@Not_Soos There are only so many questions that won't annoy/offend some portion of the audience.

Also, you can't imagine how unfathomably boring that theme is to someone who doesn't care about Spongebob lol

Also, Team Bunny!

The new bosses, music, mechanics, outfits... everything looks awesome!

Steam Deck ho!

@UltimateOtaku91 I don't, actually. A new franchise from Atlus with a weird name? I'll be shocked if it sells particularly well.

I am excited for it, though.

@UltimateOtaku91 P3R is a remake from a smaller developer, and Dragon's Dogma 2... wasn't the original kind of a weird, niche game anyway? I wouldn't expect that to blow up the charts.

Physical sales data for Monster Hunter Wilds and Dragon Quest XII are going to tell us a lot about where the problem actually is.

@UltimateOtaku91 @johnedwin Pretty much everything sells better in the States. That said, a new Dragon Quest or Monster Hunter game would clear at least a million or more units physically, even on Playstation. I just wasn't aware Final Fantasy's sales potential had fallen so low in Japan.

Final Fantasy VII just vanished lol. Stock issues, or did it really just not capture the public imagination over there?

@Savage_Joe I literally don't even know where my dock is. Haven't used it since last year.

@Arcata Well, when you've tethered your personal identity and self-worth to the success of a multi-national gaming brand, any perceived criticism of it becomes a personal attack, right?

Yeah, ironically, the PS1 and PS2 are two of my all-time favorite gaming devices. Still are. I'd probably put them behind Switch at this point, but in terms of pure home consoles, you don't really get better.

With Wii, I think the perception was that grandma bought it to play bowling/dancing/fitness games and forgot about it after a few months. The attach rate was also very high for that console, but I'd never deny that the non-gamer dollar was a huge element in the console's success.

@kedireturns I thought your previous post was your last one under this article?

Either way, take a deep breath, wipe the tears from your eyes, and listen closely: literally nobody here has argued, in your words, "PS2 is successful only cos of DVD."

It has been argued that the DVD playback was an ELEMENT of its success. Not that it wasn't even more popular as a gaming device.

Do you understand the distinction?

You know what else is an element of its success in terms of hardware numbers? Sony continuing to sell it as a budget alternative to the PS3 during the entirety of the seventh generation.

Whereas, with Nintendo, all they had to do was not opt to splinter their existing player base between two separate devices as they traditionally have. The console has no multimedia functionality to fall back on, and the console has enjoyed no price cuts, and will still outsell the PS2 in a fraction of the time that device was being manufactured.

Different manufacturers use different methods to drive adoption of their hardware. In Sony's case, part of the success of the PS2 was that it was, to use your language, a "2-in-1" device: a gaming console and a DVD player.

Why did this not help Microsoft at the time? Well, I'm inclined to point toward people needing to make a separate purchase of a DVD playback kit to enable the functionality, but the reality is that people probably just weren't aware it could do this. I was gaming regularly in this era, and I had NO idea the Xbox was capable of DVD playback at the time. Whereas pretty much everyone knew the PS2 could also play movies and thus was pretty much an all-in-one home entertainment solution for the living room.

Moreover, the Playstation brand was more popular. If you're going to grab a console that can play DVDs, you only need one.

Many people used PS2 primarily as a gaming console, and also occasionally watched a movie on it. Other people also grabbed it primarily as a DVD player and then, why not, grabbed a few cheap games to go along with it. If you're going to own both a game console and a DVD player, it makes a ton of sense to grab a device that can play DVDs and has access to most of the biggest games on the market.

@kedireturns My man, your posts read like you're in the denial stage of grief.

Chill. Being #2 behind Switch isn't a terrible fate for the PS2. It's still a good console. And a GREAT low-price DVD player.

@Majicou Non-gamers, in this context. Probably had a few FIFA titles mixed in amidst the stack of mainstream blockbuster films they watched on their Sony Playstation 2.

