Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@link3710
Ya once you get to NVMe speeds it stops mattering as much. I doubt PS5 will see much difference from XSX due to Xbox already being blazing fast. Heck, even with traditional SATA-limited SSDs at just 660 mbps and games not developed ground up with them in mind, I still get load times of only a few seconds in most games.

If we can hit 1,000 mbps with real, actual read speeds of SD cards, we’ll be set. But it is incumbent on Nintendo to utilize NVMe for their next Switch internal hard drive, and mandate SD Express for expanded storage. I can already see people sticking normal microSD into the slot wondering why games are stuttering... they’ll need to make it crystal clear that it’s SD Express only. Or have the system cough up an error if any other normal type is inserted.

I agree with those asking for a Call of Duty on Switch. But I don't want them to take the latest game, make a bunch of cuts and jam a so-so port on Switch. I really want them to build a COD-Switch. With Switch hardware in mind. They could do that and just release the one game and it would be fine. We don't need yearly COD releases if they give us just one, good, COD game on the platform. And if it were solid, I'd even say bring on the season pass and DLC!

They could even decide to port the Switch game to other platforms with upgraded visuals later, it's fine. But I feel for a COD game to turn out well on Switch, it would need to be made for the Switch first and then ported to other platforms after. A scaled back port of the latest game just is not gonna be good.

I'm surprised Activision has ported the last-gen COD games to switch. I don't think any Switch owner would get mad at the idea if the games are priced accordingly, runs well, and has gyro.

Hell, I'll take a port of just World at War, the savagery and gore made the game an unforgettable experience.

@JaxonH I'd assume they'd just throw an error, that sounds like what Nintendo would do. The big issue is that SD-Express isn't BC with UHS-II/III, so even UHS-III cards that could theoretically offer enough speed wouldn't work if they went the SD-Express route. I mean, 624 MB/second on the UHS-III cards that's already available is still significantly better than the maximum 104MB/second UHS-I standard that Switch uses. I'm still kind of annoyed they didn't actually support UHS-II/III considering, we could be having 3-6x better read speeds right now if they had. That'd be huge for load times in many games. Though, perhaps the rest of the Switch wasn't built to support those transfer speeds, idek.

Just bought a 1tb micro sd card on Amazon uk for £240. My 400gb card is pretty much full and amazingly there was an option to split the payments over 5 months with no interest and no credit checks.

So 48quid a month for 5 months.

Woo

Edit: it's this one if anyone is interested.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07P9W5HJV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1...

the apex legends game thst is comeing to switch what other ones is there like that. i mean there's fortnite and call of duty, what else is there like that thats big in the market.

@Tangerine i bought a 256 GB MC SD CARD for 6 euro on a thing called WISH, not sure if it is any good. did you ever buy a really cheap micro SD card, was it any good?

I beat Xenoblade Chronicles!

Hands down, without question, the best JRPG I’ve ever played, and certainly among my favorite video games of all time. Now look- I loved Xenoblade X. I loved Xenoblade 2. I loved Xenoblade Torna. I beat each and every one of them to the rolling credits. You will never hear me say anything other than those games are amazing and among my fave JRPGs. But Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition is so much better than either of them. It’s on another level. It’s incredible. And the definitive edition with the new waypoints, navigation, instant fast travel, casual mode (which was crucial for evening out late game difficulty spikes which would otherwise require excessive grinding- I beat the final boss in a bitter battle to the end where I died the first try, so the difficulty ended up perfect activating casual mode for 2nd half of game and eliminated the tedium of the late game difficulty spike).

I have to strongly encourage anyone who has not played this game to go buy it and play it. This is how it’s done. Suddenly Final Fantasy doesn’t seem that impressive anymore. I still say FFX is the best turn based JRPG I’ve ever played but, it’s no longer my favorite overall. And it’s not even a close call, either.

On to Future Connected! And Trails of Cold Steel III Collector Edition arrived today. Despite releasing tomorrow. That’s next on the list.

@JaxonH 'Grats man. Beside the quality of life stuff with the Switch version, what is it about the game that elevates it to top spot?

@gcunit
Great question! I’ll try to give a concise answer as best I can.

