Have Your Say! The 10th anniversary of the Nintendo DS
Posted on 10 years ago by Patrick(@Patricklous) in DS, DSiWare, Features, Reader Poll, Reader Poll | 16 Comments
It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a decade since the Nintendo DS hit store shelves. From its humble beginnings an experimental “third pillar” to the existing GameCube and Game Boy Advance, the DS grew to become both Nintendo’s most successful console in terms of sales and the best-selling handheld of all time. The two screens and stylus controls might have been initially dismissed as a gimmick, but thanks to a great lineup of games everyone from existing fans to casual users seemed to be sold on that touch screen. Predating the boom in mobile gaming, software like Brain Training and Nintendogs helped to bring a new audience to the console. Heck, even my Grandma owns a DS!
What started as a truly terrible launch lineup (well, Super Mario 64 DS and Feel the Magic: XX/XY were okay) grew to an absolutely massive library of titles with something for everyone. Sure, there was a lot of shovelware, but it seemed like everyone from Atlus to Zoonami were backing the console. Nintendo’s New Super Mario Bros. and Pokemon games might have dominated the sales charts, but the DS became home to a number of more off-beat series like Phoenix Wright, Trauma Center, Etrian Odyssey and Dementium. I’d argue the Nintendo DS had the best third-party support of any Nintendo console since the NES, and this time Nintendo weren’t bullying publishers with oppressive, restrictive contracts!
But let’s get down to business; we’re running a bunch of DS-related features throughout the month and we need your feedback. If you remember our Big Huge NintendoEverything Wii Send-Off from 2012, you can expect something along those lines, with a series of top-arbitrary-number lists and other things. So please fill in our handy dandy voting form and help us in celebrating the best the DS had to offer.
More: best of ds, highlight, nintendo ds, top
Discussing Everything #6 – full replay
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Discussing Everything | 0 comments
Update: Now over, but you can find the full replay below.
This week’s Discussing Everything will begin at 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT as usual. We’ll be talking about the latest news, including the new Nintendo Direct (Majora’s Mask 3D, anyone?!)! You’ll also have the chance to submit any random questions/comments towards the end of today’s event.
Note that you can log in with Facebook/Twitter, but these are optional. You can choose a random username as well!
Discussing Everything #6 set for Sunday
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Discussing Everything | 1 Comment
Here’s your weekly Discussing Everything reminder! Per usual, the event will begin at 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT / 9 PM in the UK this Sunday. There’s going to be plenty to talk about thanks to this week’s Nintendo Direct!
More: top
[Weekly Screenshot] Paper Monsters Recut #5 – Freeze-Easy Sneak Peeks
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Screenshots, Weekly Screenshot, Wii U eShop | 0 comments
Our small residency with Mobot Studios has now come to an end as they show off the final weekly screenshot from the now-released Paper Monsters Recut on Wii U eShop. You can get the game for a handful of dollars if it looks like your kind of thing; it’s probably worth noting that all of the reviews have been very positive so far.
Anyway, the last screenshot shows us a bit of winter-time ambiance from the new night-time levels in the game. For those of us in the northern United States this can serve as a blistering reminder of just how cold it’s getting outside. For you lucky people that aren’t dealing with freezing temperatures: Enjoy this bit of game-made snow-laden fun.
Our final Paper Monsters Recut screenshot shows off a new nighttime level in a wintery world called Yibiki Peaks. In these snow levels you’ll encounter all sorts of “cool“ characters and power ups from Yetis, to sleds, and even submarines. We hope you’ve enjoyed the screenshots. Stay tuned for the European release of Paper Monsters Recut very soon, follow us on Twitter @MobotStudios for more news, and a big thank you to Nintendo Everything for putting together this feature!
More: highlight, Mobot Studios, Paper Monsters Recut, top
Discussing Everything #5 – full replay
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Discussing Everything | 1 Comment
Update: Now over, but you can find the full chat after the break.
