FX29

It's not even close for me the 3DS remake is way better. It makes the tedious parts of the original better and it's just overall a better version. I can never go back to the N64 version.

Golden Sun has such a great soundtrack and it's still one of my favourite RPGs.

Funny enough I recently bought the game brand new from an online store that was selling the UAE version at a discount so I jumped on the chance to buy it. First time I ever played it and it's really fun.

I'm not the biggest Tales fan but I'd like to see Namco finally localize the PSP version of Phantasia which is the best version of the game from what I hear. Plus it's the anniversary of the series what better way to celebrate than to give us an HD release of the original?

I'm also surprised Berseria was never released on Switch back during the early days of the system. The game was built on the PS3 Tales engine so from a technical standpoint it shouldn't had been an issue.

I've been wanting to get into this series for a while now but after hearing that every game is connected it's honestly a bit overwhelming how many of these games they've made over the past decade.

I'll probably check out the Trails in the Sky Remake though to see how it all began.

@Axecon

For Kamiya he left cause he could no longer work with Inaba due to disagreements on how the company should be run and decision making. I don't think Nintendo was the main reason for this as none of the employees have ever mentioned it and the company by in large still had independence to create games on other platforms like Nier Automata as an example.

Sounds like it had more to do with internal decision making amongst Platinum Games themselves.

https://www.siliconera.com/hideki-kamiya-explained-why-he-left-platinumgames/

If we're talking about games that are already announced it has to be Metroid Prime 4 and how can it not be? The game has been in development for almost a decade and it's my most anticipated game of 2025.

Xenoblade Chronicles X I'm also looking forward to playing for the first time ever. While Pokemon Legends Z-A I honestly have zero interest. Pokemon in general for me has been a major let down ever since the 3DS era and the Switch era games for Pokemon were disappointing for me personally.

If we're talking about what I'm most excited for this year it would be the Switch 2.

@myerscereal

It really was one of the best decisions Nintendo has made in the last decade. By combining their portable and home console divisions it's allowed them to create a steady stream of content and focus all their resources into one device.

Nothing this month for me. Will probably save up cash for the Switch 2 and already have Xenoblade Chronicles X pre-ordered for March.

I can see them focusing on OG Switch content in February since they need to fill in the gap for the first part of this fiscal year. Plus they need to bridge the gap between the two consoles until the release of Switch 2. The 3DS got a few late hitters near the end of its life maybe we'll get a few surprises for the OG Switch too.

We all know what the internet is thinking ... And I'll leave it at that lol

@AllieKitsune
Sorry my wording was a bit off but yes I meant the PS3 version was the remaster and was aware of that. Also I'm not giving Namco the benefit of the doubt since they haven't exactly done a great job with their remasters in recent years.

I find it weird that the Switch version is locked to 30 FPS even though it's a port of an old Wii game that then got remastered as a PS3 game. Skyward Sword HD ran at a silky smooth 60 FPS and even Tales of Vesperia was 60 FPS during battles for the Switch port. Sounds like Namco once again was cutting corners which isn't surprising given some of their recent HD ports on Switch.

As for the game itself I found it to be mediocre. The art style is gorgeous but the story and combat I was not a fan of when I played this on PS3 years ago.

The Tales games have always been a hit or miss for me, they're decent games but not amazing and are outclassed by other JRPG franchises like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Persona and Xenoblade.

@Pally356
Funny enough I have played the fan translation of 1. It's not perfect but gets the job done like you said.

I'll always support physical games as long as the option is available to me. I've always preferred physical media however I'm not against digital since it's more convenient and is technically better for the environment. Ideally the best option is to have both since there's pros and cons either one.

One thing I love about physical is that I can lend games to friends of mine with ease or resell.

Not getting my hopes up but it would be nice to see Sega release this for modern systems. I also wish they would localize the PS2 remakes of Phantasy Star 1 and 2 one day.

Already have this one pre-ordered. This is the only Xenoblade game I haven't played. I own the Wii U version but for whatever reason never got around to playing it.

