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[Zonic]

I think Capcom just wasn't want to release two big MH games near the same time, which would confuse the less-informed consumers as to if they should get the PS4/X1 version or the Switch version. Plus I would imagine having to work on both games at the same time would just be a huge ordeal & cause both titles to come out later since their resources are being split.

They already localized X/Generations on 3DS, I'm sure XX will happen eventually, they just take time due to the huge amount of text that has to be translated.

 

[Ondore]

In theory, since XX is basically Generations + extra quests and G-rank it's not as big, but we'll have to wait and see on that.

 

[Crimm]

I say this with 0 inside knowledge - just a hunch.

I think many Japanese publishers were taking a cautious approach with Switch, and now they're in an interesting spot. We have Akihiro Hino at E3 telling Eurogamer that he's trying to "figure out" how to make a Layton game on Switch.

3 months post-launch, 6 post-reveal, assuredly many more months after he first saw Switch, he's still trying to "figure out" Layton on Switch? What's there to figure out? I get that there's some questions about docked vs handheld, but we already have handheld-only games, and you could still control the Layton pointer with the Joy Con. But good grief, you're literally publishing a touchscreen-only Layton game for mobile within weeks.

Think about who has actually released games. Bamco has announced four games (none released), Arc System 3 (2 released, one was Othelo). Tecmo Koei Tecmo is publishing a six games (2 out, none about VCRs), and co-developing another with Nintendo. Sega/Atlus has four (1 out). Nippon Ichi ported a game. Marvelous is creating...a monstrosity with HD Rumble.

Look how many of these games are just announced. It's pretty clear Japan wasn't ready to cash in, even with ports.

Where's Capcom? A currently Japan-only port of a 3DS DX version of a game that's a best-of of a series that was still using PS2 models and a port of a downloadable version of a 20 year old fighting game with the addition of slightly-irritated Ken. Capcom has less Switch projects than Flyhigh Works.

The question is how many publishers lean into Switch. I don't have accurate Switch and PS4 Japan sales handy. PS4 was at 4.5m a few months ago. Let's say they're at 5m. At around the same time the 4.5m figure came out we heard Nintendo sold 0.5m Switch in Japan. There are some -highly dubious- estimates at the .75m number. If your target market is Japan - which seems like a bad idea given the state of that market - you're going to have to consider a Switch version. If you're thinking internationally, which you should be if you're a Japanese publisher, then the Switch has a lot of work to do (not to mention technical limitations).

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

I say this with 0 inside knowledge - just a hunch.

I think many Japanese publishers were taking a cautious approach with Switch, and now they're in an interesting spot. We have Akihiro Hino at E3 telling Eurogamer that he's trying to "figure out" how to make a Layton game on Switch.

3 months post-launch, 6 post-reveal, assuredly many more months after he first saw Switch, he's still trying to "figure out" Layton on Switch? What's there to figure out? I get that there's some questions about docked vs handheld, but we already have handheld-only games, and you could still control the Layton pointer with the Joy Con. But good grief, you're literally publishing a touchscreen-only Layton game for mobile within weeks.

Think about who has actually released games. Bamco has announced four games (none released), Arc System 3 (2 released, one was Othelo). Tecmo Koei Tecmo is publishing a six games (2 out, none about VCRs), and co-developing another with Nintendo. Sega/Atlus has four (1 out). Nippon Ichi ported a game. Marvelous is creating...a monstrosity with HD Rumble.

Look how many of these games are just announced. It's pretty clear Japan wasn't ready to cash in, even with ports.

Where's Capcom? A currently Japan-only port of a 3DS DX version of a game that's a best-of of a series that was still using PS2 models and a port of a downloadable version of a 20 year old fighting game with the addition of slightly-irritated Ken. Capcom has less Switch projects than Flyhigh Works.

The question is how many publishers lean into Switch. I don't have accurate Switch and PS4 Japan sales handy. PS4 was at 4.5m a few months ago. Let's say they're at 5m. At around the same time the 4.5m figure came out we heard Nintendo sold 0.5m Switch in Japan. There are some -highly dubious- estimates at the .75m number. If your target market is Japan - which seems like a bad idea given the state of that market - you're going to have to consider a Switch version. If you're thinking internationally, which you should be if you're a Japanese publisher, then the Switch has a lot of work to do (not to mention technical limitations).

From the latest Media Create numbers:

Switch: 953.950
PS4: 4.826.579

Switch has been selling everything Nintendo can put on shelves, and Splatoon 2 hasn't even hit yet, nor has the increased production shown up. They have a good chance of hitting 2 million before the end of the year in Japan. Publishers were no doubt hedging their bets because Nintendo themselves didn't know this audience would be there, but they will definitely be jumping on board with both feet sooner than later.

 

[Crimm]

Nice! Thanks for the assist.

