I love Hori controllers. My Hori Split Pad Pro is stick rocking it on my Switch. I would have bought one of these Switch 2 controllers had I seen them on my recent visit to Tokyo. In the meantime, I'll stick to my Switch controllers for the Switch 2. I don't care that they don't wake the Switch 2. Besides, the wake button wakes my Switch when pressed, so that would create a conflict and explains why Nintendo made the Switch 2 wake on a different signal (as sent from Switch 2 controllers).
Easily a 9. Excellent price and presentation for two of the greatest games in history. I only deduct a mark because perhaps Nintendo could have added a touch more to the upgrade and supposedly gyro controls (I don't bother with them) could be better.
I remain bemused by the complaints about the price. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD was $60 and here there's two superior games for $70. We are also well aware of Nintendo's history that old games aren't sold at bargain bin prices, so they are pricing games in accordance with market expectations. What would be a fair price anyway - $60? Is the epic whinging really over $10? Even without adjusting for inflation, the price is significantly cheaper compared to the original $50 each on the Wii.
Sonic Cross Worlds is a more satisfying game, especially in single player mode. Mario Kart World is simply much more fun.
My main gripes with Sonic are the boring, nondescript characters, customisation options are too extreme, and the driving doesn't feel as good as MKW.
For all the criticism of Free Roam in MKW, that always felt like a bonus to me. I don't care about it, and if I were to deduct marks on a bonus mode, it would be Mirror Mode, which I maintain is the worst bonus mode in the history of gaming. You spend hours learning to turn left and suddenly you must turn right. Why? It's insane. It adds nothing to the game.
I also don't think MKW gets enough credit for the 24 racers, the new railing mechanic, the connected sections, REMOVING kart parts, the stunning track designs, and the Knockout Mode. In fact, Knockout Mode beats anything new or different offered in Sonic. About the kart parts, I loathed that everyone resorted to lightweight combinations anyway. The result was less kart variety. Set karts encourage some experimentation, even if there's still a bias to lighter options.
Ultimately, the better game might depend more on how you play. In single player, in which Mario Kart has basically been trash ever since MK 64, Sonic wins. In multi player mode, MKW all the way. If I could only own one game, MKW. It's not even close.
Another case of the online rage and whinging about the price of Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 at complete odds with sales performance. We saw this exactly with the Switch 2 itself, which proved to be the fastest selling console launch ever. Why the disparity? Almost all the whinging is by Nintendo haters or non buyers. You notice them particularly in open forums and they easily distort the real interest, which typically isn't expressed commensurately or at the same intensity as the whinging. Negativity is a powerful motivation to express opinions or emotions in general.
I bought the two games and thought the package was tremendous value. Two classics for $70 compared to Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for $60 (a true scam!). Even in my local AUD currency, Galaxy was $80 vs $70 for DKC and $60 for Metroid Prime Remastered. While they are not remasters like Metroid, they don't need to be. An upgraded port was sufficient.
@Thomystic I just felt like regaling some aspects of my recent trip for the benefit of fine people like yourself after fortuitously deciding not to encompass Osaka and Kyoto. As I said, I've visited Super Potato plenty of times already, so going again held little interest, especially after spending all of one minute in Surugaya. If it happened to be in the street that perhaps I thought, I might have went up for nostalgia. Over the years (since 2008), I bought all the retro stuff I wanted, and even ignored Mandarake (my favourite store) despite walking past it. If anything, I'm at the stage of my life that I'll probably begin selling stuff!
I've never read an article about title screens before. Fascinating. I answered Super Metroid as the best, as have 49% (from 43 votes) so far. It's just so eerie and foreboding!
@A_WINNER_IS_Mii Excellent point. It's nice to know a second language and Japanese is the one to learn for us because we could put it to some use. Despite its difficulty, it's also fun and interesting. As a native English speaker, we generally miss out on a second language, and, in my case, that's despite a Hungarian father. He refused to speak Hungarian to us because he thought it was a stupid language. He knew German and refused to speak that because he's not German. 🙄 I've resorted to studying languages in general rather than dive into learning one. I can still count to 10 in Japanese from my high school days, so when I saw Nitama, the stationmaster cat in Japan several years ago, I immediately recognised the name as the "second Tama". 🥰
Good to read! Outlaws is brilliant, so I'm pleased the developers are monitoring and fixing these issues.
I'm a bit puzzled by the first comment that they will definitely buy Outlaws after a recent purchase of a 512 GB SD card. Surely no one has blown their 256 GB internal storage already? Outlaws isn't even a big game at 21 GB.
I sense people are rushing into these expensive Express SD cards prematurely. Wait until you actually need one. By the time you do, they probably will be half the price. The 256 in my Switch is only 70% full. Two friends never bought a card for their Switches.
I bought Sonic Cross Worlds yesterday when I bought Mario Galaxy 1 & 2. It was very cheap, especially as a Switch game when I was used to pay Switch 2 prices! I already played the demo, and the game seems to have plenty of potential. We'll see.
Ignoring the Sonic sales, that Mario Kart World is still blitzing it shows why Nintendo offered it as the Switch 2 launch title and as a package with the console. Mario Kart is simply their biggest marquee series. The suggestions I was hearing that DK Bonanza - as good as it is - should have been the launch title is even more bonkers now than at the time of its release.
Shujinkou looks interesting. The option to supposedly learn Japanese is amusing. My advice to anyone who wants to learn Japanese is don't. It's incredibly difficult to learn and requires tremendous dedication. Without serious commitment, you will struggle. As a hobby, to learn the basics, especially with word formation, pronunciation and the various alphabets they use, that's very interesting, worthwhile and would likely satisfy your curiosity.
Curiously, I was only in Japan 10 days ago. When I planned the trip in July, my hunch was to skip Kyoto and the Osaka area in general (for Donkey Kong World). Something was telling me to wait longer. So, it was 6 full days in Tokyo via 3 days in Hong Kong. Despite that now my seventh visit to Japan, including Tokyo each time, I found something new to do. I rode Tokyo's only remaining tram line to a small museum and visited Hie-jinja Shrine, which features a tunnel of red torii gates. Very few tourists for those, which I much appreciated.
Games and stuff? I went to Akihabara on day 1 (landed early that morning from HK) and immediately went to my familiar Mos Burger for lunch. Went down the back streets and popped into Surugaya for all of 1 minute. Super Potato? I looked in the street I thought it was. Didn't see it. Whatever. I've visited it plenty of times already. Mandarake? I've bought everything I ever wanted. Pass. Off to Bic Camera for new stuff. My only interest was a Switch 2 Pro Controller because it was $20 AUD cheaper. Sold out! Over the next 6 days, I discovered it was sold out everywhere. I could buy a Switch 2 if I wanted.
My final day I did the obvious pilgrimage to the Nintendo Store. Shibuya was packed! This was a Wednesday night. Believe the stories about excess tourism in Japan. It's bonkers. My last visit was in 2019 and I really noticed a difference. Bought an Alarmo, DK and Pauline amiibo, a few smaller things, and a t-shirt. Had I seen it was 5000 yen, I would left it on the shelf. It's 100% cotton, so hopefully it lasts and doesn't shrink. Whatever. It's only money!
With the Nintendo Museum and this book, and DK World, my next trip will definitely be into Osaka. Probably within two years.
The review reads like a score of 2. At least the animated scenes are nice! Not that I'm "gonna" (my mother would be aghast to see that "word" written) try it. For her sake, I won't try it.
Always sad to see an esteemed and long term staff member leave any organisation. Even though I don't recall seeing, hearing or knowing much about Zion (I rarely watch NL videos because of that hyper loud bearded guy and the inclusion of background music in videos, which I find intolerable anywhere), I see from the comments he was a valuable contributor. Good luck, Zion!
