@RupeeClock Not much in the way of visual advertising for modern Samus until 1991 December issue of Nintendo Power (that featured Metroid II for GB). There was the original Metroid NES manual, however. A bit cartoony but some good details. https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/en/pdf/CLV-P-NAAQE.pdf
@Ogbert I mostly agree, but I'd say the Luca art direction and character design is spectacular — as spider-man. It's plenty abstracted and beautiful just in a different and fitting way.
My gut reaction when watching the video was "yeah, no. It's this again..." but then it won me over. The look of the painted wood was great, and the character interaction was the focus. The water was a little weird but I could imagine a great game with this style that is not just simple realistic cut and paste replacement objects.
All of that said, Wind Waker is in the least need of any kind of makeover as the style is just about timeless. I liked the HD version and found it to be an improvement, but some people even find parts of that distracting from how the original was.
I can't help but dream about Nintendo with some modern graphics power for newer titles, and this is much closer to what that might be than previous Ocarina and Mario Unreal Engine experiments.
Really enjoyed the original and this one has been great so far hitting all the right notes for my wife and I. Have not played it too much yet, though. It's gigantic compared to the original and I was pleasantly surprised to see free DLC the other day.
Skyward Sword HD has been great. The visuals at 60fps are really great, and I wasn't sure the painterly look was being maintained from online trailers, but it is, and having that gestalt in the background and the painterly textures all sharp-edged up close looks great to me during play. Stills don't do it justice at all.
I really enjoy the characters and quirkiness at the start even if it it is a bit long.
Fi still bothers me. I've noticed it in some manga and anime too, where things are massively over-explained not trusting the audience to read between the lines even in the most basic and obvious ways. Fi always comes in and explains what we already know from inference (or sometimes just explains almost the exact same thing). It has been much-improved by I think it could go even further.
Even so, I still enjoy the moments when Fi's conversation wanders into literal absolutism and the other characters are very expressive. The cinematic approach was a big jump in quality for Nintendo at the time. It begs to have voice-work because it is directed that way.
Controls can initially confuse here and there, but they are as fun for me as they were back in the day. Motion controls as intended to get you to act things out like a kid which is just fun for me.
Yes, and being a success in Japan is always good for the continued support and advancement of Zelda games. Keep hoping for a Metroid breakthrough...
@RandomNerds Nintendo really should still release amiibo cards for a fraction of the price with a cool piece of artwork and a little NFC inside. Potential abounds with sets, additional cards to use them in a card game (or two or three), blind packs — but please no on that one.
@topher6490 Seriously. It is a good thing, right? For me, at least, the price of amiibo is only palatable for both the functionality and the little physical memento from a favorite game. Take one away, and I'll live without it just fine. I mean... maybe I didn't need three yarn Yoshi amiibo... I'm still susceptible to a bit of collector sickness.
Gave me flashbacks to seeing the incredible (for the time) graphics for Smurf on the ColecoVision. That was a system seller back then. Game was pretty clunky, though. In that context this game looks completely incredible. But that is a context from 1982.
Morning cartoons were such a mixed bag of cheap animation and stories, but there was some comfort in the repetition. I remember chanting "is it much further, Papa Smurf?" on long car trips. "Not far now..." and then eventually...
With this and the other improvements, and thankfully the flexibility in controls that keeps the motion controls which I enjoy, I will not need to keep the Wii version around.
Wii U still needs to be around for Wind Waker and Twilight Princess HD, Nintendo Land, and all the Metroid games (still can only play Metroid Prime Trilogy on Wii side of Wii U).
@Pirate1 I think there was a multistep conversation there before... I only vaguely remember something annoying happening in those moments, I'm just not sure what it was.
My only remaining concern is that while I enjoyed the style most of the time, the Wii version had a painterly look as you looked into the distance and it helped cover the lack of resolution and create a sort gestalt in the backgrounds. The clarity of the HD, now, has made it seem less artistic and at times sparse in the backgrounds.
This is promising. I really enjoyed this game, but there were many frustrating moments when interruptions were repetitive and unnecessary. I do remember a couple times in the later game where everything would stop to explain a solution before you had time to contemplate there was a problem — that ticked me off. And all the times it would re-explain item pickups. There were many times the flow went full-stop.
I really enjoyed the motion controls and the story and the game over all, anyway, so even if only half of this stuff is smoothed over, I'll be happy. This example suggests we might get a thorough series of adjustments.
@rjejr We were not into Thomas the Train either, actually. We got a big but generic TOMY train set that seemed to be a special Holiday stocked item at Toys R Us and then, when we noticed that there were compatible sets branded as Thomas the Train we expanded it further and further.
Most of our Disney Infinity toys are in a box, but I still like quite a few of them and they are displayed here and there. The amiibo still have a nice display inside a cabinet (with other gaming things).
I kind of miss Disney Infinity. I feel like they all should have transitioned to a model where the toys were more toy-like and they had optional cards (that could also be used in a traditional card game). They just needed to make sure they continued to feel relevant and useful for longer. Also, the games themselves needed an injection of extra budget which is probably a big part of why they shut it down.
With Disney+ and subscriptions and bringing all their franchises together, Disney Infinity really feels like it would fit in just fine. I don't miss the rarity and their way of stocking as much as possible probably meant a ton of unsold product that could not be moved... but yeah cards could help that etc.
