Nintendo Switch Catch-All 2.0

shoptroll wrote:

Firmware 5.0 is now out

Doesn't seem like much in there. I'm surprised it is a .0 release instead of just a point release, but I'm not too familiar with how Nintendo does versioning.

Speaking of ports vs sequels, I really, really want a full sequel to Super Mario 3D World, but speaking objectively I honestly think it needs to be ported more than maybe any other WiiU game they've done. For me it's the best Mario game ever, and the world needs to play it.

Had they done it first, btw, it could have introduced people to the Captain Toad style of play on Switch just as it did on WiiU.

shoptroll wrote:
garion333 wrote:

I'm a bit more disappointed that Captain Toad is a port, but I guess of all the games it's the one that needs to be introduced to people before a sequel is made.

(Ignoring #TMS and Wonderful 101 of course ;))

Ignoring them on purpose since they're not 1st party developed.

I didn't realize Captain Toad sold so poorly, comparatively, though the people who want a Toad puzzle game is probably a small subset of the overall population. Only those of us who *loved* the levels in 3D World jumped on it. Speaking of 3D World...

Fedaykin98 wrote:

Speaking of ports vs sequels, I really, really want a full sequel to Super Mario 3D World, but speaking objectively I honestly think it needs to be ported more than maybe any other WiiU game they've done. For me it's the best Mario game ever, and the world needs to play it.

Had they done it first, btw, it could have introduced people to the Captain Toad style of play on Switch just as it did on WiiU.

Any statement you make about SM3DW is the least objective thing ever.

You are correct though, it would've been a good into to Captain Toad, as it was for all of us who played it on the Wii U.

I was joking with my friend that he needs to get a Switch because he's trying to convince me Knack is under-rated (it probably is, but it bored me real quick and I never went back). One of the things he mentioned was co-op, and it made me realize that right now the Switch doesn't have a New Super Mario Bros. game.

What do you guys think are the odds of a new one? 2-D sidescrollers are clearly not dead in Nintendo, but do you think they'd release a new iterative one just because the NSMB series is one of their top sellers? It seems like a shoe-in given the multiplayer capabilities of the Switch, but what changes would they make from NSMB WiiU? How long do you think until we see an announcement of such a game?

I'm trying to take what we know and what we don't and figure out Nintendo's "one major game a month" schedule from here on to see if we can figure out any openings.

Spoiler:

Known:
March: Kirby Star Allies
April: Nintendo Labo
May: Donky Kong Tropical Freeze, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition
June: Mario Tennis Aces
July: Captain Toad Treasure Tracker

Fog of Mystery:
August: Fire Emblem? Yoshi?
September: Smash? Fire Emblem? Yoshi?
October: Smash? Fire Emblem? Yoshi?
November: Pokemon?
December: Fire Emblem?

Now, I didn't include Metroid Prime 4 because I highly doubt it'll release this year. We also see in May that Nintendo is willing to release two first-party ports in the same month, meaning they could have other announcements or releases to come. In addition, Fire Emblem and Pokemon have been nothing more than logos with "2018" attached, which means they could easily become "2019". I listed Pokemon in November because that's kind of been their major Black Friday release for a while now. Smash in September or October seems likely to coincide with the release of the online service. Yoshi is the big question mark, but I would assume August since we've known about it the longest.

Anywho, this overlong exercise originally started as a curiosity if a New Super Mario Bros. this year was even likely, and given that only one month might not be accounted for, I'd say... nah. If I were to hedge bets, Yoshi in August, Smash in Sept., Pokemon in Nov., and Fire Emblem either as their niche Dec. RPG release while something bigger lands in October, or is the October release with something even less noteworthy in December.

It's only March and I'm already speculating like an asshole.

At this point I expect a new 2D Mario to be next year. We've got DK to be our 2D platformer this year. The fact they haven't even teased a new Mario is likely because Odyssey is still being updated.

If Pokemon pushes into early 2019 then I expect a 2D Mario will suddenly appear.

Heck, if a 2D Mario is a stealth announcement closer to the holidays it wouldn't totally surprise me. If any series doesn't require a ton of lead time marketing it's a Mario platformer.

As far as what the game will be I have no idea. I kind of hope they reboot the entire 2D Mario series. Odyssey removed lives and is something I've advocated for before in 2D Mario. The New series has added in so many collectibles that 1UPs are entirely pointless. The best thing the New series has done is the coin rush stuff from NSMB2, though I don't believe that's the general public's take. Maybe I'm wrong there.

garion333 wrote:
shoptroll wrote:
garion333 wrote:

I'm a bit more disappointed that Captain Toad is a port, but I guess of all the games it's the one that needs to be introduced to people before a sequel is made.

