Topic: Next Nintendo Direct?

Whilst the Torna DLC is probably my favourite one Nintendo has done, I think you could maybe argue that Mario Kart 8 DLC on the Wii U was maybe better value/quality overall. Relative to its base game, of course.

@Slowdive
Exactly. See, the issue I was having with @VoidofLight is exactly the whole terminology between port/remaster (and they posted a bunch since my last question to them and haven't responded to me, so I assume they get my point).

A port, if you're gonna use the term properly, is the same game in every way just made to run on a different set of hardware, many times through use of emulation software.

A remaster changes the game to some degree that, if I would play the original game, I would be missing certain things. And that applies whether you like the changes or not, or deem them "lazy" or not. Fact of the matter is that SS HD is gonna contain stuff that, if I were to go and boot up my original copy of SS, I would not have access to. That, like it or not, is my definition of a remaster, of which there can be a massive scale of effort and features, of course. We talked about that in some other thread with Skywake, I think it was the future of Zelda thread.

So, yea. If you think SS HD is a sub par remaster, that's fine, but it's still a remaster. It's not a port.

@rallydefault The thing with Skyward Sword HD, is that it barely changes anything, so I moreso like to call it a port, since it's technically what it is. Effectively, it's a step above a port, with the bare minimum added. the term "HD" at the end of the game's name is a lie, since the game isn't "HD". Yes, it has a better resolution, but it still has shoddy textures, and the lighting system itself wasn't even changed. They literally just took the older game, changed the resolution, then slapped a 60 dollar price tag onto it.

Can't we all just get back to speculation on the next direct 😉

@Dezzy I'd definitely put Wii U MK8 DLC in 2nd. I just felt that XC2 expansion pass offered a lot more between Torna and the additions to the base game like the challenge battle mode.

@NintendoByNature I think it'll be a Mario Golf Direct in May with the announcement of a Speed Golf tourney pre-launch like the Mario Tennis one.

Super Mario 64 on Virtual Console and Super Mario 64 DS were two yeas apart on two different platforms.

Metroid's inclusion in Zero Mission was a bonus for beating the game and the classics release was two years later.

I'm not saying Nintendo couldn't release the ports now and then add then to N64 via NSO a couple of years down the line, but the speculation is we'll see a NSO refresh this year as well as the Zelda anniversary, and I don't think there is an example of Nintendo releasing the same game on the same platform in two releases in the same year.

I even think the reason they the Mario 3D collection is no longer available is partly due to Mario 64 being on the NSO N64 games. But if N64 games are coming to NSO, I really think it's impossible that two of the best N64 games wouldn't be included, which kills off the port release rumours.

I want either to be true as I want to play them both on my Switch!!

@Grumblevolcano
I never even did the challenge mode stuff! The main thing I loved about Torna was just the fact that the titan was a really well designed area, and then the main 2 characters in Lora and Jinn were a much better hero couple than Rex and Pyra were!

The term "HD" only has a formal definition in terms of screen resolution though, it doesn't really mean anything in terms of textures, models or lighting, even though people have often used it for those contexts. So they're really not doing anything wrong there.

@Grumblevolcano that sounds accurate.

@Slowdive i see and can we expect Switch Online price increase if Nintendo decided to add N64/Game Cube games to the Nintendo Online? or the princing will stay the same?

I think people are adding two and two together and getting Gamecube. Ninty are planning on changing over their servers so online play is better which is the primary purpose on the online subscription. Everything else is folk assuming there's more to it.

@Slowdive Ninty have only just started the process, it's not a press a single button and then it's all done process.

You're right! At this point we don't even know for sure that N64 games are coming. It wouldn't be the biggest shock if Nintendo didn't add them.

I would be shocked if Nintendo added Gamecube games, it seems to recent to me.

@RallyDefault
You forget Nintendo's history of DLC. Every Fire Emblem DLC has been terrible, Awakenings was actually worse than Three Houses. New Super Mario Bros 2 was a complete rip off as well. I don't think the DLC from them is getting worse, it's more just incredibly inconsistent in value.

As for SSHD, the only differences are resolution (which often changes in ports, look at Doom 2017 on Switch vs PS4), and controls (Look at any game released across both Wii and any other console). No texture changes, no model improvements, no gameplay fixes, no new content, it's a port.

@link3710 @VoidofLight
Ah, ok. So I can just pop the original SS into my Wii or Wii U and get the same HD graphics and new control scheme as SS HD? It's just a port, you said, right?

If I emulate Skyward Sword on my PC, I can also change controls and resolution on the fly (e.g. from Motion Controls to button input). Is it therefore a remake?

@rallydefault ...I literally just said that resolution and control schemes can change in ports. And gave examples. Like, Ori 1 ended up running better on Switch than on Xbox, and it adjusted the controls does that make it a remaster?

EDIT: Or what about Octopath? It runs at higher resolution and with keyboard controls on PC, so is it a remaster? Pretty much all console -> PC ports have that change.

And I disagree with that statement.

If resolution and fundamental changes to the control scheme (in this case allowing for non-motion controls in a game that completely molded its gameplay loop around motion controls) are made to a game that cannot be used in the original, then you have a remaster, not a port.

As to your Ori point, it obviously pales once you see my argument. Did Ori switch fundamental controls properties? Nope. Still just a controller-and-sticks based control scheme, just revamped for a different piece of hardware.

Now with your Octopath examples you're actually thinking. If they went into the code and re-did their graphics from the ground up, then I would say it's a remaster, albeit a small one. If the "new" graphics, however, are just the typical PC fare of being able to control your resolution/shadows/AA/etc., then no, that's just a port; all games are developed on PC from the start, so those options are part of the code from the beginning. The vast majority of console games just lock you out of those settings because of the hardware and console environment.

@rallydefault Skyward Sword HD isn’t HD. It only has a better resolution, so pretty much you’ll get the same game.

I don't care about framerate, graphics or textures. I get to have Groose anytime, anywhere, with anyone.