Nintendo Direct : 23.09.21 (11pm UK time)

[Glen-i]

3 minutes ago, Ike said:

That has to be some sort of record.

@Dcubed informs me that Gradius also has 4 versions on Switch.

[Dcubed]

Japan gets a 6 button MD controller while we get the crappy 3 button controller AGAIN!!!

Goddammit! They pulled the same stunt as with the MD Mini AGAIN!!

[Dcubed]

19 minutes ago, Cube said:

Yup, pay a second subscription on top of the £20 a year to rent the original Banjo-Kazooie, or pay a fiver to own a much better version, alongside also owning Banjo-Tooie, Nuts & Bolts and a load of other Rare games.

It's a shame Nintendo continues to treat the Switch so poorly.

 

 

We get the NOT SHIT N64 original versions!  

The XBLA versions suck arse!

[Ronnie]

Decent Direct, good pacing as usual. I wasn't expecting many new announcements with so much already revealed, and that's what happened. If each Direct sells me one at least one big Nintendo published reveal I'm happy, and Kirby definitely did that. Looks great.

That Animal Crossing troll though!

[Ronnie]

1 hour ago, Cube said:

Yup, pay a second subscription on top of the £20 a year to rent the original Banjo-Kazooie, or pay a fiver to own a much better version, alongside also owning Banjo-Tooie, Nuts & Bolts and a load of other Rare games.

It's a shame Nintendo continues to treat the Switch so poorly.

And you know, dozens and dozens of other games. Minor detail that. It's also £18 officially, or £14 at CD Keys or Shop.to.

Edited September 24, 2021 by Ronnie

[Julius]

On 22/09/2021 at 11:36 PM, Julius said:

also going to be one of those skipping watching this live too, a surprisingly late one for us UK folk for a change

Well, this didn't happen. I couldn't get to sleep, so stayed up and watched this instead 

Started out strong with diving straight into Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak, the "Massive Expansion" coming next year. Seriously weird phrasing, but anyways, it's awesome for those who play the game and were waiting for more to come. 

Mario Party Superstars continued to put the nail in the coffin for Super Mario Party with how much they talked about it having an online component, not one for me (right now, anyways), but seems like many are excited for it, and it's coming pretty soon. 

Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars was so hilariously screaming Square Enix before their logo even turned up, what with the art style and the song in the background, that I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. I'm definitely intrigued by it, especially with Yoko Taro and Yosuke Saito involved, so will hopefully remember to check the demo out. 

Disco Elysium: The Final Cut coming over is cool, doesn't really budge the needle for me on the game and I'd probably pick it up on a different platform if I did, but still cool to see, and it's only a few weeks away. The new DLC Wave for Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity looked good too, I've yet to play the base game after finding out it wasn't quite what I hoped it was, but I'll hopefully get around to it at some point. Chocobo GP looks like a hilariously low effort kart racer to cash in on Final Fantasy's 35th anniversary, but I won't lie, hearing the little jingle of Melodies of Life at the end forced a smile out of me. 

Smart to announce the news about the final Smash Ultimate fighter well ahead of the final act of this Direct, look forward to seeing Sakurai one last time and learning who it is on the 5th. 

Kirby and the Forgotten Land looks like a whole lot of fun though, the first game in the Direct to really draw me in. Yeah, we've seen PlayStation tackle post-apocalyptic landscapes in recent years with The Last of Us and Horizon, but now we get to see Nintendo's take...with Kirby. Instantly interested. Just hope it doesn't get too preachy. 

Animal Crossing Direct next month for that free New Horizons update in November should be great for those still playing, hopefully it will have been worth the wait!  A  free update for Mario Golf: Super Rush too, fair play Ninty, and not only that but one of a few shadow drops today at that.

I'm sure Disney Magical World 2: Enchanted Edition will have its fans, but I know I won't be one of them. But what I will be a fan of. Finally getting the chance to play Knights of the Old Republic on a modern platform *that I own*. Hopefully that makes it way over to other platforms on the same date too, only got to wait until November 11th, but I'm more than ready to get stuck in. It's been a long time coming! 

