This was the most emotionally moving game I played in the past year. I don't plan to repurchase, though. It's a ~6 hour platformer without much replayability. But it leaves a lasting impression.
Ack. I really want developers to make experimental kart racers, instead of just clones of Mariokart like this.
Give me the story-based and objectives driven kart racer like Freaky Fliers. Give me the open world and mixed vehicles of Diddy Kong Racing. Give me the level designer and character creator of ModNation Racers. Do something better or innovative. Or if you must clone Mariokart, give me the missions and boss battles of Mariokart DS or the strategic item-switching of Double Dash that Nintendo has abandoned.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE I agree with you on the cartridge support - Capcom would've done better by the fans if they splurged on the larger cartridge for RE2 instead. From a purely PR perspective, though, they'd still have to say you need to download part 1 and likely get flak from fans despite the choice if they got the larger cartridge.
On the 'waggle' support - although this is the second to use IR, its not the second to use gyro motion for pointer controls. World of Goo and Human Resource Machine both used gyro with a reset button that recentered the mouse to get pointer controls, and it worked surprisingly well. I'm hoping point-and-click adventure games from telltale will follow suite. IR recognizes hand shapes and proximity to a hand, and is much weirder. My guess is they're measuring distance to your other hand for the gesture of reloading. Without the sensor bar, though, you can't just use a 'point off-screen' arcade style light gun technique to reload, since your center point is constantly shifting. The IR is a solution I wouldn't have thought of, but one that I'm also a bit wary of. Light gun support on switch would be much easier if this solves the problem, but if the IR catches distance to your leg or side or friend accidentally while playing, it could completely ruin motion controls.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE I think what they've done is the best possible, really. Putting all the single player content on cartridge allows full archival of the game, since the online-only multiplayer would be inaccessible regardless when the multiplayer servers are taken down.
As for the price, it would be more consumer friendly to split the costs for single/multi-player content, but doing so would cut more revenue and add more risk to the first AAA FPS title on a Nintendo console in a long time. Games cost a lot to develop (and down-scaling is more expensive than porting, requiring new art assets in addition to new code for a release to a much more limited audience from which they could recoup costs). Server architecture for multiplayer isn't an enormous cost, but keeping those servers maintained might be. Perhaps more fair would be a $50 price, with a monthly subscription for online services that fluctuates with server costs. But since gamers would balk at paying per game for multiplayer and its incredibly difficult to sell players on paying a variable subscription rate (not to mention explain why prices might actually increase), rolling server costs and multiplayer dev balance and maintenance support into one fee at $60 allows the company to keep quality servers running for a year, and pocket a bit more if the game's naturally declining playerbase allows them to then cut servers and costs slowly.
Nintendo is the only company this year where E3 just wasn't big enough to hold everything. They had enough to say to space things out.
I've got so much I want to play that's coming up, I'm not sure how I'll fit it all in. Metroid 3DS, Redoubt, Odyssey, Marioparty, LA Noire, Pokemon Ultra and Pokemon Gold, Revelations 2, Skyrim, DOOM, Brawlout, Hollow Knight, Steep, Towerfall Ascension, Xenoblade Chronicles...and that's just the releases for the next 3 months.
Ultra Moon and Metroid will keep my 3DS going through the end of the year. The 3DS has now replaced my Vita as my 'play if you can't sleep' system, with my Switch my primary console and handheld. I haven't touched the PS4 or the Xbox in months. What is this madness?
Motion controls are what made this a must-buy for me. I already have revelations 1 on 3DS and PC, but it's one of my favorites. Haven't played revelations 2 and aren't as excited about 2, so now it's just waiting to see which game (or both) I'll pick up.
If I were Nintendo, I would intentionally release a very small number of Pre-Orders, then flood the market once the ship date arrives with so many mini-SNES consoles that retailers have to reduce the price to sell (maybe to $50, for which they can still make a profit). All of the scalpers end up screwing people who buy from them and/or losing money when they're stuck with systems they can't sell, and Nintendo doesn't have this problem in the future. Plus, everyone gets a SNES mini and Nintendo makes bank. Win-win. The people who actually purchased a pre-order for themselves get the console earlier, before the price drop.
11/28 - my birthday, and my favorite portable shooter comes out with (if the other comments are to be believed), motion control options and split-screen coop support. Can't wait!
@Nolan420 I was a little surprised to see a 128gb ipod, but I looked it up. The upgrade from 32gb to 128gb on the same model sold on apple's website adds $100 to the cost. I don't think a 30% price increase on the Switch MSRP to able to play the handful of games requiring more memory would be worth a forced upgrade, particularly when you can just add expandable memory and let players decide how much they do (or don't) need at a cost they're willing to accept.
I think the issue is overblown. For a portable device, you can't rely on cheaper HDDs that wouldn't survive the jerking during normal use. Look at your mobile- how much memory does it have? 3DS? Vita? Tablet? Any other portable device? The best solution is to support higher capacity flash media or USB media, which Nintendo did without relying on proprietary hardware. Someone who just wants to play retail games can choose to pick up an 8gb flash drive for $10. A different user with downloadable demands can elect to increase the storage at a higher cost, but both can do so using third party prices that have historically decreased with time. Given the option for an extra 10gb of faster onboard memory OR a flash drive capacity for cards that have yet to hit the market, I'd rather future-proof the system.
As a PC player, the patch really improved this one. Was disappointed by the lack of Wii-U support, but given how much this game pushes my PC, it's a miracle they're working to get it running on Switch at all. Dropping Wii-U support was probably the right move for the game, otherwise we'd still be waiting for them to release a severely paired-down port.
