Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

what happened to the Sheikah tecnology in Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom?

So... farm sim fans. Let's talk.

You guys have been eating fat- the whole kitchen pantry in fact. But there's one particular game of note that's caught my interest- FaeFarm

This game seems much more polished and higher budget than most other games of the genre. It has a very charming appeal to it.

But I'm no expert in the mechanics of what makes these games great. So, can someone who's a farm sim fan tell me their take on this game and what they make of it? Is this one I should consider picking up or does this seem to miss?

Cause honestly, to me, this game looks spectacular. I'm not even a fan of the genre but this gameplay has sold me on it, I think. I love the combat and telegraphed attacks, I love the audio, I love the aesthetic, I love the speed of performing tasks like watering the entire grid in one fell swoop, I like the customization... I just like everything about it!

Again, I've always held every person can enjoy every genre, it's just a matter of finding the right game. And I'm starting to thing this might be the one for me with regard to farm sims. I hear Rune Factory 4 is excellent, but it's a bit dated. And Fantasy Life is on 3DS (though there IS a new entry coming to Switch, and I do intend to check it out). But tbh, FaeFarm looks better than any of those games. To me.

But what do I know... nothing! I'm not an expert of the genre, so I seek the wise counsel of those more experienced in these types of games.

edit
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That's $3.33 per game. All 3 are very high quality AAA ports complete with gyro aiming. If you even have the slightest interest in checking out the Borderlands series, you really can't go wrong at $3 per game.

@JaxonH If you're not a fan of the genre usually, I would wait until plenty of full reviews are out. The main thing this game has which makes it stand out are gorgeous visuals, but in terms of gameplay, games like this which are trying to 'beat Stardew' are hit or miss. I'm Absolutely sure a couple hours of this game would be fun, but the exact ratio of farming versus social versus combat matters a lot. Are there lots of repetitive things you have to do every day or is there more freedom? Does the game feel grindy after a few hours or does it remain fresh? Does interaction with npcs feel fulfilling? This game clearly has most of the correct pieces, but the exact way they are put together can make a game like this absolutely amazing to play for 500 hours or a drag after 5 hours. As someone who has played a zillion hours of animal crossing, a ton of Stardew, and a decent chunk of games like Rune Factory I'm very interested in this game, but there are definitely a lot of misses in the genre so I remain cautious. Even from this last direct there were multiple games in this general genre (e.g. farming + combat games), and they might be great, but from what we've seen even in those FaeFarm gameplay videos, it's definitely not guaranteed.

That said, I have higher hopes for FaeFarm than usual because it does look good so far.

@FishyS
That's really good feedback, thanks. I can see how the game really would depend on that fine tuning. I got bored with AC, but I think the combat is what appeals to me as it adds that layer of depth I crave. Plus everyone is reporting the movement feels very fluid and responsive which I like. Lot of games in the genre feel rigid and stiff.

But ya, I got hyped for Harvestella and it ended up not being what I'd hoped. The combat just wasn't right. No dodging and clunky character control was a huge turnoff.

If people like you give the thumbs on on this though, that's all I need to see. SwitchUp played quite a bit of it and is singing it's praises. And he's one of the only Switch Reviewers I trust (aside from SkillUp, but he's not a "Switch Reviewer", he's a multiplat reviewer that just happens to play some Switch games).

will Nintendo keep the suport of Nintendo Switch until 2025?

@Giancarlothomaz probably, it may be like the 3DS but with real support instead of drip feed until store closure.

@Giancarlothomaz Considering there's a decent chance we won't even have a new console until 2025 and probably late 2024 at the very earliest, it's pretty much guaranteed Switch will be supported through 2025. Since most of us expect the next console to be a back-compatible upgrade to Switch, some new games and support will likely come to switch for several years, even if some of the first party games only go to the new system.

@FishyS
some new games and support will likely come to switch for several years, even if some of the first party games only go to the new system

Exactly. BC will ensure games like Super Mario Bros Wonder will sell for the entire Switch 2 lifespan.

We're nearing the end of the generation. Either Switch 2 releases spring 2024, holiday 2024, or spring 2025, with spring 2025 being the absolute latest. Any way you slice it, the fact big games like Super Mario Bros Wonder are dropping this late in the cycle means they're counting on it selling well into the Switch 2 lifespan.

And, at least to me, I see their 2024 lineup very closely aligning with how they did 3DS. Assuming Switch 2 comes next year, having a Luigi's Mansion port and a new Peach game ensures the people least likely to be day one adopters still have Switch games to buy and play. Those are games that will appeal to late adopters that won't be upgrading for at least a few years (not to say they can only be enjoyed by that subset of ppl, but the more casual fans are the ones less likely to upgrade day one, thus it makes sense to release Switch games targeting the demographic that will stick around a few more years).

@JaxonH At this point Switch 2 kind of feels like the mythical Switch Pro of the past. That people think "surely it's happening by [insert release window]" via patterns of the past and rumours but then that timeframe passes and there's no signs of new hardware so the cycle repeats.