Sounds like the game had many problems in development, and here's another convenient excuse. From my understanding, the items in the collector's edition are just basic paper, plastic and metal. Hardly stuff limited or restricted by trade negotiations. 🤭🧐
About Terminator 2D, I will definitely get it subject to reviews! These are might type of games.
Pritchard's mouth reminds me of Bowser Jr's grin. The Bowser line continues!
Sure, let's include Welcome Tour "free" for everyone with their Switch 2. I still don't understand this mentality. It was a piece of trash in comparison to previous "free" inclusions like Wii Sports and Super Mario World. Of course, no game is included free. The price of the package is higher accordingly. Welcome Tour simply added no value to buying a Switch 2, and considering it was a cheap, frivolous game, better for Nintendo to sell it separately. If it sells 1 million copies in its life, that's $10 million in "free" revenue. I hope Pritchard agreed with the decision.
Besides, if you think about it, Mario Kart World was the de facto packaged game anyway. Nintendo simply decided to sell a separate package without MKW for the handful of bizarre people that wouldn't want it or were buying a second system.
Sad to lose someone like Doug Bowser, especially for his iconic name! I doubt there will be much practicable change with the new person. Nineteen years already with Nintendo portends a continuation of previous leadership. I much prefer this than a para-koopa drop in and upsetting the Nintendo magic.
I'm proud to say that I almost reached the final room in the arcade version of Ghosts & Goblins. I reached the top of the penultimate level several times and would then get beaten by the two guardians. I actually killed one at least on one occasion before the other one got me. The trick with that game was to tap the joystick forward when shooting because that would unleash a flurry of knives. That made some of the beefy enemies, and those damn dragons and charging red demons, easy to cut down.
It wasn't until the NES version where I beat the game, albeit using a cheat code to start me at the penultimate level. I could comfortably get there anyway, so the motive at this point was to save time. Of course, beating the final monster (who wasn't that hard) sent you back to the start of the game to do it all over again. Only then did you beat the game. Naturally, I used the secret level select to go beat the final boss again.
With Resurrection, I only acquired it about 6 months ago during a sale and how have my skills and reflexes lapsed in 40 years. I started on the default difficulty before dropping it a level after constant deaths in the second stage. Then I was still dying. I haven't been back to it since! I will need to drop the difficulty further, which, I believe, is the lowest one available.
Super Ghouls & Ghosts on the SNES didn't present a huge challenge at the time. With the gold armour and some of the weapons, you were almost "OP".
Zero interest at all. I only subscribed to the basic service for F-Zero 99 two years ago, and it's set to lapse in a few days. The expansion pass remains a complete insult ever since Nintendo put GBA games at that level. With the addition of decent NES and SNES games exhausted long ago, GBA should be added there, especially as they are commensurate to SNES level games.
100%-ed? It never ceases to amaze me how the English language can turn just about any word into a verb. Of course, we still haven't managed it with "sex" (the act, not identifying male or female). 🤭🤗
I prefer "completed", and I'm far from that with DK Bonanza. I'm still to even finish it. I'll definitely get this extra content in due time.
The biggest question: Why? The first comment nicely addresses several likely issues (thanks, Ryu!), like costs, retail partnerships, and government regulations. I would not expect Singapore to have a dedicated arm of Nintendo or distribution centre, so obviously certain aspects will be limited. Unfortunately, some of us suffer for our location! At least in Singapore, you don't see graffiti and vagrants anywhere, or people spitting on the streets.
Edit:
I see Ryu got attacked for his insightful comment. Ridiculous. Don't let the trolls dissuade you in future, Ryu! As per his second comment, this article should have investigated the reasons anyway. Yes, I can read a whinge-fest anywhere by any online clown. NL should do better, and typically does!
@PinderSchloss No, I haven't forgotten corporate greed at all. I've mentioned it countless times on these pages, especially with the lack of price reduction of consoles over the years, with Sony the biggest culprit. They released a Slim model and, for the first time ever, increased the price. Absurd. These companies are taking advantage of the high inflation environment, knowing the consumer is now conditioned to higher prices. Guess what? We are paying those prices.
My point with the Galaxy package is that within that context, its price is tremendously fair. Even thinking back to Metroid Prime Remastered on the Switch, wasn't that $40? All these years later we get the two Galaxy games on the Switch 2, upgraded to 4K, at $80.
The main ones I never played were the Galaxy games on Wii because I boycotted that era (and the WU era), and the Gameboy games. I'm so happy to see the Galaxy games come to Switch 2, complete with a 4K upgrade, and the price is great too. The Gameboy games don't hold much interest.
As to the whinging about Nintendo releasing old games again, remember this release is to appeal to a new market. If you own them on Wii, pull out your machine and wiggle controls, and go for it. Let those that want to buy them to enjoy them. Considering inflation and the comparison price to other Switch 2 games, the Galaxy package is tremendously fair. Ultimately, the consumer decides. If you don't like it, don't buy it! 🤗
A new version of Extreme G is in Metroid Prime 4. Samus will race and need to beat other Metroid hunters in order to be hired for missions. Initially her bike will be slow and vulnerable, and she will need to find the abilities to upgrade it, much like she did with her suit in previous games. After finishing the game, a grand prix mode is unlocked, which will include split screen for 4 players.
Edit:
I actually believe these scenes amount to very little. I'm not fussed by them or concerned about the game in any way. Nintendo simply don't release bad games with their marquee franchises or series. In Nintendo I trust! I suspect they are holding so much back and that we'll be blown away with the end result, much like the trepidation regarding DK Bonanza amounted to nothing.
As a bonus, as "Filthy" said is likely, bring on Samus and her bike to Mario Kart World!
I never liked Hollow Knight. For an alleged Metvania, something felt really wrong about. I remain sceptical about the sequel, Silksong, despite the many improvements (that admits the original was flawed). Perhaps a purchase when it's 80% or something. Too many other games to play anyway.
PS: Good portmanteaus should combine parts of a word, not use an entire word, so "Metvania" is deliberate. If anyone objects, the other option is Castleroid. Take your pick!
@Cipher36 That's one! I'm the opposite as I still buy physical media (CD, blu ray) yet key cards are no bother because I enjoy the cost saving. Thanks for your honest response!
@BBBBBBBBBBB Exactly! The cost savings extend so far. My reference to inventory control pertained to much of your comment. Thanks for adding the extra context. I think the message is that everyone is looking for cost savings, even big companies. For all the whinging about Switch 2 Welcome Tour costing $10 (and not given free), if Nintendo sells one million copies, that's a free $10 million in the kick.
Which critics have said Game Key Cards are anti-consumer? People are buying them, including myself!
The main reason, as crept into this article, is cost. That saving is passed onto the consumer, so it's not greed either. In my local AUD currency, the difference is $30 ($90 vs $120 RRP). That translates into cheaper eshop games due to the requirement of a standardised price. Call me crazy, I'd rather save $30.
Piracy might be a minor secondary issue if Nintendo used them too. A real secondary issue is inventory control and a longer development time before launch. Games on data cards need to be finished months in advance for production and shipping. On a key card, only days in advance.
Remember, if you don't like key cards, buy from the eshop! The hysteria is ridiculous, especially when we consume so much other media digitally. Who is whinging about key cards and still buying books, CDs, PC boxed games and video discs? Probably no one. You gave up all that, yet for Nintendo you must own the physical data of the game. Get a grip!
