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Julius

Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack: N64 & SEGA Mega Drive (& GBA!!)

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N64 controller has shipped this evening. Don't see how it could end up arriving tomorrow, but I guess we'll see. Not really in a rush for it anyways, as I'm not planning to move up to the Expansion Pack tier anytime soon. 

With the Expansion Pack going live tomorrow, is there anyone here who plans on picking it up? If so, what do you plan on checking out first? 

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2 minutes ago, Julius said:

N64 controller has shipped this evening. Don't see how it could end up arriving tomorrow, but I guess we'll see. Not really in a rush for it anyways, as I'm not planning to move up to the Expansion Pack tier anytime soon. 

They've arrived next day for previous orders.

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24 minutes ago, Julius said:

With the Expansion Pack going live tomorrow, is there anyone here who plans on picking it up?

I might have actually been tempted if the Animal Crossing DLC was included as a bonus that you got to permanently keep, but as it stands I'm in no hurry to subscribe to Switch Online again, Expansion Pack or standard. :blank:

It is interesting how no online retailers appear to have codes available for the expansion though, what with it launching so soon now. :hmm: I wonder if Nintendo has delayed distribution on purpose in order to maximise their initial profits? :heh: As if they won't be making enough profit with that ridiculous price increase! :indeed:

Edited by RedShell
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Although I do think it's too expensive, I'm still 100% going to be part of the problem, buying it tomorrow and starting my first OOT playthrough in many years. xD

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I'm unlikely to play the AC DLC for more than a year so I'll spend £17 instead of £22 I guess. Keen to play some Lylat Wars too.

I think I read that you get to keep all the island improvements and features from the DLC even if your sub expires anyway. Just not the actual home designer island gameplay. 

Edited by Ronnie
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2 hours ago, Ike said:

They've arrived next day for previous orders.

It's just the time of the shipping email seems a bit late in the day for me to be optimistic about it turning up compared to the few other Nintendo Store orders I've made, would love to be wrong though :p plus my local delivery services have been a bit off the last month or so, which never inspires confidence! 

1 hour ago, RedShell said:

I might have actually been tempted if the Animal Crossing DLC was included as a bonus that you got to permanently keep, but as it stands I'm in no hurry to subscribe to Switch Online again, Expansion Pack or standard. :blank:

It is interesting how no online retailers appear to have codes available for the expansion though, what with it launching so soon now. :hmm: I wonder if Nintendo has delayed distribution on purpose in order to maximise their initial profits? :heh: As if they won't be making enough profit with that ridiculous price increase! :indeed:

Yeah, seen this line of thinking a lot from other AC fans too, and honestly, can't blame you if you've got minimal interest in the N64 or Genesis offerings. 

Interesting point about online retailers seemingly not having codes, I wonder if that's at all down to the discount they're offering for existing members of NSO to transition over to the Expansion Pass? As I would have to imagine buying a code could potentially cause some confusion, for example if you bought a code for 12 months but were already 3 months into an annual NSO subscription, I'm not sure how exactly that would work without getting messy? 

I mean, more directly: I don't see Nintendo wanting to deal / actually dealing with that hassle :p 

stares intensely at Joy-Con drift videos

1 hour ago, Sckewi said:

Although I do think it's too expensive, I'm still 100% going to be part of the problem, buying it tomorrow and starting my first OOT playthrough in many years. xD

Don't think of it as being part of the problem! At the end of the day when it comes to any buyer's remorse I may have - especially over things which are too expensive for what they are and "voting with your wallet" - I always come back to life being way too short to worry about things like that. When it comes to questions of ethics (Activision, Ubisoft) I won't touch it with a space elevator, but unless there's a seriously coordinated effort, "voting with your wallet" for most people I know becomes buying it on sale. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but if you want something and no-one is getting hurt, I say go for it :smile:

As for Ocarina of Time, it's a good shout! When was the last time you played it?

For me, it's definitely a game I still want to check out, but I'd feel almost guilty having the 3DS version on my shelf for years and not getting back to it, after getting about halfway into it a good few years ago. And knowing me I'll want some consistency, so unless anyone tells me the 3DS version of Majora's Mask is inferior, I'll probably end up tracking down a copy of that for 3DS too! 

1 hour ago, Ronnie said:

I'm unlikely to play the AC DLC for more than a year so I'll spend £17 instead of £22 I guess. Keen to play some Lylat Wars too.

I think I read that you get to keep all the island improvements and features from the DLC even if your sub expires anyway. Just not the actual home designer island gameplay. 

Yeah, I recall reading the same. Am I misremembering or was that not mentioned in the Direct? As much as I did enjoy it, in hindsight, that seems like a pretty big thing to not mention in the Direct itself if it wasn't clarified there! 

