The Nintendo Thread of Jumping, Slashing, and Home Decorating

Mario Kart World Direct!

I'm gonna have to disagree and dispute a couple points.

My overal impression, though? It's Mario Kart Horizon. Forza Horizon 5 was a surprise "hit" with me, I never really got "into" racers like I had with that one. So to see Mario Kart take more than a little inspiration from the series? I'm thrilled to see Nintendo's take on that formula, especially with the inclusion of "semi-platforming" elements, which helps make it more interesting than "Forza Horizon lite".

I think the Rewind feature is implemented well. I think it turns the feature from a "crutch" into a meaningful risk/reward mechanic for players.

The notation on the bundle says "in production through fall". I'm assuming the expectation is that there will be supply for the holiday season. But it's not as rare as you make it out to be and I think Nintendo IS wise enough to realize (especially after the pricing backlash) that the $500 "bundle" is going to be the preferred option for most Switch 2 buyers.

I'm not sure I agree with the assessment about a "troubled development". Nintendo has always worked on its own time frame, and I think any "development issues" can be attributed to outside factors:
1. The WiiU being the utter failure and the realignment of their product strategy led to major changes in how Nintendo handled its games. Not only was Nintendo behind going into the HD era, but had to split their resources two different markets on two different pieces of hardware.
2. The NEED for the Switch to be successful led to a lot of WiiU ports to fill out the slate. They could not count on the disenfranchised 3rd party support, and the internal studios were simply not equipped to make that volume of brand new content.
3. COVID and the chip shortages I feel MAJORLY impacted the plan for the Switch's life. I still believe the OLED update was intended to be the oft rumored "Switch Pro" with upgraded hardware. But strong sales to start combined with the astonishing sales surge during COVID? Why try and push out a sequel?

In terms of the value of Mario Kart...Mario Kart 8 has a damn near 50% attach rate across BOTH of its releases. It might not have clicked for you, but I'm quite interested, and given the success of the prior entry, I think many others will be as well. And disregarding paid DLC, Nintendo has a solid history of content support. Hell, they DOUBLED the size of Mario Kart 8 after it had been available for 5 years, regardless of it being paid DLC. You're lucky if some games see any support after ONE year! And it's not as if Mario Kart EVER had a really robust single player experience to begin with.

And I've talked about pricing before...$80 games are past due, whether we like it or not. I think a LOT of the online complaints I've seen, while not unwarranted, are more overblown to Nintendo because...well...this time Nintendo is actually acting like a mainstream video game company. For all the good and ill that encompasses.

I'm just tired of people going "They failed to show why it's 80 dollars." because... NO matter what.. those same people would have gone. "NO NO NO!!!"

Hell they could have gone "It teleports you into the actual cart!" and people would have screamed something like "BUT I CAN'T PET A DOG! OBVIOUSLY NOT WORTH IT!"

And you may be right.. May not be worth it.

There is a solution to that though. Don't effing buy it. But we all know they will anyways, either because mostly full of BS, or it's just the mob mentality they fell victim too.

Also, why is it an "80 dollar game" opens the flood gates to 100 dollar games.

But 70 dollar games didn't "Open the door!" for 80 dollar games. *Yes.. people did not like the 70 price for PS5 games... I will admit that, but they never started the the "Open the floodgates!" doomsaying.

I also want to remind people the MOST EXPESNIVE Switch 2.. Is still cheaper than a fricken refurbished Mid and/or top tier Steam Deck. NOT to mention you have to buy the dock separately with them.

Steevy Maximus said:

I think the Rewind feature is implemented well. I think it turns the feature from a "crutch" into a meaningful risk/reward mechanic for players.

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My problem with it, the more I think about it, is that it's too much risk, for too little reward. Why would you choose to Rewind, if that's going to lead you being in last place afterward? It just feels like a unnecessary addition. I'm not sure when this would actually be beneficial to use in a race, outside of learning the course. And you can learn the course arguably better in Free Roam mode, so that again just makes this Rewind feature feel redundant.

