The Fallen Arm is also one of my favourite places, especially the sorrow fuelled music.
Speaking of which, The Hidden Machina Village theme in particular was a highlight… made more poignant when reaching the area of the ruins and arm of the Machina Village in XC3 with distantly sad memories. I remember reaching Elaine Highway and burst out crying like a manchild… such a beautiful piece of music.
@PikminMarioKirby wondered this as well - however despite there being two different reviewers, TOTK is the larger / better game of the two so I’m not overly surprised.
It’s still odd seeing two 10/10 game experiences getting lower scores for objectively better versions… but I digress, I get the conditions around it.
@Andee this is true, but also worth bearing in mind that Sonic Generations only takes up half the experience. Shadow Generations is new (and arguably bigger in scope) so it’s justifiable in pricing for a new adopter.
Whilst I fundamentally agree with the shafting of early adopters with no upgrade path, you reviewed this as a 9/10 on Switch 1.
Objectively speaking (as pointed out in the review) this is the better version of the two so really the score should remain EXACTLY the same across both consoles.
Buyers remorse and keycard aside, if you are a new adopter you are getting a better experience than Switch 1 owners, so the scoring makes no sense to be lower (unlike how the Zelda BOTW Switch 2 edition was handled, there was a good case put forward for how that edition was reviewed ) - in comparison, there is no real justification here, in my humble opinion of course.
So basically… this is still a 10/10 experience, but the review is looking at this edition as an overall package as presented on Switch 2.
The new (optional) Smart Phone apps weren’t put in the game which is a shame, and the improved resolution and performance shows up the original aged textures? That’s what I gathered.
I figure a point got negated due to ToTK now existing as well.
What do you mean Gameshare on Switch 1? Are you telling me you can play Switch 2 specific games in multiplayer on Switch 1? I genuinely thought that application was only for Switch 1 games or those that are cross platform.
Sounds like the interconnected open world scenario was a very smart idea.
The bonus here is that there is literally no loss in a traditional Mario Kart experience if that is all you are after, and having a unique world where everything is redefined and within reach adds an extra contextual layer of cohesiveness to your surroundings.
The real benefit is that regardless of how much there is to do in the open world… there’s are more things TO do. I play MK 90% of my time in single player, so outside of the main cup campaigns things gets dull very quickly for me. This huge explorable world with missions and secrets mitigates that issue for me entirely.
Honestly speaking, this is better than I thought they were going for.
Considering the update is free (providing you own a switch 2), I just hoped for a consistent 30 frames and no more glitches - that was about it. Instead we have a smooth 60FPS, more Pokemon in the wild, and no more frame drops on NPCs and distance foliage to save on resource.
Bleeding heck.
The best part is that the game visually had the basic artistic charm nailed, it was just so damn choppy. I’m not too concerned about the textures and so forth since this was always a cut above Arceus, the main thing is that the Performance improvements by default make the game visually more appealing to play.
Good job Gamefreak… we got there a few years later at least. This also gives me some positive vibes for the next mainline entry that is dedicated to the platform.
Seems like a fair enough price (or rather is the expected price for Pokémon IMO), I’m not sure they can justify adding £10 for a smoother experience, but this isn’t new for cross gen titles.
On the plus, we know they took a lot longer to develop Z-A this than rush it out like Sc/Vi and Arceus, so hopefully it’ll be a game of higher quality from their team.
7 was a weird entry. Had some outstanding new tracks, some forgettable entries bought back for retro… and didn’t do much else beyond the base GP, which is not great for a portable title.
There is the Inclusion of Underwater and Gliders, however Sonic Racing Transformed ironically beat them slightly to the punch with their reveal of Boats and Planes first (and, that game was much better).
Mario Kart 8 is where they finally took the big graphical leap, and the anti grav gimmick filled in the Fzero-shaped hole… and then the 2 DLC packs arrived with Nintendo crossovers to fill my heart with joy.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + Booster Pass is really the GOAT of MK’s overall, the value for content alone makes it worth it. Sure, it’s a beefed up WiiU port, but the MK8 needed to be resold as the game was worth it and lost on a console that didn’t sell. Bringing back battle mode and including all the DLC was a nice touch, but then we got another entire games worth of courses bolted on later in it’s life. There is a lot to love with this entry.
I didn’t return to this game after I beat it unlike its (superior) predecessor.
Galaxy 2 is still a solid 8/10 experience with what I like to call the “one hit wonder galaxies” - fantastic the first time, but also but far too linear for my liking (especially completing each green star mission which were a slog).
But you can see how this game started life as Galaxy 1.5 since it has that DLC expansion vibe from their leftover ideas cut from the first game.
For the price this actually makes more sense now. Fast RMX was essentially a “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” scenario anyway which is why it had lots more content at launch,
Initially I’d hoped to explore ancient Hyrule, but this is the next best thing and is everything I hoped for after TOTK, especially after how good their effort on the previous Age of Calamity title was (which also needs a Nintendo Switch 2 edition or free framerate patch, hey Nintendo?)
With the next Zelda though we do need a new map and location, but they hopefully will keep the same cast and era, it’s been unusual that we’ve spent so long on this iteration - but I’m not ready to give up those connections just yet and there is plenty still to be mined with the current cast.
60FPS is ideal, but on this scale for this handheld expecting that to happen is unrealistic. Whilst I don’t doubt that a performance option was considered by the team, I suspect a LOT more compromises would have to be made that CDPR aren’t willing to risk their vision of Night City on.
DS was the standout for me, so much content, 3D Mario Kart on the go, and the single player content and missions are something I wish every entry that Nintendo would return towards.
Double Dash is on the other side of the coin for me. An incredibly poor selection of dull courses and iffy controls, 16 tracks and barely anything else to do with a frustrating unlock system. The dual character and kart stuff is certainly unique, but I personally do not like it (and can appreciate why it’s the marmite entry of the franchise with players - you either LOVE it, or despise it passionately).
