Okay, full disclosure: I’m something of an uncultured swine when it comes to JRPGs. The closest I ever got to a JRPG obsession growing up was the obligatory copy of Pokemon that saw me through many a car journey – oh, that and Persona 4. Having said that, I have always been able to appreciate the objective level of polish and nuance that seemed baked into the genre’s foundations. Having said that though, my last attempt at getting on board with JRPGs was Xenoblade Chronicles 2 – an objectively fantastic game – that forced my three remaining brain cells to run in circles kicking each other up the backside. This was thanks to a bevy of layered systems and mechanics, that quickly proved far too much for an utter dunce such as myself. It was with a certain apprehension, then, that I put myself forward to review Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch – an absolute unabashed JRPG through and through. Developed by Level-5 and originally released back in 2013, the game drew rave reviews at launch, and it’s a title that I have had constantly recommended to me as a potential gateway-drug to a problematic full-on JRPG addiction. I was honestly a little intimidated jumping into the game’s 50-hour campaign, but I persevered, and after only a short while with Ni no Kuni, all of my initial trepidation melted away into joy.

More: Bandai Namco, highlight, Level-5, Ni no Kuni, top

[Giveaway] Win a code for Torchlight II on Switch

Posted on 5 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Giveaway | 0 comments

Update: The giveaway has ended. Congratulations to our winners: Carolyn, Donnie Len, Tarik, AnonUser, and Indielink.

The team behind Torchlight II were kind enough to supply us with a few codes from the new Switch release. In total, we have five codes to hand out to you lovely people. To enter, leave a comment below telling us which among the available character classes appeals to you the most.

We’ll choose our winners one week from today, September 15. Keep an eye on the comments section, as we’ll be responding to each of the winners’ entries on that day and will require you to get back to us with your email address.

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[Let’s Talk] What are you playing? – September 2019

Posted on 5 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 0 comments

A new month rolled right on in a couple of weeks ago. Now that we’re in September, we want to know what you’ve been playing.

Are you giving Astral Chain a shot? Trying something else that’s new from the past few weeks? No matter the case, let us know in the comments below.

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[Interview] Natsume on how Harvest Moon: Mad Dash came to be, new indie program, possibility of revisiting older IPs, more

Posted on 5 years ago by Oni Dino(@Oni_Dino) in Interviews, Switch | 0 comments

At E3 2019, we had a chance to speak with Natsume producer Taka Maekawa. We talked Harvest Moon: Mad Dash and how it came to be, the company’s new indie program, the possibility of revisiting more classic IPs similar to what was done with Wild Guns Reloaded, and more. Oh, and we snuck in a question about Medabots as well.

Here’s our full discussion:

More: Harvest Moon: Mad Dash, highlight, Natsume, Take Maekawa, top

[Nintendo Everything Podcast] – episode #45 – Nintendo Direct: Terry Bogard, Animal Crossing: Castaway

Posted on 5 years ago by Oni Dino(@Oni_Dino) in Podcast | 0 comments

Hello, my DLC fighters! In today’s episode of NEP, we’re in Tokyo for upcoming Tokyo Game Show. Please excuse the audio quality as we gush about the Nintendo Direct that slayed us. Destiny is the Animal Crossing of Shlooters, Overwatch.Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, new Kirby, Pokemon curry and new designs that are dumb- we love them. SNES games on Switch finally. And Animal Crossing is the cyberpunk of non-binary accessibility options. And Oni goes wild for Xenoblade. And so much more.

If you’re enjoying NEP, please consider giving us a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts, aka new iTunes. It’s incredibly helpful in getting us exposed to new listeners through algorithms, so we would greatly appreciate your help. Thank you for listening!

More: highlight, Nintendo Direct, top

[Interview] Inti Creates on Luminous Avenger IX, working with Switch, future plans, and more

Posted on 5 years ago by Oni Dino(@Oni_Dino) in Interviews, Switch | 0 comments

Inti Creates has a lot going on these days. Between Gunvolt, Blaster Master Zero, and Dragon Marked for Death, in a way there’s something for everyone.

When we had a chance to speak with Inti Creates president Takuya Aizu at E3 2019, we asked about almost everything the company has been working on as of late. That includes Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger IX (and what they’ve been able to do on Switch that wasn’t possible on 3DS), what to expect from future Dragon Marked for Death updates, whether we could see another Sunsoft revival like Blaster Master, and more.

More: highlight, Inti Creates, Takuya Aizu, top

[Let’s Talk] September 2019 Nintendo Direct reactions

Posted on 5 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 0 comments

The latest Nintendo Direct was held this week. There were quite a few announcements, especially from third-parties, during the 40-minute broadcast.

As far as new stuff from Nintendo goes, the company actually closed things out by announcing Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition for 2020. Other highlights include Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore and Super Kirby Clash. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was given the spotlight by the reveal of Terry Bogard, the release of Banjo-Kazooie, and confirmation that even more DLC is on the way. We also can’t forget that SNES games have finally joined Nintendo Switch Online.

Third-parties were present in a big way, such as Overwatch which started the Nintendo Direct. Other announcements include Deadly Premonition 2 (and the original game seeing a shadowdrop on the eShop), Rogue Company, Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition, Return of the Obra Dinn, Star Wars: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, Doom 64, Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection, and Devil May Cry 2.

Now that the Nintendo Direct is over, what did you think of it? What was your personal highlight of the broadcast? Let us know in the comments below.

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[Interview] CD Projekt Red on how The Witcher 3 came to be on Switch, challenges, fitting it on a cartridge, more

Posted on 5 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Interviews, Switch | 0 comments

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt may have seemed like an impossible idea for Switch at one point, but at E3 2019, the game was announced for Nintendo’s console. CD Projekt Red has been collaborating with Saber Interactive to make the port possible.

Recently, we were able to speak with senior producer Piotr Chrzanowski about the new Switch version. Chrzanowski discussed how it came to be, the challenges involved, how the team managed to fit the entire experience (and its DLC) on a single cartridge, and more.

You can find our full interview below.

More: CD Projekt Red, highlight, Piotr Chrzanowski, Saber Interactive, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, top

[Nintendo Everything Podcast] – episode #44 – Ass-tral Chain, Overwatch leak, Shovel Knight galore!

Posted on 5 years ago by Oni Dino(@Oni_Dino) in Podcast | 0 comments

Hello, my boy cops and girl cops! In today’s episode of NEP, we’re catching up on a ton of game announcements and games we’ve been playing. Clifton Roy of Gayme Married on YouTube makes a brief cameo, Galen shares how he first found out about cheat codes and much more. Come hang out!

More: Astral Chain, Castle Crashers Remastered, Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King, Dragon Quest XI S, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Grandia HD Collection, highlight, Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection, Never Give Up, Overwatch, Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers, Pokemon Masters, Shovel Knight Dig, top, Untitled Goose Game, Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate, Yacht Club Games

[Let’s Talk] Nintendo remakes you’d like to see

Posted on 5 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 0 comments

Remakes and re-releases are showing no sign of slowing down in the gaming industry. For its part, Nintendo has produced quite a few remakes of its own. Zelda: Link’s Awakening, a redone version of the Game Boy classic, will soon be coming to Switch – and that’s just one example. Zelda has certainly seen its fair share of remakes, but other IPs like Metroid and Pokemon have been given the same treatment.

Is there an older Nintendo game that you hold near and dear to your heart that you’d like to be revitalized for the current era? That’s what the focus of our Let’s Talk topic this week. If you have any thoughts on the subject, please do share them with us in the comments.