[Review] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pack DLC (wave 1)
Posted on 2 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] The Cruel King and the Great Hero
Posted on 2 years ago by Elias in News, Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: March 15, 2022
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher: NIS America
Long ago, a heroic man had a great battle with the tyrannical dragon king – but rather than slay his foe, the hero found a way to sever the demonic energy corrupting the king, allowing him to live on. Now kind and just, the dragon king watches over the hero’s daughter, raising her on stories of her father’s conquests and supporting her dream of becoming a great hero one day, herself. What adventures await little Yuu?
[Review] Phantom Breaker: Omnia
Posted on 2 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: March 15, 2022
Developer: Mages
Publisher: Rocket Panda Games
Phantom Break: Omnia comes at a time when I believe there’s a resurgence of fighting games that not only revel in creativity and content, but take pride in bringing in a wider audience as to not feel left out. This doesn’t just mean making it easier to button mash – because accessibility does not equate to that – but the combos themselves and the understanding of the inputs have become streamlined and much more logical. Now with Phantom Breaker: Omnia, the game thankfully finds an incredible sweet spot of keeping things equal parts fun and approachable for all sorts of players while still retaining that exhilarating feeling and rush for those that want to excel in their style and focus on more ranked, competitive play.
Mario Strikers is back and why that’s a big deal
Posted on 2 years ago by Luiz in Features, Switch, Videos | 0 comments
In the last Nintendo Direct, we saw the announcement of a new entry on the Mario Strikers series after 15 years in the form of Battle League.
The game is one of the many spin-offs in which Mario and his friends play a specific sport. However, I would argue that this is a good example of how to break the usual formula that we see in those titles. What we see in Strikers is indeed soccer, but it’s a kind of soccer far removed from reality, with so many insane concepts that it almost feels like an entirely new sport.
In today’s video, I discuss how Mario Strikers manages to be different and why it’s so nice to see the series coming back with the upcoming release of Battle League. You can check out the video down below.
[Let’s Talk] Your dream Switch collection
Posted on 2 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk, Switch | 0 comments
Switch has its fair share of new games, but also quite a large selection of releases from prior generations. And five years in, things are still very strong on that front. This past week we saw the announcement of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection. In last month’s Nintendo Direct, it was revealed that Portal: Companion Collection is in the works. Nintendo has even dabbled with that idea having released Super Mario 3D All-Stars. Obviously that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Switch has shown that it still has a lot of life left, and that means collections will continue to be a mainstay. With that in mind, is there a dream collection you’d like to see? Let us know in the comments below.
Nintendo’s output on Switch has been impressive, let’s take a look back
Posted on 2 years ago by Luiz in Features, Switch, Videos | 0 comments
It honestly doesn’t feel like five years have gone by since Switch first launched. Personally speaking, I still very much enjoy the novelty of playing games either in portable mode or on the television. But of course, the most important aspect of a console is always its library and the Switch has a lot to offer in that area.
In today’s video, I discuss Nintendo’s strategy on Switch as a publisher and how the company is making smart use of its assets to provide a new game almost every month, being very close to sustaining the console on their own and releasing games of all sizes. You can check out the video down below.
[Let’s Talk] What are you playing? – March 2022
Posted on 2 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 0 comments
A new month started up earlier this week. Now that we’re in March, we want to know what you’ve been playing.
Have you started up Triangle Strategy? Are you still sinking your teeth into Pokemon Legends: Arceus? Or maybe you’re going through a different Switch release or something from your backlog. No matter the case, let us know in the comments below.
[Review] Chocobo GP
Posted on 2 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
[Preview] Sea of Stars – the past can be brought to modern times
Posted on 2 years ago by Elias in Previews | 0 comments
Sabotage Studio brought us The Messenger back in 2018, and was quick to launch a Kickstarter for its next project, Sea of Stars. With a team that has grown from 7 to 25 strong, the game has been in the works since 2017. We were recently invited to sit in on a playthrough of a section of the game, and to have a casual chat with the studio about their latest endeavor. As before, this new project boasts detailed pixel graphics that truly bring their world alive, but what sets Sea of Stars apart from it’s predecessor the most is not the use of more colors, but the changeover of genres into the turn-based RPG realm of gaming.
More: highlight, Sabotage Studio, Sea of Stars, top
[Review] Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream
Posted on 2 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: February 25, 2022
Developer: Gust
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
While the Atelier series continues to grow and bring in fans both new and old with each new colorful outing, protagonist, and luscious worlds we find ourselves on a journey with, there has also been a resurgence in some of its more seminal titles that helped bring the series to where it is today. With so many entries, characters, and overlapping stories set within particular worlds, each brings its own flavor and personality to the table. One such installment of the many Ateliers centers around Sophie Neuenmuller, the star of Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book. While games within the franchise have all been standalone, some of them have also followed a certain theme and world that they share. Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream now brings Sophie back into the spotlight and tries to offer a conclusion to the answers she was still looking for years ago. Not only does everything look great in this new engine, but it’s the most well-optimized and beautiful Atelier game to date on Switch, also containing some of the cleanest interfaces, polished battles, and vibrant worlds yet.
