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If You Never Bought a Video Game Again
So the question, “If you never bought another game again in your life, how would you feel about your collection?” arose. Naturally, a lot of retro collectors have more games than we could play in 5 life times. With that said, no. We don’t need new games.
This question popped back up around the game collecting scene in light of Sony’s announcement last week that they would be discontinuing physical media.
With this news, a lot of physical collectors have said we will not be buying into the Sony ecosystem past the Playstation 5. It’s only a matter of time before Nintendo and Xbox join Sony in this digital only future. When that time comes, the amount of new games I purchase will dwindle drastically [mostly because I will not be interested in owning digital only consoles]. Most collectors are looking at their collections smiling thinking that’s fine. They have hundreds, or in some cases, a thousand games to keep them busy.
Take my Gamecube games for example. This is just 4 epic RPGs. I could probably play for an entire year on just these four titles if I explored everything they had to offer. And staying on my Gamecube collection for a minute, I have over 170 gamecube games. That includes other RPGs like Fire Emblem. Collectathons like Ty, Mario Sunshine, and Wario World, multiplayer games like Super Smash Brothers, Double Dash, 4 Mario Parties and so many more offer literally endless entertainment. I could play exclusively my Gamecube collection, and I’m not sure I’d ever get bored.
In this picture [taken my YouTube short so pardon the dimensions], I talked about some of my favorite games. I replay so many of these games over and over. The amount of my life I’ve sank into just Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64 is… well.. concerning, but still. Throw in the Pokemon games and some of those multiplayer games I’ve mentioned above, and I’d be set. That implies I could handpick maybe 10 games out of my collection and still be set for life.
This has caused plenty of haters to be vocal that collectors don’t need any more games. They can’t possibly understand why would we want more games.
[Again, excuse the bad proportions]. Anyway, the point I’m getting at is I would be sad to miss out on new entries in my favorite franchises. If Nintendo had gone exclusively digital with the Switch 2, I would have missed out on Donkey Kong Banaza. Kirby and the Forgotten Lands got its new DLC on the Switch 2. I absolutely loved both of these games.
The next 3D Mario game hasn’t been announced yet. We also don’t know the future of Zelda. I’m assuming both of these franchises get at least one more physical title during the Switch 2’s lifespan. But their future releases past that could be digital only. Even with regards to Sony, I’ll be sad to no longer get to experience the latest Ratchet and Clank games.
So to answer the question. If I never bought another game, I have more than I could ever play. But I would still be sad about missing out on new experiences and the hype of new things.
So how about you guys? If you never bought a new game again, how do you feel about your collection?
WordPress Has Achievements Now!?
Most of you probably don’t know this, but I am an Xbox achievement junkie. There are plenty of games I have no interest in, but if they have manageable achievements, I’m all over them.
I bring this up because WordPress just rolled out achievements. This mean we will be taking this journey together. Let’s check out some of the ones that stood out ot me.
These are the achievements I already own. These unlocked immediately when I posted yesterday. Also, yeah, crazy. 11 years!
Not sure why other achievements automatically unlocked but these didn’t. I have written a metric ton on here over the last 11 years. I would be very interested to see my totals. Alas, I suppose it is just counting from here on.
Some are real interesting like these where its base on when you publish. This is the case with Night Owl and Early Bird. There also seems to be plenty of secret achievements!
I’m going to need you guys to achieve some of these! As you can see, there’s a couple that rely on me responding to comments. So let’s get to chatting.
These stood out to me as some of the tougher and more time consuming ones. I have to remember to post on February 29th! If I miss that, it’ll be four more years to get it. Wild! We’re also not even due up for a leap year until 2028. The world could have already ended by then…
And so the marathon begins. I’ve tried and done some of these before. You can reference my Pokémon Month I did like a decade ago where I made a post related to Pokémon everyday for a month. I was going to do it for Zelda, but gave up. So to say it is going to be a challenge is an understatement. I mostly blog about Movies, Games, Animes/Mangas, Comics, Board Games, TCGs, and other nerdy and collectible topics. If there’s anything you want to see in that space let me know. I like doing reviews, top 5s, and just general discussions. So drop some ideas down below!
Make sure you follow the blog and let’s see how earning these achievements go. Thank you for reading. Have a great day!
I’m Not Excited for the Future of Video Games
Last week Rockstar made an industry changing decision – GTA 6 is going to be digitally only. I think we’ve known this slow death was coming for physical video games for years now. However, the fact Grand Theft Auto 6, arguably the most hyped video game development of all time, is the one to lead this charge is just concerning for us physical collectors.
Most companies, in fact 90% of developers, will never make something as ambitious as Grand Theft Auto. Between the previous GTA games and the Red Dead Series we have no reason to believe this game will flop, or underdeliver or any of the negative things you could assign to a video game. It certainly wasn’t rushed, which I like.
With that said, an $80 digital only game is about to release and blow the world away. Meaning everyone in the industry is going to believe consumers want, or are at the very least, are okay supporting $80 digital only games.
