Hwatt

I loaded up my base version of Skyrim on Switch 2 to see if the upgrade is truly Anniversary only, as I received an update today.

Not only is the update limited to the anniversary edition, as mentioned in the press material, requiring a $20!!! purchase to receive the upgrade… but my base game crashed within one minute after loading the save.

The save was a 1hr playtime file, with my character at lvl 1 in Whiterun for context…

@Lone_Beagle

My guy - I miss those jet laptops I didn’t think I would be here, 14 years later, discussing if a modern console could run skyrim above 30fps…

Glad I play on PC and Switch…

@IronMan30

My Asus G53 laptop with a 2nd gen I7 intel CPU and 460m (Fermi) could run Skyrim above 60fps at 720p in 2011...

60fps should be more than feasible on the Switch 2. Even if not locked to 60, it can do it. They just didnt remove the vsync.

Both are meh, but I prefer the NA more since it hurts my eyes less.

Great game! I would love to play it again

@whiteumbrella *

I don’t think it’s reasonable for a single reviewer to find a game breaking bug. Especially in a large open world game like Shadows.

Given the reports, it’s likely driven by some actions on the critical path (given how many people have issues) but can be missed or avoided.

I sincerely hope this is true!

Pikmin, Paper Mario TTYD, Dread, and Luigi’s Mansion 3 are on my wish list for SW2 upgrades

I'd give it a solid 8/10. It has all the performance and features I wanted from a Switch Pr... I mean Switch 2. My only issue, because I am predominately a handheld player, is the screen. Poor HDR and motion blur really don't help.

I don't love the battery life, even on low end games, it's worse than original Switch. I also don't like that it comes with only 256GB of internal storage and doesn't support old SD cards, even if slower.

I could forgive all of that if the screen was better, but it's mid at best.

I know that's mainly the negatives, but everything else it does... flawlessly. It's a great form factor, its light, it plays well. There are great first and third party games. Backwards compatibility is there too. It just needs some small tweaks.

I really believe the follow up, Switch 2 OLED, Switch 2i, Switch 2 Pro etc. will likely solve all these issues, but at what cost?

Metroid ice cube tray would be fantastic for some unique cocktails. Metroid Mule, Phazon Sour etc.,

The possibilities are endless

@Jeronan The Switch 2 version includes a code to upgrade the game. This is no different than Nintendo charging for upgrades like Tears of the Kingdom or Breath of the Wild. That's why it's 10$ more.

I personally prefer to have a version I can pop into my Switch 1 or Switch 2. I also believe it will help with resale (there are a lot of Switch 1 owners still out there) if you're not happy with the game. It also helps purchasers who are buying this game as a gift. As either the Switch 1 box or Switch 2 box will work with either system.

We can wait for MP4 Switch 1 technical reviews but I don't believe this game needs the speed of a Switch 2 cart. I have a strong feeling the game is extremely well optimized and the difference between loading from a SW1 cart / SW2 cart / internal storage will be minimal on a Switch 2 system*

Yes, 100% interested in playing this as soon as possible!

I aim to get the Switch 1 physical version for the case and buy the digital upgrade separately for Switch 2

@Folkloner

They’re still correct. The Switch 2 retail physical version is a Switch 1 cart.

I prefer that personally, but I understand why people would be frustrated.

I started with NFS 2 on PC. I got hooked with NFS 3: Hot Pursuit on PS1. NFS: MW was one of the first games I bought for Xbox 360 back when it launched because… the GOAT made me hyped for it.

That is… NFS: U2. The world… the customization. The controls. It was unmatched. Now, I love the campaign of MW more than U2, but the overall package of U2 was sublime. Riders on the storm > Blackbetty. ECU tuning > No ECU tuning. Underground street vibes > rural and day time city vibes.

I know it’s all subjective but U2 was a cultural moment that defined the series.

@Nambit

I think it’s better to grab the SW 1 version and upgrade separately. The SW2 art is compromised by all the legal text at the bottom IMO. Plus a lower price is the best perk of all!

That’s pretty cool. Hopefully it appeals to some new players.

