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Snake Pass, and how a bad home menu icon drags down my enjoyment of a game

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Neiteio

Member
Warning: A super-rare negative Neiteio thread.

I want to politely vent about something. Maybe others feel similarly and have their own examples of this with other games.

Recently I've been enjoying Snake Pass, a game that feels like something Nintendo and Rare would've made back on the N64. The charming cartoon visuals and mystical David Wise soundtrack remind me of vintage Rare, while the innovative mechanics and sim-like focus on play control reminds me of experimental Nintendo titles like Steel Diver and Star Fox Zero (and I mean this as a compliment).

However... A recent patch has changed the home menu icon for Snake Pass. And I can't stand it now.

Before, the home menu icon showed the title of the game and the main character against a backdrop of ruins and greenery. It was nice and detailed and blended in perfectly with the home menu icons for other games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

But now, after the patch, the home menu icon is just a huge image of the snake's face against a bright blue backdrop, with no title and no other detail.... Just a huge image of the snake's face with his bulbous eyes and goofy grin. It looks cheap and tacky, like a popup ad for those cheap shovelware games I have to x out whenever I use abload.de. Like a cheap Flash game or something.

Next to the other home menu icons, with their names and detailed compositions, it sticks out like a sore thumb. And sadly, it makes me not want to play the game, because playing the game means bumping this eyesore to the front of the list.

Yes, this may be petty, but you could liken the effect to an arcade cabinet. My digital collection on Switch is like my own personal arcade; the home menu is the arcade itself, and all of the home menu icons are like arcade cabinets. Presentation is key — and right now, as of the new update, Snake Pass has one ugly-ass arcade cabinet.

Apparently there's been a bit of backlash on Twitter. Hopefully Sumo Digital is listening and will restore the previous icon in a future update. In the meantime, I can't help but feel irritated every time I see that obnoxiously huge image on my home menu...

At any rate, that's me and Snake Pass. I'd rather be making a thread about how awesome this game is, because it IS awesome, but man, all I can think about right now is that icon.

Are there any other games (be it on Switch, Steam, etc) where the home menu icon just sort of sullies the experience for you with its cheapness?


EDIT 1: Thanks to True Fire for finding an image of the new home menu icon:

switch-eshop-screenshqnptv.png


EDIT 2: And thanks to oti, here's the original icon that I want back:

vddirz4js964ny4kobpyp80jjb.png
 

BGBW

Maturity, bitches.
Can we have images of these icons so we can compare?

EDIT: Now that I've seen the icons, the new icon is indeed rather poor compared to the original. Would it dampen my enjoyment of a game? No. Much like lazy save icons, back when we had custom save icons in the settings, didn't dampen my enjoyment. (Though, a nice save icon often helped complete the package and give a game that extra edge).
 
I did notice the icon change and wondered what the point was. It is the same as the ps4.

I still think its not really a big deal though.
 

petran79

Banned
Reading the title I was worried they'd add that element to the Steam version too. Game on Ultra settings and 21:9 aspect ratio surpasses even a real 3d cartoon
 

True Fire

Member
On the contrary, I hated the logo in the old icon. It looked like it was made in MS Paint. But I find it bizarre how the new icon doesn't have a logo at all. Not much of a compromise?
 
Agree. I bought it during the sale and what I FIRST NOTICED when I bought it was how bad that icon was.

I was like "Isn't like, the title of the game supposed to be on the icon or something? Not just a big dumb face?"

Lo-and-behold I'm not the only one. I loathe that icon. Gimme the title! AHHH
 

Neiteio

Member
brb using imagination
lol, I read your post in the shrill Jerry Seinfeld voice

I'll update the OP with comparison pics if I can find them. Just made this thread in between writing stories for work.

edit: And the above poster's effortless Google-fu has found the new icon, at least. Adding shortly.
 
for someone who normally dumps images for no reason(i say this while liking your pics), i find this thread highly disappointing.

edit: thats better. new icon looks meeeeeeh.
 

Spades

Member
Are you guys for real? It's literally an icon. I can understand how it might put you off trying the game in the first place, but you know what the game is - the icon makes zero difference.
 
