Blog Archives
What Is the Best Year of the Nintendo Switch?
This post was originally written for one of my YouTube video during the blog hiatus. Some of the comments and dates are now outdated. Either way, enjoy!
The Nintendo Switch has had an excellent, almost unprecedented run through its mainstream retail relevancy. And while I can’t say there’s no end in sight, 2024 is shaping up to be one of, if not the best year for the Switch yet. Now, even though we’re getting a couple of Mario games in Paper Mario, Mario and Luigi, and Mario Party, the lack of Mario Odyssey 2 stops me from saying this year is 10 out of 10. It also looks to be devoid of Pokemon and Kirby. Two of my other favorite Nintendo Franchises. Still, that hardly stops me from putting this year in the upper half. And who knows, with the possibility of some stealth drops later in the year, maybe we haven’t even seen all Nintendo has to offer us this year. So, I’ll wait til January to cast a verdict on this year as a whole. With that in mind, which of the nearly 8 years of Nintendo Switch would I say is the best? Well, today we’re going to take a look.
Each year of the Nintendo Switch has surely offered some highlights. I don’t think anyone is saying 2018 is the best year of the Switch, but Super Smash Brothers still dropped and was a goliath right from the jump. 2020 was much maligned due to the onslaught of rereleases (and you can watch our video “In Defense of Nintendo Switch Ports” to get a better idea of what the attitude was back then), but it had Animal Crossing which released at the perfect time. 2021 was probably a low year for me. I grabbed Skyward Sword and Super Mario 3D World, both ports. But others would say Dread alone makes 2021 one of the better years.
So what I’m saying is even in down years, the Switch still has something killer to play, something worthy of making you proud to be own a Switch. And all this brings into question what was the best year the Switch had. Personally, I’d like to focus on 3 different years and deep dive into them. Let’s get started!
Before we start the list, don’t forget to follow and like the blog. It means a lot of guys. Now, onto the list.
2017:
I don’t care what anybody says, 2017 was a landmark year for video games. Nintendo made gaming fun again when they launched the dual-purpose Nintendo Switch. Now you could play on the go and on your TV. I’m not going to recap the launch and development of the Switch, we’re just here to talk about the games, so let’s do that.
Breath of the Wild drops alongside the Switch. For the first time in arguably a decade, you felt like you were missing out if you didn’t own Nintendo’s latest offering. I should know, I didn’t get a Switch til 2018. Breath of the Wild was dead set on reinventing Zelda. It did just that. Gone was the formula. It was open world now. It was the talk of the gaming world. There were BOTW clones. That’s right, Zelda was now a genre. If you thought getting a new triple A mainline Zelda title was enough for a single year, 2017 doubled down giving us a new Mario game as well.
And with this declaration, Nintendo had won the next generation of console wars before the PS5 and Xbox Series X even entered the fold. Nintendo had released two 10 out of 10 games just like that. The Switch had only been on the block for about 6 months or so and could already say our heavy hitters rival literally any other console. Straight up, no joke, Nintendo threw the gauntlets down early. And believe me that would have been enough to be in the top 3 years already. But they didn’t stop there. No, no. They brought Mario Kart 8 Deluxe over. Yes, it is a port. But it added in new characters, modes and courses as well as putting all the existing DLC on to the cart. Not to mention it’s still receiving updates even now. So 2017 speaks for itself even if all we mention today are just those 3 games.
So in 2017 the Switch was the latest, greatest thing in gaming. But surely after a half decade or so, the lifespan would be winding down and the banger titles would barely trickle out, right?
2023:
I want to talk about 2023 for a bit here. Obviously, we had the big one. Tears of the Kingdom. Honestly, this has got to be one of the best sequels to a game ever. I’m really enjoying taking my time with this one. Scaling my way to the Wind Temple is probably the most epic thing I’ve ever done in a Zelda game. Seriously, that part is so cool. That came out pretty early in the year in May. The rest of the games this year didn’t do much for me. You have Pikmin 4, Fire Emblem Enrage, Metroid Prime Remastered and Super Mario Wonder. Last year was a great year for Switch owners even if I just picked up 1 game personally. That game was good enough on its own.
2022:
So, the last year I want to discuss is 2022. There’s 3 great games for me personally. The first one is Pokemon Legends Arceus. This was a great Pokemon game. I liked Sword and Shield, I know that’s a polarizing thing to say online, but I did. However, I loved Legends Arceus. The Hisuian Forms were cool. I feel like it handled open world exploration better than Sword and Shield. The sneaking around and catching Pokemon was neat. I think all in all, this was a step forward for Pokemon. So that brings us to Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. This is probably my favorite Pokemon Game since X and Y. I think it’s the best one on the Switch. The writing is cheesy, but the school sitting is cool. The game definitely deserves some criticism for the horribly slow cutscenes, but this is one step closer to my dream Pokemon game. I always wanted a Pokemon Game where gaming and battling didn’t have to be the focus. You could be a breeder, or enter contest, and this game doesn’t quite get to my lofty outlandish dreams for the series, it offers the player options in how they want to progress the story. Ultimately, this game made me excited to see what they will do on the Switch successor when that time comes. The last game will talk about today is Kirby and the Forgotten Lands. It’s tough to say this my favorite Switch game but it’s up their with Mario Odyssey. I’m a platformer fan through and through and Kirby is one of my favorite IPs in all the gaming industry. When they finally gave him a 3D adventure, they just nailed it. I’ll say it. This a perfect game. Combine this with getting two really solid Pokemon games, 2022 was a phenomenal year to be a Switch owner.
