For $25, 10-12 hours of boss battle focused gameplay sounds like a good deal, especially since I'm interested in more titles I can play once and be finished with. I like the longer games, but like everyone, I only have so much time and there are a lot of games out there. Honestly, my biggest concern is the game getting lost with everything else, which is unfortunately likely with all of the games on Switch, along with the usual 'how does the game feel?' kind of thoughts I can only get from first hand knowledge.
That being said, I'm still looking forward to it. Game Freak's original titles are always unique, and I'm happy to see the devs taking a breather from Pokemon (still hoping they go back to having ALL Pokemon in future entries). Plus, it's cool that Toby Fox is on this, looking forward to his tracks.
@Moroboshi876 With Super Mario Run, I just think tweaking the price would have been nice, or maybe doing something like allowing for microtransactions, but having a spending limit that basically lets you buy the whole game. The gacha system seems to be the big thing (assuming that the Japanese government doesn't try to go further with their movs on the system) but so far I prefer AC Pocket Camp's microtransaction system, even though finishing events can't really be done without paying. I just want to have an easier time grinding in free-to-play titles, I always feel like I'll hit a wall, and without limitations on spending, people are more tempted to splurge and might lose track of the money lost.
I always enjoy Nintendo's weirder ventures, and the return of old IP's, even when I'm not too into them myself. Brain Age was popular enough to earn a lot of sales, plus it's returning with multiplayer on Switch. It looks like a nice family fun I can show to non-gamers who don't want something too frustrating.
As far as I know 2020's pretty quiet with Nintendo releases so far, besides Animal Crossing, so who know, maybe we'll be surprised by a Direct some time.
@oji Those both line up with the general statement on how games ca improve reflexes, and it's interesting how Brain Age and Tetris improve them in different ways.
@Heavyarms55 According to the article, it's the 4th best selling DS game, with the sequel at 7th. Sales wise, it was strong but the overall impression it left on people is another story. I may have played it once or twice, but I at least remember Dr.Kawashima's face after a few years of not thinking about the series, if only because I STILL think he was modeled after Iwata.
While Mother 3 (Earthbound "Insert Secondary Title Here") is a mystery in terms of a Western release, the SNES option opens the door for the first and second Earthbound to come onto Switch, which is cool.
I'm personally waiting for StarTropics 2 so I can play the series together. Speaking of which, I think it's one of the only Nintendo series that's exclusive to the West. Even the Famicom Mini didn't have it over there, lol.
@AxeltheCorvikni Does just knowing about him count? The only SNK titles I've played were Metal Slug, but I had heard of Terry (though it was because of SNK Heroines, so I can understand if that disqualifies me, lol)
@Spudtendo To be honest, one million dollars is actually a lot lower than I expected with all of the microtransactions in the game :/ The game itself seems alright, but I'm hesitant to try it, less because of the microtransactions themselves, and more how progress gets bottlenecked by these games. I always lose my motivation to play games if it feels like I never make any progress, and free-to-play mobile titles tend to get REALLY grindy whether or not you spend money on them.
In terms of microtransactions themselves, I'm hoping that there will be a hard cap on the amount of money someone can spend in set periods of time. The biggest problem with these games are whales who don't have self control. Also, just keep it out of titles I pay for.
Five years spent working to fulfill every promise they offered to it's fullest. I like Shovel Knight, but with all of the work put into it, I think people will be fine with Yacht Club messing around with a new title, especially with Shovel Knight Dig coming up.
I was kind of hoping to see a bit more on the combat and RPG elements. It looks interesting, I just think it needs some more in depth information, which I think the Japanese Direct trailer did better.
On another note, that beat it the trailer is pretty sick. I knew it was Toby Fox, but I'm still pleasantly surprised.
I was confused to see that, but remembered that Unova starters were introduced recently-that explains the spike. Been playing it myself for the past few, and focused on the Meltan mission (got stuck on the Ditto task, now I'm focused on evolving a Scyther when I can barely find any, and grabbing a Cubone which I haven't seen for a while)t. It's been enjoyable, but I'll probably take a break and transition from that, to Let's Go when I get Melmetal, to Sword and Shield. Not sure if I'll go back afterwards unless it's to transfer some Pokemon, especially my Alolan Exeggutor-got him during a special event a few years back and he's been one of my heaviest hitters ever since
Yet another case where a game is at least good and unique, but the asking price is questionably high. Hope it manages to get a decent amount of attention since it sounds like a concept that has more work put into it than any normal person would think it deserves.
As someone who's not too big into stealth games (those and horror games tend to stress me out) and just wants a few one and done titles (short and sweet, maybe some minor content I can miss without losing a lot) this is probably a buy for me, especially since the game's supposed to be on sale for a while.
@JayJ If you're still interested, the game is supposed to be on sale for 25% until October 4th. Might still be a bit pricey to some, but it's less than the initial cost.
@KingBowser SMT5 along with Bayonetta 3, Metroid Prime 4, and Pikmin 4. We've gotten radio silence on all of these, and Pikmin 4 remains a complete and utter mystery.
@burntsienna Either that, or it's a similar case to Alpha Dream's Tomato Adventure and Superstar Saga, where similar art assets were taken from the former for the latter.
Either way, happy to learn about this game. not sure what I'm seeing, but it at least has me curious about the game.
This was probably my favorite kind of Direct, with a bit of everything for everyone. Recapping games like Pokemon and Luigi's Mansion with some minor new features, going in depth with games that needed it like Animal Crossing and Smash (the latter getting the main focus after the Direct is nice, felt like it didn't overshadow things as much) with all sorts of upcoming games of all types. It doesn't feel right to write many off as just ports when they're games that have never seen a Nintendo console before, and plenty of them just seem really good. Overwatch, Assassin's Creed's later games, DMC2, Witcher, Star Wars, SNES titles are all great, especially if you're more dedicated to Nintendo consoles, so people may have missed out on them. Tons of big names and smaller names alike. Even with the few lulls in announcements, there was enough stuff that was at least interesting, so I stayed engaged.
Also, got to highlight the fact that Smash is getting more new characters, and Sakurai's emphasis on including "new worlds" implies that he'll be focusing on new franchises. I'm playing it safe and betting on just two more, but I wouldn't be against a second Fighters Pass altogether (hoping that Sakurai focuses more on supervising). With the big focus on 3rd Party characters, I'm very much hoping some new Nintendo franchises make it into Smash. Maybe Rex and Pyra from XC2 (not sure how much they' count for a new world) and Spring Man from ARMS, with the latter's assist trophy being replaced with Springtron, since both were directly referenced as having been announced after the initial Fighters Pass was decided on. Either way, still hoping Shantae makes it in, since it's all 3rd Party, and she's my main pick.
Special mention to Divinity Original Sin Origins and 2 for making my friend freak out when we were watching the reveal together-I was SO clueless, hahaha!
Hoping to see more of the gameplay and how the different combat choices and citizens affect things. That interested me most about this, and if the game builds on that and ways to counter opponents, I'll be more than interested.
More info/feartures for Luigi's Mansion 3, Pokemon, Animal Crossing Link's Awakening (kind of hoping for some multiplayer features added ala Four Swords/Tri Force Heroes).
Brief announcement/summary of Banjo and Kazooie's move set and MAYBE an announcement of the next DLC character
An Overwatch announcement-if that's happening, than the leak gives the idea that it'll be soon.
Really, I can't guess much else besides
Hopes:
Announcements for 2020 since 2019 (especially September) is packed, specifically for a Super Mario Sunshine port/sequel since that was teased.
3D World port, one of the few big Wii U titles not brought to Switch. Maybe a Wooly World port with the extra content from the 3DS port too, or some other new games.
Pikmin 4 announcement and Metroid Prime 4/Bayonetta 3 teasers. Seriously, those games have been silent for years, and I have no idea what's going on with Pikmin 4-though that one may be worthy of E3, but the other two are still around.
New Wario Ware game announcement since Wario Ware Gold seems to have done well, an I can see potential for multiplayer fun on Switch. Hopefully Wario Land.
For Smash announcements, hoping for Jibanyan, Professor Layton, Shantae, Phoenix Wright, Excitebike Racer, or Mike Jones to be announced (the latter two would be the usual retro character Sakurai likes bringing in). As of now, there are few characters I don't want in the game, and I've got to say, Tracer is one of them, mainly due to things like Activision-Blizzards scummy business tactics, Overwatch opening the gate for microtransactions on $60 games, and the balance model that ignore most players and focuses on pros who play the game for a living. I'd would MUCH rather take Crash or Spyro, way more iconic with the former being Sony's answer to Mario years back. Lukewarm on SNK too, but that would be acceptable.
Out there ideas:
SNES Games added to Online. Yeah, it's not crazy, but I won't hold my breath until it happens.
Also, add Game Boy titles there too, there have to be a few classics that could be brought over... Heck, I'll throw in modified Virtual Boy titles that are worth it, and original Pokemon titles that can be bought separately like on 3DS.
Update on Sword and Shield, delaying Pokemon Home in order to make all Pokemon available for the game in a later patch. Simplest and shortest way I can see it changing, though don't ask me about the likelihood.
