Nintendo Switch

[Brend]

Just a reminder there's an Xenoblade Chronicles 2 direct tomorrow. Hopefully we get more clips from the cutscenes. I want to know how mental the English dub is this time around.

I'm really going to miss the general vibe of X in this game I think. Still though, perfect game to wake up to on Christmas morning.

 

[Wolfe]

I'm holding out for the possibility that Xenoblade 2 will be followed by Xenoblade X2 or whatever they'd call it. I don't think Tetsuya Takahashi has given up on gears/AGWS/dolls/skells.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...the-man-behind-xenoblades-breathtaking-worlds

Takahashi was hired to work at Square-Enix as an artist, but soon showed himself to be usefully flexible. "Taka-chan has always had a talent for motivating people and bringing them together as a team," said [Hironobu] Sakaguchi. These leadership qualities came into play midway through the development of Final Fantasy 7, when Takahashi called his boss into a meeting room. "I recall going to see Sakaguchi-san and telling him that I was looking for a new challenge," Takahashi said, in 2014. Sakaguchi was sympathetic to his colleague's request and helped assign the young director a team. After he did so, Sakaguchi said he "felt a little lonely." As soon as Takahashi was freed from Final Fantasy's strictures, Sakaguchi recalls that his friend's desk became covered in Gundam models. "It was then that I realised he'd always wanted to work on this kind of thing," says Sakaguchi.

 

[Carbon_6]

Being honest, the thought of owning a Switch has been sat in the back of my mind since day one, with Zelda: BOTW, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and maybe even Pokken Tournament catching my attention more than expected, as well as Mario Odyssey.

Perhaps now's the time to think seriously about getting one.

And now I do.

I managed to get hold of a Super Mario Odyssey edition, along with a copy of Legend of Zelda: BOTW. The UK version of the console bundle only has the download code for the game, so I threw in the themed travel pouch as well, which I discovered comes with a screen protector. 👍

Despite knowing of the Switch since before launch day, I've never actually held one in person, although I could roughly gauge from photos its overall size. But when I held the Joy-Cons for the first time out of the box, it still surprised me how small they are, and how many buttons each one possesses. I didn't even know the plus and minus symbols are themselves buttons.

So after setting it all up, and having played about 3/4 hours of each game, I am blown away by what both have offered so far.

I knew beforehand a small portion of the premise of Zelda, but have done well to avoid any and all spoilers since it landed back in March. The first impression I got with the mechanics was similar to that of Horizon: Zero Dawn, but in its own unique way that it feels and plays differently to the PS4 title. Early days, sure (I don't think I've covered even 1% in total), but from what I've seen and done thus far, I can't wait to see what happens next.

As for Mario... there have been at least 4 or 5 times where a big-dumb grin has plastered itself onto my face. I've covered the first 3 kingdoms already and have been hit with the good feels pretty much at every turn (hence the temporary change of avatar). The USP of this game on the surface may seem odd, but what it provides in gameplay can only be described as inspired. Still can't get over what happened in Cascade Kingdom , though no doubt more will follow.

As for the console itself, despite their diminutive size and multitude of buttons, the Joy-Cons are better than I expected. I've tried them separate, on the Switch, in the gamepad, with and without motion controls, and not once did it feel cumbersome or difficult to... erm... mix things up. The one small gripe that sticks out is attaching the straps: the slide mechanism feels a bit too tight when taking them off, but perhaps they'll loosen up over time.

Overall, a very decent purchase, and one happy owner.

 

[Wolfe]

I strongly recommend the Xenoblade 2 Direct to any RPG fans here. I have plenty more to say but I'll leave it at that for now.



@Carbon_6 -- The Joy-Cons are indeed quite small. When separated they're a versatile evolution of the underrated Wiimote+Nunchuck combo, but for me they're only just comfortable enough to use by a narrow margin. Occasionally I mash two face buttons instead of just the one I intended. I've got the Xenoblade 2 edition of the Pro Controller coming in December; I never had a reason to get one for Wii U but this time it's necessary.

 

[Brend]

I strongly recommend the Xenoblade 2 Direct to any RPG fans here. I have plenty more to say but I'll leave it at that for now.



@Carbon_6 -- The Joy-Cons are indeed quite small. When separated they're a versatile evolution of the underrated Wiimote+Nunchuck combo, but for me they're only just comfortable enough to use by a narrow margin. Occasionally I mash two face buttons instead of just the one I intended. I've got the Xenoblade 2 edition of the Pro Controller coming in December; I never had a reason to get one for Wii U but this time it's necessary.

I'm loving it all so far but Pyra's design still makes me ..uneasy. It's just so over the top and sexualised that it goes beyond ridiculous.

