@Kirgo I had a similar thought. If anything, I had to deliberately AVOID combat in the first Xenoblade because otherwise it was too easy to be fun. The new system that lets you de-level your characters (Expert Mode) felt like a welcome addition in the Switch release because it meant you could explore and quest as you desired without having to worry about trivializing the game. Definitely never, ever felt like grinding was necessary or even encouraged.
@Tchunga It has a lot of fans and it's not like the few holdouts are hurting anything. If they don't play it or don't like it for those reasons, it's no one's loss but theirs.
@MarioBrickLayer I think it has more to do with the fact that it wasn't well integrated and that it was never intended to be a Star Fox game at the outset. They just reskinned a nearly complete game and tacked on some ship segments. Great game. I love it, honestly, but it's only just barely a Star Fox game. Really just in a technical sense, not a practical one. If it had been imagined from day one as a Star Fox game, it probably would have a lot more actual Star Fox DNA in the world, characters, story and even gameplay.
@Wargoose I hear your complaint and it makes more sense to me know what you meant. I would say though that maybe you spent too much time with other content in the world, which at least for me.. can make the narrative feel murkier when you're going days/weeks between salient plot points and putting 140+ hours into it. I say this because you can actually tackle the campaign in 40-50 hours without much fuss if you aren't off exploring, side questing, etc.
And I know that's easier said than done some times, because I struggle between the pull to keep the narrative rolling vs my desire to wander and quest. I don't do well with super long games so I try to stick to the main stuff more than anything, but I also get caught up in wandering sometimes and burn myself out. Anyway, it could totally not be this, but there are a few games I didn't enjoy a lot on the first playthrough and I enjoyed much more later when I stuck to a more directed, narrative push.
@Wargoose I've heard a lot of differing complaints about Xenoblade 2, but I can't see how the story is confusing in the slightest. Certainly not a mess.
@Kynwal The point I was trying to make is that it is much a new experience as buying something like Xenoblade 3. The way you said it then and now makes it sound like you still feel like it's tied down by the game it's a prequel to such that you can't just enjoy it as a standalone product. I just thought you might be under a misconception and denying yourself a really fun game you'd very much enjoy, if you like the other Xenoblade games.
@Kynwal What's to relearn? It's a completely different game with a unique battle system. It was sold as DLC in the sense that it was downloadable and it was content, but it wasn't an expansion of Xenoblade 2's existing content. It was its own game entirely.
@KingMike I think it wasn't Persona 4's original late life release that rocketed it into mainstream. As I recall, it was the Golden version that came out relatively early in the Vita life.
It all depends on the tastes of the individual person. I'd say if a series is heavily interlinked story-wise, then go back to the start of the story. If it's not, but you still want franchise history, go back as far as you feel you can stomach the oldness of the franchise and have it still be fun for you personally.
Using Dragon Quest as an example.. for me, I can go back and enjoy the first game. Particularly the easily digestible remake on modern systems, because it's a pretty fast and easy affair. Dragon Quest III on the SNES is such a great game and it's just all the better if you've played I and II, so I feel like it's worth it. Especially considering the remake of III with HD-2D is on the way.
Still, some might feel like anything before, say, the 3DS remake of VII is too old feeling. Just up to you.
I will say this, though, particularly since it seems like you haven't started Dragon Quest VIII yet. It isn't an amazing place to start with the franchise. It's not bad, it's just mostly a modest Dragon Quest experience. In the US and UK it's often hailed as "the best", but I would argue that the majority of people saying that are the same kind of people who say Tales of Symphonia is the best Tales game or Final Fantasy VII is the best Final Fantasy: people who simply played those entries first. Very much like the two aforementioned titles, Dragon Quest VIII was the first Dragon Quest to actually hold the name Dragon Quest in the US, the first on a home console outside Japan in years, the first to use the original box art with anime-style visuals and the first stick to the newer translation "bible" for the series. It was then also the first to actually get some hype, fandom and acclaim at a time when JRPGs were getting fairly popular international.
Is it a bad game? No. Not at all. It's pretty good. All the Dragon Quest games are. But nostalgia and timing are powerful tools and a lot of people who became Dragon Quest fans with VIII often never went on to play the earlier entries, as is common with any franchise that become popular deep into its life. The sales for Dragon Quest VII on the 3DS show how few people actually even gave the game a shot (VII being my favorite Dragon Quest game by far, though it was also the fifth one I played).
I'd say if you want a more accurate representation of which Dragon Quest games are the best in general or the best to start with, the Japanese polls are a little less biased toward a particular entry since they've been massive fans of the franchise since it started. And in fact, VIII frequently rates among the worst in the series there, usually only ahead of the original Dragon Quest.
Metal Max Returns, the SNES remake of the first game from the NES, got a fan translation years ago. It's really excellent. Kind of a mashup of open world, Mad Max and Dragon Quest with a little Front Mission tank tinkering. I'd definitely recommend trying it out. I actually, coincidentally, just was replaying it recently.
