Comments 137

Re: Random: Zelda: Majora's Mask Short With Ghibli-Inspired Visuals Is Breathtaking

MrDocena

Can't wait to see more people complain about why Nintendo can't match a fan's 8 month long passion project that didn't require agreements, marketing, and direct finances and was able to copy from assets with little to no blowback from the audience...
Then comparing it to games that require new assets (especially in fear of public "outcry" for doing bare minimum changes to character designs), payments for every employee involved, marketing (including interviews and PR), several meetings for agreements, with teams that could clash in creativity and nullify 50% of the passion for each person involved, over a concept that really wouldn't fly unless they had direct agreements with Ghibli or associated studios (which would require more meetings and clashing of creative direction), that has to be able to survive the production hell that every big name game has to pass...

...

No hate on the project itself. It's amazing. All props to that guy.
But being able to predict "fan" reactions like this, then seeing it play out hundreds of times is exhausting.

Re: Former PlayStation Head Praises Nintendo For Being "In Touch With Their Fan Base"

MrDocena

The fans that either [praise every step they make as if they could do no wrong], or [turn on them on a dime and blame them for everything wrong with the gaming industry while singing praises to their new god Steam just because they never bothered to play another console in their life until they decided to throw a tantrum]?
Those fans?

Or do they mean the Nintendo enjoyers who just [really like it when Nintendo does Nintendo things]?

Re: Opinion: Silksong's Big 'Anticlimactic' Premiere Was Absolutely Perfect

MrDocena

@ArmenianJedi13
A majority of games people have played in there life wasn't created just for them, nor did most of them cave into demands. People just played the game and they liked it.
A majority of Nintendo games are made WITHOUT fan feedback (practically disregarding them altogether). They're in fact infamous because if it.

Re: First Footage Of Elden Ring Running On Switch 2 Appears Online

MrDocena

@Paulo
You know... You could stick the "Wii" there and realize that's not a great comparison.

Even if you tried to retort and replace it with the "Wii U", you'd actually prove the Switch 2 in the right... because the Wii U absolutely could run plenty of games during its era, but 3rd parties didn't care to.
Back then it was marketing wars. Nowadays? ... I mean, it very well could still be about marketing wars.

Edit: Also, the Switch 2 by specs is pretty comparable to the Steam Deck while selling for a little more than half its price.
If you keep doubling down, you'd be simultaneously downplaying the Steam Deck while indirectly complimenting the Switch 2, chief.

Re: GungHo's Switch Free-To-Play 'Ninjala' Looks To Be Winding Down Major Support

MrDocena

Literally the only thing that killed this game for me was the monetization... Not as a whole, but the cosmetic lineup. Some would call me a whale for spending $100+ on these sort of games (honestly I think the real whales are the ones who spend $1000+), but I'm rather eager to support games I think are well designed - and Ninjala had a strong sense of design... But really poor planning, imho.

Example? I bought a ton of cosmetics in S1. Made my different characters, was very happy. S2 rolls around and even BETTER cosmetics appear! Expected. I buy them, customize, am happy. S3 comes in and even BETTERRR cosmetics appear! I'm now disgruntled. S4 appears and... Guess what? This pattern continues.
You may think "duh, that's normal"... Except when you take into account that ALL of these Seasons had VERY SIMILAR COSMETICS BETWEEN THEM. For example, nearly ALL of these Seasons had a white trenchcoat, a set of goggles, and fox mask. So what happens when you spend money on ONE Season to get a white trenchcoat, a set of goggles, and fox mask, only for the NEXT SEASON to have BETTER VERSIONS? And the VERY NEXT SEASON to have EVEN BETTER VERSIONS? And the NEXT SEASON -

No. This wasn't a "theme" for Ninjala. Ninjala was pulling from every sort of "cool genre" to make up their styles...... So how do you end up with the same theme across FOUR DIFFERENT SEASONS??

Rather than out of ignorance, it was clear that Ninjala had a predatory design in its monetization, one that's foolish enough to take Fortnite's strategy and abuse THAT. Fortnite, at least, spreads "the same theme but BETTER" concept FAR APART from one another. Ninjala? Had no shame in doing this ASAP.

The game itself? Phenomenal for me.
Some of my best video captures on my Switch 1 came from Ninjala.
From me taking out 5 players in a row (3 of them were fighting me at the same time), to outrunning a dragon special by surfing through the skies, to finding my greatest rival in the game and having the most epic battles against them every time we met... Needless to say, I sunk effort into that game to be considered "pro" while I was playing...
... But I just really couldn't stand their blatantly greedy monetization strategy.

Re: Review: OFF (Switch) - A Worthy Remaster Of A Weird Cult Classic RPG

MrDocena

I remember this in the original style... It had so much more character and aura in the original.
Then again, it was using sprites completely ripped out of older games, so it's obvious why it had to change.

But man, talk about a complete change in tone.
This stuff looks weird and silly.
The original looked creepy and unsettling.

