Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

It’s pretty dumb that Nintendo hasn’t said one word about Advance Wars yet. You don’t see this kind of crap with Sony or Microsoft.

Pointless stuff.

@MrHonest @SlashFuture December would have been a good time to release it but then they left the month completely free of anything. I’m not sure if there’s any free slots in first half of next year? Assuming Nintendo does only have one exclusive published game per month.

@SlashFuture March has Bayonetta Origins.

@Rambler I just rip my CDs to ogg or FLAC and toss them on my media computer but I also have a not new car (is an 07 car old?) and use the CDs there when driving. (Although I do less driving now). Or at least have the CDs as a physical backup if my computer and its back up fail. I lost my music collection (ripped from CDs and some were from friends) back in ‘05 and I am still recovering music and it is a lot harder now to find CDs of 90’s artists.

Speaking of Bayonetta Origins, after rewatching the trailer it looks a lot more interesting then when I first saw it. Idk why but I must have missed the combat sections before. It actually looks good.

Anyways, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII might just be my 2nd favorite Final Fantasy game of all time, just behind FFX. This game is a lot better than I was expecting. Like... a lot better.

I typically prefer my classic FF with turn based or active time based battle systems. I've never minded the action based side games though, just so long as it's not the permanent direction for the series (which... that's exactly what's happened now ever since FFXV, and FFXVI looks like a medieval DMC game, which, I like that gameplay, but it's not the type of gameplay I want in a JRPG staple).

But ya, the combat in this game is exhilarating. It's been quite a while since I died on the first boss battle, and yet that's exactly what happened in Crisis Core. Stomped him my second try, which goes to show the difficulty is well tuned to player skill. It's easily doable if your strategy comes correct. If your strategy is misaligned, you're gonna be fighting an uphill battle.

I love the DMW slot system, I love getting money and items and XP with every enemy killed in a group, seeing the notifications flying by with all the stuff you got as you continue fighting the remaining enemies. I love equipping various materia such as Dark Fire which also silences and poisons the enemy, and I love how fighting earns random drops including better equippable materia, accessories, etc.

And the story is really interesting! Seeing Zack refer to Sephiroth as a "hero" he looks up to, and seeing him come save his butt as the hero, seeing the Shinra director as someone Zack looks up to and wants to please... it's a different perspective that adds so much to the backstory. And the mystery of Genesis and Angeal deserting, from Zack's point of view, learning their reasoning, it's just so good.

It's so good!

I had heard this game had a very dedicated fanbase, but now I understand why. This game is easily up there with FFVII, FFIX, FFX, FFXII, etc. Where it ranks will be subjective, but it doesn't feel out of place to me being mentioned alongside all the greats.

If you're not playing this game, I highly recommend doing so.

My Screenshots

I'm actually Glad advance wars didn't launch this month or last. Too close to both sparks of hope and FE engage. At this point, either launch it in March/April, or wait til summer.

@EaglyTheKawaiiShika
2nd half of the year has been insane

In the span of just 6 months we got all of this on Switch. And this wasn't even everything, just the highlights (titles in bold were my personal standouts)...

• KOTOR II
• Mario Strikers Battle League
• Demon Slayer
• Shredder's Revenge
• Neon White
• Sonic Origins
• Fire Emblem Warriors Three Hopes
• AI Somnium Files Nirvana Initiative
• Portal Companion Collection
• Cuphead Delicious Last Course
• Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak
• Live A Live
• Capcom Arcade Stadium 2
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3
• Splatoon 3
• The Diofield Chronicle
• Trails From Zero
• Overwatch 2
• Nier Automata
• No Man's Sky
• *Mario Rabbids Sparks of Hope
• Persona 5 Royal
• Bayonetta 3
• Tactics Ogre Reborn
• Pokemon Scarlet/Violet
• Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion
• Dragon Quest Treasures

Beginning of the year wasn't bad though.

