AlexHarford

The writeup says Octopath Traveler 0 sold most on Switch, yet the tabular data says Switch 2 figures were higher?

I'm not usually hyped, but it's got me hyped.

P.S. They should've asked me to be location scout, but I'll reserve judgement till I've seen the film!

Loads of studies back up this article and the issues with generative "AI" costing more time. It's like companies are blind to the issues, but they seem to be afraid of being left behind if they don't use and push "AI" onto everyone.

It's not even actual "AI" - big tech oligarchs just want us to believe it's clever. Like "smart" fridges, TVs etc. - they're not smart - it's just machine learning based off data and an excuse to track us.

Emily Bender and Ed Zitron are good people to look up (both have podcasts) as balance to all the crap we're being fed by the likes of OpenAI, which so many seem to be falling for. When I heard the term "vibe coding" I thought it was ridiculous and wondered where it came from? Surprise, surprise: OpenAI.

Must easily be the best £7 I ever spent! Bought from a friend the month the N64 was released and captivated me just as much as the also incredible Mario 64.

I forgot it was released this month and received the physical version in the post a few days ago.

"Frustrating trial and error" is a BIG con for me, but "Bye Sweet Carole" is high on my 'to play' list as I love the look and sound and am hopeful for the story, so I'm looking forward to trying it and looking online for solutions to any frustrating bits if needed.

I'm apprehensive about the sequel as I loved The Super Mario Bros. Movie so much. It was a lot of fun. It's challenging up there with The Banshees of Inisherin as my favourite 2020s film.

He sounds like the gaming equivalent of Sam Altman.

Terranigma! Spoiler: and the consequences of growing your town at the expense of nature or not growing it at the expense of the economy.

I love town building aspects as part of a game so a couple you mentioned will move up my to play list.

Yes! Secret of Mana is my favourite multiplayer game ever, second only to Terranigma as my favourite game. I recently started Sea of Stars co-op.

Have you played Full Metal Furies? 4-player couch co-op, all female characters. It's brilliant. Reviewed 9/10 here on Nintendo Life but sadly such an underappreciated game that sold way below expectations for the developers. I see it as like a cross between Secret of Mana and Super Probotector but with a unique puzzle element.

Before Tarrey Town and Colony 6, there was Terranigma's house and town building! The Tarrey Town sidequest was brilliant and gave me big Terranigma vibes.

My bro' and I have had loads of great experiences thanks to this list.

Full Metal Furies deserves so much more love. Death Squared is another favourite. Red Rope is a great punishing couch co-op not reviewed on Nintendo Life.

I voted "unique feature" for "Switch 2," but I'd be happy if Wii U-like dual screen functionality was re-introduced. It made for some great multiplayer on Wii U.

@rjejr It's crazy to think an alarm clock even needs updating and is released unfinished. I respect Nintendo for delaying certain games (like TotK) to get them right.

The 'Sleepy Sounds' sounds nice, but especially with all those chill Nintendo tunes, they've missed a trick by not doubling it up as a meditation device. Maybe that'll be the next version...

Great stuff - a Christmas gift for the family it is then!

I haven't owned a Super Mario Party game since it went downhill during the N64 days. Warioware became more fun.

I don't mind that some modes need multiple Switch's as well if the rest of the multiplayer is good. And if the multi-Switch games are anything like having the extra screen on some of the Wii U games, they'll be a great addition for those who can play them.

As reported in the article: "Increased investment in gaming entities is part of Saudi Arabia's drive to reduce its reliance on oil exports, the nation's main source of wealth."

Nope. I very much doubt that's true. In sport it's called sportswashing. So here it's gameswashing.

Local co-op! 😍

I'm glad I didn't get around to playing it since the demo.

@PinderSchloss In this case the comparison is more obviously a specific Ghibli film, Kiki’s Delivery Service. Inspiration doesn't have to be all about the look.

It's good to see Terranigma and DKC2 up there also.

The likes of KORG-DSN 12 on the 3DS are an interesting insight into how videogame music was (and still is in some cases) made.

I read "Finished" as meaning it was finished and ready for release. I did think that odd timing!

I'd be fine with the Switch being my main console for the rest of my life.

A Switch would probably be my luxury item for Desert Island Discs too. Charlie Brooker chose a Switch as his luxury item.

Developers know how best to push the technology towards the end of a console's life, so the graphics don't surprise me.

See the progression with the NES Mario games and Aladdin on that console. DKC, Killer Instinct, Sim City 2000, and Yoshi's Island on the SNES, and so on...

My first thought was I haven't got New Star GP yet, but I'm excited to see this in an isometric view racer, and it has a track designer.

I have one on Wii (minus the track designer) that's a fun pick up and play multiplayer.

Is this one of those games that's deliberately crap?

I believe it was Advanced Lawn Mower Simulator that was created as an April Fool back in the Amstrad CPC/Spectrum days and inspired the annual Crap Games Contest.

Full Metal Furies enters the chat.

I played the demo last night and thought it seemed fine performance-wise. It didn't grab me enough to want to buy the full game though. Super Probotector/Contra III perfected the run and gun, and I feel it's a very high bar to beat!

