Man, a remake is their big tent pole holiday release this year? Between that and all the NS2E games, it feels like most of the "new" games are just repackaged "old" games.
Don't get me wrong, I like enhancements as much as the next guy, but it really feels like Nintendo is stalling with so many of these to make up for a slim lineup of new games. I think I'd also be more excited for the NS2Es if they were just free technical upgrades and it didn't feel like Nintendo was trying to find "creative" ways to add on throwaway content to justify charging for the upgrade packs.
Regarding the Xenoblade 2 NS2E, hopefully they've taken the criticism to heart for the sad excuse for an "upgrade" that is the Xenoblade X NS2E. Please don't phone it in again with the world's worst upscaling algorithm.
As for Star Fox, I just want an awesome rail shooter with no weird gimmicks or lame slow-paced missions to "break up the pace." I really didn't like those slow exploration bits in Zero. I want all action all the time. Just make a dense, replayable, challenging campaign. And don't make the story another retelling of Star Fox 64 lol.
@ImpromptuR WiiWare and VC games are safe for the time being, but Nintendo has confirmed in their FAQ that they do plan to eventually disable your ability to redownload those games.
In the future we will close all services related to the Wii Shop Channel, including the ability to redownload WiiWare and Virtual Console games
@joey302 Key cards don't have any actual game data on the cartridge. It's just a glorified permission slip to let you download the entire game from the eShop.
So yes, it requires a significant amount of memory on your internal storage or Micro SD Express card. This is unlike normal Switch/Switch 2 cartridges which don't require installs and just let you play directly from the cartridge.
The other issue is you are dependent on Nintendo's servers to maintain access to your games. Because modern AAA Switch 2 games are so large, it isn't really practical to keep them all in your storage at once. So you have to delete games you're not playing at the moment to make room for new ones. While this is mostly just an inconvenience now, in a several decades, it's likely Nintendo will shut down their Switch 2 servers and you'll lose the ability to redownload games you previously paid for (like they are already planning to do with the servers that let you redownload Wii games).
IMO, it's basically the worst of both worlds: 1. Requires full download 2. Dependent on external server to maintain access 3. Requires you to insert a cartridge to play 4. Can be physically lost or stolen
@Roibeard64 "physical game sales are in the minority now anyway"
This isn't actually true for Nintendo. The narrative that "digital sells more" relies heavily on how they bundle various revenue sources together in their financial reports. It's a bit of a data manipulation trick.
In their latest financial report (Q3 FY 2026), Nintendo includes tables that break down their physical and digital sales (page 24).
The "Proportion of Digital Sales" table says that digital sales make up 50.4% of their sales in FY 2026. At first glance, this might make it seem like slightly more people prefer digital over physical, but if you read the footnotes, this is actually a bucket that includes download-only games, DLC, and NSO subscriptions, in addition to digital versions of physical games sold at retail.
To find the true split for retail games, you have to look at the second table: "Proportion of downloadable versions of packaged software sales," which sits at 51.9% for the same time period. This represents the portion of that 50.4% "Digital" bucket that actually consists of games also available at retail.
So by doing a bit of math, we can see that:
Physical game sales = 100% - 50.4% = 49.6%
Digital game sales (for games also sold physically) = 50.4% * 51.9% = ~26.2%
In other words, when a game is available both physically and digitally on Switch or Switch 2, the physical version will outsell the digital version on average by roughly 2:1. When given the choice, the Nintendo audience still greatly prefers physical media.
If this is the way to ensure that future Nintendo games get true physical releases (not GKCs), then so be it. I was worried that after Pokopia they'd try to shift more and more games to GKCs, but if they're willing to pass the cost of physical onto the consumer now, then there's no need for GKCs. Of course, there may still be edge cases where a GKC makes some amount of sense, like if the game size exceeds the max cartridge capacity, but even then, optimization would be a better solution.
