NoxAeturnus

It's pretty simple. This is popcorn at the movie theater. You either buy the small, or you look at the medium and think, "It's only a small amount to upgrade to the large."

Switch Lite ($200): Slightly smaller, cheaper price point, handheld only. This makes it a good entry point for children/families or travelers. Or anyone who wants cheap and doesn't care about TV play.

Switch Classic ($300): Is now basically obsolete, but does offer a slightly cheaper mid-point for those who don't care about handheld mode and want to play on TV.

Switch OLED ($350): Great screen, great kickstand. Perfect option for people who primarily play in handheld or tabletop mode but who still want to be able to play on the TV. For +$50 what it offers is totally reasonable if you like handheld and don't already own a Switch.

Primarily TV players aren't being best served by any of these models, so there is room for a "Pro" but...let's be honest, TV-only people probably represent a smaller market share of Switch owners. Most people who want highest graphical fidelity own a better console or a PC and have a Switch to play Nintendo games or to play on the go. I don't think we'll ever see a "Pro" and we probably won't see a Switch 2 until 2024 at the earliest.

@Clyde_Radcliffe Yes, I would say that Skyward Sword is more like OOT and Windwaker than Botw. I'd even go so far as to say Skyward is more restrictive than either OOT or WW, it's not really an exploration game so much as it is a linear series of dungeons disguised as an exploration game. You won't have to deal with cooking or with weapon degradation on the same level, but there are some rpg-like upgrade elements to it that aren't in OOT or Windwaker. If you like OOT and WW, I'd definitely recommend giving Skyward a try at least.

I do this all the time while I'm waiting for my wife to get ready so we can leave. That's why his shoes are on, and why he's in the hall ready to duck out the door at a moment's notice. That's why the bench is there - for putting shoes on and waiting. Why not use the TV? Because I already have my shoes on and because I set the TV to the channel for the dog so she doesn't feel alone while we're gone. There's no time to lose once she's ready because we're already late.

^Not even a joke, this literally happens. Reality is unrealistic.

@Dezzy What other opinion is there to have on this article? Silent protagonists have always existed as blank slates for the player to project themselves onto. The article argues that back in the 90s when the industry was even more male dominated Samus offered an equivalent experience for females as Link offers for males and that that was a breath of fresh air for someone who doesn't identify as a Link. What possible counter argument could there be? Where's the problem?

@ATaco What a great idea. She had to have gotten through those places somehow, and tying back changes in the dungeon to how Link eventually tackles it in her footsteps would be really neat. You could have cool moments from another perspective like, "Oh wow, THAT'S why the bridge is turned the wrong way when Link first arrives!"

Nintendo: Developing new IP is difficult, costly, and time consuming.

Also Nintendo: Reusing old IP is a big deal and much harder to do than making new IP.

Wow, everything truly does become a crab given enough time. Even gaming journalism is apparently subject to carcinization.

@COVIDberry Doesn't really matter if they announce things that early or not, people are going to be impatient and upset regardless. I'd rather learn about it closer to when I can actually play it. Astral Chain had just about a perfect amount of time to build a proper amount of excitement between its reveal and its release.

But you know what they say, a bad game is bad forever, but a delayed game is eventually Final Fantasy. Or something like that, the details are hazy...

Announced way too soon. Just like Prime 4.

I want what I always want. One previously unannounced game to be excited about.

This is mildly disappointing, but actually isn't a big deal. Of course, that won't stop the internet from hyperbolically blowing this up into "NiNteNdOoMeD!" But seriously. Come on. This isn't going to hurt Nintendo in any way. Not the reach of their marketing, not the hype about their games, certainly not the sales of their games. It's not like anyone is going to not watch because of it, or that game news outlets aren't going to report on it. Everyone's going to forget about this non-issue in less time than it takes the number 4 to show up in a trailer.

Nice, I was interested in this already but I'll definitely pick it up on Switch now.

All I want is the same thing I want from every direct. One previously unannounced game to be excited about.

@Ambassador_Kong 15 years is a long time to teach writing without learning when a professional opinion is warranted or asked for. Or the difference between an argumentative essay and a bit of playful editorializing. But hey, you do you I guess.

@Ambassador_Kong And your critical opinion matters...because?

Probably doesn't matter that they're back to back, especially since it's all Sinnoh. The gameplay in BD/SP and Arceus looks very different, and they'll probably appeal to slightly different audiences as a result. Honestly though, Arceus looked kinda bland and empty, so I hope they've added more to it. But I doubt it. Sw/Sh were pretty bland and empty too.

I don't care how long it takes. It's ready when it's ready and I'll be there. Hollow Knight is a top notch game. Team Cherry can take as much time as they need to make Silksong as good or better.

All I know is that RPG has lost all meaning and most soulslikes aren't like souls at all. Before we try to compare things and sort them into boxes, maybe the gaming community should work on figuring out how to describe anything in the first place. Not that there haven't been attempts, such as MDA design philosophy, but that's largely a framework meant for game designers not for public discourse. Video games largely have the same problem as books and movies. The easiest billing is "like that other thing you've heard of." That's why all fantasy books used to be billed as the next Lord of the Rings, and more recently as the next Game of Thrones, even when they share almost nothing in common.

I don't think this game knows what it wants to be.

I wonder how often "click-bait" and "misleading headline" are mentioned in NLife article comments and whether or not it shows up for some writers more than others.

