In an effort to disassociate from all the bad stuff and exhausting discourse around gaming this month, I’m back to my usual go-to: old Nintendo games. Tuesday’s Nintendo Direct gave me a great roadmap of some games to play, and how.
First up: the Star Fox demo. I had already started revisiting SF games after the announcement of the remake, playing through the SNES original and 64. The demo starts with an unskippable tutorial that I found pretty tedious until a fun twist at the end.
The actual mission in the demo, Meteo, isn’t the most exciting location visually, but it was a great way to actually get a feel for the remake. I played with a Switch 2 Pro Controller and movement felt excellent. The game ran smoothly and while it was a relatively drab locale, it’s a very clean looking game. Also, the odd character models and voices didn’t bother me at all in the context of the game. I already have a copy preordered and I’m stoked to really dive in at the end of the month.
Next, I checked out the NSO Donkey Kong challenges. This was an enjoyable way to revisit some old DKs (NES ports, Math, ‘94, Country and Land 1-3) and I really like the way the cards include your username and the date you achieved the challenge.
While I would still love for Nintendo to do a system-wide achievement system, I think that ship has sailed. This was fun though, and I hope they continue to do similar events. It would be cool if we could get a card “album” tied to our accounts for posterity but knowing Nintendo all of the achievements will be deleted after the event ends in September.
Finally, Ocarina of Time. There was a remake announced, did you hear? We didn’t see much, but it was enough for me to go back to the original game. I don’t think I’ve actually finished a playthrough since the 3DS version launched. I went with the NSO version for a few reasons. For one, I prefer to play OoT with the N64 controller. It just feels right, ya know? Also, I think the NSO app has become a pretty great way to play N64 games. I have an Analogue 3D and a copy of the game, but I dig the NSO screen filter and rewind is a nice option for some of the trickier moments in the game. I’ve done my time, don’t judge me.
Or judge me if you want, because I’m using a guide. I legit love using physical guides when playing old games: it’s a nostalgic but weirdly immersive experience for me. This guide is particularly interesting because it’s from Nintendo Power and written in a vague narrative. Anyway, Ocarina of Time. Good game, stoked for the remake.
I know people are always mad / annoyed about Nintendo nostalgia, but goddamn it’s a refreshing palate cleanser for me. The game industry is a depressing mess and people aren’t really helping by being mean and condescending about everything, but my Switch 2 has served as a welcome reprieve from it all. Video games can be a wonderful form of escapism, and these games actually help me escape from the world and, well, video games.
All screenshots captured on Switch 2.
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