• Ollie Ollie World
• GTA Trilogy
• Assassin's Creed Ezio Collection
• Atelier Sophie 2
• Triangle Strategy
• .hack//G.U. Last Recode
• Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
• Kirby and the Forgotten Land
• House of the Dead Remake
• Nintendo Switch Sports
• 13 Sentinels
• Zombie Army 4
• MLB The Show 22
• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Triangle Strategy, Kirby, Switch Sports, 13 Sentinels and Zombie Army 4 really dominated my H1 2022. But ya. It just doesn't compare to H2. We've had a killer spread ever since June.

@NeonPizzas
9 hrs. Plus 40 min drive there and 40 min drive back. Plus 1 hr exercise each day once I'm home. It doesn't leave much time. Get up at 5am, leave for work by 5:45am, work from 6:30am - 3:30pm, get home around 4:15pm. Eat, change, shower, exercise, by then it's like 6pm. And I try to go to bed by 9:30pm so there's like 3.5 hrs during which I tend to surf the net, chat on this forum and relax. Sometimes game if I have the energy.

Personally, I find the 7" screen to be perfect. 6.2" was nice but there was still unused bezel. At 7" there's no more room to make bigger without increasing system size, and at least for me, it's crucial the system not get any bigger, as it's just barely able to squeeze in my rear jeans pocket in the Hori Slim case. Sticks out so far it wants to wobble out of the pocket but it's just short enough not to. Any larger, and I mean any larger, and I'd lose the pocketability which is a major convenience factor for me. Even a few mm larger would mean needing to carry by the handle instead of pocket, which is difficult when carrying coffee in one hand and keys in the other and turning a doorknob to leave in the morning, and badging into the main door at work.

It's nice to dream about possibilities, but I tend not to, as I know they're just not going to happen. QD OLED isn't gonna happen, neither is VRR, or an even larger screen. It'll be 7" and either LCD or standard OLED (hopefully OLED). Nothing crazy, nothing cutting edge, just a nice bump in power with some modernizations and small improvements.

But as you say, tabletop is clutch. As long as they retain the 3 modes of play, I honestly don't care if they change anything else. Gimme the exact same size Switch with the exact same size OLED screen, just with a generational leap in power, and I'd be a happy gamer.

@EaglyTheKawaiiShika
People can be disappointed. Not every game is going to suit every person. Even the almighty Mario Kart 8, there's some 70 million Switch owners who didn't buy it. And most of the "niche" titles are still selling millions of copies. It's not like all their releases are niche to the point only 100k people are interested. Kirby is already over 5 million sold. Xenoblade over 3 million sold. Splatoon 3 approaching 10 million sold. Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak over 4 million sold for a base game that's at 11 million sold (9+ on Switch alone). Switch Sports at what, 10+ million sold right? Mario Rabbids and Mario Strikers will easily pass several million sold. Even the truly niche titles like Triangle Strategy have topped 1 million sold. Not to mention Pokemon which will end up at 20-30 million sold, and Pokemon Legends Arceus, lest we forget that also released in 2022 and is a 20m seller. That's at least FOUR games that are/will be 10+ million sellers (and at the rate its going Kirby could eventually reach 10, so maybe even FIVE, not to mention MHR Sunbreak, a massive expansion for a 10+ million seller, so 5 and a half). With that in mind, I really find it hard to relate to anyone claiming there wasn't enough "mainstream titles".

So ya, in the end "niche" is relative. Every game has its audience, and no game that exists appeals to everyone. No matter what they do, there's always gonna be some people complaining. I've learned to tune those ppl out.

2023 had a total of... let me count... there was Portal 1/2, there was Xenoblade 3, Bayonetta 3, Persona 5 Royal, Nier Automata, Mario Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Splatoon 3, Crisis Core, Triangle Strategy, oh and of course, Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak... that's 10. There were TEN Switch games that released this year that are on my "favorite games of all time" list, and released on my favorite system of all time to play games on.

