brakeman90

@JohnnyMind I'm someone who couldn't play before (due to motion sickness from the inconsistent performance in an open world), and now I'm loving it!

Hooray! That's cool that they took a gamble, and cool that it'll pay off - looking forward to this game.

I'm interested, as I like that studio's past work and this is a genre that often works for me, but I'll confess that I wish it had more of their old chunky visual style - this looks a little too similar to Hades (which is good in its own right, of course!).

@PJOReilly Agreed - having played through the balanced 40fps mode in Horizon Forbidden West, I was struck by how much closer it looked to 60 than 30; that'd be perfect for the Hitman games!

Great preview - can't wait to play the game!

@Pickle_Rick They're actually fairly different! Arceus is a slightly more action-oriented game with a single town and wide open areas to explore/catch Pokemon (it's a little bit more Monster Hunter-esque, though most battles are still primarily turn-based). Scarlet/Violet, though 3D, are slower-paced and shift always to a turn-based format for combat in the style of 16-bit JRPGs. They also see you going through a lengthy quest and visiting different towns.

If you want to try a more traditional Pokemon experience, go with Scarlet/Violet. If you want a more modern, somewhat open-world and action-oriented approach, go with Arceus. I've only played Arceus (due to motion sickness problems in Scarlet/Violet that I understand should be resolved with the Switch 2 patch), but both are regarded as being great games - you can't go wrong!

This is wonderful news! I had to get a refund for Scarlet because the unsteady performance gave me motion sickness after about an hour of play, and I've been hoping for a fix ever since. Looking forward to revisiting this on Switch 2, since the world and new monsters seemed so appealing.

I think this is a nice move - it'll help Japanese consumers, in the home and primary market for the device. It's functionally an import for us in the West (as omnipresent as Nintendo's been for decades), so I don't mind my price being higher, especially since it comes with no regional restrictions.

@Apebitmusic Agreed! Even in an era of strong 2.5D platformers, YL & The Impossible Lair stood out for its excellence. I'm sad to hear about the cuts, and hope the studio finds a way to move forward. I've mentally wishlisted Yooka-Replaylee, but (as with others) am waiting to play it on Switch 2 - tbh I never even knew that devs could see which games got wishlisted!

@RupeeClock Oh yeah, good call! I snagged Bakeru on Steam Deck for 60fps, but I'll definitely pick up a physical edition if it runs at a steady framerate on Switch 2.

I have a slight preference for the Returns/Tropical Freeze design, but those games will always exist - it's nice to see Nintendo continuing to tweak their characters to suit new projects. My personal aesthetic preferences notwithstanding, I'm happy that Bananza is moving in a new direction.

Hooray! Glad to hear this turned out well, and I'll be scooping it up shortly based on this review - thanks

@Tyranexx I'd be shocked if they aren't currently working hard on the second part (if it's not finished already). Falcom was in a much more precarious position in the West back when the original released on PSP, and the biggest challenge was the localization - there's a great article on the behind-the-scenes struggles to get it done over here: https://kotaku.com/the-curse-of-kiseki-how-one-of-japans-biggest-rpgs-bar-1740055631. All of that being said, the popularity of Trails and Ys in the 2010s and 2020s, along with the more robust tools and staffing assigned to this franchise, make the sequel very likely within the next two years.

Whoa, I'm surprised to see a patch for this - just played it recently, and I was shocked how well-made the remastering job was; a darn sight better than the Nintendo 64 original I played back in the '90s.

Great review! I missed this on the PSX way back when (despite thinking it had a lovely art style), so this is a good opportunity to check it out. Does anybody know whether the performance is worse than the original? We've had many instances of Square Enix 16-bit and 32-bit ports with less consistent framerates/frame pacing than the original versions, so I want to confirm whether it's better to go with the remaster or find a copy of the PSX version.

Cool interview! It's always nice to hear from Nate Bihldorff.

Whoa, the upgrades are free to NSO Expansion Pass members?! That's very cool! I'll definitely be picking up a physical edition of the TOTK Switch 2 version at some point - as I took advantage of the voucher program for a digital copy on Switch 1 - but it'd be cool to upgrade my digital copy in the interim.

My guess is that it's some kind of video capture (though that's currently done with a long press of the other button), or - as someone else noted above - a cursor mode. I would love the ability to connect a la the Wii U, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

@Daniel36 I'd still give it a try! I just remember disliking everything about it back when it originally released, haha.

Yeah, it's much better to have a less-than-ideal version than no way to access the games! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for future remasters of 3 and 5...

@Daniel36 I hear you - it's not as essential as it is for action games. That said, there are a few reasons why lower performance is disappointing for me: (1) anything running worse than it did on original hardware is a step down, and dispiriting; why can't something that ran at 60fps on a PlayStation run at 60fps on a Switch? (2) For some folks - not all, of course - the lack of smoothness is apparent. This is especially prominent in top-down RPGs, because a lot of us grew up with games in that style on the NES, SNES, and so on that ran smoothly at 60fps. So a step back from that is jarring, and makes the game feel choppier than the ones we grew up with. To that point, I remember being bummed at the time when N64/PSX games ran much less smoothly than the previous generation, and being thrilled when the PS2/GC era was smoother once again.

In short, it's hardly a huge deal. Just disappointing, and reason enough for me to buy an alternative version of the game. If the Switch was my only console, I'd play it there.