I have very few memories tied to Nintendo home consoles and franchise characters prior to getting a Wii a few years into its lifetime (mostly related to playing games at other people's houses), but for some reason, Star Fox 64 / Lylat Wars is one which really rings a bell for me, which is funny because I don't recall ever even seeing an N64 being played in person! I've always been curious about it, so it's definitely a game I'll need to check out at some point or another. 

(and it's this kind of logic of mine which creates the mountain that is a backlog :laughing:)

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1 hour ago, Julius said:

As for Ocarina of Time, it's a good shout! When was the last time you played it?

For me, it's definitely a game I still want to check out, but I'd feel almost guilty having the 3DS version on my shelf for years and not getting back to it, after getting about halfway into it a good few years ago. And knowing me I'll want some consistency, so unless anyone tells me the 3DS version of Majora's Mask is inferior, I'll probably end up tracking down a copy of that for 3DS too!

The 3DS version of Majora's Mask is inferior. ;)

It's not terrible, in fact, for the time of release, Nintendo/Grezzo did a reasonable enough job, but some of the textures they replaced were not as good as the original, and the gameplay changes, mostly to the mechanics of Zora Link really made the game unplayable (to me) not literally unplayable, of course... but, if you've played the original, and are accustomed to how the swimming mechanics were, then this has proven to be a deal-breaker for some, including myself.

On 11/10/2021 at 8:40 PM, S.C.G said:

It will be good if you can at least opt to choose which region games you want to play this time, which is what seems to be implied with the latest information. Because if not... then well, the option would be playing The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask in 50Hz in 2021? When there is a fan-made high-resolution texture pack which recently launched, combine that with the USA version of the game, (which you'd already own, of course) with options to improve the game, and a way to use a real N64 controller on a PC...

I know which option I'd be likely to choose. Granted, it's not on original hardware, but neither is this, though really, this probably isn't aimed at anyone who really wants to play N64 games in the best possible way. The emulation for these games on NSO has been really good so far though, and whichever method you choose, it'll never be perfect. When it comes to Majora's Mask, I'll always take the N64 version over the 3DS remake any day, as the changes to some of the original gameplay elements made it not worth finishing the game (to me) at the time, despite the various improvements; so another way to play this game, is more than fine by me, and it will give players who never got to experience the original, another option. :smile:

Being that it has been a while since I last played Majora's Mask properly (not counting the incomplete 3DS save file) and that I'd only probably be playing it once more, for a while potentially, I'm glad that I decided to play it in 60Hz and with improvements.

Though, at least the version which will be on Nintendo Switch online will be the original N64 version, but if you're not planning on going for the Expansion Pack subscription (I'm probably not going for it either) then it would be worth your while picking up the N64 original, if you can... although, if you really are planning on picking up a Wii U, you can still get it on there, I believe? Yes, you can... I just checked, and it's £8.99 to purchase outright, which is pretty good.

Again, it's nice to have options. :peace:

Edited by S.C.G
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Apparently, there are problems with the N64 emulation according to ResetEra. Input lag, laggy framerate, audio lag, and weird controller layout when not using the N64 controller.

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13 minutes ago, MindFreak said:

Apparently, there are problems with the N64 emulation according to ResetEra. Input lag, laggy framerate, audio lag, and weird controller layout when not using the N64 controller.

That's an unavoidable consequence of using a more typical controller with an N64 game. It's never gonna feel quite right.

No option to remap buttons is just dumb though.

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1 hour ago, MindFreak said:

Apparently, there are problems with the N64 emulation according to ResetEra. Input lag, laggy framerate, audio lag, and weird controller layout when not using the N64 controller.

Yikes. That would have been unacceptable even if this were available at the base NSO tier, but at the launch of a new tier which they're effectively charging double for? 

And yeah, the button remapping options (or lack thereof) are terrible from Nintendo across the board, but man, it really does look uncomfortable here.

Hopefully they get on top of this sooner rather than later. 

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I wonder if they'll do some QoL improvements before the next chunk of games appear. 

I also wonder when those next chunk of games will appear.

I wonder about many things.

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You can remap buttons...but only via the settings which change it for the whole console. It really needs a per game setting. 

They probably consider their poor implementation "enough " and don't want to make specific button mapping when needed.

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2 hours ago, MindFreak said:

Apparently, there are problems with the N64 emulation according to ResetEra. Input lag, laggy framerate, audio lag, and weird controller layout when not using the N64 controller.

So ridiculous they are charging for this. You can get a much better experience emulating them yourself.

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3 hours ago, MindFreak said:

Apparently, there are problems with the N64 emulation according to ResetEra. Input lag, laggy framerate, audio lag, and weird controller layout when not using the N64 controller.

Seems most of the complaints are coming from people who are playing online though… in which case, no shit? Of course you’re gonna get tons of lag playing N64 games online!

I’ll let you guys know my impressions (of both NSO N64 and the N64 controllers; which should be coming today) when I get home and try it out this evening though.