Xenoblade 3 has so many side quests that are top notch that feel important to the character development of the group. Eunie's in particular was one of my favourites since it explains what happens when colonies reach gold rank and how ruthless Mobius really is.

I was also a fan of the two final side quests you unlock after beating the game. I don't want to spoil it for those that haven't played yet but it was some of the most fun I've had with post game content.

In the grand scheme of things the leaks won't really affect how well this system sells what will determine that is what games are available for us to play.

The rumours were annoying for sure but like the article mentioned the casual consumer probably wasn't even paying attention to it so I doubt this will damage anything.

Also side note Nintendo has always followed a linear curve with their handhelds. We got the GB-GBC-GBA then the DS family line and I look at the Switch in the same type of light.

I'm only 2 hours away from Toronto but hate dealing with traffic in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) so that's going to be a pass for me.

My hype levels for this reveal was pretty calm compared to the OG Switch but that isn't to say I'm not excited to get my hands on this new console. I'm just glad Nintendo finally got this outta the way after months of rumours.

The first year of Switch 2 is going to be very interesting to see what they have in store. MK 9 seems like a given at this point and maybe Metroid Prime 4 as a cross gen release.

Honestly I wish Nintendo would release more soundtracks in bulk rather than single album releases. Other than that I'm glad Wind Waker is finally there.

Making my way through Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition and got past the part on prison island. I've played the original Wii version back in the day so going through the game again has been great seeing all the visual improvements and remastered soundtrack.

I put the game on the back burner back in 2020 since I was more focused on Final Fantasy 7 Remake. After the announcement of Xenoblade Chronicles X DE I knew it was time for me to finally revisit the series in preparation for it.

I'm gonna pass on this since I already own the Wii and 3DS versions. Both of which cost a fraction of the cost compared to the Switch port but it's a good option for anyone who still hasn't played it yet.

Looking forward to playing this, in preparation I've been going through my Xenoblade backlog. Finished Torna, then Xenoblade 3 and going through Xenoblade DE. It's quickly become one of my favourite Nintendo franchises over the years.

Emio was a joy to playthrough, the final chapter of that game was very dark and it honestly surprised me in a good way. It deals with some heavy themes that I wasn't expecting and hopefully we get more of these type of games in the future.

Inti Creates usually makes solid 2D action games. I thought the Blaster Master Zero Trilogy was pretty good and the ending to 3 definitely leaves a cliffhanger to make more.

Their flagship franchise Gunvolt is more of a miss for me. The first 2 I thought were mediocre games with very tedious gameplay but the 3rd one changed my mind. The gameplay in 3 was much more fun and fast paced.

Kinda crazy that this will be the year we'll get new Nintendo hardware and I'm pretty excited to see what Nintendo has in store.

My bold prediction is that we'll finally get that rumoured Fire Emblem 4 remake for Switch 2. Maybe not as a launch title but I can see it being released during the first year since that leak of FE Engage a few years ago confirmed that an FE 4 remake was in the works.

A new 3D Mario seems like a no brainer to me as well, 40th anniversary plus a new console makes too much sense.

I prefer the original Japanese one but the NA box art definitely has its own charm for the time.

Clocked over 140 hours into Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and still going through Future Redeemed. After that Unicorn Overlord is next at 86 hours then Persona 4 Golden at 72 hours this year.

Let's be real here the main reason why they don't have a Female protagonist is because of cost and Atlus simply has no interest in giving us the option. The statement falls a part when you take into account that the series already has female protagonists in the past, Persona 2 had Maya and Persona 3 Portable had Kotone who got the short end of the stick in the Reload remake.

I honestly don't see a problem with having more games run the HD-2D Style, it's a great modern throwback but I can understand why some may not like it.

Never thought I'd ever see a brand new 2D Ninja Gaiden game again, this looks great!

I never watched the show but grew up playing the games on the SNES. They were decent beat em ups back in the day and I'd probably wait for a sale before picking this one up.

