Comments 105

Re: Where To Pre-Order Super Mario 3D All-Stars On Nintendo Switch

Monkey_Balls

@BANJO Well, after millions of server errors, having my bank card, credit card and PayPal all declined, while competing with 6000+ other people in the queue, I finally gave up on ShopTo and went to Amazon. It was quite the relief to have a smooth transaction - I almost don't mind paying extra! Almost.

Same as you, I already have physical copies of the games plus Mario 64 digitally on Wii U. As I mentioned before, I don't even have a Switch yet. But I couldn't miss this collection, even if I don't get to play it for a while (hopefully getting a Switch at the end of the year). Although... I could play the games right now! Ah, the joys of being a Ninty fanboy...

Re: Where To Pre-Order Super Mario 3D All-Stars On Nintendo Switch

Monkey_Balls

Spent nearly two hours trying to order from ShopTo - despite going through checkout multiple times, the server always dies while processing. At one point it said my bank had rejected the transaction due to lack of funds, so I look forward to being billed for 80 billion copies of a game that's still sitting in my basket...

I don't know why we Nintendo fans put up with this [bleep] though. Nintendo constantly re-release old games, charging full price for minimal effort. Then they limit the stock, knowing full well that demand will be high regardless. I often think they don't particularly like money, or maybe that the guy in charge of sales is a secret Sony fanboy.

All this hassle for games I already own and have played to death. Why do we put ourselves through it?

I don't even have a Switch...

Re: Capcom Could Release More Cloud-Based Games On Nintendo Switch

Monkey_Balls

Catch-22 situation?

-Switch gamers prefer a retail/digital version so they don't bother with this.
-Capcom: "Folk aren't interested; we're not bringing any more games to Switch."

Or...

-Switch gamers prefer a retail/digital version, but rent this to show their support (hoping for more Capcom retail/digital games in future).
-Capcom: "Success! We'll do this with all future Switch releases."

And either way the people did sigh...

Re: Nintendo Download: 17th May (Europe)

Monkey_Balls

@spizzamarozzi Thanks! I checked it yesterday afternoon and it was still full price so wasn't hopeful about a discount. Off to download it now.

@Dom I guess you were correct about somebody forgetting to press the right button.

Re: I Grew Up With Nintendo And Will Respect Its Traditions, Says New President Shuntaro Furukawa

Monkey_Balls

"Now as a member of management with Super Mario’s creator Shigeru Miyamoto, I have a lot of respect for him. On the other hand, with this new job that can’t just be it, so I expect to say what needs to be said to run the company."

Well, he's already put Miyamoto in his place. No more extended lunch breaks or skiving off to play Pikmin for Shigsy... #crackthatwhip

Re: Just How Is Nintendo Making All The Cardboard Kits For Nintendo Labo?

Monkey_Balls

@ThanosReXXX You're right - Labo has a lot of potential and Nintendo should be applauded for it. However, it's a decidedly kid-friendly concept on a somewhat adult system. Nintendo are constantly trying to appeal to everyone but this can confuse their target audience. It's a £280 handheld system - is that ideal for young children? Not really, so why then provide something like Labo? Sure, a lot of adults will have fun with it, but I don't think that's Nintendo's intention. Saying that, I'm hoping we see some kind of 'Switch for Kids' in the future - something akin to the Wii U GamePad (more kid-friendly, durable, etc).

I think Labo will be popular, but mostly with adults wanting to tinker about with it. Kids will likely become bored with it or wreck the cardboard, in which case the price point is a factor.

@NewAdvent I've seen a few Labo ads on E4 and Film4 (UK) in the last week or so.

Re: AtGames Confirms It's Making The Mega Drive Mini, Then Deletes Tweet

Monkey_Balls

Sega's announcement of the MD Mini (Yay!) and the subsequent negative reaction to AtGames' involvement (No!) will have the scalpers so confused. Speaking of which, I wonder what the stock situation will be like when this thing lands.

Also... surely they should have started with a Master System Mini? That's my biggest disappointment about this announcement.

Re: Rumour: Did Bethesda Just Tease DOOM 2 For This Year's E3?

Monkey_Balls

"I couldn’t give you any guesses as to what we’re going to announce" - but then provides a hint straight after?

Nah... "Whether or not folks realize it, this is the hell on Earth time for us with E3. We are in the midst of so much planning and work for all of that content" surely refers to how much work/stress an E3 preparation is?

