Blog Archives
5 Uncommons I want in Pauper! (MtG)
The Pauper format has been one of my main TCG loves for as long as I’ve known the format. The history of magic and the strength of reprints and downshifts over the course of 30 years means Pauper has a wide array of affordable strategies present for Pauper enjoyers. However, there is always room for more cards and archetypes. Here’s five uncommons I’d love to see downshifted to common.
Quick Note: For anyone who doesn’t know. The card game Magic the Gathering has a non-rotating format called Pauper. The card pool here is any legal card with a common printing.
Ajani Pridemate
Here is a card I cannot belive has not seen a downshifting to common. This was an iconic card when I got into magic due to its interaction with the Soul Sisters, cards that gained you life when creatures entered the battlefield. He got a second life in standard and proved to be a reasonable menace still. I think Soul Sister’s would like to be a deck. It certainly has gotten tools over the year, but nothing quite like a beat stick Ajani’s Pridemate would be.
Gatekeeper of Malakir
When I joined the Pauper community, the defacto iconic deck was Mono Black control. Playing a suite of removal, discard and controlly creatures top ended with Gray Merchant of Asphodel. It did just get Accursed Marauder last year, but Gatekeeper would be an additional black pip for Gary. Im not sure which card would be better or if you just play Gatekeeper in the sideboard for additional edict effects. Either way, Gatekeeper is kind of a homeless card right now.
Strangleroot Geist
This card screams perfect for Pauper. I think it threads a good needle of being multi-archetypal while also not being so strong it would warp the format. Haste means any Green/Red or even mono green would probably want to play it. Because it has Undying it actually gets better in sac decks. Golgari Gardens would probably love it. Any deck that runs Fanatical Offering like cards or any deck trying to make Bayou Groff work, would probably love having this guy. I think this might be the card I want the most that also would probably be the least controversial.
Baleful Strix
Maybe I am being unreasonable? I don’t know. I don’t think its too unreasonable because being 1 toughness and blue means red and black have tons of ways of getting around it. Being an artifact means Red and White can destroy it. Having flying and being an artifact means green has ways of dealing with it too. As well as the fact you can just attack into it, even if it takes out what you swing with. I dont think people are sideboarding for this guy to be fair. The issue more so is it will already have replaced itself, but I don’t think it warps the meta or anything. I do think a lot of decks could use it. Blink decks, midrange decks, affinity decks, all could probably make use of everybody’s favorite bird.
Shardless Agent
Maybe this steams from me loving Sultai Cascade in Legacy. Or maybe it comes from seeing Shardless Agent printed into Modern, get a home in Temur Rhinos, and than that deck being banned into oblivion before I could play it. Maybe a 3 mana cascade is too good for pauper? I’m not sure because you’re not cascading into Crushing Footfalls or Living End. Yes, its a good value card but I think Pauper keeps it in check. We do have Fire/Ice to play with. But we also dont have the cool free 3 mana counterspells to get around cascade either. I do think this might be the hardest one to imagine because it actually got upshifted to rare.
What do you guys think of these cards? Are there any here that would be busted if downshifted? I think Modern Horizon 3 injected enough power into the format where these probably aren’t going to redefine the meta at this point.
Exploring the Best Nintendo Games: IGN’s Top 100 Analysis
IGN, partnered with Nintendo Life, recently dropped their Top 100 Nintendo Games. Admittedly, I don’t have my top 100 ready to go toe to toe with IGN, but honestly, I don’t have many hot takes here. There were definitely some weird choices and questionable omissions, which we get into later.
Before we get into my post, here’s the article if you haven’t read it yet.
https://www.ign.com/articles/the-100-best-nintendo-games-of-all-time
Their selection criteria felt a little soft or just all over the place. The prime example they used was Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars on DS at #99. Its a game developed and produced by Rockstar games and even ended up on PSP, but was a DS exclusive for 9 months. That makes it qualified for this list. With that in mind, I wouldn’t take any of their comments too seriously and just enjoy the conversation and debate it breeds over getting lost in the weeds.
