Topic: Nintendo Switch 2

Nash Weedle is again doubling down on there having been 2 Metroid Prime games approved by Nintendo. Says the script they pitched was too large for one game.

I hope they're right. This would definitively make NSW2 the new golden era. Even without Prime 2 and 3, we'd have an even better trio of games with Prime Remastered, Prime 4 Beyond, and Prime 5.

@Grumblevolcano
In the US, Prime 4 remains #1 on both NSW2 and NSW1 eShop charts.

Furthermore, the NSW2 upgrade is at #13.

In general, I’m really happy people seem yo be moving to the Switch 2 pretty quickly and that most of the new announcements are Switch 2 only. It’s gonna help Nintendo avoid what plagued the Xbox Series and PS5 for most of that generation.

@rallydefault
So, assuming Prime 5 is in development, do you think it would also release on NSW1 given Prime 4 is dual release, and Metroid is a series that needs all the sales it can get? Or do you think it would be developed ground up for NSW2?

I feel like that could be one exception where they go ahead and include NSW1. On the other hand, I could see them going all in on NSW2. Really unsure what to expect... Suppose it may depend on how Prime 4 sales are split (assuming we are getting another, of course- this is all hypothetical).

@JaxonH
Honestly, I think Prime 5 (if real) will be Switch 2 only.

I was someone who thought we were gonna see a loooooong tail for Switch 1, even for first-party stuff: Nintendo making games for it for at least another couple years. Huge install base, so makes sense, right?

But I think Prime 4 and Z-A are gonna be the last big first-party franchise games for Switch 1.

Switch 1 does have that big install base, and I'm sure third parties will continue to milk it for as long as they can, but look at the first-party stuff Nintendo's announced for after Prime 4 and Z-A: It's only Tomodachi Life and Rhythm Heaven for the Switch 1. For Switch 2 it's Yoshi, Fire Emblem, Pokopia, Mario Tennis, Animal Crossing S2 edition, Mario Wonder S2 edition. And roll that up with the outstanding sales Switch 2 has been seeing... I think the ship has sailed.

I think they played it well, shockingly. Prime 4 basically HAD to come out for Switch 1 after all the years they kept people waiting. It was a BotW situation, basically: They knew they had to deliver on a "promise" for the S1 people, but the game really is going to be best on the new hardware. Pokemon, I think, was more of a mercenary decision: The Pokemon audience is way more likely to stick with the older hardware for longer, so Z-A being cross platform was a no brainer; it's really a S1 game with slight upgrades for S2. It doesn't have nearly the S2 upgrades we're seeing for Prime 4.

At any rate, they played it so that Prime 4 gets to fulfill their promise and be the bridge game between the systems, but it's gonna be the last first-party blockbuster Switch 1 gets.

About the micro sd express cards. Did you buy multiple cards or one larger one? Any recommendations?

I am currently looking at sandisks 256gb card. And can get a 10% discount if I buy three of them. Not sure if that's a good idea, though

@SuperEndriu, Switch 1 can only fit one Micro SD card at a time, so I assume that the Switch 2 is the same in that regard. If you only have one Switch 2 console, just one Micro SD Express card will be plenty.

@Nep-Nep-Freak oh yes, it can have one card at a time.
Not sure if one 256gb card will be enough in the long run though.

@SuperEndriu
I recommend the 512 GB Samsung micro SD express on sale right now on Amazon for $74.99

512 GB mSD EX $74.99 Amazon

Personally, I bought x3 separate 1 TB cards because 1 TB simply isn't sufficient for my needs. But you can only use one card at a time, right? Wouldn't having multiples be a pain? Well, it would if each one only had 256 GB of games and you had to get up and swap them every time. But when each one has 1 TB of games, and you don't have to get up and swap them, it's a great solution. But how do you not need to get up and swap them? Great question. Glad you asked.

micro SD holder

I stuck this on the back of my NSW2, just below the volume buttons, so it docks without issue and my magnetic portable battery still snaps on without issue. I keep one Gamestop brand 1 TB in the middle slot, which is black and gold, and contains 1 TB worth of NSW1 games that benefit from NSW2 power. Then I keep a Lexar 1 TB which is red and black, on the left for exclusives, and another in the right slot for multiplats. That is the one I keep in my system most of the time and at least for now, also has the exclusives on it. But it's almost full, and once it can no longer hold all NSW2 games, I'll split across the 1st and 3rd cards.

If you'd rather not deal with multiple cards, I highly recommend just stepping up and doing the deed properly. Don't faff about with smaller sizes. Amazon has the 1 TB Lexar micro SD express on sale for Black Friday for $185.99, and BestBuy has a 1 TB NEXT micro SD express on sale for $169.99

1 TB mSD EX $185.99 Amazon

1 TB mSD EX $169.99 BestBuy

@JaxonH wow! That's on a whole new level.

Thanks for taking the time to respond this thoroughly.

I might just buy only one 256gb card for now. Did some research in the meantime and google told me frequent sd card swapping could damage the cards/card reader.

@SuperEndriu
I imagine super frequent swapping might over a long period of time, but if you have larger cards that negates a lot of the swapping. Either way I'd advise the largest size you can reasonably afford. Otherwise it's gonna fill up and you'll be buying multiple small cards to swap vs having one larger card. And with all the NSW1 games that run better on NSW2, space will fill up faster than you think.

But, it comes down to what you believe you'll need. And maybe that's only 256 GB.

I got a cheap 256gb express card early on and it's been doing alright for me. My first 100gb game next year will be slightly painful but (with internal storage) that is still 400gb+ of flexible space to choose what other games to store. Larger is only really for convenience. I'll probably get a 1TB when they're down to 50 bucks

Hot take.