@rjejr You are interested in Mario Kart, 3D Mario, and Pikmin. Tell me those games are not quirky. I mean, it's Nintendo, and their brand of gaming is well known and maybe normalized now, but it's all part of Nintendo doing the unexpected whether gamers like it or not. They do their own thing and it shows in the personality and design decisions in their games.
Sorry about the all-nighter schedules. Typical teenager stuff and I'm dealing with it — today, even — with my daughter, but even when I could handle it, it was never really worth it — well, maybe a few times.
It sure is great when you want it. It happens in the backseat of the car but also when on vacation. The OLED would be better. Not a big driving factor, though.
The biggest problem is that some of the best co-op games like Overcooked have small players on screen to fit it all in anyway. It's not just the small screen but the type of game. Mario Kart is pretty good, though.
@rjejr Yeah, I won't be getting this. Just the Ethernet port. Even my son who is the one that plays it portable the most was happy with what we had after seeing the trailer. We are both ready for a performance boost for our Nintendo favorites and we'll be waiting longer for that. Meanwhile, we are totally stoked for Metroid Dread as we are big Metroid fans both 3D and 2D.
Nintendo just has no motivation to try and push through chip shortages with some dramatic performance upgrade to a console which is still selling like crazy. They are back to raking in the dough. I'm hoping that Miyamoto comes back (from Universal Parks) and lights a fire to get some crazy quirky Nintendo games over the next couple of years.
I feel like there will need to be another article about the battery life as people didn't get it in the other one. Using an OLED uses less power and it seems like a significant improvement. I think the variable nature makes it tougher to advertise (super bright games that have most of the screen in light colors will eat it up much faster than games that are not as bright with OLED, for instance.)
This is a solid new option, very nice.
It's like the cardboard argument with Labo where people will say "it's just cardboard" when there was impressive software and attention to detail in the package, and this update is "just the screen" when the battery life and audio is significantly improved and the dock is improved with the LAN connection and the size of the screen will definitely be noticeable. Haters gonna hate.
Wonder why they are not advertising the significantly better battery life. :/ EDIT: Because I was comparing the original Switch, forgot the refresh had that improvement. For me personally, it would be an improvement, though.
Either way, this is a really nice option for those that value the portable over docked experience and I might just get a new dock if they ever sell it separately.
Nintendo has no need for a cheaper model or a Switch 2, sales are steady and happy.
Great for those who prefer the portable mode. For me, life is simpler because I know I’ll be waiting for a bigger leap in hardware from Nintendo and save some money for now. My only disappointment is that BotW 2 will probably be only targeting the current level of hardware. Here’s hoping Prime 4 also targets a higher end device too.
And to be clear I was not hoping for any game to be exclusive to some new hardware I just want a higher end option.
@rjejr (the 100 was the cars that the kids would race and rank) We have the "warehouse" basement but are looking to offload as much as possible soon. My wife and I really loved the Takara Tomy train sets that had a rebrand in the US as Trackmaster with Thomas the Train (before they switched to a different system later). We made some elaborate room-filling set ups interwoven with other types of sets like Hot Wheels and LEGO Duplos (and got a bunch of Quatros when LEGO was discontinuing them and offloading them for cheap!). The kids liked it, too.
We kept a bunch of baby stuff for a long time thinking for relatives that might have kids, but none of them really did and baby stuff doesn't age well, with safety requirements, etc. The toys, our youngest had a hard time letting go for awhile. It's time to try again. I don't want to let go of the LEGOs. There is too much value in having MANY of them. And I even got sets that were mostly for me back during the LOTR movies - those sets were really great.
@rjejr Once you start comparing cars (and realize you have ~100) it can go on for hours. Some of the simplest sets were the most fun.
This one has a good first impression. I wonder if Nintendo will one day do the full licensing on RC racing vehicles on the higher end hobby level... probably started that way and landed on Mario Kart Live.
@GoldenSunRM I never added someone — Pavil was it? — to my ignore list so fast on this site. No substance, multiple stabs at trolling, just ignore. Suddenly it is less noisy in here!
This is heartening to read. I'm not sure about scalpers. It's not an obvious target. I suppose they see the hype pretty easily, but it is kind of funny how the social media response was a mix of "Nintendo had nothing" to "Nintendo won E3". Metroid is just lesser known with the big gaps in major releases and classic status without the sales history to back it up.
I've been a huge fan since the original NES Metroid had me lost in it on and off for a couple years and then SNES Super Metroid for the refinement, best-in-class polish, attention to detail, and attentiveness to the state of the player — probably in response to how much the original was lacking in some of those areas!
Anyway, very much looking forward to it and I'd love to not wait for decades between big releases in the future.
@Slowdive Crowdfunding Wonderful 101 was a promotional tactic for a non-publisher studio that helped them gauge numbers for platforms. What was the problem with that?
New gamers take awhile to learn that most games take multiple years to develop. It's especially harder lately because there is a steady stream of new games appearing all the time. Just have to realize that the big ones went into the pipe many years ago. These yearly or biyearly franchise games have staggered development, often by completely different teams.
I still like knowing that certain game franchises are planned rather than forgotten, though. So, I'm fine with early reveals and long silences. That's all the Bayonetta reveal was: it is in development! Great! Maybe they should be a little more forthcoming about how far out it may likely be, but game productions are often "give or take a year".
Knowing that Nintendo is making a new Metroid Prime game is satisfying and probably necessary to let people know Metroid is not forgotten. Sure, I want it yesterday, but I'm happy to play other games while I wait.
I enjoyed it, but Metroid Dread was everything I needed and more.
