topsekret

@TerribleTerabytes Nice, you're in for a wild ride! I started the show back in 2015 and it took me around 2-3 years to get caught up. Absolutely worth it! So many moments where it hits you right in the feels... T_T

Oh, pro-tip. I'm not sure how much you've been able to stay spoiler-free (probably pretty hard nowadays for certain things) but, uh, don't watch the 3rd intro until after you finish the story arc where they start using it!

@MonsterMike Depends on what you value in physical games. If all you want is a box to put on your shelf, then yeah, it's a non-issue.

For me, and many other physical fans, the most import thing is having the actual game on the physical storage medium so we are not dependent on an external server (which is bound to shut down in the future) to play our games.

And another perk with Nintendo's physical games is you can actually run the game directly from the physical storage medium (unlike PS5, where you need to install games to a secondary storage medium). This makes it so you don't need to worry nearly as much about managing digital storage space. And when you wanna play a new game, you can just pop it in and play (though some games may still have some small patches to download, but it's a far cry from having to wait to install a 50 GB game).

@SillyG Yeah, I think you made the right call to wait.

I knew what we were in for the moment Nintendo announced the existence of GKCs, but I kinda let myself get swept up in the hype and FOMO anyways. And I allowed myself to believe some of the copium floating around at the time that maybe all the GKCs at launch were just due to a timing thing with devs not having builds ready to be printed on cartridges. Or maybe full priced $70 games will at least be on real cartridges. Or maybe Nintendo will help subsidize cartridge costs for prestigious 3rd party games like FFVII Remake, or Persona 3 Reload, or Elden Ring (some people were theorizing they did this with Cyberpunk). But the last two Directs made it abundantly clear that nearly every 3rd party game will be on a GKC. GKCs/digital are the future for Nintendo's ecosystem.

I'm not necessarily disappointed I got a Switch 2, it is nice that it fixes a lot of performance issues in Switch 1 games (like you said, that's probably the best feature). But considering most of the games I've been playing on it recently are Switch 1 games (that actually ran fine on Switch 1), I think I probably could have waited.

The one silver lining is that Nintendo basically cured my game purchasing addiction with GKCs. Well, maybe not "cured," but put a cap on it. I'm still buying Switch 1 physical games, but eventually those will stop being made, and then the only games to buy on Switch 2 will be first party games, with maybe the odd 3rd party true physical here and there. So I'll save a lot of money, and now I can focus on enjoying my massive Switch 1 backlog.

@kmtrain83 Hey, thanks for the question! I have yet to buy any GKCs and I don't see that ever changing.

It's funny, cause I did buy a couple partial physical releases back on Switch. For example, I bought the Resident Evil Revelations Collection, which had Revelations 1 on the cartridge and a download code for 2. Didn't get it at full price, though (I think I got it for $25 - $30?). But since it at least came with 1 game on the cartridge, it was a bit more palatable since I could view it as I'm paying the price to get 1 game on the cartridge and it comes with a free download for the other. And also on Switch 1, these sorts of partial physical releases were the exception, not the rule, so it didn't feel as bad to get one every now and then. And for some of them, we even had the option to import a true physical version from another region (like the Southeast Asia version of FFX/X-2).

But with GKCs on Switch 2, they are just 100% download. There's no saving grace of, "oh, well at least I get 1 of the games in the collection on the cartridge." And now they are way more prevalent: like 90% of 3rd party "physical" games are on GKCs. So it feels like Nintendo and 3rd parties are trying to strong-arm everyone to digital, which emboldens me to draw a hard line in the sand to refuse to support it at all.

Article headline: "The game has been delayed on Switch."
Article body: "The game has been delayed on all consoles."

The headline implies that the delay is specific to the Switch version.

While it may be the biggest 3rd party lineup for Nintendo ever, it sure doesn't feel like it to me with how few of the games actually have real physical releases.

I was an absolute whale when it came to buying 3rd party games on Switch 1. Back before that April Switch 2 blowout Direct, I was getting hyped to go all in on Switch 2. But GKCs really killed all desire I have to buy 3rd party games on Switch 2, and lowered my enthusiasm for the console in general. Now it just feels like a Switch Pro that has some new exclusive Nintendo games and the occasional 3rd party game here and there (like Wii U).

But I'm sure it's a great generation for all the digital players out there.

@Solid_Python You're looking at it the wrong way. As a Switch 2 owner, you can purchase either the Switch 1 or Switch 2 version. By not offering a demo for the Switch 1 version, they are gently nudging you towards the Switch 2 version (especially when the save data for the demo will only transfer over to the Switch 2 version).

