that's not even the worst part. for pc players the game forces you to use mouse acceleration. you cant turn it off without meddling in your config files.
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- Thread starter Bummer
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I installed this game on an HDD and it's basically unplayable despite being a mid FPS wtf is happening in AAA pc gaming right now
i have and love my XBox, but have been recently pushing my friends to get a PS5 cus i know they been looking at the upgrade and with all the recent yadayaloo around Xbox i told em just get ps5, yes it's a lil more pricey for top tier but top tier (as in like membership) is worth it, and i think i finally broke my best friend lol.
Already been a while since my last post and I managed to knock out quite a few games in that time so I'm back again to rant and rave
Astrobot 10/10 (PS5)
Alright so while I think it's very cool this got GotY, it would still be perfectly up my alley and get a 10/10 from me regardless. I've been fiending for an old-school platformer akin to Spyro, and by golley does this scratch that itch. Absolutely beautiful graphics, amazing soundtrack, peak platforming and exploration, and just 100/10 adorable mascot, this game really does have everything. The references just push it over the top. As someone who's gamed the literal entirety of my 30 year existence so far, this game really does feel like a love letter to gaming in general. An absolute must-play if you have any enjoyment from platformers. And if you're on the fence, just play Astro's Playroom which comes preloaded on the PS5 which you need to have to play this anyway.
Octopath Traveler 9.5/10 (Switch)
A very satisfying RPG experience. The battle system is the real selling point here. They tried to make the story-telling the main draw, but that honestly fell pretty flat and would not have carried this game without the battle system. The Dancer, Thief, and Apothecary's stories are very, very good standalone stories, but the rest of the cast ranged from mediocre (Mage, Warrior) to just bad (Cleric). The odd voice acting also did not help a whole lot either. My main gripe with the game was that the "party" was not a party by any other RPG measure; they barely interacted, and the few interactions they do have are of a vague acquaintance variety. However, the music, environments, exploration, and combat are what you're doing for most of the game and those all nailed it 10/10. If you're not into random encounters or don't really care for the battle system (try the demo) I would steer very clear of this one, but this hit the right groove for me and I dumped some 60 hours into this one and really enjoyed it.
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom 9/10 (Switch)
Boy, where to start with this one. I liked it... but not as much as I was hoping. Somewhat of a spoiler?: This actually turns more into a monster-catcher than anything else. Weird, right? And like, it was fine. I really enjoyed how cute it was, the gameplay still felt great, the music was banging, and the characters were the same goofy Zelda-fare turned up a notch. If you liked Link's Awakening you'll enjoy this one; fitting for being the "sequel" to that game. My disappointment mostly arises from my initial impressions of the game of being more of a puzzler or leaning more heavily into Zelda's magic. Instead, you still mostly just brute-force your way through puzzles by sending out your strongest/most applicable monster or transforming into Link and beating the problem to death. Which... sure, I guess. It plays more like the other Zeldas in the series than something unique. That and Tri is not nearly as cute as I was hoping, instead it honestly got kinda annoying after a while... almost like having Fi back... Still a must-play for any hardcore Zelda fan.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 9/10 (Wii U VC)
Whenever I'm in the mood for a good tactics sesh I usually go for the sequel to this one (FFA2). I had long lost my original copy of the original and had redownloaded it onto the Wii U several years ago, but with it now having been probably 15 years since I last played it, I decided it was a good time as any to go back and try it out again. I love this series, man. It's so good. The main campaign was actually way, way shorter than I remembered. If you focus on zero sidequests you can breeze through this in like 8 hours max. It's not a very long game if you plug away at it. However, the sidequests and building up your party is the real meat and bones of this one (and its sequel). I tried 100%ing this go around, but after reading into the limited amount of literature available on this one, it sounds like some of the random spawns for quests are literally bugged and won't appear, meaning 100%ing is actually kind of impossible. Disappointing but not surprising because I'm pretty sure the same is true for the sequel lol. I also tried my hardest to go for some of the more difficult job classes this go around, but there again, I did just about everything I could and still hadn't unlocked some of the jobs, the game is simply not long enough to really have any payoff for going for some of them (Morpher specifically). The game still holds up though. If you have the chance, play it.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits 9/10 (PS5)
"Baby's first Dark Souls" is probably an apt descriptor of this one, but I think it's actually closer to "what would happen if we mashed Pikmin and Uncharted with Dark Souls?" This game is beautiful and the sound design is an easy 10/10, and honestly just walking around the map was a fantastic experience. But imo you can really feel the pressure from the 2021 gaming environment at the time that everything had to be Soulslike, and I'm honestly really curious to know if that was always the intention with this one from the developers from the beginning. It almost feels like they knew what they wanted the game to look like wayyy before they ever settled on how it'd play. To me it honestly feels like the boss design was shoehorned into be Soulslike instead of more platformer/Pikmin-esque like the rest of the game. Whatever the case, I really, really enjoyed this one. The combat feels very fair for a Soulslike (you have a shield that actually... shields), using your bow and other powers feels incredibly cathartic, and the minor puzzle solving was satisfying. My only major gripe with the movement was that your double jump, which you are forced to use a lot, is probably the worst, most floatiest double jump in all of gaming lol. Overall, it kinda felt like the game had a bit of an identity crisis in development, a bit of a jack of all trades situation, but the end result was still great. Plus, the little spirit rot things are friggin adorable.
