Sonic 2 was the pack in game with my Mega Drive. I remember Sonic 2sday well, but that was before I had the MD so preordered the Game Gear version from Boots (!) instead. Nowhere near as good as the original 8 bit sonic unfortunately (which is still my favourite one overall).
All 4 16 bit Sonics are excellent. I have about equal nostalgia for them all: playing Sonic 1 at my friend’s house (he eventually gave me the cart), Sonic 2 with my MD for my 11th birthday and then Sonic 3 for my 12th, before a trip to town on the bus with my Gran to buy Sonic & Knuckles when that released later.
Funnily enough, I remember that Sonic 2 actually didn’t review that well at the time, with a couple of magazines giving it scores in the mid 70s. The complaint seemed to be that it didn’t do anything new and Tails was seen as gimiky. I just remember thinking they were nuts! It’s longer than Sonic 1, with simultaneous 2 player modes, 3D special stages and an absolute killer soundtrack.
We all have our favourite era and it is likely to be the one we grew up in. For me (as it seems many on here are saying) it’s very much the 90s but then I was a kid when I experienced Sonic and Mario etc (the leap from loading cassettes on my ZX Spectrum to seeing sSnic’s title screen appearing almost instantly in my mate’s tv was astounding). That connection to my childhood still informs my love for games today (and sharing those games with my kids and seeing their enjoyment of them despite the time difference is it’s own reward).
However, I will say we are living in an age of convenience; in short we’ve never had it so good in terms of gaming. We get some new corkers on every system and have access to the older stuff quite easily in many ways, with some excellent quality of life additions that we would have killed for back then (multiple save states and HD graphics on SNES/MEGA DRIVE games? Yes please!).
Tldr; appreciate what we have now but don’t forget what got us here!
Whatever they do I hope it’s better than the appalling version of Sonic 2 on the most recent Mega Drive collection on Switch.
How on Earth is there that much lag on a game that came out nearly 20 years ago, but runs fine on the Wii, Xbox and Mega Drive mini? That collection is probably my one gaming regret in the last 10 years. Wish I’d gotten in physically so I could at least get some of my money back!
Any sort of abuse online is unwarranted. I can understand some things about gaming that will upset people (failing to deliver on promises, charging for extras etc) but the way to deal with that is to vote with your wallet.
I cannot understand how anybody can be angry that a set of games which are between. 14-20 years old are not being released again. If you feel that passionately about them then you can always buy a Wii for next to nothing and the GameCube games and Prime 3 themselves are pretty cheap. Even better, track down a Wii U and get the trilogy digitally for £18, a fraction of a Switch release. You’d also then have access to Metroid, Super Metroid, Metroid Zero Mission, Metroid Fusion, Metroid Prime Hunters and Metroid Other M all on one system!
My copy of Sonic 2 on the Mega Drive is still alive and kicking after 28 years. One clean in all that time (and that was just boredom in lockdown). Just saying. Don’t panic!
@nessisonett was it the Xbox/PS3 version or the Wii version? Surprisingly, the Wii version is a lot more fun. The waggle is fine and it is a lot easier to control force powers with the wiimote and nunchuck (picking up stormtroopers with the force and throwing them into the Death Star’s beam never gets old!).
The levels are better as well; it’s not so easy to get lost and the addition of the three levels in the Jedi temple are much more interesting than some of the levels in the Xbox version. The only thing you need to look past is the graphics. The opening cutscene at first made me think I was playing a PS2 game (which it is a port of) but I soon forgot about it and just enjoyed the combat and searching for collectibles. I have played through both versions and the Wii version is much more fun.
One last thing; I’ve got a feeling that the NES and SNES mini were also to help keep the brand in the public eye during the fallow Wii U years. It really helped to remind a lot of people of Nintendo in its glory days and possibly helped with getting people into the Switch - ‘Hey, did you love the NES and SNES? You remember Nintendo from when you were young? Check this out! What? Wii U? Never heard of it!’
The legal issues with games that would have been essential for a true N64 mini would have been too difficult to deal with; I very much doubt any of the Rare games would have been allowed by Microsoft (so no Banjo Kazooie, Banjo Tooie, Perfect Dark, Diddy Kong Racing, Conker’s Bad Fur Day) or with whoever owns the Goldeneye licence now means that it’s game list probably would have been anaemic.
On a practical basis, the controller is much bigger than the NES and SNES pads. Probably bigger than a mini N64 itself. Would it have been cost effective to sell them separately? How many people would buy 3 more to play 4 player? Plus I doubt a rumble pack would work.
Tbh, as much as I love the N64, does it have the same level of nostalgia for the masses that the NES, SNES and Mega Drive do? The PlayStation mini wasn’t very good (total swing and miss from Sony there, the effort put into the packaging and presentation shows how much more effort they could have put into the game selection and resolution of the games, which are stuck at 480p compared to the SEGA and Nintendo machines which do 720p) and the Turbografx mini is very niche. I think the same goes for the GameCube (as much as I’d love a selection of games running in at least 720p with save states).
There is one nostalgia pot still available them - GameBoy. A version with a good selection of games, a rechargeable battery and a back light would be really tempting for a lot of people. I think even if it was a black and white or green screen, with the right games (including at least one Pokemon game) it would probably appeal to quite a few people.
I think what was so good about the Wii was how intuitive everything was. It took me years to get used to the Xbox 360 dashboard (still not used to the Xbox one dashboard) but the Wii was so easy to use. All those little features, the news and weather channels, it’s YouTube channel, the Nintendo channel, hold a special place in my heart as it was the first internet capable console I owned (I was still playing PS2 and GameCube up until late 2009 when I got the Wii). My kids love to mess around on the photo channel still, turning old pictures into puzzles or doodling over them.
I second the article’s point about buying games on the Wii shop as an event; the anticipation of downloading an old favourite or a newly discovered hidden gem. Even the introduction of suspend points was a big deal, being able to just stop playing a retro game and come back to it whenever without having to start from scratch was a game changer.
The Switch feels quite soulless in comparison but I suppose it’s clean minimalism is quite nice in a different way.
@Maxz also the Gameboy had a long lifespan: the OG model came out in 1989 and if you lump in sales of the pocket, light and colour models (which Nintendo does) then it was on shelves for 12 years! Combine that with the initial craze and novelty of a portable system with interchangeable games and with the late in life boost of the Pokemon craze then that is reason enough to explain such high sales figure. It also destroyed all competition by much more capable machines like the Game Gear (which sold about 10 million worldwide) so it was pretty much uncontested in the market for over a decade. If the Switch remains on shelves for another 3-4 years then that will really help it’s sales numbers too. It’s only real competition is mobile phones and its sales show that that has had very little impact on Switch sales.
@Mr-Fuggles777 also to add to that you do get a discount on Gamepass games if you wish to buy them before they are taken down. Combine that with the decent sales on many games on the store and you are onto a winner.
The Switch online is half-arsed at best; you pay to play online and Smash is a good example of how bad it really is. It is unplayable (and I have a really good internet connection). You also cannot compare getting a bunch of 20-30 year old games (as much as I love them) to Gamepass. I can’t see Nintendo letting you play a brand new game for peanuts day one like I was able to do with Doom Eternal. I played it, completed it, uninstalled it and waited for it to go on sale. Got it for £5 new on Amazon yesterday.
When online was free on Wii and Wii U there was no point complaining; it was perfectly serviceable and understandably not as good as Xbox live. It was free so it was fine, plus we could choose which games we wanted to buy and keep for a huge selection of consoles.
And anyone who is saying ‘well, Gamepass is just borrowing, you don’t get to keep the games’ is missing the point. The NES and SNES games on Switch will disappear one day too. There is also no evidence that N64 or GameCube games will arrive; N64 games showed up very late in the Wii U’s life I’ll grant you, but all the rumours of GameCube games never amounted to anything.
I have the Switch online because I got the first year free with the console in a deal from Nintendo and the second year with the physical copy of Tetris 99. Unless I see it for a really good discount I won’t be bothering with a third year. It isn’t worth the money tbh (and I’m still hunting down a good deal on Gamepass too, I’m not paying full price if I can avoid it).
For me it is a mixture of revisiting games from my childhood (many of which still hold up today, especially if you take them for what they are, not get annoyed that they don’t have modern quality of life features) and sharing them with my children. My son loves Let’s go Evee on switch and Pokemon Yellow on a Gameboy colour equally and my daughter loves sonic on the mega drive. Some games are timeless (just like some movies and songs are).
Honestly though, the indie scene is so full of tributes to games from the 8bit/16bit eras that it’s well worth playing what inspired them in the first place. This also means the gap between some older games and their modern equivalents is bridged; Sonic Mania and Streets of Rage 4 are good examples of modern games that complement their precursors excellently. Playing through the series feels like natural progression as you go through each game in turn and the modern games help to show just how well made the older games were.
I would question if nostalgia is really the driving force behind retro interest, as for someone like me who has clear memories of the 16 bit era nostalgia is a link to my past but a younger person may love games of that era despite having no experience of it directly. Can one be said to have nostalgia for a time they never encountered?
Finally, I think it’s similar to vinyl collectors, who again may not have been around when it was the main medium. I’ve heard people talking about the ‘ritual’ of taking the record off the shelf and placing it on the record player, as well as having the albums on shelves to display. Games (especially cartridges) could be seen in a similar way. Plus with the ‘stream everything, own nothing’ attitude that many seem to have, though I respect the point about not having room to store things (I own hundreds of DVDs but the cases are boxed up in the attic, the discs in folders) this could be a push back by some who feel that they actually possess something that they have spent their hard earned money on. I still buy the odd CD, as the sound quality is superior to digital downloads.
The first film was enjoyable enough (my young son loved it so that’s really all that matters to me). I was hoping that they’d leave Knuckles until part three (introduce tails in this one just like sonic 2, then knuckles in sonic 3). I’m guessing he’s in this because Robotnik has tricked him into helping him get back to Earth and then to put him against sonic (like he did in sonic 3).
I’m going to guess the after credits scene hinting at Metal Sonic...
Tetris was THE killer app on GB back when it came out in 90/91 in the UK. I remember playing it at kiosks in shops as a kid (until my sister got a GB with it packed in in 92). I played it more than she did. Happy I managed to grab it on the 3DS before it was removed from the store.
It’s really worrying how fragile a lot of modern systems seem. I’ve only had to repair one system since I started gaming in the early 90s and that was the disc drive in my Wii after 10 years (OK the screen cover on my OG Game Boy fell off and I stupidly tried to reattach it with model glue when I was a teenager). My Mega Drive from 93 still works perfectly, though I’m quite aware that modern systems are far more complex with multiple moving parts.
Still, given the Switch’s mobile abilities it is more likely to get damaged (dropped etc) just like a phone, but when I hear people have had several Xboxes or Playstations it does make me question just what exactly are people doing with them?
@KateGray your 30s are just like your 20s... but with more cash (hopefully!).
I like the article; I’ve always found the clearest threshold in Zelda games is Ocarina’s transition from childhood to adulthood. Link travels to a world of harsh realities after gaining the master sword, the same world he is used to is now darker but still recognisable. In fact there are several conversations with NPCs prior to this where they talk about him being ‘a real man’ or ‘to take responsibility’.
I also like the theme that we never really grow up (adult Link had a grown up body but mentally hasn’t aged) which is apt for any Nintendo fan with nostalgia, as we still enjoy the games from our childhoods but now have to deal with adult responsibilities.
I played Ocarina for the first time when I was 16 back in the 90s so it really resonated with me back then and it is still by far the best Zelda IMO. Yes, Breath of the Wild has more impressive mechanics and a great open world, but it lacks the heart and soul found in Ocarina (but is fantastic in its own right).
@Moistnado your example is entirely what I’m driving at here. You made a judgement where you wanted to spend your money and ultimately not only were you able to get a more powerful system but several games in one go, in comparison to a weaker console with maybe one game. The PS4 and games were ultimately better value for money. You can only spend it once after all.
At the end of the day I am a Switch owner and life long Nintendo fan, but I am not blind to the fact that they have some distasteful pricing policies and have for years. It just means that I try to be careful with when I give them my money (and I am just as guilty as anyone of sometimes buying things from them when it ultimately could have been better to look elsewhere).
You do make some very valid points and on reflection the car analogy wasn’t as strong as I could have made it. However, you used the idea of an expensive electric bike; I specifically said a bicycle.
However, your points about value being dependent on what the individual gains from either version isn’t what I’m really driving at here. I will concede that the points you make about being able to play during break times or during a commute are valid and very much would form the basis of why the Switch version is advantageous to that individual, which would lead to them purchasing it for that reason. Yet, that once again leads us to subjective value, as the person who plays 2 hours on a console plugged into their TV would have just as much justification for their purchase; the value of playing on a large HD display with better frame rates etc would equal for them the value of the person who gains with the trade off of these against portability. This is what I meant when I said ultimately there is no right and wrong with which choice you make for your own personal reasons (a simpler way to look at it would be someone who only has one console; they can only have the version available to them on that system. This would trump any other potential advantages, as the best value or ‘fit’ for them is being to play the game on the machine to hand.)
What is objective is the quality of the product itself. Points about portability and individual value are subjective and make no difference to what is entirely empirically verifiable from looking at the facts of the two versions:
Xbox/PS versions: full HD or higher, higher frame rates , no compromises in performance (outside of the console model itself) and a lower price.
Switch: maybe 720p handheld (possibly 1080p docked but many games are not e.g. Witcher 3), lower frame rates, compromises with performance in order to run on weaker hardware (see the tricks they’ve used to get Doom Eternal to run; great achievement but it is a lot of work and the result is not in the same league as other consoles) and a much higher price.
Switch owners are paying a premium price for a game that is a lesser version of what is available on other systems. They may like their version very much and appreciate the convenience of portability, which they may feel offsets the costs and adds ‘value’ to their purchase, but these reasons are entirely subjective; the Switch version is of lesser quality in and of itself.
Ultimately you have to ask yourself the question ‘am I willing to pay more for a game which runs significantly worse than on rival systems but will be willing off set these negatives with the convenience it offers?’ If the answer is ‘yes’ then that is fine, but ultimately that is because you have set your own values and needs on it, which should not be confused with value for money.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with having Switch versions that are compromised; ultimately great games get a larger audience but what is wrong is charging the same or more for them. It does not represent good value for the customer, who ends up paying more for less. Nintendo ultimately knows that the portability, convenience and popularity of the Switch will sway people to buy these versions and it is brilliant business for them. At the same time, it is bad for us. They won’t change that though because people are clearly willing to pay for it.
@JasmineDragon this is pretty much how I feel about the situation too. I get pretty much the same deal on Xbox, which makes sense as the competition is really between Sony and Microsoft; Nintendo do their own thing which is one of the reasons I like them.
I can’t say I love the Switch and I will freely admit that perhaps it’s because I have the Lite model. However, there doesn’t seem to be much benefit with the full model, apart from playing on a tv in HD: joycons are tiny and unreliable plus I can already use controllers like the pro model in tabletop mode with the Lite. As a handheld it is good but severely lacking in features compared to my 3DS.
Again, being a Wii U owner with all the games that have been ported across already played years ago, I am in the minority for whom these are not new experiences. If the last Nintendo console I owned had been a Wii in it’s hay day (around 2008/9) and then returned to Nintendo with the Switch then I can imagine I’d be totally enamoured.
However, it doesn’t really do much new over the last system (aside from its neat hybrid nature) in fact it does significantly less. Each previous system built on the previous so it is a bit of an outlier. That being said, it’s clearly working for a lot of people so that can only be a good thing. Yet it is a good thing that comes at great cost to the consumer and that is a pity.
@electrolite77 I’d have to disagree slightly; what you say about what the user gets out of it has subjective value, as such there is no ‘wrong or right’ about it; it is down to personal choice, is correct. I have many games on older systems that didn’t run as well as on rival systems at the time; the GameCube was notorious for compressed videos compared to the PS2 and Xbox for example. I have that version because, as you suggested, I personally preferred playing on the Cube due to the controller. However, the games retailed at the same price and the differences were minimal a lot of the time.
With the Switch, the difference is markedly different. Take Doom 2016 as an example. On Xbox/PS it is readily available for around £5 physically and about the same digitally. On the Switch you have to pay a minimum of £25 for the digital version (on sale) and a lot more for physical. It is also a vastly inferior version of the game (and I say that as someone who has both versions). Now, if like me you were willing to pay the £25 as it is a great game and the novelty of how well it runs on a handheld was a deciding factor (combined with the very low cost of the superior version on another console) then that plays into what you are saying about subjective value and enjoyment. Our reasons for purchase may vary but we agree that it’s a good time and therefore of value to us as individuals.
However, none of that changes the objective fact that we have paid a much higher cost for an inferior version of the same game. As stated, subjectivity we have justified it to ourselves and our wallets, but it is impossible to deny that financially it is poor value for money. It would be the equivalent of comparing buying a car to a bicycle; there are many reasons why one would choose one form of transport over the other. I can’t take a car on a train for example and the fact that the bike is healthier and cheaper to run are massively in its favour. However, all the compromises of a bike over a car would lose their value if the price of the bike was significantly higher than that of the car. Why would I pay more to get less?
@Ganner don’t get me wrong; I can completely see your point. I was an avid supporter of the Wii U and have most titles physically. As a machine, whilst under powered compared to the competition, it offered a lot more ‘stuff’ than the Switch (backwards compatibility, proper virtual console, Netflix etc). Furthermore, the games never cost much and were available second hand at a good discount. Switch games never seem to drop in price, even second hand.
I appreciate that it has heralded a return to gaming for many (and to that end its simplicity as pretty much a pure games machine plus it’s portability compared to the complexities of the other machines could be seen as another strength). However, the simple fact is that it does not offer as much value as the other machines. On the other hand it has exclusives and that is pretty much the reason I’ve got a Switch Lite; to some it might seem silly to get a machine for the exclusives but I definitely didn’t get it for its 3rd party offerings, which are objectively worse both in how they run and in value than on other consoles.
I don’t want to come across as a party pooper; after the tough years of the Wii U I am very happy that Nintendo is significant again and I am happy for people who love their Switch (as I said, I do own one too). Yet it would be quite naive not to see its faults in the face of its benefits and popularity: it is expensive for an underpowered machine, it’s library is expensive and the second hand market doesn’t lose the price by much of at all (from what I’ve seen; I’m willing to admit I could be wrong and speaking anecdotally with regards to some second hand prices), the online offering is really poor (which has always been a problem with Nintendo, but with it being free on the Wii, Wii U and 3DS it was never an issue; but Smash bros is appalling online and there really is no excuse for that). It’s library, though wonderful for indie titles, has a lot of Wii U ports, which are not much better than the original version playable up to 9 years ago and which retailed for up to £20 less. Even it’s greatest game, Breath of the Wild, was a last gen port (it was clearly a Wii U title ported as a launch day game, just as Twilight Princess was for the GameCube to Wii).
I love Nintendo and have several systems up and running which I play with my kids, much more than any other brand. However, I am feeling a bit burnt this generation. It’s not that I can’t afford to pay the price of the system and games but I am annoyed by how greedy they seem to be getting and I can’t believe I’m the only one. Nintendo has always been great at giving us unique gaming memories but usually at good value as well.
@TheFullAndy oh, I agree; the reason I’m willing to still support Nintendo is the quality of the first party games. They very much have the magic touch, though I think I have near a dozen different ways of playing SMB by now! I’m not immune to giving them my money, I’m not frugal or anything, but I have had to draw the line with 3rd party Switch games. As I said I have got one or two and my justification for that is the portability factor (RE4? Portable? Yes please!) and if an indie game is going for a decent price I’ll pick it up, as owning it on the Xbox makes little to no difference in terms of power or graphics. Add to that the fact that it’s portable makes it justifiable.
@TheFullAndy I see your point absolutely. If I’m being honest I’ve actually let my Gold/Gamepass subscription go since it ran out in December for the first time since 2012 as I’m waiting for a good deal (I’ve never paid full price for either subscription but it is getting harder to find a cheap alternative to buying direct from Microsoft). My backlog is also huge, going all the way back to the GameCube so I’ve got plenty to keep me going. I’ve also got 100+ games on my Xbox, many free from games with gold to eventually get around to playing. In fact, between ups we seem to have shown that both other systems represent better value for money. Again, that doesn’t mean the Switch is bad in anyway, but I don’t see Nintendo giving much away.
Interestingly I got a message on my Xbox from Microsoft about a free £4 voucher to redeem towards anything I wanted. Got the new Battle Toads for free (was on sale from £3.49 from £15). Looking forward to trying it out!
@Iggy-Koopa no, but he could buy all the Doom games in one go for either less or a similar price to the Switch version on his Xbox (aside from Eternal obviously). As I said, as of today the complete set up to and including Doom 2016 is currently £12.49. Don’t get me wrong, I have got Doom 2016 on my switch as it’s such a great game and a marvel to play it handheld, but I got the Xbox version first. For £5.
@TheFullAndy that’s a valid point. I haven’t had a PlayStation since the PS2, so I can’t really comment on Sony’s offerings. I used the Xbox as a comparison so I wasn’t in danger of making things up.
However, my argument still stands with regards to 3rd party titles on either system vs the Switch (honestly I don’t hold any particular loyalty to Xbox over PlayStation; it’s just that having had a 360 previously and their support of backwards compatibility, staying in the Microsoft ecosystem works best for me).
The fact that you have stated that you too own both a Switch and second system might actually further my point, unless I’m wrong in assuming that you might lean more towards 3rd party games on your PlayStation rather than your Switch, as I do with the Xbox.
@NGNYS that’s a bit harsh; many of us have a Switch and another console as well. It’s not about console sales or Switch ‘beating’ another console in terms of sales. The simple fact is that the Switch is not brilliant value for money.
I have been a Nintendo fan since the 80s and have had every single system except the SNES, so understand that there is no ‘hate’ towards Nintendo from me. The Switch is great at what it does but Nintendo really knows how to milk their fans (I don’t understand how it not having a price cut is worn as a badge of pride by some people). Now, I’m willing to give them my money for certain things; quality, reliable hardware (though joycon drift is a rare scandal for them) and brilliant exclusives. However, selling 3rd party games, which are objectively of worse quality than on the other systems, for such an inflated price, is ridiculous. I will admit, it’s fascinating to see them run so well on a handheld (Alien Isolation and Doom 2016 are fantastic ports despite the necessary compromises) but the same games are available on other systems for a fraction of the cost.
