Feature: Just How Accessible Are Switch Games Like Xenoblade, Pokémon, And Mario Odyssey?

@Mauzuri "Oh, and it helps that both these games have great and endearing characters you come to love.. unlike XC2"

XC2 has unlikeable characters? lol

Adjustable text size is the accessibility feature I really want. Docked play text is fine, but on portable play some game text is way too small. More accessibility!

I was quite impressed with how many customizable features Xenoblade 2 added through it's DLC. Having control over how much HP an enemy has, how hard they hit, etc. is something I haven't seen many games do. Also they added the ability to turn off enemy aggression which makes exploring so much easier.

I hope stuff like this is available from the get go in Xenoblade 3

I see the Xenoblade bickering has already begun xD

XC2 does have a lot of opitons like what was mentioned, difficulty sliders for most aspects of the game is excellent (cuts out mashing in QTEs if you want, makes progression smoother if you get stuck, etc.). Though for all the good that one menu provides, theres a ton that just sucks. Field skills are awful to get done, since its a TON of menuing, as is the case for other elements of the game too. Tutorials being unable to be reviewed after they first show up is so stupid, and means that many just turn to the internet to figure out what to do. The way the game gives out systems in general kinda sucks too, since they usually come along mid-battle and suddenyl you have an extra submenu in the battle UI that does a super specific thing that you can't quite figure out how it works with anything else due to the bad tutorials... yeah, the game as a whole is a very weird mess.

Characters in the game are almost universally great, imo. XC2 is just a very divisive game, which is fine. Just people do not know how to have calm discussions surrounding so much of the game most of the time lol.

@AndyC_MK111 Xenoblade 1 had the option to review tutorials for pretty much everything at any time in a simple menu. XC2 just gives you one big chain of text boxes half heartedly explaining a new mechanic or 3, then leaves you with that. It was very rarely ever at good times in the game, since they happen in battle a lot as well, and they just do the absolute bare minimum in explaining what said new mechanic does, sadly.

Hopefully XC3 takes a leaf out of 1's book.

Also it's quite interesting how so many games don't have the option to resize the text. I didn't realize this until now.

@AndyC_MK111 Its been a long time since I have played any of them here too. X i left about 70% of the way cus I just got bored, and 2 I haven't played since the Torna DLC in 2018. A little bit on and off, but not really a huge amount.

I have been considering starting a new playthrough of 2 and X for a while now, but its just such a large time investment. Hopefully you can fit an X playthrough in at some point soon!

@Vortexeo It's probably an entirely different format for coding the text boxes and scrolling if that were an option, aside from subtitles for voice acting segments.

@AndyC_MK111 God, don't I know it! xD

Xenoblade is about as accessible as the Ghobi.

Xenoblade 2's chief accessibility problem is that it has no menu for past tutorials.

I'm a veteran Xenoblade player. Played through all of Xenoblade on Wii, 3DS, and Switch. Played Xenoblade X on Wii U. And I played most of 2, Future Connected and more recently Torna on Switch.

I love these games and would argue I'm a core audience member (100%'d XB1 on Switch, for example). I know what I'm doing.

But when I got back into XB2 a few months ago to finally finish the game? I couldn't remember HALF of the controls. Couldn't remember how to even switch between enemies. It doesn't help that the controls change their layout from entry to entry (even on the same console). But XB2 SPECIFICALLY lacks a tutorial review menu. So I literally had to look up the tutorials online to figure out how to orient myself back into the game controls again.

Once they're working, they're working great. These systems combine to make a masterful game (in most cases; gatcha is ALWAYS BAD). But the game is NOT friendly to players who have taken a leave of absence for a few years. And that's piss-poor game design. Heck, they even included the tutorial menu on the Torna DLC expansion, but didn't think to retroactively update the main game with a tutorial menu. UGH.

Are motion controls in odyssey really that much better? Ive put around 200 hours into the game and I’ve never once used motion controls outside of the occasional frog super jump, at least not that i remember

Xenoblade 2 is the third game in the series, not the second. X is the second game and is probably the most inaccessible Xenoblade game. Basically has a 15 hour tutorial

As for "accessibility" I think the gaming community does a disservice by calling certain options for certain disabilities automatically accessable. True accessibility would be a CERO style rating system that breaks down physical, visual, auditory, learning disability, developmental disorder, etc, in to their own categories. Your game isn't "accessible" because you implement font size options. It's accessible to those who have certain visual impairments. True accessibility would make games essentially movies imo.

