Blog Archives
Tonight’s Game: Rune Factory Guardians of Azuma
Hey guys. What’s everyone playing tonight? I managed to get me a copy of Rune Factory Guardians of Azuma. This was one of my more sought after games, especially on the Switch family of consoles. I 100% Donkey Kong Banaza a while ago and I’ve been itching for something new to pop in the console. Its been hard to justify the $60 and $70 games like Pokémon, Yoshi, Star Fox, and Metroid. But my local shop had Rune Factory for $22. Plus, I had a $5 off coupon. That’ll help cover some of the Switch 2 upgrade that’ll be getting.
I’m excited to dive into this because my impression of Rune Factory is it occupies a space between Harvest Moon and Dark Cloud. It’s got that farming and village sim of Harvest Moon with more dungeons and combat akin to Dark Cloud. Needless to say, I’m eager to see how close to that description it is.
So again, let me know what you guys are playing this weekend. Have you played any of the Rune Factory games? Let me know. Thank you for reading! Have a great day!
5 Games I Wish Had Come to the Gamecube
Someone asked online “What’s 5 games you wish got released on the Gamecube?” This is a question I always ask myself about for the N64 and Wii U. [In fact I already did a post about 5 games I wish had come to the Wii U. So check that out.] Anyway, here’s the deal. I’m going to try to not list games produced by Sony and Microsoft [for example, I’m not going to bother saying Halo. Obviously, that was never coming to the Gamecube.]
#1 Psychonauts
Psychonauts was developed by Double Fine Productions. It was one of the best 3D Platformers of this generation. However, it a commercial flop compared to Super Mario Sunshine, Jak and Daxter and Ratchet and Clank. Still this game had a unique setting, taking place at a summer camp for kids with psychic abilities. Its story, gameplay, level design, and power ups were all greatly unique. I think it stood out even then in a sea of 3D platformers and holds up well even today.
I think it would have been a welcome addition to the Gamecube. It was offbeat and an oddball. Which is basically the motto of the Gamecube with other quirky 3D Platformers like Billy Hatcher already on the console. Something I learned only a few years ago is that Psychonauts was not an Xbox exclusive. In fact it was only exclusive to Xbox for roughly two months.
When Microsoft canceled [if that’s the right word?] publishing Psychonauts, Majesco picked up the publishing rights. With Microsoft out of the picture, Psychonauts was free to explore publication on other console. Of course they stuck with releasing it on OG Xbox, but it also got a Playstation 2 release. So why no Gamecube version?
I’ve heard three reasons. So if anybody can confirm or deny any of the reason, sound off below. 1. Majesco was a mid tier publisher. They didn’t have the resources of someone like Microsoft. As a result, they had to be selective about what consoles got it. 2. The Gamecube was failing this generation. Despite the head start and the brand recognition, they finished 3rd behind Playstation and Xbox. There was just no reason to port it to a losing console. 3. I saw some people say the Gamecube’s lack of 4 shoulder buttons would make it hard or impossible to port the game over to Gamecube. This is the reason I find hardest to believe. I can’t say I cross refernced this, but I just feel like surely other games that took advantage of the four shoulder buttons also released on the Gamecube. 4. That generation was already winding down. Psychonauts released early 2005. The Wii would release in 2006.
All four of these reasons I’m sure have some degree of merit. And if you mix it all in a blender, it would explain why no Gamecube port ever happened. It’s a shame a Wii port was never developed either. But hey, Psychonauts is great and you should go play it.
#2 Okami
To be fair, it is pretty obvious why Okami did not come to the Gamecube. It was released late into the 6th generation cycle. It was released roughly seven months before the Wii released. Also, from everything I read, Okami was designed for the PS2 specific. So there never any plans for the Gamecube or, heck, even the PS3.
They loved the art style and the graphics on the Playstation 2. They loved the controller of the Playstation 2. The thought of designing it for another console never seemed to cross their minds.
