Today, I Played GoldenEye 007 for the First Time Ever

By LUDWIG VON KOOPA - Yeah, this COULD'VE changed my life... 25 years ago.

I had a Nintendo 64 and several games for it. But until today, I've never played GoldenEye 007. GoldenEye 007 and the many millions of people who have played it went on to become fans of other console first-person shooter (FPS) games—before GoldenEye 007 made the genre popular, first-person shooters were the domain of PC gamers. To this day, FPSs are among my least favourite game type. Maybe if I played GoldenEye 007 back then when I was much younger and more impressionable, my current life would be entirely different. Some call that the butterfly effect.

Anyway, the fact remains that I'm playing GoldenEye 007 for the first time not on the Nintendo 64, but on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack emulation that became available today. (It's also available on Xbox Series, though that version lacks online multiplayer for some reason.) I played exclusively on Agent difficulty, the lowest one. I mean, I hardly know what I'm doing. But I figured out the controls, which don't really feel good and I'm not sure what the right-stick (C buttons) really are used for. If I want to move, use the left stick. If I want to move my reticle, hold down the R button and move. Normal first-person shooters nowadays have dual-stick controls (which the right-stick doesn't provide), but on Agent difficulty, you don't need those. You can just use the automatic weapons the Soviets drop and pwn them.

My biggest issue was discovering that if I ever get stuck in a level, use the B button to interact with the environment. (This also reloads the gun you're holding.) This does things like open doors that seem sealed. Some doors are actually sealed but can be opened by doing other things, like interacting with computers or finding a key. ...Or shooting the padlock on a gate. That got me to the second level, Facility, which features this unexpectedly impressive song:

Emblem Micaiah Now a Nintendo Switch Icon Element

By LUDWIG VON KOOPA - You have until February 2, 20:00 Eastern to get her!

One very nice thing about both being a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber and Fire Emblem Engage releasing is that Nintendo is releasing icon elements of the characters in Fire Emblem Engage, and that includes the Emblem characters from prior Fire Emblem games that would otherwise never be on a Nintendo Switch profile picture. Behold!

...I'm right that Micaiah looks weird with purple eyes compared to her normal gold eyes.

It's no secret I like Micaiah from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, which is in contention to be my favourite Fire Emblem game (versus its prequel, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance) and it's indisputably my favourite game on the Wii. She's the top woman I'd rather have as United States president than Hillary Clinton. I wrote a whole article bemoaning about how Radiant Dawn never gave her any Authority Stars, which is apparently a game mechanic not many people playing the game even knew was there.

...Not everyone in the fanbase shares my liking for Lady Micaiah, and just statistically, the majority of people playing Fire Emblem Engage have never played Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. Perhaps people won't appreciate her. But for those that do, you have a week since this is published to get her icon element. Once she's gone, she's gone. Not...forever, since around the new year Nintendo had previous icon elements available throughout 2022 up for a day each, but that's extremely easy to miss. Now is the best time! But you need to be a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber.

Yes, I actually switched to Micaiah instead of myself, despite what a struggle it was to get an icon element of me.
I think I'll only do this for a week until she no longer becomes available. GOTTA RAISE AWARENESS.

The more Ludwig looks at Micaiah's Fire Emblem Engage artwork, or any Fire Emblem Engage artwork, the less Fire Emblem engaged he gets and the more Fire Emblem enraged he gets, because all of the faces looking like that is really loathsome. It's still way better than the butchering that Fire Emblem: Awakening did to her artwork, which remains unforgivable to this day.

Xbox Developer_Direct January 25, 2023 Live Reaction

By LUDWIG VON KOOPA - Let's react about the games, not the (borrowed but effective) format.

From what I've been reading, not many people knew that Microsoft had an Xbox “Developer_Direct” (the underscore is canon and it bothers me) today, which is a brand new format of showcasing upcoming videogames. Unlike, say, their direct competitor that they directly copied this Direct format from, Microsoft actually announced this event two WEEKS in advance, as opposed to something like two days in advance. (And I appreciate that more than what their competitor does because this let me plan to have free, uninterrupted time at the timeslot it premiered. ...Even if I was hungry.)

