@HeadPirate I don't have to imagine, because it happened to me.
I bought a new, built-to-order computer from eBay. It ran fine until three months later, when functionality was crippled. Turns out, the manufacturer had used what was meant to be a single-license OEM version of Windows on every machine they built, and Microsoft flagged the serial number as compromised and locked it out. This, by the way, was back in 2012. Anyone who challenges this policy had better be prepared to fight Microsoft and Sony as well as Nintendo.
@rvcolem1 It's not as bad as it looks. The Switch 2 version comes with the first 8 DLC characters. Outfit 2 is purchasable, but you can get it for free by befriending the character in World Tour mode. And finally, the Battle Pass is set up so that if you gain enough levels in it, you get enough premium in-game currency so that you can buy the next Battle Pass without having to shell out more money.
@Truegamer79 Even the Wii U had supply issues for the first two months. Most of them turned out to be Nintendo diehards and scalpers filling up their garages with what they mistakenly thought would be their next meal ticket to flip.
@Guddy "The problem is that the more casual audience likely won’t even notice this change. However, the competitive scene will take a significant hit."
This is Nintendo. They'd consider that a feature, not a bug.
I managed to snag a 512 GB Express from Onn, Wal-Mart's in-house brand of goods made by other manufacturers and then sold at a markdown. I've heard things both good and bad from Onn, but so far, so good. To be on the safe, I'm leaving the Switch 2 stuff on the internal storage while moving my library of Switch 1 stuff to the new card.
Edit: Apparently scalpers are going hard on the Onn cards too. Mine was the last one in my store.
I'm sure OLED must be wonderful enough to justify people dinging Nintendo for not opting for one with the launch edition Switch 2. But honestly, I wouldn't know myself. The only person I know who bought a Switch OLED has never let it leave the dock.
@abbyhitter And it'll be at a beefy price too. The existing non-XBOX‐branded ROG Ally and ROG Ally X retail for $800 and $900, respectively. Now add onto that the XBOX logo and a brand new NPU SKU made specifically for it by AMD, and we're likely looking at a floor of $850/$950 minimum unless Microsoft subsidizes it by taking losses on per-unit sales. Keep in mind that people were ready to march on Nintendo's headquarters when the Switch 2 came down the pike for half that.
You have to remember that in Japan, physical on-disc/on-cart makes for less than half of all game sales. So they're not quite as hung up on tying game data to physical media as the West is. As far as Japanese publishers and consumers are concerned, this is an acceptable compromise between digital convenience and physical possession.
Between this and some Gamestops locking their Switch 2 purchases behind accessory bundles, Pro memberships, and warranty purchases, I'm glad I was able to get mine at my local Gamestop without problems.
I ended up getting the Mario Kart World bundle for my Switch 2, but honestly, I haven't even touched MKW yet. I'm too busy enjoying the frame rate and resolution upgrades to my Switch 1 library. Pokemon and Hyrule Warriors in particular.
I've been shiny hunting in Violet. I know I frequently said I wasn't as bothered by its performance issues as everyone else seemed to be, but playing it on the Switch 2 is a whole new level.
@John_Deacon "It's been 3 years, so we should shut up and admit that we lost the money we paid for the game, supposedly an AAA attempt?"
I don't know about you, but I have nearly 200 hours logged onto the game. Tera Raids, Shiny Hunts, breeding, Home transfers to get Golden Lures... Performance aside, I don't feel as if I lost a cent.
"the big three are phasing out physical media to cut out used game sales entirely"
Let's not get conspiratorial here. The big three are phasing out physical media because, sadly, it's becoming increasingly more expensive to create physical media with steadily diminishing returns to show for it. In Japan especially, less than half of Nintendo's game sales are of physical carts and discs, and the rest of the world is slowly but inexorably trending in that direction as well.
That having been said, I'll buy physical until the day I leave this world.
And by "Street Fighter 6 collaboration", they mean "Street Fighter 2 alumni plus Juri". This would have been less annoying if they had just said "Street Fighter collab" without naming any specific title.
