Nintendo Switch, the only console today making games which are games

[911 Jumper]

That's absolutely brilliant, especially when you're thinking about future proofing and game preservation.

Yes and no, sometimes developers alter content so not having a bunch of 1.0s around could be sad.

That's true. But where Nintendo first party is concerned, the patches tend to fix things or provide QoL improvements rather than censor or outright alter content for political reasons. The six patches for BoTW do the former [bug fixes and QoL] from what I understand.
It's like a reward for waiting a year or two before picking up a mainline Zelda or Mario game, at least that's how I see it. I was going pick up ToTK this month. Now I'm going to wait until at least a year has passed.

 

[taxalot]

People are still buying Nintendo Switch when they can buy a Steam Deck that run all Switch games for free, imagine that.

 

[911 Jumper]

Capcom's Switch double and triple packs only contain one game on the actual cart.
The RE Triple Pack only has RE4 on the cart. RE5 and RE6 have to be downloaded. The RE Origins Double Pack only has RE0 on the cart. RE1/REmake has to be downloaded.

Why even bother?

 

[Elthosian]

Today I learned that Nintendo tends to pack all the patches for Nintendo developed games into newer versions of the carts for those games. So if I buy BoTW brand new directly from Nintendo or say Amazon today, I'll be getting a cart with all the patches included, which means I won't have to download anything.
That's absolutely brilliant, especially when you're thinking about future proofing and game preservation.

I love their games but I wouldn't trust them to do that consistently or even meaningfully at all. Fire Emblem Fates for instance had its true ending released as paid DLC... and then Nintendo decided to close the 3DS eShop and now it's impossible to get the full experience unless you pay 300 dollars for that one physical collector's edition they released with the whole thing in the cartrdige. Then you have games like Fire Emblem Three Houses and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 which have meaty expansions available only as downloadable content meaning the moment they close the Switch shop you won't be able to experience them fully.

In the end, the only way to truly preserve these games is via piracy.

RoboCop: Rogue City for Switch cancelled

Publisher Nacon and developer Teyon have cancelled the Switch version of RoboCop: Rogue City, which was originally planned to launch sometime after the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store) versions due out on November 2.

In a statement to Gematsu, Nacon confirmed, “At this moment we don’t have any plans for a Nintendo Switch release.”

Probably too much work to downgrade the game for a console that will soon be obsolete

Yep, it's just not worth the effort at this point in the system's lifecycle.

I can imagine Larian and CDProjekt are already planning to release ports of their latest titles there. If the console does come with DLSS they might end up being playable after all and releasing them at launch might get them some good money.

 

[Elthosian]

shit hardware

The games look absolutely great on an emulator though, Metroid Prime Remastered in particular looks like a PS4 game when played via Ryujinx/Yuzu @ 4K and 60 FPS, and same goes for stuff like Pikmin and Xenoblade. The main issue comes with games that are locked at 30 FPS but these are usually slow-paced titles anyway so I'm not bothered.

Also, honestly, seeing how most games don't even use the hardware for anything else than cute textures to please the graphicswhores I'd rather see Nintendo continue to invest way less than Sony & co into games like Tears of the Kingdom with the incredible physics and open-world design. It's just hilarious to see Sony spending 300 million USD on something like Spiderman just for Nintendo to outclass them in every aspect with probably less than half the budget. Call me back when we get a shooter with more detailed destruction than Red Faction Guerrilla or Bad Company 2.

 

[911 Jumper]

I love their games but I wouldn't trust them to do that consistently or even meaningfully at all. Fire Emblem Fates for instance had its true ending released as paid DLC... and then Nintendo decided to close the 3DS eShop and now it's impossible to get the full experience unless you pay 300 dollars for that one physical collector's edition they released with the whole thing in the cartrdige. Then you have games like Fire Emblem Three Houses and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 which have meaty expansions available only as downloadable content meaning the moment they close the Switch shop you won't be able to experience them fully.

In the end, the only way to truly preserve these games is via piracy.

Yep, it's just not worth the effort at this point in the system's lifecycle.

I can imagine Larian and CDProjekt are already planning to release ports of their latest titles there. If the console does come with DLSS they might end up being playable after all and releasing them at launch might get them some good money.

