Tag: video-games

Gaming Chronicle #11

March 7th, 2025

The Nintendo Switch 2

Now that Nintendo’s next system has been officially revealed I feel more confident in writing a short discussion about it. After months of leaks it is also nice to see some of those things getting practically confirmed. One of these is the ability to place the joycons sideways to make use of an optical sensor located there. Essentially turns the controller into a mouse. Having a proper point and click control system as a baseline capability of the console bridges the gap between console and PC, at least in theory. We have yet to see this functionality directly and I am hopeful that the upcoming Switch 2 Direct will showcase the console’s capabilities plainly.

The biggest thing that could potentially come out of this is a Nintendo built real time strategy game or similar. Additionally shooters automatically become much easier to control on Switch compared to using traditional stick controls. A game like Factorio would be much more intuitive to control. Pikmin games could have even greater precision. I could even see the next Splatoon taking advantage of this. I would venture a guess that this could be as integral as the DS touch screen. Though it should be noted that touch screen control has lost favor considering that Switch games can’t rely on it because of its home console/handheld hybrid nature.

As for the potential games we might see coming for Switch 2 we have at least seen a short tease of one. The next Mario Kart seems poised to hit the system, possibly at its launch. What little that could be seen gave us a peek at potential 24 character races, some new pickup (seen beneath the roof of a very Yoshi looking building) and of course, large new tracks. Other than that it’s anyone’s guess as to what games will be shown in the next presentation. There hasn’t been any recent news about Metroid Prime 4 which pushes me to speculate it might be a cross gen game. The addition of mouse-like control would fit pretty well with a first person adventure like Prime 4. Splatoon could follow suit with those controls as well. 3D Mario has been mostly silent after the release of Super Mario Odyssey, which was released in 2017, so a new entry is almost guaranteed. Nintendo could potentially offset most of these releases, much like how it happened during the Switch’s first year which saw major releases almost every month until December of that year. One franchise I wish would come back is Golden Sun. The recent addition of music from the first game to Nintendo’s music app made me hopeful that they might be preparing something in the background (wishful thinking, but as a huge fan of the franchise, one can hope). Among the rumors of a February Direct, which didn’t really happen, was one of a long dormant franchise coming back. People speculated about Star Fox and others, but some mentioned Golden Sun. At the very least it would be great to see a conclusion to its story. Finally, the next generation of Pokémon is totally coming to Switch 2, though this one is likely to take at least one more year (with a potential November 2026 launch) and taking into account that Legends ZA is launching during the 2025 holiday season.

In a few weeks we’ll finally get the news blowout we wanted for some time. The big Switch 2 presentation will hopefully show all the system’s capabilities and its upcoming games. All in all a great time to be a Nintendo fan.
Gaming Chronicle #10

January 7th, 2025

Favorites of 2024

Throughout the year there are always a few stand out games. With game time being a bit limited the list is small but full of very enjoyable games.

The following are my top five games, in no particular order: Deadlock, Core Keeper, Hades 2, Marvel Rivals and Neva.

Deadlock – I don’t normally play MOBAs as they can often be very time consuming. This is true for Deadlock, but the game offers a depth of play and complexity that provides a unique challenge. At first I watched from the sidelines as one of my favorite streamers (MFPallytime) played the game. Currently the game is in a very early stage of development. Despite this, it has a very engaging loop, especially if you have friends to enjoy it with.

Marvel Rivals – Another multiplayer game, but this one provides a fast and fun gameplay environment, with a large cast of unique characters from the Marvel universe. The game scratches the same itch as Overwatch, through a third person perspective and what feels like more fleshed out designs. Granted, Rivals is tapping into a vast well of varied and highly popular characters which probably eases some of the development. The future looks bright for the game as they’ve already announced the next characters.

Neva – A wonderfully artistic game. Neva offers a very short but unique experience. Its story is emotional, its environments and art are beautifully painted. It is truly a work of art.

Hades 2 – The first game in the franchise was incredible. So it stands that the sequel will also be that way. Although it is currently in early access, Hades 2 already boasts a lot of content with new weapons to master, a unique main character and a larger challenge. Boss battles are challenging and will sometimes require multiple tries, which is the essence of the genre. The key to this franchise is that every run expands the story itself. I’ve already accumulated over 60 hours, though I will likely hold off playing more until the full release.

Core Keeper – This one was not on my radar at all. It wasn’t until some streamers mentioned it that I decided to check it out. Watching the gameplay helped to convince me that it was going to be an interesting adventure. A survival game in the same vein as Minecraft or Terraria, Core Keeper excels in giving the player just enough to venture outward but also hinting at the vast world further away. The game has good variety of weapons, crafting and similar staples of the genre. There are various bosses to battle and a lot of exploration. The player can build their base, gather materials and fight monsters to loot. It can also be player coop with friends.

Looking ahead to 2025 there are surely lots of interesting games on the horizon. Personally I’m looking forward to Metroid Prime 4, Pokémon Legends ZA and Windblown among others. The advent of the Switch successor is also very interesting. Already a lot of rumors and leaks are flying around the net. All in all, great offerings to come for sure.

Tag: video-games

Gaming Chronicle #11

Gaming Chronicle #10