I would TOTALLY accept this as a crutch. I actually wish it was MORE of a crutch. This Rewind feature can still only be used in single player modes, so you don't have to worry about other players. So, why NOT give inexperienced players a way to "redo" things. This is Mario Kart, it's arguably supposed to be easy. As it is, this feature feels...pointless, to me? It's actively harmful to you being able make a comeback and win the race. I could very much be wrong, but I'm just not seeing it as useful, at the moment.

Steevy Maximus said:

The notation on the bundle says "in production through fall". I'm assuming the expectation is that there will be supply for the holiday season. But it's not as rare as you make it out to be and I think Nintendo IS wise enough to realize (especially after the pricing backlash) that the $500 "bundle" is going to be the preferred option for most Switch 2 buyers.

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The problem is, this IS going to be the bundle everyone wants. Which means there WILL be shortages. I very much doubt anyone will even want the "standard" bundle at launch. Which means gamers are going to be fighting in the streets for these things. Maybe eventually there'll be enough, but given other big tech launches, I wouldn't count on it for a while.

Steevy Maximus said:

1. The WiiU being the utter failure and the realignment of their product strategy led to major changes in how Nintendo handled its games. Not only was Nintendo behind going into the HD era, but had to split their resources two different markets on two different pieces of hardware.
...
3. COVID and the chip shortages I feel MAJORLY impacted the plan for the Switch's life. I still believe the OLED update was intended to be the oft rumored "Switch Pro" with upgraded hardware. But strong sales to start combined with the astonishing sales surge during COVID? Why try and push out a sequel?

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These two don't really feel like they apply specifically to Mario Kart, but to the Switch in general. I agree with both of these points, but I don't think they apply to the idea that Mario Kart World could have started it's life as a Switch 1 game.

Steevy Maximus said:

2. The NEED for the Switch to be successful led to a lot of WiiU ports to fill out the slate. They could not count on the disenfranchised 3rd party support, and the internal studios were simply not equipped to make that volume of brand new content.

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Now, this point is relevant and true. But...it also might be slightly irrelevant, given how "video game work flow" works? Maybe?

I feel like Mario Kart probably has it's own dedicated team, internally. These people might help out to work on other games, too. But, I would imagine Nintendo would have a team in place to making sure new Mario Karts come out, at least once a generation.

The way that I understand that game development for major franchises works is that once a team is done with one game, they basically immediately move on to designing the next one. That way, everyone on the team stays employed, and the games come out on a somewhat regular schedule.

Mario Kart 8 for Wii U came out in May 2014. The second DLC pack came out April 2015. So, I feel like development of "Mario Kart 9" would have started around then, at the latest. They were probably throwing around concepts and ideas around back in 2014. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Switch came out April 2017. The Mario Kart 8 Booster Course DLCs only started coming out February 2022. Mario Kart World is coming out June 2025.

For reference Mario Kart Wii came out in April 2008. Mario Kart 7 for the 3DS came out in December 2011. Those might have been done by completely different teams, but they make for a decent reference.

I don't know. There's no real proof. But, I just feel like there's a "Metroid Prime 4" or "Street Fighter 5" story behind why development time between 8 and World was almost double or quadruple what it usually is. Even COVID doesn't totally explain the timeline. It'd probably make for a interesting episode of "What Happened?". Mario Kart 8 DID sell really well on Switch, and maybe that's all there is to it. Maybe Nintendo just didn't want to release another Mario Kart and eat into 8's sales. But, I just have a feeling there's a prototype of this game that just didn't work out and was scrapped. And Nintendo just never talked about it, because they never announced it in the first place. It's really just a "vibe" for me, I guess. My nose for news is twitching. I should get that looked at.

Steevy Maximus said:

And I've talked about pricing before...$80 games are past due, whether we like it or not. I think a LOT of the online complaints I've seen, while not unwarranted, are more overblown to Nintendo because...well...this time Nintendo is actually acting like a mainstream video game company. For all the good and ill that encompasses.

Click to expand...

