Consumer electronics becoming appreciating assets feels like a sign that there’s something is in the queue that’s going to make 2008 look like a cakewalk, and I have no idea if I’m catastrophizing...
Consumer electronics becoming appreciating assets feels like a sign that there’s something is in the queue that’s going to make 2008 look like a cakewalk, and I have no idea if I’m catastrophizing or if it’s just that I’m no longer in school and have skin in the game this time.
Congratulations if you jumped in early, enjoy Pokopia for the rest of us.
I think this is finally a price correction because they do not see prices going down. If I remember correctly Nintendo did not raise prices from the U.S. tarrifs, has not adjusted for the pandemic...
I think this is finally a price correction because they do not see prices going down. If I remember correctly Nintendo did not raise prices from the U.S. tarrifs, has not adjusted for the pandemic and following year's inflation, and now RAM prices are through the roof. So it's probably not a sign of things go come.
Personally, I suspect we will see the death of the petrodollar sometime in the next decade or so. That is likely to bring pain to the U.S. that is worse than 2008. America has shown the world that we aren't any more stable than any other country.
Is the switch 2 worth it now? The game library still seems quite limited even if the hardware is nice. I also find myself liking the over colourful childish games less now as I get older. Hmm,...
Is the switch 2 worth it now? The game library still seems quite limited even if the hardware is nice.
I also find myself liking the over colourful childish games less now as I get older. Hmm, maybe I’ll wait out for the steam deck 2.
In my humble, pickley opinion, there's no reason to get any nintendo console over another console unless you want to play Nintendo exclusives on it. Sincerely, a (fermented) owner of a Switch and...
In my humble, pickley opinion, there's no reason to get any nintendo console over another console unless you want to play Nintendo exclusives on it.
Sincerely, a (fermented) owner of a Switch and a Steam Deck
Real shame Nintendo is one of the few AAA studios who consistently makes the exact kind of asethetic I love while having high quality gameplay. There's already at lest 5 games I want to buy when I...
Real shame Nintendo is one of the few AAA studios who consistently makes the exact kind of asethetic I love while having high quality gameplay. There's already at lest 5 games I want to buy when I get a switch 2.
If you don't already own a Switch, I'd get a Switch 2. Otherwise, it's not really worth it at the moment in my opinion, unless you're annoyed with the performance of some games on the Switch 1.
If you don't already own a Switch, I'd get a Switch 2. Otherwise, it's not really worth it at the moment in my opinion, unless you're annoyed with the performance of some games on the Switch 1.
How would you compare the performance of Tears of the Kingdom, for instance? I was playing last night for the first time in a while and I was really noticing the chug in dock mode on my OG Switch.
How would you compare the performance of Tears of the Kingdom, for instance? I was playing last night for the first time in a while and I was really noticing the chug in dock mode on my OG Switch.
TOTK and BOTW run at a very stable 60fps on Switch 2 (handheld and docked), as opposed to an unstable 30fps on Switch 1. Higher resolution too. Performance and the opportunity to make my nephew...
TOTK and BOTW run at a very stable 60fps on Switch 2 (handheld and docked), as opposed to an unstable 30fps on Switch 1. Higher resolution too. Performance and the opportunity to make my nephew happy with my Switch OLED were the main reasons I got a Switch 2.
I’m debating between trying to sell my Switch 1 and scrape together the remaining funds for the Switch 2 before the prices hike in September, or just wait with the assumption that there will be an...
I’m debating between trying to sell my Switch 1 and scrape together the remaining funds for the Switch 2 before the prices hike in September, or just wait with the assumption that there will be an OLED version of the Switch 2 coming out sometime between now and 2028 which will make it easier to save for that higher tier item, and maybe some games.
Yeah, that's a tough one. If you're easily annoyed by poor performance like I am, it might be worth selling your Switch 1 and getting the Switch 2 before the price increase. An OLED model is...
Yeah, that's a tough one. If you're easily annoyed by poor performance like I am, it might be worth selling your Switch 1 and getting the Switch 2 before the price increase.
An OLED model is probably still years away. I think it's going to take even longer considering the insane RAM prices and the additional cost of an OLED display. An OLED model might end up being too expensive and not sell well.
Colorful kid-friendly games is kinda the shtick; Pokopia, Kirby Air Riders, and Bananza are the primary reasons to buy it, and Prime 4 response is sort of polarizing if that was a draw for you. I...
Colorful kid-friendly games is kinda the shtick; Pokopia, Kirby Air Riders, and Bananza are the primary reasons to buy it, and Prime 4 response is sort of polarizing if that was a draw for you. I personally got it for Pokopia, which is very good. Not $519 $569 good, IMO, nor something that's probably going to change your mind if you don't buy into the mashup of Pokémon + Minecraft + Animal Crossing + DQB. But as someone who plays things at a glacial pace due to kids, it still has me hooked over a month later.
Switch 2 itself is a nice piece of hardware. Screen is way better, even though it isn't OLED, and the mouse features are a little clumsy to detach from the controller grip to spontaneously use but otherwise integrated well. Everything feels like a good upgrade over the Switch - I'm going to homebrew mine - but I doubt the console will spark your interest if you aren't about the games themselves.
If I had an OLED version, I would be willing to play it in handheld mode...BUT I don't really have much of a reason to play Nintendo games in handheld mode...except Animal Crossing and Pokopia 🤔
If I had an OLED version, I would be willing to play it in handheld mode...BUT I don't really have much of a reason to play Nintendo games in handheld mode...except Animal Crossing and Pokopia 🤔
I would hardly classify the entire Switch 1 library + NSO + Switch 2 “limited”. Do you have a Switch 1? Have you played anything on it? If not, then you’re be in for a treat on Switch 2. Tell me...
I would hardly classify the entire Switch 1 library + NSO + Switch 2 “limited”. Do you have a Switch 1? Have you played anything on it? If not, then you’re be in for a treat on Switch 2. Tell me what genres you’re into, and I can give you dozens of examples of games on the Switch 2 that you’ll enjoy. I think that what matters most with this purchase decision is whether you happen to also be someone who likes Nintendo’s exclusive IPs, like your Mario, Zelda, Pokémon, etc. If you don’t (which seems to be the case), well... then you can probably get the rest (third-parties) on PS5/PC as well.
