Saints

Genuinely love this game

Has a bit of a learning/getting use to curve, now I can't put it down.

40 Hours with Air Riders and I can't put it down. The more I play the more I discover and want to play.

I'm so glad this game exist.

This exact reason is why I am skeptical of getting a 3rd party dock. Still tempting due to the lower cost.

IIRC there is some lifting done with the dock for performance, unlike the original switch and that adds another reason to wait to jump in with a 3rd party that may under perform.

It's difficult to believe those are the actual resolution numbers, game both looks and plays like a dream.

Edit: Except for the cutscenes, not sure what is going on there. Gameplay is top notch.

Some of the most fun I've had with a Pokemon game, loving my experience with it after 25 hours in.

@Retron The problem I had with motion sickness wasn't actually caused by FoV, but rather the swing motion of the camera anytime you interact with an npc for dialog.

I started looking away when that happened and it made the rest of the game playable.

@Paraka @Davestor @KITG_GROUP @dskatter

Thank you all for the replies.

Everything deteriorates. Oxidation very much occurs in electronics and even compact disc aka disc rot.

Unless you're keeping everything in atmosphere-controlled environments and never handling it, everything has some kind of shelf life. Museums even face this very concern.

So many comments here say 'keep things nice' or 'take care of it' - that isn't the solution. That keeps things nicer longer, but in the end it will turn to dust.
Go digital and make back ups. To what end? A massively endless inconvenience met with compatibility issues? Digital storage is not flawless.

Someone even mentioned VHS tapes. I don't know anyone's success rate with old tapes. For me they often break, the film snaps, and you have to work around scotch tape jobs to get things to play - assuming you can find any kind of VCR to work with said media.

I don't know what the answer is, all I'm saying is there has to be a better way than what currently exist.

It seems like enough people in the comments here are happy believing their physical items they can 'keep forever' and maybe that is enough for now.

I still have original media of cartridge based games from way back that work, but I know it won't work forever.

I wonder how many people still buy cds for music or dvd/blu-rays for movies.

Music is so accessible on streaming or YT now.

Nothing last forever, even movies I've never watched from ages ago the disc has deteriorated

There really isn't any great way to preserve something.

Odyssey had some great moments, but much of it was "run up a hill, get a moon" and that side of it was just lacking for me.
For me, the Flagpole Mario games have always just felt better than the open world collect-a-thons that is now every open world game ever.
Excited to see DK's take on it with Bananza, which looks incredible from the direct so... well done marketing team and hopefully, design team too.
Personally couldn't care less about another 3D Mario like this, but am interested in the next goal Mario adventure.

Been playing on Steam and Xbox - it plays runs and plays flawlessly, and looks better than the videos imo.
For me, it's the perfect blend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, and some aspects of Final Fantasy (particularly the job system).
Combat is solid, fluid, fun, and both the gathering lifes (lives?) and crafting lifes have some really fun aspects and mini games to them - if you've done the 3DS or other versions you'll be right at home!

Xbox has performance and enhanced graphics mode, oddly both seem to run at 60fps from the testing I've done on Series X, maybe this is different on Series S
Curious how performance and loading will be on Switch, but we're Nintendo fans, we're sorta use to this these things.

Multiplayer is weird. I don't think it's bad, but it's definitely not what anyone expected.
Local co-op player two controls Trip, a bird. This is almost like Tingle Tuner for Windwaker, it's a co-op option that gives someone in the same room something to do while you play. I genuinely wish more games had something like this.
This game would be very difficult to maintain everyone on the same screen since the movements and areas are so large.

Online Multiplayer - Takes a while to get there, it unlocks at Chapter 3-8 or so. There are three 'Destinations'
Island (30 mins)
Explore (60 mins)
and the last is ??? for now (it looks like it will be the dungeon)

Island is where you begin the game, no task or objectives, just chilling, can fish, craft, etc. All in the same game.

Explore is an open world event hunt. This may come across confusing but think of it something like a cross between Monster Hunter (where there is a timer) and Guild Wars 2 events. There is a progress bar to build at the top by doing events scattered all over the quite large map and each time you complete one progress fills the bar. When the bar maxes out then a final challenge shows up like a boss for combat, or even something like a giant tree to use your gathering lifes to take down together - it is really fun.