There are also English patches for the Nintendo DS remake of Metal Max 2 as well as the DS original Metal Max 3, so the main trilogy of the franchise is quite playable, though I've never played those patches. The storyline is relatively thin so it's import friendly. I'd definitely recommend buying them and checking them out, with or without the patches.
@DJDM I'm sure it is, but I also know that TONS of people (probably even most) who live in the EST/EDT and PST/PDT time zones in the US just say EST and PST all year round regardless because of familiarity. I'd argue the similarity in naming makes it easy to not specify which in the US because they switch relationally to each other, so anyone in the US knows that the only part that matters is the E or the P when talking about other timezones within the US, meanwhile the change to BST is away from GMT which might be much easier to see as being substantiative different.
Not saying it isn't a mistake, just one that makes more sense to make.
@Heavyarms55 Well, it's like how a character in a show or game can make a mildly suggestive comment and it's considered highly offensive/inappropriate, but then a show about literal serial killing for pleasure doesn't get an eye blink. It does seem a hair backward.
@Realness You can change any controls at any time at a system level and save a preset for it on the Switch and change it for whatever game suits you best, so you can adjust it.
@tyranny_life By most accounts, it's the best entry in the series. This isn't me saying you're wrong in not liking it, but they aren't milking the worst entry in the series. They're improving and giving fans the most beloved entry in the series. Can't please all the fans, but it's hard to be too upset (in my estimation) with a developer for selling/building on a game that people want to play/buy.
@JasmineDragon I definitely go through phases where I do one a lot more than the other, oscillating between 70-30 one way or the other, but I always try to do some of both. The last 2-3 years have been amazing in board gaming so you have a lot to look forward to!
@JasmineDragon This whole year is looking like too many games in general!
Amazon definitely can be a mixed bag. Some of it just depends on where you live in relation to a distribution center, too. There's one that's 10 minutes from where I live, but it didn't actually incentive me to be a more consistent customer. It just made me realize the deliveries are super fast even without paying for Amazon Prime, so I cancelled my account last year to save money. Probably the most expensive thing I'd buy from Amazon anyway were hobby board games, but those are just almost always cheaper elsewhere (like from GameNerdz). I realized while Amazon has almost anything, shopping around can often get me better prices and I don't mind waiting a few extra days shipping. And sometimes dealing with their customer service is down right frustrating.
@Ade117 As bland as bland could be is definitely, objectively, false. That's a fair description for the spartan menu options. White or Black. But icons with dozens of different characters in unique poses with unique backdrops/locales, then various borders.. I'm not saying it's renaissance quality art here, but it's definitely say better than "bland as bland could be".
@electrolite77 You're doing the exact same thing for a second time. You're deliberately misinterpreting what was said to make it seem trite and ridiculous. It's unbelievable, actually. No one anywhere said anything about putting labels on people, no one said anything about "a few people" complaining on a games website. I just pointed out the current pervasive climate of raging against everything no matter the conditions. I'm also not talking about videogames or anything specific. Just in general.
We're definitely locked in a culture right now where it's complain first, indict, rage on social media and don't consider any circumstances or rational reasons why things are the way they are. Obviously it's not literally a cancer, but it has turned the internet into a lousy place to communicate because it's almost nothing but angry people blowing up about things that often aren't actual problems. And I'm not just saying they aren't important, I'm saying they aren't even bad to begin. And because it wasn't clear enough before, I'll say this again. I wasn't offering any opinion on this situation or this article itself, I was just explaining the concept to you and your misinterpretation.
@electrolite77 That's not what they said at all. They said "complainer culture" was. People consistently being dissatisfied with everything no matter what the circumstances are. And that is a cancer. Whether or not you think this particular situation falls into that category is certainly debatable, but you're deliberately misinterpreting a statement that encompasses a mass generalization and pretending it was directed at one tiny thing, wording it in a specific manner just to make it seem inherently wrong. Of course no one is saying "anyone who wants a good product for their money is cancer".
What kind of rabble rousing nonsense is this?! This absolutely didn't have more features than the Switch. It had a few very basic things like web browser usage. It's not ironic that it has this and the Switch doesn't. As you pointed out, it's something that made the Wii U easily exploitable (and the PS3 as well, for that matter). It's also entirely unnecessary. If you have access to the internet, surely you have a device better suited to web browsing than a game console.
A lot of people have always hated Miis. They're definitely a hallmark of an era that Nintendo is trying to move away from. With the Switch, they've recaptured a place in the market that has them holding onto a spot that's cool and trendy for the first time in a long time. They're not just the kid's Christmas gift as they were often pigeonholed in the media and the minds of many people. It makes a lot of sense that they'd steer away from them.
