That actually was a great direct! The new Kirby game looks like the most effort they put into the franchise since the 90s, it looks like a mainline Mario title. Nobody knows this game but Live A...
That actually was a great direct!
The new Kirby game looks like the most effort they put into the franchise since the 90s, it looks like a mainline Mario title.
Nobody knows this game but Live A Live has always been my recommendation for best SNES game to get on emulators. Never would have thought I’d see an official western release for it! I’m way more hyped for this than Earthbound.
Splatoon 3 looks like an… “incremental” update to the series but that’s ok with me. The additions to Salmon Run look interesting. I wonder if they’ll manage to make a single player mode that doesn’t feel tacked-on. Can’t say they didn’t try with Octo Expansion.
It’s not my cup of tea but I know there’s people going nuts about a new Mario Strikers game and Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Even a proper Wii Sports game is something I saw people genuinely ask for in Direct threads. Portal 1+2, No Man’s Sky… lots of ports I would have never expected to see. 48-track DLC for Mario Kart 8, what?
This felt like fan service almost, lol. Still, I would have gladly given 5 ports/remakes for a proper new title.
Live A Live being a remake in their "HD 2D" style is really interesting too, I hope it works well. There was a surprising number of Square-Enix re-releases/remakes shown, the Chrono Cross one has...
Live A Live being a remake in their "HD 2D" style is really interesting too, I hope it works well. There was a surprising number of Square-Enix re-releases/remakes shown, the Chrono Cross one has potential to be a big deal too.
I'm interested in the Fire Emblem musou game too. The games are all pretty similar, but they're usually fun to play for a while, and FE seems like a great theme to use for one.
Oh nice! The Klonoa games were a bit before my time, so to speak, but I've been playing a couple of older games (and watching quite a bit of Noah Caldwell-Gervais, too, which probably contributes...
Oh nice! The Klonoa games were a bit before my time, so to speak, but I've been playing a couple of older games (and watching quite a bit of Noah Caldwell-Gervais, too, which probably contributes to the interest in older games). I think Klonoa will be a nice addition to my (fortunately, very short, for now) backlog of games to play.
Ever since I was reminded of it a few months ago, I've been wanting to replay the first one. I last played it over 20 years ago (OH GOD I'M GETTING OLD), so I have no idea how it will hold up. I...
Ever since I was reminded of it a few months ago, I've been wanting to replay the first one. I last played it over 20 years ago (OH GOD I'M GETTING OLD), so I have no idea how it will hold up.
I never did play the second one, but the video essay you shared about it made me want to, so these remasters are hitting at the exact right time. :)
First direct in a while that I've had multiple things to get excited about! Mario Kart DLC, Ezio collection, and Switch Sports are definitely getting got!
First direct in a while that I've had multiple things to get excited about! Mario Kart DLC, Ezio collection, and Switch Sports are definitely getting got!
I'm glad those rumors of a Chrono Cross remaster delivered. Having just finished Chrono Trigger, I'm looking forward to giving Chrono Cross a try! But the standout announcement for me was...
I'm glad those rumors of a Chrono Cross remaster delivered. Having just finished Chrono Trigger, I'm looking forward to giving Chrono Cross a try!
But the standout announcement for me was Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Perhaps this isn't the most popular opinion, but I'm glad they kept the anime aesthetic. I'm also interested to see how they update the combat system, which was somewhat convoluted in XC2 but streamlined in the dlc. Of course, the combat systems changed significantly between XC1 and XC2 with the introduction of Blades, so I wonder whether the changes will be incremental or substantial.
Edit: Somewhat off-topic, but I first heard about Live A Live from this Reddit post about the most ridiculous secret requirements in a JRPG.
I have tried XC2 a couple of times, and while I like so much about it, the combat system simultaneously frustrates me and bores me. I'm a big JRPG fan, I know everyone loves XC2--and I want to...
I have tried XC2 a couple of times, and while I like so much about it, the combat system simultaneously frustrates me and bores me. I'm a big JRPG fan, I know everyone loves XC2--and I want to love it, too--but I've just had such a hard time getting into the combat. I've watched videos, I've practiced, I've tried. It hasn't clicked for me. That said, XC3 looks beautiful and I'll definitely keep an eye on it.
