Switch Buying Guide

Ok, lobby is open. Unfortunately it seems my kids have turned my Mii into a weird egghead with a green beard.

Mate, it's a work of art on their side.

Is there an order to the way the courses are being selected btw?

I do not know how you are all so fast!!!

That was great. Good games, everyone.

New tracks are really good, too. The Yoshi’s Island one is as good as anything in the base game. The Amsterdam one is mental.

Yup enjoyable, thanks all. We should fire another one of them onto the calendar.

Yeah, that was a good laugh. Nice to play Mario Kart just for a bit of fun… at work, so many people take it so seriously and I prefer to just avoid it. Same with Smash Bros.

Yoshi's Island is a great track, and Amsterdam Drift is great too. I really like Singapore Speedway (banger of a tune throughout). But you can never go wrong with the likes of Coconut Mall, Maple Treeway and Peach Gardens either.

Let's do that again some day.

Let's do that again some day.

Like… soon!

I reckon we could do another maybe next week in the evening (starting around 8 or so GMT, since I'm an hour ahead). Just for shits and giggles. Who's in and does anyone have a preference for a day? What if I said Wednesday or Thursday next week (29 or 30/03)?

Felt: take a night off from figure painting and play.

Yep, either of those days would work for me.

Either works for me too.

I've gotten the expansion pass now as well, so I'd be up for some karting too!

Wait, Wednesday doesn’t work for me. Thursday does though.

Thursday it is then. Gives you all a week to bottle out.

What is the cheapest way to get Switch Online with expansion? I am tempted to just do it on the Switch for the ease at 34.99 but just wanted to check with you savvy bunch as seen you can get cheaper (legit non VPN) codes online but they don't seem to be for the expansion?

Is it just for you? I’ve got a spare slot on my family account and you’re welcome to join if you like. I’ve got the expansion activated.

What is the cheapest way to get Switch Online with expansion?

@martTM is the local source for all things discount Nintendo.

Yeah, I'm kind of wondering how this is even a question at this stage.

Sorry all busy weekend, I might just go with my own sub as still toying with the idea of getting the little one her own Switch Lite at some stage, so then I could just jump to the family one and we could have two Animal crossing islands.

I know of this Mart but I never want to hassle him about discounts! I was just confused if getting the online standard sub from the likes of CDkeys worked once you then added the Expansion on.

That's literally all I'm here for, to service you old men with Nintendo discounts. Otherwise, I'd just go back to my basement to live a life of solitude and darkness.

(Seriously, just ask )

Mart is our uncle who works at Nintendo, our freeloading brings meaning to his life.

Then let the freeloading commence! Mart I will message you when I get in, will just set up a recurring standing order and you can just pick something random for me each month that you specifically know I won't like, just like the old CD club things from the 90s!

I am the new LoveFilm, yes. Let the empire building begin!

Thursday it is then. Gives you all a week to bottle out.

This Thursday, April 6th, at 8pm GMT. Don't forget.

Ah, we all forgot, didn’t we?

I can’t make this Thursday (or Friday) - can you do any other evening?

I can do whenever people can.

And yes, I realise now we said the 30th. Balls. Any day works for me!

Confirming Zelda codes are now live on our staff shop, €47,99 each.

I'm maybe ten hours into Tears of the Kingdom and feel like I haven't scratched the surface yet. It feels genuinely enormous. So far the building mechanic is fun rather than annoying, although the ultrahand is more fiddly than it needs to be.

It looks a bit rough on the big screen, but it's a marvel in handheld. Can't believe this is the same console that Pokémon Scarlet runs on.

You bought it… without me? Sob.

Do you offer free back rubs?

You of all people know I do, Gar.

Has anyone accepted one yet?

All physical contact I provide is consensual.

Finally buckled and ordered Advanced Wars, had been hoping for a price drop but given up and used Amazon vouchers.

Nintendo games don't drop in price. Not much.

Watching my son playing Tears of the Kingdom and getting very frustrated with it. He's only on the island at the start but constantly losing items that don't seem to respawn.

