Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U eShop | 4 Comments

In a new preview published by GamesBeat, new details are shared about Pencil Test Studios’ indie game Armikrog. The game was playable at GDC 2015 this week. For a summary of the latest information, check out our roundup below.

– Tommynaut is the game’s hero
– Dog companion Beak-Beak
– Demo begins with the two crash landing on a strange and hostile alien planet
– Tommynaut and Beak-Beak soon find themselves within the walls of a four-tower fortress
– The towers have mysterious secrets and environmental puzzles that Tommynaut and Beak-Beak must decode
– Game is a classic point-and-click adventure
– Use a sequence of items interlocking with environmental objects to head toward another puzzle
– Doesn’t use a traditional inventory system
– If the player has an appropriate item for a puzzle, the solution is simply to click where that item should be placed in the environment
– Ex: Tommynaut can pick up a hand crank early in the game; he later finds a device that is missing a handle; just click the device for Tommynaut to pull out the crank and start turning
– The team wants to simplify the experience and keep it about puzzle solving, and avoid vague/insane crafting sessions
– Some puzzles will require swapping to Beak-Beak
– Beak-Beak can crawl through tight spaces and travel through the towers’ strange duct ways
– Beak-Beak sees the world around him differently than Tommynaut
– Because Beak-Beak is color blind the environment turns black/white when playing as him
– Beak-Beak picks up on special wavelengths that Tommynaut can’t
– Demo has a section where Beak-Beak’s dog vision revealed an invisible clue tagged on a wall, which couldn’t be seen before
– Pencil Test Studios didn’t just build the characters out of traditional sculptural materials
– Everything in the game is created out of some form of real-world media — the rooms, objects, environments
– Design team: Ed Schofield, Mike Dietz, and Doug TenNapel
– Each of these team members are long-time animators who worked on The Neverhood
– Lighting works by pre-shooting the clay assets then putting them onto a 2D plane in Unity
– Team uses a 3D environment to move 2D assets around, which lets them throw in a specially tweaked spotlight to create the subtle illusion of the characters moving through light and shadow to match the clay backgrounds

More: Armikrog, details roundup, indie, Pencil Test Studios

Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS eShop, News, Wii U eShop | 0 comments

IGN went hands on with SteamWorld Heist at GDC 2015 this week, and has now posted a preview covering the demo. The site’s article contains plenty of new information about Image & Form’s indie game.

We’ve rounded up the various tidbits below. For the full preview, head on over to IGN.

– Out in August
– Takes place 100 years in the future
– Control a robot squad
– Some bad stuff happens between the events of SteamWorld Dig and Heist that forces the Steambots into space
– Recruit other bots to join your squad mid-mission or inside intergalactic saloons
– Develop a team and choose between multiple classes
– Classes have their own weapons and abilities
– The heists take place from a familiar 2D perspective
– Move the camera with the right stick and take a quick glance of all the enemies in a room
– Move characters with the d-pad
– The turn-based aspect adds a special set of rules
– While you move the cursor, it highlights a path the Steambot will take to its next position
– Gold path means it can still fire its weapon at enemies during the same turn
– Blue path means you’d be open to attack once the turn ends
– Can take cover behind barrels and other structures
– Firing weapons happens in pseudo real-time and requires careful aim and execution
– Can shoot through floors
– It’s also possible to miss shots
– Control Pipper and Sea Brass in the demo
– Piper is the taller of the two
– Piper’s gun is weak, though it has a capable sight that can be used to ricochet bullets off of walls to hit enemies
– Sea Brass can use a hand cannon that dishes out large damage at close range, but requires you to use your own line of sight to area
– Pipper’s peashooter won’t do much damage (even with a headshot), but Sea Brass’ powerful cannon easily takes out enemies
– Recruit another robot during the mission that looks like a robotic fihs
– He fires an Uzi that recoils wildly and affects his aim
– Lots of enemy variation
– These include grunts, snipers, automated turrets, and big burly robot bosses with lots of health
– All missions in the game have a procedurally generated map
– Multiple pathways in the map
– Need to consider which teammates to bring to the battle since characters are class based
– Ex: an engineer robot can repair broken pathways and help your squad reach hidden areas to claim more swag (treasure you’re trying to collect)
– When a teammate dies, it is significant, but not as unfair as permadeath
– Image & Form tried out permadeath, but ultimately wanted a system similar to the one used in SteamWorld Dig
– The robotic fish died during IGN’s demo, but another version of him can be recruited somewhere else in the game
– Recruit allies and mission in intergalactic saloons
– In the final game: recruiting robots to join your squad, space travel between jobs and intergalactic saloons, and upgrading a squad to be stronger and more resilient than your opponents

