PikaPhantom

@Captain_Kirk There are a ton of Game-Key Card games under 32 GB?

@Discostew That's fair. The thing here is that this information is coming from a data breach Arc System Works was hit with, which also revealed 2 apparently Nintendo-exclusive projects they're working on for release this year. Having that in the picture overrides my general skepticism of Necrofelipe. Unfortunately, while I was able to find quite a bit about said projects, I haven't been able to find as much on the source documentation for the game-key card claim, aside from them being referred to as "0GB cards." Seeing sites like NintendoEverything run the story just had me a bit overzealous to see Nintendo Life pick it up, since I know I and many others here are not very happy about the situation. It's unfortunate, even though the root cause may genuinely be Nintendo's flash supplier Macronix trying to pivot away from that side of their business, instead of the blame lying with them or the companies adopting game-key cards.
https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20250213PD231/3d-inventory-macronix-international-rom-2026.html

Not trying to create a fuss, and my apologies if I came off like I was, but I feel like the context of the limited options is something that would be worthwhile to have in this article.

@Tayrailbridge It's not my leak. I bring it up because other Nintendo outlets have picked up on it, and allegedly developers at PAX were talking about it as well.

Not gonna talk about the Arc System Works leaks confirming that it's only 64GB cartridges or game-key carts on Switch 2 for physicals?

Nintendo has FORGOTTEN about Pikmin...

I can't believe you left off Mr. Eraser, the Baby Face, the Skeleton Key, an entire Flagpole, George Washingtoad, Paper Mistake Buzzy Beetle, a cartridge of Wario Blast Featuring Bomberman, Dr. Goomba Tower, Mr. I, and the Tar Man. Clearly you guys didn't look deep enough

@babybilly Arc System Works suffered a data breach, and apparently internal documentation emerged from that confirming it's game-key cards or 64GB for cartridges

Shame that, for the first time since the DS, we're getting dedicated art on the spines on a system where 90% of boxed releases won't be true physicals (it's been confirmed 64GB cartridges are the only option for physicals aside from the Game-Key Cart size, which does seem to be what Tamagotchi Plaza is using).

@VoidofLight It might only be the case for Japan. Toby Fox just confirmed Deltarune will need to be a paid upgrade from Switch to Switch 2 (or vice versa) exclusively in Japan, with it being free in all other regions (due to some local law, apparently), and the asking price is the same as the one for Fantasy Life's upgrade. So perhaps it'll be free elsewhere?

@Olmectron Isn't their lifespan increased as long as they're actually inserted into the cartridge slot every so often?

@Ulysses Of course not, because Upgrade Packs both include some degree of new content (at least for existing titles) and improve the visuals to a greater extent. At the very least, both Zelda games and Prime 4 appear to have improved texture quality. But there's no reason for them to issue patches to games like Link's Awakening and Echoes of Wisdom if the point isn't improving performance.

@AussieMcBucket Nothing's been confirmed yet. Nintendo's just started listing filesizes across Switch and Switch 2 for games, but for some reason it's not being used for actual cross-gen releaaes because (as we've already seen) their messaging going into the Switch 2 era has been extremely confusing and poor. I imagine it's likely just because Inazuma Eleven and Professor Layton are already confirmed to be getting dedicated releases on both, though?

@Ulysses
https://www.nintendo.com/us/gaming-systems/switch-2/transfer-guide/games-with-free-updates/?srsltid=AfmBOoqpmipJ6pf4gD9kHQIWtX061_KKEhaqsztHVSmO6gygqWXoITg5
"Improve performance"

I hope they keep this up. I would love to get to play Astral Chain, Pikmin 3 Deluxe, Brothership, Luigi's Mansion 2+3, Xenoblade X, Pokemon Legends Arceus, and Kirby Star Allies (well...maybe not the main game again, but Heroes in Another Dimension would be worth revisiting) at 60fps or more. Of those, Brothership is the only one that seems viable for a Switch 2 Edition (and I intentionally left out Pikmin 4 because it feels inevitable).

Is the early access the same as the one they've put in place for their Switch 2 preorders?

Only reason why I might get any game-key cards is if they're discounted heavily and by more than the digital equivalent. I may opt for some games digitally at launch, but for many, I will wait for sales or potential reprints, since VideoGamesPlus in Canada has expressed interest in doing all-on-cart releases for game-key cards.

Definitely have my fingers crossed for a Switch 2 version. Having a joystick to move but a mouse to aim my jumps sounds heavenly, and I wouldn't be surprised if it could manage 120fps on there, too. Devolver also seems to have devkits already.

