Andy_Witmyer

These are unironically some of the best strategy RPG games on the SNES, maybe even THE best. The hate that they're getting here is wild.

As an immense fan of the entire series, I couldn't possibly be more excited. I almost broke down and bought a used Wii U just to finally play this - and I'm more glad than ever that I didn't have to.

@EarthboundBenjy Having the option to play using a Mouse Con if playing on a NS2 seems pretty reasonable to me, perhaps even likely. I could see that being a minor "perk" of playing it on the newer hardware - and it would probably be really cool, tbh, but not so much that Switch 1 owners would feel ripped off or like they were missing something that would drastically change the overall audio/visual experience. As such, I think that would be a good compromise between rewarding early NS2 adopters while not greatly punishing those who aren't quite ready for to make the switch to Switch 2 (wow, that last part was way punnier than I anticipated - re-reading it, I think I could see it being used as part of a future Nintendo ad campaign "Make the Switch to Switch 2!"™️ lol)

Metroid Prime 4 played on Switch 2 will probably have Mouse Con controls as a bonus control option, probably by default (eg at boot, the game will check what system it's being played on and if it's on NS2, it will ask if you like to play using the Mouse before playing). And I think that would more than likely be the extent of it. I could see the possibility of an enhancement patch, but I'd expect that to come at a small cost. A fully separate, full priced Switch 2 SKU seems like the least likely outcome, imo.

It pains me to say it, but those actually look really good imo...at least when compared to any other pair of Nikes.

@Spider-Kev Maybe for you...but for the 97% of the people in the developed world who have a smart phone in their pocket but no room for a Switch or Switch 2, a Street Pass phone app would probably make for a decent solution.

@Spider-Kev For a lot of people, the Switch (and soon, the even larger Switch 2) are too cumbersome to carry around routinely in the same way that they could with the more pocket friendly 3DS. The Switch consoles are portable, but definitely not quite handheld, which I think is the primary reason for why Street Pass was deemed a nonstarter on Switch 1, and probably even less likely on Switch 2. However, I think Nintendo could potentially make use of the concept again, albeit, perhaps, in a different form: as a mobile app, or tie it in as a new added feature for their existing app. Maybe a person could upload their save data onto their Nintendo account and that data could be passively stored on the phone app. When the app is on actively searching for people as you walk around, that data will be shared - same as with Street Pass. Games would then download relevant data of those that made a connection once the Switch game in question on.

It wouldn't be quite as ellegant as the 3DS Street Pass, of course, but nearly everyone has a phone and if Nintendo really pushed a Street Pass-like feature on their app and implemented it well, I think many people might end up getting even more connections with people than they ever did with their 3DS.

To answer the question in the headline: Yes.

I may have to pick this up. I really like the concept, and the tragic real life backstory of the development team - which has likely crept into the development itself - tugs on my heartstrings. Good interview.

Switch 2 was the only acceptable name, imo. Anything else would have come with unnecessary risk. Period. Glad a former PS prez agrees.

Well, he certainly knows exactly what to say to make me excited.

Oh my god, I missed all of this with all of the Switch 2 news and rumors. I love Rune Factory, so this is super exciting!

@B3RTAY Clearly, it wasn't a real match - just a scenario mode custom programmed for making a reveal teaser. There was also no UI of any kind. Nintendo most likely decided to save the meat of the game for April, and took nearly everything else out until then.

I think the game looks great and is a clear step up from MK8 - these upgrades will be much more visible once we see the game running full screen and and now artificially squished to fit a fake Switch 2 screen, as was the case in the trailer. A more dynamic and colorful level choice will also help, but for reasons I won't get into here, I think Nintendo purposefully opted for something as lowkey as possible - I think all of it will make more sense later.

In any case, why does a MK9 need to look like a massive next gen upgrade anyway? Many or even most PS5 games look only slightly better than PS4, if that. The industry has long since reached the point of diminishing returns in graphics. It is what it is.

All I can say is... finally.

They clearly made it look blank on the reveal trailer so that they can "reveal" what it actually is in April...at which point, it will likely be a C button lol

It had the feel of a reveal that was kind of rushed and released ahead of schedule, because Nintendo had already lost so much of the narrative given the rampant leaks - probably bc that's precisely what happened lol.

That said, I'm super stoked to see it, even if it was essentially bare bones - it's also good to see what was real and what was fake, regarding the leaks, and it's nice to be excited about features without an asterisk of "is this really going to be what it looks like??"

