Thanks so much for sticking with me for another year! I had a TON of fun, and next year's going to be even better! A quick note, I hadn't gotten a chance to dig into Smash's online before this video was written, recorded, and mostly edited, so that's why I only say good things about Smash in the video. I do mention how Nintendo Switch Online has been disappointing overall though, and I'll definitely be bringing the subject up again soon.
Fialm I’m really glad that I got Star Allies after the last update. I beat the main story, the first Soul Melter and HIAD and still feel like I have a lot left to do!
Would have been nice if they just released the game complete instead of rushing it and patching in the missing content later. When those servers go down, so do those updates.
I just think Arlo doesn't know what to expect from a Kirby game. Kirby games are usually a conglomerate of shorter game modes (a la Kirby super star). While Guest Star mode didn't have a ton of replayability, there was also the boss rush and the minigames. They also told us right out of the gate they would be adding more content later. I personally enjoyed the hype around seeing that a new update was coming and waiting to play as the new characters. Plus Another Dimension was perfect.
Arlo Used to be so awesome but I think another company came to him under the table and said “hey I want you to act like an in tendo enthusiast but you’re really not because you’re not involved” in fact he so believable online and Nintendo paid him to do stuff because the fact that he reviewed super smash brothers ultimate with no grounds from the previous games cause he hasn’t played any of them gives me a really hard break you cannot review a game in basin on previous games when you haven’t played them
Honestly, call me crazy, this year didn't need many big games. SOOOOOOOOO much stuff has already been released and smaller stuff came out this year that there's just sooooo much to play any way. Like, I still haven't bought every game I wanted from 2017 or heck even a few things from this year.
Yeah Arlo’s “Big Games” every quarter is a little Insane and most of those “Big Games” tend to be he wants. Hope you buy those games eventually and Enjoy them
@@coleoneil8514 I think the thing that sort of confuses me is that after 2017, it's kind of obvious that there has to be a little bit of a down period, there always is, it's how game development works. But even so, this kind of thing happened all the time during the Wii U era, and it was excruciating at times. The thing is though, that the Switch has so much support from third parties and indie developers, it's pretty much a non issue. Combine that with the first party releases which were still probably about the same amount of games as the best year of the Wii U even if they were smaller titles. To be honest, with the titles coming this year I feel like Nintendo has increased its development speeds tenfold; I think they really benefited from that handheld/console team merger they did a while ago and from having had about 4 or 5 years prior to get used to HD game development.
@Dr. Sin I had enough to play but is it that unreasonable to expect more? Even the Wii U had 3 better years and that doesn’t even include the launch month
also not sure how you can call star allies and tennis "empty" and "skeletal" but somehow give super mario party with its subpar online and 4 boards a pass
There only being 4 boards makes me cry on the inside. I really hope that they drop a free update some day for that game that adds at least another 3 or 4 boards, and hopefully those boards are like twice the size of the current boards.
There should be more boards, but everyone’s just happy that we *finally* got a good Mario Party when the last one was ten years ago. Hopefully they’ll add a new board.
yeah that really bugged me too, if anything since both kirby and aces have added a fair amount of free DLC after their release i would say they probably have more content than mario party at this point lol? I do agree with him though that these games should have released as a full package instead of being turned into actual substantial games by adding DLC months later; but even without the DLC I would say at least aces felt like more of a full package at release than mario party did, but that's my personal feelings on it. Either way, all 3 definitely had that same problem at launch no matter how you look at it. Honestly he probably just enjoyed mario party more than the other two, which is fair enough, but he should just say that outright instead of implying nintendo 'tried harder' with it, because they clearly didn't haha
I don't know how you're saying Nintendo hasn't changed, Nintendo had an amazing year in 2018. I just think Nintendo spoiled all the fans in 2017 and they raised everyone's expectations so high that no matter what they released the following year it was still going to feel disappointing to people, when in reality they had a phenomenal year in 2018. Plus saying that they only had one big title in 2018 with Super Smash Bros and not include Pokemon is a little crazy. Both of those games are system sellers like Zelda and Mario in 2017. Both years they had two huge first party system selling games along with a ton of other great games throughout both years.
Nintendo is just a screwball company, erratic, unpredictable and a little crazy. When you understand this, it makes it easier to not be annoyed or disappointed, so you can enjoy all of the great things that they do.
@@Dharengo yeah I mean that would be INSANE to expect of any big videogame company...Nintendo as a developer already puts out more titles than any other developer year in year out
iakona23 yeah... Nintendo either makes games better than most other first party and third party titles, or they make games that are downright disappointing. That’s kinda why I like them, now that I think about it...
All I heard this year was “hey give me my favorite game that it was on a previous generation system because I wanna play it on my new system” Nintendo didn’t deliver boo boo boo I’m so mad smash brothers content “hey give me my favorite character if you don’t I will hate you forever” he didn’t and then people got so salty it’s the Nintendo fans that are pure cancer not the company
Kirby was horribly disappointed at Launch, but they’ve basically done a whole 180 with the DLC. It has some of the most and best quality Kirby content in franchise. I’d definitely go back to it if I were you.
The free updates for kirby change the game so much for me. I was pretty disappointed by the game but the free updates made me love the game so much. The new characters are so unique and fun to use that I played the guest star mode so much with the new characters, and there was 10 new unique characters. Also yes the game is really easy but the new hero’s in another dimension and new difficulty in the ultimate choice game are super super hard that it made it up for me.
Ignoring Star Allies’s updates and extra modes is like ignoring all the single player content in a Smash game. The argument of “it doesn’t have enough content, nintendoomed” simply doesn’t apply.
@@Daviloss Nintendo was very up front about the fact that the game's content would be expanded upon throughout the year before the game even came out. This is more like complaining about the first version of Splatoon 2 without giving any of its newer updates into consideration.
Star Allies got better with the free updates. I recommend giving it a second chance (not that it was bad the first time, as I do think you're exaggerating with SA, but whatever). Outside of Kirby and Smash, alongside of a couple of things, 2018 was, as you said, a reality check. From the Switch Online service being horribly underwhelming, to the whole ROM and emulation situation, Nintendo continues to be a company I both love and hate. I love their stuff, but I hate their business practices.