I've always loved Super Mario Bros. 2 and rate it above the first.

I don't like Mario Strikers: Battle League. The best Mario football game is Smash on the GameCube. The gameplay is pretty much perfect and easy and fun but a skill to master like the best Mario games. The only downside is its lack of features.

@Not_Soos
I found the article very mooving.

I was waiting for a physical version, but there's too much tat here (coin, certificate, "thank you" (just put that in the manual), steelbook). Why a manual and game guide?

The other stuff would've been cool at a lower price point.

@LEGEND_MARIOID That's interestng re Majora's Mask, as I didn't like it during the N64 era either. I loved Ocarina of Time.

Super Mario All-Stars. It's worth it just for the selectable Vs Battle Game - still one of the best quick pick up and play 2-player games to this date.

Looks good! Racing-wise, I only really play Horizon Chase Turbo and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe these days. Nothing else has caught my eye enough, so there's definitely room for something else.

I also love the Senna add-on for Horizon Chase - and coincidentally it's one of only two DLCs I've bought - the other was the extra Mario Kart tracks.

Sounds different and fun - I'll probably get this at some point.

Great stuff! I wrote a poem a few weeks ago about how Breath of the Wild helped me through (and maybe overcome) issues. I didn't think I could love a game as much in my adult life as I had those in my childhood and teens.

I'd love Papers, Please.

I'm a big local co-op fan, so A Way Out would be great, though the devs seemed to rule out a Switch version years ago. Who knows.

I don't see the point in Wind Waker and Twilight Princess on Switch, though I'm probably in the minority because I do own them on Wii U.

@SwagaliciousJohnson I'd much prefer a new F-Zero. The ideas combined from X, GX, and 99 would be brilliant enough, and I'm sure Nintendo would come up with a new twist despite saying they have no new ideas for it.

@Mbawa The Flower Kingdom is the main setting for Super Mario Bros. Wonder?

I love the first Horizon Chase and still haven't finished it.

The forced-online puts me off this version.

I imagine the bugs will be fixed and much more content added (like the very good Senna Forever DLC on the first), but it's sad that it couldn't be right on release.

Not sure I'd notice so much if playing, but I find the way the hair flaps around on the PS5 version really distracting.

I went into Mario Odyssey mostly blind and it was all the better for it. I had no idea I'd be a Mario dinosaur, for example, and it was a great surprise.

I dislike the modern trend of releasing a million trailers before a game's release, with many developers seeming to think they have to constantly be in the news or else their game will be forgotten.

Beyond Good and Evil is one of a few Gamecube games I have that I didn't get around to playing. Eternal Darkness is still ahead of it on that list.

Great interview. I enjoyed the first hour of the demo the other day, and Thierry Boulanger's thoughts and influences have convinced me to order the physical release.

Any thoughts on Sea of Stars vs CrossCode? I've played 3 or 4 hours of CrossCode and enjoyed it, but based on the 1-2 hours on the Sea of Stars demo so far, I think I prefer Sea of Stars.

Usually I'm not a big fan of turn-based RPGs either. My favourites are ARPGs like Terranigma, Secret of Mana, and Illusion of Time (which I see is an influence on Sea of Stars).

I must be in the minority, as I haven't got rid of any games I regret and have kept 99%.

Turok was traded in for GoldenEye, but it wasn't a game I've wanted to play again, and we have Turok 2.

I prefer MK64 for racing, but DKR was brilliant too, and I loved the story mode. Slight spoiler, but Wizpig coming from behind the lighthouse and causing chaos on the beach is one of my favourite moments in gaming.

It's a shame Donkey Kong Racing never saw release.

I remember the multiplayer most, but partly because everything else was so brilliant (including the beautiful world), and I loved sharing that with my brother.

Hiro Isono's cover art is probably my favourite cover art in gaming, and it set the expectation of adventure up perfectly. It was probably the cover art that convinced me and my brother to pick it up second hand from Fantasy World.

The soundtrack - including the opening credits - is one of the best of all-time too.

I love that you collected those swatch cards and discovered Secret of Mana about 10 years after release. It's my second favourite game, only behind Terranigma.

Wii Sports was hardly gimmicky, and I wouldn't be surprised if Metroid Prime 4 launched on Switch.

My guess for the next console is a 3D Mario game, especially after the success of the film.

I didn't think anything would beat the SNES for my favourite console, but the Switch could.

I've said before that I don't ever 'need' another console. The Switch has far more games than I'll ever play that I actually want to play. If a Switch is allowed, I can't think of anything else I'd choose for my luxury item on Desert Island Discs!

Good feature this letters page!

@nymbosox I disagree with the answer to your question on retro video game prices: "Ultimately, it's supply and demand."

Game grading companies like WATA have been shown to manipulate prices (something Nintendo Life itself has covered): https://www.eurogamer.net/game-grading-company-wata-accused-of-manipulating-retro-game-market-in-new-lawsuit

I agree, and my vehicle of choice was White Cat too!

F Zero X when compared to Wipeout was one of the games that made me want to stick with the Nintendo console.

Death Race on X is great too.