Here's the thing, though. You guys just published an article about the NSO service and the VC service and asked why not do both in a situation where doing both doesn't make as much sense. But here.. that's exactly what they've done but it seems like it's viewed as a bad thing.
If anything, I think Nintendo has gone above and beyond by continuing to include Mii support and having those options for those who want it, but smartly steering advertising and such away from it.
@Matty1988 Honestly, this is how I feel. It's kind of crazy how many people I've had angry with me because I'm NOT mad about the NSO structure. It's just.. fine. It works and I'm okay with it. I don't want to go buy those games and I get that some people want their ownership over their digital content, but it just doesn't feel like a big deal to me. And they could do both, but why? You could pick any business model from any company in the world and argue why they should offer a second, unrelated business model. But the reality is, most companies will stick with one path (right or wrong) because it's not worth the resources to dedicate to both. Particularly when the people complaining the most are still willing to buy into the new way of doing things.
No, it's not worth it. There are a few good games but it's a ton of money for things that can be more easily played through fan translations anyway.
Also, Super Famicom Wars is not a prequel to Advance Wars. A prequel is a later work that describes events that precede an earlier work. It's not just something that came before something else. Also, even if it were.. the term refers to chronology of a story timeline and Super Famicom Wars isn't connected to Advance Wars in that way.
For example, in the Tales series, Tales of Xillia 2 is a sequel to Tales of Xillia. The next game in the series was Tales of Zestiria. Zestiria is not a sequel to Tales of Xillia 2 nor is Xillia 2 a prequel to Zestiria. However, Tales of Berseria (which is the next game in the series after Zestiria) IS a prequel to Zestiria. If it had been released before Zestiria, it wouldn't be a prequel, it would just be a preceding work.
@Luigivaldo Of the games listed here, Friends of Mineral Town or More Friends of Mineral Town are among the best. The original SNES entry is still good and a nice little bit of history. Honestly, though, if you have a Switch.. you might just be better off playing the Mineral Town remake and/or Rune Factory 5 (or 4 Special). Without the nostalgia, the older entries might just feel somewhat archaic.
@RupeeClock I agree completely with you. Many other things in history are preserved and that means they're in a museum or similar type of place and/or have detailed records/photos available in repositories. It doesn't mean everyone has a duplicate of it in their home and can go out and get it any time they want. And I'm not just talking about ancient things, I'm talking about cars and radios, toys and clothing, etc.
I think the issue, in part, is many people who complain about game preservation don't really care about the historical significance and actual preservation aspect. They often just use it as a cover for why it's okay for them to download anything they want illegally and play it.
That's not everyone, mind you. But it's certainly not some small, miniscule amount either.
I think the voicework in specifically Xenoblade and Xenoblade 2 is mostly awful. Not all of it. A few characters in each are fine and some are just reprehensible (like all of the Nopons, Nia and a few others). But.. I don't think that's because it's British and being British doesn't strike me as an issue. I know some people like it and I'm fine with it. If I want to hear something else, the original language voice over work in Japanese is available, so I have no complaints.
In fact, there seem to be a lot of people who are happy to have a series with a lot of British voice work so more power to them. I appreciate thematics like that. Dragon Quest often has kind of bad/cheesy voiceovers too but I appreciate that with the voice work and the translation that they stick with some fun themes.
@Silly_G Amusingly, pressing the stick in causes far less damage than moving it in a direction. Though I don't like pressing the sticks in because it feels awkward, imprecise and just all around bad.
This "discovery" is on par with discovering that steel is in fact harder than gummi bears. The running in this game is full tilt mad speed! Of course it's faster than the awkward stop/start truffle shuffle tumble!
@Mr_Fox As if swearing makes someone mature? I don't think they acted childlike. Making sure their content is child friendly isn't the same as behaving in a childlike manner.
I don't get excited for major corporate buyouts like this, but I'm also not concerned by them. The doom and gloom monopoly scenario you predict just isn't realistic. First of all, MONOPOLY. Mono. Even if the industry whittled down to two or three corporations and nothing else, it literally could not be a monopoly. Even when Nintendo controlled more than 85% of the gaming market in the late 80s, it wasn't a monopoly.
By definition, a monopoly is the exclusive possession or control of the supply of or trade in a commodity or service. The current reality is so far away from that it's not just laughable, it's preposterous to even consider it. The EXCLUSIVE possession or control of the supply or trade. Steam exists. Apple exists. Epic Games. Google Play. Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft. And literally thousands of other corporations and tens of thousands or millions of developers, from indie on up, that have a hand in some fashion on the control of the supply and trade of video games and video game hardware/accessories.
The industry is so much more broad than this article contends that it's a literal fallacy to claim otherwise. What is true is that corporate consolidation is CLOSER to monopoly than where we were, say, a year ago. But that's like saying Venus is closer to the sun than Earth and because of that it's going to crash into it any second now. I mean, it's still nearly 70 million miles away. It's not close! It's just closer.