Yup. Nintendo will always have unrealized potential because of their habit of making bad decisions. But then they'll make good, bizarre decisions that massively pay off. Frustratingly brilliant company that drives me mad.
I still think Arlo should revisit Star Allies now that all the free DLC is out. I sympathize with his point that releasing a barely complete game to be supplemented later is not a good practice...but still, the amount of content and amazing fanservice we got with the free DLC is staggering. Not to mention, it does quite a bit to address the "too easy" complaint he has. Even barring the Soul Melter EX Ultimate Choice boss fight gauntlet, Heroes in Another Dimension brings some really challenging platforming. The DLC easily brings a 5/10 game for me to a 8/10.
Why do so many people want the 3DS to die? Do they remember the PlayStation 2 lasted more 10 years and games were still being released on it even when the PlayStation 3 came out.
I think it's just because people get concerned that the 3DS could possibly take away from the development of games for the Switch. I don't think that's the case necessarily, since there are probably plenty of developers to go around, but I can understand the concern. The 3DS still has life left and it's a pretty cool handheld. The back catalog of games is pretty insane too.
There’s just... too much worry described & implied in this. Yes we’ve seen a few missteps this year, but I don’t think any of it warrants any actual fear of Nintendo doing something wrong or resting on their laurels. Everything else coming in 2019 is still up in the air, but never any less exciting. It never hurts to have a little faith in Nintendo. Be cautious of course & keep your expectations realistic & fair, but optimistic at the same time. Every year... is a new beginning! ✊🏻
"It never hurts to have a little faith in Nintendo" "Every year... is a new beginning!" Comments like these read like a fucking cult. Stop actually having it out on people for not being optimistic about a multi million dollar company. You don't owe Nintendo anything and they don't owe you anything. There's literally nothing wrong with people being sceptical after a year like this. If anything it's far more healthy to expect less, yet it's always Nintendo fans who are the most vocal about how much of an issue this mindset apparently is?
To be fair, Kirby, Pokemon, and Mario Tennis were all made by 2nd parties, not Nintendo themselves. Pokemon was made by Game Freak, Kirby was made by HAL Laboratory, and Mario Tennis was made by Camelot games.
@@JB-tl8rj I'm just saying that those releases from the video that Arlo was saying were not living up to the standard of quality that Nintendo devs had set up the previous year were not developed by 1st parties. They were all 2nd party games that may have been in development before Nintendo's new standard of quality and content was put into place. Smash Ultimate just so happened to meet those standards because Sakurai and Sora Ltd. ALWAYS pack Smash to the brim with content. I think that this will become more universal between both 1st and 2nd parties in the future, but they're just having some growing pains right now.
The reality that people seem to ignore is that all resources went to a high content density for the first year. After that, teams have to start on new projects from square one and games usually take several years to make. Of course there would have been a lull.
@@heavylobster4339 yes but if arlo was going to show the title realesed between BOTW and SMO he should have full knowledge of what did and didn't come out between the two
HeavyLobster43 i don’t get why he ignores the series given he always wants Big single player experiences, deep stories and characters, exploration and a skill tree. The series has LITERALLY EVERYTHING he wants in a game
I disagree with a lot in this video. I haven't actually majorly disagreed with any of your reviews tbh, but I didn't get to this conclusion. Seems a bit melodramatic.
Alexander Chilton One of my problems with the video is where he’s talking about games he’s says aren’t system sellers like Kirby or Mario tennis but then constantly praises Metroid prime 4, a game that that will also not be a system seller. I understand he’s excited for it but the bias is pretty obvious.
@@MrCracky32 Star Allies and Aces are both 2+ million sellers in under a year. So if Arlo consider that just "alright" sales, then Prime 4 has to be the best selling game in the series to even be considered a moderate success/system seller Metroid games are usually LUCKY if they reach those numbers.
@@alexanderchilton911 Same with Pikmin. I like both of those franchises, too, Arlo, but they are more-so dedicated fan franchises instead of system sellers. You want to know which franchises are huge system sellers? Animal Crossing and Pokemon, both of which were announced this year for next year. I get why you'd be disappointed with this year compared to last year, but it was clearly a filler year for next year's bigger titles. I just see that as being a bit melodramatic, as you can't expect Nintendo to produce a mega-huge-big-title every quarter of the year. Good games take time to make, and I'd rather have to wait than have a rushed game. No virtual console is a huge disappointment though, I agree with Arlo on that 100%.
@@TheGamingAnole55 Virtual console was over priced I can buy Metal Gear Solid V on the playstation store for the same price as two Sega Genesis games or the Ratchet and Clank remake for the same price as two N64 games. I honestly prefer the idea of streaming games with an annual fee. What we really need is solid confermation of other systems store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP9000-CUSA01047_00-RATCHETPS4000000?emcid=se-pi-147509%24%24
@@kylecampbell565 I don't know about third-party games, but some of Nintendo's games are for quite a good price. Not all, for example the NES games are way overpriced, but you can get the entire Metroid Prime Trilogy for just $20. The Wii games are actually quite a fair price in my opinion.
"I thought Nintendo was a changed company!! Ambition!!1!" I'm a big a fan of Nintendo as they come, but people really just take these things too far, make sweeping associations for no reason and then invest too much meaning in them. It's baffling and a little short-sided, especially for one seemingly enamored in the industry.
Wow, people are gonna call me an idiot for this, but i thought 2018 was a pretty fine year for Nintendo. With a Kirby game that was pretty ok (in my obviously wrong and dumb stupid opinion) but kept you coming back with the updates, Mario tennis Aces that had gameplay so fun and deep that it drew me into the Mario sports series (which i was never interested until now) and did the same thing Kirby did but arguably better with exclusive online tournaments AND new characters, Super mario party, although was pretty lacking in content had fine gameplay too, Octopath finally releasing along with the DLC for Xenoblade2, Let’s go pikachu and Evee (And despite whatever you say, it’s Pokémon. Those games sell well.) and finally....the grand finale the most biggest and grandest smash brothers yet, right on time for the holidays too. And the 3rd party games....oh man...I thought this year was pretty good overall, yeah 2017 was miles better, but this year wasn’t that bad either. (But then again i’m a clueless little moron who would easily like crap like the games listed here it’s not like my opinion matters)
You arent an idiot or a moron. You have good points and I agree, 2018 was a good year. It just wasn't a great 2017 like most (and Arlo) wanted. But, you and i were pretty satisfied. Happy Holidays! 👍
You're not wrong. I love Arlo, but, like most video game RU-vidrs, he has a tendency to exaggerate and go into performative hysterics whenever something doesn't quite live up to their expectation for the sake of making the video more energetic or whatever. No, Alro doesn't do this to the degree that other people do it, but... well, he still does it sometimes. I just find it tiring. For me, Dragon Quest Builders, Octopath Traveler, Let's Go, and Hollow Knight were my most played games on the Switch this year. And despite it being a "slow" year and me not being a Smash fan, I actually feel like there was still too much for me to get through. Case in point, I'm planning on picking up Starlink as well even though I'm still working my way through Let's Go and still putting time into some 2017 games - I have a HUGE backlog of games... and 2019 is right around the corner!
