PikaPhantom

@Shellcore There haven't been issues with getting Switch devkits in years and this team released their previous game on Switch

I'll get one once there's a special edition controller I like. I'm not too fond of where the white on the controller is placed compared to my Smash-themed Pro Controller, and I imagine it won't be long before we get 1-2 after Splatoon 2 and Xenoblade 2 both received them in the Switch 1's first year. It's hard to say what games would receive that treatment, though. Metroid would be a great fit for a Pro Controller design, but Prime 4 is pushing Mouse-Con hard; maybe they'd do one for Legends Z-A because the Legends games target a more core gaming audience, or even Kirby Air Riders as a Sakurai game?

...Gonna skip voting this week...

That's lame, after they showed 60fps footage in the Switch 2 Direct. Really hope more games start trying to push for 40fps, since that's a nice compromise framerate that keeps things feeling smooth enough. It's annoying that the Switch 2 as a closed platform should benefit from having more tailor-made ports for it, and yet 30fps has been coming up for games that reasonably could hit 40fps (e.g. Split Fiction, and I imagine Borderlands's artstyle would make that viable here too).

@Ulysses If you played the first time, you get access to the new playtest by default as long as you still meet their requirements.

I have to wonder why Samantha Kelly's roles are being split across more than one replacement voice actor, with Lin making no mention of Toad or Toadette, and yet Kevin Afghani's a universal replacement for Charles Martinet. I'm guessing it's a matter of cost, but it would've been nice if they tried to find 4 VAs that could really nail each of Martinet's characters instead of one that can do a decent approximation of them all. I personally think Kevin excels as Luigi but is inconsistent in every other role he's taken on, especially Wario. It's not the replacement I'm most annoyed by - I think Giselle Fernandez's Daisy regularly misses the mark and it actively makes me like the character a bit less, and I'm also not fond of Toadette's new voice (whoever it is seems to be much better at playing Toad because you could tell me that was still Samantha Kelly in World and I'd buy it) - but it doesn't feel like they've been handling the recasts particularly well. Courtney's Peach is up there with Kevin's Luigi and the new Toad for me, but it feels the most egregious given Samantha Kelly didn't find out until after World launched, hot off the heels of Showtime. At least it'd been a while since Deanna Mustard recorded for Daisy (maybe it happened with Super Rush, but I feel like it'd been close to a decade before Wonder).

I hope they're at least willing to keep Kenny James as Bowser. I don't think anyone could replace him and not sound different.

@Hero-of-WiiU Having played it during the first playtest, this is their most ambitious new IP/online game since Splatoon, and it's known that the same directors are shepherding the project due to patent filings

@Anachronism I tried uploading some songs from the soundtrack on a burner account, left them unlisted, distanced them from the game proper, and they still got taken down. Nintendo was very diligent about removing leaks

@LazyDaisy I played it the first time around, and it was extremely fleshed out. The point of the playtests isn't to see if the idea works, it's to refine what they already have (and there was a lot to it). It's very different from anything they've ever made before, so it's sensible to make sure the infrastructure is solid and that the game clicks.

I do wonder what the situation is going to be for past participants. There's a grayed-out link for us on the website that only opens up tomorrow. I would hope that it's just an update to the current application and just having that downloaded means I can join in again, but it's not clear right now.

I'm glad this has reviewed just well enough for me to remain interested. It's got a wide spread (I've seen 5/10s and 9/10s), but settling around 74-75 as the aggregate is about what I expected, and the premise, low price, and Switch 2 release were more than enough to sway me in light of that.

@SplatRay001 Both games are priced at $70, which seems to be the price where companies get comfortable with having the game on a Switch 2 cartridge. Marvelous even said that having the $10 upgrade on their Switch 2 Editions played a huge role in them offering them as complete on cart. The only exceptions so far are also Switch 2 Editions (Tamagotchi Plaza and Fantasy Life i), so it seems like their cross-compatibility with Switch is incentivizing physical most; still wouldn't say you should count on either game being on cartridge, but it's certainly possible.

