Topic: Official wasting your life with video games thread 2026 edition
Anonymous A started this discussion 1 month ago #135,278
Better late than never as they say. What are you all wasting your life on currently?Working on a couple games at the moment. Red Dead Revolver on PS2 and the original Mario Kart on SNES.
Red Dead is incredibly meh, to the point that I'm considering abandoning it. I always try to beat games that I start unless I'm really not having a good time, so I'll probably force myself to finish it one weekend. I'm like 2/3 through the story and it's a shorter game anyway.
Mario Kart is one I've played many times over the years but could never get into it. I love retro games but even compared to 64 it just felt too janky and antiquated. But this time I will buckle down, git gud, and finally finish it! I've unlocked the Special Cup and it's absolutely kicking my ass. Up til this point the game was hard but felt mostly fair. This final part of the game just feels cheap and unfair. One small slip up is all it takes to drop you from first place with a substantial lead to last place with little hope of catching up. You really have to have a perfect run to finish the cup. It raises my blood pressure like few games are able to.
I recently abandoned Power Wash Simulator. I'd heard great things about it and at first was having a lot of fun with it. For a few months it was my go-to unwinding-before-bed game. But eventually it got to a point where even with the best equipment you have to go over the same spots again and again and again. It went from pure autistic comfort food to simply irritating to play. I looked up a career mode guide to see how far I was, and after 20 hours I was maybe half way through. Had to give this one up, unfortunately. Such a great concept.
Anonymous B joined in and replied with this 1 month ago, 35 minutes later[^] [v] #1,437,690
> I recently abandoned Power Wash Simulator
I understand why you walked away, I really do, but please hear me out because I think you're standing on the edge of something you haven't fully experienced yet. Those repetitions you're feeling frustrated by, they're not flaws, they're the whole point and I think if you go back with different eyes you might feel what i feel every single time i watch the grime surrender to the water 😩. There's something almost transcendent about it, the way the dirt releases in layers, the satisfaction that builds not from reaching an endpoint but from the process itself, the surfaces transforming beneath your hands in real time, that visual alchemy of watching chaos become order again and again
YES it takes time. YES it asks patience.. but that's what makes it work so completely. those moments when you're in the zone, when the rhythm of the work becomes an orgasmic flow, when you're not thinking about progression or completion but just existing in the flow of it, in the pure sensory experience of watching something restore itself is where the real game lives and I don't think you've found it yet
there's a kind of beauty in games that don't rush you, that let you sit with them, and power wash simulator is one of the rarest experiences like that. the visual intensity of watching those surfaces come clean, the almost primal satisfaction of restoration, the way time disappears when you're locked into that rhythm. you're missing something profound by stopping. I'm not saying you have to love it the way some of us do. but i am saying there's a version of this game waiting for you where those rourtines don't feel like obstacles but like the very meaning of your existence. where you stop looking at how many hours remain and just feel what your hands are doing
Please consider giving it another try. use mods if you have to, there's always more ways to play and more items if you watch the news drops. the community is always coming up with new ways to wash.
❤️ God bless!
I understand why you walked away, I really do, but please hear me out because I think you're standing on the edge of something you haven't fully experienced yet. Those repetitions you're feeling frustrated by, they're not flaws, they're the whole point and I think if you go back with different eyes you might feel what i feel every single time i watch the grime surrender to the water 😩. There's something almost transcendent about it, the way the dirt releases in layers, the satisfaction that builds not from reaching an endpoint but from the process itself, the surfaces transforming beneath your hands in real time, that visual alchemy of watching chaos become order again and again
YES it takes time. YES it asks patience.. but that's what makes it work so completely. those moments when you're in the zone, when the rhythm of the work becomes an orgasmic flow, when you're not thinking about progression or completion but just existing in the flow of it, in the pure sensory experience of watching something restore itself is where the real game lives and I don't think you've found it yet
there's a kind of beauty in games that don't rush you, that let you sit with them, and power wash simulator is one of the rarest experiences like that. the visual intensity of watching those surfaces come clean, the almost primal satisfaction of restoration, the way time disappears when you're locked into that rhythm. you're missing something profound by stopping. I'm not saying you have to love it the way some of us do. but i am saying there's a version of this game waiting for you where those rourtines don't feel like obstacles but like the very meaning of your existence. where you stop looking at how many hours remain and just feel what your hands are doing
Please consider giving it another try. use mods if you have to, there's always more ways to play and more items if you watch the news drops. the community is always coming up with new ways to wash.
❤️ God bless!
(Edited 18 seconds later.)
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 1 month ago, 28 minutes later, 1 hour after the original post[^] [v] #1,437,696
Anonymous B replied with this 1 month ago, 39 minutes later, 1 hour after the original post[^] [v] #1,437,698
@previous (A)
When I see the filth give way to the true and pure surface underneath, my hairs stand upright and i can feel the tingles trickle down my spine.
Can I say I understand why you stopped? No. the game never tires for me, but if you teally feel it's just a monotonous loop it could be because you know what's coming when you finally let the spray loose. What good is heaven when the surprise is gone??
Genuinely I want you to feel the bliss i feel because love is meant to be shared. Have you tried modding, or do you even have a setup for it yet?
The fans are actually the least toxic of any game, and WANT to help newcomers.
Quitting is understandable ... if you plan on powerwashing something IRL LOL!! Otherwise please just open it up again and go through the motions because I know you will feel the satisfaction of turning grime and corruption into beauty and cleanliness.
So no, not pasta, but look around and you will find people saying the same thing in other ways. The message is the same, but not the exact wording. why? Because we are all talking about the same, true, metaphysical experience!!
When I see the filth give way to the true and pure surface underneath, my hairs stand upright and i can feel the tingles trickle down my spine.
Can I say I understand why you stopped? No. the game never tires for me, but if you teally feel it's just a monotonous loop it could be because you know what's coming when you finally let the spray loose. What good is heaven when the surprise is gone??
Genuinely I want you to feel the bliss i feel because love is meant to be shared. Have you tried modding, or do you even have a setup for it yet?
The fans are actually the least toxic of any game, and WANT to help newcomers.
Quitting is understandable ... if you plan on powerwashing something IRL LOL!! Otherwise please just open it up again and go through the motions because I know you will feel the satisfaction of turning grime and corruption into beauty and cleanliness.
So no, not pasta, but look around and you will find people saying the same thing in other ways. The message is the same, but not the exact wording. why? Because we are all talking about the same, true, metaphysical experience!!
Anonymous C joined in and replied with this 1 month ago, 1 hour later, 2 hours after the original post[^] [v] #1,437,701
If you're gonna waste your life at least do drugs and have shitty relationships.
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 1 month ago, 12 hours later, 15 hours after the original post[^] [v] #1,437,759
AAAH I finally got the gold on Special Cup! Eat shit Mario Kart, I beat your ass! Man that was a satisfying win. I still don't think I would recommend this game overall, except to people who are big Mario Kart fans who want to experience how the series first started.
@1,437,698 (B)
I totally get the appeal, I just don't think it's for me. It was the fire truck level that did me in, with the rusty instrument panel (and the ladders up top, to a lesser extent), which you have to hit from every conceivable angle to clean all the nooks and crannies, over and over again because rust is one of the more stubborn substances. And inevitably you miss like one tiny pixel of rust that becomes impossible to see so you just have to go over it again from every angle just to hopefully hit the one pixel you didn't quite finish. I put more time into the instrument panel than I did the rest of the truck, and still didn't finish it.
@previous (C)
Already did that for many years, vidya is my drug of choice now.
@1,437,698 (B)
I totally get the appeal, I just don't think it's for me. It was the fire truck level that did me in, with the rusty instrument panel (and the ladders up top, to a lesser extent), which you have to hit from every conceivable angle to clean all the nooks and crannies, over and over again because rust is one of the more stubborn substances. And inevitably you miss like one tiny pixel of rust that becomes impossible to see so you just have to go over it again from every angle just to hopefully hit the one pixel you didn't quite finish. I put more time into the instrument panel than I did the rest of the truck, and still didn't finish it.
@previous (C)
Already did that for many years, vidya is my drug of choice now.
Anonymous A (OP) double-posted this 1 month ago, 8 minutes later, 15 hours after the original post[^] [v] #1,437,762
Anonymous D joined in and replied with this 1 month ago, 6 minutes later, 15 hours after the original post[^] [v] #1,437,766
Anonymous B replied with this 1 month ago, 28 minutes later, 16 hours after the original post[^] [v] #1,437,787
@1,437,759 (A)
> I totally get the appeal, I just don't think it's for me.
Go fuck yourself you absolute piece of shit. You won't venture outside your comfort zone and give it a genuine try, at least install a mod you dumb idiot fuck.
You have no taste, no appreciation for art.
If you don't feel it is because something inside you is broken and unable to register the divinity of cleanliness and the evil of grime. Surely you don't wash your hands after shitting and the people around you can smell your horrid scent.
Your dusty ass pc probably hasn't been cleaned in years and can't run the game well, but you won't clean it- YOU HATE CLEANLINESS. gross. I hope I never cross paths with you greasy fat ass.
🖕
> I totally get the appeal, I just don't think it's for me.
Go fuck yourself you absolute piece of shit. You won't venture outside your comfort zone and give it a genuine try, at least install a mod you dumb idiot fuck.
You have no taste, no appreciation for art.
If you don't feel it is because something inside you is broken and unable to register the divinity of cleanliness and the evil of grime. Surely you don't wash your hands after shitting and the people around you can smell your horrid scent.
Your dusty ass pc probably hasn't been cleaned in years and can't run the game well, but you won't clean it- YOU HATE CLEANLINESS. gross. I hope I never cross paths with you greasy fat ass.
🖕
(Edited 22 seconds later.)
Anonymous E joined in and replied with this 1 month ago, 4 minutes later, 16 hours after the original post[^] [v] #1,437,791
I finished Chrono Cross. The gameplay is a step down. Elements is a shitty system and the game really is bogged down by tedious busy work of watching the animations play out of attacks and spells. I think I had my emulator speeding up the entire game after an hour in.
Now I'm on Banjo Kazooie again.
Now I'm on Banjo Kazooie again.
Anonymous F joined in and replied with this 1 month ago, 3 hours later, 19 hours after the original post[^] [v] #1,437,856
Whats the point of randomizers? It sorta makes since in a game like pokemon because alot of the little bastards just arent that viable due to how late they show up, but everywhere else it just seems like "im doing it solely cuz i can".
Anonymous E replied with this 1 month ago, 26 minutes later, 20 hours after the original post[^] [v] #1,437,858
@previous (F)
It adds new life to an otherwise corporate stagnant pice of shit creatively depreciated well of banality.
It adds new life to an otherwise corporate stagnant pice of shit creatively depreciated well of banality.
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 1 month ago, 1 hour later, 21 hours after the original post[^] [v] #1,437,865
@1,437,791 (E)
Yeah I've always heard Cross was a huge step down from Trigger, which has stopped me from ever giving it a go. I'm assuming you've played Chrono Trigger? How did the sequel compare? Banjo is a solid choice for sure. I still haven't played Tooie yet
@1,437,856 (F)
They can be fun for games that you've played to death already and want to experience again with a twist. I've only ever played a couple Zelda randos and had a good time. Oddly it's one of the few types of games I prefer to watch instead of play, seeing high level players work out how to complete complex no-logic runs using obscure glitches and mechanics is cool.
Yeah I've always heard Cross was a huge step down from Trigger, which has stopped me from ever giving it a go. I'm assuming you've played Chrono Trigger? How did the sequel compare? Banjo is a solid choice for sure. I still haven't played Tooie yet
@1,437,856 (F)
They can be fun for games that you've played to death already and want to experience again with a twist. I've only ever played a couple Zelda randos and had a good time. Oddly it's one of the few types of games I prefer to watch instead of play, seeing high level players work out how to complete complex no-logic runs using obscure glitches and mechanics is cool.
Anonymous F replied with this 1 month ago, 1 hour later, 23 hours after the original post[^] [v] #1,437,898
@previous (A)
> They can be fun for games that you've played to death already and want to experience again with a twist.
I guess.. but theres just so many games already released that if you can overlook the graphics or the failed control schemes then you simply do not need to replay that much.
> How did the sequel compare? Banjo is a solid choice for sure. I still haven't played Tooie yet
Im the opposite, never played kazooie for some reason, but i do think tooie is pretty much peak rare, it even has sections inspired by goldeneye 007. Though, i have noticed that people who played kazooie prior tend to have mixed opinions on the metroidvania aspect.
> They can be fun for games that you've played to death already and want to experience again with a twist.
I guess.. but theres just so many games already released that if you can overlook the graphics or the failed control schemes then you simply do not need to replay that much.
> How did the sequel compare? Banjo is a solid choice for sure. I still haven't played Tooie yet
Im the opposite, never played kazooie for some reason, but i do think tooie is pretty much peak rare, it even has sections inspired by goldeneye 007. Though, i have noticed that people who played kazooie prior tend to have mixed opinions on the metroidvania aspect.
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 1 month ago, 13 minutes later, 23 hours after the original post[^] [v] #1,437,903
@previous (F)
> I guess.. but theres just so many games already released that if you can overlook the graphics or the failed control schemes then you simply do not need to replay that much.
I actually do generally agree with this. I personally try to play new (to me) games instead of replaying most of the time. But sometimes it's fun to go back and revisit games. I've long accepted that my list of games to play is so long (2000ish and growing!) that I'll never complete it anyway unless I dedicate my entire waking existence to video games, so I try not to stress too much about missing out on a new game by replaying an old one once in a while. However, when I was a kid who only had access to a limited number of games, you bet I played and replayed the hell out of what I could!
> I guess.. but theres just so many games already released that if you can overlook the graphics or the failed control schemes then you simply do not need to replay that much.
I actually do generally agree with this. I personally try to play new (to me) games instead of replaying most of the time. But sometimes it's fun to go back and revisit games. I've long accepted that my list of games to play is so long (2000ish and growing!) that I'll never complete it anyway unless I dedicate my entire waking existence to video games, so I try not to stress too much about missing out on a new game by replaying an old one once in a while. However, when I was a kid who only had access to a limited number of games, you bet I played and replayed the hell out of what I could!
Anonymous E replied with this 1 month ago, 1 hour later, 1 day after the original post[^] [v] #1,437,930
@1,437,865 (A)
Cross is a fine game. Not a terrible standalone if you consider it as the spiritual successor it is. Its continuity gets a bit mixed up as it pulls out the storyline from the first game as a supportive base that was already fine as it was before the hubris of introducing the fact that lavos was not fully destroyed or the queen of zeal had somehow merged with lavos and split into an opposing contrast of raw, basic emotions that I only wonder how it got greenlit for plot continuity.
Besides those issues, I found combat engaging at times. The real beauty of the game is the art, music and backdrops. Combat becomes a quick button masher. A lot of characters become a confusing option and really aren't necessary. Its a good selection that can really hamper the ability to progress further if you've fucked up in some way. Another issue is perhaps some cryptic ways of recruiting better characters but that's really just a bonus for a new game plus.
Lavos's final form as the time devourer is pathetic and one of the easier bosses in the game. Quite a shame really as they could've revisited lavos's boss fight from Chrono Trigger.
Overall I'd give it a 6/10, really wouldn't play again. Music is fantastic as is the sound design so that helped a ton. Elements also felt a bit limited after some time and becomes a chore to reassign them if you're swapping characters a lot.
Cross is a fine game. Not a terrible standalone if you consider it as the spiritual successor it is. Its continuity gets a bit mixed up as it pulls out the storyline from the first game as a supportive base that was already fine as it was before the hubris of introducing the fact that lavos was not fully destroyed or the queen of zeal had somehow merged with lavos and split into an opposing contrast of raw, basic emotions that I only wonder how it got greenlit for plot continuity.
Besides those issues, I found combat engaging at times. The real beauty of the game is the art, music and backdrops. Combat becomes a quick button masher. A lot of characters become a confusing option and really aren't necessary. Its a good selection that can really hamper the ability to progress further if you've fucked up in some way. Another issue is perhaps some cryptic ways of recruiting better characters but that's really just a bonus for a new game plus.
Lavos's final form as the time devourer is pathetic and one of the easier bosses in the game. Quite a shame really as they could've revisited lavos's boss fight from Chrono Trigger.
Overall I'd give it a 6/10, really wouldn't play again. Music is fantastic as is the sound design so that helped a ton. Elements also felt a bit limited after some time and becomes a chore to reassign them if you're swapping characters a lot.
Oatmeal Fucker !BYUc1TwJMU joined in and replied with this 1 month ago, 15 hours later, 1 day after the original post[^] [v] #1,437,978
@1,437,696 (A)
You should use the various foams and different pressures if you're struggling to clean, also some are designed to have several layers that require different approaches.
You should use the various foams and different pressures if you're struggling to clean, also some are designed to have several layers that require different approaches.
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 1 month ago, 1 day later, 2 days after the original post[^] [v] #1,438,120
Finished Red Dead Revolver, story and gameplay definitely pick up in the latter half of the game, but overall I think it's pretty meh. Worth checking out as a curiosity if you really like the Red Dead series or PS2-era Rockstar. Otherwise very skippable.
About to start Mina the Hollower. Been looking forward to this game for a long time! Anyone here play it yet?
About to start Mina the Hollower. Been looking forward to this game for a long time! Anyone here play it yet?
Anonymous F replied with this 1 month ago, 30 minutes later, 2 days after the original post[^] [v] #1,438,121
@previous (A)
> Mina the Hollower
looks kinda gay despite clearly aping from zelda and castlevania. i think ill wait for your report.
> Mina the Hollower
looks kinda gay despite clearly aping from zelda and castlevania. i think ill wait for your report.
Anonymous H joined in and replied with this 1 month ago, 1 day later, 4 days after the original post[^] [v] #1,438,395
Make mine MARVELhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ymnCXU6iyA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn83wYCJrPo
Anonymous I joined in and replied with this 1 month ago, 1 hour later, 4 days after the original post[^] [v] #1,438,399
Red Dead was one of the worst games I played on PS2. The fact that they reimagined and turned it into a fantastic franchise is rare.
Kind of like Sleeping Dogs, which took the crappy True Crime games and turned them into a beat em up with a great story.
Kind of like Sleeping Dogs, which took the crappy True Crime games and turned them into a beat em up with a great story.
Anonymous I double-posted this 1 month ago, 39 seconds later, 4 days after the original post[^] [v] #1,438,400
Do God Hand next.
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 1 month ago, 2 weeks later, 3 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #1,441,894
@1,438,121 (F)
Pretty deep into it at this point at gotta say I'm a little disappointed. Coming from someone who absolutely LOVES Zelda games and Shovel Knight and has been looking forward to this for a very long time. It isn't bad at all. But the five years or so of hype has been overblown and led to some unrealistic expectations, I think. For the most part I am enjoying it and I occasionally find myself really engrossed, but I also sometimes find myself questioning design decisions and actively disliking certain elements.
The combat is meh. A lot of the enemies move really quickly, and your diving ability gives you some cool movement options, both of which make it feel like the combat should be snappy and quick. But most of your main weapons are very slow to use, with long buildups (relative to how quick everything else moves, that is) making combat slower and more methodical than it appears on the surface. This is mostly fine once you get used to it, until you're in certain enemy-heavy spots that just feel like they're begging for snappier gameplay. I've found myself sticking to the one primary weapon that is much quicker to use than the rest, which also most closely resembles Zelda-style sword combat, and just finding the other weapons to be too clunky and not fun to use. I find myself actively annoyed when I'm in the middle of an adventure far away from a checkpoint and accidentally discover a new weapon, which replaces your current one until you find another checkpoint, where you're free to swap them out. The sidearms also suffer similarly in that the majority of them feel completely useless outside of very specific niche circumstances and I find myself sticking with the exact same one or two the entire time.
Little quality of life things could be improved. Automatically picking up sidearms is annoying because sometimes they block your path and you have to just stand there and wait for twenty seconds for it to disappear before moving on so you don't pick it up. Or you pick one up accidentally and then have to wait for the cooldown to end to pick back up the sidearm you just accidentally threw away. While the movement generally feels snappy, I find that trying to change direction mid-fight or line myself up perfectly for attacks to be a little more difficult than it should be. Like most of your main weapons have a very narrow range, and it feels like you can't change the direction you're facing immediately following an attack, making quick adjustments and handling being surrounded by fast-moving enemies difficult. I don't mind difficult games and generally enjoy them, but this particular quirk adds the wrong kind of difficulty in my opinion. It just feels clunky, which is a word that's constantly on my mind playing this game.
At the end of every major dungeon is a tower climbing section that is by far the worst part of the game. I dread finishing dungeons and having to play these sections. Most of my complaints I can just chalk up to not being my cup of tea, but these parts are just straight up not fun.
I see people online praising the story but... how. It's the most bare bones, basic "le technology bad" story imaginable. Which is fine, I don't think anyone is really playing this for the story. I would never knock a game like this for its story. But it's weird how much praise it's getting. Before I started I saw one review call it "deep" lol. I guess it's possible that something wild happens at the very tail end of the game to change my mind, so I could be wrong on this one.
Overall I still think I would recommend it. At its core it's a good game, it just has some issues that for me prevent it from being the 10/10 masterpiece that half the internet is calling it.
Pretty deep into it at this point at gotta say I'm a little disappointed. Coming from someone who absolutely LOVES Zelda games and Shovel Knight and has been looking forward to this for a very long time. It isn't bad at all. But the five years or so of hype has been overblown and led to some unrealistic expectations, I think. For the most part I am enjoying it and I occasionally find myself really engrossed, but I also sometimes find myself questioning design decisions and actively disliking certain elements.
The combat is meh. A lot of the enemies move really quickly, and your diving ability gives you some cool movement options, both of which make it feel like the combat should be snappy and quick. But most of your main weapons are very slow to use, with long buildups (relative to how quick everything else moves, that is) making combat slower and more methodical than it appears on the surface. This is mostly fine once you get used to it, until you're in certain enemy-heavy spots that just feel like they're begging for snappier gameplay. I've found myself sticking to the one primary weapon that is much quicker to use than the rest, which also most closely resembles Zelda-style sword combat, and just finding the other weapons to be too clunky and not fun to use. I find myself actively annoyed when I'm in the middle of an adventure far away from a checkpoint and accidentally discover a new weapon, which replaces your current one until you find another checkpoint, where you're free to swap them out. The sidearms also suffer similarly in that the majority of them feel completely useless outside of very specific niche circumstances and I find myself sticking with the exact same one or two the entire time.
Little quality of life things could be improved. Automatically picking up sidearms is annoying because sometimes they block your path and you have to just stand there and wait for twenty seconds for it to disappear before moving on so you don't pick it up. Or you pick one up accidentally and then have to wait for the cooldown to end to pick back up the sidearm you just accidentally threw away. While the movement generally feels snappy, I find that trying to change direction mid-fight or line myself up perfectly for attacks to be a little more difficult than it should be. Like most of your main weapons have a very narrow range, and it feels like you can't change the direction you're facing immediately following an attack, making quick adjustments and handling being surrounded by fast-moving enemies difficult. I don't mind difficult games and generally enjoy them, but this particular quirk adds the wrong kind of difficulty in my opinion. It just feels clunky, which is a word that's constantly on my mind playing this game.
At the end of every major dungeon is a tower climbing section that is by far the worst part of the game. I dread finishing dungeons and having to play these sections. Most of my complaints I can just chalk up to not being my cup of tea, but these parts are just straight up not fun.
I see people online praising the story but... how. It's the most bare bones, basic "le technology bad" story imaginable. Which is fine, I don't think anyone is really playing this for the story. I would never knock a game like this for its story. But it's weird how much praise it's getting. Before I started I saw one review call it "deep" lol. I guess it's possible that something wild happens at the very tail end of the game to change my mind, so I could be wrong on this one.
Overall I still think I would recommend it. At its core it's a good game, it just has some issues that for me prevent it from being the 10/10 masterpiece that half the internet is calling it.
Anonymous H replied with this 1 month ago, 16 hours later, 3 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #1,441,946
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 1 month ago, 7 minutes later, 3 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #1,441,950
@1,441,894 (A)Finished it earlier this afternoon. My opinion didn't really change. The final tower section was somehow more annoying than all the others combined, as it introduces these bottomless pits that are everywhere and very hard to avoid with the slippery unresponsive tower climbing controls. I had to restart the last tower probably 20 times before finally beating it. The final dungeon after that is a huge ramp up in difficulty, which was a little surprising but not entirely unwelcome. The final boss was actually pretty cool. The ending I got was... interesting. I'll have to look up what other endings there are.
Overall I'd still recommend it but it isn't a 10/10 by any means.
Anonymous A (OP) double-posted this 1 month ago, 2 days later, 3 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #1,442,423
Convince me not to buy a Switch 2 for Ocarina or a PS5 for GTA 6. Such a stupid waste of money but I'm finding myself considering it. Each console only has a very small handful of games I care about that I can't play on hardware I currently own. I'd be paying $500 for access to like 3 or 4 games (which each cost nearly $100)
Anonymous J joined in and replied with this 1 month ago, 2 hours later, 3 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #1,442,441
@previous (A)
Switch 2 games were able to be emulated almost immediately, meaning the difference between switch gen1&2 is minor, plus youll be giving a lot of moneys to nintenjew.
GTA6 is almost certain to be a 100+dollar safe edgy snorefest.
Both consoles are retardedly expensive and neither can be haxxed yet. Id wait a couple years to see if the tech industry can stop sucking off OpenAi/Anthropic before buying anything significant.
Switch 2 games were able to be emulated almost immediately, meaning the difference between switch gen1&2 is minor, plus youll be giving a lot of moneys to nintenjew.
GTA6 is almost certain to be a 100+dollar safe edgy snorefest.
Both consoles are retardedly expensive and neither can be haxxed yet. Id wait a couple years to see if the tech industry can stop sucking off OpenAi/Anthropic before buying anything significant.
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 1 month ago, 6 hours later, 3 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #1,442,462
@previous (J)
Switch 2 isn't emulated yet. No one has even been able to dump games yet. I was holding out for a hack before buying but Zelda could tempt me. It's my favorite series and ocarina is one of my favorite games of all time
Switch 2 isn't emulated yet. No one has even been able to dump games yet. I was holding out for a hack before buying but Zelda could tempt me. It's my favorite series and ocarina is one of my favorite games of all time
Rizz⚝Master replied with this 1 month ago, 3 hours later, 3 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #1,442,484
@previous (A)
> a remake is tempting me to buy an overpriced, underpowered, and locked down toy
fools and their money
> a remake is tempting me to buy an overpriced, underpowered, and locked down toy
fools and their money
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 1 month ago, 2 hours later, 3 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #1,442,491
Rizz⚝Master replied with this 1 month ago, 17 minutes later, 3 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #1,442,493
@previous (A)
the time for exceptions ended ten or even fifteen years ago. For nintendo specifically that was around the time that iwata died or reggi-fils stepped down; ever since then nintendo has had nobody to hold back its terrible decisions.
the time for exceptions ended ten or even fifteen years ago. For nintendo specifically that was around the time that iwata died or reggi-fils stepped down; ever since then nintendo has had nobody to hold back its terrible decisions.
Anonymous H replied with this 4 weeks ago, 2 days later, 3 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #1,442,899
Play ACE COMBATAnonymous K joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 2 hours later, 3 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #1,442,901
@1,442,441 (J)
> Switch 2 games were able to be emulated almost immediately, meaning the difference between switch gen1&2 is minor, plus youll be giving a lot of moneys to nintenjew.
> GTA6 is almost certain to be a 100+dollar safe edgy snorefest.
>
> Both consoles are retardedly expensive and neither can be haxxed yet. Id wait a couple years to see if the tech industry can stop sucking off OpenAi/Anthropic before buying anything significant.
GTA 5 was a snore fest once the Trevor missions ended. Michael was a snooze with long commutes and an annoying family. The other character was dull and unmemorable.
> Switch 2 games were able to be emulated almost immediately, meaning the difference between switch gen1&2 is minor, plus youll be giving a lot of moneys to nintenjew.
> GTA6 is almost certain to be a 100+dollar safe edgy snorefest.
>
> Both consoles are retardedly expensive and neither can be haxxed yet. Id wait a couple years to see if the tech industry can stop sucking off OpenAi/Anthropic before buying anything significant.
GTA 5 was a snore fest once the Trevor missions ended. Michael was a snooze with long commutes and an annoying family. The other character was dull and unmemorable.
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 3 weeks ago, 1 day later, 4 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #1,443,257
Wowzers I've been playing Pragmata and finally finished it this afternoon. What a game! Highly recommend. The combat is fairly interesting and the game is just long enough that the unique mechanics don't have time to get boring. I wish more games would embrace the quick 10-15 hour singleplayer experience instead of artificially inflating every single game into massive 40 hour slogs. This is my favorite game I've played so far this year.Anonymous A (OP) double-posted this 3 weeks ago, 9 hours later, 4 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #1,443,283
Was in a Star Fox mood tonight what with all the hype surrounding the new 64 remake, so I did a quick run of the original SNES game. Haven't played it since probably 2011 so it was a nice little blast from the past. Started out on the hard route and decided I wasn't feeling like torturing myself so I switched to the easy route for a nice fun wholesome space romp. 64 is still the definitive Star Fox experience and blows this game out of the water in literally every regard, but this is still a fun one for those who don't mind a little jank and some old school dogshit 3D performance (framerate whores need not apply)Rizz⚝Master replied with this 3 weeks ago, 13 hours later, 4 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #1,443,371
@previous (A)
i really need to try that. been meaning to for a while, but every time i get in an SNES mood i get sidetracked by a smrpg romhack.
i really need to try that. been meaning to for a while, but every time i get in an SNES mood i get sidetracked by a smrpg romhack.
