Love Prime 1 on the Cube and Wii (through Wii U). Never been able to get far in Echoes and get bored every time I tried to get into Corruption. Knowing me I’ll play 4 and enjoy it!
@Mgalens that’s a very good point. I dropped off Sonic after Sonic & Knuckles (moving from Mega Drive to N64), revisiting the series through Sonic Mega Collection on GameCube. As such I never encountered 3D Sonic or the GBA Advance series. I did get Sonic 4 on Wii and wasn’t impressed, as the physics are off completely (plus who needs lock on in a 2D Sonic game?) Sonic Mania showed that the original formula and physics are still excellent.
Truth be told, I have always preferred how 2D Sonic controls compared to 2D Mario, but prefer how 3D Mario controls compared to 3D Sonic!
@Misima as someone who was very much there at the time, as a veteran of the old console wars, I do think yours might be a minority view. Sonic was far more than just a selling point. The original Mega Drive game was incredibly refreshing at the time. It was fluid, fast, reasonably challenging, looked fantastic and Sonic as a character at the time was something different. His shtick was copied to death by a glut of ‘mascots with ‘tude’ during the 90s, but he was a great bridge between twee, safe characters like Mario and Dizzy and the more edgy stuff that got people clutching pearls. SEGA were masterful at appealing to a crowd between kids and older teens (tweens or ‘big brothers’). He’s still well loved today, as three rather successful films show his appeal amongst children who were not even a twinkle in the eye and general audiences.
In terms of games, yup there have been some stinkers in there, but the 16 bit games are undoubtedly classics, as are a few 8 bit games. Sonic Mania shows just how much these style games were missed and although Superstars was a bit hit and miss (great levels, terrible bosses!) it shows that 2D Sonic’s play style is still viable and popular today.
Anecdotally, I have heard younger people say they ‘can’t get’ how to play the original Sonic games or they think you just ‘hold right’ but that was never how the games were played. Somehow we all managed when it was new. Then again, people who weren’t there complain about the N64 controller. It’s not like we had three hands…
One if things I spotted after my son built his (to be fair he has a Game Boy Color, not the old brick!). I pointed out to him that it was offset in order to prevent carts being taken out when the machine was on (a small ‘tooth’ is connected to the power switch, which fits the indent on the cart to prevent it being pulled out). This is missing on the GBC.
He also got he power light in the wrong place, so maybe he just wasn’t paying attention in his excitement 😁
I finally had a look at a Switch 2 in the wild (as my son played MKW and Donkey Kong). It is a nice bit of kit, but the cost is too much of a barrier. I got my first Switch (a grey lite) in late 2019 for a very good deal from Nintendo’s online store (system, case, one year of online and Smash Bros) for £250 (with another £25 off, dropping it to £225, for simply registering a catalogue I’d received through the post for 10% off). Compare that to £400 for just a Switch 2. I then upgraded to a V2 two years later for £250. The grey went to my son, who loves it and plays it constantly, while my daughter got a pink lite the same year. I can’t see us getting 3 Switch 2s for double the price!
@Grumblevolcano not to mention that many third party games plummet in price 6 months or so after launch on PS/XBox. I love my Switch but the cost of games is bonkers (though if I traded some of my Switch games in I’d at least get some decent returns for my money).
@electrolite77 I am inclined to agree (you can’t play the other consoles on the loo without a series of mirrors!) but PS5 sales would disagree to a certain extent. However, I’m guessing a lot of people have both systems, again for Nintendo exclusives.
My take on this is twofold: firstly, if you let your exclusives go then it is a one way street; you will never recover that exclusivity again and will lose your brand or console’s identity. Secondly, for Nintendo it would mean the death of their console business; why play games like Breath of the Wild or Metroid Prime 4 on weaker hardware? Imagine Zelda running on Xbox Series X or PS5. Why on Earth at that point would you bother with a Switch? Best to keep it exclusive.
‘So you want the most powerful console on the planet? That’s cool. Oh you want to play Mario Kart? Pity it’s not on your console. Guess you’ll need a Nintendo as well then. We don’t care if you have other systems too; you’ll still need ours for all these exclusives…’
While it is entirely subjective, the GameCube had imo the most solid line up with Luigi’s Mansion, Waverace Bluestorm, Rogue Leader and Super Monkey Ball. However, for shear impact it’s hard to argue against the total game changers/killer apps that were Tetris on the GB, Super Mario 64 on the N64 and Wii Sports on the Wii. With those games on day one you didn’t need another game for weeks (even more so if you also got Super Mario Land, Pilot Wings 64 and Twilight Princess at the same time).
If Leon is in it Ada Wong can’t be far behind. After all, what would a Resident Evil game with Leon starting be if we didn’t get him yelling ‘Ada!!!’ at least a half dozen times throughout?
Linear and simplistic? I thought the idea was that the game changes with multiple playthroughs depending on ding on your play style (for example if you use more violence the time line shifts and becomes darker)? For a game modelled on Mega Drive games that I’d pretty impressive and doesn’t sound too linear…
Always good to see me boy Leon in a new game! Should be an interesting juxtaposition with Grace, who seems a bit over her head, to have Leon’s deadpan sense of humour.
I’ve been a big fan of Zelda games for ages, way back to the 90s. I can safely say Echoes of Wisdom has been the most fun I’ve had with a Zelda title in ages, barring Link Between Worlds.
