Messages

[WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CRAFTING, YOU PERVERTS.]

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Podcast Discussion / Episode 950: Nice Quality of Life for the Sickos

« on: November 02, 2025, 02:02:30 PM »

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CRAFTING, YOU PERVERTS.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/73090/episode-950-nice-quality-of-life-for-the-sickos

I spent a lot of the show this week trying to articulate the difference between the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) of the Saudi government. I think I erred in two parts here: one, the PIF is a SWF and I treated them as distinct. Two, in not recognizing the PIF is a special version of a SWF, I understated why the PIF "special." That distinction goes to the heart of question we were asked, and probably could have saved us immense time in trying to answer it in the least bombastic way possible.

Basically, a SWF is a place where a government can stash its surplus revenues - something I can only assume is possible, having never seen such things as an adult - for future emergencies. The goal is to grow the surplus so it can be leveraged if the need arrives in the future. The Saudi PIF is a SWF, but it has an additional mandate - the investments it makes should drive domestic economic growth.

We do touch on this point fairly extensively, but we could have got there sooner. Hence, I'm clarifying it here.

That mission is important when looking at what investment vehicles they pursue. A sports team based in England can only drive so much economic development 3000 miles away, but a multi-national company can create industry jobs anywhere. It would be wise to assume as little as possible would be done to hurt the brands because protecting this kind of investment isn't enough: the goal is to drive economic growth at home - and so these investments need to become even more vibrant to create the targeted domestic growth.

But, it would also be understandable if the association was enough to put people off. It's a risk I'm sure was factored into everything.

That said, it must be nice to be an investment firm with an in to an unfathomably wealthy monarchy.

You might have surmised, but we are very email heavy this week. Jon returns and we spend the entire first segment on Saudi Arabia's role in taking Electronic Arts private. There's a lot of nuance to this conversation - which we are almost certainly not the best choice to provide - and yet provide it we try. I'd say do but... it's RFN.

After a much-needed break we are asked to continue our quest to do the intractable: make Metroid popular. By that, I mean the series, not the brain parasites. There's another politically risky joke I could make here, but we're just ignoring those in this article today.

That's it for email. We answered two entire questions. We're really bad at this. You can make our situation worse. I assume this link works now.

We did save enough time to go through the unexpected Animal Crossing: New Horizons update and to mock Capcom for announcing an unseeable Resident Evil Requiem amiibo and a truly horrific Switch 2 Pro Controller.

Never change, Capcpom.

• (00:04:29) Listener Mail - "EA acquisition" used to mean something else.
• (01:04:51) How to make Metroid popular.
• (01:46:48) Animal Crossing gets an update.
• (02:00:22) Resident Evil 9 junk.

[That wrong turn was a real mistake,]

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Podcast Discussion / Episode 948: The Reluctant Messiah of Albuquerque

« on: October 19, 2025, 02:01:00 PM »

That wrong turn was a real mistake,

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/72919/episode-948-the-reluctant-messiah-of-albuquerque

Jon was not interested as being the salvation of Albuquerque's traditions of pottery, ceramics, and turquoise jewelry. I don't feel like its necessary we explore his reluctance - we know it is because he simply doesn't care about traditional crafts. We will not judge, to his face.

This conversation did lead me to think about what a Pokémon set in the Southwestern United States would look like.

From a regional standpoint, you're going to see a lot of ground types - the water starter is going to be brutally effective in this region.

Las Vegas is getting an "inspired" citiy, and there is definitely going to be Rotom variant that is a slot machine - unless you're in the nanny state knowns as the EU, where it will be a wall-wart plug with a mandatory removable USB-C cable.

Some hybrid Santa Fe/Albuquerque will be all adobe. There will be sentient pottery and skyscrapers made of mud. I do not make the rules.

There's going to be some ghost town/abandoned silver mine that is just FILTHY with ghost types. A haunted cowboy hat feels right.

The mountains of the Colorado Plateau will be lovely - or ugly, depending on the effort Game Freak put into it. This is probably where you put your ice types.

Sandshrew/Sandslash are definitely getting regional forms - though a baby form of Sandshrew and a Mega-Sandslash would not be amiss instead.

Anyway, we've been playing Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and Jon hates traditional pottery. I guess that was my point. Greg and James are really early going, so we only spend thirty minutes covering the game. Greg is also wrapping up Super Mario Galaxy 2. Likewise, Gui is wrapping up Super Mario 64. We are a very diverse podcast. Gui is also playing South of Midnight - and its excellent4 Claymation-inspired visuals. Jon bought the Atari 50: The First Console War DLC, an add-on to Atari 50 that spotlight's Mattel's games for the rival console. James also tips his hand on an upcoming project, where he tortures himself by watching the CPU play NES Monopoly and Jon reveals his self-inflicted torture: describing James' art.

Emails! It might work!

• (00:02:58) New Business - Pokemon Legends: Z-A.
• (00:31:14) Super Mario Galaxy 2.
• (00:43:51) Super Mario 64.
• (00:49:23) South of Midnight.
• (00:55:37) Atari 50: The First Console War DLC.
• (01:22:53) NES emulation and playing the CPU against itself.
• (01:36:08) Jon reads out loud his descriptions of James' TSI art.

[Duck Season is over. Jonny-L Season is eternal.]

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Podcast Discussion / Episode 947: It's Open Season On Jonny-L

« on: October 12, 2025, 03:33:15 PM »

Duck Season is over. Jonny-L Season is eternal.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/72878/episode-947-its-open-season-on-jonny-l

This week we spent entirely too much time talking about the Nintendo Vs. System, an arcade-adaption of Famicom hardware that Nintendo pushed on arcade operators as a way to have a constantly-refreshed machine in their arcades.

It's a fascinating device because the biggest advantage is the library it shared with the Famicom. Launching well in advance of the NES in North America, it allowed western audiences the chance to experience some of the biggest titles on the hardware. This let Nintendo build brand-awareness before entering the market as a hardware manufacturer and it offered arcade operators a new partner to work with.

Conversely, its biggest weakness wasn't the fact it was very underpowered compared to most arcade hardware. It's biggest weakness, and the reason it was largely unsuccessful in Japan is because the games and hardware were already in Japanese homes.

It's a fun game of 4D chess, because I doubt Japanese consumers' apathy towards playing games they already own would have been beyond Nintendo's predictions. However, they needed a market close-at-hand to refine the arcade hardware. It seems obvious to me that this was always a play to enter a crippled video games market in North America, it just needed time to cook.

