Comments 2,605

Re: Rumour: 'Switch 2' Will Reportedly Be Officially Revealed This Thursday

Bolt_Strike

@Captain-N Kit & Krysta? They've been gone for years, they don't anything about what Nintendo is currently doing. They just know how Nintendo thinks and operates, not what their plans are.

They did actually post a video on this rumor and they actually believe it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDqszJinddI

They acknowledge the issue with DK, but they don't think Nintendo is worried about DKCR HD because Q1 games tend to sell far less money and Q1 games tend to be more about keeping Nintendo relevant in people's minds rather than making profit.

Furthermore, they mention that there's no ideal date and they think that this week is the best opportunity for January because last week is too close to the holidays and had CES and next week is the U.S. presidential inauguration. They don't discuss why not the last week in January, February, or March, but there you go.

Personally, I think Kit & Krysta are full of crap, for all of their supposed experience with Nintendo's marketing strategies it seems like they have a ton of blind spots when it comes to their Switch 2 predictions. A few months ago when they said they didn't think the Switch 2 would be announced in October they mentioned how Nintendo doesn't let a hardware reveal impact their holiday sales, conveniently ignoring how the Switch reveal did just that. And now here they seem to be gung ho on a January reveal and don't explain why they don't think February and March aren't possibilities. But this is what they said on the matter, you can believe them or not.

Re: Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Spotted In The Wild

Bolt_Strike

@Truegamer79 Mario Kart 8 can definitely be topped. Hell, even some of Tour's mechanics showed new ways that Mario Kart can be expanded on with improvements such as track variants (R, T, R/T, RMX tracks), an actual shop system, online competitions with rotating tracks, a score attack mode, there's new things they could do like open world and track builders. We definitely have not reached the peak of what Mario Kart can be.

Smash... Smash is more difficult to imagine where they could go from here and I could see it taking a break this gen (perhaps Ultimate gets the MK8D treatment and that's one of the IPs we see skip this gen). But Mario Kart still has tons of room to grow.

Re: Talking Point: Everyone Else Is Busy Revealing Switch 2 - What Gives, Nintendo?

Bolt_Strike

My guess is they're having issues with the launch lineup. There's been rumors about Nintendo internally delaying it from 2024 because they couldn't get the games ready. And since one of the rumored games is an open world 3D Mario... yeah I could see that pushing the Switch 2 launch an uncomfortable amount of time. Remember how painful it was waiting for BotW and TotK and they had multiple delays? Probably a similar scenario here, they just don't want to publicly announce a delay of a new console, so they just gave us a wide window and it's panned out to be the worst case scenario.

Re: 'Nintendo Music' Adds Another Donkey Kong Soundtrack, Here's Every Song Included

Bolt_Strike

@N00BiSH I legit have to wonder if we're listening to the same soundtrack. The SNES' soundtracks don't really evoke the feeling of exploring untamed wilderness. It sounds more like navigating a post-apocalyptic hellscape. The GBA version does a much better job of fitting the mood. It's happy and lighthearted in the brighter looking levels, it's moody and atmospheric in the levels that are darker and more ambient.

The water levels aren't all that dark and foreboding, they're largely fairly normal. Honestly the DKC1 levels feel more foreboding since many of the enemies there are more threatening.

Treetop Tumble doesn't fit Ripsaw Rage, but that's the only one it doesn't fit. The rest of the forest levels are relatively lighthearted with cartoony enemies. The bouncy sounding GBA theme is more appropriate for that as opposed to the SNES version which is far too dark sounding for the forest levels.

Re: 'Nintendo Music' Adds Another Donkey Kong Soundtrack, Here's Every Song Included

Bolt_Strike

@N00BiSH I'll give you Frosty Frolics, that was one of the worst tracks in the GBA, but the other two? Absolutely not. Enchanted Riverbank has a lot of animal noises in the base version and a glorious, echoey sounding rendition in the underwater version. Water World is just a remixed Aquatic Ambience, but it still sounds appropriate for a water level.