Golden Sun 8.5/10 (Wii U VC)
Alright, I had been promising to play this one for my bf for years and years and after finally playing it, I definitely did not hate it. HOWEVER SPOILER: the game ends abruptly like... halfway through the story. Which I did Not know beforehand, so my overall opinion of the game is kind of marred by my recent discovery of that lmfao. I knew it had a sequel, but I did not know it was an Extension of the first one... Anyway, I liked the flexible RPG combat of this one. It could have used wayyyyyy more tutorialization honestly, which I know is kind of "wtf" to some, but man, things are just entirely unexplained or quickly glossed over that really actually needed some more explanation. I have a feeling a lot was hidden away in the gamebook and I'm playing this on VC, which sucks that I missed out on that, but oofta. The music is great and the characters are pretty prototypical RPG hurr durr boy and tsundere girl slop, but it's not done horribly. My major gripe from the game was the insane amount of cutscenes for a GBA RPG. And the amount of "boing boing ??? boing boing !!!" amount of character "dialogue" that took place that way over-extended the amount of time you're stuck in a cutscene (insert Vietnam war flashbacks to the sea-crossing segment of the game). If you've played this game you know what I mean. Anyway, I'm excited to get into the sequel and I can definitely see the longstanding appeal to this one, having just played the first game I too can say this is deserving of a revival.
Shovel Knight 8/10 (Switch)
I've only played through 2 of the campaigns so far (Shovel Knight and Specter Knight) but I feel like I have a good enough grasp on the game to talk about it (and I don't have much interest in going back and playing through King Knight or Plague Knight, but maybe one day). I loved the gameplay. It was very challenging but it never felt unfair or unfun. The pixel art and music did a great job of capturing that retro feel they were going for without having to sacrifice the core platforming aspect. This also would have been a game that would have benefitted a little bit from more tutorialism lol, like at least in a menu or something. It's one thing to take a stance against the ever-present handholding in gaming rn, but it's another to just not explain anything in your menuing or core gameplay elements. But it's fine, I still liked it a lot. Fuck Propeller Knight though.
Celeste 8/10 (PS4)
Don't think I ever actually talked about this one despite having knocked it out over a year ago at this point. A brutally difficult platformer, but that was the main appeal for some, and I enjoyed it. Thankfully, there's only a few segments in the game where it really felt punishing to have to try over and over, referring mostly the protracted chase sequences. Otherwise, deaths are literally just a gameplay element. I did enjoy that most of the time it was more like you were puzzling out what to do on the stages rather than physically having to try and execute the demanding inputs. That said, the B and C side stuff was way too hard for me. I enjoyed playing through the main campaign and getting most of the strawberries, but I have no desire to break my hands on that other stuff lol.
Luigi's Mansion 2 HD 7.5/10 (Switch)
I LOVED the first and third entry in this series and I finally got to play the second here with the remake. I still loved it, but man E. Gadd is horrid here lol. Shut UP DUDE STOP CALLING ME. I feel like for full price they could have added literally anything more past the original release to make up for the price tag but whatever, I'm glad I just finally got to try it. It didn't hold any surprises aside from being a little more difficult in a couple areas than I was expecting, but obviously nothing crazy.
Marvel Rivals 7/10 (PS5)
The over-the-shoulder perspective just doesn't do it for me. I love Jeff the Shark. LOVE JEFF SO MUCH. I will main him until I die. But gameplay-wise this one just isn't for me. I feel like I can't see anything, especially for anything at a distance of more than like 40 in-game meters. I compare it constantly to Overwatch and I feel like Overwatch is just a more satisfying experience. Kudos to everyone that wanted this one and is enjoying it, I just don't care for it as much.
Astrobot 10/10 (PS5)
Alright so while I think it's very cool this got GotY, it would still be perfectly up my alley and get a 10/10 from me regardless. I've been fiending for an old-school platformer akin to Spyro, and by golley does this scratch that itch. Absolutely beautiful graphics, amazing soundtrack, peak platforming and exploration, and just 100/10 adorable mascot, this game really does have everything. The references just push it over the top. As someone who's gamed the literal entirety of my 30 year existence so far, this game really does feel like a love letter to gaming in general. An absolute must-play if you have any enjoyment from platformers. And if you're on the fence, just play Astro's Playroom which comes preloaded on the PS5 which you need to have to play this anyway.
Octopath Traveler 9.5/10 (Switch)
A very satisfying RPG experience. The battle system is the real selling point here. They tried to make the story-telling the main draw, but that honestly fell pretty flat and would not have carried this game without the battle system. The Dancer, Thief, and Apothecary's stories are very, very good standalone stories, but the rest of the cast ranged from mediocre (Mage, Warrior) to just bad (Cleric). The odd voice acting also did not help a whole lot either. My main gripe with the game was that the "party" was not a party by any other RPG measure; they barely interacted, and the few interactions they do have are of a vague acquaintance variety. However, the music, environments, exploration, and combat are what you're doing for most of the game and those all nailed it 10/10. If you're not into random encounters or don't really care for the battle system (try the demo) I would steer very clear of this one, but this hit the right groove for me and I dumped some 60 hours into this one and really enjoyed it.
Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom 9/10 (Switch)
Boy, where to start with this one. I liked it... but not as much as I was hoping. Somewhat of a spoiler?: This actually turns more into a monster-catcher than anything else. Weird, right? And like, it was fine. I really enjoyed how cute it was, the gameplay still felt great, the music was banging, and the characters were the same goofy Zelda-fare turned up a notch. If you liked Link's Awakening you'll enjoy this one; fitting for being the "sequel" to that game. My disappointment mostly arises from my initial impressions of the game of being more of a puzzler or leaning more heavily into Zelda's magic. Instead, you still mostly just brute-force your way through puzzles by sending out your strongest/most applicable monster or transforming into Link and beating the problem to death. Which... sure, I guess. It plays more like the other Zeldas in the series than something unique. That and Tri is not nearly as cute as I was hoping, instead it honestly got kinda annoying after a while... almost like having Fi back... Still a must-play for any hardcore Zelda fan.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 9/10 (Wii U VC)
Whenever I'm in the mood for a good tactics sesh I usually go for the sequel to this one (FFA2). I had long lost my original copy of the original and had redownloaded it onto the Wii U several years ago, but with it now having been probably 15 years since I last played it, I decided it was a good time as any to go back and try it out again. I love this series, man. It's so good. The main campaign was actually way, way shorter than I remembered. If you focus on zero sidequests you can breeze through this in like 8 hours max. It's not a very long game if you plug away at it. However, the sidequests and building up your party is the real meat and bones of this one (and its sequel). I tried 100%ing this go around, but after reading into the limited amount of literature available on this one, it sounds like some of the random spawns for quests are literally bugged and won't appear, meaning 100%ing is actually kind of impossible. Disappointing but not surprising because I'm pretty sure the same is true for the sequel lol. I also tried my hardest to go for some of the more difficult job classes this go around, but there again, I did just about everything I could and still hadn't unlocked some of the jobs, the game is simply not long enough to really have any payoff for going for some of them (Morpher specifically). The game still holds up though. If you have the chance, play it.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits 9/10 (PS5)
"Baby's first Dark Souls" is probably an apt descriptor of this one, but I think it's actually closer to "what would happen if we mashed Pikmin and Uncharted with Dark Souls?" This game is beautiful and the sound design is an easy 10/10, and honestly just walking around the map was a fantastic experience. But imo you can really feel the pressure from the 2021 gaming environment at the time that everything had to be Soulslike, and I'm honestly really curious to know if that was always the intention with this one from the developers from the beginning. It almost feels like they knew what they wanted the game to look like wayyy before they ever settled on how it'd play. To me it honestly feels like the boss design was shoehorned into be Soulslike instead of more platformer/Pikmin-esque like the rest of the game. Whatever the case, I really, really enjoyed this one. The combat feels very fair for a Soulslike (you have a shield that actually... shields), using your bow and other powers feels incredibly cathartic, and the minor puzzle solving was satisfying. My only major gripe with the movement was that your double jump, which you are forced to use a lot, is probably the worst, most floatiest double jump in all of gaming lol. Overall, it kinda felt like the game had a bit of an identity crisis in development, a bit of a jack of all trades situation, but the end result was still great. Plus, the little spirit rot things are friggin adorable.
Golden Sun 8.5/10 (Wii U VC)
Alright, I had been promising to play this one for my bf for years and years and after finally playing it, I definitely did not hate it. HOWEVER SPOILER: the game ends abruptly like... halfway through the story. Which I did Not know beforehand, so my overall opinion of the game is kind of marred by my recent discovery of that lmfao. I knew it had a sequel, but I did not know it was an Extension of the first one... Anyway, I liked the flexible RPG combat of this one. It could have used wayyyyyy more tutorialization honestly, which I know is kind of "wtf" to some, but man, things are just entirely unexplained or quickly glossed over that really actually needed some more explanation. I have a feeling a lot was hidden away in the gamebook and I'm playing this on VC, which sucks that I missed out on that, but oofta. The music is great and the characters are pretty prototypical RPG hurr durr boy and tsundere girl slop, but it's not done horribly. My major gripe from the game was the insane amount of cutscenes for a GBA RPG. And the amount of "boing boing ??? boing boing !!!" amount of character "dialogue" that took place that way over-extended the amount of time you're stuck in a cutscene (insert Vietnam war flashbacks to the sea-crossing segment of the game). If you've played this game you know what I mean. Anyway, I'm excited to get into the sequel and I can definitely see the longstanding appeal to this one, having just played the first game I too can say this is deserving of a revival.
