Nintendo Download: 10th August (North America)

Ironcast and Sonic Mania for me.

Never been a Sonic fan. I'm looking forward to playing Phantom Trigger.

SONIC!

Nice chunk of games, as usual.

For me, it's obvious; SANIC (and the new Rayman demo, I want to see if the performance issues were fixed).

We in Europe are getting the Kirby 25th Anniversary sale this week. A whopping 25% off Kirby games. /sarcasm

The Sonic Mania coverage has won me over and I'll be picking it up. This just might be the first time in decades that I don't regret buying a Sonic game.

Given America is at least 5 hours behind us it still irks me that the European update comes later, especially as we used to get it on a Monday.
I'll let it go eventually. Probably when I'm dead.

Sonic!

Getting Eliminage Original despite owning it already on PSP to show my support since no one else will, and that MH demo.

Sonic Mania is a midnight release on PS4 and Xbox One....I wonder if Nintendo will follow suit.

I know eShop usually only does first party games at midnight....but come on! I want Sonic asap.

Weekly eshop updates are much more exciting now than in the Wii U era...

The Switch keeps getting a nice amount of options every week. After the Wii U's drip-feed, that's excellent to see.

I'm very interested in Phantom Trigger, but "story-driven levels" in the description gives me pause. I loved Hyper Light Drifter, which looks very similar, but that was much more about exploration than story, which is the way I like it. I guess I'll wait for reviews.

Has Troll and I been patched to be playable since it released on PS4?

Too bad Eliminage Original isn't on Switch. We need moar RPGs

Damn I thought Sonic was coming early there . I'll be downloading just Ironcast tonight then. Rayman demo for Monday and Sonic for 2sday. Doesn't get much better than that.

Thought rocket fist was rocket League, got hopeful.

It sounds a lot like ARMs.

Also really interested in how Mania gets reviewed.

Have had Sonic Mania on pre-order from Amazon.com since April, and it looks everything i wanted, well from the gameplay shown so far

@cmk8 Back during the Wii days, North America used to get the weekly updates on Mondays, as well. About 2 years away from the end of its life cycle, Nintendo of America switched it to Thursdays.

@JaxonH Seems like there's at least one good quality game released every week now. Sometimes 3 or 4. I already feel like the Switch has more games then the Wii U did even though I know that's not true.

I already downloaded Severed a couple of days ago. Other than that, I'll be downloading Troll and I & the Rayman demo.

SONIC
MANIA

I have high hopes for this sonic

@Mando44646 "We need moar RPGs"

Then get a 2DS. (Or a PS4.)

@SLIGEACH_EIRE 25%, oh that's awful. They really shouldn't put things on sale, people would really rather pay full price for games apparently.

The 2 Wii U games are classics if you like the genre but a little too late to the party for me.

I'm still waiting for Konami to release Rondo of Blood on the Wii U.

@kevin74 Have you seen the reviews for Troll & I on PS4? There's not much positive things been said about it.

SOLDIER BLADE & FINAL SOLDIER!!!!

I seriously could not be happier right now!

Oh, and I'm really looking forward to reviews for Sonic Mania and Elminage Original. Both have been on my radar for too long.

Barring catastrophic reviews, Sonic Mania for me! I love the style and would like to see Sonic not suck. I do wish the soundtrack were done by Hyper Potions, since I adore the trailer music (and now, pretty much everything from Hyper Potions), but I'll settle for the retro Genesis sound they've got going on.

Sonic Mania of course but I keep hearing mention of a retail version???

@Oscarzxn I don't think its on the Japanese Wii U VC (Along with one of my favs, Gates of Thunder. T.T) so its probably not looking likely. I think these releases are more catch up to Japan which is on 50 odd TG games on Wii U.

@Nintendo_Thumb 25% is stingy. Nintendo should try having a 50% sale some time. Hell will probably freeze over that day.

I wonder how many switch owners will buy sonic mania out of pure thirst. Interestingly, many of my co-workers that all bought switches and used to bring them into work together to play MK8 are venting about the lack of AAA games on the system. Some are trying to sway the others onto splatoon but the struggle is real. Nintendo sold the pipe dream of a home console on the go capable of AAA content and are simply not delivering. Everyone that originally bought into the idea of switch bought into the idea of experiencing things like breath of the wild on the go. Not ported smartphone games and bite sized titles.

I still expect a stark drop off of switch demand despite the early success. For two reasons: Nintendo's simple inability to meet current demand, thus causing folks to go spend their money elsewhere instead. And, for the sheer lack of follow through on the "home console on the go" promises from launch days. 3rd parties have the switch pegged for what they believe it is and that is not a home console kind of approach.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Nintendo's first party sales always suck because they're a bunch of cheapies! Always been that way!