...Cranky already namedrops Rambi, complete with a little emblem next to his name like what Mario Odyssey did fot characters. That already indicated he was in the game with a proper role to play

"Great work, buddy...but let me give it to ya straight. You owe us $10 now for finishing this version of the game before anyone else could buy it"

Give me Titanic Scion running at 40fps (or higher) and I just might be there at launch, honestly. I want to support the publishers who are still willing to give us proper physical releases.

So thrilled that there won't be true physical options for most of this, seemingly because Nintendo's skimping out big time and offering far less options for cartridge sizes on Switch 2. 64GB or next to nothing is genuinely absurd (and Rune Factory needing a 64GB cartridge all but confirms that rumor).

@Zeebor15 Seems like it skipped the states but had physicals elsewhere

I'm surprised that development apparently only began early last year. I would've thought they'd started it sometime after The Touryst, and The Punchuin was a stopgap release to make sure they had something to keep them going, given how polished the game looks and the more complex visuals and mechanics. Definitely says a lot about how efficient Shin'en is for such a small team, because it does not look like the quality's taken a hit anywhere. 100% going to grab this at launch (going for the $450 Switch 2 and then getting Mario Kart physically with some giftcards so I can shave that down by $30, so hopefully I don't have any issues getting a preorder in).

@Zeebor15 Play-Asia at least appears to have a Yakuza 0 physical that is not listed as a game-key card. Campus also did get a Switch physical in the US, so I imagine Museum will have one on Switch

GameCube definitely has the most potential in its NSO library for me. I'd like to see some of the games I spent time with when I was younger - WarioWare: Mega Party Game$, the original Super Monkey Ball games, and Medal of Honor: Frontline being the frontrunners among what was omitted from this list - as well as games I never got the opportunity to play (stuff like Crazy Taxi, and Mario Party 6/7, and Battalion Wars)

Well, in good news, the Street Fighter 6 amiibo will be found in bargain bins before too long. Can't imagine there's a big market for $40 Jamie

Snagged LunarLux. There are some other games I'm mildly interested in this week, but I don't want to be spending too much with the Switch 2 around the corner

@StewdaMegaManNerd There are 32! It's just that 2 locations house 2 tracks each: Crown City and Peach Stadium. Crown City's routes are completely detached from each other, so Peach Stadium's likely will be as well.

@Nintoz People have deduced that Acorn Heights, the Mario Circuit hybrid, and a second route on Peach Stadium are all not part of any of the 7 established cups, and Peach Stadium is in a place where it could connect to Rainbow Road's leaked position on the map. It's seemingly a Special Cup track as per the usual

@Nintendo_Thumb There's no conspiracy there. Nintendo always deletes the archives of their livestreams.

I'm going to wait and see if they roll out a Switch 2 version with mouse support. Using a controller, I struggled with aiming the guns to jump; using a keyboard and mouse, aiming felt much better to me, but I struggled with the base movement. Having the best of both worlds would make this a must-buy for me

I heard this game can stick to 45fps very well on Steam Deck, so hopefully they're pushing for a 40fps mode on Switch 2. Wouldn't make sense for the more powerful hardware to be stuck with a lower framerate given the VRR support. 60fps would be ideal, but might be a bridge too far unless the game runs at 720p or something along those lines

@Citano If nothing else, Doshin the Giant released in the EU and not the US, so it's the only first-party GameCube game North America could get for the first time with a translation intact. It'd be more interesting if they'd actually translate the Japanese-only games, though. I'm most curious to see if they'll try and work out a setup for the handful of GameCube games that relied on Game Boy Advances. If not, I imagine Four Swords Adventures is on the table for a remaster or remake, because GameShare would be perfect for it

Good for them! It's happening anyways

@Yoshi3 Metroid Prime 4 is not open-world, and DK's following the Mario Odyssey formula of open but contained environments

@-wc- They have said the eShop will run much better. Whether it'll actually make for a good experience on its own is unclear

Now that people think the Wii U ports aren't coming, I guarantee they will...but exclusively as Switch 1 releases with no Switch 2 Edition in sight, lol

@Sonicka Shin'en's made up of only a few people. They punch well above their weight, but they're not in a position to make the F-Zero GX sequel people want simply because of how tiny of a team they are

"We'll be scanning our way through Tenmaar as soon as we can" You mean Viewros, right

I can live with this, but I was hoping for Alarmo's 3DS/Wii U-esque menus to carry over here

Yeah, I'm thinking this means they're going for a different feel with the Switch 2 OS. That sound effect doesn't really have the same vibe as the more quirky sounds of the Switch OS. Still has character - I dig it - but it's much more electronic

Would there really be anything preventing them from rolling out all the games over time, as they did for this collection...twice?