Nintendo will never give up on their exclusives. For one thing it clearly works; even if not hugely successful every single generation, Nintendo’s exclusives have kept them in the game for the best part of half a century. Sure, they may not have the most powerful machine but who cares? ‘Oh, your console does 120fps, 4K and ray tracing? Nice. Can you play Mario Kart on it? No? Guess you’re buying a Nintendo then!’
On a serious note, Nintendo don’t have the same market place nor business strategy as Sony/Microsoft; they only make video games and machines. To give up any of their IPs would fly in the face of who they are as a company. I don’t always like or agree with their decisions but I have never questioned why Mario or Zelda are not on Xbox or PS. Once the genie is out of the bottle they would loose their identity.
@JumpingJackson it can certainly run the 21 N64 games released on VC. I have heard that it is possible to add other games but I have never tried, I just stuck to everything that had once been available on VC.
@rdm22 funnily enough my Wii is the only console I’ve ever had to send in for repairs (the disc drive stopped working after about 9 years). However, in the meantime I found another one on eBay for £11, fully working but with no cables or anything (not that I needed them) and always intended to play around with it. The pandemic gave me the excuse to do so. A few days, a bit of patience and a couple of SD cards later and it is now a retro library plugged permanently into my old crt tv.
@Duncanballs I held out for Special Champion Edition and the 6 button Mega Drive controller. Still my favourite version of SF2 to this day, but what a great time to be a gamer! SNES or Mega Drive you were 100% guaranteed a brilliant time!
I have the NES classic mini, but I tend to play on the Wii through Virtual Console for quick hits of classic games. With a bit of ‘research’ I was able to acquire the complete catalogue of the VC, which includes a ridiculous number of NES games.
As someone who had the dubious honour of playing a Virtual Boy back in the couple of months it was available in the 90s, I’m not really interested (aside from as a curio). I have to ask though; why on earth wasn’t this done on the 3DS 10 years ago? It would have been perfect and wouldn’t have needed any expensive accessories.
@koopababble no problem, as I said it’s mainly because of my kids. They each have a Switch Lite and love playing on their own systems (despite having a load of consoles in the house). The HD upgrade would be nice as well; even through the Wii U the Galaxy games are limited to 480p resolution.
I know my kids would love this, so I’d have to get the physical copy so they could each play it on their Switch lites, but the cost of about £60 is very steep. We already have both on Wii, with a digital copy of Galaxy 2 on Wii U (at £8.99 it was worth it back then) and I was fortunate enough to get 3D All Stars as a gift from a friend. Hopefully Currys is still doing a deal for preordering…
@Saints disc sales for films are still fairly healthy, as much as can be expected with the prevalence of streaming. I own hundreds of DVDs, some of which are over 20 years old, which still work perfectly. I have CDs which are even older that still work. If they are stored properly they will last a long time (much longer than the devices we use to actually access them). CDs are the highest quality way to listen to music and likely will remain that way. Yes, they are less convenient to use but then vinyl has come back in a big way (which is bizarre to me) and that is even less convenient to use.
The simple fact is a not insignificant number of people are tired of paying money for access to things only to not actually possess anything afterwards. With a CD I can burn it on to a hard drive, back it up as many times as I’d like in a variety of formats and store that data in a number of places. I can even make multiple copies of the CD. Similar could be done with DVDs and Blu-rays and even disc based video games. Once I have bought the physical media I am beholden to no company keeping its servers up or keeping its licence agreements.
I know people also talk about storage space and that is a real consideration but somehow we all managed before. Disc boxes haven’t jumped in size in the last 20 years.
I’m not surprised; all those Resident Evil titles are excellent games (yes, even RE3 remake, I love blasting through it as a quick action game). Having recently played through RE2 remake and then going back and playing the original RE2 on N64 it’s clear just how much care and attention went into the remake to make it the way the original ‘felt’ in my mind back in the 90s/2000s. I’ve only played a bit of Biohazard (don’t like first person for Resi games) and recently finished Village in 3rd person mode, which was fun, though I’m not a fan of the whole ‘sentient mould’ theme. I want me zombies!
I remember playing Hexxen on PC in the mid 90s and loving it. I think I may well have rented it for N64 as well. As soon as there is the inevitable sale on these I will be picking them up. Love my Doom clones!
I have a 26 inch widescreen CRT, with a flat screen that I use for anything up to the Wii. Looks excellent. Furthermore DVDs look glorious through it, connected through RGB SCART.
After heavily supporting the Wii U it took me until Xmas 2019 to get a Switch Lite. It didn’t get much use I’ve got to be honest. Big games like Mario Odyssey and Smash Bros just didn’t grip me at all. I’d pick it up from time to time but it didn’t get as much use as the 3DS. Then my son got old enough to game and he was drawn to the Lite, blasting through games that couldn’t hold my attention. I passed it in to him when I got the fun Switch to play on tv, which is where I started to use it far more. I have some good memories of Metroid Dread and Prime remastered, along with Super Mario RPG, Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Link’s Awakening, Streets of Rage 4. Both my kids have gotten far more out of the Switch than I ever did, which says a lot about the console’s appeal. My Switch isn’t going anywhere; it’s in great condition and will accompany me on many holidays I’m sure into the future. The Switch 2 is far too expensive and it’s software even more so. The Switch, as decent as it was, was clearly massively underpowered compared to its rivals and Switch 2 looks to be similar. Power isn’t everything but when the gulf is that massive it really shows compared to what my PS5 and Xbox Series X can do.