Shovel Knight 8/10 (Switch)
I've only played through 2 of the campaigns so far (Shovel Knight and Specter Knight) but I feel like I have a good enough grasp on the game to talk about it (and I don't have much interest in going back and playing through King Knight or Plague Knight, but maybe one day). I loved the gameplay. It was very challenging but it never felt unfair or unfun. The pixel art and music did a great job of capturing that retro feel they were going for without having to sacrifice the core platforming aspect. This also would have been a game that would have benefitted a little bit from more tutorialism lol, like at least in a menu or something. It's one thing to take a stance against the ever-present handholding in gaming rn, but it's another to just not explain anything in your menuing or core gameplay elements. But it's fine, I still liked it a lot. Fuck Propeller Knight though.
Celeste 8/10 (PS4)
Don't think I ever actually talked about this one despite having knocked it out over a year ago at this point. A brutally difficult platformer, but that was the main appeal for some, and I enjoyed it. Thankfully, there's only a few segments in the game where it really felt punishing to have to try over and over, referring mostly the protracted chase sequences. Otherwise, deaths are literally just a gameplay element. I did enjoy that most of the time it was more like you were puzzling out what to do on the stages rather than physically having to try and execute the demanding inputs. That said, the B and C side stuff was way too hard for me. I enjoyed playing through the main campaign and getting most of the strawberries, but I have no desire to break my hands on that other stuff lol.
Luigi's Mansion 2 HD 7.5/10 (Switch)
I LOVED the first and third entry in this series and I finally got to play the second here with the remake. I still loved it, but man E. Gadd is horrid here lol. Shut UP DUDE STOP CALLING ME. I feel like for full price they could have added literally anything more past the original release to make up for the price tag but whatever, I'm glad I just finally got to try it. It didn't hold any surprises aside from being a little more difficult in a couple areas than I was expecting, but obviously nothing crazy.
Marvel Rivals 7/10 (PS5)
The over-the-shoulder perspective just doesn't do it for me. I love Jeff the Shark. LOVE JEFF SO MUCH. I will main him until I die. But gameplay-wise this one just isn't for me. I feel like I can't see anything, especially for anything at a distance of more than like 40 in-game meters. I compare it constantly to Overwatch and I feel like Overwatch is just a more satisfying experience. Kudos to everyone that wanted this one and is enjoying it, I just don't care for it as much.
celeste is genuinely one of my favorite games ever. I'd give it a 10/10 which says a lot considering the gap between a 9 and 10 for me is about the same as the gap between a 6 and 9 ngl. The platforming is really difficult and one of the main draws is that 8 directional inputs (excluding the feather) is really hard to do on m+k (i plugged in my old ps3 controller for this game lol).
I also hate chapter 5 with a burning passion but that's just due to my inability to manipulate the eye of cthulu looking things (playing expert+ maps and still dont know seeker manips lmfao). Chapter 3's oshiro fight and Chapter 4's snowballs are similar? but they're also much easier to deal with since they move in a straight line and they're 10x more consistent to hit bounces on.
If it's any consolation the game also has golden strawberries which require you to clear every C-side and then you'll get one per level when you beat them deathless (putting my strawberry count at 201/175 since im not dealing with fwg)
The chapter 9 story is well worth the effort in my opinion and B/C sides are actually pretty well balanced for the game. I might be a biased opinion since I separate celeste levels into "Easier than farewell" and "harder than farewell" but they are good stepping stones (except chapter 3 and 5 but thats the fault of cycle gp)
My Celeste hot take is that I did not like the story. That is to say, I do not like how the story is presented. I feel like it gets in its own way. Another game I like about climbing a mountain is A Short Hike. In that game, the sense of completing a seemingly impossible task is ingrained within the ludo-narrative in a much more natural, subtle way. Celeste, at times, feels a little bit like a cartoon, and it takes away from what could have been a deeply personal experience.
Gameplay wise, the game is great, though. No complaints there. But I've only played it once, so maybe I need to do another playthrough.
WASSUP Y'ALL?
IT'S FINALLY HERE
AFTER ALL THIS TIME, WE FINALLY SEE THE NINTENDO SWITCH 2 IN THE FLESH!!!
FEAST YOUR EYES!
Lamest console announcement I've seen in my entire fucking life.
1 game (that is literally the game we already have known for 5 years would be on it, with like 20 seconds of footage)
Zero new features shown
Only 1 minute shorter than the original First Look at Switch trailer and it literally just shows the design
"Wait 3 months to get the actual information"
1 game (that is literally the game we already have known for 5 years would be on it, with like 20 seconds of footage)
Zero new features shown
Only 1 minute shorter than the original First Look at Switch trailer and it literally just shows the design
"Wait 3 months to get the actual information"
I’m personally very disappointed by the Switch 2, but not necessarily because of the console itself. The two words I’ve been using to describe this trailer and the platform being as similar to the original Switch are “lazy” and “corporate”. I’m trying to keep my hopes up, but I can’t get myself to be excited about a probably $400 U.S. console that’s not going to offer any unique qualities emblematic of Nintendo’s old sense of creativity. I’m sure the console itself will be fine once we have enough quality games (even most of them will probably cost $70 U.S., which itself is a turn-off for me), but even in the best case scenario where this console is both unique and successful, I can’t agree with the masses that say that doing the same thing again is the best way to avoid another Wii U situation, which really sucks because I can’t decide if I should have pity on a multi billion dollar company that’s had this many leaks shoved in their faces.