Re: Review: Drag x Drive (Switch 2) - A Real Baller With Friends, But Is There Enough To Do?

MrDocena

It's so odd to find a game that exercises my arms far less than Ring Fit, but far more than ARMS.

Every 5 games my muscles are sore.
For that, and its relatively cheap price point (I HOPE there's more content, but it really feels like a GBG thing: sell it, promote it, drop it, then patch and promote it randomly for the next few years to come as if they care), means I'm buying it.
Sometimes I want a workout while playing. Not one as killing as Ring Fit. But at the same time, not one that needs me to play 10+ rounds to feel the burn.

Re: Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase July 2025: Every Announcement, Game Reveal, Trailer

MrDocena

[2/2]
Romancing Saga 2 (Switch 2 edition) - I have the Switch 1 version. I was originally going to pass this up because that version's just fine for me. Then they surprised me by saying there was an UPGRADE to Switch 2. This may not be shocking to you - but when you consider the company that's running it and how they've REFUSED to create Switch 2 upgrade paths for their other games: It's obviously shocking.
I love this game. Played it for the first time on the Switch 1. Seriously addicting. And for it to load much faster? I'm definitely looking forward to that.

Octopath Traveler 0 - I'll admit, I'm not into the Octopath Traveler series. Not because of its graphics. There are some people who hate it or find it boring. Me? I ADORE the graphics of Octopath Traveler 1 & 2.
But... the stories and storytelling have lacked that 'oomph' for me. Maybe it's because it's highly reliant on the voice actors - as they set the tone and atmosphere. Probably would've hit harder if they chose different VAs, or if it was just silent and I had to come up with it myself.
Not only that, but I'm actually not a big fan of "tiny chibi protags vs FULLY RENDERED FULL SIZED HUMANS THAT ARE 10x LARGER THAN THE PIXEL PEOPLE"..... sooooo... hrm.
But THIS game? It has a town building mechanic that ties the story/characters into it.
ANY game that has a decent town building mechanic that ties the story/characters into it will ALWAYS get me hooked, and supremely more invested in the story/characters.
Suikoden II (PS1) first got me interested in it with building up your base with more and more members - but Xenoblade Chronicles 1 got me ADDICTED to it. Nothing quite gets you attached to a world than creating a memorable portion of it.
So even though I'm not a fan of Octopath Traveler... I know I'll love this one.

For anyone out there looking at my list and thinking "That's it?":
Man, it's EIGHT GAMES I"M INTERESTED IN. HOW CAN THE OVERALL SCORE BE ANYTHING BELOW AN 8 FOR ME??
And like I said at the start:
1) I think y'all just went crazy with predictions so of course it's lackluster
2) I and my family are NOT into the biggest-name franchises out there, we like the B-Grade games, as they genuinely stick with us for far longer than the classics. Everyone talks about the classics, but only speedrunners and streamers go back and play them constantly. The B-Grade games? You can bring them out at ANY TIME and very few of them ever feel like they've aged poorly. They feel more timeless than the classics, honestly.
This Direct was filled with B-Graders. Which is awesome for my family and I.

Wait for the Holidays. I'm very confident the A-Graders will show their faces there.

Re: Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase July 2025: Every Announcement, Game Reveal, Trailer

MrDocena

[1/2]
I suppose it's because people were looking forward to this for a while now, but my expectations have been kept at an all time low since the first Direct for the Switch 2.
Was it because the other Directs were terrible?
No. Maybe the Mario Kart one should've just been listed as a features trailer rather a Direct. But other than that: no. I just knew that most games early on advertised wouldn't be aimed at me or my family.

But this one?
I actually ranked it as a 9 EXCELLENT. No, I'm not overinflating it. It's exactly what I feel it is.

Monster Hunter Stories 3 - My wife loved Monster Hunter Stories 2. Played it non-stop for weeks. There are plenty of people out there who ran to this game when the newer Pokemon games didn't scratch their trainer-battle itches, and came out very satisfied.
One where the protagonist is much older and the theming seems to be much more mature? What's there to NOT look forward to?

Once Upon a Katamari - It is no exaggeration that the Katamari Damacy series ranks as my all time #1 Video Game Soundtracks. Literally listen to their songs to this day. They're fun, exciting, unique, and seriously such a bop. The games themselves are humorous and silly - and a good way to spend the afternoon. But the music... NEW MUSIC...
It may be considered ridiculous to look forward to a video game soundtrack - but this, for me, is on the same level as a Mario Kart World Soundtrack being released. How can I NOT be excited?

Dragon Ball Sparking Zero - As a veteran of the Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 & 3 games on the Wii, how could I not be excited for this to come to the Switch? Well, specifically Switch 2. No way am I going to play this on the Switch 1.
And if anyone wants to rant about how poor this game was on release in other consoles: Have you played it since the updates? Even though I don't own the game on other platforms, I've been keeping up with the updates - and they've all been pretty solid improvements.
The only thing I can hope for is for them to further expand and improve the custom missions - as I know that's where 90% of my time on the game will be (I'm kinda' obsessed with games that let you make custom scenarios). Sure, it's limited. But I've worked with limited customizations for years - it's never stopped me.

