Switch Buying Guide

The Mart mart? Mart²?

The name of the store is on the top of my Twitter profile.

Since they changed our system to directly use the same My Nintendo Store that the public use (not a private office one), it means I can order things from my phone rather than getting onto my laptop. The code still gets emailed to my work email though, so earliest I can send it is tomorrow. But I can buy it tonight if so desired.

Mario Vs Donkey Kong is €34,99 with the discount, it's available to pre-order now ahead of release Friday. There's also a bonus keyring item with it, even if you order digital. But if you want that, you'd have to pay postage.

One to one euro to pounds

I’ll get a physical cart!

Is it?! That's insane. I wonder if that helps for the money I send back every month… It's usually roughly £800 for every €1,000.

My currency converter says €34,99 is about £30 (I'm seeing €1 = 85p). It's meant to be a €50/£40 game, but yeah, I expect you can find somewhere selling it for £30 for sure.

GamesMartTM

Anyway I came on to ask if anyone has tried the Nitrodeck?

Sounds like the Switch 2 has been pushed back to Q1 of next year, which can only be a good thing for my backlog.

Wouldn't it be lovely if maybe people waited for official announcements rather than getting rumours from all over? God, I hate the media (despite having been it in a previous life).

Yeah, it's a bit much to say it's been delayed when there's been no actual date given yet.

Thing is, I was talking to some folk just the other day and we all thought that if there's still good software coming for Switch, stuff that's fun and worth getting… why is everyone desperate for new hardware? What's the rush? Why does it matter? New hardware just means segregating the market, starting from scratch and risking losing an audience that already exists. Sure, you'd get a power bump but really, what does that even mean? You can't tell me that games like Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Luigi's Mansion 3, Pikmin 4 don't look lovely, because it's not true… and they're running on hardware that's less powerful than some of the latest phones. So why does it matter?

Something new doesn't mean something better necessarily… it's just different. I really don't get what people are in such a hurry for. When the Switch is totally dead, when it's not still selling steadily and the evergreen titles aren't continually in the Top 20 bestselling games every month… well, THEN it's time.

(Also, people who think stuff that isn't in 4K is shit need to reconsider their life choices)

Full agreement

Anyway I came on to ask if anyone has tried the Nitrodeck?

God I wished I had looked into this more before ordering. Got mine today as they have been on my radar since they were first shown on IGN last year, and my god am I already having anxiety about it having had issues, then found others that had the same issues and seen how they have been dealt with.

Effectively there seems to be order connection issues with OLEDs, so it connected for maybe 60 seconds and then hasn't worked since, despite the unit being active as the power light is on.

TLDR - don't buy one if you have an OLED Switch.

Nitrodeck looks cool but I'm fine with the way the Switch feels in handheld as it is I think.

I didn't twig what it was… It's the shell you can drop a Switch into and has bigger controllers, etc, right? Seen it doing the rounds, a friend of mine does the PR for it. If it's shit, definitely get a refund.

That's the thing Mart. They claim there is no refunds! I get that contradicts UK buyers rights but there isn't actually a way to process a return if you bought from them direct, just have to email a specific support email, so already done that.

It's a shame as other than the connection issue it feels a lovely bit of kit.

That's… not right. You'd expect that from a scam but this is a legit item. If it's faulty, you have a right to return.

Yup precisely. I have already prepped some info just in case as it's fine to say you don't accept returns but that obviously goes against several laws/acts for consumer rights and online buyers acts etcs, and also purchased via PayPal so can escalate there is needed. Especially as the thing isn't bloody working.

To their credit I have had a response today to my email, although it looks automated and asked for loads of information previously provided. Having a right miserable run with gear as I gave up on this and got out the RetroFighters Hunter controller that I got last week…that also isn't working!

In defence of RetroFighters I have 3 Dreamcast controllers a PS1/PS2 pad and an N64 variant from them that have all worked fine and are great to use, so hopeful this is just misfortune.

Downloaded and watched the kid play the Princess Peach Showtime demo, and it honestly seems very decent. She wanted it anyway but has now specifically asked if and how she can afford it, so have pre-ordered it now for her out of sheer parental love. Whilst she will occasionally ask for Minecraft coins and wanted Wonder for her birthday, she almost never actually asks for new games and just plays mine and what else is about in the house, on gamepass etc.

Looking forward to seeing more of it when it's out.

Any recommendations for Switch games in the sale for a 12 year old who loved Animal Crossing, A Short Hike and The Sims. They are looking for new games but they are not at all interested in challenge.

Untitled Goose Game? It has some tricky bits, but it's a puzzle game at heart and pretty fun to just mess around in even if you don't make a ton of progress.

Edit Just noticed the "in the sale" bit of your post, which UGG doesn't meet.

UGG is a good shout actually. I was planning to grab it at some point but I totally forgot.

Anyone tried the Witcher 3 on Switch? I haven't played it before but the handheld edition is more appealing to me than getting it on a console I get less time on.