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Had an hour or so on it, mostly OOT and a little Ecco!

OOT ran lag-free for me so far, played up until after defeating the first boss. Really nice to be playing it again! I've just remembered about the Gold spiders and I'm definitely gonna print out a checklist so I don't have to explore the entirety of Hyrule 1000 times for the last few.

Ecco was slightly laggy when there were a lot of sprites on screen, not un-playable but definitely noticeable. This is similar to my LttP experience. Bit disappointing tbh, surely the Switch can handle Mega Drive emulation! xD But it's good enough that I'm happy to continue playing. On a side note, I remembered that Ecco was tough, but sheesh, I think I forgot just how much! Already died twice and I'm barely into the first actual level lol. xD Hopefully it will balance out once I get used to the physics a bit. I'd really like to complete it only using suspend points between levels (where you can start from that point using a password anyway).

Each to their own, but in both cases I found the controls fine and not awkward or difficult. And I definitely would complain if there was something wrong with them!

So despite some lag, a positive experience overall. I give it 8/10 oranges. 🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊⚫⚫

Spoiler

I hope no-one notices those are tangerine emojis...

 

Edited by Sckewi
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@Ike was right, nothing to worry about, N64 controller arrived safe and sound :peace:

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I've got to say, holding an N64 controller for the first time was certainly an experience :laughing:

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Why arent A and B put in the middle of the button??

Edit: Seems that this is a feature, not a bug. I've helt an N64 controller for hundreds of hours but never noticed that.

Edited by MindFreak

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3 hours ago, Dcubed said:

Seems most of the complaints are coming from people who are playing online though… in which case, no shit? Of course you’re gonna get tons of lag playing N64 games online!

I’ll let you guys know my impressions (of both NSO N64 and the N64 controllers; which should be coming today) when I get home and try it out this evening though.

The apologists are in position. ;)

You mean the online features that they said would be part of this paid service? The issues seem to be with more than just online, but would you say this is acceptable or to be expected for online play? I wouldn't.

 

Edited by Sheikah

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I'm gonna wait until I try out the online connection on this before judging it. Random people are prone to using potato quality wi-fi with the Switch.

8 of us people on N-Europe played Smash Bros Ultimate on Saturday and it ran buttery smooth. So theoretically, it should be no problem here. I know from experience that the SNES app runs well. Played quite a few games with someone else with very little interruptions.

Anyone wanna test this out Thursday-Saturday?

That said, the visual issues (especially with OoT) and the audio inaccuracies with NSO are not good.

Edited by Glen-i

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4 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

I'm gonna wait until I try out the online connection on this before judging it. Random people are prone to using potato quality wi-fi with the Switch..

To be fair from what I remember from the Switch is was mostly know for causing potato quality WiFi. Has that been sorted? (Genuine question not really related to all of this)

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Yeah, that's what I mean with OoT's visual issues. That Water Temple room is just unacceptable.

16 minutes ago, Happenstance said:

To be fair from what I remember from the Switch is was mostly know for causing potato quality WiFi. Has that been sorted? (Genuine question not really related to all of this)

I'm not sure what you mean? Never heard of that issue.

Whenever I use @Dcubed's internet. I'm normally one floor up from his router. And despite the fact that him and Ugh First Aid were also playing with me on their Switches downstairs and all using Wi-Fi. Smash (a very demanding game) ran perfectly fine, even with 5 other N-Europer's.

In comparison, I tried to play Mario Golf: Super Rush with random people using his Ethernet connection at the start of this month. and it was prone to connection lag. So I'm only gonna trust my usual N-E gaming sessions to judge connection quality. Playing with @BowserBasher though? Perfectly fine.

 

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1 minute ago, Glen-i said:

Yeah, that's what I mean with OoT's visual issues. That Water Temple room is just unacceptable.

I'm not sure what you mean? Never heard of that issue.

Whenever I use @Dcubed's internet. I'm normally one floor up from his router. And despite the fact that him and Ugh First Aid were also playing with me on their Switches downstairs and all using Wi-Fi. Smash (a very demanding game) ran perfectly fine, even with 5 other N-Europer's.

In comparison, I tried to play Mario Golf: Super Rush with random people using his Ethernet connection at the start of this month. and it was prone to connection lag. So I'm only gonna trust my usual N-E gaming sessions to judge connection quality. Playing with @BowserBasher though? Perfectly fine.

 

There was an issue when the Switch first came out where it couldn’t keep connected to WiFi connections so would continuously drop off. I know I had it and I remember other people having it as well, that’s what I was referring to.

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2 minutes ago, Happenstance said:

There was an issue when the Switch first came out where it couldn’t keep connected to WiFi connections so would continuously drop off. I know I had it and I remember other people having it as well, that’s what I was referring to.

Oh yeah, I vaguely remember that now.

Well, the connection I leech off of Dcubed runs fine, so I'm gonna say "Maybe?"

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