System: Switch
Release date: June 25, 2019
Developer: Artisan Studios / Compile Heart
Publisher: Idea Factory
Have you ever wanted Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and SEGA to be personified as anime girls? If for some bizarre reason you answer “yes,” then the Neptunia franchise should be right up your alley. Since the release of the first Neptunia game in 2010, this Japanese RPG series has presented fanciful takes on the age-old console wars. With Super Neptunia RPG, the franchise finally makes its debut on a Nintendo system, as well as its first foray into 2D game design. While this latest entry features all the charm and fast-paced gameplay that make the series so endearing, the larger package feels so rough around the edges that it can be hard to recommend.
Nintendo has opened the North American website for Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Access the official page here.
There isn’t too much to see at present, but the site does have a trailer, screenshots, and rundown of details. Information about the Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers is also available.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses launches in just a few weeks, so the full-blown version of the site should be opening soon.
Earlier today, the Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast shared photos of what appear to be concept models for Super Nintendo World. They were apparently dated from 2016. Orlando ParkStop believes the photos are legitimate based on what it has heard of upcoming plans.
Here are some of the highlights from the photos:
Hello my beautiful weapon triangles! Fire Emblem: Three Houses is coming out in three weeks, so we’re celebrating by discussing all about some new details we’ve got on how the game plays and how Koei Tecmo was involved with Nintendo to make this game happen.
We also talk about some interesting comments from Nintendo on 5G, Cloud Gaming, VR, and a new control style they want to create for next-gen that will become the new industry standard. Peculiar stuff! Oni also gushes about Daemon X Machina and laments Bloodstained stumble onto the Switch.
If you’d like to support our show, you can help out by sharing the show with someone who hasn’t heard us before, and by rating us 5 stars on iTunes! We really appreciate all your support an thank you so much for listening!
Update (7/7): This is now up for pre-order on Amazon here.
Original (7/5): Kirby: Art & Style Collection is coming west in Spring 2020, Viz Media has revealed. The announcement was made this week at Anime Expo 2019.
Originally, Kirby: Art & Style Collection came out in Japan in November 2017. Made to celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary, the hardcover collection has rare art and more.
System: Switch
Release date: June 25, 2019
Developer: ArtPlay
Publisher: 505 Games
Castlevania has been an incredibly important series for the entire medium of gaming. It has also had a long, illustrious life and popularity due in part to longtime series producer Koji Igarashi. The terms Metroidvania and “Igavania” had since been coined thanks to Castlevania’s unique direction of gameplay that usually requires the players to uncover large sections of a map by simply exploring. A huge portion of the fun comes from uncovering the area and seeing how seamlessly it all connects with each other as you run into locked doors and keys in various rooms and levels that intertwine before progressing even further. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, the newest creation from Igarashi, would be a return to form to a more nostalgic time in video game history, with very little hand-holding and a freedom of exploration only interrupted by a player’s lack of curiosity. It’s without a doubt one of my favorite games to come out this year, but unfortunately, the Switch version of the game should not be the platform of choice when deciding to tackle an otherwise truly fantastic experience that’s been long overdue for fans of the genre.
Summoning Focus: Weekly Revival 5 is now live on Fire Emblem Heroes. 5-star Heroes who appeared before the start of Book II are here as focus Heroes, and the focus lineup changes each week. You’ll also notice that 5-star focus Heroes have an initial appearance rate of 4%.
Summoning Focus: Weekly Revival 5 will be in Fire Emblem Heroes until July 14.
It’s been quiet on the Nintendo maintenance front as of late, but things are about to ramp up once again. Four different sessions are currently planned for Switch over the next week.
Here’s the schedule as of now:
At Japan Expo 2019 this week, Nintendo showed off Astral Chain with nearly a half hour of footage. Get a look at the gameplay below.