@MirrorFate2 There wasn't one. It's the Switch 2 Edition banner that's on the cover.

I can't wait to experience the 20 minutes of content for free!

I imagine this one'll be in World eventually. Koopa Beach getting a "night" remix in Free Roam suggests that track choices for DLC won't have to be courses skipped over in the jukebox selection (which, to be fair, would essentially boil down to a bunch of Bowser tracks, Tour cities, crossover courses, and a selection of stuff from Super Circuit outside of a few exceptions).

Not only did we know this a day after launch, but it's also really odd to assume that Nintendo EPD had no hand in the project given how essentially all past tech demo games of this sort have been theirs, Nintendo Cube has collaborated with them on multiple projects (Pocket Camp, Everybody 1-2-Switch), and its very nature of it being a game covering the Switch 2 itself down to showcasing the innards of the system. You really think that such a project would be essentially completely handed off to a subsidiary with no involvement in creating the console, instead of coming from the core in-house group that is known to actively collaborate with the hardware development team?

@SillyG Not helping matters is that different sections of Nintendo's website suggest the game is 8 GB on Switch as well, or Steam saying you only need 5 GB of free space for the install

Huh. When they referred to framerate improvements for the Switch 2 Edition on the eShop, I assumed that meant there would be some form of 120fps support in the game. Maybe there's a sub-4K option, but this really didn't come across as a game Switch 1 would run at 30fps.

@PinderSchloss It's probably happening, given that an unfinished 60fps mode was found in the files of Definitive Edition when it came out.

I feel a bit stupid now because I didn't think to check the transcript of the 2nd anniversary video (I just left a comment and asked as soon as it showed up in my subscription feed), and it turns out that they mention having plans for a Switch 2 upgrade as part of it, and that it will indeed target higher frame rates. My bad! I do appreciate Nintendo Life picking up the news tip, though, since it seems like other sites haven't reported on the story at all.

Notably, the listings for Little Nightmares III in Japan and Australia/New Zealand do not have a game-key card banner. Between this and Tamagotchi Plaza having a cartridge release in Japan, making it the only physical Switch 2 game that is priced under $70 (VideoGamesPlus has it for $64.99 CAD, which translates to roughly $47.50 USD), it seems like Bandai Namco might be throwing their weight behind cartridge releases, moreso than even Marvelous (who's been pricing everything at $70).

@sethfranum Can you explain what exactly you have to do to fix the display and VRR issues?

@SpacedDuck Not even the most premium PC handhelds can offer OLED screens with variable refresh rate because there are apparently major issues with flickering that result from combining the two, from everything I've heard. Nintendo prioritized game performance over the vibrancy of the screen, and I think that's a fair enough tradeoff. If by some chance they were able to procure 120fps OLED screens with VRR support for the Switch 2, the console would be far more expensive than the $50 difference between Switch 1 and OLED

Does seem like digital sales are being largely excluded from this assessment, so I wonder how much they'd change things. It is fairly telling to me that Cyberpunk is charting well on the eShop, and the games doing well alongside it are the recently released Fantasy Life i and Deltarune, as well as No Man's Sky, all of which don't have a Switch 2 retail release yet (and since the charts are now based on revenue, I assume that they're not factoring in people upgrading from Switch 1 versions of games at all). It's also telling that Sega's games are not charting at all anymore. Turns out people aren't interested in paying full price for game upgrades or $50 for Yakuza 0. I only got Sonic x Shadow Generations because when I bought the Switch version, it was specifically for my little brother, and I intended to wait and see how it ran on Switch 2 if it got a version for it.