Okay, so in closing, which year do I give it to? I’m going 2017. The combination of Mario and Zelda is too tough to pass up. I think if Tears of the Kingdom had come out in 2022, then that year might have got the nod over 2017, but alas, that’s not how it went down. 2024 might end up passing 2023, but I could also just be living in the moment. Who knows we will see. So let me know which year. You thought was the best.
Remembering Kirby Air Ride (Two Decades Later)
The two decade wait is over. Kirby Air Riders dropped last weekend. My wife got it for me for my birthday. I am enjoying it so far. Though I am hoping my wife and I can sneak in some multiplayer rounds soon. This post, however, is not about Air Riders. It is about the original, airing on the Gamecube way back in 2003, this n64 fever dream project found life on the lunch box and, in my opinion, was so ahead of its time for the genre. My brother and I used to do, not exactly tutorials or LPs but videos of us playing this game back in like 2008 or something, long before that style of video was popular. So of course, I have an innate bias towards Kirby saddling the warp star and going to battle in various modes. Let’s take a look at Kirby Air Ride two decades later.
I am not a huge fan racing games. I am not playing the genre too often outside of Mario Kart and Kirby Air Ride. On one hand, maybe that makes me unqualified to talk about subjects like this. On the other hand, maybe I am uniquely qualified to talk about off beat racers. I think it’s easy to forget all the racing modes given how prevalent City Trial is. I don’t know about you guys, but it was the main thing I was playing back in the day. That’s kinda what I wanted to mention first. I love racers with alternative modes. Mario Kart has had the Balloon battle feature in their games for decades now, so I’m not acting like Kirby Air Ride invented that. I’m sure there’s more racing games than just that too. Twisted Metal and a bunch of other car combat games exist too.
But City Trial was just different. My brother and I played this mode to death. We probably knew all the secrets, all the events, the bonus special rides, how to get to anywhere on the map. Really, even though it was more sandbox than say an open world game like Grand Theft Auto, the city felt like a character itself. It had distinct areas like the underground, the shorelines, the forest, the volcano, the interior city zone. It’s crazy how many unique regions they fit into a relatively small map. That’s the thing, the map was kinda small, but it was fleshed out. It was really alive. I will say, I love how theyve added Kirby enemies in the city. I think it would have been cool to have random waddle dees in the underground going to work or getting lunch or something, but that’s beside the point.
And then there’s the matter of events, power ups, and stadiums. There were so many different stadiums like target practice, Destruction Derby, and fighting King Dedede for example. Each required you to have different power ups or air rides to fare better than your rivals. And the new game has added even more stadiums. Events kept things fresh playing over the same map time and time again. The events kept you on your toes and offered a wide arrange of randomness to each playthrough. Some were detrimental like getting a fog over the city or the rails catching fire. Some made things challenging like fake items or bouncy items. Some were scary like Dyna Blade attacking or meteors showering down. It doesn’t sound like much but it was plenty back in the day. Really, with all the random power ups, the multitude of unique riders, skin and character unlockables, different events and stadiums, we never got bored.
Speaking of boards, this game featured the check list. This thing was legendary back in the day. Considering this came out on the Gamecube and achievements didn’t appear on Xbox for a few more years, this really did feel ahead of its time. Again, not saying it was the first game with unlockables, alternative skins, and other forms of achievements, this was just the first time it had been presented to me in such a fun way. Just looking at Super Smash Bros Melee, another Sakurai game, it had plenty of unlockables and was plenty of fun to play. It came out two years before Air Ride. I feel like Sakurai took all the things great about unlocking stuff in Melee and just made the presentation really nice. I know that may sound superficial or maybe even like a weird compliment, but I just thought it was so fun to replay old levels or city trials and try out new combinations of things or different playstyles and get rewarded for it. You were already going to test out getting more charge power ups than glide power ups this round or you were going to test out the Wing Air Ride over the Jet Star. Or you were going to explore every inch of the volcano or the forest and you unlocked achievements for getting creative or playing differently than you already did. Again, I’m not saying Sakurai invented any of these concepts, but it certainly felt like he was perfecting them. This really made Kirby Air Ride feel rogue like in a time just before the rogue like resurgence of the 2010s, despite sharing next to no other elements of the genre.
I know I’ve spent most of this video talking about City Trial because to me it was the most fun and what made it stand out against the other kart racers, racing simulators and car combat games. Air Ride was a lot of fun and I’m glad it was in the game. I mean, heck it’s the namesake of the game but I think that’s only because Kirby City Trial doesn’t have the same ring as Kirby Air Ride. Still, it’s a great mode with awesome tracks and gorgeous and creative visuals. The power ups come from Kirby’s copy ability allowing him to suck up enemies and gain their powers. Admittedly, if memory serves, I didn’t play a lot of Air Ride because I liked getting the races as stadiums in City Trial. My memory is a little fuzzy but if I remember right you would play through City Trial and get your rider and all your power ups and then race through a single lap. I could be misremembering that, but that’s how I recall it.
