When I was growing up, we all rented video games. It was just a way of life. You only got new games a few times a year — around the holidays, your birthday — and any other time, if you wanted to play a new game, you either borrowed it from a friend or you went down to the video store.

Back then, Blockbuster was the undisputed king of video game rentals. It had a few competitors — you might remember Hollywood Video or Movie Gallery. But back in the ‘90s, I actually spent most of my time renting from a mom-and-pop store called Finklee’s. 

Their selection was smaller than the big guys, but I remember Finklee’s being a little warmer, a little more inviting. Finklee’s eventually went out of business and was replaced by a Movie Gallery. But the closeness you get with a small company, especially one in your community, can’t be replaced so fast.

Fast-forward to today. Finklee’s is just a memory for a few of us from my home town, and video game rentals aren’t really a thing anymore. Part of that has to do with the growing adoption of digital media and subscription services from Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox. 

And that’s really sad, especially for Nintendo players, because first-party Switch games don’t typically go on sale. Some of the games that launched alongside the Switch in 2017 are still full price. Hell, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is consistently one of the top-selling games across all the consoles.

Renting is an important part of gaming culture that’s kinda been lost. GameFly is really the only true video game rental service I can think of.

Well, until now.

Now, I can add Didero Games Club to that list.

One of Didero’s founders, her name’s Maya, reached out to me when they launched in June and just told me about this company that she started, and I loved the idea. I asked if she’d be open to answering a few of my questions, and she was very generous with her time.

Here’s our quick interview:

How did Didero Games Club come to be? And why now?

Maya: During the pandemic in 2020, my co-founder Jim and I built a similar private library using peer-to-peer shipping to get more jigsaw puzzles to more people stuck at home.  That business continues to grow and our members love it (it’s called the Hoefnagel Puzzle Club).

We engineered the heck out of the peer-to-peer shipping, assuming that we’d find lots more uses for it, but we rejected idea after idea: it just doesn’t make business sense to use our system for renting lawnmowers, books, tuxedos, or cars! 

Then a few months ago we were on a long hike in New Zealand, and we got to brainstorming again, and it hit us that video games could be a great match!  

We called video game economist Aravind Moorthy, and he suggested we focus on Switch games, because Switch has lots of expensive blockbuster games. The Switch has limited memory and is played on-the-go a lot, making physical games handy. 

Researching what was already out there, we found that while Gamefly is a big game rental business with lots of fans, they also get certain patterns of complaints that we don’t get with the puzzle club.

Where did the name, Didero, come from?

Maya: My second favorite Enlightenment philosopher is Denis Diderot (number one is Voltaire). Diderot organized the first Encyclopedia to share knowledge, and was a librarian for Catherine the Great in Russia. So we decided to name our library after him. To make it easier for Americans, we dropped the silent “t” at the end of his French name. We pronounce it “did a row.”  

Dropping the “t” made it possible to register the website www.didero.com, which might have been one of the last free pronounceable domain names with only 6 letters!  

Why did you decide to focus on Switch games? 

Maya: Every factor we looked at pointed to the Switch being the best console for renting physical games at this point in history.

Switch has lots of expensive RPG and puzzle games for adults with limited playtime – games you don’t play over and over –  so it makes a lot of sense to rent those rather than buy. 

The Switch has limited memory and is played on-the-go a lot. 

It’s already a favorite console for people with lousy internet connections who currently buy physical games.

And lots of people own a Switch, since it has been available since 2017.   

Lastly, people kept telling us that Switch was the most popular platform with mature, responsible adults, who are our dream customers.

How did your experience with Hoefnagel Puzzle Club inform what you’re doing with Didero?

Maya: We’ve learned so much about what *will* go wrong with peer-to-peer shipping, and how to make our system robust to inevitable problems and user-friendly when things do go wrong.

For example, when a game comes free, you can’t just choose to ship it to the closest person who wants that game,  or your members in Hawaii will never get games! We’ve developed some beautiful AI to pick who gets each item when it comes free to keep everyone happy and keep costs low.

Why should people consider peer-to-peer libraries like Didero over your corporate competitors?

Maya: We are cheaper, faster, and nicer to customers :).  

Our games spend more time in the hands of gamers, and less time in-transit back-and-forth to a warehouse or sitting on warehouse shelves. When there’s a hot new release, it’s going to go straight from Alice to Bob, which means Bob gets it faster.  

We provide tracked shipping, because tracking info makes customers happy, and helps us run things smoothly. For example, suppose Alice gets busy and doesn’t actually drop her game off at the post office.  Our AI sees that, and automatically gets a 2nd game on its way to Bob. Sure, Bob then might end up having 2 games for a while – we’re okay with that. 

