games Archives - Intensive Gaming Diary

Thoughts About Buying New Games

Posted on April 22, 2026 by Viljami

This is the blog post about my thoughts of buying more new games. I wanted to let you, my dear readers, to know that I have already a huge amount of games. Some of them can be considered retro games and some of them are newer releases. I do play modern games on my PC, Switch 2 and Xbox Series X. To this day I haven’t bought a PS5 gaming console. Now my selection of video game consoles that are in my setup and connected to my 4K television is huge. There simply isn’t room anymore for a console like PS5 that takes loads of space. I read somewhere that the unsual height of the PS5 console is due to a heat sink solution used in the console.

I do play also retro games like NES, SNES and Mega Drive. I also have a GameCube hooked on my TV. I am not sure if it works. I haven’t played it in a while. Last time I played something on it I think I got a disc read error. I also have a PS4 and a PS3 hooked on my TV. I have also a Raspberry Pi 5 that holds Recalbox that I use for retro emulation. Finally on the left side of my TV I have a PC that holds Batocera as its operating system. I use it to run Xbox and PS2 emulation. For Raspberry Pi and the PC I use Xbox Series S/X game controllers. I like them and I think they are of a great quality.

I have loads of games. I took the image that is presented as this blog posts “Featured Image” to demonstrate the situation. Just some days ago I sorted all the games that I have on these two large shelves. I did make some room as I got rid of all DVDs that were sitting on these shelves. DVDs aren’t so precious to me today. I do watch some DVDs sometimes but having hundreds of them lying on a bookshelf is kind of wack thing to have in your living room. We are living the year 2026 after all.

So, I don’t have a lot room for more games. I don’t necessarily need new PS1 games. I have some very good games in my collection. I haven’t played all of them. I don’t necessarily need more PC big box games. I have over ten big boxes already along with some modern games as “collectors editions”. I actually very much like to play all the games that I end up buying. Its been a long time since I finished some game. I think the piles are getting bigger and I seem to have less and less time to play video games. Remember the post I did about some PS3 and PS2 games that I bought. I have barely touched those games. I did play 15 hours of the Need For Speed Most Wanted but that was all I got to play. That purchase included many games that were also very interesting.

What about buying more digital games? Look. I have hundreds of digital games. I have over huhdred games in Steam and almost hundred games also on my Xbox Series X’s Xbox Store. The reason and also the way that I have bought so many of them seems to be somewhat common for any digital video game consumer. You get ahuge discount and you buy tens of games at one sitting. Then you wonder around thinking which one of these games should you install. Even if you end up installing something interesting you don’t actually get to play it a lot. That’s the way I view this situation. People have more games but less time to play. If you are a young person, for example a student, you don’t have money and that seems to be a limiting matter.

I am interested in some new releases that we are going to have available soon. There is System Shock 2 Remastered getting released 29th of May. Forza Horizon 6 is getting released 19th of May. There are some other interesting new releases also. There have been some conversations and presentations about the new Neo Geo console. It might be interesting too. I just don’t seem to have aany space left for a new console.

What about retro games? Am I going to buy annything new soon? I think no is the answer. I have loads of retro titles sitting on the shelves. Also prices of older video games are going up and up. You don’t even find that many games from flea markets because someone is making a side hustle with buying every retro game for cheap and selling it at a higher price. I think also that I have invested, if that is the right word, my money already enough to support my local game shops.

Sometimes I turn to emulation. I don’t so much see that it would be harming the game business so much. It is good to keep consumers interested in also retro gaming. There are many good ways to buy totally legitimately retro games. I mean the collections for modern consoles and remakes and also mini consoles. I think some games are so expensive that gamers cannot afford them. Sometimes I think that for preservation means it is signifant that we have ways to share old games. After all the developer that developed the game in the first place cannot receive in many cases any more money because the game isn’t availalbe legitimately.

I think this is enough about me and my slight frustration against my ever growing collection of games. I do have this dear hobby. If it costs me some money so be it. Some people buy cars. That’s an expensive hobby too. Have a nice end of the week and see you again soon!

Some Games I Have Been Playing Lately

Posted on November 21, 2025 by Viljami

Here are, actually not two but even three different games, I have been playing a lot recently. These games are Gran Turismo 4, that I have now already spent on over 60 hours, for PS2 and Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 for Nintendo Switch. When it comes to Super Mario Galaxy bundle I managed to finish the first one in the series. I am currently on to finish also the second. But now actually I have been concentrating on trying hard to finish Gran Turismo 4. This racing game proves to be a very good game. It might be even the best game in the whole Gran Turismo series as it is tightly competing with the seventh and first game of the series in my own considerations. It is also the longest game in this racing series. It can take up to 76 hours to complete.

In Gran Turismo 4, in the career mode, you are going to have to get yourself some cars. I am saying some cars because it isn’t one or two. It is actually several cars. You have to figure which car you need and which one you could sell to buyt upgrades to the car you are using to try to complete races. You have to complete races to advance in this game and to eventually also finish it. You can check the completion percentage when you visit your Home that can be found from one of the menus that can be found inside the game.