Earthbound is a great addition (always loved it), and Live A Live is a surprise that I'd like to check out. But I'm still the most stoked for Triangle Strategy. That game's made for me. I love the HD 2D aesthetic and the tactics combat system. I've known it was coming for a while but it's still exciting to see that it's almost here.
Oh yeah, we've talked about XC2 before. Since then I came across this video demonstrating some of the unexplained/poorly explained combat mechanics in the game (I learned a few new things, too). I...
Oh yeah, we've talked about XC2 before. Since then I came across this video demonstrating some of the unexplained/poorly explained combat mechanics in the game (I learned a few new things, too). I actually intended to send this to you, so this is pretty serendipitous.
Earthbound is a nice addition, but I think it feels a bit dated despite its charm (Chrono Trigger, in contrast, does not -- not including it in NSO feels like a missed opportunity). Nevertheless I'd like to try out Mother 3 sometime, so I hope they eventually include the remaining game from the Mother trilogy.
So I've put another 10 hours or so into XC2 since your comment, and I've just made it to Chapter 4. In that time, some new mechanics have opened up that have made things much better (specifically...
So I've put another 10 hours or so into XC2 since your comment, and I've just made it to Chapter 4. In that time, some new mechanics have opened up that have made things much better (specifically learning how to Topple). I've been enjoying the game a lot more because of it. I also put a lot of effort over the last few days learning about core chips, aux cores, and actually bonding with the core crystals I already had (ended up with Boreas). I still feel a little hampered by my seeming inability to build combos but I imagine that'll come in time as I make better use of my Blades. But yeah, I am definitely enjoying the game more and feeling like I've got a better grasp of it.
That's awesome -- I hope you continue to enjoy it! I love JRPGs, but even I find them frustrating to play until the moment everything finally "clicks". XC2 is especially bad in that regard, but...
That's awesome -- I hope you continue to enjoy it! I love JRPGs, but even I find them frustrating to play until the moment everything finally "clicks". XC2 is especially bad in that regard, but the upside is that there's a great deal of depth to its systems once you understand them.
Ha! So we're back again talking about Xenoblade. Thank you for the video. I watched most of it, but found myself getting lost pretty quickly in it. I think the presenter is just simply speaking...
Ha! So we're back again talking about Xenoblade. Thank you for the video. I watched most of it, but found myself getting lost pretty quickly in it. I think the presenter is just simply speaking too fast and assuming I know all the ideas he's talking about from the get-go. A combat video that's helped me make sense of things is this one. This guy is really slow and deliberate in his explanation, speaking to you like a beginner. Truth be told, I'm really only 15 hours or so into XC2, so I'm just a noob who's gotten frustrated and set it aside. I'm definitely going to give it another try.
Man, so much of the best of the SNES library is missing. Mega Man? Final Fantasy? Chrono Trigger? Super Mario RPG? Secret of Mama (haven't played yet, but represent!)? Tetris Attack? Contra 3?...
Earthbound is a nice addition, but I think it feels a bit dated despite its charm (Chrono Trigger, in contrast, does not -- not including it in NSO feels like a missed opportunity).
Man, so much of the best of the SNES library is missing. Mega Man? Final Fantasy? Chrono Trigger? Super Mario RPG? Secret of Mama (haven't played yet, but represent!)? Tetris Attack? Contra 3? Space Ace?!?
I get the whole third-party licensing issues are a headache, but when I look at Brawl Brothers, or some other game I have never known the existence of, yet have no urge to play, it makes me a little sad that they are underrepresenting one of the best consoles of all time. One of their best consoles of all time.
You can buy Secret of Mana, at least. But I want Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy III/VI, as so many do. And if they gave those games the HD 2D remaster treatment, all the better. In fact, since...
You can buy Secret of Mana, at least. But I want Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy III/VI, as so many do. And if they gave those games the HD 2D remaster treatment, all the better. In fact, since those two games are arguably some of the best JRPGs of all time, they could HD 2D remaster them, charge $60, and easily get away with it. They would be hits.
Right, sure, you can buy them if they're available. My practice is to buy them on Steam so they're available long after any console lifespan runs out, which is kind of shifting the argument a bit....
