Operation Backlog Completion 2026

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Comes Out on April 24 and Has a World Map

 Video games  2 Responses »  Tagged with:
Jan 242025
 

I’ve been excited for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ever since it was announced, even naming it one of my top 5 most anticipated games of this year.

Now I have even more reason to love it, because the latest trailer and commentary from the developers confirmed that it will have a world map.

I love the classic JRPG world maps, and I’m sad that they’re so rare nowadays. Being able to traverse an overworld in between the individual areas just appeals to me so much, so it was a delightful surprise to see one here.

According to the official description, it will be “an overworld brimming with secrets, side quests, and challenges,” so that’s even better.

It really seems like it’s shaping up to be the sort of RPG I’ve been hoping for.

The trailer also gave us a release date, April 24. Now, that’s the exact same release date as The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, which is also on my list of most-anticipated games. Just when I thought 2025 wasn’t as packed as the past couple of years…

I was already excited for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and now I’m even more so. Here’s hoping it lives up to our hopes, because it looks fantastic! Are you looking forward to it?

Top 5 Games I’d Love to See Announced for Switch 2

 Video games  2 Responses »  Tagged with:
Jan 222025
 

That quick glimpse of a new Mario Kart game during the Switch 2 reveal is really all we have in the way of Switch 2 announcements so far.

I like Mario Kart well enough, but a new one wouldn’t be a system seller for me. I never even got Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on the Switch, being content with what I’d played of the Wii U game.

But when that Nintendo Direct comes on April 2, we’re probably going to get a whole lot more game announcements. Here are the top 5 that would convince me to get a Switch 2 sooner rather than later.

5. A new Ace Attorney

You knew it had to be on the list, right? I’m convinced this is our year for a new Ace Attorney announcement, and a Nintendo Direct could be a prime place to announce it. The only reason it’s this low on the list is that Ace Attorney is a multiplatform series now – and since the most recent collection came out for the Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One, I fully expect any new Ace Attorney game to launch for the original Switch.

That being said, it they did release a new Ace Attorney game as a Switch 2 exclusive for some reason, I’d be first in line to buy it.

4. Banjo-Threeie

Yes, I know Rare is owned by Microsoft, and that means Microsoft would handle any new Banjo-Kazooie game. However, Nintendo did recently include Microsoft on the list of developers they’re hoping to strengthen their relationships with, and Banjo-Kazooie feels like the perfect game for that sort of partnership.

I’ve loved every Banjo-Kazooie game. Even Nuts & Bolts. Even Grunty’s Revenge. I’d play a new Banjo-Kazooie game in a heartbeat, no matter what system it came out for… and if one of those systems was the Switch 2, I’d be sorely tempted to get one so I could play it there.

3. A new 3D Mario

Super Mario Odyssey was the game I bought a Nintendo Switch for. I actually bought it some time before the game came out, but that was my driving motivation. I knew I wanted to play Odyssey at launch, and so I made sure to have a Switch by that point. Although I’ve never been as big a fan of 2D Mario platformers, the 3D platformers are among my favorites.

If they announce a new 3D Mario game in the style of 64/Sunshine/Odyssey in particular, it’ll once again guarantee I’m there for it. I wouldn’t miss that, no matter what.

2. A new RPG from Monolith Soft

Monolith Soft has become one of my favorite developers, especially due to the Xenoblade series. Even though my enjoyment of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 didn’t quite match that of the previous games in the series, I am still eagerly awaiting their next new game for the Switch 2. They’ve consistently made impressive, beautiful games no matter what hardware it was for, so I can’t wait to see what they’re capable of with the new system.

(Imagine if they take a break from Xenoblade and we finally get a new Baten Kaitos.)

In fact, this would have been #1 on my list, except that we have the Xenoblade Chronicles X remaster coming out in March. I doubt they’d have another game coming out too soon after, so we probably have a little breathing room. Whenever their next game does come, however, I’ll be sure to have a Switch 2 by then.

1. A new (real) Paper Mario

My hopes and dreams for Paper Mario had all but crumbled into dust, the void filled by Bug Fables and nothing else, but then Nintendo announced a remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and all my dreams returned to life. Not only did they remake a classic Paper Mario game, but they even revived the Mario & Luigi series as well! It’s clear Nintendo is no longer averse to Mario RPGs, so who’s to say they aren’t working on a new Paper Mario like the originals?

If they announced a new Paper Mario that genuinely looked like the older games (or even Super Paper Mario), complete with all the charm and characters and storytelling, you know I’d be there day one. Now, I still haven’t played Origami King, but that’s another matter. That can wait for me to properly judge it another time, but a new classic Paper Mario would be a dream come true.

Honorable mentions go to Luigi’s Manion 4, Fatal Frame 6, and a fourth Famicom Detective Club game, all of which I’d be delighted to see but probably wouldn’t buy the console for them alone.

What new game announcements would be sure to get you to buy a Switch 2?

It’s the 13th Anniversary of Rhythm Thief (Still Waiting for a Sequel… or Remaster)

 Video games  2 Responses »  Tagged with:
Jan 202025
 

Yesterday was the 13th anniversary of Rhythm Thief, which first came out in Japan on January 19, 2012.

Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure is an excellent rhythm game about a thief trying to learn the truth behind his father’s disappearance.

My best comparison for how it plays is that it’s like a Professor Layton game with rhythm games instead of puzzles, and it’s really a lot of fun. The story is also insane in all the best ways.

Back when I played it and wrote my review, my one criticism was that it ends on a big sequel hook but never got a sequel. Three years ago, I returned to the topic of Rhythm Thief to once again lament the lack of a sequel.

Now here we are in 2025, still with no Rhythm Thief sequel in sight.

With the 3DS eShop having been shut down, it is now pretty much impossible to get a copy of Rhythm Thief. Physical 3DS copies are rare and expensive, and the only port it ever got was an abridged iOS version that was shut down years ago. As much as I want a sequel, I can’t help but think a port or remaster of the original is an important step toward making that possible.

From Ghost Trick to Trace Memory to Xenoblade Chronicles X, we’ve had plenty of nearly-forgotten games be revived lately. In this era of unexpected remasters and revivals of old series, I really hope Rhythm Thief is the next to make a return.

And don’t worry, the daily blog dedicated to counting the days until we get a sequel is still active.

Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure is one of my favorite underrated games, and I’d love to see it get a sequel someday. For now, I hope for a remaster so that more people get to play it. Do you think we’ll see a Rhythm Thief remaster anytime soon?

 Older Entries  Newer Entries