Topic: Nintendo Switch --OT--

@Th3solution By the way, you'll want a TEMPERED GLASS screen protector (not some plastic one) as well as a MicroSD card. Even if you plan on going physical, trust me, 32GB just isn't a lot of space to work with, and some games will want to install some of their data digitally anyway.

Also, re BotW: it's one of my favorite games of all time, and pretty much the definition of a system seller, but it's probably worth mentioning that it's a 95% gameplay-focused experience. The story is VERY minimalistic. And, since you're coming from an ecosystem where the big games kinda hold your hand and guide you through the experience (God of War, Uncharted, TLoU, etc.), it's worth mentioning that BotW isn't going to be like that. After the tutorial area (which itself is mostly pretty hands-off), you're given pretty much free reign to explore Hyrule. How you decide to tackle it is up to you. It's a staggeringly, intimidatingly open-ended experience, which is part of the magic of it. Aside from a couple of main story missions, the only map markers you'll be following are ones you create yourself.

What model do you plan on getting?

EDIT: BTW, I'll back up Kratos' recommendation of Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. I know, I know, probably doesn't sound up your alley, but it's a fantastic XCOM-like tactics game, and it goes on sale for, like, $10 or something insane like that on the eshop these days. Consider grabbing it unless you really just can't stomach the characters.

As for Metroid Dread gameplay, they showed it off on an E3 treehouse stream:

@Th3solution I’ve been the same but have finally succumbed to the ideas and gone and bought one. It’s not just for me, it’s a family Christmas present, so the kids will be playing stuff like Mario kart and Animal Crossing but I get to play Metroid Dread and BotW etc.

Anyway I had a quick look at it just to check it all works and to update / install some games to save that Christmas Day panic when things don’t work. I noticed that there was actually a demo of Metroid Dread available on the eshop so I had a quick go and loved it. I quite like metroidvanias anyway so am probably biased but it seems like a really playable and addictive game to me, you might like it.

@Ralizah @LtSarge Great to hear your take on the selection of games and what works well or not. I’ve not really played any JRPGs but want to take a look at what the genre offers. I’m also thinking of getting the Ori collection as those are often talked about in a good light. Hopefully they perform and play well on Switch. I’m also thinking that this might be the platform to get Phoenix Wright for after what you’ve said. Looking forward to seeing the best there Switch has to offer.

@render 3DS is currently the platform with the best Phoenix Wright support (OG trilogy, sequel trilogy, and the Layton crossover can all be purchased on the eshop, and it's also b/c with the DS, so you can play the Ace Attorney Investigations games).

But I can confirm the HD version of the OG trilogy as well as The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles run beautifully on Switch.

Both Ori games, amazingly, run at 60fps on Switch, and mostly hit native resolution in handheld mode. Truly impressive ports.

@Th3solution I've had a Switch for a few years. I loved BotW, but I hardly use it these days. Mostly for when I'm over my parents when the ps4 isn't available, but even then sometime i don't use it. And you will probably need to purchase a pro controller at some point. I probably won't buy a second system again going forward as I have enough on PlayStation to keep me busy.

@Th3solution It definitely wasn't me. @LtSarge was right. I don't have a Switch. This might be my first time commenting in this thread (as far as I know), so I guess somebody has a bad memory.

@JohnnyShoulder I kind of wish I did the same. Although on one hand I'm glad to have both a Series X and a PS5, and I've been using my Series X a lot more lately, I kind of wish I only had one. I made the previous gen kind of a mess after I bought an Xbox One X, bumping back and forth and ending up buying the same game on both consoles because of that. My goal going into this gen was to pick one of the two brands and just stick with that one. Not to be a fanboy, but just to have one central place to play instead of ending up with two copies of the same game. Oops, guess that didn't work out.

@KilloWertz I know FOMO is big thing these days for some, but I've learned to accept that there are some games that I won't experience. And that's fine, I've rarely had multiple consoles so it is nothing new to me.

@JohnnyShoulder Nothing wrong with that. Contrary to popular belief, there's plenty to play on either platform that you could easily go with one and never be bored. That also is what makes it incredibly difficult to choose a main platform since I have both. At least for me it's been tough.

@Kidfried I have loved my Vita. And I still do, actually. And I do have a few remaining backlog games left to play on it, but with the advent of a new console generation, I feel the Vita slipping even more from my grip. There is nothing new coming to it, and really hasn’t been much new for years (outside of indies) and the games on it are gradually showing their age. I was disappointed on the recent news of Soul Sacrifice and Freedom Wars losing their online support, but I can totally see the logic in Sony pulling the plug. I’m one of the guilty parties of not supporting it and have both games collecting dust in my backlog. (I did play a little Soul Sacrifice for a short stint a couple years ago). It’s just further nails in the coffin the poor little Vita and I got to thinking that maybe it’s time for me to see if a new handheld experience will pump me up about portable gaming.