If you take a Switch (£279) plus online (£18) plus a game like DOOM (£25-£50) you get £322-£347. Now compare that to an XBOX Series S (£249) plus 12 months Gamepass Ultimate (£10.99 per month so £131.886) you get £380.88. So for only £33.88 more you get a much more powerful system, access to 100 games day one, plus 4 free games a month to keep, plus much better sales (Doom, Doom 2, Doom 64 and DOOM 2016 are £12.49 for the whole lot currently), plus access to things such as Netflix etc. The games run as they were intended, with no compromise to performance. Looking at it unemotionally, the Switch is not very good value for money, at all. In fact, for £33.88 you couldn’t even buy most first party Nintendo titles.
It’s not about other people being able to afford loads of consoles, but by being smart you can have a cost effective set up of two systems (if you want) where you can enjoy the brilliant exclusives on the Switch and save a lot of money by taking advantage of the cheaper and better quality versions of 3rd party titles available on one of the other systems. I appreciate that if money is tight owning two systems may be totally out of the question for some people (and I am from an age in gaming where we really could only afford one or the other) but if money is tight, the Switch is a bad choice.
However, if the portability and first party titles are the most important thing then more power to you; if you are willing to accept the compromises in performance in order to fulfil these needs then you should feel happy. Best not to insult others who might not be willing to give all their hard earned money to Nintendo for inferior products though.
I remember playing this a lot on shop displays as it was the built in game on most Master System II consoles in the early 90s (though mine has Sonic 1). Very memorable but unexpectedly hard for this type of game. I have it on Wii Virtual console and have never managed to get past the first level 😳
It’s such a pity that an old game like this has such poor performance on a modern system. I understand the differences in architecture between systems, but when you look at how well, despite compromises, games like Doom 2016 or Alien Isolation run on Switch (and I only have a Lite model to comment on these) it really is bizarre that much older and less demanding games can’t manage to run consistently.
This will probably go on sale at some point for around £6.49, so I’ll wait until then. Played this on PC back in 2008. Good fun. I got it free with Games with Gold on Xbox a while back too, which upgraded the Xbox original version to HD. I wonder how the Switch version will compare...
@TruthisRare as a fellow Wii U owner I agree with you. Although I do own the original system and cart, the convenience of the Wii U versions (with instant save states) is the most user friendly way to play N64 games today. It was great having these on the Wii as well, as when I got the Wii I had less space so my old consoles were boxed away. Now that I have a dedicated ‘man cave’ I have all my systems set up and two tvs (CRT for anything up to the GameCube and flatscreen for anything from the Wi onwards). I love playing games on original hardware as a nostalgia trip, but the convenience of the Wii U eshop versions cannot be denied. Unfortunately, that’s something Switch owners won’t get to experience (plus we’ll loose NES/SNES games when the online eventually gets shut down).
I just 100%-ed Mario 64 on my N64 through a CRT this month. The Switch version looks lovely and it is nice to have these games portably. However, the controls on the original release are much better and more responsive. It plays just as well now as it did in the 90s and composite into a CRT looks fine on the N64. One day I probably will invest in these upscale boxes (especially for the N64/GameCube) but only when they fall to sub £100 and the CRT gives up the ghost (RGB SCART on the cube and Mega Drive look superb through a tube tv).
As much as I wished if held onto my original N64/GB/GBC/GBA cardboard boxes, the chances of them being in any sort of decent condition 30 odd years later is very slim. So for Nintendo games at least it’s just carts for me. A pity that they didn’t use the tough plastic boxes of Master System/ Mega Drive game boxes, as I still have plenty of those on my shelf.
Was playing some Luigi’s mansion 2 last night. Finally got round to getting a grip for the New 3DS system and it is night and day! Wish I could get one for the OG 2DS model now....
It’s not as if there aren’t going to be loads of second hand copies going around. That and the fact that all three games are available on older systems (and have been for years).
Having said that, I do feel sorry for some kid who doesn’t get a Switch until later in the system’s life or someone who is deliberately late adopting to pay less money overall (which is a legitimate tactic with prices being so high). The fact that they are potentially missing out on 3 Mario games (of all games to miss out on) would be really annoying!
I’ve been playing since the original game on PC. I still have the N64 cart of Resi 2 and the REmake was one of the reasons I got a GameCube back in 2003. Just replayed 4 for the first time in years in January on the cube and it is as excellent as ever. Great series, despite the odd deviation. Though I couldn’t really get into Resi 7 on my Xbox...
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Re: Memory Pak: My Nostalgic Sonic 2 Playthrough Was A Treasured Gaming Moment
Sonic 2 was the pack in game with my Mega Drive. I remember Sonic 2sday well, but that was before I had the MD so preordered the Game Gear version from Boots (!) instead. Nowhere near as good as the original 8 bit sonic unfortunately (which is still my favourite one overall).
All 4 16 bit Sonics are excellent. I have about equal nostalgia for them all: playing Sonic 1 at my friend’s house (he eventually gave me the cart), Sonic 2 with my MD for my 11th birthday and then Sonic 3 for my 12th, before a trip to town on the bus with my Gran to buy Sonic & Knuckles when that released later.
Funnily enough, I remember that Sonic 2 actually didn’t review that well at the time, with a couple of magazines giving it scores in the mid 70s. The complaint seemed to be that it didn’t do anything new and Tails was seen as gimiky. I just remember thinking they were nuts! It’s longer than Sonic 1, with simultaneous 2 player modes, 3D special stages and an absolute killer soundtrack.
Re: Soapbox: Resident Evil Gaiden Is Good, Actually
I bought this back in 1999/2000
It’s really not a very good game
Re: Talking Point: When Was The Last Time A Game Cracked Your Top Five?
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Streets of Rage 2
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Dishonoured
Gone with my gut there. My all time top ten is pretty fluid for the top 5 spots tbh.
Re: Soapbox: Be Happy, This Is The True Golden Age Of Gaming
We all have our favourite era and it is likely to be the one we grew up in. For me (as it seems many on here are saying) it’s very much the 90s but then I was a kid when I experienced Sonic and Mario etc (the leap from loading cassettes on my ZX Spectrum to seeing sSnic’s title screen appearing almost instantly in my mate’s tv was astounding). That connection to my childhood still informs my love for games today (and sharing those games with my kids and seeing their enjoyment of them despite the time difference is it’s own reward).
However, I will say we are living in an age of convenience; in short we’ve never had it so good in terms of gaming. We get some new corkers on every system and have access to the older stuff quite easily in many ways, with some excellent quality of life additions that we would have killed for back then (multiple save states and HD graphics on SNES/MEGA DRIVE games? Yes please!).
Tldr; appreciate what we have now but don’t forget what got us here!
Re: Rumour: Sega Will Re-Release Sonic 3 & Knuckles In A New Sonic Collection
Whatever they do I hope it’s better than the appalling version of Sonic 2 on the most recent Mega Drive collection on Switch.
How on Earth is there that much lag on a game that came out nearly 20 years ago, but runs fine on the Wii, Xbox and Mega Drive mini? That collection is probably my one gaming regret in the last 10 years. Wish I’d gotten in physically so I could at least get some of my money back!
Re: Former Metroid Prime Lead Designer Targeted With Abusive Messages
Any sort of abuse online is unwarranted. I can understand some things about gaming that will upset people (failing to deliver on promises, charging for extras etc) but the way to deal with that is to vote with your wallet.