A follow up to my last post, lest I seem too negative: I'm super excited for all the new folks discovering the series, and it sounds like the remaster is excellent overall!

@Dimjimmer So I booted it up on PS3 and it looks like I was wrong! Exploration occurs at 60fps in the original, though it looks like battle scenes (which feature polygonal geometry) animate at 30fps in the original. Which makes it quite lame that the Switch version is 30. Whyyyy can't studios get games to run on Switch as well as they did 25+ years ago

(I'll be buying the remaster on Steam Deck)

@GravyThief My recollection from playing some Suikoden 2 a few years ago - supported by a browse on YouTube - is that the original ran at 30fps, which was standard for the PSX (albeit a step down from most SNES games' performance). With that in mind, I'm not disappointed in the remaster framerate like I was in the performance of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door or the MGS Collection.

@GameOtaku I go back and forth, tbh. My initial opinion when the service launched was that I'd prefer to buy and own individual games (a la Virtual Console). As time has gone on, though, I've found value in being able to play weird, surprising titles that I'd never have individually paid money for! I think a model like Xbox Game Pass or the PlayStation retro offerings would be better: a flat monthly rate to play the entire catalog, with access cut off when you unsubscribe, as well as an opportunity to purchase and download permanently any games that you end up really loving. It can be done, so I don't think it's too much to ask for.

@John_Deacon Exactly - I wouldn't be a subscriber without the retro catalog, as I never play games online. Nintendo tied the two services together, so we should regard them as coequal elements of NSO.

Well this sounds perfect for me! I'll be buying ASAP.

That's great to hear! This was my favorite Xenoblade game, so I was already glad to see it getting a new lease on life - the improved art direction, combat mechanics, and UI are the cherry on top. I'll definitely be buying this Day One (barring some silly issue like an incomplete build on cart).

@John_Deacon My preliminary review is very positive! The slider is actually very customizable, allowing you to make the screen transitions slower and more natural or revert to the PSX-style instant transition from one shot to the next. I found that the latter entirely alleviates my motion sickness, but some folks may find the former just as good. HOORAY!!!

That's wonderful news! My wife got this for me for Xmas, but the camera transitions gave me terrible motion sickness so I had to hold off on playing any more. I'll report back to confirm if this fix cures that issue, as I'm sure I'm not the only person affected.

@the_beaver Yes - you should be able to download it during this period if you've already purchased it.

The fact that small font size and poor framerate exist in a 2.5D tactics game is emblematic of why I rarely buy multiplatform releases on Switch at this point; should've been a slam dunk, but I assume studios target Switch as an afterthought.

It's very impressive (and runs like a gem on Steam Deck), but I've been struck by how much motion sickness I get from it. I'd have thought the lower frame rate of the original would produce that effect, but the higher frame rate of the PC version actually causes much more trouble. As for why, I have no idea.

@Orpheus79V Agreed - I'm sad there's not more of the old PS3-era catalog, but I have been impressed by the recent emulation on the PS5 (and the Switch for that matter). We may finally be exiting the legacy content dark ages of the late 2010s and early 2020s, in favor of something more akin to the late 2000s. I certainly hope Nintendo follows Sony's lead and starts offering standalone, connection-free ways to access their older titles.

@LavenderShroud Starting with the first one, Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, isn't a bad idea, as it's the simplest and still has engaging world design. My favorite is 2, but the battle system is pretty complex (sometimes unnecessarily so), so you might consider XC3 as one of the more accessible entries. All are good, though!

I'm confident that we'll be getting these remasters in 2025. Whether it's February, I feel less certain about, but that seems plausible.

This sounds entirely up my alley - thanks for the review!

@RupeeClock An "official statement" that starts with a lowercase letter certainly doesn't inspire confidence.

As a backer of this game, I'm disappointed in the publisher and satisfied with the devs' transparency. Hopefully they can find a better manufacturer soon.

Cool, another game with ridiculously small text size, ugh. I was really looking forward to this, but I'll be skipping it as a primarily handheld player. I don't understand why we could produce games with good text sizes on the GB, GBA, and DS, but now we can't.

@Zeebor15 That's fascinating!

Hey, keep 'em coming as long as the performance is good on Switch - I do get bummed when games don't run as well as their original outings (looking at you, Metal Gear Solid 2). As for hopes on those first-party Gamecube and 3DS remasters... I guess I'll keep my fingers crossed for Metroid Prime 2 and Kid Icarus Uprising!

Aw, that's a really nice ad - I'll have to check out Raye too. I'm an aging millennial who's pretty out of touch with modern music, but her work sounds right up my alley!

Whoa, that's awesome! Hadn't heard about this game, but I'll definitely be picking it up after work. A Genesis-style platformer made by one of the best 2D studios set in one of my favorite shows? Be still my heart.

How is the text size in this game for portable mode? It was almost impossible to read some of the text in the original game on Switch.

Great review, as it highlights how the game will be received by folks with very different interests; I'd be bummed if I was in it for the multiplayer, but I'll pick it up since I strictly play these games single-player. Thanks as well for confirming framerate, since I really prefer fast action games and platformers at 60fps!

Love this article! Sounds like Fran is doing a great job making Playtonic a good place to work.

Too cool! I'll pick it up this weekend.

Rad as heck - I'm seeing echoes of Radiata Stories and Bravely Default, though it looks entirely unique.

Excellent! I think The Sphere Hunter (Suzi) also contributed her voice to this game, which is a cool detail. I'll be buying this Day One.