More: details roundup, Image & Form, indie, SteamWorld Heist

Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in New Nintendo 3DS, News | 2 Comments

A few more Xenoblade Chronicles details have come through a new preview on NintendoWorldReport. We have some some bits on how the game controls as well as the new Collection Mode. Read on below for a roundup of the latest details.

– No cuts aside from Japanese voice acting
– Button layout is different than on the Wii controllers
– Pick attacks by scrolling with the d-pad
– Use the ZL-button to get more control over the camera
– Use ZR to quickly let a fullscreen map pop up
– C-stick for camera controls
– Touchscreen provides information about the state of your party and a small mini-map
– Only a handful of things to collect in Collection Mode as you start out, but more are added as you progress
– 3 tokens for scanning Shulk
– 2 tokens for every player you meet in StreetPass
– 1 token for every 5 Play Coins
– If you want to unlock something new in Collection Mode for certain, you need to spend 3 tokens
– Can use the Shulk amiibo each day
– Listen to music in Collection Mode while the system is closed

Source

More: details roundup, Monolith Soft, Monster Games, Xenoblade Chronicles

Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 0 comments

Square Enix has shared concrete details about what’s included in Theatrhythm Dragon Quest. You can find the information rounded up below, courtesy of Siliconera’s translation.

– Board game-like mode for unlocking content
– Unlock “Rhythm Points” by clearing stages
– Acquire Rhythm Points to play in the Sugoroku Field, get Sugoroku Tickets, or Orbs used to get more teammates
– Sugoroku: Japanese board game that involves using dice to roll from start to finish, often with various gimmicks on your way from start to finish
– Once you reach the goal, you’ll get orbs which come in handy for unlocking allies
– Gimmicks in the Sugoroku Field can be helpful/hurtful
– These include various stores and doors that warp you to other doors, and pitfall traps that throw you outside of the field, resulting in a failure
– You can choose to go again for a chance to double-up your reward, but failing results in getting nothing at all
– Music stages in Theathrythm Dragon Quest aren’t too different from Theathrythm Final Fantasy
– Player Cards in the game let you make with your own comments and looks
– Trade cards with other players
– You’ll also get access to new Sugoroku Field maps by collecting these
– Player Cards contain information such as your top 3 characters and songs, play time, comments, and other records

Source

More: details roundup, Japan, Square Enix, Theatrhythm Dragon Quest, top

Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 2 Comments

A new preview from Nintendo Force contains even more details on Mario Party 10. The latest information is as follows:

– no solo mode
– in amiibo party, while moving on boards, you have to tap the amiibo to GamePad to use your dice, roulette wheels and more
– one token lets you summon stars all across the board
– another token lets you double the coins you earn in one select minigame
– another token lets you swap places with one other person
– swap and save tokens to your amiibo
– collect character tokens to unlock board part
– you don’t need any additional amiibo to unlock extra boards
– pieces are locked to the one specific amiibo you save the tokens to
– Mario Party mode has surprises along the way in the form of traditional events
– no more special Captain spaces or the Bowser Jr. minigames
– Bowser and Lucky and Unlucky spaces return
– you can no longer choose what miningames you will play
– midway and end points still have you battling a boss
– five boards in total
– boards are standard grass land in Mushroom Park, a spooky environment with Haunted Trail, an underwater world called Whimsical Waters, a sky high experience with Airship Central and your lava finale in the Chaos Castle
– Bowser Party uses three of the five boards
– Boswer can place traps on the playing field
– the player team can try to steal dice blocks from Bowser

Source

More: details roundup, Mario Party 10

Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 1 Comment

A new preview from IGN shares more information about Mario Party 10. We have several details about amiibo Party plus Bowser Party.