According to early testers, Capcom vs. SNK 2's ranked online forces players to play the EO (Gamecube/XBOX) build, as opposed to the original arcade/Dreamcast/PS2 version. I like EO better, as roll-canceling always looked silly to me, but this is going to be a potential issue nonetheless.
Seeing Sony release a $700 console was something of an eye opener. It awakened me to the possibility that Nintendo's upcoming machine might similarly cost more than initially anticipated, especially if the base specs are as substantial an improvement over the Switch as rumored. So I just resolved to set aside a little more money for the release than I would have otherwise.
@Jester676 I wouldn't recommend that. There might be an upgrade path that allows you to play the Switch 2 version for free or cheap using a Switch cart.
@Poco_Lypso It's Assassin's Creed. You can bro-hug Leonardo da Vinci, accompany Paul Revere along his infamous Midnight Ride, upgrade your Revolutionary War-era warship with iron siding (not in use in the Americas until the Civil War), and shoot a man in the face with a spring-loaded wrist cannon in 13th Century Syria, among other things.
@-wc- The answer: a lot of sequels. Netherrealm Studios and the Mortal Kombat franchise are among the few sectors of Warner Bros. Games that aren't financially imploding, so the executives have announced their intention to focus on MK/Batman/Harry Potter for the foreseeable future.
I still collect Amiibo figurines, and I'm glad Amiibo fever has cooled to its current level, which is just right. Enough to douse the mad rush and speculation (except for Pyra/Mythra and Noah/Mio — bully for Xenoblade), but not so much that the Amiibo line follows Skylanders and Disney Infinity into the graveyard.
I liked the EO version of Capcom vs. SNK 2. Seeing a horde of Blankas and Sagats roll-spam their way into supremacy got old fast. That having been said, I'm glad there are options for the original and EO versions. Choice is good.
Reminds me of Nintendo of America being reluctant to localize the original Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64, thinking it wouldn't be much of a hit here.
I'm guessing that this is what they "outsource" the Battle Frontier post-game to, much like Pokémon Home obviated the need for individual games to have a comprehensive National Pokédex.
@RiasGremory Dragon Quest XI S wasn't just a port of the vanilla DQXI. It was an entirely different SKU, recompiled from the ground up to run on Switch hardware. It was advertised as a timed Nintendo exclusive and thus subject to all of Nintendo's strictures regarding exclusives (Nintendo controlled the pricing, dictated if/when it could come to other platforms, published the game, etc.)
A "slightly revamped" version? That's doing it a disservice. They added so much stuff and redid the whole game from the ground up. The additions and fixings were so extensive, it was impossible to just add a "Definitive Edition" DLC to the original SKU.
A needed W for Square-Enix. And right on the heels of yet another of its Games-as-a-Service (Foamstars) ventures being prematurely taken off of life support.
What in the world did they do to Goldlewis? What kind of evil person on ArcSys's balancing team decided that this already good character could use the ability to chain three Behemoth Typhoons together?
I like the idea of horror movie characters fighting each other, but I kind of wish they were their own discrete game instead of DLC for Mortal Kombat games.
It depends on which arm of The Sony Group is doing the purchasing.
Sony Music has historically done well with Nintendo collabs. They've published soundtracks for series like Zelda and Mother and have advertised things like the Switch port of Fate/Extella through Fate/Grand Order. Sony Pictures will be working with Nintendo and Arad Productions to distribute the upcoming live-action Zelda movie.
If it's Sony Interactive Entertainment (the division that owns the PlayStation brand), however, that's a wrap. Part of the reason why Nintendo pulled Smash out of the EVO fighting game tournament lineup was because of EVO being bought out by Sony Interactive.
@Zeebor15 I feel as if I'm being gaslit whenever someone mentions the Gamecube era and its games as "Nintendo's golden age". Back when I was a teenager on the cusp of adulthood, the Gamecube was "the kiddie purple lunchbox" and the cool kids on the block got themselves a PS2 or Microsoft's newfangled XBOX machine. I'm glad people realize how great the Gamecube and its games are now, but where was all this love when the system was on the market?
