Discostew

@Dirty0814 It's a port of a more recent game that's not even a year old. A game that is a lot bigger on other platforms. To be able to fit it onto a 16GB card, they would have had to cut more out of it just to barely fit it in.

@RobotReptile I believe it's 15GB, but that is just over the amount a 16GB cart would have (which is 14.9GiB). And the cart would need space for the relevant FW update in case the user does not have internet access (which of course is required to download the rest of the trilogy).

Basically, it would seem that they would have had to use a 32GB cart to hold the game, where just under 50% of the cart would be unused. This is one of those times where their decision for partial download is warranted.

There is far too much wrong with the game after I played the beta. For one, you think hanging in 1st place the entire time is good? Think again. The game is based on hitting high scores, but one of the main point increases comes from spamming Frenzy. How do you get Frenzy? Certainly not in 1st place. You literally have to hang back at the beginning of each lap for a better chance at Frenzy (and that's only if you have the right character I think), then push your way back up to 1st before you get to the next lap. Nothing stops you from doing that because you don't play against actual people. You play against their stats.

How sad is that?

@Captain_Toad It may actually be maxed out (at least to what they can utilize). See, while we look at the game size in GB, it's actually GiB. This is because GB is base 10. Easy for us to work with, but computers work with base 2, which is what GiB refers to. 32GB is really about 29.8GiB. With Witcher 3 being 28.1GiB, that leaves 1.7GiB of space left. Why not utilize the rest? It's probably in use in the form of Switch FW updates. If the game required 8.1.0, then the game card would need to include an update that can update to 8.1.0 all the way from 1.0.0, because there's always a chance someone may have the system on the original FW but does not have an internet connection (or a reliable one) to be able to update that way.

It should be noted that if the overall size of the game is 15GB, then it would not likely have all fit onto a 16GB card. Why? Well, the number is actually in GiB, not GB, so you have to take into account how much 16GB really is (which is roughly 14.9GiB). So running at 15GiB would mean it all wouldn't fit in the first place, but even if it were a little bit smaller to snugly fit in, it still wouldn't because the cards themselves must have system updates so the game can be supported (a system running 1.0 is unlikely going to run a game designed for 8.1, and they have to take into account the possibility of no online, like after the Switch's lifetime). So, in all likelihood, if they wanted to fit all 3 games onto a single card, they would have had to go with a 32GB card, and that's much more expensive than a 16GB one, and would have a LOT of wasted space.

As for the other platforms, the game originally was about 60GB installed, and because the discs were limited to 50GB, they required a download as well. An update dropped that to about 32GB, but all physical versions are based on the original release version.

@MrHaggi The last teardown of the Joycons and pricing of components suggests that Nintendo is losing money with each Joycon set sold.

It's all about how thick the base of the analog stick components are. On the Joycons, they are thin because they are stuff just above the Joycon batteries (which are thick). The Lite won't have those additional batteries, yet the thickness of the entire unit remains the same, giving plenty of room for those analog sticks with a thicker base.

The thumbnail did nothing but fuel my imagination of her wearing a monocle.

@adh56 That's not even the main problem imo. It's the 5GB save data that is, which is restricted to internal storage.

@GeminiSaint Well, the guy didn't have an entire animation studio + staff to do it, so he worked with what he had. Kudos to him as he gave us a glimpse of what we could expect.

Well, the Amiibo were restricted to the SMB1 theme (as well as the weird mushroom), and no theme had a focus in the mini Direct other than the SM3DW theme because that was new. To note, the Direct was mainly focused on new stuff, so......

He doesn't get to keep the Mii-head? What about Muppet Reggie?

@Kadmario 12345? That's amazing, I've got the same combination on my luggage.

"Almost done. Just got to........hey! Mother Nature! Stop it with those tremors!"

Maybe it was a build from a month or two ago?

To be honest, they could have easily added the code in the description field for that game (press X in the menu), but then again, how many people would check that without knowing it was there? As it is, some people don't even realize they can move the games around with the Y button.

@nessisonett No, that's from the video game.

@Medic_alert Sony made the Wii?

I still can't get over the fact that for the game cover, they have one character upside down. If it were done in a way to make that person look acrobatic, it would be one thing, but it looks like the person is just standing upside down and drawing a bow and arrow.

@MH4 Well, he uses the 'p' word all the time.

Metroid on the DS
crowd cheers
Touch where you want to fire
crowd feels let down

I pulled out my GBA (non-SP) and my copy of LA and attempted to play. Having been spoiled by bigger, backlit screens and larger controls, I had to put it down.

