Nintendo Direct/Indie World/Treehouse/Showcase Discussion Thread - Directly 2 You

I'll be on Discord tonight for the Direct for anyone looking for some chat during it.

Yeah keen

I'd like to be joining in with you mans - might be past my bedtime though

That was a bit of all right then, wasn't it?  Xenoblade 3 the highlight for me (sorry I was late on that 'BALLA' in Discord Rum, rest assured I was basking in the reveal), but:
- I've never played a Strikers game before so that'll be grand;
- I'll probably end up shelling out for the Booster Pack separately, just so I can keep it indefinitely like the hoarder I am;
- I don't know how I missed Octopath-lookalike Live-A-Live or whatever up 'til now, but it looks mint;
- I like Mouthfeel Mode.  There, I said it.
Add to that a bunch of might plays like SWiitch Sports, Chrono Cross, and Advance Wars and that was a really good time!

That was a good showing for me

FEW Three Hopes, a bit of a shame not a proper FE game
Advance Wars: 1 + 2 Re-boot Camp, not something new
Mario Strikers Battle League, We all having a club and bringing back the league?
Splatoon 3, Not keen on the CO-OP but know SP and MP will be grand
Front Mission Remake, Odd retro remake I'm in plus 2 coming at some point
Disney Speedstorm, Looked kinda good but f2p and I've got Chocbo GP to look forward to
Chrono Cross, has been announced now coming to everything so likely play on PS5 because Trophies but then do like a weird retro game on Switch
Kirby, still looking good
Klonoa, a timed exclusive it seems on Switch so that seals it where I'm getting
Live A Live, £40 mind which is fine if retail version like Japan available
Taiko No Tatsujin, is a maybe the whole pay a sub for the songs put me off but then it has Zelda stuff
MK8 DLC, Great it's in NSO and seems what Nintendo is doing to give the Expansion Value (Just need to get MK8 now, also this puts me off Speedstorm as well)
Xenoblade 3, Looked good and I'm certainly more keen now coming off a few JRPG's on Switch for more

GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon, Waits for reviews

YASSSS KWEEN

YASSSSSS! NEW MARIO STRIKERS!


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Looking back it was a bit of a front loaded Direct but there's still a bunch fun looking games for the first half of the year.

Stand out picks for me are:

Mario Strikers
Mario Kart 8 DLC
Advance wars 1+2
Kirby (as a car)
Splatoon 3
GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon

The_Jaster wrote:

there's still a bunch fun looking games for the first half of the year.

Yeah, if we asume the biggest hitters are being saved for E3, that was quite a hefty showing for a smaller window.

Quote :

Stand out picks for me are:

Mario Strikers
Mario Kart 8 DLC
Advance wars 1+2
Kirby (as a car)
Splatoon 3
GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon

Definitely with you on the first five. Obviously I'm more hyped for Xenoblade than yourself (and I may finally play the Mother games). On the other hand, GetsuFumaDen looks really cool but I can imagine it sitting unpurchased in my wishlist for some time.

Also, a quick peak at twitter showed the TCGS lads losing their shit at the thought of a new Wii Sports-like game. Maybe Wii and Wii U, NGamer-reading die hards feel like Wii Sports never went away but I guess for a lot of people it's been 15 years or more since they've partaken and it feels exciting.

I can't believe they actually did it, 48 new tracks coming to MK8: D. That's actually incredible. I will never understand those scrubba dubs complaining on twatter that this isn't MK9. Who the fuck needs a sequel when 8 was that good?

I was also very happy to see Strikers make a return, the Kirby game looks great, the Splatoon trailer was fucking weird, Fire Emblem can fuck off, and was I the only one who thought the voice overs on that Xenoblade trailer were really bad? Made it sound like a proper B movie haha. The game does look good though.

Muss wrote:

I can't believe they actually did it, 48 new tracks coming to MK8: D. That's actually incredible.  

I love how Nintendo is dropping DLC for an eight-year-old game that will give it a ten-year lifespan. There's no need for a MK9 unless they shoehorn some interesting gimmick in. Also, through to the end of 2023 means (I imagine), no new Switch model is coming until 2024?