I’ll be honest, we played Top Ride back in the day, but very sparingly. I’m not sure if we liked it compared to City Trial. It was just different, even from traditional racing. Oddly enough, I avoided this mode as a kid. The more I’ve played over the years, the more I’ve gone back to it. I wouldn’t say I have fully embraced it yet. It’s still hard to get excited for it when I have the two other modes, but I think it’s a mode I’ll continue to explore on the Gamecube and Switch 2 versions as time goes on.
Working on this post highlighted to me just how much more I played City Trial than the other modes. Most of my memories come from the City Trial mode. Again, I still respect and appreciate the other modes because even though I’ve been playing these games for almost two decades, there is still a lot to explore. The next time I fire up the original, I may go explore Top Ride and see what all I’ve missed out on. Its also great to have the race modes for my solo gamers. City Trial is still fun even when playing solo, but its better with friends. You can attack each other, compete for power ups, or even do random challenges like see who can glide the highest or furthest.
Hopefully all that yapping made sense. Its not so much that Sakurai and company were reinventing any wheels. It was all in its presentation. It was a joy to play, explore and experiment. 3 game modes, plenty of tracks, achievements, unlockable skins and characters. There was so much content and so many things to do. I often say the 6th generation of gaming was gaming perfection. Perfection is obviously a strong word because every generation has its strengths and weaknesses, but there’s just something about the games of this era. I think Kirby Air Ride was one of those games that captured the magic of this era.
So let me know how you guys are liking the new Kirby Air Riders and tell me your fondest memories of the original Kirby Air Ride. Thank you guys for reading this. I know I was kinda blabbering, but I’m really nostalgic for this game.
Exploring the Best Nintendo Games: IGN’s Top 100 Analysis
IGN, partnered with Nintendo Life, recently dropped their Top 100 Nintendo Games. Admittedly, I don’t have my top 100 ready to go toe to toe with IGN, but honestly, I don’t have many hot takes here. There were definitely some weird choices and questionable omissions, which we get into later.
Before we get into my post, here’s the article if you haven’t read it yet.
https://www.ign.com/articles/the-100-best-nintendo-games-of-all-time
Their selection criteria felt a little soft or just all over the place. The prime example they used was Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars on DS at #99. Its a game developed and produced by Rockstar games and even ended up on PSP, but was a DS exclusive for 9 months. That makes it qualified for this list. With that in mind, I wouldn’t take any of their comments too seriously and just enjoy the conversation and debate it breeds over getting lost in the weeds.
Some people flamed it for having recency bias and including too many games from a single series. This is exemplified by Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild taking spots 1 and 2. Odyssey scores in the top 5 as well. The top 20 saw 5 Zelda games and 4 Super Mario games (Five if you count Mario Kart Deluxe).
I think if you are going to do Nintendo’s top 100 games, you kinda have to include multiple games from the same franchise. Simply put Mario Odyssey, Ocarina of Time, Mario Galaxy, the Switch Zelda games, a Link to the Past are all classics. I mean these are just some of the best games Nintendo has ever made. They just so happen to spawn from two franchises.
Now, two major franchises I would have found room for in the top 20 would have been Kirby and Donkey Kong. DK64 and Donkey Kong Bananza are two of my favorite platformers of all time. Kirby 64, Kirby Air Ride and Kirby and the Forgotten Lands are three 10/10 games for me. Bananza was the highest scored DK game at #22 and Kirby and the Forgotten Lands scored the highest of the Kirby games at #39.
Most titles here come from two generations: The Super Nintendo and The Switch. These are often considered the greatest consoles Nintendo has put out, so I’m not surprised at all. Nintendo really was on a heater with their first party and third party support. The Super Nintendo gave us Super Mario World which was #3, A Link to the Past at #9 , Final Fantasy 6, Earthbound, Super Metroid at #8, Super Mario RPG and Chrono Trigger at #6. Again, surprised to see Donkey Kong Country 2 all the way down at #78. The Switch owned the day leading to people to questioning the recency bias. The Switch took spots 1, 2, 4 and 10. It was a strong showing for these two consoles racking up 8 of the top 10 spots.
The only non Switch non Super Nintendo games to crack the top 10 were Ocarina of Time at #6 and Tetris at #5.
I think if you remove nostalgia and revolutionary aspects of some games like Mario 64 and Pokémon Red and Blue, then I get their top 10 omissions. Those games still scored highly, Mario 64 clocked in at 25 and Red and Blue came in at 27. Respectable. I understand if you want them in top 10 because of how important they were to the industry. Though, I don’t think either are the best games in their respective franchises.
So what are some games that I would have moved up or down?
Resident Evil #4 came in at #20 and I certainly feel like that game is closer to a top 10 game. You may not immediately think of Nintendo when you see Resident Evil 4, but the Resident Evil series was a big deal to Nintendo on the Gamecube. It was massive on the Cube and Resident Evil 4 was at the forefront of that conversation. One of the best games of all time.
Pokémon Soul Silver and Heart Gold is the highest ranked Pokémon game at #15. Again. I probably would have found a way to get this closer to top 10 as well. Pokémon, despite what the modern games would have you think, is a very important franchise to Nintendo and should be represented in the top 10 somewhere. Pokémon Silver and Gold are perfect sequels, advancing and bettering the Pokémon franchise in every way and Soul Silver and Heart Gold helped modernize near perfect RPGs.
For some games with some really low rankings, I would have loved to have seen Kirby Planet Robobot and Captain Toad Treasure Tracker moved up higher instead of barely making the list. Kirby Planet Robobot is considered one of the best 3DS games of all time. While Captain Toad Treasure Tracker is one of the best Wii U hidden gems that got a little more attention thanks to its switch port.
