Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@Pizzamorg
Not sure where you got your info, but allow me to address some of the incorrect impressions.

The resolution was top shelf. Full 1080p docked. Full 720p handheld. MH Stories 2 on Switch is a sight to behold. Absolutely gorgeous game. I held my Switch side by side with the PC version and it's hard to tell them apart. Like, it is not compromised in any way. It's one of the most high quality Switch releases of the year in terms of resolution and visual quality.

The problem was uncapped framerate and particular issues in Ruto Village (and a few other places). It initially threw me off thinking the whole game would be like that, so I put 20 hrs into Steam version, then I came back and realized that wasn't the case. Once you get out of Ruto it's fine (uncapped framerate still kinda sucks at points, but it's perfectly playable). If they'd just locked it at 30 with dynamic res, it'd be basically flawless. But Capcom values resolution so much they refuse to use dynamic res. It's kinda ridiculous, actually.

I like the direction of Legends. We'll see how it turns out. But either way, at least we have BD/SP in the meantime.

There's been enough open world games on Switch to show its an issue of developer skill, and whether it's a fast and sloppy port or proper conversion. That's especially true given the fact we have well over a dozen examples of immaculate ports of open world games. Something built ground up for the system should do even better, especially a game that eschews realism. Some devs just don't know how to code properly. Gamefreak is one of them.

What they need to do is swallow their pride and ask Nintendo for help. For real. Nintendo is a majority investor. And as such, they'd be more than willing to send some top talent over and coach them through the process. Ask to borrow the BotW engine, and ask for 10 guys to help them through it.

Their ego likely won't let them though. Pokémon is mega successful and I imagine it's hard for their top devs to admit they suck at making games to the point they need to ask for help.

From what I'd seen of side by sides, even docked, Stories 2 looked jaggier/blurrier than the PC version at the same resolution and it was running at a much lower FPS, so I made my decision on that basis. I also heard the framerate was bad, lots of stuttering etc but that might have been patched since or exaggerated I dunno.

It would have been the same for Rise, to be honest, had the two come versions come out simultaneously but now I already have the Switch version, the PC version kinda has no value to me. I don't like the insanely low resolution for Rise, but the rocksteady FPS as far as I can tell is almost as valuable as just having a high FPS imo.

Designwise Stories seems built for the Switch just like Rise does, so all the resolution from the PC version really does is reveal how lifeless and flat the environments are, but I'd still choose higher resolution and performance, if I have the choice at the time.

Man, an Open World Pokemon game in BOTW's engine... that sounds so beautiful.

@Pizzamorg
I would choose FPS and resolution every time too, if all consoles were sedentary boxes that only played games on the TV. But there's a lot of other factors that offer value to me- hybrid advantage being top of the list, provided the FPS is playable and its at least HD on the TV (so 720p min, though more is better). Gyro aiming is another that ranks top of the list. Which is why any game that's a choice between PS5 and PC, is PC every time. Any game that's Switch and PC is gonna be Switch every time, unless it's unplayable or sub-HD on the TV. And even then, sometimes I'll just buy both if the experience is fun enough handheld (Doom Eternal being a perfect example- love playing with Gyro on PC, but no game has given me thrills on the go on the level of Doom Eternal- that game is so fun in handheld).

It's all relative. To some ppl anything less than 4k is inadequate, while for others, anything 720p or higher is good enough as long as it's coming with benefits like 3 versions in 1. Just depends on your perspective.

As for Pokémon, that's precisely why it'll never happen. They seem adamant about building their own game engines from scratch. Even on Switch 2 I'm not confident they'll be able to do anything impressive. They're like Falcom in that respect (although I love their games and Trails of Cold Steel 3 and 4 on Switch are excellent). They don't know how to take advantage of hardware.

Yeah, I like playing my Switch in bed, but otherwise I am a fully docked guy. Other than going to see my Dad once or twice a year and maybe some friends across the country, I don't really travel - I have moved to working from home entirely in the last two years, so the portable element of the Switch isn't really taken into consideration for my purchases. Especially when there is a noticeable performance difference between the Switch and PC versions. And like you say, you can split hairs on what a noticeable performance difference is and so only you the consumer can decide.

And yeah, in terms of Pokemon, we will have to see how Arceus handles the Rise style hub world, if it works then at least we have that.