Hopefully 3rd parties follow suit. I feel like publishers like NISA would have more success selling real physical cartridges for slightly more than digital than selling key cards for the same price as digital.
@jsty3105 Oh nice, so you really play the market. In order to break even, I assume you must sell directly to other players to avoid middlemen like GameStop taking a cut?
I see what you mean with renting. If you just wanna rent the game for a week, it sucks that you can't really rent the Switch 2 version; you'd also have to spend $5 to buy the digital upgrade pack.
If your main goal with the "buy and sell" strat is to save money, you could probably just wait for a big sale and come out ahead compared to buying and reselling. It's pretty common to find NISA games for at least 66% off a couple years after launch (whether that be via physical clearance or a big digital sale). Whereas you'd be lucky to re-sell a game for even 50% of the market value.
@Sylamp I came here to post about the exact same set of games. It's really annoying cause these have been known to be broken since Switch 2 launch, but for some reason, they're clearly not a priority for Nintendo to fix.
Great news! Looks like NISA might be finally realizing their niche fan base hate GKCs. They can't get away with it the same way The Pokemon Company can.
Even though a true physical Switch 2 version would have been ideal, an upgrade pack for the physical Switch 1 version is a much better compromise than a GKC.
This game in particular doesn't really appeal to me, but hopefully for future releases NISA either offers cheap upgrade paths or gives us proper Switch 2 physical releases.
Doesn't Nintendo realize they can just choose to block slop games on their own eShop? The same way they use their secretive "content guideline" to block random Japanese games from releasing here?
@jojobar Yeah, agree, GKCs are ruining the hobby for me. As such, I've purchased way less games since the Switch 2 launched compared to previous years and now I'm starting to pivot to other hobbies. As far as video games go, I'm probably going to mostly focus on my Switch 1 backlog and pick up the few true physical Switch 2 games that appeal to me.
Why didn't they just make it an actual Switch 2 Edition or an update so that physical players could also get the improvements and saves would still be compatible? What a mess.
Expected no less from Konami. With that pathetic "physical" release for the 1st collection, they were basically doing key cards before it was cool.
But I guess the Switch 1 still might have the better physical version than Switch 2 if it at least has Peace Walker and Ghost Babel on the cartridge. Might be worth a pick up when it hits the bargain bin for $15.
Looks like Spike Chunsoft learned their lesson after No Sleep for Kaname Date: their fans want real physical releases, not key cards.
Still, I'm sure if I'll purchase this particular game. I have the trilogy sitting in my Switch backlog, and I'm not sure how essential a remake of a visual novel would really be.
I love Castlevania and I'm happy it's back, but this doesn't really feel like Castlevania to me. Feels a bit too "westernized" with the art style, the somber music, and the gritty narrator.
I want that classic pixel art and a rockin' synth soundtrack.
Wait, NISA is publishing this in the west? Damn, that means it's gonna be on a GKC for sure (and they might even pull the same stunt they did with Daybreak and charge $10 more for the Switch 2 version).
I was hoping it was gonna be published by Happinet again so it could get a real physical release via LRG (like Legend of Runersia).
@ottoecamn The key word in my post was "major." Marvelous is more of a AA publisher.
This was also in the context of offering free updates. Out of their 4 games with both Switch 1 and Switch 2 versions, Bandai Namco offers free upgrades for 3 of them. Strange they didn't for Pac-Man World 2. But it's still a much better track record than Square Enix, which have only given us free updates for 1/4 of their simultaneous cross gen releases (Final Fantasy Tactics).
But ignoring that, yeah, Marvelous is better overall for offering their Switch 2 versions on cartridge. 👍
Code-in-a-box, Game-Key Card...both equally garbage. Actually, key card is worse cause it's the worst of both worlds: if the server shuts down you lose access, and if you lose the cartridge you lose access. It's a digital download with an added physical point of failure.
