burndive

The only reason to provide 2 SKUs for this game is for collectors who want all of their cartridge cases to match.

This is why I bought the PS4 versions of physical cross-gen games until Sony started charging $10 extra for the upgrade: the higher-gen exclusive SKU was actually less valuable in practical terms because it couldn't be re-sold or lent to someone with the last-gen console. Both could be used to play the next-gen version.

With the PS5 though, no matter how many times you deleted it, the console would always try to install the PS4 version of a cross-gen game when you put the disc in. Let's hope the Switch 2 isn't as stupid.

@Shade_Koopa You can currently buy a PS5 console, with Astro's Playroom and Astro Bot for $399.99 at Amazon.

It won't be cheaper than the competition. But it will play Nintendo games, and that counts for a lot.

If you're a movie maker and you want to make a Legend of Zelda movie, all you need to do is rename the characters and don't reference specific monsters.

It's just a fantasy setting story about a hero proving his worth by taking on challenges, building his tool set, exploring each part of a diverse and magical land, helping its people overcome the the disaster caused by Evil Dark Lord, and ultimately taking on said bad guy to save the world (and the princess, who's been helping you behind the scenes).

You could even make the references intentionally obvious, if legally distinct, from the actual artifacts and monsters, and tools. It's not the Triforce(TM), it's the blabitty-bla of power. It's not an Oktorok, it's some other rock-throwing aquatic creature.

I get that the name "Legend of Zelda" will put butts in seats, but a spoof or an homage to Zelda will do the same thing.

Nathan Drake is not Indiana Jones (and neither is Laura Croft), but they are the same thing. Wreck-it-Ralph is not about Donkey Kong, and it's a better movie for not being tied to that particular franchise, while also exploring the same themes, and being obviously inspired by it.

Did they add chromecast support yet? So far the only way to cast audio is to cast ALL audio from my device, which I'm not going to bother to do.

The reason that a game gets de-listed is that there is no longer a contract to include it in NSO from the publisher of the game.

What do you think the odds are that Nintendo can get a deal to sell the game for digital purchase if that falls through?

For some games, sure, where it's merely a matter of how much they want to charge, but for other games, particularly older games, the rights may have changed hands, or certain sub-rights (like music rights) have expired, and it's not a simple 2-party negotiation anymore: you have to wrangle a whole group of rights-holders, and get them all to agree how big the pie will be and also how to divide it.

I enjoyed both games, but Sparks of Hope, while it did improve certain things, also made some things worse. I didn't like the overworld exploration as much, and didn't end up finding all of the collectables, because it just seemed like work.

The battle system was more flexible, but that also made it less puzzle-like, and more brute force.

@PessitheMystic Meh, disagree. Now that they have finally trickled out a significant library, it's better to have access to all of it without having to put out money just to try out something new.

It would also piss me off to have to re-purchase all of those games, for the third or fourth time, just to play them on the latest thing.

Ugh. The mobile app business model is predatory, full stop. The incentives are just too great to produce something that manipulates you into wanting 'resources', and then offering them for a price. It's not just mobile: even when those make their way into console gaming, they are bad.

Nintendo has tried to resist this, with a 1-time purchase model for Super Mario Run, but that didn't pan out for them well.

Not all mobile games are like this. I purchased Balatro and Slay the Spire on my phone, and they are great. But those are the exceptions, and they are very deliberately positioning themselves as NOT what has become the norm.

Nintendo is a for--profit company, and they could stand to make a lot of money, if they only abandon their principles. It would be irresponsible to the shareholders NOT to exploit the weakness in certain humans for profit.

I think in the age of near-100% backwards compatibility due to (mostly) standardized hardware, Nintendo would be foolish to leave behind 150 million Switch 1 units.

For me, there's a good enough value proposition to upgrade based on increased performance alone for Nintendo's first party games. I would buy the Switch 2 even if it were the Switch Pro, with 100% of the games also playable on the Switch. That will not be the case for many, including parents making the purchase on behalf of their kids.

Many smaller-scale or graphically simple indie games will play just fine on the Switch, and I would expect a steady stream of these types of games on the Switch 1 from 3rd parties for several years to come.

