@Spider-Kev I couldn't get past the issue on that comic. It was bad. The old 90s novels though weren't bad. I need to go back and reread the last book that's not part of the numbered series that wraps it up though. For some reason I don't remember much from it compared to the numbered series. I'm starting to wonder if I actually finished. I was probably starting college and maybe I didn't get past the first chapters or something.
Ugh, I think I find myself holding out hope this thing gets Switch 2 upgrade on graphics. So tempting to jump in now and a replay if there is an update. Vs waiting to see if that might actually happen. But, I suspect it won't.
I've been waiting for this release, but now I'm debating if I should just stick with Horizon. I picked that up a while back, and have had some good fun with it. Sometimes it's really hard to go back home again, and now I'm thinking this might be one of those times. I might put it on my wishlist in case it goes on sale.
I remember really enjoying this game when it came out. I hope I can still enjoy it now. My gaming experience is not the same as I get older; especially with older games.
So glad this came to Switch. My wife LOVED the original game. She was thrilled when I showed her the game was available. She rushed to download it and spent the evening thoroughly enjoying the game. Great that it's multiplayer. Our kids might enjoy this too and want to play against her. Awesome.
@FredsBodyDouble I wouldn't mind a remaster of 8. That was one of the first games my wife and I played through together. Fond memories of us together on the couch in our little apartment. The voice acting really helped bring the characters to life like never before. I've tried playing the mobile release a bunch of years back, but the portrait only mode just didn't work for me.
This wasn't bad per say. But, if it's true that the next console is pushed to 2025, this isn't quite the caliber of titles you'd expect to help fill out the release calendar for 2024. These feel closer to near end of life lineup.
I hadn't considered Dragon Quest III HD-2D for this direct, but that would be awesome to see. Day one purchase almost certainly. Only hesitation would be price.
From what I've read, these aren't quite the remaster approach I would have preferred. Nothing significant, but a few decisions that probably keep it from being "perfect" I think. Still, looking forward to replaying a few of these. IV obviously, but some of the combat systems of earlier games were noteworthy.
I love the idea of an OLED Lite. That would be an awesome SKU, but probably too small for Nintendo to explore. I always thought it was a little odd to put the OLED on the dockable model. But, I think Nintendo talked about some stats to show that even that model was used in handheld more time than docked. Seems to me that a premium Lite would have done well since you're always in handheld mode. Guess the numbers didn't support that. But, this is Nintendo we're talking about though. LOL
That Switch 2 won't expand Nintendo's audience is the first real analyst thought that wasn't overly obvious to everyone else. That's different from an adoption rate of hardware sales to existing customers. Something I hadn't considered. But, like with what happened with Switch, there has to be a killer app. While Mario Kart did a LOT for the system, I still think it was largely the wild success of Animal Crossing that established the breath of fan-base. Pretty sure it sold more systems than any other title. Not saying S2 needs another AC title, but it does need some kind of mass appeal IP title in the launch window. Ideally, something that will also help showcase the system.
I should note I am not trying to download MK8 or BotW. Both also sold systems, but I thought the unit sales of AC showed stronger correlation to system sales from the analysis I read a few years back.
OMG, my brain does not know what to make of this. Super cool that someone decided to do this, but LOL... the original was just so bad. I guess it's an interesting bit of history to preserve.
Doubt there is a gamer that would disagree with his statement. GCI teaser might not be too bad; though I kinda dislike teasers in general. Some rendered trailer bit to help communicate setting, theme, tone faster isn't bad as long as it leads to showing gameplay.
I might say that there are a few IP, specifically FF, where you do kinda want to see some of the rendered stuff though. But, that's kind of the exception. And, you totally still want to see what combat is going to be like.
Oh, and we add the overuse of title cards at the start of trailers? BLEH
Would enjoy seeing what games like Harvestella would have been like if they had gotten more attention and polish. My wife says it's not a bad game. She rather enjoyed it. But, it's not as polished as it could be. I think they are taking the right stance.
But, really, slimming down the lineup also means taking fewer chances. Putting more focus on what's planed would, in theory - a game theory (thx matpat), help to ensure higher sales success. I'm actually okay with that as long as it it doesn't preclude them from trying titles like Octopath Traveler or Harvestella. For gamers, that would be the risk of the slimmer lineup.
As much as I'd love to have mass internal storage, that will increase the price quickly. Unless they are designing the system in a similar fashion like Series X and PS5 for rapid transfer, I don't see the advantage of mass internal storage vs allowing SD like we have today. Unless the system is going to be able really utilize either lots of or very high rez textures, I'm not sure a portable system would need that kind of technology. I'd rather have them invest in being able to deliver rock solid 60fps and longer battery life than rapid or large internal storage.
That is unless that's where they're going and 1st party games are already going to push a 32/64gb design to the limit. I just don't see it, especially if they want to keep below $500, which they need to for a portable system. I'd say $399 max. So, what ever storage size fits into that product cost range.