@Ganon821 Anyone not expecting a new Mario game on the 40th anniversary would have a brain and look at Nintendo's history. Five years ago there was only the frivolous online thing and a 3D compilation, Nintendo are lacklustre in celebrating major anniversaries, especially with a brand new game (I can't remember any), and Nintendo like to pace the release of their marquee franchises.
Who knows, there could be a game next year, perhaps a Galaxy game considering the theme of this year's celebration. Just because nothing got announced in this Direct, doesn't mean it's over. Wait for the one early next year!
PS: If you were someone listening to all the over zealous predictions and got your hopes raised, next time, don't!
I rated it 9 for excellent. If there was more about Metroid Prime 4, then a 10. As it stands, MP4 is either lacklustre and Nintendo are trying to hide it or are holding the juicy stuff for a specific Direct. Presently, the new amiibo look the most exciting, which actually portends well for an excellent game. Why make them otherwise? As for the December release date, I knew when Nintendo said "2025" almost 18 months ago, that meant end of the year. If it was earlier or mid year, they would say that. Of course, I really wanted to believe otherwise! Now we know that all that recent activity about an age rating and that poster in London did not mean an imminent release either.
I'm guessing that anyone rating the Direct low is due to false expectations or media hype about a new Zelda or Mario. Zelda is years away, especially with the Switch games selling well on Switch 2. At most, I thought a tease of the next Mario. Even extra Mario Kart World content, it's simply too soon. Nintendo are notorious for pacing their marquee games and extracting as much sales as possible from currently released stuff. The Switch 2 is still in its launch phase and Nintendo need a release strategy that keeps the Switch 2 prominent for at least 6 years. The usual Direct early in the year will teach us more about 2026 and Nintendo's intermediate future.
@EarthboundBenjy Not interested in paying a continuous yearly subscription for permanent access to a couple of games. Pertaining to this article, I nominated the games I hoped would be announced that I could own.
We only really want to see the Batman and Blaster Master games, and Journey to Silius. Am I wrong? 😛
Edit:
Before anybody else suggests NSO, I don't want to pay a continuous subscription for permanent access to a couple of games. I own Blaster Master and Journey to Silius on NES anyway. The topic is games that could be part of this announcement that we could own.
@OneArmedGiant No problem! Target sold Outlaws for $75 as a launch day price (it quickly sold out). They sold DK Bonanza for $90. Watch them as well. Otherwise, Big W does the usual $10 off RRP. JB seems only to do $6 off for the Switch 2 (they were $10 off for Switch). I had a $10 voucher so got it there for $74.
Remember when the theory was the Switch 2 would be released towards the end of 2024, Nintendo did not fulfil its "promised" schedule, which prompted all the accessory companies to start leaking? If you don't remember, it was primarily trafficked at IGN. They legitimately thought that was the reality. Or, at least, to justify yet another miserable failure to accurately predict Nintendo.
Note: That hardware release for late 2024 proved to be Alarmo. That's the pattern with the failed rumours and "leaks": discover a piece of information; guess the rest.
@WheresWaveRace 1000% agree! The Switch 2 launch period has been stellar, and there's still Metroid Prime 4 to come (even if technically a Switch game with an upgrade). A brand new Mario Kart (not a port like the Switch got), DK Bonanza and MP4 supersedes Zelda BOTW, MK8D and Mario Odyssey on the Switch (yes, I'm biased towards Metroid over Zelda). Then add the third party games like Cyberpunk and Star Wars Outlaws (and, personally, the excellent Street Fighter 6) vs really only Skyrim (not my thing anyway), and I'm extremely satisfied. Even the device itself, no complaints. I don't even mind key cards. 🤭 Outlaws is $30 AUD cheaper than Cyberpunk ($90 vs $120 RRP), and it was only a 20 GB download. A remarkable achievement! 🥳
Probably using a key card enabled us to get this far more polished version than the unimpressive version seen at recent events. Data cards require a game to be finished months in advance for manufacture and distribution.
Stunned that the American version leads with a 60% majority. I could swear this one would be 80% Europe! USA one is just the face of a woman with a tattoo. Europe is far more foreboding.
Nintendo doesn't "brick" devices anyway. They disable them and can enable them again if done in error. Amazing how terminology gets picked up and spread beyond its actual meaning (broken beyond repair and only functional as a brick).
@Ramouz No mouse controls that I could see. I tried flipping the joycon to no effect, and found nothing in the settings other than "Motion Controls" on or off.
I own an OLED TV and Outlaws looks quite sharp. Difficult to really tell because the early scenes are in a murky area at night. Suffice to say, an Xbox X should be sharper. If you have a choice and are not interested in portable play, then it's obvious to go with PS5.
Digital Foundary just posted a comparison between Switch 2 and Xbox S, and it compares very well, and even better in some scenes. The brighter scenes they showed looked sharp.
"Gaming news" is a bit limited. I visit many places for gaming information and content, like Digital Foundary. Subsequently I get some news from these places. Similarly, Google supplies some news as part of its suggestions. As to places I strictly visit for news, that's primarily here and Nintendo Directs.
PS: Anthony Dickens is correct. F-Zero X is the best game. It's certainly the best F-Zero game! 🤭
@stache13 I similarly answered full price games as meaning those not on sale. They could be indie games too. The question about indie games is simply to know the rough percentage of those types bought.
These days, I don't even know what AAA means. It's a nonsense term. Is DK Bonanza not AAA because it's cheaper than Mario Kart World? Star Wars Outlaws is cheaper still, and a port, and is that not AAA despite it classed as that on its initial release on other platforms? Street Fighter 6 is another, and even cheaper, example. I class them all as full price titles, as I do Fast Fusion from the Switch 2 eshop. Why? I paid full price for them!
That leads to another question: What really is an indie developer these days! 🤭
Fact remains there is a cost reality with key cards. In my local AUD currency, Outlaws is $90 RRP vs Cyberpunk at $120 on a full card. The new Daemon X Machina game is $130. For Nintendo house games, DK Bonanza is $110 and Mario Kart World is $120. Street Fighter 6, on key card, is $80. So, the basic price difference is $30.
It must be noted that all these games can be found cheaper, typically $10 off. I got Outlaws for $75 as a special launch day price at Target. Similar with SF6 at $65 and DK at $90.
Remember, a cheaper physical copy means a cheaper eshop copy because prices are aligned. Of course, you don't get the discount from the eshop, which makes physical copies an attractive purchase regardless of the card used.
Edit:
Not to sound like I'm defending key cards, let's note another key benefit is the longer development time that they provide. Outlaws looked horrible a few weeks ago, and if the game needed to be ready a few months earlier for production and shipping, who knows what we get. Almost certainly a day 1 patch would be required. With a key card, the developer could fix and refine the game within a few days of release.
Perhaps I am defending key cards? 🤣🤭
Edit2:
Quoting Jeroman: "Nintendo could easily fix this, by offering large capacity slow and cheap cartridges with the option to install to internal storage on the console."
I don't see this as valid at all. The old cards are too slow for an option not to copy to internal storage. It would be a requirement. Therefore, may as well get it off the server! Even though this idea you theoretically own the data, in practice you don't because it still could (or likely) require an initial patch to play. Remember, a key benefit of buying data cards is to preserve your internal storage! People need to let go of this right to physical ownership like we almost exclusively already have done with music, film and even PC games.
I bought Outlaws earlier today. On key card, of course. It's cheaper than the eshop and I also had a $10 voucher for the store. Just a 20 GB download too. Impressive. Most impressive! I can confirm it plays very well too.
Trial and error is fine. Cheap deaths are not. Add to that the rigid, cumbersome controls, and I'd rather play Another World, or let it play me. It's a hard pass!