I'm not sure they hit 2m in Japan this year - not for lack of trying. I'm concerned the NAND shortage will continue to impact their ability to produce hardware.

You can see how bad the situation is with the feeding frenzy around the auction for Toshiba's chip division. I think at one point there were 10 competing bids to buy them - many by companies looking to secure their supply line, and bids were topping out at 3T Yen. The bidding is caught up with a mix of Japanese regulators not particularly eager to see a major Japanese company fall into foreign hands and Toshiba's likely realization that the bids keep getting higher.

Foxconn is one of the leading bidders, but most exposed to Japanese regulators. Foxconn has/does produce hardware for Nintendo, but Apple is their bread and butter - and you best believe they'll get first dibs.

 

[Worthintendo]

I say this with 0 inside knowledge - just a hunch.

I think many Japanese publishers were taking a cautious approach with Switch, and now they're in an interesting spot. We have Akihiro Hino at E3 telling Eurogamer that he's trying to "figure out" how to make a Layton game on Switch.

3 months post-launch, 6 post-reveal, assuredly many more months after he first saw Switch, he's still trying to "figure out" Layton on Switch? What's there to figure out? I get that there's some questions about docked vs handheld, but we already have handheld-only games, and you could still control the Layton pointer with the Joy Con. But good grief, you're literally publishing a touchscreen-only Layton game for mobile within weeks.

Think about who has actually released games. Bamco has announced four games (none released), Arc System 3 (2 released, one was Othelo). Tecmo Koei Tecmo is publishing a six games (2 out, none about VCRs), and co-developing another with Nintendo. Sega/Atlus has four (1 out). Nippon Ichi ported a game. Marvelous is creating...a monstrosity with HD Rumble.

Look how many of these games are just announced. It's pretty clear Japan wasn't ready to cash in, even with ports.

Where's Capcom? A currently Japan-only port of a 3DS DX version of a game that's a best-of of a series that was still using PS2 models and a port of a downloadable version of a 20 year old fighting game with the addition of slightly-irritated Ken. Capcom has less Switch projects than Flyhigh Works.

The question is how many publishers lean into Switch. I don't have accurate Switch and PS4 Japan sales handy. PS4 was at 4.5m a few months ago. Let's say they're at 5m. At around the same time the 4.5m figure came out we heard Nintendo sold 0.5m Switch in Japan. There are some -highly dubious- estimates at the .75m number. If your target market is Japan - which seems like a bad idea given the state of that market - you're going to have to consider a Switch version. If you're thinking internationally, which you should be if you're a Japanese publisher, then the Switch has a lot of work to do (not to mention technical limitations).

Its kind of telling how the Switch caught Japanese companies unawares if you compare the Switch Launch Period to that of the 3DS.

In the 3DS's first few months it had from Capcom Super Street Fighter 4 and Resident Evil The Mercenaries as well as Resident Evil Revelations on announced. Capcom was one of the biggest supporters of the 3DS from a 3rd party standpoint in Japan and yet they have nothing really planned for The Switch. Even something that should make soo much sense to be on The Switch like The Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 at this stage hasn't been announced.

Level 5 was all onboard for the 3DS from Day 1 as well with Layton coming out in Japan but nothing for The Switch as of yet. I don't buy the "It's hard to figure out" what to do with The Switch, something like LBX or even Inazuma Eleven could work fine on The Switch tbh and both are the kind of games I think would do well with early adopters who will pick up most things just to have something to play.

The only real 3rd Party Japanese Publisher who has been fully onboard with The Switch is Square-Enix which is strange when you look back to the 3DS (and even The DS) where they didn't really announce much ahead of those launches or show the support they are with the Switch (DQXI being announced for the system is huge) and already have 2 games out for it (DQ Heroes in Japan & I Am Setsuna everywhere).

I'm also kinda surprised Atlas doesn't have anything announced in the near future for the system as well, this early on for the 3DS we at least knew a port of Devil Survivor was coming very soon (launched on August 23 2011). We do know a SMT game is coming to The Switch but for a company that was all in on Nintendo Handhelds I'm surprised to not see anything properly shown for The Switch yet.

I'm sure this will turn around but its really telling how they had no faith in The Switch or maybe just how guarded Nintendo was about The Switch before its reveal.

 

[Crimm]

Atlus does like to linger on late platforms. It's the old Dragon Quest approach of drop the game right before the curtain closes on a system versus trying to be there when the new system has its smallest audience.

I didn't include Square Enix by accident, but they're also really weird. They've shown a lot of stuff but quite a lot is not out.

A few ports (DQ Warriors I and II, I am Setsuna, re:Legend)
A new multi-plat (Lost Sphere)
A pay-to-play remake of a free-to-play game (Spelunker)
A SNES/GB collection (Seiken Densetsu Collection)
An unseen version of Dragon Quest XI
Whatever the hell Project Octopath Traveler is - which tellingly we haven't heard hide nor hair of in months.

