Huh, I wonder if you could theoretically connect it on tabletop mode with USB-A to USB-C adapters? The Switch 2 does have 2 USB-C ports, after all. I'm sure someone will try it, though the point of the second USB-A connector is just to provide extra power for up to 4 GameCube controllers.
I'm still curious if it detects it in the proper dedicated GameCube controller mode, where it has analogue trigger sensitivity that's important for games like Super Mario Sunshine (both the 3D All-Stars version, and the eventual NSO GameCube version).
@Stwert Since the system has a reasonably generous 256GB internal storage, I'll weather not adding a microSD express for a little while to see how it goes. Whilst it won't be enough to hold my digital library of games and updates for my physical library, there's only so much I can play at a time you know.
I'd like to know what resolution is used for Switch 1 games in handheld mode. Switch 1 handheld mode expects to render to 720p, but it's a 1080p screen so there's a risk of Switch 1 handheld games looking fuzzy. There could potentially be an override that Switch 1 handheld runs with docked resolution, but without the program changes like in Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee where it changes the control scheme accordingly.
@RubyCarbuncle In my experience with pending transactions, it does usually mean the money will be taken within 24-48 hours, but I will keep an eye on it. I'm fine with a full money down pre-order, just not certain if that's the case as of yet.
There are meaningful, ethical uses of AI, but the term is so broad and ambiguous that people are quick to assume it's slop generated through models trained on stolen data.
The machine learning process by itself can be trained on internal data and used to deliver powerful insights and transformations, as a form of computation that does not replace human creativity or ingenuity, but the implementation or utilisation itself can be creative. Think of it as the difference between using a digital calculator or doing calculations by pen and paper or in your head.
I just hope that with Nintendo, it's the latter and not the former. We aren't privy to their development processes after all.
@rjejr GameStop didn't willingly become a meme stock, it happened because people were actively rebelling against the practice of shorting stocks (buying stocks you know will fail, selling them, buying them back at a reduced cost, and making money from that buy-back).
@Kidfunkadelic83 Yes, for my Argos order they have already charged £433.94 (£429.99 Mario Kart World bundle + £3.95 shipping) to my bank account as a pending transaction. I used debit card, I didn't check if they offer other payment options though.
If you're planning on making an Argos order I'd hurry, the bundle is already sold out, but they're still taking orders for the standalone system. https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7550333
@BiscuitCrumbsInMyBed @vesemir0 I just got said SMS from Argos with my order number and item number (not the item name), so yes it seems like I've secured it for certain now. Really excited, and relieved! On that note, Argos' Mario Kart World Bundle is now out of stock (which is the one I ordered), but the standalone system is still in-stock.
@Moonlessky I think you misunderstand, I'm talking about the camera itself being positioned directly atop the docked Switch 2, not simply connected via it.
Considering the 420p camera is only needed to display your visage in a small window or such for the chat features, or Mario Party's camera stuff, it'll probably be fine if not looking a bit fuzzier?
One of the nice things about the Pirahna Plant camera is that it can be inserted directly into the Switch 2's top USB-C port, which is an option that Nintendo's first party camera lacks. That means that the pipe stand is technically just a USB-C extension.
@BiscuitCrumbsInMyBed I placed my Argos order using my debit card instead of Paypal, and it still shows the transaction as pending on my bank app. Still, I'll keep an eye on it.
@BiscuitCrumbsInMyBed My Argos order currently just says "sit tight: your order is in progress". I'll keep an eye on it, though I've no reason to believe they'll cancel it yet.
I also just ordered through Argos thanks to the comments in the pre-order guide article. Hopefully it won't get cancelled as the payment was up-front. However, if you want to buy accessories like the Pro Controller or a Carry Case, you can get those on the My Nintendo Store UK without needing an invite.
@nocdaes Thank you, I just placed my order with Argos! I ordered the Pro Controller and Carry Case with screen protector accessories from the My Nintendo UK Store, since they're not behind the invite system (though the GameCube controller is).
@Kidfunkadelic83 Final Fantasy 7 Remake is 100% justified as a Switch 2 exclusive. Bravely Default HD Remaster probably could've just been a Switch 2 Edition if they really wanted to.
