Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@JaxonH is octopath worth playing? I heard people didn’t really like the story and such, What did you think about it?

@Snatcher
Honestly, yes it's worth playing. The criticisms were concerning the fact the 8 different stories didn't really intertwine much. And fair enough. But it was still really good.

Not as good as Triangle Strategy, mind you, so if you haven't played that, play that first, but it's definitely a game worth playing.

Having said that, I'd wager OT2 is going to be better, and intertwine stories more (maybe?). At the very least, even if they don't, the game should be at least as good as the first. Possibly better. So I'd recommend 2 over 1. Pick up 1 later if you like it and want more. But prioritize Triangle Strategy. That one is a gem.

And Metroid Prime. I can't say this enough- it's one of the greatest video games of all time. Anyone who hasn't played it... it's one of Nintendo's finest. Not just Nintendo's finest, but gaming's finest.

Woah. That's a massive difference, actually.

Playing it, it looks how I remember it in my mind's eye. But then seeing the original side by side it's like, wow. That's a pretty stark contrast!

This Direct is Nintendo saying they're moving on to next gen without saying they're moving on to next gen. It's very telling that they didn't announce any new 1st party games aside from a shadow drop of Metroid Prime Remastered. Sounds like they have little left to release on the Switch and most of what they haven't announced is next gen, and 2024 might be the magic year.

@JaxonH Yeah it’s on game pass, so I was wondering if I should play it, I think Triangle strategy is on there too, but I have to double check.

Wile I’m not getting it right now, im so getting prime, I need to play it!

Flawless 60 for Metroid Prime Remastered, with perfect frame timing, at native 1080p resolution docked, native 720p handheld.

@Snatcher
Triangle Strategy isn't on Xbox, fyi.

@Bolt_Strike
While I have no doubt they're gearing up for next gen (I mean, we're in year 7, and console generations don't last forever), I don't see that as evidence for it.

This Direct had one purpose- filling out the first half of the year. And they've done that.

• January: Fire Emblem Engage
• February: Metroid Prime Remastered, Kirby Return to Dreamland
• March: Bayonetta Origins
• April: Advance Wars
• May: Zelda TotK
• June:
• July: Pikmin 4

We're chock to the hilt with 1st party that's releasing at a rapid pace on par with even their most jam packed years. The second half will be revealed in their summer direct. Right now they're covered until August, so they have plenty of time.

All that said, again, obviously they'll be gearing up for next gen. Switch won't last forever. But there's certainly no lack of 1st party. Any perceived lack of "new" announcements (discounting we got Metroid Prime and Advance Wars, and Pikmin 4 was just revealed 2 months back and only today got a proper reveal) is merely because you can only squeeze so many 1st party games in a 6 month window.

Switch certainly has games this next 6 momths. I'm a happy camper.

Nintendo seems to have a steady pipeline of games in place for Switch atm, and the system itself is still selling quite well. They've doubtlessly been developing stuff for the successor for years now, but I don't think they're in any huge rush to transition to a new generation, either.

This generation being a longer one for Nintendo is likely allowing them to stockpile releases for the next console, which hopefully means we get another extraordinary first year like we did with Switch.

@JaxonH If the Switch is supposed to be their main console into 2024 and beyond, they need to do more than fill out the first half of 2023. They need to signal that they have something on the horizon that could slot into those time periods so that people that might want a Switch can be confident it'll be supported for the foreseeable future, otherwise they'll just buy/wait for a console that they know is getting support. If you're on the fence about getting a Switch, and you see the Switch stop getting games, you're not going to rush out and buy one just to play it for a year, you're going to want to buy something you can get 3+ years out of, so it would make sense to wait and purchase the successor. Naturally, Nintendo doesn't want this to happen.

So even when the Direct focuses on a specific 3-6 month time period, Nintendo generally shows us 1 or 2 games from further out to look forward to. We don't really have that right now (at best you could say Prime 4, but it has no confirmed released date and we've had no information on it whatsoever since the restart, so they could be saving that announcement for the hardware reveal to announce that it's cross gen). They're covered for the first half of the year, and they might be able to coast through the rest of 2023 at best with DLC such as the last 2 waves of the Booster Course Pack and the expected Scarlet/Violet DLC (which isn't very exciting, but they've had years like that), but in 2024? If you're running out of games midway through 2023 and can't even show 1 game, even just 1, beyond that narrow time frame, I don't see how you can be confident that the Switch isn't about to be replaced next year.

You know, one thing I was thinking about after watching this direct was how hyped @JaxonH must be. Mostly because you've been super hyped about the releases over the tail end of last year. An enthusiasm I didn't really share with the exception of Bayonetta 3. After this Direct but? I'm looking at the next 6 months and for the first time in a while there are a LOT of games upcoming that I'm pretty hyped about. So either @JaxonH is completely losing his mind after this Direct or we have incredibly different gaming interests

TotK goes without saying. Pikmin 4 is something I'm always down for, multi-tasking the game, I LOVED Pikmin 3 on the Wii U. I do think Pikmin lost something moving away from the Wii U control scheme though. Metroid Prime? Goes without saying also. Although I haven't looked into it that much, does it have gyro/pointer controls? If so I'm into it

Then there's the other bits and pieces. The Yoshi's Island track in Mario Kart 8 looks like the most original track in the game since the Wii U DLC packs. GameBoy on NSO is a super welcome addition, if/when Donkey Kong Land and Mario Tennis are added I'll go bannanas. But for now Link's Awakening, Minish Cap, Wario Land 3.... that'll do. Also the filters on it are pretty damn good. Also Advance Wars and Professor Layton

Pretty solid, probably the best Direct since..... I don't know, maybe that one early in the Wii U's life where they surprised announced Wind Waker HD and that there was a Mario Kart & Zelda in the works? Although this one has more concrete stuffs in it so.....