@NotTelevision if I recall, someone did an analysis regarding Bluetooth and audio on Reddit, and found that the connection of the controllers separately is taking enough BT signal frames to affect it. The Vita had no problem with Bluetooth audio (to my understanding), but it also didn't have to deal with any other sort of BT connection.

@steve_1978 while not the same thing, what about an analog stick?

Was it confirmed to not only have English support, but not just via subtitles? If it's English that includes English voice acting, then I'll definitely go this route to have it all physically.

@Anti-Matter

Play-Asia suggests it's on two cards and not just one. Still better than a download.

Something seems off. On PC, FFX + X-2 is around 37GB, whereas on PS4, it's 31.8GB. Not only has the size been under 32GB on a platform before (excluding Vita version because of the huge reduction in quality), but the Switch has technologies not present in the PS4 that certainly help in data size. One major thing to note is native playback of h265/HEVC content. PS4 can only handle h264/AVC natively. Being able to handle HEVC natively provides a reduction of half the size by comparison of AVC while keeping to roughly the same quality. That alone should have been able to reduce the size of the game by a lot.

Not saying they could have been able to put both games onto a single 16GB card without compromises, but they make it sound like it was hard to get it under 32GB when the game had been under 32GB with equivalent quality years ago.

@FUZE4Switch Good to hear. Perhaps "complex" music was a bit overboard. Just wondering if it would be something like MML, but allowing the utilization of samples beyond those that are supplied in the app (like in WAV format). That is another thing I should have asked. Will we be able to load any external assets, or is everything self-contained?

Either way, I've already donated towards the cause. Too bad we don't have a Reference Guide geared towards the Switch version right now. I like looking at those things to help get the creative juiced flowing.

@teamFUZE Been a few months since this article was made and you posting in it, but if you're still around, I'd like ask a few things regarding FUZE on Switch.

Graphically, what kind of images can we use for tilecrls and textures? Will they be straight color images only, or will it support things like indexed images with CLUTs (Color Look-Up Table) in the kind of way the retro systems used to allow per-index color animation to sprites and tiles? Think of Megaman with different color schemes without having to have different spritecels for each one, just a change to the CLUT it uses. I see mentioned that we can make/utilize tilemaps, but can we manipulate how those are displayed, like rotation/scale, and even change tilemap coordinates and affine dimensions to create effects like wavy backgrounds per pixel row or even Mode7-like effects (without having to rely on 3D polygons)?

In what way could we create our own custom music/sfx? Will we have something like MML (Music Macro Language), but expanded to add our own complex samples, rather than simply streaming them?

I'm a fan of the NES/SNES/GBA era (I used Petit Computer a lot back in the day, but not SmileBASIC because of lack of features PTC had) so a lot of what I think up pertains to being able to do what was done back then and more, though with being able to make 3D games of higher quality than even Mario64, I'm already think of something along that line too.

One last thing. Sharing. We see that we can share with people on our friend list, but what about hosting our projects externally for anyone to download? Will that be an option?

My main problem with this is that smartphones are being upgraded far too frequently. With consoles (home and portable), they are expected to stick with them for years, continually learning how to better utilize the hardware and stay focused on their projects and expectations. If they want to set aside a group or two for smartphone development, then that's one thing, but to move to them fully sounds like a mistake.

Now what Valve should do is contact Nintendo and request approval for a Stream-Link app for the Switch. The Nvidia Shield has it, and it uses the same Tegra X1 SoC as the Switch does.

@Spoony_Tech Companies like UPS will have records of who delivered what items on what days and at what time, so they can track folks that way with ease.

Just put the Classics on the Switch.

Honestly, it's too early for a revision that would have anything noticeable to the common gamer. The only sort of revision I see in the short term is one that fixes the RCM entry point, but at a hardware level, as current systems can't patch that, but can fiddle with the boot process.

The one thing that stuck out imo was when the spirits were floating around, one of them was using scaling. This was not a feature of the GBC, and while they could do it in software, I'm afraid that it would not have been as smooth as was shown, especially with that trailing effect present.

Honestly, Crash got ported over because a lone developer spent their weekend porting and testing the first level with great success, and that game had its own special engine that had to be ported too. Spyro runs on UE4, which is fully supported on Switch and continues getting visual and performance improvements over time. While having UE4 on Switch doesn't guarantee the port, it certainly cuts out a lot of the work to get a version of the game up and running.

@Turrican280 That, and there aren't as many Switch units and Ubisoft games on Switch.

@BlueOcean You're bringing up the 4K machines when they aren't even the baseline targets for the games. Of course they'll look superior. Wolfenstein II on Switch got a patch recently on Switch that bumped up performance and visual quality to get pretty close to the XB1 version (but remains at 30fps).

