Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

You know, I have to say, my NES controllers arrived and they are awesome. I never realized just how much of the feel of a video game is about the controller you play it on. Having these controllers is the difference between me using and not using the NES library. Not really interesting without them...but with the controllers it all feels so right. Various iterations of SMB1 for example don't enthuse me. WiiU, Switch, Wii....it feels so meh. I forgot how the game must have been specifically designed around that controller, and the exceptionally firm/springy D-Pad and snappy concave buttons. Feathering the d-pad to stablize Mario on edges came back to me like riding a bike and the whole game feels so much more precise and accurate. There's a physical feedback to the control of mario on these controllers, by design, that doesn't exist on later controllers. The controllers really are a part of these games.

This makes me really REALLY hope for SNES controllers as well.....I wonder what the odds are of them doing that? I feel like SNES games that seem less engaging now will seem new again with real controllers. Otherwise I may need an SNES Mini after all.....

@NEStalgia
I felt the same way about the Pokeball controller for Pokémon Let’s Go. The controller really made the experience for me. It’s amazing what a difference a controller can make

I don’t really play NES games that often, but hearing you gush about the controllers makes me want to order some. Would they work with the MegaMan collections? I heard it does work for any game even though the buttons are limited.

edit
Ordered

@JaxonH LOL, it's fair payback for all the things you've made me buy!

Nintendo has me roped now. NES pads for NES, GCN controllers for Smash, Pokeballs for LGP (glad to hear you like it so much, I have the bundle, haven't opened it yet, but always good to know it's worth it!) it's making VR capable PC builds sound cheap

FWIW, I don't have Mega Man Legacy to test with, but per usual for Nintendo their dire warnings about the controllers working only in the NES app defying common expectation was completely off base. They work the way you'd think they work, it's a joycon that's missing the X, Y, and L3 buttons, and has a Dpad instead of an analog stick. The NES app remaps L/R as Capture/Home, and L+R as app menu, but outside the app Select, Start, B, A, and dpad act as you'd expect, and L/R are joycon L/R, so it'll work with anything that doesn't need more buttons (Mega Man X collection needs more buttons in at least some games since the included versions are the Saturn/PS versions (Edit, duh, it doesn't matter that it's the Saturn version, the original was for SNES which also had more buttons ) , and, thus, A is a melee dash rather than arm cannon which is on, X, I think, so it "functions" on the NES pad but you can't actually play without the arm cannon button.)

@NEStalgia I didn't really have any problems playing Zelda with a pro controller. Mario 3 was very weird though, but that's only because I can't use B and Y like I do on SNES. TBH other than duck hunt, I don't think I've touched my NES is at least 10 years. I really prefer SNES for everything. Even Mario (all stars).

Why did you get the Nintendo ones and not an 8bitdo? I will admit after seeing those Famicom ones I'd get them if possible, and if they worked for more than the game rental.

SNES controllers are eh in that regard. Pro controller has the same button layout so IDK if it'll matter. I have the SNES classic anyway if I wanted to do that.

I don't think there will be SNES controllers for the Switch like the NES ones. Idk how they would have a rail and the shoulder buttons.

I have an 8bitdo receiver, wireless SNES pad (that feels remarkably similar to the real thing), and DualShock 4, so I think I'm good on controllers now. I have a GameCube adapter, but I think I'll be using that when I emulate games with Dolphin. I never much cared for playing Smash with the GC controller.

I sold my Steam controller. It was a cool idea, but I could never really get used to it.

@Trajan Yeah I think the platformers would be more affected than Zelda which was never about tight controls. I agree NES hasn't aged well....the controllers make me want to play it more than without them though. I was ignoring it aside from the controllers which make it kind of appealing.

I haven't held the 8bitdo ones but the thrill of the Nintendo ones is just that it's the actual spec of the original (modern mfring aside), so it's that legit authentic NES experience from the 80's rather than an approximation. I compared it to my real NES pads....the dpad action, button click....it's all identical. The feel of the d-pad, the feel of the concave buttons and gloss plastic...it's identical. The housing is thinner but it's the literal spec of the 80s's pads. That's really cool and makes the NES games that much tighter to control at least from muscle memory from all those years ago.