The moment I downgrade they add GBA lol... PC Gamepass is great though!

@Buizel
Splatoon 3's Wave 1 is for the diehard Splatoon 1 fans. It's just a bonus. Like the playable Octoling for the multiplayer in Splatoon 2's Octo Expansion.
The real content is Wave 2.

@Budda for what's seemingly just a cosmetic "bonus" it seems strange they'd focus on that and not the main content of the expansion pass. Tbh it felt like something that should've been free content, or at least supplementary to something more substantial.

But I'm certainly not their target demographic. I personally don't even explore the Splatoon hubs, preferring to use the menus.

@Buizel
Like the Octo Expansion the main content, the real DLC, will probably release around 1 year after its release. And like the last time they just teased the DLC in a February Direct.
If you ask me, with Wave 1, we have more DLC content than we had with the Octo Expansion - for the same price. And playable Octolings were more pointless than a huge "nostalgic" hub, that you actually see visualy. Octolings are nice, but I don't pay attention who's an Inkling or Octoling. They get kind of "invisible".

@Bolt_Strike
If the Switch is supposed to be their main console into 2024 and beyond, they need to do more than fill out the first half of 2023.

We don't know if it's going to be their main console beyond 2024. But if it is, they have plenty of time to fill out more than the first half of 2023, after the first half of 2023, not while they still have half a dozen exclusives in the pipeline yet to release. This has been their approach for some time. Focusing on games coming soon.

They need to signal that they have something on the horizon that could slot into those time periods so that people that might want a Switch can be confident it'll be supported for the foreseeable future

I see no evidence that suggests they need to do that. Switch is still selling. Market is not showing any signs of "needing assurance" to keep buying the system.

You can theorize all day about what people may think and how they may act, but I'm quite sure Nintendo's market analysts know better than you or I what they need to do. I can't count how many ppl theorized "nobody will buy Switch without a price drop" or "nobody will buy Switch if it's not getting AAA ports", or "they need to announce games beyond X time period or ppl won't buy Switch". Everyone always thinks they know what the masses will do, and they're almost always wrong.

So let Nintendo worry about selling their console, and let's just enjoy the games.

@skywake
I should be losing my mind, and I did shout at the top of my lungs when Metroid was announced, and I was so excited from all the games revealed yesterday I couldn't sleep due to nerves, and had to call in sick from work today...

So ya. You could say I'm pretty thrilled. Zelda, Pikmin and Metroid are some of my absolute favorite franchises, up there with Fire Emblem, Xenoblade and Monster Hunter. We knew about Zelda, and I'm reserving hype for that game til we get into May. But Pikmin 4 looked incredible. But it's Metroid Prime Remastered that deprived me of sleep. Been waiting sooooo many years for this.

And after sampling the goods, it's everything I always wanted it to be. It does have pointer gyro like Wii, it also has GameCube style where holding ZR activates gyro, but most importantly, if you set control scheme to "Dual Analog" but then change the Camera setting from Sticks to Gyro, you get dual analog gyro that rivals the best of any game I've played. It's far superior to the Wii pointer scheme, imo, as you turn the camera with R analog instead of pointing at edge of screen, yet you retain gyro aiming.

Getting multiple Level 5 games after they went dark in the west this whole generation is insanely hype. Fantasy Life i and DecaPolice look very good, and Rain Code is looking better than ever. Idk what it is, but that game really appeals to me. I think it's the art style and detective stuff.

GB and GBA games is hype. I'm paying $10 per YEAR thanks to the family plan and networking here in the forums for a group to join. Value just went up. We're gonna have Metroid Zero Mission, Metroid Fusion, Fire Emblem and Fire Emblem Sacred Stones on Switch. [angelic voices singing]

Do you realize we have Metroid Prime on Switch with Dual Analog gyro aiming and it looks close to a remake? That wasn't a dream. It was real! Spread the word. Metroid noobs, today you are being initiated!

Hey everyone, would anyone mind posting a video/screenshot from their Switch to Twitter right now? I'm currently working at the moment so am unable to do so myself but I'm curious as to whether the new API rules means it's harder to post stuff to the site or not

(tagging @Eel and @WoomyNNYes since they seem to like doing that especially!)

@Fizza
I posted Metroid Prime Remastered screenshots last night without issue. Same as always. Select and send. Done and done.

@Bolt_Strike I don't think the Direct itself suggests anything about hardware in 2024 given the purpose of February Directs was always about revealing the Spring/Summer lineup. With the exception of Splatoon 3 being announced in the February 2021 Direct for 2022, further away stuff was always an E3 and September thing.

Which leaves June, August and September. Pokemon Presents could answer June, Baten Kaitos 1+2 is Summer (Nintendo owns Monolith Soft so it counts) and I don't really see Nintendo having only Prime 1 available prior to Prime 4's launch so I'd guess Prime 2 releases around August/September with an announcement far enough away from Prime 1.

Given what we know so far, Nintendo's absence at E3 is probably the biggest sign if anything of hardware in 2024. But then again, if the 2nd half of 2023 is mostly ports/remasters and DLC they may prefer to do a 2020 style shadow drop announcements approach over the summer and then get back to announcing stuff normally in a September Direct for early 2024 releases.

@Fizza Sorry, Fizz-money.😉 I don't have a twitter. (although, the only reason I've ever had for wanting an account, is so I can post in Splatoon 3).