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Random Thoughts For A Random Evening

February 13, 2017 / admin

I’ve been trying to think of a way to communicate random thoughts I have about games, the industry, and such. Until I figure out a proper platform for such thoughts, I will try to store them up and aggregate them here! Feel free to share responses or thoughts of your own in the comments.

Switch VR

More Switch content? No way! President of Nintendo, Tatsumi Kimishima has spoken out about Nintendo’s stance on VR. According a statement made during an interview, Kimishima has said that Nintendo already has the core technology of VR worked out. The only road block for them releasing it is that they haven’t found a way to make it comfortable for long play sessions. Once they overcome that hurdle, they will release the tech. A patent filed by Nintendo shows Nintendo has a VR headset already in mind, in which the Switch would dock similar to the way Google Cardboard or Samsung Gear work currently. Coupled with the Joy-Cons, you have a full virtually reality experience primed for release. People are bemoaning the power of the Switch’s main hardware, saying it wouldn’t be able to power a proper VR experience. Either Nintendo has faith that it will (and honestly, their games are almost always polished excellently) or they have plans for an updated version of the main hardware unit down the road. Either way, the modular design of the console would allow for a relatively inexpensive VR setup, even if upgrading the body was required.

With the tantalizing option of Nintendo VR being dangled in front of us, it begs the question: What Nintendo franchises would show off the tech appropriately? My thoughts are dwelling on Retro Studios. They’ve been hard at work on an undisclosed title for a few years now. If you put the mystery surrounding their new title up against the news of Nintendo VR and the Metroid 30th anniversary that passed rather uneventfully last year, it makes me think they could be working on Metroid Prime 4, fully playable in VR on the Switch. Doing so would be a fantastic show for fans of the series who have felt snubbed by recent releases in the series (I use that term loosely) AND it would simultaneously be a great showing for Nintendo’s first foray into VR. People have already been porting various Nintendo titles in to VR with the Dolphin emulator, so the interest is clearly there. If the Switch is capable of pulling this off, Nintendo would be wise to not sit on the news for too long. They’ve done a good job so far of showing the hybrid nature of the new console, so once it’s built a bit more momentum, drop the classic, “But wait. There’s more!” It would be a fantastic value add for an already promising value proposition.

Final Fantasy XV: Chapter XIII

My God. You’ve probably read about this on the internet already or at least seen a headline. I’ll keep it spoiler-free, but man, you’re being funneled towards a conclusion and things are exciting, then all of a sudden a poorly sequenced stealth chapter appears! Everything slows to a grinding halt and you’re helpless to do anything about it. I understand for the story why this segment works and was needed, but maybe introduce it a bit sooner or else make it a less jarring transition. The Spring Update is set to address this chapter, though in what capacity, I’m not sure. After having finished the game and loving the journey, I’m excited to know I can put this to rest for about a year and then pick up a New Game+ with all the Season Pass content released for a second play through. Hopefully, the characters and their relationships are more fleshed out and less reliant on expanded universe content (though Kingsglaive and Brotherhood were pretty good, watch them).

New Blog Content

I’m working on ideas for new blog content besides the walls of text I subject you all to on a semi-regular basis. I hope to have an introductory video posted soon (using my limited recording tech), as well as reviews, streams, and other such video content. Don’t hold me to it, but that’s tentatively the plan. Look forward to it!

Drawrings! (Intentionally Misspelled)

I doodle! Occasionally, I pull out my Surface tablet and draw things on it. Most recently, I’ve worked on a slightly stylized series of Nintendo consoles (because of my Switch hype). Take a look a let me know what you think or what you’d like to see! I’ll probably move on to the Sega consoles when the mood strikes again.

Giveaway!

I may try to do these periodically. I recently bought a Humble Bundle that included several Star Wars games I currently own. To kick off my random giveaways, I’ve got a copy of the Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic games, 1 and 2, to present to one person who wants them. Both of these titles are fantastic and would be a great addition to any Steam library that is currently lacking! Leave your e-mail address and I’ll send you the codes.

As always, thanks for reading and until my next post, happy gaming!

Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary News!

February 2, 2017 / admin

#FF30th Logo from Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Site
(All pictures from Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Site unless otherwise noted)

2017 marks the 30th anniversary of the Final Fantasy series! 30 years is pretty solid since the original title was supposed to be a swan song for a struggling company, but here we are! We’ve just received Final Fantasy XV, a couple of remakes/remasters are in the works, Final Fantasy XIV continues to be successful in a market that many fail to break in to, and a plethora of mobile titles have launched in recent years as well. I’d say the brand is alive and well, despite a few stumbling points along the way. That said, with Square-Enix gearing up for 30th anniversary shenanigans, let’s take a look at their first round of announcements!

Shall I give you DIS PEAR!?!?

(Silly meme from KnowYourMeme.com)

If I have to explain the above to you, you may not be terribly interest in the Final Fantasy VII Remake that fans have been clamoring for since the days of the PS3. 20 years after its original release, we may see the first episode of the promised remake. Square-Enix released new key art as part of the 30th anniversary celebration. The image (shown below) depicts Cloud doing what he does best (looking emo) and the good ol’ One-Winged Angel looking rather emo himself, all framed by the Midgar skyline. You can almost smell the mako!

From the FF30th Anniversary Site

No other details were given. Tetsuya Nomura, who is currently working on the remake AND Kingdom Hearts III, released a statement expressing to fans that he needs us to hold on a bit longer for the teams to deliver the promises made for both of these games. When so much nostalgia is on the line, they should take every precaution necessary. Whether the statement was meant to hint that the first episode of the remake will miss 2017 remains to be seen.

The Ivalice Alliance Returns!

From the FF30th Anniversary Site

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age was given a release date of July 11th, 2017 during the first set of announcements. This remaster brings the Final Fantasy XII International: Zodiac Job System version of the game to the states for the first time. One of many “director’s cuts” for the series that the US never received, the Zodiac Job System version of the game offered just that, a job system with each job having its own license board, to allow for more party variety in the game. With trophy support, hunts, and all those license boards to fill out, I’m sure this will keep players coming back for a good while (or at least letting the game run while the Gambit system does the work). I look forward to stepping back into the shoes of Balthier…. I mean, Vaan, when Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age releases in a few months.

#Chocobros Receive New Content!

The fantastic foursome of Final Fantasy XV are receiving a solid amount of new content in the coming months. Starting with Power Rangers! Wait, that’s not right… Magitek Exosuits! Easily mistaken for the rangers of our youths, the squad is getting some mighty powerful armor that they can morph into once daily. While in the exosuits, the quartet will be invulnerable. Additionally, we’ll see the first episode focusing on a solo bro: Gladiolus. The content of the DLC was not revealed other than you’ll get to pal around with Cor and Gilgamesh since no bro should go it alone!

Mobile Fantasies

The final announcement in what I assume is just the first wave was the Mobius Final Fantasy will be headed to Steam in just a few days. On top of that, a crossover promotional event will take place in the game, offering players a variety of in-game bonuses.

Hopefully, in the coming months there will be more announcements celebrating the Final Fantasy series. Rumors had previously stated there would a compilation of the main series Final Fantasy titles, along with a fancy collector’s edition called the Crystal Edition. When more news breaks regarding the Final Fantasy festivities, I’ll be sure to have a new write-up!