I've seen worse, obviously, but there's something about this game using her as a literal object that goes a bit far.

 

[Wolfe]

...there's something about this game using her as a literal object that goes a bit far.

All the Xeno games since Xenogears have explored the ethical and/or existential implications of man versus machine, or beings versus objects. You can bet that will be a central theme as it relates to Blades.

 

[Lain]

I'm not a huge fan of her design either, but the fact that she's a literal object with regards to the plot of the game isn't really offensive... There is no real connection between her sexualized design and her story role as a non-sexual "object". If anything, it's the opposite of offensive... she seems to play a pivotal role in the story rather than just existing solely for the sake of titillation.

And to be honest, my big issue with her design isn't the sexualization, but rather the absurdity... she just looks goofy. For instance, her big breasts are too spherical, like they're basketballs glued to her chest or something. It's silly, and makes the idea that she's supposed to be sexy just downright embarrasing.

That said, overall the game looks pretty sweet.

 

[Com Fox]

It kind of sounds like there should be rules to how a character should be designed based on the characteristics of the character, which I can't agree with but this gets massively political (and more reserned for the Opinions forum) so I'll cut it brief with think about the character first and then worry about that characters characteristics.

I never been into the Xeno series enough to bother getting a game so clearly people like @Wolfe are more expertise of the themes of the series more than I am though.

 

[Brend]

I don't find her design offensive because I find the very idea of that ridiculous. Its just a bit uncomfortable.

Like @Lain said, it's the sheer absurdity of her design that I don't like.

 

[Com Fox]

Ok, thanks for the clarification 👍. I guess she is a bit absurd in design, although I've seen a lot more absurd stuff thanks to Anime. This just seems very Japanese style to me

 

[Wolfe]

Pyra also takes after KOS-MOS in the Xenosaga titles and "Seven" in the original Xenoblade.

 

[DDastardly00]

And now I do.

I managed to get hold of a Super Mario Odyssey edition, along with a copy of Legend of Zelda: BOTW. The UK version of the console bundle only has the download code for the game, so I threw in the themed travel pouch as well, which I discovered comes with a screen protector. 👍

Despite knowing of the Switch since before launch day, I've never actually held one in person, although I could roughly gauge from photos its overall size. But when I held the Joy-Cons for the first time out of the box, it still surprised me how small they are, and how many buttons each one possesses. I didn't even know the plus and minus symbols are themselves buttons.

So after setting it all up, and having played about 3/4 hours of each game, I am blown away by what both have offered so far.

I knew beforehand a small portion of the premise of Zelda, but have done well to avoid any and all spoilers since it landed back in March. The first impression I got with the mechanics was similar to that of Horizon: Zero Dawn, but in its own unique way that it feels and plays differently to the PS4 title. Early days, sure (I don't think I've covered even 1% in total), but from what I've seen and done thus far, I can't wait to see what happens next.

As for Mario... there have been at least 4 or 5 times where a big-dumb grin has plastered itself onto my face. I've covered the first 3 kingdoms already and have been hit with the good feels pretty much at every turn (hence the temporary change of avatar). The USP of this game on the surface may seem odd, but what it provides in gameplay can only be described as inspired. Still can't get over what happened in Cascade Kingdom , though no doubt more will follow.

As for the console itself, despite their diminutive size and multitude of buttons, the Joy-Cons are better than I expected. I've tried them separate, on the Switch, in the gamepad, with and without motion controls, and not once did it feel cumbersome or difficult to... erm... mix things up. The one small gripe that sticks out is attaching the straps: the slide mechanism feels a bit too tight when taking them off, but perhaps they'll loosen up over time.

Overall, a very decent purchase, and one happy owner.

Thanks for the write up, I found this extremely helpful. I managed to get my hands on the Joycon for the first time last weekend. A local store had a kiosk set up, at least 5 game demos were playable. I was with my 6yr old girl who really wants a switch for Christmas. We both tried Super Mario Odyssey and loved it, unfortunately we were in a hurry and didn't have time to try anything else. Even though it was very brief, my first impression of the Joycons was very positive, I love the ergonomic feel. They had the SMB bundle in the store too, I did not know it also came with a screen protector in addition to the case, that is also helpful.

 

[Carbon_6]

Good to see I could help. 👍

What's good about the case is that it also has a small pouch inside for 5/6 cartridges, which doubles as a kickstand to rest the console against if you're doing 2-player. The Switch has a non-slip one built-in, but I like that the case's version is pretty much the width of the screen.