Otherwise, I get the business decision to just help sell Switch 2 systems.
To be honest, it looks like a game that should be able to run on the original Switch, why does it need to be a Switch 2 exclusive? Are they compensating for a lack of optimisation? Is the file size over-inflated?
@Zuljaras It sounds as though the launch firmware will probably have high compatibility out of the game, but it depends on what firmware the warehoused units have. No doubt there'll be firmware updates that periodically improve the backwards compatibility layer.
@Ploppy Original PS3's backwards compatibility was by virtue of actually sticking the necessary PS2 hardware inside there, and not because the PS3 was leveraging any of it for PS3 software.
The 3DS being able to natively play DS games, and also GBA games, was because the 3DS re-used the ARM processors present in the DS and GBA. https://www.copetti.org/writings/consoles/nintendo-3ds/ The 3DS main processor for playing games was ARM11, whilst ARM9 was used for the operating system and DS/DSi games, and ARM7 was used as the co-processor for those DS/DSi games, but also for GBA games.
@Zuljaras Nintendo's own compatibility guide is indicating the compatibility rate is more like 98%. Though of partner games, only 22% were concretely identified as having no issues found in basic compatibility testing, with the rest only identified as being bootable with ongoing testing in progress.
I believe what we're seeing here is not a conventional emulator, but a translation layer where both the Switch and Switch 2 (likely) use ARM processors, and there the instruction sets are so broadly compatible that you can comfortably map them.
It's a big part of why Switch emulation with Yuzu ran so well on Android devices (and ironically, modded Switch systems running ARM Linux).
I'm also really glad their internal testing is identifying straggling compatibility issues that they're working on fixing. They're thorough enough that even something obscure and "shovelwarey" like "OMG Police - Car Chase Simulator TV" was tested.
If you think of the "game" as a guided museum tour, the nominal entry fee becomes a lot more tolerable. It not being free is probably a reflection of how much there is to do, and not just some throw-away experience.
Primarily for me, the Switch 2 is shaping up to do the most important thing; deliver on performance. That was always the sticking point for me on Switch, too many games struggling to reach full resolution, full frame rate (30 or 60), or both. The performance is looking to be uncompromising at long last, though with the caveats of Switch 1 games needing updates, some of which being premium, if you want to enjoy them.
What might be lacking a wow factor, will instead of a sense of relief and satisfaction to leave the poor performance behind.
It's pretty absurd that it's come to this, that they have to prioritise the customers with the highest engagement. My NSO membership has been 4 years, 5 months, 6 days so far, but I've had periods of time where it lapsed because I wasn't using it, including in the past two years, so I'm worried that this might disqualify me from the first round of pre-orders. I'll see how it rolls, I really want the Switch 2 with Mario Kart World, the Pro controller, and the GameCube controller.
Whilst I don't like this, the fact that it's not a download permanently tied to your Nintendo account, therefore eligible for resale and lending, is an improvement. They're physical virtual game cards lol
Saw that my earlier post got removed as "posting adverts", my bad it was inadvertant.
In any case, I wanted to share that VGP did have stock which is where I secured my copy, but they've already sold out. Play-Asia's first round of stock sold through quickly and they weren't able to fulfil my order due to a shortage, but it looks like they'll have a second round.
The other part was just an explanation of how Square Enix like to do these fully on-cart releases in Asia regions for places like Singapore where downloads may not be a guarantee. They don't do it often because it can require 32GB Switch game cards, which are expensive to manufacture, hence why international bundle releases usually have the additional titles as mandatory downloads.
@Magician Monolith Soft worked some serious magic to get Xenoblade 1, 3, and X running so much better than 2, it's a shame they can't just go back and refactor 2 like that. Switch 2 editions for all the Xenoblade games though would be very welcome.
Tried the Bubble Ghost Remake demo, but didn't particularly like it.
Pre-ordered a physical for Kemono Heroes since that one looked nice. Same for the Croc remaster, that'll arrive sometime next month I think?
Backed Which Way Up: Galaxy Games on their Kickstarter, but the campaign was unsuccessful and it didn't get funded. I'm glad they still managed to get their game launched though.