I think 3rd parties are going to play a big role in the Switch 2 software library. Many 3rd party games haven't come to the Switch because it simply can't handle them. These games being available on the Switch 2 will be a draw for people who only buy one console per generation, or who value portability.
If you have a PS5, though, these games aren't going to sell you on a Switch 2: you can already play them, better, on hardware you already have.

Nintendo needs to offer enough new games on Switch 2 that aren't available anywhere else. They also benefit from selling cross-generation games to a larger install base. My guess is that about half of Nintendo's 1st party games will be cross-platform for about 2 years. After that, they will focus more on Switch 2 exclusive games, and by year 3, almost all of Nintendo's games will be on the Switch 2 alone.

Or I could be wrong, and they will continue to support it long term, especially the Lite, treating it as they have treated their portable gaming console in the past.

I don't think I ever played this, and I loved the other GB and GBC Wario Land games.

Not a fan of the newer minigame/chaos Wario games.

There needs to be a way to post screen captures from the Switch 2, and it had better not be X. Also, Facebook is a terrible way to share: that isn't the community I want to engage with about video games. I'd be okay if you had the option of Bluesky or Threads (and Mastadon), or better yet, sync them in the cloud to an app and then let me share to wherever from there.

Still, I think something in the vein of Miiverse that is dedicated to gaming might be valuable. But Nintendo has demonstrated over and over that they don't want to be responsible for content moderation. That's fine, honestly. Just let us post anywhere we like CONVENIENTLY, and we can create whatever communities we want on Reddit and other socials.

I think the demo is a good idea. Without it, based on the gaming news coverage about this port being worse in several ways than the original Wii version, I wasn't going anywhere near it. (Missing or poorly implemented visual effects, long load times (in this day and age!), and the two-player co-op mode missing the 2nd-player enemy bounce.)

With the demo, I might just check it out and see if it's all that bad. I'm definitely not going to spend $60 (or even the $45 at Woot right now), but maybe if it's fun I can put it on my list and pick it up for $20 a year or two down the road.

I bought this game on Wii, but I abandoned my playthrough due to the poorly-implemented controls and the difficulty curve. I wasn't having fun. I wouldn't mind the opportunity to play it again if matters have improved, but I'm definitely hesitant to spend any money just to find out if it's any good.

Here's the thing: if they released the Switch 2 at $500, it had better be worth it in performance. At that price, unless it's objectively MORE compelling than a PS5, they're not going to sell many consoles, and then the games won't sell.

At $400, the expectation is lower, and customer adoption allows them to make LOTS of money selling games. It's just the better strategy for Nintendo's position on the market, and judging by what has been leaked and revealed about their hardware, it's the one they're taking.

Now, if there are tariffs in place, it may well bump the US price up higher, and there isn't much they can do about it (beyond diversifying where they manufacture out of China). Then again, there's no guarantee that those 3rd countries won't also be tariffed.

I hope they are able to work with retailers to figure out how to distribute the consoles to actual customers rather than scalpers.

Something tells me the demand for escapism is going to be high this year. Maybe not quite to the 2020 levels of "I'm locked indoors for months", but tariffs or no tariff, we're in for a lot of chaos.

"and both may well be cross-gen."

How could any game released by Nintendo in 2025 for the Switch NOT run on the Switch 2?

I suppose we don't know the exact mechanism of 'backwards compatibility'. If it's like the GC -> Wii or Wii -> Wii U backwards compatibility and runs on dedicated hardware or OS mode, at the same (or worse) specs as the original. But based on everything we know so far, that's not happening, and it will be more like the PS4 -> PS5 system of original binaries + optional patches running natively on the new hardware, with a higher CPU/GPU clock available.

I doubt they will even release two SKUs for cross-platform games, though it's possible that native Switch 2 games will benefit from their own unique binaries, and not just a patch to the original, and therefore warrant a dedicated Switch 2 version of the cartridge.

Still, unless there's a distinct advantage of running off of a Switch 2 over Switch 1 cartridge form factor, I'm buying Switch 1 versions of dual-SKU physical games (much like I did with PS4/PS5 games--though for most Switch games, I might just go digital anyway). If they charge separately for the upgrade patches that's out the window, though (just like for PS4/PS5, once they started doing that).

@Yoshi3 If Nintendo wanted to make that game, they would put another character in (DK, Yoshi, Kirby, or a new IP). They do not need Microsoft's permission to make this game.