@Mahe considering I already have those and that I was specifically commenting about Switch in a Switch related article, I clearly want more RPGs on Switch

TOO MANY GAMES!! ..I still haven't got a chance to pick up Slime-San yet... Just Sonic for me

SONIC!! And probably the Rayman demo, too.

very interested in Rocket Fist. As anyone read any reviews for it?

Sonic Mania and the Rayman demo. I already own Rayman Legends on the Wii U and find it okay, but it's hard to pass up a free demo for a decent game.

@gatorboi352
it's only been like 5 months sir. Now in a year or so I might start to agree with you.

@gatorboi352 I think if they bought a Switch for the third party AAA support they bought the wrong console! I've never seen any sign that there will be much of that, why on Earth did they think there would be?

Sonic Mania! Phantom Trigger! Rayman Legends demo!

@gatorboi352 I'm not saying there isn't some fault on Nintendo's part to whatever degree. A company could always do better or at least you always feel they can.

This also sounds to me, and I mean no disrespect to your co-workers, that there is a bit of unrealistic and not entirely informed expectations. I realize not everyone is a geek who frequents sites like this and aren't always in the know. But its really only 5 months from launch.

Also, exactly what games were they expecting?

EDIT: Personally, I am genuinely excited for Sonic Mania. The 2D games were a big part of my growing up. I really hope they've finally nailed it this time

Sonic & Ironcast for me. Good week all around!

@TommyRabbit you're joking right? Nintendo literally had a 102% attach rate on Switch for Breath of the Wild. BotW is Nintendo's most epic AAA title they've ever created. They also stated left and right, up and down that Switch is the Wii U successor and their next HOME console.

@UmbreonsPapa
"This also sounds to me, and I mean no disrespect to your co-workers, that there is a bit of unrealistic and not entirely informed expectations"

please see my reply above to TommyRabbit

@Rafx even games on the horizon, though. How many 3rd party companies have come out to say "X game is not coming to Switch" or "we are evaluating Switch support"?

It's deja vu all over again for Nintendo console owners.

@JaxonH Agreed. It's nice to consistently see interesting looking games, as opposed to months of rubbish that I would never pay for.

Getting the two demos and Sonic Mania for sure. Phantom Trigger and Ironcast look very interesting, but I'm saving up for Mario + Rabbids at the moment, so I'll have to give them a pass.

Keep the TG-16 games coming!

@joey302 what about Nintendo Selects which are set at a very nice price?

sonic mania and Phantom Trigger for me.

@electrolite77 remove emotion, then reply.

(yes, my coworkers are real).

Nintendo console is best bought only for its first party games.

Ironcast and Sonic Mania are oh so tempting. I'll likely only get Iron Cast for now, I just don't have time to play everything... Lack of third party AAA certainly not impacting my enjoyment.

@gatorboi352 My point isn't about the quantity of third party games (which I think the Switch will have more support than the Wii U at least). Its the nature of third party games one expected. Again, anyone buying a Switch expecting Call of Duty (which could happen) or Destiny or Titanfall (which probably will never happen in any form) didn't do their homework.

@gatorboi352 I'm sure some people bought BOTW because of the type of game it is, but many like me probably bought it because its the new Zelda and because its a AAA first party Nintendo game. We've had 3 of those since. Admittedly in a vey different styles. I'm not saying there won't be some AAA third party games, but barely any and I've never been given any reason to think otherwise.

If the Switch is mainly first party and indie games then it does sound like a true sucessor to the WiiU! Home Nintendo console doesn't equal western third party support to me.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with wanting AAA third party games just that I've never been under the impression that I'll see many on my Switch. It's like buying an Xbox One for Japanese focused games. You'll probably get some but not many. I don't know why anyone would think otherwise. If that was what people want I'd recommend a wait and see approach, get the console when it has the games you want.

Monster Hunter Stories Demo!

Sonic for me. I'm hoping for more Zerodiv shmups too.

@TommyRabbit "If the Switch is mainly first party and indie games then it does sound like a true sucessor to the WiiU"

Not sure if you meant this as a positive thing, but this is the very reason Wii U was a disaster sales wise.

Also, it continues to baffle me this acceptance and parroted rhetoric about "why would anyone buy a Nintendo for literally anything other than Nintendo games?" is trumpeted among the Nintendo faithful. It's this very line of thinking from the core fan base that has pigeon holed Nintendo into the niche corner they are in as a company. Well, this, and Nintendo's own piss poor 3rd party relations.

Watched some videos of Phantom Trigger last night, looks like a sleeper hit. Really good stuff, story and gameplay.

@UmbreonsPapa yes but, how do you not see that as problematic for the success of Switch itself? The ceiling is only so high for indie titles and Nintendo's own first party offerings (see: Wii U). 3rd party AAA support is critical for a system's success.