If we ended up in a reality where all indie development was halted, every developer in the world fell under the banner of Microsoft, no independent platforms like Steam or Epic or Apple or Google existed for selling and providing services and we all had our Microsoft card we used on our Microsoft Device to play our Microsoft games sold at the Microsoft Store and literally no other companies offered anything at all, then we'd have a problem. But I can't fathom that happening. Not to mention it would be illegal anyway. There's just no reason for legality to step in now when what's happening isn't illegal.
And as for Nintendo, honestly.. I think there's no chance that would ever be an issue for Nintendo anyway. Nintendo consistently can destroy competitive and provide a great experience because it doesn't matter what the other guy has. Microsoft could buy a thousand more studios, but as long as Nintendo is still Nintendo and makes games from Nintendo franchises, they'll always have a massive fan base buying from them.
I feel like there are too many superior or comparable games on the Switch for $5-$15 (and a few on NSO for no added cost) for me to want to ever spend $40 on this.
@JustMonika It's nice you have the time and resources to enjoy your hobbies in between your important work! I always want to dive more into mine, but I get too caught up in other nonsense usually to watch/read/play the stuff I'm into. Still, I get through some of it!
Comments 952
Re: Nintendo Showcases Quality Of Life Changes For Xenoblade Chronicles 3
@Kirgo I had a similar thought. If anything, I had to deliberately AVOID combat in the first Xenoblade because otherwise it was too easy to be fun. The new system that lets you de-level your characters (Expert Mode) felt like a welcome addition in the Switch release because it meant you could explore and quest as you desired without having to worry about trivializing the game. Definitely never, ever felt like grinding was necessary or even encouraged.
Re: Poll: What's The Best Star Fox Game?
@Tchunga It has a lot of fans and it's not like the few holdouts are hurting anything. If they don't play it or don't like it for those reasons, it's no one's loss but theirs.
Re: Poll: What's The Best Star Fox Game?
@MarioBrickLayer I think it has more to do with the fact that it wasn't well integrated and that it was never intended to be a Star Fox game at the outset. They just reskinned a nearly complete game and tacked on some ship segments. Great game. I love it, honestly, but it's only just barely a Star Fox game. Really just in a technical sense, not a practical one. If it had been imagined from day one as a Star Fox game, it probably would have a lot more actual Star Fox DNA in the world, characters, story and even gameplay.
Re: Video: Let's Talk About Xenoblade Chronicles 3
@Wargoose I hear your complaint and it makes more sense to me know what you meant. I would say though that maybe you spent too much time with other content in the world, which at least for me.. can make the narrative feel murkier when you're going days/weeks between salient plot points and putting 140+ hours into it. I say this because you can actually tackle the campaign in 40-50 hours without much fuss if you aren't off exploring, side questing, etc.
And I know that's easier said than done some times, because I struggle between the pull to keep the narrative rolling vs my desire to wander and quest. I don't do well with super long games so I try to stick to the main stuff more than anything, but I also get caught up in wandering sometimes and burn myself out. Anyway, it could totally not be this, but there are a few games I didn't enjoy a lot on the first playthrough and I enjoyed much more later when I stuck to a more directed, narrative push.
Re: Video: Let's Talk About Xenoblade Chronicles 3
@Wargoose I've heard a lot of differing complaints about Xenoblade 2, but I can't see how the story is confusing in the slightest. Certainly not a mess.
Re: New Details For Xenoblade Chronicles 3's Battle System Revealed
@Kynwal The point I was trying to make is that it is much a new experience as buying something like Xenoblade 3. The way you said it then and now makes it sound like you still feel like it's tied down by the game it's a prequel to such that you can't just enjoy it as a standalone product. I just thought you might be under a misconception and denying yourself a really fun game you'd very much enjoy, if you like the other Xenoblade games.
Re: New Details For Xenoblade Chronicles 3's Battle System Revealed
@Kynwal What's to relearn? It's a completely different game with a unique battle system. It was sold as DLC in the sense that it was downloadable and it was content, but it wasn't an expansion of Xenoblade 2's existing content. It was its own game entirely.
Re: It Looks Like Nintendo's Game Boy Emulator For Switch Online Just Leaked
@CharlieGirl A lot of people don't like to steal games they don't own. It's not a matter of simply owning a device capable of running an emulator.
Re: PS2 Classic 'GrimGrimoire OnceMore' Announced For Switch
@KingMike I think it wasn't Persona 4's original late life release that rocketed it into mainstream. As I recall, it was the Golden version that came out relatively early in the Vita life.
Re: PS2 Classic 'GrimGrimoire OnceMore' Announced For Switch
@KingMike What Atlus games?
Re: PS2 Classic 'GrimGrimoire OnceMore' Announced For Switch
@GregamanX Their games are always announced for Japan first. Doesn't really mean anything.
