maybe in a few months, Sony will get their head out of their ass and get the bugs worked out. At this point, it is just more frustrating than fun. I don't want to invest more money in games when every one I try to play has issues. I've been so looking forward to Horizon Forbidden West,  but is it going to crash randomly like the first?  I think I should have just picked up a PS4 pro as pretty much everything I want to play is on it as well and doesn't look much different than the PS5 versions.

Anybody else have honest, non-fanboy opinions to share on your PS5 experiences? 

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General / Nintendo Switch kept me sane these last six days

« on: April 02, 2019, 09:02:01 pm »

Wenesday, I picked up Sekiro - Shadows Die Twice for Xbox One. At 4PM when I got home, I popped it in. On top of the obligatory install, there was a 2.8 gig update. Fast forward to 8:30PM and it's finally finished on my pathetic internet connection. I played for a half-hour but didn't feel well and went to bed. Get up for work Thursday morning at 5:30 AM, feeling like complete crap. As the minutes ticked by, I got worse & worse and by 7:45, I hit the restroom at work with it coming out both ends like a busted fire hose. The doctor shoved a hard ass wooden swab up my nose and 10 minutes later, confirmed I had Flu A. So I go home and start my quarantine in the bedroom to protect my family - especially my 19 month old son from it. During my fever, aches, sweating, vomiting, hershey squirts and pounding head there was only two things that kept me sane.

The first was screwing with my iPhone loving friends on Facebook by making memes about how great my Galaxy S10 Plus is. But the real savior was my Switch. Diablo, Yoshi's Crafted World, Nintendo Online and a few other games kept me going.

I was in no condition to be crawling around unplugging cables, etc to relocate my Xbox and the Switch's portable nature and USB-C cable was all I needed. And it just highlights why I have fallen in love with the Switch as my primary gaming platform. It's not the most powerful. It doesn't get all the "big AAA" games, whatever that even means anymore. But it's the most fun for me. I can play it on my tv or on the go. I can pop a cartridge in and start playing, even if the games have an update. No waiting hours on end for a beta product on a disc to get patched up. It's just fun.  Thank you Nintendo.

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Video Game Database Discussion / Google console & phone games - a revisit necessary?

« on: March 18, 2019, 06:04:49 pm »

I know years ago, it was decided that phone games weren't going to be in the database. But I think with the upcoming Google console(s), maybe we should reconsider. There are numerous reasons why we should have a category for mobile games. I'll list some.

1.  Mobile games have come a long way graphically. The current handsets pump out graphics that surpass the Switch, PS3 & 360.

2.  There are many, high-quality games for mobile. We are past the point of blah-fare like Farmville and have great titles like Darkness Rises, Bright Ridge, Bendy Run, Another Eden, etc.

3.  Many titles on mobile are also available on consoles & vice versa. Why should one person's Oceanhorn count because its on Nintendo's eShop, but the next guys doesn't because its on Android?

4.  Many of our favorite series & publishers are on mobile. Rayman, Mario Run, Final Fantasy, Elder Scrolls, Diablo...should these games be ignored because they are mobile titles even though they are part of some of our favorite series?

5.  With the ever-growing prevalence of download-only games on all the major systems as well as streaming services like Xbox Games Pass, mobile games are on equal footing.

6.  Mobile has a variety of controllers & attachments just like consoles. You can even use your Xbox One and Switch Pro controllers on your phone now. Many mobile games have added controller support. How is playing Walking Dead or Rayman with a controller on a mobile device any different than on a Switch?  There really is no difference.

7.  We include free to play games in the console games databases. Warframe, Blacklight. Etc. have entries. How is a mobile game with IAP any different?

Please, discuss and thank you for considering the possibilities that extending categories for Android & IOS games would bring to many members collections.

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Site Feedback / Dedicated VR section?

« on: March 02, 2019, 10:28:07 pm »

Since VR is becoming more & more commonplace with dedicated gaming rigs, would it be possible to add a VR category?

Hardware could include for example, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift & Go, Google DayDream, Gear VR, etc.

Since the games you download for these services are all pretty much paid, could we add those as well?  I dont feel its the same as the wide-open cell phone gaming platform which was already decided would be excluded. But again, the individual stores for these devices are for the most part paid and in reality, not much different than storefronts like Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo's eShop.