In fact, we’ve learned that we need to have around 1.5 games circulating per member, in order to keep enough games coming free that we can keep everyone happy. 

We call Didero a “club” because when you do peer-to-peer shipping, you are part of a community. And we work hard to make sure it’s a nice, respectful community, and that starts with us being nice and respectful to our customers.  

That friendly community is reflected in the way we grow: ⅓ of our new members for Hoefnagel come from referrals (we give members a free month for every new member they bring in, plus the new member gets a free month).  Having a lot of referrals means a lot of members are friends or friends-of-friends, or just friendly. 

Finally, since Didero Games Club is just getting started, we are giving out some free trials. Email us at help@didero.com and put “Nintendo Watcher Interview” in the email title, and we’ll give the first 100 responders a two-month free trial (USA addresses only).

Do you remember those carefree days of childhood when birthdays meant a trip to McDonald’s? Well, get ready to relive those cherished memories because McDonald’s is throwing a nostalgic celebration for none other than our beloved purple pal, Grimace!

With a limited-time Game Boy Color game, a special meal, exclusive merchandise, and a charitable initiative, McDonald’s is bringing back the ’80s and ’90s in full swing. Let’s dive into the details and explore this exciting blast from the past!

Grimace: A Fuzzy Purple Icon

Grimace, that fuzzy purple character from Grimace Island, became an instant favorite during McDonald’s marketing campaigns in the ’80s and ’90s. Known for his playful personality and love for shakes, Grimace quickly won the hearts of McDonald’s fans worldwide. And now, after all these years, Grimace is taking center stage once again as McDonald’s celebrates his birthday in style.

The Grimace Birthday Meal

Starting June 12, McDonald’s fans can indulge in the Grimace Birthday Meal, a special treat designed to honor our purple pal. The meal includes the choice of a Big Mac or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, served alongside the fries. But the star of the show is the limited-edition purple shake, inspired by Grimace’s iconic color and sweetness. It’s a perfect way to savor the nostalgia and enjoy a unique culinary experience.

Grimace’s Birthday Game: A Retro Gaming Experience

As part of the celebration, McDonald’s has collaborated with Krool Toys® to create an exclusive Game Boy Color game called Grimace’s Birthday. This game takes players on a journey through classic McDonald’s birthday scenes as Grimace races to find his pals, including Birdie and Hamburglar, all in pursuit of cutting his birthday cake. The game is available to play for free on desktop and mobile.

McDonald’s has truly tapped into the power of nostalgia with Grimace’s Birthday celebration.

Cassette Beasts is a game that combines classic Pokémon-like gameplay with a unique twist. Developed by Bytten Studio — an indie team based out of the U.K. — this pixel art style game offers an interesting take on the creature collector RPG genre. While it brings a fresh approach to the table, it does have some flaws that detract from the overall experience.

Before we get started, I want to say thanks to the publisher for providing a code for review.

One of the most noticeable issues with Cassette Beasts is the frequent frame rate drops. Initially, I thought it might be intentional, designed to give the game an old-school aesthetic. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a technical flaw rather than a deliberate stylistic choice. I’m not a huge stickler for framerates, but this game’s inconsistent frame rate is hard to ignore. It’s distracting and takes away from the immersion of the game.

But despite the technical shortcomings, Cassette Beasts has its charms. The game allows you to create your own character with a wide range of customization options, from hairstyles to clothing. This level of personalization adds a nice touch and makes your character feel unique.

The gameplay in Cassette Beasts follows a familiar formula, reminiscent of classic Pokémon games. With a top-down perspective and turn-based battles, players will feel right at home. However, the game introduces an intriguing twist: you can actually transform into the creatures you capture and battle as them. This adds a refreshing dynamic to the gameplay and adds an extra layer of strategy to the otherwise basic battle system.

Battles in Cassette Beasts incorporate an AP (Action Points) meter, which determines the moves you can make on each turn. Basic melee moves don’t consume AP and allow you to build it up, while stronger melee and special moves require two, three, or even four action points. This system adds depth and strategy to the battles, but unfortunately, the battles tend to move at a slow pace, even in easy encounters early on. This sluggishness can be frustrating, especially when you’re several levels above your opponents.

One standout feature of Cassette Beasts is the ability to see enemies on the world map, eliminating random encounters. This adds a level of transparency and allows players to plan their encounters strategically. The game wastes no time getting players into the action, providing minimal world-building in the first few minutes. While this might be a downside for those seeking a more immersive narrative, it caters to players eager to jump into battling and collecting as quickly as possible.

The leveling system in Cassette Beasts is a little surprising. Instead of individual monsters gaining experience, it is the player character who levels up. When you capture a new tape, it automatically adjusts to your level. This approach deviates from the traditional creature collector RPG formula and brings a fresh perspective to character growth.