Are you guys for real? It's literally an icon. I can understand how it might put you off trying the game in the first place, but you know what the game is - the icon makes zero difference.

I'd honestly disagree. When looking through your library thinking of what to play for a bit, a bad icon can make me less likely to play because it just doesn't spark "fun" from a glance. Mario Kart looks like fun at a glance of the icon, Zelda looks like an adventure from the icon, etc. Snake Pass just looks.... like a bad image that tells me nothing other than "It has a goofy snake."
 

zoukka

Member
I'd honestly disagree. When looking through your library thinking of what to play for a bit, a bad icon can make me less likely to play because it just doesn't spark "fun" from a glance. Mario Kart looks like fun at a glance of the icon, Zelda looks like an adventure from the icon, etc. Snake Pass just looks.... like a bad image that tells me nothing other than "It has a goofy snake."

But you own the game and know what it's like! WTF
 
Is this a console thing? I really don't see the issue if it's outside the game.

I'm a perfectionist, but I wouldn't let an icon affect my enjoyment of the game, unless it's a swastika or something. I just have to accept that some icons are bad.

I totally agree it's a bad change though!
 

Neiteio

Member
But you own the game and know what it's like! WTF
This analogy may be a bit crude, but it's kind of like if you had a fun room in your house, and you knew fun stuff was inside, but the doorknob on the door was covered in shit.
 

jariw

Member
If a game biggest drawback is the icon, that game doesn't have that much issues. ;-)

Anyhow FWIW, I have 21 game icons on the Switch, and Snake Pass (post-update) is the only game that doesn't have the title of the game in the icon.
 

mclem

Member
The new icon screams to me "Smartphone game". It's got an appropriate level of detail to not look particularly cluttered on a smaller mobile screen.

Out of interest, are smartphone/pad ports of Snake Pass on the way? That might be relevant if so.
 

True Fire

Member
I'd honestly disagree. When looking through your library thinking of what to play for a bit, a bad icon can make me less likely to play because it just doesn't spark "fun" from a glance. Mario Kart looks like fun at a glance of the icon, Zelda looks like an adventure from the icon, etc. Snake Pass just looks.... like a bad image that tells me nothing other than "It has a goofy snake."

My thing is the aesthetics haha. The Switch has a very clear cut aesthetic and the new Snake Pass logo does its own thing.
 
But you own the game and know what it's like! WTF

I understand that, but when you're just looking through your library for something to play, a simple look at a fun looking icon is enticing to play that game more than another when you're actively looking for something without a certain game in mind.

If you look at the Mario Kart icon and Snake Pass icon, which one seems more fun? Mario Kart, clearly, so if I wasn't sure about what game to play, I'd pick Mario Kart.

I'm basically saying when you're looking for a game to play, and not really thinking about details, the first thing you see is an influence. lol
 

D.Lo

Member
Haha it got a whole thread. Twitter is burning up about it as well.

Yes it's not fully rational but I really dislike it as well.

Cue a thread of people saying 'it's just an icon it doesn't matter'. Which is logically true but you can't change if you have a negative reaction to something that clashes that much, it triggers people's OCD.
 

Neiteio

Member
This at least looks like a cover for a game.

The new icon looks like someone's avatar image.
Yeah, there's a lot I like about the old home menu icon. It's more colorful with the greenery, and the ruins in the background convey the world of the game, which is honestly half of the game's appeal. I love the levels you explore in this game.
 
As a deeply negative person depressed by all things, even such a soft-negative thread from Neiteio is enough to remind me of my humanity and make me feel sadness again (as opposed to nothing). We must protect your smile, Neiteio.

I remember reading once when iOS apps started picking up steam that a good icon shouldn't feature any written brand or title. It should be indicative of the game without the use of language and depict the media it launches visually. I wonder if that's what they were going for, since the first icon features the game title on it and the second one does not. But I always got the idea that was for iOS apps on tiny screens. Most Switch icons do not follow this at all.

The blue background does make the app appear "generic", since there's nothing about the blue background that's indicative of Snake Pass. Maybe they decided that there was no need for depth of field on a small icon and wanted to remove the background details.
 

Neiteio

Member
No kidding. Lmao.