Its a shame it never came to the Gamecube because I feel like the unique nature of it, the look of it, the appreciation of Japanese mythology would fit right at home with the Gamecube. Capcom and Clover Studios both have great relationships with Nintendo as well. Capcom had big plans for the Gamecube, originally working on the Capcom five, five games planned as Gamecube exclusives. Of those five, two were developed by Clover Studios [P.N.03 (Directed by Shinji Mikami) and Viewtiful Joe.]. But the Gamecube fell behind in marketshare, Capcom turned their attention to the Playstation 2. Clover Studios began making Playstation 2 exclusives with Okami and God Hand. However, upon the Wii’s unveiling, fans outcried for a Wii port to take advantage of the Wiimote. This one was just never in the cards for the Gamecube.
#3 Dark Cloud 1 and 2
It is funny to think about Dark Cloud 1 and 2 being Playstation exclusives now. Of course, when Level-5 began they partnered with Sony. So really, that’s the story. Dark Cloud published its first five games exclusive to Playstation systems before releasing Professor Layton and the Curious Village on Nintendo DS [more on that later]. I did not realize Level 5 developed Dragon Quest VII. Anyway, I think most people today would associate Level-5 with Nintendo, specifically the DS family of handhelds. Level-5’s most recognizable games these days are Professor Layton, Fantasy Life, and Yokai Watch. However, to me, Level-5 will also be the Dark Cloud series. My dad told me he found a game that was basically Zelda on the Playstation 2. Of course, childhood me was curious. When I saw the dungeon crawling, the weapons, the village building, the allies, and all these aspects coming together to make something truly unique beautiful.
Dark Cloud 2 is currently one of my obsessions, I’ve put in over 30 hours so far and feel like I am still just scratching the surface. It keeps the formula of visiting new locations. Once you arrive, you venture deep into dungeons, collects parts of the town, and rebuild each city. Some aspects have changed like party configuration and the way city building is handled, but I am fine with that. The camera invention, time hopping, and the plethora of city goers add so many layers to the original Dark Cloud mythos. Dark Cloud 1 would have been nice on the Gamecube, but Dark Cloud 2 looks like it could have fit right in on the Gamecube. Dark Cloud 2 is beautiful. I think its graphics would have absolutely popped on the Gamecube.
#4 Kirby: Return to Dream Land
Kirby: Return to Dream Land was considered the best game in the series for a good while (but the Kirby series has been on fire lately!). There was a time when this was considered a momumental entry in the franchises, a must play, the GOAT of Kirby games… and it almost didn’t exist! That’s such a wild thought to me. I loved Kirby 64 and desperately wanted the Wii Kirby games as a kid. I never got them and had to wait until I was an adult to buy them for myself. But all I ever heard about growing up was how fantastic this game was. So imagine my surprise to learn this iconic entry almost didn’t happen.
The Gamecube was a great experimental time for a lot of Nintendo franchises. Mario got water nozzle, Samus went first person, and Donkey Kong got some bongos. The same was true for Kirby. Coming off of Kirby 64, Kirby would get a combat racer titled Kirby Air Ride. This game, to me, was wildly unique and totally fun. However, Kirby wasn’t done with the Gamecube. In 2005, Nintendo revealed a trailer for Kirby GCN. The hype was real. We were going to get a traditional side scrolling platforming Kirby Adventure with cool allies and neat power ups.
This is one I’m going to do more research for myself. I am very curious to read more about why they canceled this one. They also waited six years to reveal what would become Kirby Return to Dreamland for Wii. It would have been really cool to see this one to come to life on the Gamecube and just have Kirby Return to Dreamland act as a sequel. Unfortunately, that is not the timeline we got. Did you know there was a canceled Kirby game for Gamecube?