That's how PlayStation made a 3D Mario game: they made it a robot instead.

@Aneira
The limits will be:
1. The manufacturers' ability to produce the cards. I suspect 1 TB to be the highest for a while, and then it will double every 18 months or so.
2. Your wallet. The costs for high capacity cards will start high and slowly come down over time.
3. The Switch's filesystem formatting settings. Hopefully they will future-proof it to be able to format ridiculously large storage. They will almost certainly support cards up to 2TB at launch, since this is the current limit.

I don't think 2TB microSD Express cards will be available at launch, but if you only need it to store your Switch 1 games, you can get a microSDXC card this size. It will be slower, and you may need to use internal storage for Switch 2 games, or swap cards.

Xbox just updated their firmware to be able to support drives larger than 16 TB, with larger storage being divided into 16 TB partitions: https://support.xbox.com/en-GB/help/hardware-network/xbox-insider-release-notes/console/alpha-skip-ahead/2025/01/alpha-skip-ahead-2502-250120-2200

What I want to see is some sort of ungodly adapter that will allow a Switch 1 Joy-Con controller to slide into it, then "clap" the whole thing into the Switch 2.

Not that I would buy that. I just want to see it so I can point and laugh.

Banjo and Kazooie are just characters. Swap them out for a robot, or a lizard and a bat, or a fox, or literally any other character(s), and a talented developer can create something to rival 3D Mario.

There's no shortage of mascots: what you need is a talented developer dedicated to the project with sufficient budget, direction, and marketing support.

Edit: Oh, and music: no one wants to explore a platformer for hours on end and listen to the same old chintzy jingle on repeat.

The microSD slot isn't visually interesting, but the fact that it may support/require microSD Express cards is very interesting, since that will mean much faster load times, approaching the speeds of other consoles that use NVMe storage.

That may be a microphone hole, but why would it be on the console itself rather than the controller? Is Nintendo doing video chat again? Maybe it's also on the new Pro Controller and voice chat is a core feature. Or there'll be a headphone jack.

I DON'T think both controllers have IR sensors. That doesn't make sense, and the visual evidence cited is questionable.

I can't say I'm happy about perfectly flat Joy-Con grip face. Hopefully it won't dig into your palms. Realistically, I'll be using a Pro Controller most of the time, unless the Joy-Con have whiz-bang features required by whatever game I'm playing (doubtful).

Seems like a great opportunity to buy!

The Switch 2 will sell like hotcakes; meanwhile, existing Switch owners will continue to buy Switch games.

It's not going to be revolutionary, but all indications are it will be a steady transition, and that's good for the bottom line.

@GameName No. They just want you to know that the Switch 2 doesn't come with EVERY game that ever existed for the Switch. You have to buy games separately from the system.

Obvious, but some lawyer told them they had to say it, since they are showing a game while showcasing the console, and they are separate purchases.

@BaldB3lper78 Amiibo don't need buttons. On the original Switch, you typically activated the right Joy-Con's amiibo sensor by pressing a button on the left Joy-Con (in the right context).

This isn't in a good physical position for gameplay. It's below the Home button, so that means it invokes a core console feature. My guess is it's a microphone mute/unmute button, but that would be pretty boring and not really worth all the obfuscation that Nintendo is clearly putting in effort to do. Or they just haven't finalized the design yet.

@RobTheIII Same. I think we'll definitely see special edition Joy-Con of various colors and visual designs. I think this more muted design is geared at a more 'hard-core gamer' 'mature' 'adult' aesthetic. It makes the original Switch look like a kid's toy in comparison.

But I like my toys. If there's a more colorful variant at launch, I'm buying that, but this design isn't going to stop me from buying day 1.

@Diowine What precisely makes you think that these joysticks aren't Hall effect? At this point, Nintendo would be crazy not to have them. The backlash could define the narrative of the launch.

Wow, that's pretty sparse.

I'm not up for flying 1500 miles just to do this, so I won't be applying for a spot. The launch should be soon enough after this (I'm guessing June), and I'm sure that there will be lots of press coverage and game trailers around this time.

I don't use the icons (I stick with a Mii-based one), but every time there's a set for a game that I like I feel the urge to try and collect them.

