The fact that the devs behind Dragon Quest builders are working on this bodes extremely well! Hopefully it ends up being as fun and relaxing as it looks.
Also, we finally have a Pokemon spin-off coming exclusively to consoles, which (fingers crossed) means no micro-transaction hell!
I have a preorder through Nintendo, so I will be waiting (im)patiently for the console to be delivered on the 5th. In terms of games, I have MK World, Rune Factory, and the Switch 2 upgrades for TotK and Fantasy Life - I can't wait!
@OldGamer999 Considering how many units the Switch sold, I think it's safe to say that it holds a lot of appeal with casual gamers, who as a general rule of thumb don't care about teraflops (or even know what they are). Besides, the main defining characteristic of the console is its portability; I have a lot of friends who had not gamed since the DS/Wii era and who got Switches specifically because they could play in short bursts away from the TV, or easily take it to friends' houses to play party games, or play during plane/train/bus journeys.
While I am sure that there is a market for a screen-less Switch to keep under the TV, it is likely very small and is probably not worth the effort of creating an entirely new product that completely breaks away from the Switch's branding and immediately recognisable form factor in Nintendo's eyes. If they make another box to stick in an entertainment unit, they will be once again directly competing (and being compared to) with PlayStation/Xbox, which is probably the last thing they want; the hybrid system, on the other hand, makes it so they do not have any serious competitors who offer a similar product. It's an easy slam-dunk.
Increasing the price of a console in its fifth year is...a choice, I guess? O.o
It makes the Switch 2 look a lot more palatable by comparison, that's for sure. Digital-only 5-year-old stationary console with no games included, or brand-new hybrid console that (although weaker) can play both physical and digital games and comes out of the box with two controllers and a huge game for the same price? If I were a parent looking to get my kids a console this Christmas, I know which one I would choose!
Different metrics will give different pictures, but this seems pretty accurate.
Another option to compare how costs have changed over the years is percentage of the average national salary. For example, in 1991 (according to Google) the average annual salary in the UK was roughly £11K, making a SNES (which retailed for £150) cost roughly 1.4% of the average salary on release. In 2025, the average annual salary is around £35K, meaning that the Switch 2 (retailing for £396) costs 1.1% of the average salary. Overall, the price is fairly similar.
The real problem is how expensive housing has gotten over the past 35 years. I have colleagues whose rent eats up 70% of their wage; saving is difficult, buying a house basically impossible! So the cycle continues, making it difficult to afford more than the bare necessities even when one has a good job. If rent/house purchase prices had increased proportionally to food/transport/video games (and, most importantly, wages), inflation would not be anywhere near as much of an issue, and yet here we are.
Got mine yesterday morning! I got a MK bundle and a 256GB express card for memory expansion (I have a ton of digital Switch games and want to bring my favourites over to the new console). The Pro controller was also tempting, but we already have a Switch one that I bought on release in 2017 and is still going strong and two pairs of extra joy-cons, so I'm good with controllers until the Pro I already have kicks the bucket.
I was expecting as much. My town used to have two GAME stores, but they both closed - one during the pandemic, one just after. They were pretty much always deserted, since they sold new games at full RRP and pre-owned games for £4-5 cheaper (which was still more expensive than buying new from Amazon/Shopto etc.), so I'm susprised they held on that long TBH.
If the update can make it run at a locked 30 FPS, I’m going to be very, very happy. The game itself is SO FUN (if ugly; the world textures are awful), but I had to stop playing because the framerate was so bad that I got motion sickness and headaches if I played for longer than 30 minutes at a time.
Friendly reminder that (at least in the UK; I’d assume the situation is similar in the EU and USA, too) most retailers actually sell games for considerably less than the RRP as they compete with each other for sales. Zelda TotK had a RRP of £59.99 at launch, and many UK online storefronts (Shopto, Hit, even Amazon) had preorders available for £45-£49. I would expect most Switch 2 games to be available for £50-£60 once preorders go live, so let’s wait and see before we run for the torches and pitchforks!
Well, damn. I'm playing the game because my preorder shipped before reviews came out, and after that I wanted to see for myself just how bad it was. And I'll admit, the game can be fun - I'm getting a decent amount of enjoyment out of doing raids (when playing solo - they are a broken mess as soon as other players come into the picture) and running around catching everything that moves. But from a technical standpoint, the game is a cursed, blazing dumpster-fire of cataclysmic proportions. Glitches everywhere, constant flickering, horrible lighting, and textures that seem straight out of Banjo-Kazooie on the N64. Especially after Arceus, SV really feel like GF took ten steps back.
If anyone reading this wants to play a Pokemon game - don't buy these. Legends Arceus, Sword/Shield and the Let's Go games are all better options. And if you're looking for a good RPG, same as above - skip these, and go for one of the far superior options available on Switch. Dragon Quest XI, Monster Hunter Stories 2, Fire Emblem Three Houses, Fire Emblem Engage, Octopath Traveller 1-2, Bravely Default 2 and the Atelier Ryza and Xenoblade Chronicle trilogies are utter gems when it comes to graphics, performance and gameplay, and don't make you want to bang your head against the wall after playing for longer than one hour at a time.
Niiiiice! I'm taking my time with the game and have just reached chapter 17, so I might play something else for a few days until the new emblems are released and then finish the game with all DLC emblems in my squad. I wish more of the minor waves from DLC passes were released this quickly - by the time content is released for most games, I will have moved on to something else!
@dartmonkey You forgot Bear & Breakfast! Most likely won't be the GOTY for most people on here, but it was a fantastic little game, and is very popular in the 'cozy games' community.