The most accessible game I can think of is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It has large fonts, very little in the way of difficult mechanics, most of the menus have audio/visual elements for sign posting, it encourages a low skill ceiling by body anything above 50% a "victory" by having your character celebrate, and the auto-accelerate and auto-pathing options make it extremely easy to enjoy for a multitude of disabilities, physical or mental. I've a friend paralysed from the shoulder down and by utilising velcro and a glove, he can hold his own in our group nights.

Reading all these comments I realize that most of the commenters think of "accessibility" as "quality of life" features or stuff that makes "playing it easy".

Personally, when I read accessibility features I think about stuff that makes the game at all possible to play for people with various impairments like visual, hearing or coordination.

Even though I'm a Nintendo fan, accessibility is always a point where I feel they have missed the mark. The only time I can remember them doing something right was the auto-pilot for MK8 Deluxe. They should take some notes or just ask for advice from Microsoft on this point IMO.

Another part of accessibility that people often forget is that first-party Nintendo games almost never get any localizations outside of the usual English, *Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian and German. This is the only point I know where Sony caters better to children, you can say all you want about intuitive gameplay, but even Mario Odyssey requires you to read in a foreign language. Sure, you will most likely still find enjoyment from playing them and not understanding any text, but that's like saying you should settle for the funny scenes in a movie without understanding any of the dialog. Tell that to anime fans who rely on fan translations, or anyone who grew up with Disney movies.

*Japanese is often the original language.

@Bomberman64 The writer littered the bullet points with personal opinions of the games - things having nothing to do with accessibility.

For example. Arceus being a fresh take on Pokemon. ACNH having seasonal events. Cozy Grove save files being corrupted because someone wants to cheat.

It is no wonder the reader might be confused - Much like Mario's jumps, the entire article is difficult.

@Sonos Poor quality article imo

While I personally am not vision impaired, I think a "colorblind" mode should be in every modern gaming release.
I also think Animal Crossing New Horizons having some bugs that can only be located via audio cues is very questionable. Deaf people pretty much cannot catch all bugs unless they want to dig up their entire island in the respective months.

Also, gotta agree with previous posters that this article is weird. "A very refreshing take on the Pokémon series" doesn't really have anything to do with accessibility. The article may have been in good faith but doesn't really deliver on what it sets out to do.

@Sonos Yes, I wanted to point out this out about the article too. The fact that 90% of the comments are about personal preferences in the Xenoblade series shows that the article wasn't well focused. I do, however, appreciate them making such an article.

They should have also mentioned Mario Kart 8 Deluxe since that is the prime example of Nintendo doing something right in this area.

Thanks for taking the time to read my lengthy post!

@Bomberman64 If tough platforming is an issue then the latest Kirby might be an option. With it's fun easy mode and "lighter than Mario" platforming it seems like a viable option.

For what I know, one of the most accessible Nintendo games is the Rhythm Heaven franchise, specifically for people with visual impairment that can rely solely on audio cues. They also have visual cues and the controls are pretty simple in all installments.

Yes, for some players scalable difficulty can help a lot, but other times you need some control scheme that facilities getting enjoyment from the game. I know Wii Sports was accessible for many players, and I'm hoping Nintendo Switch Sports is as well, without having played the latter. Mario Galaxies have the 2 player mode which Odyssey has too. These modes can help with making the games accessible, and not just exist "for the annoying younger brother" to join in.

Personally, my wish it to see more players getting to have the same experience I had when playing great Nintendo titles, like when I was finally able to solve a hard puzzle in Ocarina of Time, or catching a legendary Pokémon etc.

Unless they have a cognitive disability, there is no difference in the ability to reason between people with or without an impairment, what that means is that we can both analyze and plan a set course of actions to beat a challenge, like how to solve a puzzle. The only differnce is that most of the time the controls or options available, or lack of, make accomplishing this exclusive to the people that don't have any impairments.

A Japanize magazine I love has a ongoing bit in partnership with Nintendo where they send their senor editor in chief (60ish, spent his whole life in rural Japan, to this day writes on a typewriter and has people send him hard copies of everything) to play a game with a Nintendo "guide". It's generally the head of PR or a developer on the project. They have 6 hours to get him to learn how to play.