DD-Eb4sVoAIXSAM.jpg


Which game has the most distracting and ugly icon? Snake Pass. AUGH.
This is a good example. Each of those other games make you feel like there's an entire world waiting beyond the icon. Every other icon feels like an adventure with the title of the game beckoning to you. But then there's Snake Pass — a cheap image just thrown onto the screen in the most jarring way possible.
 

Fliesen

Member
While i'm not sure this needed such a long OP, and while i don't agree with the icon "dragging down my enjoyment of the game" i agree with the sentiment that i find the new icon significantly worse than the original.

It doesn't look like 'cover art' (which most other icons tend to look like) - the image doesn't even show the title of the game...
It doesn't tell me anything about the setting of the game
It looks like a player profile icon

Since (one of) the devs are (is) on neogaf, i'd love them to maybe offer some insight on the decisionmaking progress of what some consider a downgrade in how the game presents itself to the user.
 

Neiteio

Member
As a deeply negative person depressed by all things, even such a soft-negative thread from Neiteio is enough to remind me of my humanity and make me feel sadness again (as opposed to nothing). We must protect your smile, Neiteio.
Haha, you always make me smile. I was going to email you asking how you're holding up after E3 failed to yield Virtual Console news. Hope you're doing OK and still found stuff to enjoy. :)

Meanwhile, GoNNER's menu icon is dope:
Oh man, GoNNER's icon is NICE. But I don't know anything about the game itself. Good stuff?
 

nynt9

Member
I came in this thread expecting to go "ah gaffers being crazy as usual", then saw it was neiteio and got confused, then I saw the images and yeah. You're right neiteio. Haven't played snake pass in a while so the icon hasn't appeared for me, but now I dread looking at it.

Haha, I love you so much. I was going to email you asking how you're holding up after E3 failed to yield Virtual Console news. Hope you're doing OK and still found stuff to enjoy. :)


Oh man, GoNNER's icon is NICE. But I don't know anything about the game itself. Good stuff?

Gonner is a fast paced roguelite platformer-shooter with a cool minimalistic art style. I think you'd enjoy it.
 

Neiteio

Member
Gonner is a fast paced roguelite platformer-shooter with a cool minimalistic art style. I think you'd enjoy it.
I seriously want to get Gonner on the strength of that home menu icon alone, haha. Like I said, home menu icons are like arcade cabinets in a digital arcade, and that's one slick cabinet!
 

Zomba13

Member
I think I like the older icon better than the new just in general but yeah, seeing it next to a bunch of other Switch icons it definitely feels obnoxious. Definitely feels "smartphone" game, where they just have the big grinning CG face of something as the icon.
 

Jodast

Member
I mean, its kinda silly to complain about an icon, but on the other hand it really does look horrible compared to the old one and I hate it. Since we only have the old icon standalone, this is how it looks before/after on the menu itself.


As an aside, this thread has taught me that Breath of the Wild has regional differences with its icon. Neat.
 

Necro900

Member
That's a full on mobile app store icon right there, I can see where you're coming from.

Well, at least it's not some character yelling towards the side of the screen
 

oti

Banned
I mean, its kinda silly to complain about an icon, but on the other hand it really does look horrible compared to the old one and I hate it. Since we only have the old icon standalone, this is how it looks before/after on the menu itself.



As an aside, this thread has shown that Breath of the Wild has regional differences with its icon. Neat.

How's Oceanhorn?
 

D.Lo

Member
It's weird that there are lots of complaints on Twitter about it, but they have replied several times 'It's most likely going to stay'.

I'm guessing they are planning some kind of new mobile-app-like positioning with a group of matching icons and this was just the first step?
 

llehuty

Member
EDIT 1: Thanks to True Fire for finding an image of the new home menu icon:

switch-eshop-screenshqnptv.png

Well, at least it doesn't look as bad as that hinted Cars 3 logo, ugh.

No, but really, the uninspired background, the unnecesary white frame, the lack of the logo, and the big head in front of the frame with a solid shadow on the flat frame and blue background. Ughhhhh.

It does look like an ad.

It's like it's designed for a way smaller screen or something, becaus eI'm seeing now the quoted version of the image and the level of detail is ok for that size.
 
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