So, the controls. If they changed them to be touch control instead of dragging around a pointer with the stick, that would be an interesting enough change I'd be tempted to pick up the Switch version. I'd think party management would be easier like that - push a button on the screen to perform that character's attack. You'd have faster reflex time vs a mouse. IF that's how it's going to work. Hopefully they aren't trying to do something like snap moves. I guess that might work. You'd just have to train muscle memory on how many presses it takes to get to what you want to click on. But, dragging a pointer with the thumb stick? That would be a dumb choice.
I think the Switch should be able to do a decent visual port of the game. I don't remember the graphics being overly demanding. Ya, Steam page says like a 7600. At the lower 720 rez I don't think Switch should have any problems with performance.
Will keep an eye out for control details. Might be interesting to play if it's touch controls.
@PKDuckman DANG! It never, ever, even occurred to me to look for other maps. TIL indeed! Wonder if there are any shader mods that might also give it a little more polish. Gotta go dust it off now.
I think Nintendo will have to do a big Direct in March before the end of their fiscal year. While many say the Switch announcement will be in April, I think that may only happen depending on their earning performance for the year end. They will either end the year on a bang with the announcement, or ride the wave with whatever the real numbers are from holiday sales. Then start the new fiscal year with the announcement. I guess it probably makes more sense to start the year with the announcement than to end it. hmm, ya maybe I'm switching my vote to April as well. Either way, I think it depends on their earnings performance. Regardless, I'm 90% sure the system will launch in November 2024. I think they would face significantly slower hardware sales if they don't. Holding out another year is just going to cause the market to hold its breath at that point holding out for the inevitable announcement before buying any more hardware. I would.
Hopefully we're still a good ways off before companies are fully comfortable to replace programmers with AI. However, it did hit me that I could see using AI as a code assist w/o threating jobs. Like, we've seen several times where a game runs into some kind of bug or issue say with UE 4.x. The dev team figures out a solution that isn't immediately incorporated into UE. The next dev team (same publisher) or project is going to run into the same thing. Having AI learn about the issue can be trained as a code QA tool to alert if that same error, or eventually detect any kind of error, is present in the current build. That would save a lot of headache during production avoiding repeated mistakes. Or, further, once it's trained on optimizations it can verify the most optimal solution is being used. Eventually the AI will write the code, but it's going to take a lot of training before we're at that point to replace a whole team.
It's also interesting to consider the use of generative AI by non-artists. For example, a producer or maybe even a game designer that isn't good with drawing trying to communicate their vision for a key character. Can use prompts to work through iterations to generate the visual that matches what is in their head. Not saying that ends up in the game, but I could see it as a way to reduce having to go back-and-forth in emails or even in a meeting trying to make it clear what's in someone's head that isn't being communicated well. Just describe it to the AI and refine until you see it front of you. There are still design principles that should be followed before it's considered a finished work to be used in production, but it helps communicate the idea better.
Will AI eventually do it all? Well, ya. Even Star Trek depicts this with the holodeck. You walk in, give the computer a few prompts, and the AI does the heavy lifting. There are still holodeck designers much like a game designer or maybe a producer. You have to control the experience you're going for. But, for building the thing, AI will eventually take over. There will be the start of the tipping point where we have to worry about mass job loss. I think we're still at least a few years from that at scale. I hope.
Lot of mixed feelings here. I'll stick with just 2 titles: SoR4, I don't feel it needs more love just yet. It's a solid game and the DLC was a nice end piece. The game game was an awesome love letter to old school beat 'em ups. I'm still playing survival from time to time to try to further hone my skills. Plus, moving to full 3D? meeeeeeh That will give a totally different feel that I'm not sure I want.
GA? Okay, ya I guess most of these are at an age where some kind of remaster/reboot/restart like they did with SoR might be a good thing. But, I don't think GA has the same kind of love that SoR did. It was a great arcade title, and at the time it made some noise on the console, but there's a reason it mostly ended on the 2nd game - let's not talk about that abomination GA3. If they did the same kind of love letter treatment ala SoR? maybe. But, those are different games. Do I want a modern fantasy beat'em up? Hell ya. idk, maybe that same love letter thing is the way to go? hmmm
When my first kid was born I tried looking for these old edutainment titles; especially the Reader and Math Rabbit stuff. Disappointed to find the classic titles weren't available outside of some bargain bin or maybe Goodwill store. But, I was more surprised to see that the idea kinda died out. Sorta. I guess these days we have stuff like ABC Academy (don't sub, just don't) and other newer concepts. Oh, well. My kids didn't end up needing any of that stuff. The nostalgia is there to see these titles, but meh, I kinda don't see the point to actually get a kid to play them. There's sooooo much more out there these days, and higher quality too.
It's been dead for a while. The corpse just wouldn't admit to it. The industry and market have both moved on from what it was originally. Other things, communication vehicles and even venues have supplanted what it was. I have some memories of when I was able to attend, but even back then vendors/publishers complained how extraordinarily expensive it was to attend. Worse for the dev teams was how it wrecked their schedules to have to stop down to make an E3 demo and make sure it was what marketing wanted to show off.
There were other contributing factors, but I'd say expense was the leading one.