Now for games that didn’t make the list at all.
I love Megaman 64. It is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. The music, the city, the atmosphere are all so pleasant. I wish we had got Megaman Legends 2 on N64, still kinda salty to this day.
There’s no reason Yoshi’s Woolly World didn’t make this list. Of course the Wii U is underrepresented. If you give it credit for the Switch ports (which I’m sure you don’t), it would have had Xenoblade Chronicles X, Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8, Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, Mario 3D World and Captain Toad Treasure Tracker. All of which I think are the Switch versions, but still not bad for Nintendo’s most recent flop of a console. All that to say, Woolly World is probably the best game stuck on the Wii U and should have absolutely made the list.
I would have liked to have seen another GameCube platformer on this list because they are some of the most fun I have had on a Nintendo console. Sunshine made the list at #77. Wario World, Ty the Tasmanian Tiger, Vexx, Billy Hatcher and SpongeBob Battle For Bikini Bottom are all fantastic and enjoyable experiences.
And I dont know if this is biased, but Kirby Air Ride should have totally made the list. That game is a gem.
So do you guys have any complaints with IGNs list? I know its IGN and a lot of people don’t take their opinions too seriously. And neither do I really. But its always a fun a discussion with you guys if nothing else. So what’s your top 10 Nintendo games and how do you feel about the list?
Upcoming Posts
Hi guys. I’m keeping this simple. I’m not going to say hey were back, or expect a lot of posts. I wish I was. However, momentum is a hard thing to pin down. I’m still working on my own personal writing. Novels are tricky because of that momentum part I was just talking about. But I’ve written a couple of short stories. I’m still working on developing as a story teller and finishing these stories. I’m also trying to become a better editor.
With that said, I have a few blog ideas. I appreciate and respect anyone who reads these and comments or likes them even though I am super inconsistent. If you like my posts, I have hundreds of post over nearly a decade or so of writing. So there’s plenty to enjoy on here.
So, I have a couple of blog ideas kicking around. My plan is to get up my “Reaction of IGN’s Top 100 Nintendo Games” tomorrow. The video is already live on my Youtube Channel here. Then some others I’m working on “Looking Back at Kirby Air Ride”, “What Was the Best Year of the Nintendo Switch” and “3D Games That Returned to Their 2D Roots”. Those blogs are being worked on or are already done and just need to be edited and push through. So I feel somewhat confident in those. Keep your eyes peeled to see if I squeeze out a few more.
Thank you guys for reading!
My 5 Favorite Games from the Nintendo Switch Showcase!
Nintendo ran its Partner Showcase this morning. In my opinion the Switch 2 has a strong future ahead of itself with the Kirby DLC, Metroid Prime 4, Pokemon Legends ZA, The new Hyrule Warriors, and the mysterious Mario 3D game still on the horizon. But as you can see, this is a Partner Showcase. So none of those games were mentioned today (except a look at the next Hyrule Warriors). Let’s break down the 5 games I’m most excited for.
#5 Pac-Man World 2 Repac: I will always spotlight a 3D Platformer when Nintendo wants to show them off. This is a remake of the Gamecube game and one I’ve always wanted to get into. Even though platformers are my favorite genre, I got stuck on the Gamecube version. Still I’d be interested in picking this one up later.
#4 Borderlands 4: Of all the games on today’s list, this is probably my most anticipated. It made my most anticipated games of 2025 after all. However, it’s only number 4 because Nintendo barely acted like this game existed in the direct.
#3 The Adventures of Elliot. The game looks like it had the aesthetics and mechanics of Paper Mario Thousand Year Door, combat of Zelda, and art style of Octopath Traveler. I don’t usually go for RPGs, but this is an action RPG that looks pretty solid.
#2 Hela: I actually really liked the vibe of this game. It has that Grounded vibe of playing a small character in a large world. I wouldn’t mind seeing more details about this one. For example are we going to have RPG elements and leveling up or is this going to be a sandbox platforming kinda game. Nonetheless, the mechanics and gameplay look fun. This one is on my radar.
#1 Chronos New Dawn: This was the show stopper for me, pretty easily too. I don’t normally like survival horrors, but I do tend to like them when there’s an action element to them, namely Resident Evil 4. However, this game feels like RE 4 and Dead Space met with a fun time travel mechanic. This game just looked very solid.
So that’s my list. I left off some remakes which I’m sure will crack a lot people’s list like Persona 3 and Final Fantasy Tactics.
Let me know what your favorite game from the showcase was. Thank you so much for reading. Have a great day!
The Switch 2 is Here! (And some other things!
Hey guys, the Switch 2 is out! I pre ordered mine, but didnt get my hands on it until Sunday. Yesterday, my wife and I took Mario Kart World out for a spin, and I played some Mario Odyssey again. So far, I’ve enjoyed it. The added size has been nice. I’ve liked the screen and the new joy cons. At some point this week, I’ll be picking up the Tears of the Kingdom update and give that a try.
Yesterday, I also found my Hunter X Hunter manga, so maybe I can finally finish volume 1.
I’ve also watched some movies lately
We watched The Secret World of Arrietty, a great Studio Ghibli film. I might try to write a review for this one as I really liked it. I would just have to put my thoughts into words. It might be my second favorite Studio Ghibli film just behind Kiki’s Delivery Service.