(Ignoring #TMS and Wonderful 101 of course ;))

Ignoring them on purpose since they're not 1st party developed.

I didn't realize Captain Toad sold so poorly, comparatively, though the people who want a Toad puzzle game is probably a small subset of the overall population. Only those of us who *loved* the levels in 3D World jumped on it. Speaking of 3D World...

Fedaykin98 wrote:

Speaking of ports vs sequels, I really, really want a full sequel to Super Mario 3D World, but speaking objectively I honestly think it needs to be ported more than maybe any other WiiU game they've done. For me it's the best Mario game ever, and the world needs to play it.

Had they done it first, btw, it could have introduced people to the Captain Toad style of play on Switch just as it did on WiiU.

Any statement you make about SM3DW is the least objective thing ever.

You are correct though, it would've been a good into to Captain Toad, as it was for all of us who played it on the Wii U.

Hey, I can see outside of myself and be objective for entire seconds at a time, on a nearly bi-monthly basis!

But speaking as a selfish @$$hole, Nintendo needs to give us SM3DW2 right now and screw anyone who skipped the WiiU!

...but seriously, I got the WiiU specifically because of 3DWorld. 3DLand was so good, and the addition of multiplayer was so enticing. Both my kids played all the way through 3DW, frequently with co-op. And the WiiU turned out to be a great console, except for that trash series "New Super Mario Bros", which hopefully won't get the chance to infect the Switch.

New New Super Mario Bros.

I definitely want to see more 3D World. I liked Odyssey a lot but it made me realize that 3D World / Land is my favorite style of Mario now.

I kind of think 3D World/Land is the future of “2D” Mario. Being that it’s more of a linear experience than Odyssey. It’s 3D, but then not as open as 64/Sunshine/Odyssey.

In my perfect world they let 2D sit on the shelf until they can come up with fresh ideas and instead trot out 3D World / a 3D World sequel as the next linear Mario and work on the next Odyssey (or whatever it’s called) on the side.

steinkrug wrote:

I definitely want to see more 3D World. I liked Odyssey a lot but it made me realize that 3D World / Land is my favorite style of Mario now.

I hit the "Like" button about 50 times, but it just shows one like. I think it's broken.

I will say that I would be intrigued by Garion's suggestion of a new take on 2D Mario. I liked pretty all the console Mario's until Mario 64, and I really liked the original New SMB on DS. It was a revival that had been a long time coming. However, somewhere between that game and the WiiU version (the next one I played), something happened. For me, the WiiU entry is much less whimsical and fun, way more focused on the challenge. It's likely that playing it with my kids has colored my thinking on it, but I have to say that in our case, the 1Ups do serve a purpose, because my kids can't always make it to a new progress-saving point (airships and castles, I think) without running out of lives, and end up having to repeat several levels.

Anyway, I am very curious to see what gets announced at E3. With Mario, Zelda, Mario Kart, and Splatoon already out, and Smash, Donkey Kong, Pokémon, and Fire Emblem possibly all coming in 2018, I feel like the future is cloudy. They will show Metroid Prime 4 if it's far enough along, I'm sure. A different style Mario is possible, but to me it feels like Odyssey is still very new. I'd love to see a quick Zelda sequel, personally. I'd love Mario Kart 9 but I don't think they want to do that so quickly. They would KILL IT if they announced new tracks "available now".

Right now, I'm expecting a ton of Smash and other 2018 titles.

My favorite of the New games are the handhelds. Both the Wii and Wii U version have their moments, but the addition of motion controls and mp play didn't play to the parts of Mario that I like, which is mostly exploration. For 2D Mario, I much prefer a button press over motion for the precision.

The Wii U game is entirely competent and refined, but definitely felt clinical, whereas Mario 3D Land was exciting.

My favorites are the original NSMB and NSMB2. The former because I enjoyed playing around with the powerups and finding secret exits, even if Mega Mario is kind of lame. I loooooved playing as Mini Mario and jumping all over the place trying to find exits. Heck, I even preferred playing as Mini Mario against bosses because of the extra air time and control.

NSMB2 is kind of bland overall, but the coin collecting aspect made the coins useful again. I truly wish they added this feature to all their games. Quality level design is what kept me into the game since the coin collecting is a secondary feature.