#5 Star Wars Battlefront 1 and 2
Star Wars was extremely popular during the Gamecube era thanks to the Prequel being in full… force. The Gamecube got a hefty seven Star War’s title including fan favorite Rogue Squadron 2 and 3 and the Lego games. However, noticeably missing from the line-up were the Star Wars Battlefront games. Melee and Halo get credit as the best versus games of the generation, but Battlefront has that Goldeneye energy of the N64. If I went over to a friends house and they had the Battlefront games, then you already knew what we were playing. While Star Wars certainly had console exclusives, Battlefront wasn’t even one of them. It released on Playstation 2 and Xbox.
I couldn’t find a definitive answer for why LucasArts didn’t release these games for the Gamecube. I saw people mention the controller not having enough buttons (like with Psychonauts, I am not sure whether this is a legitimate reason studios gave or just fan theories?), or that the games were too big for the Gamecube disc (this seems like it could have been a reason but games launched with two discs all the time.), and that LucasArts simply abandoned Gamecube support towards the end of its life. Possibly. Pandemic Studios released Star Wars Battlefront 1 and 2 around 2004 and 2005. This means the Gamecube still had a good year or two left before the Wii arrived. More so, Star Wars would still release Lego Star Wars 1 and 2 after Battlefronts release. Maybe they just trusted the Lego series to sell fine on the Gamecube? Maybe they didn’t think Star Wars Battlefront’s gritty, darker aesthetic would vibe with Gamecube owners?
I don’t know. If you have more official information let me know. Either way, it is sad these gems never came out on the Gamecube. The Gamecube had four controller slots, two more than the Playstation 2. This is childhood series I really want to return to. I’ll probably end up buying them on OG Xbox since Battlefront 2 on Xbox supports 4 players.
So that’s 5 Gamecube games I wish I had come to the Gamecube. I could have named more like Katamari, Grand Theft Auto, or Devil May Cry, but these are the five that I feel like could have truly made the library better. Anyway, what games would you have liked to see released on Gamecube. Let me know! Thanks for reading and have a great day!
I Bought a Retro Game From Gamestop in 2026
Hey guys. Today I hit up a local Gamestop hoping to take advantage of their 4 for $40 deals. However, it just didn’t work out. Rune Factory 3 and Rune Factory 5 on Switch caught my eye. Red Dead Redemption I was almost sold on because I want to play it. Unfortunately, it was missing the case art. I figured I could get it somewhere else with the art. Resident Evil 4 Remake was so tempting but I still haven’t gotten the Series X so it was be a little preemptive to buy it now.
But what I really wanted was Star Wars Bounty Hunter. I’ve always wanted this game, even back in the day. But I am obsessed with Mando and Baby Yoda, so it felt like I really needed to pull the trigger here. When I got to the front, the employee informed me that two versions of the game were traded in and I could pick out the one I wanted.
They had the limited edition cover art. That version of the game had the manual! That felt like a huge win! All in all, I’m disappointed I couldn’t take advantage of the 4 for $40. We’re doing a family day Saturday and I didn’t want to burn money on games I wasn’t ready to dive in to.
This was my first time in a Gamestop in probably a year or so. I was “impressed” with their selection. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t awful either. Pokemon Red was listed under pricecharting. Alundra 2 and King’s Field were also listed pretty well. But their new selection was depressing. Their Xbox games were barren. The Switch 2 games were mostly new, so none we’re eligible for the deal. Most Switch 1 and PS4 games were over the $19.99 threshold.
Have you bought any retro games from Gamestop? Let me know down below! Thank you for reading. Have a great day!
My Daughter’s First Pokemon Set
Last year I was watching a lot of Poketubers. Destined Rivals released last summer and was everything I wanted in a Pokémon set. It brought back Team Rocket and Trainer Owned Pokemons. It reminded me so much of the TCG from when I was kid, combining some of my favorite aspects from The Gym series and the OG Team Rocket set. Therefore I figured it would be a good time to get my daughter into the collecting scene. I’m a little late sharing, but I bought her six packs for Christmas and a binder. Here’s where she stands.
Okay, so the formatting needs some work haha. What do you guys think is a better way of showing off a binder?