It might be an unpopular opinion, but I don't get why everyone is so up in arms about this - FE has been doing Day 1 DLC since Awakening (so pretty much literally for the past decade) and it has kind of become an intrinsic part of their sales model. The game will be complete without the DLC, just like all the others were - if people don't like it, they don't have to buy it.
Besides, many other great games on Switch have had expansion passes announced prior to release with the first of several waves of content releasing with the game, and yet have not felt incomplete without it. Think BotW, Xenoblade 2 and 3, FETH, DQ Builders 2, both the Mario Rabbids games, HW: Age of Calamity...I have played and thoroughly enjoyed all of them before getting the DLC, and never felt like I had to spend the extra money in order to fully enjoy the game.
I bought it a few days ago since I was off sick from work and wanted a comfort game to play. I guess I am lucky - I got maybe 5 crashes in total, and I have played A LOT since I had nothing else to do this week.
Overall, I think the game has a lot of potential. The mix of Disney characters and farming/life sim mechanics works wonderfully, even in its barebones state. The only issues I have encountered, infrequent crashes aside, are some minor audio distortion and a few graphical glitches that usually got fixed by entering and exiting a building. Once more fixes are in and the game gets more fleshed out with new characters, quests and mechanics, I can see this becoming extremely successful (and fun) in the long run.
The thing to keep in mind is that the game is still in early access - aka, beta phase. Glitches and relatively minor issues are to be expected, and the developers seem to be very responsive to player feedback in terms of bug fixes and patch implementation. Though I am not a huge fan of the recent Steam trend of games releasing in early access for full price and then taking years to get to version 1.0, I am actually happy with the amount of fun I'm getting for my £20 since it looks like I'll be playing this on and off for a few years at least a' la Animal Crossing. Is it a cash grab? Oh, absolutely. But one that I am enjoying thoroughly in my Covid-addled state.
Honestly, for me it was a winner. Fire Emblem Engage, Kirby Return to Dreamland, Octopath 2, SoS A Wonderful Life and the Zelda title reveal were all awesome to see for me. There still were things I was not keen on, but the sheer amount of reveals was astounding. Best Direct we have had in a long, long while IMO.
Personally, I'd love to see both games coming to Switch, either as a collection on a single cartridge or separate releases.
I may be biased since I played these games way back when they released and consider them the reason why I fell in love with gaming as a kid, but I would love to see both games ported over for a new audience. Considering how poorly the WIiU sold, I doubt the remasters sold particularly well, and it would be awesome to give a new generation of gamers the opportunity to play these gems on Switch!
Good to see it doing well - hopefully sales numbers will persuade Nintendo to support this game with free updates for a solid couple of years after release.
We preordered Switch Sports, and both my husband and I have been having a blast with it. We have played around 50 hours in total since release, and still play split-screen almost every day. It’s silly, simple fun, and perfect for quick 15-minute bouts while we wait for dinner to finish cooking in the oven.
This is definitely going to be a preorder/day 1 purchase for me! I'm a pretty new DQ fan - I was roped in by DQ XI S and DQ Builders 2 a few years ago - but I'm absolutely loving the series, and am now working my way through DQ VII and VIII on 3DS. This looks like it's going to be really fun!
Excited for this! Politics aside, I am a big fan of the Harry Potter series - the books and movies were a huge part of my childhood, and I have very fond memories of playing the first 4 Harry Potter games on PS1/PS2 when I was in primary school.
However, I think I’m going to wait for the Switch reviews to come out before I decide on which platform to play. I’m considering upgrading my PS4 to a PS5 in the summer (if I can get my hands on one, that is, that console is still rarer than a shiny legendary Pokemon these days), so if performance on Switch is poor, I’m going to go with a PS copy. Regardless, I have a feeling I’m going to adore this game!
@dimi I’m pretty sure Nintendo only reports on their 1st party games in their financial meetings, so there would not be any 3rd party games on this list regardless of sales numbers…
100% getting this day one. I loved the first two games (they are pretty much the only online multiplayer games I've ever enjoyed), and 2 in particular was a blast!
I had just started dating my soon-to-be-husband when it came out, and over the course of maybe 6 months we played around 300 hours of it together, passing the controller back and forth after each match while we hung out on the sofa. Now that he has his own Switch, we are planning to get two copies of Splatoon 3 at launch and really get into the game together (this time as newlyweds rather than a new couple).
Is it even a mainline Zelda game without a few delays? Still, this year is so jam-packed new releases, I’m kind of happy they are delaying BotW 2 by a few months. It’ll give the developers extra time to polish the game, which is never a bad thing, and give me some time to work through my ever-extending backlog!
@MostHandsieBoy Considering how niche RF is, I’m not surprised. I’m personally LOVING the game (it’s a ton of fun once you get going), but I can see how the performance issues, sub-par graphics and middling reviews might discourage people who are not long-time fans of the series to jump in.
@-Juice- I think both simple and challenging game series have their own place in gaming. Want to really sink your teeth into something complex that is going to test your skills? You have Metroid, Hollow Knight, Death’s Door, Celeste, Ori, the Souls series. But if you are stressed or not in a great place mentally and just need to relax and have some plain, uncomplicated fun? Then you have Animal Crossing, Kirby, Story of Seasons, Yoshi, Ace Attorney, Pokemon.
Personally, I’d go mad if I only played difficult/challenging games! Life can get hard sometimes, and the gaming equivalent of a warm fluffy blanket and a cup of hot cocoa can help immensely in those situations. But that’s just my two cents.