They have a lot of commitments but they're still in the "please show your work" phase of the game. Even though they've announced quite a bit, they're not really in position to exploit the system either.

It is entirely possible I've read the situation backwards - these publishers WOULD have been ready at launch, but Nintendo didn't get them what they needed in time in order to release games in a timely manner. That just seems like such an unlikely own-goal that I'm struggling to see Square Enix not getting one of the very first devkits in existence.

 

[Worthintendo]

I can kinda see Nintendo being pissy at Capcom in the lead up to the Switch launch and not giving them alot of access to Switch Dev Kits with the whole Monster Hunter situation. Nintendo put in alot of work to help build up Monster Hunter in the west and then Capcom decides to go PS4/XboxOne for the next big game in the series. I'm sure someone at Nintendo was fuming over that as having Monster Hunter locked up again for another generation and on The Switch would have meant amazing things for the system in Japan. So Nintendo doesn't give Capcom much to work with for The Switch and Capcom makes Street Fighter 2 Costs Too much Edition and a port of Monster Hunter XX just to try and hedge their bets or something.

I kinda get the whole Monster Hunter situation from Capcom and why they aren't saying anything on XX to the West, it annoys me but I can understand it. The one that I find strange is Mega Man Legacy Collection 2, there is no reason for that not to be on The Switch outside of they don't want to do it even though you would imagine its a super safe bet for them.

 

[Neifirst]

I kinda get the whole Monster Hunter situation from Capcom and why they aren't saying anything on XX to the West, it annoys me but I can understand it. The one that I find strange is Mega Man Legacy Collection 2, there is no reason for that not to be on The Switch outside of they don't want to do it even though you would imagine its a super safe bet for them.

I find the lack of Disney Afternoon Collection on Switch even more mind-boggling.

 

[Worthintendo]

I find the lack of Disney Afternoon Collection on Switch even more mind-boggling.

Nah I can see a reason for that being that Disney is full on with the licenses and all that. To get it on another platform would require renegotiation with Disney which may not be worth the trouble.

 

[Crimm]

They both speak to a lack of faith in Switch.

No doubt Capcom has known about Switch for a -long-time. Hell, we've known about "NX" for two or three years. Mega Man was do-able if they wanted to, and quite likely they could have included Switch in initial negotiations with Disney. More likely, they didn't anticipate sales on Switch to justify the extra lift to produce those versions. If that calculus would change with the advantage of hindsight is something only the producers of those games can say, but the reason neither game is coming pretty clear.

 

[Dingens]

On the other hand there is still the report that claimed Capcom asked Nintendo to increase the ram in Switch. And the same report also talks about how Capcom ported the Re7 engine to Switch
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1353695
makes it even more surprising that they appear unprepared for the switch

The whole japanese 3rd party situation is really peculiar atm. Or maybe they're just waiting for TGS to open the flood gates, who knows?

[...] I could see World being more of a game-as-a-service (which makes sense on PS4/XB1), cycling in monsters that are first introduced in the mainline series (i.e. on Switch). [...]

did they ever hint towards something like a service model? granted, I haven't been following mhw news closely so idk

 

[silks]

did they ever hint towards something like a service model? granted, I haven't been following mhw news closely so idk

Nope. They haven't addressed the business model really. They haven't said anything as to whether or not it'll be subscription in Japan, either (aside from one vague comment that they later clarified was about ongoing DLC support, rather than a confirmation of a subscription model).

 

[Ondore]

So what happens when Guillaume does the right thing during E3 and flees the country? Well...
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/...erys-scottish-haggis-challenge-ft-joanna-dark

E3 is over, and most of the RFN Crew has returned home. Gui is still out in the Scottish Highlands, seeking fame and fortune as the last Highlander. A "short" episode actually delivered, with a quick New Business and a bunch of Listener Mail.

Greg kicks us off with impressions of the Hey! Pikmin and Ever Oasis demos. After that, we're right into the mailbag. This week we answer questions about: buying stuff with our face on it, being terrible at games on camera, Capcom's Switch absence (in light of the Monster Hunter World announcement), and reminding our curious listeners that Retro's next game is Texas Brisket Challenge. You can defend the honor of various meats by sending us an email.

The word for this episode is "raucous."

Time: 1'38"09
Outro: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Elysium Of The Blue Skies
Downloads: MP3 | AAC
Gui's strategy: I'm considering it next year, if I can find an English speaking country that isn't in the midst of imploding.

 

[OMG Aero]

Jon telling everyone to try prime rib while the melancholic piano Xenoblade music started playing at the end of the episode was some incredible editing.

