Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@Guest88
I don't think so.
I have more Switch games than Wii, but i have more 3DS games than Switch since i have some similar games such as Pokemon games on 3DS.
Wii U games diversity was really dreadful, very lack 3rd party support.
Wii was pretty diverse, despite there are a lot of mediocre games (not really shovelwares by my opinion)

Ya, Switch library is ridiculously good, keeping in mind context here as well- it’s a portable system and as such you can’t expect every big new game, and keeping in mind it’s only half ways through the generation too...

I’ve never been happier with a system. A big part of that is the hybrid aspect too though. For example, if Switch was just a normal plane Jane console, and it got Borderlands 2, I’d be like... yay? I already own on Steam, Or if it got a DKC Tropical Freeze port, I’d be like... ok? I already have on Wii U. I love the games and all but, I already have them. But because it’s handheld and hybrid, it completely changes the lens through which every game is viewed and enjoyed. Oh snap, a handheld hybrid version of Borderlands 1, 2 and Pre-Sequel that look almost identical to the PS4 version?!! Oh snap, a handheld hybrid version of DKC, my favorite 2D platformer of all time, and without the 240p 20fps stutters of Returns on 3DS, but instead nice crisp HD that looks just as good as on Wii U?!! That’s the power of the hybrid advantage. It makes every game worthy of a victory dance.

Wii U had some really great games from Nintendo, but little to nothing else. A small handful of good 3rd party games from launch year. And I played the heck out of that system, because the exclusives were that good. But Switch just casually swallows the entire Wii U library, makes them all hybrid, and then adds way more on top of it.

There's about 20+ notable Nintendo games that are Switch only with still more to come. It's getting tiresome hearing that the Switch doesn't have anything besides ports at this point now.

Kideki Kamiya hope to share more information about on Bayonetta 3 in 2021(Kamiya, about making us clown and give us already a screenshot or a gameplay trailer for the game).

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/01/hideki_kamiya_hopes...

Switch is by far the best console I've ever owned. Both in terms of what it is and the software it has. I struggle to understand how people find issues with the software. I'm not discrediting your opinion, I just can't understand it myself. Sure there are tons of ports but even without those the exclusives are rock solid.

I think best Nintendo system library is tied between Wii U and Switch. Wii U had a small Wii U library but it had a gigantic retro library consisting of every past Nintendo system except GB, GC, 3DS and Virtual Boy. You even had full backwards compatibility with Wii discs.

Meanwhile Switch has a stronger current system library because of the Wii U's commercial failure (mostly Wii U ports and games moved from Wii U to Switch because Nintendo abandoned Wii U in 2015) but the retro library is absolutely terrible with NSO being a extremely subpar replacement to VC.

Note I'm specifically referring to the actual retro library here. You can argue whether VC or NSO is a better model for retro games but I'm sure most would agree that if you just look at the games themselves the NSO library currently is a lot worse than the VC library.

@Grumblevolcano Wii U has been by far the worst for me. I've never really cared about VC as I prefer to play games I haven't played before than replaying retro games and the Wii U's library of new games was horrible, only a small handful that I cared about. But at least there was the 3DS to make up for it.

@WaveWitch It feels like VR is drifting away again like it did in the 90s, Oculus Quest 2 seems to be the only main VR nowadays. PSVR was a big driving factor for VR but I can't tell if Sony's preparing for a PSVR2 or just straight up abandoning PSVR like Microsoft did with the Kinect.

Switch has more new games than Wii U got its entire lifespan.

Having said that, there’s no doubt Switch gets a LOT of ports, I just don’t see how that’s a bad thing. Unless you’re in the top 1% of people who owned every single console, bought and played every single game, and also has no desire whatsoever to play a beloved favorite ever again, all those “ports” that often get treated like a dirty word on message boards, are one of the system’s greatest strengths.

If it were a plane Jane console, then eh, maybe not. It’s kinda like Stadia bragging about Destiny 2. Not many people care. But when it’s a hybrid handheld, suddenly the rules of the game have changed. It’s like when Vita got Borderlands 2 and it was one of its biggest system sellers. Why? It was just an “old port”, right? Wrong. Categorizing games as ports in a negative light, as if all they are is just a drag on the system and nobody cares about, is ignorant. Ported games are actual games. Real video games with real entertainment value. They can offer more entertainment than a brand new game. Because as it turns out, good games don’t expire. Maybe if the game is 30 years old it sees some expiration because people lose the desire to play games that are up to the same graphical and gameplay standards of the modern era. But any game from the PS3 era onwards is going to fit right in on a handheld hybrid system and feel cutting edge.

