LavaTwilight

I really think it's too late for a Mario Maker 2 update. This should have been one of the first to get an update, and if not then at least information about a premium update. I really think their total silence on the matter is because there's MM3 in the works! At least I hope so.

So my totally realistic not-at-all-delusional hopes for the direct are:

new Animal Crossing,
Mario Maker 3,
Pikmin 5,
Suikoden 3-5 or at least 4+Tactics, or something like that...
Faxanadu HD remake plus original NES version on NSO,
Ok that last one is a stretch... but I can but dream right?

Is it me or do some of those images look... stereoscopic?

I very nearly got this during the last Steam sale... kinda glad I didn't but I would need 2 things (not that I'm picky or demanding but these are essential):
1 - a decent port with suitable fps and purdy graphics
2 - all keys to be located firmly within the game, and not the actual game

The problem with these sorts of events is that it's not necessarily how well you are or how good you do, it's how much time you have available to play on this. For most people with just a couple of hours to spare, we won't get very far.

Edit: #firstworldproblems

No Pokemon Sleep event? Man, I would've aced that one!

Back in 200X my friend from Hong Kong was mad about this game. He kept going on about it so I went to look for it myself but it was never released in the UK! To be fair I've not searched that hard for it since but now it's here I can't wait to find out what all the fuss is about.
Next, Doshin The Giant!

Edit: I see apparently this was released in the UK so I'm guessing my anecdote comes from 2005 when he would've had it first but before it came put in Europe...
...back when games had multiple release years depending on the market

There goes any hope of Animal Crossing or MKW dlc...

Still looking forward to it. If my body can't be ready, then my partner's body can be!

No wait, that doesn't sound right...

How about someone do a test.... release two versions of a game, one with the keycard, and another full game-on-card release that costs 5 dollars more (or even 10 dollars if it's really that expensive for publishers) and see which one sells more.
I'm willing to bet most gamers would overwhelmingly purchase the more expensive version of the game than the downloadable version, despite the increased price. There's no real excuse for keycards.

The problem with belkin, all their products are prettu much "that'll do". It's hard to recommend anything they've made.

Im sorry if this has been answered, I don't have much time right now. I understand the first two. But what I don't understand is the second two. Can someone tell me how these have happened and why those would be such a detriment?

Ok I understand the third for sure, but have developers actually used that tactic? Example(s)?

@Jeyl I clearly didn't explain myself well enough. What I meant was I see the argument both sides have, but I don't agree with both sides. Not that I don't agree with either side, I only agree with one side.
And you're right. I do agree that games should be preserved and not killed off.

@Devann @Simu001 Exactly. If you're still playing their old games, there's a good chance you're not sinking money into their newer games. Since their games are designed to be online only, it means money must be spent to accommodate offline play.
They say that they are worried about data security (GDPR is very big here in Europe) but there are also measures to protect that too. Again, it just costs money to implement, and they don't want to do that if it means little to no return. It's like @setezerocinco said. They claim they'll shut down production in Europe but that's an empty threat. If they were to do thay, they'll lose a huge portion of their revenue. Instead, they'll do what it takes to continue making games for that market, even if it means spending extra.

I see both sides of the argument. But of course I don't agree with both sides. Maybe they should stop designing many titles "from the ground-up to be online-only".
What would likely happen is the courts would probably decide that if a game is dependant on it being "commercially viable" in order to be available, it must be clearly labelled on the box or front web page that support for this game may end. Or something to that effect.
In very much the same way tobacco companies have large warning labels saying "caution: smoking kills" then these games must have "caution: video games company may screw you over".

Actually I just had a thought... what if they're pulling a Coke Classic kind of thing? Ya know, let's get everyone to hate the new Mario Kart World, then they'll release a paid dlc for Mario Kart Classic where it fixes all these issues and make billions off of it?

One thing i don't get, is when Nintendo sent across their polls to see what we think of the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World, there was no section to provide actual feedback. Only a ratings system. I fear any feedback we gove will fall on deaf ears

@PinballBuzzbro they do occasionally get some right.

@yohn777 exactly. They just churn out a game once it becomes playable. They don't care too much of the quality as they're making games for younger children whose parents will almost certainly buy it. I havent played much of them either but I've bought a few for my kids so I'm now super cautious when I see Outright Games. Their Spirit game was unplayable due to stuttering but at least they patched that one. I just hope this one is decent because I know my kids will ask for this one.

@Kiz3000 they're not a terrible games designer... they just never make anything that is fantastic either. They do great games for kids age 3-6. Not all their games are like that. But it feels like OG games could do with a bit more time to bake before release. Most of their games are like that, one patch away from decency. If you look at some of their other games on NintendoLife, I think 7/10 is their highest rating. Most games get between 4 and 6.

Im not sure if I can say I have a main yet... but there are a few I will turn to after all characters are unlocked. Particular favourites include Pianta, Luigi, Conkdor and Piranha Plant (I love his happy grin when you win). But I always chose Dry Bones since Mario Kart Wii and will probably continue to do so!

I think a lot of it also comes down to expectation vs realisation. If you approached the free roam with negativity, then there's a good chance you see it better than most. If you went in expecting a deep and immersive experience, you probably are feeling more let down than most. It is what it is, they couldve done better but then again they couldve also done worse.

I think everyone has already said everything necessary. When I saw Nabbit in those binocular videos I thought for sure that would be how you unlock nabbit. I thought there would be more hidden courses hiding throughout the world, like toads turnpike or toad city somewhere in crown city... just like the city layout. What about all the koopa troopa beach islands that you traverse across like the mario circuits (I've not explored that area of the map yet so maybe the islands are still there?)