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General / Opinions on the February 2019 Nintendo Direct?

« on: February 14, 2019, 08:49:15 am »

So for those that watched, what did you think?  I was pretty impressed, even without an announcement of Metroid Prime Trilogy. For those who missed it, here's what was announced/covered:

Super Mario Maker 2 for Switch...coming in June!

Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening is being remade for Switch and will be released this year!

Platinum Games has an all-new Switch exclusive coming called Astral Chain. Bayonetta 3 was mentioned as under steady development.

Dragon Quest XI is getting a definitive edition release on Switch with a retro-mode giving the game 16-bit graphics. Nice!

Square's retro studio Tokyo RPG Factory is making a new Switch titke called Oninaki.

Fire Emblem Three Houses has been bumped back to a summer release and will be available in a slick Collector's Edition.

Captain Toad Treasure Tracker is now being updated with a new co-op mode and has a DKC pack on the way.

Super Smash Bros Ultimate will be going to version 3.0 this summer.

New Amiibos were briefly shown, including Snake & Simon Belmont!

Tetris 99 is available now on the eShop for all Nintendo Online subscribers.

Box Boy and Box Girl will be making its Switch debut this year.

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General / Nintendo Online: Opinions?

« on: February 10, 2019, 02:03:52 pm »

I'm not & never have been a big fan of online gaming. The Switch is Nintendo's first console to require a paid subscription for online play. Admittedly,  Nintendo is way behind the curve in features, perks and network stability. A year of the service costs $19.99, which boils down to $1.66 per month. I give more change out than that a week for a buddy that gets mandatoried for overtime to buy a bottle of soda. So what does that $1.66 per month - or 5 cents a day - get me?

• Online Play
  NES Games with online multiplayer
  Cloud game saves backup

I think Nintendo has some real work to do. They need to work on the network infrastructure to make gameplay smoother. They need to offer discounts on digital titles for members.  And they really need to get voice chat as a standard feature without using your cell phone. Adding SNES games would be a huge boost.

So while the service is definitely lacking, Im getting more than a nickels worth of entertainment a day from it, especially in the Special NES game selections. Thoughts?

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General / February 2019 - Recently Added to Collection/Recently Purchased

« on: February 01, 2019, 10:23:46 am »

Worlf of Nintendo 8-bit Red Link 2.5" figure

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General / Ever Hate a Game, Then Revisit it Years Later and Love it?

« on: January 26, 2019, 09:40:54 pm »

As the title says, was there ever a game you absolutely couldn't stand or never gave it a chance, only to revisit it down the road and enjoy/love it?

Mine is a big one and probably surprising to many. Its Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time. Back on release day in Novemer 1998, I was supposed to be going in to work for an 11:30PM/midnight shift. But I was excited, called work and fibbed that I was having car trouble and would be a little late. So I hit Walmart and got in line for the midnight release. Had to get that Collector's edition with its shiny, chromium cover!  And I did!  The whole way to work and during my shift, all I could think about was getting home and playing Zelda!  The Zelda overworld theme played on repeat in my mind all night long!  So when I finally got home and was unwrapping the game, my hands were nervously shaking with excitement.

It was then that my dreams of that classic music and Zelda swordplay was replaced with the horror of fetching stuff and a buck tooth goober blocking me from getting to the Deku tree. The classic gameplay was replaced with sneaking past guards, a big-ass field, playing a musical instrument and Navi's annoying ass repeatedly going "Hey listen!"  I couldn't accept it. I didnt want to!  I put that game away and left it alone. I returned to it a few times, but just couldn't do it. It wasnt until Twilight Princess came out that I returned to Zelda.

Because I am a collector AND a Zelda fan overall, I bought the various versions of this title as well. So yesterday, after finishing Link Between Worlds, I said what the hell. It's been over 20 years since I played it. Why not give it a shot? 

And I have to say, I'm really getting engrossed in it. Maybe it's part because I'm older and don't have the same old preconceived notions. Maybe it's because I'm not enraptured by the likes of Castlevania Symphony of the Night, Final Fantasy VII, Crash Bandicoot and other PlayStation heavy hitters. But I love it. I'm still early on, having just finished the Lost Woods. But I'm enjoying the adventure. My resistance to gameplay mechanics like playing the ocarina have melted away. I was actually kinda giddy when I played the notes to make Epona cozy up to me.