The only one here he flat out gave up on is Pokémon, and I'll get to why in a second. Mario he was bad at because of the hand-eye part, but he still enjoyed it and maybe critically he didn't understand he was bad. He still FELT like he was making progress, and the game is really forgiving. He loved Xenoblades and had no problem picking it up. Old Japanese dudes generally love Anime tropes, the cheesier the better, and I remember him commenting about how the combat mostly "played itself".

The reason he couldn't play Pokémon, and this is actually really consistent, was because he couldn't figure out the goal of any given encounter. Do I dodge then toss a ball? Do I just hit it from long range? Do I have to go in the grass? Is that one friendly?

That's basically what makes a game accessible or not. In the industry, we call it "player ram", the amount of information you expect the player to retrain at all times and be able to process and manipulate. Having a really complex control system where pushing one button modifies what another does is a hugely taxing on player ram, as are open world elements that allow different approaches to encounters.

It's kinda a misconception that "hard" games are unaccusable. Jump on this dude's head is simple, and the timing will come with practice. But do this, unless this, then you need to do this and this instead, but when this happens you need to remember to do this, unless it's glowing, because then ...

That's what makes a game unapproachable for most people.

I'd argue that Pokémon Legends Arceus uses way too many buttons to be considered accessible. Were I to lose use of an arm, I dare say I wouldn't be playing that anymore.

Pokemon is for babies, Mario is just right for everyone and Xenoblade is not casual friendly

@Bomberman64

While I basically agree, it's hard to compare accessibility to Microsoft as a benchmark. Not only is it a company that can (and does) burn billions a year on accessibility research and technology, they are leveraging telemetry from thousands of windows partners. Their are lessons to be learn their, for sure, but honestly ... Nintendo needs to be rated against an absolute bare minimum, so it's crystal clear they flat out suck at it, not that they can't compare the to undisputed world leader.

I generally favour Japan's (and by extension, Nintendo's) paradigm over the west ... but not here. In Japan, people with disabilities becomes the responsibility of their immediate social communities, and the good news is ... it's generally works. There is a 30ish year old girl with pretty sever autism living alone close to where I spend a lot of time, and the people who live in that area take care of her, check on her, make sure she has what she needs, and even spend time with her and make sure she feels included. Nintendo's view of accessibility in video games is "yeah, that's what your family is for. Can't read the text? Why isn't your brother/sister reading it for you?"

And while that level is social responsibility is great, it doesn't let you off the hook for doing your part as well. Not EVERYONE has a support network in Japan, and Nintendo knows that in other markets the reality is very different. It's a clear example of a very negative mob mentality ... because it's EVERYONE'S responsibility to help people, we don't have to do anything ourselves.

Sadly, I don't know if that's going to change. It's part of the culture, and it's an even bigger part of the corporate culture. If this was a Japanese language discussion, your comment would be downvoted like crazy with dozens of people replying "If you know someone having a hard time playing video games, why aren't you helping them".

I think there's also a bit of a mix up in this article between accessibility and usability. Generally, accessibility is a part of game usability and would usually refer to ease of use to those that, either due to physical or cognitive handicaps, would struggle to play and get enjoyment from the game in any form.

I do appreciate the Nintendo Life addressing accessibility in articles like this, but I can't help but feel it slightly hypocritical when they say it can be hard to assess accessibility in games before you buy them, when one of the main reasons we read reviews and previews on this site before buying a game is to see how suitable a game would be to us to play.

I feel like if this is an issue Nintendo Life is serious about addressing then providing reviewers with at least the necessary information on how to assess accessibility in the games they are reviewing and to include that information in the review would be beneficial to not just those have accessibility issues, but would actually appreciated by all readers.

Tiny text that cannot be resized is one of the most annoying parts of modern games, and I have good eyesight. I can't imagine how frustrating or borderline unplayable it can be for people with visual impairments.

Also, I wonder if Nintendo would ever consider making a special adaptive controller for Switch, like Microsoft did for Xbox a couple years back. That would be great if they did.

I work with people with a variety of disabilities and regularly hold games nights for them. I find MK8 to be really good with the power assist feature however a lot of Nintendo games can't be played such as Animal Crossing simply as there is no voice acting and some I work with can't read, such a shame as it should be a basic feature by now

Overcooked is quite nice to play with someone not accustomed to games, as it’s simple to understand but has plenty of depth, and requires plenty of strategy that years of gaming is not a prerequisite to. I’ve been playing the first game with my girlfriend, and we’ve both been having a really nice time going through it. Although, it might end of having an adverse effect on our relationship lol.
For those new to gaming, I always recommend a Mario game, as it’s pretty much everything you need to know to do well in video games. I was raised on NSMBDS, and my little brother on Mario 3D World, but the spin-offs usually work great as well.

