thesilverbrick

@NintendoPok Sakurai didn’t choose the DLC characters. Nintendo itself did.

I fully expect rereleases of Zelda, Ganondorf and Link to match their heavily updated designs. Why else would Sakurai have drawn attention to them in the Direct?

@cheesedude To me adding Brewster feels like it could be more of an autumn thing. I kind of expect Kappn to appear in August with his boat to use that otherwise pointless dock.

@Tandy255 I’m glad I’m not the only one. It’s strange, because it seems to only be that way during races. The sound in the menus is fine.

Does anyone else find the audio during races to be quite “blown out” sounding?

Yet another character attacking Wario.

She looks awesome. I was kind of hoping for a Bowser Jr. type situation with a couple different fighters rolled into one, but they leaned heavily into her specific dragon arm and flip kick abilities, so I understand the decision.

@ninoishi Min Min is Asian, not white.

Would it have been too much to ask them to make the DLC just work with both versions?

I finally finished the main story of Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, and I think I’ll take a little breather from that game before coming back to play the Future Connected epilogue. I’ve resumed my play through of Golden Sun, plus I discovered an second gold N64 cartridge of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that I had buried in my collection, so naturally I have to create and complete a 100% file on that. Oh, and I’ll probably round up and train a bunch of new Pokémon on the Isle of Armor, as well, though I was a smidge disappointed at the very small amount of story content in the DLC, to be honest.

Unless one of them is a remake or sequel of Beetle Adventure Racing, I don’t care one bit.

@Screen Yes, but my point is they were already busy making the Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra behind the scenes when they said they had “no plans” to add more Pokémon to Sword and Shield. They lied. They could’ve done the same when they said they weren’t making Let’s Go sequels.

@Screen They also said they had no plans to add Pokémon beyond the original Galarian Pokédex, despite the fact that the Expansion Pass was already under development. I wouldn’t take their word as gospel.

@fadedcolors Parents with children who are learning toothbrushing habits. I thought the trailer made that pretty clear.

@stevenw45 Why in any universe would the game get “shut down”?

Bob >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Raymond

This is a fact.

I sold 20 Nook Miles Tickets on Nookazon for 4 million bells on Nookazon in just minutes. Paid off my house and upgraded all my bridges and ramps. I have no need for the tickets to hunt for neighbors, since I have amiibo cards of all my favorites, so I can turn my tickets into cash whenever I want.

Sometimes I can’t help but feel like the poor guy has basically sacrificed his whole being for this series. I honestly wouldn’t mind if he backs away from the series for several years after he wraps up Ultimate’s DLC. The guy deserves a life.

I picked up Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition yesterday (canceling my delayed Amazon preorder and opting to get it at Walmart instead), and while I was there I snagged their last copy of Astral Chain, as well, though I won’t be playing that anytime soon, since I plan on thoroughly playing through Xenoblade again (and actually finishing it this time!) before tackling any other big games. I didn’t quite finish Golden Sun in time before Xenoblade released, so I’m hoping to pick at that here and there so I don’t lose track of the story, plus I’m kind of re-obsessed with N64 Rare games at the moment, and I’m playing bits of Diddy Kong Racing and Banjo Tooie.

I preordered on Amazon, which usually is fine, since they do release date shipping to Prime members, but because of the current world situation I won’t be getting the game until June 2. I’m tempted to cancel and buy elsewhere, but they just dropped the preorder price by ten bucks. Trying to determine whether I’m ok waiting five days or if I should just go out and buy it in a store.

Mayo is filthy. Congrats to ketchup. I had tons of fun playing this Splatfest and I hope they’ll occasionally do them in the future. It can’t be all that difficult or costly for Nintendo, can it?

The fact that they’re giving out so many large Exp Candy makes me wonder just how powerful the trainers in the DLC are going to be.

@zool I hear you, and for the record, I was one of the few people who always had the 3D slider turned all the way up. I realize you and I were the minority, seeing nearly all my friends and acquaintances playing their games without the 3D effect on at all. I will miss the self-protected clamshell design of the 3DS and Nintendo definitely did some clever new things with dual screen gaming over the years. But I’d gladly trade that all away in a heartbeat for a true console-type experience on-the-go, which we have with Switch, not to mention the fact that I don’t have to own two Nintendo systems anymore. As it stands, I still play games from my backlog on 3DS at least a couple times a week and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. The 3DS (and DS, for that matter) had an amazing run and provided me with some of my favorite gaming experiences, but I totally understand why they have been dropped in favor of something more streamlined.

