Latest news with #GameCube
CNBC
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CNBC
The $449 Switch 2 is Nintendo's most expensive console ever—diehard fans say it's 'a no brainer'
It's been more than 25 years since Nintendo held a console launch where Edwin Flores wasn't among the first in line. The avid gamer was at the Times Square Toys"R"Us for the launch of the GameCube in 2001, and has been there at midnight to be among the first in the world to get his hands on the Wii in 2006, Wii U in 2012, Nintendo Switch in 2017 and its OLED upgrade in 2021. "You have to live this," the 50-year-old told CNBC Make It outside Nintendo's global flagship store in New York City on Wednesday morning. "When you're in a place where everyone likes the same thing as you, it's fun." Flores arrived to West 48th street at 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, a little more than 24 hours ahead of the Thursday midnight launch of the hotly-anticipated Switch 2. And he came prepared to splurge, having been slowly setting aside money for years ever since rumors of a new Switch first began surfacing online. "I'm going to buy one for me and one for my son," he said, adding that he plans to pick up three games. "It's definitely going to be $1,500 or more." Despite its $449 price tag making the console Nintendo's most expensive one to date by $150, CNBC reports that the Switch 2 is forecasted to sell 10% more units than its predecessor did in its debut year. The original Switch retailed for $299 when it launched in 2017. It has gone on to sell more than 152 million units, making it the third-best selling gaming console ever. "When they showed what the Switch 2 can do, if you follow the trends about gaming and portables, you know it's worth the money," Flores said. "It's a no brainer." The new console promises a number of upgrades over its predecessor including better graphics, faster processing and a larger, sharper display. It is also compatible with all existing Nintendo Switch games and many of its accessories. Outside the Nintendo store, diehard fans of the company expressed ambivalence about the higher price tag. Christopher Peralta, 20, had hoped the console would be priced at $399, but feels that the extra $50 is justified. He's been saving up for months by writing for a Nintendo-centric blog and saving money he received for Christmas and his birthday. "I budgeted specifically for the console, about $500," he said. "I've had this money saved up since December." Santiago Reyes already secured a Switch 2 preorder from Walmart, but went to the Nintendo store Wednesday because he wanted a chance to play with the system before its release. The 25-year-old set aside $500 to buy the Switch 2 bundle that comes with 'Mario Kart World' pre-installed. For Reyes, the ability of the Switch 2 to play games from the original Switch makes it a more attractive day-one purchase. "I kind of expected the console price," he said. "I feel like the $150 boost is pretty much fair compared to what it's giving you versus the Switch 1." Nick Leccesse also joined the crowd outside the Nintendo store despite having a Walmart preorder secured. The 22-year-old pulled out all the stops to make sure he could get his hands on a Switch 2 on its launch date. "I had an alarm set," he explained of his preorder strategy. "Every store that had preorders, I had their site open. I was on a call with friends at the same time talking about who could get orders through and what sites were lagging." Leccesse said that the Switch 2's $449 price tag "wasn't a big deal." But Nintendo's announcement that it would sell 'Mario Kart World' for $80 — an increase from the current industry standard of $70 — was an unwelcome surprise. "I think $80 games suck, they definitely do," he said. "But it's kind of a case of if Nintendo didn't pull the trigger, Xbox would've. And if Xbox didn't, PlayStation would've." "The fact that it took so long for [games] to go [from $60] to $70 that now the jump to $80 is happening so soon, it's a shock for a lot of people," he continued. "It sucks. It sucks that games are so expensive. But it's kind of just the way the market is going, unfortunately." Flores, meanwhile, said he's just excited to get to the midnight launch and, eventually, get some sleep. "Maybe I'll let the kids enjoy [the Switch 2] a little bit," he said. "But after that, it's my turn."