 

[Silent Drifter]

So last week I decided to go buy a Switch, and not wait for Black Friday. Which from what I see, they won't have any sales on the Switch itself, but on the games. Anyways, I picked up the Super Mario Odyssey bundle along with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. I'm really glad I picked it up. I really like the red Joy Cons, a lot more than the other two styled ones. Playing both Mario games are a lot of fun. Just need to get the Pro controller for when I have it docked. I'll wait for the Black Friday sales, and pick up some more games, that are getting discounted. I did put a glass screen protector on it for when it's docked.

 

[PzR Slim]

Just arrived at Forgotten Isle, the Tropical Wigglers are just inspired!

 

[Wolfe]

I've got just over 900 Power Moons now, with only the Metro, Wooded, and Bowser kingdoms left to complete. The most grueling thing was tracking down the last dozen or so purple coins I was missing across a few kingdoms! Darker Side took some time to figure out, but it doesn't stand up to Champion's Road or (Daredevil) Grandmaster Galaxy, I think.

Oh, and I finally found that taxi you can capture in NDC. It just warps you to a room, it's not a taxi you can drive. Shucks. Oh well, the City Tripper is consolation enough, and a nifty nod to Mario Kart 8.

At this rate I could probably complete Odyssey in time for Xenoblade 2, which is now two weeks away. The wait has been much easier than for XCX, so it feels like December is coming up fast! Kudos to Nintendo on making it a worldwide launch this time.

 

[Brend]

I've started to drift away from Odyssey lately, I'm finding the ton of 'easy' moons a bit of a chore to collect so I've been spreading my game time a bit to keep it fresh and not a grind. I've said before open worlds aren't my favourite thing, so exploring these areas for moons isn't exactly my idea of amazing fun.

ARMS got a nice update today, adding a new fighter and stage...also the reveal of the first Splatfest like event!

 

[Wolfe]

The last purple coins were a grind, but I have not shied from using Talkatoo or amiibo hints once I get down to just a few moons in a kingdom, so collecting moons is fine. There's just not that much help you can get on purple coins even from a guide, because who knows which ones you missed!

I don't think anyone here remarked on it yet, but it was uncommonly considerate of Nintendo to have Cappy comment on whether you're missing any moons or coins in the challenge rooms/areas, or if there's nothing left. I appreciated that in my purple coin search.

 

[DDastardly00]

interesting..

If a report from the NPD Group is accurate, Nintendo is eating Sony and Microsoft’s lunch in the United States. The Switch was the #1 selling console in October, while the Nintendo SNES Classic is #2. Add in 3DS sales, and the Nintendo Empire supposedly accounted for a stunning 66 percent of video game hardware sold in the US in October. Nintendo cheekily notes that the US console hardware market broke one million units in October for the first time since 2011.
Super Mario Odyssey managed to take the #1 spot on NPD’s sale chart despite launching on October 27, while Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Breath of the Wild took spots #10 and #11 respectively — not bad for games that have been out so long.

 

[Brend]

I've started to play Super Bomberman R's single player after putting it off for quite a long time. The game recently got a huge update that added a new mini-campaign, 4 characters and eSports based multiplayer elements. The support Konami has given this game is simply staggering. In terms of free stuff they've added(pulled from ResetEra):

Multiplayer improvements:
-13 new characters: Option Bomber A*, Option Bomber B*, Reiko Bomber*, Shiori Fujisaki Bomber*, Jehuty Bomber*, Anubis Bomber*, Dracula Bomber*, Princess Tomato Bomber*, Bubble Head Bomber*, Goemon Bomber*, Vic Viper Bomber, Simon Belmont Bomber, Pyramid Head Bomber.
-10 stages: Critical Path*, Nine Areas*, White Cross, Lagoon, Speed Zone, Power Zone, Classic Conveyor Belt, Panic Factory, Plain Floor, Desert Fort.
-13 accesory sets to use as hats (100+ items): Starry Sky Solar System series*, Crab series*, Castlevania series*, Gradius series*, Silent Hill series*, Rumble Roses series*, Zone Of the Enders series*, Tokimeki Memorial series*, Mystical Ninja series*, Classic item series, Snowflake series, Crown series, Bomb series.
-1 new battle mode for standard multiplayer (Team Battle)
-Multiplayer frame rate upgraded from 30fps to 60fps.
-Competitive game mode added (Grand Prix): This mode is completely separate from the main game and features 1 vs 1, 2 vs 2 or 3 vs 3 battles with either “Crystal” (Get points by collecting crystals) or “Basic Bomber” (Get points by defeating the other team) rules.*
-Input lag corrected completely (and even more apparent in Grand Prix mode)
-It’s possible to earn coins to purchase characters, stages, accesories by playing offline.

Single player mode improvements:
-1 new world added to Story Mode, complete with a new English translation of the original vocal theme song + new ending sequence*.
-Added a camera control option for Story Mode.

