Minecraft - much faster load times and frame rates (smoother experience). We assume there’ll be graphics improvements in the future, but they haven’t announced anything yet or if we’ll need to buy a new version for them.
Zelda BotW/TotK- better graphics and frame rates with a paid upgrade (£8 each?)
Other Zeldas - better frame rates
Hogwarts Legacy - much better frame rates and load times, some graphics improvements and mouse support through a paid upgrade (£8ish?)
Animal Crossing - some load time improvements. There’s a load of free content coming in Jan and a £4 Switch 2 upgrade that will improve the graphics and enable a couple of switch 2 features.
Lego Star Wars - smoother frame rate, shorter load times.
Everybody 1-2 Switch and Switch Sports won’t really see improvements. They’re mostly playable, but the football leg strap in Switch Sports requires an original Switch controller (doesn’t work with the new one) and a couple of the mini games in Everybody 1-2 Switch are significantly harder because of differences in the controllers.
Not sure about Plants Vs Zombies or Tony Hawks offhand.
Sounds like there is an irritating companion that you have to keep alive, who quips endlessly and tells you how doors work.
So lonely exploration and figuring stuff out will become irritating co-worker telling you how to solve all the puzzles. Actually quite baffling if it is as bad as it sounds.
Nintendo has lost the juice or the sauce if you will. Can feel it in the air. They’ll still make loads of money though and be around forever so don’t worry
I do think we’re well and truly in the new post-Iwata era now. Iteration and reliable IP rather than out-there ideas. I remember when the Switch 2 reveal was almost entirely focused on specs and online chat I was like ok wow this is a pretty different Nintendo to the one I used to know
haven’t got a switch 2 so I can’t say but Mario Kart World seemed like quite a tepid experiment in changing it up, maybe that’s just too big of a seller to mess with but after MK8 has like every course and character ever in it I was hoping they might go in a radically different direction somehow.
I think the proof will be when they start teasing the next zelda, if it’s still the same artstyle and crafting/open world blend I’ll be sad
There have been more trailers and more information since that preview and there are more characters rather than just that one and they come and go. But most of the game still appears to have Samus alone, so there is still hope.
Here’s what Nintendo should do to get it all back on track:
. Make Metroid Prime 4 good
. Mario game where you are a bunch of toads who have to build the pipes Mario is jumping in before he gets to them and connect the levels up, sorta like that pipe minigame in Bioshock but also like Tetris 99
. The Legend of Zelda X - set in space and then absorb Starfox into the Zelda X timeline. Utilise some of the Tears of the Kingdom building tech into making your starship cool. Make sure it has great music!
. Create a new RTS in the style of Advance Wars that’s accessible but deep and ultilised the mouse function
. Pokemon snooker
new proper Mario too, Odyssey seemed like such an end point/refinement to how that type of game could be developed, struggle to see what they could do with it next
Looking for a game for my 6 year old for christmas. She loves Kirby but has got everything out of Forgotten Land, so I’m not sure between Star Allies and Return To Dreamland, they both look to be about the same length and quality. Probably leaning towards Star Allies at the minute. Anyone any thoughts on the two or alternatives? We’ve only the original Switch
Also, for a 10 year old, Mario Odyssey, Pikmin 1&2, Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4, Luigi’s Manion or is there something else I could consider? She’d probably like the Prof Layton game but it looks out of print as far as I can tell.