While I agree with you that at launch, Kirby Star Allies was a very lackluster game, the free updates I feel has made it into an excellent game and a huge love letter to Kirby fans. You can see all the love and care the developers put into this game through the 10 new characters, all from past Kirby games, each with interesting and unique movesets that make callbacks to their games of origin. Not only that, but the new updates gave them all new music tracks and stages from their games that make the gameplay experience so much better. This game is very charming to players, with its fun gameplay, character interactions, and the world building it creates for Kirby lore. This game was created as a celebration for the 25th anniversary of Kirby, and I feel as though they captured that perfectly with all the content they added, as a sort of thank you for players who stuck with Kirby all these years. I understand where you are coming from with the frustration of taking 8 months to release all their content, however in doing so, they we're able to keep the hype for the game alive, and keep it relevant to this day, otherwise the game's hype would've died down a couple months after release. With the addition of their new content in characters, levels, modes, and difficulty settings, in my opinion, Kirby Star Allies is a game that is heavily underrated and deserves a second chance to be looked at. After all, this game as made as a celebration for Kirby, and the developers poured their heart and soul into this in order to make this game a reality, one that can celebrate 25 years of Kirby.
Another amazing year of Arlo. Seriously, this is by far my favorite channel on RU-vid and I ALWAYS stop what I’m doing and sit down to watch an Arlo video when it is released. Here’s to another year for this amazing channel.
This review was extremely melodramatic. Ready to blow your brains out because of how quick you could beat Mario tennis and kirby. And you thought smash was a port all the way up to release day? *DUDE, CHILL*
Well put. Melodramatic is a good word. In fairness, my response was equally melodramatic, but there was a lot of "there was so little to do, oh, but I didn't try that either..."
@@kylecampbell565 Nintendo doesn't make Xenoblade, and what 3DS RPGs has Nintendo made besides Fire Emblem (which is only owned by Nintendo but made by Intelligent Systems)?
Zapazoid but they publish the game and that’s what matters. By your logic Nintendo didn’t release ANY games this year. As for other Nintendo published RPGs of the 3DS: Pokémon Gen 6 and 7, 2 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Games, the Mario and Luigi series, Dragon Quest 8, Fantasy Life, Codename STEAM, and Bravely Default (some of which weren’t published in Japan by Nintendo admittedly but I still count them as Nintendo games since Nintendo published them here)
@@zapazoid8451 Nintendo owns Monolith Soft. That's like saying Uncharted and The Last of Us are not first-party because Naughty Dog makes them, not Sony, despite ND being directly owned by Sony.
Love the video Arlo but I disagree that Mario Tennis Aces is very short on content. Especially considering your praise of Super Mario Party, I feel Mario Tennis improved the franchise just as much if not more than that game. The single player mode in Aces was a little short but provides a good challenge and helped to learn the mechanics of the game and they refined the multiplayer experience a lot including rating systems, character rewards and seeing people's connection level which is huge for a Nintendo game. Not to mention having balance changes post launch in a sports game which is really great. Plus they added some fun side modes like swing mode and big ball which is great to play with people who want a more "Wii Sports" feel. I know it could be more but I think this is a great step forward in the franchise and I can play the online mode for hours!
Meatytheburrito just got Aces for Christmas today, and I still don’t get what everyone was fussing about. The game is great for multiplayer, and the single player stuff is engaging enough imo to keep a player interested for a good while. Solid game if you ask me.
Aces STILL doesn’t have an offline tournament mode, there is no enticing reason to play the game, and the addition of new characters every month is NOT the answer to that. It’s my biggest disappointment of the year.
@@AnimalXing Don't forget the online is dead. Literally anyargument for how great the online in this game apparently is and how that apparently makes up for lack of content does NOT matter.
Twurterlz They had to choose the most weeby and lame character for free dlc knowing that all the nerds would shell out money for the weird ass character
@@sideeswipe Persona is a very popular franchise, so it was right to choose Joker as a fighter. Just letting you know that the world doesn't revolve around you.
While I don't mind that you say certain releases are disappointing, it really feels rather dismissive to say that developers aren't putting the effort when creating certain games you didn't care for.
"I played two games that disappointed me! Nintendo is ruined! Nintendo has turned into a malevolent company trying to ruin my fun, my finances, and my franchises!" There. I saved you 25 minutes.
I don’t view this channel regularly, but I feel like this is a slightly more negative video than your standard. I was genuinely confused watching this video because the conclusion I was drawing from it was “2017 was a kick-ass year because Super Mario Odyssey and Zelda were so great. So why can’t Nintendo give us amazing, big name titles like that every year?” I’m no expert whatsoever on game design, but I don’t think amazing games such as those can physically be made and released every year, Believe me, I’d be the happiest person in the world if that was the case, but that kind of expectation seems a little...I don’t know, unrealistic? I think 2018 was pretty good for Nintendo because most folks who have a Switch won’t be buying every medium or small title that is released. They’ll be buying the big ticket stuff like Zelda, Splatoon 2, Mario Odyssey, Pokémon, Mario Party, Smash Ultimate, etc. Yes, there are plenty of people like you and me who will buy everything on the Switch and enjoy it, but there are thousands and thousands of people who will be happy from big release to big release. To anyone who reads this, please respond with your own opinion and whether or not I’m full of baloney with what I said above
I just don't understand what he's on about. He's constantly talking about these mysterious big games, lists four game series, and then claims Pokemon isn't big enough for the holidays alone. And then he wants one of these mysterious big games every quarter but nobody knows what they are. Nintendo literally cannot make two big games a year when they have maybe 5 or 6 big franchises, 8 if you count Splatoon and Mario Maker.
