[Review] Bloomtown: A Different Story
Posted on 3 months ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: September 24, 2024
Developer: Lazy Bear Games
Publisher: Twin Sails
The feeling of déjà vu is not an uncommon one to experience when playing a game, particularly with indies, which have often drawn their inspiration from more successful and well-established franchises to create their own take on the formula. It’s not inherently a bad thing, but it was a feeling that I often had whilst I was playing Bloomtown: A Different Story. Despite a few questionable deviations here and there, it delivers an experience that at least matches its inspirations for enthusiasm and spirit, if not entirely in terms of satisfaction and enjoyment.
[Let’s Talk] Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom impressions
Posted on 4 months ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk, Switch | 0 comments
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom just came out, and we want to get impressions from those who started the game this week.
There’s no doubt that this is one of Nintendo’s biggest titles of the year and for Switch as a whole. Zelda has been going strong, but if we’re looking strictly at 2D games, this is the first one we’ve gotten in quite some time. It’s also significant for putting Zelda in the starring role and offering a new spin on the franchise’s formula while also taking inspiration from some of the things we saw from Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
So if you’re playing Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, how are you feeling about it? Let us know in the comments below.
Mario Kart tracks that never returned after debut
Posted on 4 months ago by Ethan in 3DS, Features, General Nintendo, Wii | 0 comments
The Mario Kart series is home to many, many different courses, and each new game in the series adds even more to that big number. A ton of old tracks were remade for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s Booster Course Pass, but a select few of them didn’t make the cut. Not just that, but some Mario Kart courses have never reappeared after their initial debut.
Today, we’re listing off all the Mario Kart tracks that never returned to future entries in the series. Do keep in mind that we won’t count Mario Kart Tour here – eventually, its service will end and the tracks in it will presumably become inaccessible. In case that happens, we’re sticking to courses that haven’t appeared in any main series games since their debut.
[Review] The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Posted on 4 months ago by Ethan in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: September 26, 2024
Developer: Grezzo / Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
It’s no secret that the Legend of Zelda franchise has seen a big resurgence on Switch. The release of Breath of the Wild in 2017 changed the direction of the series for many years to come – the effects of which we’re still seeing today. For many years, fans wondered if games like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom would push traditional 2D Zelda titles to the wayside for good. We didn’t have a definitive answer for the longest time, but this week, we finally got it – The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is finally here, and it proves that 2D Zelda not only is here to stay, but has a place alongside Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom as one of the better games in the series. Echoes of Wisdom is a clever, innovative title that brings forth a new and fully fleshed-out way to play the game.
[Review] Loddlenaut
Posted on 4 months ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: September 19, 2024
Developer: Moon Lagoon
Publisher: Secret Mode
When you stop and think about it, most video games have you cleaning up someone else’s mess. Exactly what that mess is will vary of course: you might have to make sure something you’ve inherited runs smoothly, help people out with their problems, or save a world you just happen to be part of from powers that are generally making life difficult. It’s never a problem you’ve created, but it’s always one that only you can solve. Developer Moon Lagoon’s Loddlenaut follows diligently in the footsteps of the likes of Power Wash Simulator by taking this general concept literally, giving you an aquatic planet to scrub down and some adorable creatures to rescue and nurture along the way.
More: highlight, Loddlenaut, Moon Lagoon, Secret Mode, top
[Review] Epic Mickey: Rebrushed
Posted on 4 months ago by Nicholas Serpa in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: September 24, 2024
Developer: Purple Lamp
Publisher: THQ Nordic
I’ve had a 2010 Wii copy of Epic Mickey sitting on my shelf for years, and as much as I had intended to experience Warren Spector’s twisted Mickey Mouse tale well before this point, for one reason or another I’ve just never gotten around to it. In this case, my patience definitely paid off. Developer Purple Lamp – who is quickly garnering a positive reputation for their work in the 3D platforming space – has invested considerable effort to free this ambitious game from the Wii’s limitations and make it accessible to modern audiences. While the Switch version of Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed has some disappointing performance issues here and there, overall, this remake is a stunning effort that deserves to be experienced by fans of both Disney and platformers alike.
More: Epic Mickey, highlight, Purple Lamp, THQ Nordic, top
[Let’s Talk] What’s your current Switch icon?
Posted on 4 months ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk, Switch | 0 comments
When you think about where Switch was for its launch compared to now in terms of user icons, it’s a pretty big difference. For awhile, certain system updates would slowly add new designs over time. Then at the very end of 2022, a new benefit was added for Nintendo Switch Online in which members could spend My Nintendo Points on icons. We now get new ones pretty regularly, often tying in to new game launches.
User icons are ultimately a pretty small thing, but allow fans to express themselves in different ways. Which are you using at the moment? Let us know in the comments.
[Review] Reynatis
Posted on 4 months ago by Elias in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments
System: Switch
Release date: September 27, 2024
Developer: FuRyu
Publisher: NIS America
Worlds of wizards and magic aren’t uncommon in the gaming world, but a setting as realistic as modern-day Shibuya, Tokyo does add a flavor that makes Reynatis stand out immediately. Flashy modern day outfits, blazing weapons, and flashy skills with fights breaking out on realistic representations of streets we could go and walk today. Reynatis is set in a prefecture bursting with commerce, the towering shopping malls, businesses, and bistros bustle with traffic of consumers and business people alike. Shibuya is the pinnacle of Japan’s fashion industry, boasts an incredible music scene, and the food is absolutely to die for. Also, for whatever reason, it seems to attract wizards.
More: FuRyu, highlight, NIS America, Reynatis, top
Strange moves you never knew Pokemon could learn
Posted on 4 months ago by Ethan in Features, General Nintendo | 0 comments
In the early days of Pokemon – we’re talking back on Game Boy – many Pokemon suffered from incredibly small movepools. For example, Scyther didn’t have access to a single Flying-type move in Red and Blue despite being a half Flying-type itself. Fortunately, the developers have fixed this issue over the years, and now many Pokemon have huge movepools. That being said, certain move decisions are questionable at best. Some Pokemon have access to certain moves that don’t make a ton of sense thematically, and today we’re going over a big list of some of the strangest movepool additions in the Pokemon series.
More: Game Freak, Pokemon
[Interview] Talking Reynatis and more with scenario writer Kazushige Nojima and composer Yoko Shimomura
Posted on 4 months ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Interviews, Switch | 0 comments
Ahead of the launch of Reynatis in the west, we were able to catch up with scenario writer Kazushige Nojima and composer Yoko Shimomura as part of a new interview. The two shared a few words about the action RPG and touched on a few other topics.
For Kazushige Nojima, his previous works includes Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts. Yoko Shimomura also needs no introduction, as she’s had a long history in gaming having been involved with Super Mario RPG, Live A Live, Kingdom Hearts, and Final Fantasy XV – just to name a few.
Here’s our full Reynatis interview:
