Caught in 480i

 

From when I got my first 'Nintendo' as a kid, gaming at home was a bigger challenge than the games I've played.  From having to connect and disconnect my NES from the family TV for every session to waiting till the wee hours of the night to test my secondhand consoles, handhelds were just easier to deal with.  Just recently, I've decided to set up my own permanent gaming station.   And some space had opened up on top of the bedroom drawer where my old Zenith TV still sits (above).  Better than the painting station I've made for my Gunpla, it's perfect for playing retro games on my Switch.

Big Bang Pro Wrestling (NeoGeo Pocket Color)

My second to last purchase in my pursuit of all things NGPC, Big Bang's the first wrestling game I've tried since playing Hal Wrestling (Game Boy) on the school bus way back when.  And that one wasn't nearly as complex, at least as far as the genre is concerned.

Choosing from a roster of 8, you can compete in various modes which include deathmatches, tournaments and a story-driven run for the championship.

Making the most of the NGPC's 2-button layout, Big Bang teaches the basics along with moves exclusive to your chosen wrestler.

And of course, pressing both A and B under certain conditions will activate your super.

Biomotor Unitron (NGPC)

The latest NGPC title available for the Switch, Biomotor Unitron combines the overhead dungeons of classic Zelda with the turn-based combat of classic Pokemon, but with robots.

You start by choosing a pilot and their partner from 5 different races.  This will also affect the make and model of your machine.

From there, you venture out into one of 4 areas representing the elements of earth, wind, water and wood (?).

Upgrading your machine and leveling up throughout the game, you'll be taking down the monsters in each dungeon . . .

And your opponents in the Arena in no time.

Part of the reason for me catching the home gaming bug is to properly use this pro controller I've just bought.  Feeling nostalgic, I went back to playing an old favorite for the first time in literally years.  But compared to the aforementioned games, this one doesn't look as good on the ol' Zenith and I've gone back to playing on Handheld Mode for the time being.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Since literally being the first kid on my block to get their own Switch, I've played BOTW quite a bit until my Joy-Cons started drifting.  Though eventually replacing the Joy-Cons, I drifted away from BOTW, turning my attention to my ever-growing Switch library.  And I worried that the sooner I went back to the game, the sooner I'd finish.  A part of me didn't want it to end.  But after getting that Zelda-inspired controller, it was time to get back to nature, so to speak.

In the last episode, I was chasing Farosh the dragon for materials to enhance my Rubber Armor--except the armor wasn't complete.

So once again, our hard-traveling elf boy wanders the 4 corners of the globe to find the nearest Sheikah Tower and map out the surrounding area.

My next destination was the Thundra Plateau, where I solved the puzzle--during a lightning storm--to unearth the shrine.

After all that, passing the trial to win the Rubber Armor was a piece of cake.

Unless I stumble upon a side quest along the way, the next step would be to find the 4th and final Divine Beast.  But first, another tower.

Between this and a Spanish soap marathon, I've just realized I missed an online demo event for Mario Strikers: Battle League, which I planned to cover for the next post.  All that's left now is more Zelda, more Unitron and a mobile game I've just started.  On top of that, there's also a new entry to my Toys section plus an overdue Gunpla blog.  If I had put as much effort to climbing the Top of the Heap as I do climbing those Sheikah Towers, I'd be caught up by now.  Anyway, see you next time.