I wonder if it leans towards impressing long-time fans?
I will admit that during the desperate times of Wii U, Nintendo's creators worked very hard at hype and stories around the making of their games. Those directs and events were pretty amazing. Nintendo Muppets, right?
Feels like the whole industry is sort of trying to figure out what to do as they fell behind. Hardware shortages are real. The AAA studios I think did worse than the indies as far as keeping the work going. Kind of makes sense, but so many indies, who really knows how their schedules have been met or not.
I think next year is going to be a big battle. Hardware should start to ramp back up by the end of 2022 along with some big titles on all the platforms.
@NeonPizza
Not sure I could disagree more with your assessment of Metroid Dread.
Dread is clearly a game with a great deal of passion and work put into it. While watching the Treehouse showcase, the details, some subtle, some not, were extensive. The fauna in the backgrounds, the lighting, the number of cinematic moments, many of which are still interactive. It impressed me. Even the story will be progressing the narrative rather than filling in-between like the Prime games and Other M. Some people at Nintendo seem to think this is the next core Metroid game in the series.
If you don't like it, that's fine, but there is little to no evidence of what you are proposing. Also... please, Nintendo, do more of this between the long stretches rather than just HD remasters of older games.
It is a bit of a shame. Getting Zelda 2 and Links Awakening makes up for it as an extra for me at least. The original NES Zelda is the important one to me as a pick up and play collectible as I don’t have nostalgia for the game & watch as much.
I’d love a Metroid version with 1 and 2 on it. That’s the big 3 for me: Mario, Zelda, Metroid.
Metroid Dread is something I did not expect and only pined for — a new 2D Metroid game. So, for me, that alone makes this a super sweet event. BotW2 stoked the fires for me, so I was happy enough with that.
Feels like they could have shown much more... but Nintendo has burned themselves with some early reveals so maybe playing their hand close to the vest is best for now.
To me, the original Zelda is still an amazing game and I like this as a little standalone collectible. Obviously there are many better ways to play, but if you are going to use it as a trinket to help personalize a space, I'm liking the actually-playable games, lately.
The game looks like a dream, so I'm going to stay away from watching any more. Treehouse is doing a great job, but gotta save that discovery feeling for when I am definitely planning to play (day 1, probably with Amiibo in hand)
So looking forward to this. I think I wanted this more than Prime 4. I was just posting that I missed the smaller companion games.
Would have been happy with bringing Metroid: Samus Returns over to Switch. And then it's the infamous Dread. ~Now the speculation about whether it has anything to do with the rumored dread game from so long ago.~ Edit: No need to speculate if you believe the interview.
@AvianBlue
Metroidvania is partly defined by actions/abilities/weapons that expand to allow traversal to places that could not be reached before. It is part of what separates from games that have you wander around gathering keys to open doors or have just a puzzle to solve. I would even say that Metroid is slightly distinguished from Zelda in that the upgrades are never just to be a "key" but have other continual usually combat uses. Meat for "grumble, grumble", note for the old lady, the raft, are just keys essentially, but the first Zelda was really smart about it, too. The flute/recorder was used in 3 different ways (one for combat), the ladder was useful in some dungeons for combat.
Anyway, I'm off the point. Metroid may not need Samus to lose her abilities, but she does need a progression of abilities to upgrade and find that are useful for more than just environment progression — and making it a more dramatic set of upgrades is more satisfying overall, so it is natural to have a humble start.
Multiplayer could be great. The Metroid Blast game was actually great fun as a co-op in Nintendo Land. Metroid Federation Force was actually pretty good, too. Both were failures in terms of certain elements of presentation and did not settle well with many fans, unfortunately.
The Metroid Prime games made great use of visors that you mentioned that was largely unique for their time so, yes, and it was an innovator in that space for how they were used.
Though I agree that some further exploration of third-person Samus gaming, the unfortunate history is that Other M was that and also reviled by many fans, and Metroid Prime is not only the happy nostalgic place for many, it is also the name that was presented and a first person view will be expected.
Trash Sailors looks fun, a local co-op fishing/survival/battler with an appropriate art style. Fire Girl looks pretty great, too. Akatori and Arietta of Spirits have some great pixel art. I like the smooth style of Black Book and a card battler with mood and story. Some stand out stuff from the piles of games that are trying to share the E3 spotlight.
@Ulysses Funny thing is, I rarely enjoyed the form factor of the handhelds, my hands are just too big for them and I stopped playing several games I loved because the hand fatigue, cramping, and soreness, and the horrible screens (compared to full-size contemporaries) on most of them. I felt that otherwise truly great games were trapped on devices that I didn't want to play on.
I just wish they continued to make these smaller-scoped companion games. I also have far less time to spend playing games so I like a shorter game and 20-30 hours for a "big" game is about my limit — which I make exceptions for in the big franchises or games I fall in love with like Hollow Knight.
Which brings me to the other side of this. Some of my best experiences have been from more indie-leaning games like Stardew Valley and Hollow Knight. As for the percentage of good/bad indie games, I don't know how much a difference that makes to me. Games that don't interest me or are easily dismissed are just that. A little subtle background noise. For my personal tastes, I'm not sure the ratio is much better for the multi-million dollar games.
But we all want different things from games. With such diverse and numerous options, I think it's harder and harder for a company like Nintendo, that tries to make games "for everyone", to find a balance.
Not proud of it, really, but I'm going to be virtually helpless if they have some sort of all-inclusive wide-reaching sets of Zelda collections. Some of them will be quadruple dips at this point... maybe more?