Plants vs Zombies Replanted - Wife is SO looking forward to this.She's been wanting to revisit Plants vs Zombies forEVER now. Yes, it's on PC. Yes, it's on tablet. Yes, blah blah blah. But for her, the Switch 1 was the perfect handheld for the game. It's just the right size, shape, and portability for her. She's been wanting it for so long that she's refused to repurchase it on anything else - she's THAT adamant of it being perfect for the Switch.
Well, her dream's come true.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 - How is having more Yakuza on the Switch a bad/boring thing? Put the entire series on here. It's great to play on the go. This is nothing but great news.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure - Wife just recently got the first game. Now she has another thing to look forward to.

Re: Poll: So, Have You Tried Out Pokémon Friends On Switch Or Mobile Yet?

MrDocena

Surprise-bought it for wife (she didn't watch the Direct), she loves this kind of stuff.

For anyone even vaguely interested:
The puzzles look stupidly easy... And they are... For a bit...

Then you reach Level 7+, and you start getting serious head scratchers.
If you had all the time in the world, they're not that hard, but since you're running out a clock: you're going to willfully flunk a question just so you can hope you get an easier one before the time runs out... You'll do this A LOT.

If I had to compare it to anything... It's like a mix of Big Brain Academy and Brain Age, but with Pokemon prizes.
Its puzzles are simple like Big Brain Academy, but progressively get genuinely difficult with every victory - and more like Brain Age: you actually feel your memory and puzzle solving skills improve as you play this daily.
And there's Pokemon plushies and furniture that you get to decorate your room*s* with - Kirby's Epic Yarn-style.

Don't worry about getting locked out of the game with this difficulty though:
The longer you take to complete puzzles, and the more you fail at them, your rank score will drop - which will drop you down to a lower rank if you drop enough in points. You'll then bounce back up the faster you solve puzzles and completing sets. This will ricochet you between two difficulty ranks over and over again until you're sharp enough to maintain a Level 9 Rank (which are still difficult enough to exercise your brain even if you master this).

Also, they didn't make it too apparent in the trailers, but you basically can only do so much in a day. Without limiting yourself (you can set yourself to only do a certain number of puzzles a day, if you cared to turn on that option), you can play the puzzles infinitely and earn an infinite amount of plushies because of it... But the missions you get to give plushies to townspeople? Those are limited by days (full 24 hours after you complete a mission, you may get 1 to 4 people with requests). And those missions earn you furniture, as well as unlock more characters with different requests.

It's simple and basic, but if you wanted a daily set of puzzles to keep your mind sharp, with the incentive of Pokemon plushies (complete with a Plush Dex) and designing rooms: this is a genuinely solid tool for it.

What I find most interesting is seeing how different wife and I's scores are... There are puzzles that I've mastered and didn't find too much trouble rising in rank, yet wifey can barely maintain a Level 6 with a couple of those.
And there are puzzles that I'm miserable with even in the Level 6 range, yet wifey holds a Level 9 with a couple of them consistently.
Goes to show the puzzles are targeting different parts of the brain.

Overall? The $9.99 price is a solid price for the game if this is all you need/want it for.
.... The DLC, though? Haven't bought them yet, but they do seem a tad on the expensive side for what they're offering... But I suppose it's targeting those who NEED more Pokemon plushies and puzzles to add to the mix...
... Wifey is certainly eager to get the DLC. She's just waiting to complete her current plushie Dex first, since adding those new plushies will affect the chance rate of getting certain plushies...
So the DLC certainly has its audience.

Felt the need to leave our little review of the game here since I feel like the Direct did an awful job at showing the merits of the game.

Re: Check Out This New YouTube Channel For Negativity-Free Pokémon Chat

MrDocena

Love how people are so...

  • "Don't let people judge you for liking something. You do you. Enjoy what you enjoy."

But are simultaneously

  • "You can't like that. You shouldn't enjoy that. You're in denial and you need to wake up."

Less defending Pokemon, and more: I've seen this song and dance before - all over the Internet since the late 90s.

People don't practice what they preach. They want people to be unique, to be weird, to be individuals. But if you don't think like they do - they don't want you to have a space anywhere in the public where you can speak your mind. They want you tucked into a corner of society where no one will ever hear of you again except for "other freaks" like you.

And this isn't even locked into any political or ideological group. Every group is like this.

No, being positive over something that 99% of what others don't like doesn't automatically make it toxic positivity. No, being positive over something that is so factually flawed does not immediately relegate it to toxic positivity either.
It just means you like what you like.
You know where it's flawed, but you like the parts in there that you like - whether it's the very parts that are flawed, or the few traits that are enjoyable.

