BustedUpBiker

If priced really sensibly, may well be worth a look.

Great read. I hope this game does well, and credit for the promotional style which benefits both the game and Switch.

That's what I love about Switch though - it suits just about anything

Or one of them holding a banana at least. Looked like 50cc mode...

Ports of the first two would be most welcome. Vanquish too.

@Krankor "A Robotic Mashing Sim"

Love what you did there, but it would be even funnier if they called it Smash...

Have only tried portable mode so far. It can be so frantic that I feel like I'm occasionally button mashing, however missed attacks can be costly and the swerve mechanic (left stick) is so good that I find I'm playing strategically more often than not (especially on that temple level where you start a mile away from your opponent - that's tense).

Jumping and dodging are essential. The only aspect I'm not fond of so far is the 2 v 1 battles. Lot of ganging up going on, rather than a royal rumble. The right stick is handy for switching opponents with a quick flick here. Of course it's extremely satisfying to take down the other two and be the last man standing!

Edit: Of course, when you charge up a flurry attack and unleash hell, button mashing is completely viable!

More shirts for Shaq?

@Firehawke Absolutely. Mind you, as I have historically favoured Sagat, maybe I have you doing a "brave Sir Robin" as I hear the balancing has him a bit OP in this version

@Firehawke You are right, you didn't say that, my apologies. I'm too tired and the hot weather has fried my brain.

Thank you for your response. I get where you're coming from, and we'd probably agree on a lot. Rather than a fundamental lack of understanding or respect, I just didn't consider the impact of scaling here. How about, if we disagree again, let's settle it like men online

@Firehawke
I see your point about widescreen interfering with a pixel perfect presentation and balance, and I get that purists may balk at the idea as you have demonstrated, but as an option it may have been interesting to change things up. Turbo modes would have been fun, as would a larger roster and arcade bonus rounds, but I guess that is all moot because I made the mistake of mentioning widescreen.

See, I enjoy games, I like to have a laugh playing them, and with games, sports and in fact many things in life the more fun I'm having the better I tend to do. This means I don't always take them or myself completely seriously all of the time. I think that would be unhealthy. You carry on shouting at people in CAPS on the internet if you like, I'll carry on having a blast playing Nintendo. Remember, if someone doesn't get the point, or has an opinion that is incorrect on some level, you can always educate them and still be civil about it.

Also "Not thrilled with the pricing" and "The pricepoint that manby are moaning about doesnt alter the game" seems a little inconsistent. Value matters to a lot of people.

I don't agree that if you're looking for the ultimate edition you'll be impressed. If there are no turbo speed settings, no bonus rounds, no widescreen in the pixel graphics mode and with this limited roster it's a shameless cash in. The HD gallery doesn't add that much value for me. I'll stick with Champion Edition on the Megadrive (picked up for £10 with no box from Tandy, when Woolworths were still asking for £60).

How about one of the wicked baseball games?

That's very efficient, but not very surprising. MK8D was about 6.5GB right? Approx. 5 times as many stages and characters, plus battle modes. ARMS also uses some assets repeatedly, such as the arms themselves, with colour and stat changes. An over-simplification, I know, but it seems logical to me.

Very impressive though - Nintendo is trying to make sure that we don't run out of internal storage too quickly, and I like it. Their bespoke engine must be very well designed.

Personally I was hoping for the triggers to be used for left and right punch in portable mode and with the Pro controller. Perhaps the controls will be reconfigurable, but I doubt it.

@JaguarWong Ah, you're right, I missed John's hands on piece on Eurogamer. I wonder why it isn't shown in the diagrams?

My sleeves are already rolled up for this

Winter DLC confirmed...

Patch notes! My newly expressive Mii shows [shocked face]

Compliance

Got my gold Mario, kart and wheels with Mii, Varmint, Normal wheels and Hylian kite.