I already own a switch, so it is the exclusive switch 2 titles. I used to enjoy them, but either the games have changed or I have (more the latter probably, maybe both). I enjoyed BoTW a lot. I...
I already own a switch, so it is the exclusive switch 2 titles. I used to enjoy them, but either the games have changed or I have (more the latter probably, maybe both). I enjoyed BoTW a lot. I used to enjoy pokemon a huge amount as a kid, but it just feels too easy now. I tried Pokémon sword, so I don’t know if that is representative of other titles. Mario, I like the idea, but couldn’t get into it.
I like city building, survival, RPGs, FPS, digital card/board games. I’ll try most games tbh.
Pokopia is life changing and was worth the price of admission for us, but I also have two kids in the prime age for it. I’m also mostly just into the kind of games Nintendo puts out anyway, so...
Pokopia is life changing and was worth the price of admission for us, but I also have two kids in the prime age for it. I’m also mostly just into the kind of games Nintendo puts out anyway, so upgrading to the Switch 2 made sense for us.
A man after my own heart. I had that exact experience with that game. What an absolute shock that was. I literally had to force myself to put it down after 150+ hours and go play Pragmata. I was...
Pokopia is life changing...
A man after my own heart. I had that exact experience with that game. What an absolute shock that was. I literally had to force myself to put it down after 150+ hours and go play Pragmata. I was rushing through the day to get in four to five-hour sessions. That’s how addicted I got. It’s been years since I last enjoyed playing a game this much.
Same. Pokopia is the first time in years where I've genuinely lost track of time playing a game and was shocked to see the clock say 3 am. I had to force myself to close it on Monday night to have...
Same. Pokopia is the first time in years where I've genuinely lost track of time playing a game and was shocked to see the clock say 3 am. I had to force myself to close it on Monday night to have any chances of starting the Backlog Burner.
And guess what's already open again on my Switch 2 right now??
oof Haha. I can relate so hard! 😭 “Just one more habitat. Just one more quick build. Just asking one more Pokémon to craft me bricks or something else until tomorrow”, and before I know it, five...
oof Haha. I can relate so hard! 😭 “Just one more habitat. Just one more quick build. Just asking one more Pokémon to craft me bricks or something else until tomorrow”, and before I know it, five hours have flown by.
I almost feel dirty about this: I’ll be playing Pragmata and enjoying myself... but once I take a break from the game, I go back to thinking about Pokopiaall the time. I yearn for this game. It’s such insanity. They really cracked the code with this one.
Unfortunately, I looked at every other game that I’m interested in and is available right now, both old and new, but none of them really "pull me", if that makes sense. I feel the pull to return to Pokopia so strongly, that I think I might just give in. I’d be making myself miserable trying to resist it. Like I said, it’s replaced Animal Crossing for me.
Pragmata was a surprise because when I first heard about it, I felt completely indifferent, until someone in a YouTube video highly praised it. Upon trying the demo, I felt that it just crossed the threshold of being interesting enough for me to distract me from Pokopia. Good thing there was a demo. If I had bought it, and it turned out to not be fun enough for me, I’d probably just toss it and return to my Pokémon.
This may seem weird, especially since I played the N64 original so much, but the only games on the horizon that I feel “the pull” towards, that I know I’ll be able to enjoy enough to not want to immediately return to Pokopia, are Star Fox and Splatoon Raiders.
In between those, I’ll be getting the environment humid.
Yeah, it's invaded my dreams. It's pretty addicting given how simple the gameplay is. It's basically a giant sandbox, and often I find a lack of any real, solid goals means eventually I'll run out...
Yeah, it's invaded my dreams. It's pretty addicting given how simple the gameplay is. It's basically a giant sandbox, and often I find a lack of any real, solid goals means eventually I'll run out of ideas and ways to occupy myself... But so far, Pokopia somehow seems to avoid that. I'm just bursting with ideas, and I can also play it with videos or podcasts playing in the background. It's probably because it's a genuine sandbox game, with the sandbox as the primary focus. Somehow, that's surprisingly rare.
Glad Pragmata managed to grab your attention at least! Haven't played it myself, but I've seen people gushing over it. I also see a lot of people gush over Tomodachi Life... but I'm perfectly content with Pokopia.
And not weird at all! So far the other game to draw me in a bit has been the Kanto Expansion Pak romhack. I think part of it is just the nostalgia and familiarity of returning to Gen 1 (but now with cut Beta Pokémon and new areas! And running!!), so that may be why you're feeling a pull to Star Fox. It's making me thinking of how much the atmosphere in games has changed overall. There's this quality I can't really describe that's only really present in older games, making the in-game world feel smaller in a cozy way and just... comfortable.
Honestly I'm using the Backlog Burner to try to back off Pokopia a little bit though, because I have definitely played it too much xD
It's getting Final Fantasy XIV this summer too, which is a very intriguing proposition, since you could play on the go. The negotiations with Nintendo, sadly, resulted in a separately billed...
It's getting Final Fantasy XIV this summer too, which is a very intriguing proposition, since you could play on the go.
The negotiations with Nintendo, sadly, resulted in a separately billed subscription (which is half off if you have an active subscription on another platform)...but oddly enough, no requirement for the Nintendo online subscription.
I'll add another point for consideration: apparently some non-Nintendo games run better on the Switch 2 than Steam Deck. Currently the only example I know of is Cyberpunk 2077, which was a shock...
I'll add another point for consideration: apparently some non-Nintendo games run better on the Switch 2 than Steam Deck. Currently the only example I know of is Cyberpunk 2077, which was a shock to read about in reviews.
No clue if that'll hold true for the Steam Deck 2. I expect it will most likely be stronger than the Switch 2, but to my understanding part of the reason for the ports running better is because consoles have specific specs for developers to use as a guideline. So the quality of games for it will be fairly consistent, for better or worse. (On that note, so far Nintendo's first-party games are genuinely the most consistently polished games I see among the AAA devs. They really do take their time to ensure everything runs smoothly, even if some of the games are left lacking in content.)