There are two non-niche markets in this world: Smartphone/tablet and PC/PS/XB.

Also, note to all you Switch supporters: being more successful than the Wii U isn't an accomplishment, it's the bare minimum.

Also Sonic Mania will the first time I buy a new Sonic game on a console that is still being produced.

@ricklongo Story driven is lite, from how it looks.

Still can't find a Switch.

@CanisWolfred If you already love the classic Wizardry games, then it's a no-brainer. Elminage series is a great homage to those classics and plays just like Wizardry.

@gatorboi352 I'm not sure if its a good thing or not. I'm really happy with the Switch as it is so far, its years since I've bought and played so many games in a such short time. But at the same time I totally understand why people might not be happy with the situation, or at least still on the fence before buying one.

I personally feel it makes more sense for Nintendo to do things their own way rather than try and compete with Sony and Xbox at their own game. Its risky though and if it doesn't work it could be another WiiU. Early signs are that it's doing okay though, which I'm really glad about.

I loved the WiiU, it provided with me with plenty of what I wanted games-wise, but I struggled to find time to sit in front of the TV to play it. So Switch has answered my only real problem with the WiiU and at the same time it's provided me with a wide variety of games I want to play, so I'm happy.

I'm not really interested in many of the big types AAA games I think your talking about, so them not being there isn't a problem for me. I'd be happy to see them make their way to Switch though, it certainly wouldn't hurt the consoles long term chances. I'm just not sure there'll be many and I like to think it wont be much of a problem if the Switch continues with the sort of content it has already. I feel there is a big enough market for it.

Maybe AAA third party support is critical for the consoles success, I just don't think thats the case. Have you taken the plunge on a Switch yet or are you waiting to see if it will be a console that caters well enough to your tastes? Was the sort of games released (and not released) for WiiU a frustration for you?

Sonic Mania digital - $20
Sonic Mania Collector's Edition (digital copy not physical) $70.....

Absurd the collector's edition does not include a physical copy. I would have gladly picked it up if it did.

Still hoping for Sonic Mania Physical.

@Nintendo_Thumb

To be fair, Nintendo does run the stingiest sales in the industry. If you haven't already, you should check out (for comparison's sake) the flash sales on the Playstation Store! Many of them are absolutely insane! You will rarely see a great sale on the eshop, save for the occasional Capcom/Ubisoft sale. I love Nintendo, and I'm really digging my Switch so far, but I'd be lying if I said that Nintendo's sales/pricing models aren't absolute garbage.

That said, I'm holding out on Sonic Mania for a couple of weeks. I remember being so excited for Sonic 4, and----ugh!

@electrolite77

It's not out of the realm of possibility that the average consumer owned a wii, didn't know the wii u existed, and doesn't know why switch wouldn't get games that everybody gets.

SONIC MANIA!

@Setery they are nice at $19.99 - but it takes 5-6 years for Nintendo to get to that nice price point and there's not many of them to choose from either.

Sonic

For some strange reason the Rayman Legends demo has disappeared in the European Switch e-Shop.
I can no longer download it.

@gatorboi352 Wii U isn't the bare minimum, it's abject failure. Heck even the GameCube number was a failure according to Iwata. (Fitting with what you said that took over a previous thread).

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-revolution-will-be-globalized/1100-6136453/

I liked your post 32 (38?), seemed like a nice summary from that previous thread. I wonder though, where do you see the handheld view of Switch fitting in? Or do you still expect a 4DS?

I don't know why people see Nintendo as ever being a home console company. Outside of the Wii Sports fad phenomenon Nintendo has never had great home console sales. NES at 62m, then all downhill from there. Sonys PS4 is already past that, so was PS3, PS2 more than doubled that. I forget PS1. But the Wii was obviously a fluke, Wii U was right were it should have been, a straight line decline from NES, SNES, N64, GC, WiiU.

But while their home consoles have never done well, their worst selling portable is 3DS at 67m, better than NES.

And since Switch is a portable with a dock, why wouldn't you expect it's sales to be more in line with the portable numbers? A main line Pokémon game is coming. Maybe that doesn't seal the deal that Switch is the 3DS successor but it's a hint. 3DS is still getting some new games 8 years after launch. Switch, SwitchGo, SwitchLite, SwitchMini. Switch is a tablet with accessories, lots of permutations to sell.

Now they could mess up. I incorrectly assumed they'd do what was necessary to at least get Wii U to 25m, price cuts, bundles, more games, but they just hung it out there to dry, $299 from cradle to the grave, killed it to support their portable baby Switch. But I don't see them letting Switch die too.

Happy to see more TG-16 games, especially these two as I have really enjoyed Super Star Soldier. Growing up I wasn't a huge fan of the genre, but it is growing on me a little now. I absolutely love the caravan modes of these now due to a serious lack of time these days.

