Burning_Spear

@MischiefMaker Isn't the classic grand prix mode enabled by pressing +?

@Qwiff One of the top five Wii U games, in my opinion, and still my favorite of the Yoshi series. I'm also in world four or five on the 3DS version. I pick it up every now and then.

I'm in the late stages of a run as Pachacuti of the Inca empire on Civ VI. I'm in the third stage of the Mars Habitation project, so things are looking good.

The rest of the weekend will be spent watching my Switch 1 redownload a couple hundred games so I don't have to deal with this Virtual Game Card nonsense anymore.

Meanwhile, Switch 2 will eagerly watch from the sidelines unless Pachacuti gets some lasers to hurry that Mars project so I can knock around a bit more in Mario Kart World.

I also need to reconfigure my setup. I have to sub in a new power strip and find a better place for the Switch 2 dock, since the docked console blocks a small portion of my TV screen.

I just played one Grand Prix on the first cup available last night, and my impression is that the tracks were kind of dull and mostly looked alike, save for the last leg of the last track. Of course, they were designed to fit the same regional theme, but still. And the tilt steering felt sluggish at times. We'll see as I get deeper into the game.

@KociolekDoSyta Indeed, I'm trying to figure out why this is more or less twice the price of the other Arcade Archives releases. It really feels like we're getting bullied this generation. I was in BestBuy last night picking up MKW, and I took a quick look at the game rack and it was $79.99 and $69.99 almost across the board. And some of these were game-key card enhanced editions. If the developer is saving the supposedly exorbitant cost of the full game card, shouldn't the game be cheaper? Or at least no more expensive than last generation? What a scam.

I'm glad to see the AAA Clock made the launch titles. Tempted as I was to be able to throw away the sundial once and for all, I went ahead and bought Mario Kart World instead.

No motion controls = Not Spear's Golf.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 = best sports game ever

I know you don't have to play any mode you don't like, but I don't care for 200cc. It just doesn't feel like Mario Kart, nor are the classic tracks well configured for it. But a sincere sorry for the folks who enjoy it. My guess is it will be patched in.

My Switch isn't going anywhere and will very likely see more playing time than my Switch 2 for the foreseeable future. I prefer playing games on the original hardware.

HDMI splitters are a great thing: I've got a Switch, a Wii U, a Wii, a PS4 and a PS3 all connected to my main TV, and there's plenty of room for Switch 2.

I'll be tying up loose ends ahead of Switch 2's launch.

I'm in the middle of a Civ VI run as the Incas — just eliminated France last night. (Sorry, they forced my hand!) And now Amsterdam and Japan are getting cranky with me.

I'm also filling time with Puzzle Bobble Everybubble. I'm only maybe an hour and a half in and not yet sure where I would rank this entry in the series.

And finally, I'm warming up for Mario Kart World with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Happy gaming, everyone!

Split & Splat still amps me up! I wish these tracks would rotate into stages in Splatoon 3.

@The_Nintend_Pedant @GrailUK Given that the gaming community can oftentimes pick on words like a cross-examining prosecutor, he has to couch his answers with "no plan to," to allow for the isolated instance in an opportunity may be game-key-card-or-nothing. So I don't read anything sneaky into that.

They've learned from some flaws in their process and are responsible for hundreds of physical releases that otherwise wouldn't have existed. In my opinion, their record in the past couple of years has been excellent, and we're much better off for having them around. So I don't get the vitriol that comes from some folks, present company excepted.

@Yalloo Unfortunately, a writeable card would only solve the issue of developers needing to debug and optimize right up until launch day. I think the far bigger issue is the cost of the cards, and my idea doesn't do anything to address that.

Make me a game-key card that instead of having a key lets me download the full version of the game, plus all updates, to the card. Then I'm all in.

Extra day of rest! Woo hoo!

After a day out on the beautiful East End of Long Island today, I will be finishing up a run of Civilization VI that was long ago in the bag but is now about running up the score I can. I'm somewhere around 2,600 at the moment and can seal this in no more than 30 turns with the completion of the Mars landing project or by capturing a single capitol I've got partially surrounded and with nukes and bombers ready to pounce. So much dominance!

Happy gaming, everyone!

If there's no negativity what is there to discuss?

The new design is too goofy for me. Just my taste.

I understand that day-one patches are the new norm, but how does Level-5 justify releasing a game with this much stuff to be fixed? And I'm sure there will be plenty more. We're all suckers. How about we pay $30 to play it now and another $30 when everything is as it should be?

After last night's Knicks win, the gaming weekend kicked off with a three-and-a-half-hour run on Civ VI. The Scythian empire took down Indonesia's capitol and has established its air force in North America, with sights set on the Cree empire and setting Cleopatra straight once and for all. Resistance is futile.

Happy gaming, everyone!

*Offer good while supplies (and mandatory accessories) last.

@Jedrus_Lilac At this point, only slightly less likely that everyone will ditch their cell phones and go back to landlines. Once the tide turns, no one outside perhaps of Nintendo and Limited Run Games will see value in creating physical editions of games.