While I do think the earliest Switch 2 will happen is Fall 2024, I could easily see an outcome where 3D Mario is the big Fall/Holiday 2024 game but there's still no sign of more powerful hardware causing the cycle to reset on when people expect Switch 2 to happen. Much like how last week's Direct destroyed any chance of a 2023 reveal.

@Grumblevolcano
Maybe.

I do think at the very least we can narrow it down to the 12 month window of spring 2024 to spring 2025, which would be either 7 full years on market or 8 full years on market.

More and more folks coming around to my way of thinking.

Makes me all...warm and fuzzy.

@Magician i always expected the Switch sucessor to lauch holiday 2024/spring 2025 at the lastest.

Can we take a moment to acknowledge the fact that, if Nintendo doesn't release Switch 2 in spring 2024, they're GOING TO break the all time record held by the PS2/DS. It'll be a foregone conclusion at that point.

Switch was at 125 million in March. Projected sales of 15 million, and with Zelda TotK, Pikmin 4, Mario RPG, WarioWare, Mario Bros Wonder, Batman Arkham Trilogy and DQM3, I think they're gonna hit their target.

So. 140 million sold in March 2024. That's only 15 million away from the all time record. Let's assume they release Switch 2 that holiday. Even if that's the case, they'll still sell another 12 million units for Switch that FY. Bringing it to 152m in March 2025. And like DS/PS2, it'll keep selling for another 2 years. Maybe 5m then 2m, but there's no scenario on earth it doesn't muster that final 3m needed to crack the crown.

Sounds like a good reason not to release a new console in early 2024. Personally I'm assuming late 2024 at the earliest. Sure it's a long life cycle, but assume 1-2 years delay or replanning because of covid and suddenly it's a pretty typical length.

@FishyS
Holiday 2024 or spring 2025 doesn't seem illogical or abnormal to me.

My hang up with it is, by that point Switch momentum will be heading well into single digit millions, essentially repeating the pattern of all their previous failed attempts at generational transitions. Given their statements about how they're cognizant of those shortcomings and how they specifically want to ensure that doesn't happen this time, I struggle to reconcile a decision to wait until the iron has a faint dim glow with their previous statements.

Who knows. Anything could happen. But Sony consistently sells 20m units their final year before the transition, and as demonstrated with PS4, tries to end with a blowout year so that excitement and momentum acts as a catalyst to push people toward upgrading.

Either they're going to model their approach in similar fashion, or they won't. But if they want to, they'll need to come in hot spring 2024. They can wait, and I'm sure they'll be fine either way, but waiting until holiday 2024 or later definitely wouldn't be following that "let's do things differently next time" sentiment they seemed to support in previous statements.

It would be kind of awesome and hilarious if they did drop a new console Spring 2024 with no warning and the Peach game was their starter game.

1 day away from the Pikmin 4 demo. 3 days from Raincode.

And another day closer to Batman Arkham Trilogy. I'm rewatching the Dark Knight Trilogy of movies in anticipation. I'm really, really excited to finally have these games on Switch.

And, the Trilogy is built from the base 360/PS3 versions for Asylum and City, not the plastic looking Return to Arkham versions. First time those versions will be available on a current console. I'm seeing a lot of hype from series fans, too. The Switch trailer of Batman is getting more views than even Pikmin 4. Not that Pikmin will be some massive 10m seller, but it'll definitely do 3-5m. So that's pretty impressive for a AAA 3rd party on Switch. Usually they don't get much attention.

I could watch this trailer every day til release.

Is it worth buying a Switch OLED this late in the game?
Still using our og Switch from 2017.

@Professor_Plumber I'm pretty sure we knew this info sometime around 2016/2017. I don't remember exactly when it was but there was an image Nintendo made which showed a timeline with 3DS + Wii U, NX/Switch and then a question mark afterwards with NX/Switch and the question mark having the same account.

@ERGgamin
That's a question only you can answer.

Weigh the benefits vs costs. It's sleek with thin bezels and feels much more premium. Perfect blacks and more vibrant colors really do make a noticeable different. Kickstand gets upgraded from barely usable to fantastic. Battery life is DOUBLE the original Switch. No more constantly worrying about low battery warning. We're talking 5 hours minimum for AAA games on max brightness, or 6-10 for indies and retro titles (Final Fantasy IX cracks the 10 hour mark). And there's a few other small benefits like 64 GB storage.

Cost and potential cost. It's $350, and you'd get anywhere from 1-2 years of use out of it assuming you traded in and upgraded immediately when Switch 2 releases. And if you traded in, you could knock an easy $200-250 off the price, which means you're getting back a sizeable sum of your investment, in addition to 1-2 years use. Alternatively, you could keep the system even after Switch 2 releases assuming the next Switch doesn't have an OLED screen.

It really just comes down to whether you think those terms are acceptable. If it were me? Heck yes I'd do it in a heartbeat. But I have different financial circumstances. There's others who wouldn't. You've gotta answer that question for yourself.