A big success from the little brother
As I sat down to write about Yoshi's Island, I realized that I wanted to play the new Balloon World mode in Super Mario Odyssey instead. And, the more I play of this new feature, the more I have to say. So Yoshi is being shelved just temporarily, because I need to talk about Nintendo and DLC. We've seen time and time again that Nintendo doesn't have any clue when it comes to online gaming. The Switch Online App is just the latest in a string of unfortunate online decisions made by the company. However, it is undeniable that one good thing has come out of Nintendo's foray into the online age: its DLC. We saw it dabble with the practice in 2013 with titles such as Super Mario Bros. 2, but Nintendo did not really hit its stride until 2014. Mario Kart 8 had very reasonably priced and well designed content packs, and Super Smash Bros. Wii U's DLC plan extended that game's relevancy far into 2016. Compounded upon that is its free DLC seasons for both Splatoon games as well as Super Mario Maker. Just last year, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild featured a meaty expansion pass that satiated my need to return to Hyrule last winter. In some circles, DLC is a dirty word. Not many developers have the restraint to do it properly, but Nintendo has been excelling on this front. And, just like all the examples I've mentioned above, Nintendo has done it again with Luigi's Balloon World.
This is a surprisingly fun and complex game mode. When it was first announced, I was very excited for it. However, I doubted that Balloon World would offer me any great replay value after my first evening with it. Whereas I was anticipating a very simple hide and seek mini-game, in execution, Balloon World offers much more. Yes, at its core you are just finding balloons that other people have hidden. But, the systems built around that make this mode worth coming back to day after day. Hunting balloons becomes a risk versus reward system, wherein the more illusive balloons will payout more coins if you can find them, but costs more to buy in to. It is essentially an extension of the intensity system found in Kid Icarus: Uprising or Super Smash Bros. Wii U. The more you are willing to wager, the more there is to gain. Past that, Luigi will hold coin specials in different Kingdoms, which constantly encourages you to play in different locations. In addition to these added systems, the game mode is just a lot of fun. Utilizing all your skills to grab that one well-hidden balloon is addicting, and nothing feels better than finding just the right place to stash your own balloon.
That doesn't mean the mode is without its problems, as it suffers from two main issues. Firstly, some Kingdoms just aren't enjoyable to play Balloon World in. Due to their size, larger areas like the Seaside Kingdom become an exercise in frustration. There is just too much land to cover in my opinion. The smaller Kingdoms (typically the ones that have fifty purple coins in them) are better suited to this mode, as the confined space requires you to be even sneakier with your balloon placement, but in turn, narrows the search radius for finders. The Metro Kingdom is an exception, as it is fairly confined, and jumping around the buildings is a load of fun. Unfortunately, the Metro Kingdom suffers from the other issue that plagues Balloon World: out of bounds hiding spots. Far too many people clip out of bounds to stash their balloons in a cheap spot. It simply isn't fun to spend coins, get to exactly where the balloon is, and then realize that it is totally unattainable. There are really a few main spots that are causing the issue, so hopefully Nintendo gets around to patching these exploits out soon.
The bottom line is Balloon World is a ton of fun, and it is giving me a reason to get back into Super Mario Odyssey. I really love this game, but I had reached a point where I was essentially done with all it had to offer. Balloon World has revitalized my interest in the game, and that's the best part of this DLC update, and why I love Nintendo's DLC overall. Pieces of content like this go a long way to keeping players like myself engaged in the Nintendo Switch ecosystem. I'm popping balloons alongside my friends at a time when not much else is happening on the Switch. Whether it's this update, or the copious number of Splatoon 2 additions, there is always something happening that gets me to power up my console every week. Of course, these updates are nowhere near as substantial as new game releases, but they certainly keep up a nice momentum. I hope that Nintendo continues to utilize DLC to pad out their schedule down the line.
It is great to see Nintendo use DLC in a smart manner. It is priced appropriately, and always releases at the right time. Here and there you can point to small lapses in this philosophy, from the pre-release announcements of season passes here and there or the Mii Fighter gear prices, but these are a far cry from the issues plaguing the industry at large. Never do I feel as though their extra content should've been in the game from the get go, and I never feel ripped off after purchasing it. As long as Nintendo keeps using DLC effectively, I'll keep supporting it. With the seemingly soft year ahead of us, I hope that Nintendo leans into this practice more than they have in the past. New modes in Splatoon 2, new Kingdoms in Super Mario Odyssey, and maybe even new quests in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I'd love to see more tracks in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and after Pokken Tournament DX's surprising DLC roadmap, I do think this is possible. Only time will tell how Nintendo plans to expand on their pre-existing releases. In the meantime, I have some more balloons to pop.
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