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GAF's Nintendo Discussion, News, and Speculation |OT|

Dampf

Member
I think the next Switch (Switch 2) will incorporate Raytracing. It will be the next major gimmick for Nintendo, coming after 3D and the dick/handheld switching.

Just imagine what kind of puzzles and experiences Real Time RT will allow. Nintendo will go nuts with this! And thanks to crazy low resolutions using DLSS, it will run smoothly even in the palm of your hands.

Mark my words, friends!
 
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I think the next Switch (Switch 2) will incorporate Raytracing. It will be the next major gimmick for Nintendo, coming after 3D and the dick/handheld switching.

Just imagine what kind of puzzles and experiences Real Time RT will allow. Nintendo will go nuts with this! And thanks to crazy low resolutions using DLSS, it will run smoothly even in the palm of your hands.

Mark my words, friends!
I'm trying to imagine but I don't really see what kind of actual gameplay experiences that would provide save for some usage in a Zelda puzzle or two. Not that I'm against it in any way though, the effect looks pretty nice, hope they do something with it.

I was sort of wondering if they might do an Oculus Gear VR kind of thing with the Switch 2, they already tried with Labo so there seems to be some interest in that concept.
 

DeceptiveAlarm

Gold Member
I think the next Switch (Switch 2) will incorporate Raytracing. It will be the next major gimmick for Nintendo, coming after 3D and the dick/handheld switching.

Just imagine what kind of puzzles and experiences Real Time RT will allow. Nintendo will go nuts with this! And thanks to crazy low resolutions using DLSS, it will run smoothly even in the palm of your hands.

Mark my words, friends!
Wait.... mine didn't come with any Dicks.
 
Just like Outrageous-sensei :messenger_crying:
Forever in our hearts.

rip_outrageous.png
 
Dude I only see people not liking it on internet lol, everyone I knew irl that play it at the time loved it lmao.

Specially touch controls and, tbh, I'd like another one like those... maybe moving link with stick on a topdown view while using one of the joycons as pointers for items.
Fair enough.

Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks were my least favorite Zelda games. It seemed a common sentiment among people I knew. It just surprises me to hear it so highly praised.
 

Cutty Flam

Banned
So im buying a new 2ds bundle that comes with mario kart 7 pre installed. Is the 3ds eshop still running in na or do i need to buy physical cartridges as well. Id like to get 3d land and link between worlds as well. Also, for majoras mask and ocarina, should i pick those up as well? Or all those likely to come to switch?
It would be surprising if Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask don't make their way to the Nintendo Switch at some point this year. Zelda should at least get the same treatment as Mario for its 35th Anniversary. I'm only guessing, but I think Nintendo might offer OOT, MM, TWW HD, and TP HD all in one game to celebrate sometime this year
Phantom Hourglass is the only Zelda game I quit playing because of how shitty it is.
Is the game really that bad? I've heard people criticize it over the years often but it still seems like a good game. How do you think it compares to The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure, if you've played?
 

bender

What time is it?
Seems like a 1:1 port with some sort of upscaling. Interesting method they chose but I'll be happy with it.

The upscaling makes it look worse in a distance than the Wii U version. Granted we get a resolution bump, but you also get bugs in things like shadows. Fury also seems a bit rough from a performance standpoint. Nintendo's porting efforts haven't been great since Mario Kart.
 

Woopah

Member
*Republic Commando leaked
*Playtonic's got an announcement "soon"

I should know better but I suspect we might be waking up to a surprise Partner Showcase tomorrow.
6 months ago I never would have imagined we'd be demanding a partner showcase. They really turned those things around.
 

Birdo

Banned
Is the game really that bad? I've heard people criticize it over the years often but it still seems like a good game. How do you think it compares to The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure, if you've played?

For me, it was a combination of the touch-screen controls and the fact that you spend most of the game revisiting the same dungeon over and over again (I haven't played Four Swords).
 

Umbasaborne

Banned
6 months ago I never would have imagined we'd be demanding a partner showcase. They really turned those things around.

deprive thirsty people of water, eventually they will drink their own piss i suppose :/

i dont meant to be overly negative, just wish nintendo communicated more about first party games
 

Sir_Impaler

Neo Member
It would be surprising if Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask don't make their way to the Nintendo Switch at some point this year. Zelda should at least get the same treatment as Mario for its 35th Anniversary. I'm only guessing, but I think Nintendo might offer OOT, MM, TWW HD, and TP HD all in one game to celebrate sometime this year

Is the game really that bad? I've heard people criticize it over the years often but it still seems like a good game. How do you think it compares to The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure, if you've played?