Exploring the game’s overworld is governed by a stamina wheel, similar to Breath of the Wild. Running, gliding, and performing various moves consume stamina, which depletes over time. As you progress through the story, you can upgrade your stamina wheel, granting you more freedom of movement.

As the game unfolds, players unlock the fusion technique, allowing them to combine two monsters into one temporarily, unleashing powerful attacks. The fusion mechanic adds complexity to battles and introduces strategic decision-making.

Cassette Beasts incorporates a rock-paper-scissors system for battles, with different monster types interacting uniquely. For instance, a wind-type move is potent against a plant-type monster, as it uproots them. This system adds an extra layer of depth to combat encounters, but I found it hard to keep up with all the different combinations.

The game’s music is a standout feature, with catchy tunes that deviate from the expected chiptune style. The soundtrack complements the gameplay and enhances the overall experience.

Building relationships with your partners is a significant aspect of Cassette Beasts. By completing quests and battling alongside them, you can grow closer to your allies. The relationship levels are upgraded at campfires or in cafes, providing a sense of progression and camaraderie.

Cassette Beasts offers a decent variety of monster designs, striking a balance between diversity and overwhelming numbers. This allows players to explore various creatures without feeling inundated.

Customization is another notable feature, as players can teach their tapes different moves by using stickers on their cassettes. Stickers can be reused on different tapes, allowing for mixing and matching of favorite techniques and tapes.

The game introduces an evolve mechanic called “remastering.” Once a tape reaches five stars, players can remaster it into a more powerful form, which boosts its stats and unlocks new moves. This mechanic adds depth to the creature progression and incentivizes players to seek out stronger forms.

Despite its positive aspects, Cassette Beasts has its fair share of flaws. The loading screens are lengthy and can be frustrating, particularly when entering and exiting dungeons. The story, while intriguing in concept, lacks depth and fails to provide a compelling narrative arc. The game’s environmental puzzles and platforming sections are challenging due to awkward camera movement and controls, leading to some frustrating moments.

So what’s the bottom line? Cassette Beasts brings a fresh twist to the creature collector RPG genre with its unique transformation mechanic and customization options. The rock-paper-scissors battle system, diverse monster designs, and catchy music enhance the overall experience. However, technical issues like frame rate drops and slow battles, as well as long loading times, detract from the game’s potential. I hope these issues can eventually be patched out.

While it falls short in some areas, Cassette Beasts manages to carve out its own style and offers an enjoyable adventure for fans of the genre.

Overall, I give Cassette Beasts a 7/10.

Cassette Beasts is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and Game Pass.

We finally have a release date for the next Dragon Quest installment, The Adventure of Dai.

Infinity Strash: DRAGON QUEST The Adventure of Dai — that’s a mouthful — is hitting the Nintendo Switch on September 28, 2023.

Infinity Strash: DRAGON QUEST The Adventure of Dai is an action role-playing game that brings the story of the popular anime series to life. Developed by Square Enix, this game combines stunning visuals with artwork inspired by the famous anime and manga.

Here’s our latest look at The Adventure of Dai.

The Adventure of Dai has two different gameplay modes. In Story Mode, players can experience the classic campaign progression, immersing themselves in the thrilling storyline. But if you’re looking for a challenge, the Temple of Recollection is where it’s at. This ever-changing dungeon will test your skills as you face off against monsters and collect exciting rewards along the way. And here’s the kicker — the enemies grow stronger the deeper you go, so you better bring your A-game!

But that’s not all. The Adventure of Dai introduces a unique element with Bond Memories. These accessories can be collected and equipped to enhance the abilities and stats of your character. As you unlock each Bond Memory, you’ll reveal scenes from the original manga.

The digital pre-orders and pre-purchases for Infinity Strash: DRAGON QUEST The Adventure of Dai are already available for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store. Switch pre-orders will be available at a later date.

In this spoiler-free video, I share my thoughts on the massive world of Tears of the Kingdom and its challenging gameplay compared to Breath of the Wild. Discover how this game takes the concept of an open-world to new heights, making Hyrule from its predecessor seem small in comparison. While the world feels more lived-in, there are still a few negatives to consider, like the weapon degradation system and why Tears of the Kingdom, while enjoyable, doesn’t quite feel like a completely fresh game.

Calling all green thumbs — Garden Simulator is now available on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It’s time to kick back, relax, and dive into the ultimate virtual gardening experience.

With Garden Simulator, you have the power to craft a garden that reflects your unique style and preferences. Whether you’re a fan of vibrant flowers or crave the satisfaction of growing your fruits and vegetables, this game has got you covered. Plant diverse flora, from luscious strawberries to beautiful blossoms, and witness their growth as you care for them with love and attention.