I cannot understand how anybody can be angry that a set of games which are between. 14-20 years old are not being released again. If you feel that passionately about them then you can always buy a Wii for next to nothing and the GameCube games and Prime 3 themselves are pretty cheap. Even better, track down a Wii U and get the trilogy digitally for £18, a fraction of a Switch release. You’d also then have access to Metroid, Super Metroid, Metroid Zero Mission, Metroid Fusion, Metroid Prime Hunters and Metroid Other M all on one system!
Re: NPD Reveals Top 10 Best-Selling Star Wars Games Of All Time In The US
@BulbasaurusRex I’d forgotten all about that level! Very satisfying taking out Episode 1 frustration on a Gungan!
Re: PSA: Yes, Your DS And 3DS Cartridges Will Eventually Deteriorate, But Don't Panic
My copy of Sonic 2 on the Mega Drive is still alive and kicking after 28 years. One clean in all that time (and that was just boredom in lockdown). Just saying. Don’t panic!
Re: NPD Reveals Top 10 Best-Selling Star Wars Games Of All Time In The US
Best Star Wars games are the old PC flight sims: X-wing, Tie Fighter, X-wing vs Tie Fighter and X-Wing Alliance. Plus anything with Kyle Katarn!
Re: NPD Reveals Top 10 Best-Selling Star Wars Games Of All Time In The US
@nessisonett was it the Xbox/PS3 version or the Wii version? Surprisingly, the Wii version is a lot more fun. The waggle is fine and it is a lot easier to control force powers with the wiimote and nunchuck (picking up stormtroopers with the force and throwing them into the Death Star’s beam never gets old!).
The levels are better as well; it’s not so easy to get lost and the addition of the three levels in the Jedi temple are much more interesting than some of the levels in the Xbox version. The only thing you need to look past is the graphics. The opening cutscene at first made me think I was playing a PS2 game (which it is a port of) but I soon forgot about it and just enjoyed the combat and searching for collectibles. I have played through both versions and the Wii version is much more fun.
Re: Talking Point: Why Did Nintendo Give Up On Its 'Classic Edition' Concept So Soon?
One last thing; I’ve got a feeling that the NES and SNES mini were also to help keep the brand in the public eye during the fallow Wii U years. It really helped to remind a lot of people of Nintendo in its glory days and possibly helped with getting people into the Switch - ‘Hey, did you love the NES and SNES? You remember Nintendo from when you were young? Check this out! What? Wii U? Never heard of it!’
Re: Talking Point: Why Did Nintendo Give Up On Its 'Classic Edition' Concept So Soon?
The legal issues with games that would have been essential for a true N64 mini would have been too difficult to deal with; I very much doubt any of the Rare games would have been allowed by Microsoft (so no Banjo Kazooie, Banjo Tooie, Perfect Dark, Diddy Kong Racing, Conker’s Bad Fur Day) or with whoever owns the Goldeneye licence now means that it’s game list probably would have been anaemic.
On a practical basis, the controller is much bigger than the NES and SNES pads. Probably bigger than a mini N64 itself. Would it have been cost effective to sell them separately? How many people would buy 3 more to play 4 player? Plus I doubt a rumble pack would work.
Tbh, as much as I love the N64, does it have the same level of nostalgia for the masses that the NES, SNES and Mega Drive do? The PlayStation mini wasn’t very good (total swing and miss from Sony there, the effort put into the packaging and presentation shows how much more effort they could have put into the game selection and resolution of the games, which are stuck at 480p compared to the SEGA and Nintendo machines which do 720p) and the Turbografx mini is very niche. I think the same goes for the GameCube (as much as I’d love a selection of games running in at least 720p with save states).
There is one nostalgia pot still available them - GameBoy. A version with a good selection of games, a rechargeable battery and a back light would be really tempting for a lot of people. I think even if it was a black and white or green screen, with the right games (including at least one Pokemon game) it would probably appeal to quite a few people.
Re: Talking Point: Wii Features We'd Love To See On Nintendo Switch
I think what was so good about the Wii was how intuitive everything was. It took me years to get used to the Xbox 360 dashboard (still not used to the Xbox one dashboard) but the Wii was so easy to use. All those little features, the news and weather channels, it’s YouTube channel, the Nintendo channel, hold a special place in my heart as it was the first internet capable console I owned (I was still playing PS2 and GameCube up until late 2009 when I got the Wii). My kids love to mess around on the photo channel still, turning old pictures into puzzles or doodling over them.
I second the article’s point about buying games on the Wii shop as an event; the anticipation of downloading an old favourite or a newly discovered hidden gem. Even the introduction of suspend points was a big deal, being able to just stop playing a retro game and come back to it whenever without having to start from scratch was a game changer.
The Switch feels quite soulless in comparison but I suppose it’s clean minimalism is quite nice in a different way.
Re: Nintendo Switch Is Now The Sixth Best-Selling Video Game System In Japan
@Maxz also the Gameboy had a long lifespan: the OG model came out in 1989 and if you lump in sales of the pocket, light and colour models (which Nintendo does) then it was on shelves for 12 years! Combine that with the initial craze and novelty of a portable system with interchangeable games and with the late in life boost of the Pokemon craze then that is reason enough to explain such high sales figure. It also destroyed all competition by much more capable machines like the Game Gear (which sold about 10 million worldwide) so it was pretty much uncontested in the market for over a decade. If the Switch remains on shelves for another 3-4 years then that will really help it’s sales numbers too. It’s only real competition is mobile phones and its sales show that that has had very little impact on Switch sales.
Re: Switch Online Members Can Save 30% On Wireless NES Controllers (North America)
@Mr-Fuggles777 also to add to that you do get a discount on Gamepass games if you wish to buy them before they are taken down. Combine that with the decent sales on many games on the store and you are onto a winner.
The Switch online is half-arsed at best; you pay to play online and Smash is a good example of how bad it really is. It is unplayable (and I have a really good internet connection). You also cannot compare getting a bunch of 20-30 year old games (as much as I love them) to Gamepass. I can’t see Nintendo letting you play a brand new game for peanuts day one like I was able to do with Doom Eternal. I played it, completed it, uninstalled it and waited for it to go on sale. Got it for £5 new on Amazon yesterday.
When online was free on Wii and Wii U there was no point complaining; it was perfectly serviceable and understandably not as good as Xbox live. It was free so it was fine, plus we could choose which games we wanted to buy and keep for a huge selection of consoles.
And anyone who is saying ‘well, Gamepass is just borrowing, you don’t get to keep the games’ is missing the point. The NES and SNES games on Switch will disappear one day too. There is also no evidence that N64 or GameCube games will arrive; N64 games showed up very late in the Wii U’s life I’ll grant you, but all the rumours of GameCube games never amounted to anything.
I have the Switch online because I got the first year free with the console in a deal from Nintendo and the second year with the physical copy of Tetris 99. Unless I see it for a really good discount I won’t be bothering with a third year. It isn’t worth the money tbh (and I’m still hunting down a good deal on Gamepass too, I’m not paying full price if I can avoid it).
Re: Video: Why Do We Buy And Collect Retro Video Games?
For me it is a mixture of revisiting games from my childhood (many of which still hold up today, especially if you take them for what they are, not get annoyed that they don’t have modern quality of life features) and sharing them with my children. My son loves Let’s go Evee on switch and Pokemon Yellow on a Gameboy colour equally and my daughter loves sonic on the mega drive. Some games are timeless (just like some movies and songs are).
