@Ulysses Before you start judging the downgrade as "inarguable" and declaring the game a "rush job", you should perhaps take a look at the underlying technical reasons.
Allow me to explain.
Like I said in another thread, people don't appreciate the extra overhead that rendering in HD brings compared to SD. The Switch already has low memory bandwidth, so lighting effects like bloom (which typically require an extra render pass), only strain that bandwidth even more.
The GameCube original uses interlaced rendering, meaning it doesn't render the full 480p frame at 60fps. Arguably it's more accurate to say it renders two halves of its output at a rate of 30fps for each 240p half.
GC: 720 x 240 = 172800 pixels
Switch: 1280 x 720 = 921600 pixels
So, assuming it's rendering at 720p resolution, the Switch would have to render more than 5 times the amount of pixels, with only 2.5 times the memory bandwidth. And this example does not even take into account the extra resolution in docked mode. In turn, 1080p contains 2.25 times the amount of pixels of a 720p frame, just to put things even more in perspective.
In addition, for 2D/2.5D games there's little opportunity to use mipmaps to reduce memory bandwidth, because, being 2D, they render their textures at the same level of detail. 3D games can use lower resolution mipmaps for objects rendered farther from the camera. That also explains why Metroid Prime does manage 60fps.
Of course these are just rough estimates, but I just wanted to illustrate that memory bandwidth is almost certainly the deciding factor for the change to 30fps. Limits in memory bandwidth are also the reason for 30fps becoming the norm for most games, after consoles made the transition to HD. I.e. Xbox360/PS3.
Putting every game aside for Hollow Knight. Bought it just hours before the last indie sale closed, basically on whim. Let's give this a chance, I thought. Well, 5 minutes in and I know this game is going to keep me occupied for a very long time.
Assuming it uses modern game engine approaches, the game runs at its own internal tick rate, which is separate from the rate at which it's rendering its frames (i.e. the FPS).
For the sake of argument, let's say you're playing a game blindfolded and are, somehow, capable of reproducing the exact movements and button presses, at exactly the same time. The outcome will be identical, regardless of which frame rate the game is rendering at. And it doesn't matter, because in this scenario you're blindfolded anyway.
To me, it's starting to feel disingenuous to start this FPS subject again. We know the Switch is underpowered, it's always been the underdog, yet people keep driving this subject into the ground.
If you're good at the game on 60FPS, you will be good at it on 30FPS as well.
People don't appreciate the impact of rendering 720p and 1080p frames. Assuming they render at native resolution, HD games have to push many more pixels than games from the SD era. The transition from SD to HD is why 30fps became the norm in the Xbox360/PS3 era.
I don't see why 60 fps is an absolute must-have for this type of game. I'm sure they made an attempt and decided that stable 30fps was the best way to go.
I already read about some of the details of the TOTK physics system and it made me admire the game even more. It's great that we now have access to the integral presentation, because there's a lot to learn from it. Anything physics-related has my attention, the section on water buoyancy especially. Fascinating!
I can't say I've played any of these games, and I'm not sure if I have a working GBC anymore, but I just wanted to say that it's fascinating to read about these labours of love.
Nintendo should consider bringing these new titles to NSO, making them available to a wider audience. Who knows? We might see a renaissance of old-school gamedev.
1986 is definitely a good pick. I grew up playing MSX in the mid 80s, so got lots of exposure to Japanese games and Konami in particular. Metal Gear, Nemesis (AKA Gradius), Vampire Killer (AKA Castlevania).
But for me personally, I would say the early GameCube years, so 2002-2003. During that time, after PS1 and N64, devs had more experience working in 3D, and it shows. Most major titles still hold up today.
The Split Pad Pro is decent, but the weight distribution feels off. Exactly the hollow feeling that was mentioned earlier in this thread. Filling it with rumble motors would have killed 2 birds with 1 stone, but I guess licensing issues prevent them from doing so.
There are a few games, such as Quake, that support the Switch's internal gyro, so you get motion aiming anyway.
If you want a Switch-like Fallout experience, you need a portable gaming PC. That gives you access to every title in the franchise, including the classic ones.
But, yeah, I hope to see F3 in remastered form some day on a Nintendo platform. While I agree that NV is the better game, F3 has a charm of its own. Back then, you could really feel that Bethesda was eager to take ownership of the franchise.
