New Pokémon Snap is coming our way faster than Deoxys in its Speed form, so it won’t be long until players can once again take pictures of their favourite pocket monsters. Thanks to a tie-in printer peripheral from Fujifilm, people can even print them out! We’ve all shelled out on a variety of add-ons over the years, but is there one which really stands the test of time? We have our picks, so let us know yours in the comments. A pair of Zappers and a copy of Ghost Squad made for a decent night in. Sam | PlayStation VR I’m a bit of a sucker for faddy peripherals. I loved Guitar Hero and Rock Band before their inevitable demise. I’ve played more than my fair share of Kinect games. But when it comes to an add-on that best stands the test of time, PlayStation VR is the one. PS VR opens the door to a whole new library of games. Some are better than others, naturally, but there are more quality experiences attached to the headset than any other peripheral. PC virtual reality headsets might offer higher end experiences (for an added premium), but the hardware regularly refreshes and games don’t always support all headset brands. It can be far more expensive and inconvenient, as compared to PS VR and its continued universal support across all recent PlayStation consoles. While Oculus Quest cuts the wires (and I love it for that), it’s a platform all its own in place of an add-on. It also doesn’t offer greats like Skyrim VR, Resident Evil 7 and Until Dawn: Rush of Blood. All that said, Sony’s headset is probably the greatest gaming peripheral yet. Sony's next-gen PS VR and its fancy controllers will surely supplant its predecessor as the greatest gaming peripheral. Liam | N64 Rumble Pak With rumble being a standard feature on most controllers these days, it’s weird to look back and think of the N64’s Rumble Pak as a big deal, but it kind of was, at least at the time. I remember getting this thing bundled together with an oversized copy of Lylat Wars (known as Star Fox 64 everywhere else) and marvelling at how every impact and charge shot in-game was suddenly brought to life through the N64’s unsightly gamepad. Not only did it add an extra layer of depth to Lylat Wars’ already stellar gameplay (and other games as well, for that matter) but the Rumble Pak also gave the ‘pad a nice weighty heft thanks to its size and bulk. Slapping this thing into the attachment slot at the back of the controller really felt like you were gearing up for a futuristic adventure. Although gamepad designs have significantly evolved over the years to more subtly incorporate rumble features, I do strangely miss the status symbol of the Rumble Pak, especially when you had to constantly battle two other siblings for possession of it. Bulky, but a great bit of tech. What's your favourite gaming peripheral? Let us know below.
Tetris, Super Mario Bros and Pac-Man are all classics that got the online battle royale-esque multiplayer treatment on Nintendo Switch. With so many franchises either under Nintendo’s belt or just a few carefully placed jabs away, it got us pondering which game should be the next big thing on its online service. What would your pick be? Let us know in the comments. Adventure Mode's giant enemies would also keep things interesting. James | F-Zero Since the Nintendo 64 days, there hasn’t been enough love for the F-Zero franchise. Despite the attempt to bring back the series in the GameCube era (back in, if you can believe it, 2003), there hasn’t been a release since. Imagine a bit of a Burnout twist on the game, focusing on the destructive elements of the futuristic, gravity-defying racer and up the player count and track scale to match. You could keep races to a single lap to keep the competition snappy, and even give players an opportunity to interfere with the remaining racers after they are knocked out. With Nintendo’s form in Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros., you could even throw in some franchise crossovers in there, to give more variety to the choice of racers. One reason these online multiplayer games take off is because they appeal to the streaming audience. In this case you’ve got a base concept which is fairly straightforward - racing - and the opportunity for fancy visuals you don’t usually get to show off on Nintendo hardware. The racing genre on Switch doesn’t have to just be limited to one franchise, why not give the sci-fi take on track-based competition another go and bring back one of the most under-appreciated series in Nintendo’s floating-wheelhouse? Come on, Nintendo, show the Captain some love! Sam | Snake Snake might be more synonymous with old Nokia mobiles than Nintendo platforms, but Snake 99 would be a perfect fit for the established formula. Just like Tetris and Pac-Man before it, it’s a simple and renowned title that could neatly transition into the competitive multiplayer space while staying accessible. For those that don’t know, Snake sees players take control of the titular serpent and eat food to grow in size. It requires some imagination - the graphics consist of just dots and lines - but the gameplay loop is nonetheless endlessly engaging. The battle royale-flavoured 99 series adapts classic games to feature offensive capabilities. In Tetris completed lines are sent to opponents’ screens, while gobbled ghosts are sent to haunt other players in Pac-Man. As for Snake 99, eating food could send pixelated poop to obstruct other users. It wouldn’t even have to overtly be poo, as Nintendo probably wouldn’t like that. It could just be a different coloured dot to differentiate between edible and inedible pixels. A lot of people have fond memories of playing Snake on the go, which is a scenario that the Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite easily accommodate. Solid choice. Which game would you like to see get a battle royale mode on Switch Online?
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