@kedireturns You say Nintendo needed to combine their handheld and home console markets to potentially beat the PS2, but all that means is that they're not splintering their base for the first time like they did in previous generations.

Also, even after the peak of covid hysteria and chip shortages, Switch has continued to sell at numbers that well exceed the peak sales years of the PS4, so let's not act like it only sold well during or because of the pandemic.

Companies use different tactics to move hardware. Sony's historic PS2 numbers were at least partially due to frequent sales, a loooooooooooong lifespan (13 years, as I recall), and the system's multimedia playback. This is indisputable. It doesn't mean that the PS2 had a bad library or would've sold poorly without DVD playback. But it probably would have sold millions of fewer units (although, as with speculation about how Switch would have sold in 2020 without 'rona and lockdowns, that's pure speculation), and the Nintendo DS would have easily knocked it off its perch.

Don't worry, we all still think the PS2 is an incredible console. You don't need to defend its honor.

@Arcata

"But yes Give them brony points for Taking the analogue stick from Sega/ Nintendo and putting 2 instead of one xD"

lmao "brony points"

155 million is the last official number, so it's the only one that matters. Once Switch has sold more than that, it has officially outsold the PS2.

Even if the goalpost moves up, though, all Nintendo has to do is keep the Switch around as a budget alternative for another year and they'll easily clear that last five million.

In way less time than the PS2 hit its historical numbers as well. And without having to be sold at clearance as a DVD player to normies.

Switch is already the GOAT.

Seems like a lot was gained presentation-wise when they automated the awkward dancing bit from the original.

Demo was pretty fun. They nailed the feel of the controls, which was the main thing I was worried about with this. Definitely on my 'to-buy' list.

I'm cautiously optimistic. The original (Blood Covered edition, at least) is one of my all-time favorite horror games, but the sequels (particularly Blood Drive, ugh) never captured the same magic, so I hope it turns out well.

@Theghostofkeithmoon Missed this reply somehow.

Thank you. ❤️ I think all of us who have considerable backlogs have wondered at times if we're merely slaves to our materialistic impulses. And I definitely think that is a factor, for sure, but, ultimately, there are many, many ways to enjoy the hobby, and not all of them involve the simple act of playing a game to completion.

As long as a person is enjoying their time with the hobby and paying the bills on time, I think whatever way they choose to engage with it is valid.

@Aiodensghost Now that physical game collecting is increasingly become an expensive niche hobby for non-mainstream stuff, you're gonna see more and more releases punted to these small boutique publishers who want to bleed you dry for the chance of owning a game on cartridge.

In fairness, though, you mentioned your 3DS library was "wiped out," but you should be able to redownload your games still, correct?

@Yoshif3 sigh

I admire the implementation of Ultrahand more than I actually enjoy using it. It's a remarkable feature. Sometimes it's a blast using it to solve puzzles in weird, unique ways. Overall, I think aspects of TotK are a great evolution of the base they established in BotW. Especially bosses, which, IMO, are often better than what you'd find in even older Zelda games. They fixed the bosses big time. I also like the increased enemy diversity, the incredible scope of the game itself, etc.

But some things need major work. The dungeons, while unique thematically, are even worse on a puzzle/mechanical level than the ones in BotW. The story content is... pretty bad throughout, with post-dungeon cutscenes repeating information you learned in other ones. The tears are a poor structural replacement for the memories of BotW, and unlike that game, it actually hurts the plot when you experience them out of order.

The thing I dislike most, though, is how the focus turned toward resource collecting. They're both open worlds, but Breath of the Wild's focus was surviving in a vast landscape that's been transformed by an apocalypse. Every element of the game is geared toward making the player curious about the world and rewarding that curiosity. Whereas TotK wants you to slave away in the Depths for hours to have enough zonite to actually do stuff with its Zonai devices.

Also, while BotW was radically open, it implemented features to prevent the player from abusing that freedom without incredible persistence. Whereas in TotK, you can just build a helicopter or something and fly over most of the world.