I'd rather they shoot for new ip with no expectations (like arms!) than revive a star fox on rails shooter or f-zero futuristic racer - they've already mastered those.
Mariokart 8 was a disappointment for me in some ways because of those expectations. The single-player has digressed from the ds version's mission mode and doesn't have much to do, the two items I wanted can't be switched (and therefore don't add the layer of strategy they did during the gamecube), and too many multiplayer matches end up splitting 1st-3rd place from the rest of the pack as the best items available to 4th-12th are used to wipe out the nearest player while top positions get only defensive items, making 1st-3rd much more difficult to change position and 4-12 a slug fest where everyone holds each other back. It's the best Mariokart ever, but I walk away knowing it could've been better because the series has been in several different ways in the best. The character roster of clones and lack of options doesn't help either (Why do we have to play 4 matches before letting us change karts? Why does battle mode have to be timed instead of elimination, even in local multiplayer?).
Cross-platform play would mean the capability to release weekly patches and updates without any QA or input from Nintendo. Their servers need everyone on the same client version to play together, so any delay at all would prevent play.
@ieatdragonz To be fair, Uranium was coming out a month or two before Sun/Moon, which promised a new region, new pokemon, and a story that departed from the traditional gym badge collection marathon. No Mario's Sky is Mario on an open-world journey...shall we say, an Odyssey?
These games could all be re-released, and even sold for money, if they just removed the aspects that tie them to copyright violations. Take out any mario or pokemon-related asset and put in anything else.
Was really hoping for some mandopop....I play mostly on switch for the nicer screen, but I have installed on ios still because it's missing Chinese songs on Switch. Different publisher, different licenses. :3
I don't know if dixie is possible. Nintendo and Microsoft did some deal over Rare's properties before Diddy Kong Racing was re-released on DS, allowing Microsoft to take control of Banjo. We know Diddy Kong was ceded to Nintendo, along with DKC series rights for virtual console.. But I'm not sure about the others (dixie/lanky/funky/chunky/other original characters created by Rare might be in limbo). Also, the VC games were briefly pulled from the wiishop at one point, suggesting those licenses had to be renegotiated with Microsoft and/or are more complicated than originally thought. Microsoft has a good relationship with Nintendo atm, but I'm not sure they'd agree to let the character be used without a cut. Maybe as DLC?
Total War (switch can do it!). Maybe start with Medieval 2. House of the Dead (switch gyro controls) Billy Hatcher Crazy Taxi Collumns Echo the Dolphin Company of Heroes Panzer Dragoon Rhythm Thief Valkyria Samba de Amigo Otogi
Actually, the social competitive scene is alive and well for the Pokemon mainstream games, and has been for some time. I love watching weekly professional tournaments from streamers, particularly draft league format.
The Global Battle Association and National Pokemon Association have annual franchises that even sell team memorabralia and have regular viewers of upwards of 20,000 players per team for some streamers during the season, with about 10 times that during the playoffs.
Show me THAT - in an actual arena. Would love for Nintendo to sponsor some of the existing community leagues.
I think this fits a core gamer niche of players that wanted to upgrade for SNES titles and New-3ds exclusives like Xenoblade, but didn't care about 3D. Still, Nintendo's history of releasing the best version of the portable late-game had me hoping for something a bit more for their after-market 3DS hardware release (maybe higher-res 3D cameras, or even a 'retro' GBA card slot). The GBA Micro was and is amazing, with the backlight and keychain form factor.
Well, they don't own activision anymore. So we don't have to worry about the potential for Actiblizzubi or Blizzubivision to dominate the entirety of gaming.
Without SWTOR, DDO, or WoW running with keyboard access for roleplay, I can't see myself going for a console upgrade over a PC one. The advances are cosmetic for now, whereas the PC opens up more library options - particularly for MMOs and RTSs. Really hope the Switch gets a Total War game, or a tab-targetting MMO that just wouldn't work on other consoles. Might push the other players to offer alternative control options.
Port the New Super Mario Bros and the 3D Mario World, so that resources can be focused elsewhere while giving shareholders their 2D and multiplayer mario checkboxes. Port Tropical Freeze to catch new players who might have played the 3DS version of the first game. Port Pokken tournament to get pokemon on Switch ASAP.
Omg...Zelda has has been faking her Britishness this whole time! Just listen to that accent! It's OK, Princess- you don't have to fake it anymore! Your people can love you for who you really are, if you just shed your pretences and speak out...Hyrulan and unashamed!
@LeRaposa Lair was a lot better after control issue patches, to be fair. But at release, it was unplayable. And I think that was more the fault of an eleventh-hour publisher demand for motion controls on a launch title by Sony than Factor V's fault.
Oh man....was going to hold out for the portable version of Redout, but hero mode just sold me. I've been itching for a futuristic racer for some time.
@JH64 Nintendo has a unique problem - they need retail partners to sell their systems. That means competing with retail prices isn't really in their interest. If they drive retail out of the market by undercutting or price-matching with download convenience, then perhaps retail will pass on their systems, and their install base suffers. At launch more than ever, particularly after many retailers ate the costs on the Wii-U (units Nintendo made a profit on as they were already sold to retailers), Nintendo needs to not step on toes here. The costs of selling a digital game are cheaper, but not if that means losing retail partners' shelf space permanently before Mariokart and Mario Odyssey even have a chance.
