Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

Well I learned a valuable lesson today. You can not say anything positive about Pokemon on the main page or you are taking your life into your own hands.

@CactusMan Except that it would be cheaper for both parties if they just allowed reselling of digital license keys directly without involving NFTs. The license keys themselves are still tied to a central database, so an NFT just adds an additional step and cost for no gain. An NFT implementation needs to be truly decentralized to be worth it.

@Ryu_Niiyama
Surprised you didn't realize that years ago, tbh.

I had to block over a dozen troll accounts from the main page, which had made it sooo much less toxic when dropping in to comment.

Ppl latch onto any weakness they deem exploitable and just rapid fire the same criticisms over and over and over and over, on any article, forum post, social media page, etc. This Pokémon is really good so the big thing has been trashing the graphics (even though the game actually looks pretty decent to me, at least in handheld mode).

It'll be interesting to see whether the nonsense "Switch games have PS2 graphics" discussion disappears when PS2 games become readily available via Spartacus.

@Grumblevolcano they’ll go back to saying it looks like the N64. Goal posts can always be moved apparently.

@JaxonH Yeah the block feature is so great. But the way people react is so weird. Like if I was making an argument and someone refuted it (with logic) then that would be fine. I love to discuss games after all. But it was like I blew a dog whistle or something. Like “How dare that lady like something, I don’t like!!! Charge!” I don’t understand when someone sees a person express general happiness that doesn’t impact them and they are like nope that’s illegal here.

@Ryu_Niiyama
It's good old fashioned insecurity and jealousy.

Ppl become emotionally attached to their preferred platform (which to be fair, I can relate to), but the problem is, many let it get out of control, and allow their emotions to completely and utterly rule them rather than the other way around.

Seeing a great game ppl are loving on a system other than their preferred platform triggers immediate insecurity, since in their eyes, it detracts from the legitimacy and appeal of their platform. To them, it says, "your platform isn't needed, we're having way more fun playing this". Of course that's not the real message being sent, that's just their insecure perception. Like a child who constantly needs attention from mommy, they need perpetual reassurance their platform is the undisputed best, and seeing others have fun with games on other platforms digs hard at their insecurity, because deep down, they start to question whether that's actually true. Maybe it is for them, but they want to believe it's true for everyone, preferences be ******. Otherwise their ego is bruised.

This is why any time a new game releases on another platform, the immediate response is, "take the wind out of its sails and delegitimize it with endless criticism, attack anyone who's excited for it!" and anytime a game releases on their platform it's the best thing since sliced bread. Soon as it gets ported though, and suddenly, "it wasn't that great, it's over rated".

There's also just a lot of ppl who enjoy trashing games. The allure of trolling with negativity knows no bounds. This goes doubly for Pokemon.

I hadn't even heard of OlliOlli World, but seeing it getting rave reviews has made me really interested. The Switch version naturally looks rougher than the PC version, but they are the same price. If anyone is buying it, are you guys looking to play this in bursts maybe on that SWOLED screen or do you want to push it as far as it can go on PC? Thinking about which version to pick up.

@Pizzamorg I've not played OlliOlli World but I've played the previous games in the series, they are normally fun short burst sessions games although this one seems a tad different to those.

@Pizzamorg The visuals are flat and the game is 2D, so it's hard to believe it looks much better or worse on any platform.

I've not looked into how this game is different beyond when its shown up in Indie directs, but Olli Olli is one of those games with a fairly odd control scheme to wrap your head around. By normal game standards anyway. IIRC they did a thing where if you bought it on Wii U you could get it on 3DS, because for some reason I do have it on both, and it was very fun on both as a kind of skateboarding, linear, score attack game. It does seem like they're greatly expanding what the game is for the sequel.

It was mostly very good as a quickie game to play for a few minutes between other games (at least once you got used to the controls), which I always appreciate nowadays.

Cruis'n Blast has received a price drop on the US eShop and is now only $20.

Cruis'n Blast is so much fun. Takes me back to the good ol' N64 arcade racing days of F-Zero and San Francisco Rush.

They just don't make em like this anymore. And for apparently Nintendo owns the IP.

Olli Olli World interests me in a way the previous ones never did. It has that Trials Rising gameplay hook- easy to play, hard to master, highly skill based, instant restarts at checkpoints or beginning of level, etc.

Oh right. It's February now. That means it's Assassin's Creed Ezio month. With Pokémon Legends Arceus and now Olli Olli World, there's gonna have to be some tough decisions made when AC Ezio drops. I've been dying to play this Trilogy for so many years. But there's not enough time! 2 weeks after AC, it's Triangle Strategy! And then Kirby!

There's just never enough time in the day, days in the week, weeks in the month or months in the year. I'm gonna have a historic backlog on my deathbed.

Pokemon Legends Arceus has sold over 6.5 million worldwide in its first week!! It beat Sword/Shield's first week (6 million).

Oh crap, it beat Sword and Shield's first week?

Even despite being a single release, and not releasing during the holidays, and releasing directly after another dual release Pokémon that's already sold 14m in 2 months?

Well deserved Gamefreak. Well deserved. They finally listened and freshened up the formula, after all these years.

I've seen more positivity for this game than I've seen for every prior Pokémon title combined, I think. They had to have done something right.

@JaxonH The gameplay loop is super addicting. It's easily the most fun I've had with a Pokemon game in a long time.

It's definitely the most positivity I've seen towards the franchise since HGSS.

Playing Legends: Arceus has been illuminating... and maybe not in a good way for Game Freak, because I've come to realize that, above all else, my biggest issue with recent Pokemon games is actually that I just don't find their gameplay loops to be particularly enjoyable any more.

I'll probably go back and finish the other Switch-era Pokemon games I own over time (and I own them all, because of my Pokefan nephew), but I think I'm done with any future Pokemon releases if they lack the smooth gameplay and addicting exploration of Legends: Arceus.

GTA6 actually got announced before a new mainline Mario Kart, it's possible now that Mario Kart 8 ends up being the newest mainline Mario Kart for a longer time than GTAV is the newest GTA.

A good indication that Nintendo are aiming to have Switch games compatible with whatever the next Nintendo platform will be. I assumed the worst, that Nintendo would ask customers to start from scratch on the Switch successor.

That's interesting. On the contrary, I found Pokemon's core gameplay loop to be its strength, and the number one thing that kept my coming back through some of the weaker aspects (unenjoyable gimmicks, increasing linearity and gating, underwhelming attempts at story, repetitive setting).

That said, Pokemon Legends Arceus is a great breath of fresh air which also excels in its core gameplay loop, even if it isn't 100% what I want in a Pokemon game. Moving forward I hope they take aspects from both types of game in their new mainline titles.

@Grumblevolcano well Mario Kart 9(the next mainline Mario Kart game) could be anounced in the first Nintendo Direct of 2022.