My dad picked Mission Impossible as the film he wants to see for Father’s Day. So I’ve been binging these (4 down 3 to go before Saturday). Again, I could see myself reviewing this series as a whole somewhere down the line.
On top of that, I’m about 6000 words into the novel I’m writing, and that has been consuming my free writing time this last week- which I did warn could happen.
Let me know what you guys think about any game, movie, or Manga mentioned today.
Thank you to anybody who is reading! Have a great day!
Side Characters Who Got Their Own Games!
Side Characters Who Got Their Own Games!
The main character can make or break a video game. Sonic is one of the most simple, yet perfectly designed characters. His ability, attitude, everything about him helps set the tone for the level design. It helped him stand out against Mario. Compare that to Tails. Tails is good and all, but he doesn’t bring the same punch Sonic does. He’s clearly designed to be a side character. But what happens when those characters designed to be side characters get the spotlight? Today, let’s look at 4 times understudies got called up to the big stage.
We will start with Luigi. Perhaps the most iconic side character of all time. He started off as the player 2 option back in the day. He was just an off color Mario really. However, over time he got his own identity. He was taller and slender than Mario. That became symbolic with his movement, where he was better at jumping than Mario, but with less precision. He also was characterized as a little bit of a scaredy cat. This is what makes Luigi’s Mansion a perfect setting for Luigi to shine. Nintendo leaned into Luigi’s chicken demeanor. Luigi’s Mansion stars Luigi winning a Mansion filled with ghosts. He must overcome his fear in order to save his brother, Mario. It’s awesome to see Luigi develop as more than just a player 2 option. He’s really blossomed over the last few decades.
Daxter
Daxter was a wise guy, smart mouth punk through the Jak and Daxter franchise. It’s funny to me that the first game is titled Jak and Daxter. But the rest of the franchise drops the Daxter part. I feel like this is because of the complete tonal shift from Jak and Daxter to Jak 2. Daxter was the cute animal sidekick. Which was appropriate for a 3D platformer. When it shifted to a more dark, gritty adventure game, the emphasis moves from a lovable duo, to the titular hero. Well, Daxter would go on to get his own game. What’s interesting about this is they put him on the PSP. I assume this is because he’s a side character. It just fits more on Sony’s handheld. Now, Daxter is a really awesome 3D action platformer that I think does blend the two styles of games pretty well. Though, it does feel like a slightly darker version of Jak and Daxter. So I think it’s cool when Daxters name gets back on a game, it gives those classic PS2 vibes.
Shadow the Hedgehog
Shadow is an interesting one. I never played Sonic growing up. I was more of a Mario guy. However, I’ve always loved Sonic’s supporting cast. Knuckles and Shadow were so cool looking. I remember begging mom to rent Shadow the Hedgehog. And she let me. Boy, was I surprised. I was 11 when it came out. You’d think I’d be at the right age where a gritty, explosive, high octane adventure would be screaming my name. But this game did not click with me well at all. I really could not have played more than a level or two. Maybe this is because it’s still more or less a Sonic game? I still like Shadow as a character, but I just couldn’t get into the game. I don’t know if it was because of GTA3 or what, but it felt like every franchise around this era wanted this gritty mature vibe to them. It makes sense not wanting Sonic to be the lead in this title. It kinda goes against the lovable brand Sonic had spent the last decade building up, meaning Shadow was a perfect fit here.
Diddy Kong
Last today is Diddy Kong. He started off as Donkey Kong’s sidekick in Donkey Kong Country, a 2D side scrolling action platformer. He’s fun with an awesome design. Diddy Kong would get a chance to shine early in his gaming career. He became the main character in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Quest. A sequel held in very high regards. Im sure it helped that Donkey Kong’s name was plastered on the box. A few years later, he would land his own title on Nintendo’s new console, the n64. Diddy Kong Racing stood out against Mario 64. It had an open world, boss fights, new characters. It was a fresh spin on Kart racers in the face of the titan that was Mario Kart 64. Impressively enough, a lot of people say they actually prefer Diddy Kong Racing over Mario Kart 64. Making it, in my opinion, a very successful spin-off. Diddy Kong has remained active in the gaming world. He’s a playable character in the Smash Brothers series. He’s still at DKs side in the Donkey Kong Country series. He was even a playable character in DK64. His Flagship racer even got ported over to DS. While he’s remained relevant in gaming, it is still hard to see a new Diddy Kong Racing game getting greenlit if even F-Zero can not get one. Not to mention, Rare, Diddy Kong’s creator, has gone on to live at the farm up north.
A fun part about doing this topic is seeing all the ways or reasons they try out the side characters. Luigi and Diddy Kong got completely different genres than their main protagonist counterparts. Daxter was used on Sony’s handheld, PSP. While Shadow was used to test out a more teenage centric edgy attitude. It’s neat to see some of these ideas played out. So guys that does it for part one. What’s your favorite game or character listed today? And which characters should be in part 2? Don’t forget to subscribe. We will see you in the next one.
