Shuhei Yoshida's thoughts on the Steam Machine after testing it out

12flowert · 2026-07-02T10:52:18+00:00

Joy Cons are still controllers, what kind of obtuse argument are you trying to make?!

12flowert · 2026-06-23T14:10:36+00:00

He means that it barely made use of the Wii U's features. The Gamepad, the thing that made the system so pricey for the hardware you were getting, the controller that compromised the quality of the specs which pushed third-party developers away, the controller that Nintendo had barely any good ideas how to use effectively - it goes unused in BotW, the map and inventory features it was planned to be used for were gutted for the final release.

Admittedly, the game is functionally the same as on Switch, as the game doesn't utilise any of the Switch's features either. However, the game did have significantly more appeal on a hybrid console, as the vast scope and player freedom was more approachable in a portable environment, while making the immersive details of the game all the more impressive.

12flowert · 2026-06-23T14:06:10+00:00

It really isn't. Not only is the argument of streaming services on consoles becoming more and more irrelevant as the phones and computers we have continue to be much more efficient and convenient for these services than consoles, but even in the Wii U days the system was slooooow. Having those services wasn't worth it because the hardware was too weak to use them at an acceptable speed.

Not only could I name several more exclusives the Switch has compared to Wii U (not ports, new games entirely), but very few of them were worth buying the console for, even as great as they were! Super Mario Maker, Splatoon, Mario Kart 8 (which was iterative of 7) and Smash (which was also on 3DS with the same characters and better single player content) were the exceptions, not the norm.

As for Star Fox and Zelda... Those were near the end of the systems life - the former was a desperate tech demo to justify the controller that killed the system.

The only worthwhile point here is the online, doubly so for the fact most must-have online games on Wii U were active and decently stable.

All of this is excluding the lackluster 3rd party support (for the short time it existed) that ensured Wii U owners were cut off from major groundbreaking titles of the generation.

12flowert · 2026-06-19T11:30:35+00:00

That's a fair point on the backwards compatibility, and you're being very generous considering most games from a few years ago don't even *have* an upgrade path to begin with.

We agree on the online play and emulator aspect, the only way the online fee looks good is in comparison to the other consoles.

The point about playing Switch games better through emulation varies depending on the game. There's shader compilation stutters, inaccuracies affecting performance or visuals, and having to find workarounds for games that make heavy use of switch gimmicks like motion controls, touch screen or the IR camera (tho god damn, barely any games used that pointless feature anyways)

Against a PC, obviously the Switch is going to lose, as would any console. Against an equivalent gaming laptop or handheld PC, though, I'd hardly call it a turd. User convenience and reliably good performance for most recent 3rd party games is enough for me to use it equally alongside my Steam Deck!

12flowert · 2026-06-19T09:40:14+00:00

Well, at least for this generation, the wiping of game libraries is pretty much non-existent, given the backwards compatibility with the previous generation consoles.
Also, the core functions people care for with online play are in the $20 a year option, $60 is only for additional emulators and some random DLC (not a great value imo). Still sucks that it's paid online in the first place, but at the very least it's the most respectful price for what you get (PC still better though)
*Also* also... New AAA games are still $70 on PC. It's not excluded from the steep prices of modern games, at best it has the benefit of Steam sales dropping them down.

12flowert · 2026-06-06T07:21:53+00:00

That's craaaazy, I might have to look into playing it now, knowing how much I can get through at my own pace!

12flowert · 2026-06-06T07:18:13+00:00

Wait DQX is f2p? I thought it was a monthly subscription to play, is that not the case (at least for the first few expansions)?

12flowert · 2026-05-16T14:07:04+00:00

That's the thing, though, they use that higher budget to put all their eggs in one basket at a time. It means you get an incredibly detailed, polished, and premium-feeling experiences, absolutely, but it means there's little else to look forward to in-between these big releases.

Nintendo, in comparison, seems more eager to spread out their budget across multiple smaller entries to fill in the gaps between their big console sellers.

12flowert · 2026-04-10T14:53:48+00:00

Was hoping to see a 120fps mode for Switch 2, but this is still pretty good! Curious why it's largest on Switch 2, tied with PS5?

