Let’s get one thing straight: FUZE4 isn’t a game. Yes, you can play small snippets of games contained within, but it’s really more of an application focused on coding. It’s designed to teach newcomers the basics and allow seasoned coders to flex their coding skills right on the Switch. It’s not the kind of thing you’ll want to purchase on a whim. This is something that you should really only consider picking up if you have a genuine interest in how coding works and how you can apply it to your own ideas.
Considering how complex coding can potentially be, FUZE4 is really good at breaking it all down into relatively bite-size chunks. You’ll want to check out the tutorial section first, which – although rather wordy – starts you off in the right direction, giving an explanation to the various coding terms you’ll come across along with basic concepts such as how to format your code properly. The actual coding screen is predictably basic, but the keyboard is really responsive, and you can use the right analogue stick to easily scroll up or down.
We mentioned you can play games included in the package. They’re objectively not particularly impressive (and many of them aren’t even games, but more along the lines of tech demos), but that’s really not the point of them. Loading up each game initially displays the code used to create the game, and you’re free to edit or expand on them to your heart’s content. Of course, inputting the wrong data can render the game unplayable, but you can easily rectify this or even start over from scratch, if you wish.
As a gateway into the world of coding, FUZE4 is a nice little package that admirably attempts to soften the daunting prospect of writing code. It's not something we can wholeheartedly recommend unless you’re really interested in seeing how it all works, but to its credit, it does a decent enough job of showing you the basics whilst demonstrating what you could potentially create with a bit of time and practice.
Comments 62
Is there any way to use an actual keyboard with this?
EDIT: Just noticed one of the pics clearly states you can press F2 on an external keyboard so I guess that is a yes
Why would anyone do this on the Switch instead of a computer?
EDIT: Seeing as my comment apparently didn't go down well, I'll add that it's just my opinion and that I hope anyone who is interested in this will enjoy it and/or learn from it. ^^'
@Monkeido Toilet coding I guess, if you don't have access to a laptop. Or just as an introduction to kids, by wrapping it in a toy.
What is a doddle?
@HobbitGamer English slang for "easy"
@HobbitGamer
It's when something is really easy. Fun word!
@ThainEshKelch True, I'm probably just too old to get its use. ^^'
@Retron This is something that should have more than a mini review just given how complex it seems to be.
@Monkeido I suppose it is also an easy way to get access to all of the Switch controls in code without getting a dev kit.
I really liked the Petit Computer for the DS. It let you program your own games and gave you programming inputs for all the buttons, touch screen, etc. But it also was a lot cheaper, hard to write large code files, and didn’t have a lot of English instructions.
This actually sounds like it could be educational. I’ll do more research on how it works. Took a bit of Python, but didn’t get super deep into it.
@Retron This is not a review by any stretch of the mind. It seems to be a cursory overview, but lacking the pertinent points you've raised. Casual Google indicates that this is a elementary tech language for robots and electronics. Most likely means no graphics assets other than what's inside. While it's good that it exists, it needs realistic, world based descriptions on what it does and what it's capable of. I personally think it and the review are misleading. The ideal way to teach games programming would be to have a fully supported environment.
@bigcalsworld Good point. Support for a USB keyboard means you can type your code much quicker than just a touch screen keyboard.
I’ll add this to my wish list and watch for a sale. I would just like to tinker with it, so I am not ready to pay the full $40.
USB keyboards can be used both on the docking station as well on the Switch directly with an USBC to USB converter. I use a wireless keyboard and it works fine.
@Retron Right? Like can we code a full switch game with it? How do we import assets? And of coursr the games are simple, theyre there to learn from. Stay in your lane Nintendolife
I bought this and i absolutely love it
Does switch work with a keyboard?
@spirit_flame I think the whole idea behind this is just to offer a very basic entry point for people who are curious about coding in general. Obviously if they start to like it they can get into far more relevant and complex coding on some sort of laptop.
I have to be careful here because i'm on the FUZE team however I felt it was fair to post a couple of pointers.
First off this is the initial release. Unlike a game FUZE will continue to evolve, add features and gain compatibility across platforms. Nintendo Switch is just the first.
You can already create your own 2D game assets, level maps, audio and 3D scenes (primitive shapes and a terrain function). Over time more sophisticated tools will be added.
Creating a coding language is no simple task. Our mission from the get-go was to create a learn-to-code environment that is both easy to learn but be powerful enough to satisfy the more seasoned coders out there.
However, please keep in mind, the purpose of FUZE is to make coding more accessible to young people. The language is designed to be readable like classic BASIC but flexible and versatile like Python, Java and C.
Check out the FUZE community at fuzearena.com for a ton of examples, the help reference and video tutorials. We'd love to have you pop by.
Many thanks, teamFUZE
That is not a review... shame on you.
Oh and yes, it supports USB keyboards. It is pretty cool using it docked with a keyboard - for the older ones of you it will take you right back to the Home Computer era.
