Diowine

Nintendo is really pushing it to the limit this gen. They need to do some serious announcements even before Luigi's Mansion launch . Only 2 Nintendo games at sight and both are remakes from 3 gens ago with downgraded fps.

Not too important, specially for a low paced RPG. But it is a Gamecube game remake that already ran at 60FPS. That bothers me, feels lazy like the Tales of Symphonia remake. Doesn't sound too difficult for a game like that to be 60fps. Like it should not not even be hard for an aged system like the Switch today.

@PikminMarioKirby exactly this. Couldn't care less about how it connects, just use hal-effect or anything needed to stop drifting and I am in.

@Serpenterror Yes most people seemed to like it. Both critics, newcomers and old fans alike.
You can say you didn't like the remakes and it's perfect, but saying that they are garbage is nothing more than bait. "I know which one is garbage" Yes, everyone else is bad you are right....

Not a single mention in the post nor in the comments about Hades 2 shows how unlikely it is to be shown, but anyways that is my biggest hope, knowing that Earthblade has been delayed from this year and at this point not knowing if Silksong really exists or if it is just a concept we all imagined but is never really happening.

Both Prince of Persia and, specially, Dead Cells are names I like so I am most probably going to get it.
But although they already proved themselves great at 2d Roguelikes, I was expecting a new different route from the Dead Cells developers when they announced that they were over with that one.
Anyways good news in a very week year of gaming news

I loved SMT5, one of my favorite JRPGs in the last decade, yes the story was horrible but the mechanics and the challenge were great....
But this is a horrible practice from Atlus. Even the hated GameFreak stopped doing this and just released new content as DLC instead of a new "better and longer version of the same game". Just for principles there is no way I am paying for this.

@somnambulance yes totally agree. Covering both my platforms, the only remaining games for 2024 with release dates available for me are TTYD and Shadow of The Erdtree, which is a DLC anyways.
Very weak year in gaming compared to the last few.

I am glad they are taking their time to deliver a great game, anything close to Celeste is great.
But this was the only game other than Paper Mario that I was expecting for 2024 related to the Switch (Having already discarded both Hades 2 and Silksong for this year).
Sad but not surprised

TOTK is objectively better ofc, it is the same as BOTW but bigger, with better mechanics and a better story but.... I just prefer BOTW.
The best part of these games by far is the sense of adventure and discovering new areas, and altough there were certain changes to the map in the sequel + the addition of that underworld and sky islands; the underground is very repetitive and the islands are just not too many nor big enough.
Discovering the BOTW map for the first time is something unmatched that TOTK simply couldn't replicate.

@OldGamer999 yes totally unrelated comment you made. But I honestly agree and haven't bought any game for Switch since TOTK; having only finished older games in my backlog since then and moved into PS5 completely. The new system needs to be announced yesterday

@Tasuki

@SpaceboyScreams sounds harsh... but I agree with everything you said. They killed the franchise for me with the last 2 mainline entries. But sadly the sales say otherwise and people are still praising them for their "attempt" at open world, when they have done a horrible job at that too. They already had the budget and still created a mess of a game.
Also regarding the lack of challenge. People still defend them arguing that it's targeted for children.. C'mon! Very Poor excuse, children can deal much higher challenges than that and most R/B and G/S era are still buying these, so it's no excuse.

@Bratwurst35 XD!!
Yep dumpster, bottom of the trash can, etc etc, seems like my comment stressed you out, sorry for that.
To the contrary to that exaggeration, I never said 8 is bad . But reducing 2 points, a full 20% of the full mark only due to some random, not even constant, resolution issues sounds too harsh. Seems like, from the review, they could probably have given it a 9.
Again, not a game for me, but probably a 9 for it's target audience if frame rate is the only issue.

Considering this is a kid's game, so no one can be dissapointed by that, and that the only listed issues are frame rate and resolution, an 8 seems a little low maybe? I know this is not a game for me, but considering the audience I was expecting a 9 if those were the only issues

@HeadPirate definitively and I agree with you.
But if you are referring to my Pokemon reference by any chance, it's not that we have grown better, I played and left the last couple entries in disappointment. Like, honestly without grinding you could beat the whole games just with your starter without a sweat.
And if I jump back to f.ex Emerald or to Soul Silver now, those are much more challenging. Not SMT level close by any chance ofc, but definitively in a level that is fun still at least

@HeadPirate XD yes, that is most probably going to happen.
Definitively it is not targeted for me and I will not play it, but happy to see a "New" IP (?) that many people seem to be looking forward to.
I just get sad when stablished franchises such as Pokemon go from at least a little challenge to the whatever it is that we are getting nowadays with the latest entries.
But this one is clearly on the super easy side from the start and not fooling/deceiving any fan and that is good I believe

This may be a (very expected, we all knew it was going to be in sale sooner rather than later) sign to pick up my Switch for the first time this year. It has been collecting dust for a while, while I focus on other consoles.
After Paper Mario there seems to be nothing more left for me on the Switch sadly.