Switch Questions: A Week Later…

January 22, 2017 / admin

Alm artwork from Nintendo's YouTube
(Switch Logo from Nintendo’s YouTube Page)

More posts about the Switch! We’ve had a little over a week to digest the information from the Nintendo Switch conference and there are still some unanswered questions. Whether Nintendo plans a slow release of information leading up to the release to keep people talking about the system or they plan to have a Nintendo Direct info dump sometime between now and launch, there are things that need to be answered. Here are some of the questions I have and others have posed.

Online Functionality

Friends List/Chat

Nintendo has stated that friends list and matchmaking will be done through a companion app. This is an odd move that they have briefly explained the reasoning behind but is still largely unclear. Is the app the ONLY way to navigate these features? One of the reasons given was when you’re out and about, you will always have your phone with you and it removes the need to take a potentially bulky headset on the go. If that’s their main reason behind the decision, it seems to contradict them stating that the Switch is first and foremost a home console. Does that mean we’ll also have to sit with our phones on our laps while playing at home? The lack of headset usage is also confusing when you think about being on the move because that removes any privacy from the equation. You’ll be speaking out loud to your phone and hearing the conversation over speaker phone as well (unless you’re going to do the awkward shoulder hold to keep the phone pressed to your ear OR bring a headset for your phone anyway). Also, no one wants to be THAT person, blaring their game music/sound or having a heated bout of trash talking an opponent while sitting in an airport terminal or wherever you may be (“Sorry, sir, we’re going to have to ask you to leave. You’re upsetting the other patrons…”). All of the mystery around this decision needs to be clarified sooner, rather than later to prevent people’s imaginations from running wild! If it’s not already too late for that…

Online Multiplayer

For the first time, Nintendo is going to have a paid requirement for their online functionality. This has people nervous for many reasons. The first, and largest, reason is that Nintendo’s online gameplay has been mediocre at best, and downright bad in other situations. If they plan to charge for their online, hopefully they have an impressive infrastructure in the works and ready to go at its launch because people are overly critical of everything Nintendo does and this could be a deal-breaker for many players.

Outside of the infrastructure, the other offerings need to be fleshed out and explained. We know we will be getting free “rentals” of Virtual Console titles rather than being given them outright. We also know there will be monthly discounts of some sort for subscribers. This is all very standard issue for online offerings these days, so Nintendo needs to prove why their service will be worth the cost of entry outside of the norm for such things. If they come out with the $59.99 per year that is the current standard for the likes of PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold with nothing but what has been announced, they will likely be laughed at and the offering will flop.

A feature-rich online environment (cross-game chat/parties/lobbies, easy game invites, responsive interface, etc.) with the discounts and free trial Virtual Console games at a significantly reduced price point will garner support for the offering in the early days and drive adopters towards it. If it proves to be a worthwhile value proposition and the infrastructure is steady, a slow rate increase would not be out of the question further down the road. Nintendo needs to prove themselves in this arena beforehand though without trying to directly compete with the likes of Sony and Microsoft, since these waters have been largely untested by the Big N.

Virtual Console

Lots of questions here and little is known so far. We know it will be an option and that some of the older offerings will contain updated features (such as online play). However, we don’t know what games will be offered. Will the current offerings on the Wii U be available immediately? Will your current library of titles port over? Will there be an up-charge like there was from the Wii VC to the Wii U VC? Will we see GameCube titles offered through the Virtual Console? Will your current eShop wallet funds carry over to the new system?

Nintendo has a huge pull from nostalgia. People love revisiting classics from their childhoods. Having the current list of Virtual Console titles immediately available would essentially make the Switch a Nintendo time capsule that you could take with you anywhere. It also expands the launch offerings (which are admittedly thin) by a significant number, adding to the appeal of the system. That being said, you can only ask people to re-buy old classics so many times. If your existing Virtual Console purchases do not transfer over to the new system, it’ll be a tough pill to swallow for many fans who have bought into the ecosystem on past consoles. After the fee charged to move titles from the Wii VC to the Wii U VC, it would be an excellent good faith gesture for Nintendo to offer the migration free of charge this time. As for GameCube titles, there have already been stories stating that several GameCube titles have been rumored to be running on the Switch hardware. Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Mario Sunshine, Luigi’s Mansion, and Animal Crossing were specifically listed according to sources speaking to Polygon. The inclusion of the current Virtual Console offerings plus GameCube games would put some of the best games of the past 30+ years directly in your hands in a single place, making the Switch that much more enticing to gamers.

Outside of the above, the features of the Virtual Console as well as the price points for each console’s offerings need to be solidified. As mentioned, nostalgia is an area where Nintendo excels and they need to treat that responsibility with the care it deserves.

Console Features

Capacitive Touch Screen

The JoyCons were front and center of most of the announcements and for good reason, they’re pretty impressive little pieces of tech from all accounts. One thing that was announced but largely glossed over was the new capacitive touch screen on the Switch. I assume this was done to prevent further confusion of the messaging around the home console/portable console question, since the touch screen would only be usable when not docked. However, this is the first Nintendo console to feature capacitive touch rather than resistive. I’m not sure how often this will feature into gameplay development, based on the inability to use the feature most of the time (I plan on largely using the console as a home console, but time will tell if I use it on the go for a significant amount of time). The screen will, however, allow for the porting of Nintendo’s mobile phone offerings in a more cohesive way. You would potentially be able to use the Switch, sans JoyCons, as a mobile device much as you would use your phone for these titles. That furthers the proposition that this console could be the place to play over 3 decades worth of Nintendo titles, including their new offerings on mobile phones.

Battery Life & Charging Methods

In conversations about the Switch, battery life was being discussed. It has been stated that on the low-end, the system offers around 2.5 hours of battery life in portable mode. Since the console has a USB-C port on the bottom, it stands to reason that you could charge the device with a backup battery you may already have (as I mentioned in my last write-up about the Switch). However, with the placement of the port on the bottom of the unit (for ease of docking and placement of the JoyCons), you would not be able to charge the device while using the kickstand. I believe this is a non-issue, since I don’t see many people playing it in that mode for excessively extended amounts of time due to the screen size. As with all things Nintendo though, and the extra scrutiny placed on their decisions, the inability to do so was bemoaned by those I spoke with. Ways in which battery life can be extended should be addressed directly by Nintendo at some point, seeing as it seems to be an issue among many people who plan to use the system in a mostly portable fashion.

So, I realize most of my posts have been about the Switch and that is due to the fact that it is what has me the most excited recently. With it being the next big console launch, potentially followed later in the year by Project Scorpio, it’s been prevalent in my thoughts. As the year progresses and other gaming news emerges, I plan to switch (sorry, I had to) up my topics a bit more. If there is anything you’d like my thoughts on around anything gaming related, feel free to drop me a comment or e-mail and I will do my best to respond.

Fire Emblem News Galore!

January 18, 2017 / admin

Alm artwork from Nintendo's website
(Image of Alm from Nintendo’s Website)

The Fire Emblem series has become a favorite of many Nintendo fans in recent years. With the stellar release of Fire Emblem Awakening and then followed by the well-received Fire Emblem Fates, the series has found revitalized strength to bring it back from the brink. I remember reading a rumor a couple of years ago now that had Awakening not sold as well as it did, Nintendo was considering shelving the franchise for the time being. That didn’t happen, obviously, and the series is now in full force! The RPG tactics series from Intelligent Systems with perma-death for your characters and intriguing storylines has piqued players’ interest (character appearances in Smash Bros. helped, as well!). The Nintendo Direct this evening (voiced by Yuri Lowenthal) featured all the new Fire Emblem a fan could want. Let’s dig in!