Right, sure, you can buy them if they're available. My practice is to buy them on Steam so they're available long after any console lifespan runs out, which is kind of shifting the argument a bit.
My tech brain boils the problem down to the fact that the entire process is just emulation, and it's frustrating that it's not "just there". Said tech brain then gets really angry at Nintendo because of how it treats emulator projects that it deems illegal and then responds with timed-release full-price crap like Mario 3D All-Stars...
Yep, I agree with you. The fact that we can't just emulate these games on Switch is pretty frustrating. But with how popular Chrono Trigger is, for example, I wonder if they're just secretly...
Yep, I agree with you. The fact that we can't just emulate these games on Switch is pretty frustrating. But with how popular Chrono Trigger is, for example, I wonder if they're just secretly working on an HD 2D remaster. Because you could emulate it on Wii. Why would they keep it off Switch? I imagine (read: hope) they have something big planned. Otherwise, keeping these games off of the SNES NSO library just seems... mean.
Nice to see Nintendo offer the Mario Kart DLC as part of their expansion pass. When the expansion pass was first announced, I mentioned that: And they’re doing a reasonably good job of that...
If Nintendo can add enough good N64 games (e.g. Banjo-Kazooie, Majora’s Mask, DK64) in a timely fashion, or add DLC for other Switch titles, or include GBA/GCN games in the service, the value of the expansion-pack improves a lot.
And they’re doing a reasonably good job of that already, in my opinion. Barring any major announcements, I still probably won’t subscribe this year (I’d rather just buy the MK DLC than be bound to the subscription), but it’s encouraging that they’re already adding more content to it.
///
Personally, I thought this was a good Direct. I’m interested in:
Mario Strikers
Assassin’s Creed: the Ezio Collection
Advance Wars (depending on the price)
Portal
No Man’s Sky
The Mario Kart DLC
It is a little concerning that 3/5 of those are from 10+ years ago though (not counting the MK DLC, which draws from old and new games).
The Kirby game looks really cool, but I think I’ll wait to see the reviews before committing to it. I’m a bit wary of some of Nintendo’s games aimed at younger audiences after Yoshi’s Crafted World was such a disappointment (I loved Woolly World and Yoshi’s Island). Hopefully it turns out well, though! I enjoyed Kirby 64 as a kid (I wonder if they’ll add that to the expansion pass at some point) and it looks like they’ve put a lot of work into this one.
Holy geezballs, that's a lot of good stuff. More Fire Emblem! I had a ton of fun with Three Houses as my first game in the series... I still need to complete all of the playthroughs, but this is...
Holy geezballs, that's a lot of good stuff.
More Fire Emblem! I had a ton of fun with Three Houses as my first game in the series... I still need to complete all of the playthroughs, but this is definitely exciting.
That Switch Sports is going to be a lot of fun. I remember my Wii Bowling days fondly.
I need to give Chrono Cross a go someday.
Likewise, I never finished Earthbound... Now I don't have an excuse!
Does anyone have takes on the Front Mission game? I played it a little, so I know it's a TBS game with mech units, which is pretty boss.
Those who have a paid Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership get the DLC at no extra cost.
Don't make me not regret getting the Expansion Pack, lol. We decided it was worth it because my wife wanted the Animal Crossing DLC, but I was planning on this being a one-time thing.
Did they say anything about when Majora's Mask is dropping?
Oh... Fire Emblem is a musou game, like Hyrule Warriors... Well, that's on me for being hyped while misunderstanding. I'll probably skip that one, but it's cool that universe is getting revisited!
Oh... Fire Emblem is a musou game, like Hyrule Warriors... Well, that's on me for being hyped while misunderstanding. I'll probably skip that one, but it's cool that universe is getting revisited!
A written version with all the individual trailers, if anyone wants a more easily-skimmable version: Everything announced in the Nintendo Direct
That actually was a great direct!
The new Kirby game looks like the most effort they put into the franchise since the 90s, it looks like a mainline Mario title.
Nobody knows this game but Live A Live has always been my recommendation for best SNES game to get on emulators. Never would have thought I’d see an official western release for it! I’m way more hyped for this than Earthbound.