I had hoped with Nintendo being the more “traditional” of the big three, it would do its best to avoid game making DLC for in-house developed games only available online. But you're right this isn't the case. I recently learned that there is a version of BotW with the DLC included on the cart, but this version is exclusive to Japan and unsurprisingly it will cost you several hundred dollars.

I think Switch, when compared to Xbox and PlayStation, still comes the closest to providing the “plug and play” experience of pre-online consoles, which was one of the main reasons I preferred consoles to PCs. Nintendo's games tend to have fewer patches and the fully patched cart revisions do eliminate the need for online updates.

But it is unfortunate that even on Switch there are instances where a significant section of a game is only available via an online download. Splitting the game between physical and digital in this way is one of the worst trends that emerged with the rise of the seventh gen online-enabled consoles. Unless you have the Complete or GOTY Edition of a particular game, you'll never have the complete version of that game even if you own the physical media. Even then, those GOTY/ Complete Editions, will probably still need stability updates or something similar.

Nintendo seems to be going down this path too albeit at a slower pace. I'd rather have a game with no DLC – like Tears of the Kingdom to use a recent example – than have games that have entire segments only available via DLC.
As you point out, making sections of a game only available via DLC requires permanent access to a console's eShop services. You're always going to need that access to have the complete game.

It's one of the reasons why I think collecting games for post Xbox 360 / PS3 consoles is pointless. You're rarely getting the full game on a PS4 or PS5 disc. I think Nintendo is still better in this regard as there are a number of Switch games that are “complete” on the cart. But yes even Nintendo is not consistent with this, which is a shame. One of the Switch 2 rumours I heard was that Nintendo is planning a digital-only variant of its next console. It makes me wonder how long Nintendo will continue to use physical media for its games.

 

[911 Jumper]

Another Code: Recollection (Switch)
Overview trailer:

DS cult classic Another Code: Two Memories (Trace Memory) and its Wii sequel have been bundled together on Switch for what is looking like a stunning remake. Another Code: Recollection brings back Ashley Edwards as she heads to the Blood Edward Island to find her father, who is presumed dead. We loved the original back on the DS, and the Wii sequel never made it to North America. Luckily, this duo will be launching on Switch quite soon — on 19th January 2024.

 

[911 Jumper]

DECAPOLICE (upcoming 2024 Detective RPG from Level-5)
Playable Guide trailer


"The main character, a rookie detective named Harvard, hunts down criminals in a huge open-world crime-ridden city, travelling back and forth between physical and virtual reality. Look forward to a mysterious detective story with investigations in virtual space."

 

[Viata]

There are presentations by Level-5 where they used AI to write the dialogue and background from NPCs to this game.

 

[Viata]

https://decasimcentral.wordpress.co...-character-concepts-and-quests-in-decapolice/

Character and quest concepts​

This one is what will interest us the most, as even though Hino did not name the game, it is very clearly taken from Decapolice.


Level-5 uses ChatGPT to generate a large quantity of character concepts and quest contents, which are then used as reference during development. Using a “get_explain_aboutcrime” function, taking a quest name and summary as arguments, ChatGPT “imagines” the rest, and provides a complete overview of a case for the player to investigate, such as the key characters, how the crime took place and who the culprit is, what pieces of evidence can be found…

The example given is a quest called “The Secret of the Futuristic City”, with the following summary: “A famous scientist was murdered in Neo City, and the results of his research have been stolen”. From there, ChatGPT gives a list of characters with names, ages, a brief summary of who they are, and what role they play in the story: the “famous scientist” from the initial pitch becomes Professor John Harris, a 45-year-old scientist who made a “groundbreaking invention”; meanwhile, the culprit (spoilers?) is his former colleague and rival Adam Smith, who commited the murder using poisonous gas in order to steal the prototype of a brand-new energy source.


All the data is provided in a convenient Excel spreadsheet format, which can be used by the development team as a reference to create the quest. Other generated data includes character stats, such as their HP, strength, defense…

 

[911 Jumper]

Wasn't even aware of that, damn. I guess this is going to become more widespread. Level-5 isn't some small indie dev.

 

[Viata]

I guess this is going to become more widespread

Nah, Level-5 is retard. They once tried to introduce NFT in their game:
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2...-features-crypto-and-blockchain-will-add-nfts

And here's an image of the exchange process, taken directly from the game's website:

Image: Level-5, Netmarble
If that wasn't already enough, the front page of the website also mentions the "blockchain system" in place, and the road map for the game includes adding NFTs in Q4 2022...

"Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds employs a gameplay-based blockchain system, giving players who enjoy Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds the opportunity to play to earn tokens through gameplay.

"Players can acquire two types of tokens in the Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds blockchain system, and our team will do our best to preserve the token values."

Image: Level-5, Netmarble

 

[911 Jumper]

I guess this is going to become more widespread

Nah, Level-5 is retard. They once tried to introduce NFT in their game:
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2...-features-crypto-and-blockchain-will-add-nfts

And here's an image of the exchange process, taken directly from the game's website:

Image: Level-5, Netmarble
If that wasn't already enough, the front page of the website also mentions the "blockchain system" in place, and the road map for the game includes adding NFTs in Q4 2022...

"Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds employs a gameplay-based blockchain system, giving players who enjoy Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds the opportunity to play to earn tokens through gameplay.

"Players can acquire two types of tokens in the Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds blockchain system, and our team will do our best to preserve the token values."

Image: Level-5, Netmarble

I haven't kept up with Level-5 since the PS2 days. Had no idea they were going down these paths. Looking at what they have released over the years, it looks as if their output has been pretty weak for the last decade or so.

 

[grimace]

RIP Level 5
RIP Yokai Watch 4

 

[taxalot]

Let's see what happens when ChatGPT comes with better quests than most current game designers.

 

[Viata]

ChatGPT is not going to have a hard fight when current game designers all suck.

 

[Ryzer]

I'm waiting for the Nintendo Switch Pro version when the battery can last longer than 2 hours and the performances can beat PS3's.

 

[taxalot]

I probably would have bought a screenless version of the Switch, to dock permanently on the TV. Instead I have a Steam Deck that does just that, plays Switch games, and when the time comes to replace it, I will probably just buy a small form factor PC.

I could care less for the battery. Imagine playing video games when you're out. That's just dumb.

 

[Viata]

I could care less for the battery. Imagine playing video games when you're out. That's just dumb.

Agreed. Portable video game are made to play while shitting.

 

[taxalot]

No, that's Shoutbox.

 

[Modron]

Do you people not eat fruits and vegetables? How do you spend more than 4 minutes in there?

 

[911 Jumper]

Is Pokémon Shining Pearl worth picking up? Or is there a better Pokémon game on Switch? I don't know much about Pokémon games. I've only played Gold/Silver, and that was via an emulator in the mid 2000s.

 

[911 Jumper]

Is Team Xecuter behind the Nintendo Switch MIG Flash Cart ?

I've been looking into the Nintendo Switch Flash Cart, known as the MiG Switch over the holiday break and wanted to learn more about it. It's in my opinion that this product may - allegedly - be the work of Team Xecuter as the community has uncovered compelling evidence to suggest a former member - allegedly - appears to have been hosting the website After Time X as a front to promote the product. In today's episode, we discuss the MiG Switch Flash Cart, how it works and why I believe TX may be involved. – MVG

 

[911 Jumper]

 

[Elthosian]

Let's see what happens when ChatGPT comes with better quests than most current game designers.

The baseline is pretty much nonexistent, but I wouldn't really want to play a game designed by our pal ChatGPT. LMs are bound by whatever content is available online and AFAIK there are no huge databases with logs of TTRPG games.

On the brighter side, if people start churning out AI-generated quests that are better than your typical Ubi-game then maybe they'll be forced to adapt... or they will just use AI to slightly raise the quality of their products and we will be back at square 0 XD

Anyway, I already avoid wasting precious time on mediocre stuff, having even more mediocre stuff generated by a LM sounds as appealing as playing Starfield. Procedural physics and creature AI interactions are what I think quality developers should focus on. Make your systems as flexible as possible and then let the interactions. Alas, that usually results in too much unpredictability and most reviewers (as well as many players) will balk at the possibility of suffering deaths or failures outside of their control (as defined by there being some skillset at which point you will be able to be successful reliably).

More broadly I've begun to think that player obsession of having games reproduce power fantasies has prevented us from seeing way more good games in the medium. Shit like Larian making companions more agreeable or adding a good ending for a character is just the tip of the iceberg. And then you move onto ecosystems, which are almost invariably neutered to help the player feel in control. Notable exceptions are Dwarf Fortress, Kenshi and Rain World, but there isn't really much to enjoy sadly.