Some people flamed it for having recency bias and including too many games from a single series. This is exemplified by Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild taking spots 1 and 2. Odyssey scores in the top 5 as well. The top 20 saw 5 Zelda games and 4 Super Mario games (Five if you count Mario Kart Deluxe).
I think if you are going to do Nintendo’s top 100 games, you kinda have to include multiple games from the same franchise. Simply put Mario Odyssey, Ocarina of Time, Mario Galaxy, the Switch Zelda games, a Link to the Past are all classics. I mean these are just some of the best games Nintendo has ever made. They just so happen to spawn from two franchises.
Now, two major franchises I would have found room for in the top 20 would have been Kirby and Donkey Kong. DK64 and Donkey Kong Bananza are two of my favorite platformers of all time. Kirby 64, Kirby Air Ride and Kirby and the Forgotten Lands are three 10/10 games for me. Bananza was the highest scored DK game at #22 and Kirby and the Forgotten Lands scored the highest of the Kirby games at #39.
Most titles here come from two generations: The Super Nintendo and The Switch. These are often considered the greatest consoles Nintendo has put out, so I’m not surprised at all. Nintendo really was on a heater with their first party and third party support. The Super Nintendo gave us Super Mario World which was #3, A Link to the Past at #9 , Final Fantasy 6, Earthbound, Super Metroid at #8, Super Mario RPG and Chrono Trigger at #6. Again, surprised to see Donkey Kong Country 2 all the way down at #78. The Switch owned the day leading to people to questioning the recency bias. The Switch took spots 1, 2, 4 and 10. It was a strong showing for these two consoles racking up 8 of the top 10 spots.
The only non Switch non Super Nintendo games to crack the top 10 were Ocarina of Time at #6 and Tetris at #5.
I think if you remove nostalgia and revolutionary aspects of some games like Mario 64 and Pokémon Red and Blue, then I get their top 10 omissions. Those games still scored highly, Mario 64 clocked in at 25 and Red and Blue came in at 27. Respectable. I understand if you want them in top 10 because of how important they were to the industry. Though, I don’t think either are the best games in their respective franchises.
So what are some games that I would have moved up or down?
Resident Evil #4 came in at #20 and I certainly feel like that game is closer to a top 10 game. You may not immediately think of Nintendo when you see Resident Evil 4, but the Resident Evil series was a big deal to Nintendo on the Gamecube. It was massive on the Cube and Resident Evil 4 was at the forefront of that conversation. One of the best games of all time.
Pokémon Soul Silver and Heart Gold is the highest ranked Pokémon game at #15. Again. I probably would have found a way to get this closer to top 10 as well. Pokémon, despite what the modern games would have you think, is a very important franchise to Nintendo and should be represented in the top 10 somewhere. Pokémon Silver and Gold are perfect sequels, advancing and bettering the Pokémon franchise in every way and Soul Silver and Heart Gold helped modernize near perfect RPGs.
For some games with some really low rankings, I would have loved to have seen Kirby Planet Robobot and Captain Toad Treasure Tracker moved up higher instead of barely making the list. Kirby Planet Robobot is considered one of the best 3DS games of all time. While Captain Toad Treasure Tracker is one of the best Wii U hidden gems that got a little more attention thanks to its switch port.
Now for games that didn’t make the list at all.
I love Megaman 64. It is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. The music, the city, the atmosphere are all so pleasant. I wish we had got Megaman Legends 2 on N64, still kinda salty to this day.
There’s no reason Yoshi’s Woolly World didn’t make this list. Of course the Wii U is underrepresented. If you give it credit for the Switch ports (which I’m sure you don’t), it would have had Xenoblade Chronicles X, Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8, Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, Mario 3D World and Captain Toad Treasure Tracker. All of which I think are the Switch versions, but still not bad for Nintendo’s most recent flop of a console. All that to say, Woolly World is probably the best game stuck on the Wii U and should have absolutely made the list.
