Nintendo Everything Refresh Ep. 05 – Xenoblade and Splatoon 3 release dates; Nintendo contractors speak out; Joy-Con repair center overwhelmed, and more
Posted on 3 years ago by Nicholas Serpa in Podcast | 0 comments
With delays being so common in the modern gaming landscape, it’s extremely rare to see the opposite – a game being released earlier than expected – occur. Against all odds, that’s exactly what happened last week when Nintendo announced it will release Xenoblade Chronicles 3 on July 29, significantly sooner than its initial release window of September 2022. On top of that, not only was Splatoon 3 was announced to be releasing on September 9, but several news reports were released that granted a rare glimpse inside Nintendo of America’s operations – and unfortunately, bringing to light some of the challenges that the company is facing regarding contractors and Joy-Con repairs. Join your hosts Nick, Nicholas, Dennis and Luiz as they discuss all this and more in this week’s episode of Nintendo Everything Refresh!
More: highlight, Splatoon 3, top, Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Nintendo Everything Refresh Ep. 04 – Nintendo expanding in Japan; Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes; Bandai-Namco’s mystery Nintendo game, and more
Posted on 3 years ago by Nicholas Serpa in Podcast, Switch | 0 comments
This week’s episode of Nintendo Everything Refresh is jam-packed, kicking off with discussion about the new Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes trailer and the gameplay mechanics and story elements it revealed. On top of that, Nintendo recently announced it will be expanding its Kyoto offices, and a mysterious new Bandai-Namco game was inadvertently revealed via a job listing that could be a remaster of a “3D Action” game made by Nintendo. Your hosts Nick, Nicolas, Dennis and Luiz will discuss all this and more in this brand new episode!
Our show is now available on most major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and Audible, or you can check out the video version below:
Nintendo Everything Refresh Ep. 03: Metroid Dread Boss Rush, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Xenoblade 10th anniversary, and more
Posted on 3 years ago by Nicholas Serpa in Podcast | 0 comments
This week on Nintendo Everything Refresh, join your hosts Nick, Nicolas, Dennis and Luiz as they discuss Metroid Dread’s exciting new Boss Rush mode, which was recently released as a free update for the game. Then stick around for the full verdict on the recently-released 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, as well as preview impressions on Neon White, the upcoming deck-building first-person combat/parkour game from Annapurna. They’ll also discuss the recent Chrono Cross release, Xenoblade’s 10th anniversary, and more.
[Review] 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
Posted on 3 years ago by Nicholas Serpa in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: April 12, 2022
Developer: Vanillaware
Publisher: Atlus
If any game is a shining example of the artistic potential of video games as a medium, I cannot think of a better recent example than 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. It is that rare type of narrative-driven experience that could only really exist as a game: a sprawling science-fiction epic with no less than 13 playable protagonists, that somehow manages to be both a beautiful side-scrolling adventure and a deep, exhilarating real-time strategy game. With so many moving pieces and a lengthy 40-hour runtime, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim could have very easily been a confusing, unfocused mess of a game, but somehow, all of these disparate elements fuse into nothing less than a masterpiece.
More: 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Atlus, highlight, top
Nintendo Everything Refresh Ep. 02: E3 cancellation, Zelda delay, LEGO Star Wars, and more
Posted on 3 years ago by Nicholas Serpa in General Nintendo, Podcast, Switch | 0 comments
Last week was surprisingly noteworthy in terms of industry-wide gaming news; not only was the sequel to the The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild delayed all the way into spring of next year, this summer’s biggest gaming event – E3 2022 – was cancelled entirely. Join your hosts Nick, Nicolas, Dennis and Luiz as they break down these topics and more in Episode 2 of Nintendo Everything Refresh, a brand new weekly news and discussion podcast!
Our show is now available on most major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Audible (with Google Podcasts coming soon), or you can check out the video version below:
Got an idea or suggestion for the show, or want to submit a fan question or topic for a future episode? Let us know in the comments, or drop us a line at [email protected].
You can also follow us on Twitter at @ndserpa (Nick Serpa), @Dayshade1999 (Nicolas Shadday), @LyonHart_ (Dennis Gagliardotto), and @Luizestrella_ (Luiz Estrella).