Just Bomberman (Switch 2 physical), Digimon (Switch 1 physical with free Switch 2 update), and Culdcept (Switch 2 physical) for me.
Maybe Kyoto Xanadu depending on how they handle the physical release (needs to either be a Switch 2 physical or Switch 1 physical with a free Switch 2 update).
There are 6 other games I'd get under normal circumstances, but since they're GKCs, I'm not interested anymore.
Gotta hand it to Bandai Namco: among all the major 3rd parties, they seem to be the best about offering free updates from Switch 1 to Switch 2. The GKC situation sucks, but if publishers don't wanna pony up for a real Switch 2 cartridge, I think this is a reasonable compromise (as long as the Switch 1 build is decent).
Looking forward to playing this to scratch the monster collecting itch since Pokemon has been trash for years.
As someone that loved buying 3rd party games on Switch 1, this would have been a 9/10 for me, but the blasted GKCs ruined a lot of the announcements and drag it down to a 4/10. Feels like Nintendo's trying to do everything in their power to get me to "Switch 2" PS5 or PC.
Games I'm considering purchasing: *Super Bomberman Collection (it's getting a proper NS2 Edition cartridge) *Digimon Story Time Stranger (Switch 1 physical with free Switch 2 upgrade) *Kyoto Xanadu (will need to see how they handle the Switch 2 physical, but at the very least, there's a Switch 1 version to fall back to) *Culdcept Begins (will need to see how they handle the Switch 2 physical, but at the very least, there's a Switch 1 version to fall back to)
Games I would get if they weren't GKCs: *The Adventures of Elliot *FFVII Rebirth *Granblue Fantasy: Relink *Monster Hunter Stories 3 *Tales of Arise *Resident Evil Requiem
Since Switch 2 version is on a GKC, I guess I'll go with the Switch 1 version. But since Square Enix doesn't have the decency to offer an upgrade path for this one (like they did for FFT), I'll wait to pick it up on sale.
As I suspected. It looks like a pretty bare-bones throwaway multiplayer minigame mode and that's about it.
They should have pulled a New Super Luigi U and made a more difficult campaign. Then I would have been interested in purchasing. The biggest issue with Wonder is that it was just way too easy. Beyond that, the removal of the timer reduced any incentive to speed run levels. If they wanna take the timer out of the main game for casuals fine, but can we at least get a Time Attack mode?
Since I'm not interested in key cards (and let's be real: all the Switch 2 games in the show will be key cards), the only realistic thing I'm hoping to see is more Switch 1 ports for classic games. Top picks include:
*More CAVE ports (especially Mushihimesama Futari) *Castlevania SotN & RoB (hopefully they can just do new ports and call the collection something other than Requiem to get around the Sony issue) *Xenogears or Xenosaga *More Falcom ports (Cold Steel I & II or missing Ys games)
I'm not gonna bother watching this one since, as a Partner Showcase, it's clear that virtually all the Switch 2 games will be GKCs. No use getting my hopes up. Instead, I'll just scan the headlines after the event to see if there's any good Switch 1 announcements.
On the Switch 1 side, I'm just hoping for more ports of classic games:
*More CAVE ports (especially Mushihimesama Futari) *Castlevania SotN & RoB (hopefully they can just do new ports and call the collection something other than Requiem to get around the Sony issue) *Xenogears or Xenosaga *More Falcom ports (Cold Steel I & II or missing Ys games)
So Nintendo confirms that they have their own "content and platform guidelines" which they require devs to abide by to release games on their platform, separate from the rating from ratings boards.
All they're saying is that they don't get the source code for random 3rd party games to manually add censor bars themselves (duh). Instead, they just tell the 3rd party, "sorry, this ain't gonna fly." Then the 3rd party chooses to either not release the game on Nintendo platforms in the affected regions, or to censor the game and resubmit.