Just remember, at one point Atari and Nintendo were talking about Atari selling a branded-Famicom system in North America.

Good thing we got the 7800 instead. Okay, stop laughing.

Anyway, this week we start with Listener Mail. We asked you to send it and you belatedly answered the call. First we explore the eternal question: "Nintendo what the f*** was that?" In this case, we're talking about "Close to You," a Pikmin-minus-Pikmin CG short that was soon replaced with a Pikmin-minus-Pikmin-plus-Pikmin short. Then we have the previously mentioned lesson on the Nintendo Vs. System, and why third parties bothered. Lastly, we dig into games we took a very long time to complete. Send us emails. Maybe the link works? It did for me.

After a break, we dig into some New Business. Well, not James. He finally finished Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush. You'll never have to hear about it again, unless you do. Jon has been reading Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future Of Blizzard Entertainment, by Jason Schreier. He's still early but has some initial thoughts. Guillaume is getting pretty deep into Super Mario 64, via the NSO, and is also playing King Kong: The Movie: The Game. Greg wraps-up the show with thoughts on the Switch port of Super Mario Galaxy 2.

• (00:01:15) Listener Mail: Close to Who?
• (00:32:57) Nintendo VS. System, why?
• (00:42:30) Slow cruise through a game.
• (01:24:25) New Business - Finishing Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush.
• (01:26:16) Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future Of Blizzard Entertainment.
• (01:29:01) Super Mario 64 on the NSO.
• (01:40:21) King Kong: The Movie: The Game
• (01:45:52) Mario & Wario
• (01:52:22) Super Mario Galaxy 2, now on Switch

[I got to put "ass" in the title.]

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Podcast Discussion / Episode 946: JCVD's Ass and the Pink Symbiote

« on: October 05, 2025, 07:22:21 PM »

I got to put "ass" in the title.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/72769/episode-946-jcvds-ass-and-the-pink-symbiote

I wonder if we're getting to a place where technology has become too uniform.

This week alone we talked about the Virtual Boy, gamepads built from phones, and the Power Glove. Recently, we've talked about absolute trash like Tiger Electronics' R-Zone, Jon bought the goddamned The Eye of Judgment, I am at this very moment looking at a Wappy Dog, and it is astride Donkey Kong Bongos. Who knows what other outrageous pieces of plastic and silicon designed to separate us from our money in exchange for time we've touched on in the last couple of years.

Remember when we told you that Nintendo released games via satellite broadcasts? That was last week! Sega used to send games over your co-ax cable. In 1994.

People used to have ideas! Somewhere in the boxes in my parents' home is a Cybiko. Why? It was weird! It's so weird!

Nintendo is still doing weird ****, sure. But what's the last weird **** Sony did? Wonderbook? Do you remember Wonderbook? That was 2012!

We aren't getting video games on VHS tapes anymore - which was a real thing.

No, not the ActionMax or the Video Driver. The Takara Video Challenger. Heck there was one with the Captain Planet branding that was shaped like a space ship but  was also a light gun...and used VHS players. It's all very weird.

Now they're all black boxes, or tablets with controllers, or mobile phones. Phones, with their ever-expanding capabilities, have been responsible for killing off all sorts of classes of device: cameras, music players, handheld game systems, etc.

I suspect this general loss of experimentation comes with the maturity of the gaming space. The players are established, their moats are deep. Anytime we've had new contestants attempt to breach the space, they always offered something aspirational: cloud streaming or whatever the hell the Amico was supposed to be, to differentiate. Don't fill the moat with dirt - dig your own. Usually they've just dug their own grave.

This space needs scrappy upstarts with terrible ideas. It thrives on WonderSwans - with the TATE mode secondary buttons and the 3DO with... nothing of value. It needs a Casio Loopy to ask the question: what if my video game console was made for little girls who just love stickers? What if we designed our console around being able to be installed in the back of Japanese sedans (thanks Fujitsu)? What if we just released the exact same games on £7.50 carts that our home computers play on 50p cassettes but don't remove the keyboard prompts despite removing the keyboard (Atari XEGS)?

They might be commercial failures, but they stress test ideas that are mostly too stupid for anyone to pursue. Its just sometimes, at least in theory, they aren't.

Sometimes your idea to use CD technology creates the TurboGrafx-CD, sometimes you invent the Philips CD-i. May the sins of Eindhoven be remembered.

It's time. Microsoft is busy immolating their gaming business anyway, so come on - make a Kinect 3. Damn the torpedoes, because your management are the torpedoes!

Now all the weird stuff in tech is... smart glasses. It's more than a bit boring and just a pinch dystopian.

Anyway, this week we kick-off the show looking at deals on eShop that may not still be available! Happy shopping! Greg has some info on the recent updates to Mario Kart World, especially how it now tracks your progress. Jon checked out the latest Everybody's Golf - and it turns out it might not be for him anyway. He also dives back into the coffee-fueled world of Raiden NOVA. Guillaume played through Kirby (many other words go here) Star-Crossed World DLC and finished Pepper Grinder. He also documents the struggle of finding an official Switch 2 case.

After a break, we dive into Listener Mail. This week we document some memorable credit sequences, defend my honor, and figure out Kirby's weaknesses. Send emails.

• (00:08:16) New Business - eShop deals!
• (00:14:33) Mario Kart World update.
• (00:30:28) Everybody's Golf Hot Shots. Raiden NOVA.
• (00:48:24) Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World.
• (00:55:31) Pepper Grinder update. PowerA case and screen protector.
• (01:04:30) Listener Mail - Memorable credits.
• (01:31:35) James Jones, fake Virtual Boy fan?
• (01:57:27) Can anyone put a stop to Kirby's reign of terror?

[I need to stick my Switch in it.]

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Podcast Discussion / Episode 945: Release the 64DD Shell!

« on: September 28, 2025, 11:56:00 AM »

I need to stick my Switch in it.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/72655/episode-945-release-the-64dd-shell

Hero of Alexandria, also known as Heron, was a man of almost unparalleled genius.

Wait, where are you going? Get back here; I'm going somewhere with this.

Because most of his extensive writings were lost, largely preserved as excerpts and citations in later Greek writings (with some Arabic and Latin writings as well), we don't know a whole lot about the man himself. We aren't even sure what century he was born in - our best evidence was a treatise about an eclipse - but we do know of his extensive inventions. He's best-known for his aeolipile - a sort of primitive steam engine that leveraged jets to turn an axel. He also wrote influential documents on mathematics - particularly geometry - physics, and pneumatics.