Overall though, I enjoy it. I love just chilling and vibing along the way. It just feels like they've got so much right and then missed so much potential.

@dartmonkey when you say you can't spin on the spot, do you mean like pressing a+b (accelerate and brake) at the same time and turning? Maybe you need the hop button too but I don't think so. If you do that, you turn on the spot don't you?

Mom, can we get Mario Kart World?
"We have Mario Kart at home"
...

I can understand them charging for it, I do. I dont agree with it but I understand it. But what would have been better is for them to offer it for free from say June 5th to June 12th. That way everyone who has bought the Switch 2 on day one gets it for free. Or extend it beyond a week for those in Japan who missed out on the lottery ya know, either make it a month or give them a free download code anyway so it doesn't matter how long it takes but at least for those who purchased the switch 2 on launch, give it to those for free. All things considered it is the least they could do as a thank you to loyal customers.

At least Target and Walmart cancelled preorders immediately, Game has the audacity to wait until a week before launch before cancelling. Now that's a boss move!

@Markiemania95 @MetaRyan ah got it, I thought it was 30% of those who answered, since you can select more than one answer. Thanks for clarifying.

How is only 30% of people (at time of writing) getting Mario Kart?!? I didn't expect it to be 100% but at least 50...

@Olliemar28 will NintendoLife be getting one early for... "reviews"?

Im just gonna say it, don't judge me. But I wish EA would stop being a cancer in the video games industry.

@Suketoudara it's pretty good by comparison. There's a reasonably lengthy single player campaign, as well as some modes you can only play single player (or with local play) - but I mean it's Mario Party. It's primary focus will be multiplayer. It has a pretty decent online community too though and I think only once have I ever run into any connection issues.

@jesse_dylan ah you Americans... spoilt for choice. We only had the choice of Mario World or FZero. But I am also talking about the launch day/week, not the launch year. In Europe the SNES didn't release until 1992, and so by the end of the 'first year' we also had Mario Kart.

Gah I'm still missing 31, 33 and 34. That's so frustrating. Why don't they just add them on?

@jesse_dylan ah back when the SNES launched our only option was Mario World and FZero. Im not even joking. Nothing else. We used to drrrream of having 20+ games at launch. You tell the kids of today that, and they won't believe you.

I think we might have a partner showcase Direct, as per their 3-stage rollout plans that were reported on back in... April? I think? But that would make sense. A full fledged 40min Direct with big reveals makes more sense in August when they're at Gamescom, their bigger games are out of the way and people are starting to look towards the holiday season. I mean that makes sense to me, but as has been repeated here, Nintendo do their own thing. And it seems to work... mostly....

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe every single track of the booster courses are all borrowed from MK Tour. Any that were not tour exclusives had already been revamped in MK Tour first. That's what made the booster pass stand out as being minimal-effort on Nintendo's part. Don't get me wrong, I was happy to play them, and the fact that some of the courses had alternate routes, such as Kalahari Desert and Peach Gardens, but essentially they all felt like I had already played them all. Even that awesome reimagined Bowsers Castle (you know the one). At least they gave us something to tide us over until MKWorld.

Double Dash will always be the clear winner to me. It was peak Mario Kart. Of course that's just me, and all the games in the franchise are worthy of their own love. What I really want to see a return though, is Wario Coloseum. I thought the anti grav would be perfect for that but clearly not. Hopefully it comes back in some form in MK World.

@N00BiSH thank goodness, I thought it was their way of making up for not including the welcome tour.

This sounds really cool, but beyond a quick little ditty, I don't see how often I would use this. I'm surprised you haven't commented on the video Nintendo Today posted about the binoculars in Mario Kart World... their use has been confirmed. It's exactly what we expected.

@abe_hikura Hm, possible. Likely even. We can but wait and see.

@robotreptile I think reduced loading times will come with the Switch 2, regardless of any upgrades we may or may not purchase/download. At least that's my understanding.

I would love to see Pikmin 4 with fresh updated graphics. I do think however the reason Mario Maker 2 doesn't have anything to offer is because a third one is on its way... maybe even this year?

I know it'll be there on day 1 but I'm just glad it's back!

Double Dash, Melee and Viewtiful Joe.
I'd also love Eternal Darkness. Sure some of its jump scares may not have the same effect anymore, but those that do should still stand the test of time.
Also FZero GX

I was there when Mario Kart originally released, and it really was one of the best games of the time. It was so different to other racing games, focusing on tight gameplay and outsmarting the opponents, and while it wasn't the first game to have items, it was definitely a huge factor in making the game stand out.
Unfortunately it just didn't age very well. But at the time, trust me, it was an amazing game with all the silliness and fun that more recent MK games have provided.

@goldgriffin360 you can, but they may be sold out. A lot of the accessories are sold out here in Europe.

Some retailers won't allow you to preorder online and it must be done in store, like Curry's PC World. Try there if you're stuck without one.

This is all well and good, but where are the themes we've been asking for? Or the folders? Or the Wii-style music... those were some chilled-out times!

I'm not surprised. I remember seeing one of Masahiro Sakurai-san's videos about this topic, and I have to agree with him. Video games, typically, are very cheap for what you get in return. I've spent hundreds of hours on some games that only cost me 60. Saying that, I've felt angry at spending less than 5 on a game I just didn't enjoy and gave up after an hour.

Considering the inflation, I'm not surprised prices have increased. My issue is not with that, it's more with my wages not increasing too.

I'm definitely waiting before buying some more joycons for my switch 2. I'd like at least a different colour option first. Of course, if they are officially changeable and modifiable, then that's different... but I'm waiting for newer colours at least.