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Planning to buy this and Diamond at the same time. Then play them side by side to see which one gives the greater enjoyment. The traditional tried-and-tested formula, or the new open world with slightly different game mechanics. Have read many reviews for both but still have no idea which one will win.

Welcome back FFTA!

@Arisen Thought you'd got that wrong and it was Yoshi's Epic Yarn. But looking it up I can see that Nintendo have released not one but TWO knitting themed games. LOL! Only Nintendo.

Wonder how much they'll charge for this seeing as you can get it free for any phone. The one I downloaded had cars and lorries for blocks if I remember correctly.

@Axecon I think that's the whole idea! Generate some extra sales from the people who are enjoying it and want to finish.

@Divinebovine A diamond is cooler than a pearl in the same way a sword is cooler than a shield. Just goes to show how much a good video game title can affect sales.

@jade_cricket Exactly what I thought at first glance. Etrian Odyssey!

@Matl Agreed, Nintendo consoles used to be manufactured with Nintendium - an indestructible element that would continue to work no matter what you threw at it. Sadly, with the Switch they've used ordinary plastic. Presumably for reasons of cost.

@Matl I think it's called... making a profit. Most businesses aim towards this goal.

@HamatoYoshi If his experience is the same as mine when I got some retro cartridges a few years ago, most of them won't work. So whether they are good or not is a moot point!

Cuphead Level 1. Can't get past it!

Wiimotes. What a faff. Took a while to get them right. You had the Wiimote, then an extra bit of hardware that plugged into the bottom. Then you had to pull on the condom cover over both bits, add a nunchuck, then muck around with a wrist strap. I used the Pro Controller whenever the game allowed it.

My vote would be for the A Link Between Worlds even though it's not on the list. That's as much 3D as I want to handle. Kicks the real 3D Zeldas into touch.

@AtlanteanMan Fortunately there are no Christians left to offend. At least, not here in the UK.

I enjoyed Final Fantasy I&II on GBA. Put a lot of hours into that even though most of the main sequence had already been released by then. Regularly voted amongst the worst FFs, I just enjoyed the simplicity.

I'd never buy sealed copies of games to collect. I'd always be wondering if the cartridge was actually in there. It would eat me up - the not knowing.

@nessisonett Don't let me down.....GROOS!

Wish there were some low-level enemies in Cuphead.

Been waiting for a new Advance Wars game for years. A remake will do as although I can still picture the DS games, I've completely forgotten the GBA games. Tried Tiny Metal and Wargroove to scratch that itch but it just wasn't the same. With Advance Wars (new or old graphics) the units just look so much clearer.

Gah, the whole place looks awful. The Multiprint shop that hasn't had a facelift for 40 years, multi-coloured tarmac, black bollards everywhere, ugly box-like flats in the background. I see someone has already discarded an empty plastic bottle in the far right warp pipe. It's a hell hole!

Is there some sort of archaic law in Japan that bans any first party Nintendo game from being discounted by more than 33/35%? They've been doing nothing but that "deal" ever since the Switch came out.

There are two types of people in the world. People who save their boxes, keep everything neat and tidy, hold vinyl records by their edges, alphabetise their DVD collection, etc.

And then there are people who throw away their game boxes. Who put DVDs face down on coffee tables. These are the people that litter and, it's been scientifically proven, have below average intelligence.

@NintendoGamerGuy I mean Nintendo had the market cornered, 4 years ago. This unit hasn't got a chance.

Four years too late.

@electrolite77 I think the N64 was even more expensive. If I remember correctly it was about £250 at launch. That's £480 in today's money. Or $660 in your money. Although having said that, consoles were (and are) cheaper to buy in the US than the UK.

I remember sitting in the corner behind the sofa, the non-backlit GBA angled at 45 degrees to catch some light from the corner lamp, going through AA batteries at a furious rate. Yet probably the most fun I've ever had as a gamer. Emerald, FFTA, FFIV-VI, FE, etc. great RPGS. Wish I'd kept all my games. Really want to fire up the above plus Mario World, Zelda, Advance Wars, etc.

@Tharsman Spot on. I'd imagine almost every game would run on both systems, the Pro being the showcase example to tempt people to upgrade, the regular Switch just running it at a lower resolution or reduced framerate.

Personally I think not only do Diamond and Pearl look better on the Switch than the DS, but they also look better than Sword and Shield! This is proper Pokemon! Or maybe it's just the nostalgia talking.