@Hero-of-WiiU Fellow person with a March 25th birthday here! 😄 I’m also getting the game on my birthday, and am planning to enjoy every bit of it after that fantastic demo. Judging from the reviews, it’s going to be a fantastic introduction to the series for us both!
@BloodyMurder Pack it in and take your homophobia somewhere else, dude - preferably back to the 1940s, where it belongs.
That said, I have around £12 in gold points burning a hole in my account, so I think I’ll take the plunge and preorder it digitally. Could not come out at a better time - my partner just came down with the plague, which means in a couple of days I’ll most likely also be ill and need to take a few days off sick. What better game to play through a bout of illness than RF?
For me it's a combination of the cuteness factor of the base form and the coolness of the final form (which is why I won't settle on a choice for Gen 9 until those evolutionary lines are revealed). I do seem to lean towards fire and grass, though, so unless they turn into weird bipedal fighting-hybrids, I'm probably going to go with Sprigatito or Fuecoco.
Don't have my launch-day unit anymore - it had some defects that led to frequent overheating, so I sold it to a very tech-savvy friend who wanted an OG Switch to mod and bought an Animal Crossing red-box Switch to replace it. From what I hear though, after he tinkered with it for a while to fix the issues, it's still going strong!
I am not surprised in the least - Legends is its own thing, and I wasn't expecting all those new mechanics to make it into the Gen 9 games. Unless Scarlet/Violet also include wild pokemon attacking you (which I sincerely doubt), we are not getting overworld catching mechanics, and I am personally not really disappointed about it.
From the looks of it, battles are going to take place in the overworld just like they did in Legends, which hopefully means that we will have no battle transitions/text boxes, so the entire process is going to be far more snappy and streamlined than it was in Sw/Sh anyway. If I can get into a battle, fight/catch a pokemon and be on my merry way again in 1 minute or less, I am going to be a happy camper.
Definitely excited for these! My fiance' and I have a bit of a tradition going with Pokemon games where we will each buy a version on release, take the day off, build a blanket fort, and spend the entire three-day weekend playing Pokemon in our PJs (in the fort, obviously) like the 10-year-olds we still are not-so-deep down, so I always get really happy whenever a new gen is announced.
Sprigatito all the way - it’s too cute! Funnily enough, this made me realise I have never picked a water starter - I went with grass in Gen 2, 7 and 8, and with fire the rest of the time. I guess for some reason the water starter designs never appeal to me compared to the other types…
The duckling is cute, though. It gives off some serious Ducktales vibes, which is kind of awesome!
Aaaand this is the final nail in the coffin for me.
I was interested in the game when it was first announced since I have been looking for a good cartoony kart racer to scratch that Mario Kart itch, but the MK8D DLC announcement the other day bumped this down to a 'maybe, if on sale', and now this makes it a hard pass for me. Paid recurring season/battle pass rubbish like this has no place in a £40 retail release.
It was pretty great as far as I was concerned! Super excited for Kirby, the Mario Kart DLC, Xenoblade 3, the Triangle Strategy demo, Splatoon and even Fire Emblem Warriors since from the trailer it looks like it's going to follow a fifth 'everyone banding together' route. If the first half of the year is this packed, we're in for an awesome autumn in terms of Nintendo releases!
I bought this on release (I had a lot of gold points saved, so I ended up getting it for £10) and am really enjoying it in-between bouts of bigger, more stressful games or late at night when I can't sleep.
It is a pretty short game, so if you are unsure I would suggest waiting for a sale, but for anyone who enjoys relaxed, mindful gaming experiences and decorating/puzzles, it's a must!
I caved and bought myself the Mimikyu hoodie and a Mimikyu plush. At 26 I probably should have better things to spend money on, but I don’t regret it one bit! 😂
I’m probably in the minority here, but…Imactuallylookingforwardtothisgame? Phew, there, I said it.
Honestly, the art style is kinda cute and has definitely grown on me since the reveal. D/P were the first Pokemon games I followed pre-release and was really hyped about, and I remember having a blast playing Pearl all summer long when I was 11, so I’ve been waiting for this gen to be remade for a long time. Besides, I’m a casual Pokemon player, and an adult one with little time or patience for grinding at that. I find the ‘obligated’ EXP share a godsend, couldn’t care less about the Battle Frontier (I found it really boring in both Platinum and Emerald, TBH), and just want to relive some awesome childhood memories, have a chill time with the story, build a fun team, complete my dex, and maybe hatch/hunt for a few shinies. A sizeable chunk of the fanbase might dislike the game, but I feel like it’s going to be right up my alley.
At the end of the day, each to their own. People who enjoy this game will buy it, people who don’t like the look of it won’t, and good ol’ Ninty will still rake in the cash and sell millions of copies because it’s Pokemon and kids (and some grown-ups) just want to catch and battle with some monsters.
I’ll definitely get it for the holidays (Mario Party is always great fun when we have family over), but I’ll probably wait until December to get it. I’m already buying three games in November - Unpacked, the Animal Crossing DLC, and Shining Pearl - which means the entirety of my gaming budget for the month is fully booked!
Yep, my OG Switch had a tempered glass screen protector put on it the morning after I got it, and the Animal Crossing edition I replaced it with got one straight out of the box. Same for my mum’s Lite - I popped it on for her as soon as the console came out of the box, before she even turned it on. We look after our electronics well, but scratches can still happen in the dock or in a case, so better safe than sorry.