I think Nintendo knows that Metroid is pretty niche when compared to their other franchises. All the Nintendo nerds like myself will jump in early. If a demo dropped today on the eshop. I’d avoid it. Just to avoid spoiling that first playthrough / first boot

I’m interested. I played quite a bit of the original GC game, only because my friends would share a copy or play multiplayer together. I won’t jump in at $70 USD but I hope those who do really enjoy it

I haven’t used it.

I’m a PC / Nintendo gamer and the vast majority of games I play on Switch / Switch 2 don’t have online multiplayer. So I never felt the need for low latency network on the system. From the casual online games I would play, like Smash Ultimate or Mario Kart, wi-fi has been fine.

“A. I. Sports. It’s in the pain”

NA/EU

The case (print finish) is also holographic

@ozwally

Agreed and I wouldn’t mind 3 and 4 while we’re at it…

This game looks great and I wish it success. It had also planned to release during an onslaught of other games. Hopefully the delay is an overall net positive to give it some breathing room

Death to Chronos.

@Whyarewestillhere

Today I learned! Thanks for the correction

Nintendo isn’t leading here. I feel they’re just catching up. PC games years ago featured Steam Codes in boxes. If something happened to your account, you still have they key in the box and customer support will generally help you out.

Xbox and Playstation games typically don’t have the full game available and they’re merely a DRM check for the user to download, install the game.

I don’t mind these options but they all still rely on the game being able to be downloaded from a server. Options are good and I don’t believe exclusively physical or digital libraries are the way to go.

It only stings more with Nintendo because they’ve always have been more traditional and offer physical versions of nearly all their games. It’s the one console where I want to have physical copies since they tend to hold their value and it’s a better UX in my opinion. Plug n’ play, just get into the fun.

I need more convincing. I pre-ordered 3D All-Stars for Switch and regretted it once I understood the games were emulated.

Luckily the game was easily to sell and I got all my money back, but I won’t make the same mistake again.

I would like to know if the games run natively on the hardware and play without issues. I have Galaxy 1 on Wii but I’ve never played 2. I’d likely just go for the digital version of 2 in the future IF it plays well on both Switch 1 & 2.

“While this might not seem like much to be excited about, for the developers behind upcoming releases, going gold means main development is complete and ready for the production phase”

It might be worth clarifying production in this context means manufacturing

I have this on Steam and while I’ve only played approx. 10 games, a few really stood out to me.

Ninpek is probably my favourite. It’s essentially an old school side scroller like Ninja Gaiden on NES. It doesn’t try to do anything super unique or revolutionary, but the execution is done so well. It’s tough but not cheap.

On the opposite spectrum, Party House is quite unique and isn’t akin to any NES game I’ve played. It’s more roguelike/ deck builder and it’s quite deep.

I don’t think I’ll double dip but if I had the choice today, I’d opt for Switch over Steam.

@kmtrain83

Im not sure if that’s a compliment but no AI used

It’s just in my mind whenever we talk physical vs digital.

Key Cards seem to have few positives and more negatives

Physical

Pros:

• Game can be easily resold
• Game can be easily playable offline in most circumstances,
• Game does not use significant internal / external storage
• Games can be purchased used or on sale at various retailers vs. platform locked store
• Not tied to a user account (can be shared easily)

Cons:

• Usually requires a day-one patch or if multiplayer, a constant online connection to play
• Additional time, effort to swap games
• Games carts can get lost or damaged
• Load times can be slower vs. digital on internal storage
• Requires travel or delivery to purchase (carbon footprint, fuel, time)
• Some game cards don’t contain significant content on card, and require large downloads for assets

Digital

Pros:

• Can be pre-loaded or downloaded immediately upon release
• Easily swap between multiple games on one account and/or console
• Load times may be faster vs. physical version if installed on internal storage

Cons:

• Requires network connection at minimum to initially install or play
• Cannot be resold
• Cannot be easily shared between accounts or friends
• Possibility access to the game could be lost or revoked if servers go offline, preventing downloads

Both physical and digital have their place but when we’re talking key cards… I just see more cons than pros.

Still requires additional storage, still requires a connection to download, still a possibility, albeit low today, you would not be able to download it if servers go down etc. At least they can be resold or bought used, which is their one saving grace.