Are you kidding me? A Partner Direct? Nintendo's 1st party lineup is looking pretty barren right now; it really feels like they're coasting. Only 1st party games I'm really looking forward to at the moment are Fire Emblem and Splatoon Raiders.
Knowing that it's a Partner Direct, I'm not even gonna bother watching cause every game is gonna be a GKC.
I'm still baffled that Nintendo would put this in the more expensive Expansion Pack tier when it already requires you to spend extra on an accessory. Surely it would be more logical to lower the barrier of entry to entice more people to purchase the accessory?
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Re: Rumour: Nintendo's 2026 Plans Include New Star Fox & Zelda Remake, No 3D Mario
Man, a remake is their big tent pole holiday release this year? Between that and all the NS2E games, it feels like most of the "new" games are just repackaged "old" games.
Don't get me wrong, I like enhancements as much as the next guy, but it really feels like Nintendo is stalling with so many of these to make up for a slim lineup of new games. I think I'd also be more excited for the NS2Es if they were just free technical upgrades and it didn't feel like Nintendo was trying to find "creative" ways to add on throwaway content to justify charging for the upgrade packs.
Regarding the Xenoblade 2 NS2E, hopefully they've taken the criticism to heart for the sad excuse for an "upgrade" that is the Xenoblade X NS2E. Please don't phone it in again with the world's worst upscaling algorithm.
As for Star Fox, I just want an awesome rail shooter with no weird gimmicks or lame slow-paced missions to "break up the pace." I really didn't like those slow exploration bits in Zero. I want all action all the time. Just make a dense, replayable, challenging campaign. And don't make the story another retelling of Star Fox 64 lol.
Re: Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition Has Been Rated For Switch 2
@HugoGED Yeah, hard to get excited about Capcom Switch 2 games when you know they're gonna be key cards. 😔
Re: Review: Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage (Switch 2) - A Great Port Of Sega's Deep Yet Approachable Fighter
@ImpromptuR WiiWare and VC games are safe for the time being, but Nintendo has confirmed in their FAQ that they do plan to eventually disable your ability to redownload those games.
Re: Review: Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage (Switch 2) - A Great Port Of Sega's Deep Yet Approachable Fighter
@joey302 Key cards don't have any actual game data on the cartridge. It's just a glorified permission slip to let you download the entire game from the eShop.
So yes, it requires a significant amount of memory on your internal storage or Micro SD Express card. This is unlike normal Switch/Switch 2 cartridges which don't require installs and just let you play directly from the cartridge.
The other issue is you are dependent on Nintendo's servers to maintain access to your games. Because modern AAA Switch 2 games are so large, it isn't really practical to keep them all in your storage at once. So you have to delete games you're not playing at the moment to make room for new ones. While this is mostly just an inconvenience now, in a several decades, it's likely Nintendo will shut down their Switch 2 servers and you'll lose the ability to redownload games you previously paid for (like they are already planning to do with the servers that let you redownload Wii games).
IMO, it's basically the worst of both worlds:
1. Requires full download
2. Dependent on external server to maintain access
3. Requires you to insert a cartridge to play
4. Can be physically lost or stolen
Re: Review: Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage (Switch 2) - A Great Port Of Sega's Deep Yet Approachable Fighter
Would have bought this, but since it's a key card, I'll have to pass.
Re: Nintendo To Change Pricing For Digital & Physical Switch 2 Exclusives, Starting With Yoshi
@Roibeard64 "physical game sales are in the minority now anyway"
This isn't actually true for Nintendo. The narrative that "digital sells more" relies heavily on how they bundle various revenue sources together in their financial reports. It's a bit of a data manipulation trick.
In their latest financial report (Q3 FY 2026), Nintendo includes tables that break down their physical and digital sales (page 24).
The "Proportion of Digital Sales" table says that digital sales make up 50.4% of their sales in FY 2026. At first glance, this might make it seem like slightly more people prefer digital over physical, but if you read the footnotes, this is actually a bucket that includes download-only games, DLC, and NSO subscriptions, in addition to digital versions of physical games sold at retail.
