At the moment, the top 3 for me would be: Galaxy, Galaxy 2, and Odyssey. 64, while great at the time, has aged somewhat due to it being one of the first 3D platformers (and games in general), leaving things like the controls and camera a little to be desired. And Sunshine, while still decent, is held back somewhat by both its decision to set itself exclusively on an island resort, and it's main new gameplay mechanic, the FLUDD. By contrast, both the Galaxy games and Odyssey show how a large variety of locations and a gameplay mechanic that actually enhances the core gameplay can make for a better experience overall (at least imo). Haven't played 3D Land or World, so I can't really comment much on them.
12/18 - Got the first 6 right, but then started to trip up on some of them (including some I probably should've gotten correct) and ended up only getting half of the next 12 correct.
I think the biggest problem with these remasters, is that the originals aren't playable in any form on the Switch at the moment. If we had the Virtual Console Library from the Wii U available on the Switch (+ Gamecube) at the moment, I don't think these remasters being available for a limited time would be that problematic (Instead, they'd probably be seen as a limited-time novelty like the rest of the anniversary stuff, just like how 2D All-Stars seems to be viewed today). However, because the Switch is so poor with legacy titles Pre-Wii U, it means that when this anniversary collection goes, so too does the ability to play these titles on the Switch. So really, the problem isn't necessarily that Nintendo are making this collection limited, it's that they're doing it without making the originals playable beforehand, making this collection more valuable than it otherwise would be.
"We're convinced Nintendo will sell the 3D Mario games individually on the Switch eShop once this collection expires" It's also entirely possible Nintendo will in fact just let these go, as not only is Nintendo not really in the business of releasing remakes (the first All-Stars and 64 DS are pretty much it for Mario), there was no attempt to do the same to the first All-Stars release (and in fact, it wasn't till 10 years later that the games in the collection became playable again via the Super Mario Advance series).
@RPGamer - "Poor Kingdom Hearts fans... I seriously feel bad for you guys." Eh, I've got the series on PS4, so I'm fine. Those who don't have it though, yeah, this is just......ridiculous (especially given both PS4 and Xbox One have most of the series on their respective machines).
Given the games haven't been ported to PS4, I wouldn't mind a Switch collection of Sigma 1 and 2 (dunno about Razor's Edge, but I guess I can always see that as a bonus *shrugs *).
@Leej07 - Well sure, there's always someone using old hardware long after it's been discontinued (heck, there's probably a couple of people still using the Game Boy Micro out there somewhere) the question isn't "Is there anyone still buying Wii U's?", it's "How many are still buying Wii U's?" and the answer is probably pretty low, hence the (now retracted) removal of a title in favour of a newer version on current hardware.
@judaspete - What money exactly? We're talking about a game on the Wii U here, a console that wasn't that popular even back when it was relevant, let alone now, with a far-more popular successor on the market. While removing a game is usually a bad move, in this case, the likelihood of anyone buying a Wii U in 2020 (because, really, anyone who already has a Wii U probably either already has the game, or isn't interested) is pretty small, and certainly low enough to justify removing the title in favour of a new and improved version.
Personally, I didn't see the problem myself (although a notice probably wouldn't have gone wrong), for reasons I've mentioned above, but now it's back *shrugs * I guess it's bit moot. (That said, I am a bit surprised to see the USD price for the Wii U version at $20 (down from I imigine $50-60) given the AU price here for the same version is $50 (down from $70-80). I know we Aussies usually have to pay more, but even factoring in the exchange rate, that's almost double the price for the same item)
@Heavyarms55 - To be fair, even with the success of Three Houses, Fire Emblem isn't that big or successful a franchise for Nintendo (just look at the sales for the 3DS titles), so if this game somehow managed to go big (ala Shovel Knight), I can see it possibly happening....albeit briefly (though looking at this that's probably not going to happen). @nessisonett - To be fair, the video does list it as one of it's inspirations (along with Final Fantasy Tactics, and Divinity 2 among others) but yeah, that title is a bit much given this is an indie game, not a rival AAA title.
While this doesn't seem too bad (the premise actually sounds pretty decent imo), I can't see this distinguishing itself enough to be too successful (despite the successful kickstarter); on top of that, I'm struggling to understand why they mentioned Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics (outside of just name dropping) in addition to Divinity 2, when the game doesn't seem to have anything from the former that's not in the latter (unless you count the random stat increases upon leveling up).
7/15 - My lack of knowledge on NES-era Rare did me no favours here (that and not remembering Conker's appearance in Diddy Kong Racing, despite somehow remembering the obscure Game Boy game).
@dew12333 - Somewhat likely, though to be fair, we might still end up getting a couple of games announced in October/November, a month or so prior to release (given release schedules are less secure now, I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo are playing things similarly to how they announced Paper Mario and only giving relatively short notice for future releases).