 

[Crimm]

Sometimes the raw audio just speaks to you

 

[Ondore]

Guess who's back / back again / Gui is back / Tell a friend
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/44939/episode-529-maslows-hierarchy-of-oasis-needs

Our Moral Compass has returned; Guillaume is back from his expedition to slay the Loch Ness Monster. Made whole by his return, we let him kick-off New Business by catching us up on his recent 3DS experiences, most notably lost child simulator Rhythm Heaven Megamix and the third-best game with a Space Abraham Lincoln, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. Jon drives us through the chaos of Rocket League - coming soon to Switch - and we U-Turn into a conversation about the role of cross-play for the game. James taps into his long experience diving into dungeons and building towns with Ever Oasis. All these inspirations are games he loves (Zelda, ActRaiser, Atelier, Recettear, etc.), but the game is too caught up in the micromanagement to ever rise above the sum of its parts. Greg closes out New Business with a look at fist-flinging fighter ARMS. Does ARMS have legs? I'm sorry...

After the break, it's time for Listener Mail. This week we spend way too much time talking about Sushi Striker: Way of the Sushido, and try to suss out the role of the Mini retro consoles in light of Nintendo's still-unexplained Virtual Console strategy on Switch. You can ask us facetious GotY questions and get uncomfortably serious answers by sending us an email.

Time: 2'18"38
Outro: Donkey Kong Country - Ice Cave Chant
Downloads: MP3 | AAC
Jon's bad Scottish accent: Back in force.

 

[Dingens]

Damn. i was exactly in the same situation as gui in regards to codename steam. never bought it because everyone was just negative about it, picked it up on a whim for like 6€ and absolutely loved everything about it. Not only due to the gameplay, but also because 3d games like this are surprisingly rare on the 3ds... Strangely enough we had many more of them in the early days of the system (like Re:Re and MGS3d). After all this years it was kind of a breath of fresh air to not see another isometric super deformed game.
Thinking about it, maybe I should turn the last part into some soft of listener mail question


for the snes mini to have any nostalgic value in Europe, they should've changed some roms - or at the very least could've added Terranigma, since that's by far the most fondly remembered game - at least in France and Germany



btw: was there ever an explanation given for why "now playing" was quietly phased out?

 

[Crimm]

btw: was there ever an explanation given for why "now playing" was quietly phased out?

Scheduling. It was recorded on Sunday which meant Jon and I had to pull back together and write a script It was tough to coordinate. You also may not have noticed, due to our dulcet tones, but we were staggeringly terrible at promoting Nintendo World Report.

 

[Dingens]

Scheduling. It was recorded on Sunday which meant Jon and I had to pull back together and write a script It was tough to coordinate. You also may not have noticed, due to our dulcet tones, but we were staggeringly terrible at promoting Nintendo World Report.

oh... I always thought that was part of the joke... and the appeal

 

[Crimm]

Originally it was a serious segment to create "synergy" between the podcast and the site. But yeah, at the end the joke was how bad Jon and I were at actually promoting the site and how much shit we could fling at each other. When I became host I started to feel a little awkward taking shots at the site - even in good fun.

I do miss the flinging, but the larger show has sort of absorbed a lot of that.

 

[Ondore]

If RFN had sponsors, this week's episode would be brought to you by Backloggery.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/44975/episode-530-the-missed-opportunities-of-bmx-xxx

We introduce a new feature to Radio Free Nintendo this week: Email Update! We start the show with some news on previous Listener Mail questions, in an effort to keep our audience abreast of all the goings on in Nintendo land. Stay tuned to see us forget to ever do this segment again.

Following these timely updates, it's New Business. James kicks it off with a look at recently-on sale Snake Pass for Switch. Often accused of being a snake, James finds that these past aspersions were highly inaccurate. Being a snake has never been more difficult. Jon has a very early look at the new Legend of Zelda: Breath of the DLC...DLC, The Master Trials. Jon also got to use this DLC to reflect on his past choices navigating Zelda. These aren't the choices needing self-reflection, but we're hopeful this will establish healthy habits. Guillaume has also been playing Zelda! He finished off Oracle of Ages and then moved onto Link to the Past. However, the real treasure of this segment is an oddly-placed riff on My Nintendo. Free Swapdoodle stationary now available. Greg polishes the brass...chin with ARMS. An update on his previous report from the competitive hand-flinging simulator, he's pretty convinced he's found his ceiling. I too have found my ceiling, trying to come up with another body part pun.

Following a short snippet of Perry Burkum music, it's time for Listener Mail. This week we cover: if the European SNES Mini is 50 or 60hz for unpatriotic Americans who want to defect from their home's SNES, circumnavigating our backlog like 16th Century explorers, and what will be left for Nintendo to publish in 2019. You to can give us a window to talk about Scores (NSFW) by sending us an email.