Also looking forward to revisiting F4 with the next-gen console update next week. Played it once on PS4 back in 2015 / 2016. I didn't care for the main campaign, but Far Harbor redeemed it.
This is my favourite Nintendo Life topic. Every once in a while, someone mentions a title that I would have overlooked otherwise. Such is the case with Yoku's Island Express. Aside from being a great game, with unique mechanics, its vibe is a good match for the sunny and warm weather over here. Have a great weekend everyone!
I'm not sure about that closing sentence regarding Nintendo being on a "warpath" here. There's no official word from them, and all we can do is speculate.
If you remember the Dolphin situation from a while ago, it was actually Steam who preemptively contacted Nintendo. Meanwhile, Dolphin has been around for more than 2 decades, without Nintendo intervening, AFAIK.
It's probably the same situation here, with the platform holder (Discord) taking preemptive action.
Hm, bit strange that the two leads don't seem to be on the same page regarding a sequel.
I just hope this new game doesn't turn out to be this studio's Starfield. I.e. a new IP that receives a lukewarm reception, taking time away from developing the game that people actually want.
I usually play Wave Race Blue Storm when it's warm and sunny. Might also dive into Super Mario Sunshine to match the mood. I picked up the 3D All Stars physical back when it was new , but never got round to actually playing.
Thanks for the article! As a part-time solo dev working on my first game, these kind of stories are inspiring. I'm definitely going to give the Pepper Grinder demo a try this weekend.
@MischiefMaker They took the lessons learned from the main game and made a shorter, more densely-packed campaign, with a great story and characters, arguably the best in the entire franchise. So it's not going to take as long as the main game, but I can pretty much guarantee you'll have an even better time.
Bioshock 1 DLC is just a bunch of challenge maps, so not really worth it, if you ask me.
Dying Light. Managed to obtain a second-hand copy from a local CeX. The game is not available on the EU e-shop and I didn't want to jump through all the hoops to buy it from the US e-shop. Anyway, it's one of my guilty pleasures and I'm glad to finally have it on Switch, despite the obvious cutbacks they had to make for the port. Physical copies seem to be quite rare.
Also completed Resident Evil yesterday evening. Game still holds up after 20 years. It was quite a bit longer than I remembered.
I can see the appeal if you have a lot of time on your hands. Will look into this game when I'm retired. Hopefully Switch 5 will be backwards-compatible.
@Clyde_Radcliffe If I follow your line of reasoning, then there's "no excuse" for any of Nintendo's main franchise games to run at anything less than 60FPS, all just because Odyssey did it seven years ago? These are completely different games, made by different teams, with different game engines, so you're comparing apples and oranges here.
@nocdaes With that I can agree. Having them on every level diminishes their impact. Especially with the early worlds being so easy, you basically get bombarded with one wonder after another, to the point that it doesn't feel special anymore.
I think Ultrahand is implemented well, given that it has to be controller based. Autobuild makes things more manageable, but maybe they should've made it available from the start.
In terms of control, inventory management is the one thing that I wish they had spent more time on streamlining, but you can't have everything.
@TruthisRare After completing the main quest, I felt my time with the game had come to an end, even though I had plenty of shrines and light roots left to discover. But I so thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the 135 hours I spent with it, that, for me, TOTK is the game of a lifetime.
For me, replayability is not a yardstick of a game's quality. But if it is for you, then I can understand why you would prefer the older titles.
@Mr_Monochrome I felt the same way during the first 3 worlds and left the game on the backlog for months. From world 4 on, however, it gets much better, especially worlds 5 and 6 and the end game levels.
But I would agree in saying that Wonder lacks the feeling of exploration. The early levels feel more like theme parks/showcases, with basically no challenge.
Discounting is just part of their pricing strategy, as it keeps the game in the spotlight. And it seems to pay off, because we are talking about the game in this forum, after all.
Having said that, Ubisoft is so eager to use this tactic, that it's become a cliché not to buy their games at launch.
Super Mario Galaxy 2, the abundance of ideas in the level design is just out of this world, literally and figuratively. Love the soundtrack as well. My main reason for keeping the Wii U around.
I'm also fond of Sunshine for its tropical setting and water effects.
Resident Evil. Played the GameCube remake more than 20 years ago. Game still holds up. Playing it with tank controls and 4:3 aspect ratio for extra nostalgia. For handheld, the 4:3 frame is a bit too small for my aging eyes, so it's one of the rare instances where I play a game docked.