People who hate on any said hobby or group or product simply cannot imagine that - for these people who like said things: THERE ARE NO GREENER PASTURES. They've tried other pastures, and no, none of them replaces what they like.

In terms of Pokemon...
Yes, they tried Digimon. Yes, they tried Nexomon. Yes, they tried Palworld. Yes, they even tried Dragon Seed and Jade Cocoon. And of course they tried just sticking to the old games.
None of these things have replaced the things they like about the newer Pokemon. And it's not that they can't stand to criticize it - it's just that's all people talk about and they just want to play the dang games / watch the dang series / play the dang card game / collect the dang merch with people in a fun space dedicated to just that: having fun with/ appreciating Pokemon.
And y'all don't want to allow them that space because it offends your righteous judgement.

I can replace "Pokemon" in there with a few hundred other names and it'd still stand.

.... Fun fact: I actually dislike Pokemon. So much so that I was ostracized/kicked out by a lot of Pokemon fans from their groups. I never tried to shame them for liking the game, tho. (I still consume Pokemon media tho, cuz my fam and friends love it)
Why was I kicked out? Because I said I like Monster Rancher more. XD

Re: Feature: "Game-Key Cards Don't Sit Right With Us" - Lost In Cult Dives Into Its New Physical Games Line

MrDocena

@Jokerwolf
Like I said: "a century later" (an exaggeration, but proves the point well enough).
They haven't been shut down for years. And while I do doubt they'll keep them open for another set of decades, I do indeed doubt they'd close right.... Now.
In either case, I have had ample time to find an alternative to preserving these games. No one would be at fault here other than myself.

No one can even purchase a Wii game on the eShop anymore either - all this (shutting down servers) would concern are those who already own the game.... Of which: there has been no deterioration of digital games proven on any platform, only a deterioration of hardware. And in the extreme case where my hardware breaks (I'd have to treat it pretty poorly) - it would be to the very same effect as breaking/losing your physical copy of a game. Like losing a bank account, as opposed to losing cash.
The only worthwhile argument here is emulation.

And emulation is a dodgy subject in terms of ownership.

Re: Feature: "Game-Key Cards Don't Sit Right With Us" - Lost In Cult Dives Into Its New Physical Games Line

MrDocena

@Jokerwolf
???
So on an EXTREMELY strange case where either -

A) I bought a game a century later after its release.... (Because, guess what, I still have all of my digital games on my Wii, DSi, and WiiU, and am still able to redownload them all these decades later - not that I'd need to, because they still run fine)... during a century when they finally erased their servers (which, outside of purely greed reasons, they'd have no excuse. these servers are so absolutely miniscule in size by today's tech that it'd be more trouble to get rid of it than to keep it running).

B) An extreme case where they pulled the server plug RIGHT WHEN I STARTED DOWNLOADING A GAME.... Of which, legal action is doable unless I was clearly warned beforehand.

C) An extreme case where GameKeys have to be tagged online everytime to work (not even pure digital games do that... and news flash: if that was the case, then they can do a firmware update to make even full physical games get locked out. Because, guess what, even your physical game has a GameKey embedded in its code/cartridge/disc/box - which they can dismiss by requiring a new key).

-is what I have to be wary of????

There's conspiracy, then there's unfounded paranoia...
Digital games and game keys don't work like how you imagine them to be.
Games check for keys, without a server or online connection. Physical games already have them built in. Game Keys are the same, but you have to download the game first.
It'd be an insane situation I'd have to be in in order to not be able to play with my GameKey game. Which... Again, legal action can be done.

Re: Feature: "Game-Key Cards Don't Sit Right With Us" - Lost In Cult Dives Into Its New Physical Games Line

MrDocena

@SurprisedRobinChu
And how would owning a full digital be better if you literally can't sell or trade it even if you wanted to?
Game Keys (though easily fudged with KeyGens) were literally made to prove you own a game, it's automatically attached to all digital games purchased these days and exists on all physical copies of games. Having it as a physical item, not attached to an account which can be lost/banned, is a proof of ownership that can't be taken away without serious loophole-jumping that would put companies on legal crosshairs.
Before Steam took over all PC games, having the Game Key Codes attached to your installation disc boxes were used as direct proof of ownership - which were used for legal disputes, or mundane things like warranties.

Nowadays, if your account goes: bye bye games.
You literally have no ground to say you owned XYZ games (maybe receipts, but that's a headache and a half to try to use as proof these days).
So when the all digital future comes around, and said companies have a "whoopsies" which removes people's licenses on their accounts... There'd be no legal recourse on an individual level. It'd just be a blanket court case.

The Game Key Cart is a form of proof that can be used.
And if it isn't: then neither can a typical physical copy be used as proof if a "whoopsy" occurs that prevents your physical games from running on your consoles.

