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@The-Nate I suggested Ys because it's like a top-down Zelda mixed with Mega Man X. It's a fast-paced hack and slash, and you get to blow things up with magic. It's a ton of fun. Its soundtrack rocks, too.

You can try Phantasy Star. I think someone mentioned the Genesis collection already. You can pick it up for $30 or so on Steam, and it has all of the Phantasy Star games. They're old, though, but they're cool.

@The-Nate Must suck. (Me too, but I guess we cope differently.) Try Ys. Oath in Felghana is a good place to start.

@The-Nate Must suck to be incapable of planning your moves ahead and blind/deaf to the best art, music and storytelling in the entire medium.

@The-Nate Must suck to have bad taste.

@kingbk But NSO isn't just an isolated subscription service in a vacuum. While it fulfills basic criteria like allowing online play, it's also the Switch's alternative to the infinitely superior Virtual Console.

Nintendo's bargain bin picks are getting old. The SNES is a JRPG goldmine, but NSO's selection would lead you to believe otherwise.

It's hard to imagine a better time to be a Nintendo fan. The GameCube's library has F-Zero, Star Fox, Fire Emblem, Zelda (several and the best/only collection Nintendo ever put out), Melee, Metroid, and, of course, Paper Mario TTYD.

I've been toying with the idea of starting a Gamecube collection. I miss that console.

My only hope for a second generation Switch or Switch successor is that it optimizes past games to the point of maintaining desirable performance. So many of the Switch's flagship titles struggle to maintain consistent frame rates coupled with wildly fluctuating (or dynamic) resolutions.

Of course, there are also the issues with current Switch hardware, specifically the dreaded drift. Nintendo products used to be known for their quality and polish; hardware built to survive a carpet bombing and games optimized enough to make the PC master race seethe.

While the Switch generation has been very successful for Nintendo, these are traits I'd like to see brought back with a New Switch or whatever. Also Virtual Console. (I can dream.)

This is exhausting preamble for what appears to be yet another runner game. Cave Story turned heads because it was an incredible game on its own merits. The fact it was developed by a single Japanese salaryman only boosted its appeal after the fact. Had Cave Story been terrible/mediocre, I doubt the game's origins would've mattered much.

I gave myself a brief start with the demo a couple nights ago, and I have some thoughts.

It seems interesting enough. I couldn't get myself to care enough to withstand the barrage of cutscenes immediately levied at the player on starting. Disappointed by the lack of free roam. It, like OT, is the same delicious flavor of neo-retro eye candy. One OT's biggest draws was world traversal, so this is a pretty big blow for me. I'm still buying it, regardless.

These are very early impressions. I'm only about 20 mins into the demo (10 mins of that being dedicated to cutscenes before I started skipping, lol).

Good! Xenoblade needs more love, although Torna, in my view, is a much better representation of the series than XC2. Everything wrong with XC2 was beautifully corrected in Torna; the removal of Gacha Blades™, a stronger focus on a smaller set of protagonists, a more mature narrative, streamlined combat, better performance, etc.

That's not to say XC2 is bad, though. It rightfully holds its place as the Switch's best (original) RPG. Torna only improved on what was already a good foundation.

I haven't been playing a whole lot of Nintendo games lately, but Pythra will drag me back into Smash for probably an embarrassing amount of time.

Nintendo's continual failure to implement any form of coherent online is embarrassing. I'm still salty over how they handled Super Mario Party.

Further substantiating my theory about Bayonetta 3 being a Switch Pro/2 launch game! This is kind of embarrassing for PG, anyway. I wonder if Nintendo pressured them into haphazardly announcing it.

@nerdface KOA's combat is certainly part of the core gameplay loop. It's actually regarded to be one of the game's biggest highlights. It fuses RPG leveling systems and skill trees with combat based in button combinations.

I'd recommend checking out some YT videos if you're skeptical. I'm pretty sure KOA received a few trailers focusing exclusively on its combat system.

