There are a lot of short tips that cycle through the brief loading screens of Snake Pass. The most helpful was perhaps the most obvious: “Remember, think like a snake.” I wouldn’t be entirely satisfied categorizing this as a physics-based puzzle game. Calling it a platformer is closer, but you can’t jump. Stick this game into any established category and you’ll find that its slithery nature slips right back out. Snake Pass is, mechanically speaking, a sort of deconstruction of the 3D platformer. It’s not quite like anything I’ve ever played.

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[Review] I Am Setsuna

Posted on 7 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 46 Comments

System: Switch (eShop)
Release date: March 3, 2017
Developer: Tokyo RPG Factory
Publisher Square Enix

Sometimes nostalgia gets the best of us. We look back on the vast history of video games and how far we’ve come, what’s changed and what hasn’t, for better or for worse. There are certain mechanics that evolve so much over time throughout all genres that we tend to forget how things once were when they became innovative for their time. The RPG genre has come a long way, stepping away from the linearity and turn-based tradition and heading more towards an open-world and free-form combat in a flashy hack-n-slash fashion. Sometimes, however, you want to go back to basics and back to a time that makes you fall in love with the genre all over again and elicits strong feelings of nostalgia and purity that may have faded over time as we’ve grown. I Am Setsuna brings us back to the 90’s at a time when Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Parasite Eve, and a slew of other Square titles were pushing a new wave of gameplay with their Active Time Battle systems – ATB for short – where you could attack at any given point once a meter was filled rather than wait your turn in a chess-like fashion like traditional RPGs. I Am Setsuna not only brings us back to a time where RPGs were at their best thanks to their deep worlds, battle systems, and innocent art styles, but brings with it a reimagining to a forgotten style of gameplay that feels fantastic to have back in a modern take.

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[Let’s Talk] Splatoon 2 Global Testfire impressions

Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk, Switch | 31 Comments

Splatoon 2 will be ready sometime this summer. However, Nintendo has been giving fans an early taste of the game with Splatoon 2 Global Testfire. Hour-long sessions have been taking place since yesterday, allowing players to battle against others online.

How many of you have had a chance to give Splatoon 2 Global Testfire a go? What do you think of the controls and new Muscle Musselforge Fitness stage? Did any of you skip the first title and might be willing to give this one a shot? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Highlights from last week’s topic: Which indie games are you looking forward to on Switch?

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[Let’s Talk] Which indie games are you looking forward to on Switch?

Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk, Switch eShop | 50 Comments

The verdict is out on just how much third-party support Switch will receive. If there’s anything we can count on though, it’d be indie support.

The Switch Nindies Showcase from the end of February proved just how much smaller developers are comitted to the platform. SteamWorld Dig 2, Runner3, Flipping Death, and Wargroove were just some of the games announced.

These aren’t dinky little games we’re talking about here. The SteamWorld series has received wide acclaim. Everyone knows just how good the Runner games are. Flipping Death is the spiritual successor to Stick it to the Man. Wargroove should interest Advance Wars fans who haven’t been shown much love lately.

And again, this is just a tip of the iceberg. Yooka-Laylee, Stardew Valley, Pocket Rumble, Shakedown Hawaii, TumbleSeed, Graceful Explosion Machine, Overcooked, and Thumper are among the many titles in the pipeline. Even better, most of these titles are coming this year.

So what’s on your radar right now? Are there any games in particular that tickle your fancy? Let us know below!

Highlights from last week’s topic: What are you playing? – March 2017

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[Let’s Talk] What are you playing? – March 2017

Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, Let's Talk | 19 Comments

We’re a little ways into March, so we want to know what everyone is up to with their gaming sessions as of late. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is no doubt something that many of you are playing, but I’m willing to bet there are at least a few of you out there who are spending your time with something else. Plus, I know some folks enjoy going through more than one game at once.

So what are you playing right now? Is Zelda: Breath of the Wild indeed taking up most of your time? Let us know in the comments below.

Highlights from last week’s topic: Your impressions of Switch and Zelda: Breath of the Wild

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[Review] Super Bomberman R

Posted on 7 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 10 Comments

System: Switch
Release date: March 3, 2017
Developer: Konami / Hexadrive
Publisher Konami

Super Bomberman R sees the return of a series that’s been dormant for nearly a decade, this time returning exclusively on Switch. Bomberman has a long and illustrious history thanks to its simple gameplay and arcade-like presentation that makes it easy for anyone to jump in at any time and have fun, regardless of skill level or familiarity with the series or the medium in general. Super Bomberman R, however, for all its worth lacks quite a bit for its price of entry, and while the fun and arcade feeling is still there, don’t expect to feel fulfilled by the end of it all – especially if you’re playing solo.

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[Review] Snipperclips – Cut it out, together!

Posted on 7 years ago by Jakob Vujovic(@jakovujo) in Reviews, Switch eShop | 24 Comments

System: Switch (eShop)
Release date: March 3, 2017
Developer: SFB Games
Publisher Nintendo

In most cases I find it exhausting when reviews for launch games go on and on about the new piece of hardware it’s on. With that said, it’s unavoidable to mention how well suited Snipperclips is to the modularity and modes of the Switch and its Joy-Con. On top of being an excellent puzzle game on its own, Snipperclips is the Switch’s premier local multiplayer showcase.

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[Let’s Talk] Your impressions of Switch and Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk, Switch | 43 Comments

It’s almost tough to believe that Switch and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are finally here. With Switch, we’ve been waiting on it ever since late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata teased it as NX two years ago. The wait for Zelda has been even longer as it was first mentioned in a January 2013 Nintendo Direct.

It may only be around two days, but we’d love to hear about what everyone thinks of Switch and Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Have they lived up to your expectations? Are they disappointing you in any way? Let us know in the comments below.

Highlights from last week’s topic: Will you play Switch more as a console or a portable?

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[Review] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Posted on 7 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch, Wii U | 11 Comments

System: Switch (reviewed) / Wii U
Release date: March 3, 2017
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda’s prolific, seminal history has been striking the hearts of players across the globe for three decades. Attachment fans have with the series has withstood the test of time thanks to its immense and vibrant world of Hyrule, memorable characters, iconic set pieces, composition, and more. Now the newest Zelda game is finally here and puts players back in Hyrule where they must protect the kingdom from the ferocious evil that is Calamity Ganon after being asleep for 100 years. Breath of the Wild breaks out of a lot of classic Zelda traits, while instilling new ones and simultaneously making the world and game familiar for veterans, as well as accessible and eye-opening to new players alike. Breath of the Wild is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, not just for Zelda standards, but for gaming as a whole.

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[Just a Chat] Switch and Zelda: Breath of the Wild impressions

Posted on 7 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Just a Chat, Switch, Videos | 2 Comments

Just a Chat finally returns after a very lengthy hiatus. What better time to bring it back now that we have access to the final Switch hardware and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild?

It wouldn’t be a return without some audio issues! I ended up having some problems, but fortunately it didn’t affect the discussion much since Dennis did most of the talking. After all, Dennis has been the one playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild a ton over the past few days!