A new take on an old classic

The first entry shown was Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, which releases on May 19th of this year for the 3DS. Additionally, a dual pack of amiibo featuring the game’s protagonists, Alm and Celica, will be available the same day. No information was given about how they will interact with the game.

As for the game itself, it is a retelling of Fire Emblem Gaiden, which was released in 1992 exclusively in Japan for the Famicom. The game appears to feature a bit of dungeoneering in addition to the normal Fire Emblem gameplay we’ve come to know and expect. The trailer states that the game will stay true to the style of the original, with a few modern enhancements such as animated cutscenes!

Seeing as many of the Fire Emblem titles never left Japan until more recently, this is a welcome addition for fans new and old outside of the country to get their hands on one of the original titles.

Switching gears to a new entry in the series

*Insert Switch click sound here* (I still love that sound). A full-fledged Fire Emblem entry is heading to the Nintendo Switch! No official title has been announced yet and it stated the release is planned for 2018. Hopefully all goes well and they are able to hit that (very large) target release window.

While we’re talking about the Switch…

Some more details were shown in regards to Fire Emblem Warriors, the game being developed by Koei Tecmo. We got a brief gameplay trailer showing the standard hack ‘n slash action we’ve come to know (and maybe love, if it’s your kind of thing) from Koei Tecmo. While I’m not a huge fan of the series, Hyrule Warriors was fantastic. It had the right amount of story to drive a Zelda fan like me to keep playing it while mixing in the classic elements from the long running Warriors series. If they keep that formula with the Fire Emblem franchise, I could see this being another title to pick up for a play-through.

In addition to the Switch, the title is also being developed for the New Nintendo 3DS (not to be confused with the original 3DS, even though the naming IS in fact terribly confusing). Both versions are currently set for a Fall 2017 release date.

Fire Emblem for your phone, wherever you go!

Finally, we have more details of the previously announced Fire Emblem title for smartphones. Fire Emblem Heroes is the smartphone take on the series. It features heroes (hence the name) from many of the previous entries in the Fire Emblem series, including some new ones. Heroes are summoned using orbs that can be won in battle or purchased as micro-transactions. The battles follow the standard tactics, rock-paper-scissors style of gameplay as the previous entries in the series. Characters are (at least partially) voiced and can be leveled up through battle. There are different kinds of battles and they seem to be on relatively small battlefields that fit entirely on your phone’s screen.

Fire Emblem Heroes appears to be launching first on Android phones on February 2nd. iPhone users will need to wait, as the only time frame that was given for iOS was “soon.” Outside of this, Nintendo has opened a site where you can vote on which heroes you’d like to see featured in special in-game events once the title is released. If you login with your My Nintendo account, you can earn a platinum point bonus by voting. You can apparently pre-register now on the Google Play store to prepare for the release.

That’s a wrap!

The Fire Emblem Heroes details were the last presented in the Nintendo Direct. It looks like the next year will be a great time to be a Fire Emblem fan. I’ll be sure to post updates as more news about these titles is released.

Now if only Nintendo would show as much love to the Metroid series… (it was hinted that something may be forthcoming in the next year on that front)

Nintendo Switch Conference Details

January 14, 2017 / admin

tloz-botw

(All images from Nintendo’s Switch Homepage)

Oh man. So many details over the past few days, some more exciting than others Strap yourselves in for a long post (and sorry for the lame title)! I’ll try to divide it up so you can skim to whichever headers interest you most. I wouldn’t even know where to begin for a tl;dr… Anyway, first things first, we all know the conference was very awkward watching it outside of Japan. The translators were very monotone and some of the presenters were a bit cringeworthy. It happens. With that out of the way, let’s get down to business!

Nintendo Switch Pricing/Configurations/Accessories

Nintendo started out immediately with a price point and release date, which everyone was clamoring to know. The system launches on March 3rd, 2017 for a suggested retail price of $299.99. This price point offers two options for consumers, a version with matching gray JoyCons and one with mismatched neon blue and neon red JoyCons.

Either option contains the Switch console, a left and right JoyCon, wrist strap grips that cover the rails when detached from the system, a JoyCon controller grip shell, a Switch docking station, an HDMI cable, a USB-C charging cable, and an AC adapter.

Outside of the main console, there a plenty of first-party accessories announced for this thing.

AC Adapter – $29.99

Should you need a spare AC adapter or a replacement, it’ll set you back $30.

JoyCon (Left & Right) – $79.99

Some people are already crying foul about the price here, but when you think about it, you’re getting 2 controllers, so it boils down to about $40 a piece. Pretty standard for controllers nowadays. This package is offered in many varieties. You can get 2 of the same color for gray, neon red, neon blue or you can choose mismatched colors for the set as well. Judging by the packaging, these sets with come with the wrist strap grips for each controller as well.

JoyCon (Single Left or Right) – $49.99

You can buy an individual JoyCon to fit your needs for $50 with the various color options available to you as well. This makes the bundle of the two controllers a little more appealing, since you’re saving $10 per controller by getting them together, should you need that many JoyCons.

JoyCon Wrist Straps – $7.99

As far as I can tell, these are replacements and/or vanity purchases to have colors matching your controller rather than the standard gray. Offered in neon red and neon blue.

JoyCon Charging Grip – $29.99

In a slightly confusing move, this JoyCon controller shell is different from the one bundled with the system in that it actually charges the JoyCons while they’re attached as opposed to the holding them. Apparently, you can charge the JoyCons with this shell or while attached to the Switch while it is charging (through the dock or simply plugged in with USB-C). Seems like this may be a worthwhile investment to avoid needing to pull the system off the dock to charge the JoyCons and keep playing.

Carrying Case with Screen Protector – $19.99

Pretty standard and self-explanatory here. Since the system is meant to be easily picked up and taken on the go, a carrying case makes perfect sense.

Switch Docking Station Bundle – $89.99

This price seems a bit high, but it does come with a replacement dock, an HDMI cable, and an AC adapter. If you are frequently between two locations, I guess it makes sense to buy this bundle rather than constantly disconnecting and reconnecting the set that comes with the console. Or maybe as a bulk replacement should tragedy strike these accessories.

Pro Controller – $69.99

I have not been able to find a price or listing for the Switch Pro controller as of this writing. I’m not sure if I missed them and they’re sold out/listings taken down or what. I would assume the price for this would fall in line with standard market prices for current console controllers around $50-$60. UPDATE: According to Polygon, the Switch Pro Controller is coming at the steep price of $70. Hopefully, these prices will come down.

That covers most of the accessories I believe, so let’s switch over to what the system can do! (Sorry, I had to. They kept doing it during the presentation).