I SEE YOU TRYING TO LEAVE, I'M NOT DONE! You're not sneaky.

Anyway, he has a number of inventions to his name. He created a syringe for administering a measured amount of fluid, a kind of pump, a thermometer, and a kind of self-perpetuating fountain that bears his name.

None of this is relevant, I'm just keeping you here longer for my own satisfaction. Suffice to say, he was very smart.

One of his most famous inventions was a kind of automaton, powered by weights and cogs, that performed a fully-automated play about ten minutes in length. It even included sound effects, generating thunder from outside the audience's view, seemingly as if Zeus himself was a participant in the production. He wasn't the first confirmed creator of automatons, the Greeks had been experimenting in this space for centuries at this point, but the elaborate nature of his creation absolutely astounded audiences of the day. The Byzantines would continue this tradition for centuries further - using sophisticated mechanical devices to bewilder diplomatic guests, and astound these guests with the apparent power of their hosts.

Hero of Alexandria would not be impressed by Fire Emblem Shadows. Its nearly-automatic gameplay is absurdly shallow. 90% of the player's interaction is just watching the party slowly walk towards enemies, without the ability to pick their target. This, despite the fact the Fire Emblem weapons triangle is still in effect - and seemingly the AI is unconcerned with the danger.

James begins New Business with this shadow dropped Shadow game. He and Hero would likely agree - Fire Emblem Shadows is a real stinker. Jon has been exploring the newest vehicle for the Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund: EA Sports FC 26. I suspect Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Ahli players will soon be unbeatable in Ultimate Team. Guillaume is allegedly playing something called PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs. This is not a real thing; he talks about it extensively, but I refuse to accept that this is a real product. I think he was just setting up an elaborate tunnelling joke, because his second New Business is Pepper Grinder - a game about drilling (more to come). Greg is looking at the two new Namco GBA games on the NSO: Klonoa: Empire of Dreams and Mr. Driller 2. I told you there was more drilling to come. Lastly, he has impressions of Yuzo Koshiro's Earthion, a 16-bit shooter from Ancient, just recently ported to Switch.

After a break we talk about a bunch of stuff. Some of it is Listener Mail, some of its news, some of it is just travel advice to all our Tuvaluan granny listeners. Nintendo of America has a new president and CEO - they're different people this time - but don't expect much to change. We are asked what a 64DD NSO would look like, and we regret to inform you that you ask the impossible. We also talk about the pain of traveling the many fine airports of California, which in my personal experience is currently a list of one: John Wayne. We even suggest how, in a post-Silksong era, we can crush your hopes and dreams going forward.

It's another fine service we offer. You have emails, even if you don't realize it. Honor Hero of Alexandria and send them.

• (00:01:48) New Business - Fire Emblem Shadows.
• (00:19:30) EA SPorts FC 26.
• (00:29:57) PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs.
• (00:37:29) Pepper Grinder.
• (00:43:44) Klonoa: Empire of Dreams and Mr. Driller 2. Earthion.
• (01:06:11) Nintendo of America has a new prez.
• (01:16:07) Digressions on flying, "The Cheese Incident".
• (01:27:33) Listener Mail - The 64DD.

[For the discerning gentleman looking to connect on the sly.]

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Podcast Discussion / Episode 944: WristPass - A Discreet Way to StreetPass

« on: September 21, 2025, 04:13:26 PM »

For the discerning gentleman looking to connect on the sly.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/72558/episode-944-wristpass-a-discreet-way-to-streetpass

Nintendo's never truly embraced Blue Ocean the J&J DreamFactory way. Brand expansion is a constant goal, but Nintendo just doesn't have the same energy as Jon and James unbound by lawyers, analysts, and brand managers. Liberated, unburdened, truly free - our minds create ideas that will result in tens of sales.

Nintendo recently in-housing WARPSTAR - the marketing machine behind Kirby - as Nintendo Stars seems to already be paying dividends. But while Nintendo is finding a way to sell wooden blocks to full-grown adults, J&J is finding ways to target the real sickos.

LEGO knock-offs, despite a lucrative LEGO contract? I fear my imagination was not sufficiently broad. My colleague, the canonical first J in J&J, returns to the show with the business idea equivalent of a top-rope moonsault. He's not here often, and he rarely talks, but when he does it is always staggeringly ill-conceived.

If you had not deduced, Jon is back this week but Greg is out.

Since he couldn't make our Direct conversations, we had Jon give his thoughts - and dunk on the Virtual Boy. James gives impressions of Donkey Kong Bananza's DK Island and Emerald Rush DLC. Gui is still itching for ninja action and found a way to claim the otherwise unavailable SEGA Ages Shinobi as well as Revenge of Shinobi. He's also spent time with a cat janitor doomed to clean-up a Metroidvania afterlife in Crypt Custodian.

After a break we tackle two of your questions. First, if Nintendo is giving us Virtual Boy and talking flower Talking Flower™, what ideas are they scrapping? Lastly, we pontificate on what we'd be doing if not for video games.

Emails, send them!

[No, I mean really. Best case people think you're weirdly knowledgeable about this topic. Worst... well it's pretty dire.]

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Podcast Discussion / Episode 941: Consider Deleting the Last Five Minutes

« on: August 31, 2025, 12:18:16 PM »

No, I mean really. Best case people think you're weirdly knowledgeable about this topic. Worst... well it's pretty dire.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/72329/episode-941-consider-deleting-the-last-five-minutes

Editing the show takes quite a bit of time. I'd guess if I'm running the edit, it's about 200% the show's runtime to produce the edit.

There's a lot of that time that just comes down to pulling together the assets, running filters, and what have you. It's not really an active process, but it does take some time. Of course, I do need to listen after the filters and confirm they didn't do anything particularly stupid, but it's about 20 minutes that are pretty passive.

Once that process is complete, things get more involved. I'll listen to the entire episode, stopping at any point that there are noises or pops that prove "distracting." The test is a bit soft, but basically it comes down to "did I notice it," and since I'm actively listening for them that is almost certainly going to get what people listening while doing work will hear. It's a lot of stop-and-start.