The "Whether or not folks realize it" bit could refer to folk maybe thinking the hardest part is the game development rather than the presentations and reveals to the buying (and often overcritical) public.

Then again, maybe I'm overthinking it more than you guys are...

Re: Arcade Classic Toki Will Return With A Brand New Remake On Nintendo Switch

Monkey_Balls

@Dom I'm a bit confused about this "brand new" remake. It was announced in 2009, with a release due in 2011; those screenshots are more than 8 years old.

Gameplay, posted in 2009:

There's even an old thread about it in the NL forums, posted in 2011 (that'll be one heck of a zombie revival if somebody bumps it).

Apparently the original developer, Golgoth Studio, were struggling to secure a publisher; I wonder if Microïds' comments (regarding the artist/development) mean they are... A) remaking it again (unlikely), or B) pretending they haven't blown the dust off an almost-finished game sat in storage for nearly a decade.

Having said that, I've wanted this since it was announced for the Wii so a Switch version is more than welcome. I just hope it's worth the wait.

Re: Amazon Germany Lists Flashback: 25th Anniversary Edition For June Switch Release

Monkey_Balls

@LemonSlice Ha, I had Another World on the SNES and it frustrated me for months. I downloaded it on Wii U - while the first play-through was tough (I'd forgotten what to do), I blitzed through it in just over 20 minutes when I showed it to a friend. Unfortunately that meant he wasn't impressed with the game, despite me praising it as being a classic.

Prince of Persia is another SNES game that drove me nuts. I gave up on it but my Dad was almost obsessed with beating the game; he spent months drawing maps and planning out the routes. Funny really, as he always said videogames were a waste of time, but I'd often find him having sneaky goes on my SNES games...

I might pick up Flashback at some point; I've always wanted to play it.

Re: Switch Hackers Declare That a Homebrew Launcher Will Be Available 'Soon'

Monkey_Balls

@retro_player_22 I know it's a never ending process as no system can ever be 100% secure, but I don't just mean exploits regarding security/piracy, etc (sorry, I should have clarified that in my original post). These modders/hackers seem to generally make a system better overall (regarding apps and what it can do, etc). A modded Wii is better than the base unit; a modded Wii U is better than the base unit, etc.

These guys aren't hiding away in basements - they are attending conferences to show off what they can do, and are obviously talented. Rather than be constantly behind and patching the exploits, surely it would be in Nintendo's best interest to have these guys on board and make better systems overall? If something has potential then why not use that potential...

Re: Review: Crawl (Switch eShop)

Monkey_Balls

@link3710 I guessed/hoped that might be the case; thanks for clarifying. I'm not a graphics snob by any means but those screenshots aren't helping it much are they - it seems to be my sort of game though so I'll likely pick it up at some point.

Re: Report Suggests Nintendo Switch Manufacturing Could Hit 18 Million This Year

Monkey_Balls

@drich255 @NinNin Sorry, I've only just seen your replies to my comment. I think we're all in general agreement but to clarify: I'm wondering just how popular the Switch really is. The stock shortages will have made some impact on the buying public's decision-making, which could help create false demand.

Also, if the Switch has sold about 6 million so far then a lot of the Nintendo faithful haven't managed to get one yet (I still haven't, albeit I have purposely waited). It's likely to be mostly those people searching high and low for one. We'll see the reality of the demand once the majority of the Nintendo fans have their machines.

Will the unhappy Wii U gamers return? Will Sony, Xbox and PC fans make a purchase? Will the general masses (the "casuals") be interested? Etc, etc. So far, while the sales look good on paper, in reality we (and Nintendo) can't be sure of how popular the Switch really is. Or how it'll sell.

However... Stifle production > create demand > increase production > release Mario Odyssey. Maybe this was Nintendo's plan all along?

Re: Report Suggests Nintendo Switch Manufacturing Could Hit 18 Million This Year

Monkey_Balls

Well at least we'll get a realistic idea of the demand for this thing. Sure, it's selling fast. Yes, people are queuing up to get it. But that's arguably because of such limited stock.

I wonder what the sales would be if the Switch was readily available (zero stock shortages). Still good, yes, but would folk be feeling so optimistic about 18 million sales in year one?

