Cloud saves will not be supported on all Switch titles

By Eric Brackett Published September 8, 2018

The Nintendo Switch’s paid online plan is set to launch later this month. The service touts a number of features, such as online multiplayer, access to retro games, and cloud storage. Sadly, that last feature will not be available on every game including some first-party titles. Users on the ResetEra forums discovered that the description for Splatoon 2, along with a number of other games including Pokémon Let’s Go and a handful of third-party titles, contained a warning that these titles would not support cloud saves.

Nintendo has offered an explanation for why certain games will not make use of online storage, but it is a disappointing one. In a statement released to Ars Technica, a Nintendo representative said that certain games were exempt from the cloud storage service in order to prevent players from cheating.

Recommended Videos

“In certain games, this feature would make it possible to, for example, regain items that had been traded to other players, or revert to a higher online multiplayer ranking that had been lost,” Nintendo representative told Ars Technica.

Splatoon 2 also received a more specific explanation. In short, Nintendo feared that some players might use the cloud saves to manipulate the online rankings in order to make it easier to climb the rankings or undo losses.

Regardless of Nintendo’s reasoning, this decision is likely to be a frustrating one for many Switch owners. The Switch only provides 32GB of internal memory, so cloud saves could offer a way to alleviate the issues caused by the Switch’s smaller hard drive. Of course, the Switch also features SD card support so storage space has a fairly easy fix.

What is less easy to fix is the issue of backing up your Switch. Nintendo’s online cloud storage program is currently the only way to back up your Switch’s data. If you need to replace your system for whatever reason, the cloud is your only way of ensuring that your system’s data and game progress is backed up. It is possible to transfer the data from one system to another, but that won’t help you if your Switch is stolen or too damaged to turn on. This means that gamers run the risk of permanently losing their progress on certain games in the event that their Switch is damaged or lost.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gaming

The best Battle Plugs in Mario & Luigi: Brothership

Luigi in Mario & Luigi: Brothership.

Besides your equipment, Battle Plugs are the main part of your kit that you will need to manage in Mario & Luigi: Brothership. These new equippable items can give you a wide range of different bonuses to make even the toughest challenge more manageable. Between the Battle Plugs you earn naturally, ones you can buy, and others made by crafting, there are dozens of plugs and thousands of possible combinations to equip. Because you only have so many Power Taps to equip them in, you will need to make some tough choices about which ones you think are most useful. Let's team up and go over some of the best Battle Plugs in Mario & Luigi: Brothership that you should build around.
The best Battle Plugs in Mario & Luigi: Brothership

When considering which Battle Plugs to use, it is important to remember that some can make combos. You won't know which pairs will make combos until you try them, but we will also share any possible combos we know of here.
Surprise Iron Ball
One of the early Battle Plugs in the game is a great one to keep using for the first half of the game or so. When you nail an Excellent rating with any Jump or Hammer attack, a spikey iron ball will fall onto the enemy to deal bonus damage. This is especially effective against bosses.

Gaming

Every challenge and reward in Mario & Luigi: Brothership

Luigi kicks a shell in Mario & Luigi: Brothership.

You will face many obstacles on your quest across the islands of Concordia in Mario & Luigi: Brothership, in the form of classic turn-based battles and exploration. However, like every other Switch title, those who enjoy hunting for Trophies or Achievements won't find them here. Instead, Mario & Luigi: Brothership includes its own set of in-game challenges to scratch that same itch. These are difficult tasks that are completely optional but reward you with some very precious upgrade materials that are worth the effort. These will push you to use all the game's mechanics and tools. Most will be available from the start, but some only unlock later on so you can't complete them all at once. If you want to know what challenges await you in Mario & Luigi: Brothership, here's every challenge in the game and what your reward is for completing them.
All challenges and rewards in Mario & Luigi: Brothership

There are 29 total challenges in Mario & Luigi: Brothership. Some of them require you to complete other challenges to unlock them, while others open up as you progress the story. Here is each challenge name, what you need to do to complete it, and the reward.

Gaming

Nintendo Switch 2: everything we know so far

Prime Day Nintendo Switch Deals

Rumors of a Nintendo Switch 2 have been circulating for years. Whispers of the next-gen Nintendo console first started when The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was initially teased in 2019, then gained steam when the Switch OLED launched in 2021. Now that Nintendo has properly confirmed that it's working on a new console, rumors have only gotten more frequent. We've even hit the point where we're seeing more credible photos and spec leaks trickle out.

There's no doubt that the Nintendo Switch is a fantastic console -- it has a unique and impressive game library (with more upcoming games slated for this year), the number of features included with Nintendo Switch Online is constantly improving, and it's still our favorite portable console -- but it isn't without its flaws. There's enough room for improvement to warrant an entirely new console in the near future.