Japanese Charts: Kirby Reclaims First Place As Horse Racing Sim Gallops Into Top Ten

Next gen is really off to a stuttering start over in Japan. Not sure about not showing signs of slowing. The PS5 has been overtaken by the Switch the past few weeks. There is no way it will be hitting 50K units a week in it's 7th year if it can't hit that currently... Just wait till the Switch 2 comes out! Seems Nintendo and NVidia really nailed a games console and I can't wait to see what they do next (as I'm sure can the rest of the industry.) Sony are in a weird place. aren't they. VR2 looks like it's struggling. That new portable rumour of a cross between a Wii U gamepad and Stadia sounds like the worst idea to come out of the hobby in recent memory. I dunno, it just feels like Sony and Microsoft have bloated game development to the point where they hardly make any games lol. (And Microsoft are cheating their way around that.)

@GrailUK the new gen of consoles are a mess. With all the cross-gen games and fighting over exclusivity - whether by merger or just one off deals, the whole thing is just waiting to get going.

I think a Switch 2 end of this year, beginning of next would be killer especially if it could manage ports like RE4 and had proper backwards compatibility.

But this is Nintendo and I expect them to do something totally different just because Nintendo...

@Wheatly I would be kind of disappointed if their next console is simply a more powerful Switch (at the same time relieved lol). I want to see a NES -> SNES leap (and that added buttons, mode 7 etc.) It's fun to wonder what Nintendo will do next (and that's their secret sauce isn't it, being able to inspire and capture imaginations.)

I'm chuffed to see Kirby doing so well. I really enjoyed Return to Dreamland Deluxe and really hope we'll get a brand new game sooner rather than later

@GrailUK yeah, it is their biggest strength and their biggest weakness in this market.

They are toy makers at heart and that's what so many of us love but it also means that they are less likely to just iterate on a previous winning formula - for better and for worse.

I just hope the next machine whatever it is, is more Switch than Wii U....

Switch Oled is really beautiful. Nintendo have made something very good. What I want but I am not going to buy it Zelda Oled Tears of the kingdom and Splatoon 3 Switch Oled that 1 I like to very much.

Switch is back on top even if it doesn't had the hot old games the next gen consoles had. The issue with Resident Evil 4 Remake was that it's pointless for it to exist in this time and age since the older version still looks very much more modern and plays much better. Most people who did not buy the Resident Evil 4 remake just didn't see what's so benefit of that version when the older version that they already own is still much better in every ways. Having better graphics won't sell anymore unless it truly re-innovate the experience, Capcom should had just remake Code Veronica X instead.

@GrailUK Nintendo's 9th generation console has sold quite well in Japan, fwiw.

Switch 2 would be quite foolish for a name. Adding original smaller additional gimmicks to the existing one would make sense. If people think the switch 2 as a brand will take off, I don’t know what to say to them other than show them the Wii U.

@GrailUK @GrailUK how you know what sony portable device will be like are you just listening to you tubers ?

@Wheatly It's a tablet so, the PS6 and Xbox whatever are always going to have Resident Evil 9, 10, etc that won't work on Switch 2. They'll bump up the specs to an extent but it still needs to hold a good battery charge without burning up your hands and a fan that's not so loud it's distracting. It also has to be much smaller than a Steam machine, since the current Switch is barely a portable as it is.

Meanwhile, Sony and MS are going to keep making more powerful hardware that doesn't need to worry about all that, so people expecting parity between the 3 are foolish as that's never going to happen. Maybe you'll get Resident Evil 12 on launch date for Switch 2 or 3, but then you'll complain that the graphics aren't as good as on Playstation. Unless Nintendo wants to turn this into a home console only or run everything through the cloud, that will never go away.

majority of japanese gamers like portability even though that will sacrifice graphics and framerate it is more convenient for them..

@IronMan30 You know what I meant lol

@johnedwin @johnedwin Well, I don't live in a shoebox

@Nintendo_Thumb please don't put words into my mouth like that. I never once mentioned parity with playstation or Xbox but it is significant that many new releases aren't possible on Switch.