Dying Light 2 getting a Cloud Version for Switch...meh. Free demo on the day of the release is a good idea at least. On the other hand, Triangle Strategy has grown up and dropped the "Project" mantle, and some of the changes they've made off the back of the demo feedback sound great, they've done such a good job with demos and feedback that team, more than any other team that comes to mind to be honest! Coming in March next year too, not too shabby a turnaround that. 

Nintendo continues to show too much of Metroid Dread, and that's all there is to say about that. 

The Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription is a weird one for me. On the one hand: FINALLY! The addition of N64 games, even if as part of a more expensive subscription, is long overdue, and I'm absolutely going to be getting one of those N64 controllers. Pleasant surprise that the Mega Drive is also in on this - odd that they didn't mention it was SEGA's anniversary year and perhaps say congratulations, but maybe that's just me - and there's a decent variety of games from there coming too. 

On the other hand, though, seems to be the original N64 versions of the games - which is no surprise, but let's be honest, it means these probably aren't the best ways to play some of these games. Ocarina of Time is the poster child of this launch lineup I'd say, what with Super Mario 64 being available in 3D All-Stars, and yet I guarantee that everyone here and elsewhere will point at the 3DS version as the one to be played if you haven't already, which honestly kind of sucks. I'm not the biggest fan of playing on the smaller screens we have for portable consoles as it is now that I personally don't use them as much as I used to. So this is basically just extra impetus for me to go back to Ocarina of Time 3D.

I also don't think the launch lineup is particularly impressive, especially considering how long the wait has been for this update; though, that being said, what's coming down the road could further delay any incentive to pick up a Wii U, what with Banjo & Kazooie, Pokémon Snap, and Paper Mario coming over at some point on the future. 

Shadowrun Trilogy I don't care much about. Castlevania Advance Collection instantly wishlisted, got enough Castlevania to play as it is, but another shadow drop and yet another reason to delay picking up a Wii U I guess.

Actraiser Renaissance kind of came out of nowhere, I'd read up on the original a few years ago when trying to come up with lists of games on each platform I wanted to check out, and hey, this seems a good excuse to finally get to it, especially after @Dcubed shared a few months ago a wonderful track from the game. £24.99 seems a little steep if I'm being perfectly honest, especially if it's only as long as the original (according to HLTB, probably a bit over 6 hours?), even if it's a remake and has the option of original or rearranged OST, I think £19.99 might have been the sweet point. Yet another shadow drop, but one that perhaps works against it in this case, as it's not a straight port and so I imagine many - myself included - will be waiting to hear how this stacks up from reviewers before taking the plunge. But I'll wishlist it for now I guess. 

Deltarune Chapter 2. Another shadow drop. Kudos, look forward to hearing the new music. 

Final montage time. Hot Wheels Unleashed - on my radar after the positive first impressions a month or so back, will likely wait for a sale on other platforms. Surviving the Aftermath - didn't sell me at all on the game, couldn't be less interested. SMT V - just a reminder it's coming, we've seen enough at this point anyways. Wreckfest - don't put two car games in the same montage, but if you have to, definitely don't put the one that already has positive buzz going for it first, because Wreckfest then pales somewhat in comparison. NAMCO / HAMSTER Arcade Archives - look like fun collections. Rune Factory 5 - happy for those fans to get a release date, fingers crossed things go smoothly and it's not delayed. 

Miyamoto coming out had me think for a second we were getting news on Super Nintendo World or maybe even Pikmin 4 or, you know, a game, but it was just the Mario movie stuff. Some castings look good - Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Jack Black as Bowser, and Key as Toad could be fun - but then others just...don't. I can hear Seth Rogen's "ehuh ehuh ehuh" chuckle and I don't need to see DK go through that. And Chris Pratt is basically an older Tom Holland in that he's in basically everything these days, a very low risk and kind of boring casting. 

Splatoon 3 looked as good as it did last time, don't think we really learned enough here to warrant showing it off again beyond reminding us that it's coming next year.

