Nintendo eShop Deals and Discussions

[psunami]

Thanks to Frisky for all of the hard work that he put in for the previous deals threads (and continues to on this thread!)

Feel free to post here about the newest Nintendo eShop deals, My Nintendo rewards and discussions about the previously mentioned items.

Nintendo Sales and Deals page

 

[TheKbob]

I never really understood the blanket hatred for motion controls (or touch controls for DS games). Yeah, they can be and often were poorly implemented in games, but as far as the general concept, I'm not opposed to it at all; it's just a different method of playing to me. The motion controls were part of the charm for me in games like Skyward Sword (the game had its problems, including motion control issues, but I still liked the idea).

And I probably spent more time playing Smash Bros. Brawl than any other besides Ultimate. I was a big fan of the Subspace Emissary, although the story mode in Ultimate is a good replacement.

As someone who's studied VR, which includes motion sensing, academically, the Wii's motion solutions were half baked measured at the start and rarely evolved beyond "a button press by different means" methodology. Using a flick to swing a sword in Twilight Princess, which was a button press in the GC version.

The need for Wii Motion Plus was that admission, for the record.

Most of it was tacked on affairs from ports or afterthoughts. Only a few games explicitly designed for it took full advantage, otherwise many of the titles I would consider owning would be fine, if not better, without it.

It's why I use the term "waggle" to describe Wii controls versus actual motion sensing, similar to most modern VR options. One to one, realt time motion capacity, some with finger tracking, haptics, and multi-input capabilities are amazing.

The Wii was not. It did the best with what it had and utilized smoke and mirrors on the software side to hide the limited capabilities of early motion tracking hardware, which had yet to gain significant benefits from the soon-to-be future of smartphones.

Again, as much as some folks here are touting the core game demographic "eating well," the attachment rates say otherwise on the system.

Most Wii systems, by end of life, were relegated to Netflix duty (or GameCube emulators thanks to super easy hacking). Without a DVD drive, it also became a "second device," prime to be replaced by whatever came next. Many are now in dusty bins, FLGS shelves and closets. I would bet more so than any other Nintendo system.

 

[Nothing-]

Well, there you have it. Always good to see your topical current events and concerns mentioned. The early data is already in.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1935713429857108456

Pretty much exactly what we're talking about here. Hopefully this issue starts getting addressed for upcoming releases. and that we get more cartridge storage sizes for publishers.

 

[flybrione]

As pointless and trite as it sounds, this is a real issue I am dealing with this week. It's my nephew's birthday and we each have to get him a present. Which would be a NSW2 game; he was excited for it for years and bought himself a console on release day. So I've gone to the stores a few times and you're greeted with a two-row wall of Game Key Cards.

There's not a single second game worth buying for a core Nintendo enthusiast right now. I'm not buying one of these digital games he doesn't even want for full price. So the last two weeks I've been annoyed with their release cadence and intentional delays.

An eshop card right now would be a great idea. It is what I got myself at Switch 2 Launch and I bought Fast Fusion for $15. I also recommend the Switch 2 version or $10 upgrades to BotW and TotK. If I didn't get the Online + expansion pass membership and bought the upgrades for my Switch carts I would still been happy with them. The upgrades are really excellent. BotW at 4K60 is fantastic but I'm also someone who played BotW on Wii U and haven't played it since launch. Besides that in a month Donkey Kong Bananza.

 

[flybrione]

Well, there you have it. Always good to see your topical current events and concerns mentioned. The early data is already in.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1935713429857108456

Pretty much exactly what we're talking about here. Hopefully this issue starts getting addressed for upcoming releases. and that we get more cartridge storage sizes for publishers.

If Hitman and Bravely Default were complete on cart I would have gotten both at launch.
Hitman is basically the same size as Cyberpunk so it could have fit on a 64GB cart.

 

[Souffrir]

Goldeneye, Ocarina, Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, WWF No Mercy and Star Fox 64 alone is better than the entire Wii library combined.

Muramasa is better than all of those games combined.

 

[walletandgromice]

Well, there you have it. Always good to see your topical current events and concerns mentioned. The early data is already in.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1935713429857108456

Pretty much exactly what we're talking about here. Hopefully this issue starts getting addressed for upcoming releases. and that we get more cartridge storage sizes for publishers.

Would any of these games sold huge numbers on the Switch 1, either? Hitman and Cyberpunk don't really scream Nintendo core audience to me. I'd bet backwards compatibility also played a part so there wasn't that same sense of desperation to leave the store with more than one game in hand.

But more than anything, with Nintendo pushing the limit of the cost of the system, I doubt many people were excited to drop additional cash on those specific third party games after just dropping $500+tax plus new accessories. Nintendo certainly didn't do the third party devs any favors by pushing the price up.