Zelda Game & Watch would be how they could really extract some frivolous spending from me.
Which reminds me that as much as I enjoy that Nintendo can focus on one hybrid, I miss the days of new 3D games on the TV console, and new 2D games on the handhelds. I always preferred playing the handheld games on larger screens, but it was twice the games, and one held you over to the other.
Not exactly an unknown game, but for anyone who might have missed it Rayman Legends holds up great. The frantic and forgiving local co-op play is always fun to go back to. Just the stages synced to music alone are worth the $10.
The focus on the environment is great. I actually enjoyed the roll into a ball moment. Even more than the game I kinda bought it as a protected sort of escape tactic. That's one of the toughest bits to feel grounded so I liked that. For lower budget fan-made it is very ambitious. Good on them.
Compared to what Metroid deserves, I mean, bouncy extended knee guards on the suit. No consideration for practical movement. Looks like Samus is walking around in a fragile costume, not in high-mobility armor. Modern movies solve this SO regularly it is hard to impress our jaded eyes. (And the xmas lights all over the suit just don't work in anything closer than a full shot)
I like the ambitious environment, but why is it so brightly lit like it's a tourist attraction? (Probably because that is what it is?)
Anyway, there's plenty more you could nitpick, and the biggest compliment is when people start comparing it to a full production, because it means it has crossed a threshold where people start expecting it to be more.
Looking forward to this. It won't take much to get me to pre-order as soon as they go up. I'm always wanting my Nintendo games to be at their best when played, so there is no resisting. I'd buy a non-portable version for it, myself.
Please set your expectations, folks. I'd wager the timing is real, maybe I am just biased from the Apple world where Mark Gurman, now at Bloomberg has an almost perfect record of rumors with amazing detail, but this seems solid. (The odd timing claim of before E3 is something you would have to be very sure about to report on, for instance.)
I'd wager that In less than two weeks we will be discussing Nintendo's presentation of the new system and whether it is worthwhile.
I'm always going to be more excited about the actual games, though.
@jump the patent and sue wishes are sarcasm I hope?
Would have fit right into Ocarina of Time and it’s amazing that it was toyed with in R&D.
Portal is awesome though (I like that part of this timeline — please don’t harm it!) and the chance it could have been possible to have that kind of flexibility in Ocarina is very low. Still, it feels like a 3D Zelda mechanic and… we’ll go ahead Nintendo let’s see something similar in a new Zelda title. Could be great fun.
Comments 6,335
Re: Random: This Vintage Metroid Cosplay Is Terrible, And We Absolutely Love It
@RupeeClock Not much in the way of visual advertising for modern Samus until 1991 December issue of Nintendo Power (that featured Metroid II for GB). There was the original Metroid NES manual, however. A bit cartoony but some good details. https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/en/pdf/CLV-P-NAAQE.pdf
Re: Zelda: The Wind Waker Reimagined Inside Unreal Engine Is A Sight To Behold
@Ogbert I mostly agree, but I'd say the Luca art direction and character design is spectacular — as spider-man. It's plenty abstracted and beautiful just in a different and fitting way.
Re: Zelda: The Wind Waker Reimagined Inside Unreal Engine Is A Sight To Behold
This one has heart.
My gut reaction when watching the video was "yeah, no. It's this again..." but then it won me over. The look of the painted wood was great, and the character interaction was the focus. The water was a little weird but I could imagine a great game with this style that is not just simple realistic cut and paste replacement objects.
All of that said, Wind Waker is in the least need of any kind of makeover as the style is just about timeless. I liked the HD version and found it to be an improvement, but some people even find parts of that distracting from how the original was.
I can't help but dream about Nintendo with some modern graphics power for newer titles, and this is much closer to what that might be than previous Ocarina and Mario Unreal Engine experiments.
Re: New Pokémon Snap Passes Two Million Sales Outside Of Japan
Really enjoyed the original and this one has been great so far hitting all the right notes for my wife and I. Have not played it too much yet, though. It's gigantic compared to the original and I was pleasantly surprised to see free DLC the other day.
Re: Japanese Charts: Zelda: Skyward Sword HD Scores Another Debut Number One
Skyward Sword HD has been great. The visuals at 60fps are really great, and I wasn't sure the painterly look was being maintained from online trailers, but it is, and having that gestalt in the background and the painterly textures all sharp-edged up close looks great to me during play. Stills don't do it justice at all.
I really enjoy the characters and quirkiness at the start even if it it is a bit long.
Fi still bothers me. I've noticed it in some manga and anime too, where things are massively over-explained not trusting the audience to read between the lines even in the most basic and obvious ways. Fi always comes in and explains what we already know from inference (or sometimes just explains almost the exact same thing). It has been much-improved by I think it could go even further.
Even so, I still enjoy the moments when Fi's conversation wanders into literal absolutism and the other characters are very expressive. The cinematic approach was a big jump in quality for Nintendo at the time. It begs to have voice-work because it is directed that way.
Controls can initially confuse here and there, but they are as fun for me as they were back in the day. Motion controls as intended to get you to act things out like a kid which is just fun for me.
Yes, and being a success in Japan is always good for the continued support and advancement of Zelda games. Keep hoping for a Metroid breakthrough...
Re: Zelda & Loftwing amiibo Impacted By "Unforeseen Shipping Delays" In America
@RandomNerds Nintendo really should still release amiibo cards for a fraction of the price with a cool piece of artwork and a little NFC inside. Potential abounds with sets, additional cards to use them in a card game (or two or three), blind packs — but please no on that one.