Android Authority
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Android Authority
Dolphin emulator hits a milestone as the full Wii catalog is now playable
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority TL;DR GameCube and Wii emulator Dolphin just launched Release 2506. It has numerous fixes and new features, including breaking the 60fps barrier for the first time. The Nintendo Wii catalog is now fully compatible, with the last obscure title fixed. Dolphin emulator has been absolutely spoiling the emulation community for decades, and today yet another update has dropped to make GameCube and Wii emulation even better. Dolphin Release 2506 has a long list of fixes and new features, some of which are game-changing for compatible titles. The first fix has to do with audio stuttering on relatively weak machines. The team explained that user reports of audio stuttering are often due to games running below the target framerate. A new system has been implemented to hide audio hiccups better when frames are lost. Speaking of framerates, another series of fixes targeted frame pacing, which in simple terms is the time between frames. After some investigation, it was discovered that Dolphin suffered from significant variance in frame pacing, which can feel like judder to users who are sensitive to it. After the update, there should be little to no frame pacing issues on any platform. In terms of graphics, new anisotropic filtering options make games appear more similar to playing on a real console. The GameCube and Wii had native support for anisotropic filtering, but it was quite resource-intensive, so developers chose specific textures to apply it to. Dolphin applied to the filter to all or none of the textures previously, but a new option allows you to use the game's default settings, which will apply the filter as developers intended. The final non-compatible Wii game has now been patched to boot in Dolphin. Perhaps one of the biggest additions is the possibility to emulate games beyond 60fps. GameCube and Wii games were designed for analog televisions, with a hard limit of 60fps built into the systems. Thanks to a clever override added in this update, games like Super Mario Strikers and Mario Strikers Charged can now run at 120fps. Others, like Wind Waker and Super Mario Galaxy, have physics tied to frames, so the hack won't work. Dolphin also hit a major milestone with this update, as it can now boot the full GameCube and Wii catalogs. The final title giving trouble was an obscure Wii game called The Daring Game for Girls, but a new patch finally got it to work. On Android, you can now display your time played for each game. The feature was added in the last major update, so your play times will have started tracking then. However, there wasn't a way to see those times on Android until this update. You can now long press a game tile and tap Details to see how much time you've spent in game. There are a few more minor changes, such as adding support for PS3 Rock Band guitars and Wii Speak without the original hardware, so check out the full patch notes for more details. The Google Play Store listing hasn't been updated as of writing, but you can download the latest version for all platforms on the official website. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
This New Retro Handheld Is Nostalgia Bait for Early-2000s Sliding Phones
Anbernic is used to playing on our nostalgia, and to be honest, that strategy seems to be working. Just last month, the company released its Anbernic RG34XXSP, which is a Game Boy Advance SP-like retro handheld that somehow crams your love for Game Boys and the GameCube into one (very affordable) gadget. My millennial lust for gaming nostalgia is tingling just thinking about it. Now, Anbernic is taking that same strategy and applying it toward another retro gadget you may not have had on your retro gaming bingo card—2000s-era sliding phones. Anbernic's RG Slide is the company's newest handheld in a very long stream of handhelds that somehow seems to be getting longer and longer. The slide has a TPS IPS screen that comes in a 4:3 aspect ratio with a resolution of 1,280 x 960 pixels. The display, unlike my iPhone 13, supports a 120Hz refresh rate, has a contrast ratio of 1200:1, and has a max brightness of up to 500 nits. Emulation-wise, Anbernic says this sliding handheld will be able to play PS2, Wii, GameCube, and Dreamcast games at a 640 x 480 resolution. It'll also emulate PS1 and N64 games at a 320 x 240 resolution. I think the headlining feature of this handheld isn't what it emulates or how good or bad the screen is— it's the form factor. The RG Slide, as you may have guessed from the name, has a sliding screen that pushes up to reveal two thumbsticks, a D-pad, ABXY buttons, and a start and select button in the middle. That design might be evocative of a couple of things, but for me, it has 2000s-era phones written all over it. Yes, it's also got big Xperia Play energy—Sony's gaming-centric smartphone from 2011—but my mind goes back even further to the days of sliding phones from LG or Nokia. What I would pay to slide open my LG Shine Slide one last time… In case you were wondering, yes, the screen is also a touchscreen, so theoretically you could use touch controls to play games, but I cannot think of a single reason to actually do that given the built-in thumbsticks. You can also play in a cursed vertical orientation, which should be good for some mobile games. Speaking of mobile games, this thing also runs Android, not Linux, so if playing Genshin Impact is high on your list of priorities, the RG Slide should have you covered. There's still no information on when the RG Slide will be released or how much it will cost, but if Anbernic's previous handhelds are anything to go by, then we can expect a competitive starting price. It's no sliding phone, but maybe, just maybe, it'll scratch that same itch.