Yeah I don't know how the rail would work. It could be raised at the top to accomodate it. Or they could just put a USBC port on it and charge like Pro controller. I hope there are controllers if they do SNES. But yea, there's 8bitdo if not. Not quite as perfect.

@Ralizah I kind of laughed at the GCN smash crowd until I tried it with ultimate....the high tension sticks and octo gates are the real draw to it. The buttons are great, but kind of irrelevant, but that high tension stick makes a lot of sense with how the game is played...and octo gates can be worked around but they're pretty convenient. (That gate is so weird because it was terrible for all other games )

@NEStalgia The buttons are important as well. B, A, and X are lined up. I think the button layout is more important to me than the sticks.

That being said my original GC controllers are loose left to right. Even then, they are still stiffer than the pro. Which is funny because earlier this year I went back to play some GC and was like "I don't remember these sticks being so stiff".

@Trajan The buttons don't feel too different for me, because I use Y to jump not X on GCN, so it feels the same as hitting X on Pro (but the raised kidney shape is nice.) Reaching all the way to X from B, which I tend to use more than A in smash (more tilt specials than basic attacks), is too long a reach where Y is equidistant to both A and B.

Yeah it was a shock to me because GC sticks are actually excessively stiff. As in they're almost laughably awful for 3D games. High tension, octo gates...what were they thinking? But for smash they work very very well with fast spring back and deliberate tilts. Pro is the floppiest of sticks but it works really well for 3D games. X1 is kind of in the middle, and PS4 DS4...well those sticks are horrible no matter what.

For the buttons, with X/A/B or Y/A/B respectively they feel not dissimilar to me, not sure I really react differently for each.

@NEStalgia Yeah. I don't remember thinking they were stiff back then. It's weird. Original Xbox both duke and s controllers aren't as stuff either.

@Trajan With the stiffness, small head, and ringed grips, it reminds me of the CDi controller.

@NEStalgia I'm too young for that. Growing up everyone had a NES and SNES. The one weird kid had a genesis.

This is so true in the US

@DarthNocturnal LOL! Same.

Never actually physically played an SNES until I was an adult.

@DarthNocturnal @Ralizah We're the kids that grew up still spending every day on our Nintendos three and a half decades later. I'm not sure we want adjectives describing us.

@Ralizah "never plysically played an SNES"
Did they at least feed you weekly in your cell?

We had an N64, although it was very much a secondary console that I used to play Pokemon spinoffs.

To be honest, I was never actually a "Nintendo fan" growing up. The first company I could say I was actually a fan of was Sony. The Christmas morning I unwrapped my Playstation 1, alongside copies of Spyro the Dragon and Mega Man X4 was simply magical.

@NEStalgia I never knew what I was missing, since I was too shy to make friends as a child (and then too grumpy to make friends as a teenager). Besides, Sonic, Toejam and Earl, Phantasy Star II, Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday, etc. were good fun.

Our SNES spent 90% of it's time confiscated under our parents bed until I unearthed it some years ago and now it lives in my closet, waiting.

@DarthNocturnal We supported the heck out of the NES. I owned 35+ games at one point.

I'm still annoyed that the Disney Afternoon Collection never released on Switch. :/ Capcom's Disney games were simply phenomenal back then. Darkwing Duck. Ducktales. Rescue Rangers. etc.

Although I still think Virgin Games' Aladdin on Genesis is superior to the Capcom one on SNES. Not at all influenced by my nostalgia for the system, I'm sure.

@DarthNocturnal You mean...King of Kings? Loved that game, it was pretty solid. I also had Exodus on Gameboy. Or as I call it, DigDug Moses

I never played Bible Adventures, but KoK has some cool music. I liked Bee 52, and was more than a little disappointed this month when I remembered that it wasn’t called Twin Bee ☹️

@Ralizah Well, I can't fault Toejam and Sonic...they sat next to my NES and SNES happily. How did you switch from NES to Sega/PS though?

@DarthNocturnal "Unlicensed Bible games" there is SOOOOOOO much wrong with this sentence I don't even know where to begin.