@ElkinFencer10 I see your point, but GBA was a 32 bit handheld, capable of doing far more than the SNES or Mega Drive. It could run PC games from the same time of those machines, such as Doom and Wolfenstein.
It is a great service if the Switch is your first Nintendo system and you want to dive into their previous systems’ libraries or if you were a Nintendo fan at some point but no longer have access to older games. However, barring a few things here and there it’s not hugely advantageous for those of us who have been with them a while, especially with Wii Virtual Console and Wii U Virtual Console allowing us to keep these games, long after support has been withdrawn. For the price, however, which works out to £1.50 a month for the basic online for a single user, it is pocket money to access plenty of retro games in a convenient way.
Of course, there are ways of obtaining the entire VC library on Wii…if you are willing to set sail (‘yar, me hearties!’)
@sanderev exactly the same for me! I got mine in 2003, second hand for £70 along with WW and the bonus disc. Imagine getting a 1 year old console today for such a ridiculously low price! I gave my friend my original cube when I got a Wii, but about 2 years later bought a second cube to use in another room for about £20. Kept all my original games (only had 10 when the machine was relevant 2003-2006) except Metroid Prime which I gave to the same friend. I rebought that for very little when I went through a nostalgia trip for the cube in about 2012. Games were so cheap to get them; the most I paid was £17 for Twilight Princess!
@teo_o the use of the GBA link was a neat little feature, even if I didn’t use it all that much. I think if you completed Prime and Fusion and linked them up you got the Fusion suit to use in Prime and unlocked the original Metroid on the Fusion cart (I did it finally a few years ago).
Both the original GameCube release and the Wii U remaster have their charms. The older one is like playing a traditional 2D cartoon, the later a more modern cartoon. I will say that the shortened Tri-force quest and the ability to change the wind direction without stopping to us the Windwaker constantly make the Wii U version easier to play but it never really bothered me back in 2003 when I got the game with my Cube. The GameBoy Advance link cable allowing you to control Tingle on a GBA was a fun little addition too.
You can spin it anyway you want to, it’s still an expensive bit of kit and the games even more so. I’m all for nostalgia, but this is like the 80s all over again 😂
@TrogdorTheBurninator me too. I’d quite happily have had a small box, with Wi-fi, Bluetooth, HDMI, a USB port and a cartridge slot bundled with a pro controller as an option for a lower price point. I only ever play handheld on holiday abroad or rarely when sat waiting in the car!
I don’t think the ‘have to’ match the $70 that Sony/Microsoft, I think they ‘want to’ match them. Now, I’m in two minds about that; on the one hand for exclusives and the fact that cartridges are more expensive to manufacture than discs I can understand some sort of increase in prices. For the former it’s because they have fans over a barrel, as where else can you play Mario, Zelda or Metroid for example? On the other hand it is ridiculous to charge Nintendo customers more than the competition for lesser versions of the same game, as there is no way multi platform games will run or look best on the Switch 2. Now, for someone like me that’s not a major issue as I am fortunate enough to have to option of choosing which system to buy for, but not everyone is that lucky. Furthermore, if Sony/microsoft we’re charging $70 already, see that people are willing to pay $80 for Switch 2 games, then they will start charging more as well, as they were simply looking for an excuse which they now have (to be fair to Nintendo, Sony were first through the gate with this).
For me, I’m going to have to shop around and make careful decisions, which I’ve already tried to do for a while now. In fact I have started trading in old games in order to buy second hand copies for the first time since the early 2000s.
As someone who owns all three current systems, even with the upgrades the Switch 2 will not be able to match the PS5 or Xbox. However, that’s not the issue if firstly, Switch 2 is your only system (and you don’t care for Microsoft/Sony or already have a good PC), secondly you only want it for exclusives thirdly you really only play in handheld mode. For me, aside from a few weeks a year when I take my Switch on holiday with me (where it is a godsend) I play exclusively docked at home. So for me, when I eventually, inevitably, upgrade in a few years, I will stick to the same rule I have with PS5; exclusives only. The ridiculous cost of Nintendo games (and I don’t care what anyone says, they are at an indefensibly high price from sheer greed and have opened the floodgate for everyone to charge more, which hurts all of us) will limit me and maybe others to stick to such a strategy….
I was toying with the idea of getting Switch 2 at launch, as I have never bought a console day 1, so I thought I might for the novelty factor. It’s a little more than I thought, but the thing that has put me off completely is the ridiculous pricing of the games. Nintendo, in their greed, has broken the seal on increasing game prices. You could argue Sony already went part way there with PS5 games but now they and Microsoft will follow Nintendo by putting their prices up, as if Nintendo can do it, why not them? Bad for consumers. I’ll be waiting until the inevitable improved Switch 2 model before I think of buying.
I’ll pick one up in 2/3 years time when the inevitable better revised model gets a released with better battery life (just like the V2 Switch). The cost of the machine is about £40-£50 more than I expected, but when spread over the 5 years it so of its life time then that’s not too bad. The games on the other hand are far too expensive. I’ve already dug into my library to trade in for PS5 games which are pricy even second hand. Guess I’ll stick with my regular Switch for my Nintendo hit for some time yet.