@X68000 Oh I'm aware of Vitor Vilela's SA-1 patch, but I'm also aware that there's a reworked version that compensates for the removed slowdown. The original release was balanced around the slowdown after all.
I've not taken a second look yet, but during the Direct it looked as though Gradius III was the SNES version complete with the slowdown that version is infamous for.
I love that they gave Samus' helmet a "third eye" to expressly communicate the new psychic powers thing she's got going on. It's a neat twist and a nice way to incorporate new ways to interact with a 3D environment using a first-person view, going beyond simply shooting and scanning things with a lock-on.
It was a pretty poor presentation. Whilst there's some good info on Metroid Prime 4 and Pokémon Legends Z-A, and some nice new reveals like Rhythm Heaven Groove and Tomodachi Life Living the Dream, it was accompanied by the usual low-energy announcements of excessive comfy games, niche-interest Japanese games, and then the questionable Virtual Game Cards and Nintendo Today announcements.
There wasn't much to get truly excited about, and some things to actually get sour about.
My initial impression was that yet-another Shredder's Revenge inspired game was coming, but no this is actually the same devs! Good on them. Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Rita's Rewind, and even Toxic Crusaders are a direct result of the success of Shedder's Revenge after all.
My initial impression was that Nintendo wants to cut out news sites and get directly involved with customer's day to day lives and phone usage. I'll end up using the app, but it's concerning.
I was shocked that something as important as trainer battles was actually left out of the initial presentation. Like, Z-A Royal completely flips the game on its head.
@YaGirlSkyByte It's actually worse, this is more restrictive DRM. Some digital games can no longer be installed onto multiple systems at once. They're preventing you from launching the same software title on multiple devices by adding "virtual game card swapping".
When you have a secondary Switch system, if you launch a digital game, or a physical game with digital DLC, it performs an online check that you're allowed to launch it. This is to make sure that the game isn't running on a second or primary Switch system at the same time, but could be easily circumvented by disabling online connectivity on your primary Switch. "Virtual Game Cards" is a deliberate restriction on that.
£87.99 for the 1.5TB microSD is a great deal, though not a historic low.
Back on Black Friday 2024, it went for £79.99.
I should warn that when some Nintendo Life users grabbed this 1.5TB SanDisk Ultra microSD for their Nintendo Switch, they noticed some issues like slower loading times compared to 1TB or lower capacity cards.
If you want the upgrade from 512GB or lower, consider sticking to 1TB.
Also, for Switch 2, it's rumoured it will support microSD "express" cards, which are far faster than any standard microSD cards.
The Switch 1's microSD card slot has slower read/write times than many devices, and these UHS-1 microSD cards are the best fit. The Switch 1 cannot take advantage of the better performance of faster microSD cards like SanDisk Extreme or Extreme Pro.
This gives me the impression of Shadow Boxes, where the sprite and background layers are treated to give the impression of depth, maybe with nice shaders being used.
This isn't far removed from what the SEGA 3D Classics on 3DS did, where additional depth information was assigned to graphics data in specially modified ROMs for a customised emulator, for a working stereoscopic 3D effect.
Broadly, there could be some really cool visual effects done with this kind of emulation, but you still have to tailor it on a game-by-game basis. Things like 3DSEN also do this, which is a NES emulator that interprets tile and sprite data in clever ways to make NES games look 2.5D.
Comments 7,668
Re: ICYMI: Switch 2 'GameCube Controller Adapter' Compatibility Confirmed
Huh, I wonder if you could theoretically connect it on tabletop mode with USB-A to USB-C adapters? The Switch 2 does have 2 USB-C ports, after all.
I'm sure someone will try it, though the point of the second USB-A connector is just to provide extra power for up to 4 GameCube controllers.
Re: ICYMI: Switch 2 'GameCube Controller Adapter' Compatibility Confirmed
I'm still curious if it detects it in the proper dedicated GameCube controller mode, where it has analogue trigger sensitivity that's important for games like Super Mario Sunshine (both the 3D All-Stars version, and the eventual NSO GameCube version).
Re: Where To Pre-Order Nintendo Switch 2
@Stwert
Since the system has a reasonably generous 256GB internal storage, I'll weather not adding a microSD express for a little while to see how it goes.