Re: Feature: "Game-Key Cards Don't Sit Right With Us" - Lost In Cult Dives Into Its New Physical Games Line

MrDocena

@Jokerwolf
The only way they'd be able to do that is to pull a killswitch update which bricks your digital copy (or worst case: your console). Nothing outside of that, or banning your account, would remove one's access to the game. ... Unless it's a Live Service game, in which case: they can close that any time.
And I've only seen two companies brick (non-Live service) digital copies after all these years. And both of them were indie studios.

I'm not saying Nintendo is the good guy, nor am I saying that none of these companies would have the mind to remove people's ownerships of these games, but pinning this assumption as "Nintendo's Grand Plan" is hasty.
There's different forms and roads to greedy success, and Nintendo muddying the waters more reflects that it's planning something big for future success, rather than it specifically pointing to the "all digital future by their hand".
If they wanted to do that specifically, they could've pushed for it much sooner with other methods. This is far more roundabout. And while Nintendo has always been roundabout, they've never been too predictable either. No one has a claim that everything they've done has been analyzed years ahead. Everyone's been wrong on their assumptions in one area or the next.

Like I said... Not an impossibility, but not concrete either.

Even if I myself do run off of theories and assumptions that aren't outright outlined/documented, this one still has too many factors for me to sit on that hill. Though you're free to point and say "I told you so" if it should happen accurately.

Re: Video: Here's How Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time Runs On Switch

MrDocena

@gcunit
Poor choice of words on my end then.

"They can harm their image as a company, or harm their franchise, by releasing a painfully inferior product." is what I meant.
If Fantasy Life STILL ran like what it did in its initial trailers: most people would just avoid Fantasy Life on Nintendo consoles in the future.

Frankly, there was no guarantee they could fix as much as they did between those trailers and now. It's leagues better than before, but... Those initial trailers affected fans' opinions A LOT.
Even wife, who was a massive fan of the game on the 3DS lost ALL interest in the game when the initial two Switch gameplay trailers were first shown.

Similar to the Scarlet Violet effect. Those games sold insanely well, but a large number of the old fans have pretty much given up on the franchise now due to the first impressions.
MK1 for instance had a terrible release on the Switch 1. And while it's leaps and bounds better than it was on release... No one's going back to buy it. The reviews scared them off and the gameplay videos only sealed the deal.
Level 5 was making a huge risk on this. If they didn't fix the game by release, it would've permanently harmed their reputation in the eyes of the target audience on the Switch. And one can't even claim "well, they're Level 5, of course they would've pulled it off"... when Ni No Kuni 2 STILL has severe performance issues on the Switch.

Re: Video: Here's How Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time Runs On Switch

MrDocena

@PikaPhantom
And the theory goes that the Switch's successor was supposed to release in 2022-23, so it lines up.

Pokemon Sc/Vi makes no sense in its poor quality when Game Freak has been known to always at least MASK their games' flaws (which was always easy to unmask). Nintendo, if they had anything to do with the game, certainly wouldn't have advertised the game in its terrible state as a great lineup for the Switch 1 system.
Fantasy Life was a Nintendo exclusive with barely any media out, and when it finally did (years later), it was absolutely shoddy for the Switch, and it was made multiplatform. There's little reason for them to still release on the Switch 1 with its terrible state... Except to follow through on a publisher's deal.
Rune Factory had been in the works for years, with fans speculating what it would be since 2022 (with many just assuming they weren't going to make another one with how quiet they've been about it). Suddenly, it appears multiplatform and runs like molasses on the Switch.
Atelier Yumia also ran horribly on the Switch as you went further into the game, despite it being made with the Switch in mind.
Let's also not forget how long Prime 4 was MIA.

While the Switch has been known for its lack of strength since its launch, very few non-indie devs were willing to release their games on it if it meant it would run horribly (a few hiccups is one thing, constant slow downs / visual glitches is another). Releasing these games as-is would have made the fans of each of these franchises just jump ship and go onto greener pastures (which is a waste of money on the publishers' part).

Yeah, it's all pure speculation. But it lines up stupidly well.
Switch 2 was likely going to come out 5 years after the Switch 1, which would be 2022-23. But it delayed for whatever reason, and a ton of projects that were supposed to release soon, suddenly all got delayed around the same time, and their delays weren't worth it because of the poor quality each of these games showed for the Switch 1. (Pokemon being the only one willing to release ahead... And they got demolished for it on social media. — Fantasy Life was the only one willing to announce its "shift" publicly, and likely regretted it.)

Splatoon 3, also released in 2022, was a genuine successor to Splatoon 2. With more improvements between it and 2, than 2 did with 1. However, the Splatoon playerbase was STILL playing Splatoon 2 during this time, and 3's release had lost most of its impact because of it - losing out on sales.... For no business-minded reason? Like most Nintendo franchises, Splatoon fans didn't fade in interest over time between titles. It really could have been delayed into the next console and no one would have been disappointed for it.
Except it would have been too long of a wait for Nintendo by that point.

Related arguments can be made for TotK, Super Mario Wonder, Princess Peach, and Endless Ocean. But I don't have room for that.