And I do say “portable gaming” knowing full well that the form factor of the Vita seems much better to take “on the go”. The Switch is a little unwieldy, but I expect that using it while laying on the couch or in bed will be fine. As far as sticking it in a backpack and taking it on the train…. it’s a little too cumbersome to do so without some planning ahead of time. Is that your experience?

@KilloWertz Sorry, bud — not sure why I thought that was you 😅.

And I can relate to what your and @JohnnyShoulder say, in that I’ve been trying to stay within one ecosystem for the last several generations, and it does keep things simpler and more organized. I’m at the point on my life now though that I have such unpredictable schedules and often game sessions are quick and I find I can’t devote 3 hours to sit down at the TV. Portable gaming is piquing my interest as an alternate solution and easier way to jump in and out for 30-45 minute stretches. So the Switch naturally has come to mind.

@render Good to see I’m not alone in my curiosity with the idea. Although I don’t have kids to spur the interest in the more family-friendly titles, I’m interested in the portability factor. I’ll be interested to see how you get along with the new ecosystem.

@LtSarge @Ralizah Thanks for the replies and the recommendations! I’ve watched the video clips and I guess I am surprised at how interesting Pikmin looks. Again, thematically it’s not my preferred style, but the gameplay looks really intriguing and complex. The same applies to Mario + Rabbids - the gameplay looks pretty fun and I could see myself getting into that aspect of it. Looks to play slightly reminiscent of Valkyria Chronicles combat-wise, from my own limited experiences of the tactical RPG genre, which has alarmingly very few peers in that same game space. I’m just not sure I can get over my prejudice against the ol’ plumber (that voice is finger nails on a chalkboard). However, looking at the NL review of Fire Emblems: 3 Houses has me more excited with it, from the tactical RPG standpoint. I’ve never played a FE game, but this one looks awesome. Like a mix of Persona, Valkyria Chronicles, and 13 Sentinels with a slight Harry Potter inspired backdrop. My only reservation with it is how incredibly complex it looks. The myriad of concurrent systems going on is very intimidating and appears like a game that might take over my life for several months.

I was also unprepared at how fun Hyrule Warriors looks. I worry that not knowing any of the heroes (except Link) or villains will hamper the enjoyment. I don’t think I’ve ever played a Musou game, and I had Persona 5 Strikers on the list of possible stabs in that gamespace.

Some of the other mentioned games I also have kept on a list of possibilities. I had the Steins;Gate games on my radar already and so it’s good to know they hold up.

And I’m not much of a Metroidvania fan, but it’s good to know that Metroid Dread has a good demo to try, @render . I’m not confident that it would grab me but I could be wrong. Watching the videos of gameplay does increase my interest, as it looks excellently crafted. There’s a certain reminiscence of the wonderfully addictive combat of Returnal in what I see in the videos. Not just the Sci-Fi setting, but the way Samus moves and shoots and has different weapon options brought back my recent memories of the great fun I had with Selene’s adventure. I just have not ever been into 2D platforming, so I would need to maybe try the demo.

And as far as BOTW, thanks for the forewarning. I’ve kept up enough from a distance to be mildly aware of the unique nature of the game’s approach, and it’s resultant divisiveness. And bringing in my own experiential prejudices will take a concerted effort to adjust to the less story-driven approach.

And to answer your question Ral - As far as what model, I think I’m looking at the OG docking model, even though I expect it will be utilized for portable gaming the vast majority of the time. Since I’m just dipping my toe I don’t think I’ll try to fight my way to find an OLED. Either way, thanks for the tips on the screen protector and MicroSD. The memory card doesn’t have to be a special one that says “Nintendo Switch” on it, does it? I can get a basic 128 GB SanDisk Ultra for about $15 vs. the one that has the Nintendo stamp on it for $40 for the same capacity.

@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Mostly. Gameplay is some of the best it has ever been (the exploration is fantastic and addictive), and I love how it integrates demons into the overworld environments so seamlessly. There are some mechanical alterations I'm not a fan of, though. Music and combat are great. Side-quests are well done. Presentation is kind of a mixed bag: it's obviously far more ambitious than anything Atlus has attempted before, but it pushes against the limitations of the system enough that it can feel a bit rough at times. Where it massively slips up is with the narrative: the main plot is hugely underdeveloped, and, as a result, you never feel like you really get to know any of the characters. Plot-wise, it's probably the worst game in the series to date. This wouldn't be an issue if it was like Nocturne, which builds the experience around the idea of not knowing who anybody is or what the hell is going on, but in SMT V, it just feels underwritten.