It's 2023. A full 35 years after the greatest Christmas movie ever released and we just now have a Nakatomi Plaza advent calendar. How much longer do we have to wait for Nakatomi Plaza inflatables complete with exploding chopper pad? Bonus if it has the optional armored car with a missile trail and explosion. We gotta wait for the 40 or 50 yr anniversary for those? May an inflatable air duct with cigarette lighter? Come on!
I'm scratching my head pretty hard here. Was there another game with the same premise as Aquaventure? I know I've heard/seen that before. The images don't ring a bell, but the synopsis sounds super familiar. Maybe I'm getting confused with a similar type game on a different system. It's been a few decades, so maybe.
Love that they're doing this. I hadn't picked up this collection yet, but it's on my short list.
I'm glad they showed B:AK. It would be the one I'd be most worried about. Honestly, this doesn't look nearly as bad as I thought it might. Not going to compare with other systems, but that's not the point here. Other than the more intense fights, this should be fine. Come to think of it, I'm rather surprised how well some developers have done porting large open world games to Switch. The system was certainly not designed with those kinds of games in mind. I have wondered if Nintendo is taking this more into consideration taking queues from PS5 and Xbox on how they approach hardware design to support open world games.
Dang it. Now I gotta go fire up AA and start the whole series over just to pay tribute to Conroy. RIP
Super hyped for this one. I never played the original. Picked up the first game on the Switch. Haven't finished it, but have enjoyed visiting the origins of the genre.
LOVE how the game looks in the announcement trailer. Assuming they will have some key QoL features, this should be an instant buy.
Not a ton here that catches my eye. I wish the 1st party stuff would hit 50%, but that'll just never happen. It's a brand value thing that Nintendo will just never allow.
As a gamer, Steam sales have just wrecked my sense of value. For just about any game on Steam, you can just wait a year until the next big sale and the game will eventually knock down to 50-75%. Even big name titles usually get a big drop at about the year mark on the next big sale.
Or, at least I wish more games had demos on Switch so I could get a better feel if I want it on Switch to play on the go, or just go with Steam and not worry about most performance issues.
@Tyranexx Didn't those games have some irritating performance issues on Switch? I keep thinking about getting them for my kids, but I don't want them to get frustrated if it runs too slow
Looks very tempting. Hopefully they've designed the game to keep RNG in check. That's always the worst thing in these games when RNG just pummels you relentlessly. Ruins the fun pretty fast.
This sounds like maybe this was going to be a mobile game but got moved to the Switch? The shallow nature has more of a mobile game feel. My kids have a ton of those shallow dress up games. I guess they enjoy them well enough. I assume there won't be much in the way of new features after launch.
Ya, "not accurate" means anything "from a certain point of view." It's fine, Nintendo. Those that track your comments don't care. We have all the current model hardware we're going to buy. Little Timmy's parents that are going to buy something this holiday aren't within earshot of your comments. Move along. Nothing to see here.
I'm still pleased with how much the Switch has performed for an older SoC before it was even a final product. Kudos, Nintendo and Nvidia. I'm sure the next hardware will disappoint those that demand the next console compete with PS5+. I don't care. Just give us a bump up with a the ability to generate a solid 60fps for more open world games and maybe more consistent 1080 rendering docked. Anything beyond that isn't really core to what a Nintendo normally tries to be. Raytracing? Eh. To me that's not core to what a Nintendo system needs to be.
Safe bet this is all about the license on the music. Either the DLC has a different license arrangement, or just hasn't expired yet. Just the nature of the genre. I should get a physical drum controller for this. I never got really into the game because using the joy cons like drum sticks seemed like a great idea, but in practice they're not accurate enough.
@DTFaux My thoughts as well. My usual frustration with rouge-like/lite is that RNG can be a little too brutal in a row. That just ruins the experience because there's nothing you can do. Skill might be able to get around a string of nasty RNG, and that is basically what these game hope will happen, but it also raises the barrier of enjoyment for me. Arcade-like titles are usually more about pattern recognition and memorization of enemy placement/movement. Usually a linear path of progression to learn how to beat the game.
IDK about this. Atari has been doing better, but it's not enough of a track record for me to have high confidence this won't wreck DE. I think some good things could come from it: 1) if DE can work on Atari's vast IP catalog. 2) For sure as long as DE can take work from outside of Atari. But, this is the point I'm most concerned with. It could easily get into a conflict of interest, or conflict of priority when it comes to meeting Atari's financial performance schedule - which is the same fate most developers suffer when they get bought by a publisher. I'll hold judgement, but I'm not real favorable to this news.
TL;DR: They discovered people hate IAP and aren't buying moonstones in the game. W/o injecting ads, like a mobile game, the only way to make money is with the upfront purchase. This means continued support will require that the game keeps selling, or enough whales show up to fund the live service with continuous Moonstone purchases. Which is pretty much like any mobile game, right?