Re: Feature: "Game-Key Cards Don't Sit Right With Us" - Lost In Cult Dives Into Its New Physical Games Line

MrDocena

@N00BiSH
No, it's just the usual big devs that are absolutely jumping into it. Based on preorders currently revealed.

  • Capcom is going Game Key Carts.
  • Square Enix is too.
  • Nintendo obviously isn't. Full physical for them.
  • CDPR currently isn't. Likely won't be in the future in order to keep respect.
  • Marvelous as well.

Some other games have shown that they'd be Game Key Cart, but having only one game from a company isn't enough proof that the company prefers Game Key Cart.
Smaller companies? shrugs Not really conclusive with them.

Any company can switch sides, obviously. But there's little doubt Capcom & Square Enix will stand on their decision.
Ubisoft and EA, for instance, may stand for full physical in the future in order to make good PR (less likely for EA).

Re: Video: Here's How Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time Runs On Switch

MrDocena

This game was 100% meant for the Switch 2.
But the Switch 2 was stalled, and they had to switch gears and churn it out for the Switch 1 (while going multiplatform to release it at its intended quality).

More than a few games show signs of this (delays, poor performance on Switch, going multiplatform, etc).
But likely the companies signed an NDA about the Switch 2, so none of them are going to admit it.

Re: Feature: "Game-Key Cards Don't Sit Right With Us" - Lost In Cult Dives Into Its New Physical Games Line

MrDocena

As long as the genre intrigues you (and you have the money for it), people should support buying every fully physical game that comes out.

People tend to think that those of us who are willing to buy Game Key Carts want physical to disappear - or at least: don't care if they do. That's the furthest thing from the truth. We WANT all games to be fully physical, but are absolutely aware that the companies who put games into Game Key Carts for little to no reason ( cough cough Bravely Default cough ) simply don't want to release physical games anymore - and this is the only option they're willing to take. Boycotting them won't stop them from entirely removing physical in the future. This has been their MO since the PSWii60 days. Game Key Carts are, at the very least, a form of ownership... But they're not ideal.
We would rather support full physical. But if the game doesn't release physically? But we still want to be able to sell/trade our games? Game Key Carts are the only option for those games.
If you're a full Ninty fan, you won't be affected by boycotting Game Key Carts. At all.
But if you want Capcom games? I'm sorry, but no one makes games like Capcom. Throw any indie or studio out there. They don't match Capcom quality in their genres. And Capcom jumped on Game Key Carts faster than most other companies... Because the devs are cool, but the heads are greedy as ****.

Also, for anyone that defends Bravely Default by saying "they don't want to pay for the 64gb cart" : It's a 3DS GAME. They could have EASILY put it onto a Switch 1 cart and given it the upgrade treatment (then bam, you have a Switch 1 and Switch 2 version, while still having the full game in cart). No, Square Enix has been doing its damnedest to rid of physical for years now. Mostly by making their games too big for physical, making them so niche that no one stocks their physicals, or mandatory Day Zero patches. They want physical gone.

Re: Pokémon Scalpers Are Ignoring Tornado Warnings Just To Nab Latest Card Collection

MrDocena

@Deemo37
Price doesn't always equate buyers. It just equates a seller.

Sometimes prices raise because other sellers just raised their prices, and then they cyclically keep raising the price because the other sellers raised their prices in response to them raising the price. Then they spiral down in price after 1-2 years of no buyers.

Often times prices just rise because a lower price had been purchased.
"Someone sold it for $80? 100! Someone sold it for $100? 130! Someone sold it for $130? 150! No, 170!" On and on until someone bought a card for $500, which is the breaking point of insanity - so after that, people can raise it to any price they want and it'll seem reasonable until, again, 1-2 years of no buyers and the price spirals down.

Shining Charizard being $~3000-4000+ makes sense. People loved Charizard. People remember the shining series. People have fond memories of that time. It can keep its value over time even without buyers.

This Tera Umbreon? It'll be remembered for only two things (or three if you're a competitive player): 1. It was stupidly rare because of scalpers. 2. It was stupidly expensive because of scalpers (3. It had an affordable instant-win attack)... Give it a couple years (or even a couple decades for the investors) and that value will likely not hold the test of time.

Re: Pokémon Scalpers Are Ignoring Tornado Warnings Just To Nab Latest Card Collection

MrDocena

No idea who these scalpers think they're going to resell these cards to.
Well. other than to other scalpers, I suppose.

  • Those who buy cards to collect have pretty much given up on the new generation cards due to scalping and are going back and collecting older cards instead.
  • Those who buy cards to compete are just as good at sniping cards from stores as the best scalpers. They're not buying it from anyone other than their local connections.
  • And those who buy them for insane prices in the future? 99.99% of the time buy them for the sake of nostalgia. And why would anyone have nostalgia over a card THEY COULDN'T EVEN FIND IN STORES??

