topsekret

@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.

@Anti-Matter Curious why you gave Culdcept a double black cross "hell no?" It has chibi characters and isn't rated M!

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.

Sweet, a real physical release means it goes on my list. 👍

Another game I was looking forward to sentenced to death by key card. Guess I'll skip it. 😔

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.

Another key card to not buy.

This looks like the kinda game I'd be all over. But it's a key card, so pass.

Would have bought this on day 1, but now I'll just skip it since it's on a key card.

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

I appreciate Nintendo Life clearly marking the GKCs. Makes it easy for me to know what to avoid!

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)

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)

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.

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!

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?

Skipping this cause it's on a GKC

Hopefully they continue to investigate the underlying issue and fix it. Sounds very annoying to have the game randomly crash on you after an auto save.

I see I-No at 1:25 and Faust at 1:27. Does this take place in the Guilty Gear universe? Or are they just cameos?

@Arawn93 Yeah, the game is 25.5 GB on Switch 2 according to Nintendo's website, so it would fit on a 64 GB Switch 2 cartridge. If one of the new smaller cartridge size options is 32 GB, it would also fit on that.

Man, screw Game-Key Cards. The VF5 Ultimate Shodown got a real physical release for PS4 through LRG. Unfortunately, the GKC release significantly lowers the chance of LRG doing a real physical release for Switch 2.

And here I thought maybe Sega was gonna start doing more real physical releases after their pivot with Sonic Racing Crossworlds. Guess that was just a one-off and we can expect future Sega releases to continue to be GKCs.

I don't get why they don't just add an option to toggle between a 30 FPS and 60 FPS cap. Don't even need a Switch 2 devkit for that.

@Maple "You can still download all the Wii games you bought even tho the shop was closed years ago, same for 3DS.

Not sure what got you all thinking that Nintendo will shut down your console or prevent you from downloading games you already purchased from sheer pleasure."

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Nintendo itself has already confirmed they will eventually terminate the ability to redownload Wii games. From their official FAQ:

"In the future we will close all services related to the Wii Shop Channel, including the ability to redownload WiiWare and Virtual Console games"

This doesn't do much to inspire confidence that the same thing won't eventually happen for 3DS, Wii U, Switch, and Switch 2.

Switch 1 for me to get the real physical cartridge. Though it's a shame that even playing the Switch 1 version on Switch 2 doesn't resolve the frame pacing issues.

I'll probably wait for a sale. I don't really feel good about supporting this release at full price with how Square Enix is treating us.

Also, I hope Nintendo Life can give us a review for the Switch 1 version. In particular, I'd like to know how it runs on Switch 2.

@Maple Okay, now delete Octopath Traveler 0 from your Switch 2 and try to to play it from the GKC while you're in airplane mode. It won't launch, cause there's literally no data on the cartridge.

With PS4/PS5, the discs actually do contain a playable build the majority of the time. (Again, go check out doesitplay.org to see the stats for yourself.) Sure, many games still have patches, but they are still fully playable from start to finish on Playstation without the internet, just like what we used to have on Switch 1.

And because Switch 2 storage is tiny and Switch 2 games are massive, good luck trying to cram all your games on there in the future to prepare for the inevitable server shut down 20+ years from now.

If you don't care, that's fine. Maybe you're okay with paying full price for long term rentals (or in Daybreak 2's case, full price + an extra $10 Switch 2 tax compared to all other platforms). But stop trying to pretend that PS4/PS5 have this problem on the same scale as Switch 2: they don't.

@Serpenterror It's insane that they have the balls to charge $10 extra for a crappy key card. If it were a real physical cartridge it would be justified, but this is just pure greed.

I wonder how many AAA games are in AAA Games Ultimate Collection?

I just want them to port as many old games as they can to Switch 1 before it dies. Since when it does, we'll be stuck with just GKCs for their newer Switch 2 releases.

For those interested, it's getting a proper physical release in Japan (not a GKC or code-in-a-box).

I'd imagine LRG will do a physical version in the US since they did the physical release for the Switch 1 version.

Dang, that sucks. I had a feeling future support was gonna be iffy after they randomly didn't add the 2 new stages to the Switch version in the last update. Such a shame, cause at a technical level, the port is really solid.

Interesting word choice, though. He mentions how updates "beyond" Version 2.0 are under question, so that makes it sound like Switch will still at least get the initial Version 2.0 update.

If they do a Switch 2 version, hopefully Switch 1 owners will be able to get that for free, or at the very least, with a cheap upgrade pack.

Yeah, I really wish the Joy-Cons had a proper D-pad. If Nintendo won't do it, hopefully an accessory manufacturer like Hori does it. And hopefully it includes all the standard Joy-Con features so it can be an outright replacement. One of the crappy things about the Hori left Joy-Con was it didn't support wireless, so it couldn't be used to play shmups with a Flip Grip.