Super negative review right here. I love Arlo, but expecting huge, HUGE games one after another is crazy talk. I man think about it. After 2017, what WAS there to release? Mario and Zelda were covered, cool. Pokémon, and Smash them got released, along with metroid prime 4 coming, animal crossing announced along with Luigi's mansion PLUS Kirby and Mario tennis AND mario party! What ELSE IS THERE TO RELEASE??
If you consider Kirby and Mario Party & Tennis to only sell "alright" despite all selling at 2 million+ in less than a year, then Metroid on average sell pretty poorly. Just saying, you have to be consistent with that logic.
Huh. I don't blame you for being a bit let down by the Big N this year. Aside from Smash Ultimate, there weren't a lot of _huge_ first-party big hitters like Breath of the Wild or Odyssey. Furthermore, I agree that it's not a good idea to publish half-baked games and rely on monthly DLC to pad them out, and the Nintendo Switch Online needs some major improvement... That being said...I had more fun with the Switch this year than in 2017. I am that kind of weirdo who prefers Mario spin-off games to mainline adventures, and despite both games not being the best in their series, I had considerable fun with Mario Tennis Aces and Super Mario Party. As for Kirby Star Allies, it falls in a similar situation to Tennis, where it had below-average content at launch. However, I still enjoyed the game's Guest Star mode, where you can play as any of the Friends who are otherwise controlled by the AI. The DLC for this game added all sorts of great Kirby characters and even a challenging new mode. KSA isn't amazing, but I really have fun with it. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was certainly the most anticipated game this year. I thought it would be a port, but then E3 proved me wrong with great blowout of it. Following that was a sick August presentation, then a somewhat lukewarm November Direct, and now, Ultimate is released. Unfortunately, I do not have the game at the moment, but it will kick off my 2019. All things considered, I enjoyed Nintendo's 2018 a bit more than the average person, but I imagine 2019 will be better. Nice video, Arlo!
A lot of people seem to forget Nintendo is still just 1 company. Other game companies release big major games much more slowly, look at Bethesda or Ubisoft or something like that.
No offense but it seems like you just played the story mode guest star allies an arena mode once without every visiting the game again. goes for Mario Tennis, which has added a lot of new content.
Why do you even mention Aces? That is a 60 dollar game with 5 hours of single player content and literally defunct ghost town online. Unless you happen to have friends who are actually up for playing frequently there's nothing that benefits a $60 purchase. If anything Aces is a prime example of how future DLC does not at all improve the game when the ways you can enjoy it are already tied to a clock in itself.
I know it's your opinion but seriously though. KSA does not have enough content and yes I have played the game, beaten it, and the extra stuff afterwards. How long that took me? A little over 3 hours. How long it took me to complete Breath of the Wild by at least clearing over half shines, all divine beasts, and other stuff that can make help take Calamity Ganon down easier? Weeks. BotW is challenging, gives you shit tons to do, and tells a story. KSA just sorta throws you in there and it doesn't really tell story near the end of the game. Overall, if I was getting say my younger sibling a game to play for the first time for Switch, I'll definitely give him Odyssey because at least, like BotW, it gives you a lot to do rather than KSA that barely has anything to offer for $60. Hell, Planet Robobot will still always be better than KSA in my opinion and that game is $20 cheaper on a freaking handheld system.
I know DLC doesn't bring up Star Allies, but I want to see Arlo's thoughts on Heroes in Another Dimension, because that mode shows that Hal was holding back on challenge and puzzles in the main game (due likely to either the multiplayer focus, or for new players). Star Allies felt like a simple gateway title, and then Hal kept us playing throughout the year with their Dream Friends, which were amazing fan service. After Heroes in Another Dimension and Soul Melter EX, and all those times playing Guest Star with the new dream friends, I got a ton of use out of the game, and I'm almost 100% certain Hal is gonna nail it with the next game.... (unless they make it a mainly multiplayer title again... I want more foreground background hopping dangit!)
ItionoBen also the way he’s talked to them sounds like he wanted to give them much lower reviews (he’s bashed Star Allies way more often then Star Fox Zero a game he despises) tells me he wussed out on the score to not upset Kirby fans and/or ensure Nintendo continued to provide review copies. I can’t tolerate dishonesty from a reviewer
I am super happy people are recognizing the strange panic attack Arlo had over stuff he dressed up in his own mind. Right now Arlo is curled up in a corner crying clutching a copy of a SINGLE PLAYER ADVENTURE GAME THAT ISNT TOO HARD and HAS ENOUGH CONTENT crying waiting for the savior of Nintendo METROID PRIME 4.
johnny johnson seems his tears are blinding him to the point of missing Xenoblade Chronicles 2 something that has LITERALLY EVERYTHING he wants in a game Amazing Graphics and Music Rich Stories and Characters Exploration And a skill tree Yet despite Arlo wanting rich single player experiences he only plays long games if he’s familar with the franchise. Part of me belives the reason for the somewhat small first half was to give people time to fully beat Mario Odyssey, Fire Emblem warriors and Xenoblade. Yet Arlo doesn’t even consider this possibility and thinks Nintendo needs to constantly release single player games exclusively for the switch
Arlo is talking about the year for him personally and 2018 it was the year he sold his soul to corporations and became a false nobody a fake persona on RU-vid that Nintendo pays money to because he’s cute it’s all about the dumb puppet. He’s literally a cynic Grover who must’ve stop playing in tendo once the switch came out and plays one game and complains that it was an OK year
I am pleased that people are beginning to see right through him because he’s a hipster not really an in tendo enthusiast anymore he’s IGN but for toddlers
2018 felt like a breather year. This is my first console since the Wii and 360, which we barely used to begin with. I got my Switch Christmas 2017, with Zelda, Mario Kart, and Odyssey. Since this year wasn’t that full of a year, so I was able to catch up with the games that came out the previous year, while still getting a decent amount from this year. I’m betting this will be a pattern. One amazing year, then a relatively dry year, etc. I kind of enjoy this actually. The average consumer doesn’t have enough time to sink 100 hours in three separate RPGs and play all these other games. I know this strategy kind of sets aside the hardcore Nintendo fans, but I respect Nintendo for going for the biggest demographic.