To find the true split for retail games, you have to look at the second table: "Proportion of downloadable versions of packaged software sales," which sits at 51.9% for the same time period. This represents the portion of that 50.4% "Digital" bucket that actually consists of games also available at retail.
So by doing a bit of math, we can see that:
Physical game sales = 100% - 50.4% = 49.6%
Digital game sales (for games also sold physically) = 50.4% * 51.9% = ~26.2%
Everything else (DLC, NSO subs, digital-only games) = 50.4% - 26.2% = 24.2%
In other words, when a game is available both physically and digitally on Switch or Switch 2, the physical version will outsell the digital version on average by roughly 2:1. When given the choice, the Nintendo audience still greatly prefers physical media.
Re: Nintendo To Change Pricing For Digital & Physical Switch 2 Exclusives, Starting With Yoshi
If this is the way to ensure that future Nintendo games get true physical releases (not GKCs), then so be it. I was worried that after Pokopia they'd try to shift more and more games to GKCs, but if they're willing to pass the cost of physical onto the consumer now, then there's no need for GKCs. Of course, there may still be edge cases where a GKC makes some amount of sense, like if the game size exceeds the max cartridge capacity, but even then, optimization would be a better solution.
Hopefully 3rd parties follow suit. I feel like publishers like NISA would have more success selling real physical cartridges for slightly more than digital than selling key cards for the same price as digital.
Re: Mechs And Turn-Based RPG Combat Collide In 'Starbites' On Switch 1 & 2 This May
@jsty3105 Oh nice, so you really play the market. In order to break even, I assume you must sell directly to other players to avoid middlemen like GameStop taking a cut?
Re: Mechs And Turn-Based RPG Combat Collide In 'Starbites' On Switch 1 & 2 This May
@AlanaHagues Happy to be of service! Thanks for updating the article!
Re: Mechs And Turn-Based RPG Combat Collide In 'Starbites' On Switch 1 & 2 This May
@jsty3105 No problem!
I see what you mean with renting. If you just wanna rent the game for a week, it sucks that you can't really rent the Switch 2 version; you'd also have to spend $5 to buy the digital upgrade pack.
If your main goal with the "buy and sell" strat is to save money, you could probably just wait for a big sale and come out ahead compared to buying and reselling. It's pretty common to find NISA games for at least 66% off a couple years after launch (whether that be via physical clearance or a big digital sale). Whereas you'd be lucky to re-sell a game for even 50% of the market value.
Re: Mechs And Turn-Based RPG Combat Collide In 'Starbites' On Switch 1 & 2 This May
@jsty3105 The press release in the article on RPG Site explicitly says a $5 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade pack will be available at launch.
@AlanaHagues Did Nintendo Life not get this press release?
Re: Multiple Switch Games Receive Switch 2 Compatibility Fixes
@Sylamp I came here to post about the exact same set of games. It's really annoying cause these have been known to be broken since Switch 2 launch, but for some reason, they're clearly not a priority for Nintendo to fix.
Re: Mechs And Turn-Based RPG Combat Collide In 'Starbites' On Switch 1 & 2 This May
Great news! Looks like NISA might be finally realizing their niche fan base hate GKCs. They can't get away with it the same way The Pokemon Company can.
Even though a true physical Switch 2 version would have been ideal, an upgrade pack for the physical Switch 1 version is a much better compromise than a GKC.
This game in particular doesn't really appeal to me, but hopefully for future releases NISA either offers cheap upgrade paths or gives us proper Switch 2 physical releases.
Re: Capcom Wants To Know Your Thoughts About Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
Wow, one of the options for reasons you did not purchase it is, "The physical version for Nintendo Switch 2 is sold as a key card."
Alright, physical media defenders, you know what to do! This is our last stand!
