The biggest problem I see with current physical media being used in the future is a lack of updates. Once Nintendo's servers that support Switch games go down, games on carts are going to be locked into their original software version.
A great example might be Animal Crossing. So many updates were added in post release. Seasonal events, residents/characters like Leif, the ability to cook, the list goes on. So if a person decides to play AC for the first time after the servers went down, there's going to be a lot of necessary stuff that's going to be missing. I have no idea if newer cartridges got updated versions installed but this is acceptable grand example of a future dilemma. Especially as AC is an upper-tier title for Nintendo.
However, even with cartridges, it doesn't mean Nintendo and other companies can't taketh things away. Atari 50 had the game "Warbirds" removed with a day one patch due to licensing. This affected cartridge owners as well (if they updated the game,of course). While this probably won't affect future play with downed servers (like being able to have all the original songs in GTA titles that got yanked online due to license expiration) the fact that you can have stuff blocked on your physical copies is chilling.
Personally I do a mix. If digital is dirt cheap, I'll buy the titles (usually it's the small stuff). If the cart is worth it, I'll spring for it.
It's way easier for me to game portable, so I have an SD and a Lite. I did "double dip" on a few games (Skyrim, Witcher 3, Castlevania Anniversary Collection-though the last I think looks better on the Lite which is why I bought it again) but got an SD on a sale. I do have an OG Switch docked on a TV but I can't count on two hands the number of times I sat and played it. The kids use that one.
I like the variety both consoles give. Like others said-I have access to both Nintendo games and the PC titles I enjoy.
Sheesh, there be a lot of impatience along with a few not happy that the system's not "different". The hybrid approach works dang well, why kill 1-to-1 backwards compatibility (both in software and probably general experience) just for the sake of being different?
The Switch brought true current-gen console gaming out of the home and on the road. They don't want to pull another Wii U scenario. People like the Switch, it does a good job printing money, let them go to a similar formula the competition does. Be happy that your current Switch collection will continue to work through te next generation. Who knows, maybe online will last longer for the Switch as opposed to the U and 3DS.
@Zebetite I guess it depends on one's expectation of "horror" and "game".
I've played horror games through the ages that, for their time, were a good mix of both. The original "Haunted House" by Atari for the VCS/2600 could be viewed as a good mix of both qualities. To a kid of that time, it had jump scares along with a fun exploration/hiding style gameplay. The original "Silent Hill" is another good example. After playing that game as heavily as my friends and I did as young adults, hearing the tornado sirens go off at noon (as they normally did over the course of our time living in that city) made us pause briefly as our brains thought of the game. Even though it frustrated me more, "Alien:Isolation" is a more recent example.
So, at least to me, it IS possible to have your cake of maggoty flesh and eat it too.
I have it on Steam and it was a "pass" for me. I loved the atmosphere and retro feel and you really must pay attention to solve the puzzles. But beyond that, there's not much "game" here IMO beyond wandering about and exorcising areas and repelling the nasties. I wrote a lengthy review in Steam that I won't copy paste due to size.
I hope in the Switch version they fix some trigger event bugs I ran into. Nothing more frustrating than solving a puzzle properly and the appropriate event doesn't happen.
I've got a 13" RCA with S-Video as my retro gaming display. It's just gorgeous. Bright screen and colors pop.
When the Paris Olympics were on I recorded them on a 21st century VCR that has a digital signal tuner onto a VHS tape at the SLP (super long play so I coukd get 6 hours of programming). Playing it on the LCD TV over composite gave a kinda washed out but serviceable picture like any VCR on a modern TV. On the RCA (which was built in 2003) the footage was incredible!
I'm currently trying what some would see as unthinkable: hooking my mini consoles to an HDMI to composite video converter. The menus on these systems are kinda tiny but once you fire up a game, it's like a time warp. I played "Altered Beast" on my Genny Mini with full screen (no CRT filter obviously) transported me back to 1989. TurboGrafx-16 mini looked equally great. The Nintendo minis I need to mess with as the SNES would just display 4:3 with bars, which created a shimmer when scrolling. scrolling.
