Wavelengths with Brendon Bigley

The Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is out for iOS and Android, and now that I've played it I'm here to answer what everyone in the boardroom of The Pokémon Company was probably asking themselves: Is it the next Pokémon GO? Does it have a shot at captivating the world in the same way? Does it say anything at all about the future of the franchise? Sure! --- Feel free to follow me elsewhere! Threads: https://www.threads.net/@brendonbigley Mastodon: https://idlethumbs.social/@brendon Blog: https://wavelengths.online --- Chapters: 0:00 - Where did this thing come from? 6:26 - Is the Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket Good? 9:16 - How Battling Works 12:21 - One Million Currencies 14:08 - The Future of The Pokemon Company --- ⏆

I've become a big Dragon Quest fan over the past few years, having played huge swaths of a whole bunch of them, and having finished a couple as well. Unfortunately, Dragon Quest X eludes everyone outside of Japan and has since its release on the Wii in 2012. Finally, thanks to the collective efforts of a bunch of very generous people online, you can play Dragon Quest X in English with the help of a few tools. Today's episode of Wavelengths is all about using your sickness-infused boredom to figure out how to play Dragon Quest X AND Dragon Quest X Offline. Was it worth the effort? Come along and find out, won't you? Important links: Adventurer's Abbey for DQX: https://dqxabbey.com/pages/getting_started.html NexusMods for DQX Offline: https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonquestxoffline/mods/2?tab=files --- Feel free to follow me elsewhere! Threads: https://www.threads.net/@brendonbigley Mastodon: https://idlethumbs.social/@brendon Blog: https://wavelengths.online --- Chapters: 0:00 - You Should Play Dragon Quest 4:40 - Dragon Quest X is the Missing Link 11:05 - How to Play Dragon Quest X (The MMO) 18:19 - The Dragon Quest X Offline English Mod 24:26 - Bye!--- ⏆

Shin-Chan: Shiro and the Coal Town is a new, deeply chill game that is one part Boku no Natsuyasumi and one part Humungous Entertainment game. It launched this week on Nintendo Switch and Steam, and I played it primarily on the Steam Deck. I don't talk about performance at all in the video so I'll just say it here: It runs just fine on the Deck. No issues at all! Also worth mentioning that I received code for this game from the publisher, but hopefully you know me well enough to know that wouldn't influence my review of the game at all. --- Feel free to follow me elsewhere! Threads: https://www.threads.net/@brendonbigley Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/brendonbigley.bsky.social Mastodon: https://idlethumbs.social/@brendon Blog: https://wavelengths.online --- Chapters: 0:00 - The Boku No Natsuyasumi Connection 4:13 - It’s Shiro and the Coal Town Review Time 11:39 - Getting Earnest on Main 14:59 - Thanks for Watching 😘 —- ⏆

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom manages to feel like a classic Zelda game, but the main methods of interacting with the environment are completely new. With a loosely open-ended structure, free reign to explore Hyrule at your heart's content, and an unbelievable number of quality side quests, it feels like a miracle the game was made in the first place — much like Tears of the Kingdom before it. --- Feel free to follow me elsewhere! Threads: https://www.threads.net/@brendonbigley Mastodon: https://idlethumbs.social/@brendon Blog: https://wavelengths.online --- Chapters: 0:00 - They announced this in JUNE 2:25 - It's Zelda's World, We're Just Playing It 4:58 - All About Echoes (of Wisdom) 11:25 - Another Link Between Worlds 17:32 - Let's Talk About That Combat 20:56 - The Slumber Dojo, Side Quests, and Doing Everything 24:22 - The Game is a Miracle --- ⏆

Nintendo released an alarm clock yesterday called Alarmo, proving yet again that they're a chaotic company who completely disregards every logical move and instead focuses on what they think is the most fun idea they can bring to life. This has its pros and cons, obviously, as for every Wii you get a Wii U, but on the whole it keeps things delightfully weird. --- Chapters: 0:00 - Nintendo is Unpredictable 3:14 - What is Alarmo? 4:22 - My Experience With Alarmo So Far 9:16 - Nintendo's History of Chaos 12:21 - The Switch 2 is a Grill, Actually 14:20 - Why Nintendo Always Wins 18:26 - Subscribe, baby.