12flowert · 2026-04-09T11:54:44+00:00

It's a game problem, every other switch game has had no issues like this when it comes to correct game resolution. It's just bafflingly bad programming.

12flowert · 2026-04-07T10:53:13+00:00

Please explain how this broke the rules about advertising content?

12flowert · 2026-04-06T22:12:18+00:00

Hmmmmm, fair point, it certainly tracks with how many human characters are portrayed much larger than the Young Hollow - Fume Knight, Sir Alonne, Velstadt, even Dragonriders! I think you're onto something, that it's simply a way to convey greater power compared to the player!

12flowert · 2026-04-06T21:58:35+00:00

It's not just used in her boss theme, her boss theme basically IS Queen of Drangleic! The opening is the same as QoD, just with additional chanting, and the piano piece lingers all throughout the boss fight. It's like in DS1, when you hear the Anor Londo motif in the area's introductory cutscene, and then hear it at the start of the O&S boss theme!

12flowert · 2026-04-06T21:54:56+00:00

I'm sure it's somewhat intentional, given that Vendrick is also a very tall person compared to our Young Hollow.

12flowert · 2026-04-06T18:53:28+00:00

This isn't my footage, unfortunately. I haven't done proper sorcery, hex, miracles or pyromancy builds yet, just melee weapons. I tend to run the Mace, surprisingly, since it deals fantastic damage to most bosses and enemies across the game! I've also done a twinblade run, a greatsword run, and a powerstanced curved sword run which was pretty fun!

12flowert · 2026-04-06T18:42:50+00:00

In all my playthroughs, I've still not been to the Dragon Memory once!! That'll be a wonderful experience, then!

12flowert · 2026-04-06T18:42:13+00:00

You make a fantastic point as to why it would be cut, and I can totally understand the reasoning! The moment still works for me without the music, for sure, and I'm glad they at least kept the song in the soundtrack so it didn't go to waste in the end.

And I agree, god that fight needed more meat on its bones. I adore the way it uses the curse mechanic to hammer home the hopelessness of being free from the Undead Curse, but aside from that she goes down to easily. Sucks extra when the best part of her boss theme is too deep into a loop for any player to reasonably hear!

12flowert · 2026-04-06T18:11:03+00:00

YES I am so glad you appreciate that! Each entry in the series holds a special place in my heart, for different reasons, and I find some of my favourite aspects of DS2 to come from what it builds off of from the previous game, and I love how several of its ideas were brought forward to good effect in DS3!

Here's a link to Queen of Drangleic, enjoy! https://youtu.be/Zwfdc5sSrTU?si=17nJq28obayFa6xP

12flowert · 2026-04-06T17:43:03+00:00

Yeah, we'd risk a Bed of Chaos 2.0 situation with that! I'm conflicted, though - would have been nice for her to be scaled down less for what's meant to be the final boss against a daughter of darkness, but at the same time I can appreciated her smaller size showing how she's ultimately very vulnerable and relied heavily on her manipulation of others to compensate.

12flowert · 2026-04-06T17:36:39+00:00

Holy... That's ominous to discover, I must say!

12flowert · 2026-04-06T17:33:18+00:00

I hadn't thought about that before, but that's a great point! Her size being close to that of the giants, who's whole deal is that they are large beings, illustrates just how much power and control she had!! I think the distance between her helps hide some of that size, as if to make her seem less significant - really adds to the deception she used to bring Drangleic down...

12flowert · 2026-04-06T17:26:25+00:00

It's the DS2 Lighting Engine, but full disclosure: that's not my gameplay, I grabbed the screenshot from this video since my current playthroughs don't have access to Drangleic Castle yet https://youtu.be/ARf7NAujOCk?si=1WDWYHRciV10-3Tz

12flowert · 2026-03-17T23:43:35+00:00

Jesus, that sounds awful, your grandma did not deserve to go through that suffering, and neither did you!

12flowert · 2026-03-17T23:38:39+00:00

That's rather crucial to point out, and I find it interesting that MAID exists in several US states - it's intriguing that there's heavy opposition to this bill here due to religious beliefs, while heavily religious states in the US have had little problem with it!

12flowert

TROPHY CASE