I would have liked to have seen another GameCube platformer on this list because they are some of the most fun I have had on a Nintendo console. Sunshine made the list at #77. Wario World, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger, Vexx, Billy Hatcher and SpongeBob Battle For Bikini Bottom are all fantastic and enjoyable experiences.
And I dont know if this is biased, but Kirby Air Ride should have totally made the list. That game is a gem.
So do you guys have any complaints with IGNs list? I know its IGN and a lot of people don’t take their opinions too seriously. And neither do I really. But its always a fun a discussion with you guys if nothing else. So what’s your top 10 Nintendo games and how do you feel about the list?
Upcoming Posts
Hi guys. I’m keeping this simple. I’m not going to say hey were back, or expect a lot of posts. I wish I was. However, momentum is a hard thing to pin down. I’m still working on my own personal writing. Novels are tricky because of that momentum part I was just talking about. But I’ve written a couple of short stories. I’m still working on developing as a story teller and finishing these stories. I’m also trying to become a better editor.
With that said, I have a few blog ideas. I appreciate and respect anyone who reads these and comments or likes them even though I am super inconsistent. If you like my posts, I have hundreds of post over nearly a decade or so of writing. So there’s plenty to enjoy on here.
So, I have a couple of blog ideas kicking around. My plan is to get up my “Reaction of IGN’s Top 100 Nintendo Games” tomorrow. The video is already live on my Youtube Channel here. Then some others I’m working on “Looking Back at Kirby Air Ride”, “What Was the Best Year of the Nintendo Switch” and “3D Games That Returned to Their 2D Roots”. Those blogs are being worked on or are already done and just need to be edited and push through. So I feel somewhat confident in those. Keep your eyes peeled to see if I squeeze out a few more.
Thank you guys for reading!
My 5 Favorite Games from the Nintendo Switch Showcase!
Nintendo ran its Partner Showcase this morning. In my opinion the Switch 2 has a strong future ahead of itself with the Kirby DLC, Metroid Prime 4, Pokemon Legends ZA, The new Hyrule Warriors, and the mysterious Mario 3D game still on the horizon. But as you can see, this is a Partner Showcase. So none of those games were mentioned today (except a look at the next Hyrule Warriors). Let’s break down the 5 games I’m most excited for.
#5 Pac-Man World 2 Repac: I will always spotlight a 3D Platformer when Nintendo wants to show them off. This is a remake of the Gamecube game and one I’ve always wanted to get into. Even though platformers are my favorite genre, I got stuck on the Gamecube version. Still I’d be interested in picking this one up later.
#4 Borderlands 4: Of all the games on today’s list, this is probably my most anticipated. It made my most anticipated games of 2025 after all. However, it’s only number 4 because Nintendo barely acted like this game existed in the direct.
#3 The Adventures of Elliot. The game looks like it had the aesthetics and mechanics of Paper Mario Thousand Year Door, combat of Zelda, and art style of Octopath Traveler. I don’t usually go for RPGs, but this is an action RPG that looks pretty solid.
#2 Hela: I actually really liked the vibe of this game. It has that Grounded vibe of playing a small character in a large world. I wouldn’t mind seeing more details about this one. For example are we going to have RPG elements and leveling up or is this going to be a sandbox platforming kinda game. Nonetheless, the mechanics and gameplay look fun. This one is on my radar.
#1 Chronos New Dawn: This was the show stopper for me, pretty easily too. I don’t normally like survival horrors, but I do tend to like them when there’s an action element to them, namely Resident Evil 4. However, this game feels like RE 4 and Dead Space met with a fun time travel mechanic. This game just looked very solid.
So that’s my list. I left off some remakes which I’m sure will crack a lot people’s list like Persona 3 and Final Fantasy Tactics.
Let me know what your favorite game from the showcase was. Thank you so much for reading. Have a great day!
I’m Creating a New Magic Format!