New story content (including the DLC characters as part of it). Surprise character announcements for Smash, like with Piranha Plant. Just crazy ideas I'm not expecting at this point
If this was an Epic situation, where a game was announced for more consoles but was either delayed on others and made exclusive, this would make sense, but that's not the case. Nintendo published the game, and own the rights to the title, it's in their power to decide where it goes. It's pretty much the same case with Bayonetta 2, people are just mad Nintendo has a cool Platinum exclusive, but again, the game wouldn't exist without them (the ownership situation is slightly different since Sega published the first, but it still counts).
PS4 gets it's own exclusives, and Switch has its, its a cool way for the systems to be different. As much as I'd LOVE to play Ratchet and Clank, Spider-Man, P5, Gravity Rush, etc. on Switch, I'm not going to complain about Sony holding them hostage when the series is either a mainstay on the console, or published by them to get people to come over.
I'm just hoping they try more single purchase games like Super Mario Run. My main mobile venture has been Pokemon Go, and I've avoided spending anything so far, though I have had the urge to just buy coins to increase my storage space. Dabbled in Heroes and Dragalia Lost, but didn't stick around long enough to feel the gacha effect in those, so I might jump in again for first hand impressions.
That being said, I'm down with companies either avoiding it, or keeping it in games that are generally free, especially if it's relegated to phones, with the mobile market being a wasteland as it is for the foreseeable future. Just make sure that players can still progress at a reasonable rate without buying things. It's less the insistence on spending money that gets me, so much as it is the annoying grindiness I run into with the few free-to-play games I pick up. I'm down with missing out on skins, especially if I run into dopes who buy worthless cosmetics like chromas-makes me feel better about my spending habits.
Edit: Animal Crossing Pocket Camp was alright, and I got into a bit of a routine, but I'd need special currency that you get with purchases with to complete events. It was kind of relaxing, so I might look into it another time.
Ah, Team Yell, the video game representation of every 'waifu's' fan base
Got to say, for some reason I wasn't quite feeling the trailer as a whole, but things are clicking with me faster than usual. The regional variants is a great concept I'm happy to keep around, the rivals look cool, and these guys... felt off, but I'm starting to like the idea of a rabid fanbase causing trouble for you in a desperate attempt to support their idol XD The punk rock aesthetic and bright pink feels a bit odd considering Marnie's goth look and subdued colors and mannerisms, but I think it'll grow on me.
@Lucarianzx I don't know, I think Team Skull was cool for what it was, a low level gang who were initially just petty, pathetic washouts. Guzma was legit, and Plumeria was cool, especially with how they were tied with the Aether Foundation. I suspect there will be a similar situation here.
@justin233 These Teams may cause trouble, but darn it if they aren't good at finding doppelgangers XD I'm surprised no one's ever commented on that before, even if you assume they all wear wigs, which is apparently standard uniform in these groups.
Alright, this seems like a decent announcement. I'd say I'm surprised by it being dropped suddenly, but on the other hand, that's been Nintendo's thing recently. Lite is to Switch what the 2DS is to the 3DS: a cheaper version missing a few key features, with essentially the same spec, save for QoL changes. With the Lite, you can't play on the TV, no HD rumble, or removable Joy-Cons, but it's $100 cheaper, so I think it evens out. It should be nice for people constantly on the go, or on a budget. Heck, if some parents want to get more than one, they can get a few Lites, or mix and match with the original. As far as I can tell, there aren't really any games that don't have a handheld mode either, so buying this or a regular Switch shouldn't be too confusing. I'm hoping that for multiplayer games, it will be like the 3DS' Smash controller app, and let you use the Lite as a separate controller for local co-op.
With all of this, my main concern of a Switch revision that has been sort of addressed is that you can connect Joy-Con to it for games that use them, or have multiplayer. There's actually no stand on it though, so I hope that's included somehow in the package, assuming you're not just encouraged to grab a stand separately.
@graysoncharles My concern is more with making games work on a Switch Pro that aren't possible on the original Switch, leaving the people who bought the original Switch, including a lot of diehards, feel burned for getting it early. I don't think that will happen, but people are always talking about a Switch running the latest Call of Duty or any other high-end game that's not possible on the current Switch, when we're more likely to get a New 3DS situation without any real exclusives. Nintendo has NEVER made a big commitment to exclusives to newer consoles (see the DSi and New 3DS, which few remember for their exclusive titles), and Sony and Microsoft have only gone as far as improving things like resolution, and sometimes Sony would have devs patch in performance upgrades for the updated consoles.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, making a Switch pro that has massive power improvements that can run AAA titles is going to split the player base in half, and make early (as early as two years could be considered) adopters feel like chumps. Make a cheaper without a dock, cut the price, add some QoL features and updates, just make sure that the most improvements people get are largely relegated to features that don't make drastic differences between the old and the new.
Nintendo is missing out on a good amount of AAA games this Gen, and despite my distaste for them, they sell well. It's never bothered me personally since Nintendo, along with their own titles, would usually push solid smaller titles, or even the occasional big third party title like Mario +Rabbids and Doom. It always made up for what was missing, but I understand the mass appeal AAA titles have always had. It just evens out to me, especially with the system's flexibility and how it still has decent power.
Also, to be honest, I can't remember the last time I was impressed by the "leaps and bounds" made by the cutting edge of gaming. Shinier graphics, but beyond that, it's usually not anything groundbreaking. We'll see what happens, but I'm only expecting the new Playstation and XBox to compete with the Switch by accident. They're simply too reliant on power to go portable, and the current pattern is usually just to iterate on the last console and add more power, so they'll probably be more focused on each other and fighting over the West while the Switch does its own thing.
These days, it feels like most companies are doing their own thing, but I can see why Sony sees Microsoft as more of a concern than Nintendo. Sony and Microsoft are very focused on catering mainly to the West, which means high-powered consoles at the cutting edge of technology (for game consoles at least). Nintendo hasn't tried anything like that for years, and their strongest systems have always been handhelds. The Switch is a hybrid, but is still a very different beast that fills in a unique place in the market, while Microsoft and Sony's systems are going to compete with each other just by existing on the same store shelves.
I would caution Sony to keep an eye on Japan as well as the West since, while it's not their main source of revenue, a market is a market, which Nintendo IS undoubtedly dominating there
Reminder that companies like EA and Activision are willing to risk Government intervention in all aspects of gaming just for the sake of making some extra money. Fingers crossed that this just affects the worst of microtransactions, since it could very well kill these companies. They're already hitting a ceiling with the most ridiculous means of making money (2K games just put ads into their sports title, which is outrageous for a games people spend $60 on at minimum) so expect them to flail about until this either ends, or passes. My only concern for the latter are all of the jobs lost from downscaling and shutting down, but that's still on Devs encouraging this ridiculous nonsense.
@Matthew010 Try to look on the ARMS Reddit community, and the Discord for r/ARMS. There are still friendly faces there, and I'm pretty sure they hold weekly events too.
ARMS is a wonderful game with problems that could easily be solved in a sequel, mainly with content and some balance tweaks, as well as altering game modes in Party Mode. That being said, I still love this game, and even if it was for the Party Crashes, it still kept me coming back to it more than any other title on Switch, even Splatoon 2 (I'm definitely coming back for the final fest though-GO TEAM CHAOS)
I remember the first time I saw ARMS, I was behind it, but needed to get some first impressions of it. I gravitated towards Spring Man, since I tend to lean towards 'MC' looking characters, and the guy looked and felt distinct (his curly pompadour is just perfection). I tried out the demo once, but wasn't quite feeling it. At first I thought I just didn't like it, but I couldn't pinpoint the problem until I tried it a few times, and really had the controls click with me. I bounced between characters, learned the ropes, and got into what would become my favorite fighting game, possibly my favorite Nintendo title yet.
After that, I stuck with the game throughout everything, from the early concerns of popularity and depth, to the hype from character releases (I remember how long Lola took to come out, and how we practically got flooded by characters with Misango, Springtron, Dr.Coyle, and other content) I interacted with the community a bit here and watched it develop and grow along with the game itself. It's kind of like how I watched Splatoon develop into a better game, but it feels a bit more personal because I'd lurk online more around this time. Sure, I'd be frustrated by people spamming 'dead game lul', but it wouldn't kill anything about the fun for me.
Playing through the game and grabbing all of the badges (need to get the last of the character badges which I might cheese with short CP matches) was a blast, grinding for coins to get ARMS and Gallery art never felt like an issue because I'd have so much fun and earn them easily, and discovering most of the hidden achievements, as well as doing a few I found tough, felt good. The Grand Prix took me some time to get through, but the challenge and earning the little bits of character details and art felt nice too. Plus, the Hedlok battles all around were just great, my personal favorite being with Max Brass-still like Coyle's, though I found her slightly easier to play against sometimes.
And then there was online, which was where a lot of fun and salt came from. I enjoyed the take on online lobbies with ARMS, and had fun playing the modes, even if I think V-Ball, Skillshot, and games with more than one players could either be cheesed or you could get dogpiled on at times. That being said, it wasn't all bad with those modes, plus there was Hoops, 2v2's with the extended tether, the Hedlock vs battles, and Hedlok Scramble which helped shift the power around in fights so turtling and ganging up on someone weaker was a bad idea.
