Monster Hunter Rise has been a long time coming. With the continued success of the series on 3DS and the immediate, roaring success of Switch as a handheld and home console hybrid both in Japan and around the globe, a new entry in the series early in the console’s life cycle seemed like a given. While the system did receive an enhanced port of Monster Hunter Generations awhile back, the original Monster Hunter so many expected eluded the system for a number of years. Now finally, four years later, Monster Hunter Rise is set to deliver on those expectations.

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[Review] Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town

Posted on 3 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments

System: Switch
Release date: March 23, 2021
Developer: Marvelous
Publisher: XSEED Games

Farming simulators are games that you either get or you don’t, and the evolution of technology has led to an expansion of the genre that has gone beyond the typical routine that involves simply planting a seed and selling crops. We’re now visiting these worlds where farming is complementary to everything else you can do rather than being the core focus. After having revisited the likes of Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town and Return to Popolocrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale, it’s clear that Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is moving forward and embracing growth and change now more than ever, which mostly works to its benefit. However, there are clear inspirations from other titles that feel like a dull copy rather than a platform to launch off of. Either way, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town does well to incorporate new ideas and polish up the old, while having a serene time playing in an environment I keep thinking about and coming back to, even if it’s far from perfect.

More: highlight, marvelous, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, top, XSEED Games

[Interview] Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World dev on how the game came to be, decision to remake Monster World IV, series’ future, more

Posted on 3 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Interviews, Switch | 0 comments

Ahead of Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World’s upcoming release, director Ryuichi Nishizawa was kind enough to answer some of our questions as part of a new interview. Nishizawa talked about the game’s origins including how long it’s been in the works, why the team decided to remake Monster World IV, and more. Nishizawa also spoke more generally and commented about what could come in the future.

You can find our full Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World developer discussion below.

More: highlight, ININ Games, Ryuichi Nishizawa, Studio Artdink, top, Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World

What Super Mario 3D All-Stars’ limited release could mean for The Legend of Zelda’s 35th anniversary

Posted on 3 years ago by Bryce(@brodee922) in Features, Switch, Videos | 0 comments

In another segment in our discussion video series, we take a look at the reasons as to why Nintendo pursues limited releases and talk about if they will continue to go down that path with future games. Specifically, we speculate if we could see some limited releases for The Legend of Zelda’s 35th anniversary, and what games could potentially be made available and later delisted.

Check out the full video feature below and feel free to add to the conversation in the comments!

More: highlight, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, top

[Review] Sea of Solitude: The Director’s Cut

Posted on 3 years ago by Campbell(@CampbellSGill) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments

System: Switch
Release date: March 4, 2021
Developer: Jo-Mei
Publisher: Quantic Dream

After making only the faintest of splashes in its initial release on other consoles in 2019, the emotional indie game Sea of Solitude has returned on Switch. However, bearing the familiar “Director’s Cut” subtitle that can be found on so many other Switch ports, this re-release promises to add new features like rewritten scenes, additional voice acting, and refined mechanics to the base game. Whether this will be your first time setting sail or you’ve already voyaged with the game, the question remains: does Sea of Solitude’s Director’s Cut make waves in its Switch debut, or is it best left stranded at sea?

More: highlight, Jo-Mei Games, Quantic Dream, Sea of Solitude: The Director's Cut, top

[Interview] Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville dev talks Switch port, Frostbite, offline play, more

Posted on 3 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Interviews, Switch | 0 comments

Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville originally released towards the end of 2019, but the game is just now about to make its debut on Switch. EA will be releasing the title next week and it will arrive as the first Frostbite engine-enabled title on the platform. It’s more than just a simple port, as the team implemented features like motion controls and ensured that most of the experience can be played offline.

As we were eager to learn more about Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville on Switch, we recently spoke with Melvin Teo. You can read our full discussion below, which touches on topics like Frostbite, how it was adjusted for the console, and more.

More: EA, highlight, Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville - Complete Edition, PopCap, top

[Let’s Talk] Your favorite Mario game

Posted on 3 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 0 comments

MAR10 Day took place earlier this week, so now’s as good a time as ever to discuss the simple topic of favorite Mario games. Super Mario has been around for 35 years now, and aside from the core platforming titles, the IP has expanded in so many different ways. The franchise has been a part of racing, sports, mini-game partying, RPGs, and more.

With that in mind, what’s your personal favorite Mario game (or games)? Do you have any particular memories you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments below.

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[Review] Bravely Default II

Posted on 3 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments

System: Switch
Release date: February 26, 2021
Developer: Square Enix / Claytechworks
Publisher: Nintendo

It’s hard for me to reflect on the 3DS without thinking about the fond memories I’ve had playing Bravely Default, spending over 150 hours to fully complete everything the game had to offer – from getting all jobs and characters to max levels, to seeing credits roll, completing all dungeons and sidequests, and just about everything until my cartridge became no more than a paperweight by the end of it all. It was a part of the genre I had so deeply missed, and while I love the innovation and how far role-playing games have comes since the days of Final Fantasy Adventures and Chrono Trigger, sometimes you can’t help but “go back to the basics” to a simpler time where you could strategize more, form a party of warriors and mages, and go on a fantastical adventure. Now with the power of Unreal Engine 4, Bravely Default II looks as beautiful as ever, as your party of four shines in battle with a more 3D-esque approach compared to its predecessors, yet still retaining its artistic integrity and stunning environmental design. The series’ Switch debut is a massive leap forward for the series on both a mechanical and technical level, even if there are some tweaks made this time around that may or may not be questionable to those who have played the entries before it.

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6 dormant Nintendo franchises that should be revived on Switch

Posted on 3 years ago by Bryce(@brodee922) in Features, Switch, Videos | 0 comments

In a follow up to our Let’s Talk series, we’ve taken your responses and made a video of the top 6 dormant Nintendo franchises that you would like to see come back. This video weighs in all the comments that we received (on our website, Twitter, and Facebook) to the question “What dormant Nintendo franchises would you like to see come to the Switch?” and tries to narrow down the top 6 from the over 45 games mentioned!

Check out the video below, and make sure to keep an eye out for more videos made from our Let’s Talk series in the future.

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[Let’s Talk] What are you playing? – March 2021

Posted on 3 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 0 comments

A new month rolled right on in this week. Now that we’re in March, we want to know what you’ve been playing.

Are you playing through Bravely Default II, which just dropped last week? How about some of Switch’s other new releases like Persona 5 Strikers? No matter the case, let us know in the comments below.