The sooner they can get people to switch over to buying Switch 2 versions instead of the Switch 1 versions, the sooner they can stop making Switch 1 versions entirely. This saves them money since they no longer have to make a dedicated Switch 1 port, and GKCs are likely cheaper than the larger Switch 1 cartridges (this game is on a 16 GB Switch 1 cartridge).

I still haven't picked this up cause I'm waiting for the physical Switch 1 version to go down to at least $25. I want to minimize my support of Sega/Atlus since they cheaped out with a GKC for the Switch 2 version and don't even have an upgrade path for the Switch 1 version.

@TheExile285 I'm curious about this as well. If true, it seems like an intentional play to steer people in the direction of the digital/GKC Switch 2 version.

Question
Will you be picking up Kiwami and Kiwami 2 on Switch 2? What about Kiwami 3?

Answer
No, since they are on GKCs, I will not purchase them. The very large download sizes further reinforce my choice.

Question
How many times do you think we can say Kiwami?

Answer
As many times as you want.

Chris and Jill are the OGs. I think they'd be better choices to lead 30th anniversary festivities.

In the words of Naoki Hamaguchi (director of the FFVII remake project), "I'd kind of like, if possible, for [Japanese developers] to understand [generative AI] and maybe come to accept it as part of the culture of gaming, because it allows more opportunities."

(The original quote was about Game-Key Cards, but I've updated it for this context.)

No interest in this game, but good on Game Mill for offering a free upgrade patch, something the major publishers seem very adverse to.

@DTFaux One thing to keep in mind is that during the Switch days, special edition Pro Controllers were only $5 more than the normal one. Now they're apparently $10 more. Nintendo's really trying to squeeze every bit of cash they can from us.

I get the price for the Switch 2 Pro Controller being higher than the Switch 1 Pro Controller, cause it's a better controller with more features. But why are they charging twice as much for a decal on the plastic?

As others have said, this design looks particularly bad with how the Switch 2 logo masks out the middle of the Resident Evil logo.

@SpaceboyScreams Yeah, I think that would make sense if the limiting factor was just number of players. They've been doing that for split screen in Mario Kart games for years (60 FPS for 1-2 players, and 30 FPS for 3-4 players)!

Though if island complexity is a key limiting factor as well, it would be less straightforward as that is a dynamic unpredictable factor.

Though it also kinda begs the question why not at least have a 40 FPS option? Theoretically possible now that the Switch 2 has a 120 Hz screen, though for docked play, you'd need a 120 Hz TV. VRR would have also been an option, but that would only work for handheld (still upset Switch 2 doesn't support VRR in docked mode). Maybe they just figured since VRR doesn't work for docked, and they can't guarantee users will have a 120 Hz TV, they'd just aim for a rock solid 30 FPS in all modes of play? Could also be the case that even 40 FPS at 4K was too taxing for Switch 2 for this game in the worst-case scenarios.

@Aki77 I mean, after them not including the DLC for BotW and now this, I think it's clear that going forward, Nintendo will not be including the DLC in these Switch 1 to Switch 2 ports. So while we probably shouldn't expect it, I don't think that means we can't complain about it when they did offer the DLC as part of the package for their Wii U to Switch ports.

But see my comment to the other user regarding the impact this has on new players and physical collectors. I agree that it's not an issue for people outside of those groups.

@Res462 It comes across as arrogant to me since in the Switch generation when they we're trying to win back good will after the bomb of the Wii U they'd do a lot more generous things for consumers, like including all the old DLC in their Wii U ports.

So it feels like arrogance to me since they think that coming off the success of Switch, they cannot fail and can get away with whatever they want.

If you don't get that vibe from them, that's fine, I don't really feel the need to change your opinion. Just wanna explain where I was coming from a little better for mine.

@FernandoMachado I'm looking at this from the perspective of new players and physical collectors. Yes, the Wii U ports were full price ports on Switch, but Nintendo at least included the DLC on the cartridge. So new players could get the full experience from Wii U for cheaper on Switch. And collectors could have the DLC preserved on a physical medium.

Now the DLC is not preserved on a physical medium. And new players are expected to pay extrafor the old DLC making it more expensive for newcomers to get the complete package for these Switch 2 Switch 1 ports compared to the Switch 1 Wii U ports.

But I acknowledge that it is nice that returning players who already own the base game and DLC and who don't mind digital can simply purchase a Switch 2 Upgrade Pack. (Though IMO, technical upgrades should be free, but that's a bit of a separate conversation.)