Tm_Silverclaw said:

I'm just tired of people going "They failed to show why it's 80 dollars." because... NO matter what.. those same people would have gone. "NO NO NO!!!"

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This is all fair. And I am really just annoyed by the price increase, I'll admit that.

But, you have to admit that this makes for a TERRIBLE first impression.

This is effectively the first Switch 2 game. And it's setting a bad tone for the rest of the Switch 2's life. And this isn't even the most expensive Switch 2 game. Breath of the Wild will be $90 if you want the DLC along with it.

This feels like Nintendo got a little cocky about the success of the Switch, and decided they could get away with it. Because they always do this. And not just Nintendo. Most companies, really. Sony with it's infamous PS3 price announcement after the success of the PS2. Nintendo with the Wii U after the Wii. They get a big head and then they think they can charge a arm and a leg for their next big thing.

I'll admit it. I was going into this Direct with preconceptions. I figured they HAD to address the price. They HAD to prove to us why this game deserves to be $10 more than even a "standard" Switch 2 game like Donkey Kong Bananza. Maybe that was MY fault. But, I don't think that was unreasonable.

And this...was a bad Direct. This felt more like a tease for another Direct than a full on Mario Kart Direct. They tease Rainbow Road...but don't show Rainbow Road. They say there are Missions in Free Roam mode...but don't say what those Missions actually DO. Nintendo loves their secrets a little too much, sometimes. I mean, why even HAVE a Direct in the first place if you're barely going to announce anything? I get wanting to keep a few surprises for when the game actually releases, but this is kind of ridiculous. They probably would have been better off just sticking with the Treehouses.

But, I'll admit it again, I'm not the biggest Mario Kart fan. So...this is all rather academic to me. I'm more worried about what this could mean for other games in franchises I care more about.

I mean, these prices are getting to be too much. Especially as more and more of this stuff is going digital, and we don't really "own" any of it, anyway. Some of my feelings about this isn't even about Nintendo, but about video gaming as a whole. I don't know, I guess we'll just have to see.

ZakuConvoy said:

These two don't really feel like they apply specifically to Mario Kart, but to the Switch in general. I agree with both of these points, but I don't think they apply to the idea that Mario Kart World could have started it's life as a Switch 1 game.

I don't know. There's no real proof. But, I just feel like there's a "Metroid Prime 4" or "Street Fighter 5" story behind why development time between 8 and World was almost double or quadruple what it usually is. Even COVID doesn't totally explain the timeline. It'd probably make for a interesting episode of "What Happened?". Mario Kart 8 DID sell really well on Switch, and maybe that's all there is to it. Maybe Nintendo just didn't want to release another Mario Kart and eat into 8's sales. But, I just have a feeling there's a prototype of this game that just didn't work out and was scrapped. And Nintendo just never talked about it, because they never announced it in the first place. It's really just a "vibe" for me, I guess. My nose for news is twitching. I should get that looked at.



This is all fair. And I am really just annoyed by the price increase, I'll admit that.

But, you have to admit that this makes for a TERRIBLE first impression.

This is effectively the first Switch 2 game. And it's setting a bad tone for the rest of the Switch 2's life. And this isn't even the most expensive Switch 2 game. Breath of the Wild will be $90 if you want the DLC along with it.

Nintendo Says Switch 2 ‘Breath Of The Wild’ Is $90 With DLC

Nintendo has had one of the worst reveals of a new console in recent memory, even if ultimately, it’s more than likely the Switch 2 will be a hit. Now, Zelda drama.

www.forbes.com

This feels like Nintendo got a little cocky about the success of the Switch, and decided they could get away with it. Because they always do this. And not just Nintendo. Most companies, really. Sony with it's infamous PS3 price announcement after the success of the PS2. Nintendo with the Wii U after the Wii. They get a big head and then they think they can charge a arm and a leg for their next big thing.

I'll admit it. I was going into this Direct with preconceptions. I figured they HAD to address the price. They HAD to prove to us why this game deserves to be $10 more than even a "standard" Switch 2 game like Donkey Kong Bananza. Maybe that was MY fault. But, I don't think that was unreasonable.

