A few weeks
ago I was browsing upcoming releases section of the Nintendo eShop and a game
caught my attention.A Normal Lost Phone
is a mystery game with a simple concept.You find a random smart phone and you have to go through it to figure
out what happened to the owner.The game
has a six dollar price tag on the Switch so I figured it was worth a try.What I got was a surprisingly complex story
told in a new and interesting style.
A Normal
Lost Phone was made by a French company named Accidental Queens that, according
to the description on their website “seek to create games that feature new
mechanics, exploring topics from everyday life and social questions, through
innovative narrative tools.”One of the
things I found so fascinating about this game was the gameplay.All you’re doing is looking through a
phone.No shooting zombies or quick time
events, just browsing a smart phone.That
may sound boring to some people but I found it strangely comfortable since I
spend so much time on my phone anyway.You
understand the story by searching the text, emails, and websites Sam has
visited.Many of the puzzles you solve
revolve around finding passwords to programs that are locked.Here you have to use what you learn about Sam
to progress through the game and continue the story.
The
gameplay sounds simple (and it is), but what keeps you playing is the
story.You feel like you get to know the
people in Sam’s life through their conversations.One of the problems with reviewing games that
revolve around their story is that it is hard to explain why you should care
about these characters without giving too much of the plot away.I became hooked and constantly found myself
digging through old messages to find the clue that would unlock the next piece
of the puzzle.
In case it
wasn’t obvious, my overall impressions of this game are very positive.The only drawback that might deter some
people is the length of the game.I was
able to beat it in about two and a half hours, and I really read through all of
the text.If a person were to ignore a
lot of the optional information then they could probably beat it much faster.Even though the game is short, you’re not
exactly going to break the bank the bank getting it.The switch version retails at $5.99 and
iPhone/Android/Steam version goes for $2.99.In my mind, well worth the experience you will receive.My final verdict is if you have a few hours
to kill and enjoy games that require deductive reasoning, this is a must
play.Also, if you want to support Accidental
Queens, there is a spiritual sequel to A Normal Lost Phone called Another Lost
Phone: Laura’s Story available on iPhone/Android/Steam.You can bet I’ll be playing that
tonight.I might even do another
write-up for it.
So, Nintendo has finally shown
their hand (most of it anyway).We have
been hearing about the NX for almost a year now, and a few months before the
system’s release, Nintendo reveals a trailer officially announcing that it will
be called the Switch.This actually
reminds me a lot of the move Nintendo made back in 2006 when they announced
that the system that was codenamed the Revolution would be called the Wii just
a few months before it was supposed to come out.This trailer is the first official news we
have received about the Switch, everything to this point has been speculation.How do the rumors stack up to what we know?
The biggest rumor was that the
Switch would be some sort of hybrid portable and home console.Based on what we saw in the trailer, this appears
to be shockingly accurate.What does the
system come with?We’re not entirely
sure yet.As I describe the items that
were shown off in the trailer, keep in mind there is no information whether
they will come with the console at purchase or much be bought separately.The console itself will be a tablet like
screen that is roughly seven inches (based on analysis from the trailer).There is also a dock that will more than
likely be used to charge the console and connect it to the television.There is a controller that is being called
the Joy-Con.The Joy-Con can be a whole
or split into multiple parts.When split
apart, the controller can be used to allow multiple people play a game or the
pieces can be attached to the side of the console to allow the player to take
it on the go.It looks like this can be
done without even turning the game off or even pausing.There will also be a Switch Pro Controller
available that resembles a more traditional game controller.However, if experience is any indicator, this
will be sold separately.
Another
rumor was that the system would use cartridges for its games, much like the
3DS.Again, this rumor was spot on.Nintendo has decided to abandon the disk
based home console that the industry has become known for.After seeing how the console operates, I
believe this is not only smart but also necessary.Nintendo is doing a great deal to promote the
Switch as a home console that can go on the move.The thing about disks is they are incredibly
fragile and prone to disruption.Just
look at a few previous examples.In the Xbox
360, if you so much as moved the console while a disk was in use, it would
scratch and in many cases become unusable.The Sony PSP was a portable console that utilized disks in a
casing.Sort of a disk/cartridge
hybrid.Even this modified disk would
disrupt gameplay if the system was moved to quickly or shaken around too
much.However, the downside is that
cartridges can’t hold as much information as a disk.It would be interesting to see how Nintendo
plans to get around this drawback.So
far, the games shown for the Switch look gorgeous so it is hard to believe that
they are coming simply from the cartridge.My theory is that the game cartridge will have some data on it, but the
rest of the game will be downloaded.This will allow for more freedom without the drawbacks of
cartridge-based gaming.However, this
raises another question.
How much
data will the Switch be able to hold?Memory
storage technology has come a long way in previous years but so far there is
not word how the Switch will manage this.Previous Nintendo consoles have used memory cards, and that may be the
best option for a system that is designed to go on the move.Memory cards tend to hold less information
but are much more durable.Hard drives
like the ones we see in phones and tablets would be another viable option.While they can hold more, hard drives can’t
take as much punishment as a memory card.For now, we will just have to wait and see.
Another
thing we saw in the trailer was wireless multiplayer between two Switch
systems.Considering the guys were
playing on a park bench, it can be implied that wi-fi will not be necessary for
this feature.If I had to speculate, it
will probably work similar to the 3DS which has the possibility to connect with
other systems based on proximity.I’m
sure you’ll be able to connect over the internet as well.It seems that when it comes to multiplayer,
the Switch will be the best of both worlds.It will have the benefits of being a home and portable console, without
many of the drawbacks of either.
Let’s move
onto the things that gamers really care about, the games.Nintendo showed off a great lineup in this
first trailer, starting with Zelda: Breath of the Wild.This game was announced for the Switch (then
known as the NX) months ago, but it was still great to see this eagerly
anticipated title.Nintendo also showed
off a few other first-party titles, such as Mario Kart, Splatoon, and a new
unnamed 3D Mario Platformer.While none
of these titles were particularly shocking, it was still good to see Nintendo
putting a strong foot forward.Now onto
an area that Nintendo has traditionally struggled, third-party games.There were two third-party games shown in the
trailer, Skyrim and an NBA game (presumably 2K17).Skyrim was one of the prominent games shown
off in the trailer.However, a spokesmen
from Bethesda has said that while they gave Nintendo permission to use the game
footage in the trailer, Skyrim is not actually confirmed for they system.You can read more about that here: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2016-10-20-nintendo-switch-officially-revealed
However, even with that weirdness, Nintendo released a
graphic showing some of the developers who are developing games for the
system.There are some very impressive
names on the list and I’m sure we’re in for some quality products.
Even though the Switch trailer
showed off a lot of the console’s impressive features, there are still a lot of
questions left to answer.One of the
biggest questions on everyone’s mind is, what is the price?Some speculation has put it around $299, but
there is little to base this on.As it
may have become clear throughout the article, one of my biggest questions
revolves around the durability of the system.If it is meant to go with you, how much punishment can it take?With so many interlocking parts, how long
until connections start to fade and become unsteady?Nintendo has built an impressive track record
for making products that are sturdy and can stand the test of time.However, this seems like new territory for
them.Hopefully we will receive more
information as we get closer to the slated March 2017 release date.That being said, I don’t plan to SWITCH how
enthusiastic I am for this product.I’ll
see myself out.