I'm sorry but this "review" is a joke of epic proportions. It's like the person barely even glanced at Fuze.
I suggest you pull this mockery of a review and get someone to truly review the software, give them at least a week with it. Then get them to post a proper review as this tells people next to nothing about Fuze and that is huge shame. I bought Fuze and although I have the coding skills of a blind zebra, even I can see how amazing the software is and it has amazing potential.
@Monkeido Because its fun as hell?
@teamFUZE
Thanks for the news...
But i’m Still missing a clue about sharing the code/games... @retron is right about this point too
Come on guys, don’t expect a Nintendo fan site to do some highly comprehensive breakdown of a COMPLEX piece of coding software that would take weeks/months to complete. A quick, cursory glance at the product website will give you all the details you need, plus documentation to allow you to dig as deep as you want. No one comes onto these sites for a comprehensive breakdown on Unity/Unreal. I know it plays well for the likes, or whatever, but let’s be a bit realistic here.
@commentlife
Point was about the strict minimal amount of information that makes a review usefull or useless. For an IDE like this, a bit more should have been appeciated.
Nobody asks for a docker to play with, nor the full list of APIs ... we will google it soon enough
@Monkeido If they don't already know to code, and don't have the money or access to get into a community college to take coding classes.
@teamFUZE Is there any chance that there may be specific lessons/focused practice problems for someone with zero coding experience to learn the core logic of coding?
Is something like that already there?
I'm getting later in my life, and I'd like to learn to code, but I'm horrible at self-teaching.
@Retron Here's the language description: https://fuzearena.com/help They also have gfreat video tutorials here: https://fuzearena.com/forum/category/6/tutorials
I bought F4NS a couple of days before and I'm really excited about it since I can code my own projects on NS without having the SW dev kit.
@Trajan Yes, you can attach USB keyboard. My typical setup for F4NS is USB keyboard and NS attached to the 27'' monitor. This way I develop using F4NS the same way as on any other platform
@Retron you can use the right analogue stick to easily scroll up or down
Reading the comments here it seems there's a lot of questions regarding what this thing can do. Since I started to play with it for a couple of days and have some background in Computer Science and also in Computer Graphics I decided to write a couple of words on Fuze for Nintendo Switch (F4NS).
F4NS is a software which allows people to develop their own software. It mainly focuses on games but it has a huge potential in educational software as well. Since the Switch OS supports USB keyboard it's natural for F4NS to support it as well, so you code as on any other platform in a code editor where you can zoom-in/out, scroll with joy-cons. The editor has a context help so by pressing F1 on USB keyboard you get into the context specific command or to the tutorial you wanted or just into the general help section. But F4NS goes beyond the coding itself. It comes with a lot of included 2D/3D graphics assets and with music compositions as well as sfx assets which you can view and re-use in your programs you make with F4NS. It also includes a built-in map and sprite editor! Apart from this there're a couple of games which are meant as starting points for your own development, including 2D shooters, 3D race game (aka Mario Karts) and others. You can modify them and save them as new projects. Another cool feature is that you can add friends and share your code with them. This way you can collaborate on the project or just modify their projects, etc.
The language itself has a support for 2D and 3D graphics, audio, joycon, keyboard input and much more. For those who are interested, here's the intro to the F4NS programming language: https://fuzearena.com/help/
To conclude this, let me just add my own experience. In one evening I was able to port opensimplex python code into F4NS and use perlin noise to generate realistic looking mountains using F4NS 3D functions: createTerrain() and setTerrainPoint(). I re-used F4NS 3D tree assets to build distance-level displayed trees. The F4NS made me happy to allow me to code my own SW on NS !
ReviewLite.
Methinks certain software is great to be mini-reviewed; this software, not so much.
@SteveZX81 Nice if that's the case for you!
@HikaruKitsune There's plenty of ways to learn how to use Unity (for example) for free though. Same goes for learning C(++).
@Monkeido lol same reason rpg maker fes was on 3ds without Sprite editors nor multiple battle systems. Makes too much sense. At least we got wargroove for customization and strategy RPGs though it does need a Sprite editors.
@CurryPowderKeg79
A scribbled picture is a doodle, not doddle. We don't use doddle at all in the U.S. that I'm aware of.
I've written a LOT of grumpy complaints about this software, so in a slight change of pace, here's some nice stuff.
It's a powerful language, and you can share your results with friends.
You can make 2D and 3D games.
(Grumpy comments here - https://socoder.net/?Topic=7573 )
Thanks @TheDanslator i didn't realize they were two totally different words. Is it too late not to look like an idiot?
As someone who wants to make games for a living, I need to learn how to code. So I am definitely going to get this as soon as I am able to.
@TheDanslator never heard doddle used here in the states. As a Brit though, I like it.
As for F4NS , I’m keen to get involved bit need to get a keyboard first.
The review defo needs to be way more in-depth but I’m glad it got a mention on the site.
When the comments actually has more information than the review, then you know the writer done goofed.
