Jonnas

I heard so much about this series over the years, but despite being a Sega (& later Nintendo) boy, I somehow never played it. It kind of occupies a weird spot in my backlog, where I really feel like I should have an opinion on Super Monkey Ball, but I don't. Looks incredibly fun, though. It also sports that oddly-specific aesthetic of the time, where it definitely looks like a Dreamcast/Gamecube hybrid.

Heck yeah, Gamecube! Luigi's Mansion is one I never got to try. I never really felt the pull for it when I was younger (that was a time where longer games and broader content were more highly valued). These days, I appreciate its strengths so much more, and I'd love to give it a try. Wave Race: Blue Storm is one I did own. Once again, I didn't really appreciate the seemingly little amount of content at the time (especially when I also had F-Zero GX), but looking back, that game had plenty of strengths. Gamefeel was superb, and it looked great for the time. Surprising amount of personality for such a western-coded game, too. I'm sure it's coming to the NSO, and I do hope I can give it another shot sooner rather than later.

This was a really fun read, learning about these unique titles And it seems the Virtual Boy had even fewer games than I thought!

Wasn't feeling it at first, but that last scene is actually kind of brilliant. Cautiously optimistic.

F-Zero GX is a mediocre multiplayer game, but a brilliant single-player game!.. If you're into hardcore challenge. I do hope they release an EX version of the game (or an EX savefile, in case that's how they handle GCN saves) with everything unlocked. The world needs to know about PJ: ...Huh. So that's why it's a Switch 2 exclusive.

Thank you for airing those issues in the first place. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known to address them when writing my review. Hopefully Freedom Planet 3 will have more than one reptile. Don't skip any cutscenes when you play through Carol's campaign. I brought TWO sandwiches to lunch today. I enjoyed every bite.

Right, I almost forgot to mention this one, but... easily the most insidious announcement of the Direct. It's like they learned nothing from Nintendo Land. Look, it's cool that they have a tech demo. It's not cool that they charge for it. I don't care if it's cheap, it is unacceptable to charge for what is essentially a sophisticated instruction manual. This is meant to showcase the product and teach users about its features, it should NOT be locked behind a paywall. It's a bad sign of where current Nintendo priorities lie. The cherry on top of the cake that is the current pricing scandal.

Besides ToS, I'd also love to see Skies of Arcadia. That's a game that would be better served by a polished remaster (the GCN version is very good, but the music is very compressed, so it's not definitive), but a simple rerelease would also be excellent. Next game is a bit more unexpected: Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. Sure, we're not likely to get Bongos, but we can use the Joy-cons to replicate the effect. I also must mention the masterpiece that is Super Smash Bros. Melee, and hope that it comes to the NSO sooner, rather than later. Wave Race: Blue Storm and Mario Party 4-6 are probably a given. They're good games that people are more inclined to play if they don't have to purchase them. Same thing for the Donkey Konga trilogy, if the joy-cons allow it. Metroid Prime 2 is not my favourite, but it is good, and I'd like new players to experience more than just the first Prime game. Super Mario Sunshine is also one that deserves to be more readily available than in some limited edition release. Starfox Adventures is also begging for a rerelease. And while we already have a remaster, I think Pikmin would also be good for the service. I'd also love to see some multi-platform games that happened to have a GCN version. Timesplitters 2, Viewtiful Joe, Splinter Cell, Second Sight, and Burnout 2 spring to mind. On the level of games I personally never played, there's Paper Mario: Thousand-Year Door, Doshin the Giant, Lost Kingdoms (1 & 2), Super Monkey Ball (1 & 2), Kirby's Air Ride, Starfox Assault, Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg, Geist, and Pikmin 2 (which would be quite something, if they could get those original licensed objects for the rerelease) Finally, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Master Quest is not yet available on the NSO, and it was technically originally released on the Gamecube. Just saying...

Presumably, the fact that the Link version of the game can't be rereleased on any other console probably helped a lot.

I know it's easy to get excited at the possibility of a second screen + microphone + a way to potentially recognize when two screens are smacking each other (old-school fans know what I'm talking about). But we're still missing a decent stylus. I ain't (re)playing Elite Beat Agents or Spirit Tracks without one.

This presentation didn't really... wow me. There was a lot of cool stuff revealed for sure, and a lot of stuff that makes me happy as well, but there wasn't a "cornerstone" gimmick to it all, so it felt a bit unfocused, like they're just listing facts and cool stuff. The mouse-con could've been it, but like @Julius says, they felt more like an extra option out of many (which is still cool for many games that are typically better on PC, yes, but no game centers on it). But it's fine, the Switch 2 didn't need to be the Wii, or the DS, or... the Switch 1. Context is important. They definitely let me know that the Switch branding is going to remain a very convenient and satisfying way to play, between its gigantic library, the drip-feed of classic games, the occasional oddballs (like the Mario Party upgrade, Kirby, or 3D DK), and even legitimate 3rd party support, including modern fighting games. Whenever they confirm City of the Wolves for Switch 2, my purchase will be immediate. All of that said, the return of Soul Calibur 2 was my absolute favourite announcement, I'm so happy about that.

I legit squealed when I saw Soul Calibur II The version with Link is finally back! With online! Oh, my sweet heart! They went with some of the absolute best possible choices for the launch of the GCN NSO. F-Zero GX is still a technical showcase to this day, and it's one of the best Gamecube titles to never be rereleased (multiplayer is still mediocre at best, btw). SC2 has been rereleased, but never THIS version. And people had been anticipating Wind Waker for a good while. I'm looking forward to see this selection grow. My personal top pick for it is Tales of Symphonia: let modern players see what the original, uncompromised version of that title looks like.

That is a perfect (and spoilerrific) comparison! This is actually how I felt with the Soul Calibur II non-chalant reveal as well!

Shinen must've been happy. They were about to secure a fast-paced racer for the launch of the Switch 2, at a time when people are still hungry for F-Zero. Things were looking up... as long as nobody rereleases F-Zero GX running at a crisp 60 FPS on a service that many players are already subscribed to. Poor unfortunate souls. But real talk, I hope F-Zero GX actually helps this game's sales.

This one was a surprise... as in, I'm surprised they didn't just make this into Bravely Default+Second. I'm hoping this leads to some new arrangements for this godly soundtrack.