As far as 3D Land and World I actually prefer Land. I don't think I have a good reason for it, really. It probably all comes down to the annoying dive you do in 3D World with the cat suit. Can't tell you how many times I accidentally did that, even if I liked what the cat suit added otherwise.

Captain Toad was definitely a highlight of 3D World. When I first came upon it I believe I posted something here about how this is what Nintendo needs to do more of. It was fresh and unexpected. I'm hoping for some more fresh from the next 2D Mario, but I'll be okay with anything, really. As much as I'm a bit bored by the series, 2D Mario games are my favorite gaming series.

DSGamer wrote:

I kind of think 3D World/Land is the future of “2D” Mario. Being that it’s more of a linear experience than Odyssey. It’s 3D, but then not as open as 64/Sunshine/Odyssey.

This is exactly how I feel. To me, 3DL and 3DW are successors to the originals. In my mind they're part of an unbroken line, and the "fully 3D with exploration" games are a different thing. Of those, I really like the Galaxy games more than any others.

For giggles, I'd rate them Galaxy 2 > Galaxy 1 > Odyssey > 64 right now, but I haven't finished Odyssey yet. I haven't played Sunshine, but I will if they update it.

I think the next 2D Mario game will just be Super Mario Maker 2.0.

Could be and that'd be more than okay.

ccesarano wrote:

What do you guys think are the odds of a new one? 2-D sidescrollers are clearly not dead in Nintendo, but do you think they'd release a new iterative one just because the NSMB series is one of their top sellers? It seems like a shoe-in given the multiplayer capabilities of the Switch, but what changes would they make from NSMB WiiU?

New Super Mario-All Stars. No changes necessary, aside from remaking all 4 games in one engine.

As a value-add or unlockable bonus they could include the original Super Mario All-Stars since it's the 25 anniversary of that compilation.

garion333 wrote:

At this point I expect a new 2D Mario to be next year. We've got DK to be our 2D platformer this year. The fact they haven't even teased a new Mario is likely because Odyssey is still being updated.

And Kirby is this month too.

While the series was doing the trendy annual release from 2009-2013, they've slowed the release cadence since then. After 3D World, it's been a new release every other year for the console/handheld business if you ignore Captain Toad and Super Mario Run. Yet another 2D platformer is just asking for market over-saturation.

The best thing the New series has done is the coin rush stuff from NSMB2, though I don't believe that's the general public's take.

IMAGE(https://media.giphy.com/media/VAlTbFcdKQyqc/giphy.gif)

Fedaykin98 wrote:

For giggles, I'd rate them Galaxy 2 > Galaxy 1 > Odyssey > 64 right now, but I haven't finished Odyssey yet. I haven't played Sunshine, but I will if they update it.

You get 3/4 of a fist-bump, but only because I'd put Galaxy 1 over Galaxy 2 for personal reasons.

jrralls wrote:

I think the next 2D Mario game will just be Super Mario Maker 2.0.

I'd be fine with that, although I'm not sure the creator experience will be as good without the touch screen.

shoptroll wrote:
The best thing the New series has done is the coin rush stuff from NSMB2, though I don't believe that's the general public's take.

IMAGE(https://media.giphy.com/media/VAlTbFcdKQyqc/giphy.gif)

Just wanted to 3rd this. I still stand by NSMB2 being one of my favorite Mario games. Mostly on the strength of the various coin gimmicks.

shoptroll wrote:
Fedaykin98 wrote:

For giggles, I'd rate them Galaxy 2 > Galaxy 1 > Odyssey > 64 right now, but I haven't finished Odyssey yet. I haven't played Sunshine, but I will if they update it.

You get 3/4 of a fist-bump, but only because I'd put Galaxy 1 over Galaxy 2 for personal reasons.

Orchestra music? Cause that is true for me.

shoptroll wrote:
jrralls wrote:

I think the next 2D Mario game will just be Super Mario Maker 2.0.

I'd be fine with that, although I'm not sure the creator experience will be as good without the touch screen.

My thinking is that if they are porting Toad, they will port/half-sequalize pretty much everything on the Wii-U.

shoptroll wrote:
Fedaykin98 wrote:

For giggles, I'd rate them Galaxy 2 > Galaxy 1 > Odyssey > 64 right now, but I haven't finished Odyssey yet. I haven't played Sunshine, but I will if they update it.

You get 3/4 of a fist-bump, but only because I'd put Galaxy 1 over Galaxy 2 for personal reasons.