Honestly though, the indie scene is so full of tributes to games from the 8bit/16bit eras that it’s well worth playing what inspired them in the first place. This also means the gap between some older games and their modern equivalents is bridged; Sonic Mania and Streets of Rage 4 are good examples of modern games that complement their precursors excellently. Playing through the series feels like natural progression as you go through each game in turn and the modern games help to show just how well made the older games were.
I would question if nostalgia is really the driving force behind retro interest, as for someone like me who has clear memories of the 16 bit era nostalgia is a link to my past but a younger person may love games of that era despite having no experience of it directly. Can one be said to have nostalgia for a time they never encountered?
Finally, I think it’s similar to vinyl collectors, who again may not have been around when it was the main medium. I’ve heard people talking about the ‘ritual’ of taking the record off the shelf and placing it on the record player, as well as having the albums on shelves to display. Games (especially cartridges) could be seen in a similar way. Plus with the ‘stream everything, own nothing’ attitude that many seem to have, though I respect the point about not having room to store things (I own hundreds of DVDs but the cases are boxed up in the attic, the discs in folders) this could be a push back by some who feel that they actually possess something that they have spent their hard earned money on. I still buy the odd CD, as the sound quality is superior to digital downloads.
Re: Sonic Character Props Spotted On Film Set Of Sonic The Hedgehog 2
The first film was enjoyable enough (my young son loved it so that’s really all that matters to me). I was hoping that they’d leave Knuckles until part three (introduce tails in this one just like sonic 2, then knuckles in sonic 3). I’m guessing he’s in this because Robotnik has tricked him into helping him get back to Earth and then to put him against sonic (like he did in sonic 3).
I’m going to guess the after credits scene hinting at Metal Sonic...
Re: Memory Pak: The First Time I Saw The Rocket In Tetris
Tetris was THE killer app on GB back when it came out in 90/91 in the UK. I remember playing it at kiosks in shops as a kid (until my sister got a GB with it packed in in 92). I played it more than she did. Happy I managed to grab it on the 3DS before it was removed from the store.
Re: Soapbox: Hurry Up And Release The Switch Pro Already, My Switch Is Dying
It’s really worrying how fragile a lot of modern systems seem. I’ve only had to repair one system since I started gaming in the early 90s and that was the disc drive in my Wii after 10 years (OK the screen cover on my OG Game Boy fell off and I stupidly tried to reattach it with model glue when I was a teenager). My Mega Drive from 93 still works perfectly, though I’m quite aware that modern systems are far more complex with multiple moving parts.
Still, given the Switch’s mobile abilities it is more likely to get damaged (dropped etc) just like a phone, but when I hear people have had several Xboxes or Playstations it does make me question just what exactly are people doing with them?
Re: Talking Point: Is The New Switch Lite Blue, Or Purple?
It’s green.
Right, guys?
Re: Feature: The Exquisite Liminality Of Zelda: Skyward Sword
@KateGray your 30s are just like your 20s... but with more cash (hopefully!).
I like the article; I’ve always found the clearest threshold in Zelda games is Ocarina’s transition from childhood to adulthood. Link travels to a world of harsh realities after gaining the master sword, the same world he is used to is now darker but still recognisable. In fact there are several conversations with NPCs prior to this where they talk about him being ‘a real man’ or ‘to take responsibility’.
I also like the theme that we never really grow up (adult Link had a grown up body but mentally hasn’t aged) which is apt for any Nintendo fan with nostalgia, as we still enjoy the games from our childhoods but now have to deal with adult responsibilities.
I played Ocarina for the first time when I was 16 back in the 90s so it really resonated with me back then and it is still by far the best Zelda IMO. Yes, Breath of the Wild has more impressive mechanics and a great open world, but it lacks the heart and soul found in Ocarina (but is fantastic in its own right).
Keep up the good work!
Re: Every Single Bethesda Game On Switch Is Currently On Sale
@Moistnado your example is entirely what I’m driving at here. You made a judgement where you wanted to spend your money and ultimately not only were you able to get a more powerful system but several games in one go, in comparison to a weaker console with maybe one game. The PS4 and games were ultimately better value for money. You can only spend it once after all.
At the end of the day I am a Switch owner and life long Nintendo fan, but I am not blind to the fact that they have some distasteful pricing policies and have for years. It just means that I try to be careful with when I give them my money (and I am just as guilty as anyone of sometimes buying things from them when it ultimately could have been better to look elsewhere).
Re: Every Single Bethesda Game On Switch Is Currently On Sale
You do make some very valid points and on reflection the car analogy wasn’t as strong as I could have made it. However, you used the idea of an expensive electric bike; I specifically said a bicycle.
However, your points about value being dependent on what the individual gains from either version isn’t what I’m really driving at here. I will concede that the points you make about being able to play during break times or during a commute are valid and very much would form the basis of why the Switch version is advantageous to that individual, which would lead to them purchasing it for that reason. Yet, that once again leads us to subjective value, as the person who plays 2 hours on a console plugged into their TV would have just as much justification for their purchase; the value of playing on a large HD display with better frame rates etc would equal for them the value of the person who gains with the trade off of these against portability. This is what I meant when I said ultimately there is no right and wrong with which choice you make for your own personal reasons (a simpler way to look at it would be someone who only has one console; they can only have the version available to them on that system. This would trump any other potential advantages, as the best value or ‘fit’ for them is being to play the game on the machine to hand.)
What is objective is the quality of the product itself. Points about portability and individual value are subjective and make no difference to what is entirely empirically verifiable from looking at the facts of the two versions:
Xbox/PS versions: full HD or higher, higher frame rates , no compromises in performance (outside of the console model itself) and a lower price.
Switch: maybe 720p handheld (possibly 1080p docked but many games are not e.g. Witcher 3), lower frame rates, compromises with performance in order to run on weaker hardware (see the tricks they’ve used to get Doom Eternal to run; great achievement but it is a lot of work and the result is not in the same league as other consoles) and a much higher price.
Switch owners are paying a premium price for a game that is a lesser version of what is available on other systems. They may like their version very much and appreciate the convenience of portability, which they may feel offsets the costs and adds ‘value’ to their purchase, but these reasons are entirely subjective; the Switch version is of lesser quality in and of itself.
Ultimately you have to ask yourself the question ‘am I willing to pay more for a game which runs significantly worse than on rival systems but will be willing off set these negatives with the convenience it offers?’ If the answer is ‘yes’ then that is fine, but ultimately that is because you have set your own values and needs on it, which should not be confused with value for money.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with having Switch versions that are compromised; ultimately great games get a larger audience but what is wrong is charging the same or more for them. It does not represent good value for the customer, who ends up paying more for less. Nintendo ultimately knows that the portability, convenience and popularity of the Switch will sway people to buy these versions and it is brilliant business for them. At the same time, it is bad for us. They won’t change that though because people are clearly willing to pay for it.
Re: Every Single Bethesda Game On Switch Is Currently On Sale
@JasmineDragon this is pretty much how I feel about the situation too. I get pretty much the same deal on Xbox, which makes sense as the competition is really between Sony and Microsoft; Nintendo do their own thing which is one of the reasons I like them.
I can’t say I love the Switch and I will freely admit that perhaps it’s because I have the Lite model. However, there doesn’t seem to be much benefit with the full model, apart from playing on a tv in HD: joycons are tiny and unreliable plus I can already use controllers like the pro model in tabletop mode with the Lite. As a handheld it is good but severely lacking in features compared to my 3DS.
