somnambulance

Why so cagey about release dates right now?

Also, it’s so weird that 2026 has a basically empty release slate this far into 2025. Where is the hype train?

More exciting news than the Direct, amirite?

Seriously, looking forward to seeing more and hopefully that’s soon!

Looks better than most games in the Direct, that’s for sure! And it’s the one game I bought today!

@darylb24 I hope there’s another new Direct soon. I had the crazy expectation today that I’d be ready to spend some money after the Direct, but honestly… no… I’ll download the Shinobi demo and wishlist Katamari, even though I can’t say that one blew me away. This year and last have felt like such a gaming drought and I sort of thought we’d see something more interesting for me, personally. I mean, Octopath is fine, but we’re definitely hitting oversaturation point on HD-2D RPGs. It’s just frustrating when we all know there’s maybe half a dozen to a dozen games that are actual draws and they all will get released on top of each other after months of the industry being dry. And where’s the games that actually utilize Switch 2 features like mouse mode?

This Direct hit like the Direct that came the day before the other Direct but with less Nintendo presence. This one basically said to me, “Go ahead, buy Ragebound… you aren’t going to be playing anything new for a while on the console.” Seriously, this Direct has to be the most stale, safe, and bland Direct I’ve ever seen.

What are they waiting for? They have Prime 4, Silksong, Hades, etc. It feels like the games are there. There were hints of the games we all want, but then where were they? Where are the hyped games?

UFO 50, Hades, and Witchbrook would be instant purchases from me. I’m hoping for preorders to open for Mina the Hollower and Silksong. I’d love for an update on some first party games but I guess I’m hoping for that less now. I want the indies and first parties for Switch 2. I’m not interested in ports of older games as I’d have bought any of those games elsewhere by now. I would love to see something new from Kojima, but I don’t expect that at all.

Jeez, I hope this isn’t Port City… feel a bit deflated about that one. Hopefully Metroid gets a mention. There goes the Animal Crossing rumors.

Man, Direct when? I’ve bought half as many games this year as last year and last year was my lowest purchase year in my adult life, which is half my life now. I’m craving the satisfaction of scheduling my game time!

Nah, the base game is good enough. I would upgrade, but I’m not buying the camera accessory. I don’t have friends or family to play online with, so I’ll never be buying the camera. We’re a couch co-op type of group. I am curious about the mouse games, but not enough to shell out $20. My family does like this game though, even if we’ve played the other two Switch Mario Party games more!

Completed Donkey Kong Bananza last week, but I might watch my son play it. I love the game.

That said, returning to Death Stranding 2 is the next project, which I also absolutely love. I’m just struggling to find time to play the PS5 though and the Switch 2 is much easier to squeeze sessions in at the moment.

Unless I decide to pick up something at random for Switch 2 in the near future (like Ragebound if it reviews in a way that tells me I need to play it, or unless we actually get a Direct soon and there’s some heavy hitters launching sooner than we could’ve guessed) I’ve basically got my gaming slate wiped clean for DS2 for the summer.

Beat the game yesterday and I hope to see the game have lots of success in the future. The game is so good, and I’ll be honest, there’s a certain moment towards the end where I just couldn’t stop smiling. There are moments of pure game design genius in this game that could only come from Nintendo. I can’t believe this game may actually beat DKC2 for being the best DK game… it seems insane for that to be a reality.

I’d buy it day 1. This looks like exactly the goofy stuff I want out of the weirdness of mouse controls.

@Oldstalk I had the Switch 2 Direct on my calendar. The whole family gathered for it. I don’t know about everyone else, but Nintendo Directs are full family events in my household. I’d love for Nintendo to be more open about them. It’s something to look forward to, you know?

I hope the Direct just gets announced today, so the rumors can end… and also so we can finally have a Switch 2 release slate for the year!

All this arguing in here and I’m just hoping this rating is an indication that a Direct is getting announced this week, even if I’m not double dipping on Shadows.

Fantastic game, if you’ve not yet played it. Hope many more people get to enjoy this unique game.

Can we please just get a real Nintendo Direct?

I am really looking forward to this game, but headwings Dragonite is just plain goofy to me.

When I think of playing Atari as a kid, honestly these are sort of the games I think of, so I’m glad they’re getting added in (even if there’s better ways to play them on modern consoles than emulating the Atari versions).

Potentially a 10/10. It’s just so fun. It’s got that Nintendo magic

I was surprised to hear my son tell me yesterday that Donkey Kong Bananza is even better than Super Mario Odyssey, which is the only game to him that is better than Astro Bot. I’m not sure how I feel yet (I mean, that’s a tall comparison), but it’s undeniable how jubilant the game is, and I can totally see this game making more and more sales as word of mouth continues around this one. If DKB isn’t a GotY contender, I don’t even know what to say.

I have the tendency to get motion sickness in games (I basically can’t even try VR games a lot of the time) and DK hasn’t given me this feeling in the slightest. The camera can cramp and sometimes digging down can feel confusing at times, but it’s honestly at its worst about those topics in Ingot Island and improves right away after the starting layer.

Their response to the layoffs sounds basically like Microsoft’s response and honestly I’m not sure I want to support either company is any capacity in the future if this is how they respond to success.

Donkey Kong Bananza for sure. Playing the Switch again just makes gaming so much more convenient, as I’d gone back to playing Switch more heavily while my PS5 was in the shop and I sort of noticed I was gaming more, but bugging my wife less about it because it felt like I was gaming less due to shorter sessions. DK is absolutely fantastic, by the way.

I’d like to play more Death Stranding 2 though.

