September 2021's Nintendo Direct Left Me Both Extremely Happy and Extremely Pissed

This isn't going to be a breakdown of everything that was announced at the Nintendo Direct. You can either watch the show or read an article about it if you want to know the announcements. Instead, this is going to be a blog about how Nintendo, as per usual, has me feeling weird after their Directs. Let's just get right into this. 

Very early on, Nintendo announced a game that had me so freaking happy, I didn't care what else was announced. This is the one for me. 

Look at that!  Look at it! It's a new Kirby in 3D! I have been waiting for a 3D Kirby game for a very long time. Not only is it in 3D, it gave off some really strong Super Mario Odyssey vibes, and I obviously really loved that game. So, to see Kirby finally get a potentially huge installment in his franchise just has me over the roof. My jaw hung open pretty much the full length of the trailer. I can't wait to start sucking up enemies and taking their powers in glorious 3D! 

So, another pleasant surprise that left me feeling pretty good is Actraiser Renaissance. 

I'm sure there's plenty of people who don't remember Actraiser, but I'm not one of them. Actraiser was one of those games I never had as a kid but did rent. I'm pretty sure I never finished it. If you never played Actraiser, the trailer does a really good job showing you exactly what kind of game it's like. It's a mixture of side-scrolling action-RPG gameplay with topdown world building. It was a great game, and the remake looks like it's going to keep the exact same gameplay just with renewed graphics. It's actually out today, but.... ARGH... I'm trying to stick to one game a month!

And then, the show ended with ... THIS!

Finally! FINALLY! We get to see Bayonetta 3! Now, to be perfectly honest, I wasn't that impressed with the trailer. For starters, it's so hard to be impressed visually by a game that's been built on a decade old engine. Graphics aside, I know it's going to be a great game, because Bayonetta always had fantastic gameplay. I just don't think they chose the right gameplay segment to really make the best impression. I'm just glad that Nintendo FINALLY let Platinum show off the game so we can stop wondering if it's still coming or not. If only we had Metroid Prime 4... if only. 

These three announcements really upped my serotonin levels, so I should have closed my browser feeling and staying happy. For the most part, I was, but the more I thought about one of the announcements, the more pissed off I got. 

Now, I wasn't completely surprised by the N64 announcement, because I had a strong feeling it was coming when Nintendo filed the patent for a new controller. It was only logical that it would have been the N64 controller. When I heard that Genesis games were coming, that was exciting. Nintendo finally added not just one, but TWO systems to their NSO service. Not only that, but there's a good selection from each system. So... 

Yes, I do. Two, actually. The first is that, if you watched the N64+Genesis video, you'd see that Nintendo is going to be implementing a new membership plan. This means they're going to charge extra for access to these games. Need I remind you that these games were playable as far back as the Wii? Need I remind you that whenever Nintendo starts over on building a virtual legacy store, they do it so slowly and pick very obscure games that no one's ever heard of or care about? I just recently canceled NSO because I felt that it just wasn't worth it content wise, and now, after Nintendo finally steps foot in the right direction, they expect MORE money from us? 

Of course, everyone on YouTube and Twitter is losing their minds. Nintendo fans are just weird. We just can't stop throwing our money at them for any little bone they give us. Well, that stops with me. I'm never resubbing to NSO, especially if I have to pay extra for the NSO Expansion Pack. To make things worse, there's these:

50 dollars. EACH! For reproductions of really old controllers!  Yet, there's a ton of Nintendo games who easily dropped 100 dollars today. Better get them now because you know the scalpers will be all over them. Jesus Christ... But look at the Genesis controller. What do you see? It's the three button controller, not the six button controller, so that means a lot of Genesis games won't be considered for the NSO Expansion. Well, that is if you want to press start to swap from kick and punch for games like Street Fighter II. No thanks. I was never into the NES and SNES Switch controllers, so I'm definitely passing on these. Besides, I already have a Genesis Mini whos collection is so vast that I doubt Nintendo will ever come close to it before the Switch reaches end of life. But man... Nintendo. This. Has. Got. To. Stop. Stop taking advantage of our nostalgia! Treat us fairly! 

Gah, I'm just a mess today. What makes my crash that much worse is that I rarely feel this happy after a Direct, and when I just wanted to be in Kirby and Bayonetta bliss, I just can't stop thinking about the NSO Expansion Pack and how poorly implemented it was. But if there's anything I can say about Nintendo is that they know how to be consistent. Consistently stupid.