Toomanywires

1. Lumines - Arise a Contrarian I like Lumines.  Electronic Symphony is my favourite, and it lived in my Vita for years on end, and I put countless hours into the PSP originals, as well as the recent-ish remaster. However, I've struggled to click with Lumines Arise. In that respect, I seem to be in the distinct minority. My social media feeds have been full of gushing praise, from Lumines-heads and via Tetris Effect-converts alike.  By no means did I dislike Arise, it's just that it never got its claws into me, not how I hoped it would. I wasn't seeing falling blocks when I closed my eyes nor fighting off the urge to have one more go at silly hours. I was essentially done with it within a week or so, and that bugged me. So I decided to think really hard - really, really hard - and get to the bottom of why we didn't gel. And I think I got it. In Arise, the total marriage between the core gameplay and music is a hindrance to my enjoyment of Lumines. When defining that enj...

I'm not sure what I'll do with four spice orange GameCube controllers. It's highly unlikely I'll ever need that many. I very rarely have friends over, and I might not have four of them anyway. Four friends, that is. I definitely have four controllers (see pic), which is the point of this post. Four spice orange GameCube controllers. Even if I somehow convinced my family to join me in a GameCube session, we'd still be a player short of utilising all four pads. Still, having a full set just seemed like the right thing to do, which is why I bought a fourth a few weeks back. I wanted to use all the controller ports and get fully plugged in; I needed to gather all that orange, even if just for the visual treat. I bought my GameCube in early 2024 and, to be honest, I haven't used it much. I played a good chunk of Eternal Darkness, and have dipped into a handful of other titles, spending the most time with NBA Street Vol. 3 and Wave Race. I've been quite selective...

I finished Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles last week. I'm delighted to report that Tactics remains sublime and the upgrade is outstanding. While I was playing, I did something that I usually wouldn't: I snapped screenshots. When something struck me as poignant, interesting, funny or just pretty, I'd grab a picture. Some of those images now serve as the backbone for this blog post and will provide inspiration for a bit of Tactics talk. Obviously, this post will contain spoilers . If you plan on playing Final Fantasy Tactics and have yet to do so, I'd advise giving this blog a miss. I won't mind, and I trust you'll come back once you've played it. And you most definitely should play it, because it's an all-timer. Delita on a Chocobo - The Opening Cinematic I'm pleased that the water-colour cutscenes from the PSP port, War of the Lions, were retained. They're a lovely touch that add a softness and warmth to the otherwise harsh world o...

I'm drawn to colour. I love fighting games with big, bright colours and characters that fill the screen. I played Street Fighter II and then 2D Saturn brawlers in my formative years, and I've never grown out of the aesthetic preferences those experiences fostered. If I'm playing a fighting game in 2025, it's probably Street Fighter VI, IV Ultra, one of those recent-ish Capcom collections, or something on my Saturn or Dreamcast.  Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls wasn't initially on my TGS radar, but that changed when I walked by the Arc System Works' booth. I was drawn in by the vibrant colours, big character sprites, and fast-moving line. I decided to join the queue and was immediately handed a collection of laminated documents detailing the gameplay basics and info for all eight characters: Storm, Star Lord, Ms. Marvel, Iron Man, Doctor Doom, Captain America, Ghost Rider and Spider-man. I felt like I was prepping for an exam, and as with most exams I take, I commit...

"Are you OK with scary games?" asked the booth attendant. I puffed out my chest and nodded my head. One of the bravest gamers out there; Top Ten at least. The Capcom staff didn't want to spoil anything, but they also wanted to make sure that those of us who were waiting for the PS5 Resident Evil Requiem demo knew exactly what we were getting into. To be fair, I think we all knew. Our familiarity with the series was a given - it was a press/industry day, after all - and we'd spent the last ten minutes lining up alongside a thirty-foot-long digital display playing footage of Grace, Requiem's protagonist, strapped to a gurney and screaming bloody murder. My ears were still ringing from the screams, and I understood that this would be a significant change of pace from my previous demo, Once Upon a Katamari, where the staff did not ask me if I was OK with scary games. I wouldn't say the demo was scary - I'm one of the bravest gamers out there - but it was certa...