While I feel like this is basically a Wii-U portable, the lineup of first party games gives us a pretty smooth cadence of releases every month. That alone is much better than the wii-u, and with Japan crazy about portables with no real options after the Vita failed, this should do well in Asia. Get a big enough Japanese install base, and Pokemon should come. Get Pokemon as an exclusive main-series game, and I think America will follow. Only then will third parties develop AAA for it, and even then it'll be the third party support that 3DS enjoyed, not that XB1 and PS4 have. You simply can't port titanfall to this. It doesn't have the power. That said - preordered.
I came in expecting $350 for the device, with a bit more graphical power than we saw. For me, the system pricing was fair. I even understand the controller pricing, given that the pro controller has motion and the joy cons are something of a swiss army knife of gaming tech. But the dock seems overpriced, and I can easily see competition creeping in from third parties on that front. Some of the games also. Bomberman for $50? Well....My 3DS version was $5-$10, I think? It needs to be more than repackaged graphics and online multiplayer for that price IMO. On the other hand, $60 feels fair for Arms/BotW/other AAA titles.
So isolationism = bad chocolate and expensive videogames? I'd love to say we Americans'll learn from the experiences on the other side of the pond, but we've always preferred to forge our mistakes first-hand with a blind-eye to the world and guns blazing. Buys more chocolate for his nuclear-bunker full of retro games
3rd Party: 1. Rogue Leader 2. Freaky Fliers 3. Soul Caliber 2 4. Jedi Outcast (even better if you add inverted horizontal splitscreen support in tablet mode) 4. Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness 5. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
First Party: 1. Mariokart: Double Dash 2. Super Smash Bros: Melee 3. Super Mario Sunshine 4. F-Zero GP 5. Starfox Adventures
@Ashthearcher Pokemon X and Y should have holiday discounts coming up soon, and are great for newcomers to the series. Don't do ORAS, as they're not quite as newcomer-friendly or balanced (the enemy teams are monotype in ORAS, which lessens the strategy considerably). Sun and Moon should be good options too, but I haven't played them to confirm.
I'm a PC gamer mostly. Nvidia's chips this year have been the biggest generational leap since I entered the market in '95. Almost twice as powerful, and 50-60% cheaper to produce.
There's a real chance Nintendo could equal the xbox one's graphics power -particularly with a lower resolution- without taking a loss if they can get Nvidia to sell at cost initially, but keep the same price as cost to manufacture decreases. Nvidia would make a lot of money if the console sells well, and Nintendo can sneak a 'no loss' past investors even though it'll pay more for the card in the long run. The downside would be that the cost of the console might not be something they could drop in the next few years while still making a profit.
I'm in the middle of a monotype ghost run of Pokemon Y, if that counts. Also played through Inside on PC. It's amazing how minimalist art design can actually be MORE creepy than the ultra-realistic. I cringed at each and every death.
Honestly....I feel that the newer entries in most of those series don't leave much room for improvement. Aside from a graphical upgrade....what does a new F-Zero do that the gamecube version doesn't? Maybe add an open-world MMO component NFSW style in addition to the traditional f-zero grand prix/time trial/death race?
How about Pokemon Snap or TCG RPG, Mario Tennis with the RPG progression of the GBC games, or a 3D Donkey Kong instead? Reimagine the Mario Bros. arcade game to use the controller detachments (if that's really a thing)?
I'd prefer warioware and game and watch (with new games) to move to ios.
I would copy the hard drive contents to the PC/MAC hard drive, then backup in the cloud (mega has 50 gb free, based in NZ). If you ever decide you want to come back to the Wii-U, you can re-download, then copy from the PC/MAC to whatever hard drive you end up purchasing in the future for NX / other gaming hardware, then plug that into the Wii-U.
@shani I know Mariokart for the wii had motion controls...I didn't notice much else that was different when playing with friends, though. It's a good game - all the mariokarts are - it just wasn't different enough from what I already had to justify a purchase for me. Something like freaky fliers (story-driven, mission-based kart racer) or diddy kong racing (open world) felt like they tried to do something beyond the battle mode/grand prix. DKR DS had a barebones track editor, and that would also be something that would pull me in to mariokart NX if available. For me, the series just needs....something that makes the newer entries more fun to play than older ones. I'd like to see them experiment with new secondary game modes, without cutting grand prix or battles that they've already perfected.
Mariokart DS had boss battles as part of their single-player challenges. It was experimental, and I really enjoyed it. Then it never happened again.
I think we both agree that team based modes are weak currently. My proposal for higher drop chances of defensive items that draw hits to yourself instead of teammates, attacking items, or items that protect/recall stragglers (healing role in a racer?) based on class in team modes in a two-instanced competitive race might be going too far. But as in in Mariokart, team modes don't really feel like teams - I race pretty much the same way I do in single-player. If specialization isn't the answer, maybe some experimentation here couldn't hurt.
I don't know....I love the art style, but the kart racer genre in general needs to do something new to get me back. I passed on both wii and wii-u's mariokart because they both felt like a step back to me from double-dash and mariokart DS.
I would love to see someone try out boss battles again, but maybe with local co-op. If you go all out, maybe even take on an MMO-style trinity class system (healer/tank/damage) to race 4 on 4 through dungeons cooperatively with one person trying to absorb hits for the group, another literally throwing heals on the party, and two damage per group clearing the way to the end boss fight. Show the ghosts of the other group as you go, but have some enemies/items along the way to impede the enemy team's progress.
Try an improved team system for the main game arcade-race mode, or rhythm-based sequences inspired by rayman legends, but as a kart racer. Combine the open world racing elements of diddy kong racing with the objective-based races of Freaky Fliers. The genre really needs development.
