Nintendo Switch - Games You Can Play Right Now

I definitely did the survey with exactly that feedback.

Knowing that there's a tutorial pointer on the Primrose path makes me suspect that primrose > knight was the user path they had in mind, and designed for that, then ignored that the user has a 50/50 shot of following that path.

I've worked in game/software development for a decade now, so this kind of thing probably bugs me more than it does others, since it's my job's role to identify this kind of thing and prevent it from shipping to the public.

If there's one for the knight, I definitely didn't see it before the first fight. I'm not one to A past text without reading.

Both Steamworld Dig 2 and Thimbleweed Park released for Switch yesterday. I want both, but sense says I've got multiple games in progress already, so I'll probably get Steamworld first, and then Thimbleweed.

I finally picked up Fast RMX. I considered Steamworld Dig 2 but figured I'd been wanting this one for a while. The reviews for Steamworld are great though. It's very tempting.

Fast RMX is very much an F Zero game with some cool added mechanics. Loving it. A lot more aerial maneuverability than I remember those games having.

If you liked Steamworld Dig, then go get the sequel. I adored that game on the 3DS, and I just lost 45 minutes to SD2 in a flash. It looks great and the addictive loop of dig, sell, upgrade still holds strong.

Tumbleweed is out! Anyone play it?

Aristophan wrote:

If you liked Steamworld Dig, then go get the sequel. I adored that game on the 3DS, and I just lost 45 minutes to SD2 in a flash. It looks great and the addictive loop of dig, sell, upgrade still holds strong.

Can concur. It's definitely feeling like they worked on their level design to be a bit more... on one hand I wanna say "directed"? But boy do lessons from SteamWorld Dig 1 carry over, as it's still possible to screw yourself outta some ore if you don't dig carefully. I've only put about two or so hours in so far but damn was it always shocking to see how much time passed.

I also really like how you can already tell they're bridging the gap between SteamWorld Dig and SteamWorld Heist.

So double post for great justice:

Firstly, Image & Form has come out and said that if you get 100% completion in SteamWorld Dig 2, you can unlock some challenging post-game content. They haven't said what it is, but I wouldn't be surprised if you could find it online already. Each area has a percentage counter for completion, and when you find everything in a cave it is marked with a green check. I've been doing alright with collection myself, and suspect it's only tallying up Cogs and Artifacts. That's my guess, at least.

It's amazing me how large and expansive they've made everything. In the original SteamWorld Dig you simply dug deeper, and each new region was below the prior one. Now it's a bit more like Metroid, where they exist on the same general plane and can interconnect laterally. I have no clue how far I am in the game, but I know I've collected a lot. Thus far I honestly like the nature of the upgrades in SteamWorld Dig 2 better than the prior game. In particular:

Spoiler:

The Hookshot is phenomenal. Holy sh*t, I f*cking love how this thing works. I only wish I could aim diagonally, but given some of the platforming challenges they've put together I can see why they didn't. It's better than most of the upgrades in SteamWorld Dig 1 in almost every way.

I haven't really had a play session lasting longer than an hour or an hour and a half, but I usually stop because I feel like I should as opposed to being tired of the game. Like, if I keep going, I may burn myself out, as opposed to "I'm done with this right now". Does that make sense?

I played a bunch of Dig 2 yesterday, and yeah, I kind of want to slow down so I don't blow through it.

I played through Dig 1 on the 3DS a few years ago. Yesterday, I went and watched the trailer for it, and hoo boy, I don't remember half of the stuff in there. Makes me think I should replay it when I'm done with 2, if I can stomach it. I do kind of wish they'd release it for Switch so I can get a graphics upgrade over the 3DS. Hell, I'd double dip on Steamworld Heist on Switch too.

I'm really looking forward to playing Steamworld Dig 2. I was planning to grab it on release, but I have a couple plane rides coming up in a few weeks, so I'm saving it for then.

I remember loving Steamworld Dig 1, except for the final boss, which I felt was entirely out of place from the rest of the game. With all this positive talk about its sequel though... I'm terribly close to pulling the trigger and checking it out for myself.

Other Steamworld Dig 2 thoughts:

The device ccesarano mentions allows them to really kick up the platforming challenges in the game. It's very satisfying.

