Issue #237
· June 20, 2021
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Live from Kazuya's cliff edge.  Issue 237 — June 20, 2021  Hey, Chris here with issue #237 of Switch Weekly, your Nintendo update. Hope you're doing well. Real big issue this week. E3 has come and gone! The Direct last Tuesday (linked below) gave us plenty to chew over. Here's some of my personal highlights/takeaways:
One of the wider trends that I think E3 this year has really highlighted is that big ‘AAA’ (urgh, not a fan of that term, but we all understand what it represents) releases are noticeably lighter in volume. While 2020 was challenging for the industry at large, I think we’re now seeing the long tail impact of COVID across the gaming landscape. Now, this isn’t particularly a comment on Nintendo as such (they seemingly have a stacked end to 2021 now, with a solid monthly cadence), but after E3 week it’s something I picked up on from across the gaming space. The release schedule is far from being a wasteland of course, but it does feel broadly lighter from a third party perspective. Anyway, E3 to one side — we've got just under 30 games hitting the Switch next week, and there's a fair few big games, including Alex Kidd, Mario Golf, and Tony Hawk's. The full list is below as ever — hit reply and let me know if you're grabbing anything (I've got Mario Golf ordered). 🎮 Currently Playing — Breath of the Wild, Traffix ▶ Nintendo Direct - E3 2021 — You've all watched this right? This 40-minute presentation features a slew of announcements, including a new Metroid, Wario Ware, and Advance Wars (who had that on their Bingo card). If you prefer here's a written round-up from VGC, and I'll be highlighting the standouts throughout the rest of this week's issue. Nintendo // YouTube INTERVIEW Nintendo president Doug Bowser: Switch is ‘redefining what a console life cycle can look like’ — A post-E3 interview with Nintendo of America's top brass, covering the lack of new hardware, the Switch's life cycle overall, and supply chain struggles. Gene Park // Launcher (The Washington Post) INTERVIEW Nintendo thinks the Switch is well-placed for post-pandemic life — As above, another post-show chat with Doug Bowser touching upon how Nintendo has adapted to working from home, and how there's more to come for Animal Crossing players. Andrew Webster // The Verge Some filler, serial killer — Nintendo E3 postmortem — I really enjoyed this write up of the Direct, taking us through all the highs and the lows with Kieran's usual jocular flair. Kieran Fifield // Big Daddy Gaming Nintendo's Sakamoto on bringing Metroid Dread back from the dead — This related video featuring Sakamoto himself is well worth a watch, as is this little history lesson from the chaps at Nintendo Life. Nintendo World Report highlight the 15 year journey to get here in this video too. Tom Phillips // Eurogamer E3 is a relic desperately clinging to relevancy — This comes via a PlayStation focused site, but raises some good points about E3 trying to figure out what it wants to be. Sammy Barker // Push Square ▶ Let's dissect Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2's E3 Direct trailer Nintendo Life I hope Breath of the Wild 2 still has weapon durability Imran Khan // Fanbyte Four big theories about Breath of the Wild’s sequel Rebecca Stone // Twinfinite Oh god, what if I don’t like Breath Of The Wild 2, either? William Hughes // AV Club REVIEW Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World — Seems this remake has been held back by the "archaic design of its source material", as the author concludes that the "updated visuals cannot mask outdated mechanics". Arthur Damian // Nintendo Enthusiast REVIEW Stitch in Tooki Trouble — "Though it is pretty to look at and plays well, it is so forgettable that anything done right is overwhelmingly overshadowed by how unenjoyable and uninspired it is". James Grech // Cubed 3 REVIEW Mundaun Joe DeVader // Nintendo World Report REVIEW Wave Break Luke Williams // Console Creatures PREVIEW The Falconeer — "truly soars on the Nintendo Switch". Giovanni Colantonio // Nintendo World Report Nintendo knows better than to announce a new Nintendo Switch at E3 Michael McWhertor // Polygon A brilliant, brave story about Miitopia, Miis and being evicted from an apartment Makeda Byfield // The New York Videogame Critics Circle
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