Splatoon 3 looks like an… “incremental” update to the series but that’s ok with me. The additions to Salmon Run look interesting. I wonder if they’ll manage to make a single player mode that doesn’t feel tacked-on. Can’t say they didn’t try with Octo Expansion.
It’s not my cup of tea but I know there’s people going nuts about a new Mario Strikers game and Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Even a proper Wii Sports game is something I saw people genuinely ask for in Direct threads. Portal 1+2, No Man’s Sky… lots of ports I would have never expected to see. 48-track DLC for Mario Kart 8, what?
This felt like fan service almost, lol. Still, I would have gladly given 5 ports/remakes for a proper new title.
Live A Live being a remake in their "HD 2D" style is really interesting too, I hope it works well. There was a surprising number of Square-Enix re-releases/remakes shown, the Chrono Cross one has potential to be a big deal too.
I'm interested in the Fire Emblem musou game too. The games are all pretty similar, but they're usually fun to play for a while, and FE seems like a great theme to use for one.
@Fal, check out 50:25. :D
I'm super excited!
Beat me to it! Now if only I had a switch... :p
Looks like it's coming to other platforms as well, though the Switch release is the only one with a definitive date at present.
Oh nice! The Klonoa games were a bit before my time, so to speak, but I've been playing a couple of older games (and watching quite a bit of Noah Caldwell-Gervais, too, which probably contributes to the interest in older games). I think Klonoa will be a nice addition to my (fortunately, very short, for now) backlog of games to play.
Ever since I was reminded of it a few months ago, I've been wanting to replay the first one. I last played it over 20 years ago (OH GOD I'M GETTING OLD), so I have no idea how it will hold up.
I never did play the second one, but the video essay you shared about it made me want to, so these remasters are hitting at the exact right time. :)
First direct in a while that I've had multiple things to get excited about! Mario Kart DLC, Ezio collection, and Switch Sports are definitely getting got!
I'm glad those rumors of a Chrono Cross remaster delivered. Having just finished Chrono Trigger, I'm looking forward to giving Chrono Cross a try!
But the standout announcement for me was Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Perhaps this isn't the most popular opinion, but I'm glad they kept the anime aesthetic. I'm also interested to see how they update the combat system, which was somewhat convoluted in XC2 but streamlined in the dlc. Of course, the combat systems changed significantly between XC1 and XC2 with the introduction of Blades, so I wonder whether the changes will be incremental or substantial.
Edit: Somewhat off-topic, but I first heard about Live A Live from this Reddit post about the most ridiculous secret requirements in a JRPG.
I have tried XC2 a couple of times, and while I like so much about it, the combat system simultaneously frustrates me and bores me. I'm a big JRPG fan, I know everyone loves XC2--and I want to love it, too--but I've just had such a hard time getting into the combat. I've watched videos, I've practiced, I've tried. It hasn't clicked for me. That said, XC3 looks beautiful and I'll definitely keep an eye on it.
Earthbound is a great addition (always loved it), and Live A Live is a surprise that I'd like to check out. But I'm still the most stoked for Triangle Strategy. That game's made for me. I love the HD 2D aesthetic and the tactics combat system. I've known it was coming for a while but it's still exciting to see that it's almost here.
Oh yeah, we've talked about XC2 before. Since then I came across this video demonstrating some of the unexplained/poorly explained combat mechanics in the game (I learned a few new things, too). I actually intended to send this to you, so this is pretty serendipitous.
Earthbound is a nice addition, but I think it feels a bit dated despite its charm (Chrono Trigger, in contrast, does not -- not including it in NSO feels like a missed opportunity). Nevertheless I'd like to try out Mother 3 sometime, so I hope they eventually include the remaining game from the Mother trilogy.
So I've put another 10 hours or so into XC2 since your comment, and I've just made it to Chapter 4. In that time, some new mechanics have opened up that have made things much better (specifically learning how to Topple). I've been enjoying the game a lot more because of it. I also put a lot of effort over the last few days learning about core chips, aux cores, and actually bonding with the core crystals I already had (ended up with Boreas). I still feel a little hampered by my seeming inability to build combos but I imagine that'll come in time as I make better use of my Blades. But yeah, I am definitely enjoying the game more and feeling like I've got a better grasp of it.