It’s a no for me - I currently am signed up for a family NSO plan that I split four-ways with my parents, my partner and his brother, which works out at less than £8 each per year. The expansion pass would almost double the price to £15 each per year - or, more likely, I’d end up paying £36.50 a year since I’m the only one who would want to play N64 games (and only the Zeldas, Banjo and maybe Yoshi and Paper Mario at that) and the rest of the family would still be paying £8.
That’s far too expensive, considering that I most likely wouldn’t play any of the Genesis games and that I’ll be buying the Animal Crossing DLC separately anyway (I have over 1000 hours in the game and I want to own the DLC permanently rather than having it tied to a subscription since I’ll likely be playing semi-regularly for years).
Perhaps if Nintendo expands the offer to include DLC for more first-party games and maybe GC/GBA games next year, I’ll take the plunge at this price. Otherwise, it’s a big nope.
Not getting the OLED since I have a perfectly functional Animal Crossing edition Switch I bought last year to replace my struggling launch-day unit. But I’d definitely go for the white one!
Personally, I love the EXP share feature - I’ve been playing since Ruby/Sapphire on GBA, and I remember the grind to get my entire party to a similar level (or, God forbid, a new Pokemon I had recently hatched and wanted to add to my lv.50+ team) as the most boring part of the game. As an adult with a full-time job and limited time for gaming, I just don’t have the time or patience for extensive grinding anymore, so this suits me just fine.
That said, GameFreak (or the studio developing the game, I guess) could have just made it an option to toggle on/off and made the entire fanbase happy on at least this one thing, instead of triggering the millionth round of complaints by a section of the players.
It’s a no for me. I love the Kingdom Hearts series - I started with the original game on PS2 when I was like 11-12, and the series has always held a special place in my heart - but I have no interest in a cloud version of the games that I would essentially be renting rather than owning. The funny thing is, I own all three games on PS4 already, but since I do 99% of my gaming handheld on the Switch (my fiancé and his Xbox tend to hog the TV), I would most likely have double-dipped and bought all three had they been standard ports, in spite of the graphical downgrade that would have surely been necessary for the third game to run on the hardware. Like this, though? Nah.
I’m trying to work through my backlog over the next few months, so I’ll be playing Spiritfarer, Skyward Sword, and perhaps a bit of Ni No Kuni (I’m almost at the end of the game!). I’ve also recently decided to boot up Happy Home Designer on my 3DS on a whim, and I’m LOVING how simple and relaxing it is, so I might play more of that, as well.
Ah, dear old Telegraph, posting inflammatory articles just for the sake of it.
While gaming addiction is real, it isn’t anywhere near as much of a problem as some of the media make it out to be. Gaming only makes up an infinitesimal fraction of addictions, with gambling, alcohol and drugs accounting for the overwhelming majority. As for the woman saying Fortnite was available to kids with no restrictions…just no. It’s up to the parents to restrict a kid’s gaming time; if they set up a console in the kid’s bedroom with no parental controls, it’s them who allow the kid unrestricted access, not the company that made the game.
Comments 388
Re: Pokémon Pokopia Looks Like An Adorable Mix Of Minecraft And Animal Crossing
The fact that the devs behind Dragon Quest builders are working on this bodes extremely well! Hopefully it ends up being as fun and relaxing as it looks.
Also, we finally have a Pokemon spin-off coming exclusively to consoles, which (fingers crossed) means no micro-transaction hell!
Re: Poll: With One Week To Go, What Are Your Switch 2 Launch-Day Plans?
I have a preorder through Nintendo, so I will be waiting (im)patiently for the console to be delivered on the 5th. In terms of games, I have MK World, Rune Factory, and the Switch 2 upgrades for TotK and Fantasy Life - I can't wait!
Re: PS5 Digital Edition Now More Expensive Than Switch 2 In UK & Europe
@OldGamer999 Considering how many units the Switch sold, I think it's safe to say that it holds a lot of appeal with casual gamers, who as a general rule of thumb don't care about teraflops (or even know what they are). Besides, the main defining characteristic of the console is its portability; I have a lot of friends who had not gamed since the DS/Wii era and who got Switches specifically because they could play in short bursts away from the TV, or easily take it to friends' houses to play party games, or play during plane/train/bus journeys.
While I am sure that there is a market for a screen-less Switch to keep under the TV, it is likely very small and is probably not worth the effort of creating an entirely new product that completely breaks away from the Switch's branding and immediately recognisable form factor in Nintendo's eyes. If they make another box to stick in an entertainment unit, they will be once again directly competing (and being compared to) with PlayStation/Xbox, which is probably the last thing they want; the hybrid system, on the other hand, makes it so they do not have any serious competitors who offer a similar product. It's an easy slam-dunk.
Re: PS5 Digital Edition Now More Expensive Than Switch 2 In UK & Europe
Increasing the price of a console in its fifth year is...a choice, I guess? O.o
It makes the Switch 2 look a lot more palatable by comparison, that's for sure. Digital-only 5-year-old stationary console with no games included, or brand-new hybrid console that (although weaker) can play both physical and digital games and comes out of the box with two controllers and a huge game for the same price? If I were a parent looking to get my kids a console this Christmas, I know which one I would choose!
Re: Talking Point: How Does Switch 2's Launch Price Compare To Past Nintendo Systems?
Different metrics will give different pictures, but this seems pretty accurate.
Another option to compare how costs have changed over the years is percentage of the average national salary. For example, in 1991 (according to Google) the average annual salary in the UK was roughly £11K, making a SNES (which retailed for £150) cost roughly 1.4% of the average salary on release. In 2025, the average annual salary is around £35K, meaning that the Switch 2 (retailing for £396) costs 1.1% of the average salary. Overall, the price is fairly similar.