Sometimes someone's audio "drifts." This is a fun feature of the recording software. We were in-sync, and then suddenly we aren't. It can be a slow drift that finally reaches a breaking point, or a sudden loss of three seconds. This stuff sucks; last week Jonny's audio was putting on a show.

But, the big time sink though are moments during this listen that require me think about what to do. If its just an incident of crosstalk, or a conversation that is repeating itself, its pretty easy. Move around the parts I want to keep for clarity, mute what I don't. The worst though, is when I need to think about the good of the show: "Oh God, Jon just said the word erotica. Where is this going?".

Jon said the word erotica this week, in relation to Gears of War. I made a choice. We must all live with the outcome.

This week, with Gui's return, we're finally all together again. We decided to focus the show on New Business. Greg has the Switch 2 upgrade of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, with its new Star-Crossed World DLC. James has realized our post-Switch 2 lull in the eShop is over, and now Arcade Archives is giving us two versions of a game called "SCRAMBLED EGG" [sic]. He's also spent the last month working through UFO 50. Gui got to play Gauntlet Legends at a barcade on vacation, and likewise spent time with stoner-brawler Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl and the demo of Space Adventure Cobra. Jon wraps New Business with, what he insists, is the newest business in Gears of War: Reloaded.

We also steer into a conversation about large plastic objects and erotica. All the timestamps are below, you've been warned.

• (00:01:27) Kirby™ and the Forgotten Land – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World.
• (00:17:42) eShop Update: What the hell is a SCRAMBLED EGG.
• (00:24:39) UFO 50.
• (00:40:00) Gauntlet Legends.
• (00:56:54) Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl.
• (01:03:24) Space Adventure Cobra - The Awakening demo.
• (01:06:59) Gears of War: Reloaded.
• (01:25:28) Swedish Erotica.
• (01:31:18) Corrections: Mario Kart World.

[FINALLY a Partner Direct with a solution to one of my most intractable problems!]

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Podcast Discussion / Episode 936: Jon Lindemann - In the Fire

« on: August 03, 2025, 02:27:00 PM »

FINALLY a Partner Direct with a solution to one of my most intractable problems!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/71931/episode-936-jon-lindemann-in-the-fire

You never know where RFN will end up, thought if I tell you whoever took the wheel for a given segment, you can usually predict if the vehicle: stays in its lane, veers into oncoming traffic, winds up in a ditch, or somehow manages to do a summersault end-over-end and explode in a ball of fire.

Unrelated, this week Jon Lindemann gives his thoughts on tipping culture.

#CancelJonLindemann

I just don't order coffee. Easy as.

I recounted a couple stories relevant to tipping: paying the bathroom attendant and being asked by a self-service device to provide a tip. I wonder who gets the money if someone tips the POS system. I may not want you to talk to me in a restroom, and I sure don't want you to suggest fragrances for the evening, but at least I know that money is going to a hustler.

This week, we start the show with the July 31st Partner Direct (00:03:22). Immolation simulator Chillin' by the Fire takes center stage, but we also talk about Monster Hunter Stories 3, Madden, and Apex. Our second wave of news touches on Yakuza Kiwami 2, Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac, Once Upon a Katamari, and Romancing Saga 2 (00:22:34). Closing out the direct coverage is SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance, Square Enix's duo of HD-2D games, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (00:32:05). We then get particularly off-track with a conversation on Game-Key cards (00:50:54).

After a break, it's Listener Mail! Jon get's cancelled when asked if Donkey Kong Bananza is tipping culture gone wild (01:18:40). Our second question asks us to name developers who hate their character (01:39:47).

[And you thought "blast processing" sounded stupid...]

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Podcast Discussion / Episode 935: Gearing Up to Rotate Masses of Vertices at Incredible Speeds

« on: July 27, 2025, 03:52:37 PM »

And you thought "blast processing" sounded stupid...

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/71800/episode-935-gearing-up-to-rotate-masses-of-vertices-at-incredible-speeds

The early response to this episode has largely been fascination with the Konix Multisystem. 99.99% of people who follow gaming media have never heard of this aborted British console, and any modern examination of what it was purported to offer is almost certainly to invoke incredulousness.

It's justified. Frequent emailer, and part-time game master, GX described this trailer as something out of an episode of The Simpsons.

While Konix's history as an accessory manufacturer (of dubious quality) is pretty apparent in the trailer - the motion chair was an infamous piece of the system's marketing - it's also an interesting window into a very recent past where the world was significantly less connected.

The marketing material for the Multisystem is consistently targeting the home computers that dominated the British market at the time: Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, Sinclair, whatever bad idea Amstrad was up to at that point, etc. Gaming lived in that space, rather than the home consoles that were increasingly cornering the market in Japan and North America. As a result, the prototypes shown resembled home ports of arcade games and the domestically produced software of the day - not the kinds of games that grabbed the industry in the following years: Mario, Sonic, Street Fighter, Dragon Quest.

Konix (and the ill-fated Atari XEGS) also presaged all those players in the home computer space trying to launch their own systems: Amiga CD32, Atari Jaguar, Amstrad GX 4000 - all of which were basically repackaged home computers (except the Jaguar, which was in fact a repacked Konix prototype). To be clear, some of these are American companies (Atari and Commodore) - but they were dealing with a similar challenge at home in the post-Video Game Crash that Nintendo's NES had ushered in starting in 1985. The UK had been a refuge: it was both lagging North America and also never had the home console boom period of the 70s to germinate the idea of home consoles for UK consumers.

The influx of a shrinking world's ideas - and capital - bent the evolutionary arc of computing and gaming in the seemingly isolated UK and more broadly the European markets. Japanese consoles (particularly Sega in Europe) took the gaming world, and Microsoft seized home computing.

Funny enough, there is a term for this: Galapagos Syndrome, and it is mostly commonly associated with Japan. The irony.

No clean transition this week to New Business: Greg and James are both at or near the end of Donkey Kong Bananza (00:02:17), and are able to offer a lot deeper analysis than they could last week. I guess there is a tenuous transition, much of the game reminds James strongly of the works of Ultimate Play The Game (aka Rare) while they were under the partial ownership of Nintendo (and their Japanese capital) but after they stopped making unplayable games like Knight Lore.

James pauses the show for a needed break, and turns New Business over to Guillaume who has still been playing Mario Kart World (00:57:39) and has harsh words for people who suggest Mario Kart 8 4K would have been a better choice. He is, slowly, unwinding the lamia known as Balatro, but he isn't using that time to return to Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster. Instead, he's bought yet another in the Atari-published playable-museum in Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story (01:09:12). Jon is playing a retro title: Gaiares (01:41:59), a shooter from the Sega Genesis. Lastly, he laments the sudden death of the Movies and TV store on Xbox (01:52:11) .