While I like the open world direction Zelda is going in, I'll confess I don't want the focus to shift toward building vehicles and mining resources lol. I think Elden Ring provided a better example of where the series should go in the future, with its focus on hidden but incredible dungeons throughout a vast open landscape.

Thanks. I know our exchanges get a bit heated, so I'm glad you're a big enough person not to get upset about it. I enjoy talking to people too, even when we disagree!

@Yoshif3 Sure, remasters and remakes won't necessarily outsell a new entry, but if their success is merely attributable to the console itself, the gap shouldn't be as wide as it is.

Oh, absolutely. When I said success story, I meant the duology in general, but especially Breath of the Wild. You're right that TotK won't be as well-remembered as BotW or OoT, if only because, unlike those titles, it doesn't represent a bold evolution of the series' formula.

I never said sales were a sign of quality. They're a sign of popularity. The critical acclaim it received is the metric you'd point to if you wanted to talk about its quality, I suppose, although I always favor actually discussion of the content of the game itself.

And, look, I don't fully disagree with your criticisms. There are aspects of TotK I strongly disliked. It wasn't even my favorite Switch game last year. But it's still a HIGHLY successful game by every conceivable metric. It not winning GOTY is less an indictment of the game's quality versus Larian Studio's remarkable success in developing BG3.

@Yoshif3 Other Zelda games on other wildly successful consoles didn't sell half as well throughout their lifetimes. The Zelda remasters and remakes on Switch also haven't come anywhere close.

Games tend to do better on Switch when entries are well-received, but not to an insane degree. Selling a few extra million copies of a game is the Switch effect. Going from 5mil lifetime to 20 million in half a year is a testament to the popularity of these new games.

Especially funny to mention Xenoblade when its growth has completely flatlined since XC2, which peaked at... what, 2.5 million units sold?

Tears of the Kingdom is the third highest rated after Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild. OoT is one of the most legendary games ever made, and BotW saved a dying, increasingly irrelevant series and acted as the model for a new generation of Zelda games, like OoT before it. No shame in coming in third to two of the most important games ever made.

Not liking the direction the series has taken is fine. Trying to fool yourself into thinking one of the most dramatic gaming comeback stories in the history of the industry is a fluke and that one of the highest rated and fastest-selling exclusives of all time is actually secretly unpopular is delusional, pure and simple.

The success of this game will have only bolstered Nintendo's will to make these game open worlds going forward.

@Strumpan My point is that they could have very easily designed an SMT game that ran well on the hardware. Why choose the Switch exclusive to get really ambitious with your design choices?

Even funnier when you had home console releases like Soul Hackers 2 that also felt very PS3 in terms of their design sensibilities.

Well-deserved. Regardless of your feelings about the game, it's absolutely incredible how well it all runs given the numerous physics systems that intersect. On such a weak system, no less. Just a marvel of programming.

@Yoshif3 A "traditional" Zelda game would have been even less likely to win the big award lol. Nothing was beating Baldur's Gate 3. It was the breakout hit of last year.

TotK still outscores and outsells pretty much every other Zelda game on the market. Selling 20+ million units in a few months is INSANE for an exclusive title.

@Rayquaza2510 I don't think it's weird. SMT V is very clearly a more demanding game, featuring gigantic environments with to-scale demons lumbering about. Also, it's Unreal Engine.

Meanwhile, P5 features very PS3-era level design and less demanding visual effects across the board.

The question I've always had is why they chose the tech equivalent of an old Android tablet to exclusively host their most technically ambitious title to date.

But yeah, PC for me as well for that Steam Deck action.

A Paper Mario with the combat and writing of TTYD combined with the music and level design of Origami King would be a pretty incredible game.

Don't care as long as it includes MGS4. Game has been trapped on the PS3 for WAY too long now.

Famitsu hands out higher scores like candy, so I wouldn't read much into this.