@JaxonH
If we want to be pedantic then technically they didn't announce the DLC with the service because the DLC wasn't announced yet. And they held back on the pricing until the AC direct. The Animal Crossing DLC was always going to be included

But you're right to a degree I think. Perception is reality. They revealed it as a service for N64 games so people see it as a service for N64 games. Nobody thought of what else it might include so when they included something else it must've been an afterthought. And right now it's just the Animal Crossing DLC so it's probably just the Animal Crossing DLC

For my part, I'm not so convinced that's what it is

@JaxonH Right now it does make most sense to treat it as a very expensive way to play N64 and Genesis games but I would say It's too early to say that's the purpose of the expansion pack. There's a few things to consider:

1. Timing of the announcements - Can't really announce DLC presence in the expansion pack before the DLC has been announced and given the state of Animal Crossing prior to the Animal Crossing Direct the free 2.0 update content had to be announced first. So the only possible outcomes would've been to either announce DLC presence in the expansion pack later on alongside the Animal Crossing DLC (which happened) or to spend 20 minutes on Animal Crossing in the September Direct (like Smash Ultimate in E3 2018) and announce the expansion pack after the Animal Crossing segment.

2. At this point in time adding existing DLC would cause an even bigger backlash and upcoming DLC is very limited - Smash Ultimate ends later today and Age of Calamity ends on October 29th of which both had bundles containing this month's content available for purchase for a long while (January 2020 for the former, February 2021 for the latter). That leaves Animal Crossing DLC which announcement came at the time as being put in the expansion pack.

So I'd guess we don't really get the full picture until early 2022. Nintendo mostly announces DLC via Directs and unless they decide to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Directs later this week with a Direct (first Direct was on October 21st 2011), I honestly don't see a Direct happening until around February 2022.

It would be really cool if @skywake is right and the expansion pack's purpose is an alternate way to get DLC, especially if it means paid Nintendo games continue to avoid microtransactions completely and FTP Nintendo games are limited to mobile games. The multiplayer map pack approach is way better than the microtransactions (loot boxes, battle passes, etc.) approach.

Realistically they can probably just barely get away with this service for a year with just the Animal Crossing DLC and N64/Mega Drive. But even now people who aren't into Animal Crossing have little to no reason to pick this up outside of being the person at the end of Family Plan. But after this year is up and the Animal Crossing people have had their fun..... then what? I'm into the Animal Crossing DLC, I'm not subbing again just for a second year of it

I'm ready to eat my words if we don't hear anything at all additional between now and E3 next year. But practically I can't see how this service works if there isn't more content added over time. And not just more N64 titles or even more classic consoles. I mean, maybe if they open up GameCube/Wii it can justify itself on retro titles alone at this price but I can't see that happening. A bit of DLC or new content every few months seems more realistic

I think once I kinda got over the initial shock, I think I am sorta fine with the expansion pack. Like it is so niche, so single focused on basically one type of player, I think it is a very easy skip. And if they do start adding in all Switch DLC into the service, then actually the pricing actually about averages out. I think had they locked behind all the basic features NSO is missing behind the Expansion Pack or offered better connectivity for EP owners, with like dedicated servers or something we would be having a different conversation. Locking that stuff behind an additional paywall would be really ***** but as it stands you can easily skip the EP entirely and lose nothing, unless you are the very specific person this seems targeted at.

check out the analysis of the Animal Crossing New Horizon Direct that will bring back Brewster to Animal Crossing New Horizon

Making DLC a regular bonus with the top tier sub will be fine for some, but to those who like to own their games, it's one step away from streaming.

But, from a longer-term perspective, I can easily envisage more games like MK8D and Smash Ultimate, whereby the DLC from the previous version is built into a re-release of sorts on the next system.

@gcunit
Right. Which is why DLC via the service offers no value to me. However, I understand I do not speak for 100 million ppl. And there very well may be ppl out there who don't care, and are happy to get the DLC with the sub.

At this point, anyone who wants to play N64 games and Genesis games without lag, should join a group for a family plan. There's no reason not to. 8 way split, $10/mo, to get NES, SNES, N64, Genesis and cloud saves, is too good to pass up.

Anyone paying $20/yr for the solo plan, I advise performing a cost/benefit analysis for Expansion Pack family plan. If you can get twice as much for half the price you're paying now, why wouldn't you.