@Coversnail I use it in tabletop mode when on holiday. I use a folding stand, as the viewing angle on its own isn’t very comfortable. With the joy on grip it’s like playing on a mini tv!
Sonic the Hedgehog (MD & MS/GG) Sonic CD Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (MD & MS/GG) Sonic Chaos (MS/GG) Sonic 3 Sonic & Knuckles Sonic Triple Trouble Knuckles Chaotix Sonic Mania Sonic Superstars
Not sure what the others are. Sonic never made it to 3D, right? 😂
Stay physical. They tend to be cheaper on the whole and the resell value it worth it. I traded 3 Wii U games in a couple of weeks back which took a massive chunk out of the cost of a PS5. Couldn’t have done that with digital….
@Radixxs it will be interesting to see if this is a ‘perfected Switch’. If you compare it to Sony for example the PS2 was a ‘super PS1’ (with a Trojan horse in the form of the built in DVD player for good measure). PS2 did everything the PS1 did but better.
@larryisaman I do wonder if it’s sales will match that if the other times they have done similar. The DS was hugely successful but the 3DS, while hardly a failure, did not recapture the magic. Neither did the GBA after the GB or even the mighty SNES, which sold less than the NES.
@-wc- I agree with everything you said (I was there Gandalf, 3000 years ago…). However, a lot of what you have described existed ‘under the hood’ as it were, none of which we really know about with Switch 2.
My comment was more a reaction to the disappointment some people online have expressed that the Switch 2’s format is very similar to the original system. My comparison to the NES and SNES is that at the time most consoles were an iterative improvement over the previous model (Atari and SEGA are also examples of this). Basically they were all ‘just a better box under your tv’. Nintendo’s history of innovation with things like the Wii, Switch, DS seems to give some the impression that they will always throw a curve ball, when actually they have plenty of times stuck to a similar idea but with improvements (the Game Boy line is a good example).
BTW not sure if you are from the US (forgive me for assuming if I am wrong) but here in the UK the NES and SNES were not really part of the zeitgeist in the way the Mega Drive and later PS1 were. The Mega Drive was really the first console that took people away from the computers that were the preferred medium in the 80s and early 90s (though the Master System laid the groundwork before it). Nintendo were definitely present but didn’t really try too hard to win us over (Game Boy was how most of us got our Nintendo hit back then).
It’s pretty much what I expected; a next Gen Switch.
Tbh if you look at some of their other consoles they too were really just a better version of what came before. The SNES was a cartridge based console that was far more powerful than the NES that came with controller that had more buttons. No one was complaining that it was ‘too similar in concept’ to the NES.
However, the trailer reveals that the Switch 2 can do everything the Switch can do. I’m more interested to see what it can do that the original Switch CAN’T do…
Comments 375
Re: Talking Point: Metroid Prime 4 And The Burden Of Being 'Good Enough'
Love Prime 1 on the Cube and Wii (through Wii U). Never been able to get far in Echoes and get bored every time I tried to get into Corruption. Knowing me I’ll play 4 and enjoy it!
Re: Sonic The Hedgehog Kicks Off 35th Anniversary Celebrations In Style
@Mgalens that’s a very good point. I dropped off Sonic after Sonic & Knuckles (moving from Mega Drive to N64), revisiting the series through Sonic Mega Collection on GameCube. As such I never encountered 3D Sonic or the GBA Advance series. I did get Sonic 4 on Wii and wasn’t impressed, as the physics are off completely (plus who needs lock on in a 2D Sonic game?) Sonic Mania showed that the original formula and physics are still excellent.
Truth be told, I have always preferred how 2D Sonic controls compared to 2D Mario, but prefer how 3D Mario controls compared to 3D Sonic!
Re: Sonic The Hedgehog Kicks Off 35th Anniversary Celebrations In Style
@Misima as someone who was very much there at the time, as a veteran of the old console wars, I do think yours might be a minority view. Sonic was far more than just a selling point. The original Mega Drive game was incredibly refreshing at the time. It was fluid, fast, reasonably challenging, looked fantastic and Sonic as a character at the time was something different. His shtick was copied to death by a glut of ‘mascots with ‘tude’ during the 90s, but he was a great bridge between twee, safe characters like Mario and Dizzy and the more edgy stuff that got people clutching pearls. SEGA were masterful at appealing to a crowd between kids and older teens (tweens or ‘big brothers’). He’s still well loved today, as three rather successful films show his appeal amongst children who were not even a twinkle in the eye and general audiences.
In terms of games, yup there have been some stinkers in there, but the 16 bit games are undoubtedly classics, as are a few 8 bit games. Sonic Mania shows just how much these style games were missed and although Superstars was a bit hit and miss (great levels, terrible bosses!) it shows that 2D Sonic’s play style is still viable and popular today.
Anecdotally, I have heard younger people say they ‘can’t get’ how to play the original Sonic games or they think you just ‘hold right’ but that was never how the games were played. Somehow we all managed when it was new. Then again, people who weren’t there complain about the N64 controller. It’s not like we had three hands…
Re: Random: Lego Fans Have Apparently Forgotten What Game Boy Cartridges Look Like
One if things I spotted after my son built his (to be fair he has a Game Boy Color, not the old brick!). I pointed out to him that it was offset in order to prevent carts being taken out when the machine was on (a small ‘tooth’ is connected to the power switch, which fits the indent on the cart to prevent it being pulled out). This is missing on the GBC.