One other thing: the Switch 2 remains less bulky than the Steam Deck which is better for travel. I took a trip a couple months back, and I stowed my Switch 2 in my carry-on bag with the joycons detached and everything wrapped in the foam sleeves used for packaging in the box. Ideally you should have a case, but even the cases I've seen are less bulky than the Steam Deck's.
Ultimately though, I agree that the biggest factor is just whether you like the Nintendo exclusive games, especially since they've already shifted to developing exclusively for Switch 2. I always say every time that I'm a lifelong Pokémon and Animal Crossing fan, so I'm locked into buying Nintendo consoles forever. The fact some ports perform better than on Steam Deck or PC is just a really good bonus I did not expect, but that may be enough to sway some people.
Ah, I was hoping to find CannibalisticApple’s opinion here somewhere. ❤️ Did you play Pokopia? What did you think? It’s replaced Animal Crossing for me.
Ah, I was hoping to find CannibalisticApple’s opinion here somewhere. ❤️
As I just said to your other comment: Yep, I'm firmly addicted. I have been living in Pokopia since it launched. It's managed to hit every single sweet spot for me, I genuinely haven't been this...
As I just said to your other comment: Yep, I'm firmly addicted. I have been living in Pokopia since it launched. It's managed to hit every single sweet spot for me, I genuinely haven't been this absorbed in a game in years.
Genuinely worth the price tag for me. The initial trailers made it seem a lot more barebones than it actually is.
Same. I don’t want to gloat, but when the game was first announced in September, I saw the promise. It’s like I had a vision. I just knew in my bones that this game was going to be a hit, and this...
Same.
I don’t want to gloat, but when the game was first announced in September, I saw the promise. It’s like I had a vision. I just knew in my bones that this game was going to be a hit, and this despite the fact that Pokémon had been disappointing for so many years. I know that this is inspired by Dragon Quest Builders, but I still see it more as the Animal Crossing (social sim + decoration) + Minecraft (mining + crafting, lol) + Pokémon (gotta catch ’em all) mashup that should honestly have existed since 2010 or so. I just kept thinking: “This is genius! How are we doing this only now!?!?!?”
To my utter surprise, a lot of people either felt indifferent or skeptical. It was only much later that I finally came across a small number of other believers, but it still felt to me like we were a minority. (I would love to know what your perception of the discussion around this game was, leading up to launch.) About a month before release, Nintendo allowed some people to demo the game, which I think really got the ball rolling in terms of attention and curiosity for a lot of people. Then the reviews came in and now finally everyone I had told since September that this game was going to be a hit finally came around.
It’s like you said, it hits every single sweet spot. There is a certain magic to how the systems of all these three franchises interact with each other, in a gameplay loop that just always motivates you to “do this one more thing” before you take a break. You complete one task, and there’s already another one (or multiple) tugging on your dopamine receptors. The anticipation for reward seldom slows down for me. There’s something almost Pavlovian about it.
I had pretty high hopes for it from the start too! I've never played Dragon Quest Builders, but I could see enough Animal Crossing influence to know I'd love it. I definitely agree everyone seemed...
I had pretty high hopes for it from the start too! I've never played Dragon Quest Builders, but I could see enough Animal Crossing influence to know I'd love it.
I definitely agree everyone seemed way too critical... but at the same time, I understood why. For the longest time, most of the initial trailers about it focused exclusively on the early game parts. Which I get to an extent, they don't want to show everything, but they did a really bad job at showing just how expansive the game would be. We only ever saw glimpses of the Withered Wastelands a bit more decorated, while most footage was just of the very, very start when players would still be unlocking mechanics. Even the gameplay demos you mentioned focused on the earliest parts, so most of the first impression footage was just underwhelming. Though the people playing it could feel the potential and talked about it, that's harder to see on video.
And the game is $70. Everyone's been super critical of all the price hikes since the Switch 2's price was first revealed, and honestly... They really did a bad job at showing the game would be worth that. I knew I'd be getting plenty of mileage out of it just because it's Pokémon and Animal Crossing, but even I was a bit wary of that price tag. I remember one person saying that it seemed like a $40 spin-off, and based on the information available for most of the lead up to launch, I can't blame them.
I said in the discussion about the gampeplay demo back in March about how I wish they'd released the trailer from the Pokémon Day presentation earlier, because that's the first trailer I recall showing what we could actually expect from it. And that was like... A week before launch. I know they wanted to avoid spoiling people, but still. The shots of Raikou in that brick structure and the Skylift stood out the most in my memory because at that point I hadn't really seen anything metal or technologically advanced besides the Pokémon Center. Up to that point, I actually expected the game to be largely rustic like Animal Crossing.
So, yeah. They just really fumbled at building hype. Believers were definitely in the minority, and I blame the marketing. Thankfully the game pretty immediately proved its value once people could play and confirm it was awesome, but if it had been a totally new IP without the power of Pokémon behind it, I don't know if that would have been enough to make it a raging success. I mean, most games won't match up to a Pokémon game's success anyway, but I think a lot of people would have written off a game and never looked back based on the limited information we had for so long.
oof This is all so true. I had forgotten how much they did not show us. In fact, once they allowed some people to demo the game, and that footage started to appear on my YouTube feed, I just went...
oof This is all so true. I had forgotten how much they did not show us. In fact, once they allowed some people to demo the game, and that footage started to appear on my YouTube feed, I just went on a month-long blackout until launch in order not to spoil anything. I spend hours and hours on Withered Wastelands before going through the gate to Bleak Beach. It completely blew my mind how much bigger the game kept getting. I kept delaying going through the gates because I felt that the first area was already a full game for me. lol
I think the Switch 2 is worth it for some of the games already out. It feels bad to have to pay for it but I have really enjoyed the improved version of the Zelda games and DK Bananza. That being...