Having Borderlands 2 on Switch, that looks comparable to the PS4 version yet with gyro and hybrid handheld, is incredible. Having Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag which looks comparable to the PS4 version yet with gyro and hybrid handheld, is incredible. Having Sniper Elite 4, Diablo 3, Dark Souls, XCOM 2, Bioshock Trilogy... incredible. Too often these amazing handheld hybrid games get brushed under the rug as cogs in the “glorified port machine”. And the same is true for all the Wii U exclusives.

It’s like having a garage of Ferraris, Porches and Lamborghinis, and saying, “it’s just full of old cars we’ve seen before”. Ok, sure, that is true, but those cars are amazing, and better than half the stuff you see today. Being a “glorified port machine” is one of the reasons the system is selling so well. Because as it turns out, most people haven’t played every single game ever released. As it turns out, people like replaying games they love. As it turns out, people like having their favorite games on a hybrid device.

I can definitely understand the argument of the fatigue surrounding the Switch's library being mostly populated with ports of older games. I do think that after 2017 not much was really catching my eye in terms of original content on Switch compared to PS4, especially during 2018. I have bought a few of the re-releases on Switch like FFVII-XII, Okami HD and the Castlevania Anniversary Collection but honestly there have been some cases where I thought it was getting way too heavy handed with the re-releases of older games

Stuff like DOOM and Wolfenstein I can get putting on a platform like Switch but I do feel that there are times where older content is overbearing on the amount of original content released, which is essentially why I bought the console

I have bought a few collections and remasters on both my Switch and my PS4, but Switch kind of suffers from GBA syndrome

There are even cases where I felt the downgrade in performance or just overall presentation in a port didn't even justify picking it up on a portable system (DOOM Eternal, Wolfenstein II, Outer Worlds, Nocturne HD surprisingly)

@WaveWitch I mean does FighterZ even count as a new game release though

When it came out on Switch it had been out on the other platforms for like 8 months so that can count as another port as well. Eternal at least started development with the intention of releasing on everything day and date but stuff like Jump Force, FighterZ, Wolfenstein and Outer Worlds are all still in the port category

On that note I also think companies like Capcom and Square are probably the biggest progenitors of this "port machine" argument considering they've barely released any new original games on Switch to begin with

Mega Man 11, MH Rise and Ghost & Goblins count but out of those three I'd say Rise is the only one that's actually a big budget AAA game. Most of their output has either been ports or budget games. Same with Square. They have Octopath and Bravely and I thoroughly enjoyed Octopath, but Switch still doesn't get stuff like Kingdom Hearts 3, or FFVII Remake, or FFXVI or anything of that scale from them, which is why I think Switch is a really bad choice for a primary console long term. They're just so much you miss out on without at least owning a PS4 or PC in addition to Switch due to the lack of major original content even from first party

@WaveWitch
I mean, I enjoyed ARMS. It's not my favorite Switch game, but it's still pretty fun. (IMO)
You don't have to use the motion controls for it, even if you use the Joy-Cons with the grip, you don't use motion controls. I would recommend using the Pro Controller for ARMS, if you do end up getting it, though. The only controller setup you use motion controls for ARMS is the Thumbs up Grip (had to look that, since I haven't played it in a while). All other controller setups don't use motion controls.
I hope this answers your question. 🤔

@Grumblevolcano, @WaveWitch
I feel like VR was starting to take off a few years, but once the Switch arrived, that seemed to change things for VR. IIRC, I believe there was an article saying that more devs were developing games for Switch, than there were for VR, and that was only a year after the Switch arrived. I believe it was a dev survey that happened around the same time that CES takes place each year.

@WaveWitch And that's basically what I use the Switch for in a nutshell. It's my Nintendo exclusives machine and that's pretty much all she wrote

I only dip into ports if I really like the game question and already own it on other systems to begin with (e.g. Final Fantasy X/X-2), but I am starting to get really fatigued at how much it feels like older games are becoming the norm instead of just something to service new game releases

I don't really take advantage of the Joy-Con feature set because they're mostly attached to the console since I basically use it as just a portable system, while occassionally putting it in the dock for stuff like Smash or Splatoon, but yeah not many games I can think of that used HD Rumble for stuff like immersion or extra features in a game outside the early Switch stuff

