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Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

Posts 61,861 to 61,880 of 70,196

Ralizah

@JaxonH Whatever happens, I just hope they don't backtrack on the RPG and explorative aspects. Being able to run around a large hub in 3D, engage in side activities, and pursue relationships with characters at your whim has been awesome. I also thought the Persona-esque calendar system was well-integrated, although I don't necessarily think they need to keep it for the next entry.

I guess my biggest wish is for them to re-evaluate these games in terms of mechanics and map design. Of their games since Awakening, only Fates: Conquest has had decent map design, and that was marred by some of the dumbest writing I've ever seen in a video game. Mostly eliminating the weapon triangle in Three Houses was a mistake. And, frankly, there need to be gimmicks and features that set individual maps apart from one-another.

I'm starting to worry Triangle Strategy has ruined me for other tactical RPGs.

Edited on by Ralizah

Currently Playing: Yakuza Kiwami 2 (PC); Unicorn Overlord (NS)

JaxonH

@Ralizah
Triangle Strategy is the best srpg on merit of strategy. Fire Emblem just isn't as good in that regard (at least, not anymore- Conquest had immaculate maps and special gimmicks, like the wind that blows you each turn or the dungeon with caltrops and trap lever) but it's so good in every other regard I don't think I'll ever lose my love for the series.

What was particularly disappointing about Fates is, Conquest had such great gameplay, and the premise of the plot was exceptional, but the characters and writing was hogwash. They hired a special writer for that game which was clearly a mistake. One I think they learned to never repeat.

Fire Emblem is just super fun and addictive, even if it's not the pinnacle of strategy design (though they definitely have the potential, as was evidenced by Fates, and even Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn).

All have sinned and fall short of Gods glory. Wages of sin is death. Romans

God so loved the world He sent His only Son- whoever believes on Him has eternal life. Unless you believe, you will die in your sins. Whoever believes, rivers of living water flow within them. John

Ralizah

@JaxonH I still absolutely love Three Houses, and liked Awakening quite a bit, so I'm with you there. I just... they CAN do better. They have. If they can create amazing maps and mechanics for a game with crap writing, they can do it for an otherwise immaculate experience like Three Houses.

I need to go back and finish my NG+ run of Triangle Strategy. But I've already got stuff going, and then there's the Three Hopes demo, and then The Delicious Last Course for Cuphead, and then Sunbreak, and then AI: The Somnium Files 2, and then Xenoblade 3... Switch is too active, man!

Kinda off-topic, but it's interesting to me how some people dismiss the sheer flood of quality content releasing on Switch atm because of their preconceptions about Nintendo. Because I'm fairly certain PS and Xbox fans would be freaking out (in a good way) if high-quality exclusives were dropping, on average, literally every month on those ecosystems as is happening with Switch right now. But it's not an uncommon thing to stumble across people who argue that Nintendo hasn't had a good year since 2017.

Very weird to me.

Edited on by Ralizah

Currently Playing: Yakuza Kiwami 2 (PC); Unicorn Overlord (NS)

Grumblevolcano

@Ralizah It's about people clinging to AAA blockbusters, Switch has had very few games comparable to Horizon, GoW, TLoU, Spider-Man, etc. after 2017. BotW and Mario Odyssey were everywhere back in 2017, they were even both nominated for GotY at TGA with BotW winning. Metroid Prime 4 was thought to be the next but that ended up in development hell and BotW 2 was announced at E3 2019 but isn't launching until Spring 2023.

Look outside the AAA bubble and you see an extremely packed Switch lineup for a lot of its lifespan meanwhile the other systems have noticeable droughts at times (very noticeable a lot of the time in the case of Xbox).

Grumblevolcano

Switch Friend Code: SW-2595-6790-2897 | 3DS Friend Code: 3926-6300-7087 | Nintendo Network ID: GrumbleVolcano

JaxonH

@Ralizah
I don't hear much of that anymore, as I've purposely isolated myself from that segment of the gaming community by sticking to NintendoLife forums and keeping the bulk of trolls blocked. But I know it's out there. I heard similar nonsense for years.

