For all of the fresh and welcome adjustments Mario Kart 8 brought to the series, there was one mode that saw a massive set of changes much to the dismay of many: Battle Mode. Doing away with the iconic arena stages prevalent in previous entries, Mario Kart 8 opted instead to re-use existing tracks to create somewhat of a joust around the courses, an unwelcome change to many fans. Combine that with the initial lack of a mini-map, the implication for couch co-op with a twelve-player cap and the fact that the tracks were larger and more open than ever, many fans felt that Nintendo had missed the mark when it came to capturing what the Grand Prix’s little brother was all about. Battle Mode has undergone a number of changes over the eight entries in the franchise. We’ve seen the size of the arena grow from two to twelve, the addition of bikes and countless other tweaks to the original inclusion back in 1992, but is the shift in focus really to blame entirely on Mario Kart 8? What should Battle Mode in a modern day Mario Kart even look like anyway?
At this point, I’m sure most of you are familiar with the N64 kid. But just in case you have no idea what I’m referring to, check out this video:
That video was uploaded over nine years ago, and has gained millions of views on YouTube. It goes to show how much it meant to that person having received a N64 for Christmas!
Brandon Kuzma and his sister Rachel, who are now 25 and 22 respectively, recently starred in a new Taco Bell commercial that attempts to recreate the same scene as shown in the original video. View it below.
Xenoblade Chronicles X wasn’t the only notable game Famitsu reviewed in its latest issue. Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition saw its first verdict, too. Editors handed out scores of 9, 9, 9, and 9 for a total of 36 out of 40.
Just like the Xenoblade Chronicles X review, we’ve now translated Famitsu’s Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition verdict. Head past the break for it in full.
It’s time for the latest Famitsu’s most wanted games chart! The main highlight this week is Fire Emblem If, which has now climbed into the third spot. Rhythm Heaven: The Best Plus has also entered the lineup.
Head past the break for the full chart. All votes were cast between April 9 and April 15.
Girls Mode 3 sold 55,000 copies in its first week in Japan, based on Media Create data. That may not seem like much, but the title is expected to perform well in the longterm.
The last entry in the series, Style Savvy: Trendsetters, moved 66,000 copies in its first week. Media Create points out that the franchise has a long tail for sales, as Trendsetters has sold 381,000 copies in Japan. That’s roughly six times the sales of the first week. While a simple comparison can’t be made because the sales times differ, if Girls Mode 3 keeps its sales close to that of Trendsetters, over 300,000 lifetime sales could be expected.
Media Create also mentions that it will be worth paying attention to the sales of Girls Mode 3 during Golden Week. During this Japanese holiday, game sales tend to rise.
Guitar Hero Live’s first wave of songs have been confirmed through the game’s Facebook page. The soundtrack will be comprised of Top 40 songs including Ed Sheeran’s “Sing” and “Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men, “Don’t Owe You a Thang” by Gary Clark Jr., “Cry of Achilles” by Alter Bridge, and more.
The full first ten songs are listed in the image below. Those who are interested in any of the music can have a listen by checking out the following Spotify playlist:
Another large batch of Bravely Second footage has come in thanks to a new upload from NintenDaan. You can watch it all in the lengthy video below.
There are plenty of Kickstarter projects that feature Wii U in one form or another. For the latest look at which games are seeking funding, check out our roundup below.
Frizzy (new) – $3,000 for funding
Ping 1.5+ – European localization – $700 for funding
HUSH – $146,795 for funding, includes Wii U
Izle – $90,000 for funding, includes Wii U
Sydney Hunter and the Caverns of Death – Wii U stretch goal at $35,000
Also note that Cross Code is in its final funding hours on Indiegogo. If funds hit €100,000, the game will come to Wii U. The campaign has generated over €87,000 thus far.
We now have a complete recording of Splatoon’s second stream at NicoNico Chokaigi 2015. Watch it in full below.
