Teksette

Nice, relatable opinion piece!
I certainly have more than enough games to play, and a gap of 6 weeks between major 1st party releases flies by at my age. DKB could come out next month and it wouldn’t faze me - I’m already neglecting S2 games as it is!

While my dance card may be filled, though, that’s not the case for everyone. I think there is impatience out there for upcoming S2 games, especially 3rd party stuff.

I wonder if this unease is due in part to the Deuce’s June release, and folks’ tendency to compare it to the OG Switch’s incredible launch year. The Switch Uno came out in March and had 3 more months to pile up game announcements and get ready for the crucial year-end period.
Plus, Nintendo in 2017 really came on with a vengeance, a fierce fresh start following the disastrous Wii U era. I don’t know if Nintendo can ever replicate such a year. Are we subconsciously holding the Switch Deux to such a high standard?

Boo! Hiss! 👎🏼

I’ll continue to feel no remorse whatsoever for not spending a moment’s time with your RPG franchise.
Too many titles at this point, too little time, and too much else to play to be bothered.

@SplatRay001
Sadly, no physical release in the West.
The Japanese physical, though, does have text in multiple languages, and voice acting in either English or Japanese.

@SpaceboyScreams
Oh there’s certainly no debating your point - the trend is clearly more and more games get patches and DLC these days, and we almost never get the complete, patched games on physical media.

But maybe I misunderstood your comment last week? In my response, I was just trying to say the following:
If we get a playable, complete base game in a physical release, then that cartridge or disc holds intrinsic, tangible and persistent value for me. (I’d say more value than a nontransferable, revocable license to play aka “digital game” does.)

Of course the value of that physical game diminishes if it doesn’t contain subsequent DLC or important patches, as you reminded us. But I’ll gladly take a less-than-perfect physical copy of a game over a digital download (or game key) any day.

All the publishers are pushing us towards an all-digital future (mainly to enrich themselves). It’s probably inevitable, as you say. I’ll be checking out of modern gaming then, to enjoy my retro physical games, not unlike a vinyl record collector or reader of paper-bound books. But I’ll take my small victories for now, like this physical copy of Fantasy Life i. 😁

@Dimjimmer
I like the way you put that! 😂
Laugh or cry, I guess!

As a very informed Nintendo shopper, given the choice, I resoundingly would choose “I want to buy the physical version as much as possible”. Not game key, not digital.

That Nintendo didn’t even bother to include the physical option in such a survey is quite telling, isn’t it? I’d say disappointing. But I’m about done shouting into the wind. I’ll buy the physical games that are plug and play, and skip the rest until they are suitably discounted. I’m patient and have enough to play, at my age.

I’ve heard that master sculptors in Japan intentionally insert a defect into their products, I think to distinguish it and also to avoid inviting bad luck. I’ll chalk up these alleged DKB flaws to that. 😅

As usual, I like @GrailUK ‘s take on the matter.
The DKB demo I played at Nintendo NY seemed beyond fine to me. I’ll be reserving judgement on the final product until I can actually play it. If the FPS drops a bit during wild moments of intense destruction, it’s not likely to put me in a tizzy, though. I’ve loved overly-ambitious games like Earth Defense Force 1&2 on PS2 that pushed my console way past its limits whenever the sh*t really hit the fan. 😆

Ack I overslept this morning but can’t miss posting my obligatory WAYPTW Saturday AM update (yes it’s still Saturday AM where I am). 😅

I’ll continue on in Cyberpunk 2077, which I continue to marvel at how such an ambitious, demanding, and mature game is playable on my modest Nintendo console (I’ve been just a Nindy and retro gamer for the last couple console gens).

Also I’m happy to be playing another Macross game on my Deuce this weekend, specifically Arcade Archives’ port of the SDF Macross II arcade shmup.