He also got he power light in the wrong place, so maybe he just wasn’t paying attention in his excitement 😁
Re: Editorial: Happy New Year From Nintendo Life
Happy New Year!
Re: Feature: Farewell, Nintendo Switch - It's Finally Time To Bid Our Old Friend 'Adieu'
I finally had a look at a Switch 2 in the wild (as my son played MKW and Donkey Kong). It is a nice bit of kit, but the cost is too much of a barrier. I got my first Switch (a grey lite) in late 2019 for a very good deal from Nintendo’s online store (system, case, one year of online and Smash Bros) for £250 (with another £25 off, dropping it to £225, for simply registering a catalogue I’d received through the post for 10% off). Compare that to £400 for just a Switch 2. I then upgraded to a V2 two years later for £250. The grey went to my son, who loves it and plays it constantly, while my daughter got a pink lite the same year. I can’t see us getting 3 Switch 2s for double the price!
Re: "If Mario Starts To Show Up On PlayStation, That's The Apocalypse, Right?" - Ex-PlayStation Boss Thinks Console Exclusives Are Still Important
@Grumblevolcano not to mention that many third party games plummet in price 6 months or so after launch on PS/XBox. I love my Switch but the cost of games is bonkers (though if I traded some of my Switch games in I’d at least get some decent returns for my money).
Re: "If Mario Starts To Show Up On PlayStation, That's The Apocalypse, Right?" - Ex-PlayStation Boss Thinks Console Exclusives Are Still Important
@electrolite77 I am inclined to agree (you can’t play the other consoles on the loo without a series of mirrors!) but PS5 sales would disagree to a certain extent. However, I’m guessing a lot of people have both systems, again for Nintendo exclusives.
Re: "If Mario Starts To Show Up On PlayStation, That's The Apocalypse, Right?" - Ex-PlayStation Boss Thinks Console Exclusives Are Still Important
My take on this is twofold: firstly, if you let your exclusives go then it is a one way street; you will never recover that exclusivity again and will lose your brand or console’s identity. Secondly, for Nintendo it would mean the death of their console business; why play games like Breath of the Wild or Metroid Prime 4 on weaker hardware? Imagine Zelda running on Xbox Series X or PS5. Why on Earth at that point would you bother with a Switch? Best to keep it exclusive.
‘So you want the most powerful console on the planet? That’s cool. Oh you want to play Mario Kart? Pity it’s not on your console. Guess you’ll need a Nintendo as well then. We don’t care if you have other systems too; you’ll still need ours for all these exclusives…’
Re: Talking Point: Does Switch 2 Have Nintendo's Best Launch Line-Up Ever?
While it is entirely subjective, the GameCube had imo the most solid line up with Luigi’s Mansion, Waverace Bluestorm, Rogue Leader and Super Monkey Ball. However, for shear impact it’s hard to argue against the total game changers/killer apps that were Tetris on the GB, Super Mario 64 on the N64 and Wii Sports on the Wii. With those games on day one you didn’t need another game for weeks (even more so if you also got Super Mario Land, Pilot Wings 64 and Twilight Princess at the same time).
Re: Resident Evil Fans Are Convinced Another Veteran Character Is In Requiem
If Leon is in it Ada Wong can’t be far behind. After all, what would a Resident Evil game with Leon starting be if we didn’t get him yelling ‘Ada!!!’ at least a half dozen times throughout?
Re: Review: Terminator 2D: NO FATE (Switch) - A Simplistic Yet Fascinating 16-Bit Love Letter
Linear and simplistic? I thought the idea was that the game changes with multiple playthroughs depending on ding on your play style (for example if you use more violence the time line shifts and becomes darker)? For a game modelled on Mega Drive games that I’d pretty impressive and doesn’t sound too linear…
Re: Leon Kennedy Is Confirmed For Resident Evil Requiem Via PSN Store Image
Always good to see me boy Leon in a new game! Should be an interesting juxtaposition with Grace, who seems a bit over her head, to have Leon’s deadpan sense of humour.
Re: Best Zelda Games Of All Time
I’ve been a big fan of Zelda games for ages, way back to the 90s. I can safely say Echoes of Wisdom has been the most fun I’ve had with a Zelda title in ages, barring Link Between Worlds.
Re: Terminator 2D: No Fate Has Been Delayed Again On Switch
They want it to be the best it can be, before people play it and decide if it’s any good or not.
You could say that they are delaying Judgement Day….
…I’ll get my coat…
Re: "Go Tell Nintendo" - Ex-Blizzard President Responds After Xbox Calls Exclusives "Antiquated"
Nintendo will never give up on their exclusives. For one thing it clearly works; even if not hugely successful every single generation, Nintendo’s exclusives have kept them in the game for the best part of half a century. Sure, they may not have the most powerful machine but who cares? ‘Oh, your console does 120fps, 4K and ray tracing? Nice. Can you play Mario Kart on it? No? Guess you’re buying a Nintendo then!’
On a serious note, Nintendo don’t have the same market place nor business strategy as Sony/Microsoft; they only make video games and machines. To give up any of their IPs would fly in the face of who they are as a company. I don’t always like or agree with their decisions but I have never questioned why Mario or Zelda are not on Xbox or PS. Once the genie is out of the bottle they would loose their identity.
