For Real Though—The Joy-Con IR Sensor?! Scott's Thoughts

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$50. That’s how much it costs to buy half a controller in the Nintendo Switch era.

Don’t get me wrong! I like the Joy-Con. They’re packed with a lot of technology with plenty of inputs, HD rumble, NFC read/write, and weirdest of all: an IR camera.

This useless feature was announced in January, and was shown off with the ability to detect rock-paper-scissors motions.
I don’t know about you, but I can play rock-paper-scissors in real life, and I’m not particularly eager to face off against a computer opponent.

Oh, and I can’t forget the 1-2-Switch implementation in Eating Contest, which totally works and no one is ever frustrated with.

Sigh.

As usual, Nintendo went overboard and had one too many ideas with their new hardware. The Wii Classic Controller clip comes to mind.

Infrared has been used successfully on Wii, for pointer controls, and on 3DS for amiibo accessory connectivity. This is not one of those times.

Prove me wrong, Nintendo! Your move.

Where the Metroid Series Needs to Go Scott's Thoughts

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Samus has been all over the galaxy, answering distress calls everywhere from overrun space stations to giant baby bottles.

Her contemporaries (Mario and Link) have had huge shake-ups in their respective series, much needed to avoid fatigue and bring something fresh. Where does Samus need to go from here?

Earth.

Samus needs to land on planet Earth and defend it from invading aliens.

That’s how this series can mature and raise the stakes all in one fell swoop. It’s great that she’s a solitary and silent hero, and I know the Metroid series is lauded for its isolation and atmosphere. But…

We can’t just keep fighting Ridley and Space Pirates over and over, acting surprised when the Metroid race is not extinct (again).

The entire game doesn’t have to be set on Earth, either. She can speed off in her gunship to stop a planetary attack from being launched—that kind of thing!

I don’t expect a monumental shift like this to occur in Metroid Prime 4, because that wouldn’t be a logical way to proceed after the trilogy. However, the Metroid franchise will need to take a big step sooner or later.

Although this series of games was born at the same time that most of Nintendo’s IP were created in the NES era, Metroid titles always sell surprisingly low compared to their peers. The Big N needs to shake things up and attract mainstream attention to this series, or it will probably always exist in a state of sales flux with long periods between sequels.

Metroid could also benefit from dropping the “Metroid” name. It’s weird to have a franchise named after a common enemy (like Goomba Odyssey or Bokoblin of the Wild) and only serves to box in the developers’ creativity.

But now I’m just talkin’ crazy.

What a Wonderful (Super Mario) World

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Super Mario Odyssey might be all the rage right now, but Super Mario World was also released this year! On the SNES Classic Edition, of course. Simeon and Scott are taking a trip down memory lane to a game that many still consider the best of its class. Super Mario World changed things dramatically for the Mario series, and introduced many beloved mainstays.

“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Mega Man 11 and Portal* for Switch!

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Every few days, a brand new game is announced for Nintendo Switch. We’ve started doing a news segment weekly and we can barely keep up! In this installment, we discuss the (blue) bombshell that Mega Man 11 is blasting his way to Switch next year, followed by the biggest surprise in a while… Portal is back?

“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Switch 2.0 Inbound Scott's Thoughts

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I’ve seen the pattern.
Nintendo releases a new console, which is disruptive and revolutionary in the gaming industry (innovate).

Next, they follow it up with a system that refines and advances their previous console (iterate).
Then the cycle repeats.

  • NES: brought arcade-level gaming to the home | SNES: improved graphics, added buttons
  • N64: introduced 3D gaming, rumble, 4-player | Gamecube: improved graphics, added a c-stick
  • Wii: debuted motion control, wireless gaming | Wii U: improved graphics, had some good games

Switch followed in the footsteps of NES, N64, and Wii, changing the way we think about and interact with games.

It’s also experiencing an outstanding amount of success, with a warm reception from core gaming enthusiasts.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Nintendo will continue the trend and stay on the trail that Switch is blazing. Their next console will be a Switch 2.0.

It will be more powerful, will have a few of those features that we wanted but did not get, and will be an easy upgrade. VR is a no-brainer, but time will tell if that’s the main focus.

Mark my words!

The Devolution of Paper Mario Scott's Thoughts

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I remember being drawn to the first Paper Mario like a magnet.

It was in a video rental store, and I saw the N64 cartridge sitting on the bottom shelf. I didn’t know why Mario was paper, or why it was turn-based, but I immediately brought it home.