@Shiryu
I guess I needn’t have gone through the trouble of purchasing Japanese eshop funds! Like you, I was sure licensing would keep Macross II exclusive to Japan.
Ah well, the leftover yen will not go to waste! 😉

Wishing everyone a peaceful weekend with time to play your fave games! 🕹👾🛸

Iwata-shachō was such a unique gift to Nintendo as a company and us as the fans. A humble game programmer who somehow had the vision and business acumen to preside over a 100-year-old company built (some would say ruthlessly) into a video game giant by his long-tenured predecessor Hiroshi Yamauchi.
The sadness of losing Mr. Iwata 10 years ago and the outpouring of love from this community is what moved me finally to create an account here on NL and post a comment, and I’ve been sharing semi-regularly since.

Today’s Nintendo is still following the course laid out by Mr. Iwata a decade ago. I only wish the man was still at the helm today! I can't help but wonder if certain contentious decisions taken by Nintendo recently would have gone differently under his leadership.

Either way, I sincerely hope Iwata-shachō’s spirit rests easily in light of his success and the joy he helped deliver to millions of people around the world.

Splitting hairs, maybe?

There is a lot of artistry that goes into the creation (production) of these video game products.
Or are games just commercially-viable works of art?
Does it really matter either way?

A video game enthusiast may look upon SMB3 and say "THAT is a work of art." Whereas a casual player may just think "Well, that was fun to play."
As ever, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.

I'd say that anything created and tended with ingenuity, passion and creativity - aircraft, buildings, gardens, grandma's Easter bread - could be considered art, to an extent.

I agree with Imamura-san's take on the matter - in Japanese, at least, a "shouhin" (product) is a "sakuhin" (creative work) that is created commercially, to be sold.

@SpaceboyScreams
If the base version of an entertaining game is present on the cart and fully playable, that is a good thing regardless of any DLC that comes later.

If the DLC is worthy and successful, there’s always the chance they’ll sell an “All-in One” edition of the game later on, and some dedicated collectors will upgrade accordingly.

There is merit in owning hard copies of media, just as digital has its own advantages.
It all boils down to people’s preferences. I always appreciate having the option to buy physical.

@BloodWolfe @Jack_Goetz
Hehe thanks for cheering me up! You’re right and I’ll take some solace from the better box art on the S1 release. 😁

Also for sure I will invest the $2.65 or whatever trivial amount it was for the S2 upgrade pack. 👍🏼

My one concern is how addictive a I’ve heard this game is! I’m afraid I have to finish Cyberpunk before I start Fantasy Life, because I wouldn’t be able to juggle both.

All on the S2 cart? Bravo!!
Unfortunately, I read this literally on the morning after my physical S1 copy of the game delivered from Japan. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I went NA - that’s such a beautiful rendition of an X-wing! It does bug me how it and the Y-wings all overshot that TIE bomber though, or are they flying in formation with it?!
Wait, I get it - they are escorting an Imperial defector. 🤓

Wishful thinking, but oh how I’d love to see any of the Rogue Squadron games brought to NSO!

Actually, let’s remaster and rerelease them!! These and the original trilogy of Lucasarts SNES platformers are the SW games I would most love to see resurrected.

@Waluigi451
Haha yes, solidarity among Waluigi fans. WAH!! 😆
Guardians of Azuma certainly sounds fun, and I like your approach to playing it. Plus the physical version of the game is actually on the cartridge!! I really should support Marvelous for being so classy.

@Shiryu
Oh interesting - I wondered if maybe the titles weren’t localized as I expected for legal reasons. “Air Combat” just sounds so generic to me! Though it shouldn’t, given all the old Atari games I played as a kid, such as “Combat” and “Adventure!”

As for Macross II, my Jpn account is ready and waiting! Can’t trust the vagaries of international licensing to give me the Valkyries I need. Really, Nintendo foregoing region-locking is one of my favorite features of the Switch and Switch Deux.
I’ll have to buy some Japan eShop yen, though, as I’m pretty low.

@Shiryu
Glad to hear you’re enjoying Hamster’s latest release this weekend! I’m really tempted to buy it, too, even though I never encountered it in the arcades back then. And then again Macross II is coming next week, so I’m trying to save $$.

But don’t you have the titles reversed in your writeup? I thought it was Air Combat in the arcades, and Ace Combat at home on our PlayStations (and later Switch)?