Death, taxes and a Yakuza at Tokyo Game Show. It's a comfort knowing that there's always a Yakuza, or a Like a Dragon, waiting for me at TGS. Yakuza 4 was probably my first, back in 2009. They had a throne photo-spot at the booth, where you could pose for pictures with hosts and hostesses and, if you were lucky, some of the dev staff. A year or two later, zombies were running amok on the show floor for the Dead Souls spin off. For the Yakuza 4-6 era, there was usually a theatre presentation pre-demo, where you'd sit in a dark room and watch a 10-15 minute video that highlighted the talent and brands that would feature in the latest entry, before getting your hands-on time. The Yakuza 6 demo came with a branded box of tissues (!) and the giant Last Supper panorama for Infinite Wealth, stretching across a gigantic screen, was a highlight of more recent shows. Nagoshi-san was a staple in the past, and now it's Yokoyama-san you'll spot in and around the booth. Death, t...

Chatting with friends in line for TGS day one, waiting for the doors to open, I was surprised to hear that I wasn't the only one planning to head straight for Capcom and Pragmata. Resident Evil Requiem may have the bigger profile, and I figured it'd be a greater draw, but Pragmata had already caught the imagination of like-minded attendees. On the surface, Pragmata may not seem all that original. A third-person shooter set on a space station, starring a hulking astronaut, Hugh, who shoots robots and hunts for electrical thingamabobs so he can open the next door and then shoot more robots, in space. So far, so 2012. However, he is joined by Diana, an android who appears as a little girl. She may be small, and makes for an interesting visual contrast to Hugh, but she's invaluable and, for all his heft, Hugh is useless without her.  Hugh is the muscle, and Diana is the brains. At the start of the demo, she rescues her new partner and brings his space suit back to life. The pai...

Tokyo Game Show continues into the weekend, but for me it's been over since Friday evening. On the industry days, I walked and I played until my feet hurt and my brain turned to mush. By Friday afternoon, if a demo required me to do more than move and attack, I was going to struggle! I started Friday off with Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Dark Ties, and then spent the rest of the day moving between demos with far less urgency. I'll be writing up several previews next week, so be sure to check back then. For now, here are some random thoughts on day two and the show in general. You can find my day one round-up here .  Out of the Loop My grasp of what is or isn't popular in the world of video games lessens with each passing year, and TGS always hammers this home. Each year, I'm confused by vast booths and huge lines for games that I've never heard of, brought to you by developers and publishers I'm learning about for the first time. The number of mystery games and publisher...

Today was very productive, as I moved from demo to demo with very little downtime. I was an absolute pro at cramming everything in.  I'm home now, and my head is swimming with thoughts on new video games. Pragmata, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Once Upon a Katamari, Lumines Arise, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, Resident Evil Requiem, Demi and the Fractured Dream, Ninja Gaiden 4 - I got through plenty! I'll be sharing in-depth impressions for some of those in the coming days, but for now, here's a brief round-up of my TGS day one. They Let The Bloggers in Again! Was there ever any doubt? To be honest, I was a little concerned this year, as the application process was different and it was very delayed, but I was relieved that it all went smoothly and the only hold-up at reception was the one caused by my Famicom business card case, which the staff thought was delightful and insisted on inspecting! I think 2025 is my fourteenth TGS, ...

People keep asking me what I'm most looking forward to playing at Tokyo Game Show.  Upward of three people have asked. And until today, I didn't have an answer. Everything about this year's show, running 9/25-9/28, has felt last-minute. Press-day registration was significantly delayed and I received confirmation that my application had been accepted just a few days ago. Due to the uncertainty, I hadn't looked into game lineups in any real detail, that is until I started prepping this post. But don't worry, as I am now exceedingly well informed on all things TGS. When I'm next asked what I'm most looking forward to, I'll have an answer ready. And that answer is Once Upon a Katamari. I must've missed the initial announcement; I had no idea that we're a month away from getting the first new Katamari in over a decade. The premise is irresistible: "the Prince must roll their katamari through time itself, collecting objects through stages in the J...

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is done , and Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is still a week away. I am enamoured with Tactics. Big love for it, and I'll be dropping everything to play it at launch. I even pre-ordered the new art book that should arrive at my door a few days later. It's a book that's got art in it; Tactics art. October will be all Tactics, all the time. But it's not October yet, it is September, and I've got a little time to play other things. Nothing too significant, as I don't want to commit to anything I can't finish, or at least get my fill of, by 9/30. This is an ideal opportunity to get through some of my backlog, and I've already started to take advantage of this brief window. Last week, I got the Wii U out, so that I could make use of its Wii backward compatibility. I  picked up a handful of Wii games when I was back in the UK in August and fancied putting a dent in them. However, I didn't get very far, a...