I'm not that into RPGs, although I always admire how Xenoblade shows a sense of scale in its worlds. That was a great trailer. Mario Strikers is an interesting one; some corners lament it and others adore it. Feels like Mario + Footie should be a lot bigger than it is. I thought that Rocket League-like football game in Switch Sports looked incredible, with the strap around the thigh! Brilliant.

I'm not complaining about 48 more tracks, which the Tour ones will be brand new to me and it all part of NSO. Reason I wanted MK9, was even though played MK8D on Switch, and it is a great game (In my Top 30) was well I've this on my Wii U like only a few months ago.

Now the Switch is 5 years old that I've not played Kart 8 properly for a while then the new content, that I will likely pick up MK8D, just not sure when as Chocobo GP is also March the same time as the first Wave of new MK8D Tracks.

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Talked before about Switches line up before and joked about the Year of the Switch, which think most would say was actually 2017 because we got:

BotW + DLC
Mario Odyssey
MK8D
M+R Kingdom Battle
Snipperclips
Splatoon 2
Xenoblade 2
Pokken DX
ARMS
Fire Emblem Warriors
1-2-Switch

Now 2022 which they did say in the fiscal report they wanted to make it a banger that sells don't dry up etc, we have:

Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Touken Ranbu Warriors
Triangle Strategy
Chocobo GP
Rune Factory 5
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp
Nintendo Switch Sports
Mario Strikers: Battle League
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Bayonetta 3
BotW2
M+R Sparks of Hope
Splatoon 3
Mario Kart 8D DLC

Sure, 2022 is the whole calendar year and 2017 misses two months that 2022 having more games isn't a surprise but in 2017 Xeno2 now we have Xeno3, I would hope Nintendo Switch Sports is going to be better than 1-2-Switch, I can't see Kirby being as good as Mario Odyssey, will BotW2 make 2022 and does live up to BotW that sort of thing otherwise I think 2022 looks better.

Also Nintendo does need anything else to be announced for this year?

2017 will be difficult to top, as you've got three 10/10s (BotW, MK8D, SMO) - classics. I don't expect 2022 to have three 10/10s again but plenty of 8/10s and 9/10s might bring the average up overall.

Muss wrote:

Who the fuck needs a sequel when 8 was that good?

More or less said exactly this during the Discord chat last night.

Loving that it's part of the Expansion Pass for Switch Online too! Really feeling that's been worth the pickup now. As for the rest of the Direct, Strikers was the obvious highlight. Cannot wait to get stuck into that. That Live-A-Live is apparently a remake of an older game or something? In any case, it looks interesting! Kirby distending his body to wrap around various objects has ruined what was going to be a whimsical adventure though.

Also, how are people feeling about Switch Sports? I'm dubious if it'll capture any of the magic of Wii Sports. It looked a bit soulless to me, and those Xbox Live avatar knockoffs didn't help.

It was a really good direct, this year is shaping up to be excellent. Now I just need to persuade you all to play Klonoa!

I think the Switch Sports fell a bit flat for me. I miss the legless Miis and I feel like the updated look loses quite a lot of the charm the Wii version had, although I totally understand why they've gone for the updated look given the emphasis this version has on LEGS. I also feel like if this was a year 1 Switch game, I'd be all over it, but I'm a lot less interested today. My circumstances have changed though as we own all the consoles and a monster PC so it could be more of that. Still, it's tough to see me wanting this over something like Strikers. It's not that I'm uninterested in Switch Sports, it's more that I'm a bit on the fence. My partner has no interest in playing it, so I won't get the same local multiplayer that the original had which also does not help.

masofdas wrote:

I'm not complaining about 48 more tracks, which the Tour ones will be brand new to me and it all part of NSO. Reason I wanted MK9, was even though played MK8D on Switch, and it is a great game (In my Top 30) was well I've this on my Wii U like only a few months ago.

Now the Switch is 5 years old that I've not played Kart 8 properly for a while then the new content, that I will likely pick up MK8D, just not sure when as Chocobo GP is also March the same time as the first Wave of new MK8D Tracks.