#1 Battle System
I like the battle system more than the other two Xenoblade games (although XCX comes close, if there was a dedicated healer like Sharla from XC I’d say they’re equal). It’s less complicated, but sometimes less is more. Break > Topple > Daze feels better than having Launch also squeezed in. You also don’t stop auto-attacking when moving. And while I can appreciate the layer of strategy that brings, I just like it better this way, having played all of the games.
I also like panning through arts more than button presses. Timing presses to the rhythm of auto attacks in XC2 is an interesting approach, and one I do thoroughly enjoy, just... not quite as much. Battles are also a lot quicker than those found in later games. This ensures tedium does not sit in in the pace of progress continues to flow.

#2 Skill Tree
I like the skill tree more. Now, I will say- Final Fantasy X still has, and will likely always have, the best skill tree of any JRPG ever made. Nothing will take that honor from FFX (perhaps some day it will be topped, but I wouldn’t bet on it). Nonetheless, the skill tree in XC is more engaging than XC2, Which required you to accomplish various tasks to unlock the skills. In XC, you simply earn AP by fighting.

I also like how each character can “borrow” skills from the other players skill trees with a certain amount of allotted points, which grows as you play the game. Very strategic because you can’t borrow every skill you want so you have to pick and choose, and with different skills costing different amounts it really brings an extra layer of strategy to the entire skill tree system.

#3 Characters
I like the characters more. WAY more. I like them more than any characters of any JRPG I’ve played. Shulk is an amazing protagonist. Sharla and Reyn, and their dynamic is just incredible. You know Sharla has a boyfriend, but he is missing and likely dead, and you can tell Sharla is attracted to Reyn but has reservations because she holds onto hope Gadolt might still be alive. Also the dynamic between Melia and Shulk, where Melia likes him but, in her own words, “I’m nothing compared to her [Fiora]”. She knows Shulk’s heart is given to Fiora and she can’t compete with that. And I like the subtle emotional conflict you can see in her expressions at times as a result.

The enemies aren’t just super bad and evil for no reason. I mean, some are, I suppose, but that just comes down to their greed and character flaws. But nothing like Malos from XC2, who I didn’t really relate to. And the bigger players, who I won’t name for fear of spoilers, have layers of complexity not seen in those from later games.

#4 Voice Acting
So good. With one exception (which I’ll address later) it’s all on point. Having good voice acting really drives home the characters. And this game nails it. You don’t have super weird accents (looking at you, Nia) or anything like that. It’s all so well done. It definitely stands out for the main characters.

#5 Story
Oh my gosh. I could gush about the story in this game for hours. It’s SO GOOD. It’s so freaking good. I look at all the AAA games releasing nowadays and frankly, I’m astonished the stories in them don’t even come close to that of Xenoblade Chronicles. It might not have a AAA budget or presentation, but it has it where it counts in spades, and then some.

Right away the story gets off to an emotional start, like, within the first 2 hours of playing. And there are so many twists and turns from that point forward I was genuinely blown away more times than I can remember. It’s such a gritty and real story. It’s so much more relatable than XC2 (at least for the first half- the latter half of XC2 got really, really good, but even then it doesn’t quite measure up because the end boss isn’t as relatable, and therefore I wasn’t as invested, not to mention the last scene in the game kind of soured me a bit, as I felt there would have been more emotional weight if certain characters fates were left as they were in the climax).

And the ending... this game has THE BEST ENDING of any game I’ve ever played. It’s not even close. And having played the second game I have a much deeper appreciation for its significance, as the two tie together more than they led on. It’s so inventive, so genuinely captivating... they just don’t make em like this anymore. Xenoblade as a series is really something special. But this one stands tall above the rest.

#6 QoL Changes
Just a quick mention, but this really does factor into why I enjoyed it so much. The instant fast travel, the new waypoint and navigation system, easy to access map that was actually well done, the casual mode, the expert mode... it really helps you enjoy the game without the tedium. XC is known for ramping up difficulty on the Mechonis, and had I not leveraged casual mode I probably would have spent several hours, perhaps 5-10 more, grinding to level up enough to beat the harder end bosses. This is a real problem as my brother actually quit playing near the end of the game because the difficulty spike necessitated grinding which made the game feel like it drug out. Once I hit Mechonis, I turned on Casual Mode, and it felt like a perfect balance to that spike. It was still challenging but it just eliminated the excessive grinding required to continue.

