Been laid up in bed with 'the lurgi' all week. I tell you, a mix of 1970s and '80s ITV and '80s-'90s anime is a heady mix when you're under the weather and doped up on flu remedies.

Hinge broke on a 3-year old oven. No problem, we have a 5 year extended warranty. Took them over a month to say that they can't find a replacement hinge so have marked it as 'wear and tear' which isn't covered. Case closed. What can go wrong with an oven that can't be labelled as 'wear and tear'?

Me, walking into WHSm... er, TGJones thinking 'now, only if there were a publication for the fan of pretty'.

October 17th. www.youtube.com/watch?v=McB4...

Happy Space 1999 Breakaway Day. 50 years since it was, er... 1999, or 1975 and the moon was blasted out of earth's orbit. Only this Eagle survived.

Only seemed right for a (reasonably) #randomgamesaturday

I'm still not quite sure about Metroid Prime 4. That motorbike looked a bit daft. Still, I guess I'll find out in December.

There's a definite 'look' to a lot of Switch games, here.

Remastered Space Firebird in this afternoon's Direct. If it doesn't happen, you didn't see this.

As someone of an older vintage, I often find myself retreating to the comfort of older times, where I could mostly ignore boring politics and the (usually wrong) machinations of those who think they know what's best. Today I will be mostly staring at some old cassettes and watching Micro Live.

Made in 2009, so I'm exceptionally late to this, but I thought Triangle was a great little indie mind-bender of a time loop movie. It's on Prime and Pluto. More like this, please, if you've got any recommendations (I've seen Coherence). pluto.tv/uk/on-demand...

Thought I might see what’s popular in the pop charts so I listened to the Sabrina Carpenter album. TBH, a lot of it felt like something Jeff Lynne would have produced for Olivia Newton-John.

So now contractors shouldn't be credited for whatever they worked on? Is that a thing? *sigh* Another day, another load of ol' nonsense. Sod off 2025.

I'm not really a Lego fan but I liked the actual globe Death Star far more than this. Also, I know this stuff is expensive but really...

Tom and Jerry have been dealt some pretty humiliating blows since their 'shorts' days, and here we are again because nothing says authentic T&J more than having them flying wacky planes in a shmup. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsRe...

I see the thorny subject of 'how much to charge as an artist' has popped up again today. I'm terrible at this, which is probably why I've tried to spend much of my working life as a full-time employee or through an agent (which comes with its own pros and cons). I always try to price commissions...

We really are in the golden age of the 'fan' magazine.

My better half: As you're not really working at the moment* have you thought about kickstarting a book? Me: It's not quite that simple... (now I've got that swimming about in my head, thanks). *I have got a few things to do, honest.

32 years married today. Don’t ask me what the secret is, though.

A website about classic video game magazines. From Mean Machines and CVG to Super Play and more. With articles and interviews featuring the writers, editors and designers who were there. Visit Forgotten Worlds 👉 www.forgottenworlds.net #Sega #Nintendo #Amiga #C64 #Spectrum #Amstrad #AtariST 🌴☀️

Bath came up on a TV show, and I've spent 20 minutes trawling around on Google Street View, looking at all my old haunts during my Future magazine years (basically, most of the '90s). Made me feel quite nostalgic. It's a nice place to live and work, but I doubt we could afford it nowadays.

If I willingly go new school shoes shopping, I wonder if I can persuade Mum to let me have that A4 binder with the X-Wing picture on it? www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pQF...

Can you imagine if/when the Dumpster is gone? They'll try to make it this immensely solemn and tragic time, but most of the country will be having a street party.

Mug checking in!

After the console debacle a few months back I honestly think a disgruntled BBC Breakfast researcher is trolling them.

What's the difference between Commodore Industries (who are doing the 'new' New Zealand Story - not a fan of the graphical 'upgrade' tbh) and the Commodore that's just been bought by the YouTube bloke?

Do we need a new version of '...has only got one ball' for Dump and his goons? Maybe AI can write it. youtu.be/Y1DWJQkOJew?...

I’m not proud of myself but I’ve just wasted an hour of my life watching YT vids of stupid people (mainly brat kids and karens) getting done on US police body cams. I kinda feel ashamed.

Is this the longest running of the ‘fan’ mags? www.patreon.com/NintendoForce

I know where this is leading... video... game... magazine 😅

Been musing this weekend on what my next 'work' steps are. The countdown is on to state pension time (6 years as of last week), but until then, I've been weighing up needing the pay the bills with need/wanting to slow down a bit. Doesn't help that I picked one of those dodgy 'creative' careers.

Not sure where I found this, but it made me smile.

Did I ever mention the time I worked at our local Dixons in the autumn/winter of '84 and had to give evidence in court when another employee tried to steal a BBC B by not booking it in during a delivery and leaving it out the back in its unassuming brown box packaging?

I'll admit it, I don't read a lot of manga, just choice cuts here and there, but this is worth a sign-up to get for nowt. Shame you have to read it online but hey, it's free. global.bookwalker.jp/deaa10f895-6...

Thanks for all the birthday wishes. As a tail-end boomer (born in '64) I'd just like to assure you that it's perfectly easy to be old and not a raging flag-shagger. Old Trek is better than nu Trek, though 😜

Consider me intrigued!

Air Ride looked cool, and they've obviously worked hard to differentiate it from MK, but I'm not sure it's selling the Switch 2 to me. If there's going to be another racing game (yes, I know, F-Zero), how about something brand new that gets away from the whimsical fantasy a bit?

Why do I feel that in Kirby Air Riders, I would only ever choose Gooey?

Lots of chat around the lovely VB this week so today's not so random game is...

Donnie Dumpster really wants that Nobel prize. He doesn't care about the money; he just wants Putinontheritz to stop the killing. Won't he think of the children?

This from a Guardian article today - "When I look back on my 1990s childhood, it’s hard not to feel nostalgic. We roamed for miles without supervision, riding our bikes, building dens and swimming in streams. After school, we did crafts or played board games". Isn't this the same thing...

First couple of episodes of Alien: Earth were pretty cool which was a nice surprise.

Remembering playing Pilotwings in Japanese, not having a clue what the instructors were saying to me and having the shock of realising that it was all setting me up for a final military rescue mission. Was there ever a clue to that in the English-language version?

Truly, we have lost the art of great telly adverts. www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4z1...

This afternoon's 'in the background' watch is ITV's 1976 children's drama The Feathered Serpent. Good luck getting a wordy kid's drama about Aztecs, human sacrifice and the like made in 2025. I can't imagine it was an easy pitch, even then. Also, Diane Keen 😍

This is a lovely little zine.

For your Wednesday Patlabor fix - www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/...

A cool collection of box art loveliness for a great gaming site. Essential reading.

I have to give thanks to Matthew and his great Link for making me think of the Nintendo Comics System again.

I've been reading though a bunch of these lately and I'm assuming that the really amazing StarFox and Zelda strips only appeared in Nintendo Power? Just what would you put in a new Nintendo Comics System anthology title and what would get the prime cover spot? And why is it Metroid ;)