The core issues that Nintendo need to address I'd say aren't necessarily related to the hardware. Sure, better ergonomics would be great, but the main issue we've all struggled with is Nintendo's policy and practice of how they handle being online. It was so archaic when the Switch launched, and it hasn't gotten any better. There really needs to be a better approach to online as a whole, and family libraries as they want a whole family to each have their own device. Or, making it easier for one individual to own and use multiple devices. I'd love to keep one in the living room connected to the tv, but then have a second one for on the go. Yes, you can do that, but it's a pain to juggle the login/connection between the two. There are better ways to do handle it.
I want to say the wifi download, but meh.. it sucks, but not something you have to deal with constantly either.
As others said, eshop... yes, please. discoverability is probably the worst of all digital storefronts. Needs a complete redesign from the ground up. If the next Switch device is going to be backward compatible, then adding another 5-7years of releases on top of the existing store catalog is only going to make things exponentially worse.
Okay, serious question. How is it 2023 and near the end of the Switch 1 era and we STILL do not have Costume Quest 1 & 2 on the Switch? Awesome games that really deserve to be on the platform.
Far more accurate to say there is lore/setting influence from Spirited Away than the art style of Studio Ghibli; of which there is NONE. The portrait panels... ugh. They don't really feel like they fit the setting. Almost like two different art teams worked on the project. The idea isn't bad, but this trailer feels too much like a hardsell because you can't quite get the detail without the exposition. That's a bad thing.
I hope the controls are better than what I see in that video. I get that the original game was KBM, but there's no excuse for not having good analog controls in this era of console games. Still, I'm really hoping this is good. I enjoyed the original game a ton. It's been more than long enough since I've played it last that it would be a new experience again.
I'm guessing it's probably the music license. BUT, the name confusion idea has a lot of merit. I know a few years back when you searched for some combination of 3DS or 2DS XL, etc. on Amazon you'd get a real confusing mix of results. Given how many variants there are of the Switch now (OG, OLED, Lite and all the color and theme variants), I could see if the name isn't drastically different that parents doing searches may get confused on which model is the newest. If you're not always in the know, I could see it's not necessarily easy to tell.
BUT, it's the music license, because licenses suck.
Comments 523
Re: Macross: Shooting Instinct Is Bringing Slick Shmup Action To The West This Year
Had to poke around for the trailer. Can't tell exactly what kind of shooting this game is using. That 3rd person section seems odd.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODrMnIAMDI0
Re: Macross: Shooting Instinct Is Bringing Slick Shmup Action To The West This Year
@Spider-Kev I couldn't get past the issue on that comic. It was bad. The old 90s novels though weren't bad. I need to go back and reread the last book that's not part of the numbered series that wraps it up though. For some reason I don't remember much from it compared to the numbered series. I'm starting to wonder if I actually finished. I was probably starting college and maybe I didn't get past the first chapters or something.
Re: Review: Unicorn Overlord (Switch) - A Crowning Tactical RPG Achievement For Vanillaware
Ugh, I think I find myself holding out hope this thing gets Switch 2 upgrade on graphics. So tempting to jump in now and a replay if there is an update. Vs waiting to see if that might actually happen. But, I suspect it won't.
Re: Review: Top Racer Collection (Switch) - Three Classic Racers And The Odd Backfire
I've been waiting for this release, but now I'm debating if I should just stick with Horizon. I picked that up a while back, and have had some good fun with it. Sometimes it's really hard to go back home again, and now I'm thinking this might be one of those times. I might put it on my wishlist in case it goes on sale.
Re: Video: Digital Foundry's Technical Analysis Of Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster
I remember really enjoying this game when it came out. I hope I can still enjoy it now. My gaming experience is not the same as I get older; especially with older games.
Re: Review: Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! (Switch) - Game Freak's 3DS Gem Is Still A Prize Pony
So glad this came to Switch. My wife LOVED the original game. She was thrilled when I showed her the game was available. She rushed to download it and spent the evening thoroughly enjoying the game. Great that it's multiplayer. Our kids might enjoy this too and want to play against her. Awesome.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo Direct Predictions - What Do You Hope To See?
@FredsBodyDouble I wouldn't mind a remaster of 8. That was one of the first games my wife and I played through together. Fond memories of us together on the couch in our little apartment. The voice acting really helped bring the characters to life like never before. I've tried playing the mobile release a bunch of years back, but the portrait only mode just didn't work for me.
Re: Poll: So, How Would You Rate The Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase?
This wasn't bad per say. But, if it's true that the next console is pushed to 2025, this isn't quite the caliber of titles you'd expect to help fill out the release calendar for 2024. These feel closer to near end of life lineup.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo Direct Predictions - What Do You Hope To See?
I hadn't considered Dragon Quest III HD-2D for this direct, but that would be awesome to see. Day one purchase almost certainly. Only hesitation would be price.
Re: Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Series For Switch On Sale, 20% Off Every Title & Bundle
@Woodyshoe FFIV
Re: Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Series For Switch On Sale, 20% Off Every Title & Bundle
Been eagerly waiting for this.