Hope you didn't think what I was saying was targeted at you, my knowledge of what Twitter has been saying has been fuelled entirely by what my girlfriend has told me. Sounds like if there's enough new stuff then you're happy though, which I totally understand. It's crazy how old MK8 actually is.

Buskalilly wrote:

The_Jaster wrote:

there's still a bunch fun looking games for the first half of the year.

Yeah, if we asume the biggest hitters are being saved for E3, that was quite a hefty showing for a smaller window.

Quote :

Stand out picks for me are:

Mario Strikers
Mario Kart 8 DLC
Advance wars 1+2
Kirby (as a car)
Splatoon 3
GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon

Definitely with you on the first five. Obviously I'm more hyped for Xenoblade than yourself (and I may finally play the Mother games). On the other hand, GetsuFumaDen looks really cool but I can imagine it sitting unpurchased in my wishlist for some time.

I should probably hold off on Getsu as well, wait for some reviews & maybe even a sale depending on what the reviews are saying.

Buska wrote:

Also, a quick peak at twitter showed the TCGS lads losing their shit at the thought of a new Wii Sports-like game. Maybe Wii and Wii U, NGamer-reading die hards feel like Wii Sports never went away but I guess for a lot of people it's been 15 years or more since they've partaken and it feels exciting.

Jay wrote:

Also, how are people feeling about Switch Sports? I'm dubious if it'll capture any of the magic of Wii Sports. It looked a bit soulless to me, and those Xbox Live avatar knockoffs didn't help.

It definitely feels like they're trying to recapture the wii glory days & as Cappucino kid said on discord that might be hard since wii sports was a very of it's time thing. Will those same wii folk be interested in this in 2022? The online play test within the next week or so is a good idea, though they have done that very Nintendo thing & are not allowing matches with friends.

I'm another one who feels no enthusiasm towards Switch Sports.  It's building on a game I was never too enthusiastic about in the first place, and those avatars - Jay's got it bang on there.  No matches with friends is stupid.

gjones wrote:

I love how Nintendo is dropping DLC for an eight-year-old game that will give it a ten-year lifespan. There's no need for a MK9 unless they shoehorn some interesting gimmick in.

Must admit, I was hoping for a new gimmick - but I'm not going to complain about this!

gjones wrote:

2017 will be difficult to top, as you've got three 10/10s (BotW, MK8D, SMO) - classics. I don't expect 2022 to have three 10/10s again but plenty of 8/10s and 9/10s might bring the average up overall.

Two classics from 2017 though, at least for us die-hard Nintendo fans.  In 2017 for Mario Kart you really just got a few new drivers and a working battle mode.  In 2022 you're getting 48 new tracks.  (Or, well, 24 I suppose.)  I'd say you're getting more Mario Kart 8 in 2022 than in 2017.  

That leaves two 10/10s, and a 9/10 in Xenoblade 2 (met by Xenoblade 3).  BotW2, if it makes it, will surely be a 10/10.  At the moment it doesn't look like we'll have another one, but we don't know what will be revealed at E3 - and as you say, there might be a lot of other very good but not all-timer games.  Great though it was, outside that top 4 2017 didn't actually have all that much.

I think the main point is though, 2022 is looking belting.

I've not tweeted anything about wanting a MK9, Muss but what Balla saying about long time fan and how it seems MK8 is more new in 2022 than 2017 makes a lot of sense, new content is what I wanted.

Switch Sports did have Mii's they used them in the Volleyball match. Also it is £31 on the eShop, physical version might be more as it comes with leg strap, that I may even pick it up as cheap.

Edit, the most anti-buska thing the avg of each year based on Meta
2017 82.6
2018 83.2
2019 77.2
2020 73.6
2021 77.4
2022 ??.?

I used what I believe exclusive to Switch at the time, I was little surprised 2018 is the "best" but it has SMASH, Bayonetta's, Donkey Kong, Octopath, Monster Hunter...