Time: 2:10:53
Outro: Jergingha - Planet Destruction (Wonderful 101 by way of Smash Bros)
Downloads: MP3 | AAC
The Switch In 2019: Metroid Prime 4 (Federation Force HD) and a whooooole lot of new IP

 

[Boogiepop]

Hooray! Finally caught up on RFN. Thanks to the handiness of the search feature on this thread, and me commenting fairly early on in listening through, I can say that I've been steadily progressing through since November 2015, so... this has been a work over quite some time. But I've listened to it all now. It was fun, definitely got some real enjoyment out of doing it.

Also, psh, claims for need of reader mail have clearly been greatly exaggerated, as none of the few I sent while listening made it on, unless I zoned out more than I thought. (But no, honestly do understand that it's one of those things, and me being wordy as hell probably didn't help getting picked, haha. But I do honestly hope at least some of the big listener mail I just sent to commemorate finishing makes it on...)

Anyway, plan to keep listening, only it'll be keeping up rather than catching up now. And I think at least for now I'll fill that "I need lots of podcasts to casually listen to while working" void with the sister podcasts on the site, and see how that works.

Edit: Also, man, this is actually going to be weird after so long, working without you guys talking in the background...

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

I finally listened to the Zelda spoiler cast! Thanks to hearing James talking about it, I

Spoiler

prepped like Batman and went on a Lionel-killing rampage in that long valley with the giant horse at the end. I watched so many videos of people taking those things down with only a twig and a piece of bark, that it inspired me to git gud at fighting them.

They're still scary, mind you, but they're nowhere near as daunting as the time I first encountered the Lionel near Zora's domain with only three hearts and some pilfered Lizalfos weapons. It took me around six tries, but I did eventually kill him. I didn't know you weren't supposed to.

Anyway, I have a giant horse now. Thanks, James!

 

[Ondore]

Hey James, the plural of that product is "Zunes".
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/45004/episode-531-getting-down-to-brass-max

It's time for another inverted episode, so we start off this week with Listener Mail! In the first segment we tackle a trio of emails: the events of parallel universes in which Nintendo isn't the crazy console manufacturer, The Best Mario Game of 2018 (and why it's not Atelier Waluigi), and forecasting a Nintendo 64 Mini. What we've learned: if you send us an email positing parallel universes, you're riding without a seat belt.

After the break we ameliorate a paucity of New Business content by covering two more emails. We answer whether or not Xenoblade Chronicles 2 looks rushed, and debate if Nintendo will ever feel comfortable making a touchscreen-focused Switch game. You can send us ideas for Bizarro Universes via the inbox.

We wrap the show up with A Little Bit of...New Business. Guillaume has an interesting duo, with thoughts on the 3DS remake of Dragon Quest VIII and a look at the multiplayer mode of The Adventures of Tintin (The Movie: The Game). Greg concludes the show with a pre-order update on the European special edition of Metroid: Samus Reloaded. As always, RFN is your source for pre-order news, previews, and reviews.

Time: 2'03"55
Outro: Pursuit - The Final Case (The Great Ace Attorney)
Downloads: MP3 | AAC
Hindsight: I think I should've arranged for a username change this week.

 

[Dingens]

Mario Party 1 and 2 both had a skateboarding mini game each. The first one had some collapsing floor with lava underneath, and in the 2nd one you were running from a Boo (it kinda sucked though since only the last few seconds actually mattered...)

 

[Zonic]

Does Super Mario 64 DS count as a "better version" of a N64 game? There's also Star Fox 64 3D & I guess F-Zero GX over X.

But I fully agree with the N64 Mini discussion. I told my friend that half the games people want, they won't get because they're stuff that Nintendo won't be able to get. Goldeneye? Licensing nightmare. Banjo Kazooie? Rare owns it. Diddy Kong Racing? Won't happen due to Rare characters.

There's also the fact that you gotta sell FOUR controllers for the "full" multiplayer experience, & I know Nintendo either won't bundle all 4 with the system or if they do, they're going to charge even more.. Sure, you can add Mario Kart 64, but what else? Mario Party 2? I guess, but not exactly the crowd pleaser when it came to the N64's biggest multiplayer games. Super Smash Bros? REALLY doubt you want to go back to the first game after Melee....or the others.

Paper Mario would make for a decent choice since it's aged rather well. But yeah, there's just so few games to choose from & a decent amount of them just have better versions.

....I guess you could also add Yoshi's Story....yay?

Edit: & let's not forget about games that used the controller pak (Mario Kart 64 didn't have ghost data on Wii or Wii U), Expansion pak (though I guess they have it figured out with Majora's Mask & DK64), & rumble (do you build it into the controller? Do you sell it separately? Do you include it for each controller & it still has to be inserted?)

 

[plufim]

Gui's talk of Oracle of Seasons got me to check out Club Nintendo, and those 40% discounts with my gold points netted me both Oracke games. Enjoying Seasons so far, although holy shit am I dying A LOT.

As for mini console #3, I really think you're all right, neither N64 or cube mini make a heap of sense. But a GAMEBOY mini, especially if it had tetris, now that would rake in cash.