I feel like calling it the Switch 2 is just a fundamentally bad idea. No matter their intentions for the console, it creates the first impression that they're iterating on what already exists instead of continuing with the innovation that has allowed them to remain standout in the console market.
The Switch 2 has never been about the hardware. We've known that the Switch 2 was just going to be the Switch but bigger and better for years now. It is all about the software. That is what carried the Switch. BoTW at launch and Mario Odyssey in the first year? Absolutely nutty. The April 2nd direct will be the most important direct for the Switch 2's life- it will demonstrate whether or not this is a console worth buying at launch or within the first year.
Personally, that is all I care about. They could've called it the Nintendo Blongus and had it be shaped like a toilet and all I woud've asked is "Ok but what games does it have?"
The switch was an incredible success. I mean, it wasn't just a good console- it is the best selling console of all time. It would be ridiculous for Nintendo to abandon that lineup for the next console, and I am glad they did not. I like the Switch.
Personally, that is all I care about. They could've called it the Nintendo Blongus and had it be shaped like a toilet and all I woud've asked is "Ok but what games does it have?"
The switch was an incredible success. I mean, it wasn't just a good console- it is the best selling console of all time. It would be ridiculous for Nintendo to abandon that lineup for the next console, and I am glad they did not. I like the Switch.
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Switch 2 isn't a exactly a creative name but it gets the point across that it's the newest generation of Nintendo consoles with as little room for misinterpretation as possible, which is important when it's so visually similar to the original Switch. And given how insanely successful the Switch was/still is it would be a foolish move to shift away from that branding for the foreseeable future.
I really want people to just stop making consoles. Nintendo, you did it. You made a powerful yet portable device capable of plugging into a TV and fitting into a purse. You have two controllers built into it for easy access to multiplayer anywhere. It can run games where the pixels are almost impossible to see. It has little to no significant lag. You have done it. You have made the ultimate console. You can stop now. I don't have the money to keep buying consoles. I don't need it to run games in 4k. I don't need it to run at 85 fps. I don't need a Switch 2. I don't want you to leave the old switch behind and leave those stuck with it with no new games. You don't need to go further. Please stop.
Slight adjustment to this part here: the Switch is an incredible success. It's still being actively supported and probably will be for at least another few years. Generally speaking, the more successful the console, the longer it continues to be supported after it was considered current. The Wii was supported up until 2017, and then the Wii Shop Channel closed in early 2019. Compare this to the N64 and the GameCube, or better yet, the Wii U, which were discontinued much, much faster at Nintendo's earliest convenience. The original Switch platform tends to be more in line with gaming giants like the Nintendo Game Boy, the Nintendo DS or Sony's PlayStation 2, and coupled with international laws requiring online stores be open for 10 years minimum (provided I can't remember exactly where I found this from) leads me to believe the original Switch will be supported in some capacity until at least 2027, possibly longer should Nintendo not have another platform to fall back on such as what happened with Nintendo falling back on the Wii and 3DS when the Wii U was feeling. Speaking of which...
The common sentiment around Switch 2 games, depending on the I.P., tends to be something along the lines of "we're overdue for a new game because the most recent game launched during the eighth generation" (referring to the PS4/Xbox One generation). With the notable exception of The Legend of Zelda which had two mainline games in the past two years, I would say that most of Nintendo's major I.P.s are due for their next flagship installment, and that big-name games like the new Mario Kart, Metroid Prime 4, Pokémon Legends ZA, et cetera are going to be what Nintendo is offering to try and make sure the Switch 2 can not only develop, but sustain through its first few years. The difference between the Switch 2 and the Wii U, hopefully, will be that the wider appeal of a hybrid console as well as more third-party support will bring people to want to purchase a new console. Having a strong launch lineup is important, don't get me wrong, but it's just as important that the general appeal of the console and what it offers is enough to get people to want to buy its games at all.
I can't say I'm excited for the next game in a lot of flagship series since I'm not a huge fan of the first Switch game in those series. While several have had entries after that that I enjoyed more, I wouldn't say that sentiment is common enough to expect all future games to be in line with those preferences. At the very least, I'd expect the "look, we're on a new console now" pressures to be pretty similar so the next entry specifically will be closer to the early Switch game.
Its also my favourite game (Switch player). I actually used to just stick with the main story, not even going into Core, but mid last year I decided to explore further. I’m still partway through Farewell, but the experience has been very rewarding so far.
I don’t really seem to find the annoyances as much with Oshiro/Seekers that a lot of players do (except at the very end of 3C) but thats just me lol.
Also the story and particularly the music are amazing.
IDK how far you are but about halfway through farewell is a heart gate (like the ones in core) and from then on you learn one extra bit of movement tech and then the difficulty spikes up pretty considerably. I'd consider before that point to be on par with the b-sides and everything after to be about as difficult (and some rooms actually being harder) than a given room in the game's c-side.