I swore I wouldn’t buy any new games this year and focus solely on backlog and owned games. Getting games through something like PS Plus of from Amazon Prime will be added and played if interested, but man if Nintendo dropped a Zelda collection like that I’d break that no buy rule.

BotW was my first Zelda since MM (which I didn’t like as a kid, don’t recall why) so I missed out on a lot.

Emulation is always an option, but I am too lazy to do that stuff as I have way too many games backlogged from the last 15 years anyways.
 

Termite

Member
Is the game really that bad? I've heard people criticize it over the years often but it still seems like a good game. How do you think it compares to The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure, if you've played?
Yes, it is that bad. It is incomparable to Four Swords Adventures, because that game uses the basic 2d Zelda template gameplay, which is in and of itself enjoyable, and it also had quite charming 2d art.

On the other hand, Phantom Hourglass was made in a specific time for Nintendo, one where the success of the DS meant that they were forcing touch controls on every game series to justify that method of input (we're pre-iPhone here), and also trying to "blue ocean" every game series so that their expanded market of moms and seniors could enjoy it too. They also, for certain titles, wanted to prove that the DS could do 3d graphics competently, despite the hardware really not being strong enough.

The result of all of these design influences in Zelda: PH was a really mediocre game, which by Zelda standards was a disastrous game.

The touch controls, which were praised at the time for their noveltly, are not good. The best way you can tell this is by the actions of enemies. Even a basic chu-chu will wobble around you harmlessly - not attacking because the designers have no confidence that you will successfully be able to swing your sword when you need to. This problem recurs throughout the game. Areas where the touch screen works better such as drawing a boomerang path or firing a bow are still simplistic, and don't really provide more fun than the immediate reaction of a button press. You constantly feel like you'd be better off using buttons and just using the touchpad from time to time.

The visuals are horrid. Everything is sub-N64 in both polygons and textures, and the cel-shading can't fully make up for that. Worse, the level design is restricted to almost entirely straight lines and large areas, and never feels organic like the Wind Waker did.

The story is just about as bad a continuation from Wind Waker as there could have possibly been - hey, let's take the most charismatic character and turn her into a statute 30 seconds in. Awful. Linebeck is good, but he can't carry the game.

And worst of all, the game requires you to return to the same tower 4 or 5 times during the game. It's bland and boring throughout (like all of the dungeons).

It's a terrible game. The true miracle of Zelda on the DS is that Spirit Tracks took this ruinous foundation and actually made something reasonably fun out of it.

But I thought at the time and still do now that if they had just stuck to sprite designs and normal controls for Zelda they could have made classics on the DS - in the same vein that Castlevania did. But Nintendo's philosophy towards that machine is why it's remembered as a 3rd party powerhouse but a 1st party wasteland.
 
Has anyone been on these MyNintendo reward restocks today?

I keep having to hold myself back from impulses to get things I know won't be useful but are popular (that Mario red circular case, the huge cat Mario keychain) because I'm hoping they'll drop rewards for Zelda's 35th.
 

Cutty Flam

Banned
Yes, it is that bad. It is incomparable to Four Swords Adventures, because that game uses the basic 2d Zelda template gameplay, which is in and of itself enjoyable, and it also had quite charming 2d art.

On the other hand, Phantom Hourglass was made in a specific time for Nintendo, one where the success of the DS meant that they were forcing touch controls on every game series to justify that method of input (we're pre-iPhone here), and also trying to "blue ocean" every game series so that their expanded market of moms and seniors could enjoy it too. They also, for certain titles, wanted to prove that the DS could do 3d graphics competently, despite the hardware really not being strong enough.

The result of all of these design influences in Zelda: PH was a really mediocre game, which by Zelda standards was a disastrous game.

The touch controls, which were praised at the time for their noveltly, are not good. The best way you can tell this is by the actions of enemies. Even a basic chu-chu will wobble around you harmlessly - not attacking because the designers have no confidence that you will successfully be able to swing your sword when you need to. This problem recurs throughout the game. Areas where the touch screen works better such as drawing a boomerang path or firing a bow are still simplistic, and don't really provide more fun than the immediate reaction of a button press. You constantly feel like you'd be better off using buttons and just using the touchpad from time to time.