@zool You keep ignoring the fact that launching a second handheld console would make two handheld Nintendo systems on the market. They tried that before. When the original DS launched, it was billed as a third pillar, designed to exist alongside the GBA and the GameCube. The market couldn’t sustain the DS And GBA, and the GBA died out. Regardless of the fact that the Switch can be docked to a TV, it still can be played portably, and many people view it as a portable system. Why in the world would Nintendo want to divide their game development resources between two different handhelds? You keep ignoring that point. At this point, someone only needs to buy one system to have complete access to Nintendo‘s entire current software output. Splitting that up again by introducing a second handheld system is a massive step backwards. And for what? Just so you can have a second screen while gaming? How many 3DS games really made use of the second screen in any kind of meaningful way? Stereoscopic 3D was a fad and a gimmick and most players didn’t use it, plus, besides a little bit of a wow factor, it added nothing to gaming. There are no 3DS games that needed 3D to be played effectively. A new 3DS would have to justify its existence, and its unique features are very moot at this point. The fact that the Switch Lite cells so much worse than the base Switch despite its lower cost should be enough of an indicator that the public doesn’t want a dedicated portable anymore. And a successor to the 3DS would be just that. Something that doesn’t need to exist, that would divide Nintendo’s development resources and really wouldn’t sell well. And for what?

@zool Except then Nintendo would have two handheld systems on the market, each with its own separate library. One would cannibalize the other. I’d much, much rather buy one console to play all their games than buy two different handhelds each with a smaller library. Consolidating their games output into one system is a win-win. And you absolutely overestimate the appeal of the 3D effect. Like I said before, surveys indicate that most people played their 3DS with that effect off. It was a gimmick that most people didn’t enjoy. And it added nothing to games except a small “wow” factor. Seriously, I can only think of one game (Super Mario 3D Land) that actually used the 3D effect in gameplay in a necessary way, and that was even super limited.

@zool Even when Nintendo was supporting the 3DS with new games towards then end, they sold way under expectations. Even Metroid Samus Returns saw disappointing sales, at a time when people really wanted Metroid. The reason? People had mostly moved on. The Switch could do portable gaming in a more appealing way, and people focused their attention away from the 3DS. You keep saying that the 3DS had many years left in it, but the fact that the games and hardware sales spiraled downward after the Switch launched say otherwise. That downward trend started once the Switch arrived, even while Nintendo was still pumping out some quality 3DS games. The Switch effectively replaced the 3DS in the minds of the average consumer and the market responded accordingly.

@zool Except even at its absolute peak sales, the 3DS never, ever sold as many units of software or hardware as the Switch is selling. What Nintendo has now with the Switch has far, far broader appeal than the 3DS ever did.

Individual gamers like yourself may have been ready to support the 3DS eight plus years after it released, but the sales numbers tell a story of dried up consumer interest. Your feelings are anecdotal at best. The numbers say otherwise. And ultimately, it’s sales that drive a business like Nintendo forward.

I sent my wife’s JoyCon in for repair just a week or two before this thing started. I was glad to get them back in only four days.

@zool Your analogy doesn’t quite line up here. Sure, Apple phones are upgraded each year, but software that ran on the original iPhone still is completely compatible with the most current model. There is a vast difference in functionality between a 3DS and a Switch, and not just on a technology level. The Switch lacks a second screen, a microphone, StreetPass functionality, etc. while the 3DS doesn’t have a second analog stick, widescreen display, a capacitive touch screen, not to mention the processing power necessary to run a Switch games. It’s not as simple as giving each console cartridge slots for the other console’s games.

You and I may have enjoyed the 3D gimmick on the 3DS, but research and surveys show that most people turn it off when playing. Nintendo knows this, which is the reason why you don’t see any of the 3-D models on store shelves anymore, and you haven’t for a long time. I think you overestimate the enduring popularity of the 3DS. It had its day, and was beloved, but it has absolutely fallen out of favor. The Switch is on track to absolutely surpass the 3DS in lifetime sales. And since the Switch is effectively a home console and a handheld in one, Nintendo was able to retire both the Wii U and 3DS simultaneously and devote all of its development resources to a single platform, which serves to streamline things for them and allow consumers to enjoy all of their software output without having to buy two separate systems. It’s really a win-win.

And you haven’t lost your 3DS games. You can play them as much as you want forever, just like you can play games on your old GameBoy or GameCube or Wii or SNES. The fact of the matter is, when platforms are no longer financially viable, they fall by the wayside, and the 3DS is no different. It would make no sense from a financial perspective for Nintendo to continue production of the 3DS or its games.

@zool The 3DS’s sales numbers were circling the drain even before the Switch Lite launched. Even new titles launched for 3DS were selling miserably. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story sold so poorly that it bankrupted the studio that developed it. Software and hardware sales for 3DS were unsustainable and Nintendo had to move on, like they had to do with every generation prior, and this is coming from someone who still plays his 3DS on a regular basis. I love the 3DS and will be playing it for years, but from a business perspective it was a sinking ship. To continue to pump out new software that wasn’t going to sell would have been financially foolish.

