Official Newcomer/DLC Speculation Discussion

[SKX31]

In case you haven't noticed. but the 3Ds is finally being discontinued.

Nintendo 3DS Production Has Officially Come To An End https://t.co/RE1USIWWl7 #3DS pic.twitter.com/ta8Fe9mDRP

— Nintendo Life (@nintendolife) September 17, 2020

Not surprising, but it is kinda sad to finally see it go.

Aaaand I'm going to hardcore speculate here - but I think that's the last pure handheld Nintendo will produce, at least for a while. Mobile phones have pretty much taken up the "portable gaming" sphere. And as companies like NetEase continue to experiment with features like ray tracing on mobile, Nintendo would practically need to find something even crazier to stand out. It's difficult to see what would be standing out when they've done dual screens (DS) and stereoscopic views (3DS) already. The new handheld would likely come with a new controller interface... but where does one start? AR? VR? Never count out Nintendo, no, but for the forseeable future they're likely going to go hybrid and follow the Switch.

TheBeastHimself has a legitimate critique here:

RIP. To this day, I don't understand the whole 3D gimmick. It was cool for some games, kinda strains the eyes after a while. The NEW 3DS improved on that, but I went through this handheld generation with a 2DS just fine. In my opinion, they could've just released a more high powered DS in place of the 3DS, but I respect Nintendo's initiative because it was a pretty ambitious idea to make a handheld capable of 3D, and it worked!

Nintendo's core philosophy is "New ways to play" after all - Miyamoto stated as much in an Iwata Asks regarding Star Fox 64 3D:

One theme of the Nintendo 3DS system was gameplay involving depth.

...you can clearly see the depth involved, so I thought it would be more fun shooting with the laser

That was probably the intent, to use the depth and create gameplay features that way. Now, intent = / = actual results, but as No Strings PD (the link above) put it: "Miyamoto didn't start with a Star Fox IP and then fit it to the console - he wanted to make use of certain features the console has, and found Star Fox to be the most fitting foundation of of which to build." This also applies to Star Fox Zero and the Wii U's gyroscopic features... as well as why there hasn't been a Nintendo-made F-Zero game since GX.

It's both Miyamoto's creative strength and weakness. Strength because Miyamoto's ideas can - and has - produced some of the all-time greatest games with memorable features. Weakness because the feature can be overprioritzed (as with Star Fox Zero) and thus some games wind up suffering.

Miyamoto is one of Nintendo's most influential voices - sure, he's not the only one designing the hardware (and likely isn't the one coming up with the console designs). But the creator of Mario and Zelda likely voices his opinion on what should be explored next. Wouldn't be surprised if he's a major reason why Mario Kart Home Circuit exists, for example. Or LEGO Mario.

The weakness ties into the 3DS - I don't think most people really used the 3D effects because of the complaints you listed. IIRC those complaints were quite common. The 3DS is a great system even without the feature - it proved very versatile at handling different genres - and that's what separates it from bombs like the Virtual Boy. It's not a massive crutch the system - or most of Nintendo's consoles really.

 

[Shroob]

Given the teaser that was shown.

It was a teaser, but it didn't give a date or anything.


You're compiling a lot of assumptions and building a molehill out of them.


Would I love for Amiibo theory to be 100% confirmed and that we can plan Smash reveals via it? Of course, but remember blog theory? Remember the NEW button?



Wait
And
Hope

 

[Michael the Spikester]

It's funny really. Nintendo seems to have no problem showing off these games and partner directs yet people presume they'd have trouble showing off Smash. What makes it so much different from these games and partner directs to get people so pessimistic?

Also, it lines up well as Min Min was revealed just three months ago meaning the timing is right. They also had no problem with recording the Min Min presentation and reveal, so to think they'd suddenly have to delay FP7 is pretty absurd.

 

[Deleted member]

3DS was great, I was able to enjoy Pokemon Y there. I have respect for it.

 

[DarthEnderX]

Aaaand I'm going to hardcore speculate here - but I think that's the last pure handheld Nintendo will produce, at least for a while.

I certainly hope so. The Switch is everything I wanted from a Nintendo unit, and if I just keep getting more powerful Switches in the future, I'll be pretty happy with that.

I'll be pissed if I have to go back to splitting Nintendo games between two different consoles.

 

[Shroob]

It's funny really. Nintendo seems to have no problem showing off these games and partner directs yet people presume they'd have trouble showing off Smash. What makes it so much different from these games and partner directs to get people so pessimistic?

Also It lines up well as Min Min was revealed just three months ago meaning the timing is right.

No one's assuming Nintendo is having any trouble.


But we're also not jumping feet first into the adult pool when we don't know how to swim. A lack of information is not information, it's assumptions.