Prepare to die a few thousand times (i think my first farewell playthough landed me at ~3.5k deaths which is the most i've had for any map barring experts and GM modded maps)
As a Gen Z Nintendo kid, I've grown up with the "innovation" that has been lamented in this thread so I'm going to give my thoughts. This may be a bit harsh, but trust me it's nothing personal - I just feel a lot of this stuff is misconceptions.
Let's go through their track record since the Gamecube:
-DS, mid hardware with good software carrying it, cheap enough that you can buy several for the family.
-Wii, bad hardware with a bad gimmick that Nintendo themselves, let alone third parties abandoned. Its only legacy is Gyro Aim, which the Wii itself did not actually use a gyroscope at launch in the first place!
-3DS, 3D that was basically abandoned by 2015, they made an entire model without the gimmick, and it sold very well.
-Wii U, despite what some of my Gen Z nostalgic colleagues would say, this console is dogshit. The gimmick is a terrible idea. It's a DS as a console, but you know what makes the two-screen idea work? The fact that you're holding both of them in your lap and pointing them to your face at the same time.
What happens when you hold the Wii U Gamepad in your lap? Oh, you can't see shit? What's that? Some games like ZombiU (launch title btw) and Star Fox Zero had their entire gimmick be "isn't is so cumbersome to look at the gamepad instead of the TV? It creates tension!"
I'd say that fundamentally none of these consoles were actually innovative. Almost all of their ideas have gone extinct. Because they suck. Nintendo was never actually very good at "innovation".
Y'know what was actually innovative? The fucking Nintendo Switch. A console that literally everyone I've ever seen that literally anyone who understands technology will go "That's neat" and "That's practical", which is actual innovation. When people can say, "This actually improves the experience"
Moving on,
Literally look outside of the main Big 3 Console market and you'll see that mobile phone gaming is fucking gigantic in Asia, the Steam Deck is gaining Steam (ha) and it has like 500 different clones.
People want console gaming handhelds!!!! The Switch started a trend, by being ACTUALLY INNOVATIVE, and throwing that away is dumb and silly.
I genuinely would be EXTREMELY disappointed as a several decade Nintendo fan if this wasn't the Switch 2, because that'd mean I am giving up the most comfortable form factor in gaming history for whatever likely-dogshit gimmick Nintendo came up with instead.
The Switch's form factor is INCREDIBLE. Some people use it as a console. Most people use it as a handheld. I don't even do either, I literally prop up the Switch with a stand on my bed and use a Pro Controller for tabletop gaming!
Literally almost anyone who picked up a Switch in 2017 said "I literally want every gaming console to be this"
Have you paid attention
People have been clamoring for years for literally a straight upgrade, while before that it was Switch Pro rumors for the same thing!
One thing you must understand, is that unlike the prior Nintendo consoles, the Switch actually has a generation of young adults who actually are into them. As fans.
This means that there are a shit ton of people who literally just want a Switch but better. Because what else would they possibly want. This is literally exactly what the gaming world has asked for for 6 years.
All of you are wrong.
The reason I'd say the Switch 2 has an actual chance to outdo its predecessor is not because of the first party lineup or whatever, it's actually because this is a Switch that has the power and future-proofing (DLSS) to actually play modern AAA third party titles, likely for the next while. Especially since 90% of studios still aren't making real 9th Gen titles.
Nintendo took a deal from the FTC filings for a 10 year guarantee of Call of Duty on their systems for a reason, and that's because now you have a Switch that doesn't just appeal to core Nintendo fans (Which btw, again, is a MUCH bigger demographic than it was in 2017), it will have all of the games likely performing adequately enough that everyone else wants.
Every Nintendo console announcement is corporate. Even "whacky" ones like the Wii U, you can go frame by frame and think about why a shareholder would think this is good advertising.
Nintendo's old source of creativity was dogwater.
Let's go through their track record since the Gamecube:
-DS, mid hardware with good software carrying it, cheap enough that you can buy several for the family.
-Wii, bad hardware with a bad gimmick that Nintendo themselves, let alone third parties abandoned. Its only legacy is Gyro Aim, which the Wii itself did not actually use a gyroscope at launch in the first place!
-3DS, 3D that was basically abandoned by 2015, they made an entire model without the gimmick, and it sold very well.
-Wii U, despite what some of my Gen Z nostalgic colleagues would say, this console is dogshit. The gimmick is a terrible idea. It's a DS as a console, but you know what makes the two-screen idea work? The fact that you're holding both of them in your lap and pointing them to your face at the same time.
What happens when you hold the Wii U Gamepad in your lap? Oh, you can't see shit? What's that? Some games like ZombiU (launch title btw) and Star Fox Zero had their entire gimmick be "isn't is so cumbersome to look at the gamepad instead of the TV? It creates tension!"
I'd say that fundamentally none of these consoles were actually innovative. Almost all of their ideas have gone extinct. Because they suck. Nintendo was never actually very good at "innovation".
