clvr

@Rika_Yoshitake this made me laugh out loud, thanks! 😄

It's absurd te hoops and leaps in logic people do with this kind of information.
I've seen people jumping to conclusions that clearly show how we fans don't understand the first thing about how these companies work and are managed, and these articles/comments only amount to unsubstantiated speculation without any rhyme or reason behind them.

This doesn't make any sense, and I absolutely love it 😆
You gotta admire their boldness lol

The fact that they named a whole studio after this game should tell you all you need to know about how out of touch they are with their own product.

Surely if you're making a flagpole title you don't want it to be this unfocused and janky, right? 😅

@SwitchForce gotta love you apologists ❤️

@clvr yeah, it's my opinion, I've never stated otherwise.
I appreciate your passion and effort, and of course it's always good to have a level-headed conversation on the internet, but as you said you're not gonna change my mind, so don't get too hung up on my view 😅

I clearly stated that I don't like it superficially and that makes me not want to play it, so of course I cannot comment on the gameplay.
What I'm saying is, from the looks of how its identity looks like it was cobbled together without rhyme or reason, it doesn't give me the impression of being something particularly interesting or well thought out.
Splatoon, on the other hand, never really caught me until I played it, but even before that I appreciated its identity and style.

And don't even get me started on the whole "everything is derivative" thing.
Yeah, it is, I know, but that's not a good excuse at all. Originality doesn't equal quality, I know that as well.
Again, though, Splatoon exists and is one of the most unique I.P.'s around. And it's really good.
Did it invent online shooters? No, originality doesn't mean that. It means it has an identity that's way more than the sum of its parts (cause they're well thought out and well put together) and incredibly unique and recognizable.

Now that I've covered the points you asked me to, I'd like to put this to rest.

@EmmatheBest hey Emma, I don't wanna sound rude but what the hell are you going about?!
I simply said that Konami are not releasing many games and that's a fact, keep your non pertinent advice to yourself please.
I'm sorry cause I'm sure you're a nice person, but these empty platitudes, on top of clearly not getting the point, kinda irritate me.

Hope my point's clearer now, have a good night.

@Teksetter that's a great idea, I'm pretty ignorant regarding Konami's legacy unfortunately!
By the way I can confirm Frogger's in there 😉

@EmmatheBest I'm glad you like their games, but that wasn't the point 😅
They certainly are still releasing games, but what many of us were saying is that unfortunately they don't release as many as they once did, which is an absolute shame since they own so many important I.P.'s!

@TimeVolt I'd call it that cause it looks like that to me.
The style is bland and derivative, Unreal Engine or not, and the basic concept I find awful and nonsensical.

Splatoon: squids -> ink -> graffiti -> street/skate/punk/hip hop subcultures -> turf war & style

Ninjala: ninjas + bubblegum = profit?!

It sounds like a concept taken from a 4th grade student.

Another important thing is polish: luckily I've always had an instinctive notion of polish (being raised on Nintendo games probably played a huge part), and even though I'm very ignorant about art design, I have no doubt in my mind that everything about Splatoon's style is way more polished and thought out than Ninjala's, even if I can't tell you why.

And regarding trends, well, all of what you said. This game looks exactly like what a room full of stakeholders would greenlight after learning that Splatoon, Battle royale and Fortnite are popular.
Oh and the title of the article might also suggests why I think this game isn't worth it.

@EmmatheBest wow a video game company published one mediocre game in 2020, let's pop the champagne!
See, if releasing a single game is cause for celebration, that's exactly why people treat Konami as if it were dead.

Yes, even more concentration of resources is exactly what the world needs right now. /s

Never understood why these sell like hotcakes, other than the fact that there's one for pretty much every famous character ever.

@mafuxxx I don't know but I don't think so, as you can do that if you have 1&2 on the same console.
Unfortunately they never came out on Switch, so I don't think it's possible.