If glitches are to be allowed, then there should be an indicator on that record that it was a glitch run. And as others said, keep it separate from non-glitched runs. That way we mortals can at least feel we have a chance at the top.
If there's shipping, that'll probably eat up the savings.
I'm conflicted. On one hand I want as close of the feel of the original gaming experience (modern conveniences aside like save states or rewind) as I can. On the other, I play my Lite the most as I'm rarely in a position to be in front of a TV. While doable, these eyes of mine aren't gettin' any sharper with age and distance gaming on a Lite would not be fun.
I'll have this back and forth argument with myself until I tap "buy" and then deal with buyer's remorse.
No mention of Epyx: Rogue, a grandpappy of the rogue-like genre? I played a version of this on my Tandy CoCo 3 back in the day which used text for the graphics. Tough as nails and always made you want to go a little further, hoping you don't die permanently.
The challenges intrigue me and my younger kids seem interested in the Nintendo-brand retro games, so I pre-ordered it. I wish that they just had a cart only option but, I think the cart and pins are neat looking. The pins can hang with my circa 80s Mario and Zelda pins I bought at Kmart decades ago.
I wonder if the cart mold is the same as an NES cart on the inside? It'd be fun to get a repro board and plop it into the cart shell to make the whole thing playable.
As complex as games are now, especially games with net play, patches happen. However releasing a game with play breaking bugs requiring a patch on release day....inexcusable.
The downside of needing patches is game preservation of physical media. If Game A is busted on cartridge or disc and requires a patch to make work, that physical media is doomed to be that way forever. Eventually, unless a community archives the patches, that broken game will never be able to be played.
@MegaVel91: I agree. Dang....back in the day folks loved to get some sort of snippet of what's coming down the pike.
Ok, you get a leak of what's coming in name or maybe a bit on gameplay (I could be wrong-I don't prowl the plethora of news sites or hang out on the Twitter branches) but you don't know everything.
It's like finding out you're getting chocolate cake at a surprise party, which then folks throw up their hands and go "whelp, that's ruined!" Yet you don't know how GOOD the cake is gonna be.
Does anyone know if the Treasure Trove cart received any patches? I wouldn't mind getting that without the potential worry of issues with the game I may not get patches for when Switch Shop sunsets.
Geez, Kickstarter, a prominent Youtuber mentioning your product and web articles.....why not just paint a target on your house with blinky lights pointing to a sign that says "Nintendo: bomb here"?
If Nintendo's actions against Gary Bowser was to make him an example and a deterrent to others, this fellow didn't get the memo.
I might if I like the demo. Like others said-got too many games in line to play. I've got demons to kill (Doom 64-level 13 right now), an island to make purdy (AC:NH-don't have K. K. Slider yet), and try and beat Wart again after 34 years (Super Mario 2-cause, why not I just beat SMB 3 last year or so for the first time. Thank goodness for save states).
"Could you do Dad a favor? Watch this memory or skip and restart it about A LOT of times. I'll go bake cookies for you."
:: Come back with warm cookies,trade ::
"Ok Ganon...here were go"
:: unpause ::
Kidding aside, sometimes one doth suck at the combat or is horribly ill equipped sometimes to finish a nasty baddie. The breaking weapons drive me nuts and with my limited time, I can't trudge about to restock my good gear that often. Sometimes ya got that one moment to beat that monster before a gaming dry spell-this can turn frustration into relief.
As an old school gamer, I try to "get gud" but sometimes, things just don't work out.
@Link-Hero Maybe because the people that want it on Switch may want the portability feature of the console? Maybe the other consoles don't have enough of the games they want to justify the purchase? Way to turn a potential choice into a "fault". If the fact that the game may not be coming out on Switch twists their socks, that's more on them.
