If you owned a Nintendo Wii during its prime, you might remember Disney’s Epic Mickey games. Warren Spector was the director of the original entry and considers it to be one of the “high points” of his illustrious career. Apart from this, he’s also helped created games like System Shock, Ultima, Deus Ex and Thief.
For anyone who has been following him over the years, you might recall how he’s a bit of a Nintendo geek. During an interview with Nintendo Life in 2015, Warren explained how the Japanese company stood out from the crowd with its creative design.
Fast forward to 2019 and nothing has changed – Warren still loves Nintendo. The only problem is his Switch appears to be having a problem. According to a post he made over on his Facebook page, he’s acquired Cuphead and a “couple other games” but has a battery issue, meaning he can't even play them. Here’s how he explained it:
"I’m having a problem with my Nintendo Switch. I didn’t use it for a while and now the battery won’t hold a charge. I mean, I charge it fully and it goes from 100% down to 1% in a matter of seconds. And, no, I’m not exaggerating. Anyone else seen this problem? Anyone know how to fix it? I just got Cuphead and a couple other games and not being able to play is driving me nuts."
He’s reached out to his followers in the hope someone could help him out. So far, he's been advised to contact Nintendo support and was also told it's likely to be a faulty battery.
Do you have any advice for Warren? Did you play Epic Mickey during the Wii generation? While we’re at it, would you like to see him create another game for a Nintendo platform? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
[source facebook.com]
Comments 75
Through it’s flaws I still loved the Epic Mickey games.
He should have enough money to buy a new one.
Mine has been losing charge for a while now. It doesn't go that quickly, but slowly dies out like the battery is going bad. Same with the controllers.
@nintendolie I think the point here is more that he shouldn’t have to buy a new one. Fair enough if he can afford one but faulty batteries don’t choose their owners based on their wealth.
Mine is still okay.
With the setting i set, approximately every 2.22 minutes the energy depleted for 1%
i loved Epic Mickey ( a Switch port would be awesome)
and he can still play his games in docked mode at least until he is able to get a new battery for his switch (really why does everyone forget you can play on the TV too, it's not just a handheld system it a hybrid), not perfect i know but it should tie him over
Contact Nintendo, Warren. Maybe they'll remember you.
He can just... change his battery.
Well tough cheese mate, get on the horn to Nintendo to fix it
On this note, does anybody know of a service that does the replacement? I bought mine 2nd hand so I guess Nintendo would not do it. I don't actually need it yet, but I assume that one day I will! I see that you can buy the batteries on Ebay, but wouldn't trust myself to install it correctly.
Ouch, don't sound like fun for Warren Spector and hope he get his fixed or get a new battery he can use.
On the topic of Epic Mickey I wouldn't mind a port or a new Epic Mickey game :+).
I do remember the concept of Epic Donald and think that would be really cool as well ^^. Going around a Carl Barks inspired is something I would really like :+).
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/08/concept_art_surfaces_from_the_cancelled_epic_donald
This reminds me of an issue my mom had with her iPad battery awhile back. Thankfully Apple took care of it. This does have me concerned a bit now. I use my Switch both docked and in handheld mode.
@kopaka Probably won't be as simple as that. He'll probably need to send it in to Nintendo. In the past you could replace the battery on 3DS, DS, and GBA SP. Unlike those, Nintendo's online store isn't selling replacement battery packs for Switch.
@FullbringIchigo and he can probably play in handheld with it plugged in to charge. I’m a genuine 50:50 handheld:docked player, a switcher you might say.
My Switch has a lack of Epic Mickey problem
@Sunsy the switch is easy to break down, so...
Lol at people telling him to buy a new one.
The guy is an industry veteran. You honestly think he's truly stumped by the battery issue? You honestly think he can't afford a new one or have access to one? C'mon.
It was a way to publicly criticise Nintendo and raise awareness. Not everyone out in game land is susceptible to Nintendos shill media partners' spin.
Even with a brand new fresh unit the battery life is abysmal. You can turn it on and stare at the home screen for 3 seconds and be down to 98%.
The machine is a terrible home console. And a terrible handheld. Which equates to a mediocre hybrid system. It works but it isn't nearly as awesome as the media makes it out to be.
@Sunsy like here https://www.ebay.com/itm/4310mAh-Internal-Battery-Replacement-Part-HAC-003-for-Nintendo-Switch-Tools/352231859007?hash=item5202a7a33f:g:a-AAAOSw43haL5m7 Found it in a few minutes.
Thanks for giving us this story! Hopefully you'll keep us updated on Warren's battery issue.
@Itzdmo what is your preferred Nintendo device? What do you spend the most time on? (:
The only thing I remember about the Epic Mickey games is a lot of hype and then an only modest amount of excitement.