The Party Crashes were a wonderful addition to the online, and were great for generating attention and keeping people interested in the game. I loved competing to help my character win, and trying out all of the different ARMS combos, while seeing what other people did, was a massive amount of fun, and got me playing characters and ARMS that I normally didn't pay attention to. It encouraged and rewarded people for trying new things with a bunch of different events, which is why I STILL think it's better than Splatfests for the variety. Sometimes the results from Crashes could be obvious, but there were a decent amount of surprises, my biggest being Minmin getting the win for the Party Crash Bash. There's no official confirmation that this is the last Party Crash, but if it is, a big tournament like this feels like a great was to end the events.
Ranked was just about what you would expect and even through the frustration of some tough and annoying fights, and never hitting 20 (might still try it since I'm getting back into regular gaming after my League of Legends kick) it felt good to just pit yourself against someone and see how you could adapt to the other person's play style and win it out. Heck, I even stuck solely to the motion controls which I loved, since they felt unique to the Switch and were fun, and managed to hit Rank 18 and stay there while giving plenty of people better than me a run for my money.
The music in this game is distinct and wonderful, just like the characters. Spring Man's my main since he's simple and awesome to play (shockwave someone's grab and grab them instead-nothing feels better!) Ribbon's aerial mobility gives her a lot of freedom as long as she's not on the ground, while Springtron and Misango require a bit more timing with their abilities without taking away from the simplicity of the game. While some ARMS can feel better for tough fights, a lot of it comes down to how you react to someone's play style and using mind games to defeat someone, like keeping people on edge with Springtron's super shockwave. Don't even get me started on the art direction, from the more distinct and crazy designs, to more subtle details, such as the importance of the masks that all of the fighters wear.
ARMS is a title that I hold near and dear to my heart, right next to Splatoon for that matter. Like the latter, I was there for the whole ride while it kept going, and even if I do think the game could have been positioned better, I don't think it had a bad release or updates-and there was NEVER a time where the game was obnoxiously broken, except for maybe one or two ARMS being a bit too strong. I still think that ARMS deserves a sequel to build off of the foundations in the game, and am still sad that Spring Man or even another fan favorite like Minmin isn't Smash (TBH, the lack of ARMS tracks is the). Perhaps that could change in DLC or a Smash sequel (changing the Spring Man trophy into Springtron is a possible, if unlikely way to put Spring Man in) but even if it doesn't, I'll keep the memories and good times with me, and will always appreciate Nintendo taking the risk with the game.
For now, going to head back to the game later on, harass my friends to get it when they grab Switches, and keep my fingers crossed that a sequel is made so I don't start begging Nintendo for a sequel online
I know the Ocarina, Majora's Mask, and the Luigi's Mansion 3DS ports were great, but I haven't played them, and I still need to get around to Ever Oasis. However, I HAVE extensively played Tri Force Heroes and despite the online frustrations, the game felt great. Grezzo working on yet another top-down Zelda title makes me confident in it.
On another note, Grezzo seems to be Nintendo's go-to company when it comes to ports, and they've shown talent when it comes to game design. If there isn't another Ever Oasis, I'm hoping they get to branch out with what they develop.
@BANJO When you try out Pikmin 3, I recommend looking into the touchscreen options on the Wii U, at least to see how they feel. You'll move around with your main character, and aim and throw Pikmin by sliding the stylus on the screen in your hand, and tapping to toss them, without the need to look down at the gamepad. That was my favorite way to play Pikmin, and frankly, how I think Wii U games in general should have approached having a double screen on a home console-using the screen without having to look away.
Going to be getting into the Final Party Crash Bash between Minmin and Ninjara (playing as everyone's favorite noodle girl) and I'll try to spend a bit of time in the Splatfest on Team Unicorn. Kind of hard to believe that support for the two main multiplayer titles I've dove into for Switch (well over 400 hours on each, with ARMS being my most played) are having support ended, but it's been a nice ride with each, and it doesn't mean it's the end Still slightly hopeful for Spring Man in Smash, but I really want a sequel to ARMS to build off of the original-also, looking forward to the inevitable Splatoon 3!
I keep looking into old, random titles, and this time I have the original Picross 3D for the DS to play if I have time. I grabbed the sequel on 3DS and decided I wanted to experience the first, which was dirt cheap at this point. I'm just shocked the Gamestop I go to even had it in stock, I couldn't even get it on their website (Amazon or ebay probably would have had it, I just wanted an excuse to head in and chat with the employees, they're cool at that place)
Literally, the only downside for me was the exclusion of the National Dex, Mega Evolutions, and Z-Moves in Sword and Shield, and I've never been religious about getting or using any of them, even after playing pretty much every generation over twenty years (missed X and Y, but only because ORAS was coming out when I grabbed a 3DS). While I do hope it would be changed for those who want everything there, I'm mainly concerned about what Pokemon from older generations will make the cut. I just don't like thinking about who will make it in and who won't especially with the internet outrage that follows (see every Smash announcement since Brawl). Dynamaxing looks cool, I love the scope of the game and how it looks, I'm loving the new Pokemon and character designs, and look forward to learning more about it.
As it stands, I had far too many games to get through before, and this just makes it worse. I could probably wait five years before getting antsy about new titles
On next years E3, the Smash DLC will all be launched by the time it comes around, and a bunch of big games will have been released, including Animal Crossing. Assuming they don't get released before then, Bayonetta 3 and NMH3 will probably get the spotlight, and two less likely teasers I can think of would be for Pikmin 4 and Metroid Prime 4. Microsoft and Sony will probably be pushing their next big consoles than, so Nintendo should probably be ready to fight for the spotlight.
On things I'm not expecting, but wouldn't be opposed to-sequels to multiplayer titles (ARMS 2, Splatoon 3, and Mario Kart 9 feel like they would step on their predecessors toes by being on the same platform, and they all feel like once-per-generation titles), surprise DLC characters beyond the original five (my ideal would be Spring Man and Rex & Pyra since their games were directly called out by Sakurai as examples of titles that weren't far enough in development to be considered, but I could never complain about Smash in its current state) Banjo-Kazooie remakes (just because Microsoft has let the franchise sit for way too long) Halo: Infinite (at this point, it's mainly graphics and the Switch's internet) dormant series' making returns (F-Zero and Golden Sun would be brand new to me, and welcome returns to fans) Sonic Adventure/NiGHTS remakes (I just want to experience classics, and can never catch these two since I'm mainly on Nintendo consoles, and missed them when they showed up there)
And with that, I think I've gotten a bit more of the usual Nintendo Direct buzz out of me O_o
I've been hoping for more retro remakes, and this would be right up my alley, I love the idea of getting to explore a game's history with improved graphics and QoL changes. Heck, Grunty's Revenge, Banjo-Pilot (apparently that was originally the sequel to Diddy-Kong Racing) and Nuts and Bolts titles just to see all of the parts of the series, even the less stellar ones.
I wonder how Microsoft would feel about a full remake. Rare itself is mainly focused on Sea of Thieves, but they outsourced Mortal Kombat for its remake and it worked out great, plus Banjo and Kazooie is probably the most famous Rare title there is, plus he got a metric ton of attention thanks to Smash. If they're going to release one, I'd hope that they'd strike while the iron is hot, especially since most of Rare's catalogue has been dormant since Rare Replay.
If this happens, I'm not expecting any major changes. Better battery life, more base memory, stronger stand are the kind of things that would happen, similar to the New 3DS. More power is possible, but I have yet to see Nintendo commit to such ideas in the New 3DS, plus exclusives games like New 3DS' and the DSi's never really made it big, even with handheld Xenoblade Chonicles.
The biggest change others have brought up would be improved Joy-Cons, akin to the Wii Remote Plus. Just something with more accurate gyro-controls that don't drift much, and other QoL improvements. The only problem with that would be marketing what is essentially a better version of the new and old Joy-Cons, unless they just quietly launch improved versions to phase out the older ones.
Honestly, I get it, but I'm still a bit bummed that a bunch of Pokemon are going to be left out of the fun, especially if it's certain Pokemon that people have been holding onto for years.
At the same time, we're probably going to have well over 900 Pokemon after this, including Mega Evolutions and Alolan forms. I get why packing all of that into one game could be a headache, and has me wishing that this game was a Daimond and Pearl remake, and the next was Sword and Shield, so that they would have all of the Pokemon on that version, and be able to use it as a template for later console entries.
On another note, I want to find out how many Pokemon are missing. Legendary, Mega Evolution compatible, and Alola forme Pokemon are set in stone, but it makes me wonder who will get left out, especially since there probably won't be an update to add them (which is for the best, the absolute last thing any Pokemon game needs are issues connecting to people with different patches-give me the annual releases over that any day, if only for clarity about what is and isn't available in every game)
I swear, every bit of Smash news has me hope for Spring Man, but I'm never left disappointed. I'm not into Dragon Quest, but I know it's got a strong following and could get some well deserved attention from this (and probably the best Echo Fighter set yet), plus Banjo and Kazooie just feel so right. Rare was a big part of the N64's success, and pretty much defined the direction for the Donkey Kong series, plus they created a bunch of characters, including Diddy and K. Rool. Heck, Banjo and Kazooie were initially considered for Smash years ago!