The Switch! Features & Such

Nintendo’s president Tatsumi Kimishima gave us a look into more of what the Switch can do and how it will do it. He spoke of the online capabilities of the system with online multiplayer, lobbies, and chat. Interestingly though, Nintendo has opted to use a mobile app for the chat/social portions of their online. Reggie Fils-Aime stated that it makes for a more portable offering, since you don’t have to worry about taking a headset or other bulky items like that with you, since you almost always have your phone on you. I had initially thought that the app would just be a way to interact with your friends’ list outside of the Switch itself, but it sounds like it may be the ONLY way to do so. Time will tell on this front. Additionally, Nintendo is moving to a paid online structure, a la PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold. Initially, the online component will be free for consumers to test, likely for Nintendo to stress test and correct issues as well, but in Fall 2017, the service will move to its paid model. No pricing was offered for the online component. It was mentioned that the paid offering will allow people discounts to certain products as well as a free NES/SNES monthly game. This free game is more of a rental, since it changes month-to-month and you will not retain access to the games between months without purchasing, but the titles have been said to potentially offer updates/new features such as online play for old classics. It’s a different take on the PS+ Free Games/Games with Gold, but seems fitting with Nintendo’s stranglehold on our nostalgia. Give the free taste but pay for the hit.

This was mentioned kind of casually but THE SWITCH WILL NOT BE REGION LOCKED! Finally! Thank you, Nintendo. There have been times over the years that I’ve wanted to import games that were potentially not going to make their way over here (Project Rainfall comes to mind) but I was not able to do so. This was especially frustrating with handheld titles. It’s nice to see them finally remove this restriction.

The Switch itself, outside of docking mode, apparently has a battery life of somewhere between 2.5 hours and 6.5 hours, depending on the games you are playing. This isn’t surprising and seems to be in line with the battery life of the GamePad for the Wii U when the system launched. This doesn’t concern me for few reasons. First, I don’t envision myself taking this thing to a park and playing it for more than 2 hours while I’m out and about. Second, I’m rarely anywhere for an extended amount of time where I don’t have access to an outlet to charge the Switch, should the need arise. Lastly, there will almost certainly be extended life batteries/cases for the console down the road for people who do need more that a couple of hours of battery life on the road. Since it charges through USB-C, you may even be able use your existing backup batteries (maybe those that you purchased for Pokemon Go excursions. Was that just me? Ok, nevermind…) They did note that you can play the console while it is charging.

To help with the battery life, the Switch is returning to cartridge-based media. Not only will it help with battery life, it will also help shorten load times and help prevent the need for lots of extra storage as games will likely be able to be written/saved directly to the cartridges.

Speaking of memory/saving, the Switch is only offering 32gb of storage space. While this is expandable through a microSD slot housed behind the console’s kickstand. With games like Breath of the Wild clocking in at a reported 13gb+, if you plan to go digital, you should plan to buy a large microSD card.

During the presentation, it was noted that up to 8 Switch consoles can be connected for local multiplayer. This is pretty cool as it would give each player his or her own screen to use while playing games together and avoid the ever-present issue in couch multiplayer games of screen-looking (Ah, Goldeneye. We remember those days…)

The screen of the Switch was noted to be a capacitive touchscreen, similar to what you’d find in most smartphones these days. It’s a welcome addition to the traditional use of the resistive touchscreens Nintendo has used for their devices up to this point. Since the console is primarily a home console, I’m not sure how heavily touchscreen features will be implemented, but the option is there for developers that choose to utilize it. Maybe some of the Art Academy games will make their way to the Switch?

JoyCons!

The little controllers with the silly name! We’ve known what the controllers were since the unveiling a few months ago, but not everything they could do until yesterday. It was announced that the right JoyCon will have NFC built-in, bringing amiibo functionality to the Switch. We knew this would be the case but it wasn’t confirmed where in the unit it would be. The left JoyCon features a Share button, which will take screenshots or videos eventually to be shared. It was noted how the images/videos would be shared, specifically, just that they could be. As mentioned above, there will be color variations of the JoyCons, starting with gray, neon red, and neon blue. Each JoyCon also features a plethora of buttons to be used. They house a joystick that can be clicked, 4 primary face buttons, an L or R button (depending on which JoyCon you’re holding), a ZL or ZR button (also JoyCon dependent), and then SL and SR buttons located in the slide rail (JoyCon agnostic). Additionally, the right JoyCon (which seems to house the most tech) has an IR camera that can register distance between itself and objects, as well as object shapes. It was noted that it could register things like rock, paper, scissors. The JoyCons will also be motion controls, much like the current Wiimotes. And finally, HD rumble. The new HD rumble is apparently so accurate, you can tell the difference between the number of objects clinking around inside. The example given was that the JoyCon was a simulated glass and ice cubes were being added to the controller. When shaken, a distinct difference could be felt between the number of cubes and then a further difference noted when water was added to the “glass.” It’s an interesting feature that could a bit of tension to situations in horror games. I’m sure it will be used in many interesting and/or gimmicky ways!

Games!

A number of games were confirmed for the Switch during this presentation and further details were given on games we knew were in the works. I’m only going to cover games that were interesting to me in some way (i.e. – you won’t find anything about the sports games here. Sorry, not sorry.) It’s my blog, deal with it!

1, 2 Switch

1, 2 Switch appears to be the launch title akin to Wii Sports or Nintendo Land. It’s a collection of mini-games set to be a sort of proof-of-concept. The option to not include the title as a pack-in with the system is an odd one though. From the looks of the games, it’ll be a fun little party game and a great way to show off some of the things the Switch can do, but ultimately, I think this one will be short-lived. Nintendo Land suffered a similar fate. While I thoroughly enjoyed the mini-games in Nintendo Land, it didn’t have a huge draw to bring my friend and me back into the fold. Wii Sports was fun because each time felt slightly new and different and had the right balance of fun and competition to it, especially bowling, which brought us back many times over. I think the games included in 1, 2 Switch will be fun during the launch window while we wait for new titles but will then get shelved in favor of other offerings. Some of the mini-games included are a quickdraw competition (wild west style), Samurai training (swinging and catching swords), an eating competition (very weird using the IR camera to “eat” the most), and a ping pong game (based on sound and feel from the controllers, no visuals to speak of). 1, 2 Switch is currently slated as a launch title.

Arms

Arms looks interesting. Anyone who played a bit of Wii Boxing knows that it could be a bit tiring to flail around and win your matches. Arms looks to take that to the next level. With the precision of the new motion controls in the JoyCons, you’re dropped into a 1 versus 1 arena match between fighters with extendable arms. Thrown punches can be tweaked by twisting the JoyCons, blocks can be initiated, and you can dodge by turning both JoyCons in the same direction for a quick sidestep. Many different fighters were shown and are sure to offer a variety of styles and speeds. I’m hoping this game will have some depth and keep people coming back to the arena for further bouts but it does seem like this one may be another proof-of-concept dust collector shortly after launch. I hope Nintendo proves me wrong here because it looks to have a ton of style and promise. Arms was given a release frame of spring 2017.

Splatoon 2

Nintendo’s competitive 3rd person shooter returns with new stages, new weapons, and more customization. Splatoon was a title I wanted to spend more time with but the controls always felt a little off to me. Hopefully, they’ve been tightened up a bit and we can enjoy a return to this paint-powered battleground. Not much else to say here since it seems to be a simple iterative approach to the series. Splatoon 2 is currently slated for a summer 2017 release.