As for his battery issue, I have heard of it, but he'd likely need to contact Nintendo or someone who knows what they are doing to get it fixed. I've seen what goes into repairing a Switch and I'd not want anyone to mess with it unless they really knew what they were doing. Lots of easy things to ruin if you open it up the wrong way. I imagine that's why the battery isn't user replaceable.
@kopaka Sorry, I wouldn't trust unlicensed battery packs from eBay, let alone open up the system itself and risk voiding warranty.
The 3DS, DS, and GBA SP were made to have their batteries user replaceable. The Switch isn't.
Mine's battery is still good, the same for the Joy-Cons.
@Mana_Knight Nintendo doesn’t care about that. As long as it’s not stolen they’ll fix it as long as it’s warrantied or you pay their fee to do it.
Solution 1: Buy a USB battery pack. You’ll need a USB A to USB C cable. I have one because I bought a Pro Controller. If you don’t have one, get a USB C to USB A converter. Then, buy a USB battery pack. Now, you can play your switch on the go. Don’t forget to turn off the Battery pack if you stop playing. Solution 2: Ask Nintendo. They can replace your dead battery. Solution 3: Get a Switch charging case. Don’t forget to charge the case. Solution 4(I don’t recommend this): Buy a new Switch. Don’t do this unless it gets too bad.
Switch batteries are easy to replace and cheap to buy. Sure he knows someone who can do it for him. I hear Reggie is not busy these days.
Sometimes doing a full shut down and reboot will resolve it if it's a calibration issue.
Essentially "man complains about a thing".
We need to be a society of solutions. Warren, get back to us when you have one
Epic Mickey had some cool concept art and a really cool concept but delivery wasn't there. The story and game promised early on was a lot darker and more open then the game delivered.
Or just get a replacement?
Epic Mickey Remastered on Switch please! Just fix up some camera issues and maybe do some texture enhancing.
Would need to know how long the switch indicates time to charge to full. If it only takes like ten minutes to charge to full then depletes in seconds it's probably a faulty battery, if it takes hours to indicate a full charge then depletes in seconds that would suggest to me a software fault somewhere. Either way it would need a new battery or the firmware re-flashed.
There were reports of this happening in 2017:
https://kotaku.com/nintendo-switch-battery-issue-may-not-be-as-bad-as-it-l-1796851115
I didn’t turn mine on for over a year and couldn’t get it to turn on or charge. I looked online and found a solution but can’t remember what I did.
@VmprHntrD Ah, thanks for that. I was not sure if they would fix it without a brand new warranty. Good to know
Wasn't there an article that Nintendo would offer battery replacements before the Switch even came out? I take it they don't or charge a lot for them?
@Mana_Knight i bought my Wii second hand but Nintendo replaced the DVD drive for free when it couldn't play Xenoblade Chronicles. You know, the warranty is registered when they scan the bar code, doesn't matter who bought it.
@Mana_Knight batteries go bad if they lose their charge. If you bought a spare and aren't using it, you need to find a way to charge it every 6 months.
@CrazyZelda79 of course it isn't free, but I don't see anything about that service listed.
Also with reports of Nintendo charging like $170 for new USB-C ports, I wonder how expensive changing a battery is.
Warren can afford to buy a new Switch but instead turns to Twitter for attention.
I'll buy him a new Switch (and a Battery pack) if he promises to make a new Epic Mickey for Switch!
😀
@CrazyZelda79 Cheers and yeah would be great if they could be worn as a set.
Play it docked...
Bet everyone has said that.
This happened to mine, but it wouldn't even charge. Nintendo replaced the whole console losing me all my data, so I suspect there's a bigger issue.
@Heavyarms55 I was just talking to someone this morning about how epic Mickey sucked. What a ripoff,they hyped it for months and it played like a bad PS or N64 game
@Trajan Thanks Trajan. Not actually bought one! Only had seen them on Ebay, but knew that I wouldn't be good at putting them in! Will ask for Nintendo's help when it comes to it
@Dannyboi I guess this article shows that you have to make a game before anyone gives you help about your Switch charging ☹️
I loved the Epic Mickey series, I was so sad when the 3rd game was cancelled. 😢
Sounds like that issue a few launch Switches had... I believe there was a fix for it by fully draining the battery and fully charging it up over and over and doing something else... Idk. Can’t remember because I never had a problem and thus didn’t care too much about the solution.
More than likley you bricked your switch because you're not using the charge block/cable that came with the switch. I've had a few friends brick it because they used their phone charger on it and the switch is designed for a weird power demand that only their set up can charge.
Read Warren Spector, thought Phil Spector.
I was all like, what the hey?
@Itzdmo Hot take alert. It's a faulty battery with the system he owns SINGULAR. Yet you blow that up to be an indictment of the whole system. Ridiculous.
This seems to me just like a normal lithium ion battery problem. If you leave it uncharged for long periods of time the voltage may decrease and not be enough for the device to turn on. Or it's like the PSVita battery problem: you would need to disconnect and reconnect the battery from the circuit as it would "reset" the battery. It's just a hunch though.