As it stands, I really do think that the most demanded characters for Smash have been put into the game. No idea if Geno's being considered, but at this point, I wouldn't be shocked. Maybe Steve, but I can't realy see him working with Smash' aesthetics. Oh well, we'll wait and see (he says as he hopes for ARMS representation)
My main concern with the open world is that it might feel empty, but that'll depend on how many Pokemon and Trainers are walking around. Otherwise, what can I say except a developer doesn't put in a free camera unless there's a lot to look at In the trailer from before, it showed a trainer encountering a Pokemon the traditional way, so it makes me think that it'ss be a mi of that, and Let's Go's open world Pokemon.
Dynamax looks absurd, and I love it, it's like the Totem Pokemon on steroids, and those were really fun in Sun and Moon. It makes me hope they bring back the 'call for help' thing Pokemon did then. I just have to wonder where Z-Moves and Mega Evolutions will fit into this. The former was just introduced last gen, and the latter showed up in Let's Go, and makes me wonder about the possibility of combining all three...
I was concerned about Game Freak wanting to incorporate Pokemon Go features, but never considered the raid battles as one of them-that's actually clever, and doesn't fundamentally change the old formula, just adding onto it. I like that. It actually gives an in-universe explanation for Go's raid battles too, weirdly enough.
Going to try going dark on the Pokemon news for now, but I'm actually pretty engaged. Now I just need to look into the Pokemon I want to transfer from Sun and OR, finish Let's Go, and get Meltan/Melmetal... oh boy...
This feels pretty fanservice-y, even for a Pokemon title, but I can't say I'm not interested. It was really cool to see returning characters in Sun and Moon, and having a game dedicated to interacting with them seems cool. I need to see the gameplay and monetization to get a real opinion on it. If nothing else, I wouldn't mind this happening in the main games, especially with other MC's like Red and Blue.
Why do I get the sense that the Pokemon Company was involved in Nintendo's Quality of Life projects? That's all I can think of with this app, like with Wii Fit and the balance board.
Not sure how interested I am in it, though the biggest problem I'd deal with is the shame of not keeping to a consistent sleeping schedule
I've been wondering for a while what would happen with the Pokemon Bank on the Switch, especially with Let's Go, Go, and Sword and Shield coming, as well as Meltan and Melmetal only being available on the former two. I only have OR and Sun with Pokemon to bring over, but it is nice to know I'll be able to keep them with me. Curious about the pricing, and what will happen with the Bank, but otherwise, glad to hear this.
Geez, a Mario Maker Direct AND a Pokemon Direct all before E3? Part of me is getting flashbacks to the Direct Mini they had a while ago before E3, when they didn't have much to announce after.
The other part is feeling confident since these are Directs dedicated to specific titles, rather than a bunch of games. That means Nintendo will probably focus on whatever else is new, or needs more details (Animal Crossing, Luigi's Mansion, Links Awakening, Smash DLC etc.). That's 40 minutes of announcements sans Mario Maker and Pokemon (save for the usual quick reminder and maybe the short announcement of a new feature, like they usually do)
I've always liked Game Freak's non-Pokemon ventures. When they're not making Pocket Monsters fight each other, all of their titles feel really weird and experimental. Nothing will reach Pokemon levels of popularity, but it's nice to see the company trying to push new titles more to branch out.
Also, I wonder if anyone wants to revisit any older titles. I mean, I'm not going to demand a Drill Dozer 2 or anything... but I certainly would drop a good chunk of cash the moment I could buy it
I'll always wonder how much of the DLC made is cut content from development, or genuinely built from scratch. As much as I don't like the former, I can see wanting to sell it that way to make sure people will buy it. Strike while the iron is hot, since there's never any telling how relevant the game will be in a year or two (probably why season passes became a thing, get the money now and deliver on content later).
As for Team Sonic Racing, I wasn't worried about how it would sell itself. For all of Sega's screwups, they've mostly managed to stay away from the scummier monetization practices in the industry. They DID want to try selling Super Sonic as DLC in Sonic Forces, but wisely backed out after listening to the feedback, so they're at least a bit receptive to the fans.
@gokev13 The Mario Land games are probably some of the most obscure titles in the main series. It would be cool to have them included or, at the very least, added into the Nintendo Online Collection as part of a bunch of Game Boy titles getting added with the NES ones (not that I don't want SNES games first, I'm just very unfamiliar with the Game Boy era outside of the original Pokemon)
It feels weird to be nostalgic for 3D World, but then I remember grabbing it back in 2013, and how I became a dedicated gaming fan thanks to the Wii U and 3DS. No idea if I'll pick it up with my backlog, but it feels great to have all of the parts from it acknowledged.
I have to wonder if there might be a sequel to 3D world at some point. At the very least, I'd be down to revisiting the original as a Switch port.
The main thing that I get from handheld mode is the freedom of playing where I want, with the Joy-Cons adding the possibility of co-op, so they kind of had that with Let's Go, despite the focus on being played on the big screen. Going to assume this emphasizes controller variety (you know, play how you want, when you want), local wireless battles like the 1v1v1v1 fights or the place you could met players avatars in Sun and Moon (but actively playing with people), trading, and some other activities. Fine by me, it's never stopped them from adding online gameplay, so we'll get the best of both worlds.
Weirdly enough, one of my big questions involves the battle interface. The DS and 3DS era let Game Freak clear up the battle screen, so I'm curious to see what they'll do going back to it. Otherwise, just assuming that this builds off of where Sun and moon left off, which is fine by me.
@Tarolusa It seems really common for game companies in general to shove all of their releases into the latter half of the year. I never realized it, but when last Fall rolled around, it became clear how much of a bloodbath it can be with releases vying for attention. Funny enough, things were pretty quiet for Nintendo around then, and their releases (Super Mario Party, Pokemon Let's Go, and Smash) were largely unaffected.
I hope they spread things out similar to the Switch's initial release. Legend of Zelda to launch, with MK8DX, ARMS, Splatoon filling out the Spring/Summer, with a few other games rounding out the end of the year. I can't complain about what's currently planned for release, I'm just a bit concerned about when the games without release dates will be release, Mainly when it comes to Animal Crossing and Pokemon. They're both massive time sponges, and are most likely to step on each other's toes-so I'm hoping a Fall release for the former, and a winder release for the latter.
Glad to see that Splatoon did as well as I thought on on the Wii U. For some reason, all of the 'Wii' series titles on Wii surprised me. I'm surprised that Sun and Moon is almost caught up to X and Y, with how much older those titles were, and also surprised to see Tomodachii Life on the list (it has me hoping for more games like it or Miitopia). Lastly, the DS seemed to have the most variety, with Nintendogs, Brain Training, and Animal Crossing shaking up the list. Makes me wonder if we'll get Switch versions of the Brain Training, Big Brain Academy, or even Nintendog-the latter was really popular, and playing with the animals using the Joy-Cons motion controls sounds like fun.
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Re: Feature: Little Town Hero Director On Stepping Out Of Pokémon's Shadow
For $25, 10-12 hours of boss battle focused gameplay sounds like a good deal, especially since I'm interested in more titles I can play once and be finished with. I like the longer games, but like everyone, I only have so much time and there are a lot of games out there. Honestly, my biggest concern is the game getting lost with everything else, which is unfortunately likely with all of the games on Switch, along with the usual 'how does the game feel?' kind of thoughts I can only get from first hand knowledge.
That being said, I'm still looking forward to it. Game Freak's original titles are always unique, and I'm happy to see the devs taking a breather from Pokemon (still hoping they go back to having ALL Pokemon in future entries). Plus, it's cool that Toby Fox is on this, looking forward to his tracks.
Lastly... Drill Dozer 2? Maybe?
(...A man can dream...)
Re: Mario Kart Tour's Diddy Kong Pack Costs £39, The Same Price As Mario Kart 8 Deluxe On Switch
@Moroboshi876 With Super Mario Run, I just think tweaking the price would have been nice, or maybe doing something like allowing for microtransactions, but having a spending limit that basically lets you buy the whole game. The gacha system seems to be the big thing (assuming that the Japanese government doesn't try to go further with their movs on the system) but so far I prefer AC Pocket Camp's microtransaction system, even though finishing events can't really be done without paying. I just want to have an easier time grinding in free-to-play titles, I always feel like I'll hit a wall, and without limitations on spending, people are more tempted to splurge and might lose track of the money lost.
Re: Talking Point: We're Actually Quite Looking Forward To Brain Training On Switch
I always enjoy Nintendo's weirder ventures, and the return of old IP's, even when I'm not too into them myself. Brain Age was popular enough to earn a lot of sales, plus it's returning with multiplayer on Switch. It looks like a nice family fun I can show to non-gamers who don't want something too frustrating.
As far as I know 2020's pretty quiet with Nintendo releases so far, besides Animal Crossing, so who know, maybe we'll be surprised by a Direct some time.
Re: Talking Point: We're Actually Quite Looking Forward To Brain Training On Switch
@oji Those both line up with the general statement on how games ca improve reflexes, and it's interesting how Brain Age and Tetris improve them in different ways.
@Heavyarms55 According to the article, it's the 4th best selling DS game, with the sequel at 7th. Sales wise, it was strong but the overall impression it left on people is another story. I may have played it once or twice, but I at least remember Dr.Kawashima's face after a few years of not thinking about the series, if only because I STILL think he was modeled after Iwata.