Hey guys. Today I’ll be going over the cards I want to try for a new Magic the Gathering format. This is a casual, shared deck (and graveyard) format that takes inspiration from the Dandan (Forgetful Fish) format. It’ll mostly be my wife and I playing. I wanted a fun format where we could share a deck and graveyard. This is how we play Lorcana in our format we call The Battle Tower. Maybe I’ll do a post over it next (let me know if you like Lorcana and want casual Lorcana content). The point of this post is to get my early thoughts down.
Okay. There’s plenty of great resources over the format of Dandan, so I won’t be going over it here. However, I will touch on the basics real quick.
Dandan is your beatstick in this format. While Crystal Spray acts as removal playing on Dandan’s Landhome mechanic. Memory Lapse covers the other game inside the game. You and your opponent share a deck. So Memory Lapsing their spell puts it on top of the share deck for you to draw.
So if this is a new format, what creature are we picking, and what gimmicks are we using?
Aegis Turtle is our beat stick. It’s worth noting he wasn’t my first choice. I searched tirelessly for a 0/4 for 1U with no other text (aka a vanilla creature). Im not saying it doesn’t exist. Just that I couldn’t find a perfect one. Weight Advantage also wasn’t my first choice for an ability to deal damage based on power, but it was the cleanest, most simple option. Both players begin with Weight Advantage in play (or just have a picture of it handy as a reference).
These replace Dandan’s removal package. The idea is you target your opponent’s turtle, making them a 5/0, killing it. One thing I love about Dandan is how it takes cards that aren’t good in the grand scheme of magic and gives them a home. Inside Out was already on my radar as it was a pauper all star back when I was getting into pauper. Twisted Image had a place in modern at one point being able to kill Spellskite. It’s cool to give these old cards a new home.
Memory Lapse returns to this format as the main counter spell of choice. Brainstorm is a legacy All-Star and I expect it to do the same here. No, we don’t play fetch lands, but we’re all about messing with the opponent’s draw.
Here’s a list of other cards we will be trying in this format.
Notable omissions
As far as Diminishing Returns is concerned, its mostly because I don’t own it. But I also don’t like the idea of winning by deck out. Right now I think we will just shuffle up if we run out of cards. Commit//Memory is another option if I want another piece of interaction that fixes the graveyard without giving into decking as a strategy. We will have to play test more.
Ive read Acknowledge Knowledge is a bit of a notorious card. I like the card, but I’ve heard this card can snowball and feel unfair. I’ve seen people playing Chart a Course as an alternative. I feel like, for right now, Flame of Anor simply replaces AK and is more versatile.
Predict and Portent are on my TCG buy list. I like both in theory, but I don’t own either. These could certainly work their way into future versions.
Interesting cards I might try.
Freeze in Place seems pretty solid in this format. It slows down a pretty aggressive turtle and the scry 2 is always nice. Giant’s Amulet is either perfectly tailored to this format or an absolute trap. So it creates a 4/4 and then makes it a 4/5 perfectly staying within our divisible by 20 rule. It also makes a wizard allowing you to trigger the bonus effects on Flame of Anor. I like the idea of it, I’ll be testing it out. Devour in Flames is another card that could be perfect for this format. Yes. islands aren’t as impactful as they are in Dandan, but we have some utility lands that we could reset.
Counter Spells.
Arcane Denial is meant to be the feel-good counter spell. Im not sure if it’s worth it letting your opponent draw so many cards. Though it could mess up opponent’s scry. Dissolve is weaker than the other options, but it casts a wider net and gives a scry. Stern Scolding is extremely narrow. It has some merit because it can counter your opponent’s T1 Turtle if you are on the play. Deprive is probably less impactful in this format where islands don’t matter as much. Again, there are 2 lands where it matters. Of course Pyroblast/Red Elemental Blast is arguably the best counterspell in this format as it counters almost everything, but red mana is at a premium in this format.