Where I used to want to go back and replay some of the Intellivision games I started with (Night Stalker, Minotaur, Tron: Deadly Discs, Bump N Jump, Burgertime, etc), I am finding myself diving back into the 8-bit/16-bit era finding games I missed along the way.

@rjejr The Wii U was consigned to fate by the gamepad controller. It was the one thing that made it different, but was also the one thing that prevented it from competing. Without the Gamepad, Nintendo could have reduced the price and perhaps dedicated some additional processing power to other things. Had they given up on the gamepad in year one and sold the console without it (or as an optional accessory) they may have reached the 25m mark.

That one change might have made a Wii U Metroid possible and kept Starfox Zero from tanking. Given the freedom to not use the gamepad, we might have been able to see a more Gamecube like output from Nintendo. But then, it might of still failed.

The first week in forever that I'm actually downloading something. Sonic Mania, and I'll try the Rayman Legends demo as well.

@rjejr Even if its a hybrid nintendo has stated more then once that the switch is the successor to the wiiu. A home console.

@gatorboi352 Nintendo should have made the switch more powerful. Maybe then it would have gotten more third parties.

Stories demo for me.

BTW, Grace Explosion Machine has been discounted until the 15th.

@rjejr

Nintendo won 3 of the 6 home generations theyve been apart of. I think it's hard to directly compare total sales for handhelds to home consoles. Typically a home console is a family console and handheld consoles are individual consoles. Case in point my friend had 1 wii and each of his 4 daughters had a ds. Does that mean the the wii was less successful than the ds because the ds sold more? I don't think it does but it makes direct comparison more challenging.

In the handheld realm, until phones becoming so used they've never had any competition. It was just assumed if you had a kid you were getting a nintendo handheld. The switch is trying to do both which is unique. I think the 3ds struggles show that nintendo was having difficulty with competition from phones.

@Darknyht "Gamepad: The Weird Halfway Measure That Bundled the Life Out of Wii U"

I think that would make a good book about Nintendo corporate. Wii was such a success. Easy way to go would have been a Wii HD or Wii2, the Wii U w/o the Gamepad. The world would have survived w/o Nintendo Land. Launch it at $249, $299 w/ the first ever HD Mario, NSMBHD. 2 years later launch the Gamepad bundled with Nintendo Land. I know, accessories don't sell, except $90 Wii Balance Board sold 35 million. People would have bought a $199 Wii2 a year after launch, then bought a $90 Gamepad, the controller with a screen, to play Splatoon and more importantly SMM. But no, they bundled it. Surely there must have been discussion about that decision.

Other scenario, sell Wii2 for 4 years, then get Switch out the door.

I think the Gamepad did some good things, my kids use off screen constantly, way more than our $90 balance bored was ever used, but the bundled price killed the system before the install base could grow. Then Sony pre-launch dropped the camera and the price to $399 and won. Imagine a $499 PS4 and camera bundle.

So yeah, Gamepad killed the Wii U, some accessories are meant to be accessories.

But I still think Nintendo is just as responsible. Look at all the Switch marketing compared to Wii U. They let it die almost from day 1. Look at the 3DS massive price drop. They never made an effort. Oh, except cancel Club Nintendo for MyNintendo. I think that says a lot.

@rjejr

Factor in that nintendo needed to launch wiihd or the wii u 2 years earlier. The wii dropped off a cliff saleswise and nintendo had nothing for consumers those two years. So thise consumers looked elsewhere and were happy with what they found.

@tamantayoshi Yeah, and the DS was a "third pillar".

@Giygas_95 Wow,you missed a lot of great eshop games.

@NandN3ds I'm not made of money...Or time for that matter!

But while we're on the subject, name me out the great eshop games that you think I've missed. Maybe I'll look into some of them.

@tamantayoshi "that the switch is the successor to the wiiu. A home console."

Your first mistake is taking anything Ntinedo, or any other company, says at face value. Of course Switch is CURRENTLY the successor to the been dead for a year Wii U. That doesn't mean that NEXT YEAR Switch won't also be the successor to the 3DS. B/c it very likely will be. Well the Switch itself won't be, SwitchBoy or SwitchPocket or SwitchLite or SwitchGo. They'll drop the DS b/c DS stands for "dual screen" and those days are gone. Just like the 2DS dropped 3D.

Nintnedo had that guy from TPC say a new Pokemon game is coming in 2018 or later, what more do you want?

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/07/pokemon_on_nintendo_switch_is_due_2018_or_later_but_thats_no_surprise

Nintneod would have to be run by complete and total absolute morons if they have the Nvidia tech to run in portables and docked and then make another portable that runs on different hardware with a different OS. I don't think they combined their software divisions to make another separate set of games again.

https://www.cnet.com/news/nintendo-to-combine-handheld-console-divisions-report/

And more recently they combined two other divisions to run more smoothly.

