iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

I’ve officially reached Chapter 5 in three of the four routes in Fortune’s Weave! Just Leda to go and I’ll decide from there.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Sonic Racing CrossWorlds just got a permanent price cut down to $40 USD across all major platforms, including Switch 1. So much for the game “outperforming” Mario Kart World in sales.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Hard to believe it’s been exactly 5 years since Metroid Dread launched. Probably my favorite game of that year just ahead of Psychonauts 2. Mercury Steam already proved they were capable with Samus Returns, and this was when they perfected the formula. I can’t wait for their next game in January.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

You got that right! The 30th anniversary one is especially cool since it gives us a glimpse into art and information about games and media that never made it stateside! As an example, the girls here from the Japan only trading FE card game from 2001! This was separate from the Cipher card game.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Channeling your inner Fabio/Esmeralda I see hehe. But forreal tho Fire Emblem artbooks are a thing of beauty. I don’t know any other Nintendo franchise that does them as consistently in their CEs. I even recently picked up the Fire Emblem 30th anniversary artbook and had a blast pouring through it.

My shipment of the Fire Emblem 1 30th Anniversary Edition, featuring the replica NES game box (left), Legacy of Archanea artbook (middle) and double sided Nintendo Power poster (right).

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Fire Emblem Engage doesn’t have the best reputation. And if I were to guess one reason why, it’s the cast of characters. A lot of them are basically theater kids, but Alcryst here might just be biggest one. Oh and being sandwiched between the two Sothis-verse titles doesn’t help. #FireEmblemEngage

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Remember when Nintendo did “limited releases” of specific titles to celebrate their franchises’ anniversaries in the 2010s and in 2020? Four Swords Anniversary, Mario 3D All Stars, Super Mario 35, and Fire Emblem 1 were all released on one date and delisted by a specified later date. Fun times. /s

The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition (2011, 2014)

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (1990, 2020)

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Yeah, they had it as a single tiny line right under the 1.5+2.5 collection during the direct:

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Adored this game! Also fun fact, in the Fire Emblem 30th anniversary artbook that came with the collector’s edition of FE1 on Switch, Code Name STEAM gets a whole section in it!

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Just beat the Castlevania Belmont’s Curse demo! Honestly a lot shorter than I thought. Hard too, I died a few times! But maybe I’ve been spoiled the Final Fantasy Resonance demo from last month. Regardless, I’m excited for Dracula’s glorious return! October 15th can’t come soon enough! #Castlevania

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Beat WarioWare Move It story mode! Even though I had fun with it, there doesn’t seem to be much else to do for the solo player in terms of modes. I did the muscle one and the mix up one, but that’s it. I at least made sure to replay 9 Volt’s stage to see all the new Nintendo themed microgames.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Bought WarioWare Move It over the weekend during Nintendo’s customer appreciation sale. Yep, it’s more WarioWare goodness alright. And it’s specifically aimed at fans of Smooth Moves too. Thankfully I had non-drifting Switch 1 Joy Cons and compatible straps so I could play as intended. #WarioWare

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

This is gonna be a tight race, I can just see it now. Even excluding Blue Bomber 2: Electric Boobeam-aloo, we got these bangers to contend with:

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I FINALLY GOT IT! My copy of Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave has finally arrived at my doorstep! And I managed to get a physical copy for $10 cheaper thanks to preorder discounts! I am ready for the most ambitious Nintendo game of 2026 by a landslide.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Ranked matches in Mario Tennis Fever can get really chaotic and fun as hell. More people should get in on this if they want fun, content complete Mario sports games again! #MarioTennisFever #MarioTennis #NintendoSwitch2

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I’ve officially hit S- rank in Mario Tennis Fever! This is a really fun game when you dig into the weeds of its movement and fever shot mechanics. #MarioTennisFever #MarioTennis #NintendoSwitch2

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I never realized the shadow clones can body shot you in this game. #MarioTennisFever #MarioTennis #NintendoSwitch2

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

For anyone who took the time to do stuff in it, what did yall think about the open world gameplay in FF7 Rebirth? I personally never felt compelled to do it since I realized fairly quickly that it was not much more than a Ubisoft checklist.

Screenshot of the open world map from FF7 Rebirth.

Cloud and his party clearing a combat challenge in the open world of FF7 Rebirth.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Happy 9th anniversary to Metroid Samus Returns! And congratulations to developer Mercury Steam for their amazingly fruitful partnership with Nintendo! Loved their work on Metroid Dread, and I am unbelievably excited for Metroid Ravenous next year! #MetroidSamusReturns #Metroid #SamusReturns #3DS

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

And of course, I can’t forget to mention Advance Wars 1+2 Reboot Camp. An overlooked gem of the Switch 1’s library and a game well worth its price tag because of how chock full of content it is. A shame more people didn’t buy it.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Happy 25th anniversary to the original Advance Wars! I adore both this game and the sequel Black Hole Rising. The two DS games are better than I thought too! I especially love the more hardcore soundtrack that Days of Ruin had. #AdvanceWars