KOA was tragically denied its rightful place as a commercial giant of the 7'th generation. It's a terrific game. It features an immersive open world with a WOW-like fantasy aesthetic, a deeply customizable arcade-style combat system and music composed by Grant Kirkhope. It rocks!

I have this on PC and am heavily considering the Switch port. This would be an excellent game to take on the go.

@UltimateOtaku91 Ah, that's another one floating around in the potential vaporware bin. We have gameplay for it, at least. As I understand it, too, its production has been somewhat problematic with the reins being given to another developer. I will agree PG's marketing department might have a haphazard approach to game reveals, though.

Sounds like Bayonetta 3 news might be cold for another year. PG revealed this game way too early.

I don't know if it'll be this year, but I certainly hope it happens (and soon)! Beautiful games like Xenoblade 2 and Breath of the Wild more than deserve the horsepower necessary for rock-solid performance. The nonstop dips in resolution coupled with stuttering and inconsistent FPS make my heart weep. The Switch is home to some of the most visually interesting games out there. Let them shine.

Switch 2/Pro launch title? Ironic considering it was one of the very first Switch games announced.

It's funny how little we know about Bayonetta 3 despite it being one of the very first Switch games announced (4 years ago). Nintendo would've done well to avoid announcing it entirely. All the announcement did was fuel speculation and frustration over the lack of information available.

Super Mario RPG, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Donkey Kong Country 2/3, and so many more titles have long deserved a spot in this alleged legacy preservation subscription service. I'm tempted to bring up N64 games, but, at this point, I'm hesitant to think we'll ever get to play games like F-Zero X, Star Fox 64, Super Smash Bros., Majora's Mask, etc., in a convenient and legal way again.

It's really too bad my Wii U died on me. Maybe I should just buy another one of those.

@Wavey84 I'm with you on wanting Dabura. I'd also like to see Raditz, Chichi with the Bansho Fan, and Bulma in a mech. Future Gohan and Majin Vegeta are two others I'd really like to see, but I'm unsure how realistic their inclusions are. They seem mostly relegated to us 90s fans that grew up with them. Even Roshi's outfit is from his Super outing. I'll take it, regardless!

@YagaMaki Happy it did! I've been requesting Roshi since before FighterZ came out.

Everyone seems to think the next character's going to be someone interesting like Roshi, which means we're probably getting another Goku!

Mario game performs moderately well on Nintendo's hottest console since the Wii.

@Classic603 Is that right? LOL! There's a lot to love in Skyward Sword ... just like modern Paper Mario games. Well, maybe not Sticker Star.

Skward Sword is actually home to my favorite art direction in the entire series. Despite how much I can appreciate its artistic merits with regard to music and visuals, its characters, and its dungeons, the gameplay never "clicked" with me.

Using every chance I get to bring this out: The first two (or three, depending on whom you ask) Paper Mario games are your universally well-received Zelda games, and the rest of the entries are one variant or another of Skyward Sword.

@MeowMeowKins While I do recommend playing both, II is the better game by a mile. Happy gaming!

@MeowMeowKins Lufia I & II are on SNES, and, in my view, they are the two worth playing. The series then went to handhelds. I may have played the DS one, but I can't remember anything about it. Interpret that however you want.

Radiant Historia is a DS game. I originally purchased it thinking it had a tie-in to Radiata Stories on PS2, but I was mistaken. I'm happy I got it, though, as it is probably my favorite RPG on the system. The DS has a huge RPG library, too. It's really that good. It got a 3DS remake, but I would recommend the original over it. The remake took some contentious style changes over the original.

@MeowMeowKins If you can grapple with the occasional tedium that can be MMOs, FFXIV is an incredible game. It's probably my favorite game, actually. There's nothing quite like taking down major FF enemies with a group of friends!

The only RPGs I played from Atlus might be Lufia and Radiant Historia. I have nothing but good things to say about them, too, especially Radiant Historia. That was an excellent game!

@MeowMeowKins I'm not too familiar with the Atlus RPGs, unfortunately! I don't have anything against them, and I plan to get the SMT remake and new installment when they release for Switch.

