Comments 11,096

Re: Talking Point: Our 2026 Nintendo And Switch 2 Predictions

GrailUK

Hmm...
I have no expectations for 2026 (I fear folk read that as a negative lol!) so I'll happily see what comes and be surpised. Now I am hoping we see what Monolith are doing with the humbe Switch 2! Can't wait for that.

As for Directs, I really hope they veer away from the twee, unoffensive wholesomeness and lean more towards showcasing what the Switch 2 can do. But until they have a bunch of truely next gen titles (instead of games that Switched development = pardon the pun) or cross gens, that gap is only plugged by third parties (that the internet will always moan about not being as good looking as a PC game lol.)

Whatever we get 2026, I want Nintendo to blow me away with something beautiful and something fun. Like how we all know they can.

Re: "If Mario Starts To Show Up On PlayStation, That's The Apocalypse, Right?" - Ex-PlayStation Boss Thinks Console Exclusives Are Still Important

GrailUK

Sony literally saying Nintendo is right (again) without actually saying it lol.

They chased the live service golden egg, caught salmonella and now sitting back down.

Microsoft is far too big a game studio to be shackled to a struggling console. Of course it makes sense for them to sell their games everywhere (it's where the money is lmao!) Buuut, mark my words, the day an XBox console becomes market leader, don't be surprised when their narrative shifts more akin to Sony's...or cry when CoD isn't on Playstation anymore. It's why their messaging is so confusing. Their short term mission drive is totally at odds with their long term one.

Re: Talking Point: Does Switch 2 Have Nintendo's Best Launch Line-Up Ever?

GrailUK

Serious talk.
I got the N64 day one with Mario 64 and Pilotwings. Just the 2 games. I can honestly say NEVER have I felt like I was playing the future of entertainment more than this generation's launch. It was genuinely magical. Akin to watching Star Wars at the cinema (yeah I'm old.) Sure, games are bigger, bolder and brighter these days, but honestly, that magic comes around every blue moon.
Super Mario Bros had it.
Tetris had it,
Super Monkey Ball had it
Breath of the Wild had it.

It's not about fidelity or how lovely the game looks. (I mean, Rogue Squadron 2 and Cyberpunk would easily be on the list!) it's how well the gane fits the system and how much it makes you fall in love with the console itself. A game without peer that sets the tone for that generation. Romantic? Sure...sue me. But all the talk of fps, pixels, resolution reeeally kills the romance. Because when you love something, you love it's imperfections. When a game starts to chug, you start feeling sorry for the console lol. Slow down in the 80s was endearing. Now it's chastised. I've said it before, but the golden age wasn't just about the creativity expressed with the absence of clearly defined genres, but it was also the golden age of gamer's attitudes to what could be possible. Nowadays, it's more about what should be accepted. Anyhoo, I'm rambling...

Merry Chritmas everyone.

Re: Nintendo Suggests Metroid Prime 4's Tortured Development Meant It Was "Divorced From The Changing Of Times"

GrailUK

@rvcolem1 Oh, 100%. It's nice for folk who might never have played a Metroid game before but totally agree, I wish it was left up to me to radio Miles for a pointer. I think we can all concede backtracking and progression isn't the way mainstream like to do things, buuut that's the thing. So many don't realise just how niche our favourite bounty hunter is. We are so lucky Nintendo aren't as cynical as most (the game would have been cancelled ful stop lol.)

Re: Nintendo Suggests Metroid Prime 4's Tortured Development Meant It Was "Divorced From The Changing Of Times"

GrailUK

Despite the development struggles, I think the game sits comfortably just behind the first game in the pecking order. Folk will look back at this game and wonder what on Earth the drama was about. I mean, people harping on about how Metroid is about isolation and the open world spoils it? Erm...it's a desert! If they went all in on isolation and insisted Samus walk everywhere (with no music) then what would be the first thing everyone would be complaining about? Yep...wanting a motorbike. (Second thing would be for somehow to allow music to be played...)

As for the federation troopers, to me they come across as normal folk who are a tad starstruck at being marooned on a planet with Samus. I mean...who wouldn't be (apart from maybe Sylux.)

The game has the classic gameplay, some new puzzle elements and the icing on the cake is it's absolutely jaw dropping to look at. It is everything Metroid fans wanted.

Re: The US Suffered Its Worst November Since 1995 In Terms Of Hardware Sales

GrailUK

I think this needs saying

Beating a record breaking console by offering huge discounts during the LOWEST November in 30 years across the board is a much bigger problem than key cards.

What does my head in is people playing the blame game. Which would be fine if they were blaming the right person. Nintendo is doing great in other terrertories. Putting America first means you aren't a signal for the rest of the world, you are just a signal to yourselves. But it seems to be falling on deaf ears intent on lining the pockets of a disgusting greedy man's family who manufactured some weird PR fuelled divine right to be where he is.