Also added RE0 to the backlog. Never played it. IIRC, it was originally released around the same time as Metroid Prime and it got lost in the shuffle.
Finally, another Walking Dead season 1 episode. The first three episodes were great. I love the characters. Not having much time for gaming, I like the episodic structure.
The buzz was that its initial sales were much lower than expected, so it's good that they keep supporting it with content. Hope this game has a long tail, sales-wise.
So many good memories playing this game back in the late 90s. If only they used the RPG gameplay for the 3D outings.
I've been holding out on NSO, because I don't like subscriptions, but now I'm tempted, for this game and Mario Golf. But first, as a final attempt at subscription defiance, I'm going to check if I still have the cart. Not sure if I still have the GBC, but I did recover the Game Boy player for the GameCube a while back. Not quite the handheld experience, but it might do.
Never played it. The "episodic" level design might be the thing that wins me over. As much as I liked LM3 - the animation is outstanding - I felt the game went on for far too long.
I'm not sure why people continue to complain here. The dev and publisher were honest enough to release a demo. You have all the information you need to decide if/when to buy this game.
Post-release patches are just a fact of life. I'm sure the dev would've liked a few more months for polishing, but as the recent round of layoffs show, making games is a costly business.
A few years ago, Digital Foundry made an interesting video on the Switch port of the second Ori game. Like Contra, Ori was made in Unity. IIRC, the initial port ran at just 20 fps, so Moon Studios made their own Unity fork to get the performance up to the scratch. It seems like Wayforward did not have the time/capacity for this type of deep, engine-level performance tuning.
I've always wanted to give the 'Runner games a try and the focus on exploration makes it more appealing. Since I mostly play handheld, I'll wait for a performance patch first.
Played the demo on XSS a while back, enjoyed it and was looking forward to the Switch release. Shame about the unstable frame rate, otherwise it would have been a day 1 purchase for me. Hopefully they'll patch it up soon.
As a side note, Sakurai just posted a video on his YouTube channel about crafting "similar" games. Games can take obvious inspiration from the past, but still have to add their own appeal on top. That's clearly something that this game does very well.
Bit surprised at how many people think Nintendo's support will last only 1 or 2 years. Just like PS4, I expect Switch to be supported for several more years with newer, cross-gen titles. Ignoring a user base this large would be leaving money on the table. This is new situation for Nintendo, having merged their handheld and console business. That said, the only sort-of "cross-gen" example, after the Switch's launch, that I can think of is Toad Treasure Tracker, which was released on 3DS as well.
Anyway, I bought my OG 2017 model 2-3 months after release. At launch, it was sold out everywhere, but BOTW on Wii U kept me occupied. The first 2 years were gold, but I lost interest after that. Last year, Metroid Prime brought me back and TOTK made me stay. Also bought an OLED and now catching up on all the games I missed the past few years.
Although the GameCube will always be my favourite console, because I have particular fondness for the first and third-party games from that era, I really love the Switch. Underpowered as it may be, it only shows that gameplay is what really matters.
One of my best friends works at one their studios and I was relieved to hear that his job is not directly affected. Still, 10% of his co-workers will have to go.
The job market is good over here, and in many places in the world, so hopefully it's just a matter of time before people land on their feet.
Like Turok 3, I feel it's too expensive for a remaster.
Judging from the Deku Deals price history of their titles, Nightdive doesn't do discounts very often, so you might be waiting for a sale for a long time.
Fond memories of playing this back in the day, but the tick rate issue (judder) and the relatively high price is giving me pause. I'm sure there's a "Star Wars tax", but it doesn't look like good value for money when the Quake remasters cost a third of what they're asking for here.
Comments 580
Re: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Switch Frame Rate Revealed
@Mario500 ofc = of course, ballpark = estimate. edited the post.
Re: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Switch Frame Rate Revealed
@Ulysses Before you start judging the downgrade as "inarguable" and declaring the game a "rush job", you should perhaps take a look at the underlying technical reasons.
Allow me to explain.
Like I said in another thread, people don't appreciate the extra overhead that rendering in HD brings compared to SD. The Switch already has low memory bandwidth, so lighting effects like bloom (which typically require an extra render pass), only strain that bandwidth even more.