Re: First Impressions: Kicking Off With FIFA 18 on the Nintendo Switch

Monkey_Balls

At least EA are bringing a version of FIFA 18 to Switch. I just hope that when they analyse sales of the game they take into account the amount of Switch owners when compared to those owning PS/Xbox. Obviously it will sell less than on other systems, but that might not be an adequate indicator of fan support (or interest in EA games in general).

Re: Guide: Where to Pre-Order Your SNES Mini / Super NES Classic Edition

Monkey_Balls

@Grandpa_Pixel Nintendo may produce more units than they did with the NES but I think they'll still struggle to meet demand. I could be wrong but I'm guessing the SNES Mini will be more popular given the age of the system and the games on it (compared to the NES).

Usually I'm pretty quick at securing pre-orders but I've had a bit of a chore with this one. It would have been easier to just buy one from you.

Re: Guide: Where to Pre-Order Your SNES Mini / Super NES Classic Edition

Monkey_Balls

@Grandpa_Pixel @8itmap_k1d GAME's initial allocation was 15-30 units per store; 10-20 units per store for a second wave distribution (available today). It sold out on Amazon, Nintendo UK, Argos, ShopTo, etc mostly within an hour of going live... I'd say it's pretty scarce.

You both might be correct, and I hope you are (Nintendo could ramp up production in the coming months), but for now I think the panic is justified.

Re: Poll: What Did You Think of Nintendo at E3 2017?

Monkey_Balls

@SLIGEACH_EIRE It's interesting that you say Prime (being first-person) wasn't as immersive, because I feel that perspective made it much more immersive than the 2D games. Sure, you can't see Samus, but I felt like I was Samus. Obviously some abilities needed to be removed/nerfed for a first-person perspective, but the abilities we had were still Metroid through and through. Plus... the atmosphere. I thought Super Metroid couldn't be beaten, but once I was actually behind that visor...

Other M: that game is one of the reasons I wouldn't want Metroid to go third-person. Most people hated the story; that was actually my favourite part. The gameplay and atmosphere were lacking for me. Isolation. Tension. Exploration. A sense of wonder and progression. Prime had the lot. Other M had none of those things. It just didn't feel like Metroid.

A third-person Metroid could work, of course - just not using Other M as a foundation. I'm thinking something along the lines of the first Tomb Raider which had great atmosphere, exploration and sense of isolation. However, if it's something like Bayonetta or Devil May Cry, featuring a super-agile, somersaulting Samus ninja-ing her way through enemies (while interspersed with cutscenes showing finishing moves)... Ugh, no thanks.

A Metroid featuring both first and third-person gameplay would be interesting though.

Re: Poll: What Did You Think of Nintendo at E3 2017?

Monkey_Balls

@SLIGEACH_EIRE "Samus moves like a tank" in Metroid Prime?

Were you playing the GameCube or Wii version? Because the latter, using motion controls, is very fluid (especially when you set them to "advanced" in the options). As for it not being a "true" Metroid game, I couldn't disagree more. You can't get more Metroidy than Metroid Prime; it absolutely nails the atmosphere and gameplay.

I agree with everything else you said though. Oh, apart from a third-person Metroid. I don't know why... I just don't think it would work.

Re: Beyond Good & Evil 2 is Revealed, But Unconfirmed for Nintendo Switch

Monkey_Balls

Nice, but the voice acting felt off. I don't mind swearing if it's delivered in the right context, but that seemed excessive for the sake of it and ruined an otherwise good trailer.

@ThomasBW84 A language warning would have been appreciated. My 4-year-old niece was enjoying the "greedy piggy" and "funny monkey" until I had to quickly switch it off. I don't wish to grumble too much but I thought this was a family friendly site. Thanks.

Re: Talking Point: Nintendo Needs to Learn Lessons From Its NES Mini Mistakes

Monkey_Balls

I'm surprised it wasn't discontinued sooner. If the NES Mini (in its current form) continued as an established system...

Official Nintendo product.
Cheap.
Easily hacked: entire NES library can be dumped on it for free.
Thousands of third-party games being pirated.
Can't be easily/automatically patched.
Huge potential for hacked units to be sold on.

Nintendo's only mistake was not ensuring the NES Mini was hack-proof. An official product providing an easy gateway to pirated software would massively hurt Nintendo's reputation (and possibly cause a few lawsuits regarding software licenses).

Maybe Nintendo put a cease and desist on themselves? If so, it was the right move. Hopefully they'll re-release it once they've made it more hack-proof. It'll probably have a higher RRP though...