Guess I shouldn't be surprised with the comments (although I'm not sure why people are still acting this way when it's been clear for a while that Nintendo are not going to be doing a big 1st party direct in the near future at the very least), but personally, I didn't mind this Direct Mini; it had a lot more announcements than the last one, and some (Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, Final Fantasy Legends collection, Kingdom Hearts Theatrhythm) seemed kinda interesting.
The poll says "Best Final Fantasy Game on a Nintendo system" but looking at the options, you could almost get away with just saying "Best mainline Final Fantasy game" as there are only a small handful that aren't listed here (and half of those are MMO's).
As for me, VI is still my favourite, followed by X and XII. So far, only VIII and IX (and maybe VII Remake if that counts) have come close to changing that, but at the moment, those are my current favourites.
I feel like the success of the Switch emphasizes just how big the sales gap is between Nintendo's consoles and its handhelds, because if you look at it's position relative to previous handhelds, it's still at the bottom, and yet among consoles it's second only to the Wii. Considering the Switch is a hybrid, it's current position between the two seems less 'Wow! Incredible!" and more in line with what you'd expect from such a device (Though that said, it does seem to be doing better than the 3DS at the moment, so it could very well end up exceeding expectations, [assuming it can keep this success going after the PS5 and Xbox X are released]).
"Animal Crossing is another Nintendo staple that is just begging for an injection of laughs. In New Horizons the pool of nearly 400 villagers only grew by 8, and no new personality types were added at all. What if Nintendo added a comedian personality type? With so much dialogue in the game, a group of villagers solely designed to make the player laugh would be a welcome addition."
I'm not too versed in the series, but aren't most Animal Crossing characters embodiments of slapstick and dialogue humour? (like this scene with Resetti: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw6PHzm3SRA)
I like the choice of using a rating rather than a straight poll; means even people like myself who've only really played one title (in my case, the original) can participate (while also allowing people who've played more than one to grade their preferences).
9/12 - Did pretty well up till the last two questions (though I probably should've gotten that last one right, now I think about it) but not bad overall.
@DavidMac - "Also making Rillaboom like a monkey with dreadlocks."
Um, have you seen Rillaboom? Its hair is just one big bush, nothing even close to dreadlocks (outside maybe the one strand that hangs over his face).
Honestly, it's kinda sad (though not surprising) to see all the 'Pokemon is doomed' comments just because the latest entries are selling well. All the sales do is re-affirm that what the majority of purchasers (i.e. kids and casual gamers) value in a pokemon game is different from the hard-core audience; namely, accessibility and fun. And as far as those go (accessibility especially), Sword/Shield do a pretty good job, all things considered (hence its good sales).
As some have mentioned, while the best sellers on the Switch generally sold more than the PS2 equivalents, if you look at the whole list, you'll see 35 titles on the Switch that have sold 1 million+, compared to the 163 titles the PS2 had. On top of that, the best sellers were GTA and Gran Turismo, games with a somewhat more limited audience compared to, say, Mario Kart 8 DX, Pokemon, or Animal Crossing. It's still impressive, don't get me wrong, but there's a very clear reason why the PS2 didn't have titles that reached the same heights as the Switch.
So, on the one hand, this package doesn't sound too bad all-in-all (especially if co-op truly wasn't available in the original); on the other hand, this likely means Pikmin 4 isn't likely to come out any time soon (I was kinda hoping it would be their 'cute March title' [for lack of a better phrase] of 2021, following on from Animal Crossing, Yoshi's Crafted World, and Kirby: Star Allies, but I guess that's probably not gonna happen).
13/15 - Only two I missed were Animal Crossing (made a 50/50 guess between Wild World and City Folk) and Tennis (In hindsight, seeing Mario as the ref probably should've made me realise that it wasn't Mario Tennis).
So, they're not allowed to 'visually present individual characteristics in toads' but are allowed to give them outfits? I guess that's something but still, does this mean Toadsworth has been retired as a character?
I've said it before, but the only reason E3 is a loss is because Nintendo didn't have a replacement presentation like Sony did. Had Nintendo released a big direct laying out its plans for the rest of the year, the loss of E3 wouldn't really be that much (as much as I like it).
@batata - To be fair, that was also the year we got Donkey Kong Country 2, Yoshi's Island and Chrono Trigger, so on the whole, it's probably not the worst year for Nintendo (that was probably 2016, which saw absolutely nothing from the Wii U and only Pokemon from the 3DS)
2020 may not be great compared to the past few years, but at least we got Animal Crossing and, to a lesser extent, Paper Mario (and ofc, the GOTY: Clubhouse Games )
Edit: Actually, I change my mind on 2016. I just did some research into the 3DS entries that year, and we got not just Pokemon but: Fire Emblem Fates, Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, Kirby: Planet Robobot, and Monster Hunter: Generations as new exclusives. That beats out 2020's 3 games, so considering 2018 got Smash Ultimate, Kirby, Mario Tennis, Mario Party, Octopath (for a time) and Labo, I'd say 2020 is actually a decent contender for worst year (at least so far). It's certainly looking like the worst year in the Switch's life so far (although to be fair
Was excited when I heart a Direct Mini was happening, but if it's just a small showcase for previously-released, non-Nintendo products, then chances are there won't be much of interest (mayyybe Bayo 3/No More Heroes 3 at the end if we're lucky).
