Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

I just finished Metroid Prime Remastered at 100% completion (items and scans). I do wish they added a brightness option as some areas were too dark compared to the same areas in the other versions (GC/Wii) and some kind of indicator of 100% completion in each area like they did with Dread but apart from that, it was a wonderful experience returning to Metroid Prime with this remaster.

It'll be interesting to see if you get the Fusion Suit in Prime Remastered for completing the NSO version of Metroid Fusion.

Are you... mad at me for buying Violet?

It may not look like polish outside, but what matters to me is finishing the story, like always. And catching every legendary in one version.

@TheBigBlue Game Freak have to develop the mainline Pokemon games under a tigh deadline, they dont have the luxury of a Legend of Zelda that can spent 5/6 years working to become a masterpiece, same with 3D Mario and 2D mainline Metroid/Metroid Prime, even if gen 10 games feature have ambitious games and require 4/5 years of development, Game Freak cant spent the adequate amount of time needed to polish the game, become they need to release the game before the next season of the Anipoke and the next batch of merchandish.

Are there any joy-con that effectively mimic the feel of the Pro Controller?

I've tried the Hori Split Pad Pro...but they just felt like bigger joy-con (my hands aren't particularly big) and had quite a cheap feel to them. They also weren't particularly ergonomic - the grips were too shallow to be worthwhile, really.

I then tried the Skull and Co NeoGrip and that was no use either. The grips don't combine well with the small buttons of the official joy-con, and using the "d-pad" with the grips on felt awkward.

The Pro Controller feels so good to me...it's just spoiled me for other controllers, really. Is there anything on the market that does well to mimic it? I'm not too fussed about rumble and motion tbh --- I'm just after something that can't help save my hands/wrists during handheld play sessions.

@JaxonH
Surely VRR isn't a huge expense, especially if you're teaming up with Nvidia for the SoC. VRR is basically the standard in gaming monitors and even TVs these days, it's no longer a high end feature. And in terms of 90Hz+ screens, I have a 90Hz OLED screen in my mid-range phone that I got for about the same price as the regular Switch, not the OLED. So I'm not sure it's that out of reach

As a side note, higher refresh rates are about more than just running at a higher frame rate. It also give you more frame rates to play with without tearing. 60Hz divides into 30, 20 and 15 evenly before you get into useless territory. 90Hz goes into 45, 30, 22.5, 18, 15. 120Hz has 60, 40, 30, 24, 20, 17.1, 15. The higher the refresh rate is the more VSync at those lower frame rates behaves like VRR

Also yes, VRR at the 20-60Hz range is kinda the main point of VRR. VRR is marketed as a high end feature because they wanted to excite the early adopters when it was an expensive feature. But really, if you have a high end rig you can reach the frame rate your monitor expects. VRR is for when your monitor is waiting for your GPU to finish work. Which is what makes it best suited to lower powered devices, like a portable console

@skywake
At lower framerates its very noticeable due to the relatively long persistence of frames. It'll technically work but most users report it not feeling smooth.

I share your view on the advantages of higher refresh rates, but the point is, it's still extra cost. Even $5 more per panel (and I suspect it's more than that), when talking about 100,000,000 panels is a half BILLION dollar hit. Is the additional sales they would make enough to counter that? I seriously doubt it. Running games at odd framerates like 45 is not something that would be a selling point to the majority of potential customers. Not only that, but assuming they had VRR with a screen that also did 40Hz, they could simply use that rather than pay another half billion to run at even more odd framerates.

That's the sort of thing you see in the PC market, not Nintendo hardware. If even Steamdeck, made by the PC market leader isn't doing it, how likely is it do you think Nintendo would?

I'm not saying it couldn't be advantageous to us, I'm just saying it's not gonna happen.

Whenever we have any "event tourneys" in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (which is every couple weeks), I get too anxious to join because everyone else online is just too good. Now I've even developed a fear of running into any Kirby players online because of that dreaded "Kirbycide" that I can't escape from.

March Releases

• Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania (3/6)
• Metroid Fusion (3/8)
• Fatal Frame IV (3/9)
• Trails From Azure (3/14)
• Bayonetta Origins (3/17)
• Remnant From the Ashes (3/21)
• Have A Nice Death (3/22)
• MLB The Show 23 (3/28)

My must haves are Metroid Fusion, Fatal Frame IV, Trails From Azure and Bayonetta Origins.

As for Remnant From the Ashes, the eShop screenshots are looking really good. If the game looks as good as the screenshots indicate and also manages to run stable, it's going to be a must have as well. My brother raved about this game and begged me to play it with him online. I believe the entire campaign can be played online co-op with a friend, which is always nice to see. It's kind of a Souls-like game, but it has its differences and isn't nearly as similar as some others out there I'd classify more as clones. The game is a bit easier as it doesn't punish you by losing your stuff when you die. Which to me is a huge benefit. I played a few hours of it on PC. I hope the Switch port turns out well.