The GameCube original uses interlaced rendering, meaning it doesn't render the full 480p frame at 60fps. Arguably it's more accurate to say it renders two halves of its output at a rate of 30fps for each 240p half.
To put it in numbers:
GC: ~10Gb/s texture memory bandwidth
Switch: ~25Gb/s texture memory bandwidth
GC: 720 x 240 = 172800 pixels
Switch: 1280 x 720 = 921600 pixels
So, assuming it's rendering at 720p resolution, the Switch would have to render more than 5 times the amount of pixels, with only 2.5 times the memory bandwidth. And this example does not even take into account the extra resolution in docked mode. In turn, 1080p contains 2.25 times the amount of pixels of a 720p frame, just to put things even more in perspective.
In addition, for 2D/2.5D games there's little opportunity to use mipmaps to reduce memory bandwidth, because, being 2D, they render their textures at the same level of detail. 3D games can use lower resolution mipmaps for objects rendered farther from the camera. That also explains why Metroid Prime does manage 60fps.
Of course these are just rough estimates, but I just wanted to illustrate that memory bandwidth is almost certainly the deciding factor for the change to 30fps. Limits in memory bandwidth are also the reason for 30fps becoming the norm for most games, after consoles made the transition to HD. I.e. Xbox360/PS3.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (27th April)
Putting every game aside for Hollow Knight. Bought it just hours before the last indie sale closed, basically on whim. Let's give this a chance, I thought. Well, 5 minutes in and I know this game is going to keep me occupied for a very long time.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Re: Review: Tales Of Kenzera: ZAU (Switch) - An Emotional Metroidvania That Plays It Too Safe
@Ryu_Niiyama OST is on Spotify and Apple Music.
Re: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Switch Frame Rate Revealed
Assuming it uses modern game engine approaches, the game runs at its own internal tick rate, which is separate from the rate at which it's rendering its frames (i.e. the FPS).
For the sake of argument, let's say you're playing a game blindfolded and are, somehow, capable of reproducing the exact movements and button presses, at exactly the same time. The outcome will be identical, regardless of which frame rate the game is rendering at. And it doesn't matter, because in this scenario you're blindfolded anyway.
To me, it's starting to feel disingenuous to start this FPS subject again. We know the Switch is underpowered, it's always been the underdog, yet people keep driving this subject into the ground.
If you're good at the game on 60FPS, you will be good at it on 30FPS as well.
Re: Hands On: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Unfolds Gloriously On Switch
People don't appreciate the impact of rendering 720p and 1080p frames. Assuming they render at native resolution, HD games have to push many more pixels than games from the SD era. The transition from SD to HD is why 30fps became the norm in the Xbox360/PS3 era.
I don't see why 60 fps is an absolute must-have for this type of game. I'm sure they made an attempt and decided that stable 30fps was the best way to go.
Re: Digital Eclipse's Remake of 'Wizardry' Dungeon Crawls Onto Switch In May
Yep, I'm also old enough to remember this series, along with Ultima, Bard's Tale and Might and Magic.
Hopefully it has text size options, because some of it looks too small, especially for handheld.
Re: Reminder: Nintendo's Zelda: TOTK And Mario Wonder GDC Talks Are Now Online For Free
I know what I'll be watching tonight!
I already read about some of the details of the TOTK physics system and it made me admire the game even more. It's great that we now have access to the integral presentation, because there's a lot to learn from it. Anything physics-related has my attention, the section on water buoyancy especially. Fascinating!
Re: Nintendo Apparently Wanted Samus Aran's Fortnite Skin To Be A Switch Exclusive
Anyone lending their IP to Fortnite is either poor or greedy.
Re: Feature: Meet Four Developers Making Brand-New Game Boy Titles In 2024
I can't say I've played any of these games, and I'm not sure if I have a working GBC anymore, but I just wanted to say that it's fascinating to read about these labours of love.
Nintendo should consider bringing these new titles to NSO, making them available to a wider audience. Who knows? We might see a renaissance of old-school gamedev.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (20th April)
Not much time for gaming ATM, but I can squeeze in one or two sessions of Yoku's Island Express.
Re: Random: Sakurai Talks About "The Most Incredible Year For The Game Industry"
1986 is definitely a good pick. I grew up playing MSX in the mid 80s, so got lots of exposure to Japanese games and Konami in particular. Metal Gear, Nemesis (AKA Gradius), Vampire Killer (AKA Castlevania).