Wonder had its flaws, and I certainly won't disagree with anyone who was sorely disappointed. But it was the most fan I personally had with a Mario platformer in a long time.
Being outsold by the great new RPG hit from the people behind Persona, the long-anticipated remake of a classic horror game, and DBZ doesn't seem all that bad.
@LavenderShroud If it was anything Soul Calibur, it would have been a port of VI rather than VII. My guess is it's a new IP that didn't quite make it off of the drawing board.
I'd say yes, but the effect wasn't as pronounced on me since it was on the same developer, same engine, and same aesthetic as Link's Awakening (Switch). I had a good idea of what I was in for and adjusted my expectations accordingly.
@Dr_Corndog Sakurai and Nintendo have different balance metrics than everyone else. Who knows? Maybe Steve tends to get smacked around harder and beaten earlier than the rest in, say, full 4-Player Free for Alls. We know that heavies like Ganondorf and King Dedede do much better in FFAs than in one-on-one fights because they can rush in, swing wide, and score bunches of kills with relative ease.
Comments 355
Re: Around 1 In 3 Switch 2 Owners Bought New Pro Controller Despite High Price Point (US)
I held off on the Pro Controller. I've got two Switch 1 Pro Controllers, two sets of Joy-Cons, and a 2001 Gamecube controller that all still work.
Re: Pokémon Presents July 2025: Every Announcement, Full Livestream
Shiny Sacred Treasures. Eternatus finally in Go. More Concierge. A lot to look forward to in this presentation in my opinion.
If one only cared about new announcements from the main line console games, however...
Re: PSA: You Might Want To Be Careful Buying Pre-Owned Switch 1 Games For Your Switch 2
@HeadPirate I don't have to imagine, because it happened to me.
I bought a new, built-to-order computer from eBay. It ran fine until three months later, when functionality was crippled. Turns out, the manufacturer had used what was meant to be a single-license OEM version of Windows on every machine they built, and Microsoft flagged the serial number as compromised and locked it out.
This, by the way, was back in 2012. Anyone who challenges this policy had better be prepared to fight Microsoft and Sony as well as Nintendo.
Re: Street Fighter 6's First Season 3 Character Arrives This August
@rvcolem1 It's not as bad as it looks. The Switch 2 version comes with the first 8 DLC characters. Outfit 2 is purchasable, but you can get it for free by befriending the character in World Tour mode. And finally, the Battle Pass is set up so that if you gain enough levels in it, you get enough premium in-game currency so that you can buy the next Battle Pass without having to shell out more money.
Re: Nintendo's President Apologises For Not Being Able To Meet Switch 2 Demand
@Truegamer79 Even the Wii U had supply issues for the first two months. Most of them turned out to be Nintendo diehards and scalpers filling up their garages with what they mistakenly thought would be their next meal ticket to flip.
Re: Fans Reckon Nintendo Has "Killed" Mario Kart World With Its Latest Update
@Guddy "The problem is that the more casual audience likely won’t even notice this change. However, the competitive scene will take a significant hit."
This is Nintendo. They'd consider that a feature, not a bug.
Re: Best MicroSD Express Cards For Nintendo Switch 2
I managed to snag a 512 GB Express from Onn, Wal-Mart's in-house brand of goods made by other manufacturers and then sold at a markdown. I've heard things both good and bad from Onn, but so far, so good. To be on the safe, I'm leaving the Switch 2 stuff on the internal storage while moving my library of Switch 1 stuff to the new card.
Edit: Apparently scalpers are going hard on the Onn cards too. Mine was the last one in my store.
Re: Poll: Are You Happy With Switch 2's Screen? Because Some People Certainly Aren't
I'm sure OLED must be wonderful enough to justify people dinging Nintendo for not opting for one with the launch edition Switch 2. But honestly, I wouldn't know myself. The only person I know who bought a Switch OLED has never let it leave the dock.