My main issue may be a lack of access, as I hardly ever touch my PS4. I've been considering the older Persona game that dropped on Steam a few weeks back, but I spend most of my game time these days with FFXIV and the occasional hour or so with SSBU. I can be pulled away from these two games, if given a compelling enough reason. Being on PC or Switch definitely helps, too.

As an admitted RPG fan, 64 and TTYD are the only two I really care about. I can appreciate Super Paper Mario ... to an extent, although its gameplay was too much of a departure for me to commit the time to finishing it. After the series made that transition, I never bought another Paper Mario game again. Each subsequent release was surrounded by criticism and drama. It became clear the series had changed, so they lost my business.

Seeing Paper Jam up there is curious. I can't comment on its quality, as I barely know anything about it. I stopped playing/following the Mario & Luigi series after Bowser's Inside Story for no other reason than spending less time playing on handhelds. If the comments here are anything to go by, it looks to be a more controversial entry. Well, what can you do? 🤷

Dragon Quest seems to be doing fine. MIC DROP!

Innovation for the sake of it gets you Star Fox Zero and Skyward Sword. That's what Paper Mario has become now ... only with creativity restrictions being actively imposed, apparently.

The lengths people here go to defend Nintendo never cease to surprise me.

I never really cared for Pikmin, but I would love more Wii U ports on the Switch. The Zelda remasters and Xenoblade Chronicles X are a few of the last titles worth porting. I would love to play these games again! My Wii U died on me a few years ago, and I never went through the trouble of fixing it. Here's to hoping!

@TalesOtaco @Alztru

@Mateo_El_Goron explained the issue perfectly. I'll follow and provide a character example demonstrating how this design choice obstructs gameplay.

I play Falco, and one of his main kill confirms is up-tilt to back-air. Sometimes, a full-hop aerial (or however close you can get to actually pulling off a full-hop aerial) is required to make the confirm. Due to short-hop aerial being forced when you press the jump button and an attack input within a set amount of frames, you find yourself fighting the controls to make basic confirms. Missing a kill because of the forced short-hop aerial mechanic is always frustrating.

The implementation was obviously a result of good intentions. The developers were wise enough to understand the necessity of short-hop aerials to create a shortcut input, but, in doing so, they turned a handicap into an irritating obstruction for more experienced players. The lack of a toggle for this is curious, to say the least.

As much as there is to love about SSBU, it's hindered by some significant flaws: overall bad online experience, questionable mechanics like forced short-hop aerials without the ability to toggle them off, the deeply frustrating buffer system, etc.

SSBU has the potential to easily be the best Super Smash Bros. game, but it's not without its issue; most (if not all) of which can be fixed, and I hope we do see them fixed one day.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this one of the first Switch games announced? Isn't it also true we've never seen actual gameplay of what Bayonetta 3 looks like?

Much of the work would already be done if Platinum retooled preexisting assets to work with a more traditional control scheme. A large part of what made Star Fox 64 so popular was how well it controlled as a 3D shooter on rails. It sounds almost too simple, but it just felt great to play. Everything was quickly paced, intuitive, and responsive. I have too many memories that involve sitting around with friends for hours blowing things up in multiplayer mode.

This highlights one of Star Fox: Zero's glaring flaws. The lack of multiplayer is inexcusable. Combine that with how it needed to be sacrificed for a controversial control scheme, and you have a recipe for disaster. I bought the game at launch, played it for an extended period of time, and never picked it up again. Those controls were atrocious.

Nintendo could also port Star Fox 64 3D just to get a "good" Star Fox on the Switch. On a related note, it's a mystery as to why Nintendo hasn't been in the business of re-releasing popular 3DS games on the Switch. That would open the door to seeing games like the Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask remakes; games I've wanted on Switch for a while now, actually.

This desire could also be satisfied by implementing a decent system that preserves Nintendo's legacy titles, but it's hard to see that as a priority for Nintendo these days. I wonder if we'll ever be able to revisit classics as easily as we did with the Virtual Console.

I've been cycling Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Final Fantasy XIV on PC for some time now. I'm still dreaming of a convenient way to play N64 games on my Switch. If that happens, I'll have more to play.