For some, the portability might be a factor, and all the power to you but honestly for a console whose whole thing is being able to take current gen games and new experiences on the go I feel like that all gets underhanded with how much old stuff is on the Switch. Zelda at launch really set a precedent for how amazing the ability to put these big AAA experiences on a portable could be, but nowadays it's either, an old game, a current gen game that is way too compromised in so many areas so what's the point, or the occassional first party or third party exclusive

Kind of narrow minded to say, “if I choose not to use the greatest innovation made in the last 30 years of gaming, it doesn’t really have much innovation”. Well ya, of course it doesn’t. Because you’re ignoring the innovation it actually has. Switch is a hybrid system. Studies show the overwhelming majority of people either use handheld mode or both. If you don’t that’s fine, but you can’t really criticize “lack of innovation” as a result of your personal choices. It’s a hybrid system for people who want a hybrid system. If that’s not for you, then you should probably be playing some other console.

I have a PS5 and I haven’t touched it since launch. Great console, like the new magnometer for gyro in the controller, like the HD rumble just as much as in my Switch, but it’s not like it’s going to get used for anything beyond a select game here and there, so aside from select exclusives it’ll never get used. I’d rather play on Steam where I can have better graphics and a better experience with Gyro in every game. But I’m not gonna criticize the console for not being innovative. There’s nothing wrong with the console, it’s just not for me as a main system. There’s nothing wrong with switch, just might not be a main console for you.

Older games on Switch technically don't count as new experiences. They've been available on other platforms for years. They may be new for you and you may have a wonderful time just as i do playing them for the first time but they still don't count

Only fanboys and console warriors keep score like that. Who cares about “what counts”. Gamers just want to play great games. Doesn’t matter if it “counts” or not. Nobody buys a game, plays it, starts having the time of their life and then says, “oh damn... this game released 8 months ago on system A... well, I was having fun, but I guess it doesn’t count, looks like I’ll be playing something else”.

If you prefer pointer controls, play a Wii. Not sure what else to say. Metroid Prime played good at the time but it’s absolutely horrible in hindsight because it didn’t even have a right analog- turning the camera by pointing at the edge of the screen was a godawful experience I hope I never have to endure again, and I can’t wait for a Switch remaster with a superior dual analog gyro control scheme. Because gyro-analog is superior for 99% of games. The only games where it’s not superior is where it’s emulating a pointer like in Mario Galaxy or Pikmin 3, but those games are far and few between. You don’t need to re-center in the vast majority of games because you’re using it in combination with the right analog which recenters it every time you move the stick, which is every few seconds. It never has time to drift.

Joycon are great. Split joycon in each hand is incredibly comfortable, and gives HD rumble effects even better than Dualsense because it’s physically split between hands. It also makes Gyro even easier to use. And sliding them in the grip is surprisingly comfortable. No complaints. But the pro controller is more comfy, and it’s probably my favorite controller of all time. It’s not perfect, but the pro-con cost-benefit analysis weighs more in its favor than any other controller. Comfort is well beyond any other, and the digital triggers are superior for 99% of games (but it does come at the cost of using analog stick for 2 racing games and Trials Rising- small price to pay for snappier button in the other 347 games on my shelf though). The only reason I don’t use it on PC is because it has to connect over Bluetooth which isn’t as good as a dedicated dongle, which I have for my Dualshock 4.

The frustrating thing about the whole "Switch has no games" arguments is that people are always hell-bent on saying games "don't count" for whatever reason - they're on other consoles, they're too similar to other games, they're not to the person's tastes, etc. They'll narrow a list of hundreds of games down to two based on arbitrary criteria.

It's strange that few other systems seem to undergo this scrutiny. Especially considering that Switch ports are inherently more valuable than for other consoles as they often add portability to previously non-portable games. It may not be a big deal to everyone, but has massive appeal to many.

Games are games, and unless you've already managed to play all of Switch's multiplatform library (which I highly doubt), does it really matter if it exists on other consoles?

Personally I feel that Switch already has, without a doubt, the best overall library of any Nintendo console. When it comes to first party titles, I think it's among the top, but not quite there.

@timleon Xbox has started to get it lately with the 'Xbox has no games/exclusives' complaints that have been growing, and Xbox games not counting because they're multiplat with PC.

Which don't get me wrong, is exactly why I have no interest in an Xbox, but it is technically an arbitrary criteria.

I'd say only Sony gets off scott free, and even they dealt with that sort of thing with the PSP/Vita.