I'm 41, and have been gaming since MegaMan 3 on the NES. And yet, I love modern gaming. Can't stand old titles anymore. Everyone always says they hate modern gaming and miss the old times, but not me.

Metroid Prime 4 has gyro/mouse aiming, hybrid versatility, 4k resolution with 60 frames and a 120 fps option, great visuals and multiple controller options with HD rumble 2 and mappable rear buttons and an ergonomic controller, even split Joycon.

Last night I was playing Split Fiction with my brother across town without him even owning the game! It auto-saved mid boss fight with half his health bar after we both died. No need to re-do the first phase. It also offers split screen locally and over local wireless. Again I say, I love modern gaming!

Everyone only ever mentions negatives. But those negatives are far outweighed by the positives. And the negatives don't even apply to all games. Yet the positives pretty much exist across the board. I can't stomach going back to the archaic graphics and game design and limited options of yesteryear. I just can't.

There are some exceptions, like MegaMan, Metroid Fusion, Super Mario World, etc, but even then I can only tolerate them by playing on a modern system like NSW2 where I can enjoy hybrid versatility, save states and rewind, multiple ergonomic controller options, etc.

I'll swim against the current and die on this hill.

I'm not going to say I am a fan of all retro games but I do love some retro games, the very best titles for most old consoles and arcades. I don't mind inferior graphics but to be honest for 2D games its really not that bad. Classic arcade games had some really nice 2D graphics. The Switch 1 and likely Switch 2 libraries are full of old retro games repackaged. Brand new games with new ideas aren't that common and Nintendo loves to sell old games at high prices. Nintendo are pushing Gamecube titles for their online service, that's an old console now but elsewhere you can emulate all Gamecube games at better speeds with higher resolutions etc. Also have to remember on the PC you get to play old games with new graphics, new levels, new features because that is what happens on a open system like the PC. Games don't remain the same they get many enhancements for free. I still love the Dreamcast and many of its games, I am still a huge fan of the super nintendo and N64. So many great games on the first 4 playstation systems too. At best Nintendo are only going to knock out one great first party game every 3 months I bet on Switch 2. Probably this time next year there will be no more than six great exclusive games on Switch 2 but there are 100s maybe 1000s of great games on other formats.

@JaxonH I totally get you. It has been more often than not that I revisited an old favorite of mine just to discover that is has lost all the "magic". It is often better to just keep the fond memories and move on to something new. What I do like though is games that mix retro sensibilities with modern gameplay and QoL features.

Edit: I played through It Takes Two together with my brother on his Xbox Series S about two years ago in split-screen and it was totally grand. Now I got Split Fiction for only about 33 € during Black Friday for me to put under the Christmas tree. This time it's gonna happen on Switch 2 though.

I'm 46, have been playing video games since the mid-1980s, and I pretty much agree with all of this. I have fond memories of playing the first Legend of Zelda back in the eighties when there still weren't any other Zelda games in existence, but if you'd ask me today, I would always choose modern games like Breath of the Wild or Echoes of Wisdom over the old ones. With these newer games their scope of gameplay, level of storytelling and quality of life features simply make them more exciting and fun to play.

And I agree that there are a handful of games from the 8-bit and 16-bit era which have stood the test of time and are still almost as enjoyable today as their modern counterparts; Super Mario Bros 3 and A Link to the Past are the first obvious examples to come to mind. But timeless classics like these are still a small minority among "retro" games. And when you move from the 8/16-bit generation to the early 3D generation, I can't think of any similar examples. Old pixel graphics can sometimes have a simple, minimalist beauty to them, but to me N64-era games like Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64 simply look ugly when compared to newer 3D games in their respective series.

@JaxonH I'm a little younger (mid-30s, gaming since the 90s) but I totally agree - I think there's never been a better time to be into the hobby.

Sure there are legitimate issues in the industry...but with more choices than ever, not only in the games to play, but the way in which to play them (e.g. console, PC, hybrid...), it is very easy to avoid the things people like to complain about. Plus the ceiling for how good a game can be is higher than ever IMO. My list of favourite games is chock full of stuff from the past decade.

@OmnitronVariant You should go work for Valve. 🙄

@JaxonH
I'm only a year younger than you, but I have to say that I'm the total opposite lol

I LOOOOVE retro games. The classics, of course, but pretty much everything, all the way back to the NES and GameBoy. I love Super Mario World just as much as the Lolo games, the Disney platformers from the 90s, the obscure stuff like Solar Strikers, and the "impossible" stuff like TMNT. I just like the simpler design, tougher challenge (usually), and shorter play length. I think modern game design is... really messed up, to put it lightly, once you leave Nintendo's bubble, which is why I stick with Nintendo when it comes to modern gaming.

But I don't think your opinion is a hot take at all - you're probably in the majority. I think it's just the Youtube talking heads and Reddit trolls who like to pretend they're into retro games, but they probably don't even own a GameBoy lol

(original hardware all the waaaaaaaaaaaaay!)

@rallydefault We already have confirmation that there will be games added to the voucher program throughout 2026. At maximum we have 2 currently (Tomodachi Life and Rhythm Heaven) though I could see those games be cheaper digital only games and hence not be eligible. Either way 2 isn't "throughout 2026".

So either there's more unannounced games which are coming to Switch 1 or Nintendo's going to do things the Jim Ryan way and announce already announced Switch 2 games like Fortune's Weave for Switch 1.

Honestly, the more crossgen support the better because Nintendo ruined physical for Switch 2 with the existence of Key Cards.