LastFootnote

I just sent NISA a civil email stating that I won’t be buying any Game-Key Cards, and will instead wait for a steep eShop discount.

@GreenXIII Pretty sure they are using the WotL script for the "Classic" version, actually. That's what I remember reading, anyway.

@Jack_Goetz I understand and share your concerns, but it’s worth remembering that “new 3D DK game by the Odyssey team” was rumored YEARS ago. So I’m guessing this was never intended as a tech demo and was always planned as a full game.

Here’s hoping it’s at least as big and interesting as Odyssey. My worries haven’t been completely dispelled yet.

Whoa, I know Mario Kart World isn’t perfect, but it’s gotta be better than Mario Kart Wii.

@Ooccoo_Jr You think 99% of gamers sell their physical games after playing them? I guess that’s possible, but I hope not. I don’t consider myself a “collector”, but I certainly don’t sell my games for pennies on the dollar. I’d much rather keep them and probably replay them.

@TKundNobody Tariffs on China were still sky-high until recently, and you could argue they're still high now. And I'd wager than most or all Switch 2 accessories are manufactured in China.

I assume that's also why the new amiibo are a ridiculous $30 each here.

@sanderev For large games, I would rather pay an extra $10 to have the game on a card than pay about $15 worth of space on a Micro SD EXPRESS card. And I'd rather be able to pop the card in rather than download and re-download a 64 GB game onto a memory card.

So uh, I wouldn't thank Nintendo on those fronts either. You're footing the bill either way.

Another Game-Key Card, I’m sure. I’ll pick it up digitally when it hits 50% off in a few years.

Just from the screenshots, it looks pretty unpolished. If the gameplay is good enough though, maybe it’s worth trying out.

I feel like maybe these games could more easily maintain a steady framerate if they oh I dunno REMOVED THE STUPID BLUR EFFECT ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN THAT LOOKS AWFUL AND HAMPERS THE GAMEPLAY.

Looks like Super Mario Bros. Wonder got an update as well.

EDIT: Kirby Star Allies too. I’m guessing these are just compatibility updates.

Also:
Kirby’s Dream Buffet
Both N64 apps (to add rewind, button mapping, etc., I assume)
Pikmin 3 Deluxe
Super Mario 3D All-Stars
F-ZERO 99
Tetris 99

@JimNormam “the sworded issue of cownibalism”

…I’m not 100% sure this isn’t some strange non-sequitur joke, but uh, the word is “sordid”.

For those of us in the US: I think we can agree that Best Buy wins with these pre-orders. They may have started a half-hour late when the pre-orders went live, but their website actually worked and I haven’t heard anything about them cancelling orders.

@Axecon “All finally coming to an end.” Wish I had a dollar for every time I thought that was true. It might be true this time, but I remain very skeptical.

@Smithicus I don’t think they couldn’t get DK out in time. I think they’re purposefully delaying it in an attempt to maximize revenue. Nintendo has been doing this very steady cadence of releases for years now, and they won’t change it even for a new console release.

@Superick It’s a marketing issue. As others have said, don’t call it “Welcome Tour” and then charge for it. This was a completely unforced error on the part of NOA.

Here was me in my ignorance, hoping that Tetsuya Nomura had finally left Square.

OK, time out here. Are they talking about the plastic film that comes on all new screens and is clearly designed to be easily peeled off before use, or is there another film underneath that’s harder to remove? I’d always assumed the latter.

@BenAV I’ve had my OLED since release. Never applied a screen protector and the screen has no scratches. So I mean, it can’t be THAT easily scratchable.

@SalvorHardin PSA: You’re really telling on yourself as a crypto bro when you reference “FUD”.

@RiasGremory If reports are to be believed, the only two options Nintendo is giving are 64 GB Micro SD EXPRESS game cards and game-key cards. The first is way pricier than the second.

So, I (mostly) blame Nintendo for this.

@Solid_Python I don't refuse to acknowledge anything. Yes, I'll happily pay a $10 "Switch tax" for an on-card physical version of a big game. Maybe even $15! It sure would be nice if the digital versions were just cheaper, but that doesn't seem like it's gonna happen in North America.

Also, I don't care what's standard for other platforms? Why would that matter to me or anybody? It's a false equivalence anyway, since SSD EXPRESS memory is much more expensive that the hard drives other platforms use, SSD or otherwise.

@Solid_Python What I care about is the limited space on my expensive micro SD EXPRESS memory card. I couldn't care less about what's in the box, or having a box at all.

A lot of people aren't "boycotting" game-key cards because of some weird ideology. They're not buying them because they're strictly worse than both real physical games and digital downloads. And they're complaining because the game-key cards are REPLACING actual physical games, which is the best format for large single-player games you're not going to return to on a regular basis.