That's insane. Not even 2017 Switch could boast TEN all time faves for me. Zelda BotW, Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, Xenoblade 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe... 5. Just 5. And I say "just" in a relative sense because, let's be honest, any year where FIVE Switch games release that are GOAT-tier... that's a dang good year.

@EaglyTheKawaiiShika
I just hope 2023 is half as good as this year. I think it will be. New Fire Emblem, new Pikmin, new Zelda, new Octopath Traveler, new Trails game, a quality 2D Kirby remaster, classic ports like Persona 4 Golden and Tales of Symphonia... throw in a Metroid Prime remaster, a new DK game, Advance Wars, some quality desired ports like Batman Arkham Collection, and we could have ourselves a decent year. Not 2022 level, but still quite good.

Personally I've never really been one to listen to game soundtracks anyway. And certainly not in a way that'd lend itself to the vinyl experience i.e. slow down and absorb an entire album. If I want to get lost in a great game soundtrack to that degree I'll just play the game

With that said, I did very much enjoy the collection of sea shanties that was included with my copy of AC:Black Flag years ago. If I had that on vinyl I'd probably give it an occasional spin just for fun

@JaxonH 2022 is a quite strong year for Nintendo Switch( full of GOTY potencials games(Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Bayonetta 3, Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak, Bayonetta 3, Neon White, Mario+Rabbids Sparks of Hope and Xenoblade Chronicles 3, let see how the 2023 line up for Nintendo Switch is gonna turn be), @Skywake Nintendo should have put the soundtrack of it games on Spotify or create something similar to it, they are missing a huge oportunity in not using the amazing music many of it franchises have to many people enjoy it

It's only just hit me a few days ago but it's mad how we're getting a new Fire Emblem, a remake of a highly well-liked Kirby game and a sequel to one of the most beloved Square Enix RPG's all within 2 months, isn't it? And then a sequel to bloody Breath of the Wild 3 months after!

@Fizza
I prefer the upcoming 3rd party games than 1st party games on Nintendo despite I still looking for games such as Kirby Return to Dreamland Deluxe as the Wii version on Ebay got inflated price.

@NeonPizzas
I did live in Madison at first, but had a neighbor who would argue with his girlfriend at 3am, nearly a dozen raucous kids dragging bats on the wall at midnight. Was so sleep deprived I moved back to the town my family lives at. As much as it would be convenient, I like it in this town of 25k ppl rather than in Madison which is a much bigger city.

I swear next year is giving me budget anxiety. So many games (plus anything I didn’t buy this year), the eshop closing on wiiu (more concerned that my JPN collection is up to date) and I’m fully expecting to have to shell out for an OLED switch and CE of TotK.

@Rambler My issue with publisher provided mp3s is A) might be protected or locked to a storefront and I need my music to be portable B) I don’t usually use .mp3 and can’t be sure of the bit rate the publisher will offer. C) download may expire. I feel the same about Digital Artbooks. If I can just download it anywhere that is fine. If not, that’s a rental to me.

@JaxonH I don’t hate it but it’s not practical in today’s world. Physical is usually gonna be CD. I don’t even own a turntable (won’t need one until my mother passes her collection to me which I better hope I can even find one then. My mom better have another 30 years in her.).

@Ryu_Niiyama well i only planing to buy Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom next year, unless Metroid Prime 4 or the rumored 2D Donkey Kong game developed by Nintendo EPD 8 also release next year.

@Rambler yes

Thinking about grabbing some Final Fantasy games on Switch. Thinking of grabbing 12 as I know it is controversial and it is one of the few post 7, pre 13, I haven’t actually finished. But I am also thinking of picking up some of those earlier ones, but I think I remember reading somewhere on here that the Switch ports aren’t the best? Is that right, or has it been fixed now? Are there any I should avoid?

@Pizzamorg XII would have to be my third favorite behind XIII and IV. The only issue with XII is that it was made much easier because it's the international version of the game. As far as bugs, I think VII had a progression bug and a music bug. I know the music bug was fixed but I'm not sure if the progression bug had been?