Switch obviously has games but for me it has the problem of feeling like older titles are becoming the norm instead of something additive to newer games

I feel like it's kind of underdelivered on its promise in terms of large scale new experiences on the go because there's so many older titles. Older titles are nice don't get me wrong, but like they weren't exactly what sold me on the system

I can totally get behind stuff like bringing Wii U games over to the console since like 15 people total owned a Wii U and played its entire first party library, as well as some of the current gen stuff but 2019 and 2020 especially felt extremely stagnated. People say that Switch ports are inherently more valuable because of portability but that I feel only reigns true for the people who literally don't own any other platform, because it's their only chance at playing a big release and the portability conveinence adds to that. I honestly think that's why certain games like Persona 5 have been oft-requested to be getting that kind of treatment. I haven't gotten ports like Witcher 3, or DOOM Eternal, or Borderlands, or Outer Worlds on Switch because I know there are better options that I have access to like PC and PS4

Sometimes the lessened graphical capability or worse performance can actively work against a game being on Switch as well meaning this sentiment isn't even 100% true for some games

@link3710

“I'd say only Sony gets off scott free, and even they dealt with that sort of thing with the PSP/Vita.”

Eh? They did get the “has no games” complain with PS3 and PS4 too.

“

@WaveWitch I will agree the joycons are the switchs biggest problem. I've had my issues with them and yes they aren't as comfortable.

But from being able to play on the TV which is a rare case for me these days, and playing portably some of nintendos and 3rd party's biggest titles, it's truly a dream come true for me. My biggest issue with my gaming time prior to switch was not having that option. So the switch really got me back into gaming as when I had ps4 Xbox 360 and prior, it was "whenever someone wasn't watching tv." So needless to say nintendo hit the mark for someone like myself.

Don't get me wrong, the switch library isn't perfect...yet. we still need some more metroid( or metroid In general aside from super on the app), donkey kong, and I would love a true vc. It's not a perfect console, but it's by far my favorite.

I don’t think it’s true that only people without other consoles care. Obviously if someone doesn’t have any other consoles they’ll care. I think most of us here have other consoles and yet we still prefer to play games on Switch far more than on any other system. As Ralizah summed it up so nicely, it’s hard to go back to being hamstrung by TV only play after experiencing the freedom of the hybrid advantage, even if it means tolerating graphical disparities. Not to mention gyro, which is not an option on PS4/Xbox and it’s not an option on PC either for games that don’t come to Steam and/or aren’t designed to allow virtual mouse detection and controller input simultaenously (so the cross save of Immortals did me no good, because it’s not on Steam).

There are exceptions to this, of course. Some games take such a big downgrade that there is still value in playing on PC. Witcher 3 and Doom Eternal are good examples. Yet even then, that value doesn’t replace the desire to play on Switch, only supplement it. For Witcher 3, cross save allowed me to have my cake and eat it too. And Doom Eternal is a gameplay focused game I don’t mind playing through twice. But for the vast majority of games, there’s just no reason to play anywhere else. Why would I want to play Persona 5 Strikers on PC when I can get a version that looks 90% as good but functions as a console, handheld and portable console version via tabletop all in one? It just isn’t worthwhile playing games anywhere else unless A they simply don’t come to the system at all, or B take such a downgrade while docked that it’s preferable to only play in handheld mode, and use another system for tv play.

Most of the desire for Persona 5 to come to Switch is specifically because having games hybrid is awesome, and it’s hard to tolerate playing them any other way once your eyes have been opened. Even speaking personally, there’s a reason I haven’t gotten more than 10 hours into the game. And it’s not because it isn’t a good game. It’s because my interest falls off a cliff now anytime I try to play a game that’s not hybrid.

Usually I can get 5-10 hrs in. That’s not a problem, but by the time I get that far, a few days have passed, and since I can only bring my Switch with me to work, and can play Switch while I have Netflix on, etc, I end up playing a Switch game in between my time playing PC. And that game catches my interest and I start losing sight of the original game I was playing. Then I come home, and instead of firing up the PC, I just turn on my docked Switch and keep playing whatever I was playing earlier in the day at work. And before you know it it’s been months since I’ve touched that game on PC. I know I’ll never finish Persona unless it comes to Switch. And that’s why I wanted to come over. Plus JRPGs are just better on handheld. It’s why Persona 4 Golden was so good on Vita. But hybrid is even better than handheld. Because as good as it is, you’re not always in the mood. Sometimes you do just want to play on the tv in the leather recliner.