FF III (SNES) was the first game I bought music for. In the box was a flier for Kefka's Domain, a 3 CD set. I was completely blown away by this. The SNES music chops were so impressive. Still are even today. The music from the game really pushed what the system could do and the music composition was just top-notch. I still go back and revisit some key tracks from time to time.
https://www.last.fm/music/%E6%A4%8D%E6%9D%BE%E4%BC%B8%E5%A4%AB/Kefka%27s+Domain:+The+Complete+Soundtrack+from+the+Final+Fantasy+III+Video+Game
From what I've read, these aren't quite the remaster approach I would have preferred. Nothing significant, but a few decisions that probably keep it from being "perfect" I think. Still, looking forward to replaying a few of these. IV obviously, but some of the combat systems of earlier games were noteworthy.
Re: Random: Handheld Specialist Creates Prototype 'Switch Lite OLED' Mod
I love the idea of an OLED Lite. That would be an awesome SKU, but probably too small for Nintendo to explore. I always thought it was a little odd to put the OLED on the dockable model. But, I think Nintendo talked about some stats to show that even that model was used in handheld more time than docked. Seems to me that a premium Lite would have done well since you're always in handheld mode. Guess the numbers didn't support that. But, this is Nintendo we're talking about though. LOL
Re: Analysts Doubt 'Switch 2' Will Be Able To Top Switch's Mighty Sales Numbers
That Switch 2 won't expand Nintendo's audience is the first real analyst thought that wasn't overly obvious to everyone else. That's different from an adoption rate of hardware sales to existing customers. Something I hadn't considered. But, like with what happened with Switch, there has to be a killer app. While Mario Kart did a LOT for the system, I still think it was largely the wild success of Animal Crossing that established the breath of fan-base. Pretty sure it sold more systems than any other title. Not saying S2 needs another AC title, but it does need some kind of mass appeal IP title in the launch window. Ideally, something that will also help showcase the system.
I should note I am not trying to download MK8 or BotW. Both also sold systems, but I thought the unit sales of AC showed stronger correlation to system sales from the analysis I read a few years back.
Re: "Spiritual Successor" To The CD-i Zelda Games, Arzette, Comes To Switch Next Month
OMG, my brain does not know what to make of this. Super cool that someone decided to do this, but LOL... the original was just so bad. I guess it's an interesting bit of history to preserve.
Re: Random: Sakurai Takes A Stand Against CGI Game Trailers
Doubt there is a gamer that would disagree with his statement. GCI teaser might not be too bad; though I kinda dislike teasers in general. Some rendered trailer bit to help communicate setting, theme, tone faster isn't bad as long as it leads to showing gameplay.
I might say that there are a few IP, specifically FF, where you do kinda want to see some of the rendered stuff though. But, that's kind of the exception. And, you totally still want to see what combat is going to be like.
Oh, and we add the overuse of title cards at the start of trailers? BLEH
Re: Godzilla To Unleash Total Destruction In New Minecraft DLC
I didn't get to see Minus One in theaters. It's on my must watch list for when it hits digital.
Godzilla wrecking Minecraft villages? LOL! Yes, please.
Re: Random: Hyperkin's Latest Switch-Compatible Controller Is... A Hot Dog?
When you see something that is both stupid and awesome at the same time. LOL!
Re: Don't Expect A Remake Of Final Fantasy 6 Soon, If Ever
They shouldn't try to go the rebirth route for this classic. 2D-HD is all we need since they already did a lot of work on the QoL stuff.
Come on, give is 2D-HD Kefka visage!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpI8xMfaOIk
Re: Square Enix To Slim Down Its Gaming Lineup To Ensure Higher Quality
Would enjoy seeing what games like Harvestella would have been like if they had gotten more attention and polish. My wife says it's not a bad game. She rather enjoyed it. But, it's not as polished as it could be. I think they are taking the right stance.
But, really, slimming down the lineup also means taking fewer chances. Putting more focus on what's planed would, in theory - a game theory (thx matpat), help to ensure higher sales success. I'm actually okay with that as long as it it doesn't preclude them from trying titles like Octopath Traveler or Harvestella. For gamers, that would be the risk of the slimmer lineup.
Re: Poll: How Much Internal Storage Would Be Reasonable For 'Switch 2'?
As much as I'd love to have mass internal storage, that will increase the price quickly. Unless they are designing the system in a similar fashion like Series X and PS5 for rapid transfer, I don't see the advantage of mass internal storage vs allowing SD like we have today. Unless the system is going to be able really utilize either lots of or very high rez textures, I'm not sure a portable system would need that kind of technology. I'd rather have them invest in being able to deliver rock solid 60fps and longer battery life than rapid or large internal storage.
That is unless that's where they're going and 1st party games are already going to push a 32/64gb design to the limit. I just don't see it, especially if they want to keep below $500, which they need to for a portable system. I'd say $399 max. So, what ever storage size fits into that product cost range.
Re: Dungeon-Crawling RPG Legend Of Grimrock Is Getting A Switch Release
So, the controls. If they changed them to be touch control instead of dragging around a pointer with the stick, that would be an interesting enough change I'd be tempted to pick up the Switch version. I'd think party management would be easier like that - push a button on the screen to perform that character's attack. You'd have faster reflex time vs a mouse. IF that's how it's going to work. Hopefully they aren't trying to do something like snap moves. I guess that might work. You'd just have to train muscle memory on how many presses it takes to get to what you want to click on. But, dragging a pointer with the thumb stick? That would be a dumb choice.