@Waluigi451 @shonenjump86
Can I just say how pleased I am to see my comment land in between yours this morning? You’re two of the regulars here I hold in high regard and I’m always interested in hearing from.
Just felt like sharing that! 😁

Actually, I keep hearing that new Rune Factory game is pretty good! I’m afraid to commit time I don’t have to another huge game, though! 😵‍💫

I rolled the credits on Yars Rising last weekend (thoroughly enjoyable short ‘vania with excellent music, voice work, and fun Yars minigames sprinkled throughout for Atari and classic arcade fans), so this 3-day weekend I’ll continue unlocking costumes in Mario Kart World when the kids are around, and Cyberpunk 2077 when they aren’t.

I should be picking up a little Japan shipment at my local P.O. today, too, which should contain Fantasy Life I, Sonic Wings Reunion, and Superdeluxe Game’s lovely-looking Castlevania Anniversary Collection, so I’ll have to sample some of those, if time permits.

Wishing everybody over here in the US and Canada a fun weekend of gaming independence!!
🕹🇺🇸👾🇨🇦

I’ve been curious about Helldivers, since a Starship Troopers-type game sounds like a good time to me!
If I’m going to play a man vs bugs game on Switch 2, though, I think I’d prefer a new Earth Defense Force game. I just love the mecha and campiness of those games.

Thanks for the insightful review! I’ve been too pain-conditioned by the arcade, 8- and 16-bit eras too be discouraged by difficulty, and I’m looking forward to this French Castlevania. 😁

My physical copy is reserved but it’ll be a while because I batched it with “Thank Goodness You’re Here.” For a moment there I lamented the long wait, but then I remembered I still have Metroid Dread, Abathor, Beholgar, Broforce, Animal Well, Getsufūma-den, The Messenger, Shadow of the Ninja, the Ori games, the whole set of Castlevania collections, and many more 2D adventure games waiting for me to play them.
We can buy games, but we can’t buy more time, sadly.

I preordered my Retro Edition from Premium Edition Games back in December, and they estimated an August ship date, so I’m glad to hear some news.

I never heard of the movie, but the game and the BGM seemed quite rad so I’m confident I’ll have fun with it.

“Unappealing” is putting it politely! I feel game key cartridges are closer to “hot garbage” personally.
The only fair use case for the things are for games of huge size, in excess of 64GB. For everything smaller, Nintendo should have found a way to provide relatively cheap media that publishers can use, just as in the Switch 1 days.

The vast majority of Switch 1 games were on the cart and plug & play, just as in previous Nintendo generations (granted there were many patches, but at least the software was present). I think under current circumstances, we’ll see physical Switch 1 games persist for smaller games, some of which with downloadable Switch 2 upgrades (like Bandai-Namco’s Shadow Labyrinth). I’d rather go that route than buy an empty game key cart.

@WarioInAHardees
Yikes, you’re absolutely right! I AM ERROR was Zelda 2, not Castlevania 2. I misremembered and mixed up my poorly-translated NES games. Thanks for correcting me!

My overall point remains, though - I just wish this collection had the Jpn version of Castlevania 2 for comparison’s sake. I never beat Simon’s Quest on the NES back in the day, and years later when I played the English-localized version again on Wii virtual console, I suspected the townspeople’s hints were overly vague or just wrong, and needlessly obscured things.

WHAT A HORRIBLE NIGHT TO HAVE A CURSE.

You gotta love D3's consistency!
Ever since the SIMPLE 1500 yen series their dedication to B-tier schlock and camp is endearing.

This reminds me I have to try my copy of EDF 4.1 on my Switch 2.

E!! D!! EFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!

@PKDuckman
That’s a sound explanation. Castlevania 1 also debuted as a Famicom Disc System game, but received a cartridge version in Japan, too, like 5 years later. Whereas Simon’s Quest stayed exclusive to the disc system.

Good, my preordered copy is on the way from Japan now. 4-disk soundtrack FTW! 😁
My one complaint with this Anniversary Collection would be it does not include the Japanese version of Simon’s Quest.
I always wondered what the proper translation for “I AM ERROR” was supposed to be.