Re: Talking Point: Is It Ever A Good Idea To Start At 'The Beginning' Of Series Like Zelda Or Dragon Quest?
It all depends on the tastes of the individual person. I'd say if a series is heavily interlinked story-wise, then go back to the start of the story. If it's not, but you still want franchise history, go back as far as you feel you can stomach the oldness of the franchise and have it still be fun for you personally.
Using Dragon Quest as an example.. for me, I can go back and enjoy the first game. Particularly the easily digestible remake on modern systems, because it's a pretty fast and easy affair. Dragon Quest III on the SNES is such a great game and it's just all the better if you've played I and II, so I feel like it's worth it. Especially considering the remake of III with HD-2D is on the way.
Still, some might feel like anything before, say, the 3DS remake of VII is too old feeling. Just up to you.
I will say this, though, particularly since it seems like you haven't started Dragon Quest VIII yet. It isn't an amazing place to start with the franchise. It's not bad, it's just mostly a modest Dragon Quest experience. In the US and UK it's often hailed as "the best", but I would argue that the majority of people saying that are the same kind of people who say Tales of Symphonia is the best Tales game or Final Fantasy VII is the best Final Fantasy: people who simply played those entries first. Very much like the two aforementioned titles, Dragon Quest VIII was the first Dragon Quest to actually hold the name Dragon Quest in the US, the first on a home console outside Japan in years, the first to use the original box art with anime-style visuals and the first stick to the newer translation "bible" for the series. It was then also the first to actually get some hype, fandom and acclaim at a time when JRPGs were getting fairly popular international.
Is it a bad game? No. Not at all. It's pretty good. All the Dragon Quest games are. But nostalgia and timing are powerful tools and a lot of people who became Dragon Quest fans with VIII often never went on to play the earlier entries, as is common with any franchise that become popular deep into its life. The sales for Dragon Quest VII on the 3DS show how few people actually even gave the game a shot (VII being my favorite Dragon Quest game by far, though it was also the fifth one I played).
I'd say if you want a more accurate representation of which Dragon Quest games are the best in general or the best to start with, the Japanese polls are a little less biased toward a particular entry since they've been massive fans of the franchise since it started. And in fact, VIII frequently rates among the worst in the series there, usually only ahead of the original Dragon Quest.
Re: New Screenshots Of Fire Emblem: Three Hopes Surface Online
@ModdedInkling I just looked at them side by side and they don't seem even remotely similar, beyond both being maps.
Re: New Screenshots Of Fire Emblem: Three Hopes Surface Online
@UltimateOtaku91 Seems pretty obvious it's an alternate route overall, right? Considering their age and who's there, etc.
Re: Gigapocalypse Will Bring 'Rampage'-Inspired Mayhem To Switch Soon
@SteamEngenius Yeah, this looks quite bad. I'd rather just play Rampage on NES.
Re: Metal Max Spin-Off 'Metal Dogs' Launch Trailer Is Full Of Blasting, Barking Good Boys
Metal Max Returns, the SNES remake of the first game from the NES, got a fan translation years ago. It's really excellent. Kind of a mashup of open world, Mad Max and Dragon Quest with a little Front Mission tank tinkering. I'd definitely recommend trying it out. I actually, coincidentally, just was replaying it recently.
There are also English patches for the Nintendo DS remake of Metal Max 2 as well as the DS original Metal Max 3, so the main trilogy of the franchise is quite playable, though I've never played those patches. The storyline is relatively thin so it's import friendly. I'd definitely recommend buying them and checking them out, with or without the patches.
Re: Nintendo Life's Indie Spotlight Is Back! Join Us Tomorrow For The Presentation
@DJDM I'm sure it is, but I also know that TONS of people (probably even most) who live in the EST/EDT and PST/PDT time zones in the US just say EST and PST all year round regardless because of familiarity. I'd argue the similarity in naming makes it easy to not specify which in the US because they switch relationally to each other, so anyone in the US knows that the only part that matters is the E or the P when talking about other timezones within the US, meanwhile the change to BST is away from GMT which might be much easier to see as being substantiative different.
Not saying it isn't a mistake, just one that makes more sense to make.
Re: Nintendo Life's Indie Spotlight Is Back! Join Us Tomorrow For The Presentation
@DJDM It's EST half of the year for where they're indicating. Easy mistake.
Re: Nintendo Life's Indie Spotlight Is Back! Join Us Tomorrow For The Presentation
I can't wait for the articles about this on other websites claiming "new Nintendo Direct announced", getting the fans in a tizzy.
Re: 'Seven Pirates H' Brings, Ahem, "Booby Training" To Switch This May
@Heavyarms55 Well, it's like how a character in a show or game can make a mildly suggestive comment and it's considered highly offensive/inappropriate, but then a show about literal serial killing for pleasure doesn't get an eye blink. It does seem a hair backward.
