Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

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.

I'm a huge fan of traditional Pokemon because of one main reason: competitive. It can be a pain to get into at first but it's just so fun to come up with a team from scratch on something like Showdown and make it a reality in game, whether through the fast and simple method of vitamins or the more arduous but satisfying (to me) EV training. I've fallen in love with Pokemon I didn't love originally like Sawk, Turtonator (this one is due in part to the anime as well), Bellossom and especially Poliwrath. I hated that dude for the longest time because it was just Poliwhirl but angry (which it still is) but after using one as the centerpiece of a Berry Teatime team in SwSh, I love it and will absolutely use one when I get around to playing LGPE. But honestly, if they found a way to keep SwSh's battling but PLA's exploration and speed, I'd be over the moon.

The Switch is increasingly feeling like a time portal going backwards a decade when it comes to 3rd party support (2012 this year, 2011 last year, 2010 2 years ago, etc.). Not a problem of course as the 360 era was easily the golden age of Xbox but the Switch is increasingly getting all those essential 3rd party 360 games, wouldn't be surprised at this point if Mass Effect Legendary Edition was announced soon for example.

That's all I've ever asked for with Switch 3rd party support.

From day one I've said Switch is a generation behind in power, so all those 7th gen AAA games are a perfect fit for Switch and getting the most out of the hardware. Have you seen how amazing Borderlands 2, and Bioshock Infinite, and Sniper Elite 3, and Metro Last Light, and Crysis 3, etc etc look on Switch?!

The 3 biggest omissions thus far have been the Batman Arkham series, the Mass Effect series, and the Call of Duty series.

With Batman Arkham Collection on the way (I'm pretty much taking it as fact now given the retailer listing and the leak from the Xbox Podcaster), one of the big 3 can be crossed off. And tbh, Switch has enough quality FPS with gyro aiming that Call of Duty's absence isn't nearly as notable as it otherwise would be. Yes, I'd still like to see Modern Warfare Remastered or a Black Ops collection, but at least there's other quality options. Mass Effect is still a question mark. But hopefully Nintendo can persuade them with their new 100m install base as leverage.

And honestly, I think that's what's going to keep the quality ports coming. The fact Switch just barreled across 100 million units with no signs of slowing down. At that point you can sit down with sales reps from major publishers and say look, we've held up our end- we've provided a viable install base thirsty for games. Now you hold up your end and bring the games.

EDIT
Dying Light physical version (all on cart) is down to $29.99 at Gamestop.

The Gamestop exclusive physical version with collectable case it comes in and extras is $34.99

With Dying Light 2 releasing this felt appropriate. And, I must say, it's a really high quality port. Looks better and runs smoother than Witcher 3, that's for sure.

https://www.gamestop.com/search/?q=dying+light+switch&lan...

If the Arkham Collection is coming to Switch (as per usual ) I assume the worst. Arkham City only on the cartridge, while Asylum and Knight are downloads. And you know what, I'd be alright with that, as AC is the best game in that quadrilogy. In my opinion.

My point is, all three games wouldn't fit on a 32GB cartridge, so may as well settle for just AC.

@DarthNocturnal Well the Witcher 3 was just as intensive as Arkham Knight, yet that game was fully playable on the Switch, even with a cartridge with the full game.

@HotGoomba Arkham Knight was a bit off a mess though, it had a broken Cyberpunk type release on Steam and the Batmobile will be a problem, the amount of data for just the Batmobile alone was the same size as the entire first Arkham game.

As unpopular as it is I'd say Origins is a better game than Knight. Origins had some amazing bosses in it whilst Knight's forced use of the Batmobile, short DLC, the loss of Paul Dini's writing (he was the creator of Harley Quinn and wrote on the 90s Batman cartoon and the comics) and how cheap the Jason Todd thing is makes Knight the weaker of the two but it is still ahead of Blackgate (made by the old Metroid Prime team) which was the worst Arkham game.

They could swap out Origins for Knight but I don't think they will.

I think they'll just figure out how to get Knight running. We've seen this so many times now. It just takes a good effort and the right team.

PSA: Amazon is running a buy 2 get 1 free sale currently to compete with target. Lots of video games on offer. (USA only afaik)

I love Arkham Knight, but I'd also like to see Origins in that collection instead. Better fit for the hardware, and, honestly, it's the only game in the series I've never played.