Gaming Smack My Switch Up: The Nintendo Switch Discussion Thread (was: NX)

I think there's several factors involved:

1) Nintendo may have licensed things only for a particular system's VC.

2) Requiring an upgrade on a title-by-title basis to go from Wii to Wii U for the different features (which might negate existing licensing agreements since you have to modify the software/change the emulator).

3) With any of the above true, third parties aren't as interested in actively getting their titles onto the WU VC (compared to the Wii VC) because the system wasn't as big of a seller (whereas with the Wii everybody wanted something on there to sell to the install base).

Just look at how fast the WVC expanded back in the day after the Wii exploded in popularity- suddenly you had TG16, Master System and Arcade titles on there, not just Nintendo consoles and Genesis.

4) Nintendo, for a time, was spacing out the releases to pad out AAA release lulls.

I fully agree, though, that they really didn't take advantage of it like they could- and I suspect that will be something they might be changing given the delay in the NS VC, the hint at subscription access (with new upgrades*) and the success of the NES Classic. There is no reason why they couldn't have had a GCN VC title selection on the U.

The VC has a lot of pull that they never really exploited. There was little reason for me to ever buy the VC version of SM64 since i can play the original cartridge on the original system or get the graphical upgrade of the DS port. But my Mario folder on my Wii U had that one hole in it that prevented it from having every pre-GCN core Mario/Wario game (that isn't available on 3DS VC) so I bought the bullet and got it just to fool around in a more convenient way.

*We all kinda glossed over, in out dismay over the "the free games are only free for a month" thing, that they're upgrading VC titles with some form of online functionality. That could either be something very basic (leaderboards, etc) or something very new (online multi? unlikely but still). It also opens the question up of how faithful the ports will be or if they'll change other things too.

Honestly, I don't even remember Gradius III being a launch title. The TRU display cases only ever had the boxes for F-Zero, Pilotwings and SimCIty (since SMW was a pack-in and the SNES Control Set wasn't available until around the time Zelda came out).

 

I should clarify- I wasn't doubting that it was a launch title. It might not have been displayed or maybe I just am outright forgetting its presence. I think my point was more that the SNES at launch seemed impressive at the time even with the perception of "only" 4 games for it (vs 5 with Gradius).

EDIT- Looks like VC news will be coming forward before launch (as one would expect) but it looks like the account system will factor in previous purchases in some way (though that could mean free re-downloads, I would probably expect a Wii U-like $1 upgrade fee or something).

Wired: I hear from a lot of people like me who've spent a thousand dollars on classic games on Wii and Wii U…​

Fils-Aime: That's a lot of money.​

Wired: It is a lot of money! Is there going to be a discount for us if we buy the games again on Switch?​

Fils-Aime: What I would say first is, we recognize that some of our most passionate fans have spent quite a bit, whether it's with Virtual Console on Wii or Wii U, and we recognize that consumers are rightly concerned about moving to Nintendo Switch without backward compatibility. My comment is: Stay tuned, we understand the concern, more information to come.​

There's 40-some odd days between now and launch. There are more details to come. And at that point we'll be able to define all of those various details of that online experience.​

EDIT 2- A multiplat game called State of Mind will also coming to NS. I love the art style here.



EDIT 3- Here's a list on NL of the full NS title lineup so far:

Launch Day Releases - 3rd March
-The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
-1-2-Switch
-Super Bomberman R
-Skylanders Imaginators
-Just Dance 2017

March
-Snipperclips: Cut it Out, Together!
-Fast RMX
-Has Been Heroes
-I Am Setsuna

28th April
-Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Spring
-ARMS
-LEGO City: Undercover
-Disgaea 5 Complete
-Puyo Puyo Tetris
-RiME
-Sonic Mania
-Redout
-The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+
-Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove


Summer
-Splatoon 2

Autumn
-The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

September
-NBA 2K18

Holiday
-Super Mario Odyssey
-Fire Emblem Warriors

2017
-Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers
-Xenoblade Chronicles 2
-Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition
-Project Sonic 2017
-Minecraft
-FIFA
-Steep
-Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
-Syberia 3

Confirmed Nintendo Switch Games
-Shin Megami Tensei: New Title
-Minecraft: Story Mode - The Complete Adventure
-No More Heroes Sequel
-Dragon Quest Heroes
-Dragon Quest Heroes 2
-Dragon Quest X
-Dragon Quest XI
-Project Octopath Traveler
-Nobunaga's Ambition series title
-Unnamed Image & Form Project
-Unnamed Zoink Games Project
-Stardew Valley
-Monster Boy
-Oceanhorn
-State of Mind
-Seasons of Heaven
-2 Fast 4 Gnomz
-Audio Hero
-Cube Life: Island Survival

Expected Switch Games (Developer Intent to Release)
-Yooka-Laylee )
-Clive 'N Wrench


Looking over that list, I get the impression that Nintendo very much wants to leverage the JRPG success of the 3DS on this platform.

 

I suspect E3 and/or a late-summer/early-fall Direct will be reserved for several title announcements that we're expecting, once we're post-launch. "Pokemon Stars" (as it is rumored to be titled) will probably be among those.