 

[JohnnyCage]

Would any of these games sold huge numbers on the Switch 1, either? Hitman and Cyberpunk don't really scream Nintendo core audience to me. I'd bet backwards compatibility also played a part so there wasn't that same sense of desperation to leave the store with more than one game in hand.

But more than anything, with Nintendo pushing the limit of the cost of the system, I doubt many people were excited to drop additional cash on those specific third party games after just dropping $500+tax plus new accessories. Nintendo certainly didn't do the third party devs any favors by pushing the price up.

Cyberpunk was the second best selling game at launch behind MKW and ahead of TOTK S2 edition. CD Projekt Red said it exceeded expectations. So there's clearly an audience for those kinds of games on Nintendo platforms.

 

[JohnnyCage]

Well, there you have it. Always good to see your topical current events and concerns mentioned. The early data is already in.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1935713429857108456

Pretty much exactly what we're talking about here. Hopefully this issue starts getting addressed for upcoming releases. and that we get more cartridge storage sizes for publishers.

A lot of it has to do with the games that got ported over. Aside from Cyberpunk and Street Fighter it's a niche bunch. If Elden Ring, FF7 Remake and the rumored Red Dead 2 port sell poorly on Switch 2 then there's a problem. I expect those games to do very well though key card or not.

 

[whodoneit]

Muramasa is better than all of those games combined.

 

[Donken]

Well, there you have it. Always good to see your topical current events and concerns mentioned. The early data is already in.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1935713429857108456

Pretty much exactly what we're talking about here. Hopefully this issue starts getting addressed for upcoming releases. and that we get more cartridge storage sizes for publishers.

What do low sales numbers have to do with Cartridges though? My reason for not buying 3rd party games on the Switch 2 is that I already own most of the ones available on either Xbox or Playstation and already played them if I wanted to, it has nothing to do with it being on a cart or digital to me. I'm 100% digital on PS5 and Xbox Series X, Switch I was mostly cartridges, the reason being that between my kids and wife we had 5 Switch consoles and it was much easier to share physical carts then figure out how to share digitally on 5 consoles.

 

[TheKbob]

Muramasa is better than all of those games combined.

And the Vita version is the definitive one...

Re: launch sales, it's impractical to really discuss what the root cause is on sluggish sales. Is it economic, such as too high of price for people to buy a system and multiple games?

Was is content, such as most being older titles that are already available, and cheaper now, on other platforms?

Is it format, such that game key cards are really that unpopular?

I think it's just most are old games with a slightly improved coat of paint at too high of price versus a used copy on a PS5, XSX, or GamePass.

I believe the history of any Nintendo launch is massive attachment rates for first party and a dribble for third party. I think the Switch was a time and place, having a relatively clean slate, no backwards capability, and the second indie revolution hitting its stride which saw a lot of early success on the eShop.

The Switch 2 has a bunch of ports, can play older games you already own better, and the eShop if full of AI slop, among other shovelware. And the economy sucks. Probably the reason enough. Drop $500 on system, maybe an accessory and second game, and you've shot your shot. Probably take a few weeks for people to recoup or use that "four easy payments" stuff that seems very popular.

I think DKB will be the first real sampling of desire to buy. What would be the first real big Switch 2 third party exclusive? That FromSoft "not Bloodborne" game?

 

[swordity]

Just lol at a game having both a "deluxe edition" label on its box and being a game key card game.

 

[elessar123]

Then you probably missed a lot of 3rd party gems: Endless Ocean 1/2, Trauma Center, Okami, Muramasa, No More Heroes, Little King's Story, Fishing Resort, Just Dance, Go Vacation, and Marble Saga just to name a few of my favorites.

Trauma Center on DS was slightly better because the motion controls were so inaccurate on Wii.
Okami was a port of a PS2 game.

 

[Souffrir]

And the Vita version is the definitive one...

And OOT 3DS is the definitive version of OOT, what’s your point? Muramasa released on Wii years before it did on Vita, it’s still a Wii game. And even without the improvements made to it for the Vita version, Wii Muramasa is an incredible game that beats the pants off any N64 game whodoneit has mentioned.

Galaxy is better than any N64 3D platformer. Skyward Sword is better than Ocarina. Basically any half decent FPS from the 7th generation, yes even on Wii, is better than Goldeneye. The N64 had a lot of definitive groundbreaking titles that set standards for 3D gaming, but the thing about games that set the standards is that other games quickly build on and improve those formulas. Final Fight is not the best beat em up. Street Fighter II is not the best fighting game. Super Mario Bros is not the best sidescrolling platformer. Mario 64 is not the best 3D platformer. And Muramasa? Muramasa is to this day pretty much the best action platformer ever released.