We aren’t.
We just really like and want more Grand Theft Auto. Grand Theft Auto 5 has received updates and support as well as was a darn good product when it came out 13 years ago. Very few companies are releasing 10 out of 10 games and still supporting and having thriving player bases 13 years later.
But, all that said, it killed my anticipation of the game. I was fully prepared to back the truck up for a new PS5 and a copy of GTA6, as the Switch 2 is my only current gen console. I no longer feel that need. If I have to get the game digitally, I’ll wait for it to come to PC.
Still, Rockstar did receive backlash for this announcement by boomers and old head gamers like myself. [I’m 31, but my soul is ancient.]. So how did Sony react seeing this pushback?
By announcing the end of physical media!
No joke. Its ending.
What!? And this is also coming on the heels of removing 500+ digital movies and closing down the PS3 and Vita store. Wake up people.
My brother called me to check on me because he knows im a physicsl fiend. As someone who mostly buys digital, he was indifferent. I think this is a closed minded way of looking at it. Sony controls pricing, distribution, as well as availability and can just remove media at any point.
Its hard to see the forest for the trees. Its hard to realize how this affects everything when were talking about just video games. But were digitalizing our world.
In some ways, it has been beneficial. I shop Walmart and Amazon more than I care to admit. But with the advent of shipping and online commerce, they’ve made it the easiest to shop. But I’m at the whims of their decisions. And as they run out all the small businesses, I have less and less options.
The same will be true when video games are all digital. If I dont like Gamestops pricing, I can go to a local store, or a convention. I can try to see if Amazon, Target, Best Buy, or Walmart has a deal or lower prices.
When Sony is the only person I can get the latest game from, I can’t go to a competitor.
That’s just the Sony side of things. Xbox is… well, I don’t know. I hear they’re in a real State of Decay. They are threatening to shut down 4 studios as well as massive lay offs across the industry. One of those companies being Double Fine Productions.
People say Nintendo is silently winning by not doing anything. It really depends on the key card situation. Sony, Xbox, and Rcokstar have done so much reputational damage in the last 7 days people are actually already looking back at the keycards with nostalgia and fondness. They’re still a stepping stone to a bleak future. I don’t plan to actively buy or collect key card game.
I feel a bit of responsibility to support the games getting physical carts like the new Star Fox Ocarina of Time Remake and Elder Scrolls Oblivion. Let’s just hope Nintendo remains prideful that their internal developed games remain on the cart. It pains me the new Onimusha will be key card only.
All this to say, I’ve been playing PS2, N64, and other retro consoles more and more. Sony cannot delist my PS2 games. Nintendo can’t say my Super Mario 64 is just a keycard. Xbox cannot close down these projects that already breath on OG xbox.
Retro collecting remains the way to go. Vote with your wallet. And most importantly own your stuff people. You dont have to have massive collections. You dont have to be a hoarder. But if there’s something you want to exist in its current state untampered and unchanged, buy it! If there’s a trend you want to support, buy it! Dont let these companies speak for us.
Side Characters Who Got Their Own Games!
Side Characters Who Got Their Own Games!
The main character can make or break a video game. Sonic is one of the most simple, yet perfectly designed characters. His ability, attitude, everything about him helps set the tone for the level design. It helped him stand out against Mario. Compare that to Tails. Tails is good and all, but he doesn’t bring the same punch Sonic does. He’s clearly designed to be a side character. But what happens when those characters designed to be side characters get the spotlight? Today, let’s look at 4 times understudies got called up to the big stage.
We will start with Luigi. Perhaps the most iconic side character of all time. He started off as the player 2 option back in the day. He was just an off color Mario really. However, over time he got his own identity. He was taller and slender than Mario. That became symbolic with his movement, where he was better at jumping than Mario, but with less precision. He also was characterized as a little bit of a scaredy cat. This is what makes Luigi’s Mansion a perfect setting for Luigi to shine. Nintendo leaned into Luigi’s chicken demeanor. Luigi’s Mansion stars Luigi winning a Mansion filled with ghosts. He must overcome his fear in order to save his brother, Mario. It’s awesome to see Luigi develop as more than just a player 2 option. He’s really blossomed over the last few decades.
Daxter
Daxter was a wise guy, smart mouth punk through the Jak and Daxter franchise. It’s funny to me that the first game is titled Jak and Daxter. But the rest of the franchise drops the Daxter part. I feel like this is because of the complete tonal shift from Jak and Daxter to Jak 2. Daxter was the cute animal sidekick. Which was appropriate for a 3D platformer. When it shifted to a more dark, gritty adventure game, the emphasis moves from a lovable duo, to the titular hero. Well, Daxter would go on to get his own game. What’s interesting about this is they put him on the PSP. I assume this is because he’s a side character. It just fits more on Sony’s handheld. Now, Daxter is a really awesome 3D action platformer that I think does blend the two styles of games pretty well. Though, it does feel like a slightly darker version of Jak and Daxter. So I think it’s cool when Daxters name gets back on a game, it gives those classic PS2 vibes.