Super Mario Odyssey

A new 3D Super Mario game set outside of the Mushroom Kingdom this time! While interviewing Miyamoto about this game, it was revealed that this should be a more challenging iteration in the series. Miyamoto stated that with each entry in the series, they tend to fluctuate between accessibility and challenging action and that this title will be more geared towards the latter. Many diverse environments were shown in the trailer for this title, including a thriving NYC-like metropolis (complete with pedestrians and traffic), a quaint desert town, a lush forest, and some sort of trippy, colorful geometric wonderland. Hats appear to play a large role in this new title as well. Mario’s hat will be alive in some way this time around, similar to Link’s iconic hat in Minish Cap. Bowser is also shown to be wearing a snazzy top hat (for his wedding to Princess Peach, according to a billboard in-game) that he throws like a weapon, and Mario’s ship that he uses to traverse the game world is also hat-shaped. The game looks pretty fantastic and I’m always excited for a new 3D Mario title! This one is set to release in the holiday season of 2017.

Xenoblade 2

Most places online are calling this Xenoblade Chronicles 2, but the trailer simply says Xenoblade 2. It looks to be more of a direct successor to the Chronicles series than X was, which I am completely ok with because X did not engage me the way the original Chronicles did. Monolithsoft has been fantastic at creating large worlds and it was truly impressive the scale they managed on the Wii hardware. I’m excited to see how this title turns out! No release date or window was given.

Fire Emblem Warriors

A new Warriors game mash-up with Nintendo from Koei Tecmo! I enjoyed Hyrule Warriors a lot even though I don’t particularly care for the Warriors games, typically. The Fire Emblem series is definitely one that I need to spend more time with, especially given the fantastic entries we’ve seen recently on the 3DS. No release date/window was given for this title.

Dragon Quest X & XI

Dragon Quest X has been out in Japan for a few years now, across multiple Nintendo consoles and even PC, I believe. Square Enix has not brought the title stateside yet and still may not. The conference only specifically mentioned the titles (both X & XI) coming to Japan. The newest entries of the Dragon Quest series, they follow in the footsteps of Final Fantasy with testing the waters in the MMORPG realm while claiming spots as main series’ entries. The series has always been more popular in Japan than elsewhere but hopefully they will rectify the situation and bring them to their fans in other countries. No release window or date was shown at the presentation.

Dragon Quest Heroes 1 & 2

While Dragon Quest X and XI will be separate titles, the borrowed Warriors-style Heroes games will apparently release as a single compilation on the Switch. Square has done a solid job of borrowing game styles from other developers and making them their own (Dragon Quest Builders = MineCraft, World of Final Fantasy = Pokemon), so the Heroes series is no exception. This title was also not given a release date/window.

Shin Megami Tensei

No specifics were offered other than some art shots of dilapidated buildings and some familiar characters (Jack Frost!). A new, full SMT title on a home console is surely a welcome addition to any game library though. No further details or release date were offered.

Project Octopath Traveler

Sounds odd, looks fantastic! A mix of retro and new RPG styles. Not much is known other than a few screens and a short trailer. It apparently comes from the team behind the excellent Bravely series, which already puts it up there on a list of games you’ll want to play (or should, at least).

Skyrim

We knew it was coming from the Switch unveiling but now it’s confirmed. Todd Howard had lovely things to say about Nintendo and hopefully, this will be the start of Bethesda bringing more titles to Nintendo platforms. However, they’re charging the full $59.99 for a game that is now nearly 6 years old. It’s unclear whether this is the remastered edition or not, but if it’s the entirely same game, the price point is a bit steep at this point in its life regardless of how amazing the game is. The game is currently set for a fall 2017 release.

No More Heroes

No real specifics were given about this title other than Travis Touchdown was making his way back to Nintendo’s consoles. Suda 51 remarked about the indie scene on the Switch and how it appears to be very friendly to smaller developers, and that interested him (since he’s kind of indie/weird). If you’re not familiar with the series, check it out. The premise was, what if a Johnny Knoxville-esque character was interested in martial arts, sci-fi, and things of that nature, ordered a lightsaber-like weapon from the internet only to find himself thrust into a global competition of ranked assassins. It was a very weird game but hilarious and pretty enjoyable. The first game was released on the Wii and then rereleased later for the PS3. The sequel was only released on the Wii, as far as I know. No release details were shared during the conference.

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

OMGOMGOMGOMG, new Zelda trailer and official confirmation that the game will be a launch title for the Switch! There’s so much going on in this trailer. Our first look a Zelda, a better look at some of the villages, more views of the Master Sword in its pitiable state, many of the races from the series (Koroks, Gorons, Zoras, Gerudo, and Rito), new abilities (shield surfacing while tethered to wild animals), and so much more! Every trailer gets me more and more excited for this game and it’s only like a month an a half away! The line of Breath of the Wild amiibo was also expanded during the announcements. In addition to the Archer Link, Rider Link, and Guardian amiibo we knew about, Nintendo has added Zelda and Bokoblin amiibo as well. If the trailer, amiibo, and release date weren’t enough, two collector’s editions were announced: The Special Edition and Master Edition exclusively for the Switch. As of writing this, the Master Edition is sold out everywhere. Nintendo commented that it was meant to be a very limited edition and so it was. The Master Edition includes the game for the Nintendo Switch, a map of Hyrule with the reverse side depicting the “Calamity Ganon,” a soundtrack, a collectible coin, a carrying case for the Switch modeled after the Sheikah Slate, and a statue of the Master Sword. botwme

The Special Edition comes with all of the same contents with the exception of the Master Sword statue. Additionally, details were shared around the differences between the Wii U and the Switch versions of the game. The main difference I’ve read is that the Wii U version will be capped at 720p and the Switch version will be 900p (when docked) and 720p (when not). Load times will also be slightly faster on the Switch due to the difference between cartridges and discs. Other than that, it has been stated that the controls, contents, and frame rate will be the same between editions. Regardless of which system you play on, the title continues to impress with its gorgeous open world and endless amounts of adventure you can have! I may need to take some time off around release day…

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Shown in the official unveiling of the Switch, we have more details around the Mario Kart title we now know as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The game includes all of the DLC from the Wii U version, in addition to some new characters and an updated Battle Mode (with the return of some classic items, as well). Mario Kart is always a fun time and being able to play a full console-quality Mario Kart on the go is going to be great as well. The only downside is I assume this will be a full-priced title for a slightly updated port.

Other Games

A few other games of note (in my opinion) have been announced recently as well. Tokyo RPG Factory’s I am Setsuna was announced for the Switch during the information dump over the past few days. An RPG I’ve been needing to spend more time with, I am Setsuna borrows from the golden era of RPGs but brings a modern feel to it. Taking much of its heritage from Chrono Trigger, the game was decently received but kind of ignored because of its steep entry price ($40 for a digital-only title).

Sega’s Sonic Mania is also slated for release on the Switch. This looks to be a return to form for the Blue Blur. Very old school look and feel to this one, which hopefully focuses on speed and level design more than new characters or weird gameplay tweaks. Sega, we just want to go fast and do some light platforming. This looks to satisfy that itch, with any luck.

Rime. This game looked fantastic when announced as a Playstation exclusive a couple of years ago and then it disappeared off the face of the Earth. Well, it has recently resurfaced, rebranded for multiple platforms including the Switch! Boasting an art style similar to Breath of the Wild, the game appears to be an action puzzler with vibes of Shadow of the Colossus meets the Witness. I’ll be keeping an eye on this one for sure!

With many other titles announced, I’m going to stop here or I may go on forever. This gives you a good look into some of the games coming to the Switch this year and a bit beyond. Nintendo has stated that over 50 companies are currently developing over 80 titles for the Switch, and that’s just the beginning. If the system is well received, that number will only continue to grow.