Re: Xbox Officially Enters The Handheld Space, But Nintendo Won't Be Worried
@abbyhitter And it'll be at a beefy price too. The existing non-XBOX‐branded ROG Ally and ROG Ally X retail for $800 and $900, respectively. Now add onto that the XBOX logo and a brand new NPU SKU made specifically for it by AMD, and we're likely looking at a floor of $850/$950 minimum unless Microsoft subsidizes it by taking losses on per-unit sales. Keep in mind that people were ready to march on Nintendo's headquarters when the Switch 2 came down the pike for half that.
Re: Publishers Are "Thanking" Nintendo For Game-Key Cards On Switch 2
You have to remember that in Japan, physical on-disc/on-cart makes for less than half of all game sales. So they're not quite as hung up on tying game data to physical media as the West is. As far as Japanese publishers and consumers are concerned, this is an acceptable compromise between digital convenience and physical possession.
Re: Random: One GameStop Apparently Stapled Receipts To Brand New Switch 2 Boxes, And Guess What Happened...
Between this and some Gamestops locking their Switch 2 purchases behind accessory bundles, Pro memberships, and warranty purchases, I'm glad I was able to get mine at my local Gamestop without problems.
Re: Switch 2 eShop "Top-Selling" Games At Launch Revealed
I ended up getting the Mario Kart World bundle for my Switch 2, but honestly, I haven't even touched MKW yet. I'm too busy enjoying the frame rate and resolution upgrades to my Switch 1 library. Pokemon and Hyrule Warriors in particular.
Re: Hardware Review (In Progress): Nintendo Switch 2 - A Faster, Slicker, Sexier Switch
I've been shiny hunting in Violet. I know I frequently said I wasn't as bothered by its performance issues as everyone else seemed to be, but playing it on the Switch 2 is a whole new level.
Re: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Footage Shows 60fps Gameplay For Switch 2
@John_Deacon "It's been 3 years, so we should shut up and admit that we lost the money we paid for the game, supposedly an AAA attempt?"
I don't know about you, but I have nearly 200 hours logged onto the game. Tera Raids, Shiny Hunts, breeding, Home transfers to get Golden Lures... Performance aside, I don't feel as if I lost a cent.
Re: Rumour: New Leak May Explain Why So Many Switch 2 Physicals Are Game Key Cards
@Porco
"the big three are phasing out physical media to cut out used game sales entirely"
Let's not get conspiratorial here. The big three are phasing out physical media because, sadly, it's becoming increasingly more expensive to create physical media with steadily diminishing returns to show for it. In Japan especially, less than half of Nintendo's game sales are of physical carts and discs, and the rest of the world is slowly but inexorably trending in that direction as well.
That having been said, I'll buy physical until the day I leave this world.
Re: Overwatch 2 x Street Fighter 6 Collaboration Announced
And by "Street Fighter 6 collaboration", they mean "Street Fighter 2 alumni plus Juri". This would have been less annoying if they had just said "Street Fighter collab" without naming any specific title.
Re: Round Up: The Previews Are In For Capcom Fighting Collection 2
According to early testers, Capcom vs. SNK 2's ranked online forces players to play the EO (Gamecube/XBOX) build, as opposed to the original arcade/Dreamcast/PS2 version. I like EO better, as roll-canceling always looked silly to me, but this is going to be a potential issue nonetheless.
Re: UK Charts: A Shake Up Puts Nintendo Out Of The Top 10
Nintendo's out of the Top 10 in its weakest market during a transition period between its flagship consoles.
Doomed.
Re: Hori's Switch 2 Piranha Plant Camera Has Much Worse Resolution Than Nintendo's
First thing I'm going to do is see if I can't mod a HD camera into that Piranha Plant frame.
Re: Is The Switch 2 A Steam Deck Killer? Digital Foundry Dives Deep
I have honestly never seen anyone express interest in the Steam Deck who wasn't also trying to poke Nintendo in the eye.
Re: Opinion: A Few Too Many Questions & Unwelcome Surprises Are Taking The Shine Off The Switch 2 Reveal
Seeing Sony release a $700 console was something of an eye opener. It awakened me to the possibility that Nintendo's upcoming machine might similarly cost more than initially anticipated, especially if the base specs are as substantial an improvement over the Switch as rumored. So I just resolved to set aside a little more money for the release than I would have otherwise.
