Nate The Hate

Nintendo's 2024 has begun and with a new year comes new excitement & possibilities. For Nintendo, 2024's looking to be the new of new beginnings, as the successor to Switch prepares for its arrival. We discuss the Switch's final year & when we think we'll first hear of Switch 2, when it'll launch, whether it has back-compat, a gimmick and much more.   We discuss.

As 2024 begins, so does a new dawn for the Xbox Series X|S. With 2023 behind us & a clearer vision for what is to come from Microsoft & the Xbox Series in the near future, there is much to be excited about when it comes to Xbox & gaming. We discuss what we know & what we expect from the Xbox in 2024 -- including new announcements, releases, & MS exploring bringing their titles to other platforms.

The Game Awards are upon us & with it comes predictions. Which company will surprise with an unexpected announcement this year? Will Microsoft bring a major game reveal or GamePass announcement? Could Capcom share with us a first-look at a new Monster Hunter? Will Nintendo have any presence? Could Sony date Death Stranding 2 for PS5?   We discuss our predictions for the show and more.

Many things about the Nintendo Switch 2 remain unknown; but based on leaks and testing, we have a general idea of what type of performance we can anticipate from the yet-to-be announced hardware. With ray-tracing being a key feature of modern hardware, we explore what type of ray-tracing performance we may see on Nintendo Switch 2 & how it'll compare to the PS5 and Xbox Series X.  We discuss.

Sony have released the PlayStation Portal: a streaming device that allows users to play their PS5 library wherever, whenever -- well, at least in principle. We have given the PlayStation Portal a battery of tests, played a variety of games & report to you our full thoughts & impressions. Given the portable nature of the device, do we see it replacing our Nintendo Switch in the future or influencing our buying habits in a way that benefits Sony? We discuss.

Nintendo recently gave a statement which aimed to dismiss reports of Switch 2 tech demos at Gamescom earlier this year; but the statement's masterful wordsmithing has created some confusion amongst the Nintendo community. Furthermore, Nintendo has modified slides shown to investors, which may have provided clarity on their ambitions concerning the Switch and the shared software between it & its successor.   We discuss.

A variety of Nintendo Switch 2 rumors surfaced in recent weeks & they covered a multitude of topics: but did any have a foundation of truth? We discuss the latest round of Switch 2 rumors & sprinkle in a couple of new bits of information we have been able to confirm via our own sources concerning the Switch 2 and its feature set.  We discuss.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is set for release on Nintendo Switch in just a few more days & with comes the potential of a historic release. With more than a decade since the last 2D Mario release, Super Mario Bros. Wonder has a great deal of hype & anticipation. We analyze the history of 2D Mario releases, their release timing, reviews, and sales to forecast where Super Mario Bros. Wonder may land amongst them. Will it rank among the greatest of the 2D Mario franchise? The potential is certainly there...

Since the advent of the digital age, companies have sought a means to shift consumers to a pure digital consumption model & gaming is the next major industry to embrace this change. Is a digital-only model a concern for the gaming industry? Or will we continue to see a hybrid approach of digital-only and physical hardware?   We discuss.

What may be the final Nintendo Direct dedicated to the Nintendo Switch has aired & with it came some new announcements -- including a Game of the Year nominee; but the real story is how the Direct illustrated a tonal shift, as Nintendo transitions from Switch to the Switch 2.  Furthermore, Xbox emails leaked discussion about the next-gen Switch and its potential power range; but what does it all mean? We discuss.

A new Nintendo Direct is upon us & we are ready to give our thoughts and predictions on what we hope may be shown. With Tokyo Game Show around the corner, could a surprise third-party reveal show up? As the Nintendo Switch enters its twilight years, this Nintendo Direct is one to keep a close eye on. Will we see major announcements and reveals -- like Metroid Prime 4 or Fire Emblem 4 Remake? Or will Nintendo play it safe with smaller releases like Mario vs Donkey Kong?   We discuss.

The industry event of Gamescom has come & gone; and with it came new information concerning Nintendo's plans and ambitions for the Switch Successor. While much remains unknown, a couple of tech demos were presented during the industry convention & with them came information that provides a better idea of how the Switch 2 will perform against the PS5 and Xbox Series, as well as how it'll be a vast improvement over the current Switch.   We discuss.

The release of Baldur's Gate 3 has taken the gaming world by storm & it has been a hot topic of conversation when discussing the Xbox Series line of hardware. Originally slated for release in 2024, Baldur's Gate 3 is now coming to Xbox in 2023; but a significant exemption was made to make it happen. Is this a concerning sign of things to come? Or has the release of Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox changed the future of the system for the better?

Starfield, the highly anticipated release from Bethesda Games, is soon releasing for Xbox Series X, Series S and PC; & many are wondering: can it live up to the hype & make gaming history? We analyze historic Xbox releases, note the high quality pedigree of prior Bethesda releases; including Skyrim, and discuss whether or not Starfield could make history for both Xbox and Bethesda.

As the video game industry evolves and grows, so do the standards in which the customer expects to have select features be ever present. Be it online functionality or the ability to communicate with friends during gaming sessions, the video game industry holds its own set of standards and one such standard is backwards compatibility. With Nintendo's Switch successor looming just beyond the horizon, the importance of backwards compatibility is, once again, a discussion point & we discuss why this feature is essential to Nintendo Switch 2 and all platforms.

A new report surfaced from VGC that sheds light on some of the plans Nintendo may have for the Switch successor -- commonly referred to as Switch 2. With details regarding launch timing, backwards compatibility, and more... we share our thoughts on the article's claims and provide some extra details on a few points based on whispers we have been hearing.

The June Nintendo Direct just took place & with it came a lot of answers concerning the future of the Nintendo Switch in 2023 & beyond. What did the newly announced games tell us about the future of the hardware & when new hardware may arrive?   We discuss this & give our thoughts on the Direct, its contents & more.

A new Nintendo Direct is upon us & we are ready to give our thoughts and predictions on what we hope may be shown. With Nintendo's second half lacking content, this is the moment to announce their lineup for the remainder of 2023 and what title will serve as their big holiday release. Perhaps a new 2D Mario?

The Xbox Showcase has concluded & Microsoft delivered a show that the Xbox brand desperately needed. Highlighting a large array of first-party games, release dates for major releases, & Japanese partnerships, the Xbox Showcase infused the Xbox brand with much needed energy; but was it enough to give the Xbox momentum in 2023 and beyond?

The first PlayStation Showcase of 2023 has aired & with it came a fresh look at upcoming games, but also the revelation of a BIG problem for the PS5. As 2023 advances and the future software lineup is developed, we may see the true impacts of this issue make its presence known. Furthermore, we discuss the Showcase, the future of PSVR2 and if Sony has given the Xbox a chance to to reclaim some momentum