Lands
Temple of Epiphany and Izzet Boilerworks are probably our two best options for Red Blue. Temple allows for scrying, while Boilerworks resets some valuable lands. Halimar Depths is great in a shared deck format. Lonely Sandbar can be bounced back for cycling purposes. Mystic Sanctuary is one of the best lands for blue decks to get back those important spells.
Other land options.
Right now, these are two lands I’m debating on adding. Castle Vantress is super interesting because it adds more value to islands (making cards like Deprive and Devour in Flames more interesting bouncing back basic islands.). Desolate Lighthouse worries me a little that it would become like AK, a snowball for the player who has it.
So these cards are the current pool of cards I’m looking at. The list will be around 80-100 cards. Feel free to try your own build. I’ll post a deck list when my wife and I have finalized a list. I could playtest cards like Serum Visions, Treasure Cruise/Dig Through Time, or Preordain, too. So the next update could have completely different cards, but this is where I’m starting.
Keep in mind, all cards are two of except Aegis Turtle (8x), Memory Lapse (currently 8x but could fluctuate), Inside Out (4x), Twisted Image (4x), Invert//Invent (4x), Brainstorm (4x). Those are the core cards for now. Everything else should be 2 of.
Follow this page for more updates!
Thanks for reading! Have a great day.
The Switch 2 is Here! (And some other things!
Hey guys, the Switch 2 is out! I pre ordered mine, but didnt get my hands on it until Sunday. Yesterday, my wife and I took Mario Kart World out for a spin, and I played some Mario Odyssey again. So far, I’ve enjoyed it. The added size has been nice. I’ve liked the screen and the new joy cons. At some point this week, I’ll be picking up the Tears of the Kingdom update and give that a try.
Yesterday, I also found my Hunter X Hunter manga, so maybe I can finally finish volume 1.
I’ve also watched some movies lately
We watched The Secret World of Arrietty, a great Studio Ghibli film. I might try to write a review for this one as I really liked it. I would just have to put my thoughts into words. It might be my second favorite Studio Ghibli film just behind Kiki’s Delivery Service.
My dad picked Mission Impossible as the film he wants to see for Father’s Day. So I’ve been binging these (4 down 3 to go before Saturday). Again, I could see myself reviewing this series as a whole somewhere down the line.
On top of that, I’m about 6000 words into the novel I’m writing, and that has been consuming my free writing time this last week- which I did warn could happen.
Let me know what you guys think about any game, movie, or Manga mentioned today.
Thank you to anybody who is reading! Have a great day!
Imaginary Friend (2024) Movie Review!
Recently, we decided to watch John Krasinski’s Imaginary Friend, or If for short. I don’t watch trailers, so I didn’t really know what to expect—all I could think about was Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. This movie ended up being something truly special to me.
Spoilers: I try my best not to spoil the film. Though, some parts are hard not to discuss. So, while I hint at spoilers, I try not to blatantly spoil the ending.
If is all about childhood innocence, remaining positive in our darkest hours, and never abandoning who you are. These are messages I think most adults would do well to remember. The movie stars Bea, a young girl who has lost her mother and is now watching her dad’s health deteriorate throughout the course of the film. It’s Bea and her father’s relationship (John Krasinski) that helps tie all the movie’s themes together.
Her dad spends most of the movie in the hospital needing surgery. He tries to stay in high spirits throughout the film with his magic tricks, silly dances, and downplaying his condition. Bea, who is trying to act like an adult to offset her dad’s childish behavior, is constantly telling him to grow up or that life doesn’t have to be fun and wacky all the time. However, despite his condition worsening and Bea’s constant pressure for him to drop the happy dad act, he refuses.
Throughout the film, Bea resists his childish nature. I think she was trying to act strong and brave, having gone through this with her mom already. The fact that she’s twelve means she’s at that age where she desperately wants to be viewed as an adult. Then, when she meets Cal (Ryan Reynolds), Blue (Steve Carell), and Blossom (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), she starts to let her guard down.