Remember, the guy who's taking over the math behind Amiibo theory, epicmartin7 , pinned 2 VERY different dates for the character, being October 1st and October TWENTY-THIRD.

 

[MooMew64]

I don't think Nintendo has things set up where a Smash character comes out exactly every three months. I think they probably just put it out when the character is done and ready to go.

IDK, people are free to think what they want, but I don't think it's wise to take anything other than Nintendo's word on the matter as a done deal right now. 2020 Nintendo is the mother of all wild-cards, and that's saying something when Nintendo was already the mother of all wild-cards, it's just that this year it's been dialed up to 11.

 

[Michael the Spikester]

No one's assuming Nintendo is having any trouble.


But we're also not jumping feet first into the adult pool when we don't know how to swim. A lack of information is not information, it's assumptions.


Remember, the guy who's taking over the math behind Amiibo theory, epicmartin7 , pinned 2 VERY different dates for the character, being October 1st and October TWENTY-THIRD.

Optimistic side of me says October 1st is when FP7 gets revealed and 23rd is his/her release date.

 

[Shroob]

Optimistic side of me says October 1st is when FP7 gets revealed and 23rd is his/her release date.

And it's good to be optimistic


But there's a difference between "I really hope this happens soon" and "OH YA THIS THEORY MEANS IT'S HAPPENING BROS".

 

[Schnee117]

Nintendo "holding off" on FP7 isn't them trolling. Come on now.

 

[Deleted member]

Nintendo "holding off" on FP7 isn't them trolling. Come on now.

What in Monster Hunter did I miss?

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

As I said before, Nintendo appears to be utilizing weekly announcement model with stuff like Partner Showcases, Twitter Drops, and Game Focused Directs. Given that Fighter 7 is on a bit less of a specific timetable than any of those, there is something understandable about choosing a week that's fairly empty and showing off the character then. Its not so much holding off on it as it sensibly placing it at a time that will maximize its impact without overshadowing anything else.

 

[TheBeastHimself]

The weakness ties into the 3DS - I don't think most people really used the 3D effects because of the complaints you listed. IIRC those complaints were quite common. The 3DS is a great system even without the feature - it proved very versatile at handling different genres - and that's what separates it from bombs like the Virtual Boy. It's not a massive crutch the system - or most of Nintendo's consoles really.

The fact that the 2DS was even an official product was basically Nintendo acknowledging that the 3D feature was simply optional and nothing more than a novelty. Still, I thought it was cool and more power to the people who utilized the 3D effects to the extant that Nintendo wanted.

 

[GoodGrief741]

who in their right mind would complain about amingo

Bold of you to assume I'm in my right mind

 

[Michael the Spikester]

As I said before, Nintendo appears to be utilizing weekly announcement model with stuff like Partner Showcases, Twitter Drops, and Game Focused Directs. Given that Fighter 7 is on a bit less of a specific timetable than any of those, there is something understandable about choosing a week that's fairly empty and showing off the character then. Its not so much holding off on it as it sensibly placing it at a time that will maximize its impact without overshadowing anything else.

Another reason why I'm feeling we can finally move onto FP8 in 2-3 weeks.

 

[Professor Pumpkaboo]

Nintendo "holding off" on FP7 isn't them trolling. Come on now.

no but you see, ity cant be Covid, they HAVE yto be trolling s/

 

[Michael the Spikester]

no but you see, ity cant be Covid, they HAVE yto be trolling s/

Reminder there was no issue with recording Min Min's presentation and reveal and having been dropping all these game announcements and partner directs.

Why would it be any different now? Also again timing is right having been 3 months since her reveal.

 

[Dr.DonPatch64]

I'm itching for a new fighter in a few weeks, maybe

 

[N3ON]

Aaaand I'm going to hardcore speculate here - but I think that's the last pure handheld Nintendo will produce, at least for a while. Mobile phones have pretty much taken up the "portable gaming" sphere. And as companies like NetEase continue to experiment with features like ray tracing on mobile, Nintendo would practically need to find something even crazier to stand out. It's difficult to see what would be standing out when they've done dual screens (DS) and stereoscopic views (3DS) already. The new handheld would likely come with a new controller interface... but where does one start? AR? VR? Never count out Nintendo, no, but for the forseeable future they're likely going to go hybrid and follow the Switch.

No accounting for purely handheld versions of hybrid systems, though.