Re: Zelda & Loftwing amiibo Impacted By "Unforeseen Shipping Delays" In America
@topher6490 Seriously. It is a good thing, right? For me, at least, the price of amiibo is only palatable for both the functionality and the little physical memento from a favorite game. Take one away, and I'll live without it just fine. I mean... maybe I didn't need three yarn Yoshi amiibo... I'm still susceptible to a bit of collector sickness.
Re: The Smurfs - Mission Vileaf Is A Cutesy 3D Platformer Heading to Switch
Gave me flashbacks to seeing the incredible (for the time) graphics for Smurf on the ColecoVision. That was a system seller back then. Game was pretty clunky, though. In that context this game looks completely incredible. But that is a context from 1982.
Morning cartoons were such a mixed bag of cheap animation and stories, but there was some comfort in the repetition. I remember chanting "is it much further, Papa Smurf?" on long car trips. "Not far now..." and then eventually...
Re: Nintendo Confirms New Camera Controls For Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
With this and the other improvements, and thankfully the flexibility in controls that keeps the motion controls which I enjoy, I will not need to keep the Wii version around.
Wii U still needs to be around for Wind Waker and Twilight Princess HD, Nintendo Land, and all the Metroid games (still can only play Metroid Prime Trilogy on Wii side of Wii U).
Re: Nintendo Highlights "Smoother Play Experience" In The Opening Hours Of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
@Pirate1 I think there was a multistep conversation there before... I only vaguely remember something annoying happening in those moments, I'm just not sure what it was.
Re: Nintendo Highlights "Smoother Play Experience" In The Opening Hours Of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
My only remaining concern is that while I enjoyed the style most of the time, the Wii version had a painterly look as you looked into the distance and it helped cover the lack of resolution and create a sort gestalt in the backgrounds. The clarity of the HD, now, has made it seem less artistic and at times sparse in the backgrounds.
Re: Nintendo Highlights "Smoother Play Experience" In The Opening Hours Of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
This is promising. I really enjoyed this game, but there were many frustrating moments when interruptions were repetitive and unnecessary. I do remember a couple times in the later game where everything would stop to explain a solution before you had time to contemplate there was a problem — that ticked me off. And all the times it would re-explain item pickups. There were many times the flow went full-stop.
I really enjoyed the motion controls and the story and the game over all, anyway, so even if only half of this stuff is smoothed over, I'll be happy. This example suggests we might get a thorough series of adjustments.
Re: Hot Wheels' Mario Kart Rainbow Road Raceway Set Is Launching This Week
@rjejr We were not into Thomas the Train either, actually. We got a big but generic TOMY train set that seemed to be a special Holiday stocked item at Toys R Us and then, when we noticed that there were compatible sets branded as Thomas the Train we expanded it further and further.
Most of our Disney Infinity toys are in a box, but I still like quite a few of them and they are displayed here and there. The amiibo still have a nice display inside a cabinet (with other gaming things).
I kind of miss Disney Infinity. I feel like they all should have transitioned to a model where the toys were more toy-like and they had optional cards (that could also be used in a traditional card game). They just needed to make sure they continued to feel relevant and useful for longer. Also, the games themselves needed an injection of extra budget which is probably a big part of why they shut it down.
With Disney+ and subscriptions and bringing all their franchises together, Disney Infinity really feels like it would fit in just fine. I don't miss the rarity and their way of stocking as much as possible probably meant a ton of unsold product that could not be moved... but yeah cards could help that etc.
Re: Nintendo Switch OLED Model Vs. Standard Switch / Switch Lite: Full Tech Specs Comparison
@rjejr You are interested in Mario Kart, 3D Mario, and Pikmin. Tell me those games are not quirky. I mean, it's Nintendo, and their brand of gaming is well known and maybe normalized now, but it's all part of Nintendo doing the unexpected whether gamers like it or not. They do their own thing and it shows in the personality and design decisions in their games.
Sorry about the all-nighter schedules. Typical teenager stuff and I'm dealing with it — today, even — with my daughter, but even when I could handle it, it was never really worth it — well, maybe a few times.
Re: Soapbox: Could Switch OLED Actually Make A Reality Of Nintendo's Cheesy Tabletop Dream?
It sure is great when you want it. It happens in the backseat of the car but also when on vacation. The OLED would be better. Not a big driving factor, though.
The biggest problem is that some of the best co-op games like Overcooked have small players on screen to fit it all in anyway. It's not just the small screen but the type of game. Mario Kart is pretty good, though.
Re: Nintendo Switch OLED Model Vs. Standard Switch / Switch Lite: Full Tech Specs Comparison
@rjejr Yeah, I won't be getting this. Just the Ethernet port. Even my son who is the one that plays it portable the most was happy with what we had after seeing the trailer. We are both ready for a performance boost for our Nintendo favorites and we'll be waiting longer for that. Meanwhile, we are totally stoked for Metroid Dread as we are big Metroid fans both 3D and 2D.
Nintendo just has no motivation to try and push through chip shortages with some dramatic performance upgrade to a console which is still selling like crazy. They are back to raking in the dough. I'm hoping that Miyamoto comes back (from Universal Parks) and lights a fire to get some crazy quirky Nintendo games over the next couple of years.