Still, at least we know that Directs aren't completely dead (yet), so that's something.
@SapphireBlaze - I think at that point, you would have to focus on things like the pose, and which game's box art you can place the character to (kinda like the Oracle game Links in this quiz).
A pretty easy quiz overall, though some took a bit longer to figure out (figuring out which of the Oracle games was which for example, and Spirit Tracks/Phantom Hourglass).
@Varkster - While I wouldn't go as far as to call it a new 'golden era' Capcom have been putting out quite a few good products in the past few years (DMC V, Resi 2 Remake, SFV, Monster Hunter World), it's just that, because the Switch isn't powerful enough to run these games properly, it misses out on a lot of them (Mega Man 11 being the exception). Is this arrangement ideal? Of course not, but just because most games aren't hitting the Switch doesn't mean Capcom aren't putting them out (and it's not like the Switch has a drought of Capcom games full stop, just new ones).
@RustedHero - I'm pretty sure the Legends label is so they can continue re-releasing existing content (mainly comics and novels) without confusing fans or general readers.
If this doubling down means we get some more titles like Jedi: Fallen Order, and post-update Battlefront 2 (and if Squadrons ends up as good as it looks that could well happen), then I'm all for it. I seem to be in a minority in that I actually prefer the new canon overall (at least so far) so I'm not turned off by the prospect of 'new canon' games, so as long as EA doesn't live up to their reputation (a tall ask admittedly, but tbf, there was a time when Capcom was terrible as well) I'm fine with more Star Wars games.
I'd say EA's efforts now are okay, but probably would've been more appreciative if they were done a year ago. Having some newer, smaller titles that can better make the transition to Switch on top of these would probably have been a good idea as well. The problem is that EA is still dragging their feet regarding Switch support (why, I don't know), and with the PS5 and Xbox X expected to come out at the end of the year, that's unlikely to improve all that much going forward.
@NFERNO - This exactly. On top of that, it's not like it's designed for Switch as a nasty 'consolation prize' or something, it's releasing on all systems, it's just that in this case, the game is undemanding enough for a Switch version to be viable.
As for the actual game, honestly, I'm honestly looking forward to it. I'm still a bit confused on a few things (Why are Sora and co. in their KH1 incarnation? What does that second half with Kairi have to do with the first half?) but a KH Theatrhythm-esque game on Switch sounds great (especially if they include touch screen controls).
@Nintendofan83 - Only if you go with the idea that a system must be able to house one's entire library without using expandable storage; such an idea might make for a nice convenience, but calling it a necessity is a bit much, especially given most gamers aren't likely to be playing more than 4 or 5 titles at once (not to mention Micro SD cards aren't really that expensive).
As for the poll topic, personally, I initially voted undecided, but after thinking on it, I can't really see the benefit of cutting out an option like this. The only way it'd make sense is if gaming was going down this route anyway, and there's no longer a good reason to keep the feature available. Otherwise, why not just keep both options available?
While I would also like a collection that includes remakes of the Super Mario Land titles (though given how short the first one at least is, maybe they could be thrown in as bonus extras), at the end of the day, I can't really look past 64, Sunshine, Galaxy and Galaxy 2 as the optimal choice for a collection.
Interesting to see Genealogy at number one, above even Three Houses, I wonder what makes it so popular, even after all these years. On another note, it's nice to see my three favourites up there (even if Three Houses and Awakening were fairly likely to be picked).
It'll be interesting to see if any of this leaves Japan, because if it doesn't, then you could plausibly get a port of Mother 3 much like the GBA port, alongside maybe a port of the first two games. Not sure if that's what'll end up happening, but it'll be interesting to see.
@Varkster - "Also means people can notice the more obscure titles instead of them being overshadowed by bigger franchises."
Don't you mean "Now people can ignore the more obscure titles as they will no longer have to watch them alongside the bigger franchises"?
I mean, sure, you could always skip past anything you didn't like in a direct as well, but at least there you're somewhat more likely to just watch the entire thing.
As for the topic in the article, I can't say I prefer this to the idea of having a big Direct (at least there you know all the big titles that are going to come out for the next few months), but if it's something Nintendo has to do, then fair enough.