Re: Guide: Nintendo Switch Online - Every NES And SNES Game Available
While Mother 3 (Earthbound "Insert Secondary Title Here") is a mystery in terms of a Western release, the SNES option opens the door for the first and second Earthbound to come onto Switch, which is cool.
I'm personally waiting for StarTropics 2 so I can play the series together. Speaking of which, I think it's one of the only Nintendo series that's exclusive to the West. Even the Famicom Mini didn't have it over there, lol.
Re: Random: Japanese Fans Are Likening Smash Ultimate's Terry To A Burly Pokémon Trainer
@AxeltheCorvikni Does just knowing about him count? The only SNK titles I've played were Metal Slug, but I had heard of Terry (though it was because of SNK Heroines, so I can understand if that disqualifies me, lol)
Re: Mario Kart Tour Downloaded 20 Million Times On Release Day
@Spudtendo To be honest, one million dollars is actually a lot lower than I expected with all of the microtransactions in the game :/ The game itself seems alright, but I'm hesitant to try it, less because of the microtransactions themselves, and more how progress gets bottlenecked by these games. I always lose my motivation to play games if it feels like I never make any progress, and free-to-play mobile titles tend to get REALLY grindy whether or not you spend money on them.
In terms of microtransactions themselves, I'm hoping that there will be a hard cap on the amount of money someone can spend in set periods of time. The biggest problem with these games are whales who don't have self control. Also, just keep it out of titles I pay for.
Re: King Of Cards And Showdown "Will Be The End Of Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove"
Five years spent working to fulfill every promise they offered to it's fullest. I like Shovel Knight, but with all of the work put into it, I think people will be fine with Yacht Club messing around with a new title, especially with Shovel Knight Dig coming up.
Re: Video: Game Freak's Little Town Hero Gets Treated To A New Trailer
I was kind of hoping to see a bit more on the combat and RPG elements. It looks interesting, I just think it needs some more in depth information, which I think the Japanese Direct trailer did better.
On another note, that beat it the trailer is pretty sick. I knew it was Toby Fox, but I'm still pleasantly surprised.
Re: Pokémon GO Just Had Its Biggest Month Since 2016, Generated $176m In August
I was confused to see that, but remembered that Unova starters were introduced recently-that explains the spike. Been playing it myself for the past few, and focused on the Meltan mission (got stuck on the Ditto task, now I'm focused on evolving a Scyther when I can barely find any, and grabbing a Cubone which I haven't seen for a while)t. It's been enjoyable, but I'll probably take a break and transition from that, to Let's Go when I get Melmetal, to Sword and Shield. Not sure if I'll go back afterwards unless it's to transfer some Pokemon, especially my Alolan Exeggutor-got him during a special event a few years back and he's been one of my heaviest hitters ever since
Re: Review: Untitled Goose Game - Short But Most Definitely Sweet
Yet another case where a game is at least good and unique, but the asking price is questionably high. Hope it manages to get a decent amount of attention since it sounds like a concept that has more work put into it than any normal person would think it deserves.
As someone who's not too big into stealth games (those and horror games tend to stress me out) and just wants a few one and done titles (short and sweet, maybe some minor content I can miss without losing a lot) this is probably a buy for me, especially since the game's supposed to be on sale for a while.
@JayJ If you're still interested, the game is supposed to be on sale for 25% until October 4th. Might still be a bit pricey to some, but it's less than the initial cost.
Re: Nintendo Shares Colourful Graphic Of All The Recent Announcements For Switch
@KingBowser SMT5 along with Bayonetta 3, Metroid Prime 4, and Pikmin 4. We've gotten radio silence on all of these, and Pikmin 4 remains a complete and utter mystery.
Re: Japan-Only 'Anti-RPG' Moon Is Getting A Worldwide Switch Release 22 Years Later
@burntsienna Either that, or it's a similar case to Alpha Dream's Tomato Adventure and Superstar Saga, where similar art assets were taken from the former for the latter.
Either way, happy to learn about this game. not sure what I'm seeing, but it at least has me curious about the game.
Re: Round Up: Everything Announced In The September 2019 Nintendo Direct
This was probably my favorite kind of Direct, with a bit of everything for everyone. Recapping games like Pokemon and Luigi's Mansion with some minor new features, going in depth with games that needed it like Animal Crossing and Smash (the latter getting the main focus after the Direct is nice, felt like it didn't overshadow things as much) with all sorts of upcoming games of all types. It doesn't feel right to write many off as just ports when they're games that have never seen a Nintendo console before, and plenty of them just seem really good. Overwatch, Assassin's Creed's later games, DMC2, Witcher, Star Wars, SNES titles are all great, especially if you're more dedicated to Nintendo consoles, so people may have missed out on them. Tons of big names and smaller names alike. Even with the few lulls in announcements, there was enough stuff that was at least interesting, so I stayed engaged.
Also, got to highlight the fact that Smash is getting more new characters, and Sakurai's emphasis on including "new worlds" implies that he'll be focusing on new franchises. I'm playing it safe and betting on just two more, but I wouldn't be against a second Fighters Pass altogether (hoping that Sakurai focuses more on supervising). With the big focus on 3rd Party characters, I'm very much hoping some new Nintendo franchises make it into Smash. Maybe Rex and Pyra from XC2 (not sure how much they' count for a new world) and Spring Man from ARMS, with the latter's assist trophy being replaced with Springtron, since both were directly referenced as having been announced after the initial Fighters Pass was decided on. Either way, still hoping Shantae makes it in, since it's all 3rd Party, and she's my main pick.
Special mention to Divinity Original Sin Origins and 2 for making my friend freak out when we were watching the reveal together-I was SO clueless, hahaha!
Re: Little Town Hero, The Next Game From The Creators Of Pokémon, Arrives In October
Hoping to see more of the gameplay and how the different combat choices and citizens affect things. That interested me most about this, and if the game builds on that and ways to counter opponents, I'll be more than interested.
Re: Nintendo Direct Confirmed For Tomorrow, 4th September
Personal predictions:
More info/feartures for Luigi's Mansion 3, Pokemon, Animal Crossing Link's Awakening (kind of hoping for some multiplayer features added ala Four Swords/Tri Force Heroes).
Brief announcement/summary of Banjo and Kazooie's move set and MAYBE an announcement of the next DLC character
An Overwatch announcement-if that's happening, than the leak gives the idea that it'll be soon.
Really, I can't guess much else besides
Hopes:
Announcements for 2020 since 2019 (especially September) is packed, specifically for a Super Mario Sunshine port/sequel since that was teased.
3D World port, one of the few big Wii U titles not brought to Switch. Maybe a Wooly World port with the extra content from the 3DS port too, or some other new games.
Pikmin 4 announcement and Metroid Prime 4/Bayonetta 3 teasers. Seriously, those games have been silent for years, and I have no idea what's going on with Pikmin 4-though that one may be worthy of E3, but the other two are still around.
New Wario Ware game announcement since Wario Ware Gold seems to have done well, an I can see potential for multiplayer fun on Switch. Hopefully Wario Land.
For Smash announcements, hoping for Jibanyan, Professor Layton, Shantae, Phoenix Wright, Excitebike Racer, or Mike Jones to be announced (the latter two would be the usual retro character Sakurai likes bringing in). As of now, there are few characters I don't want in the game, and I've got to say, Tracer is one of them, mainly due to things like Activision-Blizzards scummy business tactics, Overwatch opening the gate for microtransactions on $60 games, and the balance model that ignore most players and focuses on pros who play the game for a living. I'd would MUCH rather take Crash or Spyro, way more iconic with the former being Sony's answer to Mario years back. Lukewarm on SNK too, but that would be acceptable.
Out there ideas:
SNES Games added to Online. Yeah, it's not crazy, but I won't hold my breath until it happens.
Also, add Game Boy titles there too, there have to be a few classics that could be brought over... Heck, I'll throw in modified Virtual Boy titles that are worth it, and original Pokemon titles that can be bought separately like on 3DS.
Update on Sword and Shield, delaying Pokemon Home in order to make all Pokemon available for the game in a later patch. Simplest and shortest way I can see it changing, though don't ask me about the likelihood.
New story content (including the DLC characters as part of it). Surprise character announcements for Smash, like with Piranha Plant. Just crazy ideas I'm not expecting at this point
Re: Hideki Kamiya Slaps Down Demands For Nintendo Switch Exclusive Astral Chain On PS4
If this was an Epic situation, where a game was announced for more consoles but was either delayed on others and made exclusive, this would make sense, but that's not the case. Nintendo published the game, and own the rights to the title, it's in their power to decide where it goes. It's pretty much the same case with Bayonetta 2, people are just mad Nintendo has a cool Platinum exclusive, but again, the game wouldn't exist without them (the ownership situation is slightly different since Sega published the first, but it still counts).
PS4 gets it's own exclusives, and Switch has its, its a cool way for the systems to be different. As much as I'd LOVE to play Ratchet and Clank, Spider-Man, P5, Gravity Rush, etc. on Switch, I'm not going to complain about Sony holding them hostage when the series is either a mainstay on the console, or published by them to get people to come over.
