It felt right to put together a Mario Kart World Review while in Japan. Considering the huge weight this one game has on its shoulders as both the sequel to one of the best games ever made AND the only exclusive first-party launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2, there’s a lot to discuss about every tiny facet of its huge changes. One thing I want everyone to remember about Mario Kart World: We’ll be playing it for years, and this is the worst it will ever be.

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Nintendo has spent most of its time in the past twenty years differentiating itself from the competition — the GameCube was really the last Nintendo console that went up against other consoles in a meaningful way. Based on the success of the Switch, the Switch 2 feels like a moment where they feel so wildly secure in their position that they’re going to try and eat Sony and Microsoft’s lunch if they can manage it... and maybe try to take on the PC and Steam while they're at it.

Does Nintendo have the chops to come back from the "we just make wacky toys for kids" zone and truly go head to head — and succeed — against the current gaming landscape? Who knows!

Kit & Krysta on Nintendo's PR Crisis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMibVyYvSYU

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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Hmt3yHTovQmEcqzhZdl8T

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wavelengths-with-brendon-bigley/id1677660078

Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/x6p7ni3r

And more: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/itswavelengths

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0:00 - The last time Nintendo tried to compete

2:32 - Why Nintendo SHOULD Be Confident

9:07 - Why This Could Be Wii U-level Hubris

20:14 - Subscribe if you want!

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Usually when a company has literally millions of eyes on it at once, they want people to walk away with a positive impression — that usually means talking about the good and omitting the bad. So while Nintendo’s Switch 2 Direct was largely great, it’s the stuff they didn’t talk about that’s starting to come to light and bring a harsh wave of reality to their usual world of whimsy. Here are fifteen things Nintendo didn't tell us about the Switch 2 during the initial reveal.

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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Hmt3yHTovQmEcqzhZdl8T

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wavelengths-with-brendon-bigley/id1677660078

Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/x6p7ni3r

And more: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/itswavelengths

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Chapters:

0:00 - What Nintendo didn't say

0:34 - The Price and sticker shock

4:26 - How do we use mouse mode comfortably?

6:44 - The new Pro Controller is better than I thought

8:08 - Game Share works on Switch 1

8:52 - File sizes are huge

10:36 - Switch 2 is 10x as powerful as Switch 1

11:58 - Hall Effect sticks confirmed

13:20 - Not all Switch 1 games will work

15:38 - Japan is getting a cheaper Switch 2

16:36 - The preorder requirements are wild

18:56 - The UI is largely unchanged

19:07 - Battery life is "worse"

19:55 - Game Key Cards vs physical games

21:18 - Most USB-C webcams will work

22:06 - Some games will get free Switch 2 upgrades

22:41 - Bye bye, thanks for dropping by!

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I've already played a bunch of great 2025 games so far, and it's only February. I think we all knew this was going to be a big year — hello GTA6!! — but I wasn't anticipating being so blown away so early on. Here's a video about some standout games I've played so far that released within the past two months — NOT including Civilization VII which I completely forgot to mention, even though I like it!!Stimulation Clicker: https://stimulationclicker.com/---Feel free to follow me elsewhere!Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bb.wavelengths.onlineMastodon: https://idlethumbs.social/@brendonBlog: https://wavelengths.online---Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Hmt3yHTovQmEcqzhZdl8TApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wavelengths-with-brendon-bigley/id1677660078Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/x6p7ni3rAnd more: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/itswavelengths---Chapters:0:00 - 2025 is already wild1:05 - Warriors: Abyss5:23 - Tyrant's Realm7:07 - FlyKnight7:51 - Ruffy and the Riverside10:21 - Tokyo Xtreme Racer11:51 - Keep Driving13:32 - Avowed18:41 - Stimulation Clicker19:26 - Upcoming Games---⏆

The PSP is having a bit of a renaissance in 2025, and as someone who never owned one growing up I’ve spent the past month or so researching literally every way I could think of when it comes to experiencing that incredible library. Many links:Where I got my PSP 3000: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheGamingArchivePPSSPP: https://www.ppsspp.org/Slystral’s Discord hangout: https://discord.com/invite/retrohandheldsPSP Go Battery Shell 3D Model: https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-psp-go-battery-expansion-rear-shell-196836PSP Go USB-C adapter: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256807533841049.htmlAyn Odin Shop: https://www.ayntec.com/Retroid Pocket Shop: https://www.goretroid.com/collections/retro-game-systemPSP Hack Guides and Resources: https://www.pspunk.com/How to Hack the Vita: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b16gsrPV5b0---Feel free to follow me elsewhere!Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bb.wavelengths.onlineMastodon: https://idlethumbs.social/@brendonBlog: https://wavelengths.online

The Nintendo Switch 2 announcement is being received with a lot of middling reactions — even the people who are excited about it seem kind of bored. I'm here to tell you that Mouse Mode is the real deal, dear listeners.

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The long-awated Miyoo Flip is finally out in the wild, and after years of it being my most-anticipated handheld, I'm walking away from this experience feeling like it needs some more time in the oven. The usual software suspects pop up here and there, but a few key and strange hardware decisions also hold this back from being a device I can confidently recommend.

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0:00 - The Short Version

1:05 - The Long Version

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I went to Las Vegas for CES 2025 to figure out if this will really end up being "the year of the handheld" and while my answer was less conclusive than I was expecting, I did walk away excited about the puzzle pieces and how they'll eventually fit together.

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It's January of 2025 which means it's a perfect time to look back at the best games of 2024*.

* In my opinion, obviously! Games are art, and while ranking art is inherently silly it's great to reflect on how it impacted you individually. Objectivity is a myth! These lists are as subjective as it gets, baby.

Chapters:

0:00 - Welcome to Wavelengths 50

1:59 - 50 through 41

11:15 - 40 through 31

20:30 - 30 through 21

36:27 - 20 through 11

50:42 - The Top 10 Games of 2024

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The Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is out for iOS and Android, and now that I've played it I'm here to answer what everyone in the boardroom of The Pokémon Company was probably asking themselves: Is it the next Pokémon GO? Does it have a shot at captivating the world in the same way? Does it say anything at all about the future of the franchise?