It's aggravating, and I know many times it's just ignorance- they haven't played any Switch games so they don't know what they're missing. Or they played Zelda 5 years ago and claim "nothing else interests me". But often times I think it's willful ignorance. They don't want to play Nintendo games because of loyalties elsewhere, and when you have that kind of bias out the gate, you'll find every reason in the world to justify it after the fact. So they just ignore everything and pretend it's because the games aren't good. Other times it's just borderline trolling.

The sheer volume and quality of Switch exclusives releasing on a regular basis is astounding. I mean, look at PS5 and Xbox Series. What notable quality exclusives has PS5 gotten in its first 18 months? Demons Souls remake, Spiderman DLC, Uncharted port, Returnal and Ratchet and Clank. Maybe I'm forgetting some, but those are the notable ones I can think of. Two of them were ports/DLC and one a remake. Only two were actual new games (not that ports/DLC are bad in my view- some of my favorite Switch games are exactly that, but everyone else seems to judge them as lesser than when it comes to Switch, so let's keep it consistent). It also got a couple timed console exclusives from 3rd parties they paid for, like Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo.

Now, I'm not saying thats bad for an 18 month span, but it doesn't seem great.

Then there's Xbox, which has seen even less. Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, and... that's pretty much it? There's a few others but they're not really worth mentioning. Absolutely abysmal.

Then look at Switch. What has Switch gotten in the same relative timeframe? [Big breath]... Pikmin 3, Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity, Bravely Default 2, Mario 3D World, Monster Hunter Rise, New Pokémon Snap, Shin Megami Tensei V, Mario Golf Super Rush, Disgaea 6, Monster Hunter Stories 2, Zelda Skyward Sword, No More Heroes 3, WarioWare Get It Together, Cruis'n Blast, Metroid Dread, Mario Party Superstars, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, Pokémon Legends Arceus, Triangle Strategy, Rune Factory 5, Kirby Forgotten Land, House of the Dead Remake, Nintendo Switch Sports, Mario Strikers Battle League, Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes, Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak, Live A Live and Xenoblade Chronicles 3. The gap only continues to grow as you extend the timeframe out toward year's end.

And that's leaving off games like Famicom Detective Club, Brain Age, Chocobo GP, etc. and just focusing on notable releases. It's also not mentioning games like KOTOR and KOTOR II, which arent exclusive per se, but aren't being released anywhere else. Only the old Xbox version is playable via BC on Series X, and there's the PC version, neither of which have all the improvements these do (nor the hybrid advantage). And sure, I'm not gonna say every game is a belter. Stuff like No More Heroes 3 and Rune Factory 5 had performance issues, for example. But by and large, most of those games are quality.

Even if half those games don't appeal to you, the fact is there's just so many, of all types, of all genres, there's always something to play that's good, that isn't available on other competing consoles. It's a non-stop onslaught of top shelf exclusives compared to other systems. This is the advantage of a system that doesn't require every game to showcase individual hair strands with 100 million dollar budgets.

The cherry on top though, is that you could randomly select any game from that list and there's probably a 50% chance I enjoyed it more than any exclusive released on any other console this generation. MH Rise, for example- better than any PS5/XSX exclusive to date. Sunbreak will be the same. Likewise for Triangle Strategy. And Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes. And SMTV. And Metroid Dread. And on, and on, and on. Granted, that comes down to my personal preference, but still. I don't think I'm the only one who feels this way about a lot of those games. Though I must say- much of my enjoyment has come from multiplats via the gyro + hybrid advantage. The exclusives rock, but multiplats on Switch are exciting in a way they simply aren't elsewhere. That's also worth mentioning.

But even if you're a diehard AAA gamer and none of those games are as good in your view as the exclusives offered elsewhere, they don't have to be as good to still be good. And there's so many- how could you not be having fun?