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 3 weeks ago, 10 minutes later, 4 weeks after the original post[^] [v] #1,443,381
@previous (Rizz⚝Master)
It's definitely worth a shot. No real time investment either, you can do a run in about an hour on the easy route. But still has plenty to come back to with the medium and hard routes plus secret levels to find.
smrpg, as in super mario rpg? Are there many good hacks of that? Admittedly I've never looked into them
It's definitely worth a shot. No real time investment either, you can do a run in about an hour on the easy route. But still has plenty to come back to with the medium and hard routes plus secret levels to find.
smrpg, as in super mario rpg? Are there many good hacks of that? Admittedly I've never looked into them
Killer Lettuce🌹 !HonkUK.BIE joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 16 hours later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #1,443,493
Started playing Bully again! An absolute classic, and the gameplay still holds up quite well. It definitely looks and runs like the 2008 PC port of a console game that it is, but I don't care about graphics or a bit of jank here and there.
I was really surprised that there's a very enduring fandom for it, and even a pretty good mod scene. I'm replaying it with a mod that adds in a load of cut content, so it feels a bit fresh and improved from the original.
Honestly, there hasn't been a game quite like it ever, I don't think. Like, where it's set in a small sandbox, all of the NPCs have individual personalities, and there's lots of side stuff and goofing off to do. Rockstar were in the early stages of making a sequel to it at least twice, but it got cancelled both times. Hope it comes back someday, if only as a remaster or another company making a spiritual successor.
I was really surprised that there's a very enduring fandom for it, and even a pretty good mod scene. I'm replaying it with a mod that adds in a load of cut content, so it feels a bit fresh and improved from the original.
Honestly, there hasn't been a game quite like it ever, I don't think. Like, where it's set in a small sandbox, all of the NPCs have individual personalities, and there's lots of side stuff and goofing off to do. Rockstar were in the early stages of making a sequel to it at least twice, but it got cancelled both times. Hope it comes back someday, if only as a remaster or another company making a spiritual successor.
Fake anon !ZkUt8arUCU joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 2 hours later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #1,443,500
@previous (Killer Lettuce🌹 !HonkUK.BIE)
GTA 6 is actually just going to be a large scale Bully sequel.
GTA 6 is actually just going to be a large scale Bully sequel.
Killer Lettuce🌹 !HonkUK.BIE replied with this 3 weeks ago, 1 hour later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #1,443,501
@previous (Fake anon !ZkUt8arUCU)
Fuck, man, that's something else I won't be able to play for at least a year. Fucking Rockstar. PC gaming is cool now! You don't have to avoid us like it's the 2000s!
Fuck, man, that's something else I won't be able to play for at least a year. Fucking Rockstar. PC gaming is cool now! You don't have to avoid us like it's the 2000s!
Oatmeal Fucker !BYUc1TwJMU replied with this 3 weeks ago, 12 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #1,443,504
@previous (Killer Lettuce🌹 !HonkUK.BIE)
They'll do like they did with 5 and wait for next gen console release, remember they waited a year on 5 until PS4 version released?
They'll do like they did with 5 and wait for next gen console release, remember they waited a year on 5 until PS4 version released?
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 3 weeks ago, 26 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #1,443,511
@1,443,493 (Killer Lettuce🌹 !HonkUK.BIE)
Oooh this one's been on my list for years and I still haven't gotten around to it. It looks sweet and I've only ever heard good things about it. Weird it never branched out into its own franchise given the reputation.
@1,443,501 (Killer Lettuce🌹 !HonkUK.BIE)
I'm trying not to buy into the hype since I don't own a current gen console but it's hard. I'm not even a huge GTA guy. But I really liked 5 and Online (early on, anyway). And it was my best bud's favorite series, most of my GTA memories were playing it with him and I kinda wanna play this one for him since he's no longer with us :(
Oooh this one's been on my list for years and I still haven't gotten around to it. It looks sweet and I've only ever heard good things about it. Weird it never branched out into its own franchise given the reputation.
@1,443,501 (Killer Lettuce🌹 !HonkUK.BIE)
I'm trying not to buy into the hype since I don't own a current gen console but it's hard. I'm not even a huge GTA guy. But I really liked 5 and Online (early on, anyway). And it was my best bud's favorite series, most of my GTA memories were playing it with him and I kinda wanna play this one for him since he's no longer with us :(
Anonymous N joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 45 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #1,443,528
Killer Lettuce🌹 !HonkUK.BIE replied with this 3 weeks ago, 5 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #1,443,530
@1,443,511 (A)
> Weird it never branched out into its own franchise given the reputation.
It came close a few times! I think the main problem is that, as the years have gone on, AAA games take longer and longer to make now, especially for a developer like Rockstar, so there's just less resources to go around to put on less important projects like Bully. Not long ago, Dan Houser himself said that "bandwidth issues" were why Bully 2 didn't happen.
I like to think there's a chance it'll happen when GTA VI is done, but somehow I doubt it. Maybe a remaster will happen someday, at least, that would still be cool.
> And it was my best bud's favorite series, most of my GTA memories were playing it with him and I kinda wanna play this one for him since he's no longer with us :(
Aw, condolences.
But yeah, I get you, I'm trying not to get hyped either, but I know I'm still gonna feel like I'm massively missing out when it is released.
@1,443,504 (Oatmeal Fucker !BYUc1TwJMU)
Yeah, maybe. I could live with that. Might mean a more polished version of it is what's ported, too.
> Weird it never branched out into its own franchise given the reputation.