If I met with Imamura-san, I'd say that Nintendo is all the poorer now for lacking his unique imagination and artistry. He's the father of Tingle and all the "American Comic" inspired characters in F-Zero, and you can't just replicate the whimsy he brought to Nintendo's creative stable.

I didn't know the Ace Combat games had predecessors in the arcade! This looks pretty decent, but I'll have to pass given how much I spent on video games in June already!

Not to mention that Hamster announced another premium title for next week: Banpresto's 1992 side-scrolling shoot 'em up Superdimensional Fortress Macross II (based on the anime OVA series) will come to Switch and PS4 on July 10!

I'll save my $14.99 till then. I enjoyed the Macross: DYRL shmup that Hamster brought to Arcade Archives last year, so this sequel is a no-brainer for me.

I’m just back from nearly a week in vibrant NYC where I had so much to see and do, I barely turned on my S2. Of course, I made a requisite trip to the Nintendo NY store (my first). It was nice there and the staff was pleasant enough, but the merch was somewhat lacking. How can you not have a single “Nintendo NY” tee in stock?

I’m feeling a bit listless now, back alone in my quiet little home. I’ll probably go back to Cyberpunk or maybe pluck a fresh game like Yar’s Rising from the backlog to play a bit while unpacking.

Wishing everyone a fun weekend with your friends & family! 🕹👾🗽

It seems to be shaping up nicely, in a Road Blaster kind of way! I’ll be happy to add this to the other Atari games on my shelf

@Jerutix
That’s 2 votes for the TRON cartoon!
Sounds like I’d most likely enjoy it.
I mean, as long as they do justice to the source material, I doubt I’d dislike it!
I’m reminded of a Pacific Rim cartoon I encountered a while ago - I had no idea it existed, but after seeing 10mins I was hooked and binged the whole miniseries.

@DwaynesGames
I haven’t watched the TRON cartoon - if you’re vouching for it it must be good though! I’ll keep an eye out for it.

I’m an old TRON fan since seeing the original back in the movie theatre long ago, so it’s a bummer to hear this got such a blah rating. I was hoping Catalyst and Identity would get a physical double pack, really.
I’d probably still buy it, for nostalgia’s sake.

I preordered all 3 deluxe edition sets from Amazon Japan a while ago. They look ace and include multi-disk soundtrack CDs, so I was compelled to upgrade from my LRG classic editions.
The Anniversary Collection released in Japan just yesterday, with the Advanced and Dominus Collections coming out in July and September, respectively, so we won’t have a long wait.

@MeloMan
Nice suggestion! I would drop everything to play Faxanadu on NSO.
It’s one of those titles I traded away for a scant few dollars in my youth, and really regretted it later.

Can I add Maniac Mansion and Jackal to your list?

There’s a bunch more I’d love to revisit, like Friday the 13th, Goonies, Jaws, and Fester’s Quest. but they’re all licensed games so I’m not holding my breath!

It’s been all Cyberpunk 2077 and Mario Kart World for me lately! I’m thinking of slotting in Xenoblade Chronicles X: DE to see how that looks on the Deuce and finish that story.

I’ve got some time off this week and my first trip to the Nintendo Store in NYC arranged, so it should be a fun time. My wallet cries out for mercy though - June has been a very expensive month! 😵‍💫

Wishing everyone a fun weekend! 🕹☀️

Those are pretty rad! That Cyberpunk one in particular looks snazzy.

I’m fine with my OG Switch game cases, but the Switch 2 ones I agree are a bit of a downgrade (with the big red bevel and lots of legalese).

I’d venture to guess that it’s the most passionate gamers who make up a large portion of launch game sales, and a significant chunk of us are against game key titles. This scale of “fake physical” games is not something Nintendo fans have had to face before, and it’s a real shortcoming of the S2, if you ask me.

Overall, its may be high system & accessory cost in this economy that’s the biggest suppressor right now, but game keys are most certainly damping things, too, And nobody can convince me that Nintendo is not complicit in this physical game shrinkflation. They’re the platform designer, they have options. Had there been a viable alternative to game keys, I’m sure more publishers would’ve opted. Hopefully such an alternative arrives eventually.