I think the Switch should be able to do a decent visual port of the game. I don't remember the graphics being overly demanding. Ya, Steam page says like a 7600. At the lower 720 rez I don't think Switch should have any problems with performance.
Will keep an eye out for control details. Might be interesting to play if it's touch controls.
Re: Dungeon-Crawling RPG Legend Of Grimrock Is Getting A Switch Release
@PKDuckman DANG! It never, ever, even occurred to me to look for other maps. TIL indeed! Wonder if there are any shader mods that might also give it a little more polish. Gotta go dust it off now.
Re: Talking Point: Our 2024 Nintendo Gaming Predictions
I think Nintendo will have to do a big Direct in March before the end of their fiscal year. While many say the Switch announcement will be in April, I think that may only happen depending on their earning performance for the year end. They will either end the year on a bang with the announcement, or ride the wave with whatever the real numbers are from holiday sales. Then start the new fiscal year with the announcement. I guess it probably makes more sense to start the year with the announcement than to end it. hmm, ya maybe I'm switching my vote to April as well. Either way, I think it depends on their earnings performance. Regardless, I'm 90% sure the system will launch in November 2024. I think they would face significantly slower hardware sales if they don't. Holding out another year is just going to cause the market to hold its breath at that point holding out for the inevitable announcement before buying any more hardware. I would.
Re: Square Enix To Be "Aggressive In Applying" AI Going Forwards
Hopefully we're still a good ways off before companies are fully comfortable to replace programmers with AI. However, it did hit me that I could see using AI as a code assist w/o threating jobs. Like, we've seen several times where a game runs into some kind of bug or issue say with UE 4.x. The dev team figures out a solution that isn't immediately incorporated into UE. The next dev team (same publisher) or project is going to run into the same thing. Having AI learn about the issue can be trained as a code QA tool to alert if that same error, or eventually detect any kind of error, is present in the current build. That would save a lot of headache during production avoiding repeated mistakes. Or, further, once it's trained on optimizations it can verify the most optimal solution is being used. Eventually the AI will write the code, but it's going to take a lot of training before we're at that point to replace a whole team.
It's also interesting to consider the use of generative AI by non-artists. For example, a producer or maybe even a game designer that isn't good with drawing trying to communicate their vision for a key character. Can use prompts to work through iterations to generate the visual that matches what is in their head. Not saying that ends up in the game, but I could see it as a way to reduce having to go back-and-forth in emails or even in a meeting trying to make it clear what's in someone's head that isn't being communicated well. Just describe it to the AI and refine until you see it front of you. There are still design principles that should be followed before it's considered a finished work to be used in production, but it helps communicate the idea better.
Will AI eventually do it all? Well, ya. Even Star Trek depicts this with the holodeck. You walk in, give the computer a few prompts, and the AI does the heavy lifting. There are still holodeck designers much like a game designer or maybe a producer. You have to control the experience you're going for. But, for building the thing, AI will eventually take over. There will be the start of the tipping point where we have to worry about mass job loss. I think we're still at least a few years from that at scale. I hope.
Re: Sega Reveals New Details For Shinobi, Jet Set Radio, Streets Of Rage Revivals
Lot of mixed feelings here. I'll stick with just 2 titles: SoR4, I don't feel it needs more love just yet. It's a solid game and the DLC was a nice end piece. The game game was an awesome love letter to old school beat 'em ups. I'm still playing survival from time to time to try to further hone my skills. Plus, moving to full 3D? meeeeeeh That will give a totally different feel that I'm not sure I want.
GA? Okay, ya I guess most of these are at an age where some kind of remaster/reboot/restart like they did with SoR might be a good thing. But, I don't think GA has the same kind of love that SoR did. It was a great arcade title, and at the time it made some noise on the console, but there's a reason it mostly ended on the 2nd game - let's not talk about that abomination GA3. If they did the same kind of love letter treatment ala SoR? maybe. But, those are different games. Do I want a modern fantasy beat'em up? Hell ya. idk, maybe that same love letter thing is the way to go? hmmm
Re: Point-And-Click Adventure Classics Pajama Sam 3 And Freddi Fish 4 Are Coming To Nintendo Switch
When my first kid was born I tried looking for these old edutainment titles; especially the Reader and Math Rabbit stuff. Disappointed to find the classic titles weren't available outside of some bargain bin or maybe Goodwill store. But, I was more surprised to see that the idea kinda died out. Sorta. I guess these days we have stuff like ABC Academy (don't sub, just don't) and other newer concepts. Oh, well. My kids didn't end up needing any of that stuff. The nostalgia is there to see these titles, but meh, I kinda don't see the point to actually get a kid to play them. There's sooooo much more out there these days, and higher quality too.