Pray this is a blip, else you'll be playing unofficial immitation consoles, bootlegs and haking other countries to see what's going on in no time (much like Trump's favourite countries.)

The entire world needs to make the mega rich more equitable and contribute vastly more. Trickle down economics doesn't work when the wealthy go out of their way to avoid paying as much tax as possible through off shore investing, loophole etc. And anyone still of the opinion that billionaires leaving is scary...well a) if they have their money abroad and live on a private island, they have already left and b) Doesn't that create opportunity which capitalism is all about. Pickles my brain how we regard mega rich as hard working, yet they pay people to do all the hard work for them. (rant over lol.)

Re: Talking Point: Six Months Since Launch, How Would You Rate Switch 2?

GrailUK

Everything I wanted it to be. Hell, I'm way past caring about gane key cards I don't buy them and my bank account has never been healthier lol! (Although, I'll be picking up Star Wars Outlaws at some point soon.) Cyberpunk, Metroid Prime 4 and Donkey Kong are keeping me busy over Christmas (with sessions of Mario Kart!) I also have Breath of the Wild I like to revisit inbetween. I'm doomed once we get Xenoblade Switch 2 versions lol. Anyhoo, it's been a solid six months. Next year as we start getting into it's stride, we are going to see A LOT of games. Plenty of new features whilst not leaning heavily on a gimmick. The Switch cemented the hybrid concept as anything but a gimmick! Of course there is planty of scope for a revision to improve on what we have now...but that's the magic of Nintendo. Giving us something great that inspires everyone to make something better (if not different..or popular...or actually better lol) Grab your popcorn because this holiday season is going to be record breaking.
4/5

Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (6th November)

GrailUK

Age of Calamity is going to be my next game. Shou;d keep me going until the next Zelda game. I do hope they go back to a more structured adventure like Ocarina of Time, but I don't want a remaster or indeed a remake. I want a retelling. It's all Legend. They have a licence to add content, change mechanics, as long as the whispers surrounding what happened remain pretty much the same

Re: Nintendo States Its Intention To Acquire More Development Teams

GrailUK

@Grumblevolcano I think they are still in the process of building a second building. This has obviously been lomg term thinking. I don't think they are going to become Microsoft overnight. They'll recruit folk who are a good fit. Western thinking just looks at ip (I mean, check this comment thread out lol!) Once again, Nintendo don't operate like Sony and Microsoft (who cynically emulate it.) Third party suits third place. Maybe even second place if you have over bloated the cost of actually creating games. Nintendo are a) on top (despite what Twitter says lmao!) and b) much more conservative with their budgets. Now sure, game development will take longer *they have explicitly said as much) and they will be looking at keeping up a game a month, but it would be more like Nintendo to aquire studios that can facilitate their games, as opposed to simply buying a studio for theirs.

Re: "Go Tell Nintendo" - Ex-Blizzard President Responds After Xbox Calls Exclusives "Antiquated"

GrailUK

This topic is really nuanced and to be blunt CEO's aren't worth a cup of cold piss. XBox and Playstation consoles are barely distinguishable from PCs. Between those two companies, they have standardised gaming and bloated development costs irresponsibly to the point where such a sentiment makes sense...in their sphere. Nintendo doesn't dwell in the same sphere.

Nintendo make games to suit their hardware. They have a totally different business model to the other two.

Besides, I have to spell this out because some people are so short sighted. Third party suits third place. But don't think for a moment XBox will stop making hardware, because if the day comes where they can capture mainstream imagination (and let's be fair, that's doubtful under current leadership) then every single game and i.p. they own would be exclusive in a heartbeat. They have so much leverage owning the industry, they'll cash in using everyone else's eco-systems, but lol, they are never going to give up chasing their own. That's Microsoft's own risk and reward game (cynical as it is) and why their messaging is so at cross purposes.

Looking forward to playing both XBox and Playstation games on my Switch 2. But Nintendo won't put their games anywhere else. They don't have to, they are number one and the most successful I have ever seen them. No offense to Halo, but Mario is waaay bigger.

Not fanboy spiel. Capitalism spiel. Nintendo have simply steered their ship vastly more responsibly than the big companies that have to rely on pretentious nonsense to get people to invest in their 'essence of what makes us human' horsecrap.

Re: Nintendo Reportedly Increases Switch 2 Production To 25 Million Units For Year 1

GrailUK

@jsty3105 Dude, folk scoff at rampant profits. CEO's giving themselves 40% wage rises whilst the workers in real terms have a depreciating quality of life. In the 80's a 20% mark up was considered the norm. Those days are well and truely over. Nintendo president earns like $2.4M dollars a year (I'd taje that!) The CEO of Activision was on like $156M so please...SPARE ME! Non profit hahaha, they aren't even close!