Franchises That Deserve a Shot on the Switch
Seems like everybody is reporting on how Nintendo will be releasing the Switch successor by some time in 2025. This means we’re in the homestretch of the Switch’s prime. So many of my favorite entries of Nintendo’s most beloved series are on the Switch. Mario Kart and Smash Bros have arguably never been better. Mario Odyssey and Kirby and Forgotten Lands are borderline masterpieces. Zelda has had a barrage of fantastic titles. The entirety of Pikmin is now playable on the Switch. But Nintendo has a massive backlog. Many of those franchises don’t have remakes, remasters, collections, or sequels on the Switch. I think being on the Switch has a force multiplier aspect about itself. If Nintendo put Ice Climbers on the Switch I think it would sell well. So let’s look at some franchises that deserve a shot on the Switch.
We’re going to start with Donkey Kong. Maybe this is technically cheating, because Tropical Freeze did get ported over to the Switch early in it’s lifespan. However, if I’m not mistaken, Donkey Kong has gotten a new game on every Nintendo console. If things hold as they are, that streak will come to an end. I’d love to see a true sequel to Donkey Kong 64, or at least an open world DK game. But if Donkey Kong Country got a new entry, no one would complain. Especially since players have long viewed Nintendo platformers in three tiers: Easy, medium, hard. The easy platformer being Kirby. The medium platformer being Mario. The hardest being DK. That’s why it’s very weird Donkey has not got a new title in the extensive life of the Nintendo Switch.
Next up is F-Zero. My only explanation here is Nintendo believes in the cannibal theory. This is to say that F-Zero would eat Into Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s sales or player base. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the highest selling Switch game to date. But again, if Nintendo would just use the same tier system it does for the platformers, I don’t think it would be a problem. In this instance, Mario Kart could be a more wacky arcade racer. While F-Zero could appeal more to speed Junkies. Personally I feel as if both games could occupy a spot in Nintenon’s online repertoire. Nintendo did test the waters with F-Zero 99. Hopefully that was enough of an experiment to motivate Nintendo into launching a new game in the series!
The next title I’d like to talk about is Kid Icarus. Honestly, I don’t have a lot to pull from for this one. Sure, Kid Icarus is one of Nintendo’s oldest titles, dating back to the NES. And sure, it wasn’t totally forgotten about thanks to its 3DS release. But that’s about it. Pitt and Palutena have been represented In Smash Bros, making that the last time we’ve seen Kid Icarus characters. I will say Kid Icarus Uprising on 3DS is often cited in people’s top 10 3DS games, so that game does seem to have been a roaring success. My fear though, is that the game came out 12 years ago and has had no traction since then. I also think the Wii U would have been a perfect console to do an Uprising sequel. At this point I’m not sure where they would go with the franchise. However, the Switch seems like a perfect time to reinvent the series.
Now we move on to Chibi Robo. Chibi Robo started off life as a hidden gem all the way back on the Gamecube. It did go on to get some sequels on the DS family of handheld. But I want to see Chibi on the Switch. The internet and home appliances have been revolutionized over the last couple of decades which I think could make game design interesting. You could have a roomba that moves in and tries to steal Chibi’s job or constantly trying to suck him up on his vacuuming adventures. All the appliances could be sentient (like a talking fridge or what have you.) I don’t know, I feel like in this day and age a new Chibi adventure could have some really fresh ideas with that Nintendo storytelling and world building charm. It’s something I want to see sooner than later.
Last game today is Star Fox. Star Fox has always been my favorite designed Nintendo character. The dude screams cool. I have played Star Fox 0 and I’m not a hater of it. I get it if the unique control scheme turned people off or if it didn’t capture that nostalgic feel of Star Fox 64, but I definitely didn’t hate it. What I want out of the next Star Fox game is a perfectly blend of linear, on rail shooting levels, mixed with sections on feet and in the other vehicles. Star Fox could probably pull off a big open world adventure thanks to all the machines he has access to or could be created for the purpose of this game. But it doesn’t have to be a big sprawling adventure. It doesn’t have to be Star Field to be an awesome mix of both genres. I loved Star Fox 64 and Adventures. If you could take the best of both and create a hybrid escapade, that sounds awesome. Though, they may take him more back to his roots and be a strict on rail shooter. Let me know how you think they should handle whatever comes next for Star Fox.
So that’s the franchises I think deserve life on the Switch before we move on to whatever next. I know we left off some great series like Ice Climbers and Punch Out, so let me know below what are some other series that deserve some love right now! Thanks for watching.
Christmas Gaming Memories! (The Christmas Blog!)
Ahhh, yes. Video games and Christmas. Name a more iconic duo. As a child, Christmas and video games were synonymous with each other. And as a man child, this is still true. My parents knew my love of video games from an early age. So they did their best to make sure something gaming related awaited us under the tree. Today I thought it’d be fun to reflect back on childhood Christmas memories with a gaming theme.
Remember you can watch this topic on Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MVkDyIDA78
My mom’s work allowed her to layaway the latest consoles. The first console I remember her surprising us with was the Gamecube. I remember turning the box around and seeing all the games you could play on the back. The main reason I’m mentioning this is because this was a surprisingly profound moment in my life. Back during the 6th generation of gaming, PS2 was my console of choice. Yet as an adult I’m nostalgic for the Gamecube. Part of that is the Nintendo charm no doubt. But the other part was the endless wonder the back of a box can do for a child. That Christmas made the Gamecube feel like it was the greatest machine on earth even if the little lunchbox would go on to be underrated in our household.