I have. it's better than you'd expect, but also quite rough. I'd say if you have never played it at 60fps on a PC/X1X/PS5 and you're willing to not play any other version while you're playing it it's not too bad. Novigrad (and some other areas) runs badly, it's quite compressed (textures and sound is quite low quality). It runs slightly worse in handheld mode (wobbles below 30fps a lot) but I'd say that's the best way to play it (it looks dogshit on a big TV). It's a technical marvel in many ways though, no doubt about it.

Ta, I will grab it then. Only interested in handheld but it's down to £20 on the eshop for the complete edition, and I just fancy trying it.

I have played little bits of the others and enjoyed them despite not being that keen on the main guy, but I hear so much positive stuff about W3 I just feel I should try it.

I mean the big thing in Witcher 3 (and indeed the entire series) is everyone is a dick to some level and "good and bad" have a lot of nuance to them. I think Witcher 3 balances it quite well, but I certainly wouldn't go into it thinking it's jam packed full of likeable characters.

In my experience, the best you can manage with a lot of The Witcher III's cast of assholes is coming to some measure of understanding about why they're an asshole.

Yeah that makes sense. I think previously I hoped it was going to be like Kotor or Dragon Age for me.

Played about 2hours now and enjoyed it mostly. It's a tad N64 foggy but the world and characters are actually pretty well done I can already see. I am going to hold off playing till my new glasses are ready in just over a week's time, as struggling a tad with the amount of text and menus.

Some of this (okay, a lot of this) is fairly technical, but as an overview of how the TotK team thought about and solved a whole bunch of issues during development is fascinating - especially the audio stuff.

The Mario Wonder video is worth a watch too (but I don't have the link for it offhand).

Not entirely sold on the new Zelda – never really liked that art style, for one – but it's definitely an interesting direction.

Metroid Prime 4 lives!

I also appreciate how monumentally dumb a title "Brothership" is, yet somehow it works.

That Funkopop game is the least-charming game I've ever seen, and the most obvious shovelware cash-in since the height of the Wii era.

Not entirely sold on the new Zelda – never really liked that art style, for one – but it's definitely an interesting direction.

Metroid Prime 4 lives!

I also appreciate how monumentally dumb a title "Brothership" is, yet somehow it works.

You're all welcome, I'm now tired and I'd like to have a rest please.

(Four months of work, ended in just over 40 minutes)

FANTASIAN IS FREE FROM APPLE JAIL

Thanks for making all those games, Mart!

It's the least I could do to bring light into your lives.

(Seriously though, part of my job is being part of the team that does Directs - starting with title selection, through VO scripting, segment checks, creating copy for website pages, writing social posts and so on… I was backing up on this one, not leading, but a lot of people work their arses off on these things, and I'm very proud of everyone that ultimately brings them together)

I just watched the Direct. It was very enjoyable (although that Funko Pops game looks deeply cursed.) The revival of Mario & Luigi was a big surprise to me. I thought those games were finished. The studio that made all the previous ones went under, didn't it? Are any of the original people involved in the new game? Either way, my son is going to be very excited. He loves the series, and has played every game in it. Bowser's Inside Story and Superstar Saga are his favorites.

Whatever you do though, you're never going to reach the true high watermark for videogame presentations. I of course refer to the 2010 Konami E3 conference.

LOOK AT THE DIORAMA BACKGROUNDS

Doing what I do, the satisfaction of the job is stuff like this. Fills my heart with joy. The full video of Max (the guy who led the #FreeMVC2 movement) is something truly special too…

Pikmin 4 was pretty great.

Can people have a look and see if they can find 'Valkyrie Chronicles' (the first one). On the Switch store?

It's not showing for me, only 4, but then is here below, so not sure what is happening and not sure if I buy from that link, it will then be downloadable?

https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Valkyria-Chronicles-1456426.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqEkRrYBIcrWujvkZ9qXR9p0eaqSKcAjz3XIw5w8ysoKbLYFz_i#

Why can't you just buy it from the website? Log into the site with the same Nintendo Account you're using on the Switch, then it'll automatically download once you complete the purchase.

Ah right. I wasn't sure if it would and then was worried how would I "redownload" if it's not listed. Will try that then.

As long as the Nintendo account you log into the website with is the same as the one you're using on the Switch, it'll be fine. You'll know because it'll show your profile Mii on the website, top right.

As expected, full details have leaked about the Switch Online playtest thing. I'm not gonna link to anything or mention specifics, because I don't want Mart dispatching Nintendo's legal team to my house, but it sounds… weird. And I'm not sure I saw anyone predict this.

It doesn't look like it's for me, but I can imagine the kid would be chomping at the bit to give it a shot.

I don't want Mart dispatching Nintendo's legal team to my house

Too late, they're already INSIDE THE WALLS.

大変申し訳ございません。お許しください。

Six months of planning work (for me, I'm sure it took longer for others), culminating in the blink of an eye. Can I have a rest now? #NintendoMusic

After Xenosaga HD remaster trilogy