They're excited for their 2023 and want everyone to know about it. Good for them. But will I be interested in what they have to say? Join me in my live reaction log of the five games they have to show. I have commentary and a screenshot for all five!

[3:00 PM] Ludwig Von Koopa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-Et8r1413Y
[3:00 PM] Ludwig Von Koopa: XBOX DEVELOPER_DIRECT
[3:00 PM] Ludwig Von Koopa: And I'm just now realising this has the same countdown sequence as those Pokémon Presents YouTube livestreams.
[3:01 PM] Ludwig Von Koopa: Therefore, I conclude these countdown sequences are created by YouTube, not by the brand.
[3:02 PM] Ludwig Von Koopa: The YouTube-developed countdown has now transitioned to an Xbox-developed one-minute countdown.
[3:04 PM] Ludwig Von Koopa: The actual thing has a bunch of people.
[3:04 PM] Ludwig Von Koopa: "5 Big Games"
[3:04 PM] Ludwig Von Koopa: Starting with Mojang Studios.

Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! is a Remake (and released)

By LUDWIG VON KOOPA - There's a few changes, but it's mostly to get it on a new platform.

Earlier this month, I wrote an article titled, What's Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!?. (I like how those three forms of ending punctuation are represented there in a row, and it makes grammatical sense.) Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! had just been announced by GAME FREAK then, and it's been released now—exclusive on Apple's subscription-based Apple Arcade service. Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! may very well be the best game available on that platform.

This isn't a review—despite Apple Arcade having a one-month free trial, and the existence of promotions that extend that into several months—I own no devices in Apple's ecosystem, and Apple Arcade is exclusive to those devices. I'm not planning to enter that, either, especially not for a remake of a game that I already have and enjoy on the 3DS. Allegedly, the game's performance on Apple Arcade will determine if GAME FREAK will work on developing Pocket Card Jockey on the Nintendo Switch, so unfortunately, I can't help to make that happen.

There is a whole story about how the mobile versions of the original Pocket Card Jockey (which were a Japan thing) sucked, mostly because they made the game into a free-to-play piece of garbage and Pocket Card Jockey really isn't fun in that format. But with Apple Arcade—and this is one of the good things I noted about it since it was announced in 2019 (and then I never wrote about it again)—developers can release games for mobile without having to compete in a zero-price environment (making revenue through more nefarious means).

My Sephiroth amiibo arrived! Photos inside!

By LUDWIG VON KOOPA - He's so... cool!

On January 13, 2023, Nintendo released the amiibo for Sephiroth and Kazuya Mishima Wins. I don't care about the latter: It's Sephiroth I'm after. So I ordered his amiibo from Amazon, and even though they said it'd be delivered the first week of February, I just received it over the weekend. I now have a Sephiroth amiibo! He's really cool, and contrary to an image someone showed me to dissuade me from buying a Sephiroth amiibo, his face doesn't look horrible. Looks normal! And just like his official artwork, he has one wing.

Sephiroth looks fine. Dazzingly handsome, even.

Not only does Sephiroth ooze cool, he can be used as a Figure Player (or FP) in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate! Now, he's not a world-destroyer right away... not for a long time, in fact. Not by publishing this article, either. He's been nothing but humiliated for a while, in fact. I even edge-guarded him with Little Mac (and I don't mean my amiibo Little Mac), which given how Sephiroth's recovery works, I wouldn't recommend doing in a real fight.

I nicknamed my Sephiroth amiibo Sephiroth, because getting him feels like catching a Legendary or Mythical Pokémon, and I never nickname those.
Note Sephiroth's lack of a wing as a Figure Player in this Super Smash Bros. Ultimate screen.