Yo guys how about this? My Christmas has been fantastic. Got Smash Ultimate, Super Mario Party and spent my 20 dollar EShop gift card on the Metroid Prime Trilogy! Man I’m so spoiled!
I got Smash Ultimate, Sonic Mania Plus, Mega Man 11, Luigi's Mansion 3DS Remake, Super Mario Party, Lego DC Super Villains, and Pokemon: Let's go Pikachu. My Christmas was AWESOME :)
<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="441">7:21</a> I will outright say that is harsh... for kirby at least. Mario Tennis seems very barebones besides the presentation and gameplay. Kirby didn't take the easy way out. The game was purposefully designed to be easier for a multiplayer experience. I'm not saying it was the right choice... I was very disappointed in the main game. But with all the DLC they provided in less than a year, I'd say they actually went all out with this game. Not in Level design, but with fanservice, presentation, and music. Every character is perfectly crafted as a homage to an earlier Kirby game. They recreated old Kirby levels in Guest Star, they made over 10 new remixes, and they topped it all off with a new mode, with an amazing aesthetic, amazing puzzles, amazing challenge, and EVEN MORE FANSERVICE. Hal didn't take the easy way out. They just had their priorities shifted, making the experience not as fun. There are also suspicions that the game was rushed. Is the game amazing? yes, but not in the ways it should be. It's a great game, but It can't beat Triple Deluxe and Planet Robobot for me... which were amazing single player experiences... with great level design and bosses. Kirby's return to dreamland had a heck ton of levels as well, and although I don't like it as much, when compared to Star Allies, it feels a lot more complete.
The other thing I wanted to state is that Arlo has clearly fallen into the Nintendo fan 'NINTENDO IS TEH DOOMED!" mentality that fans get whenever a new system/handled life cycle starts. If Nintendo starts off poorly, fans freak out about how "this is it" for the Big N and will go down the same route Sega went through. If Nintendo has an incredible year, they expect the next one to beat it in every way. If it doesn't, they freak out and start to panic, and Arlo's rant near the end is the PERFECT example of that "fear" and "paranoia" Nintendo fans tend to get. The one comment that Arlo made that even if he admitted was based on irrational fears and worries was that he was scared that Metroid Prime 4 would only be 6 hours long. I can't predict how the game will turn out in the end, but I will tell you this...it won't be a 6 hour game, period. Metroid Prime 4 is poised to be a major release for Nintendo, and they know it.The fact that they announced that it was IN DEVELOPMENT (something Nintendo never does since they tend to release SOMETHING with their announcements) means they know fans are eagerly anticipating the game. It is a game that has been wished for for over 10 YEARS, and no, Other M was not enough. Even for all their erratic and messed up decisions, Nintendo is not stupid; they know that when a game is highly anticipated they can't just rush it out the door then patch it as time goes by. Metroid Prime 4 can't just be that rushed of a game. That irrational fear should be put down ASAP and replaced with "realistic expectations".
The main reason Kirby Star Allies was a disappointment was because it was focused around multiplayer. It being centered around such a mechanic restricted unique and interesting level design that was present in the last three main installments. The game was still fun with friends and family and I did love the fan service via free dlc; but in the end the game could have definitely been so much more.
Your comments at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="910">15:10</a> is what is wrong with so many nintendo fans. A brand new game, IP that you all clamor for... yet when one is shown you said it yourself you basically just ignored it. Not even giving it a chance.
Arlo at Star Allies Release: "Star Allies is lacking content." HAL: *adds 13 characters, 15 if you separate the last character, 9 Puzzles, a bunch of new levels in Guest Star, new music, a new and challenging mode, a new and difficult boss rush, and Kirb as a skin after beating said boss rush, all for free* Arlo: "Star Allies is lacking in content." Because that's how logic works.
I’m sure 2019 will be a better year. Nintendo wanted to focus on Smash Bros this year, and they used Wii U ports to hold people over as they continued to work on their bangers for next year. On top of that, all the games and ports we got this year were pretty damn good. Technically a lot of the great titles from 2017 were ports in a way. Mario kart 8, splatoon 2, and breath of the wild. Okay not ports... but I think you know what I mean. Also, with this new year coming up, the Switch has been alive and thriving for long enough for more third party companies to be interested and create games for it. It takes a couple years to develop a game, and I’m sure once people saw switch sales they started developing ASAP. I think the switch is only going up from here. Regardless, thanks for a great year of videos dude. I really enjoy your speculations and reviews. Hope your channel continues to be a great source of Nintendo news and discussions. Keep it up :)
I think one thing a lot of people are missing about the Switch in 2018 is its rise as the premier indie console. We saw just about every big indie game of the year released on and do well on the Switch. Heck, even a game released last year, Hollow Knight, is being treated by many people as a 2018 release simply because it didn't show up on anyone's radar until it's Switch release. If Obra Dinn drops on the Switch next year, I think we'll be seeing Nintendo as the de facto console home of indies
I seem to remember, at the tail end of the 2017 storm of awesome, that Arlo declared that even if the Switch had nothing but lesser titles come out from then on and nothing really exciting come out for the rest of its lifespan, he wouldn't be that miffed since the 2017 lineup was just that good. The reality of that possibility, it seems, has changed that opinion somewhat. Also, it's not even close to the first time they've done this. I don't think Nintendo has ever had back-to-back mind-blowing years, in fact. It's usually one good-to-great year, one average-to-bad year, and then one average-to-good year, repeat ad nauseum. EDIT: For what it's worth, I got far more for my Switch in 2018 than I did in 2017, most of it new releases and a lot of it third-party. The Switch had a good year, even if it wasn't all Nintendo games that made it so. Which may be for the best for the system's lifespan, given the old "only Nintendo games sell on Nintendo systems" adage.
Arlo was such a drama queen in this video. All this talk about big droughts show a HUGE DDISCONNECT between games media types and player. Theres so much stuff to play this year i dont know where the hell ill find the time.
Arlington take my opinion about Mario tennis aces with a grain of salt as I haven’t played it yet, but I don’t think people buy Mario tennis for the story. In this video you talked about “playing online for eternity” which I don’t think is that big of an issue. If it’s anything like smash, I wouldn’t mind grinding it for years upon years. Successful games that last multiple years such as battlefield often slowly add maps. Those games can fell bare at the start, but as long as Aces doesn’t add paid dlc, I think it’s fine.