I supported Mario + Rabbids 2 at launch on principle, since I loved the original, but I never buy other Ubisoft games at launch anymore thanks to their pricing antics. I believe other people, particularly Nintendo fans, are the same way. Why not wait a few months and grab the same game for 80% off?

I feel the same way to a lesser extent about a lot of SEGA's releases.

If I'm going to be punished for supporting day one, then I'm going to adjust my purchasing strategy in response. This is why Nintendo games are generally day one buys, and everything else waits for a sale down the road.

Super Mario Galaxy. The emotional backstory in the library. The whimsical atmosphere. The absolutely gorgeous soundtrack. The creative and focused theme of the game. Heck, it's also one of the few Mario games where Bowser is properly intimidating. Love love love it!

Never played a Suikoden game, but I HATED Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, so I'll be waiting either for a steep sale on this, or for a demo that'll potentially change my mind.

Curious to hear how this runs on Switch, considering the developers were fairly transparent about not wanting to attempt the port until Nintendo's next console dropped.

Essentially, really the most you could possibly expect from a game like this on hardware that's weaker than what the last-gen home consoles were packing. If you play demanding AAA titles from third-parties on Switch, you generally know what to expect, even if they're ported well.

As others have said, a cameo of an older Ash would be cool, now that the curse is finally broken.

@JaxonH As I recall, at least when it first dropped, 13 Sentinels ran BETTER on Switch than it did on PS4 lol.

Their games also ran extremely well on the PS Vita. And these were fast-paced action titles like Muramasa and Dragon's Crown.

GF churns out Pokemon titles on a schedule. Now that they're these much more technically complex open world RPGs, I'm not surprised they're a mess! I believe if they took their time and just released games when they were ready, and didn't have a flotilla of merch dependent on the timeliness of their release schedule, there would be far fewer issues. As evidence, I point to the fact that Pokemon Legends: Arceus, a non-main generation game, launched without basically any major bugs or performance issues.

Game was extremely well-optimized for the Switch, so I'm happy to see it selling well.

Kinda dumb not to optimize a game like this for Switch when you know it's the version that'll sell best.

@HOUSE Yup. Still love my Switch, but the Steam Deck OLED has relegated it to full exclusives/games I already own status. Contra runs beautifully on it.

No thank you. Wonder was disappointingly gimmicky in terms of how it felt built around the Wonder Flower setpieces. I'd much rather see another brand new game. Preferably one with actually decent bosses this time.

@-wc- Technically, the remaster of Galaxy in the 3D All-Stars Collection is HD, so we do have an official release of a Galaxy game in HD. And it's pretty stunning, given the age of the game.

Anyway, I feel like Nintendo already explored the potential of the Galaxy series on a mechanical level with Galaxy 2. Especially given how long we go between 3D Marios, I'd MUCH rather get a proper next-gen Mario game built around a new concept. In this case, a fleshing out of the Bowser's Fury concept that leads to a fully open world platforming sandbox. Which is what I feel Nintendo will be focusing on anyway, because if they were going the iterative sequel route, they'd have given us Odyssey 2 instead.

NSMBU, as has been said, is one of the best 2D games in the series.

NSMB2 was a ton of fun when you include the DLC. No idea why it gets so much hate.

The Origami King is my second favorite Paper Mario game after TTYD. (HATED Super Paper Mario, unfortunately)

3D Land is one of the best platformers on the 3DS.

And yes, Sparks of Hope blows pretty much every Mario RPG I've played out of the water.

@JRiegler @-wc-

Wow, this victory really spooked the emulation community.

That said, Nintendo goes after ROM piracy sources and people helping to enable current-gen piracy. Nobody cares about this dude's Game Boy emulator.

Yes, it's retro.

For context, more time has elapsed now since the launch of the 3DS than between the release of the Super Nintendo and Nintendo GameCube.

We're getting old, folks. Time to accept the facts!

@Sisilly_G About where I'm at. I love the novelty of it. I love the plushies. I love the aesthetics of the special edition stuff. But I just don't really want to play the game on a crappy old handheld like the GBA.

