Topic: Nintendo Switch --OT--

@nessisonett haha yeah keep plugging away.

@nessisonett It gets madder. Keep playing.

Finished Super Mario RPG over the weekend. Definitely still a solid game, and it's been updated nicely, but even as someone who has nostalgia for it, I'd say it's age is starting to show.

The humor definitely holds up & has a few LOL moments, but all the other elements that seemed innovative/revelatory back in the day are either standard fare for JRPGs today (no random battles, a linear structure with no overworld similar to something like FFX, more active player input in battles) or are actively kind of clunky (the platforming elements). Still a solid game, but probably a 7 or 8 at most if you have no previous attachment to it.

Also don't get the hype for Geno. Has a cool background I suppose, but after he's introduced he just sits quietly in the background for the next 95% of the game. Most of the humor either comes from the Mario/Bowser/Peach trio or stand out side characters like Booster, Johnny, & the like. Even Mallow seems more involved, with how he's integrated into the opening hours of the game, and an arc heavily revolving around him near the end of the game. I'd almost go as far as to say Geno is probably about the most boring OG character in the game.

Super Mario Wonder’s really quite brilliant isn’t it? Reminds me of Rayman Legends a lot in that every level is innovative in its own way. Better than basically any straight 2D platformer I’ve played in years.

Yeesh, the Batman Arkham Trilogy on Switch is not looking good.

@Bentleyma If there was an award for worst port of the year, that will be right up there in the running. Mortal Kombat 1 might have something to say about that though. And there have been a few dodgy releases on PC this year, but the names escapes me.

My copy of Super Mario Bros. Wonder arrived today and I've been playing it for a while now. It's a really fun game! It's been a long time since I played a 2D Mario game and this one feels really refreshing. Very much looking forward to playing more of it.

Playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder has made me realise how much Nintendo has changed. Not only is this the most creative 2D platformer they've put out, you can tell how much care and thought went into every level. Not to mention the level structure. After completing the first world, you arrive to the beach/underwater world but you only need to play a few levels before moving on to the next world. The fact that you don't need to go through the same themed levels a lot of times before moving on to the next world shows how flexible the devs were in designing the level structure. On top of this, there are so many shorter levels in between the longer ones that are a nice change of pace.

Also, can I just say how nice it is to play a 2D Mario game without a time limit? It's such a great feeling that I can just take my time with the levels. Moreover, I absolutely adore that each level is graded in terms of difficulty and that there are numerous challenging levels even early on. I remember back in the day when people would make fun of Nintendo for constantly making easy games. Now it feels like Nintendo has finally learned to treat the player with respect. Thanks to the level of freedom, you can choose to challenge yourself or keep the challenge to a bare minimum. It's simply amazing, I love it.

So I've been playing Paper Mario on Switch Online and I beat chapter 2 yesterday, which is the point in the game I never got past back when I played it as a kid. It's understandable though, the desert area has so many screens so it's easy to get lost there. But I was really happy when I finished it, which means everything henceforth will be completely new for me. Very excited to keep playing, it's such a good game.

Speaking of Switch Online, it's pretty cool that the first two Golden Sun games are releasing on the service. Granted, I bought them on the Wii U eShop before it shut down so it's not like I don't have the games. But after Paper Mario, I think I prefer to play everything on the Switch instead.

Switch Online actually has a fair amount of compelling games I haven't played yet. Earthbound, Yoshi's Island, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap and of course the Golden Sun titles. Might have to utilise it more in the future, as I've barely played anything on the service except for multiplayer games like Mario Party.

@LtSarge I actually think Switch Online is pretty good value at the highest level… you get access to pretty much the majority of catalogues for the legacy franchises: Zelda, Mario, Metroid, Starfox etc + other classics like Goldeneye / Earthbound and the like.

NSO is still the cheapest (legal) way to play these games, and the online play options are pretty decent too.

@CJD87 Yeah it's great value and good for those who are new to Nintendo. I've already played most of the games though, which is why I haven't used the service that much except for playing multiplayer games online, which is easily the best aspect of this service. Before the Switch, I had never played a Mario Party game before because I didn't have people near me to play these games with. So being able to play them online is super useful for me.

@Kidfried I'm relieved to hear that! Looking forward to playing more of the game soon.