Obviously, Destined Rivals is a popular set meaning we’re in no rush right now to buy packs or single. So it was actually the worst time to get her into the hobby. Either way we love the set and we love Pokemon. So we’re just going to enjoy the journey.
In case you were wondering, Ethan’s Pichu is her favorite card so far.
Have any of you collected Destined Rivals? Or got your kids into the game? Let me know down below. Thank you for reading have a great day!
My Nintendo Powers
Hey guys. It is time to finally start tracking our Nintendo Powers. I will be making new update posts as time goes on. So if you want to follow the journey, make sure you subscribe to the blog! I am mostly collecting the N64 and Gamecube ones. Now, mind you, I will get older ones because I love them, but they aren’t priorities. https://archive.org/details/Nintendo-Power-Magazine-The-N64-Era-1996-2001 list roughly 62 Nintendo 64 issues (missed opportunity to have 64 issues,). https://archive.org/details/Nintendo-Power-Magazine-The-GameCube-Era-2001-2006 seems to list 60 issues for the Gamecube era, but it looks like it starts to veer towards the DS and Wii towards the end. So it is going to be roughly 120 issues. Welcome to the hunt, let’s see what we have!
110: WWF: War Zone
My oldest Nintendo Power has WWF: War Zone as the cover game. While I have deep dived into this one, it covers Quest 64 and Banjo Kazooie. That’s pretty cool.
117: Mario Party
This has got to be one of my favorites in my collection. That cover is awesome. I actually thought it was Mario Party 3 with the way Mario is hitting the block. Either way this cover is iconic and it covers the game that launched my favorite party series. Beyond thrilled this one is in the collection.
128: Mario Party 2
If a cover was going to top Mario Party, it was going to be Mario Party 2. I have actually flipped through this one and I love. Some cool things about this one is it includes a walkthrough for 40 Winks. A PS1 game that never got released on N64… until about two decades later when it got crowd funded. This cover also shows off the awesome costumes of Mario Party 2.
134: Kirby 64
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shard is one of my favorite N64 games and this cover pops with the white background and Kirby center stage. In the background we see Kirby performing various actions. This one also previews Majora’s Mask, Megaman 64 and Banjo Tooie. That’s a stacked issue!
150: Luigi’s Mansion
The Gamecube is here! Yes, Luigi’s Mansion marks my first Gamecube cover. I have not opened this one. The cover basically confirms Luigi’s Mansion is releasing as an early launch title for Gamecube. I like the colors here.
158: Here They Come
Believe it or not, I don’t know how I feel about this one. This one is a Gamecube hype cover. With Windwaker Link, Sunshine Mario, and Kirby Air Ride front and center and a heap of 3rd party characters like Pac Man, Rayman, Megaman, Bomberman and more, you’d think I would love it. Either way, it is cool. It gets me excited. Just not my favorite.
162: Metroid Prime
I’m pumped to deep dive into this one. It is easily my biggest Nintendo Power. Metroid made the jump not only to 3D but also into a new genre, First Person Shooter. What a huge leap. I am excited to read these old issues that document Metroid Prime’s development. But it only hints at sports games. So hype cover, but I wish it listed more games on the cover.
171: Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
While this is technically a GBA cover, Soul Calibur II and Billy Hatcher in the preview windows. I love Billy Hatcher and I am looking forward to reading this deep dive. I’ve heard great things about the Tactic games, so this issue should be a great read!
174: Fire Emblem GBA
Another Gameboy cover with another series I have never really played. But I got to admit I love this issue. The Fire Emblem art is epic being front and center. The game also hints at Mario Kart Double Dash, Kirby Air Ride, and Metal Gear Solid. Sign me up!
179: Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes is a very interesting port. I’ve actually some articles about its development and it is cool. So I am always down to read more about it. The cover is awesome and the main topic is interesting, however the preview games this time around leave a little to be desired. Custom Robo is cool but I am not knowledge about it. The other preview games are Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and MVP Baseball 2004.