Now I'm using Dry Bowser, Flame Rider, Slim wheels and Bowser kite, because it's still competitive and it looks badass

Ooh, lots of hefty Capcom discounts on 3DS. Could we maybe see Phoenix Wright and Resident Evil announced for Switch at E3?

Fingers crossed for this one.

I use Moonlight for Android to stream games (and my actual desktop) via Nvidia GeForce software. It's versatile and brilliant. My PC is about as high end as a chippy sat on the kerbside and it still works great. Personally I'll love being able to play Steam games in portable mode anywhere in the house.

Being able to do this on Switch would be great because of the Joycons. Even better if it will work when docked as well. The only pity is the lack of analogue triggers for racing games. @Yorumi Mouse control will be fine on analogue stick. Having a touch enabled screen is also good for this.

I don't think it'll eat away at software sales too much. Don't forget you'll be limited to your own WiFi network, so if you want that indie game on the go you will have to double dip.

It may also encourage hardware sales for PC gamers who want this functionality. @NEStalgia Hardware sales are not necessarily a bad thing. They will drive developer interest (especially AAA) which in turn will drive further hardware production and sales, which will encourage more software, and so on.

Please let this happen. And for free? It's almost too good to be true.

I got 99 problems but the Switch ain't one

May as well use the points before they expire I guess, even if the "gifts" you can redeem are kind of like Hestu's...

If anyone has downloaded the SF2 wallpaper for their phone, the metadata is fixed at 31st March 2017. For me it appeared way down the list in the photo app.

@RQuinain You can equip it and take a selfie for the compendium

@OorWullie I've noticed that the weather can be extremely localised, just like temperature changes.

If I dare to dream...
Madden, Fight Night, NHL, NFS, Burnout, Command & Conquer, and Skate.

It would be great if Madden and NHL were double releases as well i.e. modern physical releases and retro eShop releases circa 1995.

Oh, and can it run Crysis?

IMHO the Switch is a dream come true.

I have a 3DS, second hand, but having never really invested in much software I typically prefer playing games such as Ride 2, Fallout 4 and Shadow of Mordor on my ageing PC, especially as games are so relatively inexpensive on that platform. Bought a Wii for the kids but skipped the Wii-U, so this is my first experience of owning a Nintendo console that pumps out HD.

So far I only have BotW and MK8D but I'm more than satisfied with these top class games. I'm in love with Switch for sure. The hardware feels "grown up" and premium, and I love showing it off. I take great care of my tech (often being the go to guy for old spare phones that are good as new etc) and I find the ruggedness of the Switch reassuring. Great screen, nice speakers, and the Pro controller is, well, it's the shiz.

The sheer versatility of the system is pleasantly surprising every day. Brilliant on the telly, and for me just as good as a portable for a visit to Hyrule or a blast of karting before bed. I'm confident my love affair with Nintendo and particularly Switch will endure.

Boomshaka-lacking

Such a shame. I'll stick to NBA Jam on Android casting to my telly for now.

A step in the right direction. Personally I don't save payment details on Steam etc. preferring them to self destruct rather than be retained on a server somewhere.

Now we need an A-Z of all games and a shopping cart system as well please.

Cool! This is encouraging.

When does Grand Designs: The Game release?

Nintendo are probably collecting metadata on usage split between portable and docked mode, logged in the same way as play time. If they are, it would be interesting to see.

To me it kind of looked like homeland security were detaining Pikachu for "a word"

I suspect she was unfairly criticised for her voice acting when people had only seen snippets of the story from some memories and didn't have the whole arc for context.

Edit: This may be considered a bit spoilery...

After all she played a teenage girl with so much pressure and responsibility to bear, who is struggling to find her path and live up to her family's legacy. For me her delivery reflects the character well, despite the limited overall length of the cut scenes. In fact extra story detail in the world like the King's journal and the Kass side story add further context and make it all seem very well considered.

Personally I have enjoyed her performance and Zelda's journey in the game. Credit to the animators as well. Can't wait for the expansion in the winter.

Love the Switch physical media - but I think it's far better when there is print on the inlay. No excuse for plain white. I remember how cool it was to anticipate your new speccy game on the bus home by reading the nonsense inside and squinting at the screenshots on the back.

There was always a tiny bit of me that resented the cardboard boxes of the N64. You wouldn't swallow one of those carts whole though.

Mario golf, super punch out and excitebike please

Laughed so hard at 57 points and 2 stars. Nice one Alex. The toddlers are going to love this, as will The Miller Report.

Fingers crossed these assists are off by default though.

Choo chooooooo

Didn't pull the trigger on a Wii-U, so I'm very excited for this one. Will wander Hyrule some more, fight Calamity Ganon on April 27th then get stuck right in.

He beat him like a dirty rug! Boomshakalaka!!!

@brandonbwii I agree, not too optimistic myself. EA may well shovel out a sloppy port as a cash in / toe in the water. I'm holding out hope for a proper Fox engine port of PES myself.

@Sinton You're right. It was against my better judgement.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Okay, I'll bite. Even assuming you're correct, it'll be probably the most advanced football game so far on a portable system.

I have found two distinct NPCs that introduce the shield surfing - one on grass and one on snow. Go have a look around the northwest of the map for something fun...

Also, you can paraglide with the shield still attached to your feet and carry on when you land. Gnarly 🤘

I'd love to see the faux 2D prototype, environmental systems and all, developed into a more traditional Zelda game as a love letter to those who crave such an experience again. Put it on the eShop and it'll sell like hot cakes.

I personally think the music really delivers in BOTW. From the subtle piano to the full blown orchestral numbers, oh my goodness it delivers in spades with its considered presentation. The Rito theme in particular is one of my favourites.

Brilliant editorial, thanks.

I for one was all aboard the hype train and trying desperately to manage my expectations pre-release, so as to not be let down. However I knew within the first couple of hours that this was a refreshing take on gaming in every sense of the word. From the learn by doing tutorial style to the sheer scope of the lovingly crafted world, it oozes style and grace. It definitely takes practice, you're right, but I can't play it for even an hour without utilising the entire skillset in one way or another.

Over 50 hours in, no rush to take on the fourth divine beast and I'm still excited to pick the game up every single time. Nothing feels like a chore, even hunting various critters etc. to upgrade my gear, because the environment presents diverse challenges and distractions at every turn. There's so much to do but it doesn't overwhelm you with icons.

As someone who is now (but was not always) physically challenged (not just a clever name, see) I can no longer go rock climbing or fell running but my thirst is sated by this wonderful game and it's seeming endless sense of adventure. So many hours in and still so much to see and do. I can't wait to see what the next 50+ hours bring.

And that trailer STILL gives me chills...

@beazlen1 See you on the grid! Can't wait for Mario Kart as well

@Amsterdamsters
No scratches here. In and out of the dock at least once a day - I mostly play in portable mode and dock it to charge. I put the slightest pressure towards the back of the Switch when docking i.e. away from me. At most I've noticed a slight smudge at the bottom left of the screen, but only in the bezel. It polishes out with a lint free cloth.

I like the dock because it allows sufficient airflow and keeps the Switch relatively cat proof. Laying it on it's back would make me concerned that it would get badly scratched or overheat.

@beazlen1 Kindred spirit! Nice avatar Mine is the great Valentino Rossi at Laguna Seca, in 2010 I think. Fans could send in a photo and they chose a bunch to adorn his bike that weekend. I was under his left knee on the petrol tank

I haven't played this, but I can't help thinking what happened to the quality over quantity stance? Looks like an iffy Steam effort.

Being 8 bit and monochrome didn't hold the Game Boy back in the days of 16 bit home consoles. There won't be such a large gap between revisions either. The versatility of the system will likely see it through. It's a world beating handheld and Nintendo's best home console yet.

As well as third party support it also needs more first party IPs to make a welcome appearance. I personally hope to see F-Zero, Wave Race, 1080°, Excitebike, Punch Out and Pilotwings this time around.