Of course, an RPG like Paper Mario can’t really be explored and beaten during a rental period, so I ended up buying it. I had to! The story, the characters, and the gameplay were so compelling that I had to see the adventure through to the end.

The Thousand Year Door was a beautiful follow-up on GameCube, which I first laid eyes upon at a WalMart. It was one of those demo kiosks where you had to stare up at the ceiling and snap your head backward to see. It continued the wonderful characterizations, thickened the plot, and introduced exciting new transformations for Mario that shook up the gameplay.

Super Paper Mario was memorable. Although stripping out the beloved traditional RPG elements, the game introduced a compelling tale of love and tragedy, alongside an interesting 2D-to-3D mechanic.

And then it all went downhill.

Unique, lovable, captivating characters were replaced with gimmicks of stickers and paint.

This image sums it up well.

The modern entries have their own merit, and bring some amount of charm. But along the way, the franchise lost focus. Paper Mario became more about churning out a quick win for sales and marketing than it was about world-building.

It might have been when the father of Mario gave the Sticker Star team these directions:
There were two main things that Miyamoto-san said from the start of the project—”It’s fine without a story, so do we really need one?” and “As much as possible, complete it with only characters from the Super Mario world.” –Iwata Asks

Miyamoto was wrong.

Nintendo’s Job ≠ Parents’ Job Scott's Thoughts

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I grew up with three parents: Mom, Dad, and Nintendo.

My mother and father were great—kept me out of trouble, let me earn trust, and gave me some slack on the leash.

Nintendo, on the other hand, has always been the stereotypical helicopter parent.

And still is.

When I moved out of my Mom and Dad’s house, I took my Nintendo games with me. Along with them, I brought some overbearing restrictions along for the ride.

I got my own place to live, my own car to ride, and my own job to cover my bills. That’s what we call “adulting.” Unfortunately, I still feel like a kid when I try to play online and use the limited internet services built into Nintendo systems.

This company from Japan thinks it’s their job to raise me. It’s not, and it never was.

If Nintendo wants to provide a parental control app—great. The one for Switch has some neat features. That needs to be the end of their responsibilities, so parents can do the rest.

It would sure be nice to talk to my friends… or even my competitors if I want to!

Innovation vs. Iteration Scott's Thoughts

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Innovation: to revolutionize, change, transform, or evolve.

Iteration: to repeat, improve, patch, or expand.

Historically, Nintendo is a very iterative company. Most of their characters and concepts came from the mid-80s, when the company created its first batch of games for NES.

For many subsequent generations, they’ve followed the formulae, making a Mario game. A Zelda game. A Metroid game. Sequels got marginally better, improving upon past issues.

They’ve been honing their craft. Perfecting.

The only problem with this tradition is that it’s not very exciting. People start saying things like “if you’ve played one, you’ve played them all,” and “they keep recycling the same story over and over again.”

Nintendo Wii was the company’s first major hardware innovation in a long time—and they knew it, naming it codename “Revolution.” We were starting to see a brand that was ready to transform the gaming industry. Funny enough, the console’s success caused the console-maker to follow up with a safe “half-step” successor, but the masses weren’t listening anymore.

The good news is: innovative Nintendo is back, and that culture is seeping into their most beloved franchises. Breath of the Wild and Odyssey took a big leap in evolving the gameplay front. Next, we’ll see bigger shifts in story and presentation.

Buckle up! Your responsibility is being open to the change.

Nintendo Fans are Running the Company Scott's Thoughts

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For a few years now, Nintendo execs have been talking about passing the torch. Younger developers are starting to take the reigns on new intellectual property like Splatoon and ARMS, as well as helping more seasoned devs shake up existing franchises that have stagnated.

These youthful employees are of a new generation, cut from a different cloth than Nintendo management has typically been made up of.

They’re Nintendo fans.

Kids who grew up a couple decades ago have been playing the company’s games their whole life, learned how to design and code, then landed a job at the Big N itself.

There’s a lot of respect for Nintendo’s stable of franchises, yet, the new employees aren’t as emotionally attached. That distinction allows for more change, experimentation, and advancement than we have previously seen.

When Nintendo fans run the company, you start seeing decisions that make more sense (to us fellow Nintendo fans). Things that we would actually come up with! Like naming a two-dimensional 3DS the 2DS. Like bringing back Star Fox 2 on a Classic Edition. Like reproducing the excellent GameCube controller for Super Smash Bros. 4.