@spirit_flame They've been doing these short reviews more recently. It's just a couple of paragraphs. It's almost not a review because it doesn't actually say much about the game.
I'm not really relying on the reviews here anymore because there's no substance in them.
Edit: fixed up a sentence.
Just as an addition to add, look at the Fire Emblem and Astral Chain reviews to compare.
These short "reviews" are ridiculous.
@Monkeido
Because then the games are made on the switch, for the switch, no porting. Think with your head, not your hateboner.
@Dunan Totally agree with you. To be honest, I don't know why I come here anymore. The review scores I totally ignore now. I think it's just the current affairs and ambience of the gaming industry that interests me. I trust other sites for reviews. No, you know what? It's YOU guys here in the comments section that I pay attention to when it comes to forming opinions on the games.
@spirit_flame
Community is everything... to be honest, I’m hungry for facts and reviews and news, but clickbait fillers and cheap reviews are slowly but firmly putting me away...
@bigcalsworld Yes.
I sure hope the NintendoLife take note of the comments here... It sure isn't looking good for them.
@AugustusOxy Sorry to disappoint you, but I wasn't thinking with a "hateboner" (whatever that's supposed to be).
@Retron The syntax of the language is mainly a mix of BASIC and C and some other languages. But I think the online help files should give you a good grasp of how the language works.
It's not object-oriented. It has struct support (with typed members), but the variables are loosely typed similar to Lua. It has a bitmap editor, but I found it rather limited, so I created a XPM graphics "importer" instead (I then retype the XPM content for the graphics on the Switch), which I've shared in FUZE. It also has a terrain editor, but I haven't tested that.
Projects are a single source file + its extra resource like graphics files. When you share a project (to friends only, currently) the whole project is shared.
There's a lot of built in graphics assets, as well as some sound assets, that you can use to make a quick draft of a game.
Performance-wise, it's surprisingly good for being an interpreted language. Going from coding to testing is instant. It's pretty easy to make a 60 fps 2D game (and there's also tools included to measure the frame rate and CPU/GPU load, so you can see if something drains performance).
I bought the game on release and have made quite a lot of things now, although most of it is utility stuff (like a sound editor) to prepare for making some games to play here at home. It's really fun. But don't try it without a USB keyboard connected to the Switch.
BTW, the review doesn't seem to mention that the FUZE team has made some youtube videos for beginners who want to learn how to code in FUZE4Switch.
i can finally code poorly optimised adult shovelware myself! too bad I can't just submit to eShop and earn money
@Monkeido
To play ones games on the Switch?
@RasandeRose Fair enough. ^^
@CurryPowderKeg79 No need to beat yourself up over one missing 'o.' It happens to the best of us!
You guys should give Nintendo Life some slack.
Atleast they mentioned it and now you know that it exits.
How many of you who are complaining now wouldn’t even know if this game if they didn’t mention it?
Didn’t read of this game (if you can call it that) on another gaming website yet
@teamFUZE I have a few questions....
Does the switch release have an assets editor? For drawing textures/sprites or creating sounds or can this stuff be coded in only? (I am a total n00b so forgive me if this is the wrong way to ask this question)
Who owns the end product (coded software)? The user or TeamFuze? Is there a EULA that is agreed to when you start the software that dictates this?
Can we export projects? And will they run on anything like a PC without any Fuze based software in the background? This ties into the above question but can we then sell our creations?
Hi, both options are there - there is an image editor that can be used to create single sprites and tile/spritesheets for tile maps and character animations. There is a more manual method included, more for the fun of it, with UDG() (similar to the old User Defined Graphics of old). These can be made to any size and you can address each pixel as any colour.
If you create work with FUZE without any built in assets then it is yours. If you use third party assets then the ULA needs to be respected.
In almost all cases you can resell as long as an asset is never sold as a standalone or a collection of assets.
BUT... at this stage it is not possible to create a game in FUZE and sell it as you can not transfer it to Windows etc.
We are working on expanding this out and there will be other versions of the software on other platforms so eventually you will be able to create on one and transfer to another device.
However, please do appreciate what FUZE4 Nintendo Switch is all about. First and foremost it is a coding environment designed to make learning to code more accessible. The skills you will develop are transferable to real-world languages. It is powerful and flexible enough to create incredibly good games though and if anything is submitted that could be taken to a full blown release then there are plans to support and encourage this.
I hope this helps!
NintendoLife, can you guys remove the misleading "Review" label and just mark this as an 'Overview' instead? At least for now?
@PaulusVV which wireless keyboard? Please tell me more
Microsoft wireless 3000 v2.0. Works great except for the speech marks. I can not find that on the keyboard so I use the virtual keyboard for that @gingerbearman
Hello everyone, I own this game (or should i call it tool?) And it is great! Like the main review says it is only for you if you are interested in coding. But for anyone interested in coding it is...
INCREDIBLE!!!
@Laoak is it difficoult for a noob?
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