Hopefully sales even out more for third parties as sticker shock wears off and more casuals start entering the market, but yeah, peeps are going to be choosy with their money!

I was sold even before today’s direct. Now I’m thinking I’ll love DKB as much as I did Odyssey! Take my money Nintendo!

@YunoboCo
Not liking DK’s redesign is valid - everybody’s entitled to their opinions. 👍🏼

Can I just confess that I’m so old, I wasn’t really fond of DK’s redesign for the DK Country games on SNES? The Rare look was fine and it grew on me over time, but I guess I just imprinted on DK’s goofy/angry arcade version when I was a kid. I’m actually pretty fond of the stubborn ape’s latest incarnation, as it reminds me of his arcade roots. 😁

The Direct was chock full of goodness. My preorder was justified! I’ll look forward to picking this up next month.

It’s like Wreck-It Ralph the video game! 😁

Ooooh intriguing! Hopefully they’ll reveal something substantial and not just rehash what we already know (like the MKW Direct).

I wonder if Pauline or some other Kongs will show up?

I only just rolled the credits for 50cc in MKW so I’ve got plenty more Grand Prix left to play. It’s my go-to game when the kids are around. I seriously have to look up how to do split screen free-roam mode, as my kiddos enjoy that probably more than racing! This game has been a real treat for the last week-plus.

In the kids’ absence, I’ve enjoyed completing a couple missions in Cyberpunk 2077. It’s the closest thing to a big-time AAA cinematic experience I’ve played since the PS3 days, and very gratifying. We will see what other modern experiences the S2 unlocks for us in the future, and of those, how many will actually be present on physical media! In the meantime, I’m pleased to see all these performance boosts for Switch 1 titles, as I’ve got an endless pile of those to get to, still!

Wishing everyone a fun weekend, and Happy Father’s Day to you dads and pops out there! 🕹❤️🏎️

@Picola-Wicola
Hi Pic! I am enjoying The Deuce, feeling privileged to have afforded it and a few games on launch without selling a lung. But wow will my June credit card bill be painful!

I've played mostly MKW and Cyberpunk 2077. Cyberpunk especially is eye-opening because it's giving me a glimpse of all the AAA graphics-heavy cinematic games I have denied myself over the years, since I decided to own only one console (the Switch) since 2017. I'm going to enjoy seeing more fancy ports come to the Deuce in the future, like Elden Ring, and maybe Baldur's Gate 3, though I'm resigned to having to purchase them as game keys, probably.

Were you able to get a S2? How are you finding it?

In all these years, I don't think I've ever had the opportunity to try such an experiment! Skill issue!

Sadly, that’s an accurate way to count those sales. Even if you want to believe you’re buying the games physically, you’re not - the game isn’t on the cart, it’s on the eShop and you’re just buying (temporary) access. Let’s hope that access lasts a good long time. 🤞🏼

Then again, I fear this designation will only stack the deck further against real physical releases.
“Look, our percentage of physical game sales vs digital is so low, it’s negligible! No need to produce those unprofitable physical games then, because nobody wants them, haha!” (Says the Capcom CEO to the shareholders.)

Looks like the Deuce will eclipse the Wii U even faster than Switch Uno did!

I accounted for 2 of those sales (one for me, one for a coworker who had no luck in 3 rounds of the Japanese lottery) and I’m enjoying the system except for the fact that Nintendo couldn’t adopt a more affordable physical media for games and instead stuck us with this game key nonsense.

Overall, though, I’m happy for Nintendo and looking forward to some fun games on the way.

Some kind of mission-based Splatoon Gaiden is great news!
Just surprised we’re not getting this reveal in a Direct.

Gloria Gaynor approves of that tagline! 👍🏼

This game’s generic-looking art really put me off, but it was interesting to hear it uses game-share and I imagined it might just be fun to play with my kids, if I could convince them to try it with me.

@Shiryu
I approve of that message 👍🏼
Really I’m right with you on the addition of GC to NSO. I think thus far, Soul Calibur 2 is my most-played S2 game, after MKW.
Enjoy that 75in TV!