The real problem is how expensive housing has gotten over the past 35 years. I have colleagues whose rent eats up 70% of their wage; saving is difficult, buying a house basically impossible! So the cycle continues, making it difficult to afford more than the bare necessities even when one has a good job. If rent/house purchase prices had increased proportionally to food/transport/video games (and, most importantly, wages), inflation would not be anywhere near as much of an issue, and yet here we are.
Re: Poll: Did You Get A Switch 2 Purchase Invite From Nintendo Yet? (Europe)
Got mine yesterday morning! I got a MK bundle and a 256GB express card for memory expansion (I have a ton of digital Switch games and want to bring my favourites over to the new console). The Pro controller was also tempting, but we already have a Switch one that I bought on release in 2017 and is still going strong and two pairs of extra joy-cons, so I'm good with controllers until the Pro I already have kicks the bucket.
Re: UK Switch 2 Fans, Don't Bother Going To GAME Stores For Your Pre-Order
I was expecting as much. My town used to have two GAME stores, but they both closed - one during the pandemic, one just after. They were pretty much always deserted, since they sold new games at full RRP and pre-owned games for £4-5 cheaper (which was still more expensive than buying new from Amazon/Shopto etc.), so I'm susprised they held on that long TBH.
Re: Pokémon Scarlet And Violet Is Getting A Free Performance Upgrade On Switch 2
If the update can make it run at a locked 30 FPS, I’m going to be very, very happy. The game itself is SO FUN (if ugly; the world textures are awful), but I had to stop playing because the framerate was so bad that I got motion sickness and headaches if I played for longer than 30 minutes at a time.
Re: Switch 2 Games Cost A Bit More Than You're Probably Expecting
Friendly reminder that (at least in the UK; I’d assume the situation is similar in the EU and USA, too) most retailers actually sell games for considerably less than the RRP as they compete with each other for sales. Zelda TotK had a RRP of £59.99 at launch, and many UK online storefronts (Shopto, Hit, even Amazon) had preorders available for £45-£49. I would expect most Switch 2 games to be available for £50-£60 once preorders go live, so let’s wait and see before we run for the torches and pitchforks!
Re: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Version 1.2.0 Bug Supposedly Corrupting Save Files
Well, damn. I'm playing the game because my preorder shipped before reviews came out, and after that I wanted to see for myself just how bad it was. And I'll admit, the game can be fun - I'm getting a decent amount of enjoyment out of doing raids (when playing solo - they are a broken mess as soon as other players come into the picture) and running around catching everything that moves. But from a technical standpoint, the game is a cursed, blazing dumpster-fire of cataclysmic proportions. Glitches everywhere, constant flickering, horrible lighting, and textures that seem straight out of Banjo-Kazooie on the N64. Especially after Arceus, SV really feel like GF took ten steps back.
If anyone reading this wants to play a Pokemon game - don't buy these. Legends Arceus, Sword/Shield and the Let's Go games are all better options. And if you're looking for a good RPG, same as above - skip these, and go for one of the far superior options available on Switch. Dragon Quest XI, Monster Hunter Stories 2, Fire Emblem Three Houses, Fire Emblem Engage, Octopath Traveller 1-2, Bravely Default 2 and the Atelier Ryza and Xenoblade Chronicle trilogies are utter gems when it comes to graphics, performance and gameplay, and don't make you want to bang your head against the wall after playing for longer than one hour at a time.
Re: Surprise! Fire Emblem Engage's 'Wave 3' Expansion Pass DLC Is Releasing Soon
Niiiiice! I'm taking my time with the game and have just reached chapter 17, so I might play something else for a few days until the new emblems are released and then finish the game with all DLC emblems in my squad. I wish more of the minor waves from DLC passes were released this quickly - by the time content is released for most games, I will have moved on to something else!
Re: Poll: Rate Your Favourite Switch Games Of The Year 2022
@dartmonkey You forgot Bear & Breakfast! Most likely won't be the GOTY for most people on here, but it was a fantastic little game, and is very popular in the 'cozy games' community.
Re: Nintendo Unveils Fire Emblem Engage Expansion Pass, Wave 1 DLC Launches 20th January 2023
It might be an unpopular opinion, but I don't get why everyone is so up in arms about this - FE has been doing Day 1 DLC since Awakening (so pretty much literally for the past decade) and it has kind of become an intrinsic part of their sales model. The game will be complete without the DLC, just like all the others were - if people don't like it, they don't have to buy it.
Besides, many other great games on Switch have had expansion passes announced prior to release with the first of several waves of content releasing with the game, and yet have not felt incomplete without it. Think BotW, Xenoblade 2 and 3, FETH, DQ Builders 2, both the Mario Rabbids games, HW: Age of Calamity...I have played and thoroughly enjoyed all of them before getting the DLC, and never felt like I had to spend the extra money in order to fully enjoy the game.
Re: Disney Dreamlight Valley Shares Details On October Updates And Beyond
I bought it a few days ago since I was off sick from work and wanted a comfort game to play. I guess I am lucky - I got maybe 5 crashes in total, and I have played A LOT since I had nothing else to do this week.
Overall, I think the game has a lot of potential. The mix of Disney characters and farming/life sim mechanics works wonderfully, even in its barebones state. The only issues I have encountered, infrequent crashes aside, are some minor audio distortion and a few graphical glitches that usually got fixed by entering and exiting a building. Once more fixes are in and the game gets more fleshed out with new characters, quests and mechanics, I can see this becoming extremely successful (and fun) in the long run.
