General Switch Discussion

[Helmsly]

@Hero-of-Time @Ronnie I enjoyed the press events in the past and it felt exciting to watch them, even if it was 240p IGN stream of E3 back in 2005, just seeing games announced for the first time in front of you was enough to make it enjoyable, but I also found them awkward too. There was a lot of time wasted on them with slide shows, introductions, technical errors etc. A lot of the time in them were spent on one person introducing another person on stage, who then just introduces a game trailer on a screen.

I feel like their time has long passed and the only thing I really need is a to see a game play trailer with a voice over explaining to me what the game is about, which i find Nintendo do perfectly with their Directs.

You're both right though, with whats going on right now I doubt Nintendo can really prepare a normal direct anyway. Aside from everyone being in their homes games development has all taken a hit to some degree.

But it would be hilarious to see mayamoto hosting a direct from his home via zoom

Edited April 30, 2020 by Helmsly

[Ronnie]

Just now, Helmsly said:

But it would be hilarious to see mayamoto hosting a direct from his home via zoom

[Helmsly]

2 minutes ago, Ronnie said:

[Ashley]

I can't imagine him using a Zoom. He seems like the sort that still has a Nokia 3310. 

[Helmsly]

28 minutes ago, Ashley said:

I can't imagine him using a Zoom. He seems like the sort that still has a Nokia 3310. 

There's always he Wii U chat app...

[drahkon]

Noticed a weird issue while playing Picross S:

If you press "B" you place an X. Now here's the deal: If I press a directional button immediately after pressing "B" I place an X on both squares. Same thing happens with all the other buttons. Not sure if my explanation makes sense. It's like the first button press is "held" while pressing the direction button.
I've tried it in other games, for example Tangledeep, and it happens there, as well.

What to do? It's pretty annoying in games that require fast and precise inputs.

[Dcubed]

To be honest.  I reckon that any Direct being cancelled wouldn't be so much down to issues surrounding production of the Direct video itself, but rather due to issues surrounding production of Nintendo's entire upcoming software schedule.

Simply put, I don't think Nintendo actually have anything to show.

Outside of their upcoming Wii/Wii U ports, I honestly think we've already seen everything they're actually going to release this year.  I bet that literally every upcoming first party Switch game  (that isn't a Wii/Wii U port that is basically already fully completed; COUGH! Super Mario 3D World DX COUGH! Pikmin 3 DX COUGH! Metroid Prime Trilogy!) has been delayed until 2021.  Their teams were already struggling with HD development as it is; there's no way that COVID-19 hasn't massively impacted on their development pipeline.

They will coast on Animal Crossing, 3rd party releases and the remaining Wii/Wii U ports for the entierty of 2020.  As such, there is no need for a Direct; it'll only make them look worse.

Besides.  It's not like their competition will actually be launching their next-gen machines this year anyway  

Edited May 1, 2020 by Dcubed

[Dcubed]

12 hours ago, drahkon said:

Noticed a weird issue while playing Picross S:

If you press "B" you place an X. Now here's the deal: If I press a directional button immediately after pressing "B" I place an X on both squares. Same thing happens with all the other buttons. Not sure if my explanation makes sense. It's like the first button press is "held" while pressing the direction button.
I've tried it in other games, for example Tangledeep, and it happens there, as well.

What to do? It's pretty annoying in games that require fast and precise inputs.

Sounds like your B-Button is getting stuck?

Try cleaning it with a toothbrush.

[drahkon]

54 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

Sounds like your B-Button is getting stuck?

Try cleaning it with a toothbrush.

It's happening with all four buttons and I already tried cleaning them

[MindFreak]

Throw the controller into a wall. Hard.

[Kav]

I’ve got to say, the Switch is fast becoming my least liked Nintendo console... I even had more fun with the WiiU than I am doing with Switch.

There's too big a drought of big/decent First Party titles, Third Party lacking as always and the build quality of the JoyCon’s is awful, the analogues are dog-shit. JoyCon drift has ruined my time with my Switch, I hardly ever play it now.