And no, I feel the GBA tracks fit the tone of the levels better (with the aforementioned exception of the GBA Forest theme for Ripsaw Rage). SNES Stilt Village sounds too derpy and cartoonish, whereas the GBA version sounds ambient and mysterious fitting the seaside level. SNES Mill Fever is barely passable but a bit too lighthearted, whereas the GBA version again goes for a more ambient and mysterious echoey sound. SNES Treetop Tumble sounds nightmarishly dark and has no business being so in a DK game, whereas the GBA version sounds bouncy and whimsical which fits the non-Ripsaw Rage forest levels much better. SNES Enchanted Riverbank is kind of lacking the "enchanted" feeling and once again feels a tad too derpy. Water World feels more like an underwater graveyard than the vibrant underwater locales in the game. Cascade Capers is okay in both versions, neither is super great but I like the GBA version slightly better. Nuts and Bolts is also a tie, but both are good this time. SNES Pokey Pipes is okay, but the GBA version is so much better at fitting the mood with its echoey sounding melody. Rockface Rumble is the only one I'd say is a clear winner in the SNES version, but again sounds a bit darker than necessary whereas the country feel of the GBA version doesn't quite sit right. And neither version of Jungle Jitter or Cavern Caprice really makes me feel anything. There's a few SNES tracks that are good, but most of them are super gloomy, dull sounding melodies that just don't feel appropriate to the game, IDK where you're coming from that those actually fit.

Re: Nintendo Highlights Multiple Switch Games Launching In 2025

Bolt_Strike

@Euler Pokemon is absolutely a yearly franchise that almost never skips. 2024 is the exception, not the rule, we've had Pokemon on a yearly basis for the last 20 years with only a handful of exceptions (internationally, those years have been 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015, and 2024).

And the years I pointed out have had more than 2, and the launch year is going to be one of those years, it has to be to generate interest in the console.

Nintendo's statements on the Switch 2 have little to do with past history, and there are current economic circumstances as to why a price cut might be happening (inflation, impending tariffs, etc.). The reason why a statement from Nintendo is firmly rooted in the present, not just the past, their hardware and software has generally avoided early reveals as much as possible, delays being the only thing that throws that off for the most part. And it's a much more consistent and logically based pattern for Nintendo, they do this to avoid tipping their hand to the competition and that factor is never going away. Whereas the price cuts are far more up in the air and more affected by economic factors, and there are such factors now such as inflation and the impending tariffs that might lead Nintendo to delay or even outright forego a price cut this time.

99.99% chance it's 2025. Nintendo is literally telling us they're gearing up for next gen in the next few months.

Re: Nintendo Highlights Multiple Switch Games Launching In 2025

Bolt_Strike

@Euler Okay first of all, the games we have right now are not sufficient "E ticket" games. Pokemon games are nearly every year. Metroid Prime 4 has questionable sales potential. And DKCR HD is a port. That's really not much.

But there's much more to it than the lack of games this year. We've had numerous leaks of the console that shows that insiders have it. More importantly, Nintendo themselves have already confirmed it's being revealed in the next 3 months. And given that Nintendo likes to hold their cards close to their chest, they are probably not revealing it this soon if it's a 2026 release. The only thing that can stop this thing from being a 2025 release is a delay, and if there was a delay they wouldn't have reconfirmed a reveal this fiscal year. So near 100% certainty that this is in fact the year.

Re: Nintendo Highlights Multiple Switch Games Launching In 2025

Bolt_Strike

@Euler Um what? You're the one arguing that the Switch 2 isn't going to release this year because there's already big games. There's been bigger years than this and yes, there is time for more to be announced.

Also while I agree with the sentiment about the Switch 2 seemingly having nothing new, it's worth noting that we haven't had a full reveal yet that confirms exactly what it can or can't do. I would reserve judgment until we actually see the freaking thing (although it does seem unlikely that there's anything more than what we know based on the sheer quantity of leaks, but without a full reveal we don't know for sure).

Re: 'Switch 2' Is Projected To Be The "Clear Winner" In The Next Console Generation

Bolt_Strike

@BANJO I mean it's definitely too soon to reserve final judgment when it hasn't even been officially revealed. But the leaks and rumors do not look promising. I do not think the concept the leaks and rumors are showing us is going to be much of a success. I'm more hoping that there's something the leaks and rumors got wrong or are missing, I'm not optimistic about what we're seeing.