Anyway, I'm happy. If you want your own Sephiroth amiibo, they're sold out in many places. (Kazuya Mishima Wins is in greater stock.) So... maybe that'll change with greater supply in the future. Here's some more pictures in a collage:

Fire Emblem Engage Released (and some hesitation...)

By LUDWIG VON KOOPA - Waiting for the honeymoon to wear off and see what people think.

When I last wrote about Fire Emblem Engage two months ago based on then-recent trailers showing its story and gameplay, my first impressions was that the gameplay could be interesting with the Emblem Rings, but the story and characters were off-putting and low-quality, with the game relying on bringing back the franchise's past successes (and...some failures) to appeal there, rather than develop the game's own cast of characters to be beloved. And based on very initial feedback of its release-day players (and the game is out today exclusively for the Nintendo Switch) and the opinions of unqualified dimwits (so-called professional videogame journalist reviewers), it seems like I was onto something back then.

Here's the release day trailer, which is pretty whatever:

I have more insightful release materials to examine: the three-part Ask the Developer series on Nintendo's website, interviewing key players from Nintendo and developer Intelligent Systems. I'll give my thoughts on what they have to say for this article and what makes me... hesitant.

CAPCOM Lunar New Year Sale 2023

By LUDWIG VON KOOPA - Rabbits! ...And Rabbids?

Last year, at the end of January 2022, many videogame companies put their videogame catalogues on sale to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Lunar New Year 2022 was dedicated to tigers... and in 2023, it's dedicated to rabbits. Somewhat fittingly for a game somewhat based on rabbits, one of the companies that has put their games on sale is Ubisoft, and you can purchase the normal version of MARIO + RABBIDS SPARKS OF HOPE, which just came out three months ago, for 25% off. This is the same Sparks of Hope that failed Ubisoft's hopes of a strong holiday quarter in 2022, and the game underperformed in sales, as did JUST DANCE 2023—likely why JUST DANCE 2023 was at the top of Nintendo of America's fitness game list for 2023, because perhaps Ubisoft asked them to do that and try to promote the game. (You should instead listen to Nintendo of Europe and get Ring Fit Adventure, even though that is currently at full price while JUST DANCE 2023 is at a whopping 50% off until February 3, 02:59 Eastern.)

Anyway, let's get to CAPCOM:

All of the CAPCOM games cease being on sale on February 2, 2023 at 02:59 Eastern. Note that's a day sooner than Ubisoft's.
Better remember to look at these and not forget amidst your Lunar New Year celebrations.

If you get, say, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles at 37% off (or $25)—or Ace Attorney Turnabout Collection for 41% off (or $35), which includes both The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles AND Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, you can enjoy the subject of the winner of the Best KoopaTV Article of 2022 award. In that write-up, I mentioned that this game is on sale all of the time, and here we are, ten days later and it's on sale.

As for those games on the 3DS, even though you cannot add funds directly from the Nintendo 3DS, you can still add funds through your Nintendo Switch and those funds will be connected to your 3DS wallet, assuming they have the same Nintendo Account. You may also go and download the games from nintendo.com and be able to add funds that way. Each of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice are $5, which is a tremendous bargain.

If it has Ace Attorney in the name, it's great. The highest-quality adventure game franchise available. You'll laugh. You might cry. You'll enjoy great music, great stories, and great characters, all while putting your brain to use trying to solve cases, cross-examine witnesses, and present evidence implicating the true killer. You'll have a great time. That's a KoopaTV guarantee!


Ludwig PROBABLY won't write about rabbits throughout the Year of the Rabbit, so... what are your favourite rabbits in videogames? For the purposes of the Zodiac, do hares and bunnies count as rabbits? Because then Ludwig would pick Hariet Broodal. Bonny de Famme from Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice ought to count as an honourable mention, though Ludwig prefers Betty.


The last CAPCOM sale was a month ago for the winter holidays of 2022.

Return of Egg Catcher: Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe

By LUDWIG VON KOOPA - This seems like a return worth doing.

