Letterbox: eShop Closure, Comedy, Physical Future – Nintendo Life Letters

“expose yourself”

If global video game development suddenly stopped and you could only play games that were already released, how would you handle it? Would you get bored with games if they didn’t advance technologically? Do you think you’d enjoy being exposed to genres and series that you don’t normally play? How would you focus your gaming time?
Daniel

Personally, my current backlog would probably give me pause. There are entire series of games I haven’t played, so while I’ll be disappointed to never get to enjoy the zeitgeist of a new release again (and who doesn’t love the smell of new hardware?), there’s a rich history of games to experience—and plenty of Banjo replays to enjoy—I’ll keep going. Normal. – Editor.

“choose”

Which may concern,
I love Joy Mech Fight. It’s a great fighting game, and it’s not bad on the NES (or Famicom if we’re being picky). I just recently started playing it and realized something. 3 of my top 5 NES games are from 1993.
The old man was still alive before they put him to sleep, and what a wonderful life it was!

If you’re wondering (probably not), here are my rankings:
Top 5 NES Games
1. Mr. Gimmick (1993)
2. Kirby’s Adventures (1993)
3. Ufouria: The Long Story (1991)
4. Dr. Mario (1990) (yes, I love this movie that much)
5. Joy Mech War (1993)
From,
Casey

Great – a few under-the-radar Sunsoft gems. 1993 was a good year. And thanks for reminding me to check out Joy Mech Fight on NSO. – Editor.

“satire like”

Hello!

I would like to know why there is no ‘Comedy’ video game genre. I think there are plenty of satirical games like: Untitled Goose Game, Stanley Parable, Portal and probably many more. So why isn’t comedy a gaming genre like movies?
OswaldTheLuckyGamer

Probably because it’s so hard to pull off. Timing is of the essence with conedy, and controlling that is incredibly difficult in an interactive medium that doesn’t just lead the player on a ‘ride’ on a track or into a cutscene. You can have the funniest script in the world, but if a line is delivered a little early or a little late, or overlaps with the trigger for the next line, it’s all for naught.

Stanley Parable and Portal are probably the best examples ever made, and they constantly use clever distractions and magic tricks to make dialogue spontaneous or draw your attention to something you might otherwise miss. Those games are illusionary wonders in how they deliver humor. Weaving that into a video game requires magician-like performance and complete design mastery, and most developers don’t have the talent and aptitude for it. – Editor.

“quite bad”

Square Enix’s new release strategy is to release popular games for as many platforms as possible. At the same time, games like FF and KH have always aimed for the best graphics possible. With Nintendo going their own way (possibly with weaker hardware than their competitors), do you think there’s a chance we’ll see the next numbered FF and KH on the Switch 2? Personally, I doubt it. They certainly resonate with the Nintendo audience, but demanding 3rd party games tend to look pretty bad on the Switch.
RenanKJ

I wouldn’t be surprised to see numbered entries in those franchises appear on future Nintendo hardware, though recouping investment in existing games would mean ports aren’t viable on current consoles first, I imagine. PC is the easier target, but if the Switch 2 breaks down doors like the Switch did, SE will want to be there for it. – Editor.

“complete, dull silence”

Do you know why I still prefer the 3DS and Wii U over the Switch, even though the Switch is arguably the most popular console ever? Well, I have one word for you: PERSONALIZATION.

I’ll never miss the abundance of themes, the carefully crafted soundtracks for every different screen, the Miiverse, the catchy arcade tunes that “encourage” you to spend more time looking for fun games… and the Switch doesn’t have any of that! Good luck spending hours in a Switch arcade in complete, dreary silence.

Honestly, I can’t believe we’re at the end of the Switch’s lifecycle, and when you open the theme selector, you can only choose between white and black… Man, that’s not good… Oh, by the way, the touchscreen on the Switch is insanely underused!
Grumpy Potato is here!

Agree on all counts. Home screen needs Spice Orange theme. eShop needs a makeover. – Editor.

“a friend from the countryside”

Hello NL group!
I was wondering if there are any plans to expand the eshop codes/Nintendolife credits beyond the current regions? I live in New Zealand (hello 2am Nintendo Directs), and would love to support the site through commissions! Just push it and I’ll need to buy more eshop credits and hopelessly fill up my backlog…
PS I know about the region switch, but I have game sharing set up with a friend in that country and don’t want to accidentally lock them out
Skyward Pumpkin

Having said that, the regions available are determined by where Famehype (NL’s code-selling partner) operates and unfortunately we won’t be seeing an option for New Zealand anytime soon.

Joy: Who knows, maybe one day you’ll get that backlog done? – Editor.

“inverse ratio”

Hi! As far as you can remember, which Switch games were the most well-received (in terms of sales, Metacritic scores, etc.) compared to the hype that was previously generated during the company’s official presentations and similar events?
The answer will reflect more on the marketing behind a game than the quality of that game, but it can provide insight into the context of resource allocation and why some good games might be overlooked, especially when considering the effort that goes into creating something like a Nintendo Direct.
Please continue to uphold!
ZZalapski

Tough question. On the first-party side, anything that’s critically well-received tends to get a similar marketing push. I can’t think of a Nintendo game that excellent without them telling people so. Advance Wars Re-Boot Camp, perhaps, though for obvious sensitivities. They kept Everybody 1-2-Switch pretty quiet—as you would—but great games? You’ll never get a good Nintendo game that people sleep on these days.

Aside from the first-party stuff, it seems like Balatro came out of “nowhere” this year. More precisely, it didn’t attract Mine attention during the build-up to release. I could retire to a private island if I had a penny for every email with the subject line ‘roguelike deckbuilder’, and card games are rarely trailer-friendly, so it took a while before I got back to it and it finally broke through for me. Great game, but it was a case of, ‘Hmm, okay, let’s maybe missed something here.’ – Editor.

Bonus letter

“If a nuclear disaster happened hundreds of years from now and wiped out the world’s population, would a new Mario game still be released?” – HotGoomba

Almost certainly. I think the industry is finally cooling down on zombie games, but Nintendo is usually slow. – Editor.

“Sonic Frontiers 2 may introduce a new hedgehog character.“- scottdevine48

Isn’t there enough suffering and misery in the world? – Ed.

“My hope is that Nintendo Life doesn’t favor old-fashioned nostalgia and oppose new ideas, new directions, and new accessibility.“- Marshall Gordeuk

Can’t we have some column A’s and ALL column B’s? – Ed.

“I recently played Superstar Saga and just finished Joke’s End. The music made the game more painful than it needed to be – a 5 second loop that played continuously for an hour in a dungeon.
What amateur composer could make something like- Yoko Shimomura?! – Munchlax

After listening to it, I’ll put it at the end to lighten the load and share the pain with everyone reading. No problem. – Editor.

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That’s it for the month! Thanks to everyone who wrote in, whether you were listed above or not.

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