Let's face it: Physical games had already been mortally wounded, but Nintendo in this generation saw physical lying on the ground, writhing in pain and clearly with no path to recovery, and it snuffed the final breath of life from the creature with a swift stomp and wiggle of its key-card loafer.

@Dr_Lugae Perhaps, but Nintendo can put guardrails in place to prevent silliness, like games that fit on Switch 1 carts being released as key cards for Switch 2.

Take it easy folks, it's not like we're burning down the entire house. You can still use the garage, see?

You blatantly rip off the gaming industry's biggest franchise and then apologize for "the discomfort and concern this ongoing litigation has caused.

Excuse me, but YOU caused it. The game could have been the same experience without the excessive borrowing of concepts and assets. You poke the bear, you get mauled.

You guys are spoiling the $10 walkthrough!!!

Take a good look, folks: This is the last time you'll ever see a preview of Mario Kart box art. Next time it will be a preview of the prepaid code card that hangs on a shelf rack in Target or Walmart — collect all five variants, each with its own special ability for one of the racers!

It was a super-busy week at work, so I had virtually zero gaming time. And of course, what happened last night? I stayed up far too long playing Civ VI. The rest of the weekend looks busy too, so I'm almost done. And then I have to travel for business Monday through Wednesday, so no gaming then. Everyone please beat an extra level or boss for me!

Happy gaming!

Nintendo with the Switch 2 seems to have lost the heart and soul that was a trademark of the Iwata years. Switch 2 is basically a power-up from Switch 1, with no significant new gaming experience built in, something Mr. Iwata always prioritized.

Combine that with the price increases and the move away from physical, and it seems like it's all about business. Just keep printing that money. Very disappointed.

I guess the (il)logic here is push people to buy the Switch 1 real physical edition and then pay another $10 for the Switch 2 upgrade, rather than buy one empty cart later. But this is still insulting: You were able to get it on a cart for Switch 1 but can't do it for Switch 2?

@Zerodogg To be fair, it's not unreasonable to offer perks to those who pay the most. It's not a perfect system, but it should do a pretty good job of weeding out scalpers.

But I agree that the invites should have been tied to hours played in the year or two prior to the announcement and that someone who doesn't pay for NSO can still be an avid Nintendo fan. I've been paying for it since day one but have never played a single minute of an NSO game. I just use it for the cloud saves and online play.

Nabbed one! For those who haven't received their invite yet, be prepared: You get one order and that's it. Once you pay, you can't go back and buy more. So be ready to buy everything you want at once.

Guess I'll stick with Civ VI.

I'm interested in buying but am curious as to whether there will be an enhanced Switch 2 version. Please don't pull an Atari on us.

Zero interest. Less than zero. Too much attention being put in the wrong place, in my opinion.

Maybe Genki can make some of these to help pay its defense fees!

@DTFaux Much agreed. Similar to when Nintendo sues emulation sites or people who stream games ahead of their street date, I think it's more about trying to deter future people from doing the same.

The Spearess and I finally have a nice Saturday to enjoy, so we will be out and about today. Tomorrow will be soggy, so I will have the day to begin a new run in Civ VI. I've also been filling time with Bust-a-Move 4 on the PSP and PS3.

Happy gaming, everyone!

"What Ubisoft series would you like to see next-gen?"

Something I can actually own.

@JohnnyMind Understood, coming from a guy with hundreds of unopened games on his shelves.

@JohnnyMind Don't you have enough games to play? =>)

@Overzeal They were sloppy downgrades to begin with. These are Natsume titles, meaning the graphics are substandard, the dialogue is tedious, the character models are bizarre, corners have been cut everywhere, and you're expected to pay full price and understand that the developers just aren't good at what they do.

This just does not seem like the Nintendo I've known for the past 40 years. It just feels soulless and completely corporate, like a Microsoft idea. This whole console launch feels this way. I can't imagine it having gone this way if Mr. Iwata were still around.

In all seriousness, an extra set of joy cons, a Pro controller and maybe the joy con charging grip. I'll probably pick up storage afterward when a good deal comes along. I don't envision downloading enough to fill the onboard memory before Black Friday deals come around.

"Which Switch 2 Accessories Are You Picking Up At Launch?"

Whatever GameStop makes me buy.

This is not the first time GameStop has done this with Nintendo console launches. It's just a step below scalping. I have no idea why Nintendo or anyone continues to deal with them.

I think I forgot about this app five minutes after I read the story announcing its existence.

I'm posting late this morning because I was awake until 3 a.m. completing a near-five-hour run on Civ VI. Global domination with the Aztecs, baby.

Perhaps even better news ...

Before shutting down and going to sleep, I made one what-the-heck-try on Walmart.com and was able to pre-order a Switch 2 with zero difficulty — no different than if it was anything else in the storefront. Arriving on June 5. Crisis averted.

Happy gaming, everyone!

The correct answer: Just don't deal with GameStop. Ever.

@Sylamp I'd say $40 for Puyo Puyo Tetris was totally worth it on Switch 1. It's one of my all-time favorite Tetris games. This, on the other hand, seems like a code with a couple of extra modes thrown in.