Still, I got the console, BotW & the Pro Controller for £27 after trading in my WiiU & games so at least I’ve not forked out loads on it.

Just massively disappointed in it. 

[drahkon]

4 hours ago, MindFreak said:

Throw the controller into a wall. Hard.

I'm no expert but I doubt this will help

[Hero-of-Time]

4 minutes ago, Kav said:

I’ve got to say, the Switch is fast becoming my least liked Nintendo console... I even had more fun with the WiiU than I am doing with Switch.

Join the club. It's something I brought up a month or two back in a thread ( can't remember which one it was in now ). I've felt this way for a long time now and unless the system has a stellar second half to it's life, my feelings are going to remain that way.

[Ronnie]

21 minutes ago, Kav said:

There's too big a drought of big/decent First Party titles

Surprised to hear that when the past twelve months has given us Mario Maker 2, Fire Emblem Three Houses, Labo VR, Astral Chain, Link's Awakening, Ring Fit Adventure, Luigi's Mansion 3, Pokemon Sword/Shield, Animal Crossing. That's eight or nine big titles in twelve months. Covid has obviously affected their plans this year but there hasn't been a lack of things to play recently.

23 minutes ago, Kav said:

Third Party lacking as always

Respectfully, that's simply not true. The situation is much improved this gen, blame the likes of EA or Capcom for not supporting a 50+ million selling console for some reason. 

[Happenstance]

21 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Join the club. It's something I brought up a month or two back in a thread ( can't remember which one it was in now ). I've felt this way for a long time now and unless the system has a stellar second half to it's life, my feelings are going to remain that way.

The Switch is basically an Animal Crossing machine for me at this point. I was very close to selling it last year.

[drahkon]

31 minutes ago, Kav said:

Third Party lacking as always

Indeed. It's what I immediately noticed, as well.
For me it's not a big deal because I get my third party fix on PS4, but I can see how that's a problem for some.

32 minutes ago, Kav said:

There's too big a drought of big/decent First Party titles

While I'm enjoying my time with the Switch I always wonder whether it would be the same, hadn't I bought it this late. Now I have a few games to choose from.
I think I'd be in the same situation had I bought the console much earlier. There really is not a huge first party output...

[Hero-of-Time]

Just now, Happenstance said:

The Switch is basically an Animal Crossing machine for me at this point. I was very close to selling it last year.

I think Animal Crossing has given the console a new lease of life for a lot of people who aren't in love with the machine. However, if Animal Crossing isn't your thing ( you don't play it do you, @Kav?) then you are once again going to be kept waiting.

3 minutes ago, drahkon said:

Indeed. It's what I immediately noticed, as well.

The majority of third parties just don't care about it. History has proven (Wii) that it makes no difference if a console is the best selling device or not. If a developer/publisher has to faff on with making a special port or downgrade a game then they simply aren't going to bother. I think this is even more true today given the the cost of actually developing a game is much higher than what it used to be. At least during the Wii era development costs were low enough for third parties to make exclusive games for the console.  

[drahkon]

1 minute ago, Hero-of-Time said:

I think this is even more true today given the the cost of actually developing a game is much higher than what it used to be.

Yup. Which is pretty much why Microsoft and Sony are set on making their new consoles as easy to develop for as possible. Especially with regards to cross-gen titles.

It's smart, They won't lose any third party titles that way.

[MindFreak]

Nintendo's output in 2020 has been atrocious and if I hadn't bought Witcher 3, I wouldn't have had much to play this year. Sure, there are some indie-games to play but they are getting harder and harder to find. I have bought AC for my wife, who plays it a bit. Now I'm waiting for Outer Worlds and XCom 2 (which I may get for reviewing soon) and after that... I'll probably return to Wticher 3 as I'm only about halfway through that.

However, conceptually I find Switch perfect. Combining handheld and home-console gaming is really nice, and it's so fast to boot and get to play. The build quality could be better but that said, I have had it since launch (almost) and my son has dropped it a couple of times (damn him and his curiosity!) and it still works perfectly. Left JoyCon is drifting a little sometimes but nothing terrible.

