Nintendo’s Fun Can Be A Nightmare
Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has many secrets. It offers a bevy of challenges. I did not know a higher level of challenge now represents Nintendo’s standard over all of their games, at least in my opinion. Follow a pattern.
In Zelda, there is an event called the Blood Moon. In The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, time changes throughout the game. However, under the Blood Moon, a series of creatures erupt for a period, on a crimson night, from underground. They attempt to destroy your character, Link, and chase him over the countryside. As the moon disappears and the sun rises, the violent period ends. As Link gets closer to the end of the game, and a confrontation with the main villain Gannondorf, this Blood Moon process leaks out from under the red night. Creatures erupt and overrun the countryside, and you, day, night, or at any time. The game just has to recognize Link is getting stronger. A fluke? Right.
In January 2017, Nintendo announces the release of Neo Geo games on the Nintendo Switch. You can find this information at Destructoid. Neo Geo, issued currently by Hamster Corp, mastered the art of great graphics in games that challenge gamers’ every molecule, over a series of titles. It starts with King of Fighters ’98. I got this title. The game requires you learn most of the techniques for your specific fighters. If you do not, you get beat, a lot. The Neo Geo catalog is currently at close to 50 games on the Switch.
In March 2017, along with five Neo Geo games, Nintendo releases titles like I Am Setsuna, Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, Has-Been Heroes, and a number of other titles with rough challenges as part of a first wave .
April 2017 brings Puyo Puyo Tetris, Syberia 3, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Constructor HD to Nintendo Switch. May 2017 sees the release of the games Disgaea 5 Complete and Ultra Street Fighter 2: The Final Challengers. I purchased the latter and NBA Playgrounds. Street Fighter makes you feel good about a newish Street Fighter title on a Nintendo home console. The controls are quick and respond simply. Online, or locally, the game requires a decent amount of strategy, but gives you a great game play experience throughout.
NBA Playgrounds is different. The game mimics NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC before an update. This update made the game much deeper and harder offensively. For example, the game never had a shot meter. It was up to the player to time the top of their jump, and release, to hit a shot. Now, each player in the game has a shot meter to either better perform, or fail in games. The addition actually makes the game longer, in my opinion. However, the gamers who are precise, and detailed, will find the game additions fantastic.
In June 2017, Nintendo dropped Mighty Gunvolt Burst, Cave Story +, Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas, and more. Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas has a decent challenge. It mimics Zelda, in a minor way. June’s memorable title has been ARMS. The game’s variety of control options, but more advertised, motion controls make this Nintendo Switch’s unique fighter. It is ARMS’ climbing difficulty that takes you by surprise. A basic tutorial in this game prepares you to perform punches, blocks, and parries. The game’s artificial intelligence takes a different approach. You can practice, but the game puts you through the fire. It knows how to move, jab, and set up the player for a knockout, consistently.
The games like MXGP 3, from Milestone, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, from Nintendo, and Super Mario Odyssey, from Nintendo, I imagine carry a steep challenge, as well. In my experience, NBA 2K18 is not a reflection of its Nintendo Wii U counterpart, NBA2K13. NBA2K13 is a run and shoot title. The team with the most points wins. NBA2K18, on Nintendo Switch, will make you lose, in certain instances, no matter how hard you work. The game is difficult and can be a grind. Nintendo eShop games like Mister Shifty, The Mummy Demastered, Jydge, and Rive: Ultimate Edition carry familiar themes. The games have a unique mechanic. The controls are tight. The Nintendo Switch allows you to enjoy the atmosphere of each game, but there is a catch. It drops the hammer on you. All of them are hard. The games work well, but the game difficulty is ready to beat you down.
The Nintendo Switch has been the console to make me consider my age. Honestly, I am up there in age. It could be the games are the same, but the challenges seem harder because I am older. However, you see a video like this Let’s Play for Rive: Ultimate Edition. You get a basic idea of Jydge’s difficulty in this game play. Nintendo’s ARMS gets a question about its difficulty in a Nintendo Life video here.
This article is a warning.
The past has come to the present. Nintendo only applies what they know in any of their endeavors. Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo, and Nintendo Gamecube all carried games that challenged players’ beyond their capabilities, along with games to soothe, or others to entertain in different ways. Nintendo Wii U was misstep. However, Nintendo Switch requires time and patience. It carries many difficult challenges. These challenges mimic many of the games they offered in the past. The only thing you get once your game ends are the end credits. You might get a pat on the back. And in the end, that is all you really need after an accomplishment.
For more on Nintendo Switch’s game information, please visit Metacritic.