We’re in good hands!

Will Nintendo Ever Make a Pro Console? Scott’s Thoughts

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Nintendo fans know the drill by now; their products are innovative and fun, but always underpowered.

Competitors are releasing impressive systems that end in “Pro” and “X,” which process teraflops like nobody’s business…

Will the Big N ever enter the computing arms race?

It would certainly make it easier for third-parties to bring their multiplatform software over. Of course, the trade-off is always price, and it seems that Nintendo is unwilling to be the most expensive option on the market.

Historically, that kind of price tag didn’t serve the PS3 well, or the Xbox One in the following generation.

Nintendo has picked their battles wisely, because they know their audience and how to reach them.

2DS and 3DS are the current entry-level offerings, while Switch is their only product on the high-end. What if another tier existed at the top (a third-pillar, so to speak) that appealed to the more spec-savvy crowd?

I’d like to have the option. Nintendo will likely sit back this generation and watch how Microsoft and Sony’s top-of-the-line hardware performs before considering an equivalent.

tldr; no—probably not.

2017 New Years Gaming Resolutions

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We are so gonna Smash these goals! Welcome to 2017 everybody!


Goodbye 2016, hello 2017! We did pretty good on our goals from last year, so it’s time to set some all new resolutions for the coming year. And we’re gamers at the core, so each one of our goals is related to bettering ourselves as video game players and Nintendo fans during the next 365 days. We Have recently started playing over watch which is a great game, we even found this website for Overwatch boosting to help make our gaming experience more fun. Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions? What did you think of ours? Let us know in the comments below.

Shot by Alex Campbell

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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Super Castlevia IV – Let’s Whip Some Tail

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A pattern is emerging… each week, our Patrons get to vote on which games we stream live. Each week, they pick the hardest ones possible. On this edition of Let’s Play Classics, Simeon and Scott are tasked with conquering the first few levels of Super Castlevania IV on the SNES Classic Edition. Will they abuse the rewind feature? Will they throw their beautiful new controllers in frustration? Find out, and enjoy the show!

“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Now You’re Pronouncing with Power!

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We dare you not to laugh as Simeon and Scott attempt to change the way you pronounce Nintendo words, forever! The premise of this episode is simple; we say words as wrongly as possible and you enjoy the funny results. Comment your favorite!

“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Super Mario Cereal – Worth the Hype?

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Super Mario Cereal is a real deal! Initially leaked on the Internet, Nintendo has now come out and officially confirmed the partnership with Kellogg’s that’s going to bring us our new favorite bowl of flavor. Oh, and it’s an amiibo!

“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Slime-San: Are we Sold?

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Slime-San is an indie game for Nintendo Switch. It’s got a unique art style, interesting physics, and a steep challenge. There’s a demo available for free, and Simeon & Scott give it a spin to see if it’s worth the buy.

“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Game Giving Gift Guide

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Christmas is nearly upon us! I’m not sure where you live, but the Two Button Crew homebase is covered in snow and ice. It’s a good thing we have the Holidays to look forward to: quality time spent with family and friends, along with the exchanging of gifts.

Before you dash out the door to go Christmas shopping for your friend, make sure you’ve got the right game-plan in place!

Do!

1. Get something you can enjoy together.
You can give something more valuable than your money or another possession this Christmas; an experience. Your time is worth more than anything you could put in wrapping paper. Try to find a game that can instantly be started up and played together – especially cooperatively! This is how memories are made that can last a lifetime.

2. Go in as a group.
There is power in numbers. Sometimes, the best way to get your bestie something special is to gather a bunch of friends and pool your money. Instead of 4 separate games, maybe you give 1 console and make it a Christmas to remember! Or with your combined resources, maybe you can plan a PAX or Comic-Con trip for your lucky friend and cover everything. Together, you can expand your creativity and buy something more substantial.

3. Consider an accessory.
Your friend might be the kind of person who buys all the games they want. It can be difficult to shop for that person. But don’t forget about accessories! These “nice-to-have” upgrades like a carrying case, extra battery pack, console skin, or even an extra controller can help your friend get a lot more mileage out of the games and hardware they already have. Accessories don’t seen essential, so they can be hard to buy for yourself. But as a gift, they suddenly feel invaluable!

