Grumblevolcano

I think there's too much empty space before the Switch 2 release for a February Switch 1 general Direct not to happen. February 5th would be my guess.

@Zeebor15 Fighting Collection 2 doesn't have a release date yet and the Marvel vs. Capcom collection is scheduled for release on Xbox in 2025.

I hope for it to distinguish itself from 8 enough that 8 Deluxe gets more retro tracks. Imagine a theoretical February Switch 1 general Direct happening and surprise, here's BCP2 with wave 7 being:

• SNES Vanilla Lake 2
• N64 Koopa Troopa Beach
• GBA Bowser Castle 4
• GCN Dino Dino Jungle
• DS Airship Fortress
• Wii Dry Dry Ruins
• 3DS Wario's Galleon
• Tour Piranha Plant Pipeline

Then the April Direct reveals MK9 to be very different from MK8 Deluxe like how Forza Horizon is very different from Forza Motorsport.

The teased mouse functionality in the Switch 2 reveal inspired me to return to Mario Maker 2.

Playing through DKC Returns HD, already near the end of the game but will probably attempt to get all the puzzle pieces.

I'm not fussed to be honest. If I had to choose between this design and the normal design, I'd definitely pick the latter however I think an interesting move would be to have movie DK and game DK both playable.

I'd imagine this could be the route the new Sonic racing game will take too considering the name, the worlds of the games and the movies collide so you'd be able to play for example as game Shadow and movie Shadow.

The reveal felt as though it wasn't meant to happen today. That Nintendo wanted to do a huge and exciting reveal in like March but leakers over the past few months completely ruined that which resulted in this underwhelming January reveal.

The Switch 2 reveal itself was very underwhelming though at least they announced a Switch 2 Direct for April 2nd. I believe when that happens my opinion of the system will be a lot more positive.

Anyway the most exciting thing about that reveal is that it leaves February open for a potential Switch 1 general Direct.

Hopefully DKC Returns HD does very well next week.

My focus is Splatoon 3 for FrostyFest, a nice change of pace prior to DKC Returns HD's launch on Thursday.

2024 was pretty much the downfall of GAME between the end of trade-ins, end of the rewards/elite program, becoming unreliable for preorders and the stores now being filled with non-gaming stuff like Funko Pops.

I finished Mario & Luigi Brothership on New Years Eve and since then I've been undecided whether to play MGS3 or Stray.

Planning the games I'm playing prior to Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered (February 14th) is tricky considering DKC Returns isn't a particularly long game so while I'm playing the HD remaster day 1, there'll still be a sizable gap to fill between finishing DKC Returns HD and starting Tomb Raider 4-6 Remastered.

My prediction is that Nintendo's waiting for Rockstar to make their next move before announcing Switch 2. For example, Rockstar delays GTA6 to 2026 in February close to the Take Two investor meeting and then a week or so later Nintendo announces Switch 2 to take advantage of the delay.

As for release, even though there's been lots of rumours and leaks which may make you think the system is imminent, I still think it's launching in September alongside 3D Mario. Prime 4 ends up being a Switch 1 only game releasing in April - June.

@Ulysses I think the absence of PS3 backwards compatibility on PS4/PS5 helps the chances of the FF13 trilogy coming to Nintendo hardware.

Only got the Mario Party minigames one wrong.

Continuing with Mario & Luigi Brothership, it's looking as though I'm near the end so if that is the case I need to find something else to fill in the gap in the lead up to DKC Returns HD. Leaning towards trying MGS3 from the beginning again after the mistake I made earlier in the month.

@Friendly The scenario was considering an outcome where "Switch 2" is a more powerful Switch revision releasing in 2025 and the Switch successor teased back in May is a more experimental device releasing around 2028/2029.

@SBandy1 @GrailUK What I was meaning by revision like New 3DS was that everyone's expecting that the 2025 "Switch 2" is the successor to Switch 1 but what if it's treated as a revision instead (New 3DS is a more powerful 3DS but not treated as a successor). So the Switch 1 generation consists of:

• 2017 Switch
• 2019 Switch Lite
• 2021 Switch OLED
• 2025 "Switch 2"

The Mini consoles were a cool novelty but I'd much rather see remasters/remakes/collections for the current consoles.

@GrailUK I think it would be an interesting move if the device everyone is calling Switch 2 isn't the Switch successor after all but rather a revision like the New 3DS. Then the actual Switch successor teased back in May is a more experimental device which launches with the next 3D Zelda around 2028/2029.

I think we'll get a Switch 1 general Direct before the Switch 2 reveal to fill in the final gaps. In terms of that Direct's timing I think either the week before Wind Waker gets added to Nintendo Music or the usual February slot.

So with Switch 2 reveal, I think either in February before the annual Pokemon Presents or in March if Legends Z-A has nothing to do with Switch 2.

Being tacked on to NSO is as far as I'd go. I'm really fed up of subscriptions in general but of course with NSO, you need it for online play so I don't really have a choice.

After a big mistake with MGS3 (I died very early on and didn't save so trying again would mean rewatching the very long intro), I decided to start Mario & Luigi Brothership.

I'm enjoying it so far though think it would've been more intuitive to select Luigi's actions in battle with "B" considering that's his attack button.

It's a shame they skipped TTYD (both Origami King and Super Mario RPG got themes) but still cool to see that Echoes of Wisdom got a theme.

Not fully decided but probably continuing with the MGS Master Collection (either start MGS3 or play more of the bonus content of MGS2). Nintendo usually does something in mid-December like an Indie World presentation (my guess would be December 17th this time) so don't want to start Brothership just yet.