 

[Dingens]

but I wonder... would a "Gameboy mini" be an actual handheld..? like with a screen and such...? how much more mini could you make it before you can't see anything?
A "Gameboy mini" may be viable from a nostalgia pov, but seems rather impractical...

edit: woah... looking at the screenshots in the Nintendo Voicechat App thread, seems like your prediction was spot on.

 

[Crimm]

Jonny once posited a VC-only device Nintendo could sell.

I'm still not convinced they'd rather not put you in a shiny new Switch, but I can see the route to it now.

NES Classic Mini 2.0

• On-Device Storage
• Network Access
• Nintendo Account Integration
• VC-only eShop

Not limited to NES games I guess, since I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if the guts in the NES and SNES Mini are the same.

This only works if Nintendo is committing to account purchases for your VC stuff + subscriptions they've talked about. Having a second device with your VC stuff on it isn't a bad thing.

Those of us who own a Switch (and buy VC stuff) would benefit being able to play on a different TV.

Nostalgia junkies can get their fix buying new games or subscribing Netflix-style. Nintendo can also push them on the "take all these games with you on Switch."

I still don't expect it, but I can see the argument of the Nintendo people who would push it.

 

[Ondore]

Pearl did nothing wrong, except get lit up like a Squidmas tree all weekend. Marina is, as the kids say, "savage af".
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/45038/episode-532-not-caring-our-way-to-134-minutes

After last week's abbreviated New Business, it should come as no surprise that this week we've got a veritable New Business Bonanza! Greg starts the show off with Nintendo's newest Squid/Kid simulator, Splatoon 2. While he was the only one who had the game as of our recording, Gui and James both spent time with the free Splatfest demo Nintendo ran last weekend. Who won the Cake v. Cake Splatfest? It doesn't matter; Pearl did nothing wrong. James is up next with a new addition to his home: an Xbox One S and its bundled games. He joins Jon and Greg on Team XBONE, discussing his adjustment to the system and offering thoughts on Anime Racing Simulator DX (a.k.a. Forza Motorsport 6). Meanwhile, Guillaume borrowed a physical copy of I Am Setsuna and discovered a better title might have been I Am Recycled Plot Ideas. He does turn the game's rather lackluster writing into a brief dramatic reading, so there's always that brightness in our lives. Jon wraps up New Business with his return to Eorzea with Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood. I always thought of him as a ranged DPS, and now he can be everyone's favorite Red Mage.

After the break we finally pay off our long-overdue RetroActive debt! We're pleased to announce that Super Mario Sunshine (GC) is the next entry in our long-suffering feature. Greg is already expressing reservations about the pachinko stages, and we're not even planning to do the RetroActive until mid-to-late August. That emotion you're already feeling is called resignation. Look for the comments thread to pop up in the NWR forums in the next couple of days.

We conclude the show with a serving of Listener Mail. Topics this week are: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past for a new generation, the next "great" video game adaption, and the future of Punch-Out!! You can send us more depressing news about Mega Man via our inbox.

Time: 2'13"50
Outro: Super Mario Sunshine - Sky and Sea
Downloads: MP3 | AAC
Retroactive prediction: Someone will invoke the Dr. Metts quote about Super Ghouls and Ghosts.

 

[OMG Aero]

With last episode being about parallel universes I guess this one is about time travel, since at the start of the show James says it's September 20th 2017 and no-one corrects him.

 

[Crimm]

With last episode being about parallel universes I guess this one is about time travel, since at the start of the show James says it's September 20th 2017 and no-one corrects him.

Shh, you'll create a time paradox.

 

[Makonero]

Shh, you'll create a time paradox.

You just need to start getting creatively wrong.

February 30th

April 31st

Episode 4,445

September 10, 2001

etc.

 

[Crimm]

I tried to calculate what episode we'd be on in a year and do that once, but I forgot to do it. There's way too much bullshit that we do before the show in order for me to remember.

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

I take it that the GameCube version of Sunshine is the only way to play it, right?

 

[Crimm]

Legitimately? Yes. Nintendo has never re-released it. Obviously it's been a target of the emulation community.

 

[Boogiepop]

Ooh, hopefully at least one of you guys goes deep on Sunshine to get at the real crap. Went through it 100% for the first time like a year or so back, and... yeah, the game really falls apart the further you stray from the "core" line of just heading straight through the game. Like, I don't expect anyone to go for all the blue coins (that ain't worth anybody's time, and is a mess and a chore even with a freaking guide, assuming you aren't crazy methodical in terms of keeping track of what you've gotten). But I do at least hope there's some discussion of crap like that last Yoshi mission in Ricco Harbor...

It's such a weird game though in that it's like, part great game (the controls in particular, and the awesome hub, and SOME of the missions), and part terrible game (most of the final missions on levels, things like the dreaded pachinko and leaf on the poison river, all the reuse, that damn half-baked volcano and final fight...) Of course it's understandably likely due to the rushed development, I'd assume, but yeah... it's probably the perfect example of what happens when a game fails to get that proper Nintendo polish.