So there it is. I absolutely hated this game with every fiber of my being. For two decades, I avoided playing it and shook my head with people who talked about how much they love that game and stood, mouth agape when I told them I despised it. Many would tell me it was not only the game that made them fall in love with Zelda, but gaming as a whole.

So, anybody else have a story to share?

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Marketplace / Looking for original Game Boy box!

« on: January 22, 2019, 09:26:24 pm »

Hey all!  Looking for an original Game Boy box, NTSC US Version. It can be either the vanilla "system only" box or the Tetris bundle box. Preferably with the inner carton/holder. Manuals & pamphlets are welcome also!

Willing to pay cash (or PayPal as the internet goes).  Just dont want to pay forty bucks + for one like the guys on Ebay are asking!

Thank you!

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Modern Video Games / Mario Kart 8: Wii U versus Switch

« on: January 21, 2019, 02:27:09 pm »

When discussing games we would like to see ported from the Wii U to Switch, a few people brought up they didn't want any and felt that the ones that have been released were just repackaged. I feel that porting these games is a good thing as many people didnt give the Wii U the time of day. So Nintendo is sitting on some truly fantastic games that deserve to be played by a larger audience.

With that in mind, I decided to do comparisons between the original Wii U versions and the Switch versions, starting with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Here are the changes/additions to the Switch version.

New characters:  King Boo, Dry Bones, Bowser Jr., Inkling Boy & Inkling Girl and Gold Mario.

Character Variations:  Link from Breath of the Wild, 8 colors for Yoshi and 8 colors for Shy Guy.

New Karts:  Splat Buggy, Ink Striker, Koopa Clown, Super Glider

New Features:  Dual Items, Super Drift Boost, Quick Turn, Smart Steering, Auto Acceleration, Boo & Fearher Items, 8-player Local Multiplayer, LAN Mode, All tracks & characters unlocked from the start.

Performance Enhancements:  Faster load times, boost to 1080p resolution

DLC:  Includes all previous DLC cups:  Egg Cup, Triforce Cup, Bell Cup and Crossing Cup (16 tracks)

Includes all previous DLC characters:  Link, Tanooki Mario, Cat Peach, Villager Boy & Girl, Isabelle and Dry Bowser.

Includes all previous DLC karts:  Streetle, City Tripper, P-Wing, Bone Rattler, Blu Falcon, B-Dasher, Master Cycle and Tanooki Kart.

New Battle Modes:  Bob-Omb Blast, Renegade Roundup, Coin Runners and Shine Thief.

So comparing the retail packaged Wii U and Switch versions they have added:

13 new characters + variations for Link, Yoshi and Shy Guy
12 new karts
4 cups with 4 tracks each for a total of 16 new tracks
4 new battle modes

Those are pretty significant changes & additions. Nintendo did more work on this game than most other develops put in between sequels of their titles.

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General / Game Cases for Digital Titles: Yay or Nay?

« on: January 18, 2019, 04:24:00 pm »

As a collector, I value tangible, real-world items I can hold. I think most collectors do. The very definition of "collector" is A person who collects things of a specified type, professionally or as a hobby.

I've always been bugged by digital-only titles. Enough so that it interferes with my enjoyment of said games. It's like a feeling of regret or sadness to me?  It's hard to explain. What about game expansions?  Adding on an expansion feels like it's not really a part of the game in a way to me. One exception to me was the Witcher III expansions. They came in a box with a set of Gwent cards. It was something tangible. A physical manifestation that even though the actual game data wasnt in the box, gave me something to hold onto.  While playing Bloodstained - Curse of the Moon, I thought it would be awesome to see box art for it. Box art to me is like an old record album cover. Somebody poured a lot of time & love into the illustrations. It's why I love art books and sadly lament the disappearance of game instruction manuals, especially some of the Nintendo color ones full of artwork. So I just Googled "Bloodstained Switch cover art."  And wow!  I was blown away! 