Re: Community: Pokémon GO Friend Codes - Share Yours Here To Gain Easy XP
5721 1634 8681
Just a casual player trying to get friends, and hopefully grab Meltan before Sword and Shield come out.
Re: Report Suggests Nintendo Doesn't Want To Overdo Mobile Microtransactions
I'm just hoping they try more single purchase games like Super Mario Run. My main mobile venture has been Pokemon Go, and I've avoided spending anything so far, though I have had the urge to just buy coins to increase my storage space. Dabbled in Heroes and Dragalia Lost, but didn't stick around long enough to feel the gacha effect in those, so I might jump in again for first hand impressions.
That being said, I'm down with companies either avoiding it, or keeping it in games that are generally free, especially if it's relegated to phones, with the mobile market being a wasteland as it is for the foreseeable future. Just make sure that players can still progress at a reasonable rate without buying things. It's less the insistence on spending money that gets me, so much as it is the annoying grindiness I run into with the few free-to-play games I pick up. I'm down with missing out on skins, especially if I run into dopes who buy worthless cosmetics like chromas-makes me feel better about my spending habits.
Edit: Animal Crossing Pocket Camp was alright, and I got into a bit of a routine, but I'd need special currency that you get with purchases with to complete events. It was kind of relaxing, so I might look into it another time.
Re: Pokémon Sword And Shield's Team Yell Sound Like A Total Nightmare, In The Best Way Possible
Ah, Team Yell, the video game representation of every 'waifu's' fan base
Got to say, for some reason I wasn't quite feeling the trailer as a whole, but things are clicking with me faster than usual. The regional variants is a great concept I'm happy to keep around, the rivals look cool, and these guys... felt off, but I'm starting to like the idea of a rabid fanbase causing trouble for you in a desperate attempt to support their idol XD The punk rock aesthetic and bright pink feels a bit odd considering Marnie's goth look and subdued colors and mannerisms, but I think it'll grow on me.
Re: Pokémon Sword And Shield's Team Yell Sound Like A Total Nightmare, In The Best Way Possible
@Lucarianzx I don't know, I think Team Skull was cool for what it was, a low level gang who were initially just petty, pathetic washouts. Guzma was legit, and Plumeria was cool, especially with how they were tied with the Aether Foundation. I suspect there will be a similar situation here.
@justin233 These Teams may cause trouble, but darn it if they aren't good at finding doppelgangers XD I'm surprised no one's ever commented on that before, even if you assume they all wear wigs, which is apparently standard uniform in these groups.
Re: Hori Announces New Line Of Officially Licensed Accessories For Switch Lite
A kickstand for the light would be cool, since it's compatible with normal Joy-Cons and controllers.
Re: Nintendo Switch Lite Officially Revealed, Launches This September
Alright, this seems like a decent announcement. I'd say I'm surprised by it being dropped suddenly, but on the other hand, that's been Nintendo's thing recently. Lite is to Switch what the 2DS is to the 3DS: a cheaper version missing a few key features, with essentially the same spec, save for QoL changes. With the Lite, you can't play on the TV, no HD rumble, or removable Joy-Cons, but it's $100 cheaper, so I think it evens out. It should be nice for people constantly on the go, or on a budget. Heck, if some parents want to get more than one, they can get a few Lites, or mix and match with the original. As far as I can tell, there aren't really any games that don't have a handheld mode either, so buying this or a regular Switch shouldn't be too confusing. I'm hoping that for multiplayer games, it will be like the 3DS' Smash controller app, and let you use the Lite as a separate controller for local co-op.
With all of this, my main concern of a Switch revision that has been sort of addressed is that you can connect Joy-Con to it for games that use them, or have multiplayer. There's actually no stand on it though, so I hope that's included somehow in the package, assuming you're not just encouraged to grab a stand separately.
Re: Nintendo Focusing On Switch Install Base To Combat Next-Gen Performance Gap
@graysoncharles My concern is more with making games work on a Switch Pro that aren't possible on the original Switch, leaving the people who bought the original Switch, including a lot of diehards, feel burned for getting it early. I don't think that will happen, but people are always talking about a Switch running the latest Call of Duty or any other high-end game that's not possible on the current Switch, when we're more likely to get a New 3DS situation without any real exclusives. Nintendo has NEVER made a big commitment to exclusives to newer consoles (see the DSi and New 3DS, which few remember for their exclusive titles), and Sony and Microsoft have only gone as far as improving things like resolution, and sometimes Sony would have devs patch in performance upgrades for the updated consoles.
Re: Nintendo Focusing On Switch Install Base To Combat Next-Gen Performance Gap
I've said it before and I'll say it again, making a Switch pro that has massive power improvements that can run AAA titles is going to split the player base in half, and make early (as early as two years could be considered) adopters feel like chumps. Make a cheaper without a dock, cut the price, add some QoL features and updates, just make sure that the most improvements people get are largely relegated to features that don't make drastic differences between the old and the new.
Nintendo is missing out on a good amount of AAA games this Gen, and despite my distaste for them, they sell well. It's never bothered me personally since Nintendo, along with their own titles, would usually push solid smaller titles, or even the occasional big third party title like Mario +Rabbids and Doom. It always made up for what was missing, but I understand the mass appeal AAA titles have always had. It just evens out to me, especially with the system's flexibility and how it still has decent power.
Also, to be honest, I can't remember the last time I was impressed by the "leaps and bounds" made by the cutting edge of gaming. Shinier graphics, but beyond that, it's usually not anything groundbreaking. We'll see what happens, but I'm only expecting the new Playstation and XBox to compete with the Switch by accident. They're simply too reliant on power to go portable, and the current pattern is usually just to iterate on the last console and add more power, so they'll probably be more focused on each other and fighting over the West while the Switch does its own thing.
Re: Sony Doesn't See Nintendo As A Major Rival, More Worried About Microsoft Next Generation
These days, it feels like most companies are doing their own thing, but I can see why Sony sees Microsoft as more of a concern than Nintendo. Sony and Microsoft are very focused on catering mainly to the West, which means high-powered consoles at the cutting edge of technology (for game consoles at least). Nintendo hasn't tried anything like that for years, and their strongest systems have always been handhelds. The Switch is a hybrid, but is still a very different beast that fills in a unique place in the market, while Microsoft and Sony's systems are going to compete with each other just by existing on the same store shelves.
I would caution Sony to keep an eye on Japan as well as the West since, while it's not their main source of revenue, a market is a market, which Nintendo IS undoubtedly dominating there
Re: EA CEO Defends Microtransactions, Says It’s "Actually Possible" To Do It Right
Reminder that companies like EA and Activision are willing to risk Government intervention in all aspects of gaming just for the sake of making some extra money. Fingers crossed that this just affects the worst of microtransactions, since it could very well kill these companies. They're already hitting a ceiling with the most ridiculous means of making money (2K games just put ads into their sports title, which is outrageous for a games people spend $60 on at minimum) so expect them to flail about until this either ends, or passes. My only concern for the latter are all of the jobs lost from downscaling and shutting down, but that's still on Devs encouraging this ridiculous nonsense.
Re: Feature: It's Time To Lay Down Your ARMS
@Matthew010 Try to look on the ARMS Reddit community, and the Discord for r/ARMS. There are still friendly faces there, and I'm pretty sure they hold weekly events too.
Re: Feature: It's Time To Lay Down Your ARMS
ARMS is a wonderful game with problems that could easily be solved in a sequel, mainly with content and some balance tweaks, as well as altering game modes in Party Mode. That being said, I still love this game, and even if it was for the Party Crashes, it still kept me coming back to it more than any other title on Switch, even Splatoon 2 (I'm definitely coming back for the final fest though-GO TEAM CHAOS)
I remember the first time I saw ARMS, I was behind it, but needed to get some first impressions of it. I gravitated towards Spring Man, since I tend to lean towards 'MC' looking characters, and the guy looked and felt distinct (his curly pompadour is just perfection). I tried out the demo once, but wasn't quite feeling it. At first I thought I just didn't like it, but I couldn't pinpoint the problem until I tried it a few times, and really had the controls click with me. I bounced between characters, learned the ropes, and got into what would become my favorite fighting game, possibly my favorite Nintendo title yet.
After that, I stuck with the game throughout everything, from the early concerns of popularity and depth, to the hype from character releases (I remember how long Lola took to come out, and how we practically got flooded by characters with Misango, Springtron, Dr.Coyle, and other content) I interacted with the community a bit here and watched it develop and grow along with the game itself. It's kind of like how I watched Splatoon develop into a better game, but it feels a bit more personal because I'd lurk online more around this time. Sure, I'd be frustrated by people spamming 'dead game lul', but it wouldn't kill anything about the fun for me.
Playing through the game and grabbing all of the badges (need to get the last of the character badges which I might cheese with short CP matches) was a blast, grinding for coins to get ARMS and Gallery art never felt like an issue because I'd have so much fun and earn them easily, and discovering most of the hidden achievements, as well as doing a few I found tough, felt good. The Grand Prix took me some time to get through, but the challenge and earning the little bits of character details and art felt nice too. Plus, the Hedlok battles all around were just great, my personal favorite being with Max Brass-still like Coyle's, though I found her slightly easier to play against sometimes.