I think the Switch 2 is worth it for some of the games already out. It feels bad to have to pay for it but I have really enjoyed the improved version of the Zelda games and DK Bananza.
That being said it’s only worth it if you are very much into Nintendo’s output. If you can live without them, the Steam Deck (1) is an immeasurably better choice because of the massive library of games at dramatically lower prices. The Switch 2 will have prettier games, but the value proposition is still very bad in comparison.
It's kind of underwhelming at the moment, imo. I bought one and I don't really get much out of it that I didn't get out of my original switch. The big appeal to me was Mario Kart, and honestly...
It's kind of underwhelming at the moment, imo. I bought one and I don't really get much out of it that I didn't get out of my original switch. The big appeal to me was Mario Kart, and honestly it's kind of underwhelming compared to Mario Kart 8, despite the new features/gimmicks. At this point I'm glad I bought it solely because of the price jump, and knowing in a year or two this thing is gonna be great. But had the price remained the same I'd probably feel more regret about buying one so early.
Thinking about this question depresses me. I grew up as a huge Nintendo fanboy, getting the NES for my 5th birthday. I just loved everything Nintendo. This continued well into my 20s with the...
Thinking about this question depresses me. I grew up as a huge Nintendo fanboy, getting the NES for my 5th birthday. I just loved everything Nintendo. This continued well into my 20s with the GameCube and Wii. It sorta faded away with the Wii U, but more because I was busy with grad school and whatnot rather than lack of interest in the console. I enjoyed the Switch a ton, but as I approached and passed 40, so much "Nintendo" fails to pique my interest, even considering that I could steal some of my 8 year-old's enthusiasm in enjoying it. I think Tears of the Kingdom is probably the last thing they've released that's excited me (correction: this list reminded me of the awesome Mario Bros. Wonder).
I've wanted to be excited about the Switch 2 since well before they announced it, but I guess my Nintendo fanboy days are long over. Luckily I'll still gladly pay ridiculous amounts of money to play the next Zelda game. Fingers crossed Nintendo announces something to excite me before September 1st.
I'm in the same boat except replace Zelda with Pikmin. I've come to the conclusion that I have also outgrown all Gamefreaks Pokemon titles ( past present future titles) and even Pokopia does not...
I'm in the same boat except replace Zelda with Pikmin. I've come to the conclusion that I have also outgrown all Gamefreaks Pokemon titles ( past present future titles) and even Pokopia does not speak to me anymore. I'm a long time away from getting out of the house at 3am to catch pokemon at a park. I truly question how many hundred of dollars will I truly pay to play a single Pikmin game
I remember thinking, I'd pay $1,000 for Breath of the Wild. It satisfied almost everything I'd ever wanted from a Zelda game and felt like playing the original Zelda as a 6 year-old all over...
I remember thinking, I'd pay $1,000 for Breath of the Wild. It satisfied almost everything I'd ever wanted from a Zelda game and felt like playing the original Zelda as a 6 year-old all over again. I'd gladly pay that much for a similar experience. Hopefully you feel the same way about future Pikmin titles!
I truly do not know how much i would be willing to pay for Pikmin 5.... We have two Switch at home, which we have enjoyed many exclusive titles on, but the landscape of games has broaden so...
I truly do not know how much i would be willing to pay for Pikmin 5.... We have two Switch at home, which we have enjoyed many exclusive titles on, but the landscape of games has broaden so widely, and time being able to play is ever dwindling, I honestly don't know how much an exclusive would be worth.
$1000 is ridiculous for ONE game
Perhaps I will take the patient gamer's approach to a Nintendo console: wait for Pikmin 5, let a few years pass, buy a used Switch 2 and used copy of Pikmin. By the way I hate their online store, hate how much a new game costs, and making physical cartridges rare, too. Is a new Kirby really worth 10 Overwhelmingly Good reviewed indie games on Steam? (New Pikmin absolutely worth $100)
Japan (effective 25 May) Switch 2 (JP only model) increases to JPY 59,980 Switch OLED increases to JPY 47,980 Switch increases to JPY 43,980 Switch Lite increases to JPY 29,980 International...
Japan (effective 25 May)
Switch 2 (JP only model) increases to JPY 59,980
Switch OLED increases to JPY 47,980
Switch increases to JPY 43,980
Switch Lite increases to JPY 29,980
International (effective 1 September)
Switch 2 (International) increases to USD 499.99 / CAD 679.99 / EUR 499.99
Amusingly, their hanafuda and other card products are also moving to 'open price'.
I'm just patiently waiting for the next Animal Crossing before I purchase. I have the AC themed Switch and I'm hoping they release a themed one again so they will match. By then I will have quite...
I'm just patiently waiting for the next Animal Crossing before I purchase. I have the AC themed Switch and I'm hoping they release a themed one again so they will match. By then I will have quite the backlog of Nintendo games to catch up on which is a plus. They released new tomodachi on the og and it's super fun and silly. I've been adding all the League of Legends characters and telling my friends about the drama.
Ugh it absolutely did. I'm just yearning for an AC Switch 2 to match the first. I might be swayed if there was Pokopia themed one but I don't think there is (at least in my cursory search just...
Ugh it absolutely did. I'm just yearning for an AC Switch 2 to match the first. I might be swayed if there was Pokopia themed one but I don't think there is (at least in my cursory search just now). I think I'm just being stubborn at this point...But I have watched SO many hours of others playing that I might borrow my brother's switch 2 at this point. I wish they had just released it for the og. I would have bought it in a heartbeat even if the performance would a bit laggy due to the hardware.
https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/nintendo-switch-2-choose-your-game-bundle-launches-this-summer/ This should maybe be its own thread, but it looks like Nintendo is bringing back it's $500...
This should maybe be its own thread, but it looks like Nintendo is bringing back it's $500 bundle in June for the Switch 2 hardware, and your choice of Mario Kart: World, Donkey Kong Banana, or Pokemon: Pokopia as a pack in. I think that's about the best way they could have handled a price increase, and choice is always appreciated, especially with Pokopia getting a lot of buzz.