Bayonetta 3 on the other hand looked decidedly PG for a change. Maybe it's just the costume? But it definitely didn't seem as risqué as her previous outfits, she kind of looks like an adult cosplaying as a China doll with that hair too. As soon as the trailer started a sign said "Platinum" and it was clearly going to be Bayonetta 3, but some evil part of me kind of wanted it to be a Switch exclusive Metal Gear Rising sequel, just to see the fallout. Nice to know that they're aiming for 2022 at least. 

Overall, a solid Direct. No major surprises, which in and of itself doesn't come as much of a surprise. A few games I'm interested in, some to add to the wishlist, and as always a fair few I just didn't really care about. 

My Totally Unofficial Score: 7.5/10

Spoiler

February's Nintendo Direct: 7.0/10

E3

Summer Game Fest - 6.5/10

Ubisoft Foward: 6.0/10

Devolver Maxpass+: 7.0/10

Gearbox: 3.0/10

Xbox & Bethesda Showcase: 8.0/10

Square Enix Presents: 4.0/10

Capcom: 4.5/10

Nintendo: 9.0/10

Post-E3

July's State of Play: 4.0/10

September's State of Play: 9.0/10

 

Edited September 24, 2021 by Julius

[S.C.G]

Nintendo Direct 23/09/2021 Roundup

Now up on the main page, N-Europe's full roundup of the event.

Full press release and video embed.

(you may wish to skip the Metroid Dread section, as Nintendo seem committed to spoiling everything about the game before it's out)

- - - - -

Thoughts... Kirby Odyssey Apocalypse Edition looks great, N64 and MD games with online? Great, price increase... not so great.

Now we see why Nintendo made Super Mario 3D All-Stars a time-limited release... to 'sell' you Super Mario 64... again.

The controllers look great, assuming they work like the 'wireless' SNES pads, which allow you to use them wired with the charging cable... I'll buy one of each.

A proper version of Banjo-Kazooie, back on a Nintendo console again? Excellent. The Xbox 360 arcade port was good for what it is, but the original is best.

(Definitely play Banjo-Kazooie any way that you can though, if you haven't already, as it's one of the best 3D platformers in existence)

Castlevania Advance Collection... all this needs is a £25 or less price and it's an instant purchase, in comparison to trying to get even cart only copies of the originals.

Everything else? I can take it or leave it, nice to see Bayonetta 3 show up though.

[Glen-i]

2 hours ago, S.C.G said:

Castlevania Advance Collection... all this needs is a £25 or less price and it's an instant purchase, in comparison to trying to get even cart only copies of the originals.

16 quid! WAY cheaper then going for the original cartridges! Also has Dracula X from the SNES. Which is nice.

The best thing about it is the "High-Quality Sound" feature that removes most of the hissing that GBA games suffer from!

Also has a feature that explains every item and how to do corresponding secret techniques.

It's solid work from M2! Which shouldn't be surprising.

[Ashley]

23 hours ago, Jonnas said:

"And now, some Smash news!"

*cut to Sakurai*

Sakurai: "The reveal's coming at the end of November"

*move on to the next segment*

You were close!

Now who do I talk to about getting Snowboard Kids on NSO?

[MindFreak]

It was a decent Direct. Not much new but it was great to see footage from Bayonetta and Mario Party: Superstars. Kirby and the Forgotten Lands looks promising, might be a Kirby game that I want to play (through). 

Triangle Strategy also looks decent but I never finished Octopath Traveler due to it being repetitive. Hopefully they have learned from that mistake in this.

[Glen-i]

3 minutes ago, MindFreak said:

Triangle Strategy also looks decent but I never finished Octopath Traveler due to it being repetitive. Hopefully they have learned from that mistake in this.

Hard to say, they're different genres.

If Octopath Traveler plays similarly to Final Fantasy, then Triangle Strategy is Final Fantasy Tactics.

[MindFreak]

44 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

Hard to say, they're different genres.

If Octopath Traveler plays similarly to Final Fantasy, then Triangle Strategy is Final Fantasy Tactics.

