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Haven't been able to follow much of it, but it does my heart good to tune in and see CvS2 and MvC2 going.

Dream Theater has a song called Metropolis Part 1. Originally they didn't plan to have any additional parts, but it worked out that eventually they decided to follow it up. Instead of a single song, they did a whole album: Metropolis Part 2: Scenes from a Memory. And I think it's their best work.

Another answer for me is Super Smash Bros. Melee (but could probably apply to many multiplayer games).

Normally I'd always engaged with it in person, at events. But when I started playing online, it was almost too much of a good thing.

On the Internet, your next match is always 15 seconds away. You get beat, you go 'I can do better, just give me another chance'. You win, you're on a high, you don't ever want to stop.

The game has that perfect push and pull (at least when you're playing someone anywhere near your level) that just builds compulsion. You're constantly engaged in decision making or quick button pressing each moment, and it just feels satisfying.

Slay the Spire

There are a bunch of games that I'll get super into, play for a while, then be finished with.

Slay the Spire taps perfectly into every compulsive center of my brain to make me keep playing. Like, we talk about 'addictive' games usually just as ones you like a lot... this is the first time I started to see it closer to actual addictive (though not actually a serious thing for me). It's such a sweetspot for my habits, I feel like I'd just keep saying 'one more run' so consistently, hours, days would evaporate. It kept me busy, to the detriment of doing other things.

You get on a good run, better keep going. You lose a run, might as well just start a new one and see if you have good opening luck. There's rarely a point that feels like "I should stop", until some IRL obligation comes up.

I still go back to it often when I just want an enjoyable way to kill time, or do something while I watch videos/tv on the side.

Other games with roguelike elements tap into this feeling too, like Balatro, Vampire Surviors, or Hades. But STS is where it felt strongest to me.

Maybe some classic JRPGs? You mention PS1, so I'd personally think of games like the FFs, Chrono Cross, Legend of Dragoon, Xenogears, Suikoden, Grandia, etc.

None require full attention, but are games I'd like to play if I had the time.

This and Balatro (and probably many rogue-lite deckbuilders I haven't tried) are perfect compulsive time killers. Even though they're newer, I would say they deserve serious consideration.

Agreed! There are several good ones on 3DS.

Advance Wars is also a great option - you can play a couple of them on 3DS with back-compatibility. Or, of the pocket can play GBA, there's those.

And there are some PC games out there (although much more recent than 2005) that are in similar genres, like WarGroove or Dark Deity.

Sounds like a lot of fun!

Speaking of tv, it is weird when you get to around 30-40 and realize the majority of people on shows and in films are now younger than you. All those young adults that always looked like grown-ups, you realize how they're practically babies.

It almost applies to everything I guess, not just media, once you're at the mid-ages. But it's especially striking there, because you keep watching those same shows and movies from time to time. The actors don't age, but your perception of them changes.

Perfect thing for the Switch 2 mouse controls. Surprised they didn't add it at launch. Good to see it available though!

Pretty sure I'll be disappointed with this, when inevitably things shown are only on game-key cards or the eshop.

Outside of my hang-ups though, it'll be good to hear about third party stuff. Switch 2 seems lacking in support outside Nintendo.

Whoever accidentally the cat is a pretty cool guy. Eh the cat and doesn't afraid of anything.