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/09/nintendo_is_merging_its_prized_ead_and_spd_teams_into_a_single_group

@joey302 Time doesn't make those games they choose bad

Gotta go Fast! also going to tryout the MH Stories demo.

@cleveland124 "wiihd or the wii u 2 years earlier."

Yeah, they were probably trying to work the kinks out of the Gamepad, hence the delay and 6 years between launches.

Of course had Nintendo released the Wii HD two years earlier -
on par power wise w/ the PS3 and Xbox360, which is about where the Wii U is - everybody would have called them nuts, b/c that was years before PS4 Pro and Xbox 1 X released, but yeah, Ntineod could have been ahead of the times for once. Though 4 years of life for the Wii was probably enough for the Wii HD to be seen as a true successor, not just a bump, as it would have had all new games. I guess Wii 2 would have been a better less confusing name than Wii HD if it launched 5 years after Wii. I always thought Ntinedo adding "HD" to the end of all it's game names rather than "U" was the way to go, but I guess Wii2 would have made more sense 5 years after the Wii. Or "Super Wii", b/c Nintendo.

Oh, for the record, I always liked the Wii U name, I thought it explained exactly what it did. What I really disliked was the way it was written, w/ that small blue superscript "u", making it look like the Gamepad was a Wii add-on accessory. Wii U all the same color and font would have been better.

Getting the collector's edition of Sonic Mania because I need more statues to clutter up my house...I swear I need an intervention...I don't even LIKE sonic that much. I was firmly in Camp Nintendo as a kid (except shinobi....I live for shinobi).

@gatorboi352
While I understand the skepticism and the idea it's the Wii U all over again it's not. The Switch as already blown up like the U never did.
If any similarities are to be drawn it would be more akin to the 3DS. Even then it didn't explode till 1/2 way through its life cycle. Even then i think thats a stretch too.

I'm not going to tell you the Switch is going to be successful in fulfill everyone's expectations of third-party AAA gaming on the go but, I'm not going to say it will not do well either.

All im saying is not having really scene anything like this before (both the positives and negatives) and this early in its life, only time will tell.

Monster Hunter Stories demo. I already know I'm not getting the game, but I'll still sample it to see what its like.

...dang..Elminage Original is 20 bucks?..I'll have a look at my loot for something to trade or wait for the shopkeeper to reduce the price...

@rjejr

I'm just thinking with nintendo going low powered they were already kind of foing their own thing. PS3s and 360s were still selling and wii u would have been the most powerful system on the market for 2 years. It also would have came 2 years prior to better tablets and better tablet matket share. I'm not saying timing was the only thing wrong. I just think the wii u 2 years earlier would have done better.

Sonic Mania Collectors Edition for me.

@Setery not at all but holy cow that's a long time for a price reduction. A great game is a great game period no matter what the age. 😊

@cleveland124 With all that was wrong with the Wii U I don't think 2 years earlier would have really helped all that much if everything else was the same, they just did too much wrong. They went from "Wii Sports pick up and play" to "Nintendo Land asymmetrical (or maybe it was asynchronous) play". 2 years sooner wasn't going to help that. Sure, it probably would have sold more, but probably not enough to matter.

Though on the bright side had Wii U been 2 years earlier then Switch wold have been 2 years earlier, closer to when PS4 and X1 launched. Now as limited as it's graphics are it will be obsolete in 2 years when PS5 and Xbox Eleven launch. 3rd party games are limited now b/c Switch doesn't have PS4 and X1 power, what happens when all fo the devs turn to native 4k in 2 years on the actual new consoles? Switch will be a handheld at that point and Switch 2 - Home Only edition, will need to launch w/ an X2 chip to replace X1 or there will be no real 3rd party support except for "last gen" Just Dance type games. Nintendo needs to hope PS5 and Xbox11 are still years away and Pro and XboxX stick around for awhile. i happen to think PS5 holiday 2019 though after the rest of the big PS4 games release in 2018. And when nobody buys an XXX MS will need a new identity. So Switch will defacto become a handheld as it won't be able to keep up with those.

SONIC!!!!!!!!!!!

@Spoony_Tech according to Nintendo website the score is Wii U: 1,011 Switch 136. Switch still has work to do yet but it definitely is already showing signs of passing Wii U at some point at this pace. But as we all know, it's not the quantity it's the quality and so far Switch is doing fine. Does it have 10-15 downloads a week like PS4 and One? No but those 2 been around since 2013.

@TommyRabbit thanks for your thoughts, well said.

I've played my brother's Switch a handful of times. The games for me just aren't there (I already have a Wii U, XB1 and 2DS XL) and I find the Joycons god awful. shrugs

We'll see how this whole thing plays out, though.