180: Tales of Symphonia
We have hit a run where every cover is going to be awesome. Tales of Symphonia is the main cover story. I love its art. In the preview window we get Wario Ware, INC, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow, and Pokemon Fire Red and Leaf Green. I’m game for anything Pokemon!
181: The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure s
Honestly, I never got to play Four Swords Adventures, so I can’t say I’m nostalgic for it. However, I am still happy to add any and all Zelda Nintendo Powers! This one advertises a load of games but the stand outs would be Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Spider-Man 2, and Shining Force.
182: Resident Evil 4
Here is one of my absolute favorites. Resident Evil 4 was my favorite game on Nintendo Gamecube, so it is awesome having its cover issue. Not to mention, its previews are stacked. Zelda, Star Fox, and Baten Kaitos! I am excited to pop this bad boy open
183: Pikmin 2
The epic run of epicness had to end at some point. Pikmin is not my favorite franchise. However, they have an excellent cover. This cover would make me interested to play Pikmin 2. But sadly, they are not my favorites. This the first one to have subpar preview windows as well. Boasting about Catwoman, Second Sight and NCAA Football 2005 doesn’t exactly get you exicted to open it. However, it does have exclusive preview for Paper Mario when it was still just called 2 and not yet officially named. I love little things like that.
186: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Now this is an epic cover. Samus is just staring you down! The previews aren’t bad either. It features exclusive news for the upcoming DS as well as looks at X-Men: Legends, Mario Power Tennis, and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories round out a solid preview.
188: The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap
This is argubly my favorite cover. Minish Cap is such an underrated gem in the Zelda series. The cover art is phenomal. The hot trends of 2005 is a pretty cool time capsule.This one also mentions previewing Super Mario 64 DS and Star Fox Assault and more.
190: Killer 7
A little underwhelming cover for such a bizarre game. The use of white helps the name Killer 7 pop. But the cover is ultimately bland for such a unique game. But this a game I will certainly take all the articles around this strange game. Killer 7 was a part of the Gamecube’s Capcom Five. Capcom’s planned five games for the Gamecube. Unlike Resident Evil 4, Killer 7 remained a Gamecube exclusive.
194: Mario Kart and the Wii Revolution
This may lead you to believe the Gamecube’s run is over, but nope. We still have roughly 10 more issues to go at this point. While it covers two things I am not actively collecting, it is still really cool to see the Wii this early. As you can see, the Wii is still going by its code name, Revolution. It also highlights E3 (or at least post E3.). This one is going to feel oddly nostalgic now that E3 has gone the way of the dinosaurs.
So that’s my Nintendo Power collection. What do you think? Which issue was your favorite? What issue should I go for next? Let me know! Thank you guys for reading. Have a great day!
I’m Collecting Physical Media like Crazy
Hi guys. I’m not breaking any news here. There’s been so much reporting on Sony be it Playstation or Crunchyroll. I already grow a little more disdain for digital media every day. From delisting items, to revoking licenses, to controlling the distribution of media, and questionable at best consumer rights, it has made me shift to more physical media. Now mind you, I was already was addicted to physical media.
It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about two bookshelves of video games, my 15 or so long boxes, or budding DVD collection, I was a borderline hoarder before all of this. I was a con junkie and worked at a hobby shop for 4 years. I was exposed to comic books, Pokémon cards, and video games every day. This is my modern day art. I love it.
Now that companies are sabotaging it, I feel a passion to just buy all forms of physical media. It is a little unhealthy and over the top, but the heart wants what the heart wants. What can I say?
I love going into McKays, comic book stores, heck even Gamestop and Walmart. I don’t hate big box retail, but I do prefer to support local. But still, the clock is ticking. Soon I won’t be able to walk down the video game section of a Walmart with my kids and that sucks.