Whilst it won't be enough to hold my digital library of games and updates for my physical library, there's only so much I can play at a time you know.
Re: Community: What Questions About Switch 2 Do You Still Have For Nintendo?
I'd like to know what resolution is used for Switch 1 games in handheld mode.
Switch 1 handheld mode expects to render to 720p, but it's a 1080p screen so there's a risk of Switch 1 handheld games looking fuzzy.
There could potentially be an override that Switch 1 handheld runs with docked resolution, but without the program changes like in Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee where it changes the control scheme accordingly.
Re: UK Switch 2 Fans, Don't Bother Going To GAME Stores For Your Pre-Order
@RubyCarbuncle
In my experience with pending transactions, it does usually mean the money will be taken within 24-48 hours, but I will keep an eye on it.
I'm fine with a full money down pre-order, just not certain if that's the case as of yet.
Re: Nintendo's Bowser Comments On AI And Its Uses
There are meaningful, ethical uses of AI, but the term is so broad and ambiguous that people are quick to assume it's slop generated through models trained on stolen data.
The machine learning process by itself can be trained on internal data and used to deliver powerful insights and transformations, as a form of computation that does not replace human creativity or ingenuity, but the implementation or utilisation itself can be creative. Think of it as the difference between using a digital calculator or doing calculations by pen and paper or in your head.
I just hope that with Nintendo, it's the latter and not the former. We aren't privy to their development processes after all.
Re: UK Switch 2 Fans, Don't Bother Going To GAME Stores For Your Pre-Order
@rjejr
GameStop didn't willingly become a meme stock, it happened because people were actively rebelling against the practice of shorting stocks (buying stocks you know will fail, selling them, buying them back at a reduced cost, and making money from that buy-back).
Re: UK Switch 2 Fans, Don't Bother Going To GAME Stores For Your Pre-Order
@Kidfunkadelic83
Yes, for my Argos order they have already charged £433.94 (£429.99 Mario Kart World bundle + £3.95 shipping) to my bank account as a pending transaction.
I used debit card, I didn't check if they offer other payment options though.
If you're planning on making an Argos order I'd hurry, the bundle is already sold out, but they're still taking orders for the standalone system.
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7550333
Re: Where To Pre-Order Nintendo Switch 2
@BiscuitCrumbsInMyBed @vesemir0
I just got said SMS from Argos with my order number and item number (not the item name), so yes it seems like I've secured it for certain now. Really excited, and relieved!
On that note, Argos' Mario Kart World Bundle is now out of stock (which is the one I ordered), but the standalone system is still in-stock.
Re: Hori's Switch 2 Piranha Plant Camera Has Much Worse Resolution Than Nintendo's
@Moonlessky
I think you misunderstand, I'm talking about the camera itself being positioned directly atop the docked Switch 2, not simply connected via it.
Re: Hori's Switch 2 Piranha Plant Camera Has Much Worse Resolution Than Nintendo's
Considering the 420p camera is only needed to display your visage in a small window or such for the chat features, or Mario Party's camera stuff, it'll probably be fine if not looking a bit fuzzier?
One of the nice things about the Pirahna Plant camera is that it can be inserted directly into the Switch 2's top USB-C port, which is an option that Nintendo's first party camera lacks.
That means that the pipe stand is technically just a USB-C extension.
Re: Where To Pre-Order Nintendo Switch 2
@BiscuitCrumbsInMyBed
I placed my Argos order using my debit card instead of Paypal, and it still shows the transaction as pending on my bank app.
Still, I'll keep an eye on it.
Re: Where To Pre-Order Nintendo Switch 2
@BiscuitCrumbsInMyBed
My Argos order currently just says "sit tight: your order is in progress".
I'll keep an eye on it, though I've no reason to believe they'll cancel it yet.
Re: Amazon UK's Switch 2 Pre-Orders Won't Be Invite-Only For Long
I also just ordered through Argos thanks to the comments in the pre-order guide article. Hopefully it won't get cancelled as the payment was up-front.
However, if you want to buy accessories like the Pro Controller or a Carry Case, you can get those on the My Nintendo Store UK without needing an invite.