Parting Thoughts

While the launch day lineup is very thin, I still think Zelda and a few of the other titles will hold most fans over until more content arrives. The pricey accessories are a bit worrying as well, but for most titles, you are set with what comes out of the box. More new games need to be shown and fewer older titles/ports. Regardless, I am looking forward to the release and Switching (*snap*) the way I play!

Too much? Yeah, that was too much. Sorry. I like the little snap sound…

Exciting Things In Early 2017

December 31, 2016 / admin

2017 Rollover, from innovationexcellence.com
(Image from Innovation Excellence (Thanks Google))

Hello and sorry for the delay in writing new content. Between weddings and the holidays (read: adulting and social obligations), I haven’t had much time to put a new post to the page, but I’m here to rectify that now! 2016 had some high peaks and low troughs but now’s the time to look forward to the new year and that means A LOT of new games. Seeing as there are too many to list for the entire year, I’m just going to briefly mention a few things I’m excited for, in no particular order, that should be arriving in the first quarter of the year or so (in the world of adulthood, time is measured in quarters of years, just go with it).

The Nintendo Switch

I’ve written about this a few times before, but I’m very excited about the Nintendo Switch. I’m curious to see what more they have to unveil (besides a price point and official release date) during the January 12th presentation. Will we see more attachments? New features of the base hardware we’ve not been shown? New titles being confirmed? Hopefully, it’s all of the above. Since the last write up I did about the Switch, rumors have come out that the unit will run at a 40% power reduction while not nestled in the cradle. This makes sense and many devices do this currently. You trade off some of the raw power of the device for extended battery life, it’s nothing new and nothing to worry about, in my opinion. Nintendo will make sure its games are still playable at the reduced power levels. Whether that means they’ll be downscaled to require less “umph” (

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Continuing on the Nintendo train, Breath of the Wild continues to look fantastic. The Legend of Zelda is one of my favorite game series, if not my absolute favorite. This entry appears to take the original, more open style of the game and put a modern spin on it and there’s still so much we don’t know! We’ve barely glimpsed villages and NPCs. They’ve teased some kind of airship and wingsuited/flying villain. Armors and weapons that have yet to be seen, Epona hasn’t been shown in a while, other neat tricks the game’s engine can perform (like setting grass on fire with a Fire Rod, fanning it with a Deku Leaf, and riding the updraft from the flames with the same leaf, which is kind of ridiculous), and more! I’m ready to jump, climb, fight, and lose myself in this new iteration of Hyrule. New (and nasty) rumors are saying that the game is going to be delayed again so the system can launch with the new Mario title (also excited about) and Nintendo can avoid competing with itself over which title is a must-have (por que no los dos?). Hopefully, during the Switch press conference on the 12th, we’ll get more concrete details about the game. Until then, I’m hoping and praying it’s still a launch title.

Persona 5

The Persona series has become super stylized in recent years. I was sold on the series watching the intro to Persona 3 and reading all the stellar reviews of the game at the time. Part dungeon-crawler, part high school social sim, all JRPG. Memento mori, Evokers, and the dark theme all drew me in. The series has presented a lot of interesting ideas about coming to terms with one’s true self, death, pop culture consumption, and many others. Persona 5 has been long-gestating and constantly delayed (partially due to Atlus being purchased by Sega and the voice actors’ strike) but looks fantastic from all the information released. It even has a pretty excellent prequel anime episode that helps set up the story we’ll be jumping into in this iteration. The series has spawned anime, manga, and gaming off-shoots, some of which even tie together the entries of the series which are usually stand alone. Most recently, the game was delayed from its projected release date of Valentine’s Day to April 4th (not technically the first quarter of 2017 but I did say, “or so” 😛 ).

Horizon: Zero Dawn

Guerrilla Games has continuously impressed with their newest title for the PS4. The story is intriguing: robotic creatures have overtaken the earth and humans have been mostly relegated to small tribes, their cities having been reclaimed by nature. Think Native Americans with high tech weaponry hunting robotic animals instead of flesh-and-blood ones. The gameplay looks smooth and varied (though they’re probably playing on the PS4 Pro, as seems to be the case recently when titles are being demoed), and has kind of a Monster Hunter vibe to it. The facial expressions/speech options looked a little stiff and weaker than the rest of what has been presented but that doesn’t take away much from the rest of the showcase. I’ve tried to avoid watching too much of the game, so as to avoid any potential spoilers or seeing too much in the trailers (a common issue these days), so that’s all I really know about it. We’ll find out early next year if it ends up being worth our time.

Virtual Reality

This one is a bit more broad than just any one specific title or platform but having played a bit of VR here at the advent, it’s got a lot of promise. The Vive seems to be leading the pack at the moment, with solid motion controls, room scale for a bit of maneuverability, and other features packed in the headset. It’s great to bring out at parties and give people a taste of the immersion VR offers. 2017 will hopefully see hardware become a bit more affordable, software become a bit more prevalent, and a killer app that manages to sell a full-fledged video game in a VR package rather than a tech demo or an “experience.” Many hurdles still need to be addressed, such as in-game motion that doesn’t cause nausea but also isn’t point-and-click teleportation. Space/movement requirements in the real world and properly marking off boundaries without pulling users out of the game world by throwing up a boundary marker in-game. The hardware itself needs to be addressed as well. Every major headset available currently (Oculus, Vive, and PlayStation VR) tethers you to whatever hardware is powering it. Cutting the cord causes quite the concern for the headsets, both from a power standpoint, as well as a tracking one, but until people aren’t worried about strangling themselves with a cable or pulling down their whole entertainment center by yanking a cord during frantic gameplay, the medium is going to be limited in what it can accomplish. As for early 2017, PlayStation VR is getting Resident Evil 7. If the Beginning Hour demo is any indication, we’re in for a terrifying experience. I’m sure we’ll see plenty of internet videos of people playing the game and being scared out of their minds. Additionally, Star Wars Battlefront recently received a DLC in the form of an X-Wing Mission Pack for the PlayStation VR. If you haven’t ever entertained the idea of flying an X-Wing in full immersion, you probably didn’t see the Star Wars movies during your formative years and I apologize for whoever dropped the ball on that one. Regardless of platform, I hope VR sees some growth in the coming year because it has plenty of potential and just needs the right people to harness it.

I’m going to call it quits with these few things. Gaming has plenty more to be excited about in 2017 though (Mass Effect: Andromeda, for example)! Feel free to leave a comment or drop me an e-mail about what you’re excited for in the new year of gaming and whatever your plans may be this evening, be smart and be safe.

See you in the new year!

Pokemon STARring On A New Console?

November 19, 2016 / admin

(Image from Pokemon Database)

Pokemon Sun and Moon launched yesterday to solid praise across the board. I myself am about an hour or so in to my adventures in the Alola region (playing Sun for those wondering. Also #TeamRowlet). The new games, which Nintendo has stated are the most preordered entries in the long-running series, improve upon the 3D of their predecessors, add new features, and of course new Pokemon that you’ll need to catch to be the very best (like no one ever was!).