It would be nice to have a mode without having to refresh the timer, or an adjustment to make the Island mode timer a bit longer.

Cross-play works great. Cross-save is solid (although it requires an Epic account and the save uploads to the cloud each time you save) and you have to enable it on the other platform.

Even with the cumbersome multiplayer and the slow going at the start, I already feel this is one of my all-time favs. Genuinely love this game so much. Hope this helped anyone looking for more info!

@Dr_Lugae I think you greatly misunderstand my position if you think I'm fine being nickled & dimed for any media.

@jfp What price tag? Well $60 is what I paid, so $60 is the price agreed upon.
What I spend at a movie is irrelevant, and this is where ignorance shines through. People use to buy records, cds, albums, mp3s, now they can listen on youtube, spotify, or even download for effectively free, you can even watch some movies on youtube for free does that suddenly change these ridiculous proposed value propositions?
Do you now have an obligation to find the artist of a song you enjoy and ensure you're throwing money in to their wallet?
The whole perspective is ridiculous.

I guess no matter what there will always be people that feel bad for the poor billionaire corporations that didn't siphon every cent they could.

@MamaSymphonia When you put it like that it sounds like you're defending Nintendo's shoddy practices here of
"We price what we think the value is" instead of pricing according to the market's trends.
Nintendo's games rarely, if ever go on sale and they basically never see a price drop.

I'm not about to die on a hill defending a multi-billion dollar company losing a few drops in their bucket.
We've been playing the same Mario Kart 8 for OVER A DECADE.

Nintendo is on top of the hill, and they always do this when they are. Such a turn away from how consumer-friendly there were during the Wii U days.

It doesn't matter to me the cost of making a game is higher.

Gaming has never been bigger, distribution has never been easier, distribution of software has never been cheaper.
Everything is farther reaching than ever before.
And yet, profits have never been higher.

Forbid the consumer catches a break on something.

@Friendly I don't know about thanking Trump but I would say a good bit of the blame falls to outsourcing with slave labor (with a nice side of IP theft) for decades now.

Or you can go with surface level ignorance and point a finger.
Neither justify Nintendo's greedy practices here, nor the broken drift-ridden Joy-Cons.

Scummy as heck, Nintendo

$95 for Joy-Cons? Sheesh
$120 for a dock?

Those Joy-Cons should have a drift-free lifetime guarantee for all the hassle people went through with OG

Odyssey was a great time, although really on the fence about DK, it looks fun but wonder if the destroy-all novelty will wear off quickly.

Something about 3D collect-a-thon games don't excite me anymore. Probably played too many games from Ubisoft and MMOs with map completion like GW2 & ESO.

If Metroid 4 is $70 on Switch 1
Then a $10 upgrade to Switch 2 makes the $80 price make sense
(In Nintendo's corpo brain, I mean)

However, I wonder/doubt if the Switch 2 version would work on Switch 1, so if you buy physical it would make more sense to get Switch 1, and then upgrade, right?

For me, clicking in thumbsticks is the worst, always has been.
FPS tend to do this the most, often tied to melee or sprint.

Back-side buttons have been incredible.
Even using one to jump in an FPS feels better than shoulder button jumps, to be able to keep thumbs on the sticks for better movement.

This will be useful in Metroid Prime 4

Switch 2 version and it uses Zelda Notes as an optional map
or even - Tingle Tuner

Not being able to wake the Switch 2 from sleep with the Switch 1 Pro Controller seems really odd. Even, a bit silly.
Switch 1 does this, so to omit it seems like some kind of design choice.

Either will need to use another S2 controller or get up and press the power button on the console first, then re-order controllers to go back to a S1 controller

I kinda blame all the podcasters and game journalist.
2017 - Switch Releases, and for a time, all is great.
2019 - All any media and podcast would talk about is Switch Pro. ENDLESSLY
2022 - All any media and podcast would talk about is Switch 2.
Nintendo even came out and said "Hey, we're not unveiling any news about the Switch successor in 2024" yet it would never end.

I rarely check Nintendo news for years now because of this and really only watch Official Nintendo postings cause it's beyond played out - and it's not even Nintendo's doing.

EDIT: I say any media loosely btw, Nintendo Life is about all I follow anymore related to Nintendo.
Everything else has just been horrific click bait.