Y'know what was actually innovative? The fucking Nintendo Switch. A console that literally everyone I've ever seen that literally anyone who understands technology will go "That's neat" and "That's practical", which is actual innovation. When people can say, "This actually improves the experience"
Moving on,
It's not about avoiding the Wii U situation!!! It's that people WANT A SWITCH 2!!!!
Literally look outside of the main Big 3 Console market and you'll see that mobile phone gaming is fucking gigantic in Asia, the Steam Deck is gaining Steam (ha) and it has like 500 different clones.
People want console gaming handhelds!!!! The Switch started a trend, by being ACTUALLY INNOVATIVE, and throwing that away is dumb and silly.
I genuinely would be EXTREMELY disappointed as a several decade Nintendo fan if this wasn't the Switch 2, because that'd mean I am giving up the most comfortable form factor in gaming history for whatever likely-dogshit gimmick Nintendo came up with instead.
The Switch's form factor is INCREDIBLE. Some people use it as a console. Most people use it as a handheld. I don't even do either, I literally prop up the Switch with a stand on my bed and use a Pro Controller for tabletop gaming!
Literally almost anyone who picked up a Switch in 2017 said "I literally want every gaming console to be this"
Because that is what people wanted
Have you paid attention
People have been clamoring for years for literally a straight upgrade, while before that it was Switch Pro rumors for the same thing!
One thing you must understand, is that unlike the prior Nintendo consoles, the Switch actually has a generation of young adults who actually are into them. As fans.
This means that there are a shit ton of people who literally just want a Switch but better. Because what else would they possibly want. This is literally exactly what the gaming world has asked for for 6 years.
The truth of the Matter:
All of you are wrong.
The reason I'd say the Switch 2 has an actual chance to outdo its predecessor is not because of the first party lineup or whatever, it's actually because this is a Switch that has the power and future-proofing (DLSS) to actually play modern AAA third party titles, likely for the next while. Especially since 90% of studios still aren't making real 9th Gen titles.
Nintendo took a deal from the FTC filings for a 10 year guarantee of Call of Duty on their systems for a reason, and that's because now you have a Switch that doesn't just appeal to core Nintendo fans (Which btw, again, is a MUCH bigger demographic than it was in 2017), it will have all of the games likely performing adequately enough that everyone else wants.
I’m going to preface what I’m focusing on here by saying that reading your post honestly really helped open my eyes as a fellow Gen Z Nintendo kid, specifically a fellow handheld fan myself. I really appreciate that, for what that’s worth. It’s not often that a single post is able to get me to start reconsidering things.
Now then, the other thing I wanted to mention out of here was about those 9th Gen titles you mentioned, or there lack of. I’m simply asking this because I would genuinely like to learn more about the industry, but why is that? Why aren’t people making more “true” 9th Gen titles? I genuinely think this is a discussion worth having because it only strengthens the rest of your post and your previous points. Is it possible that less “modern” titles are being made because the general appeal of handheld and mobile game noticeably greater? Is it because the so-called target audience of the Big 3 (specifically PS5 and Xbox Series players) is even less than I thought across specific age groups? I know I used this word earlier, but I’m genuinely curious. For all I know, maybe I was taking Nintendo’s Switch userbase massively for granted. I know I’ve only gravitated more towards handhelds and mobile gaming over consoles in recent memory, so who’s to say that most of their audience isn’t doing the same, especially in an era when once-mainstream console gaming isn’t exactly affordable to a lot of potential customers? (That is to say, many countries’ economies haven’t been the greatest as of late.)
Yes I’m well past that. Almost through Determination.
Thank you for not taking it the wrong way, and thank you for some great questions!
The 9th gen comes from an awkward place which is that the additional power of new hardware generations isn't actually enabling new game types.
Think about the progression of system generations like this:
Most console generations tended to have leaps that were obvious in new games that were previously impossible.
Think F-Zero. Think Super Mario 64. Think Final Fantasy VII. Think Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Think Halo.
At the 7th generation, things take a rapid decline from this point. PS3/Xbox 360 did not truly lead to new types of games that were impossible before, moreso games that conceptually would be far more compromised. Mainly the "Movie Game", Uncharted popularized linear titles that feel more like action movies.
The Last of Us capped off the PS3 as another game that is similar, while also looking good for the time. With third-parties, think about Grand Theft Auto V, a game that we still play today, with such an immense scope.
The PS4 comes out and this new power is being used mainly just to augment those previous styles of games, but it still was more worthwhile than 9th gen because this was when we actually, truly, hit "Yeah we don't really need graphics to go further" levels.
Red Dead Redemption 2. The Last of Us Part II. God of War. Horizon Zero Dawn.
Developers found ways to push the graphics to their limits within this movie-setting type deal.
Now we get to the 9th gen...
And we're truly stuck. One of the games Sony used as sort of a "tech demo" was Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart, mainly to show off SSDs. SSDs help games load dramatically faster, and the game plays a lot with moving characters quickly between very graphically intense scenes. Still, at its core, it's basically Just Another Ratchet and Clank game.
(Ironically, you can play Rift Apart on a PC with an HDD and it's actually fine lol)
Demons Souls is a remake of a PS3 game. Enough said.
