Topic: Nintendo Switch --OT--

@nessisonett I used Longsword and hammer in the 3DS games, but plan on eventually mastering all of the weapons in Sunbreak over time. I'll be giving myself more time to learn the Switch Axe for the moment, though.

New HH feels like a hammer that buffs you, so the hammer is low on my priority list with Rise.

@KilloWertz Oh nice, you'll be experiencing a lot of great Nintendo IPs for pretty much the first time then. That reminds me of when I bought my first PlayStation system, which was PS3 back in 2012, and played through franchises like Ratchet & Clank, Killzone, God of War and so on for the first time. It's such a nice feeling to discover a new gaming ecosystem with so many series that you've never played before.

Zelda Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey should definitely be the next games on your list to play on Switch since they are absolutely fantastic experiences.

On a side note, I've come to the realisation that I barely play anything on my Switch anymore lol. I mostly use it to play multiplayer games with my friends, such as Mario Kart and Mario Party. I have so many games that I want to play but I'm never in a mood to play any of them, which is so weird to me because I love the concept of the Switch.

But for some reason, if I want to play something on the go, I keep coming back to my Vita. I guess it's because of its smaller size that makes handheld gaming more appealing to me. I probably also have a strong attachment to my Vita since I've had it for so long and it's home to my favourite games of all time (Persona 4 Golden, Trails of Cold Steel, Danganronpa, Steins;Gate).

I'm going to have to force myself to play more games on Switch soon, such as Xenoblade.

@LtSarge It reminds me of that as well. While I had a PS1 and a PS2, it wasn't until I bought the PS3 where things really took off for me with them. Getting to experience the franchises you mentioned for the first time was pretty special. I'm hoping to even approach a fraction of that with Zelda, Metroid, Xenoblade Chronicles, Fire Emblem, Luigi's Mansion, Super Mario with Odyssey (I've played original Super Mario Bros games, but not his 3D ones expect for Mario 64), etc.

They are definitely on the list. It's just a matter of when. Obviously Xenoblade Chronicles is a pretty long game, and I do want to get to Fire Emblem: Three Houses sometime shortly after that as it was another reason I bought the Switch along with Xenoblade Chronicles. I'll play a couple of other games in between though since they are so long. The list is long obviously, with the already mentioned games, Metroid Dread, Luigi's Mansion 3, Bayonetta 1 & 2, Triangle Strategy, Astral Chain, and Age of Calamity being ones off the top of my head. I'm leaning towards Metroid Dread next and then maybe Luigi's Mansion 3 if I don't start Three Houses before October. I could also throw in Super Mario Odyssey if I'm close to October and play all 3 before Three Houses. Since the options are deep, things could change of course. Breath of the Wild will probably be a while since it's another long game, but hopefully it will be worth the wait for me.

Play your Switch, silly. There, I tried.

So, I've owned Nintendo consoles for a few specific series like Pokemon over my lifetime, and played quite a bit on my NES over the years, but it wasn't until 2011 that I actually started to fully explore their catalogue. Ocarina of Time 3D, a release year port for the 3DS, was actually my very first experience with 3D Zelda, for example. 90% of the Nintendo games I've played have been within the last decade.

I do think it has given me a different perspective on many issues regarding their games than if I had experienced their catalogue over the total course of my life.

@KilloWertz I am starting to crave some Switch gaming right now actually. Not to mention that looking through Switch releases for 2022, Nintendo and partners have released tons of great games and more are on their way: Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, AI: The Somnium Files: nirvanA Initiative, Live a Live, Triangle Strategy, Digimon Survive, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Splatoon 3, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, Bayonetta 3, Pokémon Scarlet/Violet, Trails from Zero and more.

I haven't really thought about it until now, but 2022 has to easily be the Switch's best year thus far. The entire year is just filled with great releases. It's a great time to be a Switch owner now, that's for sure.

I decided to check out some demos on Switch today as I've completely missed out on several games.

Live a Live
Very interesting HD-2D JRPG where there are multiple stories set in different eras. The turn-based gameplay is fun as well. Might just have to pick this one up!

Klonoa: Phantasy Reverie Series
Played a bit of the first game and it's a pretty fun 2.D platformer, not going to lie. But it's weird to me how short each game is, clocking in at around 5 hours each. Don't feel like it's worth paying €50 for two decent 5 hour experiences. But who knows, I might change my mind.

Yurukill
This one was the most interesting of the bunch that I played. It's a visual novel with shmup sections, which is cool. The story gives me Danganronpa vibes but it still manages to have its own unique plot. If it weren't for its short length, I would've picked it up immediately as I live for this kind of games. But as it stands, €50 for a 10 hour visual novel kinda lessens the appeal. But just like with Klonoa, I could change my mind.

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
So I haven't played Three Houses yet but I still wanted to give this one a try. And it's what you'd expect from a Musou game. Tons of enemies and lots of carnage. Did not expect it to feature so much content though. Apparently it's 40 hours long and an actual sequel to Three Houses. I'm definitely buying this one eventually.

