Ralizah

The design barely even looks different and some of y'all are still complaining lol

They just gave him teeth and made him a little fatter, which is probably because he can eat more bananas now that he's not gumming all of his food.

The revolutionary thing will be having it integrated into normal console games, giving them access to the sort of lightning fast response times only PC gamers have been able to enjoy until now.

Really hoping Splatoon 3 is updated with mouse controls, or we get them for the fourth game.

This isn't even news. Of course it's up to the publisher to set the price lol

I do think the Mario Kart World being $80 thing is a deliberate tactic. It makes bundles with the game look like a way better deal (I mean, most of us probably went for the MKW system bundle, right?), serves as a way to soften the inevitable transition next gen to an $80 MSRP, and, most importantly, makes the real shift to a $70 MSRP standard for most releases seem less offensive in comparison.

As for Borderlands, I know it's a known property, but I really don't think it's big enough to drive interest at that price. Only a handful of properties are. Mario Kart World and GTA VI seem like safe bets, but I don't think their publisher is gonna be arrogant enough to think they're in that same tier of consumer interest.

@GoldenSunRM Seven Sirens was pretty good after the big update that rebalanced it, IMO. Much more fun than HGH and Risky's Revenge.

@mariomaster96 Yup. If this doesn't take advantage of the Switch 2 hardware, I'll be getting this on Steam. But I'd prefer a physical.

Guess we'll see!

Nintendo is so frugal with their budgets compared to other system manufacturers lol

The only reason Mario Kart World is $80 is because Nintendo thinks they can get away with it.

@Friendly Nah. I didn't even really notice until I heard people whining about it. It's noticeable once you're looking for it, but people make it out like it's a complete re-design or something when it's just a few simple tweaks.

Really nice of them to highlight an awesome game that's probably going a little under-the-radar with fantastic stuff like Expedition 33 and Oblivion Remastered having just dropped.

@Joeynator3000 I've wondered this, too. Actual eroge games are all over Steam and can run on potato PCs. Why buy shovelware "hentai" tile sliding puzzlers that reward you with a blurry png of a girl in a swimsuit on Switch?

@The-Chosen-one Probably RE7, which worked fine for me on default settings. Monster Hunter World runs well with a few settings changes as well.

I know stuff like RDR2 and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart also run well on the Deck with a minimum of tinkering.

Monster Hunter Wilds and Dragon's Dogma 2 don't run well, of course, but those don't even run well on a PS5.

99% of games that aren't overall messed up on PC will run great on Deck by default, and you can go to ProtonDB or use videos on youtube to tweak the AAA games to the perfect level, which is pretty standard for a computer.

It's increasingly seeming like this little device is more capable than people have been giving it credit for.

@The-Chosen-one Steam Deck has handled almost everything I've thrown at it.

Although I barely play any Western AAA titles, so maybe that has something to do with it.

My Steam Deck largely made my Switch 1 irrelevant, but, at least for large games like this, I could see the Switch 2 being my device of choice. At least until Steam Deck 2 drops and laps Nintendo again!

@Andy_Witmyer Newer Souls-like games from From Software absolutely are less janky feeling in combat. Around when Bloodborne was released, combat in their games became much faster and responsive-feeling overall.

There are still elements of controlling these games I don't like, but, in general, I'd say they control better overall.

The difficulty concerns are partially mitigated by the open world nature of the game, since, if something is too hard for you, you can generally go explore somewhere else instead.

Despite being open world, the game's dungeons are generally pretty solid. Not even just the main story ones. And like BotW, the joy of discovery is omnipresent. You don't get as much environmental interactivity or freedom of movement as in Zelda, but the stuff you find is generally more rewarding.

It broke my longstanding dislike for From Software's style of game design.

3D Mario > Xenoblade > Fire Emblem > 3D Zelda > Splatoon (esp. with mouse aiming!)

@Andy_Witmyer Honestly, as someone who isn't huge on the Souls formula but loved Elden Ring, it depends why you bounced off the former. The cryptic approach to narrative and hardcore difficulty are generally pretty similar, but you have way more freedom to explore around the world and take things at your own pace.

Also, you have a map and can set markers and beacons ala BotW.

The tea table warp patch is massive. Really cuts down on backtracking.

@AlleyCat It's almost always better to buy third party stuff down the road, friend. Very few companies release fully polished titles at launch.