Edited on by JaxonH

All have sinned and fall short of Gods glory. Wages of sin is death. Romans

God so loved the world He sent His only Son- whoever believes on Him has eternal life. Unless you believe, you will die in your sins. Whoever believes, rivers of living water flow within them. John

Xyphon22

This is why I don't care at all whether or not there is a Nintendo Direct. They are always fun and I enjoy watching them, but anything that could be announced in one I probably won't play for at least a couple of years because I have so much else to play right now. Of course, I also always had more than enough to play during the Wii U days, too, when everyone but me was complaining about droughts. I guess sometimes being a grown up with more to do than play video games can be a good thing.

Xyphon22

3DS Friend Code: 5069-3937-8083

Anti-Matter

@JaxonH
Or maybe, some peoples have mindset "I'm too cool to play unpopular games / baby games because I will look like a moron."
Maybe because of that they refuse to try other games and keep trolling other peoples with their mindset.

Anti-Matter

JaxonH

@Anti-Matter
Thats more of a mindset immature children have. Most adults grow out of obsessing about their image and how they're perceived, and don't feel the need to curate their entertainment for fear of how they may be viewed by peers.

All have sinned and fall short of Gods glory. Wages of sin is death. Romans

God so loved the world He sent His only Son- whoever believes on Him has eternal life. Unless you believe, you will die in your sins. Whoever believes, rivers of living water flow within them. John

kkslider5552000

I think anyone dismissing Switch's lineup has consistently been very short-sighted and had limited tastes in gaming. Or at least limited understanding of almost any game that doesn't have a huge marketing budget or exploded in popularity from word of mouth. Personally even if I ignore any future games or ports of 15+ year old games, I'll still never get even close to all the stuff I currently, actively want to on the Switch.

As a long time Nintendo fan, Switch has been a joy. While I've not played enough games on it to have an opinion on even a fraction of its library, the highlights have been obvious, and the issues of both past Nintendo and current gaming have usually been irrelevant.

Non-binary, demiguy, making LPs, still alive

Megaman Legends 2 Let's Play!:
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blindsquirrel

@Anti-Matter
That is literally the argument of a kid in middle school and to a lesser extent high school. Then people mature and stop trying to be an edgy teen and just play the games they find fun.

Currently playing: Pokemon Soul Silver, Mario RPG
Enos 1:15

Ralizah

@Grumblevolcano I do think there is a lot of truth to this, and it tracks with my observations about the way many vocal hardcore fans in other ecosystems fetishize "AAA" game development. Of course, this is largely just used in a way that's synonymous with the word 'blockbuster.' Most of these people have no idea what sort of budget goes into a 3D Mario game. Would they even technically qualify as "AAA?"

I think this is also an element. The industry has become homogeneous since 7th gen in terms of how large studios would center their development efforts around expensive blockbusters. There were, of course, still blockbusters in older generations, but there wasn't this weird caste system where only the most expensive and mainstream products were considered worthy of attention. Nintendo massively bucks against this model with their development efforts, insofar as they don't rely primarily on giant blockbusters to drive sales, instead preferring to cover a wide variety of genres and niches with their releases. Not everyone is happy with this approach, of course, but it leads to a consistent stream of diverse content that, nevertheless, isn't generally the sort of ultra-hyped prestige content that the competition traffics in. This is especially true now that they're not splitting their development resources between multiple platforms at once.

@JaxonH Heh, I've become much looser with the ignore button this last year or so. I used to feel like I was doing someone a disservice by shutting their voice out from my (digital) ears without giving them a chance to explain themselves, but I've learned, over time, that I can predict with extreme accuracy whether I'll ever be able to get along with them just from the tone of their posts. Also, as my faith in the human race has absolutely cratered these last few years, I've just found myself becoming increasingly intolerant of thoughtless nonsense.