Triangle Strategy
A tactical RPG like Fire Emblem and FF Tactics but with its own unique quirks. It has lots of QoL improvements compared to FE and an overall modern feel to it despite its HD-2D graphics. Another game that I'll eventually be getting.

So out of those five titles, I'm most likely buying Live a Live, Fire Emblem and Triangle Strategy. Kinda unsure about Yurukill still but its premise just interests me so much that I might just get it for that aspect alone.

@LtSarge Yeah, this year at worst is a fantastic year for Switch games. I'm just jumping in now, so I can't compare it to previous years, but it's at least fantastic.

I saw you online yesterday trying some demos. Glad to see at least a few of them worked out. I'll play those three at some point as well. Live a Live will probably be the farthest out as it's technically not on my list, but I know it's supposed to be pretty good, so it may happen at some point. I do like the fact that they have demos for so many games on there. While I'm pretty well decided on what I will buy already, it's nice to have the option.

@KilloWertz Really glad to hear you're loving the Switch! IMO it really is a great console.

If I had to choose between giving up my PS5 or Switch, I'd keep the Switch without hesitation. Its portfolio of games (AAA and 3rd party) alongside portability make it such a great system.

I'm getting serious jealousy about everyone played XC3 and I'm going to bite the bullet and buy this week! Although saying that, I'm hooked on MHR Sunbreak, so not sure how I'll fit it all in.... nice problem to have I guess.

How you getting on with XBDE? What chapter you up to?

@LtSarge I have a voucher and I am torn between Live Alive, Klonoa and TS. I am thinking I’ll go for the latter but it is really hit and miss if I’ll enjoy it as I have tried these sorts of games in the past and I tend to dislike them. But I have heard a lot of good things. Need to order this week before the voucher expires.

Really want to play the other 2, especially Klonoa, but I reckon I’ll wait for a sale and get that on my PS5.

@KilloWertz Yeah, I'll probably get most of these games anyway but it's nice to try them out beforehand. All this talk has made me want to buy some Switch games though. I really want to get Dragon Quest XI, AI Somnium Files nirvanA Initiative, Shin Megami Tensei V and/or Live a Live. Might buy some of them soon!

@kyleforrester87 Honestly, you can't go wrong with either Live a Live or Triangle Strategy. Live a Live has that classic SNES JRPG feel to it, while TS is basically Octopath Traveler but as a strategy RPG. Live a Live seems to be on the cheaper side though, so TS is probably the better choice.

And yeah, it's probably wise to wait for Klonoa to get discounted on PlayStation.

@LtSarge I’m worried Live A Live will just be a little too simple. I know it’s a quirky title but it’s still an old RPG at its core and I’ve played a lot of those. Not that that’s a problem but I think I want something with a little more bite, even if I am risking going out of my genre comfort zone. I guess I can always trade TS in agains LAL if I don’t like it.

Oh my god, two player Super Punch Out was in the game the whole time!

@CJD87 Thanks. I'm not really sure which one I would keep if I could only keep one, but I can cheat and say that since I've only had my Switch for about a week and a half.

I believe I'm on Chapter 6 right now after a little over 20 hours. I'm still enjoying it. I'll be honest and say I'm not sure the combat will ever truly click with me to the extent where I can say I like it as much as the story. Still, the story has been pretty good as a whole, and it's not like I have to say it's perfect to still say it was worth it.

I never noticed you were hooked on that... still 280 hours later...

@LtSarge Even though I know it's still going to be a while until I finish Xenoblade Chronicles, I still might be some more games sooner or later. It all depends on if I decided to go physical or all digital. I did buy Xenoblade Chronicles digitally, but it's not easy to get physically anymore in the US unless you go on eBay.

I know some recommend going physical based on Nintendo's history with their online stores and such, but one thing people seem to forget about is that even when they are closed, you can still download your games. Also, the fact that they are attached to your account and not your system should help too. It is annoying that Nintendo rarely ever puts a lot of their 1st party games on sale on the eShop though, while I could get a lot of them right now for only $50 physically from Best Buy right now.

@kyleforrester87 Triangle Strategy is fantastic, and features many awesome set-pieces, tight map design, satisfying tactical combat, and a strong soundtrack. Do be prepared for a strong early focus on storytelling, although this evens out as the game goes on. The game also does a good job of breaking up its cutscenes into short, digestible chunks. Many of them are optional, although I recommend watching them all.

For the record, I didn't initially think I'd like it either, as I recall finding Final Fantasy Tactics to be thoroughly boring.

BTW, how fareth Xenoblade Chronicles 3?

@KilloWertz Yeah, I wouldn't worry too much about your digital Switch purchases. Wii purchases were re-downloadable on Wii U, and DSiware was redownloadable on 3DS. Wii U didn't carry over to Switch, but that was a dramatic change in format. I fully expect the Switch successor to be backwards-compatible with Switch games. I'd say, in general, they're about on par with Sony when it comes to bc, but behind Microsoft.

