[Review] Endless Ocean Luminous
Posted on 7 months ago by Nicholas Serpa in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: May 2, 2024
Developer: Akira
Publisher: Nintendo
As thoroughly as humanity has managed to explore the surface of our planet up through the present day, it’s a well-known fact that the vast majority of Earth’s oceans remain unexplored. And while plenty of games have sought to make tangible the feeling of exploring an underwater realm, Nintendo’s Endless Ocean series remains one of only a handful that focuses on our planet’s biology first and foremost. It’s been over a decade since the last game in the series, Endless Ocean: Blue World, released on the Wii; that game has held a special place in my heart ever since, so I was excited to see Endless Ocean Luminous announced for the Switch. In some ways, it manages to bring the series forward in exactly the ways I had hoped – its expanded focus on multiplayer helps the sprawling seas feel a little more lively and dynamic, and enhanced controls and visuals make the act of exploring more pleasant than ever. Unfortunately, as an overall experience, Endless Ocean Luminous is a significant step backward from its predecessor in many ways, resulting in a package that feels significantly shallower than I had hoped.
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The complete history of Mythical Pokemon events
Posted on 7 months ago by Ethan in 3DS, DS, Features, GBA, Switch | 0 comments
One of the most common criticisms of modern Pokemon is its handling of Mythical Pokemon. Though the recent Mochi Mayhem DLC in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is a welcome exception, several important Mythical Pokemon have drawn attention for their distinct lack of backstory. Otherwise well-designed creatures like Diancie, Volcanion, Zeraora, and Zarude are somewhat notorious for doing absolutely nothing in the games they were introduced in. Today, we’re going over all the interesting Mythical Pokemon events the games have had to offer and coming up with new ones for the Mythical Pokemon that didn’t receive one.
[Let’s Talk] What are you playing? – May 2024
Posted on 7 months ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 0 comments
A new month just started up this week. Now that we’re in May, we want to know what you’ve been playing.
Did you pick up Nintendo’s latest Switch release, Endless Ocean Luminous? How about other games like Another Crab’s Treasure, El Shaddai HD Remaster, or Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes? No matter the case, let us know in the comments.
[Rapid Review] Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs
Posted on 7 months ago by Ethan in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: May 9, 2024
Developer: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Pac-Man has quite an extensive library of games available on Switch, and Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs is the latest entry in the series. Much like Pac-Man 99 that came before it, Chomp Champs is a battle royale-style elimination game where you go up against a large group of other players. Mega Tunnel Battle actually got its start on Google Stadia back in 2020, and Chomp Champs is an updated version of the game with cross-platform play included for the first time ever. The Deluxe version includes exclusive skins that you can use to customize your Pac-Man avatar – and even without the Deluxe version, you can still earn in-game currency that lets you unlock additional costumes and customization options.
10 of the best Kirby games ever made
Posted on 7 months ago by Ethan in Features, GameCube | 0 comments
While we wait for his next adventure, we’ve compiled a list of the ten best Kirby games of all time. As always, don’t take this list as pure fact – it’s always just opinion, and if you have your own thoughts on which games should be ranked where, feel free to tell us in the comments down below.
Kirby’s been on more than a handful of adventures. There are over 30 different games to choose from, and each one has its own unique story and gameplay loop. It stands to reason, then, that a few of these games are better than others. We haven’t seen or heard anything from Kirby in 2024 – and even then, the past few years have been great for the pink puffball.
[Review] Tales of Kenzera: ZAU
Posted on 7 months ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: April 23, 2024
Developer: Surgent Studios
Publisher: EA
As the latest title to be published under the EA Originals label, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU joins an interesting, eclectic collection of games of varying genres and quality. As the debut title of Surgent Studios it stands out as being particularly ambitious, jockeying for position in a genre already oversaturated with memorable and high quality titles, and it takes clear inspiration from some of the best out there and delivers its own unique spin on them. Unfortunately, these are the things that stop it from becoming all that it could be, and ultimately make it a game that is tough to recommend as a result.
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Kirby Star Allies lore, explained
Posted on 7 months ago by Ethan in Features, Switch | 0 comments
To many hardcore Kirby fans, Kirby Star Allies is one of the more middling entries in the series. Though it isn’t bad by any means, its simple level design and less-than-fantastic performance drew criticism when it released in 2018. Thankfully, the game is no slouch when it comes to lore – it adds a ton of it to the Kirby franchise as a whole. Today, we’re recapping Kirby Star Allies lore and explaining everything you need to know about what it adds to the series.
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[Preview] Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
Posted on 7 months ago by Reina Proctor in Previews, Switch | 0 comments
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is certainly one of the more interesting games I have had the chance to play in recent times. It is the definitive-edition of the original game released in November 2021 for Switch. The new version will include all the DLC, but even more significantly, a brand-new story campaign. I admittedly did not have a ton of experience with the franchise until SEGA recently gave me a chance to go hands-on with it for our preview, but this game’s unique story, atmosphere, and solid turn-based elements made it obvious why it’s so well loved by its fans.
More: highlight, SEGA, Shin Megami Tensei V, top
[Preview] Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble
Posted on 8 months ago by Reina Proctor in Previews, Switch | 0 comments
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble has a relatively complicated road ahead of it. It is the first brand new game in the series in nearly twelve years, and trying to balance its new content on top of reconnecting the series to its roots. Based on my recent one-hour preview, it seems to be living up to the task.
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Remembering the 3DS’ StreetPass feature
Posted on 8 months ago by Ethan in 3DS, Features | 0 comments
One major complaint that the Switch often receives is its lack of non-game features. The Wii U was perhaps Nintendo’s most “social” console yet – it included the ability to video chat friends, post messages to Miiverse, and much more. It wasn’t just the Wii U, though. The 3DS was home to its own selection of social features, including the aforementioned Miiverse plus Swapnote and then StreetPass – a feature that lets you automatically transmit data with nearby consoles to unlock exclusive content in-game. StreetPass worked perfectly with the 3DS: it’s a rather small portable handheld, which makes it easy to carry around. The same can’t quite be said of the Switch, which is generally much larger and requires Joy-Con on top of the larger tablet size. Today, we’re remembering StreetPass and some of the games it supported – plus how Nintendo’s next console (whatever it may be) could possibly bring it back.