Personally, I've already secured several boosters for myself since I build decks for my fam to play with. Nope, never bought from a reseller (except for individual cards BEFORE the scalpers arrived). I have my own connection, and can snipe like the best of them. So... Really no clue who they're expecting to sell these cards to.

Re: Random: Some Switch Fans Are Convinced Mario Paint Is Returning

MrDocena

@Anti-Matter
It's not about that. No one played Mario Paint (for long periods of time) to paint.
People played Mario Paint for three things exclusively:
1) Playing the Fly Swatter game
2) Making terrible music with dogs, cats, and baby sounds
3) Making stupid gif movies with the terrible music of dogs, cats, and baby sounds playing in the background

Are those things anyone can do these days with a regular PC/laptop/tablet/phone with ease?? ABSOLUTELY.
But are those the ONLY tools you have to work with and so it becomes either a trash heap of a creation, masterpiece of art, or a trashsterpiece? No.

Limitations breed creativity. And in terms of Mario Paint in 2025, it breeds memes.

Re: The Iconic Pokémon Logo Took One Month To Create

MrDocena

Over the arguments of goofiness...
It was the 90s.
Kid things were shown as "FUN!!!" (with strong appeal to kid-friendliness)

The logo in itself is fun. Appealed to kids of that era. Appealed to families who wanted kid-focused items for their kids.

While the theme of the entire franchise has changed over the years, the logo already imbedded itself into the target audience of the late 90s. Instant familiarity and recognition. These 8-14 yr olds (and 15+ year olds who were just hyped by the monster battle aspect) LOCKED ONTO that logo and would carry it with them into their 20s, 30s, etc - never second guessing the design or appeal, because this generation simply grew to hate brand change-ups (Why fix what isn't broke).
The following generations questioned it. They questioned jelly filled donuts. They questioned the bad translations, the censored episodes, the poor quality of the games, etc.
But if they grew up on Pokemon with their parents (parents also being legit fans), rather than got into the series on their own? They inherited their "Uh, because" attitude towards these flaws and shrugged them off too.

For this vastly large audience (yes, the older audience legit outnumbers the newer audience - simply by comparing Red/Blue sales to every pokemon game following it) - the logo is perfect. And so, until they (them and their kids) either die off or leave the hobby entirely, the logo stays as it is. No aesthetic change will please this audience, as they've already been betrayed by ALL of their other favorite brands over the years.
Wait until we're old and crochety. You can change the logo then.

Re: The Iconic Pokémon Logo Took One Month To Create

MrDocena

It's a GREAT logo.

But I'm sure I'm not the only one who gets jealous of Japan - being able to change their logo for every game to make it look more sleek...

In the US, unless a game has that EXACT logo: audiences miss it.
Ever wonder why Pokken Tournament was so cursed that TO THIS DAY people (even Pokemon fans) STILL don't know it exists?
It's because it doesn't have this exact logo.

Re: Talking Point: The Switch 2 Pre-Order Situation Sucks, But Can Nintendo Do Anything About It?

MrDocena

As a vet of the Amiibo hunts of yesteryears, I knew to give Target a WIDE berth.
Unless you buy something IN THEIR STORE - never expect your sales to be final.

It was a bit of a headache for me.
Walmart and Best Buy put me in lines for an hour or so, but then I started getting notifications (was using a third party that checked availability) that people were getting a pre-order by simply refreshing (skipping the line entirely). Had my mini PC wait in the line, while my tablet was working overtime refreshing... and I got in. Site crashed a few times along the way (wouldn't let me put it in the cart even though it says it was available, wouldn't let me put in card information even though it was checkout, kept erasing my address even though I had it saved), but eventually: bam - got it.
Meanwhile, my mini PC was still patiently waiting in line - which I promptly removed myself from so that other people could move forward (my fam is a Switch family and we definitely could use more than one - but we don't all need a Switch 2 all in one go).

But that isn't to say it was easy breezy for the rest of the US. Was seeing people still struggle in Walmart, waiting for HOURS and HOURS (up to five hours for some). Seeing people get their preorders cancelled (Target, of course). Seeing people jump out of line only to be locked out and not be able to get themselves in line anywhere afterwards. Seeing Gamestops the following morning sell out of preorders one after the next.
The unlucky and the slow-going casuals struggled the most with pre-orders.

Which........ is kinda' typical for pre-orders in the US.
Dunno if companies just underestimate how many of us are in this country or if the US-side of the companies just REALLY don't know how to distribute their units (they try to spread them evenly... when some cities have populations of 1k+, while other cities have pops of 1mil+).

But, of course, other countries outside of the US have a much easier time than the US - as usual... Someone's gotta' be incompetent in these logistics.

Re: Here's A Look At The Size And Inside Of Switch 2 Game Cases

MrDocena

Honestly, really glad they're the same size as Switch 1.
Nothing bothers me more than a console deciding that because they're a new generation, that their boxes are going to shrink significantly (usually with the excuse of being more environmentally friendly... Which you later find out is just a PR thing, because the effect on the environment is negligible in changing box sizes), and then they just look completely off next to their previous generations' boxes.