I'll take it! FWIW, I played Galaxy 2 first, so a number of Galaxy 1 levels felt like simpler versions of something I'd already played. I'm usually a stickler for playing things in release order, but I skipped 1 (and Sunshine) because I didn't like M64. When the GWJ hype for Galaxy 2 got big enough, I jumped in with that one.

Fedaykin98 wrote:
shoptroll wrote:
Fedaykin98 wrote:

For giggles, I'd rate them Galaxy 2 > Galaxy 1 > Odyssey > 64 right now, but I haven't finished Odyssey yet. I haven't played Sunshine, but I will if they update it.

You get 3/4 of a fist-bump, but only because I'd put Galaxy 1 over Galaxy 2 for personal reasons.

I'll take it! FWIW, I played Galaxy 2 first, so a number of Galaxy 1 levels felt like simpler versions of something I'd already played. I'm usually a stickler for playing things in release order, but I skipped 1 (and Sunshine) because I didn't like M64. When the GWJ hype for Galaxy 2 got big enough, I jumped in with that one.

It’s funny, but I truly believe the open 3D Mario lineage is a completely different play style. I prefer it so I hope we see more of Odyssey, but I can totally understand how someone might not like 64 and its siblings.

New SMB Wii was awesome because of the co-op play. Though I will freely admit I was lucky to have the right people to play it with.

And the final confrontation with Bowser is still one of my top all-time final boss fights.

I liked the Wii U installment well enough at the time, but I'd be lying if I said it held my attention for as long as the other games in the series. I do think the Flying Squirrel suit is their best take on a flight/gliding powerup so far and I'm sad that Mario Maker went with the propeller helmet.

I do think a co-op 2d Mario game would be a good fit for the Switch, but if I had to choose I'd rather have another Mario Maker.

garion333 wrote:
shoptroll wrote:
Fedaykin98 wrote:

For giggles, I'd rate them Galaxy 2 > Galaxy 1 > Odyssey > 64 right now, but I haven't finished Odyssey yet. I haven't played Sunshine, but I will if they update it.

You get 3/4 of a fist-bump, but only because I'd put Galaxy 1 over Galaxy 2 for personal reasons.

Orchestra music? Cause that is true for me.

No, the storyboook about the girl and her mom dying.

jrralls wrote:

My thinking is that if they are porting Toad, they will port/half-sequalize pretty much everything on the Wii-U.

I don't think Captain Toad is that hard for them to port. Or at least I don't remember it making extensive or novel use of the game pad's feature set. Maybe some voice activated stuff like in 3D World? That could be replaced with waggle if necessary.

That'll be much harder for them to do with titles like Wonderful 101 or the two Star Fox titles due to how they used the secondary screen. Everything that's seeing a port right now either didn't use the second screen at all or made minimal use of it. There's going to come a point where the cost of the port goes up significantly due to needing to do "invasive surgery" in order to compensate for the lack of the second screen.

On the other hand, with the Switch looking to have an install base that's going to be significantly larger than the Wii U, there's a good opportunity for ports of less popular titles (ie. Captain Toad) to find an audience and out perform the previous incarnation (and ideally recoup the dev costs for port and some of the original development). Which is why I think they would consider getting W101, #TMS, Star Fox Zero, and XCX on the platform at some point.

IMAGE(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DYLFMsfW0AAuB_r.jpg:large)

This could be fake, but it appears that Hori has a new stand (or dock, possibly) for Switch coming.

fake news Mario.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Danmaku Unlimited 3 was released digitally. Been waiting for this for a long time, and I'm a bit surprised it the release just snuck in, no announcements as far as I'm aware.

It's a very competent bullet hell shooter elevated by its incredible soundtrack. As is becoming the norm with these Switch SHMUPS, you can rotate the screen and play in TATE mode. It's a very solid title, and decently priced.

Sidenote: With this, Strikers 1945, Blazing Star, Metal Slug 1 and 3 in my collection, I'm starting to get very interested in buying an arcade stick. These sort of arcade games are my "thing", and playing them with a switch controller feels a bit weird. I'm completely in love with just how many quality arcade games are available! It's a nice bonus I didn't expect when I bought this console.

I should probably get Strikers 1945 to test out the Tate mode. I'm glad this has become a thing, as it damn well should have!

///

In other news, I'm all over this when it comes out:

Please don't control terribly.

Man, I always sucked at Lode Runner.

Fedaykin98 wrote:

Man, I always sucked at Lode Runner.

I remember wanting to like Lode Runner, but never actually enjoying it.

Lode Runner is no Jump Man, but it gave me plenty of hours of enjoyment way back when.