Re: Where To Pre-Order Nintendo Switch 2
Very.co.uk has stock now.
https://www.very.co.uk/nintendo-switch-2-switch-2/1601110391.prd
I just ordered from Argos, so I no longer need this.
Edit: Out of stock after about 15 minutes, it appears.
Re: Where To Pre-Order Nintendo Switch 2
@nocdaes
Thank you, I just placed my order with Argos!
I ordered the Pro Controller and Carry Case with screen protector accessories from the My Nintendo UK Store, since they're not behind the invite system (though the GameCube controller is).
Re: ICYMI: Mario Kart's Iconic Track Looks Set For A Return In World
@Rykdrew
Come on, it's not just 32 tracks.
It's a huge open world map and a very large roster of racers.
Re: ICYMI: Mario Kart's Iconic Track Looks Set For A Return In World
During the reveal, only seven cups where shown.
This leak reveals an additional eighth cup, using the Life-Up Heart from Super Mario Odyssey.
Re: Please Make Sure You're Wearing Trousers When Using Switch 2's Mouse Controls
@N00BiSH
How many Switch 2 collector's editions are going to include mouse pads now?
And you know, those kinds of cushioned mouse pads?
Re: Please Make Sure You're Wearing Trousers When Using Switch 2's Mouse Controls
Gotta remember those SL and SR buttons are metal now.
Re: Bravely Default Is Finally Freed From Its 3DS Prison, Coming To Switch 2 At Launch
@Kidfunkadelic83
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is 100% justified as a Switch 2 exclusive.
Bravely Default HD Remaster probably could've just been a Switch 2 Edition if they really wanted to.
Otherwise, I get the business decision to just help sell Switch 2 systems.
Re: Bravely Default Is Finally Freed From Its 3DS Prison, Coming To Switch 2 At Launch
To be honest, it looks like a game that should be able to run on the original Switch, why does it need to be a Switch 2 exclusive?
Are they compensating for a lack of optimisation? Is the file size over-inflated?
Re: The Switch 2 Will Emulate Switch Games, Because It Shares No Internal Hardware With Its Predecessor
@Zuljaras
It sounds as though the launch firmware will probably have high compatibility out of the game, but it depends on what firmware the warehoused units have.
No doubt there'll be firmware updates that periodically improve the backwards compatibility layer.
Re: The Switch 2 Will Emulate Switch Games, Because It Shares No Internal Hardware With Its Predecessor
@Ploppy
Original PS3's backwards compatibility was by virtue of actually sticking the necessary PS2 hardware inside there, and not because the PS3 was leveraging any of it for PS3 software.
The 3DS being able to natively play DS games, and also GBA games, was because the 3DS re-used the ARM processors present in the DS and GBA.
https://www.copetti.org/writings/consoles/nintendo-3ds/
The 3DS main processor for playing games was ARM11, whilst ARM9 was used for the operating system and DS/DSi games, and ARM7 was used as the co-processor for those DS/DSi games, but also for GBA games.
Re: The Switch 2 Will Emulate Switch Games, Because It Shares No Internal Hardware With Its Predecessor
@Zuljaras
Nintendo's own compatibility guide is indicating the compatibility rate is more like 98%.
Though of partner games, only 22% were concretely identified as having no issues found in basic compatibility testing, with the rest only identified as being bootable with ongoing testing in progress.
Re: The Switch 2 Will Emulate Switch Games, Because It Shares No Internal Hardware With Its Predecessor
I believe what we're seeing here is not a conventional emulator, but a translation layer where both the Switch and Switch 2 (likely) use ARM processors, and there the instruction sets are so broadly compatible that you can comfortably map them.
It's a big part of why Switch emulation with Yuzu ran so well on Android devices (and ironically, modded Switch systems running ARM Linux).
I'm also really glad their internal testing is identifying straggling compatibility issues that they're working on fixing. They're thorough enough that even something obscure and "shovelwarey" like "OMG Police - Car Chase Simulator TV" was tested.
Re: Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour Price Has Been Confirmed
If you think of the "game" as a guided museum tour, the nominal entry fee becomes a lot more tolerable.
It not being free is probably a reflection of how much there is to do, and not just some throw-away experience.