I really hope the remaster of TTYD sells well so that Nintendo realises that people actually want Paper Mario to return to its RPG roots. I'm definitely buying it on day one to support it, but also because I have never played it before and a second-hand copy on GameCube costs way too much.

I think my ideal Paper Mario game would have the level design and music of The Origami King and the dialogue and RPG trappings of TTYD.

Been playing Another Code: Recollection & just finished the first game.

Controls are kinda tanky & unrefined, but with all the backtracking through a mansion completing puzzles & solving a murder mystery or two, it kinda felt like a PG Fatal Frame (minus the ghost exorcising, adding some VN bits), so I enjoyed it.

On to the second part.

@AgentCooper Breath of the Wild is a good first game to play on the Switch. Great choice!

My recommendation is to check out the first-party titles. If you're looking for a 3D platformer, Super Mario Odyssey is the obvious choice. On the other hand, if you want to play a 2D platformer, then Super Mario Bros. Wonder is excellent. Either way, both games are filled to the brim with creativity.

Can't go wrong either with Metroidvanias and in this case, there are two fantastic Metroid games on the Switch: Metroid Dread and Metroid Prime. The former is 2D while the latter is first-person.

If you're looking for JRPGs, then there's the most popular one: Pokémon. If you want a casual experience, there's Pokémon Let's Go. But if you instead want a more ambitious open-world experience, then there's Pokémon Scarlet/Violet. I can also mention the Xenoblade Chronicles games, which are more like series like Final Fantasy as there's a stronger emphasis on story, party members and so on.

As for multiplayer titles, you can't go wrong with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

@AgentCooper You would need to give out your Friend Code in order for people to add you on the Switch. You should find it in your profile.

I would add you, but I boxed up my Switch months ago and don't use it anymore. I already have more than enough to play on my PS5, so in the end I probably should have passed on getting one even though there are some great games on it.

@AgentCooper So many games I could recommend. I'm gonna comb through my library.

Any genres you're not a fan of? And what about recommendations of games you could get on other systems? Like, I pick up games on Switch that I could play on PS4 because I prefer the portability. Especially on SWOLED with its longer battery life and gorgeous screen.

In terms of physical vs digital... either way is good on Switch.

The good with physical is that games tend to retain their resale value. Especially first-party games, since Nintendo only drops prices in sales, and rarely past 50% off. Also, unlike the other platforms, Switch games don't need to install on the hard drive, so physical can be a good way of saving space.

With digital, you get a lot of good eshop deals, more golden coins for digital purchases (essentially, you get 5% back on on all purchased digital content that can be put toward other digital purchases), and eshop vouchers are going to be a more cost-effective method of purchasing first-party games that are new or don't go on sale very often.

You should buy a case, screen protector, and, at some point, if you're not a fan of the ergonomics of playing in handheld mode, a grip to attach to it when playing undocked.

If you're going to play much on the TV, you'll want a Pro Controller at some point.

And regardless, when there's a sale of memory online (happens fairly often on Amazon), buy the biggest MicroSD card you can stomach. You'll want the space if you're going to be buying digital games.

I'll go ahead and add you when I have my Switch in hand.

@AgentCooper Physical for single-player games, digital for multiplayer games as I just can't be bothered constantly switching carts whenever I play with my friends as I always have something else that I'm playing in the game slot.

And just like @Ralizah mentioned, Switch games retain their resale value rather well. I've had my copy of Super Mario Odyssey since 2018. I could probably get €30-40 from it if I sold it now, which is pretty good for a popular game that's been out 5+ years. But it's also very convenient to have digital games on a portable system so you don't have to carry around all your games. Which is why it makes sense for me buy multiplayer titles digitally as you tend to go back to them often. It doesn't really make sense to carry around single-player games that you've finished.

@AgentCooper I imagine it depends on whether next-gen builds off of Switch. Considering how the infrastructure of their digital shop has grown and modernized with the Switch, I tend to think it'll be preserved going into next-gen, but that is, of course, only an intuition. I will say that Wii and 3DS games you bought should still be downloadable and playable, so, for the immediate future, I'm not too worried from a preservation standpoint.

Nice. Yeah, I'm the same way. If I'm only going to play on a TV, I'll buy it on something else, but being able to play games undocked is a killer feature for me.