@Duncanballs

It was a really dark time for JRPGs during the PS3/360/Wii era. Then Xenoblade came out and reminded people that Japanese developers can still create something special. What made it even more impressive was that it came out on the low powered Wii and Monolith Soft was still able to create such an expansive world.

This honestly is a minor story since Nintendo basically owned Monolith Soft along with the Xenoblade IP already and I highly doubt this will interfere with their ability to create more content.

As some have pointed out I wish Nintendo would purchase both Xenogears and Xenosaga from Square Enix & Namco. It's a shame Monolith Soft can't ever give those games a proper HD remaster since they don't own the rights to those games

On a side note I've been chugging along with playing Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and already put over 120 hours into it. It's a monster of a JRPG and such a great game.

I'm gonna pass on watching the show. Like the Oscars it's a snooze fest and it's generic as it gets. There's also a clear bias towards Western made games, AAA mainstream or games that cater to the Western market.

Top games that I played on the Switch this year would be:

1. Zelda Echoes of Wisdom - Just a really fun 2D Zelda game with tons of creativity.

2. Famicom Detective Club: Emio the smiling man - a dark story that had me shocked near the end.

3. Unicorn Overlord: a fun call back to classic strategy games and put tons of hours into this one.

4. Paper Mario the thousand year door: first time I ever played this one and I understand why people love it. Truely a timeless classic.

5. Another Code Recollection:
An underrated gem that had a lot of heart put into this remake of games. The story of Ashley was really interesting and I enjoyed it.

@8bit4Life
The story really does get emotional much more than I was expecting but in a good way.

Xenoblade 3 has my favourite cast of characters, they really do feel like underdogs and you just wanna root for them throughout the game.

@LavenderShroud

I highly recommend playing the first one to start. You technically could start with any of them but the first game really leaves a great first impression and all three games have a great dub. There isn't a JRPG series quite like it.

The sheer amount of time and effort put into these games is impressive. Recently I've been playing Xenoblade 3 for the first time and I regret not playing it earlier it's such a good game.

Analysts have been talking about the demise of consoles for the last 10 years now but I doubt that will happen. Consoles still have a place in the gaming landscape.

Nintendo consoles on the other hand are worth owning simply because of their deep library of first party games that can only be played on Nintendo hardware.

Also I wouldn't say Sony vs Microsoft is the equivalent of Ali vs Frazier since PC gaming trumps both in terms of power. As a PS5 owner I will say if you own a gaming PC it honestly makes owning a PS5 or Xbox obsolete since both of them lack any real exclusives worth owning.

Honestly 7/10 is what I kinda expected but that's not a bad score and based off what I've seen this is right up my alley since I love old school type JRPGs.

Honestly I think it's a missed opportunity, a Lego James Bond game would have been great

Gonna add this to my already huge backlog of games. JRPGs and portable systems are match made in heaven. Gonna play this on Switch.

@sportvater
I'm the furthest thing from a Sony fanboy but I wouldn't go as far to say PS2 is a crappy console in comparison to Switch. The PS2 was a gold mine when it came to RPGs and it had some of the best Sony exclusives during that era.

Now if we're talking about the PS3, PS4 or PS5 I can see why they're not worth owning especially with the rise of PC gaming. Plus the pool of first party Sony exclusives is very shallow nowadays.

The 90s retro look is enough to get me interested. Inti Creates usually makes some solid action games and the game is relatively cheap.

I have mixed feelings towards Sony handhelds. The PSP was great since it had some pretty neat exclusives and tons of great JRPGs. The Vita I never bothered to buy since it had nothing I was interested in playing and Sony left the thing to die.

I honestly don't have any interest in another PSP since I already have a PS5.

I have zero interest in watching the game awards. It's the same way with the Oscars it's all fluff.

Only thing I wish is they would dub these games in English again like they did with the older ones in the franchise. It's not a deal breaker but the option would be nice.