The thing to keep in mind is that the game is still in early access - aka, beta phase. Glitches and relatively minor issues are to be expected, and the developers seem to be very responsive to player feedback in terms of bug fixes and patch implementation. Though I am not a huge fan of the recent Steam trend of games releasing in early access for full price and then taking years to get to version 1.0, I am actually happy with the amount of fun I'm getting for my £20 since it looks like I'll be playing this on and off for a few years at least a' la Animal Crossing. Is it a cash grab? Oh, absolutely. But one that I am enjoying thoroughly in my Covid-addled state.
Re: Talking Point: What Did You Think Of The September 2022 Nintendo Direct?
Honestly, for me it was a winner. Fire Emblem Engage, Kirby Return to Dreamland, Octopath 2, SoS A Wonderful Life and the Zelda title reveal were all awesome to see for me. There still were things I was not keen on, but the sheer amount of reveals was astounding. Best Direct we have had in a long, long while IMO.
Re: Poll: Do You Actually Want Switch Ports Of Wind Waker And Twilight Princess?
Personally, I'd love to see both games coming to Switch, either as a collection on a single cartridge or separate releases.
I may be biased since I played these games way back when they released and consider them the reason why I fell in love with gaming as a kid, but I would love to see both games ported over for a new audience. Considering how poorly the WIiU sold, I doubt the remasters sold particularly well, and it would be awesome to give a new generation of gamers the opportunity to play these gems on Switch!
Re: Nintendo Has High Hopes For Nintendo Switch Sports As It Nears 5 Million Sales
Good to see it doing well - hopefully sales numbers will persuade Nintendo to support this game with free updates for a solid couple of years after release.
We preordered Switch Sports, and both my husband and I have been having a blast with it. We have played around 50 hours in total since release, and still play split-screen almost every day. It’s silly, simple fun, and perfect for quick 15-minute bouts while we wait for dinner to finish cooking in the oven.
Re: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Booster Course Pass Wave 2 Confirmed For Next Week
Excellent selection! Also a nice surprise to see a completely new track (Sky-High Sundae) included - it is a very nice touch.
As a side note, is it just me, or the textures are MUCH improved compared to the wave 1 courses?
Re: Kirby's Dream Buffet Announced For Switch, Looks A Lot Like Fall Guys
This looks...adorable. Stupidly, absolutely adorable, and I can't wait to play the heck out of it.
Bravo, Nintendo. You are single-handedly stealing all my gaming budget this year, PS5 be damned.
Re: Dragon Quest Treasures Reveals Fresh Story And Character Details
This is definitely going to be a preorder/day 1 purchase for me! I'm a pretty new DQ fan - I was roped in by DQ XI S and DQ Builders 2 a few years ago - but I'm absolutely loving the series, and am now working my way through DQ VII and VIII on 3DS. This looks like it's going to be really fun!
Re: Poll: What Are You Hoping To See In The Nintendo Direct Mini?
A Dragon Quest Treasures update or a DQX Offline announcement for the West would be great!
Re: Hogwarts Legacy Shares New Location Footage In 20-Minute ASMR Video
Excited for this! Politics aside, I am a big fan of the Harry Potter series - the books and movies were a huge part of my childhood, and I have very fond memories of playing the first 4 Harry Potter games on PS1/PS2 when I was in primary school.
However, I think I’m going to wait for the Switch reviews to come out before I decide on which platform to play. I’m considering upgrading my PS4 to a PS5 in the summer (if I can get my hands on one, that is, that console is still rarer than a shiny legendary Pokemon these days), so if performance on Switch is poor, I’m going to go with a PS copy. Regardless, I have a feeling I’m going to adore this game!
Re: Here Are The Top Ten Best-Selling Nintendo Switch Games As Of March 2022
@dimi I’m pretty sure Nintendo only reports on their 1st party games in their financial meetings, so there would not be any 3rd party games on this list regardless of sales numbers…
Re: Nintendo Reminds Us Splatoon 3 Is Still On The Way (Again)
100% getting this day one. I loved the first two games (they are pretty much the only online multiplayer games I've ever enjoyed), and 2 in particular was a blast!
I had just started dating my soon-to-be-husband when it came out, and over the course of maybe 6 months we played around 300 hours of it together, passing the controller back and forth after each match while we hung out on the sofa. Now that he has his own Switch, we are planning to get two copies of Splatoon 3 at launch and really get into the game together (this time as newlyweds rather than a new couple).
Re: The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2 Delayed To Spring 2023
@chardir Kirby was slated for Spring, and it came out in March, so it still might be a March release!
Re: The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2 Delayed To Spring 2023
Is it even a mainline Zelda game without a few delays? Still, this year is so jam-packed new releases, I’m kind of happy they are delaying BotW 2 by a few months. It’ll give the developers extra time to polish the game, which is never a bad thing, and give me some time to work through my ever-extending backlog!
Re: UK Charts: Kirby And The Forgotten Land Gobbles Up The Top Spot
@MostHandsieBoy Considering how niche RF is, I’m not surprised. I’m personally LOVING the game (it’s a ton of fun once you get going), but I can see how the performance issues, sub-par graphics and middling reviews might discourage people who are not long-time fans of the series to jump in.
Re: Review: Kirby And The Forgotten Land - A Breezy Delight With Mario-Level Invention
@-Juice- I think both simple and challenging game series have their own place in gaming. Want to really sink your teeth into something complex that is going to test your skills? You have Metroid, Hollow Knight, Death’s Door, Celeste, Ori, the Souls series. But if you are stressed or not in a great place mentally and just need to relax and have some plain, uncomplicated fun? Then you have Animal Crossing, Kirby, Story of Seasons, Yoshi, Ace Attorney, Pokemon.