I'm reading this news as the PS5 and Xbox versions don't run that well! 🤣🧐
Seriously, EA will get FC 2026 running quite well on Switch 2. I was impressed with FC 2024 on Switch. I'll probably buy FC 2026 when it's cheap. For these games, it's typically in 3 months that they are half price.
Daemon X Machina Titanic Scion is the most expensive Switch 2 game in Australia at $130 RRP local currency. Mario Kart World and Cyberpunk is $120; DK Bonanza is $110. Although, typically they are $10 off at certain major retailers. Target sold DK for $90 as a special launch price.
Star Wars Outlaws is $90 RRP and Street Fighter 6 is $80. Both on key cards. Again, I already see Outlaws for $84 at one outlet and I bought SF6 for $65, thanks, again, to Target's special launch price.
Do other countries have such wild discrepancies in prices based on the card used? USA is only $10 to $20 different. Both SF6 and Outlaws are $60 vs $70 or $80 of full cards.
Suffice to say, zero interest in Daemon. I did play a demo of an older game on the Switch, and didn't really like it.
As for a suggestion to "just get the PC version", does that work on the Switch 2 or do I need to fork over $1000 for a PC? 🤭 Seriously, many of us own only a Switch 2, and it's disappointing that the performance isn't better. Cyberpunk 2077 plays very well. 🧐
The footage in the video that Solid Python posted near the top looks more than adequate. Dare I say it looks good!
That Outlaws is on a key card will disappoint many of us. Curiously, one positive is the extra development time that a key card affords probably got used well. On a full card, games must be ready at least 3 months in advance for manufacturing and distributing.
Glad to see the rumour source is YouTube otherwise I would never believe it. 🤣
Seriously, a PS handheld is an existing rumour, and the main interest is the incarnation. Three models or variants (not SKU, as an SKU could be any distinction, like colour) adds one more than Nintendo did with Switch - that being a dedicated home unit. Yes, I don't really see the PS6 as the usual generational leap we see with Sony sequel successors, and the Switch 2, so it could be PS5 Pro level throughout, which is completely satisfactory, especially with the Switch 2 at just beyond PS4 Pro level.
As usual, the main selling point will be games. PS5 is the first Sony generation I skipped. Even if they didn't increase prices, or actually reduce prices, there simply isn't enough games of interest for it.
"Had gotten off"? As a British website and therefore custodians off the English language, please do better than this debased Americanised version. Instead of "had gotten off to a pretty strong start", try "launched with a pretty strong start", or simply "had a very strong launch". I grew up in an era where any utterance of "gotten" would be swiftly rebuked by teachers and my mother with "there's no 'gotten' in the English language". Thankfully you didn't add "of" after "off", which the latest nasty habit from the US. Anyway... 🤗
I agree that the future sales performance will be more interesting to watch. Clearly, Nintendo were able to fulfil their promise of meeting all the immediate demand in the early weeks, so will now want to capitalise on that (or "capitalise off of that" for some Americans 🤭). They will get a surge leading into Christmas and expect to reach 15 million sales by the end of March. They are about half way there with seven months to go.
Edit:
Obviously the hysteria over the high prices amounted to nothing. 🤣
Seriously, this is a lesson to not take the internet seriously. Seriously! Voices are easily amplified and are often not representative of the majority or even the target demographic. The most epic of whingers were likely never buyers, while those inclined to buy felt no need to comment. Passion drives our desire to comment, and there's nothing more passionate in existence than the human rage machine.
I expect a Direct in September because I can use my own brain and look at history and precedent. I would certainly not listen to Switch Force, which is one of the most notorious sources for blatantly wrong rumours and predictions. Personally, like NL, a Friday would be an unusual day (it leaves less time for media hype and publicity leading into the weekend). I suspect the 10th (Wednesday) more likely and wouldn't be surprised if the Direct is the week after. Nintendo aren't exactly rigid to honouring major anniversaries with an event or something on the specific day. Often it's just a note.
Edit:
I believe the Direct will focus highly on Metroid Prime 4 and finally give us a release date. I completely rule out anything of substance added to Mario Kart World and, at most, expect only a tease about a future 3D Mario game. Again, look at history and precedent. Nintendo like to dose their big hits and updates over a long period, and provide plenty of time for their marquee titles to sell. A new world in MKW? Not for two years. A brand new Zelda? Probably 5 years. Mario? Like I said, a tease at most, and then a more substantial push and reveal next year as Nintendo's marquee 2026 game. Expect smaller surprises instead. Perhaps an updated F-Zero X or Star Fox. No doubt, there will also be something completely new!
Not sure why there's still this inclination, especially from DF, to compare the Switch 2 to the PS4, when DF's own analysis of Cyberpunk saw the Switch 2 version smash the PS4 version out of the water and even rival the Xbox S in some aspects. Clearly the Switch 2 is at PS4 Pro level, if not a smidgeon higher because that couldn't do 4K at 60f. So, let's not be shocked when games look better than on PS4. That's the minimum requirement. Over the years, we should expect games to look even better than now.
Comments 1,769
Re: Hori's New Switch 2 Pad Lets You Lock The Home And Capture Buttons
I love Hori controllers. My Hori Split Pad Pro is stick rocking it on my Switch. I would have bought one of these Switch 2 controllers had I seen them on my recent visit to Tokyo. In the meantime, I'll stick to my Switch controllers for the Switch 2. I don't care that they don't wake the Switch 2. Besides, the wake button wakes my Switch when pressed, so that would create a conflict and explains why Nintendo made the Switch 2 wake on a different signal (as sent from Switch 2 controllers).
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Super Mario Galaxy + Galaxy 2?
Easily a 9. Excellent price and presentation for two of the greatest games in history. I only deduct a mark because perhaps Nintendo could have added a touch more to the upgrade and supposedly gyro controls (I don't bother with them) could be better.
I remain bemused by the complaints about the price. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD was $60 and here there's two superior games for $70. We are also well aware of Nintendo's history that old games aren't sold at bargain bin prices, so they are pricing games in accordance with market expectations. What would be a fair price anyway - $60? Is the epic whinging really over $10? Even without adjusting for inflation, the price is significantly cheaper compared to the original $50 each on the Wii.
Re: Opinion: Sonic Racing Crossworlds > Mario Kart World, And It's Not Even Close For Me
Sonic Cross Worlds is a more satisfying game, especially in single player mode. Mario Kart World is simply much more fun.
My main gripes with Sonic are the boring, nondescript characters, customisation options are too extreme, and the driving doesn't feel as good as MKW.
For all the criticism of Free Roam in MKW, that always felt like a bonus to me. I don't care about it, and if I were to deduct marks on a bonus mode, it would be Mirror Mode, which I maintain is the worst bonus mode in the history of gaming. You spend hours learning to turn left and suddenly you must turn right. Why? It's insane. It adds nothing to the game.
I also don't think MKW gets enough credit for the 24 racers, the new railing mechanic, the connected sections, REMOVING kart parts, the stunning track designs, and the Knockout Mode. In fact, Knockout Mode beats anything new or different offered in Sonic. About the kart parts, I loathed that everyone resorted to lightweight combinations anyway. The result was less kart variety. Set karts encourage some experimentation, even if there's still a bias to lighter options.
Ultimately, the better game might depend more on how you play. In single player, in which Mario Kart has basically been trash ever since MK 64, Sonic wins. In multi player mode, MKW all the way. If I could only own one game, MKW. It's not even close.