Its games journalist, podcast, and youtube clicks really
2017 Switch Release
2019-2022 Switch Pro talk on all outlets constantly
2022-Ongoing Switch 2
How about just reporting the good stuff instead of obsessing about what's next? Sheeeeeeeeeesh.
Nintendolife is one of the few places that made it bearable, everywhere else feels like they're farming views.

Gauntlet Legends is my dream NSO add

This is great! OG was challenge but offered two player co-op

Enjoy the modern take on Getsu Fuma Den. The art style is gorgeous. All in all a solid experience, although there is no topping the king - Dead Cells.

Was floored when they brought Getsu Fuma in on Castlevania Harmony of Despair.

Still... LRG, oof. Personally, they're always a hard pass.

Because of this, I used weapons I just wouldn't bother with.

I wasn't worried about losing a good weapon throwing it at an enemy, better dynamic combat.

Bayonetta 1 was fine.
Bayonetta 2 is, to this day, the best action game I've ever played. Better than Ninja Gaiden (Black or otherwise), better than Devil May Crys, just simply, the best action game around.

I'm hopeful that Bayonetta 3 maintains the excellence in gameplay from the second game.

Loved the DLC for XC2 and the expectations on this were set early and it currently meets those.
A new story will be amazing, but saving my NG+ playthrough for when DLC 3 drops.

Gameplay is KING.
This isn't a narrative driven game, look at what you're working with. Who wants to sit through a wall of text like I'm leaving you now in a pixelart based co-op adventure game?

You forgot part of the poll: How many of the Amiibo did you pick up for Smash?

Me: All of them.

All the time. A great experience is worth a re-visit.
For me, Gameplay is King. Story is hardly ever a factor.
So I can easily go back to Diablo, Zelda, Guild Wars 2, most any 2D Platformer, Castlevanias, and just have the best time ever.

3DS Has this fantastic Tournament Mode, PLEASE let it be here.

You could setup private tournaments with friends and replay the courses as much as you liked to try to get higher on the leaderboards, it was a great competitive mode to play even when friends weren't online.

Nintendo finally utilizing Online gameplay... ~15 years after most other companies, but hey, it's finally happening!

FANTASY LIFE!!
Had such a great time and the multiplayer is solid too!

Scott Pilgrim? Oh geeze...

Well there goes any hopes for functional Online Multiplayer

@Wavey84 You have some good points!
Nintendo did a poll sometime between Smash 4 and when Ultimate came out and Simon Belmont was at the top of that (though I can't seem to dig it up now) oddly enough. So even if Castlevania is lacking from Konami, gamers still know and love it - and that's shown with the popularity of Bloodstained and it's kickstarter campaign.
I think the issue with most of the retro characters on your list is they're not even Nintendo first party. Game & Watch, ROB, Duckhunt, Pit.. all Nintendo. So for Nintendo to champion something like Bub & Bob, or Bonk... well Hudson Soft hasn't been around in ages... RIP Mr. Higgins.

As far as relevance, if you look at the views on YouTube alone for characters... Sephiroth has 1.5m views, where Steve from Minecraft has 4.3m.
Steve... compared to Sephiroth...

As someone who knows all the characters on your list... this figure of course makes me want to vomit, as I would rather anyone on your list show up 1,000x over the Fortnite guy haha

So as much as I love seeing something like those, I can't see Nintendo ever doing it, but who knows!
On a positive note, we're at least at a point where the odds of some of these actually showing up are greater than a lost dream!
Thanks for the discussion

@Wavey84 What is amazing is there are so many great characters in Smash that we're kind of running out of picks so we're at a spot that Mike Jones can be on there from a series no one has heard about in 25+ years

A lot of your picks are great, but I don't know how relevant they are today. On your list Bonk is my favorite, and with some kind of Air Zonk transformation that would be incredible!

Rogue Heroes - Tacos Tacos Tacos!!!
If you enjoy co-op dungeon crawlers, definitely give this one a look. It plays great with friends, ONLINE too!

Anyone doubting A Link To The Past needs to go play through the original LoZ, then spend a fair amount of time with Zelda II. After that, then jump on ALTTP.

The leap feels like SS to BotW.