But for me personally, I would say the early GameCube years, so 2002-2003. During that time, after PS1 and N64, devs had more experience working in 3D, and it shows. Most major titles still hold up today.
Re: Review: Kudzu (Switch) A Delightful, Leafy Ode To Link's Awakening And The Game Boy
Mini-documentary (~15 mins) about the Game Boy, Super Mario Land and Link's Awakening:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IIFHtem9Gk
Fascinating stuff!
Re: Video: Satisfye's New Switch Grip Should Satisfy Handheld Fans
The Split Pad Pro is decent, but the weight distribution feels off. Exactly the hollow feeling that was mentioned earlier in this thread. Filling it with rumble motors would have killed 2 birds with 1 stone, but I guess licensing issues prevent them from doing so.
There are a few games, such as Quake, that support the Switch's internal gyro, so you get motion aiming anyway.
Re: Soapbox: Where The Heck Is Fallout 3 On Switch?
If you want a Switch-like Fallout experience, you need a portable gaming PC. That gives you access to every title in the franchise, including the classic ones.
But, yeah, I hope to see F3 in remastered form some day on a Nintendo platform. While I agree that NV is the better game, F3 has a charm of its own. Back then, you could really feel that Bethesda was eager to take ownership of the franchise.
Also looking forward to revisiting F4 with the next-gen console update next week. Played it once on PS4 back in 2015 / 2016. I didn't care for the main campaign, but Far Harbor redeemed it.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (13th April)
This is my favourite Nintendo Life topic. Every once in a while, someone mentions a title that I would have overlooked otherwise. Such is the case with Yoku's Island Express. Aside from being a great game, with unique mechanics, its vibe is a good match for the sunny and warm weather over here. Have a great weekend everyone!
Re: Discord Reportedly Removing Servers And Creator Accounts For Switch Emulators
I'm not sure about that closing sentence regarding Nintendo being on a "warpath" here. There's no official word from them, and all we can do is speculate.
If you remember the Dolphin situation from a while ago, it was actually Steam who preemptively contacted Nintendo. Meanwhile, Dolphin has been around for more than 2 decades, without Nintendo intervening, AFAIK.
It's probably the same situation here, with the platform holder (Discord) taking preemptive action.
Re: Moon Studios Isn't Making 'Ori 3' Yet But It Has "Ideas"
Hm, bit strange that the two leads don't seem to be on the same page regarding a sequel.
I just hope this new game doesn't turn out to be this studio's Starfield. I.e. a new IP that receives a lukewarm reception, taking time away from developing the game that people actually want.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (6th April)
I usually play Wave Race Blue Storm when it's warm and sunny. Might also dive into Super Mario Sunshine to match the mood. I picked up the 3D All Stars physical back when it was new , but never got round to actually playing.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (30th March)
Dipping into the Cyberpunk 2077 5-hour trial on XSS, but not much else.
Re: Feature: Pepper Grinder's Solo Dev Digs Into Scope, Smash Bros. & "Crunchy Feedback"
Thanks for the article! As a part-time solo dev working on my first game, these kind of stories are inspiring. I'm definitely going to give the Pepper Grinder demo a try this weekend.
Re: Capcom Celebrates Dragon's Dogma 2 Launch With 'Dark Arisen' eShop Sale
The day/night cycle piques my interest. Added it to the backlog.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (23rd March)
@MischiefMaker They took the lessons learned from the main game and made a shorter, more densely-packed campaign, with a great story and characters, arguably the best in the entire franchise. So it's not going to take as long as the main game, but I can pretty much guarantee you'll have an even better time.
Bioshock 1 DLC is just a bunch of challenge maps, so not really worth it, if you ask me.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (23rd March)
@MischiefMaker Does your Bioshock 2 playthrough include Minerva's Den? I think it's better than the main campaign.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (23rd March)
Dying Light. Managed to obtain a second-hand copy from a local CeX. The game is not available on the EU e-shop and I didn't want to jump through all the hoops to buy it from the US e-shop. Anyway, it's one of my guilty pleasures and I'm glad to finally have it on Switch, despite the obvious cutbacks they had to make for the port. Physical copies seem to be quite rare.