Now that you’re singing the theme song, think back over the long 20-year history of the Pokemon series (and let it sink in that the first games came out 20 years ago in Japan). The catch’em all craze has been largely relegated to the handheld market, with a few non-main entries appearing on consoles along the way. Game Freak and Nintendo have maintained that this stance is due to the nature of the beasts. It’s in the name, Pokemon or Pocket Monsters. They’re meant to be brought with you, travelling companions on the road of life, arm-in-arm, you’ll win the fight, it’s always been your dream (I’ll stop now). With that in mind, the series have never made a full debut on a console since it wasn’t fitting with the theme.

Until now…

With the upcoming release of the Nintendo Switch, the lines between mobile and home console gaming are being blurred. It has already been stated that a Pokemon game is in development for the Switch’s launch window (roughly within 6 months of release) but no further details were offered. Well, according to several sources that spoke to Eurogamer, that entry could potentially be the third entry to the Sun/Moon lineup. Rumored to be Pokemon Stars, the title would be the first full-fledged entry on a home console to date. The sources that spoke with Eurogamer claimed that the entry has been pushed back from that launch window slightly but will feature enhanced visuals, potentially new Pokemon, and the ability to transfer your Pokemon from Sun/Moon through the Pokemon Bank app.

It makes sense as well, because the formula to release a third game to fill out a generation has been observed for each generation from the inception up through Diamond/Pearl/Platinum. Black/White received sequels in the form of Black 2/White 2, a first for the series, and X/Y bucked the trend, though a Pokemon Z was long-rumored. Pokemon Stars finishing out the Sun/Moon lineup falls in line with this trend and would be a welcome addition to the Pokemon family.

This would also be a smart move on Nintendo’s part. Fans have been clamoring for a console entry to the series for years now and if it sells well, they may even make one from the ground up for the Switch (still holding my breath for a Pokemon MMO, at some point). Further to that point, I think a main series entry would be a great selling point for the Switch, especially come holiday season next year. The mobile/console hybrid is the perfect proving ground for a Pokemon game to make its way out of a strictly handheld market. What other features could be brought to bear on the new system remain to be seen, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some Pokemon to catch.

Nintendo, A Cautionary Tale

November 12, 2016 / admin

Nintendo Logo, from Nintendo Wikia
(Image from Nintendo Wikia)

A few months ago, Nintendo announced the NES Classic Edition Console, a small, retro NES complete with 30 fan-favorite games, a controller identical in appearance to that of the original NES (compatible with the Wii/Wii U via Wiimote), and nostalgia-inducing packaging to boot (oh, an HDMI cord and AC adapter as well, but whatever, those aren’t exciting). To top off the bundle, Nintendo included modes for standard 4:3 aspect ratio as well as a CRT filter for scan lines to give you the true 80’s feel. With a $59.99 price point ($9.99 for an additional remote), people were frothing at the mouth for some good ol’ classic Nintendo goodness.

But it was not meant to be.

Yesterday, the NES Classic Edition released with EXTREMELY limited stock around the nation, as well as no apparent options for preordering. This left a lot of people with a sour taste and some negative feelings towards the Big N, with some people in comments sections (which I usually try to avoid) claiming that they will not be purchasing the Nintendo Switch because of this shortage.

Nintendo has been known in recent years to constantly short-ship many popular products. Starting with the Wii, which was near impossible to get until almost 6+ months after launch, through the popular Amiibo toys-to-life line, onto the Pokemon Go Plus, and now, the NES Classic Edition. Nintendo can’t seem to get their production quantities.

Or can they?

If you look back at the Wii console, I don’t think Nintendo had an idea how big of a hit they had on their hands. Morning talk shows were raving about it, grandparents were playing it with (and without) their grandchildren, they popped up in libraries and dorm rooms across the nation and kept going. Eventually, the demand petered out but the explosive response was more than they could have hoped for, let alone planned for.

Amiibo were similarly fated. Nintendo has not manufactured toys in many years, so I assume that capability isn’t something you can just snap your fingers and magically produce infinite quantities of plastic figurines with microchips in them. Supply quickly outpaced demand for Amiibo and they rose in the rankers of scalpers’ dreams, making the supply even more scarce. Nintendo did not want to flood the market and leave shelves full of unsold figurines, as many toy-to-life options had and continued to do. Eventually, fan favorites/hard to find Amiibo would be reprinted and everyone could have their character of choice immortalized as a tiny, glorified desk decoration*.

The Pokemon Go Plus also had a very short shelf life before initial quantities were snatched up. Nintendo has commented that more will be produced and they will continue to make them as demand requires. However, by the time the first batch had shipped, Pokemon Go had lots the sizzle of the sensation from its early days as a mobile phenomenon. Either underestimating how lazy people are, how efficient the Go Plus is at keep people from being glued to their phones, or overestimating the decline of the game, this shortage has continued to frustrate and alienate Nintendo fans.

Which brings us to the NES Classic Edition. The most egregious error, if you are to believe the comments sections. Toying with our nostalgia hits hard in our hearts and people are ridiculously upset with Nintendo over this transgression. No timeline was given for more units, just the standard response that they will continue to ship them as they are manufactured. The same people who bemoan the short cord on the NES Classic controller from one side of their mouths cry foul with the other that they can’t get their hands on one of these units. It seems Nintendo doesn’t care about their fans…

Except I see it as the other way around.

So many people have jumped ship from Nintendo, saying that Nintendo needs to get with the times. They want gritty, mature experiences that grow with them as gamers, not the “for kids” attitude Nintendo seems to take with all of their products. Most people consider Nintendo relegated to a place of secondary importance. You buy Sony or Microsoft’s new console and Nintendo’s as a supplement, if you buy it at all. I believe it’s this mindset that has pushed Nintendo to where they are today.

Nintendo has a relatively new president in Tatsumi Kimishima after the tragic passing of Satoru Iwata last summer. New management and a new direction, coupled with the shrinking space Nintendo holds in the market has pushed them to be more cautious with their endeavors. Overproducing units that just sit on shelves is wasteful. People aren’t putting their money where their mouths are (though it could be argued they can’t because of shortages), so Nintendo is putting out feelers to gauge interest before diving in and committing to larger productions. This can be seen with the launch of the Switch as well. Nintendo has stated that only 2 million units will ship initially, which is less than the Wii U shipped with. There will be shortages and we can blame ourselves for that. When you don’t buy the things a company produces, they produce less to mitigate their losses. They want to be optimistic that things will be different this time, but recent history for them has not shown this to be the case.

To play devil’s advocate, Nintendo could do more on their end to fine tune the situation to more of a happy medium. By taking preorders a bit further in advance, the company could have had a better measure of interest and adjusted production accordingly. Additionally, they have to be cognizant of the fact that a large portion of their business is powered by nostalgia. Virtual Console games, retro compilations, remakes, and the old school gaming market flourishing should be indicative of the interest in these classic titles. I don’t know how many times I’ve repurchased Super Mario World or Ocarina of Time in one format or another, but it’s not an insignificant amount of times. People love being reminded of “simpler” times and if Nintendo can keep giving people that (with enough improvements to justify the cost, like the retro modes/filters), they will keep people coming back. If they don’t start assessing their markets a bit better though, they are going to continue to alienate potential customers through perceived disservice and their caution will end up doing more harm than good in the end.

Nintendo has seen that there is interest for the NES Classic Edition and will produce and ship more. All we can do is remain patient, keep our eyes open, and speak to them with our wallets. In the end, they are a business and that’s going to be the language that gets through to them the loudest.