4. Ask them what they want.
Enough guess-work! Everyone has a Christmas wish-list, whether it’s on paper or simply unspoken. Ditch the risk of spending money on something that they don’t truly want by hearing it straight from the horse’s mouth… what would they like to receive? It isn’t lame to order something right off of your pal’s list; how happy would you be to get just what you want?

Don’t!

1. Don’t find the cheapest deal available.
I’ve been guilty of swooping down upon a deal. Retailers are all trying to offload their product as soon as Thanksgiving Day rolls around, so you’re going to see some pretty cheap games, guides, and gaming goodies galore.
Don’t fall for it! It’s a trap. It’s the easy way out. Besides, it’s on sale. If your friend really wants it, they’ll pick it up.

2. Don’t buy them a game you already have.
Yeah yeah, you have awesome taste in games. You buy the most exciting, most fun titles. That doesn’t mean you should look at your collection and get your friend one step closer to matching it. The reason is simple: you can lend that stuff out. Instead of allowing things collect dust on your shelf, let a friend borrow some games and get them something unique.

3. Don’t get them to finally try something.
You’ve been telling your buddy to try this new game; just to try it! But they’re not easy to convince. Christmas seems like the perfect opportunity to push them over the ledge and provide them with that sweet new experience.
I wouldn’t do this. Speaking from experience, there’s probably a good reason that friend has been reluctant to take your advice. They haven’t sprung for the new game because it just looks like it’s not for them.
Oh well—you tried! Instead, give a gift that they’re more interested in.

4. Don’t give them store credit.
Sure, everybody likes money… but it’s not exciting to open. It’s definitely not personal, and might suggest that you don’t know the recipient well enough. That’s not what you want to communicate on Christmas. Besides, the value on the eShop card is obvious and apparent, placing a pricetag on your friendship.

Got the Four ‘Do’s and Four ‘Don’t’s of the Game Giving Gift Guide?
Good! Go and give some great games.

Being a Nintendo Fan on a Budget

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Some of you, the Crew, may have noticed that I am usually a little behind the times when it comes to my hardware library. If you were to ask me what I have been playing recently, you will probably catch me talking about Smash Bros. or about an older handheld title. It is an interesting dynamic, keeping up on current Nintendo news and zeitgeist, while not updating my Nintendo library alongside other Nintendo fans.

But I know it is not just me that has a hard time keeping up with Nintendo’s ever-expanding hardware and software library. I would like to start a discussion here on being a Nintendo fan on a budget. I want to keep it practical and easy, and I will kick it off with a few of my own tips and tricks.

Manage your Expectations

Before we get to practical application, we have to begin with the proper mindset. As I said before, Nintendo never stops making great consoles and games. It is not possible for pretty much any Nintendo fan to acquire everything they put out, much less spend quality time with each game. Not only can the quantity be overwhelming, but, just like it would be with any other hobby, playing video games is expensive. It may be true that gaming now is more affordable than ever, but that does not change the fact that even (most) gamers have bills to pay.

Also, refuse to get caught up in “must-play” mentality. It is fine to set goals of games you want to eventually play, but, as I have gone on record saying, do not let other people dictate the games you play. Just because a game is “10/10” or a “classic” does not mean you have to play it to be a Nintendo fan. Do not feel pressured into playing a game. It is likely you will not enjoy your experience, and the anxiety to acquire and complete that title is not worth it.

Bum Off your Friends

This is one I do a lot. There are some titles that are worth owning, and you and a friend each have your own copies. Often times with fighting games and other competitive games, you will want a copy for yourself to be able to play and improve at your own pace. Many other single-player ventures, however, can be experienced once through to satisfy your need. In these instances, it is handy to have a friend that can lend you the game and/or system. It is how friendships should work.
(Okay, maybe “bum off your friends” is a little over the top, but it gets my point across.)

Scott has lent me games on numerous occasions, and I have lent him some of my own things as well. Reciprocation is a healthy way to build a friendship. Often Scott will be too busy to play for a month, so he will allow me to borrow a game for that period. Currently, my wife and I are enjoying the SNES Classic. Later on, he just might have a problem that I’d understand. We all need somebody to lean on.

Check Pawn Shops

Now, no matter where you go, new equipment and games will probably cost you a few coins. But, if you have managed to manage your expectations properly (see what I did there?), you will not be driven by your need for the new stuff. This is where you have a decision to make: do you save up some money and/or wait for the new stuff to come down in price, or do you go for the bargain old junk at the pawn shop or eBay? Nintendo has so many classics to explore for the systems that you already own, and they can be more than reasonable in price.