Is Pokémon Shining Pearl worth picking up? Or is there a better Pokémon game on Switch? I don't know much about Pokémon games. I've only played Gold/Silver, and that was via an emulator in the mid 2000s.

No recent Pokemon game is worth your time friend, my last game was Pokémon Black/White but I some reliable pals have told me anything after X/Y is a waste of time. For example, the Ruby/Sapphire remakes did not add most of the content in Emerald, wtf.

My recommendations would be:

- Pokémon SS/HG (Silver/Gold remakes)
- Pokémon Emerald
- Pokémon Black/White (and their sequels)

Also, I've heard nice things recently from Cassette Beasts. I tried it for a moment and at least gameplay-wise it seems to provide much needed innovation vis-a-vis recent Pokemon games but the setting is some pseudo-isekai bs so I've not gotten that deep into it.

I love their games but I wouldn't trust them to do that consistently or even meaningfully at all. Fire Emblem Fates for instance had its true ending released as paid DLC... and then Nintendo decided to close the 3DS eShop and now it's impossible to get the full experience unless you pay 300 dollars for that one physical collector's edition they released with the whole thing in the cartrdige. Then you have games like Fire Emblem Three Houses and Xenoblade Chronicles 3 which have meaty expansions available only as downloadable content meaning the moment they close the Switch shop you won't be able to experience them fully.

In the end, the only way to truly preserve these games is via piracy.

Yep, it's just not worth the effort at this point in the system's lifecycle.

I can imagine Larian and CDProjekt are already planning to release ports of their latest titles there. If the console does come with DLSS they might end up being playable after all and releasing them at launch might get them some good money.

I had hoped with Nintendo being the more “traditional” of the big three, it would do its best to avoid game making DLC for in-house developed games only available online. But you're right this isn't the case. I recently learned that there is a version of BotW with the DLC included on the cart, but this version is exclusive to Japan and unsurprisingly it will cost you several hundred dollars.

I think Switch, when compared to Xbox and PlayStation, still comes the closest to providing the “plug and play” experience of pre-online consoles, which was one of the main reasons I preferred consoles to PCs. Nintendo's games tend to have fewer patches and the fully patched cart revisions do eliminate the need for online updates.

But it is unfortunate that even on Switch there are instances where a significant section of a game is only available via an online download. Splitting the game between physical and digital in this way is one of the worst trends that emerged with the rise of the seventh gen online-enabled consoles. Unless you have the Complete or GOTY Edition of a particular game, you'll never have the complete version of that game even if you own the physical media. Even then, those GOTY/ Complete Editions, will probably still need stability updates or something similar.

Nintendo seems to be going down this path too albeit at a slower pace. I'd rather have a game with no DLC – like Tears of the Kingdom to use a recent example – than have games that have entire segments only available via DLC.
As you point out, making sections of a game only available via DLC requires permanent access to a console's eShop services. You're always going to need that access to have the complete game.

It's one of the reasons why I think collecting games for post Xbox 360 / PS3 consoles is pointless. You're rarely getting the full game on a PS4 or PS5 disc. I think Nintendo is still better in this regard as there are a number of Switch games that are “complete” on the cart. But yes even Nintendo is not consistent with this, which is a shame. One of the Switch 2 rumours I heard was that Nintendo is planning a digital-only variant of its next console. It makes me wonder how long Nintendo will continue to use physical media for its games.

Oh, for certain, I'm a physical media junkie and I buy physical editions of most of my favorite PC indies for the Switch. This is made even better by the online stores that publish complete versions of games some time after release like Fangamer and iam8bit, effectively guaranteeing you will get a complete release. Got my wife a really lovely Hollow Knight Collector's Edition there for like 60 bucks. For Nintendo games this is not as easy as they only seldom do Complete editions, but I like that Yuzu allows you to drag and drop DLC so I usually just buy the physical copy, pirate the downloadable content, and keep everything safely stored in my backup HDD.

The situation for PS4 wasn't all that bad. We managed to get Bloodborne with all DLC on disc for example, but damn, PS5 looks gruesome. We'll have to see what happens with Switch 2, but Tears of the Kingdom not having any DLC gives me hopes that we will see less paid DLC. Metroid Dread was kind of similar but it looks like they added some additional content the year after: https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsne...pdates-are-adding-a-bounty-of-new-excitement/ If it's both free stuff that was obviously designed to pamper players with additional contents I'm fine with it.