Spider-Man Miles Morales is not only just a weird half-step (though I love the game) for the PS5, but it also straight up is on the PS4. In fact, until about last year, most PS5 games ran on PS4.
Basically, we've hit the point where games cannot actually push graphics very hard. In fact, one of the big generation leap games, Cyberpunk 2077, is really just a (much better) Bethesda style game if you think about it.
It's not hard to picture a Cyberpunk 2077 that had time and was optimized for the 8th gen systems. Because we had games like GTA 5 on the Xbox 360.
The 9th gen puts us at a point where, early on int he generation, most games that are 9th gen exclusive are just oldgen games that are abusing the lower optimization requirements. Temtem, a game I like, got a PS5 temporary exclusivity deal and it ran poorly on the PS5 somehow.
Another example, this time AAA: Final Fantasy XVI was actually planned, and developed as a PS4 title for years. Then they got a deal to make it PS5 exclusive and had to work harder to hit the requirements.
Still, years later they got it running on the Switch!
The main new features for modern gen hardware is supposed to be stuff like Raytracing, but Raytracing is less of a necessity and more something that is a nice addition. Many games have an option to turn it off and many people turn it off because it makes games run much worse.
Outside of raytracing, almost everything in moderngen games can be done on old hardware given the time and effort.
Worse, to actually meaningfully hit the 9th gen hardware requirements, games become extremely expensive compared to the crossgen half-breeds. Making a 9th gen game starts at around a hundred million dollars, with around a half-decade time to produce.
That's where I identify the Switch 2's third party opportunity. When the Switch came out, it could easily port 7th gen games, but the 8th gen was almost over and those games mostly couldn't run at all.
Now? The Switch 2 can run 8th gen games, and since most 9th gen games are just 8th-gen-in-a-trench-coat or straight up crossgen, it'll take years for it to even really feel "Behind".
Good luck! You're about halfway through the hard part of the level.
Praying for you (and please show the death count at the end)
Hybride consoles are just in right now. In the past, handhelds were way less powerful than their home consoles. Even then, they were always more popular. The Gameboy sold double what the SNES sold. The GBA sold quadruple what the Gamecube sold. The DS was the second best-selling gaming console for a long time. Even the PSP (a console no one remembers) sold 80 million units.
When smartphones became ubiquitous in society, everyone thought handheld gaming was dead. Hybrid consoles are the perfect middle ground. What's more, home consoles have stagnated in terms of tech, to the point that the PS4 is still considered a current gen console. Hybrids are beginning to match their power, with still some more room to grow even more.
Ironically, with high-end PCs becoming more mainstream, the very thing that occurred with handhelds and smartphones seems to be happening with consoles. Why buy a PS5 when I can get a decent gaming rig that also has all the functionality of a computer? I mean, they sell those damn things pre-built at Best Buy nowadays, with the gaudy gamer LED lights and everything.
Even Sony is now looking to get back into the handheld business.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/25...gaming-console-playstation-nintendo-microsoft
https://www.thegamer.com/playstation-portable-psp-ps5-sony-console-rival-nintendo-switch/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...sole-for-ps5-games-to-rival-nintendo-s-switch
Also: people just don't give af about graphics that much. I mean- it matters to an extent, sure. But look at the best selling games of all time. Minecraft, Fortnite, Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Pokemon. These games make bank and they don't push the graphical limitations of their consoles with hyper ultra giga relastic graphics and 1000000000000 polygons per second. People need a reason to drop hundreds of dollars on a new piece of hardware and very rarely are specs alone going to be the thing that pushes people over that line. The PS5's library of exclusives is laughable, and 5 years later it still hasn't even beaten the PS3.
When smartphones became ubiquitous in society, everyone thought handheld gaming was dead. Hybrid consoles are the perfect middle ground. What's more, home consoles have stagnated in terms of tech, to the point that the PS4 is still considered a current gen console. Hybrids are beginning to match their power, with still some more room to grow even more.
Ironically, with high-end PCs becoming more mainstream, the very thing that occurred with handhelds and smartphones seems to be happening with consoles. Why buy a PS5 when I can get a decent gaming rig that also has all the functionality of a computer? I mean, they sell those damn things pre-built at Best Buy nowadays, with the gaudy gamer LED lights and everything.
Even Sony is now looking to get back into the handheld business.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/25...gaming-console-playstation-nintendo-microsoft
https://www.thegamer.com/playstation-portable-psp-ps5-sony-console-rival-nintendo-switch/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...sole-for-ps5-games-to-rival-nintendo-s-switch
Also: people just don't give af about graphics that much. I mean- it matters to an extent, sure. But look at the best selling games of all time. Minecraft, Fortnite, Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Pokemon. These games make bank and they don't push the graphical limitations of their consoles with hyper ultra giga relastic graphics and 1000000000000 polygons per second. People need a reason to drop hundreds of dollars on a new piece of hardware and very rarely are specs alone going to be the thing that pushes people over that line. The PS5's library of exclusives is laughable, and 5 years later it still hasn't even beaten the PS3.