Also, with pawn shops, you never know what you will find. Maybe you will run across a rare gem that would be exorbitantly priced elsewhere, or you might find a game that looks cheesy and bad for twenty-five cents, take it home, and make a new memory of the terrible piece of trash you found. You could even find a reasonably-priced old Nintendo console, allowing you to retread the glory days of your childhood, or see what gaming was like when your parents were kids.

Of course, if you want to get really edgy…

Foray into Non-Nintendo Fare

*Gasp!* Say it isn’t so! Am I suggesting you play something on a non-Nintendo console? Of course! If you have never owned a Sega console, pick one up at a local thrift store or pawn shop. I can recommend several titles, if you need any assistance digging for gold. All sorts of retro consoles wind up in second-hand stores, or in your uncle’s closet; grab one and try it out! Games can be cheap, and it exponentially broadens the field of games you can play. If anyone knows the value of playing retro games (even on non-Nintendo consoles), it is the staff here at Two Button Crew.

I hope this article has been an encouragement to you, especially if you are on a tight budget. You are not alone, and you can enjoy new experiences no matter your financial plan.

The Simple Reason Miitomo Failed Scott’s Thoughts

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As both a Nintendo fan, and an Apple fan, seeing Miyamoto walk onstage during an iPhone keynote was pretty incredible.
I was on board with the Big N’s foray into mobile gaming from the outset.

Now, three games and a weird social sim later, the partnership with DeNA has proved to be an interesting one.
Development on these iPhone and Android games is sure taking longer than anyone expected, with the set of 5 games from the DeNA partnership still incomplete after multiple delays.

Miitomo turned out as a fun take on social media and online interaction, but was nowhere near snappy enough to have staying power. Social apps are all about long feeds and quick interactions. When tapping Like (or “Yeah” – whatever Nintendo is calling it) takes 15 seconds, it discourages users from coming back.

They’re mobile efforts are bogged down by long loading times, and assets that live on servers rather than the user’s device.
This is not how mobile gaming is supposed to be, and it’s certainly not how social media is supposed to be.

Instant startup followed by a few quick wins. That’s all we usually have time for on our phones.
If there is more time, I’m likely to turn on my Switch instead.

How to Make a Non-Horrible Movie Tie-In Game Scott’s Thoughts

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You can sell a kid a movie ticket for $10, a DVD for $20, and plush of their favorite character for $15. But a video game tie-in to your movie franchise? That’ll run ‘em $60.

You see why businessmen mandate development projects like this. It’s lucrative. Kids get home from the theater singing songs from the animated film, pretending to be the heroes, and talking to all their friends about how awesome it was. All manner of merchandise make their way onto Christmas lists, but none so expensive as _________ The Movie The Game.

These titles are purchased based on their cover, not their contents. These are not developer passion projects, instead, they’re corporate cash-ins. That’s why they are utter shovelware.

Speaking generally, you’ll find this to be true. For the rare developer who actually puts effort into making a compelling product, unfortunately, the industry doesn’t always pay attention because wolf has been cried too many times.

There is a way to create a movie tie-in that isn’t complete garbage, and it’s simple: Build off one aspect of the franchise’s world.

The most common mistake is recreating the movie beat-by-beat and trying to make the same story playable. That’s wrong, boring, and not fun. Movies are made to be watched, not played. The film is always better than the game that tries to recreate it with lower-paid writers, worse graphic engines, junior voice actors, all directed by people who don’t love video games.

Rather than churning out a sub-par interpretation of the movie, get into that world. Grab ahold of one fascinating thing. Make a game about it.

These ones did it right:
Quidditch
Podracer
Battlefront

Quidditch is a sport from the world of Harry Potter. The movie-to-game adaptations are trash, but Quidditch stands on its own as a unique and compelling experience. It’s perfect for a video game; competitive, full of fantastical elements, and featured heavily in the movies.

What kid coming home from the movies wouldn’t want to race on a broom or in a podracer? The best way to do that is through video games.
And let’s be honest, this isn’t just about children. Star Wars: The Force awakens debuted in winter of 2015, and a huge portion of the Earth’s population were in the mood for some wars of the star variety. Look no further than Battlefront.

The movie-game is a trap. Instead, look to people who are passionate about the source material and want to bring the world to life in a tangible way through gaming. Put them in charge.