Wii is the middle ground - an absolutely fine title with fun tracks and returning courses, but not a stunner either. In a lot of ways it looks worse than DD due to the amount of bloom and low poly character models. It took until 8 for Nintendo to get serious about upping their graphical game.
If Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled can have an Iron Checkpoint Crate as playable character, there is NO reason the Question Block can't make an appearance XD
SA2:B is a yes, but it also already has a perfectly fine HD widescreen port which has been ready and waiting for SEGA to get off their ass and port to Switch/2.
MK64 for nostalgia, but GBA is the unsung hero for me. I played the nuts off this (on the more ergonomically friendly original GBA model) back on release and did EVERYTHING possible.
The fact that it was the first to introduce Retro tracks by including and updating every SNES track bringing the total amount of courses to 40 (over 10 cups) made this a surprisingly beefy entry back then.
Deserved. I think everyone has dreamed of an open world Pokemon game since the N64 days so it’s unsurprising it did well. Storyline was also engaging and the environments were interesting to explore.
Just a shame it wasn’t up to snuff in the performance areas like your Zelda’s and Xenoblade’s (and 95% of buildings weren’t able to be entered)
@pikachupikachup this is true, and I get what Nintendo are doing to a small extent to rectify the exploit, but I still think the better solution would have been to allow your digital library to be accessed across the family plan, even if it’s on a limited basis.
You shouldn’t have to repurchase the same digital game multiple times for your family group, or have single use access.
@PerfectFrost so essentially, what's been removed is the ability for two Switch consoles to be playing the same purchased game simulaniously whilst both users are online and connected.
@PerfectFrost @StarryCiel exactly, that's what I said (apologies if my post wasn't clear), it works fine in offline/airplane mode if you have shared the "virtual card" to the secondary system, which I understand is the idea.
It just won't allow you to play the same game simultaneously over two switches online now, so boot outs will happen if you are both playing the same title unless one of you is offline, that's what's new. Which sucks.
It's not a massive thing, but not something I personally like. At the very least even with licences turned on it doesn't affect any user profile from using the game on the primary switch regardless of ownership.
Sigh, goodbye simultaneous switch digital game shares without getting the boot.
I know you can still turn on "Use Online License" as a workaround. But it still treats your library (if your Switch is secondary) as "virtual game cards". So shared games will work offline fine now, but the "ejected" titles will continue to ping and connect to servers before starting up (as per before), but with the additional "benefit" that the same game can't be played at the same time.
This is middle finger to those that make use of multiple Switches using one account, as Nintendo thinks consumers should have made sure they could afford multiple copies of every digital game before having kids and wanting to share their digital library with them (which really, is what the Family Plan SHOULD have been utilised for).
To be honest, the only thing that this has going for it is some lovely uprezz on the art and an escape for the phenomenal soundtrack to be listened to in much higher quality.
Otherwise I was actually expecting a BD2 style remake of 1 rather than a port/remaster.
I’ll stick with my 3DS copy, especially given it is physical (there is no reason this should be a game key card or not available on Switch 1). I do still enjoy the AR features and the 3D effect on the picture book world just a little bit more than what’s offered here.
Came here to advise that Spark the Electric Jester 3 hasn’t even released on the Switch yet and walked away with the newfound knowledge that Spark the Electric Jester 3 released for Switch last year 🤣
Thank god for these hidden gem lists. How did that game arrive with such a low key non-existent launch?
Expected and acceptable prices for the upgrades. You are paying for the developers extra time and content placed into their titles. Dev work ain’t free.
What I don’t like so much is that certain DLC aspects aren’t available to switch 1 adopters so they lose out. Kirby, for example - I see no valid reason Star Crossed world can’t be played on Switch.
It’s the FF VII Intergrade / Horizon II Burning Shores argument all over again.
The fast series has always been the most reliable anti grav racer to match the likes of your F-Zero and Wip3out compared to the rest. It looks great and most importantly is FAST whilst giving you the feel of speed and control.
I’ll be saying it for another decade Nintendo, but just outsource the damn F-Zero IP to shinen if you have nothing new planned for it - they have demonstrated time and again to have the talent for this stuff.
Underwhelming direct, but only because we knew most of the information presented from the last two weeks. It’s odd Nintendo left it this long.
I’m sure there are a lot more surprises awaiting (and DLC in the future), but I did honestly expect more modes and other reveals.
That said, it shouldn’t understate that this is the largest Mario Kart game offering with content that Nintendo’s ever given us on Launch. Even without all the other modes I was hoping they’d discuss… It’s staggering.
Personally speaking, I’m just super happy that there will be a shed load of single player things to do outside of the regular racing modes, 100’s of mini P switch missions? Collectables? Secret ? Pads to uncover? Hell yes. Not to mention all those costume unlockables, the series is overdue this feature and I’m glad to see it function as in game unlock than a microtransaction. This is the way it should be.
I will say it is disappointing about 30fps on split screen - but it’s also understandable considering it’s rendering an OPEN WORLD 4 times on the same console / screen. This won’t be the experience when played online in multiplayer or in single player, so I’m fine with that trade off.
The obvious comparison to be made is that you wouldn’t buy a cross gen title on PS5, in a box labeled AS a PS5 game, and then open it to find the PS4 game disk with an update code on a piece of paper.
BOTW and TOTK have a lot to owe to Monolithsoft. But despite this, these worlds have very different design philosophies.
I do think that the definition of "empty" and "full" are valued differently by people. I can also appreciate why BOTW and TOTK might be seen as "empty" to some. From my 500+ hours of exploration of Hyrule both games are (to me) some of the most densely layered, cleverly populated and intricately crafted maps I've ever played in a video game. Hyrule is designed to entice the player to explore, experiment, create and solve its maps. If some folks find the overall "open air" game design boring, then that's your prerogative, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that.