Did anyone actually click the link? Currently this is for the Japanese domestic market only. Apparently the current price of the switch 2 in japan is 50k yen, which is only about $320 USD. This...
Did anyone actually click the link? Currently this is for the Japanese domestic market only. Apparently the current price of the switch 2 in japan is 50k yen, which is only about $320 USD. This adjustment then brings the price up to 60k yen or ~$420 USD, which is still below the current price in the US of $450.
Key word is currently. The link confirms the price will be changing outside of Japan in September to $499 USD, $679 CAD, and €499 in Europe. Actually, it is kinda surprising that Japan is getting...
Key word is currently. The link confirms the price will be changing outside of Japan in September to $499 USD, $679 CAD, and €499 in Europe.
Actually, it is kinda surprising that Japan is getting the price hike on such short notice compared to the rest of the world. Maybe it's because the Switch 2 is cheaper in Japan, and they want to make sure foreigners/scalpers don't rush the Japanese stock and screw over domestic customers. I had no clue until now the Japanese Switch 2 was so much cheaper, and this sort of announcement would definitely bring that to people's attention.
From what I heard around launch: in Japan, there's a model that only supports the Japanese language that is cheaper since they don't have to worry about issues like tarrifs, and there's an...
From what I heard around launch: in Japan, there's a model that only supports the Japanese language that is cheaper since they don't have to worry about issues like tarrifs, and there's an "international" model that supports other languages which is more in line with the US price. I guess the point is to make the domestic model less appealing to international scalpers.
Many millennials / gen X from my circles read at least a little bit of Japanese for this reason, for the Famicom, Dreamcast , PlayStation et al Japanese only games. At least one learns Yes No Save...
Many millennials / gen X from my circles read at least a little bit of Japanese for this reason, for the Famicom, Dreamcast , PlayStation et al Japanese only games. At least one learns Yes No Save Load quickly. In this era of instant AI camera translation that should only be a hurdle for reselling units or the un-committed.
The games are also language locked. It’s not just the console UI. This is explicitly designed to deter foreigners from buying them. I suppose you may be able to get by in a game like Mario Kart...
The games are also language locked. It’s not just the console UI. This is explicitly designed to deter foreigners from buying them.
I suppose you may be able to get by in a game like Mario Kart but even then it’s be pretty annoying to have to Google Translate every menu in Mario kart, let alone a game with a story. I think most people would rather pay the extra money.
[pulls out old Bean badge] kids these days and their demand for being able to understand a 100 hr long RPG, humbug! In all seriousness though, it's wonderful to be able to immerse in a game in a...
[pulls out old Bean badge] kids these days and their demand for being able to understand a 100 hr long RPG, humbug!
In all seriousness though, it's wonderful to be able to immerse in a game in a language you understand :) i think many kids in my time had the choice of not understanding a game in English or not understanding a game in Japanese, that's it. That we can language pack seperate from the code portion of a game, or quick subs, or game wikis, or foreign ports....these are all wonderful advances
Consumer electronics becoming appreciating assets feels like a sign that there’s something is in the queue that’s going to make 2008 look like a cakewalk, and I have no idea if I’m catastrophizing or if it’s just that I’m no longer in school and have skin in the game this time.
Congratulations if you jumped in early, enjoy Pokopia for the rest of us.
I think this is finally a price correction because they do not see prices going down. If I remember correctly Nintendo did not raise prices from the U.S. tarrifs, has not adjusted for the pandemic and following year's inflation, and now RAM prices are through the roof. So it's probably not a sign of things go come.
Personally, I suspect we will see the death of the petrodollar sometime in the next decade or so. That is likely to bring pain to the U.S. that is worse than 2008. America has shown the world that we aren't any more stable than any other country.
Is the switch 2 worth it now? The game library still seems quite limited even if the hardware is nice.
I also find myself liking the over colourful childish games less now as I get older. Hmm, maybe I’ll wait out for the steam deck 2.
In my humble, pickley opinion, there's no reason to get any nintendo console over another console unless you want to play Nintendo exclusives on it.
Sincerely, a (fermented) owner of a Switch and a Steam Deck
Real shame Nintendo is one of the few AAA studios who consistently makes the exact kind of asethetic I love while having high quality gameplay. There's already at lest 5 games I want to buy when I get a switch 2.
But the job market says otherwise, sadly.
Yeah I own both but haven’t used the switch in a while tbh, mostly because the hardware is a bit half broken but playable. I’ll hold off for now.
Agreed as an owner of the Switch, PS5, and Steam Deck.
If you don't already own a Switch, I'd get a Switch 2. Otherwise, it's not really worth it at the moment in my opinion, unless you're annoyed with the performance of some games on the Switch 1.
Yeah I already own a switch. I’ll hold off for now, thanks for the advice.
How would you compare the performance of Tears of the Kingdom, for instance? I was playing last night for the first time in a while and I was really noticing the chug in dock mode on my OG Switch.
TOTK and BOTW run at a very stable 60fps on Switch 2 (handheld and docked), as opposed to an unstable 30fps on Switch 1. Higher resolution too. Performance and the opportunity to make my nephew happy with my Switch OLED were the main reasons I got a Switch 2.
I’m debating between trying to sell my Switch 1 and scrape together the remaining funds for the Switch 2 before the prices hike in September, or just wait with the assumption that there will be an OLED version of the Switch 2 coming out sometime between now and 2028 which will make it easier to save for that higher tier item, and maybe some games.
Yeah, that's a tough one. If you're easily annoyed by poor performance like I am, it might be worth selling your Switch 1 and getting the Switch 2 before the price increase.
An OLED model is probably still years away. I think it's going to take even longer considering the insane RAM prices and the additional cost of an OLED display. An OLED model might end up being too expensive and not sell well.
Certainly food for thought. I do tend to play exclusively docked, and I've heard the Switch 2 is pretty beefy when docked...