Arlo is the only one excited for single player in multiplayer titles. Splatton 2 is a great game to him since he can play it alone same thing with Smash he was hating all the content coming out then right when World of Light was announced he was ALL IN to him thats a BULK of the content not just the online and couch play with friends which is what Smash is founded on.
Merry Christmas Arlo! I am SO GLAD I'm not the only one who felt the same way about Aces and Star Allies potentially causing other games to get a similar treatment. Can't wait for the video about the free updates.
I can't talk for Mario Tennis, since I haven't play it. But i can talk about Kirby. Nintendo is trying to lean on the "games as services" market. Sometimes, the original release windows just isn't good enough for the game. But, if you keep the game alive and well over time, more people are bound to hear about it and play it. The free updates system helps games to stay alive way beyond their release windows without having to charge extra money to the early adopters. You had problems with the difficulty? Or the options? The characters? Every part of that has been addressed by the updates. So yeah. I get you don't like this system. But i would like you to explain why you hate it so much, when it looks like a good way of keeping both the game alive and the players happy.
@@rendumguy7596 To add microtransactions is a way of creating a game as a service, but it's not the only way of doing so. It's a new marketing model that can take on many forms. This feels like a games as a service kind of situation. Also, i don't thinl for a second that "to have bad practices" is a requirement to create a game as a service. That's just greedy people being greedy. That's common in any kind of industry and every kind of marketing model when you have greedy people in charge.
What better gift from Arlo on Christmas then a new video. Keep doing whatcha do. Also surprised "The village" Wasn't worth a mention. A new IP from gamefreak is at least worth an eyebrow waggle.
I love your videos Arlo, but this one seemed a bit below the usual standards. I had to stop it around the E3 complaints. I mean, for years E3 hasn't been important for Nintendo. And there is a very simple reason why 2017's E3 was so much bigger than the previous years (and 2018). The Switch release. They wanted to show the people that things are coming for the Switch and it wouldn't be another WiiU. That's it. So now that people knew about that, 2018 was back to normal with the Directs and E3.
Torna, Octopath, Super Mario Party, and Smash did plenty for me this year. What mainly excited me was the sheer amount of RPG announcements, not exclusives mind you, but the Switch is starting to become a great platform for these games. Ys VIII, Shining Resonance, Dragon Quest XI, Tales of Vesperia, the list goes on. This all hinges on personal preference of course, but being able to take these games with me on business trips without needing to worry about reaching behind my TV to unplug 3 out of 60 or so wires does wonders for me. The big worry I had with Switch was it becoming just another home console with an option for portable gaming and it has become anything but for me. I'm only grateful that the Switch Online doesn't impact me all that much, seeing I hate online gaming, otherwise it'd have probably soured the year for me a bit. Merry Christmas Arlo! We can butt heads over BotW, but I appreciate all the content and fun!
next E3: olimar shows up on screen along with the red, blue, and yellow pikmin. a pikmin logo appears in the distance, and starts to move closer to the screen. olimar and the pikmin get squished on the logo, and then nintendo reveals....... pikmin micro, a mobile exclusive pikmin game.
I want to give a few thoughts about Kirby Star Allies. I think it was an incredible game for Kirby fans. There is so much love and care put into small little nods about the Kirby universe, and the constant DLC makes the game incredible for those fans. I think that so much care towards the avid fans was put in, that the game is extremely bland for anyone who isn't a Kirby fan.
I honestly watch thes videos not only because I’m expected to learn something new but because you’re one of my favorite commentators that’s funny and I can totally dig that. Keep up the goooood work
Arlo, I really think that you cannot expect a gaming company to just release hit after hit, system seller after system seller. I understand that this is your opinion and honestly who isn't hoping for every year to beat the last, but c'mon you have to expect some lows with the highs (and that includes years in gaming esp for a single gaming company). 2018 makes sense when you consider that a console's lifespan isn't a never-ending hype train that is constantly ascending. Mario Tennis and KSA were definitely concerning, but had great polished gameplay that has kept me playing through the year, plus they are not nearly as bad as their counterparts on the WiiU. I feel like you have a tendency to think in absolutes and either be overly optimistic or way too pessimistic when it comes to Nintendo and fail to keep reality in check. Sometimes (and I'm definitely shooting in the dark here) it feels like you are over exaggerating to get attention because people are much more drawn to harsh opinions or unrelenting praise. 2017 was incredible, 2018 was decent (I mean we got the best Smash game since Melee), and 2019 will be another awesome year considering the game lineup. You gotta take a deep breath and realize that not everything is so doom and gloom and Nintendo's future isn't tied to a few lackluster games. I don't want to sound like the usual jaded youtube commenter because I do like your videos buuuut not everything has to be so melodramatic. It really does come off spoiled and bratty. Maybe I’ll come back to this channel later in 2019.
Man, I'm tired of these year-end extra analysis. Not every year is going to be fantastic and not every year is going to be terrible. Nintendo is like every other company, one year can be good and one year can be bad. These last two years have already been better than all but 1 of the Wii U years and all but 2 of the Wii years. Hope to see a more chipper Arlo (and other Nintendo fans) in 2019!