I would say that you want "empty" feeling Zelda maps, then I'd implore you to go to any connecting field area in previous titles as these are geometrically basic and have little for the player to to do apart from ferry Link from area to area (with a few mini games (and fewer) enemies placed in the players way). This is also by design of course, and not a knock on those games.
Bringing it back to Xenoblade X - this game feels "full" because there are hostiles EVERYWHERE. This is a dangerous alien environment and the idea is to survive with your team. On Mira your movements are fast and the skells allow for the additional flight and speed. The game gives you this high octane soundtrack and a high velocity degree of movement because the huge open world requires it. I really don't think X would have worked if the characters ran at the same speed as the other Xenoblade titles. Exploration is of course a thing, but it's more about location scouting and basking in the vistas whilst racking up some EXP doing missions and battles.
Hyrule is a different beast. The world is much more methodical in that you are alone in the wilderness and surviving by yourself - so everything is slower, but you can be much more tactical with enemies and environmental puzzles. Nintendo's chemical engine also sets itself apart in that you soon discover just how mailable this world really is, something that none of the Xenoblade games have as part of it's world design or interactive elements.
I guess what I'm trying to get at here is that Xenoblade's maps and game worlds are superficially large in scope to accommodate the narrative and the variety of enemies you will battle on the field. Hyrule is more concerned with how the player interacts and reacts with the environment, especially given the non-linear narrative of the story, this makes Hyrule a much more impressive technical world showcase. There's a reason devs keep trying to emulate and figure out BOTW and TOTK and how Nintendo got this to work for good reason. Xenoblade on the other hand is pretty standard and linear in comparison (by design) because you are artificially coaxed the map to fit the narrative (even if you can technically run anywhere you want a lot of the time). Mira is still damn gorgeous to traverse though and excellently designed for its game structure.
@Ulysses indeed it is salty. Although just to be clear, I’m not personally saying it, I’m just saying how it is.
My point is that I understand what game Nintendo are playing here (if you’ll pardon the pun)… or rather the excuse they are using - that BOTW still has tremendous value in their eyes.
It’s likely why we’re still on this particular era of Zelda 8 years later (and probably why we will continue to stay on it for a long time yet), it’s almost a sub franchise now.
What’s surprising is that they STILL haven’t even included the Zelda BOTW expansion pass as part of the main NSO expansion pass. Whilst it would be a small offering it would still be something.
Anyway, yeah. It’s not a great move on Nintendos part. Considering the game price jumps and controversies around that they need to really really careful how they treat their consumers.
I don’t disagree that this SHOULD be a “complete edition” with the DLC included, this is a standard practise… amongst non-Nintendo products.
That said, it’s IP value, and how much Nintendo value the experience they’re providing (which they’ve mentioned a lot recently).
I get the strategy. The game sold over 32 millions units, so a lot (but not all) will have bought the game and expansion pass already. They want to maximise cost for their best selling Zelda title.
So, I don’t think a lot of folk are really looking at this properly. Most BOTW owners will upgrade to Switch 2 edition for £7.99 (or whatever the UK pricing is), or get it for “free” via NSO+. Then, if you own the DLC you have it already, if you don’t then it’’s time to fork out £17.99 for some excellent content like the rest of us did. Standard (for Nintendo).
People that haven’t picked the game up already are just paying the same price everyone else did. There’s no loss for the consumer here, just a price that Nintendo have never dropped or made more consumer friendly. It also explains why they are all called “Nintendo Switch 2 editions” as well.
Again, I'm not saying it isn’t scummy. They could certainly look at lowering the price if they wanted. But they still see value in the expansion pass. That’s all this is at the end of the day. It will affect the minority, and even then that will mostly be late adopters by charging the REGULAR price.
The problem with the recent statements is the blatant backpedaling.
Previously, Pocketpair were pretty open that Craftopia and Palworld were essentially clones and were riffing on the obvious franchises. They had a "so what?" attitude because they were in the market for a quick and easy buck.
Now Pocketpair have a well-received and popular game on their hands this narrative needs to change because there is marketable room to grow into a franchise.
It's pretty clear that ARK was ONE of their reference points, but it isn't how the game was marketed to the audience, not to mention how Palworld looks from a visual standpoint (and the present predicament they are under with TPC).
And this makes sense, Pokemon + Guns was an oddly bizarre and appealing head turner and got EVERYONE talking because we wanted to know if it would survive being launched or get shut down.
If they'd shown off that this was primarily a Survival style crafting game I (and I likely a few others) wouldn't have been as quick to pick it up. They knew EXACTLY what they were doing
Koei Tecmo: It’s “Canonical” (to TOTK…from another point of view)
Either way, I’m sure it will be good.
With the timeline spilt of Age of Calamity’s ending, TOTK would also still happen, just 100 years earlier and without the calamity happening first. I’d actually be more invested in KT just following their own variation of their “canon” timeline in this sens, because at the e end of the day they will still make alternations and do their own thing anyway.
Ah yes, Double Dash - The black sheep of Mario Karts. But the dual rider aspect was not the reason for it - it did give the game its unique identity however.
It would be neat (if unlikely) to discover a network of Rainbow Roads above the map, this is would be a sweet and rad discovery.
I've said numerous times since the reveal, but a large map would really suit a Fortnite inspired battle royale mode (but with balloons or whatever) - would be a big selling point for a lot of folk considering the craze.
I'm thinking Nintendo will delve deeper into the water traversal aspect. Yes, we've lost underwater segments, but what we gained in the change is a Wave Race spiritual sequel inside Mario Kart, and this is very exciting. I really hope Nintendo have lots of special courses and modes that take place across the seas and/or rivers on the map.
This leads into the change of gliders into wings. I do ponder if this isn't just a visual change and will lead into free flying across the map or high flying raceways. It's a large ask, but again would be a game changer (and would bring us one step closer to a true Sonic Transformed sequel in essence, which Crossworlds so far is not shaping up to be).