@andykara2003 I definitely agree. I wish there were some form of IR tracking with the JoyCon so we could replicate true Wii remote pointer function accurately.

@andykara2003 You couldn’t play any of the Prime Trilogy games with the GamePad on Wii U. That feature only worked on Wii games that were compatible with the Classic Controller, and the Metroid Prime Trilogy was not. The Wii Remote and Nunchuck are the only way to play Prime 3. It has never been playable without motion controls.

I look forward to playing through this again, whenever they decide to send out the physical version to Kickstarter backers...

I’m knee-deep in Golden Sun and I’m determined to wrap it up within the next two weeks so I can clear my schedule for Xenoblade when it arrives. I’ll be chipping away at Tetris 99 to get that new Animal Crossing theme, and I’m considering starting the original Paper Mario in the wake of the announcement of the incoming newest installment on Switch.

I don’t understand the complaints. Sure, I’d like more games more frequently, but I have a hard time whining when I’m literally paying only $1.66 a month.

Im super curious how they’ll handle Prime 3, since it was so incredibly heavy on motion controls.

I’m trying to attack my backlog, which at the moment means I’m about ten hours into the first Golden Sun game on my GameBoy Micro (and occasionally the GameBoy Player on GameCube, when I’m in the mood to look at a bigger screen). On Switch, I’m still actively and daily playing bits of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, plus I got my hands on a cheap copy of the port of Go Vacation, which is definitely a trip down memory lane. I’m trying to resist the urge to replay old games at the moment and focus on ones that are new to me, but with all this extra time on my hands inevitably I’ve drifted into noncommittal replays of Super Mario 64 and Earthbound, as well.

I honestly think this is a twofold problem. The beta test went so poorly, and it became very apparent they had a lot more work to do on the game, but the social restrictions imposed as a result of COVID-19 make the extra teamwork required to fix these bugs impossible given the limited time remaining. It’s definitely a bit of both, if you ask me. Had either the beta went smoothly or the virus not been present, we’d likely see an on-schedule release.

I should be using this time to take a big bite out of my backlog, but I can’t stop replaying old classics I’ve beaten a hundred times. At least Xenoblade will be a nice time sink.

Any word on any kind of release date?

Oof, fighting games are the most unforgiving kind of game to play online. Best of luck to them.

I get that the release schedule is uncertain, but I would have no problem with a Direct that didn’t have any release dates or windows. I get that most of the 2020 line up is going to get delayed, but I just kind of want something to look forward to, even if we have to wait a bit longer than usual. As it stands, after Xenoblade comes out, everything is dead silent for the foreseeable future, and that kind of bums me out. A Direct could’ve fixed that, even if the games featured were all tentative. Oh, well. It’ll happen eventually.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons will be on my playlist for the next few years, but at this point it’s just for the daily grind and whatnot. Other than that, I’m hoping to start the Golden Sun trilogy, beginning with the first GBA game. I’ve owned all three games for years, but I’ve never had the time to play through them. I figure it’s now or never. Also, just for kicks, I picked up Totally Reliable Delivery Service to play online with a friend, and that game is just mindless fun.

@ObsidianEleven Yeah, selling the Steam code actually is a pretty great idea. I don’t know why that didn’t occur to me.

@DinnerAndWine I suppose you’re right, and outsourcing the mailing would be a headache, but they could’ve at least sent physical backers a download code for the platform they actually chose.

@ObsidianEleven Of course they haven’t done this on purpose. I just think it could’ve been handled better. I get that there was a problem they didn’t see coming and the game can be shipped out on time. But the physical backers could be sent download codes for the platform they actually chose the game for. Doesn’t that make sense?

@DinnerAndWine I understand that, but what I’m saying is that they could outsource the individual mailing to a country that doesn’t have a frozen postal system.

@DinnerAndWine I understand that COVID-19 is the underlying problem and has stopped postal service in Japan, but then why can they ship the retail version to stores in NA and Europe before they get copies to backers? Surely there’s a way to send a shipment of copies to a distributor in another country who can send them to the people who actually paid to support this game. I’d understand if this delay affected everyone the same, but the backers have to wait longer than everyone else despite being the people who made this game actually a possibility. Feels like a kick in the teeth.

Go figure. The retail price ($40) is actually less expensive than being a physical backer (about $41), and now we get the game later, too. I spent more money to get the game later than someone who just goes out to buy it upon release. And the Steam code means absolutely nothing to me, as I don’t have a gaming PC. Can’t they give a Switch code to Switch backers? Or does that just make too much sense?

As if the miserable performance of the demo wasn’t bad enough, when I see the words “gacha mechanics” I know to turn around and walk away. I have no problem with honest micro transactions to support a free to play game, but gacha mechanics are extremely anti-consumer, unfair and are tantamount to gambling and don’t belong in any games marketed to children.