I REALLY wish you could save your Mii-based icon, instead of having it overwritten by these element-based icons. That might get me to experiment with them a bit.

Personally, I rely on deals notification sites (dekudeals and psprices) to keep track of my wishlist, notify me of price drops, and link me to games. Bonus that these sites also work for PlayStation and Xbox, and support both physical and digital sales.

Discovery is mostly through announcements, trailers, reviews/articles, online.

Under no circumstances do I browse the eShop on my Switch, let alone on a web browser, except via direct link to the individual game listing.

@jojobar Agreed. Based on the text of the review, I expected a 6/10, but what do you expect from an outlet with Nintendo in their name reviewing a first party Nintendo game?

Why would Nintendo reveal the new hardware the same day DKC Returns comes out? Based on no information whatsoever except past history, my prediction is that they wait until a week after.

I haven't used the slide-on strap attachments in years, not since I played Odyssey.

Even then, I didn't put on the straps.

The individual Joy-Cons make terrible controllers without a grip. Thankfully there are plenty of colorful grips available for them to snap into that provide palm support and extension of the SL and SR buttons. They're really cheap on AliExpress.

Individual Joy-Con controllers are needed in my house to play 8-player Smash, which happens whenever we have cousins over or a party with kids. I have 2 Pro Controllers and 6 Joy-Con (3 pairs), which is just the right amount.

I think PEGI just delegitimized itself.

...but if they want an 18+ game, he could always throw in a few ... extra special ... card decks in.

Did you flip this image? The (+) Joy-con with the joystick lower and the extra (C) button is shown on the left side.

On the Dbrand website the case is shown rotating all over the place, but it shows the + and - Joy-Cons on the correct sides. It looks like for this article's image someone took a screenshot while it was upside-down, and then rather than rotating it 180 degrees, they vertically mirrored it.

I want Witcher and Shovel Knight themed cards, but each set is locked to a specific suit, and these are both spades.

I get that each of these is created to match a specific suit's color, and that spades/clubs and hearts/diamonds are different shades (clubs=gray and diamonds=orange). A little flexibility would be appreciated. There could be two color variants for each deck skin, for example.

There could also be four, but two would be relatively simple to implement.

@shgamer I'm sure there will be a Switch 2 version of the D-pad left Joy-Con controller replacement, or the Hori Split Pad and all of its clones.

They're definitely sticking with the 4-button arrangement for the Joy-Cons, because otherwise they wouldn't function as individual detachable controllers.

But literally every other full controller you use with the Switch and Switch 2 uses a D-pad in addition to a joystick on the right side.

It's great news that they're (probably) using fast storage for the Switch Successor!

Realistically, I'm probably going to plop my current Switch's existing 500GB microSD card in there. It's half full of original Switch games, and it doesn't need to be faster than that until the new console's internal storage is full of Switch 2 exclusive games.

At that point, hopefully, they will have figured out how to build 500GB or even 1TB microSD Express cards, and meanwhile the Switch 2's microSD port will support them from the beginning.

The Switch 2's built-in internal storage will hopefully not be as encumbered by thermal throttling as these microSD cards seem to be, and hopefully they can figure that out before I need to buy one.

There's no way that Nintendo would drop a classic DK game that takes dozens of hours to complete onto NSO, just before they release another classic DK game.

If you're a DK fan, you would then be forced to choose which one to play: one of them is free on NSO and the other one is $60.

Personally, even though I owned DK64 on the N64, I never really go that much into it. I also bought DKC Returns on the Wii, but I never finished that either. I did play through Tropical Freeze on the Wii U. The SNES DKC games were 100% my jam though.

I don't pre-buy flash storage ahead of when I actively need it, since the price per GB continually goes down year over year.

My current 512 GB microSD card can handle all of my Switch's digital games, including anything I buy in the next six to twelve months.

We don't know what sort of expanded storage a Switch successor will take. It's possible that for next gen exclusives or fast load times, you will need NVMe, or at least really fast microSD.

If your current card is almost full and anticipated to continue growing, now might be the time to buy something that doubles its capacity. Otherwise, HOLD!

Sophie Turner has a strikingly pale skin tone. Lara Croft, in all of the game or movie depictions I've seen, has always had a more olive skin tone, which goes with her dark hair and eyes.

She seems an odd choice visually for the character.