It came close a few times! I think the main problem is that, as the years have gone on, AAA games take longer and longer to make now, especially for a developer like Rockstar, so there's just less resources to go around to put on less important projects like Bully. Not long ago, Dan Houser himself said that "bandwidth issues" were why Bully 2 didn't happen.
I like to think there's a chance it'll happen when GTA VI is done, but somehow I doubt it. Maybe a remaster will happen someday, at least, that would still be cool.
> And it was my best bud's favorite series, most of my GTA memories were playing it with him and I kinda wanna play this one for him since he's no longer with us :(
Aw, condolences.
But yeah, I get you, I'm trying not to get hyped either, but I know I'm still gonna feel like I'm massively missing out when it is released.
@1,443,504 (Oatmeal Fucker !BYUc1TwJMU)
Yeah, maybe. I could live with that. Might mean a more polished version of it is what's ported, too.
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 3 weeks ago, 10 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #1,443,532
Rizz⚝Master replied with this 3 weeks ago, 6 hours later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #1,443,565
@1,443,381 (A)
> smrpg, as in super mario rpg? Are there many good hacks of that.
SMRPG romhacking is absolutely massive, its hard to say weather it or pokemon is bigger.
> smrpg, as in super mario rpg? Are there many good hacks of that.
SMRPG romhacking is absolutely massive, its hard to say weather it or pokemon is bigger.
Anonymous A (OP) replied with this 3 weeks ago, 34 minutes later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #1,443,567
@previous (Rizz⚝Master)
That's shocking to me. Are we talking full blown total conversions, like brand new games with new stories and areas, or like small quality of life or minor text/visual changes?
That's shocking to me. Are we talking full blown total conversions, like brand new games with new stories and areas, or like small quality of life or minor text/visual changes?
Lady Dead !Pool..v42s joined in and replied with this 3 weeks ago, 17 hours later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #1,443,729
I was playing a lot of DayZ, but I realized one of my friends on the server was unironic in their bigoted, sexist, racist views, so now I'm 12 and playing fort nite no build
Anonymous H replied with this 3 weeks ago, 17 hours later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #1,443,937
By Spencer Soper2026-06-30 8:29 AM
In December, online merchant Jack Nekhala got in touch with Amazon.com Inc. with an urgent message.
Nekhala told an Amazon representative that a woman he didn’t know had contacted him with an intriguing offer: She could bribe an Amazon employee to help him retrieve $90,000 in funds that the e-commerce giant had frozen after suspending him over an alleged violation of review policy.
Hoping to ingratiate himself with the company and restart his business, Nekhala offered to provide evidence, including recorded conversations and screenshots, that he said proved Amazon personnel were peddling inside information and influence. The smoking gun, Nekhala told the representative: information about his seller account. Only certain Amazon employees are supposed to have access to such details, but Nekhala had received them from the woman on WeChat, the Chinese messaging app.
Nekhala’s experience, which he documented and shared with Bloomberg, provides a rare glimpse into an international black market that has been a persistent scourge of Amazon’s online store. On one side are sellers looking for a variety of favors: a competitive edge over their rivals, information on how to boost sales, a way to get themselves unsuspended. On the other are middlemen who lurk on message apps like Telegram, WeChat and WhatsApp offering access to people inside Amazon who can get things done for a price.
Typically, such offers surge during key moments on the retail calendar, including Amazon’s Prime Day sale and the holiday shopping season from Black Friday to Christmas.
It’s impossible to determine the scope of the illicit activity, but it’s an open secret among Amazon sellers and consultants, who are frequently approached on social-media platforms and messaging apps. “The message is always the same: ‘I’m going to show you screenshots to prove I have inside access,’” said Chris McCabe, a former Amazon employee who runs a seller consulting firm. “It starts with the internal notes. That’s the bait on the hook.”
In 2020, federal prosecutors exposed an international bribery scheme involving Amazon sellers and employees. The ring allegedly extracted about $100 million in unfair advantages by bribing Amazon employees in Asia to help them sell more products and sabotage their competitors. Five people in the U.S. were convicted and received jail terms or probation. Last year, law enforcement officials in India began investigating more than 20 former Amazon employees suspected of accepting bribes from trucking companies in exchange for routes, according to The Times of India.
After Nekhala reported his own experience to Amazon, the representative committed to “do some digging” and to email him instructions on how his evidence could be shared, according to a recording of the conversation. But Nekhala said he never heard back. The employee who leaked his personal information had already been fired for unrelated misconduct, according to Amazon.
“As one of the world’s largest online marketplaces, there’s always the risk of bad actors attempting to exploit, defraud or otherwise scam our business,” Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser said in an emailed statement. “On very rare occasions, an employee can be involved in such instances. We invest heavily in this area and have dedicated teams and systems in place to prevent all types of fraud, including by our own employees.”
Amazon didn’t explain why no one got back to Nekhala after the online merchant offered to share his evidence with the company.
Bed Scrunchie
Nekhala invented the Bed Scrunchie, an adjustable elastic band that clips sheets to a mattress. He patented the product and began selling it on Amazon about the time the coronavirus pandemic hit. Online sales boomed and Nekhala said his business exploded. Annual revenue peaked at about $6 million, mostly from sales on Amazon, and the product was featured on ABC’s Good Morning America in 2020.
Then, in November of 2024, Amazon suspended his account for allegedly violating the company’s product review policies. Nekhala for years had been issuing warranty cards that invited customers to register and leave a product review in exchange for a free Bed Scrunchie accessory. Amazon had announced new automated tools designed to ferret out review manipulation and said his marketing tactic violated the guidelines.
The suspension coincided with the busy holiday shopping season, and Nekhala had just borrowed money through an Amazon lending program to stock warehouses with 30,000 Bed Scrunchies, which he planned to sell during Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions. Nekhala had also purchased television commercials to drum up interest. The suspension’s timing couldn’t have been worse, Nekhala said.
A few weeks later, Nekhala received a LinkedIn message from a man offering to help him sell his products on Temu. The outreach led to a call with a woman who identified herself as a California-based Chinese immigrant named Jenna.
