Toomanywires

My Tokyo Game Show 2026 Coverage Tokyo Game Show isn't Tokyo Game Show without a new demo from RGG Studio. Last year it was Yakuza Kiwami 3 , the year before that was Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii , and in 2023 we got both Gaiden and Infinite Wealth , which made up for 2022 being Yakuza-less. Covid ate up 2020 and 2021, but we were treated to Like a Dragon in 2019 and, well, you get the picture.  RGG Studio demos are a fixture of TGS. This year, we got Stranger Than Heaven, a spin-off-slash-prequel to the Like a Dragon (Yakuza) series. It follows Makoto Daito, eventual founder of the Tojo Clan, across five eras, stretching from 1915-1965, and five distinct locations. The demo offered a very limited slice from three of those: 1915 Kokura, Fukuoka; 1929 Kure, Hiroshima, and 1943 downtown Osaka. Each linear section was structured identically: do some light exploration while walking toward a fight, then throw down. The demo didn't reveal much about Makoto Daito, beyond what we already k...

My Tokyo Game Show 2026 Coverage Last week, I played the Final Fantasy VII Revelation TGS demo. As you might expect, it's a lot like Remake and Rebirth. I had opinions about both of those -  Remake  /  Rebirth  - and for the most part I enjoyed them. However, I haven't returned to either since my launch-window playthroughs, which means that I struggle to recall which mechanics changed between part one and two, and my comparisons between them and Revelation may not be all that reliable.  With that disclaimer out of the way, I can say that Revelation struck me as being more of the same (complimentary). Thank you for reading my preview.  Don't worry, I do intend to put more effort into this! What I'd like to share are the similarities and differences that most jumped out to me, informed by my unreliable recollections of what has or hasn't already been established in Remake and Rebirth. Sounds good? Before I do that, let's get the details out of the way. T...

TGS Day One My Tokyo Game Show is done. As for attendees on the public days, their show is about to be cut short. Monday, day five, has been cancelled, due to a typhoon that'll bring heavy rain and will likely cause extensive delays to public transport. I'm afraid Mother Nature doesn't respect our right to play a Monster Hunter demo in September. There was no danger of me going on Monday, or Saturday-Sunday for that matter. I have had my fill of the TGS hustle and bustle and desperately need to put my feet up and eat some vegetables. I made the most of my two days in attendance, and on Friday was able to fit in most of what I missed on day one. That included Crazy Taxi World Tour, Ace Combat 8, Professor Layton & The World of Steam, Cybernetic Attack Final Mission and Star Wars Galactic Racer, which is made by ex-Criterion devs. Can't go wrong with that Burnout pedigree! Day two was just as crowded as opening day, and I was shocked by how many lines were essentially...

A lot of people went to Tokyo Game Show today. And many of them were carrying unreasonably large bags. Today was as well-attended as any TGS business day I can recall. The enormous number of attendees is good news for the show, and it's greatly encouraging to see that it still generates this much interest, but it was bad news for anyone who had only 4 minutes until the start of their Final Fantasy VII Revelation demo, and two halls standing between them and the Square Enix booth. So yeah, a lot of people. I swear they'll let anyone in nowadays, even bloggers. Even fucking bloggers. Anyway, here's my Day One blog. My Big Two I've already played my Big Two . I went to Sega Atlus when the doors opened at 10:00 and got my hands on Stranger Than Heaven. Next, I headed over to PlayStation and secured a demo slot for Final Fantasy VII Revelation. I enjoyed both to varying degrees, but their structure didn't do them any favours. Stranger Than Heaven consisted of three very ...

I've already settled on my Big Two.  When the doors open on day one of Tokyo Game Show 2026, I'll head straight for either Stranger Than Heaven or Final Fantasy VII Revelation. On day two, I'll head directly to whichever I didn't play the day prior.  I always like to decide on my Big Two in advance. Two games that I'm keen on and which are guaranteed to attract longer lines as the days wear on. My Big Two are usually AAA big-hitters housed at the biggest booths, because I like big shiny things, bloated budgets, bright colours and loud sounds. I'm pretty simple like that. So, I'll head for Sega Atlus and Square Enix. However, after that, I'm lacking a concrete plan. I've had a good look through the exhibitor's TGS websites, and not a great deal jumps out, at least not to me, and I haven't heard of any rumours of yet-to-be-announced titles. Maybe it's just one of those years? But don't worry, half the fun comes from not having a complet...