I’ll do my dad’s gift next. My dad loved going to flea markets, antique malls and perusing Craigslist. He would often see gaming bundles for sale. One year he surprised us with a PS2 lot. Later on he would do the same for a PS3 lot. The PS2 lot had The Hobbit, Black and Bruised, SplashDown Rides Gone Wild, the Scorpion King, Yu Yu Hakusho and maybe one of the Outlaw Golf games. This was a pretty awesome group of games. Splashdown was probably the game we played the most. As it’s just a little arcade water skiing game made ridiculous. It’s a fun weekend kind of game.
Now the PS3 I cannot really remember too many of the games that came with it. However, it did have Heavenly Sword. I remember the hype for this game was unreal back in the day. The funny thing about Heavenly Sword and the Hobbit is I didn’t get to play too much of them back in the day but I enjoyed my time with both. So much so that when I grew up I was determined to buy these games again. I played through the first two or so levels of the Hobbit and really liked it. And while I haven’t seen the movies or read the book, I do live with a one year old so I’m basically terrorized by a Hobbit everyday when you think about it.
Now the other console mom surprised me with back in the day was the Xbox 360. A console that would go on to consume my life for the next decade. Who would have guessed the profound impact this console would have on me. It turned me into an achievement junkie. My cousin who lives 10 hours away from me grinded through some of the most fun co-op games I’ve ever played like Borderlands and Battle Block Theater. It provided some of the most fun single player games like Bioshock and GTA4 and 5. And my brother and I beat Halo 3 on the hardest difficulty back in the day.
Sure, The first couple did get the red ring of death, but once my mom finally got me one that worked, I’ve kept it ever since. I want to say I got the 360 around 7th grade. I entertained myself with games like Perfect Dark Zero until I got those life changing big experience games like Fallout New Vegas and some of the others I’ve discussed today. And who could forget the countless amount of time we sank into Modern Warfare 2. I lost count on the amount of Mountain Dew that was consumed playing that game.
I took this console to college my Freshman year after all and had friends would come over to watch me beat Red Dead Redemption and Bioshock Infinite. My wife and I beat Resident Evil 5 on co-op with this bad boy. So just remember if you ever think I’m a Nintendo fan boy, of which I am, I’ve probably put the most amount of time into my Xbox 360. I doubt my mom knew how long my 360 would stay with me when she bought it for me, but I still have it to this day.
That gets me to the final gift I want to talk about today. I had just gotten the Wii U for my birthday with Cat Mario on it. I knew what I wanted for Christmas too. I had big plans you see. I wanted 3 games that year and I wanted them bad. Wind Waker HD, the latest Madden and Far Cry 4. Far Cry 3 was the talk of my high school and I missed out on it. Far Cry 4 had just came out and you could bet your bottom dollar I wasn’t missing out on it this time around. Christmas day starts. I make my way down stairs and see 3 game case shaped gifts. Bingo. I opened the first gift, Wind Waker HD. We’re off to a great start. Gift 2- that year’s Madden. Man, I love it when a plan comes together. Gift 3, what’s this… Nintendo Land? You better believe I confronted her. I said mom, how could you mess this up? I gave you the playbook and everything. And even though it’s been 10 years I’ll never forget what she said to me. “I know you really wanted Far Cry 4, but Nintendo Land just looked like a game you’d like more.” I had never been more defeated. I could just picture the Gamestop employee snickering because he won a bet with a co-worker he couldn’t sell a copy of Nintendo Land. But you know what. My mom was right. Nintendo Land is more my kinda game. Oh wait, I don’t know that because I never got to play Far Cry 4. Thanks mom.
All joking aside, I now love Nintendo Land. People hate on the Wii U but I’ve yet to bust out 4 player Nintendo Land and everybody not have a great time. This story strengthened my love for the Wii U and my connection with it. I now go to bat for this game and say it’s one of my favorites on the console.
There you have it. All the Christmas memories I wanted to discuss today. My parents knew how much I loved video games and made sure they did their darndest that way I had something new to play waiting for me on Christmas. I probably didn’t do a good job telling them back then but I will always be grateful for those memories because they influenced me so much. Looking back I know how hard they had to work to pull these things off for a couple of spoiled brats who didn’t know how good they had it back then. As we know, video games aren’t cheap. I have a daughter now and I can only hope I make half of her dreams come true the way my parents did for me. So this Christmas be thankful for what you have in life because someone had to work hard to make sure you have those things.
But that does it for this post. Tell me down below what your favorite Christmas gift was growing up. Video Game or otherwise. Merry Christmas guys.
The Future of The Legend of Zelda series!?
Today we are talking about an interview that is making its rounds around the internet and in video game circles. Zelda series producer Eiji Aonumoa told IGN “It’s interesting when I hear people say [they prefer the old entries] because I am wondering, ‘Why do you want to go back to a type of game where you’re more limited or more restricted in the types of things or ways you can play?’ But I do understand that desire that we have for nostalgia, and so I can also understand it from that aspect,” said Aonuma.” He pondered during his interview.
If you want to watch our video over this topic, check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDEJWKzUqU8&t=14s
Read the full interview here: https://www.ign.com/articles/zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-interview-nintendo-eiji-aonuma-hidemaro-fujibayashi
These comments were made in regards to people apparently wanting to go back to the old formulaic Zelda. Personally, I got my Wii U Christmas of 2013. Zelda Breath of the Wild and Smash Brothers were the two main reasons I wanted the machine. I remember waiting years, following every ounce of news about Breath of the Wild leading up to the release. This was one of the most anticipated releases of my life. Playing through it, it lived up to the hype.