Re: Nintendo Confirms There's No CPU Or RAM Upgrade In The OLED Switch
I feel like there will need to be another article about the battery life as people didn't get it in the other one. Using an OLED uses less power and it seems like a significant improvement. I think the variable nature makes it tougher to advertise (super bright games that have most of the screen in light colors will eat it up much faster than games that are not as bright with OLED, for instance.)
This is a solid new option, very nice.
It's like the cardboard argument with Labo where people will say "it's just cardboard" when there was impressive software and attention to detail in the package, and this update is "just the screen" when the battery life and audio is significantly improved and the dock is improved with the LAN connection and the size of the screen will definitely be noticeable. Haters gonna hate.
Re: Nintendo Switch OLED Model Vs. Standard Switch / Switch Lite: Full Tech Specs Comparison
Wonder why they are not advertising the significantly better battery life. :/ EDIT: Because I was comparing the original Switch, forgot the refresh had that improvement. For me personally, it would be an improvement, though.
Either way, this is a really nice option for those that value the portable over docked experience and I might just get a new dock if they ever sell it separately.
Nintendo has no need for a cheaper model or a Switch 2, sales are steady and happy.
Re: After Months Of 'Switch Pro' Rumours, Nintendo Officially Unveils The Nintendo Switch OLED Model
Great for those who prefer the portable mode. For me, life is simpler because I know I’ll be waiting for a bigger leap in hardware from Nintendo and save some money for now. My only disappointment is that BotW 2 will probably be only targeting the current level of hardware. Here’s hoping Prime 4 also targets a higher end device too.
And to be clear I was not hoping for any game to be exclusive to some new hardware I just want a higher end option.
Re: Min Min amiibo Tease Confirms Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol. 2 Figures
@SwitchForce just out of curiosity what is your proposed solution for how “they should do better”?
I’d like a solution too.
Re: Min Min amiibo Tease Confirms Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass Vol. 2 Figures
@DarkTron Why? If it were me, I’d sell a variation/pair for the game that is vastly, vastly more popular.
Re: Hot Wheels' Mario Kart Rainbow Road Raceway Set Is Launching This Week
@rjejr (the 100 was the cars that the kids would race and rank)
We have the "warehouse" basement but are looking to offload as much as possible soon.
My wife and I really loved the Takara Tomy train sets that had a rebrand in the US as Trackmaster with Thomas the Train (before they switched to a different system later). We made some elaborate room-filling set ups interwoven with other types of sets like Hot Wheels and LEGO Duplos (and got a bunch of Quatros when LEGO was discontinuing them and offloading them for cheap!). The kids liked it, too.
We kept a bunch of baby stuff for a long time thinking for relatives that might have kids, but none of them really did and baby stuff doesn't age well, with safety requirements, etc. The toys, our youngest had a hard time letting go for awhile. It's time to try again. I don't want to let go of the LEGOs. There is too much value in having MANY of them. And I even got sets that were mostly for me back during the LOTR movies - those sets were really great.
Re: Hot Wheels' Mario Kart Rainbow Road Raceway Set Is Launching This Week
@rjejr Once you start comparing cars (and realize you have ~100) it can go on for hours. Some of the simplest sets were the most fun.
This one has a good first impression. I wonder if Nintendo will one day do the full licensing on RC racing vehicles on the higher end hobby level... probably started that way and landed on Mario Kart Live.
Re: Metroid Dread Is GameStop's Top Pre-Order Following E3 2021
@GoldenSunRM I never added someone — Pavil was it? — to my ignore list so fast on this site. No substance, multiple stabs at trolling, just ignore. Suddenly it is less noisy in here!
Re: Metroid Dread Is GameStop's Top Pre-Order Following E3 2021
This is heartening to read. I'm not sure about scalpers. It's not an obvious target. I suppose they see the hype pretty easily, but it is kind of funny how the social media response was a mix of "Nintendo had nothing" to "Nintendo won E3". Metroid is just lesser known with the big gaps in major releases and classic status without the sales history to back it up.
I've been a huge fan since the original NES Metroid had me lost in it on and off for a couple years and then SNES Super Metroid for the refinement, best-in-class polish, attention to detail, and attentiveness to the state of the player — probably in response to how much the original was lacking in some of those areas!
Anyway, very much looking forward to it and I'd love to not wait for decades between big releases in the future.
Re: Random: Did You Know EarthBound Creator Shigesato Itoi Had A Starring Role In My Neighbor Totoro?
@kupocake
You said it best.
I think misunderstanding that deep needs to be publicly addressed.
Re: Hideki Kamiya Shares Irritation At Speculation Over Bayonetta 3
@Slowdive Crowdfunding Wonderful 101 was a promotional tactic for a non-publisher studio that helped them gauge numbers for platforms. What was the problem with that?
Re: Hideki Kamiya Shares Irritation At Speculation Over Bayonetta 3
New gamers take awhile to learn that most games take multiple years to develop. It's especially harder lately because there is a steady stream of new games appearing all the time. Just have to realize that the big ones went into the pipe many years ago. These yearly or biyearly franchise games have staggered development, often by completely different teams.
I still like knowing that certain game franchises are planned rather than forgotten, though. So, I'm fine with early reveals and long silences. That's all the Bayonetta reveal was: it is in development! Great! Maybe they should be a little more forthcoming about how far out it may likely be, but game productions are often "give or take a year".
Knowing that Nintendo is making a new Metroid Prime game is satisfying and probably necessary to let people know Metroid is not forgotten. Sure, I want it yesterday, but I'm happy to play other games while I wait.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo Delivered An Excellent E3 Direct For Fans Old And New
I enjoyed it, but Metroid Dread was everything I needed and more.