I mean, these prices are getting to be too much. Especially as more and more of this stuff is going digital, and we don't really "own" any of it, anyway. Some of my feelings about this isn't even about Nintendo, but about video gaming as a whole. I don't know, I guess we'll just have to see.

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My intention with the OLED comment was that maybe what has become Mario Kart World started development on a mid-gen refresh that never ended up being released. It was pretty clear early on that Nintendo was basically handling the Switch as a portable device, rather than a home console competitor. In that respect, especially given the NON-STOP rumor mongering and “leaks”, that Nintendo might have had a mid-gen refresh in development. A “New 3DS” type upgrade with the OLED screen, and moderately improved specs. Modders have shown that just doubling the RAM and boosting the clock speeds of the CPU and GPU (both limited by Nintendo for power usage concerns) VASTLY improved the capabilities of the console.
When the base system proved so successful and the subsequent chip shortages, much less the continued sales for Mario Kart 8, maybe the older version of MKWorld got shelved for the next console and the Booster Course was our “stop gap”. That’s my theory, anyway.

Again, I’m less fussed with the pricing more because I’ve been, kind of, expecting this for a while. Hell, most new AAA games ARE $80 or more today. They just wrap the prices in “Premium Deluxe” editions and throw in stuff they probably shouldn’t have cut from the game to begin with. And going back to the “old days”, pricing was variable back in the 8 and 16 bit days.
I’d much rather just pay Nintendo $80 for a complete package than pay $70 and then have Nintendo offer an $80 “deluxe editions” with basic stuff they’ll overcharge for as a separate purchase from the base game. And at least the “Game Key” offerings are a decent attempt at keeping physical iterations a viable thing.

Not that I don’t disagree about the hubris, though. I think Nintendo IS pushing tolerance with some of their Switch 2 “upgrade editions” they’re releasing. Though, I suspect crafty consumers will end up ahead if retailers start to flush out older Switch 1 versions of the games for reduced prices (leading to a cheaper price by getting the discounted Switch 1 retail version and then buying the upgrade digitally). I know I scored the PS5 version of Gran Turismo cheap by getting the discounted PS4 version for $20 and paying the $10 for PS5 upgrade (when Sony was still charging $70 for the retail PS5 version).

Going by Best Buy’s current listing of Switch 2 titles, excluding the “special editions”, there is a pretty noticeable gamut in the ranges, from $40 for the Bravely Default Remaster, $50-60 for older or lower tier versions available on other consoles, $70 for “main” titles like Donkey Kong and DaemonXMachina, and $80 as the limit. Mario Kart World, and the upgraded Versions of Kirby and Mario Party, I think those titles DO offer enough to justify the price (though, it does sting as just a few years ago, we got Super Mario 3D World with the massive Bowser Expansion for “base game” pricing).
But the Zelda ones are iffy, to me. I think Nintendo is trying to preserve the “value” of the Switch 1 versions of those games, but I think that might work against them in the near term with so much blowback to the $80 price to start with. And according to Best Buy Breath of the Wild is $70, Tears of the Kingdom is $80. Unless the article was rolling in taxes.

I also want to note... that unlike every other Publisher that's closing Studios left and right.. Nintendo actually GAVE their employees a 10 percent raise last year.. So actually.. I don't mind the game being a bit more expensive.

Let's be honest, we KNOW as toy colletors, as we've been told this before. Sometimes some of the Larger deluxe figures are offset by the smaller Deluxe figures.

In this case, it could very well be, it's a smaller leader class figure than usual, so that we might have more slightly bigger deluxes in a wave.

Games shot up a tenner when Series S/X and PS5 came out and yet thinking back on it, Switch 2 games are only a fiver more then what N64 games cost me.

US and Canada preorders will start April 24. The console and bundle did not see a price increase, but accessories did. ON AVERAGE, you’re seeing a $5 increase across the board for Switch 2 accessories.

Sigh. And I heard the Pro Controller for the Switch 2 had a better Dpad, too...