So a little research, I found covers for A LOT of eShop Switch games!  I went to eBay, found empty Switch boxes for about $1.55 each shipped (I ordered a 10-pack for $15.48 shipped).  High-resolution printouts of the covers on glossy photo paper which is about the same weight as the genuine Switch covers is $0.87 each at Office Depot. So for $2.42, I have an authentic-looking box to look at. It may seem silly to some, that's fine. Others with large collections cant spare the shelf space. Understandable. But for me, it strikes the pleasure center in my weird brain.

I'm waiting for the cases to arrive, but here are some of the printouts I have made. Please note that the actual printouts are very clear, crisp, sharp and vibrant.  I also have five more that I ordered online before I decided to take a stab at them myself. Will post them & these in cases once everything arrives.

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Off Topic / Why does everything have conform to be PC/Inclusive/etc these days?

« on: January 16, 2019, 05:31:29 pm »

Everywhere you look today, somebody has something negative to say about it. Movie directors, comic writers and pretty much anybody who makes anything exposed to public scrutiny are bending over backwards to be PC and all-inclusive. Hey, that's cool. But do we have to alter things that already exist to further an agenda? 

I am friends with & work with numerous gay people. My oldest daughter proudly states she is bisexual and two good friends are both transitioning. And hey, that's great. People deserve to be happy and I nor anybody else has any right to interfere with their happiness, as long as it isn't some Buffalo Bill wearing ladies skins kinda shit. I also hang out & work with several black people. Sorry if that's the incorrect terminology. So with that being said, here are some things that have been annoying the shit out of me!

Comic books. Oh my, what the hell is going on?!  Wolverine is a girl. Iron Main is a black girl. Captain America is no longer the original super soldier, a black guy is. Iceman is now gay, Spider-Man is/was Dr. Octopus, Thor is/was a girl. What the hell is going on?! I'm cool with black characters, Asian characters, female characters, etc. But please, stop trying to suck up. Make some new characters & stop screwing with existing ones!

Star Wars. My poor, poor Star Wars. Rian Johnson made a shit film and anybody who says its shit is labeled a misogynistic pig. Regardless of why they hated it!  My problem has less to do with how every woman in the film is a brave, stand out hero and 2/3 of the rebels are now women (they are) and more to do with how every Male character is a fuck-up. It's like Johnson went out of his way to make every Male character an ass.  Not to mention the nonsensical plot, illogical time jumps, etc.

Butthurt over Gillette commercial. Get over it PC warriors. 

Satanists having a  me too!" Fit over Christmas decorations. Who friggin cares?!  They are decorations. If you get offended by a jolly fat man in red and Rudolph, you have issues!

Baby Its Cold Outside isn't a friggin song about date rape!

Blizzard, nobody cares if Soldier 76 is gay. The game has almost zero backstory and this is nothing more than pandering for no logical reason whatsoever.

Anything you folks want to get off your chest?

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General / Coolest Gaming Art Book or Book Series?

« on: January 14, 2019, 08:50:25 am »

What is your favorite gaming related art book or series of books?  Mine has to be the Dark Horse Legend of Zelda books. Hyrule Historia, Arts & Artifacts, Encyclopedia and Creating a Champion are some of the highest quality, lavishly Illustrated, knowlege-infused books I have ever read. The "vanilla" editions are gorgeous with their thick covers, gold embellishing and heavy paper stock pages. The Limited Editions go over the top with gold edged pages, etc.  Hyrule Historia looks like an ancient, leather book
Arts & Artifacts has an acetate slipcase that makes it look like you are unsheathing the Master Sword when you pull the book out. Encyclopedia looks like a gold cartridge, complete with felt-lined cart dust cover replica and instruction booklet. Creating a Champion one-upped them all with two versions. The Hero's Edition comes in blue with a cloth map, framed picture and the box has a hidden compartment with a glass spirit orb. 
Going completely over the top, the Gamestop exclusive Champions Edition comes in a textured leather box with felt lining. The book inside has two different cover illustrations on the front & back. A cloth Calamity Ganon map, six jumbo postcards, a large framed print and a hidden compartment with four glass orbs, one for each divine beasts!   Nintendo who has always been stodgy with their properties really has begun to open the floodgates in the last five years or so.

So what is your favorite(s)?!