And then there was online, which was where a lot of fun and salt came from. I enjoyed the take on online lobbies with ARMS, and had fun playing the modes, even if I think V-Ball, Skillshot, and games with more than one players could either be cheesed or you could get dogpiled on at times. That being said, it wasn't all bad with those modes, plus there was Hoops, 2v2's with the extended tether, the Hedlock vs battles, and Hedlok Scramble which helped shift the power around in fights so turtling and ganging up on someone weaker was a bad idea.
The Party Crashes were a wonderful addition to the online, and were great for generating attention and keeping people interested in the game. I loved competing to help my character win, and trying out all of the different ARMS combos, while seeing what other people did, was a massive amount of fun, and got me playing characters and ARMS that I normally didn't pay attention to. It encouraged and rewarded people for trying new things with a bunch of different events, which is why I STILL think it's better than Splatfests for the variety. Sometimes the results from Crashes could be obvious, but there were a decent amount of surprises, my biggest being Minmin getting the win for the Party Crash Bash. There's no official confirmation that this is the last Party Crash, but if it is, a big tournament like this feels like a great was to end the events.
Ranked was just about what you would expect and even through the frustration of some tough and annoying fights, and never hitting 20 (might still try it since I'm getting back into regular gaming after my League of Legends kick) it felt good to just pit yourself against someone and see how you could adapt to the other person's play style and win it out. Heck, I even stuck solely to the motion controls which I loved, since they felt unique to the Switch and were fun, and managed to hit Rank 18 and stay there while giving plenty of people better than me a run for my money.
The music in this game is distinct and wonderful, just like the characters. Spring Man's my main since he's simple and awesome to play (shockwave someone's grab and grab them instead-nothing feels better!) Ribbon's aerial mobility gives her a lot of freedom as long as she's not on the ground, while Springtron and Misango require a bit more timing with their abilities without taking away from the simplicity of the game. While some ARMS can feel better for tough fights, a lot of it comes down to how you react to someone's play style and using mind games to defeat someone, like keeping people on edge with Springtron's super shockwave. Don't even get me started on the art direction, from the more distinct and crazy designs, to more subtle details, such as the importance of the masks that all of the fighters wear.
ARMS is a title that I hold near and dear to my heart, right next to Splatoon for that matter. Like the latter, I was there for the whole ride while it kept going, and even if I do think the game could have been positioned better, I don't think it had a bad release or updates-and there was NEVER a time where the game was obnoxiously broken, except for maybe one or two ARMS being a bit too strong. I still think that ARMS deserves a sequel to build off of the foundations in the game, and am still sad that Spring Man or even another fan favorite like Minmin isn't Smash (TBH, the lack of ARMS tracks is the). Perhaps that could change in DLC or a Smash sequel (changing the Spring Man trophy into Springtron is a possible, if unlikely way to put Spring Man in) but even if it doesn't, I'll keep the memories and good times with me, and will always appreciate Nintendo taking the risk with the game.
For now, going to head back to the game later on, harass my friends to get it when they grab Switches, and keep my fingers crossed that a sequel is made so I don't start begging Nintendo for a sequel online
Re: Japanese Developer Grezzo Handling The Switch Version Of Link's Awakening
I know the Ocarina, Majora's Mask, and the Luigi's Mansion 3DS ports were great, but I haven't played them, and I still need to get around to Ever Oasis. However, I HAVE extensively played Tri Force Heroes and despite the online frustrations, the game felt great. Grezzo working on yet another top-down Zelda title makes me confident in it.
On another note, Grezzo seems to be Nintendo's go-to company when it comes to ports, and they've shown talent when it comes to game design. If there isn't another Ever Oasis, I'm hoping they get to branch out with what they develop.
Re: Nintendo Shares Colourful Graphic Outlining Upcoming Switch Releases
@Tipehtfomottob As far as I know, yes, there just hasn't been any news on the development.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 15th)
@BANJO When you try out Pikmin 3, I recommend looking into the touchscreen options on the Wii U, at least to see how they feel. You'll move around with your main character, and aim and throw Pikmin by sliding the stylus on the screen in your hand, and tapping to toss them, without the need to look down at the gamepad. That was my favorite way to play Pikmin, and frankly, how I think Wii U games in general should have approached having a double screen on a home console-using the screen without having to look away.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 15th)
Going to be getting into the Final Party Crash Bash between Minmin and Ninjara (playing as everyone's favorite noodle girl) and I'll try to spend a bit of time in the Splatfest on Team Unicorn. Kind of hard to believe that support for the two main multiplayer titles I've dove into for Switch (well over 400 hours on each, with ARMS being my most played) are having support ended, but it's been a nice ride with each, and it doesn't mean it's the end Still slightly hopeful for Spring Man in Smash, but I really want a sequel to ARMS to build off of the original-also, looking forward to the inevitable Splatoon 3!
I keep looking into old, random titles, and this time I have the original Picross 3D for the DS to play if I have time. I grabbed the sequel on 3DS and decided I wanted to experience the first, which was dirt cheap at this point. I'm just shocked the Gamestop I go to even had it in stock, I couldn't even get it on their website (Amazon or ebay probably would have had it, I just wanted an excuse to head in and chat with the employees, they're cool at that place)
Re: Have The Post-E3 Blues? The Dates For E3 2020 Have Already Been Confirmed
Literally, the only downside for me was the exclusion of the National Dex, Mega Evolutions, and Z-Moves in Sword and Shield, and I've never been religious about getting or using any of them, even after playing pretty much every generation over twenty years (missed X and Y, but only because ORAS was coming out when I grabbed a 3DS). While I do hope it would be changed for those who want everything there, I'm mainly concerned about what Pokemon from older generations will make the cut. I just don't like thinking about who will make it in and who won't especially with the internet outrage that follows (see every Smash announcement since Brawl). Dynamaxing looks cool, I love the scope of the game and how it looks, I'm loving the new Pokemon and character designs, and look forward to learning more about it.
As it stands, I had far too many games to get through before, and this just makes it worse. I could probably wait five years before getting antsy about new titles
On next years E3, the Smash DLC will all be launched by the time it comes around, and a bunch of big games will have been released, including Animal Crossing. Assuming they don't get released before then, Bayonetta 3 and NMH3 will probably get the spotlight, and two less likely teasers I can think of would be for Pikmin 4 and Metroid Prime 4. Microsoft and Sony will probably be pushing their next big consoles than, so Nintendo should probably be ready to fight for the spotlight.
On things I'm not expecting, but wouldn't be opposed to-sequels to multiplayer titles (ARMS 2, Splatoon 3, and Mario Kart 9 feel like they would step on their predecessors toes by being on the same platform, and they all feel like once-per-generation titles), surprise DLC characters beyond the original five (my ideal would be Spring Man and Rex & Pyra since their games were directly called out by Sakurai as examples of titles that weren't far enough in development to be considered, but I could never complain about Smash in its current state) Banjo-Kazooie remakes (just because Microsoft has let the franchise sit for way too long) Halo: Infinite (at this point, it's mainly graphics and the Switch's internet) dormant series' making returns (F-Zero and Golden Sun would be brand new to me, and welcome returns to fans) Sonic Adventure/NiGHTS remakes (I just want to experience classics, and can never catch these two since I'm mainly on Nintendo consoles, and missed them when they showed up there)
And with that, I think I've gotten a bit more of the usual Nintendo Direct buzz out of me O_o
Re: Banjo-Kazooie Switch Listing Appears On Amazon Germany, But We Wouldn't Count On It
I've been hoping for more retro remakes, and this would be right up my alley, I love the idea of getting to explore a game's history with improved graphics and QoL changes. Heck, Grunty's Revenge, Banjo-Pilot (apparently that was originally the sequel to Diddy-Kong Racing) and Nuts and Bolts titles just to see all of the parts of the series, even the less stellar ones.
I wonder how Microsoft would feel about a full remake. Rare itself is mainly focused on Sea of Thieves, but they outsourced Mortal Kombat for its remake and it worked out great, plus Banjo and Kazooie is probably the most famous Rare title there is, plus he got a metric ton of attention thanks to Smash. If they're going to release one, I'd hope that they'd strike while the iron is hot, especially since most of Rare's catalogue has been dormant since Rare Replay.
Re: Nintendo Moves Switch Manufacturing Out Of China, Two New Models Reportedly In Production
If this happens, I'm not expecting any major changes. Better battery life, more base memory, stronger stand are the kind of things that would happen, similar to the New 3DS. More power is possible, but I have yet to see Nintendo commit to such ideas in the New 3DS, plus exclusives games like New 3DS' and the DSi's never really made it big, even with handheld Xenoblade Chonicles.
The biggest change others have brought up would be improved Joy-Cons, akin to the Wii Remote Plus. Just something with more accurate gyro-controls that don't drift much, and other QoL improvements. The only problem with that would be marketing what is essentially a better version of the new and old Joy-Cons, unless they just quietly launch improved versions to phase out the older ones.
Re: Pokémon's Junichi Masuda Explains The Decision To Limit Sword And Shield's Pokédex
Honestly, I get it, but I'm still a bit bummed that a bunch of Pokemon are going to be left out of the fun, especially if it's certain Pokemon that people have been holding onto for years.