Wii Sports, Twilight Princess, Super Mario Galaxy 1&2, New Super Mario Bros Wii, Skyward Sword, Muramasa, No More Heroes 1&2, SSBB, Xenoblade, The Last Story, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor, Metroid Prime 3, La Mulana, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Tatsunoko vs Capcom, Monster Hunter Tri, Madworld, Mega Man 9&10—any of these could go toe to toe with the best on any other platform and come out looking good. I could keep going but I’m not gonna.

That’s without getting into the first iteration of Virtual Console and the fact that the Wii was the first Nintendo home console to feature backwards compatibility, giving 100 million people the chance to try the GameCube’s best instead of the paltry 20 million who bought a GameCube. If you wanted good games from all of gaming history at that point, the Wii was a beast.

 

[swordity]

Wii had Xenoblade Chronicles which would have been better if they didnt screw over the fans by making it a Game Stop exclusive. "Lets mark all of our new stock of the game as used so we can charge more!" I cant wait until GameStop dies.

It's not that they would open them and mark them used, they would open them and mark them as new within like an hour of them opening the store if you were too slow to pick up your preorder. Literally no other way to get a sealed copy from Gamestop.

Ohhhhh you want it sealed? That's cute. Sorry one of our employees needed to open all the new copies and play with them, today, somehow, so they can make chitchat with customers. This is important and definitely a real phenomenon and not made up bullshit! And no... you can't return it now, it's been open so it's clearly used

 

[TheKbob]

Meanwhile, just LRG things.

Limited Run has asked Nintendo to pull Gex Trilogy from the eShop as it doesn’t work on Switch 2 | VGC

In better news, a new Switch 2 firmware update has fixed 12 of Limited Run’s retro Switch releases…

www.videogameschronicle.com

 

[samnite]

Wouldn't it be nice if they remastered the Simpsons games?

Maybe they can make a version of this game with a fair difficulty level?

 

[whodoneit]

Wii Muramasa is an incredible game that beats the pants off any N64 game whodoneit has mentioned.

Before you continue firing off more unpopular opinions at least get your facts straight. I didn't mention any N64 games. I just laughed at your silly response to Johnny's post.

 

[swordity]

Please, everyone stop fighting and rank the Final Fantasy games.

Yes, all of them, every spinoff and mobile game too.

 

[keyblader1985]

As someone who's studied VR, which includes motion sensing, academically, the Wii's motion solutions were half baked measured at the start and rarely evolved beyond "a button press by different means" methodology. Using a flick to swing a sword in Twilight Princess, which was a button press in the GC version.

The need for Wii Motion Plus was that admission, for the record.

Most of it was tacked on affairs from ports or afterthoughts. Only a few games explicitly designed for it took full advantage, otherwise many of the titles I would consider owning would be fine, if not better, without it.

It's why I use the term "waggle" to describe Wii controls versus actual motion sensing, similar to most modern VR options. One to one, realt time motion capacity, some with finger tracking, haptics, and multi-input capabilities are amazing.

The Wii was not. It did the best with what it had and utilized smoke and mirrors on the software side to hide the limited capabilities of early motion tracking hardware, which had yet to gain significant benefits from the soon-to-be future of smartphones.

Again, as much as some folks here are touting the core game demographic "eating well," the attachment rates say otherwise on the system.

Most Wii systems, by end of life, were relegated to Netflix duty (or GameCube emulators thanks to super easy hacking). Without a DVD drive, it also became a "second device," prime to be replaced by whatever came next. Many are now in dusty bins, FLGS shelves and closets. I would bet more so than any other Nintendo system.

I didn't say anything about sales figures or popularity. I was just talking about motion and touch controls in games. It sounds like you mainly don't like when the controls are poorly implemented, which I already said was an issue and I generally agree with. Thing is not everyone feels the same way; I've seen a lot of disdain for the basic concept of touch and motion controls, to the point of making rom hacks of the DS Zelda games (which were designed with the special controls in mind as you mentioned) just to get rid of the touch controls, or modding the Castlevania games for the same reason, when they only required brief touch inputs at a handful of points in the entire game.

 

[FriskyTanuki]

Please, everyone stop fighting and rank the Final Fantasy games.

Yes, all of them, every spinoff and mobile game too.

1. Final Fantasy XII

The Trash: Every other Final Fantasy game.

 

[RedvsBlue]

If Hitman and Bravely Default were complete on cart I would have gotten both at launch.
Hitman is basically the same size as Cyberpunk so it could have fit on a 64GB cart.

Bravely Default really irks me, I would have easily paid $10-20 extra for that game had they included it on cart. I don’t even care if it was a 3ds port, I love that game and would definitely have bought it again if it was complete on cart instead of game key card.