This assumption that Nintendo will automatically go for a 'Switch 2' is pretty faulty. Nintendo rarely ever iterate on their hardware in such a way and i think the chances of a 'Switch 3' are basically non-existent.

I'm also not sure why you have decided any successor 'needs to be much smaller' than the Steam deck. There is basically no difference in portability between the two - either way you need to drop it in a bag.

@Serpenterror how does RE4 play better than the remake.

My experience has been the total opposite so far.

@Wheatly Other than the cinematic graphics, the control were smoother but not to perfection and the camera control aren't as janky plus the original had more of that horror feel to it. Most of those were lost in the remake. I play the remake and beat it in 12 hours, everything that were suppose to surprise me doesn't surprise me anymore but it's not just me I also let one of my nephew take a crack at it (my nephew never experience the original) and he beat it in 15 hours with nothing of surprise to him either. When I first play the original, I had that tension feel of fear when playing, when my nephew is playing this remake that same tension is not there. Yes I had fun with the remake but the fact that it plays so well and gave players too much advantage means it's not as good or scary as the original. It needs that imperfect to create tension of fear which is what a horror game should be.

@TheBigBlue It'll likely still carry the Switch brand, just not a number on it. Remember the Switch is a hybrid system coming after both Nintendo's handheld and console. It's difficult to predict if Nintendo will stick to just one brand like their handhelds or continue to create new brand gen after gen like their consoles. My guess is with the success of the Switch Nintendo may likely continue to run with the Switch brand for longer with their many models and successors until the brand stales before they re-introduced a new brand.

@GrailUK PS5 and XBSX are this generation, to be exact, but them both being home consoles, I don't think anyone expected them to start a fire in the dominantly portable region where every fifth denizen is an estimated Switch owner. The hybrid queen's appeal and massive headstart have made its home turf a particularly hard one to break into. Nonetheless, at least PS5 finally has the odds of reaching PS4 numbers here, or maybe even above that... depending on how much stock they'll provide and sell before Nintendo unleashes Gen 10 under the Rising Sun.

@Serpenterror I can see what your saying. I took you to say it actually physically plays better and I think that couldn't be more wrong but there is a certain something in the RE 'jankiness' that does make you feel more vulnerable.

That said, I can't play the original, I tried to play it for the first time recently and it controls horribly.

I am very appreciative of the having the remake with its modern elements.

@Serpenterror yeah I agree, Nintendo doesn’t do the whole numbered sequel console thing. But it should be expected that they stick to their winning formula of hybrid console at least for the next generation in some shape or form. By the time that Gen runs out, I would think it would be safe to assume a new branded console lineup separate from the switch model would be the case. How they handle the next generation without the new console failing is what I am most interested to see.

@GrailUK
The nes>snes leap is what im personally really hoping for, more power to make more games viable and some analogue triggers on the new joycons. Though also hoping for full backwards compatibility since it would mean that releasing switch games would still be viable making a smoother "next gen" transition.

I feel like having some wild, out there concept as the focus of the console would mean getting rid of the "play your way" focus the switch had and i feel like going forward with gaming choosing your own control scheme is important (especially with adaptive controllers becoming a thing) rather than wii (and wiiu to a lesser extent) often being very restrictive regarding how you play your games.

plus with switch we were still able to get some more out there hardware ideas like labo and mario kart tour without compromising the versatility of the base console.

If that PlayStation thing is kind of like the wiiu gamepad and works well then i personally would love it since i loved off-tv play on wiiu and found it more comfortable than playing through a TV, and do preffer remote streaming at least over cloud since you still have the actual games on your console rather than being on some server and vanishing once support for it ends.

I was wrong about Bayonetta: Origins- it is worth $60. The previews abd demos, to me, made it seem more like a puzzle and walk around storybook. Instead the game has pretty good exploration and the combat is very satisfying. It had a great demo - they just didn't market it correctly imho. In fact - they would have been cheapening themselves at a lower price point.