Honestly, both games are so good, it’s insane. It’s crazy how these two games are just so beyond anything else that’s released this year. Haven’t enjoyed two games in tandem so much since the crowded second half of 2019.

Took maybe two hours of playtime, but I officially am happy with DK’s redesign after being a bit uneasy about his change for a while. He’s such a goofy DK. It’s great. Sony almost hit Mario heights with Astro Bot and Nintendo just came right back with DK. Fantastic game to officially kickoff the Switch 2.

Got the game as my first physical game for the console, by the way. I just like my Switch stuff to be physical, even though I got Mario Kart digitally.

@Olliemar28 About how long is this one? I’m definitely sandwiched between the fine artisanal bread of Death Stranding 2 and DK Bananza, but hey I want more games for Switch 2 and I’m a sucker for the Dig Dug references, so I’m wondering if this may be a palette cleanser after the other two games.

Preordered from Amazon and got the game before the release date, which was very cool.

Game is absolutely worth $70, by the way. I know Nintendo fans without other platforms aren’t used to $70 games, but those of us on other platforms have been stuck with this pricing for half a decade now on new games. That said, DK is more worth it than 95%+ of PS5 games I’ve bought at launch so far.

I got myself one. Loving Bananza so far!

I hope some more 10s come in for this just to edge it into being the highest reviewed game this year.

@R_Ryder I hope so. I’d love to play it again.

This reads to me like it could be Switch 2’s GotY. Sounds like it may be a 10/10 for me too. I can’t wait to play this!

Glad they went with genuine youth in the film. Sony’s films have been pretty rough lately and I’m not exactly sold on the director or producer, but I want this one to be good. At least the kids playing Zelda and Link are interesting choices.

I’d try a demo. I mean, the Switch 2 release schedule is basically empty after DK as it stands right now (announce that darn Direct tomorrow!) so why not, right?

I sort of agree with this. With my PS5 being in the shop for the last month too, I was sort of stuck in a weird “I can’t even finish what I was playing while I wait for new games” kind of place. So what did I do? I got bored of Mario Kart World… but then I didn’t have anything else new to play, so… I kept playing it. I was going to play Windwaker, but I didn’t want to get stuck into something big while I didn’t know when I’d be able to finally sink into Death Stranding 2 (as much as I love my Switch, it was my most anticipated game this year). So what did I do? Play Mario Kart. And I hit a point where I didn’t really feel bored with it, but appreciative for just how relaxing and open the game is. I just aimlessly drive and do nothing in the game and I like doing that. There’s just so much detail and design in the game and I find something new each time I play. I can safely say it’s my favorite Mario Kart game now and might be my second favorite game so far this year.

@rvcolem1 Ninja Gaiden’s only a few weeks away now! Just gotta beat DK and DS2 before I get to it. We’re all going to be eating good soon with plenty of goty tier games. Nintendo just needs to confirm when. I’ve got a feeling the Switch 2 line-up will soon be insane in the best possible way

@N00BiSH I will take that too and a reactivation of Mario 35 please!

If only it was updated to have Galaxy 2!

Just give me release dates for Hades 2 and Silksong. Rogue Prince of Persia also. I don’t even need trailers. Just give me dates. You can have my money.

Like third parties, I too would like to show off that I support Nintendo, but I haven’t gotten the opportunity.

I am starving for a Direct. I don’t necessarily need more games at the moment, but I need to finalize my not-E3 budget.

Finally something new to play on Switch 2!

Very excited for this one, as it and Metroid made me feel compelled to jump on the Switch 2 immediately. It’ll be a welcome challenge to balance playing DK and Death Stranding 2. Not sure if there could be another two games I’d be more excited to juggle.

Finally Death Stranding 2 for me! After two weeks at the shop, my PS5 seems to be a-ok!

@DynamoDouglas This is what I’m sort of expecting. It makes sense to do a Mario blowout like this for the 40th. I’d imagine there may be some smaller Mario things too like Mario 35 coming back perhaps? I can dream about that one, can’t I? But seriously, I hope the rumor of Mario Universe is the next Mario game.

That said, I’m totally ok waiting and letting DK have the spotlight. He deserves it!

His vision is a big part of the reason why I still support Nintendo. I can see that there’s a heritage of his ideas, even if Nintendo does some questionable stuff too. It’s a belief in creating entertainment magic. Iwata is missed but not forgotten.

Already own them all though!

This looks like a Day 1 buy for me

There’s a conspiracy out there that Pragmata may have something to do with Megaman in some shape and form. I hope it’s true…

@Oldstalk I’m honestly going crazy without a Direct being in sight. My PS5 has been in the shop, so I’m missing out on Death Stranding and I’m there with my Switch 2… waiting for new games. Mario Strikers was more exciting than it should have been. Lol

Nintendo Direct where they drop all five of them please. I’d love to play basically any of these. It certainly does feel like we’ve had a slow unroll of DK games the last year or so and it’s time for 64 right before Bananza. Diddy Kong Racing should happen when they inevitably make Diddy DLC for MKW.

@sketchturner Pipistrello is such an unsung hero in the indie space this year. Best game I’ve played on the Switch family of consoles in the first half of the year for sure. Great shout out!

I voted for Welcome Tour. Yeah, Deltarune is nice, and Fast Fusion is a solid game, but Welcome Tour feels so unique and novel and calm in a way that really stands out to me. It’s very Clubhouse 51 Games in the best possible way. It might end up being in my top 10 list at the end of the year.

Hopefully we get games that actually utilize the features from the game unlike what the PS5 did with Astro’s Playroom, as that game, to date, utilizes the Dualsense far more than anything else that has released (and by a wide margin too) even now. What can I say? I like unique experiences that recontextualize what a controller does.