How will Pokemon X and Y’s story tie into Pokemon Legends: Z-A?
Posted on 11 months ago by Ethan in Features, Switch | 0 comments
When you ask a Pokemon fan which set of games has the best story, they’ll probably say Black and White (or their sequels). You likely won’t get many fans telling you that Pokemon X and Y’s story is their favorite, and it’s easy to see why! It’s safe to say that a good chunk of X and Y’s development time was dedicated to the new 3D graphics — which meant a lower emphasis on story. That being said, X and Y does have some interesting lore that isn’t often discussed. With the recent announcement of Pokemon Legends: Z-A, we think lots of threads from X and Y are going to be fleshed out into something special. Today, we’re going over Pokemon X and Y’s lore and what kind of plot points you could expect to see in Pokemon Legends Z-A next year.
More: Game Freak, highlight, Pokemon Legends Z-A, Pokemon X, Pokemon Y, top
[Let’s Talk] What are you playing? – March 2024
Posted on 11 months ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 0 comments
A new month just started up last week. Now that we’re in March, we want to know what you’ve been playing.
Have you played some of the releases from the new Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase? Are you now starting up Unicorn Overlord? No matter the case, let us know in the comments.
[Review] Mediterranea Inferno
Posted on 11 months ago by NE Staff in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: March 5, 2024
Developer: Eyeguys / Lorenzo Redaelli
Publisher: Santa Ragione
Mediterranea Inferno is an intense visual novel to play through; despite technically being a slice-of-life story, it revels in its own nihilism and hedonism relentlessly, never letting up during its short runtime. Well, at least some of that nihilism seems to have rubbed off on me by the end of my playthrough, as I found myself wondering: what was the point of witnessing all of the suffering that Mediterranea Inferno so eagerly shovels at the player? For a game seemingly so focused on trying to utter profound social commentary on heavy themes like sexuality, psychological abuse and mental trauma, it disappointingly seems to have little to say beyond depicting just how low people can stoop and how crappy they can be to each other. A strong sense of visual identity aside, Mediterranea Inferno was a game that I actively did not enjoy experiencing, and I struggle to understand who this story is even for.
[Review] Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story
Posted on 12 months ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: February 21, 2024
Developer: Lazy Bear Games
Publisher: Riot Forge
In the wake of its tenth anniversary Riot Forge Games has taken League of Legends into some interesting places with a variety of single-player games giving us some alternate (and for those of us not into the MOBA, far more palatable) looks at the expansive world of Runeterra and its Champions. Partnering up with Lazy Bear Games, the studio behind the delightfully macabre Graveyard Keeper, now comes Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story, a life sim that forgoes the frenetic combat synonymous with the IP in favor of a more relaxed and cozy experience. Within the confines of the franchise it is certainly a welcome and refreshing change of pace, but when compared to its peers in the genre there are a few knots that will test your patience if you choose to attempt to untangle them.
[Let’s Talk] Pokemon Legends: Z-A hopes and dreams
Posted on 12 months ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk, Switch | 0 comments
Pokemon Legends is now officially a series of its own with this week’s announcement of Pokemon Legends: Z-A. There won’t be a big new Pokemon game this year, but we know that this new one will be arriving in 2025.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus, which launched at the very beginning of 2022, was a new take on the RPG formula we’ve grown accustomed to over the past few decades. There was more of an action element and it was even possible to catch different creatures simply by throwing a Poke Ball as soon as you saw it, which didn’t require you to enter the battle screen. A number of different features and changes were introduced, which seemed to be well received overall.
More: Game Freak, highlight, Pokemon Legends Z-A, top
[Rapid Review] Penny’s Big Breakaway
Posted on 1 year ago by Edan(@@Virtualboi92) in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: February 21, 2024
Developer: Evening Star
Publisher: Private Division
When the initial reveal trailer for Penny’s Big Breakaway debuted last year, it felt like the stars were aligning. Here was a small development team of die-hard platformer fans delivering a wholly original IP, fresh off the back of crafting Sonic Mania for SEGA. Killer looks along with subtle, stylish nods to their prior work enamored a clamoring and captious demographic. Even as a relatively new team, developer Evening Star has prestige streaming from their ears, and an expectant fan base to go along with it. Now the game has finally dropped, and the resulting experience might not be all we had held our breath for.
[Review] Ufouria: The Saga 2
Posted on 1 year ago by Nicholas Serpa in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: March 1, 2024
Developer: Sunsoft
Publisher: Red Art Games
Back in 1991, video game developer Sunsoft – perhaps best-known these days for its Blaster Master series – was trying to get a new franchise off the ground, in part to help cement a new mascot for the company. Ufouria: The Saga was the result – a quirky 2D platformer whose main gimmick was its ability for players to swap between four different characters. While the game did well enough to spawn a series of puzzle games featuring the same oddball cast and charming presentation, the original title been almost entirely unavailable for western players outside of a now-inaccessible Virtual Console rerelease and a limited run in Europe. That’s why it’s such a delightful surprise that now, over thirty years later, Sunsoft has released a sequel – and fortunately, an excellent one. Ufouria: The Saga 2 not only tightly modernizes the satisfying gameplay of the original, but imbues its world and characters with a sense of whimsy and humor that had me smiling from start to finish.
More: highlight, Red Art Games, Sunsoft, top, Ufouria: The Saga 2
[Review] Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island
Posted on 1 year ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: February 27, 2024
Developer: Spike Chunsoft
Publisher: Spike Chunsoft
After dreaming of a strange mountain island, Shiren and his ferret friend Koppa embark on yet another journey. Following an unfortunate battle with the biggest baddy on the island, he awakens at the base of the mountain with no memory of his journey to the top. Spurred onward by Koppa’s recap of the events, Shiren and his companion decide to ascend once more and unravel the mysteries of Serpentcoil Island once and for all. Now with Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island, does this adventure change up the long-lived series, or is it just another tried and true entry in the series we love?
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[Let’s Talk] February 2024 Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase reactions
Posted on 1 year ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk, Switch | 0 comments
The first Nintendo Direct of 2024 is in the books with this week’s Partner Showcase. It may not have been the general presentation with many first-party announcements that some may have wanted, but there was still plenty of news.
Nintendo did manage to have an announcement of its own with the reveal of Endless Ocean Luminous, the first entry in the series since the Wii era. Speaking of Wii, Epic Mickey is back with a remake titled Epic Mickey: Rebrushed. Xbox made some announcements with ports of Grounded and Pentiment, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble and Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist were revealed (plus others like Gundam Breaker 4 and Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream), and we got a number of shadowdrops including five Rare titles on Nintendo Switch Online, Penny’s Big Breakaway, and Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On. You can catch up on the full recap here.
What did you think of the Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase? What was your favorite announcement? Let us know in the comments.
More: highlight, Nintendo Direct, top
[Review] Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Posted on 1 year ago by Nicholas Serpa in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: February 16, 2024
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
For as much as Mario’s continued success can be traced back all the way to his debut in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong, outside of the occasional professional sporting tournament, kart race or fistfight, he and the famous ape rarely share the screen these days as much as they used to. And it really isn’t Mario’s fault, now is it? How concerned can we expect him to be with a banana-obsessed gorilla while Bowser is off transforming into floating sentient castles in Super Mario Bros Wonder? That said, I’m pleased to report that the characters’ rivalry is still alive and well, brought to the forefront once again with this release of Mario vs. Donkey Kong. A remake of the titular 2004 Game Boy Advance puzzle-platformer that spawned its own series, this game sports both enhanced visuals and some new stages and modes. But is that enough to warrant a revisit and bring in new players, and how does this enhanced package hold up twenty years after the original?