Re: E3 Has Been Cancelled, Permanently
It's been dead for a while. The corpse just wouldn't admit to it. The industry and market have both moved on from what it was originally. Other things, communication vehicles and even venues have supplanted what it was. I have some memories of when I was able to attend, but even back then vendors/publishers complained how extraordinarily expensive it was to attend. Worse for the dev teams was how it wrecked their schedules to have to stop down to make an E3 demo and make sure it was what marketing wanted to show off.
There were other contributing factors, but I'd say expense was the leading one.
Re: Now Tin Hearts Has Free 'Die Hard' Content, Ho Ho Ho
It's 2023. A full 35 years after the greatest Christmas movie ever released and we just now have a Nakatomi Plaza advent calendar. How much longer do we have to wait for Nakatomi Plaza inflatables complete with exploding chopper pad? Bonus if it has the optional armored car with a missile trail and explosion. We gotta wait for the 40 or 50 yr anniversary for those? May an inflatable air duct with cigarette lighter? Come on!
Re: Hands On: Atari 50 Gets Even Better With Adventure II, Warbirds, And More
@joey302 AHHH, ya, there you go. thx
Re: Hands On: Atari 50 Gets Even Better With Adventure II, Warbirds, And More
I'm scratching my head pretty hard here. Was there another game with the same premise as Aquaventure? I know I've heard/seen that before. The images don't ring a bell, but the synopsis sounds super familiar. Maybe I'm getting confused with a similar type game on a different system. It's been a few decades, so maybe.
Love that they're doing this. I hadn't picked up this collection yet, but it's on my short list.
Re: Contra: Operation Galuga Trailer Showcases Guns, Aliens, And Probotector
Yup, looks like it's closer to Contra formula. Hopefully they nail the co-op. That's where the fun is really at.
Re: We’ve Played Batman: Arkham Knight On Switch - Here’s 17 Minutes Of Gameplay
RIP Kevin Conroy.
I'm glad they showed B:AK. It would be the one I'd be most worried about. Honestly, this doesn't look nearly as bad as I thought it might. Not going to compare with other systems, but that's not the point here. Other than the more intense fights, this should be fine. Come to think of it, I'm rather surprised how well some developers have done porting large open world games to Switch. The system was certainly not designed with those kinds of games in mind. I have wondered if Nintendo is taking this more into consideration taking queues from PS5 and Xbox on how they approach hardware design to support open world games.
Dang it. Now I gotta go fire up AA and start the whole series over just to pay tribute to Conroy. RIP
Re: Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Is Now Being Playtested, Says Series Creator
Super hyped for this one. I never played the original. Picked up the first game on the Switch. Haven't finished it, but have enjoyed visiting the origins of the genre.
LOVE how the game looks in the announcement trailer. Assuming they will have some key QoL features, this should be an instant buy.
Re: Nintendo Of America Announces Cyber Deals eShop Sale, Up To 80% Off
Not a ton here that catches my eye. I wish the 1st party stuff would hit 50%, but that'll just never happen. It's a brand value thing that Nintendo will just never allow.
As a gamer, Steam sales have just wrecked my sense of value. For just about any game on Steam, you can just wait a year until the next big sale and the game will eventually knock down to 50-75%. Even big name titles usually get a big drop at about the year mark on the next big sale.
Or, at least I wish more games had demos on Switch so I could get a better feel if I want it on Switch to play on the go, or just go with Steam and not worry about most performance issues.
Re: Nintendo Of America Announces Cyber Deals eShop Sale, Up To 80% Off
@Tyranexx Didn't those games have some irritating performance issues on Switch? I keep thinking about getting them for my kids, but I don't want them to get frustrated if it runs too slow
Re: 'This Means Warp' Mixes Overcooked-Style Co-Op And Sci-Fi Space Battles On Switch This Month
Looks very tempting. Hopefully they've designed the game to keep RNG in check. That's always the worst thing in these games when RNG just pummels you relentlessly. Ruins the fun pretty fast.
Re: Review: Fashion Dreamer - Some Decent Dress-Up, But Lacks Style Savvy's Depth
This sounds like maybe this was going to be a mobile game but got moved to the Switch? The shallow nature has more of a mobile game feel. My kids have a ton of those shallow dress up games. I guess they enjoy them well enough. I assume there won't be much in the way of new features after launch.
Re: Shuntaro Furukawa Claims Recent 'Switch 2' Rumours Are Not Accurate
Ya, "not accurate" means anything "from a certain point of view." It's fine, Nintendo. Those that track your comments don't care. We have all the current model hardware we're going to buy. Little Timmy's parents that are going to buy something this holiday aren't within earshot of your comments. Move along. Nothing to see here.
I'm still pleased with how much the Switch has performed for an older SoC before it was even a final product. Kudos, Nintendo and Nvidia. I'm sure the next hardware will disappoint those that demand the next console compete with PS5+. I don't care. Just give us a bump up with a the ability to generate a solid 60fps for more open world games and maybe more consistent 1080 rendering docked. Anything beyond that isn't really core to what a Nintendo normally tries to be. Raytracing? Eh. To me that's not core to what a Nintendo system needs to be.