Got 7/10 due to thinking Link's Crossbow Training would be included as a joke, not knowing enough about the CD-i games(was a 50/50 between Link's and Zelda's Adventure, but unfortunately, I guessed wrong), and not realising that Tingle's re-appearances did not, in-fact, start with Wind Waker.
EU for me this time. It seems to strike the perfect balance between too much (NA) and not enough (JP) going on, plus it seems the most representative of the meat of the gameplay (gathering supplies while avoiding obstacles/enemies).
I think at this point, just having Gamecube games would be enough for me. I wouldn't exactly say no to anything else (3DS games would be nice to have) but if all we got was a decent selection of Gamecube games, then I'd probably be reasonably satisfied.
Got 5/7, despite this being my first AC game, and having only played it for 3 hours; not sure if that's due to luck, easy questions, or picking up info from second-hand sources, but either way, it's a bit higher then I was expecting to get.
@JaxonH - Quick Question: What is it that makes the button remapping so big?
Not a bad update: the data update sounds especially nice (and more user icons don't hurt) but like others, I'm still waiting on folders and themes to be added.
@Bobobiwan - The thing is, both Ori and Cuphead are indie titles, not part of Microsoft's core 1st party line-up, so porting those games probably doesn't hurt Microsoft that much. If, on the other hand, they ported Forza, Gears or even worse, Halo, then that would be a different story but at the moment, those titles have remained away from competitor systems so for now the advantages of their strategy probably outweigh what minor damage it may do.
On the article, that's a fair enough statement to make, especially given the imminent launch of the new Xbox at the end of the year, you're probably gonna want to focus more on what your product brings to the table than what titles you're releasing on your competitor's systems, even if you are on friendly-ish terms with them.
Kinda figured they'd do this; there was always the chance the April Fools joke wouldn't land with a lot of people, so they probably had this as a backup just in case (though given it's called a bonus tier I imagine it was probably going to be announced even if it did work).
@TuxDC - Didn't Platinum explain why the kickstarter was done?
@AJWolfTill - Why?
Honestly, I'm not even mad; I mean sure it's a bit disappointing that it's not announcing a new game or anything, but given the 3rd item was the announcement of a new studio being opened, I can't say it's that surprising that the fourth item turned out to be a joke.
That said, I'm gonna guess they're gonna backtrack from this after the backlash and announce something else at a later date.
Comments 351
Re: Poll: What's The Best 3D Mario Game?
At the moment, the top 3 for me would be: Galaxy, Galaxy 2, and Odyssey. 64, while great at the time, has aged somewhat due to it being one of the first 3D platformers (and games in general), leaving things like the controls and camera a little to be desired. And Sunshine, while still decent, is held back somewhat by both its decision to set itself exclusively on an island resort, and it's main new gameplay mechanic, the FLUDD. By contrast, both the Galaxy games and Odyssey show how a large variety of locations and a gameplay mechanic that actually enhances the core gameplay can make for a better experience overall (at least imo).
Haven't played 3D Land or World, so I can't really comment much on them.
Re: Can You Name All These Super Mario Worlds And Levels?
12/18 - Got the first 6 right, but then started to trip up on some of them (including some I probably should've gotten correct) and ended up only getting half of the next 12 correct.
Re: Poll: How Do You Feel About 'Limited-Time' Games From Nintendo?
I think the biggest problem with these remasters, is that the originals aren't playable in any form on the Switch at the moment. If we had the Virtual Console Library from the Wii U available on the Switch (+ Gamecube) at the moment, I don't think these remasters being available for a limited time would be that problematic (Instead, they'd probably be seen as a limited-time novelty like the rest of the anniversary stuff, just like how 2D All-Stars seems to be viewed today). However, because the Switch is so poor with legacy titles Pre-Wii U, it means that when this anniversary collection goes, so too does the ability to play these titles on the Switch.
So really, the problem isn't necessarily that Nintendo are making this collection limited, it's that they're doing it without making the originals playable beforehand, making this collection more valuable than it otherwise would be.
"We're convinced Nintendo will sell the 3D Mario games individually on the Switch eShop once this collection expires"
It's also entirely possible Nintendo will in fact just let these go, as not only is Nintendo not really in the business of releasing remakes (the first All-Stars and 64 DS are pretty much it for Mario), there was no attempt to do the same to the first All-Stars release (and in fact, it wasn't till 10 years later that the games in the collection became playable again via the Super Mario Advance series).
Re: There Are Currently No Plans To Bring More Kingdom Hearts Games To Switch
@RPGamer - "Poor Kingdom Hearts fans... I seriously feel bad for you guys."
Eh, I've got the series on PS4, so I'm fine. Those who don't have it though, yeah, this is just......ridiculous (especially given both PS4 and Xbox One have most of the series on their respective machines).
Re: Rumour: A New Ninja Gaiden Trilogy Could Be Coming To Switch Next Year
Given the games haven't been ported to PS4, I wouldn't mind a Switch collection of Sigma 1 and 2 (dunno about Razor's Edge, but I guess I can always see that as a bonus *shrugs *).
