Balatro Nintendo Switch Review - Is It Worth It?
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- Опубліковано 4 бер 2024
- A full house
Original review written by Ollie Reynolds: www.nintendolife.com/reviews/...
Video edited and narrated by Felix Sanchez
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Music Credits:
Balatro - Main Theme
#Cards #NintendoSwitch #Gaming - Ігри
Following the publication of the written review, it has come to light that the game has been removed from European Switch eShops following a ratings change from 3+ to 18+ which, according to publisher Playstack, came "without any advance warning". Until this ratings issue is resolved, European Switch gamers will have to sit tight on this one.
Kinda sad for the developers that the game has been misinterpreted by the ratings people. The developer has even stated that they are “anti-gambling” and the game clearly doesn’t teach people to gamble.
felix when will you be live streaming zelda majora's mask
It’s simulated gambling and should be rated for adults based on their guidelines they use.
@@thomasbalzer3179, it’s funny to read, they are anti gambling when the game takes bets.
@@ViviorkogamingI'll take the bait! What about this game is gambling? I don't see an option to just play money for an unknown outcome and then either lose or gain money based on that. I see scores that come from playing hands of cards, and I see currency used in shops, but I'm not seeing 1:1 gambling mechanics. Can you explain it to me clearly?
This game is 1000% worth it. Honestly amazed by how consistently fun it is.
@@OmegaGarugaEither you like it or you don’t. That’s really it.
@@OmegaGarugaSeems overly belittling. It's a fun strategy game that really feels like a breath of fresh air. If you haven't played it, why not? It's deceptively addicting and requires no previous knowledge of poker (as mentioned in the video). I also find it hilarious that you think card games can't be fun, have you never heard of Uno?
@OmegaGaruga are you 3 years old
This review encapsulates my exact experience with this game. It occupies space in my brain when I’m not playing it, like any transformative experience should.
So true! The "tetris effect" is strong in this one.♣️❤️♠️♦️
I don’t really play games handheld if I don’t have to. But this game just feels great just hanging out on the couch with a cup of coffee by your side. This is also gonna be my go to travel game for a long time.
It's perfect for handheld. It's really good single player, has very low power consumption, and is very chill (so good for relaxing in bed or outside).
This game is a masterpiece. I won't be playing anything else but this for a while. 10/10.
Just bought it on Steam and I'm obsessed!!
I'm torn between buying it on the Switch or on pc. I know jt's not an intense game but the Switch can at times have long load times.
@@boriman7 Dont need to worry about load time on this game i think
Have been absolutely loving this game, I'm having auditory hallucinations with the music😅
I’m not normally a poker and other traditional game fan, but all the crazy combos and the TCG trappings makes Balatro a wildly engrossing game. 😍
Oh I’m so glad it’s good! Heard about their issues with esrb so I bought it in support. I’ll have to start it up soon!
Got balatro on steam a couple weeks ago. Instantly hooked. I can see why it got a 10/10. I love love love this game
thanks for putting this game on my radar
I really want to play this game! I wish they'd put it back on the European eshop.
This is the most satisfying handheld game for the switch.
Was wondering why I could not find it anymore. I really wanted to try it after seeing the review. Xd
You mention a few times how good the game is even if you don't know anything about poker, but what about the opposite? My dad doesn't really play video games (certainly not roguelite deckbuilders), but he's a huge fan of poker. Do you think he could like Balatro, or is it more something that's really just aimed at gamers with the connections to poker being more surface level?
In short, the game mostly subsists on being dealt cards and playing poker hands. The joker cards at the top modify aspects of how certain hands / specific cards are scored. There are other modifiers as well. You're not really playing / betting against anyone besides "the blind" (dealer's rules), so it's a solitary experience. If you have a grasp of poker hands, that's the most important thing. Not sure if older players would enjoy the modifier aspect as it takes a bit of the gamble away and allows you to build your deck between rounds, but the blind can play against that and that's where more difficulty is met, which is roguelike. I don't even play poker, so I had to learn with Balatro and once you grasp the combos, you can play purely by your intuition.