Soooo wish I could get Sonic Mania on a system other than Switch/PlayStation/Microsoft

I want to own it on a Nintendo system but only have a Wii U and 3DS.
Oh well I'll be getting my Switch this November I think, so ... until then!

Nothing for me this week. Hopefully the rumors are true and Sega releases a physical copy of Sonic Mania, if not I'll download. Enough of all these King of the Fighters ports. Lets see a port of that Double Dragon fighting game. I never played it but I recall reading that it was pretty good when it released back in the day.

@Mando44646 Yeah, and I'm saying that the RPGs are all there on PS4 and 2DS. Have you played Miitopia yet?

No use complaining about the games Switch doesn't have when there are so many games readily available on PS4 and 2DS.

Sonic Mania Collector's Edition is preordered, and I'll likely download the Rayman demo ☺

@gatorboi352 I agree its absolutely problematic if:

1). The third party games brought to the console aren't the ones you are looking for

or

2) This is an actual Wii U situation again.

I guess my point is I don't think its not unreasonable to think giving it a bit more time before sounding the death knell.

I, however, do understand being hesitant and cautious. Nintendo has made some missteps in the past to certainly warrant the doubt

@Mahe in fact I'm playing Miitopia, Ever Oasis, and just beat Persona 5. None of that resolved having games on my shiny new Switch to play rather than my older consoles. Thus pushing for a more diverse Switch library

Finally another demo!

@Mando44646 Oh, alright. Just be aware that situation will continue like this for a long time: PS4 and 2DS are where the RPGs are coming. A lot of the games available for them will probably never come to Switch.

@Mando44646 Give it time they will come. I'm liking the diversity the Switch library has so far.

I have the Special Edition of Sonic Mania pre-ordered on Amazon! I can't wait, but according to Amazon, it won't arrive until the 16th.

:/

@UmbreonsPapa well it's clearly already on pace to be way more successful than Wii U. But, Nintendo is in a position where (unless they also announce a 4DS or something in addition to Switch) they need either Switch to be the next Wii phenomenon or have smartphone apps really start raking in big $$$.

@gatorboi352 fair play. I think if you have doubts its worth seeing how things go. I guess they can't please all the people all the time. At the minute PS4 and XBOX1 aren't doing anything for me, so I'm glad Nintendo have gone the way they have. The Switch is everything I could've wanted it to be, I prefer portable, and that combined with the sleep mode mean I'm finding way more time to play than I have for ages. I even love the joycons. So they're keeping me happy, hopefully they'll start looking at what they can do to win over the people not like me who are more on the fence within the next year or so.

"It looks pretty dramatic and impressive in its trailer"

Oh lord no. Don't recommend Troll and I to anyone.

@Freelance Only problem is, I've read the reviews of the PSP version, which had a botched translation. The only thing I've had to go off of so far are screenshots for this new version, but I haven't seen anything overly bad yet, so maybe it's a complete re-translation? That's why I gotta wait for reviews...no need to find out the hard way, you know?

I would pick up a physical copy of sonic mania for sure. don't know yet about the digital copy.

I'll definitely be getting Sonic Mania. I actually haven't been following it very closely though, and I didn't know the release date, so when I saw it here I got really hyped for a moment because I thought it was coming out today... Oh well, I'll just play some Sonic 3 & Knuckles to keep me busy!

Also, why is it so many games are releasing on Tuesdays now?

@CanisWolfred The PSP version did get a patch that fixed the worst of it, and it was a lot better after that. I would assume the 3DS version is the updated version because it wouldn't make sense if they didn't.

@rjejr

I'm not a fan of nintendos low powered strategy. But nintendo is committed to trying to make it work. I guess I see the problems you are referencing spilling over to the handheld side as cheap phones become more powerful than the switch and phones are grabbing more content than the switch. All my nephews/neices in my family would already rather play tablet/phone than a dedicated handheld. Nintendo is in a peculiar position because they refuse to follow market standards. It appears the market is at least interested in the switch concept. But if it becomes clear that the switch won't get 3rd party games that people like switch 2 will probably track lower on the sales side putting nintendo further from mainstream.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Hahaha that's hilarious. Everybody knows that if it was 50% off, you'd complain that it wasn't 60, and if it was 60, you'd complain that it wasn't 70% off, etc. You just like to complain. In fact, if they didn't put it on sale at all, I'll bet you'd have nothing to complain about.

I have the Sonic mania special edition preordered and I will be checking out the Rayman Demo.

@Nintendo_Thumb Pathetic post!

@SLIGEACH_EIRE You're right, that is pathetic. I'm sure you'd find something else to complain about, actually.