Re: UK Charts: Mario Galaxy Starts Strong, But It Can't Topple Sony's Latest
Another case of the online rage and whinging about the price of Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 at complete odds with sales performance. We saw this exactly with the Switch 2 itself, which proved to be the fastest selling console launch ever. Why the disparity? Almost all the whinging is by Nintendo haters or non buyers. You notice them particularly in open forums and they easily distort the real interest, which typically isn't expressed commensurately or at the same intensity as the whinging. Negativity is a powerful motivation to express opinions or emotions in general.
I bought the two games and thought the package was tremendous value. Two classics for $70 compared to Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for $60 (a true scam!). Even in my local AUD currency, Galaxy was $80 vs $70 for DKC and $60 for Metroid Prime Remastered. While they are not remasters like Metroid, they don't need to be. An upgraded port was sufficient.
Re: The Nintendo Museum Now Has An Official Book
@Thomystic I just felt like regaling some aspects of my recent trip for the benefit of fine people like yourself after fortuitously deciding not to encompass Osaka and Kyoto. As I said, I've visited Super Potato plenty of times already, so going again held little interest, especially after spending all of one minute in Surugaya. If it happened to be in the street that perhaps I thought, I might have went up for nostalgia. Over the years (since 2008), I bought all the retro stuff I wanted, and even ignored Mandarake (my favourite store) despite walking past it. If anything, I'm at the stage of my life that I'll probably begin selling stuff!
Re: Talking Point: Can Metroid Prime 4's Title Screen Go As Hard As The Others?
I've never read an article about title screens before. Fascinating. I answered Super Metroid as the best, as have 49% (from 43 votes) so far. It's just so eerie and foreboding!
Re: One Of 2025's Best-Reviewed Games Has Quietly Released On Switch Today
@A_WINNER_IS_Mii Excellent point. It's nice to know a second language and Japanese is the one to learn for us because we could put it to some use. Despite its difficulty, it's also fun and interesting. As a native English speaker, we generally miss out on a second language, and, in my case, that's despite a Hungarian father. He refused to speak Hungarian to us because he thought it was a stupid language. He knew German and refused to speak that because he's not German. 🙄 I've resorted to studying languages in general rather than dive into learning one. I can still count to 10 in Japanese from my high school days, so when I saw Nitama, the stationmaster cat in Japan several years ago, I immediately recognised the name as the "second Tama". 🥰
Re: Star Wars Outlaws Gets Another Switch 2 Patch, Further Improves Performance And Visuals
Good to read! Outlaws is brilliant, so I'm pleased the developers are monitoring and fixing these issues.
I'm a bit puzzled by the first comment that they will definitely buy Outlaws after a recent purchase of a 512 GB SD card. Surely no one has blown their 256 GB internal storage already? Outlaws isn't even a big game at 21 GB.
I sense people are rushing into these expensive Express SD cards prematurely. Wait until you actually need one. By the time you do, they probably will be half the price. The 256 in my Switch is only 70% full. Two friends never bought a card for their Switches.
Re: Japanese Charts: Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Can't Compete With Mario Kart World
I bought Sonic Cross Worlds yesterday when I bought Mario Galaxy 1 & 2. It was very cheap, especially as a Switch game when I was used to pay Switch 2 prices! I already played the demo, and the game seems to have plenty of potential. We'll see.
Ignoring the Sonic sales, that Mario Kart World is still blitzing it shows why Nintendo offered it as the Switch 2 launch title and as a package with the console. Mario Kart is simply their biggest marquee series. The suggestions I was hearing that DK Bonanza - as good as it is - should have been the launch title is even more bonkers now than at the time of its release.
Re: One Of 2025's Best-Reviewed Games Has Quietly Released On Switch Today
Shujinkou looks interesting. The option to supposedly learn Japanese is amusing. My advice to anyone who wants to learn Japanese is don't. It's incredibly difficult to learn and requires tremendous dedication. Without serious commitment, you will struggle. As a hobby, to learn the basics, especially with word formation, pronunciation and the various alphabets they use, that's very interesting, worthwhile and would likely satisfy your curiosity.
Re: The Nintendo Museum Now Has An Official Book
Curiously, I was only in Japan 10 days ago. When I planned the trip in July, my hunch was to skip Kyoto and the Osaka area in general (for Donkey Kong World). Something was telling me to wait longer. So, it was 6 full days in Tokyo via 3 days in Hong Kong. Despite that now my seventh visit to Japan, including Tokyo each time, I found something new to do. I rode Tokyo's only remaining tram line to a small museum and visited Hie-jinja Shrine, which features a tunnel of red torii gates. Very few tourists for those, which I much appreciated.
Games and stuff? I went to Akihabara on day 1 (landed early that morning from HK) and immediately went to my familiar Mos Burger for lunch. Went down the back streets and popped into Surugaya for all of 1 minute. Super Potato? I looked in the street I thought it was. Didn't see it. Whatever. I've visited it plenty of times already. Mandarake? I've bought everything I ever wanted. Pass. Off to Bic Camera for new stuff. My only interest was a Switch 2 Pro Controller because it was $20 AUD cheaper. Sold out! Over the next 6 days, I discovered it was sold out everywhere. I could buy a Switch 2 if I wanted.
My final day I did the obvious pilgrimage to the Nintendo Store. Shibuya was packed! This was a Wednesday night. Believe the stories about excess tourism in Japan. It's bonkers. My last visit was in 2019 and I really noticed a difference. Bought an Alarmo, DK and Pauline amiibo, a few smaller things, and a t-shirt. Had I seen it was 5000 yen, I would left it on the shelf. It's 100% cotton, so hopefully it lasts and doesn't shrink. Whatever. It's only money!
With the Nintendo Museum and this book, and DK World, my next trip will definitely be into Osaka. Probably within two years.
Re: Review: Fire Emblem Shadows (Mobile) - Flat F2P Folly With Simplistic Strategy & Social Deduction
The review reads like a score of 2. At least the animated scenes are nice! Not that I'm "gonna" (my mother would be aghast to see that "word" written) try it. For her sake, I won't try it.
Re: Video: After Six Wonderful Years, Zion Is Leaving Nintendo Life
@PinderSchloss What a bizarre and ridiculous take. Perhaps it's you that's really intimidated... by me! 🤭
PS: It's "hyper loud bearded guy". Regular loud bearded guys are fine. 🤣
Re: Video: After Six Wonderful Years, Zion Is Leaving Nintendo Life
Always sad to see an esteemed and long term staff member leave any organisation. Even though I don't recall seeing, hearing or knowing much about Zion (I rarely watch NL videos because of that hyper loud bearded guy and the inclusion of background music in videos, which I find intolerable anywhere), I see from the comments he was a valuable contributor. Good luck, Zion!
Re: Terminator 2D: No Fate Has Been Delayed On All Consoles
Sounds like the game had many problems in development, and here's another convenient excuse. From my understanding, the items in the collector's edition are just basic paper, plastic and metal. Hardly stuff limited or restricted by trade negotiations. 🤭🧐
About Terminator 2D, I will definitely get it subject to reviews! These are might type of games.
Re: Feature: Who Is Devon Pritchard? - Meet The Next NOA President Stepping Into Bowser's Boots
Pritchard's mouth reminds me of Bowser Jr's grin. The Bowser line continues!
Sure, let's include Welcome Tour "free" for everyone with their Switch 2. I still don't understand this mentality. It was a piece of trash in comparison to previous "free" inclusions like Wii Sports and Super Mario World. Of course, no game is included free. The price of the package is higher accordingly. Welcome Tour simply added no value to buying a Switch 2, and considering it was a cheap, frivolous game, better for Nintendo to sell it separately. If it sells 1 million copies in its life, that's $10 million in "free" revenue. I hope Pritchard agreed with the decision.