I bought this on release on Steam. Everything it does, it does perfectly. It had to be a 10 out of 10 game. I will pick it up for the Switch at some point.
I got it for Switch and I definitely like it. I think Slay The Spire is still my favorite but I can see myself dumping a lot of time into this as well. Not sure if it’s would I would consider GotY. I think something like clearly has a better chance at that, but we’ll see.
Balatro 🙌. Agree with your points in the review and final score.
I needed something to replace being hopelessly addicted to slay the spire. This game is it.
Bought the game day 1 when I saw it pop up on the eshop. No regrets
Is the switch version identical to the pc version? Or are there any differences?
They're identical in gameplay, but switch doesn't have the option to change languages yet
@@yo-xd1716How's the performance on the switch? Does it lag or have long load times?
@@boriman7I've been playing it on the switch and haven't had any issues. I haven't played it on PC so I can't compare to the PC version, but no glaring problems on the switch.
as somebody whose family loves poker, this sounds like a hell of a time
Yoooooo I just posted on Reddit how I thought Balatro was a 10/10 😮 it’s nice to feel validated lol
This is a really good game
This is definitely my top 3 of this year, this game is a drug
Where do you guys find this awesome stuff lol
Intrigued when you say "goty" contender 🤔
It is. Without doubt.
Hmm, nice Jets jersey, Felix. I wonder where you got that from???... (Hey, It's Dan from Winnipeg. Cheers! 😂)
What. A. Game.
Buying it tonight!
God damnit not in the Australia eShop :(
This is a game you have to experience. Play a few hours and watch the time melt away
“Stardew Valley, Celeste, and Undertale”? What if I didn’t care for any of those games on their respective genres? Would I still like this?
Yes! He’s saying that it’s an iconic, genre-defining indie that came out of nowhere that will be remembered as the gold standard for years. i’ve played both celeste and undertale, in addition to balatro and they are completely different games, beyond pixel graphics. pick this game up! it’s amazing!
I hate those games. This one rules
I'm not a big poker player so will I get used to it?
Bought on Steam Deck and two hours in and it’s like I’ve taken some happy pills. Outstanding.
I mean it looks light a tight little experience, but is this really game of the year material? Seems addictive and highly polished, but is there more to it that I’m missing?
Have you played it yet?
Incredible game. I can't put it down. My poor Helldiver is getting no love right now.
“Balatro was made to be picked up and played in short bursts” 🤡
Is it possible to learn this power?
Numbers go brrr
Incredible game
this is gonna be another one of those massive hits that I just can't get into I think :(
6:33 Seems like Felix forgot the Nintendo Life bumper edit there lol
Great game but text is very small on switch handheld. Even with effects turned off.
You might want to schedule an appointment with an eye doctor. I play exclusively in handheld and have been playing it a ton since it launched with zero issues reading the text.
I can read it but it's not comfortable on the poker card descriptions and I have seen plenty of others say similar. there is some inefficient use of space - ne need to be that small or at least have an option for bigger size with some scrolling in the text area. the non-caps are literally a couple of mm high in some cases and with some dubious use of different font colors that don't always work well. that is small by any measure.
Would love this on a physical cartridge
No because it causes addiction.
I can't play anything else now.
help
“Oh yeah game of the year days away from Unicorn Overlord, sure. These guys have lost it”
1 hour later:
“Holy crap, this is one of the best games I’ve ever played in my life. How did this happen?”
I frickin love this game! So addicted to it
Gambling can do that
@@UnbrokenReign This game doesn't have any gambling
@@UnbrokenReign Haha I see what you did there
15 bucks well spent i would say.
My go to on the shitter 👍👍🖖
I will play it if there is a mobile release. It's the kind of game I play in my tablet or smartphone, I never take my switch on the go.
You want a fun card roguelike? You should play Inscryption
Balatro is a good twist on Poker mechanics and worth playing if you dig Inscryption.
Inscryption is more of an anti-roguelike, I don't find it replayable. Balatro works much better as a roguelike, it was inspired by Luck be a Landlord which is a pure roguelike but suffers lack of contents.