Re: Nintendo Reinstates Pikmin 3 On The Wii U eShop Ahead Of The Switch Release
@Leej07 - Well sure, there's always someone using old hardware long after it's been discontinued (heck, there's probably a couple of people still using the Game Boy Micro out there somewhere) the question isn't "Is there anyone still buying Wii U's?", it's "How many are still buying Wii U's?" and the answer is probably pretty low, hence the (now retracted) removal of a title in favour of a newer version on current hardware.
@judaspete - What money exactly? We're talking about a game on the Wii U here, a console that wasn't that popular even back when it was relevant, let alone now, with a far-more popular successor on the market. While removing a game is usually a bad move, in this case, the likelihood of anyone buying a Wii U in 2020 (because, really, anyone who already has a Wii U probably either already has the game, or isn't interested) is pretty small, and certainly low enough to justify removing the title in favour of a new and improved version.
Personally, I didn't see the problem myself (although a notice probably wouldn't have gone wrong), for reasons I've mentioned above, but now it's back *shrugs * I guess it's bit moot. (That said, I am a bit surprised to see the USD price for the Wii U version at $20 (down from I imigine $50-60) given the AU price here for the same version is $50 (down from $70-80). I know we Aussies usually have to pay more, but even factoring in the exchange rate, that's almost double the price for the same item)
Re: Move Over Fire Emblem, Scarlet Republics Is Coming To Switch Soon
@Heavyarms55 - To be fair, even with the success of Three Houses, Fire Emblem isn't that big or successful a franchise for Nintendo (just look at the sales for the 3DS titles), so if this game somehow managed to go big (ala Shovel Knight), I can see it possibly happening....albeit briefly (though looking at this that's probably not going to happen).
@nessisonett - To be fair, the video does list it as one of it's inspirations (along with Final Fantasy Tactics, and Divinity 2 among others) but yeah, that title is a bit much given this is an indie game, not a rival AAA title.
While this doesn't seem too bad (the premise actually sounds pretty decent imo), I can't see this distinguishing itself enough to be too successful (despite the successful kickstarter); on top of that, I'm struggling to understand why they mentioned Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics (outside of just name dropping) in addition to Divinity 2, when the game doesn't seem to have anything from the former that's not in the latter (unless you count the random stat increases upon leveling up).
Re: Jet Force Gemini Style Platform Shooter Tamarin Unlikely To Come To Switch Anytime Soon
watches first 20 seconds Um, this looks more inspired by Banjo than Jet For-watches next 20 seconds never mind.
Re: How Well Do You Know Rare And Its Nintendo Games?
7/15 - My lack of knowledge on NES-era Rare did me no favours here (that and not remembering Conker's appearance in Diddy Kong Racing, despite somehow remembering the obscure Game Boy game).
Re: Random: Fan Transforms A Real Nintendo Wii Into A Game Boy Color-Sized Handheld
sees 20 seconds Um, Nintendo, can we get one of these? That would be lovely, thanks (though maybe with a slightly larger screen).
Re: Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase Appears Out Of Nowhere, Watch It Here
@dew12333 - Somewhat likely, though to be fair, we might still end up getting a couple of games announced in October/November, a month or so prior to release (given release schedules are less secure now, I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo are playing things similarly to how they announced Paper Mario and only giving relatively short notice for future releases).
Guess I shouldn't be surprised with the comments (although I'm not sure why people are still acting this way when it's been clear for a while that Nintendo are not going to be doing a big 1st party direct in the near future at the very least), but personally, I didn't mind this Direct Mini; it had a lot more announcements than the last one, and some (Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, Final Fantasy Legends collection, Kingdom Hearts Theatrhythm) seemed kinda interesting.
Re: Poll: What's The Best Final Fantasy Game On Nintendo Consoles?
The poll says "Best Final Fantasy Game on a Nintendo system" but looking at the options, you could almost get away with just saying "Best mainline Final Fantasy game" as there are only a small handful that aren't listed here (and half of those are MMO's).
As for me, VI is still my favourite, followed by X and XII. So far, only VIII and IX (and maybe VII Remake if that counts) have come close to changing that, but at the moment, those are my current favourites.
Re: Yep, The Switch Has Now Outsold The NES
I feel like the success of the Switch emphasizes just how big the sales gap is between Nintendo's consoles and its handhelds, because if you look at it's position relative to previous handhelds, it's still at the bottom, and yet among consoles it's second only to the Wii. Considering the Switch is a hybrid, it's current position between the two seems less 'Wow! Incredible!" and more in line with what you'd expect from such a device (Though that said, it does seem to be doing better than the 3DS at the moment, so it could very well end up exceeding expectations, [assuming it can keep this success going after the PS5 and Xbox X are released]).