Back to the game: like others stated, it never clicked with me. I got it as part of a Humble Bundle probably when those bundles started. I played it a bit but never went back. I recognize the work Blow put into it (I think he wrote an adventure game for the Tandy Color Computer for a contest and that sucker was COMPLEX-lots you could do. In a game written in BASIC of all things) so no disrespect to him.
[Unicourse] Aaaannnnnd why should I care? [/Unicourse]
Seriously, it IS a good show for the family. As a parent of a rather large family, a lot of stuff in the show hits home.
I am wondering how the show will translate into a game, though. Being sandbox-style, would you wander about town like in "Amazing Frogs" or some Roblox game,just finding stuff to do?
@JayJ-y'know, I never EVER had drift on my N64 controllers. A couple lost tension over time but never drifted. And those controllers got a LOT of use between myself and my friends over the years we (it was a group purchase) and then I played on it. I replaced two sticks in the course of, geez, ten to twelve years since we bought it on launch day? For full transparency: we hardly played any Mario Party games, so that could be our saving grace.
There was a time I heralded the N64 controller as the "best controller of the time". It was well suited for 3D and 2D gaming. Granted the rules have changed since but no other controller in my opinion had the same level of accuracy as the N64 stick. It had just the right amount of "play" so that you could easily "sneak" in a game (like Mario 64) and then gradually go to a sprint. Playing F-Zero X and F-Zero GX on the Gamecube control wise is night and day-X controls a LOT better to me with the stick.
Mine just shipped so I am so looking forward to it.
Thanks! I snagged one moments ago. I don't think it'll get a ton of use but if I decide to cave and get the expanded subscription (or more N64 games come out in compilations like Mario 3D All Stars) I can play those games properly.
I have owned a total of seven 2/3DS consoles over the years. I still own 5 (my first 3DS I traded in as I didn't like how it felt and my 2DS XL just felt too big in my small Carnie hands). I have my New 3DS (not the XL model) and four 2DS's my kids play on (as I have a lot of step kids). I also have maybe two working DS Lites (I had three but one died), my original DS (well, the ex's as she didn't want it and it was in my game collection but I had the same one we both bought in Vegas in 2006) and a DSi XL.
The DS systems were kinda like Poke'mon in this house....you know the phrase....
F-Zero GX should definitely go up on the hoist for a little updating under the carriage. It's been dormant waaay too long. Maybe it'd be a good test to see if an audience still wants it?
I'd also be down for an "Animal Crossing All Stars" type game. I wouldn't mind starting over in AC and then actually PLAY City Folk. After Wild World, City Folk felt like a step backwards.
For third party I could go for some Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. Or maybe a SoulCalibre collection?
Comments 27
Re: US Physical Game Spending Continued To Decline Last Year, Now Sits At Half 2021's Numbers
The biggest problem I see with current physical media being used in the future is a lack of updates. Once Nintendo's servers that support Switch games go down, games on carts are going to be locked into their original software version.
A great example might be Animal Crossing. So many updates were added in post release. Seasonal events, residents/characters like Leif, the ability to cook, the list goes on. So if a person decides to play AC for the first time after the servers went down, there's going to be a lot of necessary stuff that's going to be missing. I have no idea if newer cartridges got updated versions installed but this is acceptable grand example of a future dilemma. Especially as AC is an upper-tier title for Nintendo.
However, even with cartridges, it doesn't mean Nintendo and other companies can't taketh things away. Atari 50 had the game "Warbirds" removed with a day one patch due to licensing. This affected cartridge owners as well (if they updated the game,of course). While this probably won't affect future play with downed servers (like being able to have all the original songs in GTA titles that got yanked online due to license expiration) the fact that you can have stuff blocked on your physical copies is chilling.
Personally I do a mix. If digital is dirt cheap, I'll buy the titles (usually it's the small stuff). If the cart is worth it, I'll spring for it.
Re: Nintendo's Switch 2 Announcement Reportedly Impacted Steam Deck Sales
It's way easier for me to game portable, so I have an SD and a Lite. I did "double dip" on a few games (Skyrim, Witcher 3, Castlevania Anniversary Collection-though the last I think looks better on the Lite which is why I bought it again) but got an SD on a sale. I do have an OG Switch docked on a TV but I can't count on two hands the number of times I sat and played it. The kids use that one.