Besides, if you think about it, Mario Kart World was the de facto packaged game anyway. Nintendo simply decided to sell a separate package without MKW for the handful of bizarre people that wouldn't want it or were buying a second system.
Re: Nintendo Of America President Doug Bowser Announces Retirement
Sad to lose someone like Doug Bowser, especially for his iconic name! I doubt there will be much practicable change with the new person. Nineteen years already with Nintendo portends a continuation of previous leadership. I much prefer this than a para-koopa drop in and upsetting the Nintendo magic.
Re: Reminder: You Have Just One More Week To Play Star Wars: Hunters
I downloaded it and never played it. 🤣
I will give it a quick go... as soon as the update finishes downloading. 🥳
Re: Feature: Ghosts 'n Goblins Hit Arcades 40 Years Ago, And Its Recent Resurrection Is The Perfect Way To Celebrate
I'm proud to say that I almost reached the final room in the arcade version of Ghosts & Goblins. I reached the top of the penultimate level several times and would then get beaten by the two guardians. I actually killed one at least on one occasion before the other one got me. The trick with that game was to tap the joystick forward when shooting because that would unleash a flurry of knives. That made some of the beefy enemies, and those damn dragons and charging red demons, easy to cut down.
It wasn't until the NES version where I beat the game, albeit using a cheat code to start me at the penultimate level. I could comfortably get there anyway, so the motive at this point was to save time. Of course, beating the final monster (who wasn't that hard) sent you back to the start of the game to do it all over again. Only then did you beat the game. Naturally, I used the secret level select to go beat the final boss again.
With Resurrection, I only acquired it about 6 months ago during a sale and how have my skills and reflexes lapsed in 40 years. I started on the default difficulty before dropping it a level after constant deaths in the second stage. Then I was still dying. I haven't been back to it since! I will need to drop the difficulty further, which, I believe, is the lowest one available.
Super Ghouls & Ghosts on the SNES didn't present a huge challenge at the time. With the gold armour and some of the weapons, you were almost "OP".
Re: Poll: So, Will You Be Checking Out Switch Online's Virtual Boy Service?
Zero interest at all. I only subscribed to the basic service for F-Zero 99 two years ago, and it's set to lapse in a few days. The expansion pass remains a complete insult ever since Nintendo put GBA games at that level. With the addition of decent NES and SNES games exhausted long ago, GBA should be added there, especially as they are commensurate to SNES level games.
Re: Review: Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush (Switch 2) - DLC That's Ripe With Fun, But Could've Been More
100%-ed? It never ceases to amaze me how the English language can turn just about any word into a verb. Of course, we still haven't managed it with "sex" (the act, not identifying male or female). 🤭🤗
I prefer "completed", and I'm far from that with DK Bonanza. I'm still to even finish it. I'll definitely get this extra content in due time.
Re: Opinion: NSO Subscribers Outside Key Markets Get Less, And Nintendo Should Fix That
The biggest question: Why? The first comment nicely addresses several likely issues (thanks, Ryu!), like costs, retail partnerships, and government regulations. I would not expect Singapore to have a dedicated arm of Nintendo or distribution centre, so obviously certain aspects will be limited. Unfortunately, some of us suffer for our location! At least in Singapore, you don't see graffiti and vagrants anywhere, or people spitting on the streets.
Edit:
I see Ryu got attacked for his insightful comment. Ridiculous. Don't let the trolls dissuade you in future, Ryu! As per his second comment, this article should have investigated the reasons anyway. Yes, I can read a whinge-fest anywhere by any online clown. NL should do better, and typically does!
Re: Nintendo Highlights Super Mario's Game History In 40th Anniversary Timeline
@PinderSchloss No, I haven't forgotten corporate greed at all. I've mentioned it countless times on these pages, especially with the lack of price reduction of consoles over the years, with Sony the biggest culprit. They released a Slim model and, for the first time ever, increased the price. Absurd. These companies are taking advantage of the high inflation environment, knowing the consumer is now conditioned to higher prices. Guess what? We are paying those prices.
My point with the Galaxy package is that within that context, its price is tremendously fair. Even thinking back to Metroid Prime Remastered on the Switch, wasn't that $40? All these years later we get the two Galaxy games on the Switch 2, upgraded to 4K, at $80.
Re: Nintendo Highlights Super Mario's Game History In 40th Anniversary Timeline
The main ones I never played were the Galaxy games on Wii because I boycotted that era (and the WU era), and the Gameboy games. I'm so happy to see the Galaxy games come to Switch 2, complete with a 4K upgrade, and the price is great too. The Gameboy games don't hold much interest.
As to the whinging about Nintendo releasing old games again, remember this release is to appeal to a new market. If you own them on Wii, pull out your machine and wiggle controls, and go for it. Let those that want to buy them to enjoy them. Considering inflation and the comparison price to other Switch 2 games, the Galaxy package is tremendously fair. Ultimately, the consumer decides. If you don't like it, don't buy it! 🤗
Re: Opinion: Metroid Prime 4 Reminds Me Of Gears 5, And It's Making Me Nervous
Here's another opinion.
A new version of Extreme G is in Metroid Prime 4. Samus will race and need to beat other Metroid hunters in order to be hired for missions. Initially her bike will be slow and vulnerable, and she will need to find the abilities to upgrade it, much like she did with her suit in previous games. After finishing the game, a grand prix mode is unlocked, which will include split screen for 4 players.
Edit:
I actually believe these scenes amount to very little. I'm not fussed by them or concerned about the game in any way. Nintendo simply don't release bad games with their marquee franchises or series. In Nintendo I trust! I suspect they are holding so much back and that we'll be blown away with the end result, much like the trepidation regarding DK Bonanza amounted to nothing.
As a bonus, as "Filthy" said is likely, bring on Samus and her bike to Mario Kart World!
Re: Review: Hollow Knight: Silksong - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition - Woven To Brutal Perfection
I never liked Hollow Knight. For an alleged Metvania, something felt really wrong about. I remain sceptical about the sequel, Silksong, despite the many improvements (that admits the original was flawed). Perhaps a purchase when it's 80% or something. Too many other games to play anyway.
PS: Good portmanteaus should combine parts of a word, not use an entire word, so "Metvania" is deliberate. If anyone objects, the other option is Castleroid. Take your pick!
Re: Nintendo Is "Acting To Protect The Industry" With Switch 2 Game Key Cards, Says Ex-Capcom Composer
@Cipher36 That's one! I'm the opposite as I still buy physical media (CD, blu ray) yet key cards are no bother because I enjoy the cost saving. Thanks for your honest response!
@BBBBBBBBBBB Exactly! The cost savings extend so far. My reference to inventory control pertained to much of your comment. Thanks for adding the extra context. I think the message is that everyone is looking for cost savings, even big companies. For all the whinging about Switch 2 Welcome Tour costing $10 (and not given free), if Nintendo sells one million copies, that's a free $10 million in the kick.
Re: Nintendo Is "Acting To Protect The Industry" With Switch 2 Game Key Cards, Says Ex-Capcom Composer
Which critics have said Game Key Cards are anti-consumer? People are buying them, including myself!
The main reason, as crept into this article, is cost. That saving is passed onto the consumer, so it's not greed either. In my local AUD currency, the difference is $30 ($90 vs $120 RRP). That translates into cheaper eshop games due to the requirement of a standardised price. Call me crazy, I'd rather save $30.
Piracy might be a minor secondary issue if Nintendo used them too. A real secondary issue is inventory control and a longer development time before launch. Games on data cards need to be finished months in advance for production and shipping. On a key card, only days in advance.