Re: First Impressions: Nintendo Switch 2 'Wows' Most When You Go Back To Your Old Switch
Primarily for me, the Switch 2 is shaping up to do the most important thing; deliver on performance.
That was always the sticking point for me on Switch, too many games struggling to reach full resolution, full frame rate (30 or 60), or both. The performance is looking to be uncompromising at long last, though with the caveats of Switch 1 games needing updates, some of which being premium, if you want to enjoy them.
What might be lacking a wow factor, will instead of a sense of relief and satisfaction to leave the poor performance behind.
Re: Where To Pre-Order Nintendo Switch 2
@Dm9982
From what you mention about the selection emails going out, it sounds like I didn't make the initial round.
I'll survive, lol.
Re: Where To Pre-Order Nintendo Switch 2
It's pretty absurd that it's come to this, that they have to prioritise the customers with the highest engagement.
My NSO membership has been 4 years, 5 months, 6 days so far, but I've had periods of time where it lapsed because I wasn't using it, including in the past two years, so I'm worried that this might disqualify me from the first round of pre-orders.
I'll see how it rolls, I really want the Switch 2 with Mario Kart World, the Pro controller, and the GameCube controller.
Re: Nintendo's Switch 2 'Game-Key Cards' Somehow Manage To Make Codes-In-A-Box Worse
Whilst I don't like this, the fact that it's not a download permanently tied to your Nintendo account, therefore eligible for resale and lending, is an improvement.
They're physical virtual game cards lol
Re: The Duration Of Tomorrow's Nintendo Switch 2 Direct Has Been Confirmed
@garfreek
I'll be able to download the video before I board the train, I'm prepared.
Re: Nintendo Treehouse Returns This Week With Two Presentations On Switch 2 Gameplay
This reminds me of when they were showcasing Breath of the Wild, this is gonna be big.
Re: The Duration Of Tomorrow's Nintendo Switch 2 Direct Has Been Confirmed
I'm not gonna be able to watch this one live, but I'll watch it on catch-up on the train ride home.
Re: Octopath Traveler I + II Physical Switch Bundle Announced
Saw that my earlier post got removed as "posting adverts", my bad it was inadvertant.
In any case, I wanted to share that VGP did have stock which is where I secured my copy, but they've already sold out.
Play-Asia's first round of stock sold through quickly and they weren't able to fulfil my order due to a shortage, but it looks like they'll have a second round.
The other part was just an explanation of how Square Enix like to do these fully on-cart releases in Asia regions for places like Singapore where downloads may not be a guarantee. They don't do it often because it can require 32GB Switch game cards, which are expensive to manufacture, hence why international bundle releases usually have the additional titles as mandatory downloads.
Re: Talking Point: Which Switch Game Needs A 'Nintendo Switch 2 Edition' The Most?
@Magician
Monolith Soft worked some serious magic to get Xenoblade 1, 3, and X running so much better than 2, it's a shame they can't just go back and refactor 2 like that.
Switch 2 editions for all the Xenoblade games though would be very welcome.
Re: Nintendo Download: 27th March (North America)
Tried the Bubble Ghost Remake demo, but didn't particularly like it.
Pre-ordered a physical for Kemono Heroes since that one looked nice. Same for the Croc remaster, that'll arrive sometime next month I think?
Backed Which Way Up: Galaxy Games on their Kickstarter, but the campaign was unsuccessful and it didn't get funded. I'm glad they still managed to get their game launched though.
Re: PSA: You Can Now Download Nintendo's New Mobile App
I'll give it a go, but it might end up being a dead weight app that I'll just forget and clean up later.
Re: M2's 'Gradius Origins' Collects Some Of The Shmup Series' Finest And A Brand-New Entry
@X68000
Oh I'm aware of Vitor Vilela's SA-1 patch, but I'm also aware that there's a reworked version that compensates for the removed slowdown. The original release was balanced around the slowdown after all.
Re: M2's 'Gradius Origins' Collects Some Of The Shmup Series' Finest And A Brand-New Entry
I've not taken a second look yet, but during the Direct it looked as though Gradius III was the SNES version complete with the slowdown that version is infamous for.