I like the variety both consoles give. Like others said-I have access to both Nintendo games and the PC titles I enjoy.
Re: Review: Star Wars: Episode I: Jedi Power Battles (Switch) - Uncivilised But Not Unenjoyable
I have to agree: why THIS game? Why not Rogue Squadron or Leader? Even with the "Aspyr touch" of no frills, those were awesome, solid games.
I played this BITD. Not going there again.
Re: Nintendo Switch 2 Reveal Trailer Gives First Official Look At The New Console
Sheesh, there be a lot of impatience along with a few not happy that the system's not "different". The hybrid approach works dang well, why kill 1-to-1 backwards compatibility (both in software and probably general experience) just for the sake of being different?
The Switch brought true current-gen console gaming out of the home and on the road. They don't want to pull another Wii U scenario. People like the Switch, it does a good job printing money, let them go to a similar formula the competition does. Be happy that your current Switch collection will continue to work through te next generation. Who knows, maybe online will last longer for the Switch as opposed to the U and 3DS.
Re: Retro Horror Game 'Faith: The Unholy Trinity' Launches On Switch Next Week
@Zebetite I guess it depends on one's expectation of "horror" and "game".
I've played horror games through the ages that, for their time, were a good mix of both. The original "Haunted House" by Atari for the VCS/2600 could be viewed as a good mix of both qualities. To a kid of that time, it had jump scares along with a fun exploration/hiding style gameplay. The original "Silent Hill" is another good example. After playing that game as heavily as my friends and I did as young adults, hearing the tornado sirens go off at noon (as they normally did over the course of our time living in that city) made us pause briefly as our brains thought of the game. Even though it frustrated me more, "Alien:Isolation" is a more recent example.
So, at least to me, it IS possible to have your cake of maggoty flesh and eat it too.
Re: Retro Horror Game 'Faith: The Unholy Trinity' Launches On Switch Next Week
I have it on Steam and it was a "pass" for me. I loved the atmosphere and retro feel and you really must pay attention to solve the puzzles. But beyond that, there's not much "game" here IMO beyond wandering about and exorcising areas and repelling the nasties. I wrote a lengthy review in Steam that I won't copy paste due to size.
I hope in the Switch version they fix some trigger event bugs I ran into. Nothing more frustrating than solving a puzzle properly and the appropriate event doesn't happen.
Re: Video: Gather 'Round Kids, Sakurai Talks About CRT Displays
I've got a 13" RCA with S-Video as my retro gaming display. It's just gorgeous. Bright screen and colors pop.
When the Paris Olympics were on I recorded them on a 21st century VCR that has a digital signal tuner onto a VHS tape at the SLP (super long play so I coukd get 6 hours of programming). Playing it on the LCD TV over composite gave a kinda washed out but serviceable picture like any VCR on a modern TV. On the RCA (which was built in 2003) the footage was incredible!
I'm currently trying what some would see as unthinkable: hooking my mini consoles to an HDMI to composite video converter. The menus on these systems are kinda tiny but once you fire up a game, it's like a time warp. I played "Altered Beast" on my Genny Mini with full screen (no CRT filter obviously) transported me back to 1989. TurboGrafx-16 mini looked equally great. The Nintendo minis I need to mess with as the SNES would just display 4:3 with bars, which created a shimmer when scrolling. scrolling.
Re: Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition Player Uses Glitch To Top Donkey Kong Leaderboard
If glitches are to be allowed, then there should be an indicator on that record that it was a glitch run. And as others said, keep it separate from non-glitched runs. That way we mortals can at least feel we have a chance at the top.
Re: Switch Online NES Controller Limited-Time Sale Now Live (North America)
If there's shipping, that'll probably eat up the savings.