I have such an urge to go buy my favorite DVDs and Blu Rays and now I’m wanting to collect some anime [not going overboard, but you know how it starts.]. I’m wanting to support Switch 2 games that are actually on the cart. I’m wanting to celebrate this last great generation of gaming. Even if I’m annoyed at Sony, the PS5 is still a great console. Some number of exclusives backwards compatibility with the PS4, and most games working on the disc with no internet or downloads are things that just won’t exist with the PS6
So I turn to you guys. Have you caught the collecting bug? If so, what media or titles are you eyeing? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Video Game Pick Up #1
Is this the first pick up blog I’ve ever done? Probably not. But I’m 11 years and who knows how many posts into this, so who knows how many I’ve done in the past. This felt like a good time to soft reboot the pick up portion of the blog.
I’ll do some form of collection update in a future post going over what I’ve managed to collect and what my collecting goals are. For now, I’ll be showing off what I picked up recently.
Quick note. I filmed this as a Youtube short and Instagram reel already. Make sure you are following me on there for video form content. Now on to the pick ups.
Chameleon Twist 2 was formly my most sought after retro game. It feels good to remedy that. I have played this already. It’s a memory card game. My memory card is awful and will just delete my save files. It already has for Chameleon Twist 2. I loved the music, the art, and the gameplay. It seems like its going to be a great game. But I’ll probably hold off on playing it until I get a new memory card.
Starshot: Space Cricus Fever is more like a fever dream. I classify it in that obscure 3D platform space that games like Glover, Rocket Robot on Wheels, and Space Station Silicon Valley space. I won’t lie. This game feels a little jankier than the above titles, but this is the kind of N64 game I go for, so I dig it. My priority to beat it is lower than the above mentioned games, but I’ll return to this one in due time.
Lastly is Snowboard Kids 2. I haven’t popped this one in yet. It’s two players and that means I’d like to play it with my wife at some point. Either way, I’ve heard great things about it. I can imagine this will get a lot of game time in my house once we finally do play it.
So there you have, 3 pretty uncommon N64 games. I’m thrilled to add these to the collection. I’ll have another pick up post next week. So stay tuned.
In the meantime, have you picked up any games lately? Let me down below! Thanks for reading have a great day!
![Croc [PS5/Switch] is How Much?](https://dahubbz.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/images28229.jpeg?w=90&h=70&crop=1 "Croc [PS5/Switch] is How Much?")
Croc [PS5/Switch] is How Much?
Croc, the Playstation 5 and Nintendo Switch Remake of the PS1 classic, got a limited print run. The pre-orders wrapped up in December of 2024. Rock It Games finally got the games out to backers here recently. The game is already selling for dumb amounts. I’ve $150, $200, and even $400 thrown out.
I’ve heard good things about the remake. Croc 1 is a lovely game bogged down by dated game design. Clunky controls, awkward movement, and janky camera work means cheap deaths are bound and plentiful. Still the character design and music are still charming and endearing almost 30 years later
So I’m glad the remakes did the game justice. But it’s just simply too much money. False scarcity is definitely an issue in today’s gaming market. I’m glad projects like this get released and even get physical releases at that. But the dark side of it is limited print runs. It has people FOMOing into the product. As a result, prices on the secondary market are skyrocketing.
I’m excited to get my hands on the remake at some point. But until prices come down. I’ll be sticking to my PS1 Greatest Hits version.
How about you? Will you be getting the Croc remake? Thanks for reading. Have a great day!
A Digital Future Used to Be Exciting
There is a lot of doom and gloom in the gaming industry. Which is a shame. The video game industry is my favorite. I love all forms of games, carts, disc, digital. Games are awesome. However, with every decision Sony, Xbox, and Nintendo make, the optimism just gets sucked out of the air. It didn’t used to be that way. Even with regards to digital, us physical gamers used to be excited. Here’s 5 things that used to seem exciting.
#1 Patches
Then: It is crazy to think about patches being a plus these days. Now a days, day one downloads are the bane of gamers. There’s nothing worse than getting home, popping in your new game, and then needing a day 1 update that eats away the rest of your night. These days, I actively look for games that don’t need updates.