Re: Civilization VII Dev Likens Game's Switch 2 Graphical Performance To "Mid-Tier PC"
@Jester676 I wouldn't recommend that. There might be an upgrade path that allows you to play the Switch 2 version for free or cheap using a Switch cart.
Re: UK Charts: A Strong Xenoblade Debut Can't Escape Assassin's Creed's Shadow
@Poco_Lypso It's Assassin's Creed. You can bro-hug Leonardo da Vinci, accompany Paul Revere along his infamous Midnight Ride, upgrade your Revolutionary War-era warship with iron siding (not in use in the Americas until the Civil War), and shoot a man in the face with a spring-loaded wrist cannon in 13th Century Syria, among other things.
Re: Mortal Kombat 1 T-1000 DLC Update Is Now Live, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
@-wc- The answer: a lot of sequels. Netherrealm Studios and the Mortal Kombat franchise are among the few sectors of Warner Bros. Games that aren't financially imploding, so the executives have announced their intention to focus on MK/Batman/Harry Potter for the foreseeable future.
Re: Switch 2 Will Support NFC, According To New FCC Filings
I still collect Amiibo figurines, and I'm glad Amiibo fever has cooled to its current level, which is just right. Enough to douse the mad rush and speculation (except for Pyra/Mythra and Noah/Mio — bully for Xenoblade), but not so much that the Amiibo line follows Skylanders and Disney Infinity into the graveyard.
Re: Capcom Provides Update On Game Changes In 'Fighting Collection 2'
I liked the EO version of Capcom vs. SNK 2. Seeing a horde of Blankas and Sagats roll-spam their way into supremacy got old fast. That having been said, I'm glad there are options for the original and EO versions. Choice is good.
Re: Pokémon Almost Became A "Gritty" Baseball-Themed RPG In The West
Reminds me of Nintendo of America being reluctant to localize the original Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64, thinking it wouldn't be much of a hit here.
Re: Pokémon Champions Reveals Multiplayer Battle Mode Options
I'm guessing that this is what they "outsource" the Battle Frontier post-game to, much like Pokémon Home obviated the need for individual games to have a comprehensive National Pokédex.
Re: Dragon Quest XI S Returns To Switch eShop "At A Permanently Reduced Price"
@RiasGremory Dragon Quest XI S wasn't just a port of the vanilla DQXI. It was an entirely different SKU, recompiled from the ground up to run on Switch hardware. It was advertised as a timed Nintendo exclusive and thus subject to all of Nintendo's strictures regarding exclusives (Nintendo controlled the pricing, dictated if/when it could come to other platforms, published the game, etc.)
Re: Dragon Quest XI S To Be Temporarily Unavailable On The Switch eShop
A "slightly revamped" version? That's doing it a disservice. They added so much stuff and redid the whole game from the ground up. The additions and fixings were so extensive, it was impossible to just add a "Definitive Edition" DLC to the original SKU.
Re: Stardew Valley Has Now Sold More Copies Than Mario Kart Wii
Switch copy here. I also have it as a gifted copy on my PC, but I never touched it there because I found it better for on-the-go gaming.
Re: Square Enix Provides Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Global Sales Update
A needed W for Square-Enix. And right on the heels of yet another of its Games-as-a-Service (Foamstars) ventures being prematurely taken off of life support.
Re: Capcom Fighting Collection 2 Switch Physical Pre-Orders Are Now Live (US)
Seems almost quaint to have Kyo on a cover again instead of Terry.
Re: Poll: So, Will You Be Getting Donkey Kong Country Returns HD For Switch?
The Wii U's graphics plus the 3DS's balance changes and extra stages. I probably won't get it Day 1, but I'll pick it up eventually.
Re: Random: Guilty Gear Strive's Latest Update Apparently Censors "Inappropriate Angles"
What in the world did they do to Goldlewis? What kind of evil person on ArcSys's balancing team decided that this already good character could use the ability to chain three Behemoth Typhoons together?