 

[Dingens]

Gotta admit I'm kinda conflicted about it... On one hand this would be the first retro active in a looooong time I could participate without spending any money... on the other hand it's Super Mario Sunshine -_- ugh
Can't even muster up the strength to go get it from the shelve. It's not a bad game by any means, but it just has this "uhh... I'm not sure I really wanna play this"-aura surrounding it. And every time I actually forced myself to play it, I was just thinking something along the lines of "... I'm having fun now.... right? right?"
This never happened with any other game. Maybe it is cursed.



In case you're looking for an idea for the next retro active (the one after this one),

Spoiler

how about mediocre unknown Wii games. I'm not talking about the usual suspects most people refer to when talking about "hidden gems" on Wii (like Silent Hill, No more Heroes, Little King's Story or Fragile Dreams), but rather the more obscure titles like Opoona, Dragonblade, the Soulcalibur action adventure spin-off, the Wii Overlord game, Cursed Mountain or the Sky Crawlers. There are actually quite a lot of these 60~70% range titles and almost all of them tried something "new" with the controls (which is usually the reason for the mediocre reviews). But beyond that, there are actually quite a lot of interesting games hidden in-between, which would make for an interesting discussion.

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

In the last few weeks, my 4 year old son has become obsessed with watching Let's Plays of Mario games on YouTube. If you let him, he'll spend hours watching people play Mario Party mini games, Mario Kart or Super Mario Run.

I put on a Let's Play of Sunshine for him, since I was curious and didn't think I could acquire the game, let alone play it, before the end of August, so I watched it with him.

The beginning cut scene, with its dodgy voice acting, went on for fifteen minutes without once letting the player take control. At one point, my son turns to me and says "This game is boring, Daddy."

I sighed and told him "Mario will start jumping soon, I promise. Let's just keep watching."

The cutscene went on for another five minutes after that, introducing Fludd etc. Hoo boy.

He enjoyed the action once it got going, I think. He thought the Fludd was great and got really excited when Mario picked up a Shine "Look Daddy! Mario got another funny star!" I'm starting to understand why Mario games since have been so threadbare on story.

 

[Ondore]

A live report from the squid and kid dichotomy.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/...-like-to-guitgud-but-the-video-game-is-closed

Splatoon 2 is out, but you know that since many of you are probably playing it as you listen to this. That said, there are other games to talk about, and this week Guillaume starts off New Business with Death Squared. The unexpected star of Gui's social calendar, the co-op puzzle game about exploding boxes turned out to be a surprise blast. Jon turns up the anime with Raiden V for Xbox One. This scrolling shooter mixes classic Raiden game play with absurd presentation; James is smitten. James, Greg, and Gui are all deep in Splatoon 2. A lot of the talk is about things the crew is surprised weren't changed in the sequel, and talk turns to the seemingly-unplayable Salmon Run. James is full of hot takes; feeling unfulfilled just recounting an...unfortunate stream, he also finds time to badmouth completely fictional characters for their vapidness. Truly, times have been tough on him.

After the break it's time for a couple of Listener Mail questions. First up the crew is asked to pick a game for a remake à la Metroid: Samus Returns. The crew rambles off a list of impossible suggestions, furtively searching for the one game that can prevent the unpreventable. Alas, history has already made it clear that they've created the circumstances that will lead to Super Mario Sunshine DX. The second email asks what Sony and Microsoft can learn from Nintendo. No, this isn't another multiverse question. You can ask us how to show cars at your stage show by sending us an email.

RetroActive has always been about summer-time fun. Prove me wrong. In that spirit, this time we're taking a look at Super Mario Sushine for the GameCube. We'll be having our feature conversation in mid-August, so get started and contribute your thoughts to our talkback thread so we can use them on the show.

Time: 1'25"37
Outro: Professor Layton and the Unwound/Lost Future Main Theme
Downloads: MP3 | AAC
Can't get upset about Salmon Run hours: When you have no interest in playing it to begin with
Retroactive: Cannot be called fun when previous candidates included Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Zelda II and Ninja Spirit (now on Wii U VC in North America)

 

[Crimm]

As a follow-up to today's show - I did play Raiden V this morning (on twitch no less) and it was even more funny than Jon made it out to be.

 

[Ondore]

We'll know in a couple of weeks if Mario Sunshine has broken the team.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/45114/episode-534-demonstrably-false

While planning this week's episode, we quickly determined that nobody had much New Business going on and the segment was doomed to be boring. A change was in order! While another mailbag-only episode may have been a perfectly acceptable solution, a revisiting of the 20 Questions format gives the show an extra dimension.