@HeadPirate I didn't know this about Japanese culture, so thanks for explaing it very clearly. It would seem that Nintendo has started catering to more western mentality then, if we look at how they added auto-pilot for MK8DX, and how they marketed this as an accessibility feature.

You're right that microsoft has indeed more money and the possibilities to spend on this, and this is also the core aspect of accessibility features (and anything really): money. Having these features or not is decided through a calculated assessment, and I haven't seen any estimations of the market here.

Accessibility comes in both software and hardware, and Nintendo produces both. That's why I felt it natural for Nintendo to ask their new friend Microsoft (if media is anything to go by) for help, seeing that they've engineered the most accessible controller yet.

On the software front, you can compare Nintendo to anyone who makes games. If a small Indie company can spare the time/money to make a colorblind mode or a text-to-voice mode, then surely Nintendo can too. The question is will they profit from it.

This is the aspect of Nintendo's games that, all things considered, are falling dismally behind industry standard. Sony's and Microsoft's focus on accessibility in their games are leaps and bounds ahead of Nintendo. I'm a web designer, and if I treated the accessibility of my clients' websites like Nintendo treats their games then OSHA would sue my a** off.

The fact that a paraplegic person could still experience The Last of Us: Part 2 by disabling all gameplay, essentially turning the game into a movie is mind-blowing to me. Freak, you can even disable all colors in the game except the good guys are blue, enemies are red, and items are yellow; it's incredible. The new Forza game allows you to enable a windowed view of a person signing all spoken words. Nintendo needs to severely up their game.

I recently gained a relative who is missing an arm, and I’ve been surprised at how she can do most things that other people do but video games are pretty much not an option. The joy cons are nice and small, which helps, but still most games require two hands to play. It’d be nice to see more options for control adjustment for people like her.

I don't need any of these options but it's nice to know they could be there for me if, god forbid, I do need them someday.

@B_Lindz At the point where a game becomes a movie - why is it necessary to accommodate? Just watch a movie. It is no longer a game if it is a movie. It is a movie.

Accessibility is fantastic - more the merrier. But there are some things handicapped people cannot, and will never be able to do. You'd think it would be prudent to find the things that are accessible - rather than criticize the things that are not. There is an obvious and needed market for accessible to all games/movies/all media.

I honestly can't pretend to be impressed by accessibility in Nintendo games. Nintendo's biggest strength in keeping a streamlined approach in all of its games to provide the same experience to everyone is also their biggest weakness. They unfortunately do not understand equity quite fully yet.

'Cutscenes in-game are voice acted as well as subtitled, however, they can be quite (read: incredibly) long with no way to pause'

Xenoblade 2 absolutely can be be paused during cutscenes. I took advantage of it on MANY occasions. Press the plus button

If a company can't even add adjustable text sizes in some of their games, they don't care about accessibility in the slightest. I mean it's the smallest thing to implement.

@Vortexeo It's such a simple feature that barely any games have.

To play games cooperatively with my partner I ended up buying a smaller cheaper TV for "player 2" since coop basically requires 2 TVs and 2 monitors these days. Add in to that I wear glasses for short sightedness and I'm a gent, so I let her use the big TV.

A majority of the time, I can't read the text in games because it's too small for me on that monitor (32"?). Usually I either have to sit much closer to the TV, fumble my way through it or hope that the same text has appeared on my partners much larger screen.

I would understand if being able to increase the size of the text would change the way the game is experienced or something but I can't think of a single reasonable example where that would be the case. In 100% of games where I see this simple feature missing it seems like either an oversight or the developer not caring. Never have I been unable to alter it and thought "well, this is how the game is MEANT to be played".

@AndyC_MK111 More to the point, in a few years' time, you almost certainly won't have good health, no disabilities, and good sight and hearing. There's a reason some people with disabilities call the rest of us "the not-yet disabled".

@dartmonkey thank you for the reply, I look forward to seeing what you all come up with! 🙂

Xenoblade 2 does not have the custom sliders unless you buy the dlc. That being said, it has an easy mode which is actually perfectly balanced mode. Not too easy, the enemies merely have less hp so normal battles won't take eternity.

As for Xenoblade 1 Definitive Edition, its casual mode is basiically a god mode and kind of ruins the game, since you barely have to level and you can just skip all other growth mechanics.