Also completed Resident Evil yesterday evening. Game still holds up after 20 years. It was quite a bit longer than I remembered.
Re: Resident Evil Creator Shinji Mikami Gets Back To Work With A New Company
On another site I read he wants to do something non-horror.
Re: Review: Kingdom Come Deliverance: Royal Edition (Switch) - Freeform Medieval RPG Is Brilliant But Flawed
I can see the appeal if you have a lot of time on your hands. Will look into this game when I'm retired. Hopefully Switch 5 will be backwards-compatible.
Re: Review: Princess Peach: Showtime! (Switch) - Peach Breaks A Leg In A High-Class Production
@Clyde_Radcliffe If I follow your line of reasoning, then there's "no excuse" for any of Nintendo's main franchise games to run at anything less than 60FPS, all just because Odyssey did it seven years ago? These are completely different games, made by different teams, with different game engines, so you're comparing apples and oranges here.
Re: Super Mario Bros. Wonder Devs Show Off "Unused Wonder Effects" At GDC 2024
@nocdaes With that I can agree. Having them on every level diminishes their impact. Especially with the early worlds being so easy, you basically get bombarded with one wonder after another, to the point that it doesn't feel special anymore.
Re: Surprise, Adding Ultrahand To Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Was A Bit Tricky
I think Ultrahand is implemented well, given that it has to be controller based. Autobuild makes things more manageable, but maybe they should've made it available from the start.
In terms of control, inventory management is the one thing that I wish they had spent more time on streamlining, but you can't have everything.
Re: Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Just Won Two More Awards
@TruthisRare After completing the main quest, I felt my time with the game had come to an end, even though I had plenty of shrines and light roots left to discover. But I so thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the 135 hours I spent with it, that, for me, TOTK is the game of a lifetime.
For me, replayability is not a yardstick of a game's quality. But if it is for you, then I can understand why you would prefer the older titles.
Re: Super Mario Bros. Wonder Devs Show Off "Unused Wonder Effects" At GDC 2024
@Mr_Monochrome I felt the same way during the first 3 worlds and left the game on the backlog for months. From world 4 on, however, it gets much better, especially worlds 5 and 6 and the end game levels.
But I would agree in saying that Wonder lacks the feeling of exploration. The early levels feel more like theme parks/showcases, with basically no challenge.
Re: Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown Is Already On Sale (US)
Discounting is just part of their pricing strategy, as it keeps the game in the spotlight. And it seems to pay off, because we are talking about the game in this forum, after all.
Having said that, Ubisoft is so eager to use this tactic, that it's become a cliché not to buy their games at launch.
Re: Random: New Zealand Celebrates Its Games Industry With Awesome Stamps
Of these games, I only played Dredge, but I can say it's well deserved in that case. Looking forward to the Iron Rig DLC.
Re: Planet Of Lana Brings Off-Earth Odyssey To Switch Next Month
Yeah, getting Inside vibes as well. Will keep an eye out for this.
Re: Talking Point: What's Your Personal Favourite Super Mario Game?
Super Mario Galaxy 2, the abundance of ideas in the level design is just out of this world, literally and figuratively. Love the soundtrack as well. My main reason for keeping the Wii U around.
I'm also fond of Sunshine for its tropical setting and water effects.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (16th March)
Resident Evil. Played the GameCube remake more than 20 years ago. Game still holds up. Playing it with tank controls and 4:3 aspect ratio for extra nostalgia. For handheld, the 4:3 frame is a bit too small for my aging eyes, so it's one of the rare instances where I play a game docked.
Also added RE0 to the backlog. Never played it. IIRC, it was originally released around the same time as Metroid Prime and it got lost in the shuffle.
Finally, another Walking Dead season 1 episode. The first three episodes were great. I love the characters. Not having much time for gaming, I like the episodic structure.
Re: Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown Post-Launch Roadmap Details Future Updates And DLC
The buzz was that its initial sales were much lower than expected, so it's good that they keep supporting it with content. Hope this game has a long tail, sales-wise.
Re: Review: Mario Tennis (GBC) - Camelot's Ace Little Tennis RPG Is Hard To Fault
So many good memories playing this game back in the late 90s. If only they used the RPG gameplay for the 3D outings.