@Roibeard64 @jamesthemagi @jump ah I see, I knew the reasons for differentiating between PAL and NTSC regions but I didn't know all the other stuff, as a European.

As I said, I wasn't sure, so thanks for the explanation 😃

Well, if GWYF is worth £12 million, I guess I can understand why all of ZeniMax cost $7,5 billion now 😅

If a game is on Switch I usually prefer to get it there, but for this game I'd advice to buy it on another platform.

Not so much for the cloud thingy or performance, but because if you like 3, you can get 1 and/or 2 when they're cheap and unlock every level and gadget in the third game, basically condensing the whole trilogy in one humongous package which can consume hundreds of your hours.

@Bizaster no worries mate, sometimes it's hard to try understanding people over the internet but I try my best to remember there's actual people with a life on the other side of the screen 😃
At least now I know you better, yoi sound like a cool guy 😄
See you around!

@Bizaster ok, sorry then.
I'm sure you can get why it could sound like a baseless potshot, but evidently it wasn't! Have a good one 👍🏻

@kingv84 why would they though?
Playstation consoles in Japan have always had circle to confirm and cross to cancel (as obviously should be), yet now from PS5 onward they'll have to adapt despite the rest of the world being backwards, and they weren't happy (rightly so).
It's a bit rich to ask them to adapt to those who do things backwards.

@JimmySpades hey as a non-native speaker I'm sorry I didn't use the exact term, I'm certain it was such a pain to realize what I was getting at 🙄

And if a non-native gets the territorial difference, then probably you're just moaning for the sake of it.
I gave you an answer, you chose to be rude about it and even called me a troll, what do I have to do with you? Lol
Don't even bother replying for the love of god lol

@Snatcher well, to be perfectly fair, the N64 is the only console to ever receive an original, exclusive DOOM game, which is weird to think but awesome at the same time!
Then DOOM 3 also came out on XBox, and the two most recent games were multiplatform out of the gate.
So yeah, you could say that, out of the 3, Ninty is actually the closest platform holder to the DOOM series, at least until it becomes exclusive to XBox.

In any case, I'm a huge DOOM fan so the Slayer is obviously my first pick, but even before falling in love with it I always thought he's basically the biggest legend in gaming that's not in Smash.
I reeeeeeaaaallllly hope it happens lol 😆

@kingv84 yeah, blame the company that paved the way for the fact competitors adopted their layout but changed it around for basically no reason.
Blame a 1990-1992 console for those that came out from 1995 onward 😂

@Bizaster I want to play it, when it's fixed and playable.
Not sure what you gain in talking down a game you've probably never played nor have any intention to, just out of spite. Let those who enjoy it, enjoy it.

@JimmySpades UK site, UK writers, UK spelling. As simple as that 🤷🏼‍♂️
There's plenty of Murican Nintendo sites out there, it's not like NL is the only one.

I've heard good things about this one, and I really like Titanfall 2, but I've actually never tried it out on PC.
I'll certainly do when it drops on Switch!

I'm sad for Scorbunny, I don't like the evolutions that much but he's just so cute and cuddly!
Oh and I would never have guessed that mudkip would be as popular as the original 3 🤭

@Mortenb hey, thanks a lot!

@nessisonett said the guy who never derailed a comment section once 😉
If mods say it's inappropriate, I have no problem erasing my two comments.

@Mortenb thanks for your informative reply!
You're absolutely right, the issue is way more complex than it may appear, it's just that I've seen many people reduce it to "Twitter bans X = abuse of power or some infraction of free speech" and that's just not how it is 😃
Thanks again, and have a good one 😄

@Mortenb @iulis84
Never said that any of this is right or wrong; moral judgment is beyond the point of what I was saying, I'm just saying that Twitter has all the right in the world to do what they please on their own privately owned company, as long as that doesn't break any laws.

see, private companies do not have to accept any and all customers, or partners or whatever, that's what the much-touted American 1st amendment is all about.

