It was a tough choice for April’s Game of the Month, but with Nintendo announcing the push-forward of the Mario Kart 8 DLC, we’d be ridiculous not to make a spectacle of the game. So it is: April will feature Mario Kart 8-focused articles all month long from all of our writers, including– most likely– a look at the new DLC when it comes out in a couple of weeks here.
Look forward to it! And get pumped for 200cc.
~Austin
Podcast Crew: Austin (Twitter), Jack (Twitter), Laura (Twitter)
There was a Nintendo Direct today! Do you want to hear some people talk about it? Well, we’ve finally given in to the man and decided to talk about news.
Here are today’s chapters:
Shenanigans
1. Intro
2. Picture of the Day
3. Game of the Week: Wario’s Woods
4. Where is Steve?
What we played
5. Laura removes her own heart in The Sims 4
6. Austin vs. Donkey Kong (Mario vs. Donkey Kong)
7. Laura looks for cheap love in Story of Seasons
Discussion
8. Nintendo Directs us to Mario Kart 8 DLC, and more.
Shenanigans Redux
9. Freetures
10. Animal Crossing Music Break
Listener Questions Mail
11. The “right” way to play Fire Emblem?
12. Maybe microtransactions are just like modern arcade machines?
13. Jack’s favorite email about A Link to the Past.
Shenanigans Finale
14. Wario’s Woods Quiz
15. Devolution and Ending
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This week’s Wii U eShop charts are as follows:
Software
1. Super Mario 64
2. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
3. Mario Party 10
4. Super Mario World
5. EarthBound
6. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
7. Super Mario Galaxy 2
8. Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario Advance 3
9. AVGN: Adventures
10. Metroid Fusion
11. Donkey Kong Country
12. Super Metroid
13. Super Mario Bros. 3
14. Golden Sun
15. NES Remix
16. Advance Wars
17. Yoshi’s Island DS
18. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars
19. The Legend of Zelda
20. NES Remix 2
Videos
1. Mario Party 10 Launch Trailer
2. Super Mario 64 Trailer
3. Nintendo Direct: 4/1/15
4. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS Mewtwo Strikes Back
5. Play Nintendo Introduction Video
6. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS Lucas Comes out of Nowhere
7. Mario Party 10 Trailer
8. Mario Party 10 amiibo Party Commercial
9. Yoshi’s Woolly World E3 2014 Trailer
10. Yoshi’s Island DS Trailer
11. Super Smash Bros. Mii Fighters Suit Up for Wave One
12. Mario Kart 8 New amiibo Racing Suits Trailer
13. Mario Kart 8 200cc is Here Trailer
14. Kirby and the Rainbow Curse Commercial
15. Mario Kart 8 Animal Crossing Course Trailer
16. Nintendo Minute – Kirby and the Rainbow Curse Let’s Clay
17. Splatoon Single Player Campaign Trailer
18. Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars Gameplay Trailer
19. Great Games to Buy with eShop Cards
20. Octodad: Dadliest Catch Trailer
Source: Wii U eShop
This week’s video additions to the Wii U/3DS eShops are as follows:
Wii U
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. New Software Update Now Available
Pokemon Rumble World Trailer
Tilelicious: Delicious Tiles Trailer
Tilelicious: Delicious Tiles Trailer 2
Tilelicious: Delicious Tiles Trailer 3
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate April DLC Pack Trailer
psyscrolor Launch Trailer
psyscrolor Video
psyscrolor sagescrolr Part 1 Video
psyscrolor sagescrolr Part 2 Video
Runny Egg Trailer
New amiibo Commercial
3DS
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. New Software Update Now Available
Pokemon Rumble World Trailer
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate April DLC Pack Trailer
Runny Egg Trailer
DOOORS Trailer
New amiibo Commercial
Source: Wii U/3DS eShops
This week’s 3DS eShop charts are as follows:
Software
1. Animal Crossing: New Leaf
2. Mario Kart 7
3. BoxBoy!
4. Super Mario Bros. 3
5. Yoshi’s New Island
6. Story of Seasons
7. Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX
8. Mario Golf: World Tour
9. New Super Mario Bros. 2
10. Zelda: Oracle of Ages
11. Super Smash Bros. for 3DS
12. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
13. Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
14. Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D
15. The Legend of Zelda
16. Mario Party: Island Tour
17. Ultimate NES Remix
18. Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
19. Shovel Knight
20. Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
Videos
1. Nintendo Direct: 4/1/15
2. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS Mewtwo Strikes Back
3. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS Lucas Comes out of Nowhere
4. Pokemon Shuffle Tips & Tricks Trailer
5. Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains Episode 1
6. Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains Teaser Trailer
7. Super Smash Bros. Mii Fighters Suit Up for Wave One
8. Fossil Fighters: Frontier Launch Trailer
9. Super Mario 64 Trailer
10. Xenoblade Chronicles – Your Will Shall Be Done Trailer
11. 3DS Fire Emblem Choose Your Path Trailer
12. Pokemon Shuffle Trailer
13. Story of Seasons Launch Trailer
14. Octodad: Dadliest Catch Trailer
15. Pokemon Shuffle Useful Items Trailer
16. Mario Kart 8 New amiibo Racing Suits Trailer
17. New 3DS XL Trailer
18. New 3DS XL Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D
19. Mario Kart 8 200cc is Here Trailer
20. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate Zelda Trailer
Source: 3DS eShop
The Japanese Xenoblade Chronicles X website was updated once again today. Along with the latest battle videos, we also have a batch of screenshots and art. You can find the full set above.
This month’s issue of EDGE has a heavy feature on Splatoon. Details from the article have since emerged, which you can find rounded up below.
– Main article has quotes from Amano/Sakaguchi and Nogami and talks about Edge playing the same demo build of the game the media played a few weeks back.
– The prototype had basic block characters and the ink painting mechanic. You were invisible when you were in your own ink. Amano/Sakaguchi added in jumping, hiding in ink, and the ability to shoot up and down. After that, though, they were confused about what they wanted to do with the game. They thought they might put a squid character on the box art but they needed a humanoid character to hold the guns. They thought a “squid human” wouldn’t sell.
– Amano/Sakaguchi were scolded by Miyamoto in 2013 when doing the prototype who said “I don’t understand. What do you want to do? There’s no appeal to this game”.
– They had an epiphany on Jan 6, 2014 that they could have you switch between a squid and human form and they rapidly got a bunch of ideas about how you swim faster in your own ink, you slow down in enemy ink and take damage, you can swim up walls, etc.
– Amano is a fan of “shooting games”, but when he would invite friends to play with him they would get frustrated. He wants to make a game that is different that people who aren’t fans of traditional shooters can play.
– Splatoon has no voice chat and never will. Amano says: “This is coming from personal experience. When I played online games, I didn’t like the negativity I got and people telling me ‘You’re crap. Go away’. So we wanted to focus on the positive aspects of online gaming”. Amano says he’s not saying that chat in an online game can’t contribute to fun but they want to grab new players.
– Confirms that there are some Splat Zone maps with more than one boxed-off area to capture. If you claim all the territories your timer starts to count down, but if your opponent captures one the timer stops.
– The same primary weapon can come in a variation with the different sub/special weapon
– Can start firing after a super jump right before you land
– More online modes besides Turf War/Splat Zones
– One respawn point per team, but you’re invulnerable while on it to discourage campers.
– A lot of the designers on the team are in their 30s, so the 90s style with street fashion and trainers is a big inspiration for the outfits
– Trick to balancing the weapons according to Sakaguchi is to make people want a little more (“if only it could shoot a little farther/shoot faster”). They aren’t going out trying to make the strongest weapon in the game.
– 15 singleplayer challenges and “5 rare pieces of gear” for each of the 3 Amiibos
– Q&A with Katsuya Eguchi. Thinks Splatoon IP has huge potential. Important to have things that will draw attention to the game after release (basically hints at content updates/DLC).
