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Author Topic: Mike A crawls out of the stone age  (Read 7308 times)

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Mike A

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Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« on: December 01, 2019, 08:36:45 am »
Most of you know my wife died in 2015.

Well my daughter is 21 and still lives at home, but she is a full time student and is rarely home.

My son started college this fall and he is 3.5 hours away.

I am in a good head space right now, but loneliness starts creeping in from time to time.

I fill my free time with woodworking and arcade stuff. I also do some volunteer work.

I find myself sitting in front of the TV lately. Ughhh.

I want to get a console to play some games in my off time when I don't feel motivated to pick up my tools and roll up my sleeves.

The Switch seems tailor made to my situation. So what do I buy to get started? I haven't played serious console games since the SNES days. In the meantime I have played here and there with my son on his consoles, but not much. Getting endlessly murdered by Russian twelve year olds doesn't really appeal to me.

I am counting on you guys. My mental health is at stake. No pressure.

Arroyo

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2019, 09:16:34 am »
SNES days eh? 

I had a gap with college where I missed the GameCube/PlayStation 2.  A couple of years ago I decided to check out the top titles and give them a go.  I was a huge Metroid fan as a kid and Metroid Prime is now one of my favorite games of all time.  I also was a big fan of N64, both Zelda games are really good and I also liked the Mario64. 

You don’t probably need to get into modern consoles to have a stupid amount of hours of fun with emulation of those systems.  :dunno

pbj

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2019, 09:23:25 am »
Unless you have a passive commute where you’re sitting with nothing to do for hours, I’d get a PS4.  I was burned pretty bad by WiiU and I know I’d rather look at porn on my iPad versus play a Switch on the couch.


Mike A

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2019, 09:41:39 am »
I don't have a passive commute, but I do spend one night a week in a hotel room for business travel. It is a rural area and there isn't much to do. I am sure housekeeping would appreciate any diversion video games could provide me.

Dawgz Rule

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2019, 09:46:27 am »
Can't go wrong with a PS4 or an XBox One.   Lots of good games on both platforms.  I recently upgraded to an XBox One X and love it. 

Mike A

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2019, 09:47:25 am »
It looks like I have a bunch of research to do.

Titchgamer

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2019, 10:15:12 am »
If you get a switch get a pro controller to go with it! The normal ones are ok but not that good for a proper session.
There are some great games on the switch as well.

Some of my personal faves: New Super Mario Bros, Mario Kart, Donkey Kong, Zelda BOTW, and my newest addition river city girls.
There is also a load of classics and new stuff that can be downloaded off the store at reasonable prices.
The only one I have off the store personally is Gunlord X.

If you do go a little more powerful though theres still plenty of good games on PS4 and XB1.


nitrogen_widget

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #7 on: December 01, 2019, 12:10:25 pm »
my kids have BOTW on the wii-u. it looks fun.
i'm sure it just looks better on the switch but plays the same.

my kids play the heck out of the switch but they mostly have nintendo character games.
A quick look and I see they now have balders gate and neverwinter nights on the switch.
Balder's gate is a dangerous game.
I got it when it first came out for PC about 20 yrs ago.
talk about a huge time-suck.

I wonder if this enhanced version is better than the enhanced PC version.



Howard_Casto

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #8 on: December 01, 2019, 03:19:25 pm »
Why don't you try Mario Maker 2?  It plays like the old Mario games and has a ton of pre-built levels in story mode.   It's also something you can pickup, play for a few min and then stop, which is getting rather difficult in modern games.  The Switch has a ton of throw-back games so it's a perfect fit imho. 

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #9 on: December 01, 2019, 03:32:30 pm »
If it was spending a night a week in a hotel, I'd own a Switch. Jerking off into hand towels and throwing them on the floor gets old after a few years.

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #10 on: December 01, 2019, 10:34:21 pm »
If it was spending a night a week in a hotel, I'd own a Switch. Jerking off into hand towels and throwing them on the floor gets old after a few years.

Uhhhhh... I wondered what was on that mug...
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #11 on: December 01, 2019, 11:53:54 pm »
Get a Nintendo Switch.

There are a lot of top premium titles AND fantastic indie titles for you to chew through.

My current backlog has gotten larger in the last couple months.
I’m playing through Hollow Knight right now. But I still have Link’s Awakening, Luigi’s Mansion 3, Blasphemous, and Dead Cells to play. There are also a bunch of retro remakes available like Wonder Boy: Dragon’s Trap, R-Type Dimensions, etc.