At the same time, we're probably going to have well over 900 Pokemon after this, including Mega Evolutions and Alolan forms. I get why packing all of that into one game could be a headache, and has me wishing that this game was a Daimond and Pearl remake, and the next was Sword and Shield, so that they would have all of the Pokemon on that version, and be able to use it as a template for later console entries.
On another note, I want to find out how many Pokemon are missing. Legendary, Mega Evolution compatible, and Alola forme Pokemon are set in stone, but it makes me wonder who will get left out, especially since there probably won't be an update to add them (which is for the best, the absolute last thing any Pokemon game needs are issues connecting to people with different patches-give me the annual releases over that any day, if only for clarity about what is and isn't available in every game)
Re: Banjo-Kazooie Confirmed For Smash This Fall
I swear, every bit of Smash news has me hope for Spring Man, but I'm never left disappointed. I'm not into Dragon Quest, but I know it's got a strong following and could get some well deserved attention from this (and probably the best Echo Fighter set yet), plus Banjo and Kazooie just feel so right. Rare was a big part of the N64's success, and pretty much defined the direction for the Donkey Kong series, plus they created a bunch of characters, including Diddy and K. Rool. Heck, Banjo and Kazooie were initially considered for Smash years ago!
As it stands, I really do think that the most demanded characters for Smash have been put into the game. No idea if Geno's being considered, but at this point, I wouldn't be shocked. Maybe Steve, but I can't realy see him working with Smash' aesthetics. Oh well, we'll wait and see (he says as he hopes for ARMS representation)
Re: Pokémon Sword And Shield Introduces Open World Area, Multiplayer Raids And Dynamax Battles
My main concern with the open world is that it might feel empty, but that'll depend on how many Pokemon and Trainers are walking around. Otherwise, what can I say except a developer doesn't put in a free camera unless there's a lot to look at In the trailer from before, it showed a trainer encountering a Pokemon the traditional way, so it makes me think that it'ss be a mi of that, and Let's Go's open world Pokemon.
Dynamax looks absurd, and I love it, it's like the Totem Pokemon on steroids, and those were really fun in Sun and Moon. It makes me hope they bring back the 'call for help' thing Pokemon did then. I just have to wonder where Z-Moves and Mega Evolutions will fit into this. The former was just introduced last gen, and the latter showed up in Let's Go, and makes me wonder about the possibility of combining all three...
I was concerned about Game Freak wanting to incorporate Pokemon Go features, but never considered the raid battles as one of them-that's actually clever, and doesn't fundamentally change the old formula, just adding onto it. I like that. It actually gives an in-universe explanation for Go's raid battles too, weirdly enough.
Going to try going dark on the Pokemon news for now, but I'm actually pretty engaged. Now I just need to look into the Pokemon I want to transfer from Sun and OR, finish Let's Go, and get Meltan/Melmetal... oh boy...
Re: Battle Alongside Your Favourite Trainers In The New Mobile Game Pokémon Masters
This feels pretty fanservice-y, even for a Pokemon title, but I can't say I'm not interested. It was really cool to see returning characters in Sun and Moon, and having a game dedicated to interacting with them seems cool. I need to see the gameplay and monetization to get a real opinion on it. If nothing else, I wouldn't mind this happening in the main games, especially with other MC's like Red and Blue.
Re: Get Some Shut-Eye When Pokémon Sleep Arrives Next Year
Why do I get the sense that the Pokemon Company was involved in Nintendo's Quality of Life projects? That's all I can think of with this app, like with Wii Fit and the balance board.
Not sure how interested I am in it, though the biggest problem I'd deal with is the shame of not keeping to a consistent sleeping schedule
Re: Introducing Pokémon Home, A New Cloud Service Compatible With Switch And Mobile Devices
I've been wondering for a while what would happen with the Pokemon Bank on the Switch, especially with Let's Go, Go, and Sword and Shield coming, as well as Meltan and Melmetal only being available on the former two. I only have OR and Sun with Pokemon to bring over, but it is nice to know I'll be able to keep them with me. Curious about the pricing, and what will happen with the Bank, but otherwise, glad to hear this.
Re: Pokémon Direct Officially Confirmed For Next Week
Geez, a Mario Maker Direct AND a Pokemon Direct all before E3? Part of me is getting flashbacks to the Direct Mini they had a while ago before E3, when they didn't have much to announce after.
The other part is feeling confident since these are Directs dedicated to specific titles, rather than a bunch of games. That means Nintendo will probably focus on whatever else is new, or needs more details (Animal Crossing, Luigi's Mansion, Links Awakening, Smash DLC etc.). That's 40 minutes of announcements sans Mario Maker and Pokemon (save for the usual quick reminder and maybe the short announcement of a new feature, like they usually do)
Re: Game Freak Is Trying To Create Something "More Exciting Than Pokémon"
I've always liked Game Freak's non-Pokemon ventures. When they're not making Pocket Monsters fight each other, all of their titles feel really weird and experimental. Nothing will reach Pokemon levels of popularity, but it's nice to see the company trying to push new titles more to branch out.
Also, I wonder if anyone wants to revisit any older titles. I mean, I'm not going to demand a Drill Dozer 2 or anything... but I certainly would drop a good chunk of cash the moment I could buy it
Re: There's No Need To Worry About Paid DLC Or Microtransactions In Team Sonic Racing
I'll always wonder how much of the DLC made is cut content from development, or genuinely built from scratch. As much as I don't like the former, I can see wanting to sell it that way to make sure people will buy it. Strike while the iron is hot, since there's never any telling how relevant the game will be in a year or two (probably why season passes became a thing, get the money now and deliver on content later).
As for Team Sonic Racing, I wasn't worried about how it would sell itself. For all of Sega's screwups, they've mostly managed to stay away from the scummier monetization practices in the industry. They DID want to try selling Super Sonic as DLC in Sonic Forces, but wisely backed out after listening to the feedback, so they're at least a bit receptive to the fans.
Re: It's Official, The New Game Style In Super Mario Maker 2 Is Based On 3D World
@gokev13 The Mario Land games are probably some of the most obscure titles in the main series. It would be cool to have them included or, at the very least, added into the Nintendo Online Collection as part of a bunch of Game Boy titles getting added with the NES ones (not that I don't want SNES games first, I'm just very unfamiliar with the Game Boy era outside of the original Pokemon)
Re: It's Official, The New Game Style In Super Mario Maker 2 Is Based On 3D World
It feels weird to be nostalgic for 3D World, but then I remember grabbing it back in 2013, and how I became a dedicated gaming fan thanks to the Wii U and 3DS. No idea if I'll pick it up with my backlog, but it feels great to have all of the parts from it acknowledged.
I have to wonder if there might be a sequel to 3D world at some point. At the very least, I'd be down to revisiting the original as a Switch port.
Re: Pokémon Sword & Shield Are Being Developed With A Focus On Switch's Handheld Mode
The main thing that I get from handheld mode is the freedom of playing where I want, with the Joy-Cons adding the possibility of co-op, so they kind of had that with Let's Go, despite the focus on being played on the big screen. Going to assume this emphasizes controller variety (you know, play how you want, when you want), local wireless battles like the 1v1v1v1 fights or the place you could met players avatars in Sun and Moon (but actively playing with people), trading, and some other activities. Fine by me, it's never stopped them from adding online gameplay, so we'll get the best of both worlds.
Weirdly enough, one of my big questions involves the battle interface. The DS and 3DS era let Game Freak clear up the battle screen, so I'm curious to see what they'll do going back to it. Otherwise, just assuming that this builds off of where Sun and moon left off, which is fine by me.
Re: Nintendo Reconfirms Release Windows For The Biggest Switch Games Of 2019 And Beyond
@Tarolusa It seems really common for game companies in general to shove all of their releases into the latter half of the year. I never realized it, but when last Fall rolled around, it became clear how much of a bloodbath it can be with releases vying for attention. Funny enough, things were pretty quiet for Nintendo around then, and their releases (Super Mario Party, Pokemon Let's Go, and Smash) were largely unaffected.
I hope they spread things out similar to the Switch's initial release. Legend of Zelda to launch, with MK8DX, ARMS, Splatoon filling out the Spring/Summer, with a few other games rounding out the end of the year. I can't complain about what's currently planned for release, I'm just a bit concerned about when the games without release dates will be release, Mainly when it comes to Animal Crossing and Pokemon. They're both massive time sponges, and are most likely to step on each other's toes-so I'm hoping a Fall release for the former, and a winder release for the latter.
Re: The Top 10 Best-Selling Games For Wii U, 3DS, Wii And Nintendo DS (As Of March 2019)
Glad to see that Splatoon did as well as I thought on on the Wii U. For some reason, all of the 'Wii' series titles on Wii surprised me. I'm surprised that Sun and Moon is almost caught up to X and Y, with how much older those titles were, and also surprised to see Tomodachii Life on the list (it has me hoping for more games like it or Miitopia). Lastly, the DS seemed to have the most variety, with Nintendogs, Brain Training, and Animal Crossing shaking up the list. Makes me wonder if we'll get Switch versions of the Brain Training, Big Brain Academy, or even Nintendog-the latter was really popular, and playing with the animals using the Joy-Cons motion controls sounds like fun.