So many people wanted to focus on the changes like they were negative. No heart pieces, no traditional dungeons, no loose linear structure. Everything had changed. And I found myself defending it. The shrines were a modern and sleek way to give the players a sense of progress. And it even granted the player freedom how they chose to strengthen Link. Want to survive battles easier, go for Heart Containers. Want to have a smoother time traversing the wild, fill that stamina bar up baby. I loved the way we were piecing together the world and the lore through memories. The korok seeds were a collectathoners dream. I loved my time with it.
But when my time with it was through, I had no urge to replay it. In fact I find myself saying its my second least favorite Zelda. Only above Zelda 2. Why is that?
It just feels hollow. Nothing makes me want to replay or revisit it. It was a blast playing for the first time and discovering everything. But nothing hooked me enough to want to replay it. Whereas Wind Waker on Wii U jumped up to maybe my 2nd favorite Zelda. What’s the difference? Wind Waker feels like an epic quest. Setting sail with nothing and watching Link become the hero he was always meant to be is just something special. Wind Waker is pretty open world too. It doesn’t suffer from the hollow issue; there’s always an island to explore, treasures that await and monsters to defeat. It has some of my favorite NPCs and items in the whole series. It’s a massive open world that doesn’t feel empty nor tedious to search.
Which gets me to what I want to talk about today. Is Breath of the Wild really that different from the rest of the series. And was that a positive shift?
People act like Breath Of the Wild was the first open world game. Many could argue the original Zelda was one of the first ever open world games in general. As the player can explore, I believe any of the first 3 dungeons in any order. The other games may be a bit stricter with progression, but most of the cities are available after you leave your hometown. With only the dungeons and heart pieces really locked behind items.
I think Breath of the Wild handled open world perfectly, as I discussed in my video addressing open world gaming (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ksjo1xPkMw). They give you a brief tutorial, all your runes, and say have fun. And have fun we did. But if you’re like me, the runes just weren’t enough. Breath of the Wild can get teased for being called a sandbox physics engine. There can be some truth to that with the magnet and stasis. The bombs were a must have return for the franchise as they are arguably the most iconic item in the series. Cryonis was a welcomed addition to Links arsenal. But I found myself missing items like the Lens of Truth, the Hookshot and many others. We knew we weren’t getting them either. The runes in Tears of the Kingdom are all relatively fresh ideas here. Ultra Hand is awesome, allowing Link to interact with so many objects in the game world. Fuse, admittedly, may be one I under utilize. As the name suggests, it grants Link the power to combine objects together. Recall, in my opinion, is the most lame one yet. But it plays nicely with the physics engine reputation the new Zelda games have garnered. Ascend is easily one of my favorite power ups in any Zelda game. In my opinion, it’s what sold me on Tears of the Kingdom as an evolution and not a copy of Breath of the Wild. It gives Link the ability to travel through surfaces to reach new heights. It’s amazing for exploring and discovering new areas and locations. While I don’t believe the runes are as cool as the old school items, they were definitely a nice way to break from the mold while still maintaining a semblance of old Zelda.
Some of the most fun I have playing Zelda is reaching a location that is inaccessible at the moment and thinking “wonder what item gets me in here” or wonder what is hiding behind that secret area? It’s a great motivator to encourage players to return and re-explore areas they thought they were through with. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom still offer many puzzles that can give you that “ah-ha” moment through the shrines, of which there is a lot. And I’m not one who hates on the divine beast, as I found myself enjoying them more than others seemed to. To me, oddly enough, it’s just that world feels empty. The chest that you may find will not offer anything special. As weapons break, you have all your items from the start, and heart pieces are gained through the shrines. Meaning, if you see a chest off in the distance, you know you won’t find anything in there of real worth.
All this is to say that yes. At its core Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are the most open world the series has ever been, but at what cost? As the lands, in my opinion just aren’t worth exploring. The korok seeds are the only real thing here worth collecting. They are used to expand your inventory slots. Which is good, but hardly worth all the time it would take to track them down. I often circle back around to Ocarina of Time or Wind Waker because I feel they are near perfect games and capture what it means to be on grand adventures. They are a perfect blend of open world while maintaining direction. Every action feels like it has a purpose and adds to the bigger picture. Nothing feels forced or time consuming. Everything feels like it is here for a reason. Things are fun to explore and have rewards. That’s the issue with giving you everything up front. You won’t be rewarded with light arrows or magic or what have you.
So how would fix Zelda moving forward? It’s a tough problem to have. By removing items and rewards, you are removing part of the fun in exploring these worlds. However, if you reintroduce all these extra things, you complicate the game. Thus sacrificing what works about the two newest Zelda outings. I think my simplest solution is this. Find a way to blend runes with progression items. Runes will be given all at once and at the beginning. While progression items will be concentrated mostly on dungeons. Keep the shrines, but reduce the number. Shrines will extend stamina while heart pieces return to the overworld. Yes players no longer have to choose between the two, but who cares? Games are meant to be fun overall. And players can skip one or the other if they want a challenge. This is how I would fix things. It would give the over world more of a purpose, while still keeping the new open world feel that the games are crafting.
Which style of Zelda do you prefer? Are you fan of the open world gaming, or do you prefer the formulaic style we were use to? Thank you guys for reading and have a great day!
Da_Hubbz 