In about five weeks, Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe will release on the Nintendo Switch for $60. That's $10 more than what Kirby's Return to Dream Land sold at over a decade ago on the Wii, and $40 more than what it normally sold at when Kirby's Return to Dream Land was ported to the Wii U's Nintendo eShop. Yet despite its availability and positive reception, I never got it. That makes this return to the return appealing to me.

For the past month or so, I've secretly been obsessed with the Egg Catcher sub-game from Kirby's Adventure. It was by far the best of the three sub-games there. And I'm pleased that Nintendo has announced that one of the many NEW features to Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe is Merry Magoland, a super-charged collection of sub-games in a park ran by Magolor that features stamps and its own series-referencing souvenir shop. While the original only has two sub-games, the deluxe version has... TEN! And most of these are returning from previous games in the series that I may or may not have played. But among the returning crew is... EGG CATCHER!

Egg Catcher mini game pic.twitter.com/ZCLa36RaCF

— Obscure Kirby Media & Facts (@ObscureKirby) January 11, 2023

How does this compare to Egg Catcher from Kirby's Adventure, which unlike many other sub-games in the series, has never been in another game besides Kirby's Adventure, not even Kirby's Adventure's own remake, Kirby Nightmare in Dream Land? Take a look at my own footage and a way to very quickly play Egg Catcher on your own Nintendo Switch right now:

That 15-Minute Sonic Frontiers Demo Sucked

By LUDWIG VON KOOPA - I came to this conclusion after giving it two chances.

Recently (and there was a sale attached to it that has since expired), Sonic Frontiers has gotten a demo! That's about two months after it released. Given that the game was put on 35% off just two weeks or so after its release, I'm lead to believe that the game has bombed SEGA's sales expectations. Surely, if the game is any good, this new, free demo will put it in a good light?

Nope, this is guaranteed to be a bad demo.

I've learned from the online instruction manual that “cyber-Rosalina” is named Sage, which is... quite a generic name. Whatever story contained in the two or so cutscenes at the start of the game is nonsense and doesn't even satisfy being an excuse plot. The game has put a big emphasis on freedom and exploration since it was first revealed.

But fifteen minutes? You can't explore much in that time. The first time I played the demo, it wasn't even done giving me tutorials. The game starts you in a Cyber Space level where you can (and I did) accidentally skip very important tutorial notices just by zooming past them at the speed of sound, like that you can Homing Attack onto environmental objects to interact with them. That's a major part of the gameplay. Having missed that, I tried the demo a second time for another fifteen minutes.

Splatoon 3's Turf War and Anarchy Modes Aren't Luck-Based in a Tournament Setting

By LUDWIG VON KOOPA - There is a lot of RNG to get to the point of combat, but the actual matches are very skill-based.

While I was moderating the Splatoon 3 Splatsville Showdown Event 2—a tournament you can learn more about here—I was watching the top four of the event and also reading the live chat as it came in. (I recently got promoted to Community Moderator in the Nintendo of America-sponsored Discord server run by eSports platform Battlefy) While the live chat replay is no longer available on the overall event replay available on Nintendo of America's YouTube channel, I can tell you that there was one comment that stuck with me. It really shouldn't, because it was made by an idiot troll, but nonetheless, this guy claimed that the tournament and Splatoon 3 are entirely luck-based affairs, so there's no point in watching the action.

Splatoon 3, the luck-based game where the same top teams win every time?
(Starburst and Destiny Bond weren't here because they already won Event 1 in December.)
...No, that intuitively doesn't make sense.

This is factually incorrect, but it did get me thinking about how much of Splatoon 3 gameplay in a tournament like the Splatoon 3 Splatsville Showdown was RNG-based. After all, I did recently write that doing very well in December 2022's Big Run event was quite luck-based, and Salmon Run as a whole is substantially more luck-based than Turf War or the Ranked Battle modes. So does that random troll have any validity to his statements?