@Panopticon Well, I feel gameplay is king, and this does a fine job of melding that with a personal level of skill - blocking attacks, out maneuvering enemies, etc.
So you have a solid mix of that as the combat and dungeon puzzles are random. In fact, it is quite fun bringing along a non-Zelda friend that may not see floor traps or triggers to set off more chaos.

Progression comes in with with town upgrades, class unlocks, collectable material drops that you then use in your town to enhance and grow your character.

You're right, it isn't Dead Cells, Hollow Knight, or Hades.
If anything, it is more bombastic chaos like an old 4-player arcade game like TMNT or Simpsons - seemingly best in burst sessions.

So if it isn't grabbing you and your friend - sometimes games just don't do that. I have a have a difficult time when something just doesn't because I seemingly enjoy most things.
In a more elaborate opinion (that you didn't ask for heh) Dungeon Crawlers are only second to MMOs for me, and FFXIV drives me crazy for so many reasons - especially because I genuinely love FFXI. I know it's not the same game, don't expect it to be, but to just feel.... nothing... for it? I have a difficult time grasping why - especially because that is one of the most popular MMOs.

Try checking out Heroes of Hammerwatch - there is a deeper progression system, character levels, town upgrades, perma death with risk/reward, more diverse classes and skills. The graphics are really the only hold-back imo.
It starts out a bit slow feeling through the first area, but if you can clear that and progress further, you'll find a very addictive and satisfying gameplay loop that is great fun for a co-op experience.

@Panopticon Sometimes a game just doesn't grab you, and that's okay!

The big sell for me is co-op, like Game Cube's Four Swords.
Games like this are so few and far between, the closest thing I can compare it to is Heroes of Hammerwatch and that came out a few years ago. In fact, I could probably count on one hand the number of games that feature any kind of dungeon crawling online co-op progression that came out in the last 15-years.

If you're going in as a single player experience, then you have plenty of options elsewhere. However the online 4-player Zelda like combat with replayability and meaningful progression is a rare treat indeed.

@Alienfreaks04 Possibly! I find in multiplayer games with friends that story means very little, there is always someone that wants to skip through it, be it something like Destiny, Diablo, or even an MMO etc.

Played this a few hours last night with friends and the story did enough, though the fun was really had in the fantastic co-op.

BTW - If you like co-op (online) dungeon crawlers definitely check out
Heroes of Hammerwatch
It is excellent blend of rogue/gauntlet/co-op/online/town upgrade/class upgrade/replay dungeoncrawl. These gems are too far and few between.

This sounds great! Hope online co-op is solid!

When did no-story in a game become a bad thing? =/
Great Gameplay is king.

It is best played multiplayer. The grind when going solo is real, and challenge increases, but completely doable. Also, most bosses require precision (especially late game), so practicing encounters solo is highly recommended.
Ultimately it's a co-op loot hunting game with some pretty intense action combat and a heap of grinding. Think of something like 2D Diablo, or Castlevania Harmony of Despair.
The one-person-per-console co-op is really in the games best interest as each player has the freedom to traverse the landscape instead of being locked to a single screen. Split screen would probably be too cramped with all the action.
Since it is quest/mission based finding a random online match can be tricky because you can only join before a mission begins.
There is a Discord Server that offers some great guides and options for team ups, highly recommend that.
Classes in the game can vary quite a bit, but The Witch is by far the most technical as you have long strings of button presses to create and cast spells (almost like the game Magicka, in a way) and I wouldn't recommend trying that class to just see if you like the game.
If you have a friend that enjoys action platformers and always wanted to co-op something like MegaMan/Castlevania, you'll absolutely love this and there is content to keep you occupied for ages.
If you're a solo player, know that it's a grind, and don't be too salty or sour... there are boatloads of single player games like this, but finding an online multiplayer one... well that is super rare.
Hope this helps

Love love love River City Ransom series (even my avatar is a character from Underground), but feeling $30 is a bit steep without online co-op. Glad to see this here and getting nice scores!

Seems like a bunch of PR BS. The whole perspective is out of whack, Skyrim should have been on the Wii U.

We like your support, but don't act like you were team Nintendo all along.

Had it on Steam for a while, so much work and effort by the devs on this. Definitely a must-have for any Mega Man fan.

As much as I enjoy the artwork and gameplay, this just looks and plays out too much like a mobile game. $15 is my personal limit.

With so many great games out there, the price point is a huge deal breaker.