UFO 50 is the new game by Mossmouth and a group of six all-timer indie developers who worked for around a decade on making fifty fully-fledged games that collectively are a huge homage to the 80s. It is a masterpiece. Also: I've never done a review like this before! As I mention at the top, I have another in the works but I just needed to get my thoughts out about this thing, so I hope you like it. Let me know if you're interested in more. --- Feel free to follow me elsewhere! Threads: https://www.threads.net/@brendonbigley Mastodon: https://idlethumbs.social/@brendon Blog: https://wavelengths.online --- --- Chapters: 0:00 - Welcome to the Wavelengths review of UFO 50 2:32 - The Gateway to the NES 7:02 - UFO 50, Barbuta, and Lessons Learned 17:16 - Into the Aether 22:40 - Camouflage, Mooncat, and Takeaways 27:25 - How to Play UFO 50 30:35 - Masterpiece Status --- ⏆

Apparently there are some leaked renders of the Nintendo Switch 2 floating around online today, and I have a few gut-reactions to the specs and feature's we've seen. Leak: https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLeaksAndRumours/comments/1fjp352/photos_of_switch_2_factory_prototypes_have_leaked/ More thoughts: https://wavelengths.online/posts/the-switch-2-may-have-leaked-already --- Chapters: 0:00 - Grains of Salt hours activated 1:35 - Why two USB-C ports? 3:24 - 12GB of RAM / PS4 Comparison 6:17 - A microphone! lmao! 7:39 - BIG boy!! ⏆

Sony announced the PS5 Pro earlier this week, and it had me asking a lot of questions about how it fits into the overall PlayStation strategy. Mark Cerny used his "big three" to talk about the device, so I implemented my own "big three" to talk about why I think the Pro might not be the thing Sony should be focusing on releasing right now. I also forgot to mention it doesn't have a disc drive!! --- Feel free to follow me elsewhere! Threads: https://www.threads.net/@brendonbigley Mastodon: https://idlethumbs.social/@brendon Blog: https://wavelengths.online --- Chapters: 0:00 - Speedrunning the PS5 Pro Announcement 2:32 - Compulsion: Who is this thing for? 9:07 - Context: Why this is a weird thing to release right now 20:45 - Legacy: The real issue is the games 24:03 - Wrapping up --- ⏆

The Nintendo Switch 2 is rumored to be getting announced as soon as this month, which means this is my final shot at throwing a bunch of predictions and wishes at the wall before we learn more form Nintendo themselves. This is a longer one because as much as I love the Switch, there is SO much I would love to see changed in the next iteration. --- Feel free to follow me elsewhere! Threads: https://www.threads.net/@brendonbigley Mastodon: https://idlethumbs.social/@brendon Blog: https://wavelengths.online --- Chapters: 0:00 - Nintendo Switch 2 Prediction Time 1:39 - What will the name be? 12:35 - Will the Switch 2 be backwards compatible? 15:34 - Performance Improvements 22:25 - Bring themes back! Make it fun! 27:23 - Please fix the eShop 33:37 - Ergonomics and so much about the Joy-Cons 40:25 - Thank you SO much for listening! --- ⏆

Xbox was pretty publicly working on a third member of the Xbox Series family for a few years called "Keystone" which would have been a streaming-only set top box for games played through Game Pass and xCloud. The device never materialized, and I wanted to look at why they were building it in the first place, why I was so personally interested in one, and why it never saw the light of day despite being accidentally shown publicly by Phil Spencer. And who knows, maybe it'll show up one day anyway! --- Feel free to follow me elsewhere! Threads: https://www.threads.net/@brendonbigley Mastodon: https://idlethumbs.social/@brendon --- Chapters: 0:00 - What was Project Keystone? 1:58 - An aside about the PlayStation TV 3:07 - Game streaming is good now?? 7:26 - How Keystone fit in the Xbox lineup 9:08 - Why Keystone never released 10:52 - The Point: Making the medium cheaper 13:23 - Subscribe if you haven't! --- ⏆

Nintendo has announced that Animal Crossing Pocket Camp will be shut down in November and replaced with an offline, paid version with no in-app purchases. Doesn't that sound like what it should have been all along? --- Chapters: 0:00 - The Shutdown 0:35 - Animal Crossing Sicko Activated 3:18 - Why Pocket Camp Didn't Work (For Me!!) 5:41 - The New Shiny Pocket Camp 9:21 - The Two Open Questions

Almost immediately after writing and posting my review of the Ayn Odin 2, I knew I wanted to also create some kind of extended conversation about how much I love the thing. I’d heard John Voorhees of MacStories rave about it on MacStories Unwind towards the end of 2023, and as a big fan of his work I knew he’d be the right person to chat with. We obviously talk a whole bunch about the Odin 2, but we also dig into some alternatives, what it’s like to use the iPhone as a gaming handheld, the benefits of Android, trying to get games running on the Apple Vision Pro, and a bunch more. You can check it out here, and subscribe to get future episodes! Links Discussed (And Some Not Discussed): ⁠Brendon's Ayn Odin 2 Review⁠ ⁠Taildrop by Tailscale⁠ ⁠Retro Game Corps' Odin Starter Guide⁠ ⁠GameSir G8 Controller⁠ ⁠Onyx Boox Palma A quick aside: I’m still not sure what I want to do with the Wavelengths feed, but you can expect occasional conversations about games and tech and news to pop up every once in a while.  ⏆