True. But being repetitive is something both genres may suffer from.

[Mandalore]

I was so excited about finally being able to play F-Zero X in 60fps on the Wii U Virtual Console, it was such bitter disappointment when it released with horrendous controls.

Is it too much to expect that the N64 control stick calibration won't be complete jank this time?

[Dcubed]

1 hour ago, Mandalore said:

I was so excited about finally being able to play F-Zero X in 60fps on the Wii U Virtual Console, it was such bitter disappointment when it released with horrendous controls.

Is it too much to expect that the N64 control stick calibration won't be complete jank this time?

Considering that Nintendo are releasing a replica N64 controller? I would imagine that it has never controlled better before!

That's another big win here.  N64 games have never felt quite like a natural fit on any of Nintendo's post-N64 controllers (the Gamecube controller was the closest fit, but even then, it always felt like a bit of an awkward fit; especially with the c-stick replacing the c-buttons).  N64 games are best played with an actual N64 controller.

And on top of that? At long last, we finally have portable N64 games!  

[Glen-i]

3 minutes ago, Dcubed said:

That's another big win here.  N64 games have never felt quite like a natural fit on any of Nintendo's post-N64 controllers (the Gamecube controller was the closest fit, but even then, it always felt like a bit of an awkward fit; especially with the c-stick replacing the c-buttons).  N64 games are best played with an actual N64 controller.

I'd take the weird C-stick shenanigans if it meant having that godly Control Stick, to be frank.

The N64 control stick is quite uncomfortable compared to most other Ninty sticks.

[Ike]

Looking forward to trying Sin & Punishment on the original controller. It didn't feel right playing via the Classic Controller on Wii.

[Kounan]

There quite few games in the future I am looking for. First Mario Party Superstars, my daughter is already talking about it. Then Splatoon 3, Bayo 3, Kirby 3D, then of course BOTW 2 and would like to get Monster Hunter Rise, but just don't have time for all the games. Still havy not finished a lot of games I have. 

And now am thinking of getting Diablo 3 for 20 pounds (I hope it's worth it this price even after so many years).

[Dcubed]

Damn, that's surreal to see!

[Cube]

Some overall thoughts:

Chocobo GP, a Final Fantasy racing game. It looks fine, probably won't be as good as Sonic Team Racing for singleplayer, but probably fun in multiplayer. The Switch probably won't get its own Mario Kart, so these other ones will have to make do. 

Kirby looks incredibly charming. I've not really played a Kirby game before, but the style of the trailer and 3D movement has won me over. Definitely looking forward to it.

More Mario Golf stuff is great, especially for free, but just makes me want to wait longer to get the game so I can play it in one go.

KotOR is interesting, as it's only the first game. Including both games (and optional downloads for the main mods) would be great, but just the first isn't anything special, especially when it's very cheap elsewhere, plus a remake on the way.

The new Nintendo Switch Online stuff. The service for me always seemed low on value, so N64 and Mega Drive games could help with that...but then it's an unannounced increase in costs to access that stuff. On top of that, there's still no way to purchase games separately, they're all locked behind a subscription. I want to buy the games, not rent them. On top of this, I think N64 games haven't ages particularly well and need a bit more effort put into them than just emulation. Banjo-Kazooie on XBLA is a perfect example: it runs in a higher resolution, has widescreen support, better framerate, looks much nicer while still looking like an N64 game, the controls feel great on a modern controller (especially the camera) and it fixes an issue that the original had due to a memory limit on the N64 (remembering the notes you collect). When I recently played through Rare Replay, Conker's Bad Fur Day felt pretty bad to control as it was just the N64 version, while Jet Force Gemini got an update after release to improve the controls and was much better as a result.

Banjo-Kazooie is just one of the games which has a better version available elsewhere. Ocarina of Time and Lylat Wars have improved versions on 3DS, Super Mario 64 got a slightly improved version on Switch (which has been removed from sale), or a much nicer fan port can be played on PC (if Nintendo put that much effort into re-releasing games, I would happily pay for it). N64 games are wonderful, but they deserve more than to just be shoved into an emulator, they need some tweaks (especially to account for the C-buttons turning into an analogue stick), and to run better in a higher resolution. It's a shame that Nintendo have opted for a very low effort solution, and one you can't even buy.