But I would guess that it will be saved as an early 2018, post-holiday, release. The holiday lineup for the system is already too packed (and there's still the launch window titles on top of that). They're not going to want Mario, Zelda, Splatoon, MK8D, FEWA and Pokemon fighting it out for holiday sales with the system's holiday launch while also trying to push some of the smaller, newer titles like ARMS. They'll space them out so people can afford to buy them all (or most).

Finishing off the Mother/Earthbound trilogy seems more and more realistic as time goes on. My guess? Whenever the Smash port happens, they'll release Mother 3 as a tie-in to Lucas's presence. Maybe earlier if we're lucky (I actually could see Smash being a summer/late-2017 title since it's supposedly a port).

Metroid? Well, Reggie hinted at something within a year. We still have no idea what the hell Retro has been working on for the past 3-4 years (though, while Prime 4 would be great, I'd rather see something brand new from them).

 

The portability evolving the off-screen play (and semi-portable) functionality of the Wii U will no doubt be a key selling point. The OSP was a very popular feature for the Wii U, but you were tied to signal range, which would depend on the walls of your home (in the house I was in when the U launched, I could bring the GamePad to the bedroom above the room with the U console and play from there, but in my current apartment there are just barely too many walls between the system in my main room and my main computer chair in another for it to reach, sadly).

And of course, while you could take the Wii U on the go to an airport or something you still needed to plug it into the wall to power it.

On the upside, since it is a primary, built-in feature we don't have to worry about it becoming a PS3/Vita scenario where few people would ever invest in the hardware needed to use their version of taking a game on the go to make it worth enough games taking advantage of it.

EDIT- Some more news:

-Though such cards don't exist yet, the Switch's MicroSD memory can expand up to 2TB. So there's at least some future proofing there.

-1-2-Switch is said to be more like Wii Play than Wii Sports (ie: more content).

-The bundled JoyCon Grip does not charge JoyCons (they'll have to be charged while attached to the Switch in the Dock), but the premium one sold separately will.

-JoyCons have about a 20 hour battery life and take about 3.5 to fully charge.

-Pro Controllers have 40 hours w/ 6 hour charge time. This is half of the Wii U Pro Controller's godly 80 hours. But still more than the dualshock 4's 3-10 hours and XBO's 10-20.

-LOZ BOTW is 13GB on WU, 13.4GB on NS.

 

Well, by that I mean every game will be able to take advantage of it without buying anything extra or setting up any additional accounts. Sony's version of this required a PS3, a separate handheld, games that were compatible with the feature and, IIRC, a PS account for your cloud save or whatever it was.

 

That's the low-end, though. They've said the battery will last between 2.5 to 6 hours, depending on the game (and, presumably, if you're using wifi for local multiplayer or not), with Zelda being about 3 hours. The 3DS ranges from 3-5, for comparison.

Also don't forget that you can charge the Switch outside of the Dock.

 

I've seen some comments along those lines, surprisingly even from Nintendo-centric sites, "It looks like The Witcher with Zelda elements", etc.

But I think those are premature observations- or ones based on our relatively limited exposure to the game. Nintendo is still holding back a lot of this game in terms of story and mid/late game content and instead have focused on the environment and open world exploration, true- but that seems to be very much the early game hook before you start to get deeper into events. I get the impression the more overt Zelda content is on the horizon.

Of course, that ignores how much Zelda content is actually in the portions of the game we've already seen- we're just seeing it in a wider, less linear fashion than most people are used to. But extrapolated from the 2D games and its really not that out of the ordinary. Even then, things like sneaking up on Bobokin forts/treehouses are very reminiscent of things found in TWW and TP, etc.


EDIT- An anniversary version of Constructor is coming to the NS (and other platforms) launch day


EDIT 2- And this is just cool:

 

A few more details about the Switch's accounts and Miis.

-While not initially compatible with older controllers, "Support for certain controllers may be considered for a future update".
(If this means there is a remote chance that the GamePad can be brought back for VC or specialized titles, I will rejoice like a thousand happy peasants)

-External USB hard drives attached via the dock are being explored as a storage option.
-Save data is kept on the internal drive, redownloadable content (DLC, updates, digital games) will default to MicroSD storage (or internal if no MicroSD available).
-Game Carts are non-writeable, so no internal save option.
-The Share button does allow you edit screenshots before posting them and also stores the original files.
-There will be a Mii Maker for Switch, but it will be found under Settings instead of being a stand-alone app.
-Miis will have more design options, while details like "Creators Name", "Birthday", "Favorites", "Copying" and "Public" have been removed.
-No video streaming service apps at launch but may be added later.
-Each User account on the system (up to eight) will access the eShop for the region identified by their Nintendo Account (so you can set up a separate user account to access the JP eShop, for example, while your primary one accesses your normal region eShop).

 

Well, for the GamePad and U Pro Controller, it'd just be a matter of connecting to their wireless frequencies and having the driver software to use them. I suppose one might be able o do the same for the Wiimote but there's the issue of a lack of an IR sensor bar (or a connection to attach one to).

As far as the VC goes- I don't think it'd be an issue for most games. Whatever emulator they use would naturally have to recognize input from the Switch controllers for them to be of any use.

 

I think those comments were directed to the gameplay/layout and not the specifically the art style.

 

You can now setup/claim your User ID for your Nintendo Account, under the User Information field. This will be in place of your account name and appear in games like Splatoon 2.