@@logixindie Kaycee's Mod (an official mode) turned Inscryption (Leshy's mode) into an actual card game. They even added new cards and unlocks! Play it if you haven't.
@@Lifesizemortal I personally didn't enjoy the gameplay so I skipped that. I did like the idea of its card upgrade and seems like Balatro got something similar.
I would consider this a perfect score...it has some balancing issues that I really hope the dev fixes...found myself being irritated more than often.
Maybe you just haven't developed the grasp you'd need to consistently win. I'd say I win 90% of my runs on base difficulty. The orange chip difficulty was exponentially more difficult but it never felt too hard even then. Minimizing mistakes like playing bad hands on certain blinds or only thinking about mults and neglecting to also add bonuses for chips are two easy ones that come to mind.
Would be interested to know what you found to be unbalanced
I've been doing base difficulties, I'm trying everything, flush decks, two-pairs, etc....yet one of the boss blinds at some point just screws me over half-way somehow. Bosses are the big one like the Arm, Mouth, and sometimes Needle. Not to mention the shop itself often just gives me crap choices at the start.
Balatro and vampire survivor are very similar in that they are very engaging dopamine feeds but lack the extra level of progression you get with "real" games. Sorry but these games are ultimately too shallow to be remembered.
Not a poker player so this game gets a pass from me.
Its just a card game? :(
ha ha funny clown man makes numbers go brrr
Answer - NO. Skill is not needed. It's just grinding to get the best jokers which multiply. The other jokers are crap, you can't win without them.
This is absolutely not true, skill and strategy can win you almost every game no matter how "unlucky" you might think your run is
I watched a streamer play this and It looks like a great game for people that travel a lot. I don't and when I do I'm normally the driver. I watched him play for 7 hours so I really know what the game is. Still not buying it.
What's the purpose of even leaving a comment if your entire premise is... literally nothing?
That’s a lot of research for a 15 dollar game
You should buy it.
I got tricked into watching a card game video that preys on addiction.
Well played.
The game is $15. $70 AAA live service Shooters are the ones you should be leaving this comment on.
Game of the year? Its literally just cards. No shot it wins goty.
Right because only games you like should win GOTY 😂
Probably not actually GOTY, but that's good. Because it's GOTY to me, unless something else wins me over later this year.
@@Lifesizemortal He was being objective. A card game is probably not unique enough to be GOTY. It's fun though.
@@deejay7339 im sorry but if generic racing games like Forza can make game of the year, so can a card game.
Cool game but Rebirth still blows it out of the water in terms of GOTY
Game of the year ? Lmao now I know why I stopped watching this channel
You just haven't played it yet. It's ok.
With all respect Ollie, the dopamine "formula" being used in such a way as to cause hours to fly by AND being a card game sounds like a precursor/precondition to gambling addiction in addition to being on a device that likely will be held by a child or adolescent, should not be on the table for any GotY award. February 20 launch date, we'll see what the statistics are at the end of the year.
oh no! silly card game = serious gambling addiction??? thank you so much, i had no idea!
So I guess all card based roguelikes should be made inaccessible to half the world, and to all children, then, right? Say goodbye to Slay the Spire, Monster Train, etc. All of which use very similar risk/reward systems. Meanwhile games that encourage children to spend real life money on loot boxes (or the workaround of spending real money on virtual currency in order to then spend it on loot boxes) are listed as child-appropriate.
Fwiw, the developer of this game doesn't even play poker (Balatro was inspired by a somewhat similar Cantonese card game called Big Two), and is staunchly anti-gambling themselves. They would never create a game that promotes actual gambling, because it goes against their personal values. I grew up playing literal poker with friends as a teen (for chips), and have never gambled in my life.
If you think a game like this encourages gambling, you have bigger issues. You sound exactly like the older generation that thought all card games led to sin and gambling, movies and video games in general led to violence, etc. You're just wrong.
What a PTA mom level comment
There’s no gambling in this game. Not even with fake money.
lmao