There's so many games... I'll name a few now and see how you feel about those.

Valkyria Chronicles and Valkyria Chronicles 4 are absolutely tremendous tactical RPGs developed and published by SEGA that go for under $10 in sale (even with all the DLC, in the case of VC4!) They're lengthy (40+ hours; more if you do side content), feature heavily emotional stories that hit on themes you'd expect in war narratives, and have a unique gameplay style that blends together turn-based and real-time elements as you and a small squad of soldiers fight to defend the tiny nation of Gallia against the imperialistic designs of The Empire against the backdrop of a larger continental war that plays out like a fictionalized World War 2.

The art-style is also remarkable, as the visuals look almost reminiscent of watercolors. They're on pretty much every platform, but the Switch versions of these games look and run almost as good as the PS4 versions, and, from experience, I enjoyed them most when able to play them away from the TV.

Cuphead is another multiplatform release now, but the vibrant visuals and 2D gameplay that rewards replaying the same levels and bosses in order to get better scores make it a great fit for the Switch OLED. If you've never played it, it's essential an action-platformer boss rush game, but with an almost phantasmagorical aesthetic reminiscent of early 'rubber hose'-style cartoon shorts.

Super Mario Odyssey is the mainline 3D Mario outing for the Switch and is one of the most impressive showcases on the system. It runs at or near native res at 60fps while featuring fairly lovely (for the Switch) visuals. Like older 3D Mario platformers, the game adopts more of a sandbox approach to its level design. The new gimmick here is that Mario is able to use his cap to essentially possess and embody enemies and objects in his environment, leading to a tremendous amount of gameplay variety. The core story campaign is a little short, but there's a ton of post-game challenges that make it more than satisfying from a gameplay perspective. Really a must-have Switch game if you're open to platformers.

No discussion of must-have Switch games would be complete without mentioning Fire Emblem: Three Houses, a fun reimagining of the series that blends the sort of traditional turn-based tactical gameplay Fire Emblem is known for with life sim elements and a calendar system reminiscent of the Persona games. The game features an ambitious branching storyline which requires three playthroughs to see everything, a massive cast of fun characters, and a presentation style that puts it more in line with modern games. Very, very easy to get addicted to. You play as a mercenary who gets tapped to become an instructor in a fantasy military academy in the midst of a burgeoning political conflict that engulfs the continent in war. It's not the prettiest game out there, but, for my money, it's one of the best titles of the generation.

Finally, from a party game perspective, but also from a single-game perspective, I have to mention Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. If you've never played Smash, it's a platform brawler featuring an enormous cast of characters drawn from both Nintendo and classic video game franchises like Sonic, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, Pac-Man, and so on. You'll get a ton of use out of it with your kids from a couch co-op angle, but it also features a meaty and fairly lengthy single-player campaign that lasted me 60+ hours or so. It also runs at native res and 60fps both docked and undocked, which makes this a great one for small bursts of gameplay. I'd heavily recommend making this a digital purchase, if you're open to it, as it's easy to dip in and out of.

EDIT: Oh, also wanted to mention that dekudeals.com will be your best friend. The eshop makes it sort of hard to track which games you want and keep track of prices, but Deku Deals tracks the price history of games, highlights notable games on sale, will let you know when game hit new sale lows, etc. It's a free service and totally makes up for the Switch's own substandard eshop settings.

@AgentCooper It is a bit of a shame as I was initially excited to jump into an ecosystem I hadn't been in since the original NES, but I realized that I should reel myself in and just concentrate on what I already have. That and the realization that even though the system was around 5 years old at the time, I was going to have to pay $60 for games that came out years ago. I still have a handful of games I got within the first year of owning the PS4, let alone a handful of games I still have unplayed on the PS5, so it's obvious I should put most of my focus there.

I did love Xenoblade Chronicles and would have likely felt the same about Fire Emblem: Three Houses if I had stuck with it instead of boxing up my Switch in the middle of playing it. So, at the very least those would be two of my recommendations for somebody new to the Switch.

I can see your Friend Code, but this is also almost 24 hours since you posted, so you might have changed something by the time I read this.

Recently I get motivated to continue my ACNH and I have accumulated more than 960 hours gameplay.
Mostly I spent the time at Happy Home Paradise to design the client's houses and tried to improve my home furnishing skill.