He was trying to build a bridge across a chasm but accidentally dropped one of the planks in - that's it, can't get across the chasm.

Then he built a boat to cross a big lake but it sailed off before he could get onto it - that's it, boat's gone.

So now he's wandering around aimlessly and I'm not sure he can actually get to where he's supposed to go. What gives? I'm sure in previous games if you accidentally lost or destroyed a key item then it would reappear, but in this, it appears it's gone for good.

Once you're through the tutorial (the big sky island) you'll have Recall, which pauses the action and lets you rewind anything on screen (even if it's far away).

Aside from that, you're supposed to just make do, really. If you need another flat plank of wood, cut three trees down and lash them together. It rewards leftfield, real-world logic like no other game I've played.

Although the building controls are seriously fiddly (aren't they always) so I don't blame him for constantly dropping stuff. The amount of times I've lost a wonderful new invention because it slipped from my grasp… I'm basically putting up with the controls because the rest is so good.

I'm occasionally drafted in to assist on a shrine or puzzle and find pretty much all the controls really awkward, but since it's not my save I can't go rebinding them all to my liking.

Don't ask me, I've not even started it yet.

Afeared of getting a massage from Mart I bought a physical copy of Zelda.

I popped it in the console this morning, you know, I’m working from home, so two hours later I missed a meeting, but have had hours of fun.

Just got to the second temple on the opening island.

Garth gave me my first Nintendo console, the 3DS a few years ago, so I have no long history with Zelda, but I sunk 120 hours into the first game and never bothered with NG+.

I do have to admit I’ve abandoned Elden Ring for this.

Afeared of getting a massage from Mart I bought a physical copy of Zelda.

I'm beyond hurt.

Afeared of getting a massage from Mart I bought a physical copy of Zelda.

I'm beyond hurt.

I’ve not done the Martenomics but isn’t the trade in value of the physical media worth more than the digital discount you can get?

I just got £102 (credit) for five switch games at CEX

Wish I’d brought my switch to work now, my boss hasn’t turned up.

Oh, I'm not disputing the discount. But shunning the massage… man. And after we had curry as well.

Off the first sky island and down to earth. I’ve got four hearts and have tried the rooms below the castle, but get trounced by a couple of bobokins in the guard room. Why are they one hitting me? Have I come here too soon?

If you're getting one-shot, put a marker on your map and come back later. There are shrines everywhere; once you've done some of those you can come back better equipped.

Years behind the rest of the Internet but we have now discovered that Super Smash is a bit brilliant to play in local multiplayer. What's the best (I.E cheapest way) to get all the extra DLC characters? Do you need fighters pass 1&2 or is there a complete pass or anything? Is it cheapest anywhere in particular, does my secret Mart handsake work here as its Nintendo?

Thanks Games Master(s)

Yeah, Fighters Pass 1 & 2 are the cheapest way to get them all (plus you need to buy Piranha Plant separately, as he's not included in either pass). You can buy them individually if you only want a couple of them but it's more expensive that way if you want them all.

There's also a metric shit-ton of Mii costumes available as DLC, but none of that is particularly essential.

Do you need fighters pass 1&2 or is there a complete pass or anything? Is it cheapest anywhere in particular, does my secret Mart handsake work here as its Nintendo?

No complete pass, you have to get the two sets separately. From us, it's the usual 33% off:

• Fighter's Pass 1: €18,10
• Fighter's Pass 2: €21,71
• Piranha Plant: €3,61

Just shout if you want owt.

Just saw the email there had been a new direct. The new Mario looks pretty decent but does also seem to have a Sonic vibe to it in the "Oh look you can be an Elephant now." sort of vibe. My kid is losing her mind though and wants it tomorrow!

It's very decent. Very decent indeed. I'd love to say I'm paid to say that but since it's also the truth, my conscience is clear.

Thats great to hear. She is massively into Mario Maker 2 currently still and whilst the levels she makes are very easy and basic, its interesting playing ones designed by someone who has never played a Mario Platformer, as they have a very different feel to them as a result, genius game.