Shadow the Hedgehog
Shadow is an interesting one. I never played Sonic growing up. I was more of a Mario guy. However, I’ve always loved Sonic’s supporting cast. Knuckles and Shadow were so cool looking. I remember begging mom to rent Shadow the Hedgehog. And she let me. Boy, was I surprised. I was 11 when it came out. You’d think I’d be at the right age where a gritty, explosive, high octane adventure would be screaming my name. But this game did not click with me well at all. I really could not have played more than a level or two. Maybe this is because it’s still more or less a Sonic game? I still like Shadow as a character, but I just couldn’t get into the game. I don’t know if it was because of GTA3 or what, but it felt like every franchise around this era wanted this gritty mature vibe to them. It makes sense not wanting Sonic to be the lead in this title. It kinda goes against the lovable brand Sonic had spent the last decade building up, meaning Shadow was a perfect fit here.
Diddy Kong
Last today is Diddy Kong. He started off as Donkey Kong’s sidekick in Donkey Kong Country, a 2D side scrolling action platformer. He’s fun with an awesome design. Diddy Kong would get a chance to shine early in his gaming career. He became the main character in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Quest. A sequel held in very high regards. Im sure it helped that Donkey Kong’s name was plastered on the box. A few years later, he would land his own title on Nintendo’s new console, the n64. Diddy Kong Racing stood out against Mario 64. It had an open world, boss fights, new characters. It was a fresh spin on Kart racers in the face of the titan that was Mario Kart 64. Impressively enough, a lot of people say they actually prefer Diddy Kong Racing over Mario Kart 64. Making it, in my opinion, a very successful spin-off. Diddy Kong has remained active in the gaming world. He’s a playable character in the Smash Brothers series. He’s still at DKs side in the Donkey Kong Country series. He was even a playable character in DK64. His Flagship racer even got ported over to DS. While he’s remained relevant in gaming, it is still hard to see a new Diddy Kong Racing game getting greenlit if even F-Zero can not get one. Not to mention, Rare, Diddy Kong’s creator, has gone on to live at the farm up north.
A fun part about doing this topic is seeing all the ways or reasons they try out the side characters. Luigi and Diddy Kong got completely different genres than their main protagonist counterparts. Daxter was used on Sony’s handheld, PSP. While Shadow was used to test out a more teenage centric edgy attitude. It’s neat to see some of these ideas played out. So guys that does it for part one. What’s your favorite game or character listed today? And which characters should be in part 2? Don’t forget to subscribe. We will see you in the next one.
Lets Talk: New Nintendo Console!
So, the Nintendo Switch or NX or whatever you would like to call it has been revealed. Be sure to go check out the release trailer if you have not already.
This is definitely something worth talking about. I give Nintendo the benefit of the doubt, so until the actual release, I will be waiting with great excitement. I only just watched the video and there was a lot to digest. I, in no way, have all the details, nor have been following it very attentively. With that in mind, I am going to turn the discussion over to you guys.
What do you guys think of this new console? Will it reinvent the home console? Do you believe it is just a gimmick? Will this revitalize Nintendo or officially run them out of business. I’ll do a follow up blog once I’ve viewed more of the games and understand the features better.
I’ll leave you with some of my early thoughts to generate discussions.
Games Showcased: Obviously, Breath of the Wild is the money maker. Nintendo, in my opinion, was smart holding onto this big boy. It can help get the Switch off on the right leg. Remakes of great Wii U games seem plentiful. Mario Kart and Splatoon to headlined this. I missed Splatoon on the Wii U so this might be a good chance for me to pick it up. I typically do not do remakes unless it is of games I love. However, I know remakes helped carry Xbox One and PS4 early on with the Last of Us remake as well as the Master Chief Collection. I do not know if that was Mario remake showcased or a new title. They also showed an NBA game as well as 1st person mid evil looking game.
Mechanics/Portability: This has been a highly debated topic sense the Wii tried to reinvent gaming back in the day. However, this one looks like it makes sense. The “On the go” gaming looks like a good selling point. I mean, who doesnt want to play video games in cars? I think it is great and they have a traditional controller if this does not interest you. The real question is will this hurt the 3DS? I dont know because Pokemon should keep the 3DS alive.
So, If Nintendo has lost you over the years, what does this console have to do to win you over? The biggest fault I have with Nintendo is not the hardware, but the games. The first party’s are still amazing and the Switch is shaping up to keep that trend alive, but they do need a bigger 3rd party support. I have a One because I too need to branch out at times. Fallout 4 and Witcher are great games Wii U owners will never get to experience.
Show me great 3rd party support and this console should save Nintendo. They have moved past naming everything Wii, so hopefully there is no marketing disasters.
Here’s to hoping March is a great month for gaming!
Da_Hubbz 