TheBeastHimself has a legitimate critique here:



Nintendo's core philosophy is "New ways to play" after all - Miyamoto stated as much in an Iwata Asks regarding Star Fox 64 3D:




That was probably the intent, to use the depth and create gameplay features that way. Now, intent = / = actual results, but as No Strings PD (the link above) put it: "Miyamoto didn't start with a Star Fox IP and then fit it to the console - he wanted to make use of certain features the console has, and found Star Fox to be the most fitting foundation of of which to build." This also applies to Star Fox Zero and the Wii U's gyroscopic features... as well as why there hasn't been a Nintendo-made F-Zero game since GX.

It's both Miyamoto's creative strength and weakness. Strength because Miyamoto's ideas can - and has - produced some of the all-time greatest games with memorable features. Weakness because the feature can be overprioritzed (as with Star Fox Zero) and thus some games wind up suffering.

Miyamoto is one of Nintendo's most influential voices - sure, he's not the only one designing the hardware (and likely isn't the one coming up with the console designs). But the creator of Mario and Zelda likely voices his opinion on what should be explored next. Wouldn't be surprised if he's a major reason why Mario Kart Home Circuit exists, for example. Or LEGO Mario.

The weakness ties into the 3DS - I don't think most people really used the 3D effects because of the complaints you listed. IIRC those complaints were quite common. The 3DS is a great system even without the feature - it proved very versatile at handling different genres - and that's what separates it from bombs like the Virtual Boy. It's not a massive crutch the system - or most of Nintendo's consoles really.

It also touches on another weakness of Miyamoto's, which is emphasizing the "game" part of video game so much, it's to the exclusion and detriment of other aspects like story or character. Or repeating the same story over and over.

And that was fine when Miyamoto was pumping out novel hit and hit, and defining huge chunks of the industry. Because back then games were more rudimentary and thus not seen as lesser for choosing to have a barebones narrative. But now it seems like he's sidelining aspects that gaming has evolved to be able to better flesh out in favour of pure game, even though you can, and often are expected to, interweave both.

I mean I remember the story of Koizumi fighting tooth and nail to get that Rosalina story into Galaxy, which Miyamoto didn't want. But why? How did it detract from anything? If anything, most people would argue it added to the wholeness of the game.

Wait
And
Hope

Wait And Hope
WAH

Confirmed

 

[TheBeastHimself]

As I said before, Nintendo appears to be utilizing weekly announcement model with stuff like Partner Showcases, Twitter Drops, and Game Focused Directs. Given that Fighter 7 is on a bit less of a specific timetable than any of those, there is something understandable about choosing a week that's fairly empty and showing off the character then. Its not so much holding off on it as it sensibly placing it at a time that will maximize its impact without overshadowing anything else.

I hope at some point we do go back to the bi-monthly General Direct schedule, or however it used to be. I don't like change in this scenario, and I feel like a big part of the "Nintendo tradition" is being squat over and **** on for me (yes that's an exaggeration before anyone claims I'm being ridiculous!) I miss everyone collectively getting hype before a big direct.

 

[Guybrush20X6]

I'm wondering if Hyrule Warriors at TGS will be the only Nintendo news next week.

We got a lot of cool 3rd party stuff today and God knows we're long overdue for a Smash character.

 

[Michael the Spikester]

I hope at some point we do go back to the bi-monthly General Direct schedule, or however it used to be. I don't like change in this scenario, and I feel like a big part of the "Nintendo tradition" is being squat over and **** on for me (yes that's an exaggeration before anyone claims I'm being ridiculous!) I miss everyone collectively getting hype before a big direct.

If anything I'm expecting a Sakurai presents as usual. I think general directs until further notice are done.

 

[TheBeastHimself]

I think general directs until further notice are done.

So it seems...

 

[Guybrush20X6]

If anything I'm expecting a Sakurai presents as usual. I think general directs until further notice are done.

We'll get them back eventually. Heck, this time we got an actual warning instead of getting spoiled by Know Your Meme posts.

 

[Michael the Spikester]

We'll get them back eventually. Heck, this time we got an actual warning instead of getting spoiled by Know Your Meme posts.

Which is why I said "until further notice".

 

[Mushroomguy12]

Aaaand I'm going to hardcore speculate here - but I think that's the last pure handheld Nintendo will produce, at least for a while.

Well, this is technically a pure handheld.

 

[Will]

why are we accusing a company of trolling its consumers

 

[Shroob]

why are we accusing a company of trolling its consumers

Because apparently DLC for a 2 year old video game takes precedence over major triple-A releases.

 

[TheBeastHimself]

Do you guys want Nintendo to stick with the console-handheld hybrid going forward? I really think Nintendo hit the nail on the head for the Switch, catering to both handheld users and console users while simultaneously giving them the same experience. I love to play Smash Bros. in bed at home, a version of the game which isn't limited to the technical minutiae of a pure handheld device.