View a summary of the latest tidbits below. IGN’s full preview is located here.

amiibo Party

– Won’t unlock on the main menu unless you have an amiibo
– Scan different amiibo to unlock a character-specific board skin
– Boards come with touches like Goombas, Toads, etc.
– Boards are split into four quadrants
– Each section can be swapped out with the corresponding piece from another character’s board
– Board has only one path
– Get around quickly with warp pipes
– Each amiibo acts as a player piece as well
– You can write one of several special tokens to the figure
– Token examples: roll five dice on a turn, veto a selected mini-game and start the selection process over (looks like a P-Switch)
– Using a token drops it from your figure, but you can discover more to replace it as you play

Bowser Party

– Party mode and Bowser Party are also in Mario Party 10, as previously mentioned
– Bowser Party: a fifth player on the GamePad assumes takes on the role of Bowser
– Up to four players on Wii remotes compete against Bowser in various mini-games
– Sinister Slots: Mario and friends are all running on a hamster wheel, Bowser can spin and stop it at odd intervals to throw off the other player’s timing so they run into stage hazards
– Clawful Climb: the four other players scale a tower to escape Boswer; the player with the GamePad rapidly taps ZL and ZR to build up enough energy to move Bowser’s hands

Source

More: details roundup, Mario Party 10

Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 1 Comment

Another round of Xenoblade Chronicles X details have come in, covering the weather system and a pair of characters. You can find a roundup of the latest content below.

– Different weather and atmospheric differences on Planet Mira
– The weather ranges from fair, cloudy, rainy, thunderstorms, to auroras and rainbows
– Some regions have their own characteristics with heat waves and sandstorms

“The idea of having a different monsters appear in the fields at day and night was already a feature in Xenoblade Chronicles. In Xenoblade Chronicles X, we have also made it so that weather affects the battles.”

“It isn’t just a visual effect, but is fully featured in battle tactics. Tuning the weather change cycle was fairly hard work, though…” – director Koh Kojima

– Visit a BLADE camp to check a Rest Spot
– This can be used to change the time of day by resting

Lao

– One of BLADE’s team leaders
– His combat ability and sense of judgment is said to have been well-noticed by Elma
– Lao has a sensitive side in spite of his looks, speech, and overall cool image
– Passionate man deep down to his heart
– Lao has been friends with Doug since their days in the United States Army

Doug

– Member of BLADE
– Doug excels at all military skills, but is the most effective when it comes to piloting Dolls
– Doug is easy to make fun of despite his stern looks
– Often gets teased by Lyn whenever he messes up during Doll tests
– Doug served under Elma in the Doll Squad back on Earth
– Doll Squad: government spec-ops vehicular instructor corps
– He has been friends with Lao since their days in the United States Army

Source

More: details roundup, Monolith Soft, top, Xenoblade Chronicles X

Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News, Wii, Wii U | 2 Comments

NintendoWorldReport has published a new preview for Rodea: The Sky Soldier following NIS America’s localization announcement last night. Read on below for an information summary.

– Game kicks off with an inventor named Ion reactivating Rodea
– Rodea is a tailed flying humanoid robot
– Rodea was a soldier for Princess Cecilia and the Garuda Kingdom who battled the Naga Empire a thousand years ago
– The Empire suddenly returns to wage war against Garuda, so Rodea again must battle
– Has a NiGHTS vibe
– Wii U/3DS versions are different from the Wii original
– These versions change from an “arcade” play style to a “sky adventure”
– No pointer controls like in the Wii game
– There is a targeting system in the Wii U/3DS versions
– Move a targeting reticle and press A to have Rodea travel in the desired direction
– Press X while on the ground to travel straight upward in the air
– Can perform a spin attack with the B button
– Y button: use equipped weapons to shoot down enemies
– Rodea’s world is made up of many floating islands
– Rodea has a limited flight ability
– Can collect floating crystals in the air
– If you target one while flying in the direction of a several in a row, Rodea will automatically collect them all
– There are rings to fly through and other intermediate targets
– Final game has hidden areas and multiple paths
– There are also obstacles such as zip lines and time trial challenges
– StreetPass support for 3DS version
– This allows players to gain new items
– 2D art on the 3DS’ touch screen
– Ion talks to you while flying around
– Game is full of voice dialogue