Never downloaded it. I forgot this was a thing.

@springer17 Resellability.

Also, plenty of people like the physical aspects of collecting, so you get a cartridge and box to have on your shelf.

@mr12calvin The price will likely come down over the lifetime of the system. Bigger MicroSD cards used to be way more expensive as well.

@mr12calvin You can snag up to 1TB microSD Express cards

Walmart. It was as messy a process as I expected. Took over an hour to actually get to the point where I could check out.

Mario Kart bundle, of course.

Not my thing (grabbed Fast RMX at launch and barely played it), but they're definitely real for releasing polished racers at incredible prices.

@JaxonH I knew I was leaving one out. I keep forgetting about it. Also Marvelous, so that makes sense.

Yeah, companies like LRG and other boutique physical publishers must be absolutely licking their chops over this Game Key Card thing. A gigantic chunk of the Switch 2's library is going to be open game for them.

Just makes it easier for me to prioritize games to support.

Since Cyberpunk 2077 and Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma (at least in the States) are supposedly all on cartridge, those are the ones I'd go for at full price.

Vote with your wallet.

My Steam Deck has largely replaced my Switch 1, and I expect that to mostly continue being the case going forward. PC gaming is unbeatable when it comes to value, and the Steam games you buy will be usable across a wide range of devices now and into the future. Plus, Steam's family sharing features, controller customization, and the freedom of use when it comes to handheld PCs is unbeatable by a console.

That said, the Switch 2 hardware is pretty awesome (certainly better than what the Deck is offering in certain respects), and it'll be a great platform for Nintendo's exclusive and timed-exclusive experiences.

Both can co-exist, and they will continue to for people who aren't invested in weird tribal conflicts between platform holders.

People keep not realizing that online outrage =/= mass public outrage.

The people really invested in others not buying this console are gonna need a support group when this launch breaks records lol

@Lizuka Eh. VLR has some perverted commentary from the main character, but that's it. Certainly nothing like using lingerie and porno mags to distract squadrons of soldiers. It's the stupidity of it all that annoyed me, and distracted from an otherwise fantastic story.

I actually love the elevator scene in 999. Young teenage boys would be interpreting things in horny ways, and the way the dialogue progresses is like a great comedy skit.

Yeah, considering the premise, I'm not surprised Punch Line is like that.

@Indielink Yeah, Shinigami is super oversexed. Doesn't bother me, since it's just her character, but I could absolutely see her rubbing people the wrong way.

@Hanabi99 Yes, these games are wonderful, and far better than the one you played.

Probably my most anticipated game of the year. Uchikoshi and Kodaka are inconsistent, but at their peak, they made several of my all-time favorite video games.

Have it preordered on Steam.

@Indielink Interesting. What I played of Rain Code wasn't too bad on that front, but AI: The Somnium Files was full of so much juvenile humor. Far more than any of his previous works like Ever17 or the Zero Escape trilogy. It really detracted from the game for me when every action sequence became an opportunity to set up a juvenile set-piece.

Also still have my PS1 edition goodies. Have Lucia's pendant hanging around here somewhere, actually.

A little salty these weren't made available to the public, though. The diorama is whatever, but those bromide cards are awesome.

@GameOtaku Nah. It sounded terrible in comparison with the PS1 boat song.

Glad they're drawing from the best version of Lunar 1

Incredibly excited to play a physical copy of this collection. Eternal Blue is one of my favorite games of all-time, so I hope I have a better time with the new English voices than this reviewer did lol

"Love is at the centre of these games, both thematically and in how they’ve been preserved. They’re about loving adventure, loving discovery, loving the world, loving its people and, most importantly, falling in love."

Pretty strong summation of why I enjoy these games so much. They feel wholesome and timeless in a way few games have then or since.

Metroid Prime 4 > Mario Kart World > Donkey Kong Bananza > Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma > Cyberpunk 2077

Unsure if I won't just get Rune Factory on Steam, though, considering it's $10 cheaper there. Heavily depends on if it runs well on Steam Deck, I think. I'm pretty sure RF5 didn't, but that game was sort of a mess all-around.

@JustMonika Out of interest, do you have a handheld PC? Because I think you'd get a LOT of mileage out of something that gave you access to the PC marketplace. Steam, Manga Gamer, JAST USA, etc. etc.