For portability you can’t go wrong with a Switch.

pbj

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #12 on: December 02, 2019, 10:34:36 am »
It was nice to see Wonder Boy 3 get some proper treatment.  That was the best 8 bit game nobody played back in the day. 

Mike A

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #13 on: December 02, 2019, 11:11:43 am »
Well it looks like I will be getting a Switch. Now what all do I need to buy?

Osirus23

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #14 on: December 02, 2019, 11:18:00 am »
Mario Odyssey is great. Octopath Traveler is good if you like 16-bit era JRPGs.

Mike A

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #15 on: December 02, 2019, 11:28:20 am »
I was thinking more of hardware to get started. PBJ and Howard can put their superpowers to use and point me to the hardware at the right price.

pbj

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Mike A

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #17 on: December 02, 2019, 12:28:29 pm »
Thanks. I appreciate it.

Titchgamer

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #18 on: December 02, 2019, 12:47:29 pm »
Pro controller defo!

Howard_Casto

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #19 on: December 02, 2019, 12:58:21 pm »
Pro controller defo!

^This^  Seriously unless you get a custom handle or something the default joycons are worthless for full-sized human hands. 

Osirus23

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #20 on: December 02, 2019, 02:13:54 pm »
Pro Controller is the only accessory I can think of that is a must-have. Buy a regular Switch, not the Switch Lite for sure.

Mike A

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #21 on: December 02, 2019, 02:21:56 pm »
Okay. I know what to do now. Thanks guys.

I will post my new console adventures in another thread once I get geared up.

Titchgamer

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #22 on: December 02, 2019, 02:22:32 pm »
Enjoy!

opt2not

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #23 on: December 02, 2019, 02:32:57 pm »
Definitely get the Pro Controller.

But also, for travel and less heat generation issues when docked, I picked up one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/BASSTOP-Portable-Replacement-Nintendo-Original/dp/B071YVC3NJ/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=switch+dock&qid=1575314868&sr=8-10

It's a much smaller dock, and your Switch isn't sandwiched between plastic, allowing heat to disperse properly over prolonged play.

You have to transfer the PCB from your original dock to this (this is only the housing), but it's really simple and well worth it for a smaller more portable, easier to use and safer dock than the OEM one.

Mike A

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #24 on: December 02, 2019, 02:34:57 pm »
Oh. ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---. Here we go down the rabbit hole.

leapinlew

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #25 on: December 02, 2019, 05:35:49 pm »
I enjoy platform games on consoles and I had a similar gap and this is what I did.

I bought a Wii and modded it and really enjoyed:
Mario Galaxy 1
Mario Galaxy 2
Donkey Kong Country

I later got a Wii-U and modded it and also liked:
Super Paper Mario
Super Paper Mario colorsplash
MarioKart 8
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze
Pikmin 3
Zelda: Windwaker HD

Those can be had fairly cheap. If you like Zelda or platform games - it's worth a shot. Work your way up to the Switch. The Switch is my next stop, but I have 3 more games I want to check out.


leapinlew

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #26 on: December 02, 2019, 06:04:52 pm »
Also worth checking out: Tinder.com

 :D

opt2not

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #27 on: December 02, 2019, 06:10:20 pm »
But also, for travel and less heat generation issues when docked, I picked up one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/BASSTOP-Portable-Replacement-Nintendo-Original/dp/B071YVC3NJ/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=switch+dock&qid=1575314868&sr=8-10

It's a much smaller dock, and your Switch isn't sandwiched between plastic, allowing heat to disperse properly over prolonged play.

I forgot I had these images stashed on my Imgur account.

Size comparison:


The Switch sits like this, for maximum heat dispersion:

mimic

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #28 on: December 02, 2019, 07:12:33 pm »
Have switch, it bores me. There is only ONE thing for boredom (and I know I'm going to annoy people, but I'm going to jam it in)

Top of the line PC + VR system, I'm sorry NOTHING beats it!
No Man's Sky
Elite Dangerous
Vader Immortal I, II, III
Pistol Whip
Super Hot
Onward (basically paintball in you bedroom with other peeps)
Asgard's Wrath
Eleven Table Tennis VR (feels as real as it gets. Can play with peeps)
Arizona Sunshine
Skyrim VR
Fallout 4 VR
On, and on, on (this is just a sample of the recent ones, I've been playing)

Oh and Factorio on PC (that will REALLY consume a LOT of your time)

javeryh

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #29 on: December 02, 2019, 08:56:06 pm »
Well it looks like I will be getting a Switch. Now what all do I need to buy?