The Few Things I Didn’t Like
So, that one exception for voice acting... Riki’s voice is an abomination. It’s downright cringe, to the utter maximum. Love the character, love the writing, hate the voice actor. There was one Nopon voice actor in the second game that was just as cringe, but it was a side character you barely spoke to in the beginning of the game. They really should have re-recorded Riki’s lines. Ah well.

Also, I have to say it- the resolution. It’s not great. TV still looks fine. It’s soft though, and definitely would look mint in 1080p. Handheld though, ya it’s not great. On the bright side it doesn’t have super low drops all the time like XC2 did. But on average I do think it doesn’t look quite as good as XC2 did. So a little worse on average, but without the horrendous drops.

Not major complaints, but worth noting.

Overall
Masterpiece. It’s a stone cold classic. This is a game that deserves to be played. I mean, really really deserves to be played. That ending still has me thinking about it. That’s when you know a game nails it. When you’re still thinking about it even after you’re done playing it.

@DarthNocturnal
They learned a lot from their mistakes in XC2. Navigation is now basically flawless.

Also, you’re referring to the affinity chart. I completely ignored it. Just play the game and let affinity happen wherever it happens. And I would say the same goes for side quests. Don’t even try to go out of your way. Just play the game. Accept all side quests, sure. But don’t specifically try to tackle them- there’s way too many for that. The game is designed for you to accept hundreds of side quests, and just do the ones you naturally come across. The game puts a red exclamation point ! on any enemies or items you need for an accepted side quest (even for drops from enemies- they’ll highlight the enemies you need to kill for a chance at the drop), so I just hit any exclamation points along I came across naturally on my journey but without really going out of my way for them. I explored some, too, so I would take care of them as I ran across them. But never did I pick a side quest and decide to stop what I was doing to go take care of it.

Some people do play like that and, hey, different strokes for different folks and all. But for me, my patience for inconsequential stuff like that has just worn thin over the years. The game was MUCH more enjoyable just focusing on the main story, with a bit of exploration and side quest objectives I naturally happened upon as I progressed. That means I didn’t battle as much which means my level was lower, but that’s where Casual Mode saved the day. And it didn’t make the game too easy, it just counter balanced not grinding like crazy in the latter part of the game.

Gamestop emailed over a $10 coupon to use on $50 or more so I'll be grabbing borderlands collection for $40 tomorrow. Looking forward to it. I really shouldn't considering my backlog, but whatever, if 2020 is a light year, I should be able to clear most of it.

@MsJubilee Though I'd prefer COD 4 of last gen COD ports, I'd take World at War too. I have the nostalgia of that being the first M rated game I bought legally after turning 17.

Not remotely the first game I played, but the first one I was able to buy myself.

Ooh, I didn't know about the casual mode. I had the same problem with the original game: I gave up due to the difficulty spike, and I think that soured my opinion of the game overall. I might have to give the definitive edition a go if I can ever find the time. Realistically I should probably trade in my copy of the Wii version so I can get the Switch version for a better price, but I'm too much of a hoarder for that lol. My brain tells me I gotta keep the original game in case I ever want to play it again, even though there's no reason why I would if I had the Switch version.

Oooof, a Heihachi Mishima mii fighter skin for Smash with no actual Tekken game available on Switch?

@Dogorilla
Ya I would say there's no reason to play any other version. Even on Dolphin, it just can't compare to the amazing changes in the Definitive Edition. New character assets look so much better too. Really top notch.

This is definitely the version to own.

@JaxonH Yeah, the characters do look a lot better in the trailers that I've seen. The original game looked great for a Wii game but it would be nice to play it in proper HD with the new improved character models.
Your post has made me a lot more interested in getting the Switch version actually. I'm not really in the mood for an 80-hour RPG right now but when I am, maybe I'll try to get over my hoarding tendencies and sell my Wii copy so I can buy it on Switch.

theres a game where your character can get into a huge robot and control it to shoot at other players, i saw it on "music to games" on GINX esports tv, does anyone know what its called or if it's on switch?

https://www.gameinformer.com/preview/2020/06/30/a-new-crease-...

Solid read on the new Paper Mario. This part particularly stood out to me:

These bosses aren’t just waiting in one location for Mario to find them. Instead, they’re scattered around the world. That creates a striking visual, as players can see the streamers far in the distance, while also giving them a hint as to where their next challenge lies. One of the biggest departures with The Origami King is that the story isn’t chapter-focused as past games have been. Instead, players can travel from region to region seamlessly in an open-world setup.