@Antraxx777 - I'm already fully expecting this. MKTour already implemented reverse courses, and the Nintendo Treehouse footage (as well as various footage from YouTuber) showcased players going the reverse way around courses - so we should be good here Normally I put my nose up to mirror mode as this often feels like a cheap trick to artificially extend playtime... but in MKW that would mean flipping the ENTIRE map.
DLC. It's going to happen people, we need to get over it. I think it's largely going to be a case of when. And if Nintendo are smart, they'll implement it into the NSO Expansion Pass. In any case, an extended map over to Isle Delphino would make for some sweet raceways, or some trips into space via the observatory for some galaxy style worlds.
Let's also not forget our Non-Mario characters and courses Nintendo. You started it!
I own a huge variety of Rhythm games and I’m hard pressed to call Rift a Rhythm game… that’s not because it isn’t, it’s purely that it’s a lot more strategic and puzzle based and just happens to have slapped on the music aesthetic to mask the challenge underneath.
I sort of love and hate this game at the same time. There is a LOT of monsters and variables to account for that have a multitude of patterns when they approach the input… and I personally find the onscreen visuals to be far too overstimulating and confusing that it’s just far to difficult to work out the pattern of attacks before it happens (especially later in the game) which leads to deaths.
Now, there are a lot of crutches, handicaps and accessibility options to help the player work around this; food for energy, practise modes, speed reductions, track skipping in story mode, and a variety of practise models, all which honestly do help. But this mostly then becomes a game of pattern memorisation rather than the musical vibing gameplay of say “Guitar Hero”.
That said, the music is most certainly a highlight (really in love with the Celeste inclusions) and I can say that once you have mastered a pattern in a track and complete it it does feel very good. But it doesn’t give the same sense of satisfaction that a regular music game does, it’s more… relief of make it through. Then again, maybe I’m over complicating it - there are times when I’ve turned my brain off and somehow winged it… and find when I concentrate to much on what’s happening that I slip up.
Anyway, that’s my thoughts. Production value is through the roof, animations are gorgeous, music is sublime, performance and visuals are crisp and at 60FPS, and there is plenty of modes to keep one busy (and lots more DLC on the way too I hear).
In fairness, it does look like it’s worth its value for content and replayability alone. So I’m not that surprised Nintendo look at this as one of its upper tier priced titles.
I don’t doubt it’s gunna their richest Mario Kart experience to date… but $80 is quite an ask, and that goes for ANY game in general.
I don’t disagree that it feels a lot for the price request however, but if the work was put in then why shouldn’t they feel entitled to ask to for more at the end of the day. Work was done, actors were paid. Nothing is free.
That said, it’s likely also why it’s part of the NSO expansion pack, so it won’t matter to many a folk anyway.
@PikminMarioKirby I think the difference here unlike with the free updates some Switch 1 games have (for example Links Awakening & Echoes of Wisdom), is that BOTW and TOTK have had more implemented than just a performance and visual boost.
The “Zelda’s Notes” application and how this functions in tandem with the games is probably why there is a cost attached.
The games that have bolt on content / DLC is why they are priced higher. Although I question for some titles (Kirby Forgotten Land) if that is exclusive to Switch 2. I don’t see why DLC levels specifically should be exclusive to the next system only. It’s an argument I also held with PS4 base games having PS5 exclusive content come the DLC.
Comments 657
Re: Opinion: An Ode To The Fallen Arm, Xenoblade Chronicles' Best Map
Wonderful Article 🙂
The Fallen Arm is also one of my favourite places, especially the sorrow fuelled music.
Speaking of which, The Hidden Machina Village theme in particular was a highlight… made more poignant when reaching the area of the ruins and arm of the Machina Village in XC3 with distantly sad memories. I remember reaching Elaine Highway and burst out crying like a manchild… such a beautiful piece of music.
Re: Review: The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition - A Sublime Sequel, Now Sublimer
@PikminMarioKirby wondered this as well - however despite there being two different reviewers, TOTK is the larger / better game of the two so I’m not overly surprised.
It’s still odd seeing two 10/10 game experiences getting lower scores for objectively better versions… but I digress, I get the conditions around it.
Re: Mini Review: Sonic X Shadow Generations (Switch 2) - Definitely Improved, But SEGA's Shafting Early Adopters
@Andee this is true, but also worth bearing in mind that Sonic Generations only takes up half the experience. Shadow Generations is new (and arguably bigger in scope) so it’s justifiable in pricing for a new adopter.
Re: Mini Review: Sonic X Shadow Generations (Switch 2) - Definitely Improved, But SEGA's Shafting Early Adopters
Whilst I fundamentally agree with the shafting of early adopters with no upgrade path, you reviewed this as a 9/10 on Switch 1.
Objectively speaking (as pointed out in the review) this is the better version of the two so really the score should remain EXACTLY the same across both consoles.
Buyers remorse and keycard aside, if you are a new adopter you are getting a better experience than Switch 1 owners, so the scoring makes no sense to be lower (unlike how the Zelda BOTW Switch 2 edition was handled, there was a good case put forward for how that edition was reviewed ) - in comparison, there is no real justification here, in my humble opinion of course.
Re: Review: The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition - The Best Way To Play, But 'Zelda Notes' Sucks
So basically… this is still a 10/10 experience, but the review is looking at this edition as an overall package as presented on Switch 2.
The new (optional) Smart Phone apps weren’t put in the game which is a shame, and the improved resolution and performance shows up the original aged textures? That’s what I gathered.
I figure a point got negated due to ToTK now existing as well.
Re: Review: Fast Fusion (Switch 2) - The Most Accomplished Entry Yet, And A Visual Showcase
What do you mean Gameshare on Switch 1? Are you telling me you can play Switch 2 specific games in multiplayer on Switch 1? I genuinely thought that application was only for Switch 1 games or those that are cross platform.