The visuals are horrid. Everything is sub-N64 in both polygons and textures, and the cel-shading can't fully make up for that. Worse, the level design is restricted to almost entirely straight lines and large areas, and never feels organic like the Wind Waker did.

The story is just about as bad a continuation from Wind Waker as there could have possibly been - hey, let's take the most charismatic character and turn her into a statute 30 seconds in. Awful. Linebeck is good, but he can't carry the game.

And worst of all, the game requires you to return to the same tower 4 or 5 times during the game. It's bland and boring throughout (like all of the dungeons).

It's a terrible game. The true miracle of Zelda on the DS is that Spirit Tracks took this ruinous foundation and actually made something reasonably fun out of it.

But I thought at the time and still do now that if they had just stuck to sprite designs and normal controls for Zelda they could have made classics on the DS - in the same vein that Castlevania did. But Nintendo's philosophy towards that machine is why it's remembered as a 3rd party powerhouse but a 1st party wasteland.
Hmm...that’s interesting, it sounds like PH might actually be a failure. I never wanted to buy into that, I always thought I could enjoy it no matter what, but maybe not. Great summary, and thanks for shedding light on the game. Do you think it could be salvaged in a remake with the use of button controls and some changes here and there or is the level design and story truly that bad to where you are standing firm in saying it is a terrible game overall?

If they blew it with the dungeons and story, I can’t imagine the NPCs alone would be enough to make up for those mistakes

And when you say that “the level design is restricted to almost entirely straight lines and large areas, and never feels organic like the Wind Waker did” are you talking about the dungeons and such or the overworld? Or both?
 

Termite

Member
Hmm...that’s interesting, it sounds like PH might actually be a failure. I never wanted to buy into that, I always thought I could enjoy it no matter what, but maybe not. Great summary, and thanks for shedding light on the game. Do you think it could be salvaged in a remake with the use of button controls and some changes here and there or is the level design and story truly that bad to where you are standing firm in saying it is a terrible game overall?

If they blew it with the dungeons and story, I can’t imagine the NPCs alone would be enough to make up for those mistakes

And when you say that “the level design is restricted to almost entirely straight lines and large areas, and never feels organic like the Wind Waker did” are you talking about the dungeons and such or the overworld? Or both?
I don't think they could retroactively fix the game without doing a full re-imagining akin to Metroid Zero Mission or FF7 Remake. All of the games problems are baked into the core design, which started with the controls and went from there (which is, to be fair, the best way to design a game and why Nintendo is so damn good).

As for the level design comment, the straight lines applies to both overworld and dungeon - because the game can't push more complicated polygons to create organic looking levels. As for large areas, that might be misleading on my part, I simply mean that there must always be quite a bit of space around Link because moving in a straight line isn't (ahem) straightforward. There are still corridors in dungeons, for example. Another problem I didn't even mention is that the camera almost always feels too zoomed in.

Looking back on it now, it was just a different time. The novelty of the machine carried so much of the software. There's one island where you have to close your DS to solve a puzzle. People LOVED that shit at the time. Now, it's just a gimmick. And that's Phantom Hourglass in a nutshell - full of inventive gimmicks but a terrible core game design.
 

Impotaku

Member
Looks really nice in it's dock, for me it's more themed for taiko no tatsujin colourwise as it matches don & kats colourscheme perfectly
ahhTYzB.jpg


System transfer is a ballache though, so much messing about and the animal crossing save was a pain in the ass too. After i had moved all my accounts over i realised i needed to download a damn software tool from the eshop to move my island as it needs to be on both consoles. Had to make up a new account to get access to the eshop again as i didn't want to potentially cause problems by reusing one of my original accounts to log in jusut in case it fucked things up. My several hundred hour safely moved across but i wont be doing that again in a hurry.
 

Aldric

Member
Bowser's Fury is a lot of fun, Plessie is one of the best mechanics in recent Nintendo games, it's so satisfying to traverse the map and dodge Bowser's attacks with him.
 
To my surprise I get the same Mario fatigue playing 3D World as I had when I played it on the Wii U. Even Sunshine was more engaging.

Some level have really great ideas but something is simply not catching me. Maybe the missing flood or Cappy.
I don’t get that fatigue, but the Mario move set feels more limited in 3D World. Maybe it’s also the linear nature of the game? There’s still hidden things to find, but it’s not like Sunshine, Odyssey, or Mario 64.
 
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