Colorful kid-friendly games is kinda the shtick; Pokopia, Kirby Air Riders, and Bananza are the primary reasons to buy it, and Prime 4 response is sort of polarizing if that was a draw for you. I personally got it for Pokopia, which is very good. Not
$519$569 good, IMO, nor something that's probably going to change your mind if you don't buy into the mashup of Pokémon + Minecraft + Animal Crossing + DQB. But as someone who plays things at a glacial pace due to kids, it still has me hooked over a month later.Switch 2 itself is a nice piece of hardware. Screen is way better, even though it isn't OLED, and the mouse features are a little clumsy to detach from the controller grip to spontaneously use but otherwise integrated well. Everything feels like a good upgrade over the Switch - I'm going to homebrew mine - but I doubt the console will spark your interest if you aren't about the games themselves.
I really enjoyed Zelda on the switch. That’s probably the thing that will make me really consider jumping in.
So...wait for the Switch 2 OLED or buy now when it's cheaper because you know more games are coming?
If/when the OLED comes, it will probably be more expensive. So if that's worth it, then wait.
If I had an OLED version, I would be willing to play it in handheld mode...BUT I don't really have much of a reason to play Nintendo games in handheld mode...except Animal Crossing and Pokopia 🤔
I would hardly classify the entire Switch 1 library + NSO + Switch 2 “limited”. Do you have a Switch 1? Have you played anything on it? If not, then you’re be in for a treat on Switch 2. Tell me what genres you’re into, and I can give you dozens of examples of games on the Switch 2 that you’ll enjoy. I think that what matters most with this purchase decision is whether you happen to also be someone who likes Nintendo’s exclusive IPs, like your Mario, Zelda, Pokémon, etc. If you don’t (which seems to be the case), well... then you can probably get the rest (third-parties) on PS5/PC as well.
It is when you consider that most people interested in the Switch 2 already have a Switch.
I already own a switch, so it is the exclusive switch 2 titles. I used to enjoy them, but either the games have changed or I have (more the latter probably, maybe both). I enjoyed BoTW a lot. I used to enjoy pokemon a huge amount as a kid, but it just feels too easy now. I tried Pokémon sword, so I don’t know if that is representative of other titles. Mario, I like the idea, but couldn’t get into it.
I like city building, survival, RPGs, FPS, digital card/board games. I’ll try most games tbh.
Pokopia is life changing and was worth the price of admission for us, but I also have two kids in the prime age for it. I’m also mostly just into the kind of games Nintendo puts out anyway, so upgrading to the Switch 2 made sense for us.
A man after my own heart. I had that exact experience with that game. What an absolute shock that was. I literally had to force myself to put it down after 150+ hours and go play Pragmata. I was rushing through the day to get in four to five-hour sessions. That’s how addicted I got. It’s been years since I last enjoyed playing a game this much.
Same. Pokopia is the first time in years where I've genuinely lost track of time playing a game and was shocked to see the clock say 3 am. I had to force myself to close it on Monday night to have any chances of starting the Backlog Burner.
And guess what's already open again on my Switch 2 right now??
oof Haha. I can relate so hard! 😭 “Just one more habitat. Just one more quick build. Just asking one more Pokémon to craft me bricks or something else until tomorrow”, and before I know it, five hours have flown by.
I almost feel dirty about this: I’ll be playing Pragmata and enjoying myself... but once I take a break from the game, I go back to thinking about Pokopia all the time. I yearn for this game. It’s such insanity. They really cracked the code with this one.
Unfortunately, I looked at every other game that I’m interested in and is available right now, both old and new, but none of them really "pull me", if that makes sense. I feel the pull to return to Pokopia so strongly, that I think I might just give in. I’d be making myself miserable trying to resist it. Like I said, it’s replaced Animal Crossing for me.
Pragmata was a surprise because when I first heard about it, I felt completely indifferent, until someone in a YouTube video highly praised it. Upon trying the demo, I felt that it just crossed the threshold of being interesting enough for me to distract me from Pokopia. Good thing there was a demo. If I had bought it, and it turned out to not be fun enough for me, I’d probably just toss it and return to my Pokémon.
This may seem weird, especially since I played the N64 original so much, but the only games on the horizon that I feel “the pull” towards, that I know I’ll be able to enjoy enough to not want to immediately return to Pokopia, are Star Fox and Splatoon Raiders.
In between those, I’ll be getting the environment humid.
Yeah, it's invaded my dreams. It's pretty addicting given how simple the gameplay is. It's basically a giant sandbox, and often I find a lack of any real, solid goals means eventually I'll run out of ideas and ways to occupy myself... But so far, Pokopia somehow seems to avoid that. I'm just bursting with ideas, and I can also play it with videos or podcasts playing in the background. It's probably because it's a genuine sandbox game, with the sandbox as the primary focus. Somehow, that's surprisingly rare.
Glad Pragmata managed to grab your attention at least! Haven't played it myself, but I've seen people gushing over it. I also see a lot of people gush over Tomodachi Life... but I'm perfectly content with Pokopia.
And not weird at all! So far the other game to draw me in a bit has been the Kanto Expansion Pak romhack. I think part of it is just the nostalgia and familiarity of returning to Gen 1 (but now with cut Beta Pokémon and new areas! And running!!), so that may be why you're feeling a pull to Star Fox. It's making me thinking of how much the atmosphere in games has changed overall. There's this quality I can't really describe that's only really present in older games, making the in-game world feel smaller in a cozy way and just... comfortable.
Honestly I'm using the Backlog Burner to try to back off Pokopia a little bit though, because I have definitely played it too much xD
It's getting Final Fantasy XIV this summer too, which is a very intriguing proposition, since you could play on the go.
The negotiations with Nintendo, sadly, resulted in a separately billed subscription (which is half off if you have an active subscription on another platform)...but oddly enough, no requirement for the Nintendo online subscription.
I'll add another point for consideration: apparently some non-Nintendo games run better on the Switch 2 than Steam Deck. Currently the only example I know of is Cyberpunk 2077, which was a shock to read about in reviews.