However, updates used to be blessings. I’ll use Turok: Rage Wars as an example. Turok: Rage Wars was a First Person Shooter on the N64. It had a game breaking glitch that prevented players from beating the game. What was the solution? Players had to mail away their black cart copy with the bug in order to get a gray cart with the patch. Of course, this wasn’t the first game to feature progress stopping glitches, nor would it be the last.
With consoles gaining internet capabilities, mailing your game away became obsolete. Now companies could just push an update through to fix glitches. Obviously, this was viewed as an improvement. As a physical collector, I appreciate the history of those pre-internet processes. Both versions of those games exist. That’s pretty cool. But I’m glad I don’t have to mail my games away.
Now: Don’t get me wrong. Updates are still great. However, they have led to bad things. A. Eventually, when consoles or servers or etc go down, you won’t be able to access those updates and your game will be the same as those N64 carts- unfixable. B. Lazy developers. Like I said, there were shameless cash grabs, sloppy code, and bad programmers as long as games have existed. But as money as flown into the industy and shareholders pressure companies on meeting deadlines, games release as buggy unplayable messes or even just needing silly updates all the time.
Mouse: P.I. for Hire made news last week for needing an update that added the ability to replay levels. Seriously guys? Why not just include that in the base game?
One way people are circumventing this is waiting for game of the year editions. Cyberpunk 2077 was a game that was infamously rushed out and hated upon release. It took awhile, but CD Projekt Red didn’t abandon it. They patched it and fixed it. If you’re like me, you don’t want a game that needs update after update. I’m just going to grab Cyberpunk 2077: The Ultimate Edition that includes all the patches on the disc.
Patches as a concept is still great. So many games have been saved by patches. And so many old games could have benefited from it. I just wish more games would be shipped out finished and not use day 1 patches as excuses.
#2 Indie Games
Then: I still have to say patches were the most exciting part of the internet future, but Indies might be the best part of it. The barrier of entry for indie companies was too great for small studios to enter the ring. Most indie companies didn’t have the resources to compete, nor could they produce at the rate publishers wanted them to. As a result before the digital era of consoles, indie games were way less plentiful.
Now, getting to bypass the physical distribution chain meant indie studios could actually bring their games to life. So many physical collectors swear to never buy digital, but even the most hardcore collectors will make exceptions for indie companies. That’s because were gamers. We love gaming.
Indie got a huge boost in players as corporate greed infiltrated gaming. Microtransactions, FPS Slop, and dying genres, turned off a vast number of gamers. A lot of us found refuge in indie games. I know for me personally 3D Platformers had all but shriveled up post 2010. However, around 2017, 3D Platformers experienced a revival. A Hat in Time, Yooka Laylee, Skylar and Plux and so many more games revived my favorite genre.
Now: Honestly, it is hard to say indies are bad now compared to the other aspects we deal with now. I love that anybody can make a game. However, anybody can make a game. Indie suffers from some the same problems as AAA games like quality control and chasing trends. Remember those are the same problems that led to the video game crash of the 80s. In general, we are a lot smarter and more aware of the medium than we were in the 80s. Untimely, I’m happy with indies.
#3 Demos
Then: If you’re like me, demos meant trying a game at your friend’s house. And for the generation before me, it was renting carts at Blockbuster.
Xbox had a bunch of demo discs back in the day which was very cool. I dont remember demos for other consoles. But I did play Banjo Kazooie at a McDonalds once. Of course Kiosks were set up at places like Walmart where gamers could test games. This led to some really cool Not For Resale N64 carts.
Now: Honestly, demos kind of missed me. I played a couple during the 360 era, but not too many. Now a days, I see demos praised. Game prices are increasing with potentially no end in sight. Microtransactions, battle passes, and DLCs mean companies are taking you for every penny. Its kind of nice demos allow players to play some games to some extent for free. And they offer a great Try-Before-You-Buy model. No complaints for demos.