Just checked Nintendo's online store...odd that they won't sell Switch batteries.
Epic Mickey was great on Wii, I didn't get Epic Mickey 2 because of poor reviews... Did anyone get it and really enjoy it??? I heard the Wii version was better than the Wii U version.....
Switch has had cruddy battery life since day one. One of the things I really hope they improve on with the new model(s).
@Medic_alert
Oh man I have left my GBA sp uncharged for years, hopefully if it is dead that will work.
Does it hurt to leave the Switched docked most of the time?
I love how he is a gamer like everyone else. Cuphead is an excellent game and seems to be right up his alley. I hope he gets it fixed.
This is the main thing that bothers me about all the gaming hardware that uses built in rechargeable batteries. Not that any system is really intended to still be getting used 6 or 7 years later, and there are plenty of other parts that can wear out or fail, but the batteries are a real ticking clock, and the fact that every one of them are installed with no intention for the user to refresh them can feel a little like buying a fruit fly for a house pet.
I may have briefly looked at the AA-powered controller that came with the Xbox One like they went cheap, but I quickly came to appreciate that it at least won’t require a costly repair just to keep it going.
Had my Switch since launch and it still has around 3 hours of battery life of gameplay.
@k8sMum probably not if you dont have the TV running with it on all night but I tend to take it out when I go to bed just in case. I had fan noise issues in the past (which Nintendo generously fixed for free even though my warranty was over) so I'm trying to be extra careful
How is reaching out to your followers supposed to solve it for you, Dear Warren?
It is Nintendo's Support Service you should be reaching out to.
SMH
I forgot about this dude! I remember being so excited about Epic Mickey prior to its release. Warren gives good interviews, and knew how to sell Epic Mickey. Too bad how it turned out. The flaws were a deal breaker for me. I remember being confused as to how a man with his passion, history in the industry and love for Disney, could result in the final product.
@Itzdmo I wouldn't say it's a terrible handheld. The games it can play as a handheld are impressive enough, a significant leap above what the 3DS or Vita was doing...But that battery life is absolutely abysmal and it absolutely baffles me how so few people ever seem to mention it since for a handheld, that's a big issue. I still take my 3DS out with me as a priority since the battery life isn't utter garbage.
But yea, as a home console the Switch isn't great. If there's a third party game on the Switch I'm most likely going to buy it on literally any other platform since playing it "on the go" isn't a huge selling point when the battery lasts so little time. If I'm probably going to be playing it at home anyway, why would I want to play the objectively worst version of it.
@Folkloner You should see his other posts...one angry angry dude.
Go get a new system, do system transfer. Then ship the defective one to Nintendo. He could sell the refurbished Switch after it was repaired.
Surely, he could afford a New Switch.
1 (800) 255-3700
I have a feeling a new mickey game will come..
So when he first turns it on, it's perfect, but within mere seconds it drops into sheer usability? That's ironic, because it reminds me of the experience I've had playing most of Warren's games post-Deus Ex.
@Joeynator3000 Officially the batteries aren't user replaceable, you have to send it in for service just like Apple products and smartphones/tablets. Unofficially it's just some screws and a ribbon cable to detach, but batteries will have to be of the Chinese knock-off variety. (Still better than Samsung cough)
@Heavyarms55 The battery is literally behind a handful of screws and one teeny tiny connector cable. The cable is the reason it's not user replaceable, I'm sure, but the fact that it's even plugged in rather than soldered, just like 3DS/WiiU batteries, it's pretty hard to call it "not user replaceable".....the problem is actually finding batteries for it.....
We can't afford to waste any more of Spector's time with this kind of bull! The man's over sixty and we want him focused on games.
@nessisonett just in time for the new models 😂, an Apple strategy. You are absolutely correct that simply buying another on a system less than 5 years old is a bad sign of quality.
Huh, Warren plays video games just like me...Very cool! I guess we're not too different after all!
Stay patient, Warren! I hope you are able to play awesome games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Tennis Aces, and other very cool games soon. My favorite game is Pokemon. I like how it lets you catch Pokemon. My favorite Pokemon is Pikachu, but I do not like him in Smash Bros.
THank you Nintendo Life for delivering highly relevant, truthful, and useful news the public. I am glad to find out Warren is normal person like the rest of us. Makes me feel less depressed lol
By the way, does anyone want to play Smash Bros? My username is GotchaNatzi10
funny how a bunch of the comments are about epic mickey
@Itzdmo you cant cant play a ps4 or xbox one ANYWHERE YOU WANT the way you can with a switchy
Dear mister Spector: I believe the Switch has this strange thing of using it at least once in 6 months, otherwise the battery won't charge anymore. Maybe you can still use it with the adaptor plugged in, but not wireless anymore. I know its ridiculous, but Nintendo has stated this.
I still have Epic Mickey. I never finish it.
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