On this week's episode of Wavelengths I talked to Chris Plante of Polygon.com and The Besties about what it would take for a company to become a major player in the video game console market in 2023 and beyond. This episode is audio only due to some logistical issues, but we'll be back with video for the next one. Thanks for understanding! 😘 --- Feel free to follow me elsewhere! Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendonbigley Threads: https://www.threads.net/brendonbigley Writing: https://wavelengths.online --- Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:55 - Hello to Chris Plante 3:55 - The Steam Deck 10:30 - How to Compete 14:58 - Google and Amazon 18:43 - About Apple 22:46 - Is It Impossible? 29:11 - The Answer 30:31 - Subscribe to the show! Music provided by: - Elijah Lee – Trapped in My Mind - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/zpYgbeqMaxA --- ⏆

Today on Wavelengths I am absolutely obsessed with this Assassin's Creed Mirage tie-in haptic suit from OWO that allows you to feel the sensation of taking a dagger wound, or maybe even being shot for the low low price of $550. --- Feel free to follow me elsewhere! Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendonbigley Mastodon: https://idlethumbs.social/@brendon Writing: https://wavelengths.online --- Chapters: 0:00 - Welcome to Wavelengths 0:40 - The History of Immersion 2:13 - I like VR! 2:56 - Second Skin 6:54 - Subscribe for more!! --- Music provided by: - Elijah Lee – Trapped in My Mind - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/zpYgbeqMaxA --- ⏆

This week on Wavelengths I dig into the mystique surrounding what I believe to be the most exciting new game studio out there: Gardens. Afterwards we chat a bit about Blizzard's games and old Call of Duty titles taking on new life after the Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard King, and some news surrounding some incoming Metroid Prime and Zelda ports. --- Feel free to follow me elsewhere! Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendonbigley Mastodon: https://idlethumbs.social/@brendon Writing: https://wavelengths.online --- Articles: Gardens Interview: https://80.lv/articles/gardens-ceo-on-the-studio-s-upcoming-game-tech-they-use/ Blizzard Games on Steam: https://www.polygon.com/23799285/blizzard-pc-games-steam-overwatch-2-release-date Legacy COD Games: https://twitter.com/CODMW2Informer/status/1681333238789296131 Metroid Prime 2: https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLeaksAndRumours/comments/153h2iz/jeff_grubb_metroid_prime_2_is_coming_soonish_and/ Replaceable Batteries: https://overkill.wtf/eu-replaceable-battery-legislation-steam-deck-switch-handhelds/ --- Chapters: 0:00 - Welcome to Wavelengths 0:20 - Gardens 5:45 - Blizzard Games Coming to Steam 7:57 - Legacy Call of Duty Games Back Online 8:59 - Metroid and Zelda News Incoming 11:25 - Replaceable Battery Laws 12:44 - Subscribe!! --- Music provided by: - Elijah Lee – Trapped in My Mind - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/zpYgbeqMaxA --- ⏆

This week on Wavelengths we need to talk about the legacy of Gex. Making his return via a remastered trilogy collection with Limited Run Games, are we ready for some kid to grow up and create a Gex 4? Also up today: A conversation about what's going on with the Borderlands movie and word from Square Enix on upcoming pixel remasters based on the successes of Final Fantasy. Limited Run Games Showcase: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWRytWXN4KE Borderlands Movie Woes: https://kotaku.com/borderlands-movie-hbo-last-of-us-craig-mazin-crombie-1850623951 Square Enix Remasters: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/square-enix-says-its-considering-remastering-more-old-titles-following-ff-pixel-remaster-success/ --- Feel free to follow me elsewhere! Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendonbigley Mastodon: https://idlethumbs.social/@brendon Writing: https://wavelengths.online --- Chapters: 0:00 - The Return of GEX!! 4:53 - The Borderlands Movie Still Exists 7:51 - Future Square Enix Remasters 10:00 - Subscribe!! --- Get the audio version of the show: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Hmt3yHTovQmEcqzhZdl8T Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wavelengths-with-brendon-bigley/id1677660078 Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/x6p7ni3r And more: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/itswavelengths --- Music provided by: - Elijah Lee – Trapped in My Mind - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/zpYgbeqMaxA --- ⏆