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

The Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave hype train is kicking into high gear! Fire Emblem Heroes was just updated to feature the four new protagonists! I went with Dietrich cuz I’m a Black Eagle baby and cuz he’s Alucard-coated.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Fire Emblem, how it started (see post above) vs how it’s going (see video below): Please note that I say all that with affection. Engage is a fun time when you don’t have someone screaming in your ear about how much the story and characters suck.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

I’m lucky I still managed to pick up the Switch localization of Fire Emblem 1 in the short time it was available in. This was such a fun curio for Nintendo fans, an easy pickup for FE fans, and just a really dang impressive move all around. I say *was* because Nintendo delisted it in March 2021.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

As of this post, four out of the six main Punch Out games are available to play on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. The only holdouts are the two Wii games: the reboot that sold over 1 million copies and the small downloadable Doc Louis side game. #PunchOut #SuperPunchOut #PunchOutWii #NintendoSwitch

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Finished the Final Fantasy Resonance demo! I gotta say, as a non-FF fan, this demo hooked me. Snappy turn based combat, gorgeous visuals, luscious music, and a party of characters that I found endearing! Unfortunately the Switch 2 version is a GKC, so I’ll have to hold off till it goes on sale.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Made it to chapter 6 of Fire Emblem Engage. I understand why Yunaka is the fan favorite from this game. #FireEmblemEngage #FireEmblem #Yunaka

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

For any Nintendo fans who mainly follow the uber mainstream releases (Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Animal Crossing, Smash Bros): If you were to branch out into some of their lesser known franchises, here are four games that I would consider essential to at least trying out.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

If you’re looking for turn based Final Fantasy games, might I suggest these?

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Finally managed to attempt and clear the hardest possible route! And I definitely felt the experience kick in after my first attempt. I even first tried Venom 2 and didn’t lose anyone in Area 6! Man does it feel good to get good at classic Star Fox gameplay. I want more. #StarFox #NintendoSwitch2

Campaign complete: Corneria, Sector Y (with medal), Aquas, Zoness, Sector Z, Area 6, and Venom 2.

Total bill due from Fox McCloud to General Pepper: 999 confirmed hits, and SP$63,936.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Today is the 10th anniversary of Metroid Prime Federation Force for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Now that we have the Switch 2 remake, I’m curious what folks think of Star Fox 64 3D in retrospect. It’s the first time this version was actually called Star Fox 64 in Europe. It’s also the first time a good chunk of the OG N64 voice cast reprised their roles. And it replaced Falco’s Einstein line.

North American Nintendo Selects cover for Star Fox 64 3D

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Any excuse to talk about one of the most slept on Mario sports games ever is fine by me. Seriously tho, more people should play it or fire up Citra for it or something, this game is legit in my top ten 3DS games ever.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

40 years. 40 years of alien labyrinths, power ups, and one woman to stand against it all. Happy 40th anniversary to the Metroid franchise!

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

My trio of brand new first party 2026 Nintendo games has arrived in the mail today!

My holding up my newly obtained physical copies of Rhythm Heaven Groove, Star Fox 2026, and Splatoon Raiders.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Happy 20th anniversary to the Rhythm Heaven series, arguably Nintendo’s most consistent franchise alongside Kirby!

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

I finally did it! All DK challenges cleared, for both Bananza and the retro games! #DonkeyKong #DKChallenge #DonkeyKongBananza #NintendoSwitch2

DK Challenge: All Challenges Cleared! (Donkey Kong Bananza)

DK Challenge: All Challenges Cleared! (Nintendo Classics)

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

It’s amazing to see just how consistent the Rhythm Heaven series has been in across its 20 years of existence.

Metacritic scores for Rhythm Heaven DS: 83 for critic reviews and 8.2 for user reviews.

Metacritic scores for Rhythm Heaven Fever: 83 for critic reviews and 8.5 for user reviews.

Metacritic scores for Rhythm Heaven Megamix: 83 for critic reviews and 8.3 for user reviews.

Metacritic scores for Rhythm Heaven Groove: 82 for critic reviews and 8.6 for user reviews.

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Pride month was last month, Dorothea.

Screenshot from Fire Emblem Heroes. Dorothea (Solar Songstress): “See Ingrid there, splashing around in her swimsuit? She looks so carefree. I’m not sure I can resist.”

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Happy 7th anniversary to Fire Emblem Three Houses! This is the one core Fire Emblem game I’ve put more time into than any other in the franchise. Over 300 hours across 5 playthroughs, two of which were Black Eagles. I might be biased. And now we’re getting another Fodlan game in just a few months!

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Happy 10th anniversary to the announcements of Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces!

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Just some footage of the new Mario Galaxy court mode in Mario Tennis Fever:

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

I’m the Rashid here. So I’ve been playing Street Fighter 6 for about a month… Have I improved? Well judging by the clip, the answer is a firm no. I guess I’ve improved in the sense that I can now get out Eagle Spike 1/2 of the time instead of 1/3 of the time. Why do I do this to myself?

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DatAlphaLion @datalphalion.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Part 2 featuring POV from a flustered Cloud:

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