I think I'm a reasonable consumer. Reasonable in my expectations and reasonable in my behaviour. As such, I take umbrage at Sony choosing to speak for me. The electronics giant is currently fighting a class action lawsuit in the US which argues that the PlayStation Store's disclosures do not comply with the US' strict laws regarding digital ownership. Sony has been accused of being unclear about the ownership rights that are afforded to customers when they make a digital purchase. Sony has countered that its Terms & Conditions clearly state that "virtual content is licensed, not owned", though you do have to read several hundred words into the T&Cs before you'll find that point. (Thanks to Eurogamer for those details). Sony has disingenuously claimed that "most reasonable consumers would not be misled" by their disclosures, and would understand that digital purchases do not equate to digital ownership. Basically, we "reasonable consumer...

Old Snake cautiously emerges from a bombed-out building. The occupants of what was once a family home are nowhere to be found, the casualties of another proxy war.  It's all very grim. Shades of brown and grey, the power of PlayStation 3. The safety is off and Snake's knife is unsheathed, ready to meet the threat that is just about to appear from around the corner. A patrolling guard approaches and Snake raises his blade, ready to pounce. This unfortunate individual is one more step away from meeting a violent end at the hands of one of the deadliest men that have ever lived.   *** MASSIVE FART SOUNDS *** Someone is doing a big wet shite in the oil drum just behind the patrolling soldier. He moves away from the still-hidden Snake to investigate the groans and sounds of flatulence that are increasing in ferocity. There are no courtesy flushes on the battlefield. He yanks the oil drum away to reveal our soon-to-be-ally, and general shit-artist, Johnny Sasaki, his dirty arse...

I followed the Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look second hand, via social media.  I cancelled Netflix a month ago. We had one too many subscription services, or more like several too many, and it was surplus to our viewing requirements. I had hoped to squeeze in one more re-watch of the Netflix-exclusive The Last Dance before it expired but I didn't have time. And if I don't have time for Michael Jordan and the 72-win Bulls, I most certainly do not have time for whatever else is on there. No Netflix, but by Friday afternoon Japan time, I was able to watch The Extended Look in full on YouTube , and that's what I did. Though by that point, I was already very well informed about all things VI. Every website worth its salt had already posted exhaustive coverage of every little detail, and my social media timeline was overflowing with takes. There was a lot of shared language and points of focus that were present across all of these opinions, especially in the games press cov...

I was very excited for NBA The Run, until I wasn't. It appeared as a spiritual successor to the much-celebrated NBA Street series, the EA BIG production that brought together streetball culture, arcade gameplay and an unforgettable visual style. At its best - that would be  NBA Street Vol. 2  - Street is recognised as not only one of the finest basketball games ever made, but one of the best arcade sport experiences period. While The Run certainly looks the part, it's missing one of the elements that made NBA Street such a compelling package: a deep and entertaining single player mode. And that's why I didn't buy it at launch. My enthusiasm was all but killed off by the online-multiplayer-only announcement, which came after the launch trailer had already gotten my hopes up.  I wanted to enjoy it at my own pace. I wanted to improve incrementally over un-rushed sessions, where I'm solely responsible for my own entertainment, and not at the mercy of teammates who don...

There was a mess of HDMI cables in the gap between the wall and the TV stand. Which one belonged to the PS3 was anyone's guess. Peering over the back of the TV, I couldn't make sense of it, so I pulled the stand away from the wall so that I could have a proper look. Far too many wires! I picked one from the tangled mass, gave it a tug, and was greatly relieved to see the PS3 move ever so slightly. I had my cable, and on the first pull no less!  I plugged it in and re-emerged from behind the stand, smacking my head on the corner of the TV on the way out. The rigmarole didn't end there. The DualShock 3's battery was flat, so I needed to find the right charging cable, which involved dumping a box full of gadgets on the living room floor so that I could sort through it. I soon found what I was looking for, but the wire wasn't quite long enough to comfortably reach from the console to the sofa. I had to perch on the edge, hunched over, trading comfort for the extra coupl...

I played Mega Turrican the other day.  I had twenty minutes to spare, there was no football on, and I fancied trying something new. New to me anyway. So I scrolled through the games on my Analogue Pocket and Mega Turrican is where I came to a stop. I knew of it, and I recognised the name from the Nirvana The Band The Show's Wii Shop Wednesday song, which was enough to convince me to load it up. It was OK, I suppose. I didn't get very far because old games are hard and my fingers and brain don't work like they used to. Having turned off my Pocket, I immediately stopped thinking about Mega Turrican. However, Wii Shop Wednesday continued to play on loop in my head. I started to have some ideas.  I have lots of ideas but most of them amount to nothing. I lose interest or simply lack the time or resources to act upon them. My blog drafts are full of thoughts that were never explored beyond an opening paragraph or a poorly-ordered set of bullet points; for every social media pos...