What are you playing on your Switch 2: Play Harder

This isn't very exciting, but I never comment in the Switch bits hardly due to my sad mortal completionism complex, but I've been doing 140. It's a game set to a constant electronic rhythm in which you play a geometric shape that has to jump over and pick up other geometric shapes. Needless to say it's exactly up my street. Even though I'm too old to understand what this dubstep thing the kids liked was.

I've been playing Travis Strikes Again and it's alright. The action is a bit basic but then again, the combat in the series wasn't particularly deep. What I'm really liking is the presentation, and the bits of story and dialogue we get. The kind of stuff I've come to expect from the series but presented in yet another fresh way.

I sort of wrote this game off at first because of the way it looked and early impressions, but I did get it cheaper by waiting a bit so I don't mind. Probably going to wait on NMH3 a bit as well since I can see that coming down in price a lot soon, but I am looking forward to that too.

I played the first two hours or so of No More Heroes yesterday, which took me back to the NGamer days when I was a teen with nothing but spare time and only a Wii to play and a game like that was just what I'd been waiting for.

It's stil fun!

I played the Switch version of Monopoly with my 9-year old last week, as she is getting into board games. Figured it would help her learn the rules as it can get complicated, but there's no bloody tutorial mode or anything. It's just 3D Monopoly, almost like the game expects the player to know the rules already.

Kriken wrote:

I've been playing Travis Strikes Again and it's alright. The action is a bit basic but then again, the combat in the series wasn't particularly deep.

It gets better as it goes on and the more skills you unlock, so if you can push through the first two levels you should be good!

gjones wrote:

I played the Switch version of Monopoly with my 9-year old last week, as she is getting into board games. Figured it would help her learn the rules as it can get complicated, but there's no bloody tutorial mode or anything. It's just 3D Monopoly, almost like the game expects the player to know the rules already.

What the heck is the point of it existing then.

I've been playing NEO TWEWY and nothing else.  It's really excellent.  I think I prefer it to the original, although that might be because I'm not such a little idiot that I don't have a clue what's going on: I didn't understand any of the last week of TWEWY's story, I don't think.  Anyway, its sequel is almost certainly my Game of the Year so far.

Good to see someone talk about it because it's sort of come and gone without not much fanfare. Still sitting on my list of maybe getting it. Might also just wait for it on PC.

For me, NEO TWEWY is in an awkward spot because I feel I should play the original first but if I play it on anything other than the original DS cart Jay will fly to Japan and supplex me.

I'm still plodding away with Skyward Sword at a snail's pace and the more I've played of it, the more I'm convinced the naysayers are absolutely nuts, for me so many of the criticisms don't make any sense. The only downside I would say is that swinging the sword is still a bit unpredictable but everything else is as good as you'd expect from a Zelda game, there's so much creativity and great moments, the HD sheen had made it a real looker as well. I've always said it's the worst of the 3D Zelda's because the bar is so high but I'm honestly not sure any more, it's fantastic.

I have, I think, raged at Skyward Sword for long enough, if you can 'rage' at an 8/10 game. I do find it a little funny that the only thing you dislike slightly (the motion controls) was for me the best bit of the game.

Kriken wrote:

Good to see someone talk about it because it's sort of come and gone without not much fanfare. Still sitting on my list of maybe getting it. Might also just wait for it on PC.

Yep... I'm really surprised by that. Obviously it's a niche product, because apart from anything else (as Buska says) it's aimed squarely at people who have played the original niche product, and preferably the worse port of the original niche product with a handful of extra content (I haven't) - but it felt like enough people on here and SONM-turned-GRcade did that it should be more than me and one other person on both fora that have played this really good game. The 81 Metascore doesn't help I suppose. Unless the game really dumps in the bed in the ending, explosive diarrhoea style, then I think it should be a good few points higher than that.

Buskalilly wrote:

For me, NEO TWEWY is in an awkward spot because I feel I should play the original first but if I play it on anything other than the original DS cart Jay will fly to Japan and supplex me.

That's definitely the best option. There is however an alternative, that apparently also covers the bit from the worse port of the original niche product.

I don't even dislike the motion controls, I can just see where they're a little lacking at times. Maybe the HD version has done more than I realise as it hasn't felt like a drag at any point which I understand a lot of people have a problem with.

I'll be getting to NEOTWEWY shortly, it's only that I still had a JRPG in flight in MHS2 + No More Heroes excitement that has pushed it back!

I really liked Skyward on Wii and if you catch me on the right day would maybe say it's my favourite Wii game but on Switch I don't like either control method.

Axiom Verge 2 really has it's hooks into me now, I was planning to float between a handful of games (as my backlog is quite big now & will only be worse but the end of the year) but it's just so good I can't pull myself away from it.
Actually a bit worried that Metroid Dread has a tough act to follow come October as well.

I adored SS on the Wii, and I've been assuming control complainers are just weak-armed idiots but I'm intrigued if it is different on the Switch . . .

I've been playing Ys IX which is a good fun action RPG, albeit with some framerate hiccups (not as bad as I'd expected though). It feels more like a sideways move from Ys VIII rather than a proper step forward, but I really liked VIII, so I don't really care.