The Switch is probably my favorite console at the moment.  We have all 3 in my house (Xbox One/PS4/Switch).  It has a great selection of indie games on the eShop and of course you also get the Nintendo made games that you can't play anywhere else.  Some of my favorites:

Nintendo games:
- Breath of the Wild (modern 3D Zelda; huge world where you can go anywhere and the underlying systems are so well done you can approach the game hundreds of different ways)
- Super Mario Odyssey (the best 3D Mario game, IMO)
- Super Mario Maker 2 (endless 2D Mario levels and you can also scratch the creative itch designing your own stuff)
- Luigi's Mansion 3 (this game oozes charm)
- Link's Awakening (100% faithful remastering of the old Game Boy game - still holds up!)
- Mario Kart 8 (this game is so much fun to play with the kids)
- Captain Toad's Treasure Tracker (fantastic puzzle game although very short)

Indie/Other games:
- Celeste (probably my all time favorite 2D platformer and the story is really moving - it actually addresses depression)
- Hollow Knight (really good - and huge - metroidvania)
- Steam World Dig 2 (another really good metroidvania)
- Shovel Knight (great 2D adventure game; lots of levels and memorable bosses)
- Dead Cells (procedurally generated 2D dungeon crawler)
- Baba Is You (most creative puzzle game I've played in YEARS; really makes you think outside the box)
- Stardew Valley (fun RPG/farming simulator? Not sure how to classify this but it's strangely addictive)

There are so many great games for the Switch and you can play on the big TV or take them on the go.  If you do buy one you absolutely have to buy the Pro Controller.  The one that comes with the console is kind of awful. 

Have fun!

J_K_M_A_N

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #30 on: December 02, 2019, 10:38:30 pm »
Wait until October 10th, 2020 (my birthday) and get the new Intellivision Amico. :) Maybe I am just partial to the Intellivision. And I am old so I can't play newer games with all the new fangled buttons and stuff on them.  Back in my day, games were just fun and not all about graphics and gimmicks. :oldman  >:(

J_K_M_A_N

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #31 on: December 02, 2019, 11:27:39 pm »
Or you know, just mail that money directly to me.  You'll get just as much of a real product.  Please don't advise the man to buy vaporware anymore. 

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #32 on: December 02, 2019, 11:41:31 pm »
Intellivision what? First I've heard of that ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---. Ideally it would also be the last.

javeryh

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #33 on: December 04, 2019, 10:18:14 am »
To add to my list from above, I just finished The Messenger (an indie game download).  It was... good? 

It is basically Ninja Gaiden - you are a ninja, you play through side scrolling levels, get power ups, stick to walls, throw stars, fight memorable bosses at the end, etc.  After getting through around 10 levels that were really fun, the game completely switches genres and turns into a metroidvania.  All of the levels you just played are now connected via one giant map and you have new objectives (plus there are 4-5 new levels to play too).  You can also switch between 8-bit (the past) and 16-bit (the future) time periods at designated areas so each level kind of doubles itself because things are slightly different depending on what time period you are in.  The graphics change from 8-bit to 16-bit too, which is awesome. 

The (big) problem is that once the game turns into a metroidvania there is very little guidance on where to go and what to do and on top of that, there are barely any warp points on the maps (6 total and the map is huge so some levels you can't even warp to).  This lead to a ton of backtracking and wandering around, which got repetitive.  If it wasn't for some online guides I would have never finished the game. 

That said, the game play is solid and by the end you can get through the map with relative ease (you will have mastered the pseudo double jump and the grappling hook by then) so I would recommend trying it out, just not as one of the first games to play on the Switch (I actually played it on PC with an Xbox One controller).

Oh yeah, the music is fantastic and the dialogue in the game is pretty funny too.

Mike A

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #34 on: December 04, 2019, 12:03:00 pm »
My Switch arrived today. This ought to be interesting.

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #35 on: December 04, 2019, 12:06:10 pm »
Have fun Mike! :)

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #36 on: December 04, 2019, 12:14:17 pm »
*Cough* *Cough* This has been going on sale for $15 a few times now.


Mike A

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #37 on: December 04, 2019, 12:15:17 pm »
I am going to have to get used to buying games with actual money.

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #38 on: December 04, 2019, 12:30:27 pm »
I am going to have to get used to buying games with actual money.

Been using gas, grass and ass instead, eh?
***Build what you dig, bro. Build what you dig.***

Mike A

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Re: Mike A crawls out of the stone age
« Reply #39 on: December 04, 2019, 12:34:26 pm »
Pretty much the only games I play now are my cabs or an occasional PC game with my son.