Four emails this week cover: how long Nintendo can wait to announce a Switch port of Smash Bros.; how Nintendo dodged the stink of Pokémon GO Fest; what other Nintendo games could be made into VR experiences; and what portable-only experiences are made possible by Switch. Between each email we play a round of 20 Questions. Coming into the episode we've successfully guessed all previous games. Do we manage to keep the streak going? You can send your 20 questions (or just one) to our inbox.

Some news this week: we're going to take next week off. It's been a while since our last vacation, and giving us a week apart will allow us to come back with a newfound appreciation for one another, full of the piss and vinegar you know and love. So far, our next RetroActive game, Super Mario Sunshine, has been doing a good job fueling us. To that end, we'll be recording our RetroActive on August 24, so get your comments in via the inbox or in the talkbalk thread. (Editor's note: Or here)

Time: 1'57"18
Outro: Pokemon Meh-stry Dungeon (Explorers of Sky): Treasure Town
Downloads: MP3 | AAC
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: James's acid flashback.

 

[Dingens]

so if you wanna send in some listener mail, is email the only way? or is the form that is linked with every episode a viable option as well?
(I'm asking because it's never mentioned)

btw... I think you recorded a week too early since we've now our official 2nd handheld-mode only Switch game
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1417204

 

[Crimm]

The form goes to the same place as the email address.

I'm really curious if Nintendo will ever feel comfortable doing it themselves.

 

[OMG Aero]

Since Tate mode on the Switch came up during one of the emails this seems like a good time to ask something that's been bugging me for a while.
How come all vertical shooters don't just have a mode that rotates the screen 90 degrees and then changes the controls to match this, so it's essentially turning the game into a horizontal shooter like Gradius?
Is there some really obvious issue this would cause that I'm missing?

 

[Crimm]

I would assume the sprites are drawn in such a way to create the optical illusion of up/down perspective. Turning them sideways would look weird and require an alternate set of art.

Just a guess. The brain is good at taking 2D data and adding in the third dimension.

 

[Ondore]

Moo, baby.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/45188/episode-535-milking-the-ghost-cow

Rested and refreshed after a week off, the team is delighted to be back together. Predictably, Jon spoils (read: improves) the reunion with his absence. Our go-to Emergency Guest Syrenne McNulty fills in, kicking off New Business with a trio of games. Quick thoughts on Agents of Mayhem are followed by thoughts on Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2, along with an exhaustive look at word salad Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy. Listen as she systematically deflates James' hype for games in two series he adores. Greg gives us an update on his Splatoon 2 progress, and then dives into Namco Museum. Switch might not have a Virtual Console, but this collection sure is $30. James has a look at another retro collection in Rare Replay, thanks to budding games philanthropist Jon. He's played the first 15 years of Rare's legacy, and it's weird. Best Maze Game 1984. Guillaume concludes New Business on a shady note, trying to sell 1-2-Switch to children.

After the break it's time for Listener Mail. Just two questions this week; we discuss what features we'd like to see in the Switch Fire Emblem, and what platformers we'd like to see come back, Sonic Mania style. You can ask us how we want to feel the magic user by sending us an email.

ATTENTION: We will be recording our RetroActive for Super Mario Sunshine LIVE on Thursday, August 24 at 9 PM Eastern. We'll be in the NWR Discord and taking call-ins. Check back soon for the link to the stream. We hope to see you there!

Time: 2'03"07
Outro: Goldeneye - Dam
Downloads: MP3 | AAC
Agents of: Meh-hem. You're welcome.

 

[Boogiepop]

I will say thanks for avoiding spoilers for Daigyakuten Saiban 2. Still mid-case 2 on it, so I was getting worried when the subject came up. Also, psh, clearly need some fact checking, as

Spoiler

Susato doesn't pretend to be Ryuunosuke, but claims to be his cousin or something.

Obviously a very important distinction!

 

[Ondore]

Three hours and twenty minutes on... what? Naga, Arceus, whoever help us.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/45229/episode-536-yoshi-facts-matter-to-me

Two days from the 15th anniversary of its US release, RFN hosted a live RetroActive for Super Mario Sunshine. Most of us toiled away at cleaning up Isle Delfino long enough to disrupt Bowser's bath, and we found that 15 years on we've got a lot to say. The game's place in history, its style, its controls, and even the horrific residents of Isle Delfino who deserve only fire are all hot topics of conversation. We don't just give our thoughts though, because nearly two hours of the show is devoted to listener call-ins. Among the guests is our esteemed former host, Dr. Jonathan Metts, who found time to call us from a drag race and defend his "perfect" review.

A big thank you to everyone who participated in this Retroactive! As always, it was a lot of fun. Except for the Chucksters.

Time: 3'20"48
Outro: Mario Sunshine: A Secret Course and Staff Roll
Downloads: MP3 | AAC
On NWR: A 10 isn't perfect. I can't say that was the case a decade and a half ago.