June 22nd 2023.
The anticipation is building
The Nintendo Direct this week was certainly a pleasant surprise. It made me realise that we are rapidly approaching the end of the Switch's life cycle, and the upcoming releases are getting more and more exciting!
Super Mario Bros. Wonder looks particularly interesting. From the trailers, it looks like they have taken the best of the New Super Mario Bros. games and combined it with some original and creative ideas. It's a safe bet that this will be a hit with both old and new fans of the franchise.
Clash of the titans
What really caught my attention was the simultaneous announcement of both Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Sonic Superstars. This means we may finally have the chance to settle the classic question: which is better, Sonic or Mario?
In terms of 2D games, I personally think the original Sonic games still have the edge. This isn't to take away from Mario's impressive consistency, but Sonic's best games have always had something special about them. I'm excited to see if Sonic Superstars can reclaim its crown.
Unforseen gems
The Japanese Direct also revealed a 3D platformer from Good-Feel that looks like a lot of fun. It's a shame that this game won't get a Western release, as it looks like a great way to pass the time.
Time is of the essence
The Thursday letters page was buzzing with discussion about the Nintendo Direct, including a possible way to get a cheaper subscription to Game Pass. Apparently, if you buy a 12 month Xbox Live subscription and then a one month Game Pass subscription, it will convert to 13 months of Game Pass. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but I'd be interested to hear if any readers know for sure.
Photorealism in flight
The Flight Simulator 2024 footage was truly breathtaking. It's almost photorealistic, and it's made me seriously consider taking the plunge into the next-gen. I'm still on the fence, however, as I want to see how Starfield turns out. I'm also a bit wary of Bethesda's track record for releasing broken games.
Last minute weakness
Despite my best efforts, I've found myself pre-ordering Final Fantasy 16. The hype got the better of me, and I'm now counting down the days until I can take a long weekend and get fully stuck into the game. I'm sure I won't regret it!
Super Mario Bros. Wonder - will it be better than Sonic Superstars?
The Thursday letters page is full of excitement after Wednesday's Nintendo Direct. One reader was impressed with Flight Simulator 2024's graphics, and many readers are eager to discuss the announcements further.
The Nintendo Direct wasn't bad at all. They're beginning to get ready for the Switch 2, but they're doing a good job of keeping us entertained until the end. Super Mario Bros. Wonder will be the game to get us to Christmas, and then a few minor games, including the Princess Peach game, will get us to the Switch next year.
The most exciting announcement from the Direct was that we got a 2D Super Mario and a 2D Sonic game. Sonic Mania was good, but it's been a long time since we had a great 2D Sonic game. It begs the question - could Sonic Superstars be better than Wonder? Could the best Sonic games be greater than the best Mario ones? I'm not sure, but I know that I will always prefer the original Sonic to any 2D Mario. Wonder might be the one to beat it, but I doubt it.
The Nintendo Direct was full of great announcements. The Super Mario RPG remake, the Luigi's Mansion 2 remaster, and a new solo adventure for Princess Peach were all unveiled. Splatoon, Pokémon, and Pikmin fans were all well served, and even Batman: Arkham Knight is running on the console. One game that was announced in the Japanese Direct but skipped in the Western Direct was Otogi Katsugeki Mameda No Bakeru: Oracle Saitarou No Sainan!!, a 3D platformer from Good-Feel that looks like a lot of fun.
The Thursday letters page was also full of discussion about Xbox Live Gold conversion and Game Pass. Apparently, if you buy a 12 month Xbox Live subscription and then a one month Game Pass subscription, it will convert to 13 months of Game Pass. One reader was wondering if this was true or not, and if there was a certain method.
The new Flight Simulator 2024 footage was also a topic of conversation. One reader was shocked that more people weren't talking about it, as they were the best graphics they had ever seen. Whether to take the leap and buy the game or wait for Starfield was also a point of discussion.
Finally, one reader cracked and pre-ordered Final Fantasy 16. They're not sure when the review will be out, but they're hoping they didn't make a huge mistake!
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