I do think this has less to do with game-key cards and is more a result of poor economic conditions. I didn't skimp out on games myself, but that's mainly because I didn't go out and buy many accessories for my Switch 2, and 3 of my picks were still $40 or less

I do enjoy the actual missions, but the movement can be very fiddly, especially with how Rewind always takes you back a certain amount regardless of your speed. But I also really haven't dipped my toes into open world much at all, so some of the faults other people have with it probably aren't registering with me. I do really enjoy getting to engage with the tracks themselves in a new light, but some of the P-Switches and Peach Medallions are in really barren areas, and I already know I'll need a guide to track down some stragglers once I finish going through all the main courses and whatnot.

@Zeeba It is.

I don't fully get why Knockout Tour gets singled out for praise when it takes place all across the in-between routes that have been criticized. It's not like it's immune to some of the other gripes people have with the game, either, like how easily you can end up falling behind. I like having the more intricately designed courses interspersed with the connecting track over staying solely on them until the final stretch. But I also don't mind the routes as much in general. Plenty of tracks in the series are filled with relatively straight sections; it doesn't matter as much to me that the turns keep you going forward instead of closing the loop. And mechanically, I've been enjoying the driving so much that I think it makes every part of the game at least somewhat fun (and it's mostly been very fun). I didn't even hate playing Desert Hills like 8 times because the Flower Cup was weirdly brutal for me compared to what came after. I do think there should be options to play a Grand Prix or online without having to take the routes, but I'm gonna be trying to go through every single one and enjoy piecing together more of what makes the world tick. Even the stretches between two tracks can differ in notable ways depending on which one you're traveling to, and that scratches a similar itch to why I stuck with Tour for so long (different variants of the same track).

@Toastmaster Microsoft is abandoning physical on their own platform. They're almost certainly not going to try and fit their games on Switch 2 carts.

Wouldn't this also make it the fastest-selling console launch, period? It took other recent systems like the PS5 around a month to put up these numbers

I hope Shin'en's willing to give League some love post-launch. Its tracks would need some adjustments, given the lack of switching colors to flip onto upside-down panels, but it isn't quite as interesting seeing RMX tracks return even if they've been visually updated because its content is still accessible on Switch 2. I'm still happy to see Alpine Trust return, though, since Fusion just feels better to play.

@Vyacheslav333 Shadow Generations didn't even have an option for 60fps on PS4 Pro. We're fortunate to even have one on Switch 2 in handheld

"Performance remains impressive undocked" I don't know about that. I gave the game a quick try in handheld mode and the framerate was extremely uneven, but in docked it held up better. Maybe it gets better after the opening area?

@NatiaAdamo Switch 2 Edition games apparently can't be Game-Key Cards. Ken Berry from Marvelous mentioned that part of why they decided to go for full physical releases on Switch 2 was because it enabled having cross-generation physical releases that also worked on Switch, and...well, not a single Switch 2 Edition is a Game-Key Card. We've seen the boxart, so the only question that remains is whether or not it's a code in a box like Civilization VII or Shadow Labyrinth, since it's not digital-only like Fantasy Life i (even in Japan). Again, Berry said Rune Factory and Story of Seasons cost $10 more because it made releasing the games physically possible without them being "fiscally irresponsible." And none of Sega's Switch 2 releases have been $70 before CrossWorlds, so it is entirely possible that they made the call to opt for Game-Key Cards only for games under $70.

For the sake of clarity, this is explicitly a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition release, as the banner and QR code appear on the Switch 2 boxart in the trailer. We unfortunately don't know for sure if it'll release on cartridge or adopt a code in a box format like Civilization VII and Shadow Labyrinth, but given it's priced at $70 like Marvelous's games and they specifically cited the $10 upgrade as making proper physicals viable for them, there's some reason to be optimistic. Either way, I'm glad that I can shave off some GBs worth of storage from the release even if that means just buying the Switch version and upgrading. And with Shadow Generations having a 60fps performance mode, I imagine they'll target that on Switch 2 as well.