If they were, let’s say $5 or $10 USD cheaper than a physical cart with the game installed on it, like CP2077, the conversation would be different.

I’m not 100% against them but I’d rather go digital than key cart if those were my only two options and if they're the same price. Just for the convenience.

@SBandy1 Agreed 100%

Nintendo consoles, and especially the Switch 2, serves that itch I have for a console experience. Just get right into the game and have fun. MKW has been fun but I think they hit it out of the park with DKB!

@SBandy1 I appreciate the reply and I agree it’s best not to necessarily worry about it, but I do like to be aware of what a company is doing before buying their products.

Personally, if I see a trend towards practices I don’t support, I’ll certainly vote with my wallet.

It’s no different than Microsoft. I’ve had a Series X for a few years (Diablo IV bundle that was on sale). I barely boot the console and have no desire to buy games for it or have Gamepass given all of their shenanigans. Hardware price increases, layoffs, trying to follow Nintendo with $80 game prices, extremely disturbing behaviour (military contracts), and probably the most unclear vision I have ever seen from a company. Those are just a few examples this past year…

@SBandy1

Not at all! I do think charging $80 USD for Mario Kart World (retail price) is a direct reflection of Mario Kart 8’s performance. All I had mentioned is that I would be more critical; Not vindictive or negative.

Anyone else catch how Mario Kart 8 still beat a new release?

This is particularly why I am critical of Nintendo’s strategy with Switch 2. More concretely, understanding they’re in a financially, excellent position, it makes me more critical of: game pricing, NSO offerings (example: vaulted Wind Waker HD), price increases like the one Canada is scheduled to receive in a few days etc., adoption of advertised technology like VRR and Nvidia DLSS, on going legal battles, patents, and more.

I have suspicion that the Switch 2 generation won’t be as competitive (corporation fighting for value for the consumer) in comparison to the Switch 1. Just a gut feeling…

@Jimmy_G_Buckets

How many hours you got there!? That is quite the goal! May the odds be ever in your favour

🎶 DK - DONKEY KONG 🎶

I’ve just made it to SL400 last night. Approx 10 hours in.

I have about 150 bananas, which seems absurd this early in the game. I’m not actively trying to clear each surface level (SL). I’m just finding myself wanting to explore and in doing so, I end up collecting majority of the collectables.

On average I’ve noted I’ve grabbed about 80% of the items before I moved on, and it was all natural. I am curious what the post game will be like.

P.S. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing “BA NA NA”

$80 USD is absolutely absurd for Mario Party and this DLC.

If the base game goes on sale or I find it used at a good price, I’ll consider it.

I’m good with my original versions. If this rumour is true, I really don’t see why this should be $20 in 2025.

On a more positive note, Peggle / Zuma / PvZ… a really good time on 360 arcade. I really loved that age when indies were just getting the spot light and prime real-estate on the Xbox store. Limbo, Braid, Rez HD, Pacman Championship DX, Fez, Hexic HD, Undertow, Shadow Complex etc. I could go on all evening

@sixrings I believe NL, and most media sites, will write articles to encourage engagement, clicks, discussions. Doesn’t mean that they’re “clickbait” as some may state but the previous article about DK was written, in my view, out of context. The full video from DF demonstrated a lot of praise for the game.

Either way, it’s best we [the community] avoid generalizing. I don’t believe the community actually flip flops that hard, and the vocal minority rarely represents how most feel. Why NL rushed that article is beyond me, but it reminds me to take its best to check multiple sources to help form an opinion.

I watched the video and refrained from commenting on that article. I also went to buy the game after watching that DF video…

Short story warning: I didn’t have NSO before Switch 2. I was conflicted if I should buy it with or without the expansion pass, to get these upgrades.

I realized I will probably rarely, if ever use majority of the features in the expansion. The only thing I was immediately interested were these upgrades and I know I play Zelda over years at a time. So I opted for NSO (basic) and the TotK upgrade. I booted it up first without the patch download for some context, then I immediately exited, downloaded, and jumped in and the difference was huge!

I think it ultimately was too expensive because it tacked on features I don’t care about, but the performance and resolution uplift made it feel like a substantial upgrade over the original Switch version.