Mid. Third party games have never been among Nintendo Consoles' strongest selling point, it just doesn't have the technical power to compete against other platforms where you would end up playing these with better quality and even sometimes included in their subscription services.
This unless ofc the game really benefits from the handheld option.
But still, I was hoping for a little more from Square Enix and others.

So the best part was definitely the Shadow of the Erdtree trailer

Definitely I am not in the target audience, but seems specially nice for kids. Hope it does well anyways

@Znake great recommendation thanks. I have been looking for a nice 2D platformer Challenge for a while, something in the Celesteish style for example, or similar, and though Mario Wonder looks beautiful, the lack of challenge mentioned by mostly everyone made me look elsewhere.

I'll be honest, I've never played a DK country game. The only DK game that I have ever played was at the same time my first console game ever: DK64, and the nostalgia is huge with that one, I love it no matter what anyone says about it.
But I have been tempted to give Tropical Freeze a try for a long time, and considering how weak this 2024 year in gaming looks right now for all platforms, this may be the year.

@XiaoShao @bluemage1989 @Qwiff As I have stated above, I completely disagree with his position regarding those games. Again, it's not just those "pretentious journalists overhyping" the game, it's the user scores all over the place and the comments online that by a huge majority praise the game.
But this time I disagree with removing his comment, it is related to the game in the article and opened a debate. Does not seem like he is trolling nor insulting anyone. Shouldn't have been removed.

Update: Though, I agree that saying that a game is rubbish when the article mentions related layoffs is a little harsh ofc. Not too nice having that as the first of the comments, but anyways I wouldn't have removed it.

If this is true, then considering the current 2024 Switch lineup, as is that of both PS5 and XBox, this looks like the weakest year in gaming that I can remember.
FFVII Rebirth and Paper Mario TTYD for me maybe, but nothing else at sight, unless there is a shadow drop for either Silksong and/or Hades II by EOY, but seems unlikely.

@bluemage1989 "Disco Elysium was rubbish anyway"
Yeah I won't lie, that take got my attention, not sure if bait.
So I wanted to know what you considered a masterpiece and according to your user scores, a game like Persona 4 Golden is a 1/10, and both BOTW and Hollow Knight are 8/10 but Pokemon Brilliant/DIamond is a 10/10 and Pokemon SV is a 9/10! (wtf)....
It's ok to have a different taste, it's only that yours is definitively against the general consensus.
So yeah... Disco Elysium = Masterpiece as both critics and Audience have constantly stated, not Garbage.
I got really bored with Animal Crossing for example, but I am not saying it is garbage, just not my cup of tea.
You can like it or not but can't say it's garbage because it is objectively wrong.

All I care about here is the "a full-fat February Nintendo Direct is probably off the cards..." piece sadly.
Other than older games (Ori and Metroid Dread) that I had pending and finally found the time to buy and play due to the lack of new games, there has been no Switch game for me since TOTK. Only looking forward to MP TTYD, and nothing else from Nintendo at the moment. Sad

Keep them dual and maybe let the current ones be compatible for multiplayer if possible, not a must, but please please PLEASE let's have new controllers that don't drift again. Joy cons are beautiful and the PS5' Dualsense is amazing but in the end both are drifting garbage.
Fix it for the new gen. Either return to old sticks or implement hall sensor ones. Don't be cheap

@Euler Not a chance that the next Nintendo console launches after 2026, not even after 2025. It has really shown it's age by now as mentioned by @KoopaTheGamer. It will happen this year or the next

@Ryu_Niiyama I honestly expect not only Metroid Prime 4 as a launch year title, but also a new 3d Mario which is long due and hopefully a new Mario Kart too.
Just give me 2/3 of that as a release lineup and count me in.

So, officially no Switch 2 announcement in this week's Nintendo Direct at the current rate, they just want to reach that milestone.
Jokes aside, they will reach that number this year with or without a new console announcement probably. Big numbers

So... we are betting on a Nintendo Direct due for Wednesday Feb. 7h based on recent trends? ...Please?