I think it was a very good show. Could've done with more awards actually being presented but otherwise they did a good job balancing reveals, speeches and music.

I'm very happy that Astro Bot won GotY and I hope Sony learns lessons from it like how a varied lineup is important and that a Nintendo-like release structure is a much better approach than trying to chase live service.

Rather than look at Nintendo's absence at the event as a negative, I prefer to look at the positive side of it. Namely, no announcements gives the impression that a Direct is sooner rather than later considering there's currently no February 1st party game and nothing's been given a specific release date after March either.

I think the release date of Hello Kitty Island Adventure (January 30th 2025) is new?

In any case, the absence of Indie World at the Game Awards this year gives me more hope of an Indie World presentation next week.

I think at most on the 1st party side of things we'll see something like 2019's "Nintendo Switch has Games". However, I think there'll be some 3rd party games releasing on Switch that are present.

That's promising, undecided whether I'll wait for the physical version or double dip. In any case, it's still not up on the UK eshop for preorder.

Continuing with the MGS Master Collection, currently playing MGS2. Outside of some surprise shadow drop announcement of something that won't get a physical version, my current plan for the rest of the year after MGS2 would be either MGS3 or Stray and then finish with Brothership.

It worked very well for me in years like 2017 and 2023 to end the year on a long game that takes about a month to complete so would last me until DKC Returns HD. From the sounds of it, Brothership fits the description.

I think it's a Summer 2022 type situation. Not enough unannounced 1st party games releasing within the next 6 months for a general Direct in the normal slot (June - December 2022 for June 2022, September 2024 - March 2025 for September 2024) so standalone announcements happened instead.

Then things get back on track for a general Direct in the next normal slot (September 2022 for back in 2022, February 2025 for now).

I think either December or February. You can tell there's been a focus on DK since the November Super Nintendo World Direct but I don't see DK platformers being added to NSO in January because of the Returns HD retail release.

Next week would be a good opportunity for a "we're not doing anything at the Game Awards but here's a NSO shadow drop while the event is happening" type thing like they did last year.

@rjejr 2018 - 2021 were the years there was an August Indie presentation followed by a December one. 2022 and 2023 didn't have either, there was one in November instead. 2024 brought back the August Indie World so December Indie World would bring back the old pattern.

As for Silksong, if it reappears this year I think it would be more likely to be at the Game Awards.

With the exception of 2017, every year with an August Indie presentation had a December Indie presentation so I'm going to predict Indie World for December 16th or 17th. I don't think it would be next week because if Sony repeats what they did with Playstation 25th anniversary celebrations, there'll be a State of Play/PS Showcase on the 10th.

Just Fantasian and DKC Returns HD at the moment. A quieter timespan though I haven't even started Brothership yet which I bought at launch.

After finishing Lego Horizon Adventures, I decided to start the Metal Gear Solid collection. At current I've just started disc 2 of MGS1.

Will be buying day 1 for sure, excited to replay it on Switch.

I'd like to have the ability to use my Switch 1 as a 2nd screen just like the Wii U gamepad for Wii U.

I think it comes down to whether they want to release digital before physical again like Prime 1 and Pikmin 1+2.

If they want to release digital first, I could easily see a situation like:

• Digital Prime 2+3 - December 2024
• Prime 4 - February 2025
• Physical Prime 2+3 - April 2025

But if they want to release physical and digital at the same time then it sounds more like:

• Prime 2+3 - February 2025
• Prime 4 - April/May 2025

I think adjust the Wii U setup for DS games to have more control over the size and location of the screens. Also it would be wonderful if you could use your Switch 1 like a Wii U Gamepad for Switch 2.

After finishing Tomb Raider 3 and its DLC, I figured I'd start Lego Horizon Adventures.

Surprised it wasn't DK64 because of the game's 25th anniversary (November 22nd) but still cool to see DK Land appear.

@Not_Soos Maybe because we got 5 games for the Expansion pack in October (F-Zero GP Legend, F-Zero Climax, Banjo-Tooie, Shadow Man, Turok 2), there's none for November?

@stinkyx Nintendo may approach Switch 2 like how Sony approached PS5. If you wanted to play the PS4 version of Sony 1st party games on your PS5 via backwards compatibility you could but if you wanted to play the PS5 version you had to either upgrade your PS4 copy for $10 (apart from Horizon Forbidden West which was free upgrade) or buy the physical PS5 version (usually $70).

It'll be interesting to see how well MySims does in next week's charts, I saw it climb the eshop charts very fast and is currently at #1.

I know it didn't happen in 2022 or 2023 but will Nintendo Life be having a stream chat or will it just be Push Square and Pure Xbox?

I'm torn, my Expansion Pack subscription is set to expire in February and I've been contemplating dropping down to base NSO as I mostly use NSO just for online play nowadays but buy 1 year get 1 year free on Expansion Pack is decent value.

@Zealv2 If you play the game on Switch without an internet connection, it comes up with a message to connect to the internet or turn off airplane mode.

But the game loads as normal if you ignore the message so not really sure what's going on.

Continuing with Tomb Raider 3 and its DLC. Entered brand new territory in the base game now as I didn't manage to finish the game many years ago (my save file corrupted in the first Antarctica level).

While it's clearly not a shadow drop for the anniversary at this point, I still have high hopes that Prime 2 and 3 will come to Switch prior to Prime 4's release.

@JohnnyMind The DK expansion opening for Japan is currently scheduled for Late 2024 so I figure we'll get a specific opening date in the Direct.