@BulkSlash I like your idea for some fresh items, but they don't even necessarily need the item gating anymore. My biggest disappointment with shrines wasn't the puzzle solving, which was fine, it was the lack of context. The Deku Tree in OOT was inside an actual tree. The dungeon had flavor, and it told a story along the way. The spiderwebs and skultulla were part of the curse, and became more prevalent the deeper you went, and lo and behold the boss in the basement is a giant spider who is hurting the tree! Zelda dungeons used to have a lot of character, and the shrines (and divine beasts) failed to scratch that itch for me. They did an amazing job with the overworld in botw, there's so much to see, but not a ton to do. Especially in some areas. How much is there really to do in Hebra? And if you took all the shrines out of the game and put them together in one package with a generic protagonist, it would be an awesome puzzle game and no one would mistake it for a Zelda game. What I want most is Botw's overworld, with thematic dungeons scattered across the map as an additional activity in the open world. I think that would be the best of both worlds. And even better if I can choose to play as Zelda or Link (with differences in playstyle, wouldn't it be neat to play as Zelda spellcasting archer and with Link as his traditional swordsman?) and/or to co-op with my wife. We had a blast co-op playing botw with one controller each, but I'd love to be able to full co-op it with each our own character.

@Eve99 That's why it's a wish list bro. It's a list of things that I, personally, am wishing for. None of those things are needed nor wanted BY YOU, but it turns out, yours is not the only opinion that matters. I think it's sad that you'd be angry at the inclusion of a playable character and the ability to play with others. There are way better things to be angry about. And just because botw is a great game without dungeons does not mean that they are obsolete nor that it could not have been made better by including some.

Wish List:

1. Zelda playable.
2. Full co-op support.
3. Actual dungeons where the narrative theme and the mechanics come together like only Zelda games can provide.

Mildly disappointed about the lack of evolutions, but it otherwise looks too good to ignore. I'm excited to get started!

Mario's alright.

I still love that Snap was a short game that could be played in a single session. I go back to it every now and then.

Probably won't come to Switch, but if it did I'd buy it.

I've tried to play this game 6 times over the years. PS2, Wii, Switch. Doesn't matter. The beginning is a total slog and even when I finally get past that I just can't get into it. The characters actively irritate me, especially Issun and Susano. I keep trying because it's been hyped forever and they just keep rereleasing it, but at a certain point I think I have to admit it's just not for me.

It's been dated for a while now. Hey-oh!

Why a full version jump? Weird.

There's really no reason that every game shouldn't have fully customizable button mapping. Platform holders should require it for all games that release on their system. And I'm aware you can usually do this at the system level, but the customization really needs to be game-specific.

Ah yes, a lively debate has already begun.

Kate is killing it lately. It's getting to the point where I start reading and think, "Wow, this is really good, did Kate write it?" Spoiler alert: yes.

Well that would have been brilliant. Shining example of what could have been done.

These are all top 10 contenders without a doubt. I'd drop BotW to 5th and bump Twilight Princess to 6th, but I recognize that my personal preference does not match the majority on BotW.

Sounds good. When I saw the original announcement it looked a bit like a 3D Hollow Knight to me. Going to have to pick it up at some point.

It's good. Just good. Is any Zelda bad? The story is miles ahead of Breath of the Wild, and the puzzles and dungeons are solid. My biggest complaint was that there were only a few areas and you had to keep going back to them, I got tired of it. I thought 8/10 or 9/10 was fair when it came out. That's a good game.

@TheFullAndy You're basically saying, "If you like it, that's fine, but you must be sexually frustrated to play this pathetic game." If people who want to play this game should feel empowered to do so, why should they care about or listen to your assumptions about them, the game's quality, or their reasons for playing? Your opinion is noted, but worthless, thanks for sharing.

@JohnnyC Big release is a joke. It's a play on words implying that something else is big in this game because, as you pointed out, it's obviously not an actual big release. Like all jokes it becomes funnier once explained.

Things I like about P5: time management mechanics, persona fusion, story, style, turn-based battles.

Things P5S has: story, style.

P5S is just too different, and it's in a genre I usually don't like at all. I appreciate that they put decent effort into the story and characters, but it's not a game I want to PLAY. Guess I'll just watch a stream of it somewhere.

I say this as someone who absolutely hates grinding 90% of the time. But if you feel tempted to skip fights in a game where fights are the main source of gameplay and progression, you are not playing a game that you enjoy. You're basically saying, "This game would be fun if you just removed all the gameplay from it." Grinding IS the fun gameplay in some games. And some people like that. Some people's enjoyment of a game is sourced from disengaging their brain and doing a repetitive task over and over again because it's cathartic. Grinding is not inherently bad design. Games that grind can still be poorly designed, and grinding can be implemented poorly, I'm not arguing that. However, if you think grinding is inherently bad design because it wastes your time, that might be a strong sign that YOU DON'T LIKE THAT GAME. Grinding isn't wasting or disrespecting your time. YOU are disrespecting your time by playing a game that you're not enjoying. Stop playing things you don't like. Stop demanding that they be something else that you do like. It's ok that not every game is for every person.

Eh, why bother? You're not missing much. Calamity Gannon is one of the most boring Zelda bosses of all time.

I think a pro dock would be better as a mid-cycle power boost. It would leverage the existing install base, most people want best performance on their high end TVs anyway, and it would be cheaper than buying a whole new system.

Every time I see SEASONS in an article title I wish Oracle preceded it.

Actually, it's the Switch for me. And #2 for me is the N64.

Souls-like has lost all meaning.

I think this article is right. Nintendo will move towards game-specific directs. But I'll be honest...I haven't watched any of them. I like announcement trailers and release dates. Pile up announcement trailers into one big direct and I'm excited, because there will be at least one (but probably more) thing to be excited about. There's no suspense with a game-specific showcase, and frankly I don't want to spoil too much about games before I buy them anyway.

What is this "fit" and "active" you speak of? Also, Beat Saber.

@Giancarlothomaz End of this year seems too soon. Lifetime it probably has a good shot at it though.

Sounds more like a pro dock than pro switch.