June 5th 2025.
Hey there! Have you made the switch yet? The Thursday letters page is buzzing with reactions to Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls and the recent Sony State of Play event. Everyone seems to be gearing up for the highly anticipated launch of the Nintendo Switch 2.
If you want to join in on the discussions, just shoot us an email at the address provided below. But first, let's dive into some exciting early access feedback from one of our Aussie readers. They were lucky enough to get their hands on the Switch 2 before anyone in Europe, and they have some interesting observations to share after spending half an hour with it.
According to our reader, the Switch 2 is definitely a bigger and better version of its predecessor, which is totally fine by them. They particularly love the new and improved Joy-Cons, the mouse controls that work like a charm, and the cool magnet feature. They don't have much to say about the console itself, except for the surprisingly heavy dock.
Moving on to the highly anticipated Mario Kart World, our reader has only had a brief playthrough of the open world and one track, but they can already tell that it's going to be a hit. The open world is massive and impressive, with tons of opponents and crazy obstacles to navigate through. They even suggest that all the British sites should have come to them for the review, as they would have had more time to test it out before the launch.
Now, let's switch gears and talk about the recent Sony State of Play event. It certainly didn't turn out the way many people expected, with no announcement of Resident Evil 9 or any new Sony games. Surprisingly, there were hardly any live service games mentioned. But that doesn't mean it was a disappointment. In fact, it was pretty good.
However, considering the way Sony teased it as a troll to Nintendo, our reader was not expecting the mic drop moment at the end - a Marvel fighting game by Arc System Works. It definitely caught them off guard, but they're intrigued and excited to see how it turns out.
But that's not all, there were also unexpected announcements of a new Lumines game and Nioh 3. Our reader didn't see that coming, but they're definitely on board with these exciting releases. Overall, it was a good but strange showcase. Our reader is not sure why it needed such a last-minute announcement, and they doubt it will sway anyone to buy the Switch 2. But hey, it's all good news for us gamers!
Moving on to another topic, the first trailer for the new James Bond movie has been released, and our reader is not entirely convinced. They can't help but notice that the main character looks suspiciously like Tom Holland, and that's not who they envision as the iconic Bond. While they're not against it, they're also not blown away. And there's something off about the graphics too, not quite photorealistic but more like a Telltale Game.
Our reader also has some doubts about the portrayal of Bond as a smooth-talking, womanizing secret agent, especially since there were no jokes in the trailer. But then again, what's the point of a Bond movie without all those elements? Other than product placement, of course.
And finally, today is the day! Our reader has taken the day off, and they're eagerly waiting at home for the postman to deliver their Switch 2. They can't contain their excitement for a new console launch, and even though they only have one game to play, it looks amazing and they can't wait to join fans from all over the world in playing Mario Kart World this weekend.
Before we wrap up, here's a quick tip for anyone planning to buy the Arcade Archives 2 version of Ridge Racer. If you have access to purchase it on either the Nintendo Switch 1 or 2 and have Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, then you also have access to Ridge Racer 64. This version features tracks from the original Ridge Racer and Ridge Racer Revolution, along with original N64 tracks, making it a better value for your money.
However, our reader does have a complaint about Nintendo Switch Online games not being available for individual purchase. They believe that Nintendo is leaving money on the table by not offering this option. But that won't stop them from enjoying all the amazing games available on the service.
That's all for now, folks. Don't forget to email us your comments at the address provided below. And if you haven't already, sign up for our GameCentral newsletter to get exclusive gaming analysis, reviews, and more delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Happy gaming!
"Hey there, have you made the switch yet? The Thursday letters section is buzzing with reactions to Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls and the Sony State of Play announcement, all while readers eagerly anticipate the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2. If you want to join in on the discussions, shoot us an email at the address below.
As an Australian reader, I was lucky enough to get my hands on the Switch 2 before anyone in Europe, and I'm here to share my initial thoughts after spending some time with it. Let me tell you, this is definitely a Switch 2, but bigger. And I have absolutely no complaints about that. The new Joy-Cons are a major improvement, the mouse controls work seamlessly, and the magnetic feature is pretty cool. Overall, I don't have much to say about the console itself, except that the dock is surprisingly heavy.
Now, onto the highly anticipated Mario Kart World. I've only had a chance to play around in the open world for a bit and complete one track, but I have to say, it looks fantastic. The size of the open world is impressive and I love the added challenge of having so many opponents and obstacles in your way. Perhaps the British websites should have come here to review it. Sounds like they would have had more time with it than Nintendo gave them before the launch.
Moving on to the Sony State of Play, I have to admit, it was not what I expected at all. I was hoping for some news on Resident Evil 9 or other new Sony games, but instead, we got a showcase of mostly non-live service games. Don't get me wrong, it was still pretty good, but considering the way they announced it as a tease to Nintendo, I definitely did not predict that a Marvel fighting game from Arc System Works would be the highlight.
And can we talk about the exclusive gaming analysis offered in the GameCentral newsletter? If you haven't signed up yet, I highly recommend it. You'll get a unique take on the week in gaming, along with the latest reviews and more, delivered right to your inbox every Saturday morning.
While the State of Play was good, I have to say, it was a bit strange. I'm not sure why it needed such a last-minute announcement, and I doubt it will make anyone think twice about buying a Switch 2. But hey, at least we got a new Lumines game and Nioh 3, which I did not see coming but am definitely excited for. Overall, a good but unexpected showcase.
Now, let's talk about that James Bond trailer. I have to say, I'm not entirely convinced. The character looks exactly like Tom Holland, and he is the last person I would want playing Bond in real life. The trailer was okay, nothing too impressive. And the graphics...they didn't quite look photorealistic, more like something from a Telltale Game. There's just something off about it all.
I'm still open to giving it a chance, but I have my doubts. There were no real jokes in the trailer, and I highly doubt they will portray Bond as the boozing, womanizing, smartass we know and love. But then again, what's the point if they don't? Other than the obvious product placement, of course.
Well, today's the day. I've taken the day off and I'm eagerly waiting at home for the postman to deliver my Switch 2. I can't contain my excitement for a new console launch, and even though I'm only getting one game, it looks really good and I can't wait to play it. Here's hoping it was worth the money and the wait, and I'll be racing with fans from around the world in Mario Kart World all weekend long!
Just a quick tip for those planning to buy the Arcade Archives 2 version of Ridge Racer – if you have access to purchase it on a Nintendo Switch 1 or 2 and have Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, you can also access Ridge Racer 64, which features tracks from the original Ridge Racer and Ridge Racer Revolution, along with original N64 tracks. So, it may be a better value for your money. However, keep in mind that Nintendo Switch Online games cannot be purchased outright, which is a bit odd. It seems like Nintendo is leaving money on the table, as I would love to purchase some of these games individually.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to email us your comments and thoughts. Happy Switch 2 launch day, everyone!"
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