[Timeline? More like the Donkey Kong CRIMEline.]

10

Podcast Discussion / Episode 934: Nintendo Is Not Serious

« on: July 20, 2025, 04:44:00 PM »

Timeline? More like the Donkey Kong CRIMEline.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/71735/episode-934-nintendo-is-not-serious

Is it possible to write the podcast article before the podcast has even been recorded? This is a question completely unworthy of being answered, and yet as of right now that's exactly what I'm trying to do.

I think it a bit funny that this article showing to staff as a draft article, a day before the show is even recorded, will undoubtedly draw at least a few onlookers curious what could possibly be here. I had not contemplated if a podcast article could be conceptual art, but given that this article will one day be posted - and this entire question no longer relevant - this is at least as much art as Cattelan's Banana.

I will now take $6.2m from some crypto scammer for this golden banana.

DID YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE?

This week Donkey Kong Bananza (00:03:07) launched, and Greg and James are knee deep in the destroyed earth in pursuit of the golden fruit. The game has been out less than 24 hours, so impressions are obviously early - but our love for The Big Ape is legendary and there will definitely be more updates to come.

Jon has not been giving love to...the big ape, and has instead decided to look into Callisto Protocol (00:56:07), a survivor horror game published by civil defendant #1 Krafton.

After a break we tackle two Listener Mail questions. First we tackle a Retroactive-focused game (01:14:25), where we guess former RetroActive games based on their Retro Achievements. We. Beat. Ass. Our second email asks if Nintendo is now hostile to timeline perverts(01:35:32). God willing.

I will admit, I have been deeply disturbed by the recent lack of Listener Mail. Every week, I use this space to cajole you to send us questions, comments, ideas, rhetoric, fan fictions, original musical compositions, third-person narratives, cave art, stage plays, bawdy poetry, allegories, thesis papers, or GAMES.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMES.

However, I have played you a cruel trick, two if you're reading this before the podcast even exists. It seems the email webform I link to every week is not working. I was informed today that a listener had sent us an email, and yet I didn't see it. After some testing, we confirmed that the form has decided that it no longer wishes for RFN to have a Listener Mail segment. While I generally support personification of technical contrivances as lazy individuals - I still need your questions. If you used the webform to send them you need to send them again. You know the email address, I say it every show.

I suppose if your only involvement with RFN is to read this article every week you may not know the email address. It's also true that you could be Jon Lindemann and not know it, despite being on about 40% of the episodes. But, I know that nobody only reads this article without listening to the show, because nobody reads this article at all. Not even me. I can put anything here! See above! So for now, send your Listener Limericks via conventional email. I'll look into the webform. The link will return to these parts once it is corrected.

For the curious: ~84% of the words in this article were composed pre-recording.

[Ski-bi dibby dib yo da dub dubYo da dub dub]

11

Podcast Discussion / Episode 933: Scatman Kong

« on: July 13, 2025, 01:36:54 PM »

Ski-bi dibby dib yo da dub dub
Yo da dub dub

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/71682/episode-933-scatman-kong

It's alarmingly easy to apply Xenoblade Chronicles X theming to any part of the Touch! Generations discography.

I guess we call it "gameography?"

No, that sounds dumb as hell.

Let's go with oeuvre.

It's alarmingly easy to apply Xenoblade Chronicles X theming to any part of the Touch! Generations oeuvre. Xenoblade! Chronicles X, I suppose, if we wanted to continue the linguistic practices employed by Nintendo.

I do not.
I will not.
So, let's not.

We are already wildly afield from where we belong in this introduction, so let's keep talking about Nintendo's internal naming strategies:

• Nintendo Corporate were busy putting features in their title (text to speech): Talking! DS Cooking Navigation
• Nintendo of Europe confronted the challenge of a multi-language market by making sense in none of them: Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Eat?
• Nintendo of America was run by a marketing professional: Personal Trainer: Cooking

And so it get us back to our opening hypothesis: Tatsu. Can't decide what to eat? Eat Tatsu.

• Corporate: (online play) Wi-Fi Compatible: World's Everyone's Playing Encyclopedia
• Europe: 42 All-Time Classics
• America: Clubhouse Games

42 classic what Europe? 42 classic hours before you get the Skell (if you rush).

• Corporate: (face...n...ing) Facening for Rich Expressions to Boost Impressions: Face Training for Adults DS
• Europe: Face Training: Facial exercises to strengthen and relax from Fumiko Inudo
• America: "What the hell is a face training? Wait, Europe is releasing this? Someone get me Frankfurt..."

Face Training? Xenoblade X? Have you see how characters look in the DE? Those faces got trained.

This week we are all Listener Mail, well that's a lie. We start with a pregression (a digression before we start anything to digress from) on the Super Dimensional Fortress Macross series. Then, we actually start email and spend a little bit of that time applying the Xenoblade mask to a different sort of Nintendo lifestyle software: Ring Fit Adventure. I'm pretty sure we did this at some point in the past, but I'm always down to subject listeners to Xenoblade jokes that only ten people will get, and only one (me) will find funny. Consider it part of the ways to strengthen and relax... your face.

We did not ask why Pauline is regressing from a jazzy adult mayor to "a tween warbling Disney Princess twaddle." That was our questioner. I don't make it a regular habit to mock children, mostly because they wont get my references. One day we'll all be as old as Principal Tamzarian, and the children will be the ones who are wrong.

Lastly, we're asked to dive into the gaming media diets of our childhoods. Unsurprisingly, it was very difficult for Jon to get gaming magazines as a child - it is exceedingly expensive to deliver clay tablets. I'm reasonably confident every outlet in this segment has died at least once, excepting the BBC.

We haven't died yet, but we might if you don't send us an email. There's no proof that we will, but are you willing to take that risk?

[You know what the G stands for.]

12

Podcast Discussion / Episode 931: F-Zero GuiX

« on: June 28, 2025, 12:02:23 PM »

You know what the G stands for.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/71563/episode-931-f-zero-guix

It's an all-email RFN as we catch up on the backlog. James is out this week, signaling a return to the dignity, professionalism, and focused discussion that only Jon's hosting can provide.

