While it’s true that three Banjo-Kazooie console games exist, the series never saw a true third entry. Rare mixed things up completely with the Xbox 360’s “Nuts & Bolts” by removing practically all platforming elements that had become a staple in the franchise.

The chances of Banjo-Kazooie returning to Nintendo platforms are very low at the moment. Microsoft owns the IP after all. But that doesn’t mean hopes and dreams have to die!

Series composer and ex-Rare employee Grant Kirkhope recently appeared on Game Grumps and relayed a desire to have former staffers reunite, form a new company, and make Banjo-Kazooie 3 for Nintendo on Wii U.

Kirkhope said:

“I keep wishing that all the ex-Rare staffers would just get together and form a company, and go to Nintendo and say ‘give us the money. We’ll make you Banjo 3 for the Wii U’ or whatever. …Just make Banjo 3 like it should have been made back then and it would be great, and it would be great on Wii U, and all the ex-Rare guys would be together again all happy and kissing each other. … I just keep thinking we should just give it a try.”

Ryozo Tsujimoto answers Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate fan questions

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, Podcast Stories, Videos, Wii U | 0 comments

Epic further comments on lack of Unreal Engine 4 on Wii U

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Podcast Stories, Wii U | 0 comments

Epic co-founder Mark Rein has offered further insight into Unreal Engine 4’s absence on Wii U.

Speaking with IGN, Rein said:

“I just laugh at the question…Unreal Engine 4, we’re not PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, or Wii U. It’s next-gen technology. That’s what we’re aiming for.”

Unreal Engine 4 isn’t in the Wii U’s future, but Rein pointed to Unreal Engine 3 as a tool that studios can use to leverage Epic’s technology on Nintendo’s console.

“The truth is, if a developer wanted to take an Unreal Engine game and put it on Wii U, they could. Unreal Engine 3 is kicking ass on Wii U. The best games on Wii U are made on our technology. What more do you want from us?”

Source

Ubisoft Montreal doesn’t think gamers will grow tired of Assassin’s Creed with yearly releases

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Podcast Stories, Wii U | 0 comments

Assassin’s Creed has started to become a yearly franchise for Ubisoft. Since 2009, the publisher has produced one major entry per year.

That fact brings about an intersting question: could Assassin’s Creed eventually experience franchise fatigue? Will fans soon grow tired of the series?

Ubisoft Montreal boss Yannis Mallat weighed in:

“No. The players will tell us. Right now there are more and more coming into the franchise, so I don’t see that day. It’s our breakthrough. When you have quality content, the frequency of coming out with the game is not an issue at all. On the contrary, people expect more and more of that content. So it’s natural to be able to provide that content. The gamers are happy and it’s our job to make them happy.”

Source, Via

Suda51 says he used to be an assassin, which is why he likes using them as characters

Posted on 11 years ago by Austin(@NE_Austin) in General Gaming, General Nintendo, News, Podcast Stories | 0 comments

His words, not mine:

“I think going back to the core essence, I used to be an assassin and that really reflects on what kind of games I want to make. [Laughs] I’m sorry, that’s me just being jetlagged. When you defeat an enemy, that equals death. If defeat equals death and you’re thinking about the fine line between living and dying, to express that in an action-oriented game an assassin makes it much easier to express that.”

– Grasshopper Manufacturer’s Suda51

Well, that’s certainly a Suda-like thing to say! But of course he was joking, and I’ll admit I’m not sure I follow his reasoning for using assassins over other types of characters fully, since it sounds like a non-assassin would be equally as effective in expressing the fine line between life and death… his games are great though, so I’m just going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume I’m missing something!

Via Siliconera

Unreal Engine 4 pretty much ruled out for Wii U

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Podcast Stories, Wii U | 0 comments

Wii U can run Unreal Engine 3 just fine. But Unreal Engine 4? That’s out of the question.

When asked if Unreal Engine 4 would be possible on the system, Epic co-founder Mark Rein said:

“Hahaha no. I mean, sorry, it’s not really a correct answer. We’re not… we have Unreal Engine 3 for the Wii U. Right? And Unreal Engine 3 is powering all kinds of amazing games, still lots of games are being made with Unreal Engine 3. We announced today about a new Unreal Engine 3 license. Unreal Engine 3 doesn’t disappear because of Unreal Engine 4. But our goal for Unreal Engine 4 console-wise is next-gen consoles. That’s really what our energies are focused on. If you want to make a Wii U game, we have Unreal Engine 3, and it’s powering some of the best games on the Wii U already. Nothing controversial, guys.”

Given that a good amount of games will be making use of Unreal Engine 4 and other high-tech engines going forward, the Wii U may end up receiving even less third-party support in a couple of years than it is now. Still, I don’t think that many will be surprised by Rein’s remarks.

Source

Best Buy employee saves R.O.B. from scrapheap

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News, Podcast Stories | 0 comments

One Best Buy employee went out of his way to save R.O.B. the robot, Nintendo’s classic NES accessory, and put his job on the line in the process.

A customer intended to recycle of R.O.B. as well as a NES Deluxe Set through Best Buy’s “Renew Blue” program. Understanding the nostalgic and historic value of the item, the staffer had hopes of saving it. The problem came about when his manager warned him that he’d be fired if he took R.O.B. home.

Thankfully, R.O.B. is safe and is being moved to Best Buy’s headquarters rather than the scrapheap.

Best Buy spokesman Jon Sandler said:

“We are in the process of retrieving the robot and gaming system from the store so that we may put it on display here at our corporate headquarters in Richfield. A bit of nostalgia that our employees and visitors alike, are sure to enjoy!”

Best Buy senior specialist Jeremy Baier added:

“We recycle virtually any consumer electronic device out there, but as you can imagine an item like this is fairly unusual and we can see why it captivated our employee’s imagination.”

We don’t actually have a full resolution about this story. The employee’s fate is unclear, though he did not steal R.O.B. or the Wii U system. According to Business Insider, which reported on the situation, “Best Buy explained that it doesn’t publicly comment on its workers for privacy reasons, but did say that the sequence of events is currently being reviewed to ensure that the company’s policies were followed.”

Thanks to Captain N for the tip.

Source

Need for Speed: Most Wanted comparisons, Wii U version turns out well

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Podcast Stories, Videos, Wii U | 0 comments

Digital Foundry’s latest analysis covers the Wii U edition of Need for Speed: Most Wanted. The verdict is excellent – Digital Foundry hails the game as “definitive console version”.

You can find the full piece here and comparison videos with other versions below.

Nintendo France: Lowering Wii U price won’t be effective without games, avoiding confusion with Wii and Wii Mini, more

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Podcast Stories, Wii, Wii U | 0 comments

Nintendo of France’s Philippe Lavoué recently chatted about all things Wii Mini with Gamekult. The publication managed to sneak in a few questions about the Wii U, and asked about the console’s price as well as how Nintendo will avoid consumer confusion between the Wii, Wii Mini, and Wii U…

Read Lavoué’s translated comments below.

Nintendo Show 3D ends

Posted on 11 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Podcast Stories | 1 Comment

Nintendo Show 3D is no more. After around a year-and-a-half of episodes, the show is ending. The announcement was made at the end of the series’ final video that went live on the 3DS eShop earlier today. It’s unclear why exactly it’s ending, and the situation is especially peculiar when you consider that Nintendo Show 3D often topped the 3DS charts as the store’s most-popular video.

Thanks to Dusty51 and Jake for the tip.