@nathatruc Can't say I'm surprised at this point, but thanks for confirming. This will be a pass for me as well.

And I feel the same way: because of the GKC plague, Switch 2 is basically just a Switch Pro that gets new exclusive first party games.

@GetontheStiix I feel like you should at least have an informed opinion if you're going to write a comment calling out other people for uninformed opinions.

"Doubling the frame rate based on Animal Crossings code would effectively double the speed of the day/night cycle basically destroying the game."

Depends on how it was coded. If it was coded by idiots, yes, there could be issues. However, the industry as a whole has moved past this issue. Everyone knows not to tie game logic to frame rate now. In fact, this same development team recently bumped the frame rate in the Splatoon 3 hub areas up from 30 FPS to 60 FPS on Switch 2. I think they know what they're doing.

And even if they did tie game logic to the frame rate, it is a solvable problem, and one we could reasonably expect them to invest in solving if they are charging us money for a technical upgrade.

Also, in the case of the day-night cycle specifically, I doubt that has anything to do with frames or even delta time. They probably just poll the system time directly each frame. This is something that would literally be harder to code the wrong way than the right way lol.

"it would also make crossplay between the platforms(switch 1/2) impossible."

Umm...no? Plenty of cross play games have lower frame rate on Switch 1 compared to other platforms and the cross play works just fine. (Fortnite, Overwatch, Apex Legends, etc...)

Probably the real reason for this update not adding 60 FPS is that the Switch 2 isn't powerful enough to run this at 4k and 60 FPS consistently in all scenarios (ex: 12 players online on a very dense island). So given that this isn't an action game, they chose to prioritize resolution over frame rate (which makes sense).

I'm also in the "wait for Switch 1 version on sale" camp due to being unhappy with how Square Enix is treating Switch 2 owners in this case.

Feels pretty stingy of Nintendo to do this. First they did it with BotW, and now AC:NH.

Back when we were getting Wii-U ports on Switch, the re-releases would always include the old DLC (like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Pikmin 3 Deluxe, etc...).

We are definitely back in an "arrogant Nintendo" era.

Based on the Bluey precedent, this probably has a higher chance of getting a real physical release than a AA/AAA "core" 3rd party game.

@kmtrain83 I'll add a GKC comment of my own: I'll bet P3R would have sold better if it was on a real cartridge.

P5R had a much stronger opening week on Switch 1 with nearly 46k, so a little more than 7.5 times the sales of P3R.

Obviously, install base plays a role as well, and there were about 10 times as many Switch 1s floating around in Japan at the time compared to Switch 2s now. But obviously, some people double dipped for the Lite and OLED models, so not all of those systems belonged to unique players. And we all know that a game's sales are not just a simple proportion of install base (which is why in Japan, despite there being 4.5 times as many Switch 1s compared to PS4s, day-1 multiplats sell at most only 2 times more on Switch 1).

I'd wager P3R potentially would have sold 2-3 times more if it had a real physical release.

@Dee123 Putting the games on Game-Key Cards is not "going all out."

@TheDragonDAFan I can take this one: money

Lol @ the fancy "collectors'" box to hold your glorified download codes

I'm also more interested in how the Switch 1 version runs (on both Switch 1 and Switch 2) sine it's the only real physical version.

Props to them for putting these on real cartridges, but unfortunately, none of these games appeal to me. Binding of Isaac seems like something I would like gameplay-wise, but I just can't get past the gross aesthetic.

@anoyonmus Is your performance complaint related to the Switch 2 version when docked? I've heard that if you set the Switch 2 to output to only 1080p in the system settings it helps.

Though I agree, they should fix it. That's the main reason I've held off from purchasing the game.

Also, I hope they preserve the original difficulty as an option, or add an even harder one. Games today are too easy.

Question
Will you be getting this game on the Switch or Switch 2 this week?

Answer
I will purchase the Switch 1 version since it is on a real physical cartridge as opposed to a GKC. However, since Square Enix is not offering an upgrade path, I'll wait for a sale. I would have picked it up at launch if there was at least a free Switch 2 upgrade pack (like they had for FFT).

If YouTube's so great, why isn't there a YouTube 2?

Thank God this is physical and not GKC trash. Nearly 43 GB is massive.

They made the right choice. Hopefully with the delay they'll also considering putting the game on a real cartridge.

"The price for this upgrade will be... free. We don't believe paying for a technical upgrade is reasonable."