It really is remarkable when you sit down and compare the sheer gulf in exclusive content between platforms, isn't it? Not every one on Switch is the biggest release ever, but at some point, you're right, even when accounting for (reasonable) pickiness, there's still a wealth of content to explore on the platform, and that seems to be snowballing more and more as time goes on, which is actually VERY weird for a Nintendo console, which have historically been much more front-heavy in terms of how support worked on their systems. This seemed like it was initially going to be true of Switch as well with the flood of awesome first-party content they used to drive interest in the platform in 2017, but the system just keeps selling well, keeps getting great exclusives, year after year, rarely slowing down. It'll be interesting to see how long Nintendo keeps riding the Switch train, since, even though sales have clearly peaked, there seems to be a long, gradual, and very profitable ride down to the base in the future. The chip shortage also means Nintendo will have more of an incentive to keep riding out this current generation for as long as possible.

Either way, as a fan of portable gaming systems and Japanese game development styles, I've never been more fully satisfied as a gamer than I am now. And the Switch is at least 80% responsible for that.

@kkslider5552000 It's nice being sheltered from the apparent storm of issues hitting Western AAA game development lately, isn't it? I hear so much crying about incomplete games at launch, about lootboxes and predatory monetization schemes, about games not being able to be played offline, etc. and it all just feels like reports from a troubled foreign culture that I have no connection to.

A big part of that is that Nintendo and its fanbase kind of exist in their own little bubble reality thanks to the lack of AAA third-party support and reliance on first-and-third-party exclusives, indies, and older content to fill in the holes in the library left by the usual blockbusters.

Currently Playing: Yakuza Kiwami 2 (PC); Unicorn Overlord (NS)

RR529

Really seems like Odyssey is starting to influence the design of other modern 3D platformers.

Recently started playing LEGO Star Wars: the Skywalker Saga, & realized the structure is very similar. Many smaller open world areas with a lot of challenges scattered about (Kyber Bricks = Moons, and this has 1,200 of the things!), although a lot of them are a bit more puzzle oriented naturally. With the story missions largely taking place in these environments instead of bespoke levels (some events, like the Pod Race, are segmented off into their own area, but even Odyssey had moments like this).

Even Sonic Frontiers seems to be taking this approach, albeit in a single open world with a more BotW inspired aesthetic. Otherwise yeah, it's an open world with a bunch of platforming challenges scattered about (which will probably reward you with some sort of important collectable).

EDIT: As for the current conversation yeah, it's weird how people ignore all the great exclusive content that's released on Switch since 2017. I remember not too long ago there was a user (with a Banjo avatar, if you remember) who would absolutely insist games like Metroid Dread, Astral Chain, SMTV, etc. don't count as they weren't internally developed by Nintendo themselves and thus the Wii U had a better exclusive lineup. Even insisted that despite the fact that it released day & date on both systems, that Wii U gets the credit for BotW & you can't count it for Switch's exclusive content, and that XC2 didn't count until someone pointed out to him that Nintendo owns the majority of Monolith & only then did he concede that it should count.

Edited on by RR529

Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)

JaxonH

@RR529
All you can do is laugh when ppl bend logic into pretzels to argue a falsehood as being true. The whole, "these games don't count" thing is embarrassing, but the ones who use that type of reasoning are never self-aware enough to realize it.

It's just envy and jealousy. Deep down they see it, and that's why they try so hard to claim otherwise. Makes them feel less insecure about it if they can concoct some wild excuse to deny the obvious.

I think it bothers a lot of PS/Xbox/PC gamers when they see Switch fans having so much fun despite not thriving off the bulk of modern AAA gaming like they do. So they come up with explanations for why the system sucks or isn't as good as people think, to attempt to make ppl feel worse about how much fun they're having.

It's quite twisted, actually. Some people take gaming way too seriously. There's a difference between being absorbed into the hobby as your passion, and having your ego and sense of self worth depend on it.

All have sinned and fall short of Gods glory. Wages of sin is death. Romans

God so loved the world He sent His only Son- whoever believes on Him has eternal life. Unless you believe, you will die in your sins. Whoever believes, rivers of living water flow within them. John

Ralizah

lol Arkanoid is the next classic retro title to go the Tetris 99 route with a battle royale mode, it seems.

I might actually grab this. I LOVED Arkanoid back in the day.

@RR529 That person is a hardcore Xbox tribalist. At least it seems like they've stopped trolling this forum and just stick to Pure Xbox now.