Mario Kart 8 is the best Mario Kart by a fair margin, I suspect Mario Kart 9 will actually be worse, and new tracks is 90% of a racing game beyond the racing mechanics. What I'm saying is 48 new tracks for Mario Kart 8, at £22, is probably a lot better than Mario Kart 9 will be.

I would still have preferred MK9 and them trying something different, even if it was eventually worse. Same as I prefer Pokémon Legends doing new interesting things, even if some imperfect execution brings it down a little. I'm very happy with what we're getting though.

masofdas wrote:

I was little surprised 2018 is the "best" but it has SMASH, Bayonetta's, Donkey Kong, Octopath, Monster Hunter...

That's why this metric is naff though, and I say this as a fan of numbers and scores. It's heavily weighted by remasters, particularly of Wii U games. (Also you forgot Celeste. )

Yeah a lot of remasters in 2018 most likely the most out of all the years, but I wasn't going to pick and choice what not to score as I could go I won't count't BotW as it's on Wii U that's a bit daft.

I didn't forget Celeste as on everything, same why didn't count Ori (I wouldn't count for Xbox either) and other top-rated games, that it is actually the best Nintendo games with odd thing like a Monster Hunter Rise in 2021.  

Yeah, I know I'm platform-agnostic and you're single platform that are look at the Switch is a tad different, but you know coming of a Nintendo Direct of what Nintendo are showing coming this year we're now after the show talking MK8, Strikers, Xeno 3 etc not Zombie Army.

Balladeer wrote:

I would still have preferred MK9 and them trying something different, even if it was eventually worse.  Same as I prefer Pokémon Legends doing new interesting things, even if some imperfect execution brings it down a little.  I'm very happy with what we're getting though.

There's so much room for new takes on the Pokemon formula though. Maybe I just lack imagination, but unless there's some wacky new gimmick I don't really see what a new Switch MK is going to do that would justify that ahead of a whopper DLC for me. Not that I would have been upset with an MK9 announcement either mind you!

I disagree!  Here's a bunch of things that a theoretical MK9 could do that I came up with in about five minutes.

- Campaign mode, à la DS or even more complex
- Mario can get out of his kart, and maybe has to
- Karts replaced by animals
- Karts replaced by transformers
- Increasingly dynamic tracks, like Grumble Volcano's disappearing road but better
- Decent track editor (sorry Andy)
- Repeat the two characters gimmick
- Repeat the character-specific weapons gimmick (God I miss Double Dash)
- Smash Kart Universe (not saying I want this but it's an option)

As for Mas... there are other metrics I'd use first.

I think 48 remastered tracks is a great way to add to a great game that's still - somehow - selling millions. MK9 would potentially cannibalise those numbers, right? If it's one of (if not the?) best-selling Switch games, and Nintendo recently said they think the Switch has got a few years left in it, it makes sense why they'd do it. I don't think anyone was expecting to see MK9 any time soon, with or without DLC for MK8, so at least it's this way round.

masofdas wrote:

Edit, the most anti-buska thing the avg of each year based on Meta

That's absolutely useless, meaningless gibberish.

Personally, I'm happy to see more DLC for the perfect Mario Kart 8 rather than risking changing anything. I don't feel disappointed this isn't a "new" game, though perhaps there would be an element of hype there which is missing from this.

Balladeer wrote:

- Campaign mode, à la DS or even more complex
- Repeat the character-specific weapons gimmick

Into this!

Quote :

- Mario can get out of his kart, and maybe has to
- Karts replaced by animals
- Karts replaced by transformers
- Decent track editor (sorry Andy)

These sound like they would actively make the game worse.

Quote :

- Increasingly dynamic tracks, like Grumble Volcano's disappearing road but better

Theoretically no reason this couldn't be done through DLC?

Quote :

- Repeat the two characters gimmick (God I miss Double Dash)
- Smash Kart Universe (not saying I want this but it's an option)

I don't personally dislike these ideas, but I also don't think they'd actually add much once one is in a race. I can also see why Nintendo didn't return to the Double Dash dual-character gimmick; for adding very little, it gives the appearance of being quite complex. What I really liked about DD was it's much weightier handling.