Re: Bandai Namco Ending Sales Of Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun! Later This Month
@Yalloo Thanks for the warning about the drum. I never did look at touchscreen. Guess I was afraid to beat my Switch to death. Worth a look. LOL
Re: Bandai Namco Ending Sales Of Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'n' Fun! Later This Month
Safe bet this is all about the license on the music. Either the DLC has a different license arrangement, or just hasn't expired yet. Just the nature of the genre. I should get a physical drum controller for this. I never got really into the game because using the joy cons like drum sticks seemed like a great idea, but in practice they're not accurate enough.
Re: 'Ninja Or Die' Is One Of The Most Stylish Retro Games On Switch, And It's Out Now
@DTFaux My thoughts as well. My usual frustration with rouge-like/lite is that RNG can be a little too brutal in a row. That just ruins the experience because there's nothing you can do. Skill might be able to get around a string of nasty RNG, and that is basically what these game hope will happen, but it also raises the barrier of enjoyment for me. Arcade-like titles are usually more about pattern recognition and memorization of enemy placement/movement. Usually a linear path of progression to learn how to beat the game.
Re: Atari Acquires Retro Specialist Digital Eclipse
IDK about this. Atari has been doing better, but it's not enough of a track record for me to have high confidence this won't wreck DE. I think some good things could come from it: 1) if DE can work on Atari's vast IP catalog. 2) For sure as long as DE can take work from outside of Atari. But, this is the point I'm most concerned with. It could easily get into a conflict of interest, or conflict of priority when it comes to meeting Atari's financial performance schedule - which is the same fate most developers suffer when they get bought by a publisher. I'll hold judgement, but I'm not real favorable to this news.
Re: Disney Dreamlight Valley Will No Longer Be Free-To-Play When It Leaves Early Access In December
TL;DR: They discovered people hate IAP and aren't buying moonstones in the game. W/o injecting ads, like a mobile game, the only way to make money is with the upfront purchase. This means continued support will require that the game keeps selling, or enough whales show up to fund the live service with continuous Moonstone purchases. Which is pretty much like any mobile game, right?
Re: Talking Point: Along With Joy-Con Drift, What Does Nintendo Have To 'Fix' With 'Switch 2'?
The core issues that Nintendo need to address I'd say aren't necessarily related to the hardware. Sure, better ergonomics would be great, but the main issue we've all struggled with is Nintendo's policy and practice of how they handle being online. It was so archaic when the Switch launched, and it hasn't gotten any better. There really needs to be a better approach to online as a whole, and family libraries as they want a whole family to each have their own device. Or, making it easier for one individual to own and use multiple devices. I'd love to keep one in the living room connected to the tv, but then have a second one for on the go. Yes, you can do that, but it's a pain to juggle the login/connection between the two. There are better ways to do handle it.
I want to say the wifi download, but meh.. it sucks, but not something you have to deal with constantly either.
As others said, eshop... yes, please. discoverability is probably the worst of all digital storefronts. Needs a complete redesign from the ground up. If the next Switch device is going to be backward compatible, then adding another 5-7years of releases on top of the existing store catalog is only going to make things exponentially worse.
Re: Grab Some Spooky Savings In The Switch eShop Screaming Deals Sale (North America)
Okay, serious question. How is it 2023 and near the end of the Switch 1 era and we STILL do not have Costume Quest 1 & 2 on the Switch? Awesome games that really deserve to be on the platform.
Re: Stylish Roguelite 'Astral Ascent' Is Looking Seriously Slick
TIL, I'd totally watch 16-bit style anime.
Re: Random: Place Your Bets On How Long This Super Mario-Sampling Rap Track Stays Live
If you made the mistake of clicking that video, use this to rinse the taste out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfVsfOSbJY0
Re: Spirittea Blends Stardew Valley With Studio Ghibli On Switch In November
Far more accurate to say there is lore/setting influence from Spirited Away than the art style of Studio Ghibli; of which there is NONE. The portrait panels... ugh. They don't really feel like they fit the setting. Almost like two different art teams worked on the project. The idea isn't bad, but this trailer feels too much like a hardsell because you can't quite get the detail without the exposition. That's a bad thing.
Re: Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster Blasts Onto Switch Next February
I hope the controls are better than what I see in that video. I get that the original game was KBM, but there's no excuse for not having good analog controls in this era of console games. Still, I'm really hoping this is good. I enjoyed the original game a ton. It's been more than long enough since I've played it last that it would be a new experience again.
Re: The Original Switch Reveal Trailer Has Been Removed From Nintendo's YouTube Channel
I'm guessing it's probably the music license. BUT, the name confusion idea has a lot of merit. I know a few years back when you searched for some combination of 3DS or 2DS XL, etc. on Amazon you'd get a real confusing mix of results. Given how many variants there are of the Switch now (OG, OLED, Lite and all the color and theme variants), I could see if the name isn't drastically different that parents doing searches may get confused on which model is the newest. If you're not always in the know, I could see it's not necessarily easy to tell.
BUT, it's the music license, because licenses suck.