Tom Henderson's reporting doesn't make any sense. The holiday season is the October-November timeframe. There can't be a distinct phase 2 set in those 2 months and a distinct phase 3 for the holiday season, realistically. Teams are not going to be able to finish games for October-November if they don't get the devkits until the Switch 2's launch. Nintendo is not going to take a backseat during the holiday season, especially because Pokemon Legends Z-A is all but confirmed to be in the usual November time slot and October consistently has the big (or only) Mario release for every holiday season. Even the existence of a 3-phase plan like that does not sound like Nintendo's approach. The whole thing smells of trying to make sense of talk from GDC that's almost certainly not going to be the full picture.

@VoidofLight @Joeynator3000 @DollyrotsFan1
I think we have reason to be optimistic, especially because DollyrotsFan1 is actually right about what they're aiming for with the casting. Wes Ball outright told the lead of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Owen Teague, that it was a shame he was too old to play Link. Teague is only 26, and presumably, they'll want actors within the same age range for Link and Zelda, so that means late teens or early 20s for them both. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kajXJrqSkJU
But I would think it's also important to consider the rest of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes's casting. If you go over to the Wikipedia page for the movie and look through the names...generally, the list is made up of less prominent actors, some of which have relatively few roles with others generally not being in blockbuster projects. 4 don't even have their own articles. Whereas Illumination unsurprisingly pushed for major celebrities with the Mario movie, it seems like Wes Ball could care less about star power, and if he has his way, then I imagine we'll be getting up-and-comers for Link and Zelda with maybe Ganon and Impa going to more established, but still less mainstream, actors

I really wish I wasn't limited to just 3 choices and could mark off everything I'm interested in. All the first-party titles, Patapon, Shadow Labyrinth, the Monument Valley games, Star Overdrive, and The Eternal Life of Goldman are very much on my radar. Fantasy Life i is looking rough on Switch, but if it doesn't have a solid Switch 2 version I'll at least consider a buy on PC. Some other things also intrigued me, at least to an extent, like Dragon Quest, Raidou, and Everybody's Golf.

Scarlet and Violet absolutely need it the most, though I would hope that even just it running natively on the Switch 2 could get the game to a stable 30fps. I voted for Astral Chain otherwise, though. I enjoyed the time I put into it, but it's the kind of game that really should be at 60fps, and that boost would make me go back. Would also love to see Kirby and the Forgotten Land, the Pikmin titles, the Zelda games (every single new one plus Link's Awakening), Xenoblade X, and Luigi's Mansion 2 HD/3 get boosts, and for Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition to hit 60fps in handheld. However, I'm still not convinced that this won't just be their branding for cross-generation releases. I think Nintendo is more likely to just issue patches for most games instead of overhauling anything visually, with maybe a few exceptions (BOTW is rumored to get the full treatment, and I imagine some partner companies/subsidiaries will have free rein to do as they please - a Xenoblade 2: Definitive Edition feels inevitable to me, especially now that X is no longer the black sheep of the series).

I really bounced off Alba - the only game I've tried from ustwo before - but I've always liked the look of these games and was interested in seeing them come to Switch. I do have the second one available via Apple Arcade, but the vertical aspect ratio does not mix great with my iPad. Did they adapt the games for a controller on PC or just force you to use the mouse?

I don't quite understand why the conversation about this seems to be centering around upgrades for existing Switch games when it's very likely this will be an umbrella term that also includes cross-generation Switch releases, or even solely refer to them. You can't tell me that after they refused to date any of the first-party games shown off today, they won't see dedicated Switch 2 versions. I know Nintendo marches to the beat of their own drum, but why would they bother with Switch-only releases when Sony and Microsoft simply haven't? Doing that presents a number of issues. I think there will be a not insignificant number of people who won't pay attention to any Switch games once the new system is out. People like to move on to the new thing. It would also limit availability to an extent. Depending on how the Switch fares after the Switch 2's release, retailers will likely slowly phase out Switch products. Tomodachi Life sold great on 3DS. Living the Dream could become an evergreen seller. But I don't think it'll be able to if it's only on Switch.

Mario Kart consistently sells well. Differences in attach rates have more to do with the consoles in question and how many people bought them. And it's very clear they're making sure the game offers a different experience from 8 just by doubling the racer count.

There's a 99% chance this is going to be Smash 64 coming to NSO lol