Remember, if you don't like key cards, buy from the eshop! The hysteria is ridiculous, especially when we consume so much other media digitally. Who is whinging about key cards and still buying books, CDs, PC boxed games and video discs? Probably no one. You gave up all that, yet for Nintendo you must own the physical data of the game. Get a grip!
Re: Nintendo Direct September 2025: Every Announcement, Game Reveal, Trailer
@Ganon821 Anyone not expecting a new Mario game on the 40th anniversary would have a brain and look at Nintendo's history. Five years ago there was only the frivolous online thing and a 3D compilation, Nintendo are lacklustre in celebrating major anniversaries, especially with a brand new game (I can't remember any), and Nintendo like to pace the release of their marquee franchises.
Who knows, there could be a game next year, perhaps a Galaxy game considering the theme of this year's celebration. Just because nothing got announced in this Direct, doesn't mean it's over. Wait for the one early next year!
PS: If you were someone listening to all the over zealous predictions and got your hopes raised, next time, don't!
Re: Nintendo Direct September 2025: Every Announcement, Game Reveal, Trailer
I rated it 9 for excellent. If there was more about Metroid Prime 4, then a 10. As it stands, MP4 is either lacklustre and Nintendo are trying to hide it or are holding the juicy stuff for a specific Direct. Presently, the new amiibo look the most exciting, which actually portends well for an excellent game. Why make them otherwise? As for the December release date, I knew when Nintendo said "2025" almost 18 months ago, that meant end of the year. If it was earlier or mid year, they would say that. Of course, I really wanted to believe otherwise! Now we know that all that recent activity about an age rating and that poster in London did not mean an imminent release either.
I'm guessing that anyone rating the Direct low is due to false expectations or media hype about a new Zelda or Mario. Zelda is years away, especially with the Switch games selling well on Switch 2. At most, I thought a tease of the next Mario. Even extra Mario Kart World content, it's simply too soon. Nintendo are notorious for pacing their marquee games and extracting as much sales as possible from currently released stuff. The Switch 2 is still in its launch phase and Nintendo need a release strategy that keeps the Switch 2 prominent for at least 6 years. The usual Direct early in the year will teach us more about 2026 and Nintendo's intermediate future.
Re: Sunsoft Has A "Major Announcement" To Share Next Week
@EarthboundBenjy Not interested in paying a continuous yearly subscription for permanent access to a couple of games. Pertaining to this article, I nominated the games I hoped would be announced that I could own.
Re: Sunsoft Has A "Major Announcement" To Share Next Week
We only really want to see the Batman and Blaster Master games, and Journey to Silius. Am I wrong? 😛
Edit:
Before anybody else suggests NSO, I don't want to pay a continuous subscription for permanent access to a couple of games. I own Blaster Master and Journey to Silius on NES anyway. The topic is games that could be part of this announcement that we could own.
Re: "The Most Impressive Switch 2 Port To Date" - Digital Foundry Examines Star Wars Outlaws
@OneArmedGiant No problem! Target sold Outlaws for $75 as a launch day price (it quickly sold out). They sold DK Bonanza for $90. Watch them as well. Otherwise, Big W does the usual $10 off RRP. JB seems only to do $6 off for the Switch 2 (they were $10 off for Switch). I had a $10 voucher so got it there for $74.
Re: Nintendo And Accessory Maker Genki Reach Settlement In Switch 2 Lawsuit
Remember when the theory was the Switch 2 would be released towards the end of 2024, Nintendo did not fulfil its "promised" schedule, which prompted all the accessory companies to start leaking? If you don't remember, it was primarily trafficked at IGN. They legitimately thought that was the reality. Or, at least, to justify yet another miserable failure to accurately predict Nintendo.
Note: That hardware release for late 2024 proved to be Alarmo. That's the pattern with the failed rumours and "leaks": discover a piece of information; guess the rest.
Re: "The Most Impressive Switch 2 Port To Date" - Digital Foundry Examines Star Wars Outlaws
@WheresWaveRace 1000% agree! The Switch 2 launch period has been stellar, and there's still Metroid Prime 4 to come (even if technically a Switch game with an upgrade). A brand new Mario Kart (not a port like the Switch got), DK Bonanza and MP4 supersedes Zelda BOTW, MK8D and Mario Odyssey on the Switch (yes, I'm biased towards Metroid over Zelda). Then add the third party games like Cyberpunk and Star Wars Outlaws (and, personally, the excellent Street Fighter 6) vs really only Skyrim (not my thing anyway), and I'm extremely satisfied. Even the device itself, no complaints. I don't even mind key cards. 🤭 Outlaws is $30 AUD cheaper than Cyberpunk ($90 vs $120 RRP), and it was only a 20 GB download. A remarkable achievement! 🥳
Probably using a key card enabled us to get this far more polished version than the unimpressive version seen at recent events. Data cards require a game to be finished months in advance for manufacture and distribution.
Yes, where is Wave Race, damn it!
Re: Poll: Box Art Brawl - Duel: Forsaken (N64)
Stunned that the American version leads with a 60% majority. I could swear this one would be 80% Europe! USA one is just the face of a woman with a tattoo. Europe is far more foreboding.
Re: Nintendo Wins $2 Million Lawsuit Against 'MiG Switch' Distributor
Great news! Anything to stop pirates.
Nintendo doesn't "brick" devices anyway. They disable them and can enable them again if done in error. Amazing how terminology gets picked up and spread beyond its actual meaning (broken beyond repair and only functional as a brick).
Re: Review: Star Wars Outlaws (Switch 2) - An Underrated Adventure, A Super-Solid Port
@Ramouz No mouse controls that I could see. I tried flipping the joycon to no effect, and found nothing in the settings other than "Motion Controls" on or off.
I own an OLED TV and Outlaws looks quite sharp. Difficult to really tell because the early scenes are in a murky area at night. Suffice to say, an Xbox X should be sharper. If you have a choice and are not interested in portable play, then it's obvious to go with PS5.
Digital Foundary just posted a comparison between Switch 2 and Xbox S, and it compares very well, and even better in some scenes. The brighter scenes they showed looked sharp.
Re: Nintendo Life Reader Survey 2025
"Gaming news" is a bit limited. I visit many places for gaming information and content, like Digital Foundary. Subsequently I get some news from these places. Similarly, Google supplies some news as part of its suggestions. As to places I strictly visit for news, that's primarily here and Nintendo Directs.
PS: Anthony Dickens is correct. F-Zero X is the best game. It's certainly the best F-Zero game! 🤭
@stache13 I similarly answered full price games as meaning those not on sale. They could be indie games too. The question about indie games is simply to know the rough percentage of those types bought.
These days, I don't even know what AAA means. It's a nonsense term. Is DK Bonanza not AAA because it's cheaper than Mario Kart World? Star Wars Outlaws is cheaper still, and a port, and is that not AAA despite it classed as that on its initial release on other platforms? Street Fighter 6 is another, and even cheaper, example. I class them all as full price titles, as I do Fast Fusion from the Switch 2 eshop. Why? I paid full price for them!
That leads to another question: What really is an indie developer these days! 🤭
Re: Ubisoft Employee Explains Why Star Wars Outlaws Is A Game-Key Card
Fact remains there is a cost reality with key cards. In my local AUD currency, Outlaws is $90 RRP vs Cyberpunk at $120 on a full card. The new Daemon X Machina game is $130. For Nintendo house games, DK Bonanza is $110 and Mario Kart World is $120. Street Fighter 6, on key card, is $80. So, the basic price difference is $30.
It must be noted that all these games can be found cheaper, typically $10 off. I got Outlaws for $75 as a special launch day price at Target. Similar with SF6 at $65 and DK at $90.