Re: Scott Pilgrim EX Brings More Beat 'Em Up Action To Switch In "Early 2026"
Best new game announcement of the Summer Game Fest. Love me some more SP. <3
Re: Surprise, Xenoblade Chronicles Dev Also Helped Out On Mario Kart World
The Masters of Open World and field design return. Xenoblade, Zelda, Mario Kart. Is there anything they can't turn to gold?
Re: Round Up: The Final Previews Are In For Mario Kart World
Sounds like the interconnected open world scenario was a very smart idea.
The bonus here is that there is literally no loss in a traditional Mario Kart experience if that is all you are after, and having a unique world where everything is redefined and within reach adds an extra contextual layer of cohesiveness to your surroundings.
The real benefit is that regardless of how much there is to do in the open world… there’s are more things TO do. I play MK 90% of my time in single player, so outside of the main cup campaigns things gets dull very quickly for me. This huge explorable world with missions and secrets mitigates that issue for me entirely.
Re: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Footage Shows 60fps Gameplay For Switch 2
Honestly speaking, this is better than I thought they were going for.
Considering the update is free (providing you own a switch 2), I just hoped for a consistent 30 frames and no more glitches - that was about it. Instead we have a smooth 60FPS, more Pokemon in the wild, and no more frame drops on NPCs and distance foliage to save on resource.
Bleeding heck.
The best part is that the game visually had the basic artistic charm nailed, it was just so damn choppy. I’m not too concerned about the textures and so forth since this was always a cut above Arceus, the main thing is that the Performance improvements by default make the game visually more appealing to play.
Good job Gamefreak… we got there a few years later at least. This also gives me some positive vibes for the next mainline entry that is dedicated to the platform.
Re: Feature: "The Yoyo Was Special" - Finding The GBA Magic In 'Pipistrello And The Cursed Yoyo'
Demo was freakin’ awesome - This is 100% getting a purchase from me.
Re: Pokémon Legends: Z-A's Switch 2 And Switch 1 Prices Have Been Revealed
Seems like a fair enough price (or rather is the expected price for Pokémon IMO), I’m not sure they can justify adding £10 for a smoother experience, but this isn’t new for cross gen titles.
On the plus, we know they took a lot longer to develop Z-A this than rush it out like Sc/Vi and Arceus, so hopefully it’ll be a game of higher quality from their team.
I guess we’ll know for sure in 5 months.
Re: Feature: The Long & Rainbow Road To 'Mario Kart World' Part 3 - Final Lap
7 was a weird entry. Had some outstanding new tracks, some forgettable entries bought back for retro… and didn’t do much else beyond the base GP, which is not great for a portable title.
There is the Inclusion of Underwater and Gliders, however Sonic Racing Transformed ironically beat them slightly to the punch with their reveal of Boats and Planes first (and, that game was much better).
Mario Kart 8 is where they finally took the big graphical leap, and the anti grav gimmick filled in the Fzero-shaped hole… and then the 2 DLC packs arrived with Nintendo crossovers to fill my heart with joy.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + Booster Pass is really the GOAT of MK’s overall, the value for content alone makes it worth it. Sure, it’s a beefed up
WiiU port, but the MK8 needed to be resold as the game was worth it and lost on a console that didn’t sell. Bringing back battle mode and including all the DLC was a nice touch, but then we got another entire games worth of courses bolted on later in it’s life. There is a lot to love with this entry.
Re: How Well Do You Remember Super Mario Galaxy 2?
8/13 - about what I expected from memory.
I didn’t return to this game after I beat it unlike its (superior) predecessor.
Galaxy 2 is still a solid 8/10 experience with what I like to call the “one hit wonder galaxies” - fantastic the first time, but also but far too linear for my liking (especially completing each green star mission which were a slog).
But you can see how this game started life as Galaxy 1.5 since it has that DLC expansion vibe from their leftover ideas cut from the first game.
Re: Exclusive: Fast Fusion Will Contain 12 Tracks, Free Content Update Confirmed
For the price this actually makes more sense now. Fast RMX was essentially a “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” scenario anyway which is why it had lots more content at launch,
Free updates are a welcome win.
Re: Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment Looks Awesome In Nintendo's Latest Switch 2 Deep Dive
So ready for this.
Initially I’d hoped to explore ancient Hyrule, but this is the next best thing and is everything I hoped for after TOTK, especially after how good their effort on the previous Age of Calamity title was (which also needs a Nintendo Switch 2 edition or free framerate patch, hey Nintendo?)
With the next Zelda though we do need a new map and location, but they hopefully will keep the same cast and era, it’s been unusual that we’ve spent so long on this iteration - but I’m not ready to give up those connections just yet and there is plenty still to be mined with the current cast.
Re: Video: Check Out New Direct-Feed Gameplay Of Cyberpunk 2077 On Switch 2
Wowzer, now that IS impressive.
60FPS is ideal, but on this scale for this handheld expecting that to happen is unrealistic. Whilst I don’t doubt that a performance option was considered by the team, I suspect a LOT more compromises would have to be made that CDPR aren’t willing to risk their vision of Night City on.
Re: Feature: The Long & Rainbow Road To 'Mario Kart World' - Part 2
DS was the standout for me, so much content, 3D Mario Kart on the go, and the single player content and missions are something I wish every entry that Nintendo would return towards.
Double Dash is on the other side of the coin for me. An incredibly poor selection of dull courses and iffy controls, 16 tracks and barely anything else to do with a frustrating unlock system. The dual character and kart stuff is certainly unique, but I personally do not like it (and can appreciate why it’s the marmite entry of the franchise with players - you either LOVE it, or despise it passionately).
Wii is the middle ground - an absolutely fine title with fun tracks and returning courses, but not a stunner either. In a lot of ways it looks worse than DD due to the amount of bloom and low poly character models. It took until 8 for Nintendo to get serious about upping their graphical game.
Re: Nintendo Unveils Diddy Kong's Brand New Design
Where’s that “they’re the same picture” meme when I need it.
Seriously, this is ridiculously subtle 🤣
Re: Back Page: Mario Kart World's Roster Is Full Of Deep Cuts, So Where Are These Guys?
If Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled can have an Iron Checkpoint Crate as playable character, there is NO reason the Question Block can't make an appearance XD
Re: Video: 10 GameCube Games We Want On Switch 2's Online Expansion Pack
SA2:B is a yes, but it also already has a perfectly fine HD widescreen port which has been ready and waiting for SEGA to get off their ass and port to Switch/2.
Re: Feature: The Long & Rainbow Road To 'Mario Kart World', From SNES To Switch 2
MK64 for nostalgia, but GBA is the unsung hero for me. I played the nuts off this (on the more ergonomically friendly original GBA model) back on release and did EVERYTHING possible.
The fact that it was the first to introduce Retro tracks by including and updating every SNES track bringing the total amount of courses to 40 (over 10 cups) made this a surprisingly beefy entry back then.
Also; Cheese Road, Sunset Wilds, Ribbon Road and Rainbow Road FTW.
Re: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Is Now The Second-Best Selling Game In The Series
Deserved. I think everyone has dreamed of an open world Pokemon game since the N64 days so it’s unsurprising it did well. Storyline was also engaging and the environments were interesting to explore.
Just a shame it wasn’t up to snuff in the performance areas like your Zelda’s and Xenoblade’s (and 95% of buildings weren’t able to be entered)
Re: Nintendo Switch System Update 20.0.0 Is Now Live, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
@smeggysmeg yup. I did a lot of testing last night when this dropped, but John at GVG explains this better as he came to the same conclusion.
https://youtu.be/-EWB3EQVoWo?si=QUL5MhdgyDeoQ2Zw
@pikachupikachup this is true, and I get what Nintendo are doing to a small extent to rectify the exploit, but I still think the better solution would have been to allow your digital library to be accessed across the family plan, even if it’s on a limited basis.
You shouldn’t have to repurchase the same digital game multiple times for your family group, or have single use access.
Re: Nintendo Switch System Update 20.0.0 Is Now Live, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
@PerfectFrost so essentially, what's been removed is the ability for two Switch consoles to be playing the same purchased game simulaniously whilst both users are online and connected.
Re: Nintendo Switch System Update 20.0.0 Is Now Live, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
@PerfectFrost @StarryCiel exactly, that's what I said (apologies if my post wasn't clear), it works fine in offline/airplane mode if you have shared the "virtual card" to the secondary system, which I understand is the idea.
It just won't allow you to play the same game simultaneously over two switches online now, so boot outs will happen if you are both playing the same title unless one of you is offline, that's what's new. Which sucks.
It's not a massive thing, but not something I personally like. At the very least even with licences turned on it doesn't affect any user profile from using the game on the primary switch regardless of ownership.
Re: Nintendo Switch System Update 20.0.0 Is Now Live, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
Sigh, goodbye simultaneous switch digital game shares without getting the boot.
I know you can still turn on "Use Online License" as a workaround. But it still treats your library (if your Switch is secondary) as "virtual game cards". So shared games will work offline fine now, but the "ejected" titles will continue to ping and connect to servers before starting up (as per before), but with the additional "benefit" that the same game can't be played at the same time.
This is middle finger to those that make use of multiple Switches using one account, as Nintendo thinks consumers should have made sure they could afford multiple copies of every digital game before having kids and wanting to share their digital library with them (which really, is what the Family Plan SHOULD have been utilised for).
Re: Switch 2's Dock Isn't Compatible With The Original Switch, According To Nintendo
Not surprising, but would have been cool to double as a charge base.
Re: Bravely Default On Switch 2 May Have Removed One Of The Game's Best Features
To be honest, the only thing that this has going for it is some lovely uprezz on the art and an escape for the phenomenal soundtrack to be listened to in much higher quality.
Otherwise I was actually expecting a BD2 style remake of 1 rather than a port/remaster.
I’ll stick with my 3DS copy, especially given it is physical (there is no reason this should be a game key card or not available on Switch 1). I do still enjoy the AR features and the 3D effect on the picture book world just a little bit more than what’s offered here.
Re: Community: 38 Switch Games We Missed, As Recommended By You
Came here to advise that Spark the Electric Jester 3 hasn’t even released on the Switch yet and walked away with the newfound knowledge that Spark the Electric Jester 3 released for Switch last year 🤣
Thank god for these hidden gem lists. How did that game arrive with such a low key non-existent launch?
Re: Sonic X Shadow Generations Is Confirmed As A Launch Title For Switch 2
You let us down here SEGA. Very anti consumer.
Re: Fast Fusion Price On Switch 2 Puts Welcome Tour To Shame
Should probably be double that price at least given the quality and amount of content from the Fast Racing series.
However, good on them for providing a very decent price from the off. Goes nicely against the grain.
Re: Nintendo Confirms Upgrade Pack Price For Two More 'Switch 2 Edition' Titles
Expected and acceptable prices for the upgrades. You are paying for the developers extra time and content placed into their titles. Dev work ain’t free.
What I don’t like so much is that certain DLC aspects aren’t available to switch 1 adopters so they lose out. Kirby, for example - I see no valid reason Star Crossed world can’t be played on Switch.
It’s the FF VII Intergrade / Horizon II Burning Shores argument all over again.
Re: Exclusive: Shin'en Talks 'Fast Fusion' On Switch 2, Reveals First-Look Trailer
The fast series has always been the most reliable anti grav racer to match the likes of your F-Zero and Wip3out compared to the rest. It looks great and most importantly is FAST whilst giving you the feel of speed and control.
I’ll be saying it for another decade Nintendo, but just outsource the damn F-Zero IP to shinen if you have nothing new planned for it - they have demonstrated time and again to have the talent for this stuff.