First we revisit Jon's recent GameStop odyssey and discuss our further adventures in the land of Pro Memberships. We then offer what past games we think would be great candidates for Switch 2 upgraded editions. After the break we tackle how to cope with the punishment of F-Zero GX, whether or not Nintendo would release new games for virtual consoles, and what we might do with a modern Princess Peach game and the series as a whole.

We also learn that Git Gud should really be Git Gui'd. Learn the tracks, you scrub!

[Your controller is bugged.]

13

Podcast Discussion / Episode 930: GameStop Counterintelligence Department

« on: June 22, 2025, 11:35:43 AM »

Your controller is bugged.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/71502/episode-930-gamestop-counterintelligence-department

At Radio Free Nintendo, we all love the Big Ape. This is a mater of established lore, originally stated during the gone-but-not-recovered Now Playing segments.

While writing this, it lead me to contemplate if "The Big Ape" is an accurate nom de guerre* for Donkey Kong. Do not underestimate my ability to get off-track: we are now going to quote The Center for Great Apes list of things that define an Ape.

• Hair instead of fur - The difference is largely a function of how it grows. Fur generally grows to length and stops/falls out, but hair grows long as it allowed to do. DK has a quaff so I'm going to say that counts.
• Fingernails instead of claws - DK's hands are almost always clenched in a fist, but I was able to confirm fingernails in some art.
• Opposable thumbs - Fists, see above.
• Higher brain-to-body size ratio, high level of intelligence - He can tie a tie, operate vehicles, etc. Have you seen a marmot ride a rhino?
• Prehensility - Again, the fists are doing a lot of work here.
• Padded digits with fingerprints - Unknown at this time.
• Binocular vision - Depth perception is a prerequisite for his punch-based lifestyle. Fists keep winning.
• Reduced olfactory sense - Also unknown at this time.

I would say we have enough checkmarks here to conclude that DK is, in fact, an ape. However, there is an additional line from The Center for Great Apes that I find interesting:

People often confuse apes and monkeys. Although there are a number of differences between apes and monkeys (apes have a longer lifespan, larger body size, larger brain-to-body size ratio, and higher intelligence); the main difference is that monkeys have tails and apes do not have tails.

Diddy Kong is NOT an ape, is dumb, and is going to die before DK. Get wrecked, idiot.

Anyway, Donkey Kong Bananza had a Direct on Wednesday. It was about fifteen minutes of gameplay and story content - not least of which the reveal that DK's sidekick in this game is an adolescent Pauline. This raises all kinds of lore questions about the DK/Pauline relationship that everyone has already meme'd to death, so I will not indulge. The important things to remember are:

1. Pauline, as a human, is also an ape.
2. Diddy is not.
3. Diddy will depart this mortal world much earlier than DK

DK is just looking for his replacement for the doomed Diddy.

James has some lengthy, rambling, confused New Business for Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time. There are so many systems and "lives" that feed into the economy of this game, he has an impossible time offering anything other than incoherence. Mine your ore, to make a better saw, to cut down better trees, to craft better tools, to craft yet still better tools, so you can finally have a good weapon. Help.

A break was obviously needed after that segment. On the return, we have more New Business. Jon has been amassing consoles he no longer needs, and attempted to take advantage of GameStop's relatively generous trade in offers in order to upgrade his console as a bang-on effect of upgrading a different console. He was not prepared for Special Agent Steve of the GameStop InfoSec team. It's a different kind of bug hunt at GIS. Greg leads updates on Mario Kart World and F-Zero GX. It is very interesting that two of the major products for Switch 2 are racing games with unique for their series single player components. Mario Kart World is a really big game. Guillaume and James tested out the GameChat function on Switch 2, streaming a few games at each other - including F-Zero GX, Mario Kart World, and Fantasy Life i. He's also got some hands-on with the Switch 2 Pro Controller.

In an effort to do some kind of Lister Mail, this week we try to put marketing campaigns together for some of the many companies represented in Mario Kart World. You can send us your pitches here.

* As a note, it isn't an epithet, because I never refer to him as Donkey Kong The Big Ape, it's a full replacement. However, calling it a nom de guerre isn't accurate either - he didn't give it to himself to serve as an alias. This is best regarded as a nickname. I refuse to learn from this experience and will continue to confuse these title types until I rejoin the soil.

[That aurochs? A bit **** to be honest.]

14

Podcast Discussion / Episode 929: James Jones - Neanderthal Art Critic

« on: June 15, 2025, 11:15:42 AM »

That aurochs? A bit **** to be honest.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/71390/episode-929-james-jones-neanderthal-art-critic

Most of the cave art we think of, particularly the art around Montignac-Lascaux, are Magdalenian culture - that is to say painted by modern humans dated to between 20,000 and 10,000 years ago. That isn't to say there weren't Neanderthal artists, drawing on caves, at some point prior to their extinction ~40,000 years ago. However, we only really have direct evidence of that in Spain - art predating Cro-Magnon arrival in Europe. However their art was less anatomical drawing of animals and more handprints, dots, and the repeated use of a ladder motif. It's also much older, so its survival is going to inherently be more spotty than their later successors.

To summarize, their art blew cheeks.

Also, this is off the dome, and I refuse to look anything in the above up (excepting how to spell Magdalenian and Montignac-Lascaux) - fact check THIS! You can imagine where I am tauntingly pointing to suggest fact checkers "do their job."

Fully modern James is the critic, not a James with a pronounced brow-ridge and a beret. Just envision Hot Tub Time Machine, but actually funny.

THIS WEEK Jon has his Switch 2, lovingly delivered from the corporate arms of bestbuy.com, LLC. As such, we let him give some early console thoughts and lead our deep dive into Mario Kart World. We, and presumably every Switch 2 owner on Earth, have been playing this game. Boy, does it feel like you can get just wrecked by shell-after shell-after shell. Just imagine, Jon in his living room, getting decimated by a cavalcade of red shells. It's weirdly calming.

Also a new Splatoon single player game got announced.

Somehow - this results in a bunch of other stuff. I don't understand this show either.

We take a break to preserve our mental health, but alas we must resume. And resume we do. Guillaume makes an impassioned case that you should try F-Zero GX, now on the NSO Expansion Pack service on Switch 2. This is a path I do not advocate, mostly because of the murderousness he's embraced. Honestly, it's about what you'd expect from him. To sate his bloodlust, he's also been playing Switch game Valfaris - a 2D platform shooter that is all about big guns, big enemies, and big violence.