I've started to enjoy the series more since I tried Nuzlocke. If you have a friend, a cage-locke (nuzlocke, but where you and a friend pick one pokemon after each gym match to enter a duel to the death. Mix things up with rewards if you want, like held item/TM access). Losing the ability to pick your pokemon actually made it more meaningful for me, and permadeath kept me close to my critters.
Just a warning - this is one of my favorite ds games, BUT the dsiware version has scaling issues that prevent users from hitting a note in a boss battle necessary to complete it when playing on a 3DS (original version 3DS). The cartridge game is fully worth the import, though - the platforming hybrid was possibly my favorite rhythm-based game of all time.
As a primarily PC gamer, I avoided home consoles for a time after leaving my parents' home. It was hard to justify the purchases when my PC had adequate substitutes for seemingly everything the home console could do. My gaming parties through college shifted from old mariokarts to L4D splitscreen or Rayman Origins on PC, Jedi Outcast cooperatively with bots on a dual-monitor/mouse/keyboard virtual pc, or multibox DDO/Wow sessions. I was a couch-pc gamer all about local multiplayer. Until someone dropped a wiimote in my hand late into the wii's lifecycle.
I don't know how I missed it, but the wii quickly became my console of choice. I still haven't upgraded, as I'm continuing through the backlog...but Mario Galaxy is amazing, and world of goo feels so much better with the wiimote.
I think the 3DS needs some graphical sacrifices to pull off 4-player multiplayer, and while I'm not a fan of the art direction either, it looks pretty similar to Metroid Prime Hunters. I always felt Prime Hunters would be better served with co-op dungeon crawling than frag-fest multiplayer, so hopefully this is a way to design adventures and boss battles that require coordination (the ideal would be inspired by Portal 2 - puzzles designed for co-op with a real partner).
Recently bought this for PS4, and can highly recommend it. Story-based platformers are rare enough....having one that actually works well as both story and platformer is a treat.
Well....my GBC was getting actively played for DKCII, Game and Watch Gallery, Pokemon Red nuzlockes/speedruns, and the pokemon TCG until recently. With these releases, my 3DS has my most played handheld games of all time on the system- just as my cartridge batteries are starting to go. I wonder how long the 3DS itself will last? I don't know why, but it just seems....a bit more fragile than nintendo's other systems.
Really hope someday for a VC release of firered instead, though. The originals are still fun, but firered feels a lot more modern.
This could put me over the edge for finally purchasing a Wii-U. I've been waiting for something that felt new, and to finish my backlog from the wii before jumping in (I started the last gen really late).
Plus Pokemon: Type Wild was amazing (the PC free to download pokemon fighting game built as a hobby by the animators of the Pokemon tv series). I've got a feeling some of the people over at gamefreak have been waiting to make a fighter for years....and labors of love tend to be more satisfying.
Even though I prefer Firered, I'll still download. Probably Nuzlocke one of them. Permadeath Pokemon Challenge, can't buy items or trade. Or maybe see if its possible to complete without catching any pokemon (I think I can manage HMs just from in game purchased pokemon and/or gifts? Bulbasaur/magikarp/himonchan/lapras/kabuto/aerodactyl all don't need to be caught... might be missing a few.)
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Re: Critically Acclaimed Title, Inside, Is Coming to the Nintendo Switch
This was the most emotionally moving game I played in the past year. I don't plan to repurchase, though. It's a ~6 hour platformer without much replayability. But it leaves a lasting impression.
Re: Review: Beach Buggy Racing (Switch eShop)
Ack. I really want developers to make experimental kart racers, instead of just clones of Mariokart like this.
Give me the story-based and objectives driven kart racer like Freaky Fliers. Give me the open world and mixed vehicles of Diddy Kong Racing. Give me the level designer and character creator of ModNation Racers. Do something better or innovative. Or if you must clone Mariokart, give me the missions and boss battles of Mariokart DS or the strategic item-switching of Double Dash that Nintendo has abandoned.
Re: Resident Evil Revelations 1 & 2 On Switch Make Use Of The Joy-Con IR Camera And amiibo
@SLIGEACH_EIRE I agree with you on the cartridge support - Capcom would've done better by the fans if they splurged on the larger cartridge for RE2 instead. From a purely PR perspective, though, they'd still have to say you need to download part 1 and likely get flak from fans despite the choice if they got the larger cartridge.
On the 'waggle' support - although this is the second to use IR, its not the second to use gyro motion for pointer controls. World of Goo and Human Resource Machine both used gyro with a reset button that recentered the mouse to get pointer controls, and it worked surprisingly well. I'm hoping point-and-click adventure games from telltale will follow suite. IR recognizes hand shapes and proximity to a hand, and is much weirder. My guess is they're measuring distance to your other hand for the gesture of reloading. Without the sensor bar, though, you can't just use a 'point off-screen' arcade style light gun technique to reload, since your center point is constantly shifting. The IR is a solution I wouldn't have thought of, but one that I'm also a bit wary of. Light gun support on switch would be much easier if this solves the problem, but if the IR catches distance to your leg or side or friend accidentally while playing, it could completely ruin motion controls.
Re: Retail Version of DOOM on Switch Will Need a Download for Online Multiplayer
@SLIGEACH_EIRE I think what they've done is the best possible, really. Putting all the single player content on cartridge allows full archival of the game, since the online-only multiplayer would be inaccessible regardless when the multiplayer servers are taken down.