Re: Sonic X Shadow Generations Is Confirmed As A Launch Title For Switch 2
And the upgrade path price issssss…… (DO NOT LET US DOWN SEGA)
Re: Nintendo Direct: Mario Kart World: Every Announcement - How Would You Rate It?
Underwhelming direct, but only because we knew most of the information presented from the last two weeks. It’s odd Nintendo left it this long.
I’m sure there are a lot more surprises awaiting (and DLC in the future), but I did honestly expect more modes and other reveals.
That said, it shouldn’t understate that this is the largest Mario Kart game offering with content that Nintendo’s ever given us on Launch. Even without all the other modes I was hoping they’d discuss… It’s staggering.
Personally speaking, I’m just super happy that there will be a shed load of single player things to do outside of the regular racing modes, 100’s of mini P switch missions? Collectables? Secret ? Pads to uncover? Hell yes. Not to mention all those costume unlockables, the series is overdue this feature and I’m glad to see it function as in game unlock than a microtransaction. This is the way it should be.
I will say it is disappointing about 30fps on split screen - but it’s also understandable considering it’s rendering an OPEN WORLD 4 times on the same console / screen. This won’t be the experience when played online in multiplayer or in single player, so I’m fine with that trade off.
Re: Physical 'Switch 2 Editions' Confirmed To Have Everything On The Game Card, Says Nintendo
@Spider-Kev technically speaking… it has everything the original game had off the shelf.
This isn’t a Deluxe or GOTY edition, this is a Nintendo aptly named “Nintendo Switch 2 Edition” which can mean whatever they want unfortunately 😔
Re: Physical 'Switch 2 Editions' Confirmed To Have Everything On The Game Card, Says Nintendo
Excellent, this is as it should be.
The obvious comparison to be made is that you wouldn’t buy a cross gen title on PS5, in a box labeled AS a PS5 game, and then open it to find the PS4 game disk with an update code on a piece of paper.
Re: Opinion: In A Post BOTW And Elden Ring World, Xenoblade Chronicles X Is Still Daunting
BOTW and TOTK have a lot to owe to Monolithsoft. But despite this, these worlds have very different design philosophies.
I do think that the definition of "empty" and "full" are valued differently by people. I can also appreciate why BOTW and TOTK might be seen as "empty" to some. From my 500+ hours of exploration of Hyrule both games are (to me) some of the most densely layered, cleverly populated and intricately crafted maps I've ever played in a video game. Hyrule is designed to entice the player to explore, experiment, create and solve its maps. If some folks find the overall "open air" game design boring, then that's your prerogative, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that.
I would say that you want "empty" feeling Zelda maps, then I'd implore you to go to any connecting field area in previous titles as these are geometrically basic and have little for the player to to do apart from ferry Link from area to area (with a few mini games (and fewer) enemies placed in the players way). This is also by design of course, and not a knock on those games.
Bringing it back to Xenoblade X - this game feels "full" because there are hostiles EVERYWHERE. This is a dangerous alien environment and the idea is to survive with your team. On Mira your movements are fast and the skells allow for the additional flight and speed. The game gives you this high octane soundtrack and a high velocity degree of movement because the huge open world requires it. I really don't think X would have worked if the characters ran at the same speed as the other Xenoblade titles. Exploration is of course a thing, but it's more about location scouting and basking in the vistas whilst racking up some EXP doing missions and battles.
Hyrule is a different beast. The world is much more methodical in that you are alone in the wilderness and surviving by yourself - so everything is slower, but you can be much more tactical with enemies and environmental puzzles. Nintendo's chemical engine also sets itself apart in that you soon discover just how mailable this world really is, something that none of the Xenoblade games have as part of it's world design or interactive elements.
I guess what I'm trying to get at here is that Xenoblade's maps and game worlds are superficially large in scope to accommodate the narrative and the variety of enemies you will battle on the field. Hyrule is more concerned with how the player interacts and reacts with the environment, especially given the non-linear narrative of the story, this makes Hyrule a much more impressive technical world showcase. There's a reason devs keep trying to emulate and figure out BOTW and TOTK and how Nintendo got this to work for good reason. Xenoblade on the other hand is pretty standard and linear in comparison (by design) because you are artificially coaxed the map to fit the narrative (even if you can technically run anywhere you want a lot of the time). Mira is still damn gorgeous to traverse though and excellently designed for its game structure.
TL;DR - different strokes for different folks.
Re: Zelda: BOTW Switch 2 Edition Won't Include The DLC, Nintendo Confirms
@Ulysses indeed it is salty. Although just to be clear, I’m not personally saying it, I’m just saying how it is.
My point is that I understand what game Nintendo are playing here (if you’ll pardon the pun)… or rather the excuse they are using - that BOTW still has tremendous value in their eyes.
It’s likely why we’re still on this particular era of Zelda 8 years later (and probably why we will continue to stay on it for a long time yet), it’s almost a sub franchise now.
What’s surprising is that they STILL haven’t even included the Zelda BOTW expansion pass as part of the main NSO expansion pass. Whilst it would be a small offering it would still be something.
Anyway, yeah. It’s not a great move on Nintendos part. Considering the game price jumps and controversies around that they need to really really careful how they treat their consumers.
Re: Zelda: BOTW Switch 2 Edition Won't Include The DLC, Nintendo Confirms
I don’t disagree that this SHOULD be a “complete edition” with the DLC included, this is a standard practise… amongst non-Nintendo products.
That said, it’s IP value, and how much Nintendo value the experience they’re providing (which they’ve mentioned a lot recently).
I get the strategy. The game sold over 32 millions units, so a lot (but not all) will have bought the game and expansion pass already. They want to maximise cost for their best selling Zelda title.