Re: Soapbox: After Paper Mario: The Origami King, I Want More Comedy On Switch, Please
"Animal Crossing is another Nintendo staple that is just begging for an injection of laughs. In New Horizons the pool of nearly 400 villagers only grew by 8, and no new personality types were added at all. What if Nintendo added a comedian personality type? With so much dialogue in the game, a group of villagers solely designed to make the player laugh would be a welcome addition."
I'm not too versed in the series, but aren't most Animal Crossing characters embodiments of slapstick and dialogue humour? (like this scene with Resetti: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw6PHzm3SRA)
Re: Poll: What's The Best Paper Mario Game?
I like the choice of using a rating rather than a straight poll; means even people like myself who've only really played one title (in my case, the original) can participate (while also allowing people who've played more than one to grade their preferences).
Re: How Well Do You Know Luigi?
9/12 - Did pretty well up till the last two questions (though I probably should've gotten that last one right, now I think about it) but not bad overall.
Re: Sword And Shield Are Now The Best-Selling Pokémon Games Since Gold And Silver
@DavidMac - "Also making Rillaboom like a monkey with dreadlocks."
Um, have you seen Rillaboom? Its hair is just one big bush, nothing even close to dreadlocks (outside maybe the one strand that hangs over his face).
Honestly, it's kinda sad (though not surprising) to see all the 'Pokemon is doomed' comments just because the latest entries are selling well. All the sales do is re-affirm that what the majority of purchasers (i.e. kids and casual gamers) value in a pokemon game is different from the hard-core audience; namely, accessibility and fun. And as far as those go (accessibility especially), Sword/Shield do a pretty good job, all things considered (hence its good sales).
Re: Switch Software Sales Are Comfortably Beating The PS2's, The Best-Selling Console Of All Time
As some have mentioned, while the best sellers on the Switch generally sold more than the PS2 equivalents, if you look at the whole list, you'll see 35 titles on the Switch that have sold 1 million+, compared to the 163 titles the PS2 had. On top of that, the best sellers were GTA and Gran Turismo, games with a somewhat more limited audience compared to, say, Mario Kart 8 DX, Pokemon, or Animal Crossing.
It's still impressive, don't get me wrong, but there's a very clear reason why the PS2 didn't have titles that reached the same heights as the Switch.
Re: Pikmin 3 Deluxe Officially Announced For Switch, Includes All DLC And New Content
So, on the one hand, this package doesn't sound too bad all-in-all (especially if co-op truly wasn't available in the original); on the other hand, this likely means Pikmin 4 isn't likely to come out any time soon (I was kinda hoping it would be their 'cute March title' [for lack of a better phrase] of 2021, following on from Animal Crossing, Yoshi's Crafted World, and Kirby: Star Allies, but I guess that's probably not gonna happen).
Re: Can You Name These Nintendo Console Games From Their Box Art?
13/15 - Only two I missed were Animal Crossing (made a 50/50 guess between Wild World and City Folk) and Tennis (In hindsight, seeing Mario as the ref probably should've made me realise that it wasn't Mario Tennis).
Re: Paper Mario Producer Says Team Is "No Longer Able To Graphically Represent Individual Characteristics" In Toad NPCs
So, they're not allowed to 'visually present individual characteristics in toads' but are allowed to give them outfits? I guess that's something but still, does this mean Toadsworth has been retired as a character?
Re: Talking Point: Have You Missed E3 This Year?
I've said it before, but the only reason E3 is a loss is because Nintendo didn't have a replacement presentation like Sony did. Had Nintendo released a big direct laying out its plans for the rest of the year, the loss of E3 wouldn't really be that much (as much as I like it).
Re: Poll: No, Really, What Was Nintendo's Worst Year?
@batata - To be fair, that was also the year we got Donkey Kong Country 2, Yoshi's Island and Chrono Trigger, so on the whole, it's probably not the worst year for Nintendo (that was probably 2016, which saw absolutely nothing from the Wii U and only Pokemon from the 3DS)
2020 may not be great compared to the past few years, but at least we got Animal Crossing and, to a lesser extent, Paper Mario (and ofc, the GOTY: Clubhouse Games )
Edit: Actually, I change my mind on 2016. I just did some research into the 3DS entries that year, and we got not just Pokemon but: Fire Emblem Fates, Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, Kirby: Planet Robobot, and Monster Hunter: Generations as new exclusives. That beats out 2020's 3 games, so considering 2018 got Smash Ultimate, Kirby, Mario Tennis, Mario Party, Octopath (for a time) and Labo, I'd say 2020 is actually a decent contender for worst year (at least so far). It's certainly looking like the worst year in the Switch's life so far (although to be fair
Re: Random: What's Worse Than Getting Another 'Legacy Edition?' FIFA 21's Box Art, Apparently
Apparently it's not limited to FIFA either; UFC 4 also sports a similar styled-game cover: https://www.ebgames.com.au/product/ps4/259920-ea-sports-ufc-4
Not entirely sure what EA Sports is going for here, but as others have said, it's attracting attention if nothing else.
