Topic: Nintendo Switch --OT--

@RogerRoger Something I wish Sony would introduce for the store on the PS4.

Yeah, the Switch eshop is a mess. With the vast amount of stuff being added each week it's starting to become a real chore to wade through it.

@JohnnyShoulder There is a wishlist on the PlayStation app. It's much nicer to use than the store on the console.

@RogerRoger With Super Mario Bros. games take your time and time jumps. They are a little tricky, but I'd still say Super Mario World is one of the best platformers.

The PS4 Store on the system itself is probably the most unintuitive webstore I've ever seen. Absolute nightmare to browse through. I buy everything through the PS Store website, which is much nicer,

Switch's eshop... would be OK if it had better filtering options. As it stands, it's becoming a bit like Steam in terms of the sheer volume of releases every week. Honestly, Nintendo should highlight the real gems that release in a separate section somewhere, as I imagine it's easy for good indies to drown in a sea of mobile ports and shovelware now.

@mookysam I'm on about specifically the store on the PS4. I am aware that there is a wish list on the web store and the app, but it does not tie onto the ps4 store and I don't like using those cos every time I go on there it asks me to sign in, which involves 3 of those annoying captcha things.

OK, so on my time away in the deep dark countryside, I played Katana Zero end to end and it has gone straight in as my favourite game I've played this year. I loved the gameplay, the difficulty curve, the story and the music. Was also about the right length for me as well.

@JohnnyShoulder Those captcha things are really annoying. The app shouldn't keep signing you out though. Could it be a cookie issue?
There's not really much excuse for the PS4 store being so bad that people are driven to use the app or website, so hopefully it will improve on the PS5. The app is nice and intuitive to use so I buy everything on it, then click "download to PS4" so when I turn my console on it will automatically download without having to faff around.

@Rudy_Manchego How difficult is Katana Zero and are there good checkpoints? It sounds a little intimidating!

@mookysam I found the difficulty curve pretty good. It builds up easily enough and then ramps up difficulty. There are some sections which are pretty difficult and took me multiple goes but that is somewhat the point, you struggle to overcome a particular scenario then hit the next one. However, the reward for doing it properly is good because you feel like a expert when it all comes together. Also, failure is part of the game and so there is no loading times and respawn is like a second away. It ran great on Switch too.

Played the Boxboy+Boxgirl demo tonight. It's aesthetically simple yet charming, and pretty fun.

Played some BotW in VR tonight (for about 40 mins) and I must say I came away really impressed. Things are a bit blurry, but much better than I anticipated (I never had problems distinguishing things in my immediate vicinity, and even battled a silver bokoblin, one of those big muscular Yiga Clan guys, and a mini-guardian in a shrine). In addition to the combat scenarios I did a lot of gliding, visited a great fairy fountain, and warped to one of the Divine Beasts looking up at it, which was a really cool moment (I also put the camera low to the ground and just ran through the grass, which was awesome). I doubt I'll play through the game again like this (I rarely replay games as it is), but I'll definitely come back to fool around in it like this more than I will the LABO VR games proper.

Also started up Boxboy+Boxgirl as well. I've never played any of the 3DS entries, but I found the demo charming enough so I decided to give it a go. Pretty good so far.

Binged through the main single player portion of Boxboy+Boxgirl this weekend. I really enjoyed my time with it, and completing it unlocked a second single player story, so it looks like I still have more to do.

Also just ordered a physical copy of Onimusha: Warlords from Amazon Japan. I've always wanted to try the series since the PS2 days, and I've always wanted to import a game from Japan (just because I think it's cool), and since the this HD rerelease is budget priced and has an English option, I figured it was time to bite.

@RogerRoger, outside of the big first party stuff (which I'm sure you know about), I was particularly impressed with the performance of Dragonball FighterZ (it would also be a good to show off tabletop 2 player mode with the Joy-Con).

@RogerRoger Hmmm tough one. If you mean physical games, with power, then Doom and Skyrim show how well software can be run on the system. Of course, they exist on like a million other systems so maybe not that impressive.

I really like Bayonetta 1 and 2 on Switch though you have to buy it new and make sure it has the download code.

If you can go digital there are some great ports and originals. They even managed to get Hellblade running on it!

@RogerRoger Is Mario + Rabbids one of the "usual suspects?" It's an Ubisoft exclusive, and it's one of the best-looking games on the system.

Senua's Sacrifice is a great port that shows off some unbelievably good visuals on a small, handheld system.

Valkyria Chronicles 4 is really cool as well. It performs almost the same as the PS4 version, but on a small, handheld system, with no cut features or anything like that.

Beyond those, the strengths of the system are evidence any time you play games away from the TV.

Oh, if your friend likes controller diversity, he or she should know that the system is compatible with a range of controllers with the right adapters. I've managed to play games on it using controllers from the Gamecube and PS4. It's also compatible with 8bitdo's product line, so wireless pads from them are in as well. I use the SNES30, a wireless SNES controller, and the M30, which is very much like a Sega Saturn controller with a rolling D-Pad.

For the HD rumble, my favorite usage of it in a real game is found in a small indie called Tumbleseed. The best usage of it is a mini-game in 1, 2, Switch, but that title isn't worth paying real money for. Tumbleseed, on the other hand, is fun if you like rougelike-ish games.

@RogerRoger Unravel 2 has a good port for the Switch.

it's also a bit of a shmup darling now, and you can get Thunder Force IV on it - whether that gives you any mileage for the intended recipient however...