@RiasGremory Unfortunately, they have started censoring and banning games in the US and EU over the last year.

Here's a recent article about how the game Brave x Junction had to be censored only on Switch to release outside of Japan. Playstation and Steam versions were not censored (Nintendo Everything).

Xseed also recently announced that they had to cancel the release of the Corpse Party Tetralogy Pack outside of Japan due to "current platform guidelines" (Nintendo Life).

Last year, Idea Factory announced that they had to cancel the western release of the Neptunia trilogy and Death End re;Quest: Code Z due to the content of those games "not complying with Nintendo Guidelines" (Nintendo Life).

Last year, the developer of the bullet hell shmup Redneg Allstars announced that his game "has been restricted in Europe and the U.S. due to expression restrictions" (Nintendo Life).

Nintendo has done a total 180 from their laissez-faire approach in the early Switch years. They are now aggressively censoring and banning content that their Council of Karens find offensive.

@Max_the_German Yeah, I'm also disappointed by the lack of a 60 FPS option for handheld. My only guess is maybe they disabled it due to battery life concerns. But that would still be a bit silly since it's already an optional feature when docked, so users that are concerned about battery could stick with the 30 FPS mode.

Yet another reminder that Nintendo and Sony have traded places from where they started at the beginning of the Switch gen with regards to censorship.

@HalBailman Virtually every indie game that gets a physical release costs more at retail compared to on the eShop.

Here's some more Switch 1 examples:
*Touhou Luna Nights ($17.99 eShop, $39.99 retail)
*Chronicles of the Wolf ($19.99 eShop, $29.99 retail)
*Steamworld Heist II ($29.99 eShop, $34.99 retail)
*Class of Heroes I & II Complete Edition ($34.99 eShop, $39.99 retail)
*Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark ($29.99 eShop, $34.99 retail)
*The House of the Dead 2: Remake ($24.99 eShop, $39.99 retail)
*Pepper Grinder ($14.99 eShop, $29.99 retail)
*Tevi ($34.99 eShop, $39.99 retail)
*Balatro ($14.99 eShop, $29.99 retail)
*Antonblast ($19.99 eShop, $34.99 retail)

I could keep going. And I haven't even touched games that get physical releases through limited print companies like Limited Run Games.

If Nintendo has a "rule" that retail prices have to be the same as eShop prices, it sure seems like a lot of unrelated devs found ways around that "rule."

I can't believe Nintendo's letting them remake Project M! I wonder if Sakurai will be involved?

They should have an option for 40 FPS. Would be smoother than 30 FPS, and there wouldn't be any drops below the target like they still have at 60 FPS. Might even be able to hit 40 FPS in handheld mode.

@HalBailman So you essentially believe that the rule is that AAA games have to have the same MSRP at retail as they do on the eShop, but AA and indie games are allowed to have different MSRP for retail vs. eShop?

I don't have any proof that that's not the case, but to me it seems more logical that it's just up to the publisher.

C'mon Nintendo, why is it taking so long to fix Raiden III & IV?!

@HalBailman The theory about retailers forcing digital games to be the same price as physical games needs to die. It is patently false as there are multiple counter examples:

*No Sleep for Kaname Date ($40 digital, $50 physical (both the real physical Switch 1 version and the fake physical Switch 2 GKC LMAO))
*Hades II ($30 digital, $50 physical)
*Yooka-Replaylee ($30 digital, $50 physical)

Many publishers do choose to make them the same price, but retailers are not forcing them too. Cause if that were the case, how did the above games get away with making digital cheaper? It is simply a publisher choice.

Also, some turbo-***** publishers like NISA are increasing their prices on Switch 2 compared to all other platforms by $10 while still using GKCs for physical! Look at Trails Beyond the Horizon: $60 on all other platforms (Switch 1, PS4, PS5, PC), but $70 on Switch 2 for no reason.

Kinda funny how Inin confirmed this and had to quickly alter their statement after they clearly received a firm email from Nintendo's lawyers regarding NDA.

Unfortunately, this doesn't really bode well for the widespread adoption of the smaller card sizes. When 64 GB was the only option, Inin said they'd have to increase the price by €15. Now, they're presumably using the smallest of the available new card sizes, and despite this, they still need to charge a €10 premium.

The original rumor was that the 64 GB cards cost about $16. And it was pretty common to see the few multi-plat Switch 2 real physical games cost $10 more compared to other platforms, which implies that those publishers were still eating about $6 of cost and passing $10 to consumers. So with the new smaller cards, it looks like for sufficiently small games, publishers won't have to eat any cost, but consumers will still need to pay a $10 premium.

This might be enough of an incentive for smaller publishers of more niche games that target the hardcore to do real physical releases since they won't have to decrease their margins, which is what we are seeing with Inin. But I think mainstream publishers with more mass-market games are probably gonna stick with GKCs, unfortunately.

@Repete Cool, glad we solved the mystery!