As for the price, it would be more consumer friendly to split the costs for single/multi-player content, but doing so would cut more revenue and add more risk to the first AAA FPS title on a Nintendo console in a long time. Games cost a lot to develop (and down-scaling is more expensive than porting, requiring new art assets in addition to new code for a release to a much more limited audience from which they could recoup costs). Server architecture for multiplayer isn't an enormous cost, but keeping those servers maintained might be. Perhaps more fair would be a $50 price, with a monthly subscription for online services that fluctuates with server costs. But since gamers would balk at paying per game for multiplayer and its incredibly difficult to sell players on paying a variable subscription rate (not to mention explain why prices might actually increase), rolling server costs and multiplayer dev balance and maintenance support into one fee at $60 allows the company to keep quality servers running for a year, and pocket a bit more if the game's naturally declining playerbase allows them to then cut servers and costs slowly.
Re: Feature: The Big Nintendo Direct Summary - 13th September
Nintendo is the only company this year where E3 just wasn't big enough to hold everything. They had enough to say to space things out.
I've got so much I want to play that's coming up, I'm not sure how I'll fit it all in. Metroid 3DS, Redoubt, Odyssey, Marioparty, LA Noire, Pokemon Ultra and Pokemon Gold, Revelations 2, Skyrim, DOOM, Brawlout, Hollow Knight, Steep, Towerfall Ascension, Xenoblade Chronicles...and that's just the releases for the next 3 months.
Re: Review: Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS)
Ultra Moon and Metroid will keep my 3DS going through the end of the year. The 3DS has now replaced my Vita as my 'play if you can't sleep' system, with my Switch my primary console and handheld. I haven't touched the PS4 or the Xbox in months. What is this madness?
Re: Oh Yes, Resident Evil Revelations Will Have Joy-Con Pointing and Waggling on Switch
Motion controls are what made this a must-buy for me. I already have revelations 1 on 3DS and PC, but it's one of my favorites. Haven't played revelations 2 and aren't as excited about 2, so now it's just waiting to see which game (or both) I'll pick up.
Re: Don't Pay Over The Odds For A SNES Classic Mini, Urges Reggie Fils-Aime
If I were Nintendo, I would intentionally release a very small number of Pre-Orders, then flood the market once the ship date arrives with so many mini-SNES consoles that retailers have to reduce the price to sell (maybe to $50, for which they can still make a profit). All of the scalpers end up screwing people who buy from them and/or losing money when they're stuck with systems they can't sell, and Nintendo doesn't have this problem in the future. Plus, everyone gets a SNES mini and Nintendo makes bank. Win-win. The people who actually purchased a pre-order for themselves get the console earlier, before the price drop.
Re: Resident Evil Revelations 1 & 2 Are Bringing the Horror to Switch on 28th November
11/28 - my birthday, and my favorite portable shooter comes out with (if the other comments are to be believed), motion control options and split-screen coop support. Can't wait!
Re: Editorial: Mandatory Memory Cards for Switch Retail Games is a Messy Solution
@Nolan420 I was a little surprised to see a 128gb ipod, but I looked it up. The upgrade from 32gb to 128gb on the same model sold on apple's website adds $100 to the cost. I don't think a 30% price increase on the Switch MSRP to able to play the handful of games requiring more memory would be worth a forced upgrade, particularly when you can just add expandable memory and let players decide how much they do (or don't) need at a cost they're willing to accept.
Re: Editorial: Mandatory Memory Cards for Switch Retail Games is a Messy Solution
I think the issue is overblown. For a portable device, you can't rely on cheaper HDDs that wouldn't survive the jerking during normal use. Look at your mobile- how much memory does it have? 3DS? Vita? Tablet? Any other portable device?
The best solution is to support higher capacity flash media or USB media, which Nintendo did without relying on proprietary hardware. Someone who just wants to play retail games can choose to pick up an 8gb flash drive for $10. A different user with downloadable demands can elect to increase the storage at a higher cost, but both can do so using third party prices that have historically decreased with time. Given the option for an extra 10gb of faster onboard memory OR a flash drive capacity for cards that have yet to hit the market, I'd rather future-proof the system.
Re: Playtonic Gives Update On Yooka-Laylee For Switch
As a PC player, the patch really improved this one. Was disappointed by the lack of Wii-U support, but given how much this game pushes my PC, it's a miracle they're working to get it running on Switch at all. Dropping Wii-U support was probably the right move for the game, otherwise we'd still be waiting for them to release a severely paired-down port.
Re: Former Nintendo Staffer Giles Goddard Would Love To Make A New F-Zero
Honestly, I feel the same way.
I'd rather they shoot for new ip with no expectations (like arms!) than revive a star fox on rails shooter or f-zero futuristic racer - they've already mastered those.
Mariokart 8 was a disappointment for me in some ways because of those expectations. The single-player has digressed from the ds version's mission mode and doesn't have much to do, the two items I wanted can't be switched (and therefore don't add the layer of strategy they did during the gamecube), and too many multiplayer matches end up splitting 1st-3rd place from the rest of the pack as the best items available to 4th-12th are used to wipe out the nearest player while top positions get only defensive items, making 1st-3rd much more difficult to change position and 4-12 a slug fest where everyone holds each other back. It's the best Mariokart ever, but I walk away knowing it could've been better because the series has been in several different ways in the best. The character roster of clones and lack of options doesn't help either (Why do we have to play 4 matches before letting us change karts? Why does battle mode have to be timed instead of elimination, even in local multiplayer?).
Re: Square Enix Has Been 'Tenacious' in Ongoing Conversations About Final Fantasy XIV on Switch
Cross-platform play would mean the capability to release weekly patches and updates without any QA or input from Nintendo. Their servers need everyone on the same client version to play together, so any delay at all would prevent play.