@RogerRoger, if you want an idea of what other, notable, publishers are releasing on the system (off the top of my head).

Bandai Namco:
Out Now - Dragon Ball FighterZ, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, Go Vacation!, My Hero One's Justice, Namco Museum: Arcade-Pac, Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy (also available individually), One Piece Pirate Warriors 3, One Piece Unlimited World Red, Pac-Man Championship Edition 2, Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum 'N Fun, Tales of Vesperia Definitive Edition.
Coming Soon - God Eater 3, and a couple of the Sword Art Online JRPGs.

Bethesda:
Out Now - DOOM, Skyrim, Wolfenstein: the New Collosus.
Coming Soon - DOOM Eternal, Wolfenstein Youngblood.

Capcom:
Out Now - Ace Attorney Trilogy, Capcom Beat 'em Up Bundle, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen, Mega Man 11, Mega Man Legacy Collection 1&2, Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1&2, Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate, Okami HD, Onimusha Warlords, Resident Evil Revelations 1&2, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, Ultra Street Fighter 2.
Coming Soon - Resident Evil HD, Resident Evil 0 HD, Resident Evil 4 HD.

SEGA:
Out Now - PuyoPyo Tetris, Shining Resonance Refrain, Sonic Forces, Sonic Mania+, Valkyria Chronicles, Valkyria Chronicles 4.
Coming Soon - Mario & Sonic at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the Official Game of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, PuyoPuyo Champions, Team Sonic Racing.

Square Enix:
Out Now - Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy, Dragon Quest Builders, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Collection, I am Setsuna, Lost Sphere, World of Final Fantasy Maxima
Coming Soon - Dragon Quest XI S, Dragon Quest Builders 2, Final Fantasy XII: the Zodiac Age, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles HD, Oninaki.

Ubisoft:
Out Now - Child of Light, Hasbro Family Game Night, Hungry Shark World, Just Dance series, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, South Park: the Fractured but Whole, South Park: the Stick of Truth, Sports Party, Starlink: Battle for Atlas (exclusive Star Fox content), Uno, Valiant Hearts: the Great War, Wheel of Fortune/Jeopardy.
Coming Soon - Assassin's Creed III/Liberation.

Then of course you have more niche Japanese game publishers like Nicalis, NIS America (a highlight would be YS VIII), & PQube which release a lot of games, plus the odd release from western studios who don't yet have wide support (Crash N Sane Trilogy, Crash Team Racing, Cuphead, Darksiders: Warmastered Edition, De Blob, De Blob 2, Fifa, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, Mortal Kombat 11, Red Faction Guerilla: Re-MARS-tered, Saints Row 3: the Full Package, Sniper Elite V2, Unravel 2).

Of course I'm sure there are important titles I'm missing, but Japanese developers in general seem eager to release anything & everything that can run on the thing, while western devs are still more cautious, testing out the ocassional "core" title, while also seemingly trying to capture that Wii audience (Ubisoft's output really showcases that duality).

@RogerRoger, no problem! If they're looking for Japanese exclusives there's quite a few coming out over the coming months in the form of Little Friends: Dogs & Cats (Nintendogs in everything but name), plus the three Nintendo funded exclusives Daemon X Machina (Marvelous developed Armored Core like mech game), Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 (Koei Tecmo developed, essentially "Marvel Warriors"), and Astral Chain (Platinum developed sci-fi action game).

Also, not exclusives, but I forgot to highlight Koei Tecmo's output, like the 5 Atelier games, Attack on Titan 2, Nights of Azure 2, and a couple Warriors games (not counting the licensed ones, like the Zelda & Fire Emblem releases).

Then you have the myriad of much more niche stuff from various publishers such as Blade Strangers, Code of Princess EX, Disgea 1 remake (can't remember what it's called), Disgea 5, Gal Gun 2, Happy Birthdays, Labyrinth of Refrain, the Lost Child, Moero Chronicle H, Penny Punching Princess, the Princess Guide, Sayonara Umihara Kawase Fresh, SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy, and YS VIII (this is great), but I know this doesn't cover it all.

Opened up my import copy of Onimusha Warlords today! It's just the standard release, but it has a reversible cover and a little folded up instruction pamphlet, which are nice touches. As far as the game itself, I played up to the point I was able to save after the first boss fight, and while it is a bit dated in places, I like the setting and have been finding it pretty fun so far.

I also finished up all the single player levels in Boxboy+Boxgirl this morning, including "a Tall Tale", with all goals met. That was actually pretty good and worth the $10.

@RogerRoger, no problem. A few that slipped my mind last time are the Batman Telltale games, pretty much every LEGO game released since the launch of the console, Classics Collection: Arcade Classics (a Konami arcade collection), Classics Collection: Castlevania Collection (coming soon), two different Fate/Stay games (I think they're Warriors like games based on an anime), Katamari Damacy Reroll, Super Dragon Ball Heroes (I believe exclusive), The Walking Dead Telltale games, The World Ends With You: Final Remix, and Yu-Gi-Oh: Legacy of the Deulist (coming soon).

Again, the list isn't everything though.

@RogerRoger Mine is super silent compared to my ps4 which sounds like it is gonna take off.

Saw a video of Astral Chain and it looks pretty awesome.

@WanderingBullet It does look awesome. I'm really eager to see more of it at E3.

I hope the battle system is intuitive, considering you're technically controlling two different characters at the same time.