That's awesome -- I hope you continue to enjoy it! I love JRPGs, but even I find them frustrating to play until the moment everything finally "clicks". XC2 is especially bad in that regard, but the upside is that there's a great deal of depth to its systems once you understand them.
Ha! So we're back again talking about Xenoblade. Thank you for the video. I watched most of it, but found myself getting lost pretty quickly in it. I think the presenter is just simply speaking too fast and assuming I know all the ideas he's talking about from the get-go. A combat video that's helped me make sense of things is this one. This guy is really slow and deliberate in his explanation, speaking to you like a beginner. Truth be told, I'm really only 15 hours or so into XC2, so I'm just a noob who's gotten frustrated and set it aside. I'm definitely going to give it another try.
Man, so much of the best of the SNES library is missing. Mega Man? Final Fantasy? Chrono Trigger? Super Mario RPG? Secret of Mama (haven't played yet, but represent!)? Tetris Attack? Contra 3? Space Ace?!?
I get the whole third-party licensing issues are a headache, but when I look at Brawl Brothers, or some other game I have never known the existence of, yet have no urge to play, it makes me a little sad that they are underrepresenting one of the best consoles of all time. One of their best consoles of all time.
You can buy Secret of Mana, at least. But I want Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy III/VI, as so many do. And if they gave those games the HD 2D remaster treatment, all the better. In fact, since those two games are arguably some of the best JRPGs of all time, they could HD 2D remaster them, charge $60, and easily get away with it. They would be hits.
Right, sure, you can buy them if they're available. My practice is to buy them on Steam so they're available long after any console lifespan runs out, which is kind of shifting the argument a bit.
My tech brain boils the problem down to the fact that the entire process is just emulation, and it's frustrating that it's not "just there". Said tech brain then gets really angry at Nintendo because of how it treats emulator projects that it deems illegal and then responds with timed-release full-price crap like Mario 3D All-Stars...
Yep, I agree with you. The fact that we can't just emulate these games on Switch is pretty frustrating. But with how popular Chrono Trigger is, for example, I wonder if they're just secretly working on an HD 2D remaster. Because you could emulate it on Wii. Why would they keep it off Switch? I imagine (read: hope) they have something big planned. Otherwise, keeping these games off of the SNES NSO library just seems... mean.
Nice to see Nintendo offer the Mario Kart DLC as part of their expansion pass. When the expansion pass was first announced, I mentioned that:
And they’re doing a reasonably good job of that already, in my opinion. Barring any major announcements, I still probably won’t subscribe this year (I’d rather just buy the MK DLC than be bound to the subscription), but it’s encouraging that they’re already adding more content to it.
///
Personally, I thought this was a good Direct. I’m interested in:
It is a little concerning that 3/5 of those are from 10+ years ago though (not counting the MK DLC, which draws from old and new games).
The Kirby game looks really cool, but I think I’ll wait to see the reviews before committing to it. I’m a bit wary of some of Nintendo’s games aimed at younger audiences after Yoshi’s Crafted World was such a disappointment (I loved Woolly World and Yoshi’s Island). Hopefully it turns out well, though! I enjoyed Kirby 64 as a kid (I wonder if they’ll add that to the expansion pass at some point) and it looks like they’ve put a lot of work into this one.
Holy geezballs, that's a lot of good stuff.
More Fire Emblem! I had a ton of fun with Three Houses as my first game in the series... I still need to complete all of the playthroughs, but this is definitely exciting.
That Switch Sports is going to be a lot of fun. I remember my Wii Bowling days fondly.
I need to give Chrono Cross a go someday.
Likewise, I never finished Earthbound... Now I don't have an excuse!
Does anyone have takes on the Front Mission game? I played it a little, so I know it's a TBS game with mech units, which is pretty boss.
Don't make me not regret getting the Expansion Pack, lol. We decided it was worth it because my wife wanted the Animal Crossing DLC, but I was planning on this being a one-time thing.
Did they say anything about when Majora's Mask is dropping?
Oh... Fire Emblem is a musou game, like Hyrule Warriors... Well, that's on me for being hyped while misunderstanding. I'll probably skip that one, but it's cool that universe is getting revisited!
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