I've played about 4 hours so far, and I just reached level 8. I'm now seeing some upgrades that only unlock at level 14. There is 42 artifacts to find, and I have about 12, and I know I missed only a few due to not having the upgrades. There is a lot to do and find in this game.

As you collect Cogs, you can use them to install mods. You discover mods by upgrading items, by finding artifacts, and other ways. Once you use 1 or more Cogs to install the mod, you can still uninstall the mods and use the Cogs on a different mod. I don't know if you will ever have enough Cogs to install all the mods, but it allows you to flexibly build your character as you go.

This is the first game that I have really spent significant time in handheld mode. It's a great lying in bed type game.

Eldon_of_Azure wrote:

I remember loving Steamworld Dig 1, except for the final boss, which I felt was entirely out of place from the rest of the game. With all this positive talk about its sequel though... I'm terribly close to pulling the trigger and checking it out for myself.

There's a similar boss very early in Dig 2 so if you're fundamentally against the idea of combat in the game, maybe steer clear.

I have put about an hour into Steamworld Dig 2 so far and it is fun, will definitely play more. I was hesitant, I never played the original and I don't usually want to spend $20 on a download only game that people say the campaign is 8-10 hours, but I am glad I bought it.

EDIT: I've played exclusively in handheld mode so far. The game really works great for that.

Grabbed Pokken - had to immediately switch(pun lol) the voices to Japanese cause your main cheerleader's VA is absolutely awful. Otherwise, this is an amazing fighting game for a console you can take with you. I, personally, enjoy both Pokemon and Fighting games and this game is super solid if you're looking for either of those fixes.

I currently have Splatoon and Pokken and very satisfied with my Switch purchase this past Friday.

The VA is pretty much what you'd expect from any children's animation, anime or American. I switched it to Japanese as well, but it's perfectly suitable if you got kids.

But definitely want to set her to speaking less frequently 'cuz otherwise holy sh*t. >.>

If I hadn't already played and enjoyed the demo, the beginning of that game would have made me return it. That's how much cringe I received from the voice acting. I feel like it wasn't that bad growing up, watching Pokemon.. but rose-tinted nostalgia glasses are probably pretty strong.

I just picked up Rayman Legends and was reminded that, while Sonic keeps getting chances, Rayman is over here quietly being a better game than Sonic has ever been.

ccesarano wrote:

The VA is pretty much what you'd expect from any children's animation, anime or American. I switched it to Japanese as well, but it's perfectly suitable if you got kids.

But definitely want to set her to speaking less frequently 'cuz otherwise holy sh*t. >.>

She's very... Canadian.

hbi2k wrote:

I just picked up Rayman Legends and was reminded that, while Sonic keeps getting chances, Rayman is over here quietly being a better game than Sonic has ever been.

Yeah, I've been keeping my eye on that one. Loved the demo, and found I had a copy of Rayman Origins on my PC.

Been playing Origins a bit to scratch that itch. Really excellent platformer, and I'm super excited to grab Legends someday.

Hey Steamworld Dig 2 is great. I love it.

That's my contribution to this thread for the month.

I am really enjoying Steamworld Dig more than I thought I would. It is one of those games that is getting better as it goes. A lot of the time I am hunting down secrets or trying to explore all of a given area, and I can't ever remember a game where I worried about hunting secrets since I am very much not a completionist. Something about it just makes me want to do it, and also it is great to pick up just for five minutes to make a quick run or fill out the map in a certain spot. The near-instant sleep and wake in any game at any time on the Switch is REALLY nice.

Picross S is reminding me how awful the d pad is on the pro controller. Otherwise I love it.

SixteenBlue wrote:

Picross S is reminding me how awful the d pad is on the pro controller. Otherwise I love it.

I'm using the analog stick, which is not really ideal. In handheld mode I tried using the buttons on the left, but again, it felt a bit weird.

Overall, it's a great Picross game. If you are a seasoned player, you can easily skip all tutorials, turn off all assists, and get right to work.

Right now, I have Picross S, Steamworld Dig 2, and Golf Story on my Switch. It's the most I've played on the system since Zelda at launch. I'm really getting excited!

Would it work better with a stylus? I haven't bought it yet but it seems like the type of game that would.