The big reason to buy Switch games physically, aside from the nostalgia surrounding cartridge-based consoles, is that many of the games are still physical in the truest sense of the word. I went through my physical Switch collection today to download updates on my new model, and solidly 1/3 or more of the games didn't require any updates.

@KilloWertz Yes, I definitely recall the combat in XCDE being perhaps one of the most unique systems - and it certainly takes some time getting used to it. IMO, I think FF7R did a great job in adapting that style of combat into something a bit more fluid... but I can still appreciate what XCDE was aiming for. I will definitely be getting XC3 this week, everyone seems to be loving it!
As for my 280hrs+...MHR (base) had the prestigious title of being my 'lockdown game' and kept me sane throughout the pandemic ha! Enjoy XCDE, I think you're not far off the halfway point now

@Ralizah Yeah I heard all the good things you said about it so I was leaning toward TS. I'll order it now anyway, not sure when I will actually get round to playing it but the voucher expires in a couple of days.

Loving XBC3 though, I have not had time to play as much as I would like but I am savouring the chances I do get. I have just started Chapter 3 and completed the first hero quest, I am around level 22 and spent a while in the menus yesterday sorting out my gems/arts/classes and gear. Not all of the systems really make sense to me yet, but it is fun learning and even without knowing what I am doing the combat has not been super challenging on normal difficulty, so I guess there is plenty of room to play through mistakes with your set up, perhaps as long as you stick to the 2x2x2 healer/defender/attacker rule.

I am really enjoying it though, and it is still growing on me, so I can see me loving it as I get further in. Perhaps slightly disappointed by the lack of fantastic environments so far (I have not seen anything to match Gormott or The Kingdom of Uraya just yet) and the overworld soundtrack has me a little less pumped, although it is still largely excellent, with the song that plays while you're at a rest spot being a stand out for me, for some reason.

Kinda wish it was a little higher resolution and in HDR but that's life.

I didn't mind all the cringe BS in XBC2, and was worried it'd be a snooze fest like XBC1 without so much of it, but actually I wouldn't change the tone of XBC3 as it stands. It seems to work really well.

@CJD87 I would say I'd probably like the combat better if it wasn't so repetitive fighting the random things you run into along the way that you technically don't have to fight. I do to level up, but it is pretty much the same fight over and over and it's usually quite easy. Still, like I said, I'm enjoying the game and it's not like I think the combat system is horrible. Just repetitive. I loved the combat in FF7R, but maybe I'm a bit biased since that was one of my favorite games of the last few years.

I looked it up and there's 17 chapters not counting the Prologue. So I'm slightly passed 1/3 of the way. As for MHR, there's nothing wrong with that. I was just having a bit of fun.

@kyleforrester87 I'd say the music and environments are the biggest area where I feel like it's a step down from XC2. Oh, and story pacing. XC2 explodes out of the gate, and while it does slow down afterward, it's still the entry where I felt like I was constantly seeing and doing new stuff. I also really liked how the villains felt almost as central to the narrative as the main cast did, and the game spent time developing them to some degree, whereas the baddies in XC3 feel like they were ripped from a Tokusatsu show or something.

But XC3 has its own merits. The new chain attack system is a lot of fun. Overworld navigation and exploration is the least frustrating it has ever been in the series. The animation work in this new entry is so smooth it makes previous games feel like janky PS2 titles. I really like the simultaneously bleak, yet chilled out tone of the game. The game also does a bang up job of slowly but methodically developing its core cast.

But, more than anything, sidequests are actually good now, and I really appreciate that.

The resolution is... weird. Like, I don't get why those flashback sequences to when they were children are so blurry compared to the rest of the game. Undocked image quality, while not perfect, is at least playable now, and open world environments don't reduce it to a blurry, impressionistic mess of pixels as happened with XC2.

In general, it's the game I wish XC1 had been.

Just be careful with the bonus EXP you can use at campsites, as the game doesn't seem to be balanced around it. Using it will wildly overlevel your character. Especially if you like to explore. Even if that's not a dealbreaker for you in terms of difficulty, the CP gains you get from fights that allow you to rank up classes go down when you're a higher level than your enemy.

@Ralizah I read there are parts of Gormott and so on scattered throughout the world of XBC3, which is really interesting. I am definitely going to be looking out for those now. Keen to see how it links with the other games, even if there is not an grand conclusion. Tenuous links are good for the imagination!

"I really like the simultaneously bleak, yet chilled out tone of the game", I second that - I was worried it would be a bit too bleak but the characters are surprisingly optimistic despite the drama, the result is the tone is pretty bang on.

Shame about the enemies not being so fleshed out. I just took it for granted that we were going to be getting somewhere with them, but perhaps not if you're saying that. Looking back, maybe that was my problem with XBC1 too. Old robot face just wasn't doing it for me. And that bloody Monado.

@Ralizah I might have gone a bit OTT with the bonus XP now you mention it. Although, I don't actually mind smashing my way through everyone in these games. Maybe I'll back off it a little now, though, since you said about the CP gains. Didn't know about that.