 

[SharkLord]

why are we accusing a company of trolling its consumers

Two-to-three months of staring at SmashBoards with very little news for the bulk of the timeframe has rotted our brains

Do you guys want Nintendo to stick with the console-handheld hybrid going forward? I really think Nintendo hit the nail on the head for the Switch, catering to both handheld users and console users while simultaneously giving them the same experience. I love to play Smash Bros. in bed at home, a version of the game which isn't limited to the technical minutiae of a pure handheld device.

Indeed, I do. It's very convenient to just pick up the Switch and play it undocked when the TV isn't available while still keeping some of the highest processing power available to handhelds. If Nintendo sticks with it and improves on what they have now, just imagine what they'd be able to play on their systems-All without sacrificing the convenience of the handheld mode.

 

[Will]

Two-to-three months of staring at SmashBoards with very little news for the bulk of the timeframe has rotted our brains

the moment y'all thought smash had a chance in the third partner direct makes me wonder if they were always rotten

 

[TheBeastHimself]

the moment y'all thought smash had a chance in the third partner direct makes me wonder if they were always rotten

You dare question the IQ points of intellectuals?

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

Ain't NONE of these muther****ers backing Arthur. I will run all them down in the street.

I think Arthur would be pretty fun. I wonder how they'd incorporate his armour mechanics though. I was thinking he could be heavier with it on, and lose the armour at 100%; becoming a lightweight, but this would just make him combo food at combo percents and easy to K.O. at K.O. percents. I suppose it might be OK if he's a middleweight with his armour but...

the moment y'all thought smash had a chance in the third partner direct makes me wonder if they were always rotten

Bold of you to assume I had a brain.

 

[N3ON]

Do you guys want Nintendo to stick with the console-handheld hybrid going forward? I really think Nintendo hit the nail on the head for the Switch, catering to both handheld users and console users while simultaneously giving them the same experience. I love to play Smash Bros. in bed at home, a version of the game which isn't limited to the technical minutiae of a pure handheld device.

I do. This gives the most options for the most people, while providing a consolidated library that people don't need to own multiple systems to experience.

Plus I just don't think Nintendo has the capacity to properly supply more than one platform with a steady enough flow of games anymore, since it can't really rely on third-parties like the others. Even with Switch they're relying hard on ports.

I would love for Nintendo to just keep releasing updated, more powerful, backwards compatible revisions of the Switch every few years for the foreseeable future, like other tech. At least as long as the market could support it.

 

[SMAASH! Puppy]

I would love for Nintendo to just keep releasing updated, more powerful, backwards compatible revisions of the Switch every few years for the foreseeable future, like other tech. At least as long as the market could support it.

Me too. I may hate the idea of a Switch Pro, but a Switch 2 at the end of the Switch's life cycle would be just perfect.

 

[Shroob]

I love Smash


But it also makes sense why it hasn't been shown off yet. No offense to Smash, and I love it dear, but it's a 2 year old video game come December, and outside of like, Master Chief or Sora, I just don't see how you could compare a single DLC character to a video game to, ya know


Full blown triple-A releases.


Even if I have no real interest in the games coming out at the moment... yeah, it makes way more sense to drop the actual video games and then DLC after all that's said and done.



I get that we're all tired of waiting, and that we'd all love a little more transparency, but when you say stuff like "Nintendo's trolling".... cut it out.

 

[ARandomFruit]

Man, a Disgaea character in Smash would be cool.

I doubt it would happen but it'd still be cool.

 

[TheBeastHimself]

Random thought, but as much as I love Lucas (considering he's my favorite video game character), I wouldn't mind if they cut him in exchange for Porky in subsequent Smash releases. If three Mother characters would be too much, then I think it'd be fine if someone else got a turn, and Ness just isn't going anywhere.

 

[N3ON]

Me too. I may hate the idea of a Switch Pro, but a Switch 2 at the end of the Switch's life cycle would be just perfect.

I mean, what I am thinking of is basically just a progression of Switch Pros every few years. Just a newer, more powerful machine that can at least stay on the periphery of what's contemporary enough to not look dated and to still accrue third-party support. Maybe the UI and the OS get revised, maybe the online sucks less, maybe the screen size is a bit different, but overall it's definitely a rendition of the same base system.

That's not to say there can't be lower-end models like the Switch Lite too, just that the Switch should exist in a perpetually advancing form until the market no longer supports it.

 

[3BitSaurus]

Full blown triple-A releases.

To be completely fair here: outside of exclusive third parties (like MHR and Disgaea 6) or games that feel better on the Switch with some sort of Definitive Edition (like DQXI was for me), it's a bit rare for me to get excited for most Switch third party releases when I can play most of them for cheaper on PC and even get a better experience most of the time.

But yeah, I do get where you're coming from.