Re: Creator Of Cancelled Metroid Fan Game AM2R Is Looking Forward To Samus Returns
@ieatdragonz To be fair, Uranium was coming out a month or two before Sun/Moon, which promised a new region, new pokemon, and a story that departed from the traditional gym badge collection marathon. No Mario's Sky is Mario on an open-world journey...shall we say, an Odyssey?
These games could all be re-released, and even sold for money, if they just removed the aspects that tie them to copyright violations. Take out any mario or pokemon-related asset and put in anything else.
Re: Free Update for VOEZ on Switch to Add 18 New Songs
Was really hoping for some mandopop....I play mostly on switch for the nicer screen, but I have installed on ios still because it's missing Chinese songs on Switch. Different publisher, different licenses. :3
Re: Poll: Who Would You Like To See In Super Smash Bros. For Nintendo Switch?
I don't know if dixie is possible. Nintendo and Microsoft did some deal over Rare's properties before Diddy Kong Racing was re-released on DS, allowing Microsoft to take control of Banjo. We know Diddy Kong was ceded to Nintendo, along with DKC series rights for virtual console.. But I'm not sure about the others (dixie/lanky/funky/chunky/other original characters created by Rare might be in limbo). Also, the VC games were briefly pulled from the wiishop at one point, suggesting those licenses had to be renegotiated with Microsoft and/or are more complicated than originally thought. Microsoft has a good relationship with Nintendo atm, but I'm not sure they'd agree to let the character be used without a cut. Maybe as DLC?
Re: Sega Is Looking To Revive Some Of Its Past Classics
Total War (switch can do it!). Maybe start with Medieval 2.
House of the Dead (switch gyro controls)
Billy Hatcher
Crazy Taxi
Collumns
Echo the Dolphin
Company of Heroes
Panzer Dragoon
Rhythm Thief
Valkyria
Samba de Amigo
Otogi
Re: Poll: Nintendo is Keen on 'Social Competitive Gaming' on Switch - Are You Game?
Actually, the social competitive scene is alive and well for the Pokemon mainstream games, and has been for some time. I love watching weekly professional tournaments from streamers, particularly draft league format.
The Global Battle Association and National Pokemon Association have annual franchises that even sell team memorabralia and have regular viewers of upwards of 20,000 players per team for some streamers during the season, with about 10 times that during the playoffs.
Show me THAT - in an actual arena. Would love for Nintendo to sponsor some of the existing community leagues.
Re: New Nintendo 2DS XL Announced, Releases 28th July
I think this fits a core gamer niche of players that wanted to upgrade for SNES titles and New-3ds exclusives like Xenoblade, but didn't care about 3D. Still, Nintendo's history of releasing the best version of the portable late-game had me hoping for something a bit more for their after-market 3DS hardware release (maybe higher-res 3D cameras, or even a 'retro' GBA card slot). The GBA Micro was and is amazing, with the backlight and keychain form factor.
Re: Rumour: Vivendi To "Accelerate Expansion" In Video Games, Ubisoft The Main Target
Well, they don't own activision anymore. So we don't have to worry about the potential for Actiblizzubi or Blizzubivision to dominate the entirety of gaming.
Re: Talking Point: PS4 Pro and Xbox Scorpio Draw Battle Lines, But Nintendo Goes Its Own Way With Switch
Without SWTOR, DDO, or WoW running with keyboard access for roleplay, I can't see myself going for a console upgrade over a PC one. The advances are cosmetic for now, whereas the PC opens up more library options - particularly for MMOs and RTSs. Really hope the Switch gets a Total War game, or a tab-targetting MMO that just wouldn't work on other consoles. Might push the other players to offer alternative control options.
Re: Poll: What Wii U Ports Would You Like to Play on Nintendo Switch?
Port the New Super Mario Bros and the 3D Mario World, so that resources can be focused elsewhere while giving shareholders their 2D and multiplayer mario checkboxes.
Port Tropical Freeze to catch new players who might have played the 3DS version of the first game.
Port Pokken tournament to get pokemon on Switch ASAP.
Re: Here's Why Speedrunners Prefer The Wii U Version Of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Omg...Zelda has has been faking her Britishness this whole time! Just listen to that accent! It's OK, Princess- you don't have to fake it anymore! Your people can love you for who you really are, if you just shed your pretences and speak out...Hyrulan and unashamed!
Re: Deals: You've Gotta Catch All Of This Pokémon Merchandise
Team Rocket long-sleeve t-shirt:
https://www.amazon.com/TeeStars-Mens-Rocket-Inspired-T-Shirt/dp/B00N3XCC1G/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1490519012&sr=8-7&keywords=team+rocket
Couple with a cabbie cap to make fast friends playing pokemon go, or use as a normal shirt with a jacket to cover up the R when not cos-playing.
Re: Nintendo Download: 23rd March (Europe)
RE: Revelations is a steal at that price....best 3DS shooter, IMO.
Re: Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Studio Factor 5 Is Apparently Back From The Dead
@LeRaposa Lair was a lot better after control issue patches, to be fair. But at release, it was unplayable. And I think that was more the fault of an eleventh-hour publisher demand for motion controls on a launch title by Sony than Factor V's fault.
Re: Feature: FAST RMX - The Price, Modes and Performance of Switch's Futuristic Racer
Oh man....was going to hold out for the portable version of Redout, but hero mode just sold me. I've been itching for a futuristic racer for some time.