Re: Talking Point: How Do You Play NES Games These Days?
@JumpingJackson it can certainly run the 21 N64 games released on VC. I have heard that it is possible to add other games but I have never tried, I just stuck to everything that had once been available on VC.
Re: Talking Point: How Do You Play NES Games These Days?
@rdm22 funnily enough my Wii is the only console I’ve ever had to send in for repairs (the disc drive stopped working after about 9 years). However, in the meantime I found another one on eBay for £11, fully working but with no cables or anything (not that I needed them) and always intended to play around with it. The pandemic gave me the excuse to do so. A few days, a bit of patience and a couple of SD cards later and it is now a retro library plugged permanently into my old crt tv.
Re: Talking Point: How Do You Play NES Games These Days?
@Duncanballs I held out for Special Champion Edition and the 6 button Mega Drive controller. Still my favourite version of SF2 to this day, but what a great time to be a gamer! SNES or Mega Drive you were 100% guaranteed a brilliant time!
Re: Talking Point: How Do You Play NES Games These Days?
@Andee I had a similar experience with it in the UK growing up. I remember playing it in shops a fair bit, especially Boots and Children’s World.
Re: Talking Point: How Do You Play NES Games These Days?
@rdm22 it’s not RIP if you have an SD card, PC and a bit of time on your hands (if you know what I mean, matey <yarr!>) 😁
Re: Talking Point: How Do You Play NES Games These Days?
I have the NES classic mini, but I tend to play on the Wii through Virtual Console for quick hits of classic games. With a bit of ‘research’ I was able to acquire the complete catalogue of the VC, which includes a ridiculous number of NES games.
Re: Virtual Boy Is Being Added To Nintendo Switch Online
As someone who had the dubious honour of playing a Virtual Boy back in the couple of months it was available in the 90s, I’m not really interested (aside from as a curio). I have to ask though; why on earth wasn’t this done on the 3DS 10 years ago? It would have been perfect and wouldn’t have needed any expensive accessories.
Re: Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 Prices Are Live, And It's Sticker Shock Time
@koopababble no problem, as I said it’s mainly because of my kids. They each have a Switch Lite and love playing on their own systems (despite having a load of consoles in the house). The HD upgrade would be nice as well; even through the Wii U the Galaxy games are limited to 480p resolution.
Re: Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 Prices Are Live, And It's Sticker Shock Time
I know my kids would love this, so I’d have to get the physical copy so they could each play it on their Switch lites, but the cost of about £60 is very steep. We already have both on Wii, with a digital copy of Galaxy 2 on Wii U (at £8.99 it was worth it back then) and I was fortunate enough to get 3D All Stars as a gift from a friend. Hopefully Currys is still doing a deal for preordering…
Re: Japan's National Library Says Game-Key Cards Are Not Eligible For Preservation
@Saints disc sales for films are still fairly healthy, as much as can be expected with the prevalence of streaming. I own hundreds of DVDs, some of which are over 20 years old, which still work perfectly. I have CDs which are even older that still work. If they are stored properly they will last a long time (much longer than the devices we use to actually access them). CDs are the highest quality way to listen to music and likely will remain that way. Yes, they are less convenient to use but then vinyl has come back in a big way (which is bizarre to me) and that is even less convenient to use.
The simple fact is a not insignificant number of people are tired of paying money for access to things only to not actually possess anything afterwards. With a CD I can burn it on to a hard drive, back it up as many times as I’d like in a variety of formats and store that data in a number of places. I can even make multiple copies of the CD. Similar could be done with DVDs and Blu-rays and even disc based video games. Once I have bought the physical media I am beholden to no company keeping its servers up or keeping its licence agreements.
I know people also talk about storage space and that is a real consideration but somehow we all managed before. Disc boxes haven’t jumped in size in the last 20 years.
Re: Capcom 'Platinum Titles' Sales Update - Monster Hunter, Resident Evil And More
I’m not surprised; all those Resident Evil titles are excellent games (yes, even RE3 remake, I love blasting through it as a quick action game). Having recently played through RE2 remake and then going back and playing the original RE2 on N64 it’s clear just how much care and attention went into the remake to make it the way the original ‘felt’ in my mind back in the 90s/2000s. I’ve only played a bit of Biohazard (don’t like first person for Resi games) and recently finished Village in 3rd person mode, which was fun, though I’m not a fan of the whole ‘sentient mould’ theme. I want me zombies!
Re: Review: Heretic + Hexen (Switch) - Two FPS Cult Classics Masterfully Revamped
I remember playing Hexxen on PC in the mid 90s and loving it. I think I may well have rented it for N64 as well. As soon as there is the inevitable sale on these I will be picking them up. Love my Doom clones!
Re: Video: How Does Switch 2 Look On A CRT TV? Glorious
I have a 26 inch widescreen CRT, with a flat screen that I use for anything up to the Wii. Looks excellent. Furthermore DVDs look glorious through it, connected through RGB SCART.