So, I don’t think a lot of folk are really looking at this properly. Most BOTW owners will upgrade to Switch 2 edition for £7.99 (or whatever the UK pricing is), or get it for “free” via NSO+. Then, if you own the DLC you have it already, if you don’t then it’’s time to fork out £17.99 for some excellent content like the rest of us did. Standard (for Nintendo).
People that haven’t picked the game up already are just paying the same price everyone else did. There’s no loss for the consumer here, just a price that Nintendo have never dropped or made more consumer friendly. It also explains why they are all called “Nintendo Switch 2 editions” as well.
Again, I'm not saying it isn’t scummy. They could certainly look at lowering the price if they wanted. But they still see value in the expansion pass. That’s all this is at the end of the day. It will affect the minority, and even then that will mostly be late adopters by charging the REGULAR price.
Re: Surprise, Palworld Dev Isn't Fond Of The 'Pokémon With Guns' Description
The problem with the recent statements is the blatant backpedaling.
Previously, Pocketpair were pretty open that Craftopia and Palworld were essentially clones and were riffing on the obvious franchises. They had a "so what?" attitude because they were in the market for a quick and easy buck.
Now Pocketpair have a well-received and popular game on their hands this narrative needs to change because there is marketable room to grow into a franchise.
It's pretty clear that ARK was ONE of their reference points, but it isn't how the game was marketed to the audience, not to mention how Palworld looks from a visual standpoint (and the present predicament they are under with TPC).
And this makes sense, Pokemon + Guns was an oddly bizarre and appealing head turner and got EVERYONE talking because we wanted to know if it would survive being launched or get shut down.
If they'd shown off that this was primarily a Survival style crafting game I (and I likely a few others) wouldn't have been as quick to pick it up. They knew EXACTLY what they were doing
Re: Nintendo: Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment Is A "Canonical Tale"
Nintendo: It’s Canonical (to TOTK)
Koei Tecmo: It’s “Canonical” (to TOTK…from another point of view)
Either way, I’m sure it will be good.
With the timeline spilt of Age of Calamity’s ending, TOTK would also still happen, just 100 years earlier and without the calamity happening first. I’d actually be more invested in KT just following their own variation of their “canon” timeline in this sens, because at the e end of the day they will still make alternations and do their own thing anyway.
Re: Random: Nintendo Nearly Parked Mario Kart: Double Dash's Dual-Driver Hook
Ah yes, Double Dash - The black sheep of Mario Karts. But the dual rider aspect was not the reason for it - it did give the game its unique identity however.
Re: Nintendo Direct: Mario Kart World: Time, Date, Where To Watch, What To Expect
For me:
Re: Review: Rift Of The NecroDancer (Switch) - Imagine If Guitar Hero & Ikaruga Made A Baby
This is one VERY tough game.
I own a huge variety of Rhythm games and I’m hard pressed to call Rift a Rhythm game… that’s not because it isn’t, it’s purely that it’s a lot more strategic and puzzle based and just happens to have slapped on the music aesthetic to mask the challenge underneath.
I sort of love and hate this game at the same time. There is a LOT of monsters and variables to account for that have a multitude of patterns when they approach the input… and I personally find the onscreen visuals to be far too overstimulating and confusing that it’s just far to difficult to work out the pattern of attacks before it happens (especially later in the game) which leads to deaths.
Now, there are a lot of crutches, handicaps and accessibility options to help the player work around this; food for energy, practise modes, speed reductions, track skipping in story mode, and a variety of practise models, all which honestly do help. But this mostly then becomes a game of pattern memorisation rather than the musical vibing gameplay of say “Guitar Hero”.
That said, the music is most certainly a highlight (really in love with the Celeste inclusions) and I can say that once you have mastered a pattern in a track and complete it it does feel very good. But it doesn’t give the same sense of satisfaction that a regular music game does, it’s more… relief of make it through. Then again, maybe I’m over complicating it - there are times when I’ve turned my brain off and somehow winged it… and find when I concentrate to much on what’s happening that I slip up.
Anyway, that’s my thoughts. Production value is through the roof, animations are gorgeous, music is sublime, performance and visuals are crisp and at 60FPS, and there is plenty of modes to keep one busy (and lots more DLC on the way too I hear).
Completely agree with the 8/10 score on this one.
Re: Nintendo Comments On Mario Kart World's Controversial Price
Tricky one.
In fairness, it does look like it’s worth its value for content and replayability alone. So I’m not that surprised Nintendo look at this as one of its upper tier priced titles.
I don’t doubt it’s gunna their richest Mario Kart experience to date… but $80 is quite an ask, and that goes for ANY game in general.
Re: Upgrade Pack Price For Zelda: BOTW And TOTK Has Been Confirmed
@Banjo- 2 phone apps, TWO.=P
I don’t disagree that it feels a lot for the price request however, but if the work was put in then why shouldn’t they feel entitled to ask to for more at the end of the day. Work was done, actors were paid. Nothing is free.
That said, it’s likely also why it’s part of the NSO expansion pack, so it won’t matter to many a folk anyway.
Re: It's Official, Switch 2 Joy-Con Will Not Feature Hall Effect Sticks
I must be one of the lucky 1% that never had joycon stick drift across my years of owning the console.
As long as they feel a lot better, that’s all that matters to me.
Re: Upgrade Pack Price For Zelda: BOTW And TOTK Has Been Confirmed
@PikminMarioKirby I think the difference here unlike with the free updates some Switch 1 games have (for example Links Awakening & Echoes of Wisdom), is that BOTW and TOTK have had more implemented than just a performance and visual boost.
The “Zelda’s Notes” application and how this functions in tandem with the games is probably why there is a cost attached.
The games that have bolt on content / DLC is why they are priced higher. Although I question for some titles (Kirby Forgotten Land) if that is exclusive to Switch 2. I don’t see why DLC levels specifically should be exclusive to the next system only. It’s an argument I also held with PS4 base games having PS5 exclusive content come the DLC.