Re: Amazon UK Offers Nintendo Switch Downloads, Cost More Than Boxed Equivalents
@JH64 Nintendo has a unique problem - they need retail partners to sell their systems. That means competing with retail prices isn't really in their interest. If they drive retail out of the market by undercutting or price-matching with download convenience, then perhaps retail will pass on their systems, and their install base suffers. At launch more than ever, particularly after many retailers ate the costs on the Wii-U (units Nintendo made a profit on as they were already sold to retailers), Nintendo needs to not step on toes here. The costs of selling a digital game are cheaper, but not if that means losing retail partners' shelf space permanently before Mariokart and Mario Odyssey even have a chance.
Re: Game Freak Has Revealed the Third Global Mission for Pokémon Sun and Moon
Just in time for Chinese New Year, and I've got a pokedex to finish. Looks like I'll wait until the 31st
Re: Poll: A Week On, How Do You Feel About the Nintendo Switch?
While I feel like this is basically a Wii-U portable, the lineup of first party games gives us a pretty smooth cadence of releases every month. That alone is much better than the wii-u, and with Japan crazy about portables with no real options after the Vita failed, this should do well in Asia. Get a big enough Japanese install base, and Pokemon should come. Get Pokemon as an exclusive main-series game, and I think America will follow. Only then will third parties develop AAA for it, and even then it'll be the third party support that 3DS enjoyed, not that XB1 and PS4 have. You simply can't port titanfall to this. It doesn't have the power. That said - preordered.
Re: Editorial: Pricing Blunders Have Distorted The Narrative Around Nintendo Switch
I came in expecting $350 for the device, with a bit more graphical power than we saw. For me, the system pricing was fair. I even understand the controller pricing, given that the pro controller has motion and the joy cons are something of a swiss army knife of gaming tech. But the dock seems overpriced, and I can easily see competition creeping in from third parties on that front. Some of the games also. Bomberman for $50? Well....My 3DS version was $5-$10, I think? It needs to be more than repackaged graphics and online multiplayer for that price IMO.
On the other hand, $60 feels fair for Arms/BotW/other AAA titles.
Re: Brexit Could Increase Super Mario Run's Unlock Cost In The UK
So isolationism = bad chocolate and expensive videogames?
I'd love to say we Americans'll learn from the experiences on the other side of the pond, but we've always preferred to forge our mistakes first-hand with a blind-eye to the world and guns blazing.
Buys more chocolate for his nuclear-bunker full of retro games
Re: Rumour: GameCube Virtual Console Coming To Nintendo Switch
3rd Party:
1. Rogue Leader
2. Freaky Fliers
3. Soul Caliber 2
4. Jedi Outcast (even better if you add inverted horizontal splitscreen support in tablet mode)
4. Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness
5. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
First Party:
1. Mariokart: Double Dash
2. Super Smash Bros: Melee
3. Super Mario Sunshine
4. F-Zero GP
5. Starfox Adventures
Re: Review: Pokémon Sun and Moon (3DS)
@Ashthearcher Pokemon X and Y should have holiday discounts coming up soon, and are great for newcomers to the series. Don't do ORAS, as they're not quite as newcomer-friendly or balanced (the enemy teams are monotype in ORAS, which lessens the strategy considerably). Sun and Moon should be good options too, but I haven't played them to confirm.
Re: NVIDIA CEO Talks Up 'Incredible' Nintendo Switch
I'm a PC gamer mostly. Nvidia's chips this year have been the biggest generational leap since I entered the market in '95. Almost twice as powerful, and 50-60% cheaper to produce.
There's a real chance Nintendo could equal the xbox one's graphics power -particularly with a lower resolution- without taking a loss if they can get Nvidia to sell at cost initially, but keep the same price as cost to manufacture decreases. Nvidia would make a lot of money if the console sells well, and Nintendo can sneak a 'no loss' past investors even though it'll pay more for the card in the long run. The downside would be that the cost of the console might not be something they could drop in the next few years while still making a profit.
Re: Feature: Our Spooky Halloween Gaming Plans
I'm in the middle of a monotype ghost run of Pokemon Y, if that counts. Also played through Inside on PC. It's amazing how minimalist art design can actually be MORE creepy than the ultra-realistic. I cringed at each and every death.
Re: Video: Episode 5 of Pokémon Generations Has Plenty of Drama and Some Impressive Hairdos
Would never happen, but here's hoping:
Giovanni returns, Gale of Darkness sequel on NX?
Re: Feature: Five Franchises That Deserve A Fresh Chance on the Nintendo NX
Honestly....I feel that the newer entries in most of those series don't leave much room for improvement. Aside from a graphical upgrade....what does a new F-Zero do that the gamecube version doesn't? Maybe add an open-world MMO component NFSW style in addition to the traditional f-zero grand prix/time trial/death race?
How about Pokemon Snap or TCG RPG, Mario Tennis with the RPG progression of the GBC games, or a 3D Donkey Kong instead? Reimagine the Mario Bros. arcade game to use the controller detachments (if that's really a thing)?
I'd prefer warioware and game and watch (with new games) to move to ios.
Re: Editorial: Losing It All - When a Wii U's External Hard Drive Dies
I would copy the hard drive contents to the PC/MAC hard drive, then backup in the cloud (mega has 50 gb free, based in NZ). If you ever decide you want to come back to the Wii-U, you can re-download, then copy from the PC/MAC to whatever hard drive you end up purchasing in the future for NX / other gaming hardware, then plug that into the Wii-U.
Re: Disney Was Working On A Mario Kart-Style Racer Called Epic Disney Racers
@shani I know Mariokart for the wii had motion controls...I didn't notice much else that was different when playing with friends, though. It's a good game - all the mariokarts are - it just wasn't different enough from what I already had to justify a purchase for me. Something like freaky fliers (story-driven, mission-based kart racer) or diddy kong racing (open world) felt like they tried to do something beyond the battle mode/grand prix. DKR DS had a barebones track editor, and that would also be something that would pull me in to mariokart NX if available. For me, the series just needs....something that makes the newer entries more fun to play than older ones. I'd like to see them experiment with new secondary game modes, without cutting grand prix or battles that they've already perfected.