Have A Nice Death is not a game I'm interested in, however. Just doesn't do it for me. Idk.

And lastly, Bayonetta Origins is a game I did a complete 180 on. At first I was like meh, but after seeing the unique combat and more classic Zelda like game structure, I suddenly got the appeal. Now I'm actually rather excited to give it a try.

The FE Engage wave 3 DLC is available now.

Some upcoming Switch games according to play-asia.

My gaming funds are going towards any last minute 3ds and wii u purchases. Thankfully, its light on the switch front for me this month anyway, and I'm about to start Metroid Prime.

@JaxonH

Metroid Fusion. Its Metroid lol
Bayonetta Origins. Fell in love with the artwork the moment I saw it.
Remnant from the ashes, Had my eye on this one and hoping it is a good port. Not much on Souls games but Im hopeful.

Picked up Diofield chronicles today and plan on starting on that next week. Played the demo and feel in love.

@JaxonH
I'm not so convicted by your argument here. For starters the Steam Deck is a relatively low volume product sold at a loss, they were pushing hard for the internal spec and things like the screen were secondary. Case and point the fact that there's no OLED. So pointing to the Steam Deck isn't much of an argument

Secondly, and as I already said, VRR is pretty hard to avoid in monitors these days. It's not the premium feature it used to be. It only makes sense for it to find it's way into a portable. Especially if Nvidia is providing the SoC given it was Nvidia who pushed for VRR the hardest and earliest

Thirdly, on it not being a feature people care about. On the box? You're right, they won't care. However they will care about its side effects. Better battery life, improved perception of smoothness, potentially better visual fidelity given the would be less need to rigidly maintain 60fps, you could dip to 50 and have it not really be noticeable. Yes at super low frame rates persistence is an issue. But it's a hell of a lot better than lurching between 30 and 60hz every other frame

Will they do it? I don't know. I'm hot holding my breath for it outside of support for it via HDMI 2.1. But could they do it? I think yes. Would it matter? Also yes. Would it matter more than 1080p? VERY yes

@skywake Would vrr help with browsing the eshop lol. I think more than anything they need the eshop tweaked or rebuilt.

I've not been helping myself on the game budget situ by deciding to catch-up a bit on the amiibo front. Just dropped another £70 on them at the My Nintendo Store (plus the same again (+) on eBay in the past week), but had a 10% discount code so decided to use it 'sensibly' by making sure to include a few other items that had been on my wishlist, which resulted in me ordering the steelbook bonus-Bayonetta Origins. With that and Trails from Azure (Ltd. ed.) already locked in, and Metroid Prime Remastered having snuck up on me, March might have to settle with that from me.

I am gonna wanna pick up the Fatal Frame game too though 🤔

@old-dad
To be fair, I think some of it we just remember it being better than what it is on Switch. In terms of the speed of transaction and general ease of use? The eShop on Switch is far better than previous consoles. At the very least it's accessible entirely in a browser outside of the Switch itself now, which I know was a thing in the US for previous consoles but it's not something they did in Australia properly until the Switch. In any case, there's a reason why the Wii U eShop had that mini game and the Wii Shop Channel had that download animation. Things have improved

But for consumer friendly-ness? Yeah, we've gone backwards. I mean the Wii U greeted you every time you booted it up with MiiVerse. Literally showing you what games people were actually engaging with and what they thought about them. And on the Wii there was the Nintendo Channel which allowed you to rate games you'd played and also see what games people rated highly

On Switch there's the trending amongst friends section hidden under your account and the different screens on the eShop. That's it. I mean I'd like some kind of rating to be able to be shown directly in the eShop ideally. I think it would also be good they did something along the lines of what Spotify does with recommendations. But as it stands there are marketed lists, recently added which moves way too fast and best-sellers which is abused by publishers gaming the way discounts are promoted

So yes, I agree the eShop needs a rework.

@old-dad Oh, and **** you for making me look up Diofield Chronicle again and seeing it for a decent price just now, that's a further kick in my wallet for March now, plus I've just remembered I'll be getting Atelier Ryza too 🥵

@skywake i kinda miss the miis greeting you every time the wiiu was turned on but the wiiu UI was bad slow lol. The switch is far better in that way but lacks some features.

Honestly if they can manage to actually have a real cart, user ratings and possibly list a few suggested games that would be great.

🤣sorry ? Yeah barely a week into march and the amount of games im wanting is out of hand lol

Dang and just saw DKC is 39.99 now 😭. Been wanting that forever so might try picking that old relic up too.