@Crockin Memer confirmed.

@Crockin My argument is perfectly sound, actually, and yours is still weak—but thanks for showing everyone you can't engage beyond memeing. Even in your meme response, you didn't grapple with anything I said. You conflate criticisms against a variety of games as if they're equal. They're not, though, and comparing complaints over art direction to a game series that transitioned from being a platformer to a car-building sim is either blatantly disingenuous or stupid.

@Crockin Bold of you to compare the success of a Paper Mario game (modern or not) to Zelda, arguably one of the most important game IPs on the planet, but go off. It's not impossible to compare them, but your argument is weak. The criticisms levied at Majora's Mask and Wind Waker were over difficulty and art direction, respectively—not criticisms based in how the games function mechanically over decisions to leave core gameplay elements behind.

Majora's Mask was a typical and somewhat dark Zelda game with a doomsday clock tacked on to create a sense of urgency. Wind Waker's art direction was viewed with skepticism because it was shown/released during a time when "realism" was just becoming graphically possible, and people were surprised to see Nintendo ignore current trends to create what would end up being a game that aged remarkably well. You can actually say the same thing about the older Paper Mario games, considering the hardware they ran on.

The heart of the criticisms being made against Paper Mario aren't because of superficial concerns or gripes with difficulty. They're rooted in a departure from what the series once was. Even with the transition to 3D, the "Zelda formula" remained mostly unchanged. Zelda's core gameplay loop is so heralded, it spawned a term people use to describe it, and it has been invoked to criticize games that significantly depart from the established gameplay mechanics of the series.

Skyward Sword is one game to be criticized this way (and, to some extent, Breath of the Wild). It's much more apt to compare the fan reaction to Skyward Sword and modern Paper Mario games. In fact, I'm going to do that now. The first two (or three, depending on whom you ask) games in Paper Mario are more or less your universally well-received Zelda titles, and everything that came after is Skyward Sword.

I made the "Physical Version" pledge. By the time I finished, the total money backed increased $50,000. Let's hope it maintains this momentum!

EDIT: In two hours, it went up nearly $250K. I don't think there's any concern warranted over whether this will reach its goal or not.

@BlackenedHalo Sprites rendered within 3D environments is hardly a concept the team behind Octopath Traveler founded. What they did, though, was attempt to replicate the backgrounds from the SNES era to create parity between the sprites and environments. This, if doing anything remotely similar, looks as if it's attempting to replicate the pre-rendered backgrounds from the PS1 era, or, if we look at games like Xenogears (or Suikoden), it might be an effort to capitalize on the nostalgia from that era. Many games back then made use of 3D engines to develop the environments and threw high-quality character sprites on top. This is all just speculation, though.

@NEStalgia If you're a fan of the first, the additional companion scenarios more than justify a revisit. There's a slew of new content ranging from QoL fixes to additions to the campaign. Some of its new content is restricted to the 2D mode, but that's not to say it wasn't enjoyable.

As you can probably tell from my PFP, I'm a DQ fan. This'll be my 3rd time buying the game. Personally, I can't wait to replay it. DQXI wound up being one of my favorite games to come out in the last decade, so I might be a little biased in recommending it.

Excited to play the definitive version on PC! As well as it is optimized for the Switch, I always found myself wanting the luxuries PC brings: unshakable FPS, higher resolutions, etc.

"Our development" seems to imply some first-party focus, doesn't it?

@Luffymcduck From what I heard of their music, it rocks as hard as it ever did. Some of the charm that made the originals so special is still intact. Maybe that also contributes to my frustration with the modern Paper Mario series; to be so close, yet so far. That's a fair summation of my thoughts towards the series now, actually.

Bravely Default 2 and Ys Origin are what I'm looking forward to most. It's curious how we haven't really had an update for the former in a while, but I'm sure it'll be great. I may get Crystal Chronicles, despite the lack of couch co-op. I have some friends who've still expressed interest in online play, but we'll see. In light of our worldly circumstances, it's probably best to avoid couch gaming for the time being, anyway.