Superkenon

This random incidental track from Animal Crossing has firmly nestled itself in my subconscious mind, ever since the time of the GameCube. Don't know why it immortalized itself so much more successfully than any other track, but it did.

https://youtu.be/PsgZS3WtArM

EDIT: can't seem to embed this video link on my mobile device. Oh well!

Echoing these other fine folks, definitely try to return it. The worst they can do is say "nah." In which case that would be super sketchy.

But if it comes to that, then giving Nintendo a call is a fine option as well. Even if the store doesn't, Nintendo has (historically, at least) honored a sort of built-in warranty with their products. Being new enough, they may just replace it without charge.

I find it utterly charming and adorable. I listen to the Beastcast as much (if not more) for their personalities and banter as I do for games/news coverage, so I don't see it as a divergence from the things I like about the show. It's fun to hear from fans!

Probably a fruity mix of Vinny, Alex, and Jason. Games for builders, games for thinkers, and games for maniacs.

NO MILK, NO SUGAR,

GO REAL, GO BITTER

I don't hate Sunshine, but Galaxy is for sure the better incarnation of Mario. That said, we already have two of those games, and while I wouldn't raise my nose at a third, I'd be much more intrigued to see them take another stab at Sunshine. (Because I mean... fucking what?)

To be fair, I think the main failings that can be attributed to Sunshine are more functional -- in the execution, rather than at their core conceptually. They'd have to add something new, for sure, but I think there's room for a Mario game that's half-third-person-shooter, that involves Mario solving troubles and restoring vitality to a realized, cohesive locale.

Say what you will about Sunshine, I think it's interesting that Delfino Isle gives you a good sense of place. When you're in a stage, you can look past the boundaries of the world and see the other stages. It's very different from the abstracted worlds we usually see in a Mario game. If they made Sunshine today, I bet they could get away with making it a weird open world game. Yeah, that's right. I evoked it. Bring it.

I played through Ocarina when I was 9 and I don't recall getting stuck anywhere, but then again, I think the way you play games as a kid is very different from how you play them as an adult. At least for me, as a kid I was just into exploring and poking at everything, and wasn't likely to forget even the smallest of curiosities. I remember being very invested in figuring out "what's up with this windmill guy," so that was something I very near instantly solved once able. The game might not have directed me to him, but my youthful aspiration to check in on Windmill Guy did.

As an adult I think it's easier to get caught up in tackling a game by trying to glean its 'critical path' or follow its very direct cues, as if I'm consciously deciding whether to 'progress' or 'check out side stuff', and determining what's important and what's not based on experience with other games. Where as a kid it was ALL important, regardless of context, and I didn't need the game specifically steering me in a direction to wanna check out some weird place or talk to all the NPC's.

All that said, I don't think you can get too too lost in Ocarina anyway, as that was also the dawn of the video game adviser who TELLS YOU WHERE TO GO ALWAYS. Hilariously I remember being very frustrated with Navi, who I felt was cramping my style. "Just let me figure it out for myself, gosh!"

Declaring it a betrayal of the series is the silly over-dramatic kinda language that's just askin' for a fight. But I guess you got this thread a-buzzing with it, so... way to go?

Personally it's made me way more interested in where they're going with this, where just-another God of War wouldn't have. I definitely sympathize with not wanting something to change if it's exactly what you want. But I also greatly encourage developers taking risks and taking their franchises in new directions. Who knows how it turns out in the end, but I welcome finding out.

"Finally" is right. The game's been out in Japan for almost a year now, so I was startin' to sweat a bit over whether they were even going to localize this one.

But I'm glad they are! Can't get enough Etrian Odyssey in my life. Been just a minute since the last entry, too -- pretty sure EO4 came out in 2013.

It's definitely a little annoying, but it's hard for me to be outraged since the loot just doesn't matter. Overwatch isn't a play-to-win situation, and they're very generous with the free loot boxes. I don't get why anyone would want to drop money on them in the first place -- always just seemed to me like a menu option specifically to get money outta whales. Still scummy, but considerably less so than any other game trying to get you to buy in-game stuff with real money -- where the purchasable items are more essential and harder to get through regular play.