Boot it up and look at the graphics. Yeah... 10 years old. Fantastic library of games but it really does show its age after you've seen a Switch display.

Spent many years buying GBA carts on eBay. There is only one rule you need to know (for UK buyers). Buy carts with a "EUR" suffix code. All the fakes I ever saw, and I saw quite a few, ended with "USA". Of course that doesn't help if you want an American import, but the vast majority of games got UK releases. Some of which were suffixed "UKV" which are also OK to buy.

It's tulips all over again. Wait until people move on to the next big thing and prices will come crashing down.

@Krull A good game is a good game. Seeing as shed loads of new Switches are still being sold (presumably the majority to people who have never owned a Switch before, and probably not a WiiU either) it makes sense to buy the best games for it. Mario Kart 8 is one of those best games.

@johnvboy Think he means "destroyed" as in "kicked butt", "dominated", "cleaned up", etc. rather than literally "destroyed" as in "ruined".

@Entrr_username Yeah, remember it well. The majority of posters were predicting another underpowered Nintendo failure. But I suspected it would be a hit purely on the size of the handheld market. And here we are!...

Mind you, I also predicted the WiiU would be a hit. So what do I know?

Being an older gamer, kids games are all I can play now. Everything else is too hard. So I'm glad Nintendo are still focusing on younger games. Tried FE3H last month - text too small for my eyes. Downloaded Cuphead as I like a good platformer - oh dear, can't get past the first level. Oh well, back to MK8, NSMBU, Yoshi's Crafted World, Pokemon Sword/Shield, etc. Keep up the good work Nintendo!

Yeah, FFTA clone. It's another one with very small text, but the presentation looks nice and clean. Will wait for reviews.

@IronMan30 But if it was on the internet, it must be true.

Watching that video reminds me that 2D was better on the SNES, 3D was better on the Gamecube. I know this article is supposed to be a celebration of the N64, but for me it wasn't a stand-out console. The only fondness I retain for it is the instant cart loading instead of the tedious disc loading of the PS1.

Funnily enough I've just dug out the old WiiU for a bit of Christmas gaming fun. Some great games, but those Wii remotes are so clunky with the various attachments you have to plug in. Fortunately my third party Pro Controllers are still working.

@Rayquaza2510
Yes, that's exactly what I mean. A modest 50% increase in processing power should see off most if not all of the current framerate drops/resolution complaints.
Will it be here next year? Yes, if you listen to the internet "experts". Personally I think if not next year, then definitely the year after. That will make the original Switch 5 years old. Overdue for a console refresh.

@Geobros Don't worry. Switch Pro (also coming next year if you believe all the rumours) will take care of any games with frame drops! This one, Link's Awakening, etc. All part of the Nintendo master plan.

Amazon price matched yesterday and were also selling Lites for £169.99. Soon went out of stock though. Back in stock today, but also back up to £199.99.

@SilentHunter382 Right now it is 36% positive and 52% negative which I call mostly negative.

Look again. It's currently 50% positive, 40% negative. Think you're reading it wrong. Replies 1 and 4 are postive, 2 and 5 are negative.

@Azuris Agreed!

@Azuris @graysoncharles My main point is that the voting (very roughly) is 50/50 for positive and negative reactions, and yet the comments are overwhelmingly negative. So there must be a silent majority who have voted, bought the game (and the number of units shifted can't be argued with) and enjoyed it. I get that a lot of fans are unhappy. But this article, or the Nintendo Life site, or indeed the whole of the internet, gives a distorted view of the reality - which is a lot of people actually like the games. I think the whole "Sword and Shield are rubbish" has been a bit exaggerated. It's more like the older fans have grown up and moved on, and are upset the game hasn't moved on with them.

Once again, the voting suggests the games have been well received (46% positive to 42% negative, at time of posting) yet the comments are overwhelmingly negative. It's either there's a silent majority out there who enjoy the games, or a vocal minority that constantly complain. Or perhaps both!

Reminds me, must watch Drunken Master again.

Your average gamer could tell you that Nintendo will remain "King", not just in Japan but everywhere! Mind you, your average gamer three years ago said the Switch would sell less than the WiiU and be a total flop. We also had high paid consultants saying the same thing. What does this tell us. Nobody knows nuffink!

Anyone struggle with the small font size. I'm handheld only, and gave up in the end as it looked like a PC game on a 6 inch screen.

"10 years of panty-gazing with us"!