Re: Talking Point: Are You Prepared To Spend $70 On The Latest Games?
I don't usually buy games at full price as it is, so an increase won't likely do much to change that.
Re: Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase Airs Later Today
Was excited when I heart a Direct Mini was happening, but if it's just a small showcase for previously-released, non-Nintendo products, then chances are there won't be much of interest (mayyybe Bayo 3/No More Heroes 3 at the end if we're lucky).
Still, at least we know that Directs aren't completely dead (yet), so that's something.
Re: How Well Do You Know The Koopalings?
7/8 - Tripped up on that last one but the rest of the quiz was pretty easy.
Re: Can You Match These Links To The Zelda Game They're From?
@Losermagnet - Pretty much my result.
@SapphireBlaze - I think at that point, you would have to focus on things like the pose, and which game's box art you can place the character to (kinda like the Oracle game Links in this quiz).
A pretty easy quiz overall, though some took a bit longer to figure out (figuring out which of the Oracle games was which for example, and Spirit Tracks/Phantom Hourglass).
Re: Capcom Says "No" To Monster Hunter World On Nintendo Switch (Again)
@Varkster - While I wouldn't go as far as to call it a new 'golden era' Capcom have been putting out quite a few good products in the past few years (DMC V, Resi 2 Remake, SFV, Monster Hunter World), it's just that, because the Switch isn't powerful enough to run these games properly, it misses out on a lot of them (Mega Man 11 being the exception). Is this arrangement ideal? Of course not, but just because most games aren't hitting the Switch doesn't mean Capcom aren't putting them out (and it's not like the Switch has a drought of Capcom games full stop, just new ones).
Re: Can You Name These Super Smash Bros. Fighters?
Well that was easy (for once I actually got 15/15).
Re: EA Intends To "Double Down" On Star Wars Video Game Development
@RustedHero - I'm pretty sure the Legends label is so they can continue re-releasing existing content (mainly comics and novels) without confusing fans or general readers.
If this doubling down means we get some more titles like Jedi: Fallen Order, and post-update Battlefront 2 (and if Squadrons ends up as good as it looks that could well happen), then I'm all for it. I seem to be in a minority in that I actually prefer the new canon overall (at least so far) so I'm not turned off by the prospect of 'new canon' games, so as long as EA doesn't live up to their reputation (a tall ask admittedly, but tbf, there was a time when Capcom was terrible as well) I'm fine with more Star Wars games.
Re: Talking Point: Is EA's Switch Strategy Lazy, Or Simply Common Sense?
I'd say EA's efforts now are okay, but probably would've been more appreciative if they were done a year ago. Having some newer, smaller titles that can better make the transition to Switch on top of these would probably have been a good idea as well.
The problem is that EA is still dragging their feet regarding Switch support (why, I don't know), and with the PS5 and Xbox X expected to come out at the end of the year, that's unlikely to improve all that much going forward.
Re: Kingdom Hearts: Melody Of Memory Announced For Switch, Launches This Year
@NFERNO - This exactly. On top of that, it's not like it's designed for Switch as a nasty 'consolation prize' or something, it's releasing on all systems, it's just that in this case, the game is undemanding enough for a Switch version to be viable.
As for the actual game, honestly, I'm honestly looking forward to it. I'm still a bit confused on a few things (Why are Sora and co. in their KH1 incarnation? What does that second half with Kairi have to do with the first half?) but a KH Theatrhythm-esque game on Switch sounds great (especially if they include touch screen controls).
Re: Poll: Should Nintendo Release A Digital-Only Switch?
@Nintendofan83 - Only if you go with the idea that a system must be able to house one's entire library without using expandable storage; such an idea might make for a nice convenience, but calling it a necessity is a bit much, especially given most gamers aren't likely to be playing more than 4 or 5 titles at once (not to mention Micro SD cards aren't really that expensive).
As for the poll topic, personally, I initially voted undecided, but after thinking on it, I can't really see the benefit of cutting out an option like this. The only way it'd make sense is if gaming was going down this route anyway, and there's no longer a good reason to keep the feature available. Otherwise, why not just keep both options available?
Re: Poll: Which Remastered Mario Games Would You Pick For A 'Super Mario All-Stars 2'?
While I would also like a collection that includes remakes of the Super Mario Land titles (though given how short the first one at least is, maybe they could be thrown in as bonus extras), at the end of the day, I can't really look past 64, Sunshine, Galaxy and Galaxy 2 as the optimal choice for a collection.
Re: Nintendo Shares Lots Of Free Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Wallpapers
Oh, these look nice...