[darksnowman]

The only thing I agree with is the Joycon drift problem. Can't believe Nintendo of all people have managed to put out shoddy joysticks. Games-wise, I think the Switch has great variety and is oversaturated (even before Animal Crossing). But each to their own!

[Kav]

34 minutes ago, Ronnie said:

Surprised to hear that when the past twelve months has given us Mario Maker 2, Fire Emblem Three Houses, Labo VR, Astral Chain, Link's Awakening, Ring Fit Adventure, Luigi's Mansion 3, Pokemon Sword/Shield, Animal Crossing. That's eight or nine big titles in twelve months.

That’s why I included the word “decent” in there.

...of course it’s based on opinion, but mine is such that they’re not the stellar titles others think they are. Of all you mentioned only Link’s Awakening is a top tier title to me.

 

Oh, online is shit too (as always).

Edited May 1, 2020 by Kav

[Aneres11]

I just can’t believe people preferred the Wii U to the Switch!! 
But different strokes etc. 

I don’t feel like there has been a constant stream of games for my tastes with the Switch that has kept me satisfied enough. 

Obviously, Animal Crossing has become my favourite thing ever after never playing much of it on previous consoles. 
But if it wasn’t for this game, I would definitely be raiding Game Pass to play Gow 5, Streets of Rage, Quantum Break, We Happy Few, Ori Blind Forest and other bits waiting for me there. 

[MindFreak]

Mario Maker 2 - massive, but not for me
Fire Emblem Three Houses - too much of a. life-sim to me but may pick it up sometime
Labo VR - gimmick, not much of a game
Astral Chain - really good game
Link's Awakening - didn't enjoy it but played and I acknowledge that it's a big title - though it's a remaster
Ring Fit Adventure - out of stock! - and a bit of a gimmick
Luigi's Mansion 3 - big title but I didn't enjoy it that much after some time as it grew very samey.
Pokemon Sword/Shield - Pokémon is great but this is a shallow take on the games - though I'm looking forward to the expansions
Animal Crossing - life-sim and not for me

So even though Nintendo have put out some games, almost all of them came out last year and many of them have a short life.

[Ronnie]

10 minutes ago, Kav said:

That’s why I included the word “decent” in there.

...of course it’s based on opinion, but mine is such that they’re not the stellar titles others think they are. Of all you mentioned only Link’s Awakening is a top tier title to me.

Other publishers would kill for eight of those nine games in 12 months having Metacritic scores of 88, 89, 87, 87, 83, 86, 80 and 91.

It's a shame you've played them all and not enjoyed any apart from Link's Awakening 

[Goron_3]

Regarding 3rd parties - EA recently said that over 60% of Switch owners owned at least one other console. It's no wonder they aren't throwing money at Switch development - they're better off just focusing on XBO and PS4. 

The Switch has had a weird year. It hasn't had any big AAA titles but ultimately outside of Mario, Zelda, Smash and Metroid, Nintendo have historically had a gap in quality, budget and scope between their second tier franchises (this isn't uncommon btw). What's great is that they do have franchises like Luigi's Mansion, Xenoblade and Splatoon, but they probably need another big budget franchise or another couple of franchises to sit in that second tier. Fire Emblem probably fits that hole for some fans. Likewise, Animal Crossing might not be big budget but it's sells consoles and software to the wider market.

This year was always going to be the year they chased after the mass market, especially with the Lite now available. Pokemon and Animal Crossing work well for that, and it reminds of how the Wii started off with Super Mario Galaxy, Zelda and Prime in its first year and then had Animal Crossing, NSMB and Wii Sports resort in its 3rd-4th year to really drive home its mass appeal. Pokemon in November, AC in Spring and some Mario remasters will keep sales very high.

That said...I'm hungry for a bigger title. We've said it before and it's still true that Nintendo have never successfully filled the whole that Rare left. Retro pump out one game every 3-4 years and they've never made a 3D HD title, so I'm not expecting Prime 4 any time soon (likely Switch 2). Monolith have XBC1 coming out this month but I'm more excited about the game they are working on after that. In an alternate universe, we'd likely have Metroid Prime 4 this year. Sigh.