Personally, I’d go mad if I only played difficult/challenging games! Life can get hard sometimes, and the gaming equivalent of a warm fluffy blanket and a cup of hot cocoa can help immensely in those situations. But that’s just my two cents.
Re: Review: Kirby And The Forgotten Land - A Breezy Delight With Mario-Level Invention
@Hero-of-WiiU Fellow person with a March 25th birthday here! 😄 I’m also getting the game on my birthday, and am planning to enjoy every bit of it after that fantastic demo. Judging from the reviews, it’s going to be a fantastic introduction to the series for us both!
Re: Review: Rune Factory 5 - A Dependable Old Farmhand That Could Use A Spruce Up
@BloodyMurder Pack it in and take your homophobia somewhere else, dude - preferably back to the 1940s, where it belongs.
That said, I have around £12 in gold points burning a hole in my account, so I think I’ll take the plunge and preorder it digitally. Could not come out at a better time - my partner just came down with the plague, which means in a couple of days I’ll most likely also be ill and need to take a few days off sick. What better game to play through a bout of illness than RF?
Re: Feature: 7 Reasons For Picking Starter Pokémon, But How Do You Pick Yours?
For me it's a combination of the cuteness factor of the base form and the coolness of the final form (which is why I won't settle on a choice for Gen 9 until those evolutionary lines are revealed). I do seem to lean towards fire and grass, though, so unless they turn into weird bipedal fighting-hybrids, I'm probably going to go with Sprigatito or Fuecoco.
Re: Talking Point: How's Your Switch Holding Up After 5 Years?
Don't have my launch-day unit anymore - it had some defects that led to frequent overheating, so I sold it to a very tech-savvy friend who wanted an OG Switch to mod and bought an Animal Crossing red-box Switch to replace it. From what I hear though, after he tinkered with it for a while to fix the issues, it's still going strong!
Re: Some Trainers Are Worried About Pokémon Scarlet And Violet Returning To "Traditional" Catching Mechanics
I am not surprised in the least - Legends is its own thing, and I wasn't expecting all those new mechanics to make it into the Gen 9 games. Unless Scarlet/Violet also include wild pokemon attacking you (which I sincerely doubt), we are not getting overworld catching mechanics, and I am personally not really disappointed about it.
From the looks of it, battles are going to take place in the overworld just like they did in Legends, which hopefully means that we will have no battle transitions/text boxes, so the entire process is going to be far more snappy and streamlined than it was in Sw/Sh anyway. If I can get into a battle, fight/catch a pokemon and be on my merry way again in 1 minute or less, I am going to be a happy camper.
Re: Poll: Are You Excited About Pokémon Scarlet And Pokémon Violet?
Definitely excited for these! My fiance' and I have a bit of a tradition going with Pokemon games where we will each buy a version on release, take the day off, build a blanket fort, and spend the entire three-day weekend playing Pokemon in our PJs (in the fort, obviously) like the 10-year-olds we still are not-so-deep down, so I always get really happy whenever a new gen is announced.
Re: Introducing Pokémon Scarlet And Violet's New Starters - Which One Will You Choose?
Sprigatito all the way - it’s too cute! Funnily enough, this made me realise I have never picked a water starter - I went with grass in Gen 2, 7 and 8, and with fire the rest of the time. I guess for some reason the water starter designs never appeal to me compared to the other types…
The duckling is cute, though. It gives off some serious Ducktales vibes, which is kind of awesome!
Re: Final Fantasy's Cloud Strife Will Be A Season Pass Exclusive In Chocobo GP
Aaaand this is the final nail in the coffin for me.
I was interested in the game when it was first announced since I have been looking for a good cartoony kart racer to scratch that Mario Kart itch, but the MK8D DLC announcement the other day bumped this down to a 'maybe, if on sale', and now this makes it a hard pass for me. Paid recurring season/battle pass rubbish like this has no place in a £40 retail release.
Re: Poll: What Did You Think Of The February 2022 Nintendo Direct?
It was pretty great as far as I was concerned! Super excited for Kirby, the Mario Kart DLC, Xenoblade 3, the Triangle Strategy demo, Splatoon and even Fire Emblem Warriors since from the trailer it looks like it's going to follow a fifth 'everyone banding together' route. If the first half of the year is this packed, we're in for an awesome autumn in terms of Nintendo releases!
Re: Indie Hit 'Unpacking' Sold Over 100k Units In Just 10 Days
I bought this on release (I had a lot of gold points saved, so I ended up getting it for £10) and am really enjoying it in-between bouts of bigger, more stressful games or late at night when I can't sleep.
It is a pretty short game, so if you are unsure I would suggest waiting for a sale, but for anyone who enjoys relaxed, mindful gaming experiences and decorating/puzzles, it's a must!
Re: The UK Is Finally Getting An Online Pokémon Center Store Of Its Own
I caved and bought myself the Mimikyu hoodie and a Mimikyu plush. At 26 I probably should have better things to spend money on, but I don’t regret it one bit! 😂
Re: Pokémon Brilliant Diamond And Shining Pearl Get A Five-Minute Overview Trailer
I’m probably in the minority here, but…Imactuallylookingforwardtothisgame? Phew, there, I said it.