No clue if that'll hold true for the Steam Deck 2. I expect it will most likely be stronger than the Switch 2, but to my understanding part of the reason for the ports running better is because consoles have specific specs for developers to use as a guideline. So the quality of games for it will be fairly consistent, for better or worse. (On that note, so far Nintendo's first-party games are genuinely the most consistently polished games I see among the AAA devs. They really do take their time to ensure everything runs smoothly, even if some of the games are left lacking in content.)
One other thing: the Switch 2 remains less bulky than the Steam Deck which is better for travel. I took a trip a couple months back, and I stowed my Switch 2 in my carry-on bag with the joycons detached and everything wrapped in the foam sleeves used for packaging in the box. Ideally you should have a case, but even the cases I've seen are less bulky than the Steam Deck's.
Ultimately though, I agree that the biggest factor is just whether you like the Nintendo exclusive games, especially since they've already shifted to developing exclusively for Switch 2. I always say every time that I'm a lifelong Pokémon and Animal Crossing fan, so I'm locked into buying Nintendo consoles forever. The fact some ports perform better than on Steam Deck or PC is just a really good bonus I did not expect, but that may be enough to sway some people.
Ah, I was hoping to find CannibalisticApple’s opinion here somewhere. ❤️
Did you play Pokopia? What did you think? It’s replaced Animal Crossing for me.
As I just said to your other comment: Yep, I'm firmly addicted. I have been living in Pokopia since it launched. It's managed to hit every single sweet spot for me, I genuinely haven't been this absorbed in a game in years.
Genuinely worth the price tag for me. The initial trailers made it seem a lot more barebones than it actually is.
Same.
I don’t want to gloat, but when the game was first announced in September, I saw the promise. It’s like I had a vision. I just knew in my bones that this game was going to be a hit, and this despite the fact that Pokémon had been disappointing for so many years. I know that this is inspired by Dragon Quest Builders, but I still see it more as the Animal Crossing (social sim + decoration) + Minecraft (mining + crafting, lol) + Pokémon (gotta catch ’em all) mashup that should honestly have existed since 2010 or so. I just kept thinking: “This is genius! How are we doing this only now!?!?!?”
To my utter surprise, a lot of people either felt indifferent or skeptical. It was only much later that I finally came across a small number of other believers, but it still felt to me like we were a minority. (I would love to know what your perception of the discussion around this game was, leading up to launch.) About a month before release, Nintendo allowed some people to demo the game, which I think really got the ball rolling in terms of attention and curiosity for a lot of people. Then the reviews came in and now finally everyone I had told since September that this game was going to be a hit finally came around.
It’s like you said, it hits every single sweet spot. There is a certain magic to how the systems of all these three franchises interact with each other, in a gameplay loop that just always motivates you to “do this one more thing” before you take a break. You complete one task, and there’s already another one (or multiple) tugging on your dopamine receptors. The anticipation for reward seldom slows down for me. There’s something almost Pavlovian about it.
I had pretty high hopes for it from the start too! I've never played Dragon Quest Builders, but I could see enough Animal Crossing influence to know I'd love it.
I definitely agree everyone seemed way too critical... but at the same time, I understood why. For the longest time, most of the initial trailers about it focused exclusively on the early game parts. Which I get to an extent, they don't want to show everything, but they did a really bad job at showing just how expansive the game would be. We only ever saw glimpses of the Withered Wastelands a bit more decorated, while most footage was just of the very, very start when players would still be unlocking mechanics. Even the gameplay demos you mentioned focused on the earliest parts, so most of the first impression footage was just underwhelming. Though the people playing it could feel the potential and talked about it, that's harder to see on video.
And the game is $70. Everyone's been super critical of all the price hikes since the Switch 2's price was first revealed, and honestly... They really did a bad job at showing the game would be worth that. I knew I'd be getting plenty of mileage out of it just because it's Pokémon and Animal Crossing, but even I was a bit wary of that price tag. I remember one person saying that it seemed like a $40 spin-off, and based on the information available for most of the lead up to launch, I can't blame them.
I said in the discussion about the gampeplay demo back in March about how I wish they'd released the trailer from the Pokémon Day presentation earlier, because that's the first trailer I recall showing what we could actually expect from it. And that was like... A week before launch. I know they wanted to avoid spoiling people, but still. The shots of Raikou in that brick structure and the Skylift stood out the most in my memory because at that point I hadn't really seen anything metal or technologically advanced besides the Pokémon Center. Up to that point, I actually expected the game to be largely rustic like Animal Crossing.
So, yeah. They just really fumbled at building hype. Believers were definitely in the minority, and I blame the marketing. Thankfully the game pretty immediately proved its value once people could play and confirm it was awesome, but if it had been a totally new IP without the power of Pokémon behind it, I don't know if that would have been enough to make it a raging success. I mean, most games won't match up to a Pokémon game's success anyway, but I think a lot of people would have written off a game and never looked back based on the limited information we had for so long.
oof This is all so true. I had forgotten how much they did not show us. In fact, once they allowed some people to demo the game, and that footage started to appear on my YouTube feed, I just went on a month-long blackout until launch in order not to spoil anything. I spend hours and hours on Withered Wastelands before going through the gate to Bleak Beach. It completely blew my mind how much bigger the game kept getting. I kept delaying going through the gates because I felt that the first area was already a full game for me. lol
I think the Switch 2 is worth it for some of the games already out. It feels bad to have to pay for it but I have really enjoyed the improved version of the Zelda games and DK Bananza.
That being said it’s only worth it if you are very much into Nintendo’s output. If you can live without them, the Steam Deck (1) is an immeasurably better choice because of the massive library of games at dramatically lower prices. The Switch 2 will have prettier games, but the value proposition is still very bad in comparison.
It's kind of underwhelming at the moment, imo. I bought one and I don't really get much out of it that I didn't get out of my original switch. The big appeal to me was Mario Kart, and honestly it's kind of underwhelming compared to Mario Kart 8, despite the new features/gimmicks. At this point I'm glad I bought it solely because of the price jump, and knowing in a year or two this thing is gonna be great. But had the price remained the same I'd probably feel more regret about buying one so early.