Greg took a look at the Switch 2-focused patch for Splatoon 3 that just came out. He has some thoughts on the extra pop of HDR, and the super-stable framerate that only Switch 2 can offer. They don't call it "super-stable framerate," but they should. I'm doing Nintendo's marketing work for them.

Again.

Lastly James, your esteemed author and artisan, has been playing the Switch 2 version of Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time. I've dealt with many time thieves: children, auditors, management types, inspectors but I've never dealt with a child time thief.

Wait... ANYWAY. I'd really just started the game at the time of recording so my impressions are basically just the tutorial. Hopefully I'll be much further on when we record next week. Should be a given, unless I run into... well you know.

Submit your Paleolithic drawings here.

[The key to maximizing your Italian isn't genetic, it's pas-tetic]

15

Podcast Discussion / Episode 928: Ultra-Italian Luigi

« on: June 08, 2025, 06:09:57 PM »

The key to maximizing your Italian isn't genetic, it's pas-tetic

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/71317/episode-928-ultra-italian-luigi

The Switch 2 has arrived, and with it Jon and James have returned.

For three weeks, you have been spared J&J Nightmare Factory, and now they return like a dark specter stalking the lands. Crops will fail, children will quake, dogs will... pee in places it is inconvenient for you as a pet owner...

I really can't fathom having a dog and having carpeted floors. It just seems like you're asking to fight a losing battle, between the shedding and the urine. And lord, just the general smell. Hardwood is the way to go...

Wait, sorry Switch 2.

We start the show with some impressions of the hardware, and the process of getting it. James bought Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour (00:11:33) FOR YOU! He has impressions FOR YOU about the challenges, facts, quizzes, and yes the fact it has a price tag. After a break, we go into the game that...literally everyone is talking about, Mario Kart World (00:59:33). Keep in mind, Switch 2 had only been out 20 hours as of recording, so treat this as early impressions.

Beyond Switch 2, we also address... GameCube games on NSO for Switch 2 (02:06:23)! The fact NES Bionic Commando is in Street Fighter 6... ON SWITCH 2! And the new convenient ways to post screenshots and video on... you get the joke.

An artist is never appreciated in his time, I'm going to go watch more Mr. Iguana matches!

[That tank needs more water.]

16

Podcast Discussion / Episode 926: BMX XXX Spiritual Cleanse

« on: May 11, 2025, 09:17:00 AM »

That tank needs more water.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/70997/episode-926-bmx-xxx-spiritual-cleanse

This week we have a real New Business segment! James is playing the new (to Switch) adventure game Endless Monday: Dreams and Deadlines (00:04:41) - a game about being a procrastinating artist working at a nameless corporation. It's very weird in the best possible way. Jon has finished Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (00:16:22) and is already planning his next Dracula murder. Greg gives a brief update on Crypt of the Necrodancer and a more beefy update on Xenoblade Chronicles X new Chapter 13 (00:22:19). Guillaume is running out of Pixel Remasters, with his impressions of Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster (00:44:23).

After a break we knock-out a duo of listener mail: Cleaning up more games with F.L.U.D.D. (00:56:27) and the best one-off Nintendo series (01:17:46). Send em, or I'll get the hose.

We mention it in the episode, but we'll be taking a two week vacation just due to scheduling challenges. Next week we'll drop one of our old Patreon episodes on the feed. The subsequent week, the plan is to just be out-out.

[Move out, deploy that Kong!]

17

Podcast Discussion / Episode 925: DK Order 66

« on: May 04, 2025, 12:55:04 PM »

Move out, deploy that Kong!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/70936/episode-925-dk-order-66

The Kong has had it too good for too long. It's time for a change.

This week we start with Listener Mail. Is Nintendo dropping Fire Emblem hints (00:02:44)? Is Melee coming to Switch 2 Virtual Console (00:13:07)? Is F-Zero back for real (01:02:13)? How would we build a Yoko Shimomura best-of album? Where can you ask? Why, here!

After a break we have some New Business. Greg has an update on Xenoblade Chronicles X (01:36:58) and he's also playing some Rift of the Necrodancer (01:41:19). Guillaume is looking at the NSO preview games Star Wars: Bounty Hunter Remaster (01:44:02) and Star Wars: Episode I: Jedi Power Battles (01:55:29). Lastly, a look at Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders (02:02:30) and Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster (02:13:30). Jon doesn't have much to update and James has disappeared.

[Bring order to this era where I can't order anything.]

18

Podcast Discussion / Episode 924: It's The Dumb **** Era

« on: April 27, 2025, 04:41:39 PM »

Bring order to this era where I can't order anything.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/70863/episode-924-its-the-dumb-****-era

This week we talk about trying to order a Switch 2 (00:02:05), which turns into a post-mortem for various websites. All three of us did succeed, despite the best (and worst) efforts of our favored retailers. James uses extreme skill in transitions to get us to LISTENER MAIL - why are so many Switch 2 games only key cards (00:51:02) and should someone buy Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition if they already have the Wii U release (01:06:27).

This leads to another graceful transition where James gives his New Business - having now completed X's new content, Guillaume is mired in The Gunk (01:26:11), and Jon is exploring Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (01:36:36).

Email here.

[Funny enough, the sequel to IV is also II.]

19

Podcast Discussion / Episode 923: RFN World: Podcast Boys IV (The Sequel to RFN World II)

« on: April 20, 2025, 06:04:18 PM »

Funny enough, the sequel to IV is also II.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/70793/episode-923-rfn-world-podcast-boys-iv-the-sequel-to-rfn-world-ii

We were due. It had been a long time since technology reached down and smote us like an angry god. Years of offerings, prayers, and ritual had kept Hephaestus Kyllopodion from the field.

But not today.

Today Hera spoke, he rose, and boiled us like Xanthos with a only a minor effort.

So yeah, we recorded a segment about the Mario Kart World Direct, and then lost it. Sucks, happens.

So our second attempt to start the show instead pivots to our RetroActive for Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap (00:00:00). There are disagreements between people who think the decision to leave this game horribly out of date was a mistake and people who are otherwise incorrect. We then try to re-do our reaction to the Mario Kart World Direct (01:36:32), but it kind of turns into a tribute to an episode you'll never hear.

[Will it be more horrifying to see the image I create or read the title I give it?]