Anyway thought I'd share since it debuted poorly of the japan charts a few weeks ago

Switch outsold PS5 again ? How can that be ? What will youtubers make videos about 🙃

@Cashews Yes ! Hopefully we get to see more in the future.

I'm so glad to see Kirby doing so well! The Forgotten Land and Return to Dreamland Deluxe are both such a joy to play!

@TheBigBlue,

The transition from the Wii to the Wii U was a totally different thing, Nintendo was in a new alien marketplace with the Wii, and did not factor in the fickle nature of the more casual gamer, as most had simply moved on to tablets and smartphones by the time the Wii U came out, and Nintendo did not do a very good marketing job on it either.

The Switch is a different scenario, the console is still in demand into it's seventh year, and more importantly is still selling software, Nintendo have done very well with the Switch brand, so moving to their next console, which will be a more powerful Switch, will be a far easier proposition.

@old-dad Bayonetta Origins: Rosa and the Forbidden Fruit

A story of how Rosa became the most powerful witch of her time and how her and her Lumen man hooked up and made a baby. They don't have to show the baby making parts.

...

Unless they want to.

Kirby's a beast, plan on picking up RtDD later this month.

I also noticed how Push Square didn't post these sales. I guess Japanese sales charts only matter when Sony's on top. 🙃

I was in Japan last week and was surprised at how little console game culture I saw. I walked all around Tokyo and sat on trains for hours and saw maybe one person playing a switch - everyone else was on mobile devices. There were some splatoon ads but no giant billboards of the Mario movie or Zelda totk at least that I could see.

Akihabara is the video game and anime section of Tokyo and whenever I walked into a gaming shop there it was mostly other 40yo American men like myself browsing the shelves. I don’t speak the language so I never got any insights from locals, but overall I expected console gaming to be a bigger part of the outward culture given how many companies operate there

3D Switch 2
or 3DS-2 for short

@GrailUK lol, I did. That was more a dig at the narrative than what you said.

I expect Nintendo to make a console that you play with your feet.

Or teeth.

Or both.

That way I will never be disappointed. Whatever console they will come up with.

@Serpenterror
I agree that RE 4 didn't need a remake and would've preferred Code Veronica. However, in addition to the better visuals, I also appreciate the improved controls and that Ashley isn't as annoying as she was in the original version. All that said, RE 4: Wii Edition is still the one I recommend the most, even to newcomers if they have access to an original Wii or Wii U.

@Manguy888A Japan probably isn't much different than America. I don't see Switches out on daily commutes either. I see people listening to music, reading the news, maybe doing a match 3 for a few minutes.

Out of doors is for socializing or taking a break or taking a nap or not getting robbed or for getting some place where walking in with a video game console might not help you with your job at all.

The only people I see with switches out are little kids and super awkward pre-teens - in the states at least. regular life not some convention filled with outcasts.

Plane commutes? Sure, sometimes. That's the only place I take mine out and see others my age doing the same.

I think it's partially the diminishing returns of graphics. I mean...how crisp and clear can an image get?

I remember when my cable company started offering 4K channels. I scrambled to sign up. At the time (and I think still), it only offered about 3 sports channels in 4K.

I tuned in and took a look. It was a hockey game. Then I switched back to the HD channel. Then back to 4K.

I couldn't tell the difference. I cancelled the 4K channels, HD is just fine for me.

And to make it worse, 4K recordings take up 4x the DVR space. I suspect games are similar.

@JohnnyMind I'm going to assume it will have bc. I think I would rather be surprised that it doesn't rather than relieved that it does lol (I don't have time for anxiety about video games.)

@JohnnyMind Mr Iwata said they were starting from scratch with the Switch. That he wanted folk to take their games with them accross systems. That and a 20 year partnership with Nvidia, I would definately be surprised if it didn't have it. The only thing I would say is, the Switch did alright without it lmao. Ahem. I suppose it depends how 'arrogant' they get being market leader.