@JaxonH I would always purchase the DLC rather than use the sub to get the DLC but if putting DLC in the subscription prevents microtransactions from infecting paid 1st party Switch games and you can purchase the DLC normally then its a win-win for everyone.

Like streaming services, I think it's all subjective person to person.

All of these streaming services cost within a few bucks of each other, but depending on who you are and what you prefer, certain things seem like better values.

I've been subbed to both Xbox Live and PS Plus. They were both meh, in my opinion. Every now and then there was a really good game for free, but most of the time my money felt wasted unless I was playing tons of CoD or something else online almost daily.

I prefer Nintendo's approach with opening up this back catalog. You know exactly what games you're getting initially, and the cool thing is that (so far) they're not rotating anything and making some go away. I'm also not a hardcore Smash player, so most of my online is with MK8 and stuff like Pokemon or Fire Emblem: stuff that a bit of ping isn't going to ruin the experience or even be noticeable most of the time. I get that some people play twitchy games online that need more response. My response to that is you're bonkers in the first place if you're playing something like Fortnite or Apex on Switch if you have access to it on literally anything else. I've never viewed my Nintendo consoles as the place I go for online gaming, so yea. No love lost on the servers thing.

For me, I'm stoked to go back to N64 games. It's worth it for me.

My brother now wants an OLED Switch after seeing mine. Just gave him my Dragon Quest Limited Edition v2 Switch for his birthday, since I had an extra anyways and don't need it anymore. Not once has he visited where his Switch didn't die. I keep a special portable battery ready to go just for him when he comes over 😀

Figured he'll appreciate the near double battery life from the v2. He was super thrilled. Don't think he was expecting a big gift.

But ya, time to scope the alerts for him. I do have an extra but I already told my co-worker he could buy it off me (because he wants one too now having seen mine- it's actually rather impressive that everyone I show it to ends up suddenly wanting one).

Wait, what? Do you just buy dozens of Switches? Why?

@Pizzamorg
Are we really going down the road of questing and condescending toward others over what they do with their own money?

There is a reason and story behind every Switch I've ever purchased. But I don't feel I need to justify myself to anyone. If you're genuinely curious I'd be happy to indulge you.

No condescension, just curiosity.

@Pizzamorg
Bought the original Switch on launch day. Then bought the Lite and v2 in 2019, and gave the OG Switch to my mom for Ring Fit. However, I ordered an extra DQ Switch because special editions have a habit of being canceled. Then someone here on the site was having trouble finding that DQ Switch so I kept the order even after my other shipped. Turned out they got one from PlayAsia. So I had an extra I used to display on the shelf (and it's still displayed on the shelf today).

I then ordered the Monster Hunter Switch because I'm a diehard MH fan. I have the MH4U New 3DS XL, the MHGen New 3DS XL, and the Rathalos edition PS4 Pro all on display. So the MH Rise Switch was non-negotiable.

Then the OLED released, and again I ordered two in case one got canceled (and good thing because my Walmart order got delayed and didn't arrive til yesterday). I got it for $299 on a weird price match glitch. So I have an extra, and am going to sell it to my co-worker.

So ya, the only Switches I have and use are the OLED, and the Lite. The v1 was given as a gift, my old DQ Switch was given as a gift, and I still have a DQ and MH Switch on display.

Hand me down gifts kinda save money and hassle of selling large weight items on eBay.

Fair enough! If you've got the money, then that sounds like quite the cool collection. I am sure all those special editions will be worth something one day, a nice investment for the kids one day.

@Pizzamorg
I went insanely overboard with 3DS. I had so many I was literally giving them away to ppl running ads on Craigslist wanting donations for Christmas gifts for their kids. Gave one to my coworker for Christmas too. In retrospect, I wouldn't have bought nearly as many. Just the Monster Hunter and Fire Emblem editions, and the upgrades with each revision.

I vowed to not buy as many Switches. So far doing OK. I don't plan on buying any more unless a new revision releases, or a cool special edition drops for Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak, the next Fire Emblem, Xenoblade 3, Zelda BotW 2 or Metroid Prime 4.

If there's one thing I've learned from owning multiple Switches, is that I have grown to despise applying tempered glass and getting it perfect without a single hair or dust particle. Once is fine. After multiple Switch applications, it becomes incredibly aggravating and something I hate looking forward to doing.