Thinking about this question depresses me. I grew up as a huge Nintendo fanboy, getting the NES for my 5th birthday. I just loved everything Nintendo. This continued well into my 20s with the GameCube and Wii. It sorta faded away with the Wii U, but more because I was busy with grad school and whatnot rather than lack of interest in the console. I enjoyed the Switch a ton, but as I approached and passed 40, so much "Nintendo" fails to pique my interest, even considering that I could steal some of my 8 year-old's enthusiasm in enjoying it. I think Tears of the Kingdom is probably the last thing they've released that's excited me (correction: this list reminded me of the awesome Mario Bros. Wonder).
I've wanted to be excited about the Switch 2 since well before they announced it, but I guess my Nintendo fanboy days are long over. Luckily I'll still gladly pay ridiculous amounts of money to play the next Zelda game. Fingers crossed Nintendo announces something to excite me before September 1st.
Yeah I think this is where I am at. It is sad, I feel like I’ve left a bit of my childhood self behind.
I'm in the same boat except replace Zelda with Pikmin. I've come to the conclusion that I have also outgrown all Gamefreaks Pokemon titles ( past present future titles) and even Pokopia does not speak to me anymore. I'm a long time away from getting out of the house at 3am to catch pokemon at a park. I truly question how many hundred of dollars will I truly pay to play a single Pikmin game
I remember thinking, I'd pay $1,000 for Breath of the Wild. It satisfied almost everything I'd ever wanted from a Zelda game and felt like playing the original Zelda as a 6 year-old all over again. I'd gladly pay that much for a similar experience. Hopefully you feel the same way about future Pikmin titles!
I truly do not know how much i would be willing to pay for Pikmin 5.... We have two Switch at home, which we have enjoyed many exclusive titles on, but the landscape of games has broaden so widely, and time being able to play is ever dwindling, I honestly don't know how much an exclusive would be worth.
$1000 is ridiculous for ONE game
Perhaps I will take the patient gamer's approach to a Nintendo console: wait for Pikmin 5, let a few years pass, buy a used Switch 2 and used copy of Pikmin. By the way I hate their online store, hate how much a new game costs, and making physical cartridges rare, too. Is a new Kirby really worth 10 Overwhelmingly Good reviewed indie games on Steam? (New Pikmin absolutely worth $100)
Japan (effective 25 May)
Switch 2 (JP only model) increases to JPY 59,980
Switch OLED increases to JPY 47,980
Switch increases to JPY 43,980
Switch Lite increases to JPY 29,980
International (effective 1 September)
Switch 2 (International) increases to USD 499.99 / CAD 679.99 / EUR 499.99
Amusingly, their hanafuda and other card products are also moving to 'open price'.
I'm just patiently waiting for the next Animal Crossing before I purchase. I have the AC themed Switch and I'm hoping they release a themed one again so they will match. By then I will have quite the backlog of Nintendo games to catch up on which is a plus. They released new tomodachi on the og and it's super fun and silly. I've been adding all the League of Legends characters and telling my friends about the drama.
Pokopia did not catch your interest? It’s completely replaced Animal Crossing for me.
Ugh it absolutely did. I'm just yearning for an AC Switch 2 to match the first. I might be swayed if there was Pokopia themed one but I don't think there is (at least in my cursory search just now). I think I'm just being stubborn at this point...But I have watched SO many hours of others playing that I might borrow my brother's switch 2 at this point. I wish they had just released it for the og. I would have bought it in a heartbeat even if the performance would a bit laggy due to the hardware.
https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/nintendo-switch-2-choose-your-game-bundle-launches-this-summer/
This should maybe be its own thread, but it looks like Nintendo is bringing back it's $500 bundle in June for the Switch 2 hardware, and your choice of Mario Kart: World, Donkey Kong Banana, or Pokemon: Pokopia as a pack in. I think that's about the best way they could have handled a price increase, and choice is always appreciated, especially with Pokopia getting a lot of buzz.
Well damn. We got my Switch 2 at Christmas due to rumors of an upcoming price hike, but I was hoping those rumors wouldn't become reality.
Dang. Am I glad I bought this thing on launch.
Did anyone actually click the link? Currently this is for the Japanese domestic market only. Apparently the current price of the switch 2 in japan is 50k yen, which is only about $320 USD. This adjustment then brings the price up to 60k yen or ~$420 USD, which is still below the current price in the US of $450.
Key word is currently. The link confirms the price will be changing outside of Japan in September to $499 USD, $679 CAD, and €499 in Europe.
Actually, it is kinda surprising that Japan is getting the price hike on such short notice compared to the rest of the world. Maybe it's because the Switch 2 is cheaper in Japan, and they want to make sure foreigners/scalpers don't rush the Japanese stock and screw over domestic customers. I had no clue until now the Japanese Switch 2 was so much cheaper, and this sort of announcement would definitely bring that to people's attention.
From what I heard around launch: in Japan, there's a model that only supports the Japanese language that is cheaper since they don't have to worry about issues like tarrifs, and there's an "international" model that supports other languages which is more in line with the US price. I guess the point is to make the domestic model less appealing to international scalpers.
It’s language locked. Won’t be very useful unless you happen to also read Japanese fluently.
Many millennials / gen X from my circles read at least a little bit of Japanese for this reason, for the Famicom, Dreamcast , PlayStation et al Japanese only games. At least one learns Yes No Save Load quickly. In this era of instant AI camera translation that should only be a hurdle for reselling units or the un-committed.
The games are also language locked. It’s not just the console UI. This is explicitly designed to deter foreigners from buying them.
I suppose you may be able to get by in a game like Mario Kart but even then it’s be pretty annoying to have to Google Translate every menu in Mario kart, let alone a game with a story. I think most people would rather pay the extra money.
[pulls out old Bean badge] kids these days and their demand for being able to understand a 100 hr long RPG, humbug!
In all seriousness though, it's wonderful to be able to immerse in a game in a language you understand :) i think many kids in my time had the choice of not understanding a game in English or not understanding a game in Japanese, that's it. That we can language pack seperate from the code portion of a game, or quick subs, or game wikis, or foreign ports....these are all wonderful advances