I'll probably pick this up digitally at a steep discount. I would have preferred a real physical version (at full price). There's no way I'm buying a piece of plastic that I have to insert into my Switch 2 but which still requires me to download the entire game and host it at my own expense. That's just idiocy.

@beltmenot They're worse than nothing, actually. They're a bunch of plastic waste for something that still requires a full digital download.

I was super excited for this and would have gladly paid $70 for a physical version with the games on-card. Instead I'll be waiting until the game is at least 50% off on the eShop and buying it digitally. Thanks, Square-Enix!

I hope I can snag one of these on release day despite not having preordered it.

According to Nintendo’s store page, this game can ONLY be played in TV mode. Is that accurate? Can you simply not play this on a Switch Lite?

@abe_hikura Yeah. Hopefully my physical version will also somehow load a bit faster, but I know that’s wishful thinking. I may need to also buy a digital copy someday when the price is steeply discounted.

Nicely made quiz! Tough but fair.

@abe_hikura Hopefully load times will be faster too. Seeing the loading icon every time you go through a door or start or end a battle really wears on me.

It’s a remake of an NES game. Making it as snappy as the NES version should have been a higher priority.

For those who haven't played all the way through the game yet, you would not believe how slowly the bird flies. You could triple its speed and it would approach "reasonable".

Yeah, the new designs have definitely grown on me.

Not trying to derail the conversation, but just a quick PSA to anybody who somehow doesn't already know: All of SEGA's launch physical launch titles on Switch are Game Key Cards, meaning you will still need to download the entire game onto your system or memory card. Plan your purchases accordingly.

@abbyhitter Apparently this is not the case. Nintendo is not sending out review consoles for Switch 2 until "the last minute".

@sanderev The thing about that compatibility list is that it's not "complete" (and I don't think it's been updated since it was released). When I say it's not complete, what I mean is that over 75% of Switch games start up fine, but we have no idea whether they have issues during gameplay. "Further tests in progress."

@AnonyQ How is Master Key? It’s on my wishlist but I’m waffling on it.

I’m trying to finish Nobody Saves the World, which apparently has startup issues on Switch 2. And I’m also playing though Unicorn Overlord.

Nice! Always good to have another meaty RPG soundtrack on the service.

Speaking of, I’d really love to get Origami King’s soundtrack on the service sometime this year.

And yet they couldn't calibrate the meter so that 90% of the battery was "100%" of a charge? I know it's just a hangup for me, but it sounds terrible to never have it charge to 100%. Just call 90% "100%" and show me the remaining power as a percentage of THAT amount. C'mon, Nintendo!

@JohnnyMind
**pushes glasses up on nose** Um ACTUALLY, all controllers are peripherals, including the Joy-Con that come with the system.

peripheral
noun

Computers
—a device or unit that operates separately from the CPU but is connected to it, such as a mouse, printer, speakers, etc.
—a device or unit that is separate from a network’s host computer but in communication with it, such as a shared input terminal, printer, or backup drive.

@StewdaMegaManNerd The track record is not good there. Nintendo sometimes does merchandise tie-ins for anniversaries and they occasionally re-release old titles (e.g. Super Mario 3D All-Stars). But they have NEVER coordinated the release of brand-new games to anniversaries.

"I'd be lying if I said that a little more accuracy wouldn't go amiss"

@JimNorman This is hard to parse, but I think you have one too many negatives in here.

Huh, I thought they were already the top-selling Pokemon games. Maybe I'm thinking of "fastest-selling".

@Don I wouldn’t expect a Super Mario game this year. Nintendo often releases merchandise to commemorate game anniversaries, but not new games. They seem to have no interest in shackling themselves to that schedule.

@PikminMarioKirby And don't these games also have in-game ads? Or did I dream that?

Honestly the Game-Key Cards are a much bigger reason for me to buy fewer games than the prices. That being said I've had a rule since December 2023 that in order to buy a new game, I must beat two games in my backlog. That'll definitely be continuing. And the way things are going, it looks like I'll be buying way more games on my Switch 1 wishlist than fancy new Switch 2 games.

@Daniel36 Please stop equating a small patch update with an entire game download. It’s incredibly disingenuous. There’s an enormous difference between a patch that’s a few MB or even 1 GB and an entire 60 GB game. Stop pretending they’re the same.

@wiiware For me, Cursed Kingdom is just so much better than Dragon's Trap. Dragon's Trap is a remake and, as someone with no nostalgia for the original, I just couldn't get into it. But I completed Cursed Kingdom. Very nice platforming adventure.

As for a 120 FPS patch? I mean I'd install it on the Switch 2 and at least try it out.

I'm actually not expecting additional Joy-Con colors for Switch 2. Like, ever. The inside of the Switch 2 itself has those blue and orange colors so that you can tell where each controller goes. They're not going to want to mess with that.

They'll probably eventually have different designs on the black parts of the Joy-Cons, but as for the "rail" parts? We're stuck with blue and orange for the entire generation.