Re: 'Switch 2' Is Projected To Be The "Clear Winner" In The Next Console Generation

Bolt_Strike

@BANJO Ehh, unless there's some major software innovation that we can't see in the design, it doesn't look like they have truly learned their lesson with the Wii U. The design looks more like the Switch Pro we should've gotten in 2020/2021 rather than the Switch 2 we're getting now. Based on what we've seen so far, I don't think many Switch owners will be enthusiastic about upgrading. That's why I see a much larger decrease than just to 85 million.

Re: 'Switch 2' Is Projected To Be The "Clear Winner" In The Next Console Generation

Bolt_Strike

@BANJO 85-95 seems wildly optimistic, especially if the Switch 2 is a disappointingly samey followup like the rumors seem to be indicating. There's growing competition from PC, mobile, and numerous companies wanting their own handheld/hybrid device similar to the Switch, those are going to chip away at Switch's niche. I can't see the rumored concept for the Switch cracking 50 million. Just too much going against it for more power and first party games to make it super successful.

Re: 'Switch 2' Is Projected To Be The "Clear Winner" In The Next Console Generation

Bolt_Strike

Xbox and Playstation are not the Switch's biggest concerns. It's PC and mobile. Xbox and Playstation both look like they're dying, but PC and mobile are stiff competition that are never going away (except maybe to be replaced by a new form factor that is even more convenient). I'm not sure that many people will be interested in a Switch 2 when PC and mobile are attempting to move closer to being hybrid consoles and there are multiple direct competitors to the Switch popping up.

Re: Surprise Leak Reveals Lenovo Is Releasing Another Switch-Like Gaming Handheld

Bolt_Strike

@Anti-Matter I mean you're free to make your own decisions and that's a valid reason to opt for console over PC, but the market as a whole seems to value convenience and versatility and doesn't care that much about the physical media. That's what's making consoles irrelevant, the market wants devices that are do-everything boxes instead of being forced to buy a specialized device that can only play video games. A console simply cannot compete with a PC or mobile device because it doesn't reach as wide an audience.

Re: Anniversary: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Is Now Six Years Old

Bolt_Strike

@rjejr Nah, some of these games are old enough that it feels like new entries are warranted. Mario Kart especially is just BEGGING for a new, original entry. Nintendo also typically likes to design 3D Marios around the new console's capabilities so I would expect an original 3D Mario as well. Smash may get the MK8D treatment but I think that might be the exception, not the rule.

Re: Anniversary: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Is Now Six Years Old

Bolt_Strike

@boxyguy This, plus Sakurai is close to retiring, so Smash is set to change dramatically. Usually when significant change like that is warranted, Nintendo takes extra time to think about it. I wouldn't be surprised if Smash takes a generation off and just coasts on an Ultimate port for Switch 2. Leave Ultimate as Sakurai's magnum opus and start Smash 6 with someone new at the helm and see what they can do to change up the series. Because yeah, in terms of roster quantity, Smash 6 has nowhere to go but down, so it kind of has to innovate to follow up Ultimate.

Re: Video: Let's Discuss The Big Question: What The Heck Is Happening At Nintendo Right Now?

Bolt_Strike

Obviously they're just prepping everything for the Switch 2 announcement and it's not ready until the new year. Why else would they be so silent?

As far as why they haven't announced the Switch 2 yet, the rumor is they're being held up by launch games. And considering that one of the rumored launch games is an open world 3D Mario, that makes a lot of sense and that game in particular is probably the biggest drag as open world games are notorious time sinks (think back to how many times BotW and TotK have been delayed). I suspect they gave the window of "announced during the fiscal year" because they weren't sure when the games would be ready and it's panned out into the worst case scenario at this point.

Re: Feature: 9 Things Nintendo Could Add To Switch 2 So It's Not 'Just Another Switch'

Bolt_Strike

@Grimley141 My phone does not have the sticks and buttons necessary to play more intricate games. I'd rather have a Nintendo phone that does and can do all of the things the Switch can do but also do typical phone things, I'd ditch my iPhone in a heartbeat if they did that.

Also as far as gimmicks that actually sold that the Switch doesn't have, dual screens is the biggest omission. The DS has outsold the Switch so far and even the 3DS did decently, but the Switch cannot replicate those experiences well. We need a dual screen hybrid, that's the next natural evolution of the concept.