Digital Trends
3 days ago
- Business
- Digital Trends
One new Nintendo feature will be key to Switch 2's success
Nintendo has typically lagged behind its contemporaries when it comes to its advancement in anything surrounding games. It was the last to adopt online multiplayer, made voice chat a convoluted mess, and doesn't support some of the most popular streaming apps. For better or worse, Nintendo's main focus has always been on making the most enjoyable software possible on its specific hardware. Anything surrounding that tends to come off as an afterthought. As we approach the Switch 2's launch, we're seeing a bigger push into these types of services. Nintendo Online is only getting stronger with GameCube games on the way, almost complete backwards compatibility, and built-in voice chat is a complete 180 from how chatting on the Switch started out. But it is the Virtual Game Cards that stand out as the most vital innovation. Recommended Videos Digital trading cards Game sharing is nothing new. Both PlayStation and Xbox have their own methods for sharing your digital libraries across multiple consoles, though it isn't the most intuitive or publicized feature. This was one area where Nintendo's offering was about on par with the competition; it was possible, but presented a lot of hoops to jump through. Virtual Game Cards feel like the closest we've gotten to a true solution to digital game sharing. It makes passing any digital game between friends about as easy as it could be, only requiring both parties to be on the same Wi-Fi network. In reality, it isn't a drastic improvement over any of the current game sharing methods in terms of functionality, but what makes it so important is its readability. By turning our entire library into Game Cards, the process of sharing games becomes far more approachable and intuitive. It is way easier to grasp the idea of passing your digital Game Card to a friend and understanding you lent it to them than decoding what limitations there are in accessing someone else's library as a secondary console. While not nearly as direct, it feels similar to that famous PlayStation ad on how to share PS4 games — it shows how simple this concept should be but isn't elsewhere. For as behind the times as Nintendo can appear at times, it at least understands that games are made to be played together. Something like Virtual Game Cards needed to happen sooner rather than later. We're long past the point where digital games were a novelty and now account for the vast majority of all game sales. Most major physical games are essentially performative releases now, with nothing more than a key on the disc for the digital download. We also learned about Game-Key Cards for Switch 2 games, which are physical cards that act as keys needed to access downloaded games. And yet, despite dominating physical game sales, our options with digital games remain as barebones as they were 10 years ago. We can't sell, trade, or give them as gifts, and on consoles it is almost impossible to return them. Right now, it feels like the only benefit of digital games is the convenience factor. Besides the downsides I already mentioned, they don't cost any less than a physical product, and we technically don't even own them. Virtual Game Cards don't solve all these issues, but are an important step in bringing digital libraries on par with physical ones. I fully appreciate why game sharing has been so restrictive; the threat of someone discovering an exploit in the system could be devastating. This far into the digital era, though, there's no excuse. Sharing games should never require a flowchart or how-to guide. So many times I've spoken to friends and family who were considering buying a console but backed off because they didn't feel they could justify the cost of a system and games for how much free time they had. Then there are the friends who I know would love a certain game but can't afford to buy it. It's these times when the hundreds of games in my digital library feel completely ephemeral. I get that it isn't in a company's best interest to let us share our games. It's a war that has been raging long before digital games existed, which is why they've all dragged their feet on improving those services. That's why I hope Nintendo's move here forces the others to respond. Nintendo has already rolled Virtual Game Cards out on the Switch in preparation for the Switch 2, but it has already become my main talking point for the new system. Better graphics are great, and I have high hopes for what the new mouse functionality can bring to games, but a simple way to share digital games could help Nintendo win back a portion of the audience who are turned off by how anti-consumer the current systems are. This is a long overdue renovation of how digital games work and could end up being an ace up the Switch 2's sleeve.
Tom's Guide
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Switch 2 is finally getting GameCube games — here's the 7 I hope get added next
Nintendo Switch 2 is launching with a long-awaited feature: Nintendo GameCube games are finally coming to Nintendo Switch Online! The GameCube was one of my very first consoles growing up, and that's meant I've always had a bit of a soft spot for that purple cube. Naturally, I've been looking forward to digging a little deeper into the system's library ever since the announcement happened during the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct. Now that we're just a couple of weeks out from the new console's launch and we already have an initial list of confirmed GameCube titles, it seems as good a time as any to share a list of titles that I'd most like to see come to Switch 2 on the Nintendo GameCube Nintendo Classics app. When Nintendo revealed GameCube titles were coming in April's big Switch 2 Direct, the Mario makers revealed there would be three GameCube games available on the Nintendo Classics app. Below, you can see what these games are (highlighted in bold), plus every single game shown that was advertised as 'coming soon' to the service. It's certainly not the most exhaustive list, but it's a decent selection of some major, interesting, rarer, or expensive titles stuck on the system. That gives me hope Nintendo just might be willing to dig into the GameCube library and give more