Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@JaxonH My favourite outcome for F-Zero would be the same as this year's Metroid treatment. F-Zero X remaster for 3DS and a GX style game in the future for Switch.

@Grumblevolcano

I wanted F-Zero X in 3D for so long... but now I'm kinda past the 3DS. Would still take it though, especially in 3D.

But screw it. We can just run F-Zero GX on GPD Win 2 now! Screw the nonsense, right?!

@JaxonH I just feel the combination of Metroid Samus Returns and a F-Zero X remaster would be the perfect sendoff for the 3DS. A thank you gift to the people who stuck with 3DS the whole time while still looking to the future on how to make the Switch the best console ever.

I kinda wish they pulled an FE Warriors and made Metroid for 3DS and Switch. I'm still getting it for 3DS, but I'm hoping that some 3DS latecomers may get a Switch port.

The above console looks ugly. I was never a huge fan of those phones that had similar designs.

• $600
• Ugly
• Uncomfortable looking controls
• Still too weak to run a lot of current gen games

No, the Switch has certainly not met its match.

@Ralizah
In terms of power and performance it has.

Obviously a device this expensive could never be more than niche. Obviously, you're not going to find more bang for your buck then with a $300 Switch.

But Switch is also too weak to run a lot of current gen games. The point is, this can run more of them and it can run them better. Price and whether you think it's ugly is kind of beside the point. I've been waiting for handheld devices to reach this point for as long as I can remember. It's finally here.

I'm surprised, no one reported on this (I think. I didn't check the main page for some time).

Nintendo put out a news post on the Switch saying what the best selling Switch games of 2017 are four days ago. The list is as follows:

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
2. Super Mario Odyssey
3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
4. Splatoon 2
5. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
6. ARMS
7. 1-2-Switch
8. Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition
9. Stardew Valley
10. Snipperclips - Cut it out, together!
11. Sonic Mania
12. Pokkén Tournament DX
13. Super Bomberman R
14. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
15. Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers
16. The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+
17. Xenoblade Chronicles 2
18. Puyo Puyo Tetris
19. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
20. Overcooked: Special Edition

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DR1F3BHUIAAQp3q.jpg:large

I'm really happy to see both Mario + Rabbids at #5. Hopefully it means more third-party support like Ubisoft and PlatinumGames that take full advantage of the Switch's hardware. XC2 being #17 even at this time and being a more niche genre is also really awesome.

@EvilLucario
I saw that in an article (maybe not here though?).

The question is, is this based on digital sales only, because I find it hard to believe Nintendo is tracking physical sales of third-party games. And is it limited by region or is it global?

Assuming it's physical + digital global sales, we know Ultra Street Fighter II has surpassed 500k. Which puts Skyrim over half a mil. Which is encouraging, but it needs to continue to sell. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your POV?) Skyrim has sold out on Amazon. And not your typical shipment allocation, but semi-permanently. There is no "we are getting more stock on this date". It's sold out sold out. Which leads me to believe they've sold through everything that was printed, and there is no more to restock. Obviously it's still available at other retailers, so we'll have to watch and see if those start selling out too. That game absolutely needs to be a million seller if we want third-party support to continue. If Skyrim can't hit 1 million on Nintendo Switch... we have problems. But I think it can, and will... stock provided of course. It's consistently been in the top 30 of Amazons best-selling videogames list (and that includes everything from PSN cards to consoles to controllers and accessories- it only dropped once it sold out).

@EvilLucario ARMS at 6th is rather promising though hopefully the news about no new ARMS updates is a just a mistranslation. I've seen around that rather than the last update it just being the last update of the year.

@JaxonH It's weird. Rocket League isn't on there and it's been top 3 on the eShop charts since release. I don't know how much Rocket League sold, but that is a pretty weird omission since there's a lot of evidence that it's been doing very well.

@Grumblevolcano I hear it actually is the final content update, with only balancing patches coming in the future.

@JaxonH You mentioned Treasure in an earlier post but do they even still exist?

@YummyHappyPills

No idea. After Sin & Punishment 2 they kind of dropped off the map.

@YummyHappyPills They're still around:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaist_Crusher

@JaxonH @Octane I was gonna say I remember them from the 16-bit era but after that errr....yep.

Still if they exist they could make a comeback with the right project.

All I've played from them are Ikaruga and Sin and Punishment. Looking at their software catalog, I'm not missing out on a lot of other games.

@JaxonH Some tablets have likely already lapped the Switch in terms of raw specs as well. If they haven't, then they certainly will soon. The Switch has a lot more going for it than being a powerful handheld device. It's a hybrid device. It's incredibly versatile, even if you don't take advantage of the hybrid functionality. The joycons are brilliant little controllers that have a variety of features to them (using them as a single controller in a grip or separately; gyro; HD rumble; their ability to individually function as controllers so that local co-op is available anywhere). This is putting aside the elegance of the design aesthetically, the amazing exclusives, the beautifully snappy UI, etc.

I mean, if you like this little computer thing, that's fine, but other than raw specs, the Switch has a lot more to offer, regardless of price point.

The thing to remember about those raw specs is what is the OS overhead, how optimised is it for gaming Vs Switch? Ehat about its APIs?

All of those factor into performance as well.

1 MORE DAY TIL I CAN OPEN MY CHRISTMAS PRESENT

Very nice.

As for competition against the Switch, I'd say bring it on. But the competition are at quite a few major disadvantages, beyond the usual OS snafus:

• Timing. The Switch already has massive momentum, and it doesn't look like it'll be stopping any time soon. Developers couldn't/can't ignore it forever, so right now they're starting to take notice and start seeing what they can do to support it.
• Advertising. Until now, I have never heard of the GPD Win. Nintendo has a lot more resources to advertise their products, and their current marketing campaign is extremely good.
• Games. Nintendo games have wide appeal, and they're a main driving force to buy the hardware. This is the most important factor and one can change at the drop of a hat though, so this is very unpredictable.
• The controls. The Joy-Cons are really great for what they are, offering instant 2-player multiplayer for certain games and complement a variety of form factors while being really comfortable. The GPD Win, on the other hand, looks even more cramped than a 3DS. Granted I haven't tried it for myself, but I can't see myself liking the layout.
• Price. What you get from a $300 Switch is really really good. To beat that, you need to pay up more, which is going to drive down interest.