Mariokart DS had boss battles as part of their single-player challenges. It was experimental, and I really enjoyed it. Then it never happened again.
I think we both agree that team based modes are weak currently. My proposal for higher drop chances of defensive items that draw hits to yourself instead of teammates, attacking items, or items that protect/recall stragglers (healing role in a racer?) based on class in team modes in a two-instanced competitive race might be going too far. But as in in Mariokart, team modes don't really feel like teams - I race pretty much the same way I do in single-player. If specialization isn't the answer, maybe some experimentation here couldn't hurt.
Re: Disney Was Working On A Mario Kart-Style Racer Called Epic Disney Racers
I don't know....I love the art style, but the kart racer genre in general needs to do something new to get me back. I passed on both wii and wii-u's mariokart because they both felt like a step back to me from double-dash and mariokart DS.
I would love to see someone try out boss battles again, but maybe with local co-op. If you go all out, maybe even take on an MMO-style trinity class system (healer/tank/damage) to race 4 on 4 through dungeons cooperatively with one person trying to absorb hits for the group, another literally throwing heals on the party, and two damage per group clearing the way to the end boss fight. Show the ghosts of the other group as you go, but have some enemies/items along the way to impede the enemy team's progress.
Try an improved team system for the main game arcade-race mode, or rhythm-based sequences inspired by rayman legends, but as a kart racer. Combine the open world racing elements of diddy kong racing with the objective-based races of Freaky Fliers. The genre really needs development.
Re: Soapbox: How The Evolution Of Pokémon Can Unexpectedly Influence Play-Through Experiences
I've started to enjoy the series more since I tried Nuzlocke. If you have a friend, a cage-locke (nuzlocke, but where you and a friend pick one pokemon after each gym match to enter a duel to the death. Mix things up with rewards if you want, like held item/TM access). Losing the ability to pick your pokemon actually made it more meaningful for me, and permadeath kept me close to my critters.
Re: Review: Maestro! Jump in Music (DS)
Just a warning - this is one of my favorite ds games, BUT the dsiware version has scaling issues that prevent users from hitting a note in a boss battle necessary to complete it when playing on a 3DS (original version 3DS). The cartridge game is fully worth the import, though - the platforming hybrid was possibly my favorite rhythm-based game of all time.
Re: Soapbox: Nintendo Was Wrong To Turn Its Back On The Wii Remote
As a primarily PC gamer, I avoided home consoles for a time after leaving my parents' home. It was hard to justify the purchases when my PC had adequate substitutes for seemingly everything the home console could do. My gaming parties through college shifted from old mariokarts to L4D splitscreen or Rayman Origins on PC, Jedi Outcast cooperatively with bots on a dual-monitor/mouse/keyboard virtual pc, or multibox DDO/Wow sessions. I was a couch-pc gamer all about local multiplayer. Until someone dropped a wiimote in my hand late into the wii's lifecycle.
I don't know how I missed it, but the wii quickly became my console of choice. I still haven't upgraded, as I'm continuing through the backlog...but Mario Galaxy is amazing, and world of goo feels so much better with the wiimote.
Re: Metroid Prime: Federation Force
I think the 3DS needs some graphical sacrifices to pull off 4-player multiplayer, and while I'm not a fan of the art direction either, it looks pretty similar to Metroid Prime Hunters. I always felt Prime Hunters would be better served with co-op dungeon crawling than frag-fest multiplayer, so hopefully this is a way to design adventures and boss battles that require coordination (the ideal would be inspired by Portal 2 - puzzles designed for co-op with a real partner).
Re: Review: Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty (Wii U eShop)
Recently bought this for PS4, and can highly recommend it. Story-based platformers are rare enough....having one that actually works well as both story and platformer is a treat.
Re: Talking Point: Pokémon and Mega Man Show Us Extremes of Nostalgia's Value
Well....my GBC was getting actively played for DKCII, Game and Watch Gallery, Pokemon Red nuzlockes/speedruns, and the pokemon TCG until recently. With these releases, my 3DS has my most played handheld games of all time on the system- just as my cartridge batteries are starting to go. I wonder how long the 3DS itself will last? I don't know why, but it just seems....a bit more fragile than nintendo's other systems.
Really hope someday for a VC release of firered instead, though. The originals are still fun, but firered feels a lot more modern.
Re: Preview: Punching Pikachus in Pokkén Tournament
This could put me over the edge for finally purchasing a Wii-U. I've been waiting for something that felt new, and to finish my backlog from the wii before jumping in (I started the last gen really late).
Plus Pokemon: Type Wild was amazing (the PC free to download pokemon fighting game built as a hobby by the animators of the Pokemon tv series). I've got a feeling some of the people over at gamefreak have been waiting to make a fighter for years....and labors of love tend to be more satisfying.
Re: Pokémon Red, Blue & Yellow Are Coming To The 3DS Virtual Console on 27th February, 2016
Even though I prefer Firered, I'll still download. Probably Nuzlocke one of them. Permadeath Pokemon Challenge, can't buy items or trade. Or maybe see if its possible to complete without catching any pokemon (I think I can manage HMs just from in game purchased pokemon and/or gifts? Bulbasaur/magikarp/himonchan/lapras/kabuto/aerodactyl all don't need to be caught... might be missing a few.)