#4 DLCs
Then: Call me a summer child living in a fairy tale, but I thought DLC was awesome when it came out. You want more Ratchet and Clank? Here give us $50 bucks for a sequel. Or even worse, maybe your favorite game never got a sequel.
Yeah, those fears were allieviated with DLC, or Downloadable Content for long. If youre like me, there’s just some games you never want to end. DLC made those wants feel like a reality.
Some of the earliest ones I remember were Fallout 3: Operation Anchorage and Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Shivering Isles. I would walk by their Game of the Year editions with all the DLCs on them and just dream about exploring new missions, modes, weapons, etc etc in these worlds we’ve come to love.
DLC, to me at least, was a great way to breathe life into your favorite games. They gave you a reason to return to these worlds. In the moment, DLC was definitely my favorite part of the digital future.
Now: I remember being obsessed with Buoshock Infinite to the point that buying the Season Pass wasn’t even a question. But backlash for DLC was already being to form. Season Pass brought about two major concerns A. Games were being developed with DLC in mind. They were intentionally holding back content so they could charge you $10 or $20 more. It became a philosophical shift in the system. It became the expectation. It became the standard. B. Season passes were ordered sometimes before trailers and announcements were made. You just had to trust you were going to want and like it.
Over time, I stopped getting excited for DLC. I learned to just wait for Game of the Year editions. Which, too be fair, buying 360 game rereleases with all the bonus content on the disc felt some of the best value in gaming. But yeah, at some point, I realized DLC had lost its charm. Now it was just an excuse to take more money from me or release unfinished games for the sake of downloaded content.
#5 Convenience
Then: Downloads were a game changer. Long gone were the days of standing out in a line, risking human interaction, to get a game day one. Now you can just download that sucker from the convenience of your home. Yeah, there’s just no getting around this one. The convenience of being able to download all the above points was just to big to ignore. No cases cluttering your shelves [seriously, who would want to physically own their stuff…], no more wasting gas driving down to the local shop. At least, that’s how it seemed.
Now: I won’t lie. It is still convenient. But digital downloads are no longer the be all end all they were made out to be. I can’t speak for everyone, but I literally downloaded Sims 4 on my Xbox One. I was excited to play it with my wife as its one of her favorite games. Well, after an hour of waiting for the download to finish, we gave up and went to play and just played it the next night.
Sure it was convenient to not have to leave the house, or hop on Amazon, or whatever, but the fact is simple. Internet around the world is not universal. Where I live, I dread the days of 200+ GB downloads. I know consoles have started allowing 48 hour pre order downloads. Maybe this will remedy future problems. But games are getting so big, who knows.
So there you have it. Around the 360 era, a digital future seemed exciting. We looked to how this was going to change gaming with starry eyes. But corporate greed and lazy studios have really defiled all these things to where that future looks unrecognizable. Good things obviously came from it like demos and indie games. But seeing how companies have butchered DLCs and patches just steals the joy of buying new games.
Let me know how you felt about the changing landscape of gaming during this time. How do you feel about the all digital future? Let me know down below.
Thank you for reading and have a great day.
Don’t Throw Away Your Loose Discs!
Hey everybody.
I only owned a few Gamecube games back in the day. I actually managed to keep almost all of them. Though, I didn’t keep my cases. Unfortunately, that means most of them are just scratched up and don’t work.
Two that always stood out to me were the Legend of Zelda games – Twilight Princess and Wind Waker. Again, they just didn’t work anymore. But I never threw them away.
I was talking to someone on Reddit who mentioned trying to get them resurfaced. Most people don’t like resurfacing Gamecube disc due to how it stores data. But the way I see it, if the Gamecube isn’t reading them at all, what is there to lose?
With that in mind. I took them to my local shop and got them both resurfaced.
Let there be life! Yes, my childhood games were brought back to life. So it goes to show, don’t throw away your disc.
Has this ever happened to you guys? Have you ever played a game so much it didn’t hold up? And were you able to clean it up? Let me know down below?
Thank you for reading and have a great day!
Da_Hubbz 