Nintendo Everything Refresh – Episode 01: Kirby impressions, Mario Kart DLC, folders on Switch, and more
Posted on 3 years ago by Nicholas Serpa in Features, Podcast | 0 comments
Get caught up on what’s new and exciting in the world of Nintendo with Nintendo Everything Refresh – a brand new show by the staff of Nintendo Everything!
In this inaugural episode, join your hosts Nick, Nicolas, Dennis, and Luiz as they discuss big recent news topics including the recent DSi and Wii Shop outages, Switch’s brand new “Groups” feature, and the future shutdown of Dragalia Lost. Plus, stick around for our impressions of some of the games we’ve been playing lately, including Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Rune Factory 5, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s Booster Course Pack DLC, and more.
You can check out episode 1 below.
Future episodes of Nintendo Everything Refresh will be released at the start of the week over on the Nintendo Everything YouTube channel, so be sure to subscribe and turn on notifications so you don’t miss out. Have ideas or suggestions for the show? Let us know what you think – and thanks for listening!
[Review] Rune Factory 5
Posted on 3 years ago by Nicholas Serpa in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: March 22, 2022
Developer: Hakama
Publisher: XSEED Games / Marvelous
The producer of the Rune Factory franchise, Yoshifumi Hashimoto, once summarized the games as “Harvest Moon where you wield a sword.” And while that’s technically true, it’s a bit reductive; not content in being merely another set of farming-focused slice of life experiences, the Rune Factory games lean deeper into the “role-playing” aspects of their fantasy settings, giving you more room to explore, fight, craft and shape your experience to your liking then Harvest Moon ever has. Rune Factory 5 is the first 3D entry in the franchise since 2011’s Tides of Destiny, and thus feels primed to capture the attention of more new fans than ever before. While this new entry may lack the overall polish in its mechanics and presentation that it deserves, Rune Factory 5 is still an overall rewarding experience full of charm that I thoroughly enjoyed.
More: highlight, marvelous, Rune Factory 5, top, XSEED Games
[Review] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pack DLC (wave 1)
Posted on 3 years ago by Nicholas Serpa in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: March 18, 2022
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has sold roughly a bajillion copies since it launched on Switch back in 2017 (and that’s on top of the sales of the original Wii U version), so I had been hoping for years that the game would receive some new content at some point in its life, but it was never a guarantee. Finally, though, that moment is here: this week marks the arrival of eight new courses in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as part of a new DLC pack that Nintendo promises will eventually result in 48 (!) new courses being added to the game by the end of 2023. So how do the new tracks fare so far – and will these new courses be enough to get the community excited about Mario Kart again?
More: highlight, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, top
[Review] Chocobo GP
Posted on 3 years ago by Nicholas Serpa in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: March 10, 2022
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
It takes some guts to release a Switch-exclusive kart racer on the same platform that houses the sales juggernaut that is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe; it takes even more guts to ape Nintendo’s kart racer so closely at a mechanical level that comparisons will be all but inevitable. Chocobo GP is the latest entry in Square Enix’s Final Fantasy-themed series of racing games, and it tries to set itself apart from the competition by including a fully-voiced story mode, a unique approach to power-ups, and oodles of Final Fantasy charm. Unfortunately, the slim track count and safe but unremarkable racing mechanics makes Chocobo GP feel inessential at best.
More: Chocobo GP, highlight, Square Enix, top
[Review] Arcadia Fallen
Posted on 3 years ago by Nicholas Serpa in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: January 5, 2022
Developer: Galdra Studios
Publisher: Galdra Studios
It’s hard not to respect a game that tries to punch above its weight and bring fresh ideas into a crowded genre; that alone was enough to get Arcadia Fallen on my radar. Developed by a small team and originally funded on Kickstarter, the game appears at first glance to be just another visual novel about magical beings trying to save the world, but Galdra Studios created something special by adding layers of decision-making and puzzle mechanics to what otherwise would have been a by-the-books experience. And while the individual elements of Arcadia Fallen’s presentation and systems lack the polish and nuance to match its ambitions, its heartfelt narrative and lovable cast of characters elevate the experience to something greater than the sum of its parts.