This week’s Discussing Everything will begin at 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT as usual. We’ll be talking about the latest news, including tidbits from Nintendo’s latest financial results briefing! You’ll also have the chance to submit any random questions/comments towards the end of today’s event.
Note that you can log in with Facebook/Twitter, but these are optional. You can choose a random username as well!
Discussing Everything #5 scheduled for Sunday
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Discussing Everything | 0 comments
I wanted to give you all a quick heads up that Discussing Everything #5 is on schedule for Sunday once again. At 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT, we’ll be talking about all of the latest Nintendo news. You’ll have the opportunity to interact with the staff and other readers about a variety of topics! Plus, as usual, we’ll field random questions/comments towards the end of the event. Please join us!
More: top
[Weekly Screenshot] Paper Monsters Recut #4
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Screenshots, Weekly Screenshot, Wii U eShop | 1 Comment
This week’s Paper Monsters Recut screenshot introduces us to an environment found in one of the game’s later areas. We also learn a need tidbit about the game straight from Mobot Studios. View the official screenshot description below:
This is towards the end of Paper Monsters Recut at the outskirts of Lord Papyrus’ castle, which is also where you’ll encounter some of the more challenging levels in the game with multiple lava pits, fire balls, and tons of classic platforming goodness. Fun fact: in the original game this background was only used in one of the cut scenes, but we liked the look of it so much that we brought it back to use the overworld and a playable level.
More: highlight, Mobot Studios, Paper Monsters Recut, top
Discussing Everything #4 – full replay
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Discussing Everything | 0 comments
Update: Now over, but you can find the full replay below.
This week’s Discussing Everything will begin at 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT as usual. We’ll be talking about the latest news, including the Smash Bros. Wii U presentation! You’ll also have the chance to submit any random questions/comments towards the end of today’s event.
Note that you can log in with Facebook/Twitter, but these are optional. You can choose a random username as well!
Discussing Everything #4 on Sunday
Posted on 10 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Discussing Everything | 0 comments
We’ll be holding another Discussing Everything event on Sunday. Join us at 4 PM ET / 1 PM PT to talk about the latest Nintendo news and other random topics! Given yesterday’s Smash Bros. presentation, something tells me that most of the discussion will be focused on the Wii U game. I hope to see you there!
More: top
[Review] Fantasy Life (3DS)
Posted on 10 years ago by Austin(@NE_Austin) in 3DS, Features, Reviews | 7 Comments
System: Nintendo 3DS
Release Date: October 24th, 2014 (NA) September 26/27, 2014 (EU/AU)
Developer: Level 5, 1-UP Studio
Publisher: Nintendo
Author: Austin
Paper Skyrim.
The defining feature of Nintendo’s Paper Mario series is, undoubtedly, its warmth. Characters and locales that are at once unbelievable and entirely lovable, supported by music that makes you forget you’re not a kid anymore, all tied together by a simple but enjoyable story of saving the kingdom from certain doom.
The defining feature of Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series is, undoubtedly, its scope. Hundreds of quests, hundreds of hours, and a seemingly endless amount of trivial– but altogether enjoyable– gameplay to partake in.
Fantasy Life isn’t perfectly described as a combination of these two philosophies, but thinking of it in those terms would give you a fair idea of what to expect if you opted into this Level 5 adventure. It’s a tempting concept, after all: What if you could live in the world you just saved for as long as you like? What if you never had to leave those characters and locations behind after the credits had receded above the top screen of your 3DS? The possibility of harnessing the emotional weight that an adventurous tale lends to a world and then channeling it into an endless farming game (not just farming of course, but you follow) is an intriguing domain that would seemingly take a considerable amount of work to map and conquer. But Level 5 decided to grab their best cartographers and venture into the unknown, and thus Fantasy Life has burst forth onto the 3DS, covered with bruises and a few broken bones, but with a completed map of that intriguing domain nonetheless in tow.