This week on Wavelengths I absolutely had to talk about the recent Pokemon Sleep information we got via a "how to" video. Generally I am more in favor of The Pokemon Company's version of trying to find a new hit than Niantic's — making apps that help tangibly with people's livelihoods will always be more enticing — but they have SUCH a bad habit of making their games way too complicated. --- Feel free to follow me elsewhere! Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendonbigley Mastodon: https://idlethumbs.social/@brendon Writing: https://wavelengths.online --- Chapters: 0:00 - Welcome back! 0:53 - Niantic vs The Pokemon Company 1:15 - The Niantic Problem 2:23 - Pikmin Bloom is Good 3:50 - The Pokemon Company Approach 7:21 - Pokemon Sleep's Complexity 12:36 - SUBSCRIBE!! --- Music provided by: - Elijah Lee – Trapped in My Mind - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/zpYgbeqMaxA --- ⏆

Not much! This week on Wavelengths is all about what we know for sure about the Nintendo Switch 2... or Super Nintendo Switch... or New Nintendo Switch? Whatever!! We finally are getting some concrete information straight from Nintendo and publishers about its power and the possibility of backwards compatibility. --- Feel free to follow me elsewhere! Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendonbigley Mastodon: https://idlethumbs.social/@brendon Writing: https://wavelengths.online --- Chapters: 0:00 - Hello! 0:32 - Nintendo's Statement 5:00 - "PS4 Power" 8:19 - What WE Want 10:39 - Tell a friend! --- Get the audio version of the show: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Hmt3yHTovQmEcqzhZdl8T Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wavelengths-with-brendon-bigley/id1677660078 Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/x6p7ni3r And more: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/itswavelengths --- Music provided by: - Elijah Lee – Trapped in My Mind - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/zpYgbeqMaxA --- ⏆

This week on Wavelengths: The big Nintendo Direct of the summer has landed, and consensus seems to be pretty positive! At least I walked away pretty happy following my own "as long as there's one thing I'm excited about, it's a win" rule. Super Mario RPG is getting a remake, Pikmin 1/2 ports shadowdropped for reasonable prices, BB got some DQ — wins all the way down baybee. --- Feel free to follow me elsewhere! Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendonbigley Mastodon: https://idlethumbs.social/@brendon Writing: https://wavelengths.online --- Chapters: 0:00 - Hello there! 1:41 - Pikmin 4 Updates 2:17 - Pikmin 1 & 2 for Switch! 2:37 - Vampire Survivors gets Co-Op 3:40 - Detective Pikachu Returns 4:11 - Super Mario Bros Wonder 6:19 - Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Volume 1 7:09 - Star Ocean: The Second Story R 8:16 - WarioWare: Move It! 9:30 - Super Mario RPG Remake 10:54 - Batman Arkham Trilogy 11:49 - Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince 12:31 - Mythforce 13:06 - New Peach game for Switch 13:29 - Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon for Switch 13:57 - Lmk what I missed! --- Get the audio version of the show: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Hmt3yHTovQmEcqzhZdl8T Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wavelengths-with-brendon-bigley/id1677660078 Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/x6p7ni3r And more: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/itswavelengths --- Music provided by: - Elijah Lee – Trapped in My Mind - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/zpYgbeqMaxA --- ⏆

This week on Wavelengths there seems to be some kind of online uproar about the Armored Core 6 gameplay that hit the internet today, but honestly I'm so on board I have no idea what the controversy is. I played through the Final Fantasy XVI demo and AGAIN find myself completely on board with a game I was only cautiously optimistic about. And then there's a bunch of other stuff too — believe it or not. Vaati's Armored Core 6 Breakdown: https://youtu.be/nUTPLucLU5I Cyberpunk 2077 Report: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-14/idris-elba-stars-in-phantom-liberty-new-major-expansion-of-cyberpunk-2077 Grimace's Birthday: https://grimacesbirthday.com/ --- Feel free to follow me elsewhere! Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendonbigley Mastodon: https://idlethumbs.social/@brendon Writing: https://wavelengths.online --- Chapters: 0:00 - Welcome back 0:25 - Armored Core 6 Gameplay 6:22 - Final Fantasy XVI Demo Reaction 14:59 - What is Star Wars Outlaws? 18:31 - Cyberpunk 2077's Redemption Arc 22:00 - Grimace's Birthday for the Game Boy Color 22:53 - Bye bye! --- Get the audio version of the show: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Hmt3yHTovQmEcqzhZdl8T Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wavelengths-with-brendon-bigley/id1677660078 Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/x6p7ni3r And more: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/itswavelengths --- Music provided by: - Elijah Lee – Trapped in My Mind - Provided by Lofi Records - Watch: https://youtu.be/zpYgbeqMaxA --- ⏆