@FantasiaWHT It's hard to tell from the footage if your moves are on a timer or anything. There's definitely a group of people who will find great enjoyment in this style of gameplay.

@Vyacheslav333 Oh yes. The Japanese version of Wizardry at the beginning of the 80s is arguably what kickstarted the first wave of Japanese-developed computer RPGs.

This style of JRPG game design went into semi-hibernation over the 90s and early 00s until Atlus revived interest in it with Etrian Odyssey.

I miss these sort of smaller projects. Bigger than pixel indies, smaller than AA releases like you'd get from Falcom, and with a reduced price tag. The 3DS eshop was full of them.

@Vyacheslav333 Based on the footage, looks much more Mystery Dungeon-style than Wizardry-style.

@libersolis There's a number of factors at play - some rational, many irrational.

Collectors - This is the most straightforward one. Some people enjoy the hobby more in terms of building sets and collections of products than actually playing the games. Granted, most game collectors enjoy gaming, and will usually play games to some extent, but the pace of releases today is such that if you have any sort of life at all, your purchases will quickly outstrip your ability to play them in a reasonable timeframe.

Lack of Time - Many people buy games they're excited for, fully intending to play them through whenever it is they buy them, but, y'know, as adults, it can be difficult to find the time to properly commit to leisure hobbies. If you're an adult gamer who comes home late drained and ready for bed most nights, you might still gain some satisfaction from buying the latest releases so you still feel like you're involved with the hobby you love.

Lack of Impulse Control - This is the obvious one people will settle on first, and it is a big thing. Maybe you see a game you like in a deep sale, but don't have time to play it. Maybe you see a new game on a shelf, and know you won't play it soon, but gosh darn it, you want it! Buying stuff is fun.

'Supporting' Games - A game's sales in its launch window will often be the a crucial metric in determining if it was successful enough to get a sequel at all. If I know this, especially when it comes to a less popular IP, I might buy during that period fully knowing I won't get to it for months/years, because I want the property to continue. At least, this is the rationale. Publishers know this and try to exploit it at times in their messaging to the public.

Re-contextualizing the Backlog - Although I'm guessing this is merely a self-justification in many instances, some people prefer to think of their backlogs as libraries instead. The idea is that, instead of having this huge pile of unplayed games to 'process,' you have a wide array of titles to choose from as your fancy dictates. I tend to think this only really justifies small backlogs, but, you know, who am I to tell a person how to think of their property?

FOMO - This is a big one. Especially for fans of physical releases from smaller publishers. You want to be able to own your games physically, but with a number of titles, there's a reasonable fear that if you wait until you actually want to play a game, the physical release will be out-of-print / prohibitively expensive compared to when it first released. Publishers also tap into this impulse by making "limited edition" stuff, launch versions of games that ship with extras that can't be had later on, etc.

@UltimateOtaku91 I can't imagine why you would need to, given the early parts of the story are apparently the same between the two routes.

To be brutally honest, the story can only be improved in the new version.

@Axecon

Christ, this is going to be a monster of a package. While it sucks there's no upgrade path for Switch owners of the original, at least it's not skimping out on content. Will probably grab this for Steam anyway, since the original's performance left something to be desired.

@LEGEND_MARIOID IV and Apocalypse are COMPLETELY different games, so no.

@Diogmites Super Princess Peach is pretty niche, so don't feel too bad about it lol.

I wanted to love that game, but the sexist gameplay mechanics kinda turned me off. Hoping this does more for the character, even if the gameplay seems a bit too simple.

@Bratwurst35 It's pretty common with Atlus. SMT I - III all got ports and re-releases that included improvements and additional content. Unsurprised SMT V is going to follow suit.

I'm expecting an enhanced remaster of SMT V.

The game had a fair amount of room for improvement, so I'm excited to see what they've done with it.

@rjejr I don't disagree that they've severely mismanaged expectations about the release date, mind you. They should have been more careful with their messaging unless they were sure their game was closer to full completion.