Well, at least the console and games didn't get an increase. And even the accessories wasn't as bad as people seemed to fear. But those can wait in any case. As far as I'm concerned, I'm still on track for a pre-order.

Given recent geopolitical and economic “concerns”…I’m going to try and get a preorder on the Mario Kart Bundle. If I can’t get that bundle…I’m probably better off waiting. Nintendo’s history of holiday bundles says to me that if I don’t get Mario Kart this year…I’ll probably have a chance next year or a similar bundle with another Nintendo title I’m probably game for.

I'm really torn on pre-ordering. Finances are going to be really rough the rest of the year, and there's nothing that I feel like I really need at launch. So in any sane scenario, I'd be holding off for now, and hoping to maybe see a Zelda-themed console like the TotK Switch OLED a year or two down the road.

...We're not in a sane scenario. The tariff situation makes me want to hurry and get one from the initial tariff-free allotment. I mean, maybe Nintendo will be able to use their Vietnamese output for the US and Chinese output for the rest of the world, basically sidestepping the major tariff impacts. But it's just as possible that the proposed "reciprocal" tariff on Vietnam will come back, and could hit the Switch 2 really hard. I may not need any of the launch titles, but when the next main Zelda title comes out, I'd be downright devastated if I couldn't play it.

Of course, then there are the even worse possibilities, which push even harder toward saving as much as possible. And the even WORSE possibilities that could make even trying to save and protect against the future an exercise in futility.

Paul Rudd reconnects to his super past

Cleaner version of the original was uploaded alongside it, too.

Exatron said:

I'm really torn on pre-ordering. Finances are going to be really rough the rest of the year, and there's nothing that I feel like I really need at launch. So in any sane scenario, I'd be holding off for now, and hoping to maybe see a Zelda-themed console like the TotK Switch OLED a year or two down the road.

...We're not in a sane scenario. The tariff situation makes me want to hurry and get one from the initial tariff-free allotment. I mean, maybe Nintendo will be able to use their Vietnamese output for the US and Chinese output for the rest of the world, basically sidestepping the major tariff impacts. But it's just as possible that the proposed "reciprocal" tariff on Vietnam will come back, and could hit the Switch 2 really hard. I may not need any of the launch titles, but when the next main Zelda title comes out, I'd be downright devastated if I couldn't play it.

Of course, then there are the even worse possibilities, which push even harder toward saving as much as possible. And the even WORSE possibilities that could make even trying to save and protect against the future an exercise in futility.

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Whatever happens, I don't see any scenerio where getting the Switch doesn't go on the credit card. Trying to save up for anything these days seems so futile. Is it the most responsible thing to be putting on a credit card, especially in a climate where saving up for anything seems impossible? Not really, no. But again, like you said, I'm wanting to make sure I get a tariff-free one, because at the very least, it's less that would be going on the credit card...because that makes things better!

So back to the Switch 1.

My wife had promised to take my daughter to a local minor league baseball game that she had won a ticket to at school. However, with it being Good Friday, she had to work, and couldn't take her. So, since I couldn't find anyone to watch the kids on short notice, I offered to get my daughter a gift instead. We went to Target, since I needed to get a Power cord for the Switch dock. I found out the hard way that Nintedno requires you to use their brand of charger to power the dock despite it being a universal connector. While I got that, we saw that they had one copy of Stray for the Switch and it was on sale for $29.99! We had watched some footage of this game a couple weeks ago, and she wanted the game then, so of course we got it for her as her present. Then we went and got sodas and candy for everyone and went home to play!

So far the game is pretty neat! We are running around the Slums, trying to figure out what to do next.

The Predaking said:

While I got that, we saw that they had one copy of Stray for the Switch and it was on sale for $29.99! We had watched some footage of this game a couple weeks ago, and she wanted the game then, so of course we got it for her as her present.

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O_O

I hope that goes well for you.

So far it has been a fun game. She like playing as a cat. Is there something in the game that I should know about?

Yes.

Ironbite-it'll break your heart.

The Predaking said:

So far it has been a fun game. She like playing as a cat. Is there something in the game that I should know about?

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