8bit-Man

Nintendo often fails to read the room. But this Game-Key nonsense really raises the bar. Even developers are starting to voice their disapproval.

Wouldn’t have mind the price increases so much if all the games were actually properly released on card, instead of being game keys.

For a lot of games we now get a lesser product for a higher price. That doesn’t sound right.

Sadly these non-releases are looking to become the norm for third party developers. The Switch 2 isn’t even out yet, but its biggest flaw is already becoming painfully clear…

They claimed a moment in the spotlight in a very shady way. Now they have to pay the price. Hopefully this sets a nice example.

No proper physical release means an instant pass for me.

At least it gets a lot easier to select which games to play, now that more and more titles aren’t being properly released on a card anymore.

Same here as above.

I’m getting pretty tired already of having to find out every time whether or not a game is properly released on a card.

@Toastmaster Good point. It will be very challenging to find a talented and motivated team that can capture the same spirit and quality. Nuts and Bolt also proved that.

Perhaps it’s best to just cherish the two great games that we have…

These updates are probably just a patch to make them playable and add GameShare. I doubt it will include anything noteworthy, otherwise they would certainly have mentioned it.

This game doesn’t need a remake. It’s perfect as it is.

Let’s be honest, even if they tried to revive it, it probably wouldn’t be that good. Actually, they already tried it once on the Xbox 360, which was very lackluster. Even the spiritual successor, Yokaa-Laylee, didn’t come close.

Just let it rest at this point.

Never a good practice to take something away from players. It feels like two steps forward, one step back.

Disheartening is putting things mildly. It's downright horrible. Less and less games will see a proper physical release due to this.

Game not released on cartridge = no purchase.

It's a nice make-over, it sort of reminds me of his GameBoy look and feel. Either way, good to see DK is getting some well-needed attention again.

@Tayrailbridge It's good to spice things up every now and then. But the latest three mainline games already featured completely new antagonists, and none of them have resonated quite as well with players. After twenty years of introducing new faces, I'd argue that including a bit of familiarity would actually be the fresher route to take.

As expected, but still a shame. It would be much more convenient if they were compatible.

Nice, but what we really want to see back are the Kremlings!

Glad to hear the sticks have improved.

But it’s very disappointing that they didn’t go for analog shoulder buttons. Especially since they’re bringing back GC games.

Game not on cartridge = no purchase.

Hopefully the loss of revenue will be significant enough for them to get the message. If publishers notice that they can get away with this, matters will just keep getting worse for consumers.

Wow, this sucks a lot.

The SD card medium is definitely the biggest flaw of the system. Wished we could’ve just go back to discs again. I’d gladly give up the portability for it.

Game not on card = instant pass. Simple as that.

Loved that they did this, but it would've made so much more sense if the new system was been called the "Super Switch". Missed opportunity!

@Glasso

Even if Pokémon "stole" from DragonQuest, that doesn't give anyone else a free pass to do the same. If you steal from a thief, you're still guilty.

Either way, Square Enix never made a case out of it, and probably with good reason.

Just come up with your own ideas and own designs and you wouldn’t get sued in the first place.

Just please don’t turn it into an open world game!

@EarthboundBenjy Shoutout to you for writing a great letter with a very interesting question! 👌

I’m very curious too, how players from new generations feel about certain retro classics. I wonder how enjoyable they are without the feelings of nostalgia. Perhaps anyone has some experiences to share!

I always felt the NA/EU cover looked pretty cruel. I still prefer it over the minimalistic alternative though.

Awesome reference, I remember the SNES commercial!

Such a shame they didn’t name the successor the “Super Switch”. That would’ve made things a full circle.

@N00BiSH I may not know the Goombas as personally as you do.

If I’d line ten of them up, would you be able to identify the one that’s the driver?

I joke of course.

Look, I’m happy for you that these inclusions excite you. I’m also not saying they shouldn’t be in it. But most of those strike me as quite random picks, considering there are so many characters available with more personality and a true identity.

@N00BiSH

I’m not saying they aren’t iconic. They’re not a character though.

Besides that though - are Swoops iconic and influential? Peeps? The Snowman? Penguin? Fish Bone? Cataquack? Stingby?

The roster is full of weird and random choices. Very peculiar when you have a vast library of characters to choose from.

@N00BiSH Not really, no. They are a common enemy, not a character.

Why are there so many random enemies, when they have tons of beloved characters to pick from?

I bet there will always be an audience for physical games. But the publishers have to do it right. That means no codes in boxes, game "keys" or other crap like that.

I strongly dislike open world gameplay, so obviously this is not going to be my favourite Kart. Sucks even more that the big world is probably why they're charging so much for it.

I don't like open world gameplay at all, so I'm disappointed to see it's taking over another of my favourite franchises. Now I'm getting very worried for the next Mario title.

The fact that we don't have these answers yet, probably doesn't bode well. I assume everything that's "good news" has already been shared.

Would be nice, but I doubt the game will fit on a Switch 2 game card. In which case, my interest is lost immediately.

Well, he sort of has a point, I think a lot of people were hoping for something more exciting. But as an insider, he should be aware of the usual “innovate-iterate” cycle.

There used to be a time that a new console release offered a giant step forward. Now it feels like 2 steps forward, 1 step back.

Still happy for all those hyped about it though!

I have no interest in the "Open World" hype that they are shoehorning into every franchise these days.

Other than that, the game should be fun, as always.

@OldGamer999 I agree completely!

It really sucks having to buy a high end handheld when you only want to play on your TV…

And then there’s the horrible game format too that comes with a handheld device. Expensive SD cards that won’t even be able to fit all games…

Not sure why this is a news item on a Nintendo website. Trying to take some heat off of them, I suppose.

As others have stated, this would be better suited as a free demo. I would probably enjoy the toy around with it for a few minutes. But it looks much too shallow for a standalone game.

It won't be before long that third party games won't be able to fit on the cartridge. And some are going to cheap out straight away by taking the game key route.

So it looks like third party gaming on the Switch 2 will again be the most favorable option, right from the bat.

It's a disappointing move. But it doesn't come really as a surprise.

I like the game title and the pose of the character better on the NA version, but the circled frame completely ruins it. So it's EU/JP for me.

I always loved it when Nintendo kept reinventing the wheel, even when it's not necessary. Unfortunately that's not the case this time around – Switch 2 is a pretty straightforward continuation in most areas. Oh well, this UI gets the job done, I suppose.

I wonder what the numbers would’ve been if the games were priced “normally”. Some of these scored surprisingly low.

The comparison with BotW is concerning.

It's a not a welcome trend that everything needs to have open world gameplay. It almost feels like an artificial way of justifying the 70/80 price tag, because they can claim it's "huge and full of content".

Not a fan of the current open world trend. Feels like everything needs to get the “open world” treatment these days.

But to end on a positive note, at least they’re trying something new!

It’s way too big for a handheld in my opinion. Switch 1 was already pushing the boundaries of portability.