I wonder if it leans towards impressing long-time fans?
I will admit that during the desperate times of Wii U, Nintendo's creators worked very hard at hype and stories around the making of their games. Those directs and events were pretty amazing. Nintendo Muppets, right?
Feels like the whole industry is sort of trying to figure out what to do as they fell behind. Hardware shortages are real. The AAA studios I think did worse than the indies as far as keeping the work going. Kind of makes sense, but so many indies, who really knows how their schedules have been met or not.
I think next year is going to be a big battle. Hardware should start to ramp back up by the end of 2022 along with some big titles on all the platforms.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo Delivered An Excellent E3 Direct For Fans Old And New
@NeonPizza
Not sure I could disagree more with your assessment of Metroid Dread.
Dread is clearly a game with a great deal of passion and work put into it. While watching the Treehouse showcase, the details, some subtle, some not, were extensive. The fauna in the backgrounds, the lighting, the number of cinematic moments, many of which are still interactive. It impressed me. Even the story will be progressing the narrative rather than filling in-between like the Prime games and Other M. Some people at Nintendo seem to think this is the next core Metroid game in the series.
If you don't like it, that's fine, but there is little to no evidence of what you are proposing. Also... please, Nintendo, do more of this between the long stretches rather than just HD remasters of older games.
Re: Retro: Remember The First Time Nintendo Did A Zelda Game & Watch?
It is a bit of a shame. Getting Zelda 2 and Links Awakening makes up for it as an extra for me at least. The original NES Zelda is the important one to me as a pick up and play collectible as I don’t have nostalgia for the game & watch as much.
I’d love a Metroid version with 1 and 2 on it. That’s the big 3 for me: Mario, Zelda, Metroid.
Re: Poll: What Did You Think Of Nintendo Direct At E3 2021?
Metroid Dread is something I did not expect and only pined for — a new 2D Metroid game. So, for me, that alone makes this a super sweet event. BotW2 stoked the fires for me, so I was happy enough with that.
Feels like they could have shown much more... but Nintendo has burned themselves with some early reveals so maybe playing their hand close to the vest is best for now.
Re: Where To Pre-Order Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda
To me, the original Zelda is still an amazing game and I like this as a little standalone collectible. Obviously there are many better ways to play, but if you are going to use it as a trinket to help personalize a space, I'm liking the actually-playable games, lately.
Re: Metroid 5 Is Coming To Switch, And It's 2D
The game looks like a dream, so I'm going to stay away from watching any more. Treehouse is doing a great job, but gotta save that discovery feeling for when I am definitely planning to play (day 1, probably with Amiibo in hand)
Re: Metroid 5 Is Coming To Switch, And It's 2D
So looking forward to this. I think I wanted this more than Prime 4. I was just posting that I missed the smaller companion games.
Would have been happy with bringing Metroid: Samus Returns over to Switch. And then it's the infamous Dread. ~Now the speculation about whether it has anything to do with the rumored dread game from so long ago.~ Edit: No need to speculate if you believe the interview.
Re: Metroid Prime 4 Was First Announced Four Years Ago Today
@AvianBlue
Metroidvania is partly defined by actions/abilities/weapons that expand to allow traversal to places that could not be reached before. It is part of what separates from games that have you wander around gathering keys to open doors or have just a puzzle to solve. I would even say that Metroid is slightly distinguished from Zelda in that the upgrades are never just to be a "key" but have other continual usually combat uses. Meat for "grumble, grumble", note for the old lady, the raft, are just keys essentially, but the first Zelda was really smart about it, too. The flute/recorder was used in 3 different ways (one for combat), the ladder was useful in some dungeons for combat.
Anyway, I'm off the point. Metroid may not need Samus to lose her abilities, but she does need a progression of abilities to upgrade and find that are useful for more than just environment progression — and making it a more dramatic set of upgrades is more satisfying overall, so it is natural to have a humble start.
Multiplayer could be great. The Metroid Blast game was actually great fun as a co-op in Nintendo Land. Metroid Federation Force was actually pretty good, too. Both were failures in terms of certain elements of presentation and did not settle well with many fans, unfortunately.
The Metroid Prime games made great use of visors that you mentioned that was largely unique for their time so, yes, and it was an innovator in that space for how they were used.
Though I agree that some further exploration of third-person Samus gaming, the unfortunate history is that Other M was that and also reviled by many fans, and Metroid Prime is not only the happy nostalgic place for many, it is also the name that was presented and a first person view will be expected.
Re: 11 Nintendo Switch Games To Watch From Guerrilla Collective Showcase Day 2
@BloodNinja Haha. Well, now that it's NA I'll consider it.
Re: 11 Nintendo Switch Games To Watch From Guerrilla Collective Showcase Day 2
Some of these just not for me. Super morbid and hyper violent silliness doesn't do anything for me.
Re: 11 Nintendo Switch Games To Watch From Guerrilla Collective Showcase Day 2
@BloodNinja Thought Akatori might get "approved".
Re: 11 Nintendo Switch Games To Watch From Guerrilla Collective Showcase Day 2
Trash Sailors looks fun, a local co-op fishing/survival/battler with an appropriate art style. Fire Girl looks pretty great, too. Akatori and Arietta of Spirits have some great pixel art. I like the smooth style of Black Book and a card battler with mood and story. Some stand out stuff from the piles of games that are trying to share the E3 spotlight.