Insane level of support all things considered.

 

[Brend]

I really hope Freedom Planet gets ported to Switch and then the second game makes its way over too.

I absolutely loved the first game after recommendation from @Wolfe, dying to replay it again!

 

[Wolfe]

If only Sonic Mania had level design more like Freedom Planet. I came back to it and finally finished my first playthrough with Sonic and Tails. I had wanted to collect the seventh emerald and had the last two zones to do it, but I gave up and accepted my fate as a pinball in a machine. Then I realized that with the game beaten, I can now collect emeralds at my leisure...d'oh. I think I'll enjoy the next playthrough as Tails more, doing some more exploring but not fretting over searching for large rings again.

I've also got Odyssey all wrapped up 100%, with 960 power moons! The last two I collected were a demonstration of the skill I developed along the way, skipping the entirety of a challenge room with a couple well-positioned jumps, scooping up both the normal moon and secret moon. Sooner or later I'll come back to it just for fun, collecting another 3900 coins to max out the Odyssey's power moon counter at 999.

Now I'm back into the career mode of Dirt 4, trying to keep busy for the next week and a half until XC2.

 

[Brend]

If only Sonic Mania had level design more like Freedom Planet. I came back to it and finally finished my first playthrough with Sonic and Tails. I had wanted to collect the seventh emerald and had the last two zones to do it, but I gave up and accepted my fate as a pinball in a machine. Then I realized that with the game beaten, I can now collect emeralds at my leisure...d'oh. I think I'll enjoy the next playthrough as Tails more, doing some more exploring but not fretting over searching for large rings again.

I've also got Odyssey all wrapped up 100%, with 960 power moons! The last two I collected were a demonstration of the skill I developed along the way, skipping the entirety of a challenge room with a couple well-positioned jumps, scooping up both the normal moon and secret moon. Sooner or later I'll come back to it just for fun, collecting another 3900 coins to max out the Odyssey's power moon counter at 999.

Now I'm back into the career mode of Dirt 4, trying to keep busy for the next week and a half until XC2.

Wow that is an insane achievement. Congratulations!

I've sent my Switch in to get it's launch month 'warping' fixed before I lose my life to XC2.

Also, a huge giga update of goodness is coming to Splatoon 2.




Between this, ARMS and Super Bomberman R, the Switch has some of the best pay-free support in the entire industry. Bloody beautiful.

 

[TS050]

I forgot to check in!

I finally got my Switch. I only have Mario Kart so far, but it’s a blast.

 

[PzR Slim]

I forgot to check in!

I finally got my Switch. I only have Mario Kart so far, but it’s a blast.

Buy Odyssey and Breath of the Wild, you will not be disappointed.

 

[TS050]

Buy Odyssey and Breath of the Wild, you will not be disappointed.

I was actually planning to, but Argos didn’t have either of them in stock at the time

Have about 6 games I’m looking forward to buying so far, though.

 

[Wolfe]

In my blitz of revisiting games between finishing Odyssey and starting Xenoblade 2 on Friday, I've come back to Splatoon 2 with the new big update. I'm still really impressed at how Nintendo pulled together the foundation they had with the first game, and I think it's a shame how it has been kind of forgotten in the shadow of Breath of the Wild and Odyssey, and next to the fresh IP of ARMS.

Splatoon was the first multiplayer shooter I could stand to play since I was a hormone-addled teenager, and I think the sequel will be the first one I can stick with. The improved (and admirably maintained) balance, improved netcode, and decent chunk of singleplayer content give it more lasting appeal. 👍

 

[Com Fox]

Kinda noticed I'm going to be lacking any new games for the Switch for the rest of year . Only Mario Kart, Sonic Forces, FAST RMX and Super Mario Odyssey.

Speaking of Odyssey @Wolfe, I wonder how many records of mine have you broken since I last played (which was a few weeks) would go back and check and go at it again but busy with Pokemon Ultra Sun right now

 

[Wolfe]

@RESHIRAM5 -- I've got some, you've got some, and some are basically a tie. We must have pushed well into the top 1% of players, which is something.

 

[Brend]

I've still not got into the racing stuff yet! Just been playing Odyssey every so often to get some moons.

Although, I sent my Switch into Nintendo last Wednesday to get my 'warping' fixed. I was one of those affected at launch and figured it was a good time to get it sorted right before Xeno 2 and LA Noire (my two Christmas gifts I think im getting. )

I did actually play some GearClub on my gf's Switch though since my copy arrived 8 days early.

Its mobile roots are ridiculously apparent but I'm moderately surprised at how fun the gameplay is. Totally arcade but not bad at all. Will be digging deeper into it when my Switch returns.