It's funny because I've heard these same arguments by people who champion the 1st amendment, not realizing that the government not interfering in the companies' choices is exactly what it's all about.
So yeah, Twitter being able to ban Trump (or anyone else) according to their own terms of service is exactly the scenario that free speech exists to protect.

P.S.: I agree with @Mortenb that the system in general is absolutely broken and rigged in so many ways, so please don't take me as a corporate defender cause that's the last thing I am.
I just wanted to point out how, within the current system (and leaving aside any judgement on it cause that's a whole other can of worms), what Twitter has done is perfectly within their rights, and Trump supporters are spreading false narratives as usual, spouting nonsense about the 1st amendment as if it affected private companies (not saying you two are, obviously).

@iulis84 you know that a private company is free to enforce whatever kind of user's policy and rules that they want, right?

10/12, not bad! 😄

Oh and Masquerain is a thing of beauty, I'm glad you included it!

@Andymad I pray that the next game could look half as good as the Link's Awakening remake.

@johnvboy "the developer will push an art style which they personally will believe will appeal to the mass market buyers of this game, Ie mainly younger players."

See, this is where I'm afraid that my point didn't come across.
You surely don't "need" a certain feature, let alone a certain art style, to appeal to the mass market, otherwise Animal Crossing and COD wouldn't be both huge, being basically the opposite of one other.

And probably I failed to express myself well enough, but even the graphics are absolutely not the main point: I just use them as an example of how little care went into the whole package, simply because graphical flaws are way easier to point to than mechanical ones.
I'd be glad with these graphics if the games were engaging and fun, just like I loved playing DOOM 2016 at 540p and 30 FPS on my Switch, simply because it's a good game.
I'm playing Eternal on my laptop at 1080p/60 FPS at the moment, and while I obviously like shinier graphics, I can't say I missed out by playing its predecessor on lower specs, by any means.

The counter argument to yours is pretty simple: if marketability is a justification and is the only thing games should care about (like Pokémon does), why were BOTW and Odyssey, for example, both so good graphically and engaging and satisfying to play?
Couldn't have Nintendo dumbed down those games, on the basis of "hey, it's Mario and Zelda, people will lap it up regardless"?
Of course they could've, but they didn't.
And that's why I'm happy to support Ninty and those two games, but not Pokémon.

Pokémon took the easiest way out and barely changed anything, while the other two games shook up their respective formulas very hard, and forged new identities for themselves.
Nintendo respected our intelligence, Game Freak didn't.
That's why buying a game that does the barest minimum sends the wrong message: "we don't care about quality and hard work! We couldn't even recognize it if it were grafted onto our faces!".

I hope you now understand where I come from, I just want to be able to buy a Pokémon game and enjoy it after all this time.

Wow! I love this game, this might actually make me replay it (after I clear some of my backlog lol)

@johnvboy yeah let me rephrase that, sorry but I could've expressed myself better.
I obviously don't have any problem with you, the opposite really! As much as I rave about staunch defenders of the game, you're offering me a very level-headed discussion and I appreciate that; sorry if that didn't come across earlier.

The problem I have is obviously not with the individuals liking the game (god knows I'd like to be able to have fun in Pokémon games like I did once!), it's with the overwhelming tide of people reducing any valid, objective criticism leveled at the game to just being "moaners" or "elitists", and that's plain wrong.

People see issues because they understand games better, so refusing to listen only perpetrates ignorance and nothing more.
And I don't mean that as saying that I'm better than anyone else, but I know for a fact that I know games better than a lot of people, and when I spot a flaw in a game, it's because I can assess that against the rest of the game and its intricacies, not simply "game bad" or "game good".
People don't like to feel more ignorant than the people they're talking to, but it's the only way a person has to learn and get better: recognizing who knows more than them and listening to them.
That's how I learned everything I know about games, music, writing, and everything else. You just gotta accept that experts and more knowledgeable people exist.
It's people having low standards that screws over people with higher standards, it's always been like that, and that's why the latter try to "educate" the former.
Unfortunately, when people are not willing to do that, we know what happens, especially on the internet.