Source

More: details roundup, Kadokawa Games, NIS America, Prope, Rodea: The Sky Soldier

Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 0 comments

GungHo Online Entertainment published a new trailer for Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition. Thanks to that video, a fresh set of details have emerged. You can find the information rounded up below.

– Game begins with a mysterious “Drop” that suddenly appears in Mushroom Kingdom
– Bowser uses this power and kidnaps Princess Peach
– Mario and the others go on an adventure to save Peach
– Battle familiar enemies from the series, and fight them using Puzzle & Dragons-style battles
– Different playable characters and transformations
– Fire Mario: Fire Mario’s Leader Skill is Fire Power, which increases the attack and healing of fire-type allies by x1.5
– Tail Luigi: His Tail Aura Leader Skill increases the health and attack of Wood-type allies by x1.5.
– Ghost Mario: When using Ghost Mario’s Leader Skill called Ghost Power, it increases the attack of all allies by x2.5 when attacking three or more different elemental types
– Yellow Yoshi (Assist Skill: Friendship Power Light): Triples the attack of allies when attacking using Water, Wood, and Light
– Green Yoshi (Assist Skill: Friendship Power Wood): Triples the attack of allies when attacking using Fire, Wood, and Dark
– Red Yoshi (Assist Skill: Friendship Power Fire): Triples theattack of allies when attacking using Fire, Wood, and Light
– Statue Mario: His Leader Skill called Mario’s Divine Favor can increase ally attacks by x3 as long as the allies’ health is above 50%
– Make your team set ups in the game
– Can make as many teams as you want
– Decide on the leader and subs for your team
– Battles are similar but in Mario Bros. fashion, including some iconic skills
– Level-up, transform characters at Toad’s House
– Characters are transformed using special items

Source

More: details roundup, GungHo Online Entertainment, Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition

Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS eShop, News | 0 comments

The Pokemon Company distributed new information about Pokemon Shuffle today. We have details about quite a few things, including pricing. Check out all of the tidbits in the roundup below.

– Free-to-play, as previously mentioned
– Stamina system: get 5 hearts and use a heart every time you play a stage (win or lose)
– Takes time for hearts to recover
– Initially thought to be 15 minutes, but images show 30 minutes
– Expedite recovery by buying hearts in the store using the in-game currency, gems
– Can obtain gems through StreetPass
– There are also in-app purchases
– 1 Gem = 100 Yen ($0.84 so will probably be $1 in the US)
– Can then purchase either hearts or coins
– Coins can be used to buy items to make stages easier, or Great Balls to make capture of Pokemon more likely.
– Pricing scheme:

Hearts
5 Hearts = 1 Gem
20 Hearts = 3 Gems
45 Hearts = 6 Gems
75 Hearts = 10 Gems

Coins
5000 Coins = 1 Gem
20000 Coins = 3 Gems
45000 Coins = 6 Gems
75000 Coins = 10 Gems

– To get 75 hearts would be 1,000 yen (roughly $8)
– Somewhere around 160 Pokemon/stages
– 1 Pokemon per stage
– Charizard and Mewtwo have two entries due to two Mega Evolutions
– Those looking to run through the game as quickly as possible using the stamina feature and without losing a single match (just paying for hearts) would need to spend 2,300 yen (assuming there aren’t any extra stages with duplicates etc.)
– The idea is to play it over time and not 100% it as fast as possible

Source

More: details roundup, Pokemon Shuffle