Re: Capcom Wants To Know Your Thoughts About Resident Evil Requiem
Sweet, gonna let them know how I didn't purchase the game due to it being on a GKC!
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection (Switch 2) - Another Excellent Monstie Collecting Spin-Off
@hanzel Nope, my hobby is gaming, but I like owning what I pay for
Re: Nintendo "Cagey" About Letting Games On Switch 2, Wants To Avoid "Slop Fest"
Doesn't Nintendo realize they can just choose to block slop games on their own eShop? The same way they use their secretive "content guideline" to block random Japanese games from releasing here?
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection (Switch 2) - Another Excellent Monstie Collecting Spin-Off
@jojobar Yeah, agree, GKCs are ruining the hobby for me. As such, I've purchased way less games since the Switch 2 launched compared to previous years and now I'm starting to pivot to other hobbies. As far as video games go, I'm probably going to mostly focus on my Switch 1 backlog and pick up the few true physical Switch 2 games that appeal to me.
Re: Review: Tales Of Berseria Remastered (Switch) - QoL Tweaks Make A Brilliant Game Even Better
How's the input lag in this port? It was pretty bad in the Graces Switch port.
Re: Poll: So, Will You Be Getting Pokémon Pokopia?
This game looks really boring, so I won't be picking it up. And it being on a GKC is just an extra slap in the face.
Re: Review: Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection (Switch 2) - Another Excellent Monstie Collecting Spin-Off
Since it's a key card, it's gonna be a "no" from me, dawg.
Re: Balatro's Back To Steal All Your Spare Time In New Switch 2 Version
Why didn't they just make it an actual Switch 2 Edition or an update so that physical players could also get the improvements and saves would still be compatible? What a mess.
Re: Upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 Games & Accessories For March & April 2026
All the key cards just make this so unappealing
Re: Nintendo Indie World Showcase Announced For Tomorrow, 3rd March 2026
At 15 minutes, it doesn't sound like it'll be very significant. I'll bet at least 80% of it will be "cozy" games lol.
What I'd really wanna see out of this is a shmup. There are several great indie shmups that are currently PC-exclusive.
Re: Mini Review: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Gold Edition (Switch 2) - A Survival Horror Masterclass, Free From Cloud Prison
Freed from cloud prison and then immediately confined to key card prison lol
Re: Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 Switch And Switch 2 Physical Version Download Requirements Revealed
Expected no less from Konami. With that pathetic "physical" release for the 1st collection, they were basically doing key cards before it was cool.
But I guess the Switch 1 still might have the better physical version than Switch 2 if it at least has Peace Walker and Ghost Babel on the cartridge. Might be worth a pick up when it hits the bargain bin for $15.
Re: Danganronpa 2x2 Gets Fancy Physical Editions On Switch 1 & 2, Pre-Orders Live Now
Looks like Spike Chunsoft learned their lesson after No Sleep for Kaname Date: their fans want real physical releases, not key cards.
Still, I'm sure if I'll purchase this particular game. I have the trilogy sitting in my Switch backlog, and I'm not sure how essential a remake of a visual novel would really be.
Re: Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Unveiled For Switch, Launching In 2026
I love Castlevania and I'm happy it's back, but this doesn't really feel like Castlevania to me. Feels a bit too "westernized" with the art style, the somber music, and the gritty narrator.
I want that classic pixel art and a rockin' synth soundtrack.
Hopefully it's still good.
Re: Konami's Anniversary Revival Of Castlevania Is Only Just Beginning, Expect More "New Products"
All I want is Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood on Switch 1 physically!
Re: New Strategy RPG 'Brigandine: Abyss' Is Coming To Switch 2 In 2026
Wait, NISA is publishing this in the west? Damn, that means it's gonna be on a GKC for sure (and they might even pull the same stunt they did with Daybreak and charge $10 more for the Switch 2 version).
I was hoping it was gonna be published by Happinet again so it could get a real physical release via LRG (like Legend of Runersia).