The full presentation on April is going to be the one to watch. Such a long wait, but I can do it. 8/10

@AussieMcBucket It would obviously be a secondary function that not every game or game mode would be able to take advantage of, but going from handheld to table top tablet mode wouldn't be too difficult, so long as there's space. If not, then perhaps touch screen, or traditional controls would just have to suffice in lieu of the joycon mouse when in handheld mode.

The biggest, most interesting rumor right now, imo, is that the Joycons can double as a mouse, with an optical movement sensor on the rail, R being left click, ZR being right click, the 4 additional clickers on the side using the face buttons, and the bumpers having some kind of optical scrolling tech. This would be a huge deal and would instantly make the Switch 2 a great home for a lot of classic PC games that have struggled to exist wothout a mouse control. The second USB C on the Switch itself could accomodate a keyboard, optionally, as well. Also, and perhaps most importantly, we might finally get Mario Paint on NSO.

@Chunkboi79 Id like to play Eldin Ring but don't have it, and I doubt I'm the only one, so forgive me if I think your argument is a bit overly black and white. Honestly, I'd be genuinely surprised if the series doesn't land on Switch 2 in one form or another.

Veey interesting rumor - but, why would Nintendo of America be in charge of hiring for this endeavor though, as opposed to, you know, the HQ of Nintendo of Japan?

People who insist upon using Bluesky are funny

I unironically think there should probably be a spoiler warning for this article. I and millions of others may know the plot of FF7, but there are still some out there who don't.

@Dimjimmer Not necessarily. He could not use his face and could use AI dubs for narration - ot at least for videos that have been recorded in advance / not fully live streamed. There would also be voice filter options when going live. Dude's screwed tho, no matter what he does, tho - which is good. Arrogant pos.

I thought Mario depicted with nipples was the most controversial Mario pic. Huh. 🤣

This is quite likely an advertising strategy disguised as a "top secret game testers" program. Nintendo probably not only anticipates detaios to leak, but also actively wants them to. This would hardly be the first time a big tech company pursued this type of publicity stunt.

The Saudi government will probably use their ever growing stateholder bully pulpit to demand that the Muslim prayer / chant that was originally part of (but then subsequently removed from) Zelda: Ocarina of Time's "Fire Temple" theme be reinstated in all future re-releases of the game (J/k) (Or am I...? 🤣)

@SuperBro64 Yeah, it's only 99.5% of them.

Good. Imagine actually purchasing a Switch game with your own money while other entitled thieves play that same game for free and not feeling at least some degree of contempt or resentment towards the thieves, or those than facilitate them.

@Rambler @electrolite77

And how much are games that were $60 in the 90s today? We're talking about $90-$100+ in today's money for SNES and Genesis console games. Swoosh's point was that back then, there were likely many parents who would be very unwilling to spend $100 in today's money on a Gameboy game that could be beaten in 10-20 hours, and that that logical conclusion was the norm up until the Switch ended Nintendo's decades long two-tier pricing arrangement for games on their handhelds vs games on their consoles.

I mean,I definitely, on some level, miss being able to get a smaller but still top shelf game for $35-45 on 3DS, and even less still on the original DS. Switch has given Nintendo license to charge full price on games that they would have previously marked down as "handheld", with Zelda: EoW being just the latest example. It is what it is, though, I suppose.

Really dig the art style - hope it comes to Switch or Switch 2!

Not gonna lie - I found the reveal to Civ VII to be extremely underwhelming. The way it was presented, it just seemed like Civ VI with a different coat of paint - nothing more, nothing less - but this interview has gotten me pretty dang excited for the game! I love the idea of Ages being like a trilogy of books, building over top of ruins from previous Ages, and events and even leaders that seem to dynamically change depending on where you are in the Ages. It just sounds really fun and satisfying. Breaking the game up into smaller, more defined but also more easily digestible sections will be a big plus. That so much love and attention that appears to be given to the Switch console is just the cherry on top.

As someone who's been trying to learn how to read Japanese - slowly, over the last year, just for fun - this game seems perfect for helping me to learn more, faster - and with lots of imagery to help make the connections better to boot. I'm also a sucker for taking in-game photos and games that work strongly around that mechanic. Definitely looks like a purchase for me.

@RubyCarbuncle Thanks for letting everyone here on a Nintendo-oriented Review site what you be getting on your Steam Deck 🙄 Aren't there any Steam Deck sites you can get reviews of games from?