Currently Playing: Yakuza Kiwami 2 (PC); Unicorn Overlord (NS)

RR529

@Ralizah, yeah, whenever there was any sort of discussion beginning to pop up on the Pure Xbox Switch thread he'd always immediately jump in & repeat his usual spiel in the hopes of shutting the conversation down (or turning it negative).

He hasn't done it recently, but the Pure Xbox Switch thread is much slower than even the one on Push Square, so mission accomplished I suppose (then again, the site also has the lowest population of these three, so that may play a part as well).

Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)

IceClimbers

Even from a third party perspective things are really slow right now on the AAA front for XSX/PS5.

There's Saints Row in August, Midnight Suns and Gotham Knights in October, The Callisto Protocol in December, and Hogwarts Legacy at some point assuming that doesn't get delayed to 2023.

The Callisto Protocol is by far the most interesting of those games in my opinion. Quite excited for that one.

Hoping the Xbox Showcase tomorrow shows when we're actually getting some of those 1st party titles, and some major Game Pass gets for later this year. Right now I have almost exclusively XB1 era titles (or older) on my Series X. Not a huge problem as I haven't played a lot of them before, but I'd like some brand new stuff too that takes advantage of the system.

3DS Friend Code: 2363-5630-0794

Grumblevolcano

Mario Strikers while doing well in the eshop charts is unable to dethrone Switch Sports. Definitely feels like Switch Sports will easily surpass 10 million.

Grumblevolcano

Switch Friend Code: SW-2595-6790-2897 | 3DS Friend Code: 3926-6300-7087 | Nintendo Network ID: GrumbleVolcano

JaxonH

Switch Sports is on a tear. It's gonna be the next Ring Fit Adventure, I think.

Seems these multiplayer focused 1st party titles are super popular. Though I myself prefer them when they also offer more of a single player focus. Kinda sucks Mario Strikers doesn't have that. And frankly neither does Switch Sports. Aside from quick matches against CPU. Which is all I really wanted out of Switch Sports, but Mario Strikers really needed a campaign.

I've spent more time in the Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes demo than I have in Mario Strikers and Switch Sports combined. This is my flavor of Nintendo game right here. Not that I dislike the others- they really are super fun. But games like FEW:TH, Xenoblade 3, Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak, Splatoon 3... those are the ones I'll be putting 100 hrs into each. 500 hrs for Monster Hunter.

As for AAA, most of them just don't interest me, and never really have. There's a certain cookie cutter approach they all seem to share- even when different there's something about them that feels the same. All realism focused with humanoid characters, with similar skill trees, typically with guns and if not, the same type of AC style combat... There are exceptions of course. I have my list of AAA games I adore, but it's really only a small percentage overall.

Maybe it's the fact that, in isolation each would be great, but in the context of the scores of other games sharing so many similarities, they start losing their appeal as individual games. Kinda like Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed. I've never played one I thought was bad. But when there's so many of them, you get tired of the same thing. Take that concept and apply it to the 80% of AAA games that feel homogenized. As long as you only play a few AAA here and there you don't get burnt out. And as someone who is primarily a Switch gamer who only plays AAA when and if they're ported to Switch (unless it's a once in a generation game I absolutely can't miss, like Monster Hunter World), I only dabble in small doses so as to not grow tired of it. Like Sniper Elite 4 and Zombie Army 4. Loved the heck out of those games. But I still haven't bothered to play Sniper Elite 5 on Gamepass, even despite it being free. I have games that provide a similar experience with gyro and hybrid advantage already. I can wait for a Switch port.

All have sinned and fall short of Gods glory. Wages of sin is death. Romans

God so loved the world He sent His only Son- whoever believes on Him has eternal life. Unless you believe, you will die in your sins. Whoever believes, rivers of living water flow within them. John

Fizza

@Grumblevolcano I don't know how I feel about that to be honest. The game's fun but for €50 I feel like it selling like hotcakes is sending a bad message, you know?

MY SUMMER EXAMS ARE OVER THANK THE LORD
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Currently Playing: Blaster Master (NES)

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