Re: GameStop To Offer Additional Switch 2 Units In-Store And Online At Launch

MrDocena

It's weird... During its earlier years, GameStop used to be filled with great employees and even greater managers. Used to get freebies and information all the time from them.
Then suddenly, they were filled to the brim with people who knew nothing about video games (the great managers were either fired or "promoted" to handle stores out in the middle of nowhere), knew nothing about the pre-order process (giving your paid-for items to other people who demanded them), and some were even willing to make backdoor deals with scalpers.

Now, long after its glory days, as it starts to fade into the endless night... GameStop is back to being kinda cool again. Don't think I've walked into a single store run by an employee who doesn't generally know about the products they're selling, in recent years.

Re: The Hundred Line Director Has Already Announced A Brand New Game

MrDocena

There are two kinds of Japanese devs that pull the sympathy card.
Those who do it as a huge PR stunt, and those who are the odd ones out and are actually honest about their situation (being transparent about failings isn't very common in Japan)...

I think they're in the latter group, mostly because their games have rarely ever been blockbuster hits. Very niche titles for a niche audience.

Square Enix on the other hand...... I roll my eyes every time people try to glaze the team behind FFXIV.... the most obvious form of PR stunt. The Japanese consumers don't fall for it. But the Western ones? They gobble that stuff up!

Re: Rumour: Red Dead Redemption 2 May Be Heading To Switch 2 Pretty Soon

MrDocena

@Yosher
A lot of "this is the ugly side of humanity".
Not really a big emphasis/focus on sex, but violence, thievery, scumminess, and wickedness (topics like cannibalism) are on full display.
Not really a big emphasis on hard drugs, but alcoholism is certainly there.

Rockstar can't really get enough of their "life sucks... but we're all trying to make do" themes.

At the very least, the downtime between story missions, you can at least play vigilante and take down criminals. You can explore, help NPCs out, etc, etc... before you jump back into the story where apparently you're just a huge ********* to everyone around you. Sure, there's plenty of story missions where it feels like you're doing the right thing, but it always feels like it's setting you up to hurt more when you're betrayed/cheated... Which is almost always guaranteed (except with some of Rockstar's endings).

RDR1's protag was "good" (came from scum, trying to live a peaceful life, but his scum past is catching up to him) compared to the protags of RDR2 (good number of them don't regret what they did).

Re: Here's Your First Look At Pokémon Scarlet And Violet On Switch 2

MrDocena

I stand by the theory that this was originally meant to be a Switch 2 launch title.
But the Switch 2 was delayed and Game Freak decided to just release it as it was than get hurt by loss of profits.

Outside of performance issues that would've been masked by the Switch 2's power (not a merit, but it is very Game Freak), the very essence of the multiplayer aspect in this game: MAKES NO SENSE WITHOUT GAME CHAT (screenshare).

Seriously, you had to open a third party chat to talk to each other on an adventure that no one ever experiences together unless they were STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. What's the point of adventuring together - if you never saw what the other was doing? The entire concept of Game Chat (screenshare) was made for this game - and honestly would've advertised it significantly better than any titles that they showed off in their Directs.

Re: Talking Point: Are You Ghosting Switch 1 To Save Yourself For Switch 2?

MrDocena

Maybe it's because people are currently playing games that are genuinely enhanced with higher FPS, but on my end - No? Why would I stop?

I have other consoles. I don't even like my Switch 1 all that much. Never did (200+ games and 8000+ hrs later: I STILL don't like it compared to Nintendo's previous consoles).
But why would I just stop playing it? I have no reason to put it down.
The one absolute un-ignorable advantage the Switch 1 has is its portability. Even if you throw "but Steam Deck" at me, I'll lift up my Switch Lite and wobble it around (indicating that it's VERY LIGHT to carry around). And that portability means it's my go-to device for my breaks.

I don't normally play frame-heavy games, nor do I think the upgrade in graphics in the Switch 2 are so tasty and yummy that I throw up when I see Switch 1 visuals. I'm a utility guy. Aesthetics only go so far for me. The STRENGTH of the Switch 2 is what draws me towards it. Breaking off the chains that severely weakened most ports to the Switch 1 is what excites me about it.
But currently: I'm not playing any games that need that strength.

Maybe if I was playing TABS again (which, I can, any time)? Sure. I'd feel like ghosting the Switch 1 because I can't stand how often TABS crashes on this little device... But I'm currently playing a turn based RPG. Switch 1 handles these kind of games juuuust fine.

Re: Random: Switch 2's Controller Settings Hide A Neat Musical Secret

MrDocena

Pretty sure people already did Megalovania with the joy-cons on the Switch 1.

I forgot if they did it with just the menu, or if they used LABO/Game Builder Garage to do it.

.... If Game Builder Garage had a proper in-game hub for people's games (with a Search Function), I'd be able to easily tell you the code to access it...