Splatoon 3 has me very excited. The heavy focus on singleplayer has me very interested (I enjoyed Splatoon 1 online, but don't play online enough to pay for a subscription). The Octo Expansion for Splatoon 2 was brilliant, so if it can expand on that, it will be a wonderful game.

 

Edit: People analysing the footage suggest that we'll get the 50Hz versions of games, too:

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/switch-onlines-n64-games-could-be-50hz-in-europe/

[Ashley]

I think what I'll do dependent on price/feasibility is just get a 3 month NSO + Expansion Pack (what a stupid name), play through the N64 games I want to play again and leave it at that. Thus I'll wait until those games "coming later" do come.

Although it would be nice if more games such as Wave Race, Snowboard Kids and (I can but dream) Hey You Pikachu.

[Ronnie]

I'm surprised by the business model tbh. I feel like Nintendo would make more money charging £5-10 per game for people to own it outright, than £18 a year for all of them. Ok it'll be more when they add N64/Mega Drive but still.

I suppose over the course of 4 years you'll have spent £70 which may be more than someone buying a handful of games in that time.

Edited September 24, 2021 by Ronnie

[Cube]

4 minutes ago, Ronnie said:

I'm surprised by the business model tbh. I feel like Nintendo would make more money charging £5-10 per game for people to own it outright, than £18 a year for all of them. Ok it'll be more when they add N64/Mega Drive but still.

I suppose over the course of 4 years you'll have spent £70 which may be more than someone buying a handful of games in that time.

If both options were available, people who like to buy will buy, people who like to subscribe will subscribe, and some subscribers who really like certain games may do both.

[Ronnie]

2 minutes ago, Cube said:

If both options were available, people who like to buy will buy, people who like to subscribe will subscribe, and some subscribers who really like certain games may do both.

Yeah for sure. Do other streaming services give people the option to do both, not just games, I mean Netflix etc? I genuinely don't know, but if not then it'll be some business reason 

Edit: actually, stupid question, PSN and Xbox do from games at least.

Edited September 24, 2021 by Ronnie

[Dcubed]

 

[Julius]

1 hour ago, Ronnie said:

I'm surprised by the business model tbh. I feel like Nintendo would make more money charging £5-10 per game for people to own it outright, than £18 a year for all of them. Ok it'll be more when they add N64/Mega Drive but still.

Got to imagine they're still looking back at their Virtual Console numbers when it comes to decisions like this, and I imagine those numbers justify not selling them separately (or adversely that running the expected number of players to subscribe with the Expansion Pack would be more profitable). 

Which, to be honest, I think it's a bit unfair to do at this point. I think if Virtual Console were to ever come back it would need a rebrand and a much more consistent release schedule than what we've seen for the Switch Online legacy console services, sure, but the Switch being a hybrid console just makes sense for retro gaming in the same way that it does for indie games.

I do wonder if they've run the numbers and would be concerned about their games in the vault being outsold by indie titles on the eShop, but more importantly, I feel like the £5 - £10 price range is extremely competitive these days because of the indie scene, and I think they perhaps justifiably look at it as a tougher situation than it was originally back on the Wii when that price range was saved almost exclusively for Virtual Console titles. 

I'd gobble up Virtual Console on the Switch in a heartbeat, and like many here my preference is to own things (even if that means digitally, which is it's own potential black hole) rather than be in on some subscription, but I can understand why Nintendo probably aren't seriously looking at it right now. I mean, 3D All-Stars sold roughly 10 million units and they pulled it from the shelves after a bit over six months, I think that's all the justification they need to look at selling collections rather than going back to Virtual Console. 

Unfortunately it just means the older titles we want to play are spread over even more, older systems, which themselves only seem to be going up in price these days and could easily kick it in any day. 

Edited September 24, 2021 by Julius