Playing it co-op on the weekends with the guy I'm dating and really enjoying it. Honestly, it kinda has Disgaea vibes, and dialing back the fanservice now that it's detached from the Gal Gun IP makes a lot of sense.

Definitely more of a traditional Metroidvania then the original was.

Eh. These companies would have gone the code-in-a-box route otherwise. It's a straight-up improvement on that.

That said, absolutely reward publishers who are putting the entire game on the cartridge if you care about this issue. CDPR shelled out a decent amount to secure those 64GB Cyberpunk 2077 physicals.

@AnonyQ At least in the U.S., the Switch version of BotW is $60... $10 less than the Switch 2 version.

TotK is $70... $10 less than the Switch 2 version.

I think you can probably reliably expect the difference in price between MSRPs for the Switch and Switch 2 editions will also be the upgrade price.

In terms of purchases?

Metroid Prime 4 (might play on Switch 1, though)
Mario Kart World
Donkey Kong Bananza
Upgrade pack for Kirby to play the expansion content

That's all atm. I'll have access to BotW and TotK's upgrades anyway via the Expansion Pack, so I'm not worried about listing those.

Any non-exclusive third party stuff will be better on my Steam Deck.

@thenikdavies

"I really want to play Split Fiction, but I don't know if I've got a friend to be able to play the whole thing with (which sounds super depressing)."

LOL Not necessarily. Maybe your friends don't play games. Maybe your schedules don't line up.

Just saying: not being able to wrangle friends for a game like this doesn't mean you're #foreveralone

So two From Software games, but one doesn't even have a real physical version, alienating a lot of potential early purchasers, and the other is some weird multiplayer thing and not a real Soulslike.

The monkey's paw curls.

What I thought every time I heard people mentioning the mouse mode.

Joycons aren't mice, and they won't feel good being used like mice.

Touchpads like on the Steam Deck would have been much better.

This isn't anywhere near a mid-range PC specs-wise. And that shows in the performance of games like Cyberpunk.

My current PC build is VERY outdated and mid, but it still runs circles around this thing, even when docked.

It's fine. It's a small portable console. Expectations should be kept in check, though.

@AlonditeFE ❤️ Thanks, Mr. Stalker. It felt right in the moment.

It's like a lot of people's brains stop working when it comes to electoral politics in this country. I guess that's what rampant tribalism writ large gets you!

Americans getting what they deserve, honestly. 😂

Just too bad the rest of the world has to suffer with us.

@Not_Soos Honestly, dude, no, this ain't it. The Democrats sucking is never an excuse to vote for something unfathomably worse.

Like, if I order a piece of chicken and it's undercooked, I won't enjoy it, and I'll definitely complain, but I definitely wouldn't eat out of the nearby dumpster instead.

540p on a 1080p screen is rough. 😬

Hopefully they can boost that up a bit in the retail release when it comes to handheld play.

Seems like Switch 2 will be kind of like base PS5 in terms of how it's a great place to play last-gen titles with superior performance.

The thing is that people want to explore lonely, dangerous worlds filled with secrets and wonder in From Software games. Not play "matches."

I won't write this off entirely yet, but this feels like a VERY wasted opportunity for Nintendo to have its own cool Souls-like title.

The off-screen footage looks surprisingly sharp. Really hope it holds up well in handheld form as well.

Lunar is a day one. Probably on Switch.

So are Last Defense Academy and Fantasy Life i... on Steam.

@Mgalens Nocturne wasn't a great port technically on any platform, although the changes to the fusion system still make it the only way I'm willing to (legally) play the game.

Kinda wish it'd been a remake instead. Although I suppose, in some respects, they already attempted that with SMT V, whose exploration is a little closer to the original concept for Nocturne, as I recall.

Very cool.

After Raidou 2, I suppose that just leaves Digital Devil Saga, doesn't it?

Already pre-ordered on Steam. Haven't really been thrilled with the Too Kyo games I've played thus far, but I'm hopeful this one will capture my attention again the way their work with Spike Chunsoft did (Danganronpa, Zero Escape, and AI: The Somnium Files are all fantastic series). If nothing else, the demo was pretty fun.

@BenAV Nintendo almost never fully dumps support for the previous gen right away, and it's difficult to imagine Switch 1 releases like Metroid Prime 4 won't be enhanced on the newer hardware.