Here we are, folks. We find ourselves in a world following the reveal of the Switch 2 release date! And it’s…wow, it’s quite overwhelming!
Welcome back to the Nintendo Life Mailbox, our monthly exploration into the thoughts and letters from all of you wonderful readers. Do you have something you want to express? We’re eager to hear your gaming-related reflections.
Every month, we will showcase a Star Letter, and the author will receive a month’s subscription to our ad-free Supporter program. Be sure to check out the submission guidelines located at the bottom of this page.
Let’s enjoy the Nintendo Switch 2 April Edition of our letters page. That’ll be $10, please…
Nintendo Life Mailbox – April 2025
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life
“For what it’s worth” (***STAR LETTER***)
I’ve discerned an unsettling trend among some individuals when discussing the Switch 2’s price. It seems insufficient to merely state that you believe it’s overpriced and choose not to buy; it escalates to implying that those who perceive value in it are inferior to you for doing so. If someone chooses to pay $80 for MKW, they aren’t just a silly corporate pawn; they simply have a different perspective on its value. There’s no need to demean anyone for their spending habits in gaming. For what it’s worth, I’m still unsure about preordering or purchasing a Switch 2 myself, but that is just my personal view and does not place me above the “plebs” and “simps” who are excited to do so.
Let’s practice more kindness, Nintendo Life community. Allow others to make their choices and maintain enough confidence in your own decisions not to belittle theirs. J. Slo.
It’s undeniable that $80 is a considerable amount for a video game, and understandably, it can frustrate people. Many are feeling anxious due to global events and ongoing uncertainty, and Nintendo’s unclear communications haven’t alleviated the situation.
Hopefully, news indicating that US launch pricing for games and hardware will remain stable will help ease tensions and provide more space for reasonable discussions following the initial shock, but the chatter on this topic feels notably harsh at the moment, even for a community as passionate as video game enthusiasts. Disagreeing is fine, but let’s keep it civil, everyone. – Ed.
“Wouldn’t you agree?”
I’ve been contemplating game remakes and how they might “supplant” the original titles. Is this something we should be aware of? The release of a game remake can significantly alter the attractiveness of the original game in hindsight, wouldn’t you agree?
Super Mario RPG from 1996 is an exceptional game, but when compared to the 2023 version, the choice of which version seems more engaging to play isn’t even up for debate. Mario RPG serves as an example where I believe the remake excels over the original in most respects, with all its modifications and enhancements benefiting the experience. It was executed splendidly, so I am comfortable if it becomes the definitive edition moving forward.
However, my feelings are different regarding certain other remakes. Link’s Awakening holds immense significance for me, as it was my inaugural Legend of Zelda game as a child. I had quite a few reservations about how the 2019 remake was handled. Dampé’s involvement troubled me, both for how his dungeon significantly disrupts the game’s pacing and how an established character from Hyrule showing up on Koholint alters the unique ambiance of the setting. Moreover, I’m not particularly fond of how the (albeit stunning) hand-drawn introduction and concluding art style has no correlation to the plastic toy aesthetic used during gameplay. To me, the game carries an entirely different vibe compared to the subtle, elusive charm of the original pixel graphics, and it does not replace the original Game Boy version in my affections at all.
Nevertheless, I can’t help but reflect. A new player diving into Zelda for the first time on Switch would likely not register any of these concerns. The game is still brilliantly crafted and offers a delightful adventure, and the subtle melancholy remains intact, even if it presents itself differently through the new visual style.
So I ponder… Is this the version of Zelda that newcomers will embrace in the future, potentially overlooking the original? Has Link’s Awakening been “superseded”? Or are both versions still valued by Zelda enthusiasts on Switch?
…And does it even hold significance that newcomers are not experiencing it in the same manner I did when I first played it? The original Link’s Awakening isn’t at risk of being forgotten (after all, it’s available on the NSO), but I fear it may be overshadowed by a “flawed” remake, which is quite disheartening to contemplate.
Additionally, there are several other remakes that seem to be “replacing” original games these days. Is it acceptable that the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters decided to take six distinct games and standardize them with the same “cleaner” art style? Complete with an awful font for good measure?! …Is this how most new fans will be introduced to the timeless classic FF6? …Should I be worried about this, or is it really not an issue? This scenario doesn’t seem ideal to me.
Whenever I engage with a remake without having prior experience with the original, I’m always left wondering about the original’s approach. I recently played Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, which feels like a totally modern RPG. The experience was enjoyable, and I’m sure many quality-of-life improvements were included in this version, but several aspects of how the story unfolded bothered me (notably, the timeskip mechanism makes NO sense concerning side quests, especially those only partially finished)…. and I wondered whether these elements were easier to overlook on the SNES, either because the game differed, or due to its presentation. Is it simpler to “assume” that every NPC happens to have an infinite number of matching descendants for future generations if the game is expressed in pixels rather than in intricately detailed 3D graphics? Who can say? I haven’t played the original, and it leaves me feeling as though I’m missing a significant part of the story here. EarthboundBenjy
Not to get overly existential, but time inevitably marches forward, and the past is left behind. Remakes or reimagined versions of any media, whether faithful or not, keep the excitement alive and draw interested individuals back to the originals. However, a child today experiencing Game Boy Link’s Awakening naturally occupies a different context, viewpoint, and expectation than we did thirty years ago. This doesn’t imply that it can’t resonate with them similarly or that ‘you had to be there’ is invalid; a lot of peripheral, historical context is required to fully appreciate and benefit from it.
As long as the originals remain readily available, and we strive to provide the context that rendered them remarkable, we shouldn’t get too caught up in how future generations perceive…
– Ed.