Again, being a Wii U owner with all the games that have been ported across already played years ago, I am in the minority for whom these are not new experiences. If the last Nintendo console I owned had been a Wii in it’s hay day (around 2008/9) and then returned to Nintendo with the Switch then I can imagine I’d be totally enamoured.
However, it doesn’t really do much new over the last system (aside from its neat hybrid nature) in fact it does significantly less. Each previous system built on the previous so it is a bit of an outlier. That being said, it’s clearly working for a lot of people so that can only be a good thing. Yet it is a good thing that comes at great cost to the consumer and that is a pity.
Re: Every Single Bethesda Game On Switch Is Currently On Sale
@electrolite77 I’d have to disagree slightly; what you say about what the user gets out of it has subjective value, as such there is no ‘wrong or right’ about it; it is down to personal choice, is correct. I have many games on older systems that didn’t run as well as on rival systems at the time; the GameCube was notorious for compressed videos compared to the PS2 and Xbox for example. I have that version because, as you suggested, I personally preferred playing on the Cube due to the controller. However, the games retailed at the same price and the differences were minimal a lot of the time.
With the Switch, the difference is markedly different. Take Doom 2016 as an example. On Xbox/PS it is readily available for around £5 physically and about the same digitally. On the Switch you have to pay a minimum of £25 for the digital version (on sale) and a lot more for physical. It is also a vastly inferior version of the game (and I say that as someone who has both versions). Now, if like me you were willing to pay the £25 as it is a great game and the novelty of how well it runs on a handheld was a deciding factor (combined with the very low cost of the superior version on another console) then that plays into what you are saying about subjective value and enjoyment. Our reasons for purchase may vary but we agree that it’s a good time and therefore of value to us as individuals.
However, none of that changes the objective fact that we have paid a much higher cost for an inferior version of the same game. As stated, subjectivity we have justified it to ourselves and our wallets, but it is impossible to deny that financially it is poor value for money. It would be the equivalent of comparing buying a car to a bicycle; there are many reasons why one would choose one form of transport over the other. I can’t take a car on a train for example and the fact that the bike is healthier and cheaper to run are massively in its favour. However, all the compromises of a bike over a car would lose their value if the price of the bike was significantly higher than that of the car. Why would I pay more to get less?
Re: Every Single Bethesda Game On Switch Is Currently On Sale
@Ganner don’t get me wrong; I can completely see your point. I was an avid supporter of the Wii U and have most titles physically. As a machine, whilst under powered compared to the competition, it offered a lot more ‘stuff’ than the Switch (backwards compatibility, proper virtual console, Netflix etc). Furthermore, the games never cost much and were available second hand at a good discount. Switch games never seem to drop in price, even second hand.
I appreciate that it has heralded a return to gaming for many (and to that end its simplicity as pretty much a pure games machine plus it’s portability compared to the complexities of the other machines could be seen as another strength). However, the simple fact is that it does not offer as much value as the other machines. On the other hand it has exclusives and that is pretty much the reason I’ve got a Switch Lite; to some it might seem silly to get a machine for the exclusives but I definitely didn’t get it for its 3rd party offerings, which are objectively worse both in how they run and in value than on other consoles.
I don’t want to come across as a party pooper; after the tough years of the Wii U I am very happy that Nintendo is significant again and I am happy for people who love their Switch (as I said, I do own one too). Yet it would be quite naive not to see its faults in the face of its benefits and popularity: it is expensive for an underpowered machine, it’s library is expensive and the second hand market doesn’t lose the price by much of at all (from what I’ve seen; I’m willing to admit I could be wrong and speaking anecdotally with regards to some second hand prices), the online offering is really poor (which has always been a problem with Nintendo, but with it being free on the Wii, Wii U and 3DS it was never an issue; but Smash bros is appalling online and there really is no excuse for that). It’s library, though wonderful for indie titles, has a lot of Wii U ports, which are not much better than the original version playable up to 9 years ago and which retailed for up to £20 less. Even it’s greatest game, Breath of the Wild, was a last gen port (it was clearly a Wii U title ported as a launch day game, just as Twilight Princess was for the GameCube to Wii).
I love Nintendo and have several systems up and running which I play with my kids, much more than any other brand. However, I am feeling a bit burnt this generation. It’s not that I can’t afford to pay the price of the system and games but I am annoyed by how greedy they seem to be getting and I can’t believe I’m the only one. Nintendo has always been great at giving us unique gaming memories but usually at good value as well.
Re: Streets Of Rage 4 Is Getting New Characters, Modes And More In 'Mr. X Nightmare’ DLC
Epic! Looking forward to this.
Re: Every Single Bethesda Game On Switch Is Currently On Sale (Europe)
@TheFullAndy I played it through on GameCube again just after Xmas. It’s as good as ever!
Re: Every Single Bethesda Game On Switch Is Currently On Sale (Europe)
@TheFullAndy oh, I agree; the reason I’m willing to still support Nintendo is the quality of the first party games. They very much have the magic touch, though I think I have near a dozen different ways of playing SMB by now! I’m not immune to giving them my money, I’m not frugal or anything, but I have had to draw the line with 3rd party Switch games. As I said I have got one or two and my justification for that is the portability factor (RE4? Portable? Yes please!) and if an indie game is going for a decent price I’ll pick it up, as owning it on the Xbox makes little to no difference in terms of power or graphics. Add to that the fact that it’s portable makes it justifiable.
Re: Every Single Bethesda Game On Switch Is Currently On Sale (Europe)
@TheFullAndy I see your point absolutely. If I’m being honest I’ve actually let my Gold/Gamepass subscription go since it ran out in December for the first time since 2012 as I’m waiting for a good deal (I’ve never paid full price for either subscription but it is getting harder to find a cheap alternative to buying direct from Microsoft). My backlog is also huge, going all the way back to the GameCube so I’ve got plenty to keep me going. I’ve also got 100+ games on my Xbox, many free from games with gold to eventually get around to playing. In fact, between ups we seem to have shown that both other systems represent better value for money. Again, that doesn’t mean the Switch is bad in anyway, but I don’t see Nintendo giving much away.
Interestingly I got a message on my Xbox from Microsoft about a free £4 voucher to redeem towards anything I wanted. Got the new Battle Toads for free (was on sale from £3.49 from £15). Looking forward to trying it out!
Re: Every Single Bethesda Game On Switch Is Currently On Sale (Europe)
@Iggy-Koopa no, but he could buy all the Doom games in one go for either less or a similar price to the Switch version on his Xbox (aside from Eternal obviously). As I said, as of today the complete set up to and including Doom 2016 is currently £12.49. Don’t get me wrong, I have got Doom 2016 on my switch as it’s such a great game and a marvel to play it handheld, but I got the Xbox version first. For £5.
Re: Every Single Bethesda Game On Switch Is Currently On Sale (Europe)
@TheFullAndy that’s a valid point. I haven’t had a PlayStation since the PS2, so I can’t really comment on Sony’s offerings. I used the Xbox as a comparison so I wasn’t in danger of making things up.
However, my argument still stands with regards to 3rd party titles on either system vs the Switch (honestly I don’t hold any particular loyalty to Xbox over PlayStation; it’s just that having had a 360 previously and their support of backwards compatibility, staying in the Microsoft ecosystem works best for me).
The fact that you have stated that you too own both a Switch and second system might actually further my point, unless I’m wrong in assuming that you might lean more towards 3rd party games on your PlayStation rather than your Switch, as I do with the Xbox.
Re: Every Single Bethesda Game On Switch Is Currently On Sale (Europe)
@NGNYS that’s a bit harsh; many of us have a Switch and another console as well. It’s not about console sales or Switch ‘beating’ another console in terms of sales. The simple fact is that the Switch is not brilliant value for money.