But it doesn’t stop there! Garden Simulator is all about personalization and self-expression. Design your garden to your heart’s content, arranging flower beds and vegetable plots in the most aesthetically pleasing way possible. Want to add some flair? Spruce things up with decorative fences, charming hedges, and even adorable garden gnomes. The possibilities are endless, and the choice is all yours.

As you nurture your plants and harvest your bountiful produce, you’ll earn money to be invested back into your garden. Upgrade your tools, experiment with new plant varieties, and unlock possibilities. The more you sell, the more coins you’ll have to play with.

Watch our full review of Garden Simulator here.

I have to admit, I was on the fence about getting MLB The Show 23.

I mean, paying full price for an annual sports game?

That’s a tough sell for me.

But then the MLB season started, and I found myself getting caught up in the excitement. So, I decided to take the plunge and give MLB The Show 23 a shot. The Show 23 isn’t without its flaws, especially the Switch version, but it’s a really solid baseball sim that’s worth your time.

Between September and December of 1996, eight games were released for the Nintendo 64 in North America. These launch titles were crucial in shaping the success of the new console, and I, like many other kids in the ’90s, wanted all of them. In this video, I’ll be discussing each of these eight games, starting with the groundbreaking Super Mario 64.

For podcast #42, we have a very special guest with us, Raya, also known as the Glimmering Harpy!

Raya joins us to talk about Octopath Traveler 2, but before we get into that, we want to learn more about her background with JRPGs and gaming in general. In this Q&A, Raya shares where people can find her online, her first console and favorite console, and her favorite genre of video games. She also tells us about her most memorable or important JRPG.

Moving on to the main discussion, we start by asking Raya and the other host if they played the original Octopath Traveler and their brief thoughts on it. Octopath is most known for popularizing the 2DHD graphical style, and we get to hear where they stand on this design choice.

Next, we delve into the story and characters of Octopath Traveler 2.

The game features eight protagonists, each with their own unique narrative. Before you can see if or how these narratives tie together, you need to make a major decision: who is your starter, and why? Raya and the host share their thoughts on the eight-character system, the lack of connections, and the side stories and travel banter.

We then move on to the gameplay, discussing the combat system and the job system. Outside of combat, the game uses path actions to allow you to gain new information on objectives, learn more about the world, and purchase or steal items. Raya and the host share their thoughts on this system, whether it enhances the gameplay experience or feels too forced/contrived.

Moving on to world-building and level design, Octopath Traveler 2 has more streamlined dungeons compared to the first game, and the world feels even bigger this time around. Raya and the host share their thoughts on overworld and dungeon traversal, memorable locations, and how the depth of field affects your perception of the world. Finally, we end on music, with Raya sharing her thoughts on the soundtrack.

We then get her final thoughts on Octopath Traveler 2, what stands out the most to her about the game, her overall impressions of the experience, and whether she would recommend it to new players or people who bounced off OT1. She also shares the biggest drawbacks and how they impacted her experience.

And last but not least, we end the episode with the Game Recommendations of the Week.

Retro gaming is more popular than ever… and that’s making it really hard to jump into the hobby right now. 

During the pandemic, we saw soaring used game prices. The media started picking up on unbelievable stories about retro games selling at auction for just absurd prices. 

The BIG headline that got everyone’s attention was the sealed WATA-certified copy of Super Mario 64 selling for $1.56 MILLION dollars in 2021.

But even years before that, retro game prices were starting to creep up. For some games, prices actually started ticking up around 2012.

So now, with physical copies of retro games higher than ever before, I started wondering: What are the most expensive NES games RIGHT NOW — in 2023? And are any of them really worth the asking price?

So I did some research.

Using PriceCharting.com, I came up with this list of the top 10 most expensive NES cartridges.

I wanted to think about only the licensed games that were widely available, games you might have had in your collection if you had an NES back in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. 

So that means I’m not including variations of games (like the 5-screw Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!) or unlicensed games (like Peek-a-Boo Poker). 

I’m also intentionally not including Stadium Events since it was recalled pretty quickly and later re-published as World Class Track Meet… a game that people basically pay you to take off their hands these days.

For this video, I’m only looking at loose copies, so I won’t be covering complete-in-box prices. And because these prices change all the time, prices might be a little different by the time you watch this video.

Okay! Those are the ground rules.

Let’s get started. Here are the top 10 most-expensive NES cartridges you can buy right now.

The guys close the pod with a rundown of their favorite Pokemon from three distinct categories: aesthetics, combat, and evolutionary line.

How does this fledgling entry hold-up in 2023? Do the Watchers see why it was able to save a floundering Squaresoft? What is the ideal party composition?

Give it a listen and find out.

Plus, Justin and Matthew discuss their game recommendations of the week.