Re: Feature: 5 Accessibility Features That Every Game Should Have
@Realness You can change any controls at any time at a system level and save a preset for it on the Switch and change it for whatever game suits you best, so you can adjust it.
Re: Feature: 5 Accessibility Features That Every Game Should Have
@marktornits Which are you claiming aren't accessibility features?
Re: Round Up: The Reviews Are In For Chocobo GP
@tyranny_life By most accounts, it's the best entry in the series. This isn't me saying you're wrong in not liking it, but they aren't milking the worst entry in the series. They're improving and giving fans the most beloved entry in the series. Can't please all the fans, but it's hard to be too upset (in my estimation) with a developer for selling/building on a game that people want to play/buy.
Re: Round Up: The Reviews Are In For Chocobo GP
@BenAV Well, their release date was already firmly set long before they had any inkling Nintendo would make more tracks. Still, I don't disagree.
Re: Poll: Triangle Strategy Is Out Today On Nintendo Switch, Will You Be Getting It?
@JasmineDragon I definitely go through phases where I do one a lot more than the other, oscillating between 70-30 one way or the other, but I always try to do some of both. The last 2-3 years have been amazing in board gaming so you have a lot to look forward to!
Re: Poll: Triangle Strategy Is Out Today On Nintendo Switch, Will You Be Getting It?
@FishyS I love kart racing! I'd forgotten Chocobo GP was so soon. I hope it's good!
Re: Poll: Triangle Strategy Is Out Today On Nintendo Switch, Will You Be Getting It?
@JasmineDragon This whole year is looking like too many games in general!
Amazon definitely can be a mixed bag. Some of it just depends on where you live in relation to a distribution center, too. There's one that's 10 minutes from where I live, but it didn't actually incentive me to be a more consistent customer. It just made me realize the deliveries are super fast even without paying for Amazon Prime, so I cancelled my account last year to save money. Probably the most expensive thing I'd buy from Amazon anyway were hobby board games, but those are just almost always cheaper elsewhere (like from GameNerdz). I realized while Amazon has almost anything, shopping around can often get me better prices and I don't mind waiting a few extra days shipping. And sometimes dealing with their customer service is down right frustrating.
Anyway, good luck with getting your games!
Re: Poll: Triangle Strategy Is Out Today On Nintendo Switch, Will You Be Getting It?
@FishyS Which kart racers are coming this month?
@liljmoore What game is Legends?
Re: Poll: Triangle Strategy Is Out Today On Nintendo Switch, Will You Be Getting It?
I'd like to get Triangle Strategy and I will soon, but my fiancée was fired over a month ago from her job for having Covid for too long and one of my major contract jobs dried up when they shut down over Covid related words, so we agreed no new games until after a few paychecks roll in when her new job gets rolling (which means a few weeks).
No rush. I'm patient. I'm also eyeing Kirby.
@JasmineDragon What are your must buys?! Just curious. 😊
Oh, as for your Amazon woes.. that's unfortunate. I actually mostly only buy digital now for a handful of reasons (number one being game sharing so I don't have to buy two copies when my fiancée and I both want to play the same game), but I have gotten dozens of games at launch through Amazon before and only one time did they not get me a game on launch day. It was Final Fantasy Explorers and I'd actually purchased three copies. There was a big mix up and the whole order was cancelled. They ended up crediting my account for $40, giving me my money back and they ended up sending the games anyway. Three games for free and a $40 credit. I assumed something had been wrong so I called but then they had no record of the games even going out and said just enjoy. Also, I actually ended up getting three different games one day before launch actually, which surprised me. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, Xenoblade 2 and Super Mario Odyssey.
Re: Poll: Are You A Fan Of Nintendo Switch Online's Game Pass-Style Missions And Rewards?
@Ade117 As bland as bland could be is definitely, objectively, false. That's a fair description for the spartan menu options. White or Black. But icons with dozens of different characters in unique poses with unique backdrops/locales, then various borders.. I'm not saying it's renaissance quality art here, but it's definitely say better than "bland as bland could be".
Re: Nintendo Appears To Have Improved Switch Online's N64 Emulation
@electrolite77 You're doing the exact same thing for a second time. You're deliberately misinterpreting what was said to make it seem trite and ridiculous. It's unbelievable, actually. No one anywhere said anything about putting labels on people, no one said anything about "a few people" complaining on a games website. I just pointed out the current pervasive climate of raging against everything no matter the conditions. I'm also not talking about videogames or anything specific. Just in general.
We're definitely locked in a culture right now where it's complain first, indict, rage on social media and don't consider any circumstances or rational reasons why things are the way they are. Obviously it's not literally a cancer, but it has turned the internet into a lousy place to communicate because it's almost nothing but angry people blowing up about things that often aren't actual problems. And I'm not just saying they aren't important, I'm saying they aren't even bad to begin. And because it wasn't clear enough before, I'll say this again. I wasn't offering any opinion on this situation or this article itself, I was just explaining the concept to you and your misinterpretation.