Honestly, the art style is kinda cute and has definitely grown on me since the reveal. D/P were the first Pokemon games I followed pre-release and was really hyped about, and I remember having a blast playing Pearl all summer long when I was 11, so I’ve been waiting for this gen to be remade for a long time. Besides, I’m a casual Pokemon player, and an adult one with little time or patience for grinding at that. I find the ‘obligated’ EXP share a godsend, couldn’t care less about the Battle Frontier (I found it really boring in both Platinum and Emerald, TBH), and just want to relive some awesome childhood memories, have a chill time with the story, build a fun team, complete my dex, and maybe hatch/hunt for a few shinies. A sizeable chunk of the fanbase might dislike the game, but I feel like it’s going to be right up my alley.
At the end of the day, each to their own. People who enjoy this game will buy it, people who don’t like the look of it won’t, and good ol’ Ninty will still rake in the cash and sell millions of copies because it’s Pokemon and kids (and some grown-ups) just want to catch and battle with some monsters.
Re: Phil Spencer: Elder Scrolls 6's Xbox Exclusivity Isn't About "Punishing" Other Platforms
Suddenly glad my fiancé is an Xbox man - when Elder Scrolls VI eventually comes out, I can still play even if it’s an exclusive! 😝
Re: Poll: Mario Party Superstars Is Out Today On Switch, Are You Getting It?
I’ll definitely get it for the holidays (Mario Party is always great fun when we have family over), but I’ll probably wait until December to get it. I’m already buying three games in November - Unpacked, the Animal Crossing DLC, and Shining Pearl - which means the entirety of my gaming budget for the month is fully booked!
Re: Switch OLED Model Scores 2 Out Of 10 On Screen Durability Scratch Test
Yep, my OG Switch had a tempered glass screen protector put on it the morning after I got it, and the Animal Crossing edition I replaced it with got one straight out of the box. Same for my mum’s Lite - I popped it on for her as soon as the console came out of the box, before she even turned it on. We look after our electronics well, but scratches can still happen in the dock or in a case, so better safe than sorry.
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Of The Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack Price?
It’s a no for me - I currently am signed up for a family NSO plan that I split four-ways with my parents, my partner and his brother, which works out at less than £8 each per year. The expansion pass would almost double the price to £15 each per year - or, more likely, I’d end up paying £36.50 a year since I’m the only one who would want to play N64 games (and only the Zeldas, Banjo and maybe Yoshi and Paper Mario at that) and the rest of the family would still be paying £8.
That’s far too expensive, considering that I most likely wouldn’t play any of the Genesis games and that I’ll be buying the Animal Crossing DLC separately anyway (I have over 1000 hours in the game and I want to own the DLC permanently rather than having it tied to a subscription since I’ll likely be playing semi-regularly for years).
Perhaps if Nintendo expands the offer to include DLC for more first-party games and maybe GC/GBA games next year, I’ll take the plunge at this price. Otherwise, it’s a big nope.
Re: Poll: So, Which Switch OLED Did You Buy?
Not getting the OLED since I have a perfectly functional Animal Crossing edition Switch I bought last year to replace my struggling launch-day unit. But I’d definitely go for the white one!
Re: Exp. Share Supposedly Can't Be Turned Off In The Pokémon Diamond And Pearl Remakes
Personally, I love the EXP share feature - I’ve been playing since Ruby/Sapphire on GBA, and I remember the grind to get my entire party to a similar level (or, God forbid, a new Pokemon I had recently hatched and wanted to add to my lv.50+ team) as the most boring part of the game. As an adult with a full-time job and limited time for gaming, I just don’t have the time or patience for extensive grinding anymore, so this suits me just fine.
That said, GameFreak (or the studio developing the game, I guess) could have just made it an option to toggle on/off and made the entire fanbase happy on at least this one thing, instead of triggering the millionth round of complaints by a section of the players.
Re: Poll: So, Will You Be Getting The "Cloud Versions" Of Kingdom Hearts On Switch?
It’s a no for me. I love the Kingdom Hearts series - I started with the original game on PS2 when I was like 11-12, and the series has always held a special place in my heart - but I have no interest in a cloud version of the games that I would essentially be renting rather than owning. The funny thing is, I own all three games on PS4 already, but since I do 99% of my gaming handheld on the Switch (my fiancé and his Xbox tend to hog the TV), I would most likely have double-dipped and bought all three had they been standard ports, in spite of the graphical downgrade that would have surely been necessary for the third game to run on the hardware. Like this, though? Nah.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (September 11th)
I’m trying to work through my backlog over the next few months, so I’ll be playing Spiritfarer, Skyward Sword, and perhaps a bit of Ni No Kuni (I’m almost at the end of the game!). I’ve also recently decided to boot up Happy Home Designer on my 3DS on a whim, and I’m LOVING how simple and relaxing it is, so I might play more of that, as well.
Re: UK Newspaper Comes Under Fire For Hinting That Video Games Are "The Next Global Pandemic"
Ah, dear old Telegraph, posting inflammatory articles just for the sake of it.
While gaming addiction is real, it isn’t anywhere near as much of a problem as some of the media make it out to be. Gaming only makes up an infinitesimal fraction of addictions, with gambling, alcohol and drugs accounting for the overwhelming majority. As for the woman saying Fortnite was available to kids with no restrictions…just no. It’s up to the parents to restrict a kid’s gaming time; if they set up a console in the kid’s bedroom with no parental controls, it’s them who allow the kid unrestricted access, not the company that made the game.
Re: Switch Console Sales Hit 89 Million, Has Now Outsold PS3 And Xbox 360
@westman98 I know, right?! Looks like the argument of someone who’s grasping at straws.