There’s a lot to play. You can achieve yourself some driving licenses that enable you to compete in different kinds of races. There are many events available that are grouped to Beginner Events and Professional Events and then we have also Extreme Events. You have to complete all Beginner and Professional events to proceed to Extreme ones. There are also events in different countries that are for cars that are manufactured in the specific country. Also, you can find some events that are grouped by manufaturer.

You really much get to upgrade your vehicle. There are also many settings that can be enabled with buying an upgrade. Then you can make adjustments. You can for example edit your preferences for types of tires, some properties of transmission, your cars braking power and you can also adjust your suspension, driving height and many other settings. You can compete in the races without knowing every piece of the settings but this can give you a nice advantage. So, if you know about cars and can figure out these quite technical matters you will gain some well needed speed and winning races can become easier.

It is also necessary to know, or at least try to learn, about different car models. Gran Turismo 4, as all Gran Turismo games do, features very real cars and there are many car manufacturers involved. While the game was released in 2004 we cannot see these electric cars. It would have been nice to have also electric cars in this driving game. Maybe we are going to see some of these car manufacturers models some day in racing games. Gran Turismo 4 is a huge recommendation if you like PS2 games and racing games.

Now, I haven’t discussed about Super Mario Galaxy 1 and 2, yet. So, I managed to get through first of these games. It was a very good remake. At first I was a bit overwhelmed with the controls, since it is originally a Nintendo Wii game meant to be played with the motion sensor, but I got around it quickly. It seems only logical that this controlling method wasn’t altered so much as it is actually a keen part of the gameplay.

I spent about 14 hours playing the first Super Mario Galaxy. Then I proceeded to the sequel. Unfortunately I decided to start to play Gran Turismo 4 and that took my attention. So, I think I don’t have so much to say, currently, about Super Mario Galaxy 2. I was content that I bought this bundle of these two games. They offer a lot especially if you are into Super Mario games.

I think this is all this time. I might get back to you, later, when I might have finished at least Gran Turismo 4. I think I will have something else to write about the next time. I try to come up with a new topic. Thanks for reading and see you in the next blog post!

My Switch 2 Collection Is Already Starting to Grow

Posted on August 5, 2025 by Viljami

It has been two months since Nintendo released it newest video game console Switch 2. I have already a tiny collection of Switch 2 games. I have four games plus Mario Kart World that came bundeld with the console. I went for the bundle since it was more easily available although it cost some tens of euros more compared to the other option that didn’t include any games.

So, the games I have bought are Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster, Sonic X Shadow Generations, that were both available on the release of Switch two and Donkey Kong Bananza and Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 + 4. The latter was a “code-in-a-box” release. There was no other way to purchase the game. I am usually not into these codes. I like physical releases way more.

Donkey Kong Bananza is currently, in my opinion, the best game that you can have for Nintendo Switch 2. I have already played it for about ten hours. I am really enjoying it. Sometimes I feel like I am getting stuck in some way but when I take a break and return to playing this game the matter gets quickly solved and I keep on progressing. I haven’t got stuck badly at least not yet. I am hoping to finish this game some day soon. Donkey Kong Bananza is also a fully physical release. So, there are no huge downloads when you start to play the game.

What about the other games in my Switch 2 collection? I have to mention that I have been playing some Switch 1 games also. I played Burnout Paradise and Oddworld Abe’s Oddysee New and Tasty and also Dragon Quest III HD-2D. I have to add also Diablo III.

When it comes to THPS 3 + 4 I can tell you that the game is very good. I have spent five hours playing this game. It is cool to feel the nostalgia again and experience something from the past. There are very few matters that have been changed. The gameplay still feels nice. I just haven’t really got deeper with this game atleast not yet.

I only played Sonic X Shadow Generations for a little time. It was available when Switch 2 got released. If I wouldn’t have bought the bundle, Switch 2 with Mario Kart World, this would have propably been my first game for the system. Bravely Default is the only game I have for Switch 2 that I have not yet had time to play at all.

As Switch 2 was getting released we were introduced something like “game key cards”. This means that when you buy a game you get a key card. It alloes you to install the software of the game. You do need the key card to play the game. We can propably have a debate on if this is sensible in any way or not. I don’t have actually anything to say about this. Atleast every game that I have bought seems to be currently working and I can play them.

We have seen many good games already getting released for Nintendo Switch 2. Some good games are still getting released very soon. There are some games, that I am waiting to get released for Nintendo Switch 1 that do actually work also on Switch 2. I am especially waiting to see Hades II, Metroid Prime 4, Terminator 2D No Fate and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Splintered Fate. There might also be some oter good games coming that I didn’t mention here. Oh yeah, I think Final Fantasy Tactics could be interesting, also.

Switch 2 is currently my favorite gaming system that I own. I have divided my attention lately mainly to my Switch 2, Xbox Series X and Raspberry Pi 5 with a Recalbox OS installed. I play many retro games on my Raspberry Pi 5. I haven’t played so much on my PS4, PS3 or Mega Drive Mini or my Retro Trio console that supports SNES, NES and Mega Drive cartridges and of course every controller that I have for these systems. So, I do have all my consoles connected to my 4K 55 inch television. I already took a peek at some 8K televisions on a random web shop. They cost a huge sum of money, like 2000 euros or something like that. There are also not so many devices available that could output a 8K picture. But it might be that I have to get a new TV in maybe two to three years. We will have to wait and see.