2D Pixel Art games are mostly timeless in both design and visuals. I compare them to early had drawn animated films from the 30s and 40s. The never really age.

3D games, by comparison, usually age a lot in both gameplay and visuals. Same went for the early CG animated movies of the 90s. They just aren’t timeless in the same way.

By OrtadragoonX

I've been buying my Xbox Series X games on disc, as I thought I would save up to 50gb of storage space per game by doing so.

By Aneira

While it's admirable that they implemented a translation layer for Switch 1 -> Switch 2, this is a very manual and error-prone solution and it will be difficult for them to maintain going forward.

There are already numerous issues with the existing translation layer. Nintendo has been very slow to fix issues since launch, and they are also not being very transparent about it since they no longer update the webpage they made before launch to list games with BC issues.

Many users, including those on this site, have discovered issues with games that Nintendo is seemingly not aware of or simply doesn't plan on fixing. For example, the digital version of Klonoa crashes on launch, the pre-rendered videos in the Crossbell duology cause crashes, and Ultra Age has random crashes throughout.

When the Switch 3 comes out, Nintendo will have to solve this problem yet again. At a bare minimum, they'll have to make a translation layer for Switch 2 -> Switch 3. To handle Switch 1, they'd have two options:
1) Translate from Switch 1 -> Switch 2 and then Switch 2 -> Switch 3
2) Make a dedicated translation layer for Switch 1 -> Switch 3

The former is less work for them, but is bound to introduce even more issues in Switch 1 games as it's basically like a game of telephone where more and more of the original intent is lost in each translation layer.

The later is a lot of extra work for Nintendo and it still has the opportunity to introduce a totally different set of BC issues for Switch 1 games.

It just doesn't seem sustainable for them to keep implementing new translation layers with each new console generation. Nintendo is really adverse to spending money on things that won't make a profit (this is why they are planning to eventually shut down the servers that let you redownload your Wii games). When their analytics show that Switch 1 games are starting to sell less and less, they'll eventually determine that it's not worth the cost to do all this work on their end to bring them forward for another generation. And when that happens, it sets a ticking time bomb on the ability to redownload your Switch games.

And this is of course assuming they keep making iterative Switch consoles from now till the end of time. Since it's Nintendo, they might one day decide to completely shake things up and do a totally different hardware concept. And if they do that, backwards compatibility is almost certainly not gonna be a thing.

As for my comment about the change in wording on their website regarding the ability to redownload Wii games, I just checked the Wayback Machine and it looks like it actually always said they eventually plan to shut that down. So I think I was just getting that mixed up with the page for 3DS and Wii U, which says the ability to redownload games will still be available "for the foreseeable future."

By topsekret

THIS was what I was talking about. The rest was about the whole problem that this article brought with it. You said in your fist coment that online debates about said topic is brainless and tiresome. I asked you why you even comment on it then in the first place if this bothers you so much. And the rest is historia.

The problem, however, is if people not talking about this, it will get worse. It really doesn't help if people just stop talking, because only if one talks, one can do something with others and MAYBE make a change for once. But it isn't braindead, not by far. This is just a mindstorm that can transform into something, even if it is on a small forum.

By MyMemory

I've mentioned it in an earlier comment here that I don't see much useful happening until Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all move to a format where gaming generations no longer matter.

By jsty3105

By jsty3105

As for them being supported, aslong as it remains they same eshop, they wont remove Switch 1 capacity.

As for this " They have since updated the page to straight up say they plan to shut down the ability to redownload your Wii games. 3DS and Wii U will follow shortly thereafter." I can only see what you formally said, so where have you seen this change? Admittedly at some point yes, they will stop the ability.

By Rosona

When Nintendo first announced that they were shutting down the Wii Shop Channel, Nintendo originally said that you'll still be able to redownload your digital games for the "foreseeable future" (which is what the 3DS and Wii U FAQs currently say). They have since updated the page to straight up say they plan to shut down the ability to redownload your Wii games. 3DS and Wii U will follow shortly thereafter.

Switch will be on track for the same fate the generation they decide to stop supporting Switch 1 backwards compatibility. Due to Switch 1 backwards compatibility basically being shoehorned on to Switch 2 (and still buggy with some games), I can't imagine them maintaining that for generations to come. Maybe Switch 3? But I wouldn't get your hopes up for anything after that.

You are much better off investing in digital purchases on PC storefronts. PC games are designed with flexibility in mind from the start and will continue to run on arbitrary PC hardware in the future. Thus PC stores like Steam can continue selling old games indefinitely and therefore have a monetary incentive to preserve your digital purchases.

Even better, on PC, you can get DRM-free digital games from stores like GOG. You truly own DRG-free digital games since you can make as many backup copies as you want.

By topsekret

By wiiware

By DadaPon

By tourjeff

By Samalik

By Baker1000

By jsty3105

By PharoneTheGnome

I think the thing here is that Nintendo (and the industry as a whole because they are using this game key cards) have decided upon an implementation for the unique identification of the cartridge itself due to the fact that they have the Game Key Cards now.

They wouldn't be using that technology if they believed it was easily pirated. Nintendo of all companies would be the last to use something that they think could lead to them making less money in any way shape or form lol.

So, therefore, what ever solution they have landed upon for uniquely identifying each Game Key Card should be used in all of their cartridges and just get rid of the idea of "game key card" all together. Just make every cartridge a game key card WITH the full game ALSO on the cartridge.

By PharoneTheGnome

By jsty3105

What I don't yet get, is how your idea would work in practice because I don't think it's as simple as that and there's further verification checks needed to prove a game isn't pirated and the checks for registering the game with another user. Maybe your idea is worth a deeper look to flesh it out more.
Granted, Nintendo's solution isn't the greatest but there aren't any perfect DRM answers at the moment anyway.

By jsty3105

By PharoneTheGnome

Every console (that is the Nintendo Switch 2 itself... the thing you hold when you play the game when not in the craddle) has a unique code in it that identifies it. You are correct there. That's not what I am talking about though, so not sure why you brought that up.

Now... on to the CARTRIDGE that we are talking about. A cartridge is the little black rectangle thing you put in to the Nintendo Switch 2 CONSOLE. Cartridge does not equal Console.

Today, right this very second, every Game Key Card CARTRIDGE has a unique identifier on a chip inside the CARTRIDGE. That is how they identify and tell the difference between each and every physical Game Key Card CARTRIDGE ever made.

Nintendo associates that Game Key Card CARTRIDGE's unique identifier to your Nintendo Account and then it downloads the game to your Nintendo Switch 2 CONSOLE.

With that all in mind, I am saying that they should put that same unique identifier technology in to ALL Nintendo Switch 2 CARTRIDGES regardless whether they are Game Key Cards or not.

Treat every CARTRIDGE as a Game Key Card. The only difference would be that the game itself should ALSO be included on the CARTRIDGE ... AND ... You should not have to insert the CARTRIDGE again to your Nintendo Switch 2 to play the game UNLESS that unique identifier for that CARTRIDGE gets associated with another Nintendo Switch 2 CONSOLE. Then you have to put the CARTRIDGE in to your Nintendo Switch 2 in order to prove you own that specific unique CARTRIDGE and at that time, that game would be unassociated from what ever other Nintendo Switch 2 account it is currently associated with.

I hope that explains it.

By PharoneTheGnome