Not a big deal for me, since I mostly wanted (and got) an atmospheric monster-collector out of this, but SMT IV and SMT IV: Apocalypse made huge strides by integrating more memorable characters and gripping storylines into the usual SMT formula, and SMT V feels like it went backwards in this regard. I also wouldn't mind having more dungeons in the future, as there aren't very many in this game, although I do hope they maintain the heavy exploration and platforming elements going forward.

I actually beat it at around 75 hours like a week ago, and am working on my formal review now.

So far, if I had to rank the games, I'd probably go:

SMT IV: Apocalypse > SMT IV = SMT V > SMT I > Nocturne

Still need to play Strange Journey and SMT II, though, and considering I haven't played it in seven or eight years, I really need to revisit SMT IV again. And, of course, all of the spin-offs I haven't gotten around to yet.

And yeah, I really think some people are setting themselves up for disappointment by holding out for a possible port, although, in the case of someone like yourself who only really plays on Playstation anyway, it makes sense. I still think it'll end in tears for a lot of people, though, like the whole Persona 5 on Switch epic did. Atlus is very stubborn with its exclusives, and Nintendo was clearly heavily involved with the distribution and marketing for this game.

Good to see you back! Been a bit busy? Hopefully work has been treating you well.

@Th3solution No, this isn't the Vita. Don't pay a premium for Nintendo's stupid branded Micro SD cards. Normal ones work just fine. As usual, just buy it from a trustworthy vendor, as Ebay (and sometimes other online stores) is flooded with bootlegs.

With OLEDs being almost as rare in some places as PS5s, I understand going with the normal model. In that case. make sure you buy the red box one and not a launch model (they only sell the red box models new, I believe, and the launch models have been discontinued). Compared to the launch model, the red box revision has nearly doubled battery life.

Although if you're worried about portability, you could always go with a Switch Lite. It's a little bigger than a Vita, but still small enough that it feels like a proper handheld to me. I've pretty much left my launch model in the dock since I got it. You'd lose out on TV mode, though, which you might end up wanting (the Xenoblade games, for example, really need TV mode to be properly appreciated, and stuff like Ring Fit Adventure is designed with the TV in mind), and the battery life is worse than the normal red box model (although better than the original launch model I own).

Glad some of those games have piqued your interest! And yeah, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a LOT of fun. One of my favorite games on the system. It's the first Fire Emblem that feels like a proper RPG, and its take on Persona-esque social gameplay mixed with strategy combat is mostly well-done.

This might all be a step out of your gaming comfort zone, but it can also be very beneficial gaming within multiple ecosystems. And, in this case, it sounds like Switch addresses a need in your life which no other power platform will be able to fulfill, which is part of the system's charm: it has gotten a LOT of people who don't usually mess with handhelds to actually play games portably, in addition to the usual TV-only folks who just bought it because they like Nintendo's home consoles.

The benefit of starting with Switch is that it also enjoys a lot of the best first-party games from the Wii U, so you have a lot of stuff to explore in the library.

@Th3solution, I don't think it's been mentioned yet, but I think maybe you should look at Daemon X Machina as well.

It's been ported to PC, but I think it's still console exclusive to Switch.

@RR529 Thanks for the rec. I’ll check out the reviews and trailers. I’ve never played many mech games but I’m not opposed to them.

@Kidfried Ah, nice! I’ll be curious how you like the Playdate. That’s the one with the little crank on it, if I recall correctly. Portability seems to be one of its biggest draws, but also the innovative crank apparatus.

@Kidfried Playdate is the almost $200 1-bit handheld with no backlight and a crank, right?

Deeply interested in hearing your impressions on that, lol.

Decided to 100% complete Dread. Getting some of those items is brutal. I'm almost there, there's only like two or three left, so I'm not giving up now lol.

@Kidfried How much was the shipping? I was actually thinking of getting one as well.

Once they get GameBoy emulation on that thing, I'm all in. And since it's an open source device, it shouldn't take too long.

@Kidfried Woah — Fall 2022?! That is quite far away. I’m sure it being a smaller start-up company means they don’t have the chip buying power of Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, etc.

@Kidfried Not surprised. Steam Decks were delayed as well. Can't speak to the European angle, but as long as this chip shortage keeps up, it's going to suck trying to get new electronics in a reasonable time frame.

Well, hopefully nothing delays it further.