Not available in your country/region
...........
Still, some nice wallpapers there.
Re: Famitsu Poll Reveals Readers' Favourite Fire Emblem Games
Interesting to see Genealogy at number one, above even Three Houses, I wonder what makes it so popular, even after all these years.
On another note, it's nice to see my three favourites up there (even if Three Houses and Awakening were fairly likely to be picked).
Re: Official Mother Tribute Comic Revealed, More News Expected To Follow
It'll be interesting to see if any of this leaves Japan, because if it doesn't, then you could plausibly get a port of Mother 3 much like the GBA port, alongside maybe a port of the first two games. Not sure if that's what'll end up happening, but it'll be interesting to see.
Re: It Doesn't Sound Like A Nintendo Direct Will Be Happening Anytime Soon
@Varkster - "Also means people can notice the more obscure titles instead of them being overshadowed by bigger franchises."
Don't you mean "Now people can ignore the more obscure titles as they will no longer have to watch them alongside the bigger franchises"?
I mean, sure, you could always skip past anything you didn't like in a direct as well, but at least there you're somewhat more likely to just watch the entire thing.
As for the topic in the article, I can't say I prefer this to the idea of having a big Direct (at least there you know all the big titles that are going to come out for the next few months), but if it's something Nintendo has to do, then fair enough.
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl #43 - Super Turrican
Japan easily. The other ones just don't look good imo.
Re: How Well Do You Know The Legend Of Zelda?
Got 7/10 due to thinking Link's Crossbow Training would be included as a joke, not knowing enough about the CD-i games(was a 50/50 between Link's and Zelda's Adventure, but unfortunately, I guessed wrong), and not realising that Tingle's re-appearances did not, in-fact, start with Wind Waker.
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl #42 - Pikmin 2
EU for me this time. It seems to strike the perfect balance between too much (NA) and not enough (JP) going on, plus it seems the most representative of the meat of the gameplay (gathering supplies while avoiding obstacles/enemies).
Re: Random: "Games I Want Ported To Nintendo Switch" Twitter Hashtag Goes Viral In Japan
I think at this point, just having Gamecube games would be enough for me. I wouldn't exactly say no to anything else (3DS games would be nice to have) but if all we got was a decent selection of Gamecube games, then I'd probably be reasonably satisfied.
Re: How Well Do You Know Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
Got 5/7, despite this being my first AC game, and having only played it for 3 hours; not sure if that's due to luck, easy questions, or picking up info from second-hand sources, but either way, it's a bit higher then I was expecting to get.
Re: Nintendo Switch System Update 10.0.0 Is Now Live
@JaxonH - Quick Question: What is it that makes the button remapping so big?
Not a bad update: the data update sounds especially nice (and more user icons don't hurt) but like others, I'm still waiting on folders and themes to be added.
Re: Random: LEGO Mario Set Gets Its First Angry User Review, Despite The Fact It Isn't Out Yet
A Sonic fan complaining about a Mario Lego set......what year is this again?
Re: Xbox's Phil Spencer Has "A Ton Of Respect" For Nintendo, But Is Over Rumours About Select Titles Coming To Switch
@Bobobiwan - The thing is, both Ori and Cuphead are indie titles, not part of Microsoft's core 1st party line-up, so porting those games probably doesn't hurt Microsoft that much. If, on the other hand, they ported Forza, Gears or even worse, Halo, then that would be a different story but at the moment, those titles have remained away from competitor systems so for now the advantages of their strategy probably outweigh what minor damage it may do.
On the article, that's a fair enough statement to make, especially given the imminent launch of the new Xbox at the end of the year, you're probably gonna want to focus more on what your product brings to the table than what titles you're releasing on your competitor's systems, even if you are on friendly-ish terms with them.
Re: PlatinumGames Has A Special 'Bonus Stage' Announcement To Make, What Could It Be?
@Wargoose - Seems that way.
Kinda figured they'd do this; there was always the chance the April Fools joke wouldn't land with a lot of people, so they probably had this as a backup just in case (though given it's called a bonus tier I imagine it was probably going to be announced even if it did work).
Re: PlatinumGames' Fourth Reveal Turned Out To Be An April Fools' Joke
@TuxDC - Didn't Platinum explain why the kickstarter was done?
@AJWolfTill - Why?
Honestly, I'm not even mad; I mean sure it's a bit disappointing that it's not announcing a new game or anything, but given the 3rd item was the announcement of a new studio being opened, I can't say it's that surprising that the fourth item turned out to be a joke.
That said, I'm gonna guess they're gonna backtrack from this after the backlash and announce something else at a later date.
Re: The Definitive Edition Of Xenoblade Chronicles Won't Include Any Extras From The 3DS Port
@mesome713 - Wasn't the music part of the collection mode? Wouldn't removing the collection mode also remove the music (and models)?