I'm conflicted. On one hand I want as close of the feel of the original gaming experience (modern conveniences aside like save states or rewind) as I can. On the other, I play my Lite the most as I'm rarely in a position to be in front of a TV. While doable, these eyes of mine aren't gettin' any sharper with age and distance gaming on a Lite would not be fun.
I'll have this back and forth argument with myself until I tap "buy" and then deal with buyer's remorse.
Re: Nintendo Download: 18th July (North America)
No mention of Epyx: Rogue, a grandpappy of the rogue-like genre? I played a version of this on my Tandy CoCo 3 back in the day which used text for the graphics. Tough as nails and always made you want to go a little further, hoping you don't die permanently.
Re: Poll: So, Will You Be Getting Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition?
The challenges intrigue me and my younger kids seem interested in the Nintendo-brand retro games, so I pre-ordered it. I wish that they just had a cart only option but, I think the cart and pins are neat looking. The pins can hang with my circa 80s Mario and Zelda pins I bought at Kmart decades ago.
I wonder if the cart mold is the same as an NES cart on the inside? It'd be fun to get a repro board and plop it into the cart shell to make the whole thing playable.
Re: Video: Sakurai Explains The Need For Online Updates And Patches
As complex as games are now, especially games with net play, patches happen. However releasing a game with play breaking bugs requiring a patch on release day....inexcusable.
The downside of needing patches is game preservation of physical media. If Game A is busted on cartridge or disc and requires a patch to make work, that physical media is doomed to be that way forever. Eventually, unless a community archives the patches, that broken game will never be able to be played.
Re: Leaker 'Pyoro' Locks Account After Claiming Their Source Works For Nintendo
@MegaVel91: I agree. Dang....back in the day folks loved to get some sort of snippet of what's coming down the pike.
Ok, you get a leak of what's coming in name or maybe a bit on gameplay (I could be wrong-I don't prowl the plethora of news sites or hang out on the Twitter branches) but you don't know everything.
It's like finding out you're getting chocolate cake at a surprise party, which then folks throw up their hands and go "whelp, that's ruined!" Yet you don't know how GOOD the cake is gonna be.
Re: Surprise! Shovel Knight's Original Adventure Is Getting The Deluxe Treatment
Does anyone know if the Treasure Trove cart received any patches? I wouldn't mind getting that without the potential worry of issues with the game I may not get patches for when Switch Shop sunsets.
Re: Unofficial 'Nintendo World Championships' Cart Smashes Kickstarter Goal
Geez, Kickstarter, a prominent Youtuber mentioning your product and web articles.....why not just paint a target on your house with blinky lights pointing to a sign that says "Nintendo: bomb here"?
If Nintendo's actions against Gary Bowser was to make him an example and a deterrent to others, this fellow didn't get the memo.
Re: Poll: Will You Be Getting The Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition - Deluxe Set?
If the NES cart actually worked, then yes. As it stands, then no. Not sure if I want the Switch game itself.
Re: Unofficial Metroid Pixel Art eBook Is Currently Free, But Be Quick
Thanks! Twas a nice surprise!
Re: Poll: So, Will You Be Getting Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown?
I might if I like the demo. Like others said-got too many games in line to play. I've got demons to kill (Doom 64-level 13 right now), an island to make purdy (AC:NH-don't have K. K. Slider yet), and try and beat Wart again after 34 years (Super Mario 2-cause, why not I just beat SMB 3 last year or so for the first time. Thank goodness for save states).
Re: Random: Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Glitch Lets You Kill Any Enemy Or Boss In One Hit
This is where children come in.
:: Do the trick, pause and talk to child ::
"Could you do Dad a favor? Watch this memory or skip and restart it about A LOT of times. I'll go bake cookies for you."
:: Come back with warm cookies,trade ::
"Ok Ganon...here were go"
:: unpause ::
Kidding aside, sometimes one doth suck at the combat or is horribly ill equipped sometimes to finish a nasty baddie. The breaking weapons drive me nuts and with my limited time, I can't trudge about to restock my good gear that often. Sometimes ya got that one moment to beat that monster before a gaming dry spell-this can turn frustration into relief.