I’ll eventually get the BotW upgrade, but since I didn’t finish TotK on Switch 1, I am excited to finish the back half of my adventure in Switch 2 glory.

No surprise DF gave it a positive review. The proof is in the pudding!

@Jack_Goetz

MP4 will run at 120fps because Retro laid some incredible foundations with MP on Gamecube and its remaster on Switch. They’re tech efficiency rivals ID Software (Doom developer) IMO.

Maybe my bar is low but Borderlands 1 & 2 on 360 ran at 30fps, and had dips when you were launching missiles into crowds of flesh, with tears on screen because variable refresh didn’t exist.

30 fps is not something I will advocate for but it’s not the end of the world either, especially for a hybrid console. I do think a 40fps mode would be ideal but Nintendo needs to ensure 3rd parties can enable 120hz for VRR. It’s becoming increasingly worrying that we are not seeing good VRR implementation.

RE: Storage, it’s beating a dead horse at this rate. If there are physical copies without any content on the cart, people will skip. No I am not a purist and need to have this game 100% playable without a patch. I'm simply asking to not allocate 60gb+ of my internal storage when I spend $70 on a physical game. I don’t believe that’s an unreasonable ask.

At the end of the day, I still think this game could be a good fit for the Switch but I am more inclined just to get it on PC if my options are digital or key cart.

@BigRed40

Exactly the same situation for me too

The intro level is very small and forces the camera to break. I found it only went into “underground” mode (camera shades background brown) and provides some distance between the frame and DK consistently when I got to the first world (Lagoon).

When the camera isn’t working correctly, not in underground mode, it’s very tight to DK, and it results in very rapid movement. Which causes me to feel disoriented. I won’t get into my exact eye condition, but I am more susceptible to motion sickness than probably the average person. I play FPS’ just fine and prefer to drive, rather than be a passenger in a car. If that context helps…

I certainly felt it in the intro level and I was a bit nervous to proceed, thinking this game might not be for me. Lucky, once I played more than an hour and got to stretch my legs and found the bigger levels, everything clicked, and I felt fine.

I’ve played the intro level and some of the lagoon world on a 55” C9 OLED. I played the rest on handheld mode. A total of 3-4 hrs of total playtime over two days. I don’t think the handheld screen / slow pixel response is the cause and I am curious how the camera affects others in the intro level…

Too early for me. I’m about 3-4 hrs in.

If there is a follow up poll in about a month, happy to share my thoughts!

@Alienfanatic

Agreed. The price pushes it out of reach for me too.

I bought a Super Mario Odyssey case (used) from a collector who had the Mario Odyssey bundle. It’s my favourite Switch game and I love the case design, weight, and pouch. I bought it for $20 CAD ($15 USD).

I’m holding out for a similar case for my Switch 2. A yellow DK case with little bananas would be fantastic… just saying Nintendo!

@Alienfanatic

While I agree it’s a light review, I don’t think this site is prepared to do full, systematic testing and detailed analysis for all these cases.

They feel like more of a pulse check. Is it a scam or a decent product? That’s the vibe I get.

Personally, I rarely take my Switch out of the house. If I do, it’s for flight in my personal item (backpack etc.). I only need a light case to avoid scraping, scratches, and it can carry at least 3 to 5 Switch games.

I like this more mature / adult case. I just think a zipper would be nice for a better seal than this magnet approach, but it’s probably strong enough for their target customer.

I peeled out and JUST picked up Bananza. This will be my toaster strudel for the next month or two…

Oh this feature is gonna go off the rails REAL quick

Nice insight. I have both the Spyro and Crash remakes and I couldn’t stick to Crash. I’m not saying it’s exclusively this point, but it does help explain why I am struggling with the bonus level, Stormy Ascent

I like the staggered releases but I think an additional first party title on launch day would reduce the urgent need to clear up ambiguity going into the fall and winter.

The context is important because a lot of people have a sizeable backlog and we’re generally not in a software drought. I just feel Nintendo is intentionally starving consumers from Switch 2 games that showcase the capabilities.

I really enjoyed my time with Mario Kart World. However, I won’t congratulate Nintendo from pushing out other titles, both first and third party to make it the only worth while title to justify the cost of a new console.

Metroid 4 early November release date. All chips on the table. LETS GO