Re: Nintendo Has Sneakily Confirmed The Switch 2's Mysterious 'C' Button
Hmm, so I C, Nintendo, so I C.
Re: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond's Official Switch Box Art Is Absolutely Stunning
I love that they gave Samus' helmet a "third eye" to expressly communicate the new psychic powers thing she's got going on.
It's a neat twist and a nice way to incorporate new ways to interact with a 3D environment using a first-person view, going beyond simply shooting and scanning things with a lock-on.
Re: Poll: So, How Would You Rate The Nintendo Direct For March 2025?
It was a pretty poor presentation. Whilst there's some good info on Metroid Prime 4 and Pokémon Legends Z-A, and some nice new reveals like Rhythm Heaven Groove and Tomodachi Life Living the Dream, it was accompanied by the usual low-energy announcements of excessive comfy games, niche-interest Japanese games, and then the questionable Virtual Game Cards and Nintendo Today announcements.
There wasn't much to get truly excited about, and some things to actually get sour about.
Re: Marvel Gets The Shredder's Revenge Treatment In Upcoming Beat 'Em Up 'Cosmic Invasion'
My initial impression was that yet-another Shredder's Revenge inspired game was coming, but no this is actually the same devs! Good on them.
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Rita's Rewind, and even Toxic Crusaders are a direct result of the success of Shedder's Revenge after all.
Re: 'Nintendo Today', A New Mobile App, Will Deliver Fresh Switch 2 News Every Day
My initial impression was that Nintendo wants to cut out news sites and get directly involved with customer's day to day lives and phone usage.
I'll end up using the app, but it's concerning.
Re: New Pokémon Legends Z-A Trailer Dives Into Even More Upcoming Features
I was shocked that something as important as trainer battles was actually left out of the initial presentation.
Like, Z-A Royal completely flips the game on its head.
Re: Nintendo Announces 'Virtual Game Cards' For Switch, Unlocking Digital Lending
@YaGirlSkyByte
It's actually worse, this is more restrictive DRM.
Some digital games can no longer be installed onto multiple systems at once.
They're preventing you from launching the same software title on multiple devices by adding "virtual game card swapping".
When you have a secondary Switch system, if you launch a digital game, or a physical game with digital DLC, it performs an online check that you're allowed to launch it. This is to make sure that the game isn't running on a second or primary Switch system at the same time, but could be easily circumvented by disabling online connectivity on your primary Switch.
"Virtual Game Cards" is a deliberate restriction on that.
Re: Random: Sakurai Sends Fans Into Meltdown Ahead Of Switch Direct
News on Deltarune Chapters 3 and 4 perhaps?
Deltarune and Undertale have been featured in Nintendo Directs before, after all.
Re: Deals: Waiting For A Good Deal On 1TB+ Micro SD Cards? This Might Be It
£87.99 for the 1.5TB microSD is a great deal, though not a historic low.
Back on Black Friday 2024, it went for £79.99.
I should warn that when some Nintendo Life users grabbed this 1.5TB SanDisk Ultra microSD for their Nintendo Switch, they noticed some issues like slower loading times compared to 1TB or lower capacity cards.
If you want the upgrade from 512GB or lower, consider sticking to 1TB.
Also, for Switch 2, it's rumoured it will support microSD "express" cards, which are far faster than any standard microSD cards.
The Switch 1's microSD card slot has slower read/write times than many devices, and these UHS-1 microSD cards are the best fit. The Switch 1 cannot take advantage of the better performance of faster microSD cards like SanDisk Extreme or Extreme Pro.
Re: New Nintendo Patent Is All About 2D Visuals, But Don't Jump To Any Remake Conclusions
This gives me the impression of Shadow Boxes, where the sprite and background layers are treated to give the impression of depth, maybe with nice shaders being used.
This isn't far removed from what the SEGA 3D Classics on 3DS did, where additional depth information was assigned to graphics data in specially modified ROMs for a customised emulator, for a working stereoscopic 3D effect.
Broadly, there could be some really cool visual effects done with this kind of emulation, but you still have to tailor it on a game-by-game basis.
Things like 3DSEN also do this, which is a NES emulator that interprets tile and sprite data in clever ways to make NES games look 2.5D.