As an old school gamer, I try to "get gud" but sometimes, things just don't work out.
Re: 'Atari 50' Is Getting More Games Via Free Updates, 12 Dropping Next Week
So two basketball games, if each image is are separate games?
I think the car could represent "Night Driver". The horse may represent the prototype game "Polo".
Re: Braid: Anniversary Edition Out Next Year, But There's No Mention Of A Switch Release
@Link-Hero Maybe because the people that want it on Switch may want the portability feature of the console? Maybe the other consoles don't have enough of the games they want to justify the purchase? Way to turn a potential choice into a "fault". If the fact that the game may not be coming out on Switch twists their socks, that's more on them.
Back to the game: like others stated, it never clicked with me. I got it as part of a Humble Bundle probably when those bundles started. I played it a bit but never went back. I recognize the work Blow put into it (I think he wrote an adventure game for the Tandy Color Computer for a contest and that sucker was COMPLEX-lots you could do. In a game written in BASIC of all things) so no disrespect to him.
Re: Bluey Makes Her Video Game Debut On Switch This November
[Unicourse]
Aaaannnnnd why should I care?
[/Unicourse]
Seriously, it IS a good show for the family. As a parent of a rather large family, a lot of stuff in the show hits home.
I am wondering how the show will translate into a game, though. Being sandbox-style, would you wander about town like in "Amazing Frogs" or some Roblox game,just finding stuff to do?
Re: Nintendo Shares Colourful Graphic Featuring The Games From September's Direct
The one game that grabs me so far is "Dave the Diver". PC gamers on different sites seem to rave about this game and it does look like goofy fun.
Re: Switch Online N64 Controllers Are Back In Stock Now
@JayJ-y'know, I never EVER had drift on my N64 controllers. A couple lost tension over time but never drifted. And those controllers got a LOT of use between myself and my friends over the years we (it was a group purchase) and then I played on it. I replaced two sticks in the course of, geez, ten to twelve years since we bought it on launch day? For full transparency: we hardly played any Mario Party games, so that could be our saving grace.
There was a time I heralded the N64 controller as the "best controller of the time". It was well suited for 3D and 2D gaming. Granted the rules have changed since but no other controller in my opinion had the same level of accuracy as the N64 stick. It had just the right amount of "play" so that you could easily "sneak" in a game (like Mario 64) and then gradually go to a sprint. Playing F-Zero X and F-Zero GX on the Gamecube control wise is night and day-X controls a LOT better to me with the stick.
Mine just shipped so I am so looking forward to it.
Re: Switch Online N64 Controllers Are Back In Stock Now
Thanks! I snagged one moments ago. I don't think it'll get a ton of use but if I decide to cave and get the expanded subscription (or more N64 games come out in compilations like Mario 3D All Stars) I can play those games properly.
Re: Poll: How Many 3DS Consoles Have You Owned?
I have owned a total of seven 2/3DS consoles over the years. I still own 5 (my first 3DS I traded in as I didn't like how it felt and my 2DS XL just felt too big in my small Carnie hands). I have my New 3DS (not the XL model) and four 2DS's my kids play on (as I have a lot of step kids). I also have maybe two working DS Lites (I had three but one died), my original DS (well, the ex's as she didn't want it and it was in my game collection but I had the same one we both bought in Vegas in 2006) and a DSi XL.
The DS systems were kinda like Poke'mon in this house....you know the phrase....
Re: Poll: What Other GameCube Title Deserves A '10/10' Remake Or Remaster?
F-Zero GX should definitely go up on the hoist for a little updating under the carriage. It's been dormant waaay too long. Maybe it'd be a good test to see if an audience still wants it?
I'd also be down for an "Animal Crossing All Stars" type game. I wouldn't mind starting over in AC and then actually PLAY City Folk. After Wild World, City Folk felt like a step backwards.
For third party I could go for some Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. Or maybe a SoulCalibre collection?