Re: Nintendo Appears To Have Improved Switch Online's N64 Emulation
@electrolite77 That's not what they said at all. They said "complainer culture" was. People consistently being dissatisfied with everything no matter what the circumstances are. And that is a cancer. Whether or not you think this particular situation falls into that category is certainly debatable, but you're deliberately misinterpreting a statement that encompasses a mass generalization and pretending it was directed at one tiny thing, wording it in a specific manner just to make it seem inherently wrong. Of course no one is saying "anyone who wants a good product for their money is cancer".
Re: Random: 22 Years Ago Today The Nintendo 64DD Had More Online Features Than Switch
@koekiemonster Having a browser is one feature. The Switch has many more.
Re: Random: 22 Years Ago Today The Nintendo 64DD Had More Online Features Than Switch
What kind of rabble rousing nonsense is this?! This absolutely didn't have more features than the Switch. It had a few very basic things like web browser usage. It's not ironic that it has this and the Switch doesn't. As you pointed out, it's something that made the Wii U easily exploitable (and the PS3 as well, for that matter). It's also entirely unnecessary. If you have access to the internet, surely you have a device better suited to web browsing than a game console.
Re: Square Enix Is Looking Into More HD-2D Remakes Of SNES Classics
@Bunkerneath Square mostly ran out of ideas 20 years ago. Better remakes than nothing.
Re: Video: What's Going On With Nintendo's Mii, And Why Are They Dying Out?
A lot of people have always hated Miis. They're definitely a hallmark of an era that Nintendo is trying to move away from. With the Switch, they've recaptured a place in the market that has them holding onto a spot that's cool and trendy for the first time in a long time. They're not just the kid's Christmas gift as they were often pigeonholed in the media and the minds of many people. It makes a lot of sense that they'd steer away from them.
Here's the thing, though. You guys just published an article about the NSO service and the VC service and asked why not do both in a situation where doing both doesn't make as much sense. But here.. that's exactly what they've done but it seems like it's viewed as a bad thing.
If anything, I think Nintendo has gone above and beyond by continuing to include Mii support and having those options for those who want it, but smartly steering advertising and such away from it.
Re: Soapbox: Why Can't Nintendo Offer Both Virtual Console And Switch Online?
@Matty1988 Honestly, this is how I feel. It's kind of crazy how many people I've had angry with me because I'm NOT mad about the NSO structure. It's just.. fine. It works and I'm okay with it. I don't want to go buy those games and I get that some people want their ownership over their digital content, but it just doesn't feel like a big deal to me. And they could do both, but why? You could pick any business model from any company in the world and argue why they should offer a second, unrelated business model. But the reality is, most companies will stick with one path (right or wrong) because it's not worth the resources to dedicate to both. Particularly when the people complaining the most are still willing to buy into the new way of doing things.
Re: Feature: Is It Worth Importing A Japanese 3DS For These Virtual Console Games?
No, it's not worth it. There are a few good games but it's a ton of money for things that can be more easily played through fan translations anyway.
Also, Super Famicom Wars is not a prequel to Advance Wars. A prequel is a later work that describes events that precede an earlier work. It's not just something that came before something else. Also, even if it were.. the term refers to chronology of a story timeline and Super Famicom Wars isn't connected to Advance Wars in that way.
For example, in the Tales series, Tales of Xillia 2 is a sequel to Tales of Xillia. The next game in the series was Tales of Zestiria. Zestiria is not a sequel to Tales of Xillia 2 nor is Xillia 2 a prequel to Zestiria. However, Tales of Berseria (which is the next game in the series after Zestiria) IS a prequel to Zestiria. If it had been released before Zestiria, it wouldn't be a prequel, it would just be a preceding work.
Re: Wonder Boy Collection Is Coming To Switch This Year
Wonder Boy in Monster World is best! And I like MWIV with its original visuals much more than the recent remake.
Re: Wonder Boy Collection Is Coming To Switch This Year
@Jireland92 Don't want to undercut their own sales! And honestly, the remake is fantastic and does the job so I'm not unhappy.
Re: PSA: Get All The Harvest Moon Games Before The 3DS And Wii U eShops Close
@Luigivaldo Of the games listed here, Friends of Mineral Town or More Friends of Mineral Town are among the best. The original SNES entry is still good and a nice little bit of history. Honestly, though, if you have a Switch.. you might just be better off playing the Mineral Town remake and/or Rune Factory 5 (or 4 Special). Without the nostalgia, the older entries might just feel somewhat archaic.
