The Spotlight is usually a monthly summary that encapsulates some of the more notable media experiences I’ve had over the past thirty days, but I took last month off to focus on Game of the Year stuff. I was certain that I would have more stuff to write about here, but I must have really not done very much in the past 2 months.
From insights on games played, to articles worth checking out, and even cool stories from tabletop role-playing games, it all has a place in the Spotlight.
Games
Paper Mario
Having recently gained access to the Nintendo Switch Online’s even more premium Expansion Pass-thing that comes with N64 and Gameboy Advance games, I’ve slowly been working my way through some of the games from my youth. The one that really resonated with me was Paper Mario, a game I often rented but never owned. I think this game is great, even if it’s a little rough around the edges in places. It’s charming, it’s decently paced, and the combat is a lot of fun even if I know it gets better in the sequel.
TCG Card Shop Simulator
Man, TCG Card Shop Simulator really sunk its teeth into me over the past few months to the extent that it even managed to crack my game of the year list. It’s rough, it’s repetitive, but it has this very manageable and satisfying gameplay loop that’s perfect for melting the hours away. Since December, the updates have slowed a bit and so has my engagement with it, but the moment something new gets added, I’ll be back.
Dead Island 2
Dead Island 2 isn’t a very good game. It’s not bad either. It’s fine. But it does have some pretty satisfying melee combat and the ability to experience said melee combat with a friend. That’s been the only reason a buddy of mine and I keep returning to this unremarkable game filled with unlikable characters. There’s just something about hacking and slashing our way through the zombie apocalypse with a friend that brings me such joy.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
I never really got the opportunity to talk extensively about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, nor will I use this venue to do so, but I do want to sing its praises for a moment. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a fantastic experience that seemingly came out of nowhere and took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting too much when it was announced several years ago, but I am pleased to say that this game is truly phenomenal. It takes all the things I enjoyed about the modern Hitman games, added some really satisfying melee combat, and encouraged me to beat the hell out of dimwitted fascists. It’s excellent!
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
I started Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth recently and was pretty charmed by the characters and the writing, which added a lot of clarity to why it was so lauded last year by critics. My only issue is that I’ve played for a few hours already and have barely done anything. I know a lot of people like the pacing and stories of these games, but sometimes I just want to get to the good parts without having to sit through three hours of well-made backstory. Like, I haven’t even gotten to the main part of the game yet. I’m three hours in and I’ve yet to complete the prologue. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is arguably the most engaged I’ve ever been with a Yakuza game, but man, it takes its sweet time to get going.
Watch List
The Simpsons
Every year or so I make the vain attempt to get back into watching The Simpsons. The golden era of The Simpsons still remains as some of my favorite television, ever, but I always fall off around the same time. Once the teenage seasons roll around, the show starts to lose its soul a bit, focusing more on trying to keep up with its satirical contemporaries, like South Park, while cramming as many celebrity cameos into an episode as possible. I want to experience this dip for myself and see how bad it really gets. But I also want to see what’s on the other side of that because I hear good things about the modern Simpsons that I’m really curious about.
Whether this pans out how I hope or not remains to be seen, but at the very least, I can always watch those same ten seasons over and over and still be entertained.
Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butthead
Speaking of 90’s television, there’s a new Beavis and Butthead and it’s kind of decent. I mean, the main caveat being that you thought the show was funny back in the day. If you hated it then, you’re definitely not going to enjoy it now. But it’s still a fun show to dip into when I want to turn my brain off and see some of the dumbest entertainment ever. It’s weird seeing Beavis and Butthead riff over viral videos and weird influencer shit, but it quickly feels natural. Although not even their commentary is enough to overpower my desire to not watch some of these videos.
Disenchantment
I can’t believe it took me so long to get into Disenchantment. I remember trying this show out when it first launched, but eventually fell off of it because I was expecting the fantasy version of Futurama and got something else. It’s not a perfect show by any stretch, but it’s still very funny and well written. It felt like a big, dumb, D&D campaign where the story kind of made sense, but the adventure and goofily-voiced NPCs were the main draw. I like Disenchantment now, and I like that it ended and wrapped up its story.
Mario Party Party
Whenever I want to kill 4 hours of my life, I turn to the classic Giant Bomb archives and watch three grown men grouse their way through every mainline Mario Party game for 50 turns, while a fourth grown man eggs them, gleefully singing the praises of the franchise the whole way. Some videos are better than others, but for my money, the live one they did at a PAX was the best.
Listening Party
I-E-A-I-A-I-O – System of a Down
Alleviate – Moving Mountains
Most of what Dankmus Produced
The Rest
Path to Menzoberranzan
So this is a cool thing I’m working on. Last month I joined the team that’s working on a full new campaign for Baldur’s Gate 3 as a writer. It’s been a ton of work and has eaten up a lot of my time, but it’s been a blast. Seeing the project come together has been really inspiring and I can’t wait for it to come together in 2030, when I assume it will be finished.
It probably won’t take that long, but you can follow the development on social media or on YouTube. There’s also a Discord to join if that’s more your thing. Check it out!
News
An Article About the Mod I’m Working on!
The Switch 2
McDonald’s is Trying to Kill You with a $20 Jug of McRib Sauce
Developer Behind Mediocre Game Says DEI, Cause of Course They Do
A New Guitar Hero Controller is Coming out for the Wii, and Not for the PC for Some Reason
Celeste Dev’s Next Game is Cancelled
Some Madman Installed Every WoW Add-On They Could
Googly Eyes Bandit Keeps Swapping Out Switch Games for Silly Craft Pieces
DnD-Themed Pinball Machine has a Wild Voice Cast
Thanks for checking out The Spotlight. In lieu of doing game of the year stuff, we’ll be back at the end of February with another installment. Consider subscribing to The Bonus World so you can get an email updating you whenever we publish something new.
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