Remember, a cheaper physical copy means a cheaper eshop copy because prices are aligned. Of course, you don't get the discount from the eshop, which makes physical copies an attractive purchase regardless of the card used.
Edit:
Not to sound like I'm defending key cards, let's note another key benefit is the longer development time that they provide. Outlaws looked horrible a few weeks ago, and if the game needed to be ready a few months earlier for production and shipping, who knows what we get. Almost certainly a day 1 patch would be required. With a key card, the developer could fix and refine the game within a few days of release.
Perhaps I am defending key cards? 🤣🤭
Edit2:
Quoting Jeroman: "Nintendo could easily fix this, by offering large capacity slow and cheap cartridges with the option to install to internal storage on the console."
I don't see this as valid at all. The old cards are too slow for an option not to copy to internal storage. It would be a requirement. Therefore, may as well get it off the server! Even though this idea you theoretically own the data, in practice you don't because it still could (or likely) require an initial patch to play. Remember, a key benefit of buying data cards is to preserve your internal storage! People need to let go of this right to physical ownership like we almost exclusively already have done with music, film and even PC games.
Re: Review: Star Wars Outlaws (Switch 2) - An Underrated Adventure, A Super-Solid Port
I bought Outlaws earlier today. On key card, of course. It's cheaper than the eshop and I also had a $10 voucher for the store. Just a 20 GB download too. Impressive. Most impressive! I can confirm it plays very well too.
Re: Review: SHINOBI: Art Of Vengeance (Switch) - A Beautifully Crafted Return For Joe Musashi
Playing the demo on Switch 2. Loving it! I see no issues graphically (playing handheld) either.
Re: Review: Adventure Of Samsara (Switch) - Atari's Throwback Metroidvania Embraces Cycles Of Life, Death, And More Death
Trial and error is fine. Cheap deaths are not. Add to that the rigid, cumbersome controls, and I'd rather play Another World, or let it play me. It's a hard pass!
Re: FC 26 On Switch 2 "On Parity, Basically" With PS5, According To EA Sports Dev
I'm reading this news as the PS5 and Xbox versions don't run that well! 🤣🧐
Seriously, EA will get FC 2026 running quite well on Switch 2. I was impressed with FC 2024 on Switch. I'll probably buy FC 2026 when it's cheap. For these games, it's typically in 3 months that they are half price.
Re: Review: Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion (Switch 2) - Decently Deep Mech Combat, But Clunky In Parts
Daemon X Machina Titanic Scion is the most expensive Switch 2 game in Australia at $130 RRP local currency. Mario Kart World and Cyberpunk is $120; DK Bonanza is $110. Although, typically they are $10 off at certain major retailers. Target sold DK for $90 as a special launch price.
Star Wars Outlaws is $90 RRP and Street Fighter 6 is $80. Both on key cards. Again, I already see Outlaws for $84 at one outlet and I bought SF6 for $65, thanks, again, to Target's special launch price.
Do other countries have such wild discrepancies in prices based on the card used? USA is only $10 to $20 different. Both SF6 and Outlaws are $60 vs $70 or $80 of full cards.
Suffice to say, zero interest in Daemon. I did play a demo of an older game on the Switch, and didn't really like it.
As for a suggestion to "just get the PC version", does that work on the Switch 2 or do I need to fork over $1000 for a PC? 🤭 Seriously, many of us own only a Switch 2, and it's disappointing that the performance isn't better. Cyberpunk 2077 plays very well. 🧐
Re: The Force Isn't Strong With Star Wars Outlaws On Switch 2, Initial Impressions Suggest
The footage in the video that Solid Python posted near the top looks more than adequate. Dare I say it looks good!
That Outlaws is on a key card will disappoint many of us. Curiously, one positive is the extra development time that a key card affords probably got used well. On a full card, games must be ready at least 3 months in advance for manufacturing and distributing.
Re: Rumour: Sony Is Gunning For The Switch 2 With A Handheld, Dockable PS6
Glad to see the rumour source is YouTube otherwise I would never believe it. 🤣
Seriously, a PS handheld is an existing rumour, and the main interest is the incarnation. Three models or variants (not SKU, as an SKU could be any distinction, like colour) adds one more than Nintendo did with Switch - that being a dedicated home unit. Yes, I don't really see the PS6 as the usual generational leap we see with Sony sequel successors, and the Switch 2, so it could be PS5 Pro level throughout, which is completely satisfactory, especially with the Switch 2 at just beyond PS4 Pro level.
As usual, the main selling point will be games. PS5 is the first Sony generation I skipped. Even if they didn't increase prices, or actually reduce prices, there simply isn't enough games of interest for it.
Re: Switch 2 Sales In The US Are Outpacing The Original Console By 75%
"Had gotten off"? As a British website and therefore custodians off the English language, please do better than this debased Americanised version. Instead of "had gotten off to a pretty strong start", try "launched with a pretty strong start", or simply "had a very strong launch". I grew up in an era where any utterance of "gotten" would be swiftly rebuked by teachers and my mother with "there's no 'gotten' in the English language". Thankfully you didn't add "of" after "off", which the latest nasty habit from the US. Anyway... 🤗
I agree that the future sales performance will be more interesting to watch. Clearly, Nintendo were able to fulfil their promise of meeting all the immediate demand in the early weeks, so will now want to capitalise on that (or "capitalise off of that" for some Americans 🤭). They will get a surge leading into Christmas and expect to reach 15 million sales by the end of March. They are about half way there with seven months to go.
Edit:
Obviously the hysteria over the high prices amounted to nothing. 🤣
Seriously, this is a lesson to not take the internet seriously. Seriously! Voices are easily amplified and are often not representative of the majority or even the target demographic. The most epic of whingers were likely never buyers, while those inclined to buy felt no need to comment. Passion drives our desire to comment, and there's nothing more passionate in existence than the human rage machine.
Re: Rumour: A Nintendo Direct Is Reportedly Coming Ahead Of Mario's 40th Anniversary
I expect a Direct in September because I can use my own brain and look at history and precedent. I would certainly not listen to Switch Force, which is one of the most notorious sources for blatantly wrong rumours and predictions. Personally, like NL, a Friday would be an unusual day (it leaves less time for media hype and publicity leading into the weekend). I suspect the 10th (Wednesday) more likely and wouldn't be surprised if the Direct is the week after. Nintendo aren't exactly rigid to honouring major anniversaries with an event or something on the specific day. Often it's just a note.
Edit:
I believe the Direct will focus highly on Metroid Prime 4 and finally give us a release date. I completely rule out anything of substance added to Mario Kart World and, at most, expect only a tease about a future 3D Mario game. Again, look at history and precedent. Nintendo like to dose their big hits and updates over a long period, and provide plenty of time for their marquee titles to sell. A new world in MKW? Not for two years. A brand new Zelda? Probably 5 years. Mario? Like I said, a tease at most, and then a more substantial push and reveal next year as Nintendo's marquee 2026 game. Expect smaller surprises instead. Perhaps an updated F-Zero X or Star Fox. No doubt, there will also be something completely new!
Re: "The Best-Looking Thing I've Seen On Switch 2" - Digital Foundry Talks Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Not sure why there's still this inclination, especially from DF, to compare the Switch 2 to the PS4, when DF's own analysis of Cyberpunk saw the Switch 2 version smash the PS4 version out of the water and even rival the Xbox S in some aspects. Clearly the Switch 2 is at PS4 Pro level, if not a smidgeon higher because that couldn't do 4K at 60f. So, let's not be shocked when games look better than on PS4. That's the minimum requirement. Over the years, we should expect games to look even better than now.