I have been a Nintendo fan since the 80s and have had every single system except the SNES, so understand that there is no ‘hate’ towards Nintendo from me. The Switch is great at what it does but Nintendo really knows how to milk their fans (I don’t understand how it not having a price cut is worn as a badge of pride by some people). Now, I’m willing to give them my money for certain things; quality, reliable hardware (though joycon drift is a rare scandal for them) and brilliant exclusives. However, selling 3rd party games, which are objectively of worse quality than on the other systems, for such an inflated price, is ridiculous. I will admit, it’s fascinating to see them run so well on a handheld (Alien Isolation and Doom 2016 are fantastic ports despite the necessary compromises) but the same games are available on other systems for a fraction of the cost.
If you take a Switch (£279) plus online (£18) plus a game like DOOM (£25-£50) you get £322-£347. Now compare that to an XBOX Series S (£249) plus 12 months Gamepass Ultimate (£10.99 per month so £131.886) you get £380.88. So for only £33.88 more you get a much more powerful system, access to 100 games day one, plus 4 free games a month to keep, plus much better sales (Doom, Doom 2, Doom 64 and DOOM 2016 are £12.49 for the whole lot currently), plus access to things such as Netflix etc. The games run as they were intended, with no compromise to performance. Looking at it unemotionally, the Switch is not very good value for money, at all. In fact, for £33.88 you couldn’t even buy most first party Nintendo titles.
It’s not about other people being able to afford loads of consoles, but by being smart you can have a cost effective set up of two systems (if you want) where you can enjoy the brilliant exclusives on the Switch and save a lot of money by taking advantage of the cheaper and better quality versions of 3rd party titles available on one of the other systems. I appreciate that if money is tight owning two systems may be totally out of the question for some people (and I am from an age in gaming where we really could only afford one or the other) but if money is tight, the Switch is a bad choice.
However, if the portability and first party titles are the most important thing then more power to you; if you are willing to accept the compromises in performance in order to fulfil these needs then you should feel happy. Best not to insult others who might not be willing to give all their hard earned money to Nintendo for inferior products though.
Re: Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX Lands In June, Along With An Awesome Signature Edition
I remember playing this a lot on shop displays as it was the built in game on most Master System II consoles in the early 90s (though mine has Sonic 1). Very memorable but unexpectedly hard for this type of game. I have it on Wii Virtual console and have never managed to get past the first level 😳
Re: Review: Star Wars: Republic Commando - Not An Elegant Weapon, But Still A Blast
It’s such a pity that an old game like this has such poor performance on a modern system. I understand the differences in architecture between systems, but when you look at how well, despite compromises, games like Doom 2016 or Alien Isolation run on Switch (and I only have a Lite model to comment on these) it really is bizarre that much older and less demanding games can’t manage to run consistently.
Re: Review: Star Wars: Republic Commando - Not An Elegant Weapon, But Still A Blast
@Anguspuss yeah, I’ve just seen a side by side. Xbox version is 60fps compared to 30fps on Switch...
Re: Review: Star Wars: Republic Commando - Not An Elegant Weapon, But Still A Blast
This will probably go on sale at some point for around £6.49, so I’ll wait until then. Played this on PC back in 2008. Good fun. I got it free with Games with Gold on Xbox a while back too, which upgraded the Xbox original version to HD. I wonder how the Switch version will compare...
Re: Back Page: An Interview With Luigi, The Late Mario's Brother And Business Partner
The only thing dead around here is the horse you keep flogging!
Re: Feature: Best NES Games
I wanted a NES so badly back in 1990. TMNT fever was at a peak and I really wanted the NES that came with it.
I got a Spectrum Sinclair ZX instead....
Re: Review: Doshin The Giant - A Chilled-Out Cult Classic That's Still Fresh In 2021
I’ve got this one sitting in the GameCube backlog. Need to finish James Bond Nightfire and then this is one of the next to have a go at.
Re: Talking Point: Is The N64 Pad Actually The Best Controller Ever?
No. It was great at the time but is outclassed by the GameCube controller and Xbox one controller.
Re: Random: One Of America's Biggest News Outlets Takes The 'Mario’s Going To Die' Meme Way Too Seriously
Bloody hell NLife, change the record already! 🤣
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl #80 - Resident Evil
The back of the Europe box is even better in its summary:
Pure. Terror. Cubed.
‘nuff said!
Re: Feature: Can't Buy Super Mario 64 On Switch Anymore? Psst! The N64 Original Is Better
@TruthisRare as a fellow Wii U owner I agree with you. Although I do own the original system and cart, the convenience of the Wii U versions (with instant save states) is the most user friendly way to play N64 games today. It was great having these on the Wii as well, as when I got the Wii I had less space so my old consoles were boxed away. Now that I have a dedicated ‘man cave’ I have all my systems set up and two tvs (CRT for anything up to the GameCube and flatscreen for anything from the Wi onwards). I love playing games on original hardware as a nostalgia trip, but the convenience of the Wii U eshop versions cannot be denied. Unfortunately, that’s something Switch owners won’t get to experience (plus we’ll loose NES/SNES games when the online eventually gets shut down).
Re: Feature: Can't Buy Super Mario 64 On Switch Anymore? Psst! The N64 Original Is Better
I just 100%-ed Mario 64 on my N64 through a CRT this month. The Switch version looks lovely and it is nice to have these games portably. However, the controls on the original release are much better and more responsive. It plays just as well now as it did in the 90s and composite into a CRT looks fine on the N64. One day I probably will invest in these upscale boxes (especially for the N64/GameCube) but only when they fall to sub £100 and the CRT gives up the ghost (RGB SCART on the cube and Mega Drive look superb through a tube tv).
Re: Talking Point: Are You A 'Complete-In-Box' Or 'Loose Cart' Retro Gamer?
As much as I wished if held onto my original N64/GB/GBC/GBA cardboard boxes, the chances of them being in any sort of decent condition 30 odd years later is very slim. So for Nintendo games at least it’s just carts for me. A pity that they didn’t use the tough plastic boxes of Master System/ Mega Drive game boxes, as I still have plenty of those on my shelf.
Re: Anniversary: Nintendo 3DS Launched Ten Years Ago Today In Europe
Was playing some Luigi’s mansion 2 last night. Finally got round to getting a grip for the New 3DS system and it is night and day! Wish I could get one for the OG 2DS model now....
Re: There's Still One Way To Get Super Mario 3D All-Stars' Digital Version After 31st March
It’s not as if there aren’t going to be loads of second hand copies going around. That and the fact that all three games are available on older systems (and have been for years).
Having said that, I do feel sorry for some kid who doesn’t get a Switch until later in the system’s life or someone who is deliberately late adopting to pay less money overall (which is a legitimate tactic with prices being so high). The fact that they are potentially missing out on 3 Mario games (of all games to miss out on) would be really annoying!
Re: Feature: Resident Evil At 25 - A Shambling Corpse Never Felt More Alive
I’ve been playing since the original game on PC. I still have the N64 cart of Resi 2 and the REmake was one of the reasons I got a GameCube back in 2003. Just replayed 4 for the first time in years in January on the cube and it is as excellent as ever. Great series, despite the odd deviation. Though I couldn’t really get into Resi 7 on my Xbox...
... it was too scary 😳
Re: PlayStation's Ken Kutaragi "Never" Considered Nintendo To Be A Competitor
@Crono1973 the PS1 had the BIGGER library, but the N64 had more classics arguably (but that is subjective and down to nostalgia goggles on my part) 😎