*- I own most of the Amiibo (excluding the Amiibo cards) and think they’re criminally underutilized. I hope some games are in development that make better use of them.

More Switch News (& Other Tidbits)

October 29, 2016 / admin

Nintendo Switch, from Polygon
(Image from Polygon)

The Nintendo Switch is on everyone’s minds after last week’s unveiling of the new system. Nintendo’s president, Tatsumi Kimishima, has given a few cryptic hints to further whet our collective appetites for more info and rumors continue to fly as Nintendo closes the vault door again after only giving us a peek at the wonderful, nerdy treasures inside. For more concrete details, we will be waiting until January 12. Waiting until after the holidays/new year when the system would potentially be forgotten in the hustle and bustle of the season is smart on Nintendo’s part and it kickstarts the new year with an updated look at the system, as well as starting the ~2 month countdown until the system’s release in March.

Speaking with Bloomberg, Kimishima didn’t give away much. He mentioned that Nintendo has only shown the core concept of the system, not what it is fully capable of. It seems they have more accessories up their sleeves, potentially a few that will be interchangeable with the Joy-Cons strapped to the side of the Switch. Rumors have been flying about the potential add-ons here, everything from infrared pointers to projectors that register motion.

An interesting bit of phrasing to note was that Kimishima said they want people to touch they console in January and experience it for themselves to fully understand what Nintendo is trying to do. The use of the word “touch” here is probably reading into it a bit much, but rumors are saying that the system will feature a 720p touchscreen, which has yet to be confirmed by Nintendo. I believe the comment was made more in the vein of getting hands-on time in order to truly understand what the system can do. Nintendo did not do a good job explaining this with the Wii U and all the cool things/ways of play that it could muster, or of differentiating it in their marketing so parents understood this was a new system, not just a Wii add-on (much like the DS/3DS). In breaking with the “Wii” branding and giving people the opportunity to actually play the console in a sufficient amount of time prior to launch, I think they are setting themselves up to be heard and understood this time. One of their main design philosophies has been to make hardware around their games, not the other way around. So if people don’t understand the hardware, then they’re not going to understand the unique ways to play the games that the company is publishing either. But I digress…

Those of you who were worried about the longevity of the 3DS need not be concerned, as Nintendo’s president has confirmed that they will continue pushing the 3DS as they feel it has a market separate from what the Switch will inhabit. That doesn’t mean consumers will see it that way. If you can play console quality games on the go, why would you settle for a (probably fantastic) 3DS title? Portability, battery life, established install bases, and plenty of other things will factor into this, for certain, but I can’t help but think that Nintendo is going to be stealing a portion of its own market (or maybe occupying the Vita’s shrinking real estate).

2 months and 15 days (but who’s counting?) will tell what we actually receive. Hopefully at that time, they give us a firm release date, price, and what’s included in the launch bundle(s). I assume there will be multiple configurations available, both varied in hard drive space and bundled accessories. Also, if by some chance you’re reading this Nintendo, give us some news about the Breath of the Wild amiibo while you’re at it! I’m going to need one of everything (Switch and Zelda amiibo), please and thank you!

In Other News

Square-Enix had a couple of exciting announcements this week. In addition to releasing the opening cinematic for Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Remix, we were treated to the news that 1.5 Remix and 2.5 Remix are being bundled and remastered for the PS4 so for the first time, the entire series, in all its convoluted glory, will be available on one console. So anyone who has been living under a rock for the past 15 years (Yeah, it’s been that long. I know it’s weird and we’re old. Take a moment, if you need it.), can play/watch from start to finish to prepare you for Kingdom Hearts 3, which is set to release next year. Now, you just have to decide the order in which to play the games. It’s kind of like a Star Wars dilemma. Chronological according to release date? Chronological according to the game’s story? Or some butchered version, hopping around to not spoil any plot points until they were intended to be revealed? I’ll leave that up to you to decide.

Not be left out, Final Fantasy XV also had a new bit of info drop. There’s going to be a DLC pack that allows you to play multiplayer, online, with each of the main 4 heroes being controlled by a human player! I assume this will be in some segmented story arc, rather than in the main campaign but since a good bit of the story revolves around Noctis and his band of brothers, it would be cool if you could experience the game with a brotherhood of your own at the helm. We’re almost exactly a month away from the game’s release and I’m ready to dive in and find out whether the 10+ year wait has been worth it!

The last bit of news was slightly more recent than even the above tidbits. Square-Enix has launched a teaser site, currently with a 5 day countdown, for a new Final Fantasy title for iPhone/Android. While there have been plenty of Final Fantasy titles of varying degrees of quality for mobile already, the interesting part of this is that it features a note from Chrono Trigger’s director, Takashi Tokita, as well as the fantastic art of Yoshitaka Amano (who has had ties to the Final Fantasy series since its inception, I believe). This already bodes incredibly well for the title as many JRPGs fans hold Chrono Trigger in very high esteem and having this duo on-board shows that Square-Enix (hopefully) isn’t “phoning” this one in. *insert pun husky photo here*

I’ll see myself out…

The Last Guardian Has Gone Gold!

October 24, 2016 / admin

Last Guardian, from PlayStation.com
(Image from PlayStation.com)

It’s almost like a dream… The Last Guardian has finally gone gold. It’s really going to be released in December. I thoroughly enjoyed Shadow of the Colossus and have fond memories of my freshman year suitemates gathering around to watch me climb impossibly large bosses, be flung around while clinging wildly to the back of flying deities, and throwing myself from Agro onto passing behemoths to stab them in their glow-y spots. ICO, I am ashamed to say, is a game I never completed but have still heard fantastic things about. I remember back in 2012, I was at my parent’s house over Christmas break and I got a call from GameStop. It was a pre-recorded message telling me that Christmas was ruined…

Ok, not really. I’m being dramatic, but it WAS letting me know that the Last Guardian had been cancelled and my preorder deposit was going to be refunded, I just needed to visit my local store to get everything squared away. Well, I wasn’t having any of that. Determined that it had to be some kind of cruel joke, I left my $5 reservation on what became “No Sku Found” for another year before finally, the credit was forcibly returned to me in the form of a $5 gift certificate.

Still choosing not to believe it was actually cancelled, I would talk about the long in-development title with friends who similarly loved Shadow of the Colossus and about what had been teased up to that point. Trico was oddly beautiful. The weird cat-bird-thing that was to be our companion on this adventure. The no doubt heart-wrenching story we would endure upon release and the grand tale that would fill the in-between.

Still, no news broke about the game…

And then it happened. We got some news in early 2015. The Last Guardian trademark had lapsed/been abandoned. Hope seemed lost. Sony did not leave us in our time of need though, as E3 2015 rolled around. A new trailer, for the PS4, and a very wide launch window.

2016.

After originally being announced back in 2009, I believe, the wait is now almost over. Will the long gestating title live up to its name and the legacy of its predecessors? That remains to be seen. Early hands-on articles report camera issues that seemed to plague games around the time of Last Guardians inception. If that’s the only criticism that can be laid at its feet for now, I can deal with that. I can be very forgiving of flaws in games that excel in other areas, such as storytelling or the remaining gameplay elements outside of the camera. When it’s all said and done, I am just excited to return to JAPAN Studio’s next foray into the world of ICO/Shadow of the Colossus. After 7 years, December doesn’t seem so far away…