I've been holding out on NSO, because I don't like subscriptions, but now I'm tempted, for this game and Mario Golf. But first, as a final attempt at subscription defiance, I'm going to check if I still have the cart. Not sure if I still have the GBC, but I did recover the Game Boy player for the GameCube a while back. Not quite the handheld experience, but it might do.
Re: The Luigi's Mansion 2 HD Box Art Has Been Revealed
Never played it. The "episodic" level design might be the thing that wins me over. As much as I liked LM3 - the animation is outstanding - I felt the game went on for far too long.
Re: Nintendo Expands Switch Online's Game Boy & GBC Library With Three More Mario Titles
The sports titles are great. These might be the games that finally make me want to subscribe to NSO.
Re: Contra: Operation Galuga "Full-Version Patch Update" Announced For Switch
I'm not sure why people continue to complain here. The dev and publisher were honest enough to release a demo. You have all the information you need to decide if/when to buy this game.
Post-release patches are just a fact of life. I'm sure the dev would've liked a few more months for polishing, but as the recent round of layoffs show, making games is a costly business.
Re: Review: Contra: Operation Galuga (Switch) - Does The Series Proud, But Best Played Elsewhere
A few years ago, Digital Foundry made an interesting video on the Switch port of the second Ori game. Like Contra, Ori was made in Unity. IIRC, the initial port ran at just 20 fps, so Moon Studios made their own Unity fork to get the performance up to the scratch. It seems like Wayforward did not have the time/capacity for this type of deep, engine-level performance tuning.
Re: Review: Expeditions: A MudRunner Game (Switch) - Performance Bumps Can't Run This Sim Off The Road
I've always wanted to give the 'Runner games a try and the focus on exploration makes it more appealing. Since I mostly play handheld, I'll wait for a performance patch first.
Re: Review: New Star GP (Switch) - A Stylish, Moreish Homage To The Likes Of Virtua Racing
Played the demo on XSS a while back, enjoyed it and was looking forward to the Switch release. Shame about the unstable frame rate, otherwise it would have been a day 1 purchase for me. Hopefully they'll patch it up soon.
As a side note, Sakurai just posted a video on his YouTube channel about crafting "similar" games. Games can take obvious inspiration from the past, but still have to add their own appeal on top. That's clearly something that this game does very well.
Re: Anniversary: Switch Turns Seven Today, With Over 11,000 Games On The eShop
Bit surprised at how many people think Nintendo's support will last only 1 or 2 years. Just like PS4, I expect Switch to be supported for several more years with newer, cross-gen titles. Ignoring a user base this large would be leaving money on the table. This is new situation for Nintendo, having merged their handheld and console business. That said, the only sort-of "cross-gen" example, after the Switch's launch, that I can think of is Toad Treasure Tracker, which was released on 3DS as well.
Anyway, I bought my OG 2017 model 2-3 months after release. At launch, it was sold out everywhere, but BOTW on Wii U kept me occupied. The first 2 years were gold, but I lost interest after that. Last year, Metroid Prime brought me back and TOTK made me stay. Also bought an OLED and now catching up on all the games I missed the past few years.
Although the GameCube will always be my favourite console, because I have particular fondness for the first and third-party games from that era, I really love the Switch. Underpowered as it may be, it only shows that gameplay is what really matters.
Re: Review: Balatro (Switch) - Devilishly Compelling Cardplay, And A Clear GOTY Contender
@LikelySatan You like what you like.
Visual novels, card games, walking sims, even the 10/10s won't sway me into liking these genres all of a sudden. For me, it's more GTFO than GOTY. 😉
Re: Sony Lays Off 900 PlayStation Employees, Closes London Studio & Cancels Projects
One of my best friends works at one their studios and I was relieved to hear that his job is not directly affected. Still, 10% of his co-workers will have to go.
The job market is good over here, and in many places in the world, so hopefully it's just a matter of time before people land on their feet.
Re: Review: Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster (Switch) - Another Must-Play From Nightdive
Like Turok 3, I feel it's too expensive for a remaster.
Judging from the Deku Deals price history of their titles, Nightdive doesn't do discounts very often, so you might be waiting for a sale for a long time.
Re: Video: Digital Foundry's Technical Analysis Of Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster
Fond memories of playing this back in the day, but the tick rate issue (judder) and the relatively high price is giving me pause. I'm sure there's a "Star Wars tax", but it doesn't look like good value for money when the Quake remasters cost a third of what they're asking for here.