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life
“exposure”
Hello,
To begin with, I’d like to express my gratitude to the person who penned the review for Pronty some time ago (you might have overlooked it, I understand), because that game is significantly underrated, and anyone who enjoys Metroidvanias should definitely give it a try. Honestly, you all review a wide array of games that are hard to find information about elsewhere, and I truly appreciate the much-needed exposure.
In light of this, are there any underappreciated games in this genre that you would like to spotlight? Perhaps I can lend my voice to advocate for another title that hasn’t received the attention it deserves! wanderwonder
Pronty for our site. Interestingly, we’ve been having conversations about underrated, overlooked titles lately after encountering a perplexing list shared elsewhere online. A personal favorite of mine for years is Just Shapes & Beats. I absolutely love that game, and its player base is far too small. Team? – Ed.
Let’s shower some love on CrossCode. A visually stunning action RPG with elements reminiscent of Ys, Zelda, and Secret of Mana. The combat and customization options are enjoyable. The environment is phenomenal, and the puzzles are genuinely intriguing and challenging. It’s arguably one of my all-time favorite indie titles on Switch. Plus, the developer’s upcoming release appears even more impressive. – Alana
Though it’s a newer release, Fear the Spotlight seems to have come and gone without much notice. Its environmental storytelling is fantastic, and the genuinely effective scares make it an automatic recommendation from my end. – Ollie
I’d like to take a moment to mention Minit. If you enjoy Zelda, time loops, and games that can be completed in one sitting, you won’t regret this one. It’s such a concise experience that I still think about it frequently. And the soundtrack is catchy. – Jim
“incorporate critters”
I operate within an industry (medical devices) where larger firms often acquire smaller companies for specific intellectual property. If Game Freak ever senses their creative team is running low on inspiration, would it be prudent for them to acquire developers of lesser-known Pokémon-like games (e.g., Coromon, Temtem, Nexomon) to infuse critters from those titles into the Poké-verse, as a shortcut to expanding the Pokédex in future installments? Or would it be more straightforward for Game Freak to simply hire the creature designers from those studios to craft innovative Pokémon, given the potential financial implications and possible fan backlash? ZZalapski
The legal complexities that would inevitably arise from acquiring existing ‘mon and integrating them into Game Freak’s Pokédex is mind-boggling. It’s far simpler to hire individuals and invent new creatures.
Unless Pokémon were in dire straits and facing significant competition, *perhaps* one could foresee some sort of crossover. ‘If you can’t outpace them, join them.’ However, The Pokémon Company currently has the upper hand. – Ed.
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life
“the ambassador”
Hello Nintendolife,
With each passing day leading to the Switch 2 release, I can’t shake the impression that I’m noticing an increasing number of similarities between the Switch 2 and the 3DS.
– Both consoles debuted at price points that many consumers felt were excessively high
– Both systems closely resemble their predecessors (DS and Switch)
– Both are backward-compatible with their prior hardware
– Each introduces a new gimmick marketed heavily, yet many games fail to utilize it (3D and Mouse Mode, though I acknowledge there are differences; Mouse Mode actually changes player interaction while 3D does not)
– Both present their own variants of titles from the previous console despite backward compatibility (Switch 2 Edition titles for Switch 2, Bowser’s Inside Story remake, Devil Survivor Overclocked, among others for 3DS)
I don’t perceive any of these comparisons as inherently good or bad, but I think one aspect worth noting is that the 3DS struggled for Nintendo until they reduced the price and introduced the ambassador program, which ultimately led to its success.
Given that, do you believe we might witness something analogous here? While I’m keen to acquire a Switch 2 on Day 1, do you think it could face challenges similar to the initial struggles of the 3DS?
I must concede that the launch lineup for the Switch 2 appears significantly more promising than the 3DS’s initial offerings, yet I still harbor some uncertainty. KoiTenchi
Your final point really resonates: launching a console with Pilotwings Resort as the marquee first-party title is not ideal. There were some decent options in the 3DS launch library, yet nothing that would capture players’ attention for extended periods and divert focus from the financial strain. Mario Kart 7 and Ocarina of Time 3D at launch could have changed the narrative entirely.
I highly doubt we will see a price reduction for the Switch 2. Nintendo must be gearing up with substantial offerings later this year, alongside Metroid and Pokémon (noteworthy titles but accessible on Switch 1). Super Mario Bros. will turn 40 in September, and Odyssey debuted eight years ago this October. While NCL won’t bend over backward to align with a random anniversary, the timing does seem fortuitous.
Unless the console is an utter failure (and all evidence suggests that the enthusiasm is *immense*), Nintendo will rely on the strength of their software. – Ed.
Bonus Letters
“I anticipate that the Switch 2 will likely launch around May 15, coinciding with the opening of the SF store.
For context, I’m penning this on March 17; hence before the significant April trailer.” – OswaldTheLuckyGamer
Ah, yes. No speculation here, just pure logic. Recognizable patterns. Thorough research. Very solid— Oh. – Ed.
“Peach’s
“The Final Smash, ‘Peach Blossom,’ must be entirely eliminated!” – MagicEmperor
Her Royal Highness’ blossom will stay exactly where it belongs. – Ed.
“By the time this is viewed, the chaos will be surging as the phrases ‘Sold Out’, ‘Unavailable’, ‘Line Up’, ‘Pre-order’, ‘Reserve’, ‘Scalper’, [Names of upcoming games here], and [Release date here] circulate wildly.” – Aidan
This message was received prior to ‘PRICE’, ‘THE’, and ‘DROP’ becoming the top three terms used online. – Ed.
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life
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