Topic: Nintendo Switch --OT--

@nessisonett it was so bad at launch that I still have negative feelings towards it, mostly because I haven’t used it much at all in the years since. But it became compulsory as a launcher for CS when 1.6 dropped (the final version before CS:Source), which in itself bought some gameplay changes that didn’t go down well, and getting connected to games was awful. It did settle down and people got over it, but I remember it took a while. I think my library must consist of CS, Half-Life 2 and Portal 1!

Oh boy, Bravely Default here we go again! I’ve been doing the sidequests to be fair, I’m enjoying the asterisk holders being fleshed out after each pass. I finally got that bloody key too so I can open the blue chests. Maybe I’ll find the last job this chapter too. Still can’t quite believe I was right about that wee flying toerag, although it’s interesting that only Ringabel has twigged.

Beat Super Mario RPG in just over 12 hours, Culex, Jinx and all hidden chests. Post game now, almost at the level cap, apparently missed loads of mini games.

What a charming little game that was.

Out of interest, do you ever close down the game, or are you just leaving it running on your 3DS?

Also, you in Ch. 7 or thereabouts?

@Ralizah I’m sure each loop takes you back to the title screen, but maybe wrong

@kyleforrester87 @Ralizah

Uh, I sort of beat the game. I was in Chapter 6 and the last crystal I listened to Ringabel and exploded it, instantly putting me into the finale where I beat the final boss and the credits rolled. Sort of. The thing with the title screen was pretty cool though. I assume there’s a true ending I’ve to get with the way it was worded when I reloaded my save but yeah, that was fairly mad all round.

@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.

@JohnnyShoulder It’s even worse than I was expecting.

@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.