Will the dock make much difference? (YouTube)
The Thursday letters page has predictions for the rumoured February Nintendo Direct, as readers look forward to this evening’s Xbox Developer Direct.
Nintendo Switch 2.5
Before anyone gets too excited about the Nintendo Switch 2 being ‘insanely’ powerful I’d like to point out that it’s literally impossible for it to be that powerful. For the first instance Nintendo need it to be cheap enough to sell at a reasonable place. For a second, the more powerful it is the more battery power it’ll need and the hotter it’ll get.
The prediction of being like a souped up PlayStation 4 sound very believable to me and the upper limit of what is physically and financially possible. Maybe it’ll be a bit more powerful when docked but it’s not going to be that much of a difference. Nintendo already has to handle promoting games on both Switch 1 and Switch 2, they’re not going to make TV mode so radically different it’s like Switch 2.5.
Given the small difference between PlayStation 4 and 5 it really doesn’t matter any way. You might not be able to get GTA 6 running on Switch 2, but I doubt there’ll be much else it can’t play, even if it has to cut the frame rate down a bit.
If everyone starts hyping themselves up for the Switch 2 being a graphical powerhouse they’re only going to be disappointed. As with everything in gaming, better to assume less and be pleasantly surprised if it’s more than you expect.
Nadar
Welcome home
I think the publisher I’m most looking forward to see work on Nintendo Switch 2 is Square Enix. It may seem hard to believe now but Final Fantasy used to be associated with Nintendo not PlayStation and it was Square (back before the merger) skipping the N64 that played a large part in destroying that console’s chances.
There’s already rumours of Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth, but I wonder if Final Fantasy 17 will also be on Switch 2. Square Enix has said they want to embrace multiformat from now on, instead of exclusives, so I think they’d be crazy to not try and get it onto Nintendo’s console.
That may mean scaling back some of the ambition in terms of graphics but I’m sure from Square Enix’s point of view that would make sense. It may even encourage them not to go so grimdark again. I really didn’t like Final Fantasy 16.
Lentil
Back to formula
As a casual fan it’s been fascinating to see how unpopular Mortal Kombat 1 has been compared to the previous games. I played it and thought it was pretty good. The Kameo system isn’t original, but I liked it as a novelty, and yet a lot of people seem to hate. I don’t know why, it’s not like Mortal Kombat is some hardcore fighter that they’ve ruined the action or something.
The hardcore also seem to be upset about the story reset, which I also liked. I’m not invested in the previous story, I admit, but I thought things like making Sub-Zero and Scorpion brothers was a neat twist that kept things fresh.
Sad thing is, it’s not hard to guess what the reaction is going to be to this failure: make the next game as much like Mortal Kombat 11 as possible and never try anything new again!
Franky
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Sleepwalking away
Hopefully it’s nothing, but I’m a bit unnerved about this changes at Insomniac Games, especially given the amount of other exits at Sony lately. That hack they suffered really shook them up and seems to have delayed Wolverine to the point where I’d be surprised if it was released this year.
I always worry when a big boss leaves all of sudden, for no obvious reason. Maybe the Insomniac guy had just had enough and wants to put his feet up, which is fair enough, but there’s also the danger he was pushed because Insomniac is going over budget and not getting new games out.
We are long overdue Sony making some kind of public annoucement and explaining themselves. It can be a big triumphal thing, they don’t have to admit they did anything wrong, but I still have very little faith they know what they’re doing at the moment.
Rinto
Insomniac is undergoing some changes (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
One less
Finally brought a month of Xbox Game Pass for my handheld and just started a campaign playthrough of Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6. I know everyone is more sourced towards the multiplayer and Zombies mode but just not my cup of tea.
Apparently Modern Warfare 3 is also on Game Pass, but who on earth is still playing one of the worst instalments, in this franchise? It makes Ghosts look like Citizen Kane in comparison.
I also wanted to offer some clarification on one of the letters from last night. Assassin’s Creed Shadows, releases in March. Not February. The 20th to be more precise. It was delayed a month later. Avowed and Monster Hunter Wilds will release in February though. So will Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.
Shahzaib Sadiq
Sticking to the routine
Rumours of a Switch 1 focused Nintendo Direct in February feel true to me because we currently don’t have a Nintendo title scheduled for February.
Nintendo have been so consistent in having a game a month that I can’t see them not having something out between Donkey Kong and Xenoblade.
As such I think they’ll have a Direct and a shadow drop of Metroid Prime 2 remaster, maybe 3 too. They’ve been rumoured to be ready for a long time and it’d both fill the gap and build hype for Metroid Prime 4.
The first Metroid Prime Remastered was released unexpectedly, so I could see Nintendo following the same route. So either in a Direct or one of those random video drops on Twitter on a Thursday afternoon.
Euclidian Boxes
Super effective
I see that it is rumoured that the Switch 2 will have Hall effect joysticks. I didn’t know until reading your article that the Dreamcast had them. I had a Dreamcast, but that wasn’t the first time I would have used Hall effect joysticks.
Atari used them in some of their 80s arcade machines. I believe the first machine to use one was the 1984 coin-op I, Robot, which I used to play at The Mint arcade on Great Yarmouth seafront.
Tim Keeling
3D dino crisis
On a whim, I replayed some old N64 games recently. One of these was Chameleon Twist. Some interesting ideas and mechanics. Some great tongue moves, but nowadays it plays like a dog and even on release never had that polish or magic of a first party title.
A flash of a cool mechanic that was never exploited to its full potential, never road tested with any sort of deviously designed puzzle or feat of dexterity that makes you feel like you have gained a true sense of mastery. All this jumping about, sticking your tongue out at things. It’s all very Yoshi-y. I’m surprised Nintendo didn’t sue the egg-laying hind quarters off them and Robo-copped a version for themselves. It brings me to my point – did Nintendo ever make a proper 3D Yoshi’s Island?
Super Mario Galaxy 2 came closest to a Yoshi game, as he was included in a few levels, I believe, but that wasn’t the same. Yoshi won’t have to play second fiddle in a 3D game to call his own. Hitting a block and have him come out like some common power-up!? Yoshi was out doing this kind of thing when Mario was in nappies – as evidenced in Yoshi’s Island itself. Where is the dignity?
Let the dinosaur start the level on his own two feet. Complete with bum-eggs. Baby Mario riding on his back. Vehicle transformations not necessary but appreciated. 3D gameplay, but stylised in looks, maybe toon shaded? By now console power has got to the point where you can pull off anime style 3D graphics (see Dragon Ball FighterZ, for example).
For bonus points let’s incorporate some levels like Touch Fuzzy, Get Dizzy which includes some out there gameplay-affecting graphical effects.
It may come down to an indie title which takes this idea and runs with it themselves, perhaps they have and a reader can recommend it?
So please Mr Shigsy, sir, please, I would like my proper 3D Yoshi’s island. Good day, sir.
Major_Kahonas
GC: There’s the fan made Return To Yoshi’s Island 64 but despite the name it doesn’t seem to have much actual Yoshi in it.
Inbox also-rans
Doom: The Dark Ages is going to be out in May? Sounds like the Developer Direct is going to be a good one, even if that’s the only good news.
Timm
So what is the best guess for the secret game at the Xbox Developer Direct tonight? I’m hearing Ecco The Dolphin or Ninja Gaiden 4 as the frontrunners? Personally, I’m hoping for a Brute Force reboot.
Xenobean
GC: Ninja Gaiden would be our uneducated guess, but there don’t seem to be any substantial rumours other than it’s supposed to be a long-running Japanese franchise.
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Games Inbox: How powerful is Nintendo Switch 2 when docked?