@IronMan30 To be fair, Fantasy Life is only 1/14th farming. My understanding is that it's closer to Animal Crossing than a farming sim

I really hope other games get this treatment going forward. I don't know if they'd want to put in the work for any 30fps game where the game logic is tied to the framerate, but it would be wonderful if they try and bump every 30fps first-party Switch game up to 60fps. Maybe they'll even bring a few 60fps games up to 120fps? The wording on the website detailing each game's patch suggests ARMS and Super Mario 3D World are receiving boosts beyond ironing out instances where they'd run at 30fps, so if those do receive 120fps support, then I imagine games like Metroid Dread and Super Mario Bros. Wonder could be on the table for it as well, alongside any Wii U port that ran at 60fps.

@SillyG "WarioWare: Snapped! This Time It Functions"

If they had a mode where you eat the Puyos or Tetriminos, maybe it'd be worth...$15 instead of the $10 upgrade this should be

Almost certainly a bogus rumor because of one relatively overlooked tidbit we already have about the movie: they're apparently looking to cast a young adult actor (or younger) as Link.

https://youtu.be/kajXJrqSkJU

Wes Ball, the director of the Zelda movie, told the lead actor from his last film (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), Owen Teague, that it was a shame he was too old to play Link. Teague's only 26...as is Hunter Schafer. And if they're presumably looking for a Link actor who's 18-21, it stands to reason they would take a comparable approach for Zelda with how frequently they're depicted as around the same in terms of age. I think DanielRPK is already a dubious source in the first place as well?

@Spider-Kev $20 upgrades are only for games with extensive new content as Switch 2 Editions. Prime 4 is getting new functionality and a performance boost with higher quality textures and lighting. That's in the same ballpark as the $10 Zelda upgrades with their Zelda Notes support. Prime 4 will be $70, guaranteed. Especially because of how bad the optics of the game being double the price of Prime Remastered would be.

@PikminMarioKirby I believe the gigaleak confirmed Scarlet/Violet only had roughly 2 and a half years of active development. Z-A is getting an additional year over that based on the general timeline from when Arceus wrapped to when the game will probably go gold sometime in July-August

Pipistrello should be my swan song purchase for Switch 1, unless Nintendo decides to take a page out of the Switch 1 launch buildup playbook and drops an Indie World this week that, while focused on Switch 2, also has a compelling Switch shadowdrop

@MrDocena This game was originally planned as a Switch exclusive set for release in 2023. It was 100% meant for Switch

@silver-crescent There's a physical release in Japan. Did you consider importing that, or are you not interested?

I appreciate that they're doing mass-market physical releases. I'll definitely keep an eye on what they bring to Switch 2, especially because it seems like they're picking up some fairly high-profile releases between Immortality and Thank Goodness You're Here!

@darkswabber @Axecon Nothing in the leaks points to Hotel Dusk. What leaked were 2 Nintendo-exclusive projects, with one called Project Watari (Cross) being built in Unreal Engine 5 that is slated as a Switch/Switch 2 release, and one called Project Life, which is intended as a small hour-long story experience designed as a showcase for the Switch 2's features, is apparently dialogue-less, and seems to be from the Recollection team

Well, see you all when Uprising gets added in 2032

@Moonlessky Echoes of Wisdom targets 60fps. It runs at 30fps a lot of the time in the overworld, which is something that the Switch 2 should be able to resolve natively through its approach to backwards compatibility (things like load times and adaptive resolution) should also be better by default, as shown with Yoshi's Crafted World in the Direct.

@mariomaster96
The phrasing of "including Bowser's Fury" implies that base 3D World is also seeing some improvements, which kind of has to mean 120fps. I think Bowser's Fury will stay at 60fps, at least in handheld, especially because it's the only part of the package that is HDR-enabled.

Xenoblade X also had an unfinished 60fps mode uncovered in its files on Switch, so I think it's safe to say it's going to be enhanced on Switch 2 at a later date.

@Captain_Kirk All of Sega's games except for Yakuza, Survival Kids, Kunitsu-Gami in Japan, Hogwarts Legacy, and Suikoden as well