(Mind that this is not addressed at you specifically, it's more of a way to try and reframe criticisms of this game).

@johnvboy dude I played DOOM 2016 on Switch, don't strawman people with "realism" and "ultra high frame rates".
I like a game that looks good, but I also really like games like Baba Is You, which could probably run on a toaster. You've chosen the wrong person to misrepresent, I'm sorry.

Everything else you said is merely excuses, cause if you really wanted to excuse any other framchise and give them a pass, you could use the same exact excuses.

It's true that the average consumer doesn't care or know about technical detail, but you cannot tell me average Joe doesn't recognize, for example, BOTW or Odyssey as objectively superior.
We're not talking 4k 60 FPS either, which is what you're getting at in order to distort my point of view, cause you have no objectively valid point for such a successful game with such a big potential budget looking this amateurish.

Lastly, you boiled it down to the graphics to paint me as some PC master race elitist, but the thing is, as I told you, I don't really care about them. If I did, I'd play on PS5 or a high end PC, not a Switch and a laptop.
And that brings us to the fact that the gameplay in the games is barebones and basically the same as 25 years ago, with a couple of gimmicks and nothing of substance. Go on, play a game from one of the first 5 generations, then come back to Swoosh, and then finally tell me that it's equally as good or better.
You simply can't, cause it's the same exact game again, but way less polished: empty cities with nothing to do, embarrassing draw distance, tiny linear routes, no exploration whatsoever, etc.

As always, it's a case of the majority settling happily for this mediocrity, while people with a bit more to ask of a game remain flabbergasted as to how it's possible that a once beloved series has fallen this badly.
The thing that infuriates me, though, is not a company churning out the same crap over and over, because if people buy it, they are right to do so.
What infuriates is people who will go to these lengths to defend a commercial product poised to make money for a corporation, as if they had a personal stake in them.
Is it really so close to your feelings that you can't see it for what it is?
I'd get it for pretty much any other game, but if there's one series that's sterile and devoid of passion nowadays, well, that's Pokémon.

And they say GC/PS2 era platformers were formulaic and repetitive!

Tell me then, what other game lets you save ex President Bush?!

@Urso yeah it's gotten so bad it's the opposite now.
You can't criticize the biggest media franchise in the world out of genuine lifelong love and hope it circles back to its older quality standards, without triggering fanboys who can't acknowledge the poor quality of a texture compared to any other game (or anything else for that matter, the texture is just an example).

I haven't played the game so I cannot say anything about it, but it's always wonderful to see random people on the internet (who probably don't know the first thing about game design) think they know better than a man who's been at the helm of colossal projects for 20 years.
Hilarious.

@Silly_G and this as well 😂

@Falien that made me chuckle 😂

Never heard of it but I'll look for reviews, it sounds cool!

I was wondering the other day if we were gonna receive news of a Wolfy 3...it seems we're not 😣

I'm glad for Indy fans, but I never liked him and so I hope someone is still working on Wolfy as well, so everyone can be happy 😃

It's kinda weird though to think of big studios working on licensed games, given their fame and legacy, but with this and the new 007 IO Interactive game, we could be in for a golden era of licensed games!

Played it a few years ago, and it was nothing to write home about.
Not bad, just nothing special.

Glad for those who liked it though!

Hyrule Warriors selling better than TLOU P2 is not something I would have ever anticipated, especially considering HW came out 5 months or so later.

Great subheader 😄

@KateGray I don't know when but I will indeed one day! 😃
Thanks for the advice, I didn't know that!

Awesome news! I've been interested in this for a very long time, now I guess I'll get it on Switch instead of PC!

The more, the merrier!
Devolver is one of my favorite publishers, so I'm always on board for more goodness!

@Aerona best game of all time if you ask me.
If you have a PC, PS, or XBox, by all means nab it!