She learns that imaginary friends have been forgotten, and they all live in a mysterious place called Memory Lane. Memory Lane was my favorite scene in the movie. We’re exposed to several IFs, most voiced by incredible actors like Brad Cooper as an ice cube and George Clooney as a spaceman, among many others. Memory Lane is constantly changing to fit the needs of the IFs and Bea’s imagination. It’s a truly wonderful place. I would have liked to revisit it, but it didn’t overstay its welcome and maintained an air of mysticism.
The core plot follows Bea and Cal teaming up to try and get the other IFs adopted—which they fail at. This leads to their epiphany: why not try to find the IFs’ original kids? This leads to some of the most beautiful moments in the movie. Blossom sharing a dance with her child, who is now an adult. Blue reconnecting with his child, also grown up, just in time to calm him down for his big meeting. And of course, Bea finally getting to embrace her own IF.
I view the adults making contact with their IFs as a metaphor for reconnecting with their inner child. Each character has been beaten down or just worn out from the everyday motions of life. When Blossom shares a dance with her child, we had discovered that her child had given up on their dreams of being a dancer because she was “too tall.” When she shares that dance with Blossom, she gets to—for the first time in who knows how long—just dance like she did when she was a kid.
When Blue finds his adult seconds before he has to present in front of his bosses, his adult is stressed and no longer able to calm himself down. However, when Blue touches his shoulder, we see a calming aura wash over Blue’s adult. It’s implied he does well in his presentation.
Finally, Bea finds her IF. This is a sweet and powerful moment at the film’s finale. All movie long, Bea was trying to be an adult, never worrying about herself. She was either trying to be strong for her dad, be there for the other kid in the hospital, or solve all the IFs’ problems—never really thinking about herself. Seeing her IF lets her be a kid again. It lets her embrace that side of herself that was vulnerable, that was naive, that was free.
I’m not sure if the timeline was explicitly explained in the movie, but it’s implied that she needed her IF in the past when life got hard or scary. I’m not certain if it was ever explicitly stated that this was when her mom was in the hospital, but now that her dad is in the hospital, she’s able to see all the IFs again.
If is a powerful and beautiful movie. It encourages us to never lose our sense of wonder or sense of self—that growing up doesn’t have to be scary or change who you are at your core. Bea learned this firsthand. She tried to be an adult and take things seriously when things looked bad, but the IFs and her dad constantly encouraged her to be herself and just live life. It’s a message I think would do us all good to hear.
I give If an 8 out of 10. Thank you so much for reading. Have a great day.
This Week’s Preview!
Hey guys. I wanted to take this time to mention some posts I’m working on.
Manga Monday: As of right now, I’m still reading Hunter x Hunter Vol #1. I’ve read the first 4 or 5 chapters. Not sure if the review will be ready or not tomorrow. We will see. Either way, I want to do something Manga Monday related.
A movie review for If (2024). This blog is written and will probably come out Tuesday. *It will contain minor spoilers*
Random Thursday: I actually just realized I changed this from Random Wednesdays to Random Thursdays because of new comics. Either way, I will watch a random anime on Crunchyroll and review the first episode.
Top Five Fridays will be returning Friday. Whoo! That’s exciting.
I’ve got more ideas in the tank, but anytime I come back wanting to do a daily blog, the quality of ideas and writing drops off. So, for now, if I get 4 blogs out this week, I will be thrilled.
As always, thanks for reading. Have a great day!
Firing it Back Up (Life Update!)
Where do we start? I started this blog about 10 years ago or so and have had varying degrees of motivation. I’ve always said running my YouTube channel was my main side hobby and the blog has often taken backseats when I’m in a YouTube mood or when I was really having to work a lot for my old company.
Well, a couple of things have happened. A. I left my old job. Me, my wife and kids moved 1 state over to be closer to my dad. B. My wife was the one who landed a job when we moved, so I have the honor of being a stay at home dad for now.