Re: Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation And DLCs Will Also Disappear From The 3DS eShop
@RupeeClock I agree completely with you. Many other things in history are preserved and that means they're in a museum or similar type of place and/or have detailed records/photos available in repositories. It doesn't mean everyone has a duplicate of it in their home and can go out and get it any time they want. And I'm not just talking about ancient things, I'm talking about cars and radios, toys and clothing, etc.
I think the issue, in part, is many people who complain about game preservation don't really care about the historical significance and actual preservation aspect. They often just use it as a cover for why it's okay for them to download anything they want illegally and play it.
That's not everyone, mind you. But it's certainly not some small, miniscule amount either.
Re: Feature: 16 Tracks That Need To Be In The Mario Kart 8 DLC
Mount Wario is my favorite course in MK8D. DK Mountain is my overall favorite course. As long as that makes it in, I'm happy.
Re: Poll: Do You Have An Issue With Xenoblade Chronicles' Accents?
I think the voicework in specifically Xenoblade and Xenoblade 2 is mostly awful. Not all of it. A few characters in each are fine and some are just reprehensible (like all of the Nopons, Nia and a few others). But.. I don't think that's because it's British and being British doesn't strike me as an issue. I know some people like it and I'm fine with it. If I want to hear something else, the original language voice over work in Japanese is available, so I have no complaints.
In fact, there seem to be a lot of people who are happy to have a series with a lot of British voice work so more power to them. I appreciate thematics like that. Dragon Quest often has kind of bad/cheesy voiceovers too but I appreciate that with the voice work and the translation that they stick with some fun themes.
Re: Random: Is Rolling Faster Than Running In Pokémon Legends: Arceus?
@Silly_G Amusingly, pressing the stick in causes far less damage than moving it in a direction. Though I don't like pressing the sticks in because it feels awkward, imprecise and just all around bad.
Re: Random: Is Rolling Faster Than Running In Pokémon Legends: Arceus?
"very important discovery"
This "discovery" is on par with discovering that steel is in fact harder than gummi bears. The running in this game is full tilt mad speed! Of course it's faster than the awkward stop/start truffle shuffle tumble!
Re: Nintendo Minute's Kit And Krysta Reveal Why They Left The Company
@Mr_Fox As if swearing makes someone mature? I don't think they acted childlike. Making sure their content is child friendly isn't the same as behaving in a childlike manner.
Re: Soapbox: Don't Cheer For Corporate Takeovers - It's Not A Game
I don't get excited for major corporate buyouts like this, but I'm also not concerned by them. The doom and gloom monopoly scenario you predict just isn't realistic. First of all, MONOPOLY. Mono. Even if the industry whittled down to two or three corporations and nothing else, it literally could not be a monopoly. Even when Nintendo controlled more than 85% of the gaming market in the late 80s, it wasn't a monopoly.
By definition, a monopoly is the exclusive possession or control of the supply of or trade in a commodity or service. The current reality is so far away from that it's not just laughable, it's preposterous to even consider it. The EXCLUSIVE possession or control of the supply or trade. Steam exists. Apple exists. Epic Games. Google Play. Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft. And literally thousands of other corporations and tens of thousands or millions of developers, from indie on up, that have a hand in some fashion on the control of the supply and trade of video games and video game hardware/accessories.
The industry is so much more broad than this article contends that it's a literal fallacy to claim otherwise. What is true is that corporate consolidation is CLOSER to monopoly than where we were, say, a year ago. But that's like saying Venus is closer to the sun than Earth and because of that it's going to crash into it any second now. I mean, it's still nearly 70 million miles away. It's not close! It's just closer.
If we ended up in a reality where all indie development was halted, every developer in the world fell under the banner of Microsoft, no independent platforms like Steam or Epic or Apple or Google existed for selling and providing services and we all had our Microsoft card we used on our Microsoft Device to play our Microsoft games sold at the Microsoft Store and literally no other companies offered anything at all, then we'd have a problem. But I can't fathom that happening. Not to mention it would be illegal anyway. There's just no reason for legality to step in now when what's happening isn't illegal.
And as for Nintendo, honestly.. I think there's no chance that would ever be an issue for Nintendo anyway. Nintendo consistently can destroy competitive and provide a great experience because it doesn't matter what the other guy has. Microsoft could buy a thousand more studios, but as long as Nintendo is still Nintendo and makes games from Nintendo franchises, they'll always have a massive fan base buying from them.
Re: PlatinumGames' Sol Cresta Blasts Onto Nintendo Switch This February
I feel like there are too many superior or comparable games on the Switch for $5-$15 (and a few on NSO for no added cost) for me to want to ever spend $40 on this.
Re: Gal*Gun: Double Peace's Limited Edition Comes With Plushies And A 'DIY Tentacle Kit'
@JustMonika It's nice you have the time and resources to enjoy your hobbies in between your important work! I always want to dive more into mine, but I get too caught up in other nonsense usually to watch/read/play the stuff I'm into. Still, I get through some of it!