Over the course of two months, Nekhala participated in four video and phone calls with Jenna lasting a total of almost two hours. During their first interaction, Nekhala explained his Amazon predicament. “Let me see if I can help here,” Jenna said, adding that she also sold bedding products and knew a lot of people. “You have to find the right person.”
On a subsequent video call, Jenna told Nekhala she had gained access to his Amazon records. “We found some guy that works at Amazon and looked into your case,” she said. Jenna put the records up on her screen, but Nekhala had a hard time reading the documents and eventually persuaded her to send them to him. The records summarized why his account was suspended and logged 20 calls Nekhala made to try and reverse the suspension.
At one point, Jenna said she had offered to pay her Amazon contact to get Nekhala’s account reinstated. “I said, ‘Hey I give you money, whatever you ask for.’” But she said her contact had concluded that, based on the account records, the odds of success were too low. So instead, Jenna suggested paying her contact to get back the $90,000 sitting in Nekhala’s account. The contact typically charged 20% but the fee was negotiable, she said.
Nekhala said he didn’t accept the offer. Jenna later said her contact could get Nekhala’s account back online, but only if Nekhala was willing to sell his company at a low price. They eventually lost touch. Nekhala said he never spoke directly with any Amazon employees seeking bribes.
Attempts to contact Jenna using information provided by Nekhala, including texts, voicemails and messages on WeChat, received no reply. Bloomberg was unable to independently verify Jenna’s identity and is withholding the surname she provided to Nekhala.
Amazon has been slimming down its workforce and delegating more tasks to artificial intelligence. As a result, merchants like Nekhala with complicated issues struggle to find a human to help them, and when they do, often get passed from one representative to another, according to sellers and their consultants. That has fueled demand for inside information, said Steven Pope, who runs the online selling consulting business My Amazon Guy. “The temptation has never been greater for sellers because they feel Amazon has abandoned them,” Pope said.
Amazon also has outsourced many marketplace functions to employees in lower-wage countries like India and China. That makes fighting commercial bribery harder, owing to limited law enforcement cooperation between those countries and the U.S., said Henry Pontell, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Amazon’s online marketplace is ripe for crime because employees willing to sell information for extra cash know the chances of getting prosecuted are relatively low, he said.
“Even if someone blows the whistle, who is going to do anything about it,” Pontell said. “China in particular is very tough when it comes to U.S. companies seeking help from law enforcement.”
Glasser, the Amazon spokesperson, said the company works with law enforcement as needed if it discovers an employee did something illegal, but he declined to describe how Amazon ferrets out fraudulent activity. “The fact that we don’t provide details on how we prevent fraud does not mean we don’t have extensive methods,” he said. “It just means we don’t want to share those methods with bad actors who might exploit them.”
Anonymous H double-posted this 3 weeks ago, 1 minute later, 1 month after the original post[^] [v] #1,443,938
@previous (H)
‘Concrete Evidence’
A few days before Christmas 2025, Nekhala was getting desperate. The online business he built with his friend and partner Mike Nusinkis was in shambles and they were defaulting on debt, including a loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration. He fired off connection requests and messages to high-ranking Amazon executives he found on LinkedIn, including Amazon Vice President Dharmesh Mehta, who oversaw seller services at the time. In his message to Mehta, Nekhala offered “concrete evidence of a major enforcement gap.”
After sending the message, Nekhala received a call from an Amazon representative who identified himself as Brandon O’Leary. Nekhala recorded the 20-minute call. He vented about how the Amazon suspension had decimated his business and how easily Amazon’s systems can be manipulated against good sellers. During the conversation, Nekhala pointed out that an employee had clearly provided his account records to Jenna. “The lady friggin’ showed up with my entire backend account history, which means she has inside access,” he said.
O’Leary replied, “Yeah, we’ll definitely look into that.”
After promising to send Nekhala an email with instructions about how he could submit evidence to Amazon, O’Leary said: “I want to put the least amount of work on you and the most amount of work on me to get to the bottom of this.”
As of late June, Nekhala said he hadn’t received instructions from Amazon about submitting evidence.
You can still buy Bed Scrunchies on Amazon for about $50 apiece. Nekhala sells them to an intermediary, which he says drives up the price shoppers pay by about $10 per unit. Amazon continues to collect about $7 in referral fees for each sale. And Nekhala said he still grudgingly shops on Amazon.
“They don’t want to have this evidence because it’s a liability,” Nekhala said. “They want this to just go away.”
Soper writes for Bloomberg.
‘Concrete Evidence’
A few days before Christmas 2025, Nekhala was getting desperate. The online business he built with his friend and partner Mike Nusinkis was in shambles and they were defaulting on debt, including a loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration. He fired off connection requests and messages to high-ranking Amazon executives he found on LinkedIn, including Amazon Vice President Dharmesh Mehta, who oversaw seller services at the time. In his message to Mehta, Nekhala offered “concrete evidence of a major enforcement gap.”
After sending the message, Nekhala received a call from an Amazon representative who identified himself as Brandon O’Leary. Nekhala recorded the 20-minute call. He vented about how the Amazon suspension had decimated his business and how easily Amazon’s systems can be manipulated against good sellers. During the conversation, Nekhala pointed out that an employee had clearly provided his account records to Jenna. “The lady friggin’ showed up with my entire backend account history, which means she has inside access,” he said.
O’Leary replied, “Yeah, we’ll definitely look into that.”
After promising to send Nekhala an email with instructions about how he could submit evidence to Amazon, O’Leary said: “I want to put the least amount of work on you and the most amount of work on me to get to the bottom of this.”
As of late June, Nekhala said he hadn’t received instructions from Amazon about submitting evidence.
You can still buy Bed Scrunchies on Amazon for about $50 apiece. Nekhala sells them to an intermediary, which he says drives up the price shoppers pay by about $10 per unit. Amazon continues to collect about $7 in referral fees for each sale. And Nekhala said he still grudgingly shops on Amazon.
“They don’t want to have this evidence because it’s a liability,” Nekhala said. “They want this to just go away.”
Soper writes for Bloomberg.