Re: Feature: Farewell, Nintendo Switch - It's Finally Time To Bid Our Old Friend 'Adieu'
After heavily supporting the Wii U it took me until Xmas 2019 to get a Switch Lite. It didn’t get much use I’ve got to be honest. Big games like Mario Odyssey and Smash Bros just didn’t grip me at all. I’d pick it up from time to time but it didn’t get as much use as the 3DS. Then my son got old enough to game and he was drawn to the Lite, blasting through games that couldn’t hold my attention. I passed it in to him when I got the fun Switch to play on tv, which is where I started to use it far more. I have some good memories of Metroid Dread and Prime remastered, along with Super Mario RPG, Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Link’s Awakening, Streets of Rage 4. Both my kids have gotten far more out of the Switch than I ever did, which says a lot about the console’s appeal. My Switch isn’t going anywhere; it’s in great condition and will accompany me on many holidays I’m sure into the future. The Switch 2 is far too expensive and it’s software even more so. The Switch, as decent as it was, was clearly massively underpowered compared to its rivals and Switch 2 looks to be similar. Power isn’t everything but when the gulf is that massive it really shows compared to what my PS5 and Xbox Series X can do.
Re: Talking Point: Are You Ghosting Switch 1 To Save Yourself For Switch 2?
I’m ‘ghosting’ all three current Gen systems at the moment; playing my GameCube through HDMI and loving it!
Re: Switch 2 GameCube Controller Compatible With Other Games, But There May Be Some "Issues"
@LXP8 Amen to that!
Re: Digital Foundry Delivers First Impressions Of Switch 2 - "It Stands Alone In What It Does"
@ElkinFencer10 I see your point, but GBA was a 32 bit handheld, capable of doing far more than the SNES or Mega Drive. It could run PC games from the same time of those machines, such as Doom and Wolfenstein.
Re: Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Now Boasts 300 Playable Titles
It is a great service if the Switch is your first Nintendo system and you want to dive into their previous systems’ libraries or if you were a Nintendo fan at some point but no longer have access to older games. However, barring a few things here and there it’s not hugely advantageous for those of us who have been with them a while, especially with Wii Virtual Console and Wii U Virtual Console allowing us to keep these games, long after support has been withdrawn. For the price, however, which works out to £1.50 a month for the basic online for a single user, it is pocket money to access plenty of retro games in a convenient way.
Of course, there are ways of obtaining the entire VC library on Wii…if you are willing to set sail (‘yar, me hearties!’)
Re: Video: Nintendo Today Gives Us Another Look At Zelda: Wind Waker For Switch Online
@sanderev exactly the same for me! I got mine in 2003, second hand for £70 along with WW and the bonus disc. Imagine getting a 1 year old console today for such a ridiculously low price! I gave my friend my original cube when I got a Wii, but about 2 years later bought a second cube to use in another room for about £20. Kept all my original games (only had 10 when the machine was relevant 2003-2006) except Metroid Prime which I gave to the same friend. I rebought that for very little when I went through a nostalgia trip for the cube in about 2012. Games were so cheap to get them; the most I paid was £17 for Twilight Princess!
Re: Video: Nintendo Today Gives Us Another Look At Zelda: Wind Waker For Switch Online
@teo_o the use of the GBA link was a neat little feature, even if I didn’t use it all that much. I think if you completed Prime and Fusion and linked them up you got the Fusion suit to use in Prime and unlocked the original Metroid on the Fusion cart (I did it finally a few years ago).
Re: Video: Nintendo Today Gives Us Another Look At Zelda: Wind Waker For Switch Online
Both the original GameCube release and the Wii U remaster have their charms. The older one is like playing a traditional 2D cartoon, the later a more modern cartoon. I will say that the shortened Tri-force quest and the ability to change the wind direction without stopping to us the Windwaker constantly make the Wii U version easier to play but it never really bothered me back in 2003 when I got the game with my Cube. The GameBoy Advance link cable allowing you to control Tingle on a GBA was a fun little addition too.
Re: Talking Point: How Does Switch 2's Launch Price Compare To Past Nintendo Systems?
You can spin it anyway you want to, it’s still an expensive bit of kit and the games even more so. I’m all for nostalgia, but this is like the 80s all over again 😂
Re: Opinion: The Switch 2 Is A Powerhouse For The Price
@TrogdorTheBurninator me too. I’d quite happily have had a small box, with Wi-fi, Bluetooth, HDMI, a USB port and a cartridge slot bundled with a pro controller as an option for a lower price point. I only ever play handheld on holiday abroad or rarely when sat waiting in the car!
Re: Opinion: The Switch 2 Is A Powerhouse For The Price
I don’t think the ‘have to’ match the $70 that Sony/Microsoft, I think they ‘want to’ match them. Now, I’m in two minds about that; on the one hand for exclusives and the fact that cartridges are more expensive to manufacture than discs I can understand some sort of increase in prices. For the former it’s because they have fans over a barrel, as where else can you play Mario, Zelda or Metroid for example? On the other hand it is ridiculous to charge Nintendo customers more than the competition for lesser versions of the same game, as there is no way multi platform games will run or look best on the Switch 2. Now, for someone like me that’s not a major issue as I am fortunate enough to have to option of choosing which system to buy for, but not everyone is that lucky. Furthermore, if Sony/microsoft we’re charging $70 already, see that people are willing to pay $80 for Switch 2 games, then they will start charging more as well, as they were simply looking for an excuse which they now have (to be fair to Nintendo, Sony were first through the gate with this).
For me, I’m going to have to shop around and make careful decisions, which I’ve already tried to do for a while now. In fact I have started trading in old games in order to buy second hand copies for the first time since the early 2000s.
