Games Inbox: What’s the best way to play Nintendo Switch 2?

The Monday letters page is impressed by the Battlefield 6 open beta, as one reader regrets not getting into Codemasters racing games earlier.

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How do you play yours?
Seeing all the arguments about the Nintendo Switch 2’s future I notice that nobody really seems to have a problem with the console itself. It is well made, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve found myself playing it a lot more at home, on the TV, than I did with the Switch 1.

I’m not normally the sort of person to complain about tech specs but I wonder whether subconsciously I’ve been put off by talk of the screen not being as good as the old OLED model. I don’t think it’s that though, I just think it’s that Donkey Kong Bananza has too much going on visually, to be peering at a relatively small screen and, ironically, the Switch 2 is too big to comfortably play Mario Kart World.

It’s good that the Switch 2 is portable, but I’ve only been using it that way as a last resort. Enough that I would actually consider getting a Switch 2 Lite, because it’d be smaller and I’d prefer that for the games that do suit portable play. I probably won’t, because it’ll be expensive, but maybe I can convince my wife to do it as a shared purchase. The best of both worlds!
Rusty

Unofficial inspiration
The similarity between that Nintendo patent and the Playdate is pretty unreal. I’m not actually sure I’ve seen Nintendo copy anyone before. They probably have but this is the only one I remember seeing. Although I can imagine how maybe it’s just supposed to be the handle on a fishing rod, but the optics are not good.

But don’t get me wrong, I’d like them to make it. I miss the days of the crazy peripherals, in the days of the Dreamcast and, to a degree, the Wii. I’d actually like to see how Nintendo would use the controller to make non-fishing games, like the Playdate. I haven’t got one of those and frankly it’s too expensive, so I’d like to see some of the same experimenting on the Switch 2. Assuming the add-on isn’t stupidly expensive, which it may well be.
Laggard

Late to the party
Perhaps it’s a sign of my advancing years but I’ve become really enamoured with the racing game genre recently, having mostly steered clear in the past*. I feel a bit guilty though, as I’m playing games that I could’ve supported at the time: Race Driver: Grid, DiRT 3, DiRT Rally – and we’ll probably never see another entry in some of those series.

It’s also given me such huge appreciation for Codemasters, who should be given protected status by the government for their services to gaming. From their contributions to the nascent home gaming scene of the 80s to their absolute mastery of simulation and simcade racing games they should be one of the most venerated developers in the world.

Hopefully they get back on track before EA is tempted to consign 40 years of gaming history to the scrapheap.
Magnumstache
*exceptions being Gran Turismo 1, although my brother did the licences for me; the Rollcage games; and V-Rally 2 for four-player split screen on a tiny CRT with my brothers.

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Mini racers
I’ve found a good free Netflix mobile game I now play every day. I use my ancient iPad Mini as the steering wheel in first person mode but other control options are available. It’s Asphalt Extreme; it’s a loot box game but hear me out. You can only buy them with in-game currency – no options to use real cash exist. I would describe it as similar to FlatOut, with elements of Ridge Racer.

There are loads of tracks with multiple routes. All tracks have jump ramps and nitro cannisters to pick up. You can also top up nitro (can also be chained together) by drifting, jumping, wrecking opponents and also smashing through objects. There are multiple vehicle types, which all compete on the same track. The slower trucks and monster trucks can wreck the other cars easier and usually there are extra shortcuts only they can open.

My favourite race mode is Infected, after a time your car becomes green and drives at maximum speed if you hit another car or they hit you they are also infected. There are also multiplayer races, populated, it seems, with mostly better players than me with maxed out cars. I have a few cars at level 45; 50 is the max and I win occasionally. I find the racing action fast and exhilarating, which keeps me coming back for more.
Johnny Alpha SD
Currently playing: Mad Max and Halo infinite

Butterfly lifespan
Great Reader’s Feature by Mike. Loved Shenmue and the Dreamcast too, obviously. Can’t believe it only lasted (according to GC) two years, seemed much longer.

Roaming the back streets of Yokosuka – think the marbles game in Squid Game – one day, when the local mean girl and her lackies shoulder barged me outta the way, then told me to ‘Kiss off schoolboy.’ Yes Kiss! Could never manage to trigger that scene ever again on subsequent playthroughs. Phenomenal! Did I imagine it?
big boy bent

GC: The Dreamcast launched in Japan on November 27, 1998 (October 14, 1999 in the UK) and was discontinued on March 31, 2001. So, two years and four months at a maximum.

Battlefield mentality
Great review in progress of the Battlefield open beta GC, that I completely agree with. I have enjoyed every second of the beta so far. Have to say was a little overwhelmed jumping back in and it took me a good few games to get back into that Battlefield mentality from playing Call Of Duty.

I started playing Domination, which are infantry-only smaller maps to get used to the mechanics again, before then playing Breakthrough, which has been amazing. Cover is most definitely king and spotting a sniper scope and quickly diving for cover and crawling towards the target makes for some tense battles for sure.

The graphics and the destruction are as good as they have been in a long while. It’s certainly convinced me to pre-order and that this will be my go-to first person shooter once it’s released.
Saints Stickman

GC: Thanks.

Cheap entry
I’ll actually be mildly surprised if GTA 6 does end up being £100 for the standard edition, because Take-Two must surely know that they’re going to make far more money from microtransactions on GTA Online 2 than they ever could on the based game, no matter how high they jack the price. So the easier they make it for people to get the game, and start spending big, the better for them.

If they do try to go for £100 I think that will be the last hope of any common sense in gaming. It’d just be greed for the sake of it, with absolutely no thought of the wider impact. I like GTA as much as the next person but £100 is a step too far for me. Especially as, unlike some other big franchises, GTA games do go on cheap.
Vendo

To do list
I’m cautiously optimistic about Battlefield – I used to really enjoy it, but the steady decline since Battlefield 4 has been hard to ignore, so I’m certainly waiting on reviews. I think part of the issue is with the game’s perceived strengths. Destruction in Bad Company 2 was restricted to specific buildings, with some being indestructible. In the more recent games, the level of destruction was widespread – which turned out to be no fun whatsoever.

A game with bombers and tanks and no cover lacks any kind of nuance or tactical options. Planes, choppers, and tanks were also far too hard to take down compared to previous games. And the huge numbers of players in single games hurt matchmaking and meant you felt like what you did mattered less.

I would:

• Primarily focus on map design, weapon balance. Often this has been secondary to spectacle.
• Ensure good matchmaking. If this means no private servers, or limited mode or map selection then so be it. Ideally players are winning and losing around 50% of the time. Strong players might want to be rewarded by winning more, but when players are losing consistently, they won’t stick around.
• Limit game modes. Battlefield has always spread itself too thin, which makes it harder to find a game, particularly as more maps are added later in the game’s life cycle.
• Limited, but interesting and relevant destruction. Razing everything to the ground might sound great, but it doesn’t play that way.
• Vehicles should both require teamwork and be more vulnerable. No more 50 kill streaks for the bomber pilots. No more queues for an overpowered option.
• Reward playing the objective.
• Distinctive and necessary classes.

Cheers
Matt (he_who_runs_away – PSN ID)

Inbox also-rans
If you have time will you be reviewing the expansion for Chained Echoes? It was one of my favourite games of the year and I’d highly recommend it to any fan of old school type Japanese role-players.
Liam

GC: Probably not. We don’t generally review expansions. Although we might cover the Indiana Jones And The Great Circle one, if it proves interesting.

Hexen? Now there’s a name I haven’t heard since, oh… that time Phil Spencer pretended he was going to greenlight a sequel.
Bligh

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