Dragon Quest X anime short #1: “The Feeling of a Name”
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, General Nintendo, Switch, Videos, Wii, Wii U | 4 Comments
As a way of celebrating Dragon Quest X’s fifth anniversary, Square Enix has created a series of short animations based on “‘miraculous’ stories” submitted by players.
The first video, called “The Feeling of a Name”, is attached below. Gematsu also provides us with the following synopsis:
“The Feeling of a Name” opens as a young girl watches her parents enjoy the in-game fireworks celebration for Dragon Quest X‘s fourth anniversary on August 2, 2016. She quietly points out to her father that it looks like everyone has gathered to celebrate Yukina’s birthday. Yukina is the name of her mother’s character, but in a flashback we learn that she was named after their elder daughter, Yukina, who passed away. A year goes by, and we see the father at a cafe, chatting in Dragon Quest X on his laptop, where it is suggested he proposes to his online friends the idea his daughter mentioned a year prior, unbeknownst to his wife. Finally, on August 2, 2017, the family is gathered once again to watch the in-game fireworks celebration for the game’s fifth anniversary. It is then that everyone viewing the fireworks start to wish Yukina a happy 15th birthday, bringing tears to the surprised mother’s eyes. Had she been alive, Yukina would have turned 15 years old that day.
More: Dragon Quest X, Square Enix
Scrapped Mission Mode found for Mario Kart Wii after nearly a decade
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii | 18 Comments
Mario Kart DS introduced the very neat Mission Mode. It had you completing various objectives, such as racing backwards through a course. The mode even featured a number of boss battles.
The next Mario Kart game, Mario Kart Wii, was going to include its own Mission Mode at some point before being ultimately scrapped. After nearly a decade, a new discovery from MrBean35000vr reveals some of the leftover content.
More: Mario Kart Wii, top
Japan’s top 100 best-selling games for the first half of 2017
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Switch, Wii, Wii U | 42 Comments
This week’s issue of Famitsu has a listing of the top 100 best-selling games in Japan for the first half of 2017. Eight Nintendo-related games are in the top ten alone, including Monster Hunter XX, Pokemon Sun/Moon, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
The full results are as follows:
001. [3DS] Monster Hunter XX – 1.640.005 / 1.640.005 (Capcom) – {18/03/2017}
002. [3DS] Pokémon Sun / Moon – 527.862 / 3.774.084 (Pokémon Co.) – {18/11/2016}
003. [SWI] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 501.614 / 501.614 (Nintendo) – {28/04/2017}
004. [SWI] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 460.480 / 460.480 (Nintendo) – {03/03/2017}
005. [3DS] Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS – 397.656 / 1.141.044 (Nintendo) – {01/12/2016}
006. [PS4] Resident Evil 7: biohazard – 324.066 / 324.066 (Capcom) – {26/01/2017}
007. [PS4] NieR: Automata – 311.906 / 311.906 (Square Enix) – {23/02/2017}
008. [3DS] Momotaro Dentetsu 2017: Tachiagare Nippon!! – 263.790 / 395.853 (Nintendo) – {22/12/2016}
009. [3DS] Yo-Kai Watch 3: Sukiyaki – 215.297 / 724.964 (Level 5) – {15/12/2016}
010. [SWI] 1 2 Switch – 200.807 / 200.807 (Nintendo) – {03/03/2017}
More: charts, Media Create, sales
A look into the lost pitch Goliath, a 3D platformer linked to Epic Mickey developer Junction Point
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii | 1 Comment
Junction Point is known for its work on the Epic Mickey franchise. After the first game in the series shipped, the studio could have had an opportunity to work with a small group of developers on a 3D platformer called “Goliath”.
Here’s a brief overview of the project:
The initial stages of Goliath had revolving around a large gorilla protecting small children. This concept evolved into a relationship of Tarek the gorilla working together with a girl named Ky. The two would combine their skills of strength (Tarek) and intelligence (Ky) to overcome obstacles. Goliath was planned to be a 3D platformer, and was inspired by several other games of the time, including Jack and Daxter, Rachet and Clank, and Shadow of the Colossus.