So last night I sort of hit that golden point in SteamWorld Dig 2 where I'm full-on addicted. Of course, I was roughly halfway through the game and between last night and this morning I'm almost done. As I was telling Chaz in the Slack, the great parts of the game are unfortunately later on. The early part of the game is fun, but once you get some upgrades that greatly improve mobility it sort of ascends as a gameplay experience. Sequence-breaking becomes so much easier, exploration is always rewarded, environments are constantly littered with new challenges...

...and I dunno if I ever want to go back to lame-old no-upgrades Dorothy at the start.

Moreso, I'm not sure I'll ever want to play the first game again. Just about every upgrade you find in that one is better executed or transformed here. It's not often I feel like a sequel makes its predecessor obsolete, but that might damn well be the case here.

What's more, I can see 100%ing it being a more inviting prospect because of these upgrades. Going back to where you started and just exploring, digging, finding new sh*t... there's something relaxing about it, and once you approach more complex challenges it full on engages you. The best part is that it's not doing so in a linear fashion. They merely give you tools that you can use in a crazy variety of ways.

I don't know if this is a spoiler since it's an area easily accessible early on, but just in case:

Spoiler:

In the jungle/grass/flora area, I thought I screwed myself out of getting a resource. Then I realized I could just break the regrowing tile above me, hookshot up to it, and then stand on the regrown tile beneath me before breaking the next one above. Repeat until resource is snagged... or, in some cases, hazards are circumvented.

It sounds tedious, but it means the vast majority of the game I'm finding my own solutions to problems rather than finding the solution. Very interesting to play in contrast to Samus Returns, even though it's pretty clear this game has been designed with enough polish, testing, and experimentation that player death or self-destruction is minimized.

This is definitely going to be in my top 10, and quite possibly my top 5 of the year.

Yes, once I got the grappling hook the game just opened up so much more.

LeapingGnome wrote:

Would it work better with a stylus? I haven't bought it yet but it seems like the type of game that would.

There isn't any touch support for Picross S that I can see. The squares are a bit too small for my fat fingers, so if there were touch support, I would want to use a stylus. Overall, the controls are not bad, and I am able to get into the groove of things.

ccesarano wrote:

What's more, I can see 100%ing it being a more inviting prospect because of these upgrades. Going back to where you started and just exploring, digging, finding new sh*t... there's something relaxing about it, and once you approach more complex challenges it full on engages you. The best part is that it's not doing so in a linear fashion. They merely give you tools that you can use in a crazy variety of ways.

I just reached level 14 which allows more upgrades to solve some puzzles and find secrets more easily. I'm sure I'm close to the end, but I want to keep exploring!

I don't want to rush, but I have Golf Story waiting in the wings, which seems quite charming in a different way. The Switch is on a roll!

So I beat the game tonight. 11 hours, 79% completion, which is actually better than I expected. I think I'll try and make time every so often to go back and just explore or complete the caves, though there's a couple spots I might have to FAQ.

Man, it's interesting how early on it felt like more Dig, which was cool and fun but nothing to suck me in, and then all of a sudden I just got pulled in like a black hole. Hell, if you asked me to estimate hours played I'd have actually said maybe 7 or 8. 11 hours? Good lord, what a shock.

This is gonna sound weird, but I'm so glad I bought SteamWorld Dig at random because someone here mentioned it as a solid Metroidvania, wrote an article about it, got contacted by Image & Form, had an awesome Skype conversation with them where I got to ask a lot of questions with fascinating answers, and just... unending loyalty now. I love these guys. They're so busy I don't get to really talk with them anymore, but holy sh*t. Hands down my favorite indie developer.

Just... nothing but love.

I purchased Golf Story this afternoon and it really ate up a big chunk of my time. It appealed to me because it looked like Stardew Valley + Hot Shots Golf, and that seems to be what it is. The basics are pretty solid--I like the way the golfing feels, and I like the idea of having different golf-related challenges on a variety of courses.

The story is not great so far. I'm not finding the writing to be particularly engaging, and the second course has these people who I guess are supposed to be talking like cavemen or something? I guess it's supposed to be funny? Lost on me. And at times there are parts of "quests" that are just "go to this place to talk to this person, who will just tell you to go to another place to talk to another person, who will give you a quest", which feels like busywork.

Writing down my thoughts, they're more mixed than I was initially thinking. I like playing the golf! I hope that, as I progress, I spend more time golfing and less time in these weird little story bits (although I would mind less if the story bits were more engaging, which perhaps they will be).