I was on holiday last week and downloaded Boomerang Fu for some local multiplayer sessions since it's been on sale for about £1.80. It's really good fun - kind of Towerfall-esque in its structure, in that you're basically running around trying to kill everyone else, and the first person to 10 points wins. Recommended if you want a frantic couch multiplayer game.

Buskalilly wrote:

I adored SS on the Wii, and I've been assuming control complainers are just weak-armed idiots but I'm intrigued if it is different on the Switch . . .

I switched between both motion and buttons I. My playthrough depending on whether or not I had the TV free and both are fine. The motion controls feel the same as the ever did and the button controls are basically classic Zelda with more control over your sword, people that have complained about that seem to think you need to hold the L button all the time but it's only when you really need to move the free camera which isn't necessary that often.

I don't think they've changed anything (although there's a huge portion of the game I seemingly forgotten bits of), it just looks incredibly nice with less Fi explaining there's a 60% chance that seemingly obvious thing that's about to happen will happen. Worth it if you've got the time to revisit a classic.

Treesmurf wrote:

...people that have complained about that seem to think you need to hold the L button all the time but it's only when you really need to move the free camera which isn't necessary that often.

*isn't necessary ever

I genuinely suspect including the free camera has led to a worse reception than if they hadn't

Buskalilly wrote:

I adored SS on the Wii, and I've been assuming control complainers are just weak-armed idiots but I'm intrigued if it is different on the Switch . . .

I'm wondering this too. I doubt that the accelerometers in the Joy-Cons are quite as good as those in Motion+, and I'm sure the Joy-Con doesn't feel quite as exciting to wield as something that felt substantial enough in the hand to really feel like a sword hilt.

OrangeRakoon wrote:

I'll be getting to NEOTWEWY shortly, it's only that I still had a JRPG in flight in MHS2 + No More Heroes excitement that has pushed it back!

If it's not better than MHS2 I'll eat your hat.

Rum wrote:

I've been playing Ys IX which is a good fun action RPG, albeit with some framerate hiccups (not as bad as I'd expected though). It feels more like a sideways move from Ys VIII rather than a proper step forward, but I really liked VIII, so I don't really care.

Ah yes! I started Ys VIII this last week. Then I immediately regretted it. Coming to it straight off NEO TWEWY the start felt so hackneyed and looked so... well, like a ported Vita game that I realised I was going to need to give it some time between the two. (Also being unable to change to Japanese voices for what felt like far too long as a misstep.) Watch this space... but maybe wait a few weeks first.

I might have to dig out the Wii to compare but from memory it doesn't feel any different to what I remember, the part about it being less substantial has now also reminded me that you could get big sword attachments for Wii controllers, that was a good idea.

OrangeRakoon wrote:

Treesmurf wrote:

...people that have complained about that seem to think you need to hold the L button all the time but it's only when you really need to move the free camera which isn't necessary that often.

*isn't necessary ever

I genuinely suspect including the free camera has led to a worse reception than if they hadn't

Yes sorry you're right, it's just a very nice QoL improvement and if you play with motion controls then the holding down L argument is obsolete.

Balladeer wrote:

Rum wrote:

I've been playing Ys IX which is a good fun action RPG, albeit with some framerate hiccups (not as bad as I'd expected though). It feels more like a sideways move from Ys VIII rather than a proper step forward, but I really liked VIII, so I don't really care.

Ah yes!  I started Ys VIII this last week.  Then I immediately regretted it.  Coming to it straight off NEO TWEWY the start felt so hackneyed and looked so... well, like a ported Vita game that I realised I was going to need to give it some time between the two.  (Also being unable to change to Japanese voices for what felt like far too long as a misstep.)  Watch this space... but maybe wait a few weeks first.

This is exactly the kind of reaction I would have expected from you. Ys is a bit ham-fisted with low production values (the textures in IX are gash) but I like it because it's campy and doesn't take itself too seriously. And no game was going to have a chance straight after your current GOTY.

Balladeer wrote:

I'm wondering this too.  I doubt that the accelerometers in the Joy-Cons are quite as good as those in Motion+

Based on some of those minigames in 1, 2 Switch I'm pretty sure the accelerometers are as good if not better. The heft could be a real thing though, I suppose.
I'm pretty sure it's just people being daft and not as used to those kinds of controls as those of us who were coming off the back of five years of Wii were.

Quote :

If it's not better than MHS2 I'll eat your hat.

I'm looking at the Wiki here and it doesn't seem to feature any Gammoths at all, so I'd be mixing up some hat-eating sauce if I were you.

It's the keep needing to resync the Joy-Con where the Wiimote the Wiibar kept that right more often.

Skyward Sword didn't use the sensor bar - and hence required loads of resynching. You just don't remember all that shit because it's a great game, but most reviewers these days would rather a mediocre game that runs smoothly and uses the industry's standardised twin-stick controls.

Did it not? Thought it would so it knows where pointing for firing arrows etc. You bring up standard controls though and as you know I didn't like the Wii much because of motion controls but finished Skyward back to back and play motion controls now in things like VR, that I'm not unused to it.

I know EofGiz misses who is fan of the game (she has ink like you) has dropped the HD remaster, which think she also dropped off due to the controls. I maybe wrong and EofGiz can correct me, also few in TOH discord weren't overly keen that not just a mad Mas thing.

To me feels like the game which was made for the Wii, like can't imagine NintendoLand being great on Switch.