20

Podcast Discussion / Episode 922: Monkey Mouthful Mode

« on: April 13, 2025, 02:55:22 PM »

Will it be more horrifying to see the image I create or read the title I give it?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/70728/episode-922-monkey-mouthful-mode

This week, Nintendo is "refreshing" the eShop and this attempt at professionalism cannot be allowed to stand (00:00:31)! Then James spends entirely too long talking about Xenoblade Chronicles X (00:07:26) before finally ceding the floor to Greg and Jon to do the same (00:48:11). Guillaume has wrapped up Final Fantasy V (01:10:21), and moved onto Playdate, the handheld with a crank (01:17:08)!

After the break, we have the necessary and unpleasant conversation about the tariff question (01:31:41). It's a bit rambling, and despite James' pledge that he "doesn't want to get political" it does a bit. It's unavoidable. It's also stupid and irresponsible. The events, not the conversation. Unwilling to end the show on such a downer, we do take on a single Listener Mail question: condemning someone to life inside the Monkey Ball (02:17:07). You can sign-up for a prison of eternal motion sickness by sending us an email.

As of now, the plan is to do our RetroActive for Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap next week. I know it's been a bit harried around here the last few weeks, so we've been under-advertising it. Get your comments in either via email or the NWR Discord.

[But she's got a new hat!]

21

Podcast Discussion / Episode 921: She’s Just a Regular Fish Bone With a Stupid Cheap Hat

« on: April 02, 2025, 10:53:44 PM »

But she's got a new hat!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/70620/episode-921-shes-just-a-regular-fish-bone-with-a-stupid-cheap-hat

Today was the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. We are joined by friend of the show Syrenne McNulty to help sort through all the news that came out of today's barrage of headlines, developer interviews, YouTube videos, Nintendo Today updates, press releases, etc.

Obviously, we cover a lot of ground.

Topics include: Donkey Kong Bananza, Mario Kart World, the C-Button meaning GameChat, GameShare, a camera accessory, a wheel accessory, pricing, release dates, The Duskbloods, Switch 2 Editions, upgrade path, hardware features, and a ton more. This is an incredibly busy show.

This is a three hour show, turned around as quickly as we could, so please excuse the rough edits and the short notes (without timelines). If someone wants to contribute highlight timing, I'll add them in.

Also, because we ran so very long, we didn't get to your Switch 2 Emails. We will next week, so please send them in.

[You'll have to provide your own hand gestures.]

22

Podcast Discussion / Episode 920: RFN Today Brings the Podcast Directly to You

« on: March 30, 2025, 05:19:31 PM »

You'll have to provide your own hand gestures.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/70494/episode-920-rfn-today-brings-the-podcast-directly-to-you

This week, Nintendo surprised us with a Direct for Switch games, less than a week before the Direct for Switch 2.

So, instead of spending a bunch of time talking about Xenoblade Chronicles X, we spend a lot of time talking about: Rhythm Heaven Groove, "Virtual Game Cards," more SaGa stuff, Sony games coming to Switch under the Namco Bandai flag, Tomodachi Life, Metroid Prime 4, of course Nintendo Today, and more.

Next week is the Switch 2 Direct, and so send your questions now...well, after, I guess.

[I love you too, robot.]

23

Podcast Discussion / Episode 919: Your Number 5 Podcast for 16-bit Koei Games According to Robots

« on: March 23, 2025, 06:21:00 PM »

I love you too, robot.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/70347/episode-919-your-number-5-podcast-for-16-bit-koei-games-according-to-robots

This week, a bunch of Koei SNES games coming to NSO (00:01:14), perfect for the #5 Strategy Podcast.

Also, Xenoblade Chronicles X is out. We have a lot to say, considering we'd played a combined six hours (00:21:04). Jon is also playing a different open world game, Monster Hunter Wilds (01:05:54). Guillaume is still catching up on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (01:016:57), and we take a trip down RFN memory lane.

After a break we tackle a Listener Mail question about the "ideal" Switch 2 year one (01:40:24) and give our Switchmas 2, the Re-Switchening predictions. Email me.

[If the answer is "yes," consider turning it into a allegory at least. Those are "creative."]

24

Podcast Discussion / Episode 918: Ask Yourself, "Am I Writing a Manifesto Right Now?"

« on: March 16, 2025, 03:37:06 PM »

If the answer is "yes," consider turning it into a allegory at least. Those are "creative."

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/70286/episode-918-ask-yourself-am-i-writing-a-manifesto-right-now

Jon Lindemann would accuse me of writing a manifesto every week if he didn't think it would result in me declaring "okay, you write it!" But, this week, we start the show with an actual Xenoblade manifesto in the form of the "UNOFFICIAL Xenoblade Chronicles X review guide," and we force James to explain how it wasn't him (00:02:04). We then dig into elements of games that are so good, we don't notice them (00:40:32), before wrapping Listener Mail with some thoughts on the Nintendo Music app (01:03:50).

After a break, we dive into a small dose of New Business with Greg's look at Ninja Five-O/Ninja Cop (01:34:20). Lastly, we close out with the announcement of our next RetroActive Wonder Boy and the Dragon's Trap, for Switch.

Email us, I guess.

[Fictional characters can't order layoffs. We think.]

25

Podcast Discussion / Episode 917: Our Best CEO Doesn't Exist

« on: March 09, 2025, 03:15:16 PM »

Fictional characters can't order layoffs. We think.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/70207/episode-917-our-best-ceo-doesnt-exist

Greg was unable to make it to recording this week, and given the circumstances we were forced to punt on naming our next RetroActive. I would say the plan is now to name it next week, but I worry I'm tempting fate.

James is without New Business that any of you would care about, so he turns the show over to Guillaume who has some final thoughts on Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster, and yes, Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster (00:08:04). If you're wondering "does he also do V," the answer is "not today." He also has some fuller thoughts on 1000xRESIST (00:29:15), a sci-fi story that has some things to say and he really enjoyed. Jon is, predictably, playing a lot of Monster Hunter Wilds (00:52:13). He's got some thoughts on some of the more controversial decisions in the game's design.

Did you know we have a website? Did you know you're on it right now? Did you know Jon writes descriptions of stupid images and James makes stupid images? This is all news (01:17:49).

After this earthshattering revelation, we actually manage TWO Listener Mail questions. This week we rank Nintendo systems by consensus (01:22:35) and we figure out which of four alarmingly poor candidates would maximize Nintendo's profits (02:08:53). You can transfer stolen funds into our bank account here.