Based devs

Poll needs an "Only if it gets a real physical release (not GKC)" option.

@HugoGED If it's just online missing on the cartridge, it's not a big deal, since the online will be dead anyways by the time the eShop servers shut down.

But no local wireless on the cartridge would be a bit disappointing since there's no reason you shouldn't be able to play that after the servers shut down. Though I guess on the bright side, if the person you were wanting to play local wireless with has the patch on their console, you could download it locally from them using the "Match Version with Local Users" feature.

@purple_shyguy Or even worse, buy the whole game all over again at full price!

@Porky I'm a bit concerned it's seemingly substantial enough to warrant Sakurai announcing it like that. Really hope it's just the online.

@Anti-Matter This new Bluey game is supposed to be on a real physical Switch 2 cartridge, not a Game-Key Card! Will this be a Switch 2 system seller for you? Or are you gonna stick with the PS5 version?

@UltimateOtaku91 The funny thing is, a new Bluey game got announced today and it's getting a real physical Switch 2 release (I'm looking forward to the Nintendo Life article on that for obvious reasons lol), but these AAA devs refuse to do real physical releases. 🤣

The lack of any physical presence for this could make it easier for LRG to secure a release in the future. And they have a relationship with Bethesda for the Doom games.

@UltimateOtaku91 For the record, I also complain about digital only releases for large games like this. Though I don't mind them as much for tiny cheap indie games.

Never played any of these before. This is the sort of game that I would've considered picking up if there was a real physical version (not GKC) to see what the commotion was about, but since there isn't, it's an easy pass for me.

@romanista Maybe they're gonna add something so substantial as part of the Switch 2 Edition (like an entirely new mini campaign?), that it wouldn't really need these small features to sell? Idk, Even if that's the case, it's still kinda weird. Nintendo works in mysterious ways.

Appreciate the hard mode, but the lack of a basic Switch 2 resolution and/or frame rate bump is baffling. Guess they're saving it for a later $10 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Upgrade Pack...

@UltimateOtaku91 Ah, thanks for the info. I've been pretty unplugged from the wider Pokemon franchise for a long time now.

I think the best solution would be to decouple the other arms of the franchise from the games.

They already did that with the anime, right? Like didn't they finally break the pattern of having to have Ash visit the new region? And didn't the last season with Ash also kinda break the pattern by having him visit lots of past regions? And I remember back in the early days, they had that entire "filler" with the Orange Islands, which had nothing to do with an actual game region.

And even in the TCG, they were always coming up with gimmicks in lieu of having content from a proper new mainline game. Things like Dark Pokemon, Trainer's Pokemon, Light Pokemon, Delta Species, etc...

@UltimateOtaku91 Yep, agreed. Pokemon being a massive multimedia franchise is really a double-edged sword. The mainline games have to release with certain frequency to provide content for the rest of the franchise.

But the funny thing is, these Legends games, while considered "mainline," aren't really new generations, so I don't think they are expected to push the rest of the franchise forward the same way the traditional generation mainline games are. But despite this, they still have extremely tight deadlines and low budgets.

From a quality standpoint, I just don't think their current business model is working anymore.

@UltimateOtaku91 So uh...why does the largest, most profitable multimedia franchise and fourth best selling game franchise have such a small budget for its mainline games? We know they have the money, why not invest that in the games to make them better?

This is exactly the problem. TCPI and Game Freak don't put in money or effort cause fans will slurp up whatever slop they churn out. Why invest more money to make a better product when it'll sell the same regardless?

@Fazermint Don't you think it's a bit of a shame that the new game from the largest, most profitable multimedia franchise and fourth best-selling game franchise is "upper mid tier at best?"

Most of the people actively complaining about these games are doing so out of their love for the franchise and desire to see it live up to its full potential.

@w1p3out There was an interview several years ago where programmer and director Masayuki Onoue from Game Freak said that they have two different production teams and basically admitted that their Pokemon projects are lower priority:

There are two different production teams here, simply named Production Team 1 and Production Team 2,” Onoue explained. “Team 1 is fully dedicated to Gear Project, while Team 2 is for the Pokémon operation.

What that means is that Game Freak as a company is prioritising Gear Project, which is production team number one, more than Pokémon in general. We are always trying to create something that is equally exciting, or more exciting than Pokémon.

I'm assuming their Team 1 is working on that ambitious Project Bloom game. I don't think modern day Game Freak is really passionate about Pokemon. So they just phone it in to get a pay check to fund the projects they really care about.