Was excited for this, but not anymore. 😔
Re: Digimon Story Time Stranger Switch Version Includes Free Switch 2 Update
@ottoecamn The key word in my post was "major." Marvelous is more of a AA publisher.
This was also in the context of offering free updates. Out of their 4 games with both Switch 1 and Switch 2 versions, Bandai Namco offers free upgrades for 3 of them. Strange they didn't for Pac-Man World 2. But it's still a much better track record than Square Enix, which have only given us free updates for 1/4 of their simultaneous cross gen releases (Final Fantasy Tactics).
But ignoring that, yeah, Marvelous is better overall for offering their Switch 2 versions on cartridge. 👍
Re: Oblivion, Skyrim And Fallout Switch 2 Physicals Will All Be Code-In-A-Box, Bethesda Confirms
Code-in-a-box, Game-Key Card...both equally garbage. Actually, key card is worse cause it's the worst of both worlds: if the server shuts down you lose access, and if you lose the cartridge you lose access. It's a digital download with an added physical point of failure.
Re: Nintendo Showcases Every Switch And Switch 2 Partner Direct Game In New Infographic
@Anti-Matter Curious why you gave Culdcept a double black cross "hell no?" It has chibi characters and isn't rated M!
Re: Nintendo Showcases Every Switch And Switch 2 Partner Direct Game In New Infographic
Just Bomberman (Switch 2 physical), Digimon (Switch 1 physical with free Switch 2 update), and Culdcept (Switch 2 physical) for me.
Maybe Kyoto Xanadu depending on how they handle the physical release (needs to either be a Switch 2 physical or Switch 1 physical with a free Switch 2 update).
There are 6 other games I'd get under normal circumstances, but since they're GKCs, I'm not interested anymore.
Re: Super Bomberman Collection Out Now On eShop, Full Cart Release Coming In August
Sweet, a real physical release means it goes on my list. 👍
Re: Tales Of Arise Comes To Switch 2 In May, Includes Beyond The Dawn DLC
Another game I was looking forward to sentenced to death by key card. Guess I'll skip it. 😔
Re: Digimon Story Time Stranger Switch Version Includes Free Switch 2 Update
Gotta hand it to Bandai Namco: among all the major 3rd parties, they seem to be the best about offering free updates from Switch 1 to Switch 2. The GKC situation sucks, but if publishers don't wanna pony up for a real Switch 2 cartridge, I think this is a reasonable compromise (as long as the Switch 1 build is decent).
Looking forward to playing this to scratch the monster collecting itch since Pokemon has been trash for years.
Re: PSA: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Is Surprisingly Cheap On The UK eShop Right Now
Another key card to not buy.
Re: Granblue Fantasy: Relink - Endless Ragnarok Soars Onto Switch 2 In July
This looks like the kinda game I'd be all over. But it's a key card, so pass.
Re: Square Enix's Gorgeous HD-2D Zelda-Like 'The Adventures Of Elliot' Launches This June
Would have bought this on day 1, but now I'll just skip it since it's on a key card.
Re: Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase February 2026: Every Announcement, Game Reveal, Trailer
As someone that loved buying 3rd party games on Switch 1, this would have been a 9/10 for me, but the blasted GKCs ruined a lot of the announcements and drag it down to a 4/10. Feels like Nintendo's trying to do everything in their power to get me to "Switch 2" PS5 or PC.
Games I'm considering purchasing:
*Super Bomberman Collection (it's getting a proper NS2 Edition cartridge)
*Digimon Story Time Stranger (Switch 1 physical with free Switch 2 upgrade)
*Kyoto Xanadu (will need to see how they handle the Switch 2 physical, but at the very least, there's a Switch 1 version to fall back to)
*Culdcept Begins (will need to see how they handle the Switch 2 physical, but at the very least, there's a Switch 1 version to fall back to)
Games I would get if they weren't GKCs:
*The Adventures of Elliot
*FFVII Rebirth
*Granblue Fantasy: Relink
*Monster Hunter Stories 3
*Tales of Arise
*Resident Evil Requiem
Re: Upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 Games & Accessories For February & March 2026
I appreciate Nintendo Life clearly marking the GKCs. Makes it easy for me to know what to avoid!