Re: Opinion: The Switch 2 Is A Powerhouse For The Price
As someone who owns all three current systems, even with the upgrades the Switch 2 will not be able to match the PS5 or Xbox. However, that’s not the issue if firstly, Switch 2 is your only system (and you don’t care for Microsoft/Sony or already have a good PC), secondly you only want it for exclusives thirdly you really only play in handheld mode. For me, aside from a few weeks a year when I take my Switch on holiday with me (where it is a godsend) I play exclusively docked at home. So for me, when I eventually, inevitably, upgrade in a few years, I will stick to the same rule I have with PS5; exclusives only. The ridiculous cost of Nintendo games (and I don’t care what anyone says, they are at an indefensibly high price from sheer greed and have opened the floodgate for everyone to charge more, which hurts all of us) will limit me and maybe others to stick to such a strategy….
Re: Nintendo Understands Switch Owners May Not Be "Ready To Jump To Switch 2"
I was toying with the idea of getting Switch 2 at launch, as I have never bought a console day 1, so I thought I might for the novelty factor. It’s a little more than I thought, but the thing that has put me off completely is the ridiculous pricing of the games. Nintendo, in their greed, has broken the seal on increasing game prices. You could argue Sony already went part way there with PS5 games but now they and Microsoft will follow Nintendo by putting their prices up, as if Nintendo can do it, why not them? Bad for consumers. I’ll be waiting until the inevitable improved Switch 2 model before I think of buying.
Re: Opinion: A Few Too Many Questions & Unwelcome Surprises Are Taking The Shine Off The Switch 2 Reveal
I’ll pick one up in 2/3 years time when the inevitable better revised model gets a released with better battery life (just like the V2 Switch). The cost of the machine is about £40-£50 more than I expected, but when spread over the 5 years it so of its life time then that’s not too bad. The games on the other hand are far too expensive. I’ve already dug into my library to trade in for PS5 games which are pricy even second hand. Guess I’ll stick with my regular Switch for my Nintendo hit for some time yet.
Re: Nintendo Shares New Image Of Switch 2 Ahead Of The Big Day
@Coversnail I use it in tabletop mode when on holiday. I use a folding stand, as the viewing angle on its own isn’t very comfortable. With the joy on grip it’s like playing on a mini tv!
Re: Random: Sega Surprises Sonic The Hedgehog Fans With Official Timeline
It goes:
Sonic the Hedgehog (MD & MS/GG)
Sonic CD
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (MD & MS/GG)
Sonic Chaos (MS/GG)
Sonic 3
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic Triple Trouble
Knuckles Chaotix
Sonic Mania
Sonic Superstars
Not sure what the others are. Sonic never made it to 3D, right? 😂
Re: US Physical Game Spending Continued To Decline Last Year, Now Sits At Half 2021's Numbers
Stay physical. They tend to be cheaper on the whole and the resell value it worth it. I traded 3 Wii U games in a couple of weeks back which took a massive chunk out of the cost of a PS5. Couldn’t have done that with digital….
Re: Reaction: Nintendo Pins Hopes On Familiar Fun With Switch 2
@Radixxs it will be interesting to see if this is a ‘perfected Switch’. If you compare it to Sony for example the PS2 was a ‘super PS1’ (with a Trojan horse in the form of the built in DVD player for good measure). PS2 did everything the PS1 did but better.
Re: Reaction: Nintendo Pins Hopes On Familiar Fun With Switch 2
@larryisaman I do wonder if it’s sales will match that if the other times they have done similar. The DS was hugely successful but the 3DS, while hardly a failure, did not recapture the magic. Neither did the GBA after the GB or even the mighty SNES, which sold less than the NES.
Re: Reaction: Nintendo Pins Hopes On Familiar Fun With Switch 2
@-wc- I agree with everything you said (I was there Gandalf, 3000 years ago…). However, a lot of what you have described existed ‘under the hood’ as it were, none of which we really know about with Switch 2.
My comment was more a reaction to the disappointment some people online have expressed that the Switch 2’s format is very similar to the original system. My comparison to the NES and SNES is that at the time most consoles were an iterative improvement over the previous model (Atari and SEGA are also examples of this). Basically they were all ‘just a better box under your tv’. Nintendo’s history of innovation with things like the Wii, Switch, DS seems to give some the impression that they will always throw a curve ball, when actually they have plenty of times stuck to a similar idea but with improvements (the Game Boy line is a good example).
BTW not sure if you are from the US (forgive me for assuming if I am wrong) but here in the UK the NES and SNES were not really part of the zeitgeist in the way the Mega Drive and later PS1 were. The Mega Drive was really the first console that took people away from the computers that were the preferred medium in the 80s and early 90s (though the Master System laid the groundwork before it). Nintendo were definitely present but didn’t really try too hard to win us over (Game Boy was how most of us got our Nintendo hit back then).
Re: Reaction: Nintendo Pins Hopes On Familiar Fun With Switch 2
It’s pretty much what I expected; a next Gen Switch.
Tbh if you look at some of their other consoles they too were really just a better version of what came before. The SNES was a cartridge based console that was far more powerful than the NES that came with controller that had more buttons. No one was complaining that it was ‘too similar in concept’ to the NES.
However, the trailer reveals that the Switch 2 can do everything the Switch can do. I’m more interested to see what it can do that the original Switch CAN’T do…