I loved this game back on the 3DS. Very quirky, what with finding the Denpa Men floating around in augemnted reality, with the types generated based on local wifi as you were walking around. It's sad that that's not a thing this time around due to hardware, surely, but I'll have to give the new game a go.

Slightly off topic, but it would be interesting is someone could somehow scale down the Switch screen to something much smaller - like 3DS XL size, with a clamshell case, and maybe just small enough to be a legitimate pocket portable. Yhe Switch is so large, it's not quite as ideal for just carrying around at leisure. As such, I still play my 3DS when I'm on the bus or at appointments. It's just easier. Not sure if Switch can be miniaturized so much, but it would be kind of cool, honestly.

If only politicians could be as concerned about their age.

I mean, it's interesting when you try to step back and be 100% objective about the name we're used to: "Donkey Kong". Donkey Kong?! That's such a crazy name! If the game bombed and became a curiosity in retro gaming history, we'd all be scratching our head about why anyone would use the word "Donkey" for the first name a giant gorilla 🤣 I mean, it Donkey Kong does roll off the tongue in a way that I like, but the name would be still objectively weird if that wasn't the only name we'd ever known. Not as weird as "Kong Dong", perhaps, but still kind of odd!

Finally, The Wand of Gamelon sequel we've all been waiting for! 😉 In all seriousness, tho - this game looks pretty awesome.

@RetroGames Nice b8, m8. It looks like a GameCube game, really? Come on, now 🤣

@LadyCharlie I heard it elsewhere like several months ago 🤣

Actually a huge improvement. Makes me think Nintendo is feeling confident.

I hope Nintendo hires extra security. Most businesses are moving away from San Fran because it's basically the shoplifting capital of the world. I wish them luck - they may need it.

As an immense fan of the Etrian Odyssey series, this (being one of its influences) def seems right up my alley. Good review!

I grew up with the SNES and N64, where some games had frame rates as low as 15 FPS, with many games often having a sub-30 FPS performance in general - and yet I loved (and still love) those games all the same. It never really bothered me I suppose. As such, it tends to comes across as a bit strange to me whenever I see people having fits over games that run at a steady 30 FPS. I mean, if TTYD was a fast-paced, action-oriented game, I guess I could perhaps understand the complaints a bit more...but, this is Paper Mario. Oh well, to each their own, I guess!

In any case, I can't wait to play it for the first time later this week : D

I suspect that a followup movie was planned from day one and that some not insignificant amount of work on the sequel was actually completed during the production of the first movie. Most of the character model assets are all in place, same with the voice actors and other personal, and there isn't COVID to worry about. I think this is why we're seeing such a quick turnaround on the release date for the sequel.

To me, it almost seems like Nintendo is full-on expecting legitimate leaks regarding the Switch 2 hardware and/or software in the very near future and Furukawa is just trying to get ahead of it by at least noting that it exists. I can't see why other reason why he would note anything about it at all knowing that the Switch has one last Christmas season ahead of it.

@MisanthropyAGoGo While I agree, in part, with a lot of your sentiments, Steam Deck isn't really that big of a concern - I feel like they're largely chasing two different markets. Switch isn't powerful, but it's also vastly less expensive than even a starter level Steam Deck. The price differential may not matter to everyone, but it does matter to a lot of people, especially now with many people grappling with the cost of inflation. I imagine the Switch successor will probably be a robust upgrade from the OG Switch, but anyone who's under the impression that it's going to stand toe to toe with $700 Steam Deck is, or that the unlocked console will run anything even close to PS4 Pro level graphics will likely be disappointed. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if the dock for Switch 2 does a lot more than the current iteration, and we might see some big graphical upgrades when played on a TV - but portable mode will probably not look nearly as good. I there will be a very noticeable difference in fidelity between docked and undocked, t'll be interesting to see if Nintendo will make it easier for developers - or even consumers - to custom and/or dynamically scale what can be done in both ecosystems.

My concern is that a lazy dev might spec their game solely for the less powerful undocked mode instead of making docked mode the primary and allowing it to be scaled down in undocked. Even better will be if Nintendo has built in optimization, so if someone wants better frame rates but lower resolution, or vice versa, or if they want a less taxing battery mode, we can tweak those things as we wish. Probably a tall order, but we'll see haha.

"This is Furukawa, President of Nintendo" is instantly memeworthy. It's so lowkey and casual, yet at the same time, also quite formal. I love it - especially when reading it in the voice of Eric Cartman.

@Blue_Dread I don't know anyone who bought a Switch specifically for Metroid Prime 4. Anecdotal, for sure - but only in equal measure to your hyperbole.