Next, and this is sadly unfortunate. My PC didn’t survive the move. I’m thinking the graphic card died (though maybe it just got roughed up from the move). Either way I haven’t been able to resolve the issue yet. That is unfortunate because I wanted to take this time to get better at video editing as well as continue to further my YouTube channel. I also prefer writing on PC, but at least I can still publish my blog via my phone so not all is lost.
Well, I’ve also taken to trying to write bigger projects. I am currently writing what I hope will turn into a comic book. My wife and I will try to run independently as well as writing an all ages fantasy story for my daughter. Those are both ambitious for me, but something I’d like to do.
Some topics I hope to return to the blog are: Manga Monday, Random Anime Review Wednesdays, and Top Five Fridays. I may add TCGs back into the mix. However, leaving my old job has limited my interaction with them lately.
When the blog started, it was all about video games, mangas, and anime. I’ll try to do a post talking more about what I’ve read, watched, and played during my hiatus. I have several blog topics saved from where I wrote YouTube scripts that are easy to turn into blog posts.
I’ve also had a second kid. Something I feel like I haven’t really posted about.
Lastly, if there’s anything you want the blog to focus more on, let me know. Right now I’m into retro games (Xbox, PS2, N64, Gamecube), watching One Piece to try to get current (episode 812), and watching my Switch 2 pre order everyday to make sure it doesnt get canceled.
Lately, I haven’t really been in a writing for the blog mood. As described, I’ve already mentioned the things that currently interest me in writing. However, while I wait to see what I’m doing about my PC, the blog may become my outlet to talk about mangas and video games.
Expect blogs to return starting Monday with some sort of Manga Monday update. Some post may or may not trickle out over the next week.
I’m also trying the keto diet this summer, coupled with walking 10,000 steps a day and planning our family’s 2nd Disney World vacation. So, if you’d like to see me make posts about that, just let me know.
I think that’s everything to cover today. If you happen to read this, give me some ideas. Otherwise, expect Manga Mondays and topics about video games to start pouring out later next week.
Thank you for reading. Have a great day. Subscribe to the DaHubbz YouTube channel to see the content I was making the last few years.
Games That Are TRAPPED on the Wii U!
With the last major Nintendo Switch Direct behind us, it’s getting safer to say these games will not be coming to the Switch. And yes, I’m using the phrase “stuck on Wii U” or something to that effect. But sure, the Switch’s successor could always port these games, but that’s no fun. So we’re suspending that for this video. A lot of these games were already unlikely to come over due to the game pad, even though we’ve seen companies rework their games before. So let’s look at some games that are stuck on the Wii U.
Let’s get the elephant of the room immediately, Zelda Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. I’ve been saying all along not to believe these rumors. And now 4 years later I feel vindicated. I don’t really like being negative. But let’s call a spade a spade. These games were rumored originally during the early days of Covid. The theology kinda makes sense. It was Covid. Nintendo was really relying on ports and remakes during the shutdown. Around a similar time, Zelda was celebrating its 35th anniversary. Mario had it’s 3D All Star Collection and some other goodies. Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess and Wind Wakers name started getting tossed around like a modern take on the Gamecube’s Zelda Collection. But there was never any real traction from Nintendo. Just fans shouting prayers into the dark hyrule sky. With every Direct, the rumors and mumbling for this collection would ebb and flow. Sometimes, you’d forget these rumors exist. Other times, you couldn’t escape it. I’ve long believed every Zelda game should be playable on the Switch. But I doubt we’re getting a gamecube feature added to NSO or these games getting physical releases on the Switch at this point. So I think it’s safe to say the HD versions of these games are stuck on the Wii U forever.
That brings us to Xenoblade Chronicles X. Personally, I did really want this ported over to the Switch. If I’m going to play a lengthy JRPG, I’d just prefer to play them on the Switch. I’m not giving up hope that this could be announced as a final shot in the arm for Switch on the way out the door, but I also don’t think it’d hurt sales to just be a Switch Successor title. Still I like the idea of all the Xenoblade Chronicle games being on the same console.