Had Goliath been picked up at Junction Point Studios and Disney, it would have been made on Wii and other platforms. But in the end, it never entered full production and no gameplay types exist. Junction Point ended up focusing on Epic Mickey 2 next, and after that title released, Disney closed Junction Point. It was also discovered an artist on the team who created some concepts plagiarized work, meaning it couldn’t be pitched to Disney directly or any other game companies.
Unseen64 has the full report below, as published by DidYouKnowGaming? today:
More: Goliath, Junction Point Studios
Video: Warren Spector on Epic Mickey, says it was one of the high points of his career
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Videos, Wii, Wii U | 16 Comments
Developer Warren Spector was brought on for the latest episode of IGN Unfiltered. Spector was instrumental in the creation of both Epic Mickey games. You can listen to what he shared about the series below, and why working on the franchise was one of the high points of his career.
THQ Nordic says de Blob was “a bit underrepresented” on Wii, cancelled online game was similar to Splatoon
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii | 15 Comments
de Blob didn’t achieve massive success, but the series was one of the more interesting experiments on Wii. THQ Nordic business and product development director Reinhard Pollice believes that the franchise has potentially, calling it “the perfect indie game.” Pollice added in an interview with GamesIndustry that de Blob “was a bit underrepresented on Wii,” and it should have been on Steam for the potential of being “a massive success.”
He said:
More: de Blob, interview, Reinhard Pollice, THQ Nordic
Nippon Ichi president – Disgaea amiibo interest, next game “likely” for Switch, Phantom Brave 2 possible, more
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch, Wii | 37 Comments
Nippon Ichi Software president Sohei Niikawa participated in a new Reddit AMA today. Niikawa was asked quite a bit about Disgea, including a possible amiibo, future Switch support, and more. He also indicated that Phantom Brave 2 could be possible thanks to interest from some of the company’s developers who ask about a sequel.
We’ve picked out the notable comments from the AMA below. You can check out the full thing here.
Designer talks about how Retro Studios turned an original FPS into Metroid Prime
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in GameCube, News, Wii | 15 Comments
Metroid Prime has a pretty interesting development history. Before it was a Metroid game, Retro Studios was working on an original first-person shooter that had no ties to anything Nintendo-related. It was only when the big N stepped in and saw a level of the game that the game eventually morphed into Metroid Prime.
Speaking in the latest issue of Switch Player, senior designer Mike Wikan noted:
“When I came on board, the Engine group was significantly behind schedule and there was no way to create gameplay demonstrables in an effective fashion. I was told, quite literally, by leadership that designers would design the game on paper, then hand it off to engineering and art to create it. In my opinion that was insanity.”
“When Nintendo arrived suddenly, wanting to see demonstrables of all the games that the teams were working on, only our FPS had demonstrable real-time scriptable content. Nintendo liked what they saw and proposed we adapt that game and viewpoint, but restart it as a Metroid game.”
“The moral of the story is that if you see a problem, work to solve it; don’t assume someone else will take that responsibility on.”
More: interview, Metroid Prime, Mike Wikan, Retro Studios, top
Metroid: Samus Returns development complete, Sakamoto on the wait for 2D Metroid, Other M criticism, more
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Switch, Wii | 61 Comments
Kotaku was one of several outlets that went hands-on with Metroid: Samus Returns at E3 last week. The site also spoke with some of the people involved with the game.
According to Tim O’Leary from Nintendo Treehouse, development is complete. Perhaps that not massively surprisingly given how it’s due out in just a few months. Still, it’s pretty interesting to hear.
Kotaku also shares some new comments from producer Yoshio Sakamoto. Sakamoto was asked why Samus Returns is on 3DS rather than Switch, why it’s taken so long for a new 2D Metroid, criticism of Metroid: Other M, and how the 2D / 3D Metroids are handled at Nintendo.
Continue on below for Sakamoto’s comments. You can find a few more on Kotaku here.
Just Dance 2018 boxart
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Images, Switch, Wii, Wii U | 12 Comments
Amazon has posted the boxart for Just Dance 2018. We have all three versions above: Switch, Wii U, and Wii.