Re: GameStop Seems To Be Giving Out Free Legend Of Zelda Anniversary Posters
@Ulysses Funny thing is, I rarely enjoyed the form factor of the handhelds, my hands are just too big for them and I stopped playing several games I loved because the hand fatigue, cramping, and soreness, and the horrible screens (compared to full-size contemporaries) on most of them. I felt that otherwise truly great games were trapped on devices that I didn't want to play on.
I just wish they continued to make these smaller-scoped companion games. I also have far less time to spend playing games so I like a shorter game and 20-30 hours for a "big" game is about my limit — which I make exceptions for in the big franchises or games I fall in love with like Hollow Knight.
Which brings me to the other side of this. Some of my best experiences have been from more indie-leaning games like Stardew Valley and Hollow Knight. As for the percentage of good/bad indie games, I don't know how much a difference that makes to me. Games that don't interest me or are easily dismissed are just that. A little subtle background noise. For my personal tastes, I'm not sure the ratio is much better for the multi-million dollar games.
But we all want different things from games. With such diverse and numerous options, I think it's harder and harder for a company like Nintendo, that tries to make games "for everyone", to find a balance.
Re: GameStop Seems To Be Giving Out Free Legend Of Zelda Anniversary Posters
Not proud of it, really, but I'm going to be virtually helpless if they have some sort of all-inclusive wide-reaching sets of Zelda collections. Some of them will be quadruple dips at this point... maybe more?
Zelda Game & Watch would be how they could really extract some frivolous spending from me.
Which reminds me that as much as I enjoy that Nintendo can focus on one hybrid, I miss the days of new 3D games on the TV console, and new 2D games on the handhelds. I always preferred playing the handheld games on larger screens, but it was twice the games, and one held you over to the other.
Re: Nintendo Confirms Switch Digital Deals Promotion To Follow E3 Event
Time to grow the backlog!
Re: Ubisoft's Summer Switch Sale Ends Soon, Up To 75% Off (North America)
Not exactly an unknown game, but for anyone who might have missed it Rayman Legends holds up great. The frantic and forgiving local co-op play is always fun to go back to. Just the stages synced to music alone are worth the $10.
Re: Random: Craving More Metroid? Check Out This Impressive Live Action Short Film
There's plenty to like here.
The focus on the environment is great.
I actually enjoyed the roll into a ball moment. Even more than the game I kinda bought it as a protected sort of escape tactic. That's one of the toughest bits to feel grounded so I liked that.
For lower budget fan-made it is very ambitious. Good on them.
Compared to what Metroid deserves, I mean, bouncy extended knee guards on the suit. No consideration for practical movement. Looks like Samus is walking around in a fragile costume, not in high-mobility armor. Modern movies solve this SO regularly it is hard to impress our jaded eyes. (And the xmas lights all over the suit just don't work in anything closer than a full shot)
I like the ambitious environment, but why is it so brightly lit like it's a tourist attraction? (Probably because that is what it is?)
Anyway, there's plenty more you could nitpick, and the biggest compliment is when people start comparing it to a full production, because it means it has crossed a threshold where people start expecting it to be more.
Re: Tools Up! Adds More Garden-Themed DLC, Base Game Currently 80% Off On Switch
Garden theme was more appealing than just the home improvement theme and they got me. DLC works, what can I say.
Re: The Original Super Mario Bros. Movie Gets An Extended Cut Fan Release
The goofy phrase "Trust the fungus."
The little sparking bob-omb in real life was hilarious and kinda true to the game's dark sense of humor about them.
That was about the extent of what I enjoyed from this movie.
I didn't hate it. It was just another piece of media made by people who clearly did not relate to the games in the way I did.
For those that are fascinated with this odd move, this is likely to close some loops. Glad they are getting something out of it.
Re: Rumour: Nintendo Switch 'Pro' Reveal Expected Before E3, Out This Year
@liveswired Three times, you mean, maybe? SNES to N64 was similar, deciding to wait rather than make the CD with Sony work. I bet there are more.
The Wii U was a tough, tough, lesson though, and I think your point stands.
(Hmm... but the Playstation was probably a harsher lesson... )
Re: Rumour: Nintendo Switch 'Pro' Reveal Expected Before E3, Out This Year
Looking forward to this. It won't take much to get me to pre-order as soon as they go up. I'm always wanting my Nintendo games to be at their best when played, so there is no resisting. I'd buy a non-portable version for it, myself.
Please set your expectations, folks. I'd wager the timing is real, maybe I am just biased from the Apple world where Mark Gurman, now at Bloomberg has an almost perfect record of rumors with amazing detail, but this seems solid. (The odd timing claim of before E3 is something you would have to be very sure about to report on, for instance.)
I'd wager that In less than two weeks we will be discussing Nintendo's presentation of the new system and whether it is worthwhile.
I'm always going to be more excited about the actual games, though.
Re: Giles Goddard Reveals 'Portal' Tech Developed In Early Zelda 64 Demo
@jump the patent and sue wishes are sarcasm I hope?
Would have fit right into Ocarina of Time and it’s amazing that it was toyed with in R&D.
Portal is awesome though (I like that part of this timeline — please don’t harm it!) and the chance it could have been possible to have that kind of flexibility in Ocarina is very low. Still, it feels like a 3D Zelda mechanic and… we’ll go ahead Nintendo let’s see something similar in a new Zelda title. Could be great fun.