Re: Mortal Kombat 1 Adds Ghostface From 'Scream' In New Switch Game Update
I like the idea of horror movie characters fighting each other, but I kind of wish they were their own discrete game instead of DLC for Mortal Kombat games.
Re: UK Charts: Mario & Luigi: Brothership Drops Anchor Outside The Top Ten
This is the UK. Anything Nintendo that isn't a Mario EAD/EPD platformer, Mario Kart, or Zelda isn't staying on the charts for long anyway.
Re: Shiny Rayquaza Is Coming To Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
Removed
Re: Mario & Luigi's Future In Doubt As A Potential Sony Acquisition Emerges
It depends on which arm of The Sony Group is doing the purchasing.
Sony Music has historically done well with Nintendo collabs. They've published soundtracks for series like Zelda and Mother and have advertised things like the Switch port of Fate/Extella through Fate/Grand Order. Sony Pictures will be working with Nintendo and Arad Productions to distribute the upcoming live-action Zelda movie.
If it's Sony Interactive Entertainment (the division that owns the PlayStation brand), however, that's a wrap. Part of the reason why Nintendo pulled Smash out of the EVO fighting game tournament lineup was because of EVO being bought out by Sony Interactive.
Re: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door On Switch Has Already Outsold The GameCube Original
@Zeebor15 I feel as if I'm being gaslit whenever someone mentions the Gamecube era and its games as "Nintendo's golden age". Back when I was a teenager on the cusp of adulthood, the Gamecube was "the kiddie purple lunchbox" and the cool kids on the block got themselves a PS2 or Microsoft's newfangled XBOX machine. I'm glad people realize how great the Gamecube and its games are now, but where was all this love when the system was on the market?
Re: So, Will You Be Getting Xenoblade Chronicles X For Switch?
Probably not Day 1, but I'm definitely getting this.
Re: Xenoblade Chronicles X Fans Are Once Again Discussing The Game's 'Censorship'
My character's going to be a rusty old man as always, so I don't really have a dog in this fight.
Re: Switch System Update 19.0.0 Is Apparently Causing Some Issues
People always did say that Switch firmware patches introducing more stability was boring. Now we have one that introduces INSTABILITY.
Re: Best Super Mario Games Of All Time
Wonder had its flaws, and I certainly won't disagree with anyone who was sorely disappointed. But it was the most fan I personally had with a Mario platformer in a long time.
Re: The Entire Tales Of Kenzera: Zau Team Has Been Put On Redundancy Notice
Disappointing, but not entirely unexpected. It was a good, but not stellar, game.
Re: Japanese Charts: Zelda Gets Booted Off The Podium As Metaphor Arrives In Style
Being outsold by the great new RPG hit from the people behind Persona, the long-anticipated remake of a classic horror game, and DBZ doesn't seem all that bad.
Re: Bandai Namco Reportedly Cancels Nintendo-Commissioned Project
@LavenderShroud If it was anything Soul Calibur, it would have been a port of VI rather than VII. My guess is it's a new IP that didn't quite make it off of the drawing board.
Re: Poll: Are You Bothered By The Frame Rate In Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom?
I'd say yes, but the effect wasn't as pronounced on me since it was on the same developer, same engine, and same aesthetic as Link's Awakening (Switch). I had a good idea of what I was in for and adjusted my expectations accordingly.
Re: Guilty Gear Strive's Switch Edition Won't Support Crossplay
This is for the best. Rollback on Wi-Fi is a mind screw and a half.
Re: Video: "Keep Your Peaks And Valleys!" - Sakurai Explains Fighter Balance In Smash Bros.
@Dr_Corndog Sakurai and Nintendo have different balance metrics than everyone else. Who knows? Maybe Steve tends to get smacked around harder and beaten earlier than the rest in, say, full 4-Player Free for Alls. We know that heavies like Ganondorf and King Dedede do much better in FFAs than in one-on-one fights because they can rush in, swing wide, and score bunches of kills with relative ease.