Very interested to try MH Stories. Fantasy Life is a top 10 game of all time for me so I'm hoping its got a FL vibe/flavor to it, but with monsters. Also Sonic Mania is an absolute must download for me. Sept is gonna be $$$ with MH Stories, Metroid, Rayman DE, and MvC: Infinite.

Definitely Ironcast for me. Also interested in seeing some reviews for Phantom Trigger. I saw some, I think, PAX or so gameplay footage and it did look interesting.

SONIC MANIA HYPE!

I was going to get Elminage but the price wasn't right. What do they think this is , a Switch! Well nothing for me this week with more over Priced Eshop titles and Nothing super on the Switch retail front. 3DS has a bunch of up coming wallet busters.

Does anyone Know if JB Harold Murder Club in the Japanese Eshop has an English option? The PCEngine versions both had english Options. I love the JB Harold series. Anyone know if it's getting ported?

@Spoony_Tech I think you mentioned somewhere you liked baseball titles I'm not sure. But if you want something fun to play with your kids I recommend Little League Baseball 2009. It looks great, plays great and has the feel of the Little League world series for the Wii. I picked it up a couple days ago for 5 bucks. It's also 4 players. I would say it's more of an arcade baseball meets a bit of realism which is an awesome mix. Anyway thought I would let you know if you still have Wii or Wii-U if your a fan of Little League Baseball you will absolutely love it. There are 3 versions of it. 2008 uses motion controls only, 2009 uses motion and classic and Double play is both versions on 1 disk which use motion and classic

I'm busy with Retro City Rampage, Splatoon 2, and still need to finish BotW so Sonic Mania will wait, so will Mario + Rabbids. Also, throw in ARMS and MK8 DX, I have too much going on right now with current software. It's amazing how much better the first few months of Switch are compared to pretty much every console on the market in the same time period from their respective launches. There is no comparison between Switch and Wii U in the first few months in terms of quality and cadence, Switch puts Wii U to shame.

@electrolite77

Nintendo has the best first party team by far. If they were able to develop third party relationships they would dominate the home console market. Nintendo's failures aren't because they can't make home consoles. They make great home console games, some of the best ever. Their failure is a management failure to value third parties and a stubborness to do it alone. They've retreated to the handheld market for now but if they continue down this path they'll lose to tablets/phones in the handheld space. Not this generation but sooner than most realize. They need third parties and they need to realize that at some point.

@gatorboi352 is that opposed to the vast ocean of triple A games on the Wii U. 🤔

@electrolite77

The warning signs are strong that now that they have real competition in the handheld space that they won't be as strong. Ds 154 million sales to the 67 million sales of the 3ds. Thats a big drop and concerning.

At this point it'll be hard to get back into the home console race as they positioned themselves. But being the market leader only their mistakes pulled them out of that position. And those mistakes allowed sony and microsoft to gain a stronghold. So they are completely responsible for where they are. And systems are all about games so best first party should give them a significant advantage.

It's hard to come up with good games. Because you need creative people to win games. But all Sony/Microsoft have on Nintendo right now are 1. Hardware and 2. 3rd Parties. If Nintendo can't duplicate those two things it's a management failure because there is no creativity in either. And Nintendo already beat Sony once and forced them to retreat (Vita). So those companies while strong are not unbeatable.

@Nintendo_Thumb to be honest I think he'd spot on- eshop sales are embarrassing compared to other platforms. He's giving his opinion- not personally attacking you.

@darthstuey wii U got a surprising amount of western AAA content in its first 2 years, ironically.

It's just that the damn gamepad was really that undesirable.

@OorWullie I haven't read any, but I'm aware it hasn't reviewed well much at all. I did watch some gameplay footage, though — maybe the first 45 min to an hour, or so — & it seemed fine to me.

@Grawlog that's a pity I got severed at almost half the price on the vita

Ugh this MH Stories demo is packed with content. Loving it. And it carries to the full game!

@gatorboi352 I know man but you are constantly banging on about this. I understand where you are coming from but I can't work out what type of gamer you are. If you are here for a love of Nintendo machines etc then you should know what to expect. I've been over the moon with the games I've bought for the switch- tumbleseed being my fav. (disclaimer- I hate call of duty, Fifa, GTA, titanfall...) I want a machine I can play Zelda, Mario, pickmin but then things I love like tumbleseed, thumper and shantae- at home and on the go. What I really want is Jeff minter to get space giraffe and polybius on here because then I'd be set. Yes I'd love to play red dead redemption on the switch (incredible game) but if it doesn't happen I can live with that. I can pick up a Neo geo game which I would have to pay 30-40 quid for on my Neo geo cd or 200 quid on cartridge for 6 quid! And play it anywhere. What I'm annoyed about is the pricing structure on the eshop- 17.99 for overcooked- which I really want- 12.99 for retro city rampage which I bought on my vita etc.
I think I'm rambling now.
Okay- what games do you want to see on this machine 😂

@Grawlog er why- its the same game

@Grawlog do you think the pricing is fair then

SOOOOONNNIIIIIIIIC! can't wait!!

https://www.house-mixes.com/profile/Umegames/play/best-i-had-of-green-hill---drake-vs-sonic-the

Wow I just played Cruis'n blast in the arcades!!! I WANT IT ON SWITCH!!!! Cmon Nintendo!!