games a second chance at finding an audience. I know that Star Fox fans don't have a lot of love for Rare's action-adventure title, but I do, and this is my list. Born from a merger between a Star Fox sequel and Dinosaur Planet, a game Rare had in development at the time, Star Fox Adventures sees hotshot Arwing pilot Fox McCloud exploring Dinosaur Planet… on foot. Equipped with a lost staff and accompanied by his pipsqueak triceratops companion, Prince Tricky, Fox sets out on a very different quest to save the various dinosaur races from the evil General Scales. Gameplay is analogous to 3D Zeldas. You explore various regions, solve puzzles, fight enemies, and unlock new powers as you go. There's no denying that it's a vast departure from the franchise's high-octane space battles, and it features melee combat that will feel limited by today's standards, but I maintain it's a solid adventure. Star Fox diehards are probably hoping that Star Fox Assault is the game that makes it to Switch 2, but I'd still love the chance to revisit Dinosaur Planet, if possible. Silicon Knights' Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem likely needs no introduction to horror fans, as this game has endured as a cult favorite from the console, thanks in no small part to its fourth wall-breaking scares. It's a story of unknown forces being tangled up in a millennia-old plot and various characters across time, all working to thwart an ancient evil. In between chapters, you'll take control of protagonist Alex, using the knowledge she learns from these episodes to explore her grandfather's Rhode Island mansion, trying to figure out what happened to her murdered relative. Sure, combat will feel clunky by today's standards, and the freaky 'sanity effects' scares that mimicked old TV settings won't land the same way they would if you were playing 20 years back on a CRT TV. But these elements make Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem a novel enough game that new players should give it a chance. Despite being an avid Metroidvania fan, I very much prefer the "vania" side of the genre, and have far more experience slaying vampires as the Belmont clan in Castlevania than I do battling space pirates. But after tackling several Metroid adventures on Switch, thanks to Nintendo Switch Online, Metroid Dread, and Metroid Prime Remastered, I'm keen to see as much of the franchise as possible. While I've since dug into a lot of the 2D adventures, I'm eager to see more of the Prime line, without having to dig out my GameCube and track down a copy on the secondhand market. Multiplayer offering aside, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes comes highly recommended (it's 92 on MetaCritic) and that's seemingly down to tougher combat, new weapons, the atmosphere, and the impressive visuals. Would I prefer to see the rest of the Prime trilogy remastered and brought to Switch? Absolutely, but if not, I'll settle for Echoes on Nintendo Classics. Look, if Nintendo is seemingly content to never bring the Wii U Zelda ports to the current gen (and Wind Waker is a launch day GameCube Switch 2 release), this will have to do. Darker in tone than its island-hopping forebear, this 3D action-adventure sees us playing as Link, a humble farmhand fated to save the land from the King of Shadows, Zant, who plunges parts of the realm into perpetual Twilight. With the help of the impish creature, Midna, and the use of his wolf form, Link explores the far reaches of Hyrule, delving into dungeons, tackling bosses and puzzles, and utilizing various artifacts and powers to save both Hyrule and the Twilight Realm from this invading evil. Before I say anything, I don't expect this will happen at all. A quick look across the internet will show you a clear appetite for this beloved licensed game to make a comeback… so there must be a reason why it hasn't. Nevertheless, it was a classic for many gamers of my generation, and for good reason: It's essentially GTA: Springfield. Following on from Crazy Taxi riff, The Simpsons: Road Rage, and The Simpsons: Hit & Run moved over to aping Rockstar's tentpole series. Taking the form of an extended episode of the show (complete with the show's writers and voice cast), the game sees players roaming around a sandbox Springfield, primarily from behind the wheel of various vehicles from the show. Along the way, you'll tackle missions, hunt for secrets and collectables, or earn cash to spend on new cars and outfits. It's a genuinely funny ride. And, seeing as we've never had the sequel or remaster so many of us want, it'd be nice to see it make a comeback on Switch 2. I've dipped into the Wario Land series over the years, but until I started working on this list, I must confess I had no idea that Mario's nemesis had gotten his own quasi-3D platforming adventure on the GameCube — and now I want to play it. Wario World finds the titular treasure-loving gremlin cozied up inside his castle, atop huge piles of treasure. Well, until a mysterious black jewel comes to life and transforms his treasure into monsters and warps the world around him into some bizarre dimension. True to his way, Wario sets off to recover his fortune and does so by beating up bad guys and bosses, solving puzzles and sucking up his precious gold. Reviews I've read don't necessarily make it sound like an all-time classic. But this intriguing (if short) adventure is one that's piqued my interest. Nintendo: do the right thing and bring it back! Hideki Kamiya's bizarre 2.5D cel-shaded beat 'em up is fascinating stuff. You take control of Joe, an everyday film buff who has to spring into action after a trip to the movies goes wrong. After a movie villain reaches through the silver screen and kidnaps Joe's girlfriend, Joe enters "Movieland" to rescue her. Here, Joe meets the superhero Captain Blue and is gifted a V-Watch. This device allows him to transform into a superhero who can deploy various 'VFX' powers like slowing down or speeding up time as he punches and kicks his way through tons of cartoonish bad guys. What follows is an amazing beat 'em up experience unlike anything else I've played. Campy and challenging, Viewtiful Joe is a 1-2 punch of beautiful visuals and addictive combat. It's a sharp and incredibly stylish experience that I'd love to come to Nintendo's new console.