Re: Review: Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined (Switch 2) - A Fantastic Makeover & The Best-Looking DQ Ever
Since Switch 2 version is on a GKC, I guess I'll go with the Switch 1 version. But since Square Enix doesn't have the decency to offer an upgrade path for this one (like they did for FFT), I'll wait to pick it up on sale.
Re: Preview: So Far, Super Mario Bros. Wonder On Switch 2 Isn't Making A Great Case For Itself
As I suspected. It looks like a pretty bare-bones throwaway multiplayer minigame mode and that's about it.
They should have pulled a New Super Luigi U and made a more difficult campaign. Then I would have been interested in purchasing. The biggest issue with Wonder is that it was just way too easy. Beyond that, the removal of the timer reduced any incentive to speed run levels. If they wanna take the timer out of the main game for casuals fine, but can we at least get a Time Attack mode?
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo Direct February Partner Predictions - What Do You Want To See?
Since I'm not interested in key cards (and let's be real: all the Switch 2 games in the show will be key cards), the only realistic thing I'm hoping to see is more Switch 1 ports for classic games. Top picks include:
*More CAVE ports (especially Mushihimesama Futari)
*Castlevania SotN & RoB (hopefully they can just do new ports and call the collection something other than Requiem to get around the Sony issue)
*Xenogears or Xenosaga
*More Falcom ports (Cold Steel I & II or missing Ys games)
Re: Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase Announced For Tomorrow, 5th February 2026
As expected—Nate doesn't miss with Direct timing.
I'm not gonna bother watching this one since, as a Partner Showcase, it's clear that virtually all the Switch 2 games will be GKCs. No use getting my hopes up. Instead, I'll just scan the headlines after the event to see if there's any good Switch 1 announcements.
On the Switch 1 side, I'm just hoping for more ports of classic games:
*More CAVE ports (especially Mushihimesama Futari)
*Castlevania SotN & RoB (hopefully they can just do new ports and call the collection something other than Requiem to get around the Sony issue)
*Xenogears or Xenosaga
*More Falcom ports (Cold Steel I & II or missing Ys games)
Re: Nintendo Responds To Dispatch Switch Censorship With Official Statement
So Nintendo confirms that they have their own "content and platform guidelines" which they require devs to abide by to release games on their platform, separate from the rating from ratings boards.
All they're saying is that they don't get the source code for random 3rd party games to manually add censor bars themselves (duh). Instead, they just tell the 3rd party, "sorry, this ain't gonna fly." Then the 3rd party chooses to either not release the game on Nintendo platforms in the affected regions, or to censor the game and resubmit.
Re: Surprise! Splatoon 3's First Update Of 2026 Has Added Health Bars
Haven't played in a while, but this update will definitely get me to boot the game up again.
I think the health bar change is really nice. The more information, the better!
Re: Rumour: A Nintendo Direct May Be Coming As Soon As Next Week
Are you kidding me? A Partner Direct? Nintendo's 1st party lineup is looking pretty barren right now; it really feels like they're coasting. Only 1st party games I'm really looking forward to at the moment are Fire Emblem and Splatoon Raiders.
Knowing that it's a Partner Direct, I'm not even gonna bother watching cause every game is gonna be a GKC.
Re: Two Cancelled Virtual Boy Games Coming To NSO In 2026, Including F-Zero Spin-Off
I'm still baffled that Nintendo would put this in the more expensive Expansion Pack tier when it already requires you to spend extra on an accessory. Surely it would be more logical to lower the barrier of entry to entice more people to purchase the accessory?