I haven't played a sonic game in years, but I'm REALLY considering getting Mania, we'll see I guess

@darthstuey sure, there's no argument there, they could definitely have better deals, but, it doesn't mean anything anymore hearing complaints from SLIGEACH_EIRE, since he'll complain no matter what the article is about. He's the boy who cried wolf, and eventually you just tune it out. I firmly believe that if Nintendo gave away their systems for free, he'd find something to complain about, because he enjoys complaining more than he likes gaming.

@Nintendo_Thumb 😂😂😂😂

@electrolite77

There is no simple fix for nintendo. It's complicated and we could probably talk for weeks on their position. You have a good post one thing I just disagree with is nintendo can absolutely make games like halo, tlou, gran turismo and everything on your list but they choose not to. Nintendo has to come up with more than 15 games a year if the want to do it themselves and they need to expand their first party to do that. We've seen what happens when nintendo goes alone. They lose market share unless their console is seen as highly innovative (wii/ds/switch?). But banking on innovation every round is a losing proposition. I agree nintendo is niche, but they are niche because they choose to be. And the market prefference is always changing. It's easy to say carve out there place but that place is not always garuanteed to be there if the keep ignoring what consumers want.

I want to buy Sonic Mania, but I can't see myself doing it after blowing $80 on extra joy cons to play things like MK8DX with my siblings. This week I'll only be getting the demo for rayman and monster hunter stories. I'll probably get sonic mania at some point, but sadly, this week is not the time.

@darthstuey well, I come to a site like NL because they will be the first (mostly) to report on Nintendo news as it breaks. I don't come here however to be surrounded in an echo chamber of likemindedness and endless positive spin by some of the community.

@Scrummer you don't need to just get some 8bitdo controllers they work a treat

@electrolite77

It's the switch 2 I'm worried about. Switch 2 likely won't be viewed as innovation and even less 3rd party support is likely.

@electrolite77 Better late than never

"compete with the PS4 but Nintendo probably know how that would end. They're focusing on what they do best and from their POV the logic behind the Switch is inescapable."

I think Switch is powerful enough, just, to get some 3rd party support of the AA, not AAA, variety. Lego games, Sonic, Rayman, Just Dance, Cars 3 - for me the interesting thing to watch will be when PS5 and Xbox 11 launch in 2 years, b/c Switch won't play any of those made in 4k games, so it will be interesting to see what happens then. Of course Switch could be rockin by then if Ntinedo ever makes enough, so companies will make games for it somehow, and MS could finally give up as Sony crushes, or Ntinedo could make a SwitchTV w/ a more powerful chip to compete.

Or Nintendo could get by w/ Switch selling mostly as a handheld w/ Pokemon and Animal Crossing type games - and next years 2D Kirby and Yoshi - and they just kind of forget it's a home console. 3DS gets a lot of 3rd party support for an old system, so if Switch sells 60mil in the next few years it could succeed as a 3DS successor.

Then a 4k Switch 2 can launch when 8k tv's and consoles release, so it will still be a handheld.

@cleveland124 "cheap phones become more powerful than the switch and phones are grabbing more content than the switch."

Cheap phones aren't more powerful than the Switch, $600 or $800 phones certainly are, but not the four $100 phones my family has.

Kids like phones. Teens like phones. Everybody likes phones. You could be right, phones could kill handheld gaming, but it depends want Nintendo needs to make a profit. If they can continue to sell 50 million instead of 160 million is that still enough? N64 sold about 30m, Gamecube 22m, Wii U 13m, yet they keep making new consoles. I dont think Switch can do over 100m, but does it have to?

I've played Zelda on my Wii U, I dont' think there are any games like that on cheap phones. Or Spaltoon. Or Super Mario Odyessey.

One good thing about everybody already having a phone, people ALWAYS want something more. Have you ever had a birthday or Christmas where you said - I dont' want anything new this year. People will want a Swtich of it gets games they want, people always want something new.

Wii U had bad timing, everybody was buying iPads and other tablets when Ntinedo was trying to push the Wii U Gamepad, which was inferior in every way. Tablet sales are slowing now, everybody who wants one has 1 or 2 or 3. So what to by next? Everybody already has a phone already. Might as well by a Switch - it does both handheld and Tv gaming, it's a new thing.

That's the hope anyway, we'll see.