Now, I'm a big Kirby fan. But just know I don't say the following out of Kirby bias, but rather, because I feel the same applies to Mario Tennis. That being, dear Arlo, that I do believe you're too harsh saying the games were made smaller with the intent of adding free content to make a game that feels proper later on. Not overly harsh, mind you, but I do genuinely think Kirby and Mario Tennis were just missteps in creative vision, as it were. That Kirby and Mario Tennis were made entirely with the intention of being incredibly fun multiplayer games that people would enjoy for different reasons. Kirby for being a co-op adventure platformer game and Mario Tennis for just being a multiplayer focused title like Mario Kart or Smash. Also, Detective Pikachu was a surprise highlight for me, personally. I'd argue Crash N. Sane Switch was at least an important port as, while Crash has been on Nintendo platforms before, this was Crash's first foray on Nintendo with the original trilogy, so a lot of people were introduced to the franchise properly, myself included... Though I never played the "bad" games from Crash's line up, so that's good for my perception, at least. Crash honestly would probably beat Smash as my game of the year entirely because of introducing me to an entirely new franchise, whereas Smash is just... More Smash. Which is great, and the game, after only one day of playtime, easily would get the number 1 spot based on quality alone, but I just kinda enjoyed Crash just a little bit more... Maybe. That's one I've gotta think about. Also, if I'm being honest... Joker being the first Smash DLC was both an interesting pick because it made the sky the limit for crazy awesome characters... But Joker was not a crazy awesome pick for me. I was so let down Joker was the first character just because I waited through the Game Awards for some big Nintendo reveal, not even sure if Smash would get a reveal... Then Smash's first reveal was so lame in my eyes. Great for people hyped for it, but I ain't one of them. But yeah, maybe I'm just too optimistic of Nintendo that I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt too much, but I thought 2018 was... Okay. There were solid games, but it definitely wasn't as crazy as 2017. But, then again, I only got like... Three big games for the Switch last year and three this year, so 2017 for me wasn't that crazy, either. Regardless, if there's one big takeaway from 2018... Smash had way too much focus, and I'm a big fan of Smash. It had like, a movie's length worth of Direct coverage among the three Directs it featured in, so hopefully Nintendo had more tent pole games next year, which they definitely appear to, right now.
I wish you would do more rants and "complaints" they're the most interesting videos, especially since you usually have good ideas on how things could be better
I feel like Arlo is being too negative for drama, he somehow found a way to complain about a year with the return to form of Mario Party, Mario Tennis, a lot of great ports (DK, Dark souls), a new innovative take on Pokemon, a new creative way to play (Labo), awsome DLC, and freaking Smash: the biggest smash ever. Also stop pretending that Smash is the only big release, Pokemon sold a LOT, I mean A LOT, and it was a great seller and a great game. I really was dissapointed by Arlo, he sorta never gave credit when it was due, he really wanted every game to be Breath of the Wild.
I agree. I usually agree with Arlo's points but he was very biased and too negative on too many games. If he isn't interested in the game, he seems to voice the opinions of other instead of actually giving it a fresh mind. He hates on kirby fans and Mario tennis fans when he thinks pikmin and metroid are "big releases" when they are both niche like kirby and Mario tennis. I think 2018 was a great year and it disgusted me to hear him say how he stays up at night to think about Nintendo's future games. They're doing fine and he's overreacting.
To be fair, from a wii u owner's perspective, ports aren't something to be too hyped over. I personally loved this year even though i basically only got mario party, tennis, and smash, but i can see why Arlo could be disappointed and why others not so much
The Pokemon Let's Go games are legendary. Full Kanto gen 1. Handheld and TV modes. Extra fun to capture Pokemons. No random encounters. Easy access to the PC box on the menu. Improved exp system with low exp from trainers and high exp from wild pokemon. Easy to get new Pokemon on your team with the new exp system. I enjoyed it a ton.
In 2017, Nintendo was focused on making the Switch improve on the Wii Us problems, and even porting Wii U games to tell players don't buy the Wii U, the Wii U was a mistake. In 2018, they were focused on making Smash Ultimate more ambitious than Breath of the Wild, and Mario Odyssey, which is possibly why other games weren't as impressive. I'm guessing in 2019, the're going to be focused on the games themselves, though we have yet to find out.
<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="900">15:00</a> I will disagree with you on this thing or at least around this time frame. I know you can't explain everything in detail and use clips for examples but dude, you can't say Smash or Fire Emblem weren't new games announced; since at least Smash was, and use the Mario Odyssey and Xenoblade 2 trailers from 2017's E3 with it as the counter argument when you say 2017 announced so many new games. Those games were announced months before that E3, on the day of Nintendo's announcement for the switch in the beginning, so we knew those games were coming at some point. And I know you were excited about Mario Odyssey but you can't say that Mario and Xenoblade were new games and not say the same for Smash or Fire Emblem. (Maybe you weren't that excited for them but still that seems bias in a way.) Also in general I will say it is kind of dumb to assume Nintendo makes all those games, while I agree Kirby was lack luster, I can't say it has a connection to Mario Tennis just because it was easy or lacked some content. (Which at least Kirby had other modes, mini games, content for long time fans and secrets and also was ment to be a full game, a lacking one but still.) Though I get that you may not care for some games because you aren't the biggest fans or at least don't have some interest but you got to be a little less bias in some cases. Or at least not generalize too much.
@@AlexfromNorway How? The characters, story, world, and gameplay had just as much, if not more, effort put into it as the original, which is saying a lot.
Dunno what he's talking about. XC2 is one of the best games on the Switch, and probably the meatiest in the series. The only thing I can imagine people not liking is that it's more "anime" than the others, and that's just a matter of taste, certainly not worth calling the entire game garbage over.
The first almost 10 minutes of this video were insanely dramatic holy moly. I def get some of the complaints, but a lot of it felt blown out of proportion...
Last year was a 7/7 I give this year a 6/7 If Online Service was better (everything from the lack of communication to how it actually functions), it would've been another 7/7, but alas, Nintendo had to do something janky to slow down their momentum. Hopefully next year they can gain back that tiny bit of speed they lost.
Arlo, I love you and you videos, I would love to see a video like older Arlo that's just pure fun. Just a silly skit, no analysis or discussion. Those older videos make me laugh even today
Honestly this review says. I like only story content and that is the whole purpose of the game. Kirby has always had a pretty short story... And Aces? Story? Really? Be happy you had a cutscene. Arlo just sounds upset because he didnt get what HE wanted. Dont get me wrong I love Arlo and his content. It just seems like more complaining cause he did not get exactly what he was looking for. A game with a huge story.
Which is ironic because he completely skipped Xenoblade Chronicles 2/Torna and Octopath Traveler, all of which he would love if he's looking for deep single-player and story-heavy content. I love Arlo but it's clear he lets his biases get to his head sometimes.
No, I have to agree with Arlo regarding Aces storu mode. Nintendo overhyped it. Showing it in all trailers and directs, showing that cutscene again and again, they set us wanting more.
Yeah the fact that he doesn’t consider Kirby a system seller despite Star Allies selling over 2 million in less than 9 months tells me he has too high expectations for a system seller or has no idea what he’s talking about
@@kylecampbell565 I see what you're saying, but I'm not sure how much of a "system seller" Kirby is. I would think almost all of that two million were people who already had a switch, or would have gotten one regardless.