Next is Kirby. This is one of the few Kirby games that just didn’t click with me immediately. I was excited for the amiibo capabilities and I did like the first few levels. I’m just more of a Kirby on the ground kinda guy. I’m always down for a Kirby port don’t get me wrong. I was really hoping for one of the DS/3DS games personally. Still this was always a long shot. It doesn’t have the same mainstream appeal of Forgotten Lands. The playstyle with the stylus and Gamepad would have to had a major overhaul. I guess none of that was in the cards for our pink puff.
Staying on the “jaded entry of a beloved franchise” brings us to Star Fox Zero. The Gamepad gave this game a unique cockpit view that many people wondered how it would translate over. Overall, Star Fox Zero was not held with any esteem. So it was always more likely that we would get a new Star Fox more than a remake. And with how low the sun has gotten on the Switch, it’s looking like a lock that Star Fox will just be passed over for the Switch’s life span. At least Star Fox 64 is playable on the NSO N64 expansion.
Nintendoland is another misunderstood Wii U title that was always doomed to stay on the Wii U. And honestly, this belongs on the Wii U. As one of the best examples of why the gamepad is the most underrated controller of all time. The mini games are awesome. Is this truly a 60 title? No. But imagine if they remade it and added Splatoon, Pokemon, and Bayonetta to the list of attractions. It would have been awesome. Which is why I would have loved to see a sequel on the Switch.
With the announcement of Mario and Luigi Brothership, the ship has officially set sail on Paper Mario Color Splash. This post has probably outed me as a Wii U apologist. If it hasn’t, then the segment probably will. Color Splash is another misunderstood Wii U title. I know, I know. I sound like a broken record. Hard-core Paper Mario fans hated this game, but it really isn’t that bad. But again, I never expected to see this ported over. Until this year, I don’t think any Paper Mario games had been remade. I never thought they would remake TTYD, let alone Color Splash. And it’s also true. The original three Paper Mario games are just peak Paper Mario. So I think if they were ever going to remake a Paper Mario game, Color Splash was always going to be low on their list. One thing I’m happy about with Paper Mario is that we got a new title in Origami King and a Remake in Thousand Year Door. Color Splash is just an unfortunate victim of being the 4th or 5th best game in such a beloved franchise.
Here’s one you probably weren’t expecting, Devil’s Third. This game is technically published by Nintendo so I figured we would count it today. If you don’t follow Wii U collecting, this is the most infamous Wii U ever. Arguably the rarest, most expensive and dumbest game on the console. I say in half jest. It is one of two Wii U Games I don’t own. Did part of me hope it would get a Switch release and maybe that would lower the price? Maybe. Since it has escaped me to this day, I don’t have a lot to say about it. But again, it was published by Nintendo. They seem content to leave it stranded on the Wii U.
Lastly, today was the game I thought had the best shot. Probably the best Wii U exclusive left. Yoshi’s Woolly World. I’m super nostalgic for this game. It was an instant classic the day it came out. It’s one of the better modern day side scrollers and couch co-op games. This is the game I wanted brought over more than any other title mentioned today. If you own a Wii U and don’t own this one, I recommend grabbing now because I think it’s safe to say this title is trapped on the Wii U.
So there you go guys. These are the major games published by Nintendo left to rot on the Wii U. Of course, unless you’re a Wii U collector, fan and enthusiast like myself. Then you can play these games any time you wish. Almost makes me feel bad for all the filthy Switch owners. Again, I’m partly kidding. I own both consoles and love both. But keep this guide in mind while you’re out game hunting, because unless you grab a Wii U you’re missing out on some real bangers like Wind Waker HD, Twilight Princess HD, Nintendoland and Yoshi’s Woolly World. So did I miss any other Wii U exclusives? What’s your favorite game mentioned today? Let us know down below. Don’t forget to subscribe. We will see you in the next one.
Da_Hubbz 