One of my favorite JRPG games of all time. Played both twice and I liked this one better both times. The random battles may not be the way to go for today's standards but such good games anyways

@dr-gorgo nah they only do that with AAA Nintendo titles. They are less forgiving with third party titles. Also as pointed out by @anothergamer100, it is also doing great at Metacritic, so I think the score seems legit

~10% did not even finish the game, (including myself), on a gaming site poll. Adding kids to that poll who don't get into this page, and who are the main target of mainline Pokemon games nowadays, would just increase that % I believe.
Just shows how bad and boring these games have become

Everyone complaining about humanoid / bipedal Pokemon, yet Mewscarada being voted as the most popular.... Yeah maybe that is the same case as with the recent absolute lack of challenge in those games; maybe that is part of why they sell so well even if I can't understand it.
Seems like it is really time for me to turn the page and leave this franchise behind for good. Definitively not their target anymore (been playing since Crystal version in my GBA)

Baldur's Gate 3 definitively. It is a game that I really want to play but with a portable option (Don't own SteamDeck), not in my PS5. I just want to lay down and play it on the couch in handheld mode.
Other Action (Resident Evil 2) or SoulsBorne (Elden Ring) games are just better on a big screen with the most powerful console available, so not those

My main console has mostly always been from Nintendo, and the portability of the Switch is a huge benefit when deciding where to play some multiplatform games, specially puzzle games (Tetris Connected), JRPGS (Persona 5, DQ11), and/or MetroidVanias or Roguelites (Hades, Dead Cells, Hollow Knight, Ori). But when it comes to Shooters/Battle Royales (Fortnite) or Action RPGS (Soulsborne / Witcher 3) I find it awkward playing it on the Switch compared to a PS4/5. So, even though both Elden Ring and RDR2 are easily on my top 5 all time games, I wouldn't replay them on a Switch/2 like console unless it was my only console ofc. Just not the same experience.

Easy win for Zelda TOTK this year.
Honestly surprised about the amount of love received by Xenoblade Chronicles in the past few years, happy for the fans. Also surprised about Dragon Quest beating FR Three Houses in 2019. All great games

Huge Banjo & Kazooie fan but we are talking about which reveal trailer was the best and I just can't take Sephiroth's out of my mind

Well, I think Nintendo will have a hard time improving both MK and Smash for the next gen, as both last entries were really superb (well... you could actually very easily improve Smash with just good Online support and modes).
My only fear is that this is the peak for both franchises and everything else is just downhill, as happened to Paper Mario after TTYD. But see that hardly happening to 2 of it's best franchises

Anywhere where the Gerudo Valley theme is playing.
And lon lon ranch ofc

@BodkinDQ Yess, not sure If I will go directly into Maddening.
TBH In 3H I went first with Hard difficulty on Crimson Flower route. Then did the others on Maddenning in New Game. So I will test it out first.

@SpoonySpoons Thank you! I think I will

@Indielink @BodkinDQ @SpoonySpoons thank you all for the feedback. From your comments I can reaffirm that the gameplay is superb (if you like FE ofc) but the story and all things outside of battle are a downgrade compared to 3H.
Well, story is always important but based on your comments I think I will give it a chance.
For example I am one of the few that preferred SMTV (Superb Gameplay and Challenge but tedious story and characters) than P5R (Great life sim and story, made too long, but almost no challenge and not as good strategy needed in battles; other than a couple gimmicky bosses)
I would prefer a better story sure, but in battles is where you spend most time in a FE game so it does not sound too bad.
Thanks!

Fire Emblem Engage is tempting to me. I will think about that one.
Loved Three Houses, played all the campaigns on Maddening and loved every second, but heard that this last entry was bad in comparison, hence the hesitation

I love Mario and Jrpgs, but the latter tend to take several hours to finish, therefore I personally require 2 things from them: A good story/world and at least a decent challenge. Seems like although it succeeds in the first department, is a little bland on the difficulty.
I will pass on this one for that reason but happy for the fans

Thank you both @TotalHenshin @Wisps for the honest feedback. Yes that easy difficulty you mention and that the final review puts as a con sadly holds me from buying. Happy for the fans anyways, looks beautiful.

mmm lower than Wonder? I was expecting the same or even better. Well, Wonder ended up receiving GOTY nomination so I shouldn't complain I guess.
Never played the original so I am waiting for this one to drop on Friday, just hoping that it has at least normal JRPG challenge levels and not recent pokemon titles' nonsense kind of non existing difficulty, but being a Mario game I am skeptical (for recency titles, not historical ones which had fun challenge levels)

Who is part of that 4% who voted for Majora's?? Like really, I could agree or understand that it is your favorite Zelda game, but the story happens after the events of Ocarina of Time.
Definitively not the most accessible nor best option to adapt first.
It should either be Ocarina or a Link to the Past. Skyward Sword would be 3rd, but not the best choice either.