Wow... This video was way too negative. Nintendo 2018 was not that bad. In fact, if you look back through the last few decades of Nintendo's history, this is the norm. 2017 was the exception to the norm. I'm still pretty happy with Nintendo's 2018 output (especially with all the amazing indies titles). I've noticed many of your videos have been negative recently (except for the esceptional in-depth look at Zelda BotW). Nintendo should really drop you Arlo from getting promo copies.
Can you think pls? Arlo wants a huge corporation to realease their games with an expected amount and quality of single player content. Nintendo is not a garage developer, they are in the Forbes 500 you idiot shit. I liked this year, but he is still right.
Yea, I agree with everything you have said. 2018 was full of ports and 7/10 titles, if you want to look at it objectively. When I see people defend things like Aces or Kirby, most of the time they admit they’re fans. I haven’t been into those franchises, and these games haven’t helped at all. As much as people don’t want to admit it, later on we will all realize this year wasn’t as good as others. But that’s okay, as it will (Probably) get better later on. Keep on doing what you’re doing :)
The reason Smash was the only seemingly big game this year was because it was all that was needed. In a little over a month that game has sold almost as much as Odyssey did in about a year and Nintendo sold almost an additional 20 million units in it's last ten months of 2018. Yes more big titles would've been nice and the online does kinda suck but let's not think that this year was bad.
It felt like a really slow year across the board in movies, games (including Nintendo), music, and just... life. Maybe it's just me but this year's been a real drag without a lot to get excited about.
can you not be a jerk about ARMS buddy? people I know liked it and I didn't get the impression you played it. it also sold like 1.8 million at launch so I don't think it even deserves the sales flack RU-vid people seem to give it
Ron Corwin and he acts like Kirby isn’t a big franchise when it’s sold significantly more than Metroid. Arlo’s recent videos have given me the impression “I’m not a fan of this series so I don’t consider it a successful franchise. Nintendo should only make the games I want”
I think this was a cooldown year, and I feel like that's perfectly fine. 2017 was so amazing, that I think the high we got from the hype tampered with our expectations. Smash is really the only thing I personally needed since 2017 was already so great. And with Animal Crossing, Metroid Prime 4 on the horizon next year, I think we might see a pattern of "hype year, cooldown year" Which I personally am perfectly fine with. The Switch has already given me so much, that despite the low points like NSO, there's not really too much I could ask for at this point. For me, sky's the limit.
Love your video, but I gotta throw in my two cents about games like Super MP, Tennis Aces, and Kirby Star Allies, and I think I speak for most people that have played these franchises since the GC era or earlier. Younger Nintendo fans, I implore you to go check out some of the earlier iterations in these franchises, because Nintendo used to have a MUCH higher bar for content quantity, quality, and the coherence of in-game systems than they do now -- you won't regret trying them! Super Mario Party is worse in every way than Mario Partys 2, 3, 6, and 7, and maybe some others as well. From older fans' perspective, Nintendo does not deserved to be praised for SMP being a decent/pretty fun game -- the expectation for our $60 is that they will make a game better than what we already own (or at least different but with the same level of quality). Same with Mario Tennis -- The N64 version was a better TENNIS game (not necessarily video game -- that's up for debate), and the GC version was a better video game all-around. These games came out almost 20 years ago!! And Kirby Star Allies . . . man, they must have made about 10 Kirby games that are better in every way than that game. Superstar, Nightmare in Dreamland, Amazing Mirror, Crystal Shards, Robobot, and even Squeak Squad come to mind off the top of my head. Any one of those games makes Star Allies completely obsolete. I'm not throwing this out here to suggest that younger fans have worse taste or some nonsense like that. Plenty of my favorite games growing up had better iterations before my time as well (I personally disliked Metroid before going back and trying Super on the SNES!). But Nintendo can only get away with lowering the quality of their games because there are so many people unfamiliar with what their bar used to be (that's probably a big reason why they've scrapped the Virtual Console, btw). So anyone who likes Mario Party, Kirby, or Mario Tennis Aces but hasn't tried iterations from the N64 to GC era -- See if you can find a used N64/GC and some of these games for cheap! N64 is best for Mario Party, definitely, and Pokemon (if you can somehow get your hands on Stadium 2, and a gen 2 Gameboy color game, that is). I'd recommend GBA for Kirby, and GC will you give you high quality iterations of just about everything, including the best Mario Sports titles by a mile, Metroid Prime, Paper Mario TYD (also recomend the original, although I recommend playing TYD first), Star Fox Assault (the best IMO, unless you prefer on-rails, then go with the N64 version), and more. If anyone actually read to the bottom of this (unlikely lol -- sorry I get passionate about this stuff) and would like to get some insight into the best console to get for their favorite franchises and tastes, I'd be more than happy to help. Cheers!
This! Also the Kirby anniversary collection on Wii is a great deal and a good introduction to the series, every game on that disc is better than star allies imo.
@@JetWolfEX Haha thanks man, you're a trooper for making it through all that. And good idea about the Wii Kirby Collection. Not that you asked, but I honestly see Nintendo losing lifelong fans FAST if they don't start picking up where they left off at Gamecube for more franchises than just Zelda and Mario. I'm concerned that Luigi's Mansion 3 won't re-capture the atmosphere and humor of the original, and Metroid Prime 4...well, let's just hope they don't rush it, honestly. Any sooner than holiday 2020 and it won't be better than the original. At least Animal Crossing is on a one-way path forward!
Gotta agree with a lot of the comments made, a little too melodramatic here, Arlo. 2018 was another good year for Nintendo and the numbers reflect that. DK, Kirby, Pokemon, Smash, Mario Tennis all sold millions of copies each. Heck, Kirby was sold out in many places after release. I had to wait weeks before my local store had copies again.
Although the 1st party offerings we're lackluster overall, I will say, the overall lineup has been incredible! It's been game after game after game for 10/12 months. It was crazy!
Mario tennis aces was complete, they’ve only been adding characters not any new content, if anything splatoon 2 that has been releasing new maps and weapons is more incomplete(it still released a 100% complete game). Everything else I feel ur pretty bang on tho, don’t know why Nintendo always has to be 10 years late to trends that only improve player experience