You mention DF, and yes, they mention the many different things that got cut back in the Switch port of Crash, but they also said, and I quote "With all those changes, you'd kinda expect the Switch version to look rather poor, but as you've no doubt seen, the results are still pretty good. It's a step down from other versions, but it still kinda holds up. It's a nice looking game." They touched on this earlier by mentioning the game itself is styled like a cartoon, which allows cutbacks and still manages to look good. Spyro is in that same territory. Maybe this is just a personal standards thing where you find the game to be poor whereas others, including DF themselves, think it's still good when all things are considered.

You're right about the engine though. They aren't using the same thing. However, the Spyro games are using UE4, which is fully supported on the Switch, and the engine on Switch has seen a LOT of visual and performance improvements.

@BlueOcean Being open world means nothing in this case. As it is, you're trying to argue that Spyro is seeing an improvement over Crash because it's going from linear design to open world, yet why is it that can only be attributed to the PS4/XB1 and not a possible Switch version? Going from linear design to open world is not even a graphical change. It's how the engine handles things, and if the engine used for Spyro is based on the one used for Crash, then that already grants favor towards a Switch version. Fact is, for what was downscaled with Crash on Switch, it still holds up really well. No one is expecting the Switch to handle PS4/XB1 details, but the design of the games allow a bit of trimming and still look good even on weaker hardware.

Let's not forget another little fact. Crash wasn't even set for Switch until one developer spent his weekend getting the 1st level running on it, and it ran it well. Switch is more capable than you give it credit. It's just not a PS4/XB1.

Watched the previous German version, and burst out laughing. This was late at night in my apartment complex, and I'm sure I must have woken up my neighbors.

@BlueOcean Yes, I have seen footage of the other versions, and yet the Switch version has been shown to keep up in performance. Is it downscaled? Of course, but the game still looks good and is VERY playable. Being linear means nothing here. Seriously, the game is based on the original that ran on a PS1. It's a remaster. Much of what was added in is fluff. Fluff that can be trimmed down.

Same can be said about Spyro. They're not trying to change the formula. They're trying to present a classic with a modern coat of paint. Seriously, this whole deal about linear design and free-roam is mute when they've been doing these things for generations on far weaker hardware than what we have today.

Supposedly this patch is causing keywardens to not be tracked on the mini-map (purple arrow), but I may update anyways if it means I won't have to deal with enemies that sit at ~0hp and just stand there instead of dying. I had plenty of times where an elite or bounty kill would get glitched and I couldn't finish.

@BlueOcean
In what way does it barely run Crash when it has had more ambitious titles running well on it?

@ItsOKToBeOK It's like it was intentional.

I didn't expect it this soon (I lost track of its release date). So I immediately got it pre-ordered.

Just throw her and other Peach forms into a new Paper Mario or M&L game.

To be honest, I'm siding with this because it gives the Mario universe a bit of flavor from the staleness that has plagued it. I think of it like how Bowsette is to Peach as Luigi is to Mario. Mario is your typical hero that seemingly has no faults, is brave and seems otherwise perfect. But sometimes that knight in shining armor bit gets stale. Luigi, on the other hand, has become a favorite among many because he seems like he has an actual personality, even if he's portrayed as a coward a lot. Even Wario and Waluigi get some of the spotlight. Wario loves gold and is greedy, and Waluigi......well.......I dunno, but at least he seems different.

Moving on to Peach, she's your typical damsel-in-distress most of the time, is too cheerful, too kind, etc. Just like Mario, that persona is just too stale. I think that's one reason why Bowsette has taken off. It's not so much because of it being a cross between Peach and Bowser, but because it portrays Peach as a bad/naughty girl, even if it's really Bowser with that super crown. What was another time where Peach was interesting? Paper Mario: TTYD, where the Shadow Queen possessed Peach. The Mario universe hasn't seem many female antagonists as it is.

Granted, if Nintendo even made this a real thing, I doubt they'd take the voluptuous route that many of these artists have gone. Out of the ones posted in this article, the rendition by Lili would be closest.

It seems odd. I'm no expert of the Tegra X1 hardware, but I understand it has encoding capabilities in hardware to compress video on-the-fly of up to 4k@60fps through a module separate from the CPU and GPU, leaving only RAM bandwidth an issue as it writes to a ring buffer that's probably no bigger than 50MB for holding 30-seconds at any given time. For RAM that is capable of up to 25.6GB/s (not Gbps), writing to it at roughly 1MB/s for video recording seems trivial to performance.