It needs to be said right away that When the Past was Around is one of the most beautiful and evocative experiences I’ve had in quite some time. It’s games like these that I usually love to close a year off with, just as I did previously with Gris. These types of titles these go beyond a narrative being told and go straight for the heart, and, much like Gris, convey a lot by saying very little. When the Past was Around is a game that lets the art and your actions do the talking as your 20-something character goes through love, loss, and heartbreak, as well as the trials and tribulations of life and how we face them. It has a little something we can all connect to, and finding and utilizing these puzzles to face our issues – much like how we solve problems in our own lives – become complex only when they need to or if we don’t look deeper. When the Past was Around almost feels like an interactive metaphor, but does so in a gorgeous way that accentuates its stunning art style, relaxing yet thought-provoking gameplay, and café-like vibes that make it feel like a real joy to play from beginning to end despite its heavy themes.

More: Chorus Worldwide Games, highlight, Mojiken Studio, Toge Productions, top, When the Past Was Around

[Interview] Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin devs on origins, inspirations, making the Switch version, more

Posted on 4 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Interviews, Switch | 0 comments

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin was a long journey to completion for Edelweiss. After five years in development, the game finally released in November. It’s out now on Switch and other platforms.

Director Nal and CG artist Koichi were kind enough to take some time to speak with us as part of a new interview about the game. We were able to learn more about Sakuna’s origins, including Nal’s desire to create an action RPG going back to his days as a student. Other discussion topics included other games that inspired the project, working with Switch, and even how much rice was consumed during development.

You can read up on our full interview for Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin below.

More: Edelweiss, highlight, Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, top, XSEED Games

[Nintendo Everything Podcast] – episode #109 – Two Japanese pastimes and the Bidinko

Posted on 4 years ago by Oni Dino(@Oni_Dino) in Podcast | 0 comments

This week on Nintendo Everything Podcast, we’ve got so much news to talk about, despite being the very end of the year. Galen’s been playing Cyberpunk 2077, so we dive into the controversy, first-hand and second-hand experiences. We’ve also got Sephiroth impressions, Indie World Showcase recap, and Super Nintendo World recap. Did we really get three directs in one week (more or less)? We’re also picking the winner of the Twitter giveaway, too! Listen to the opening of the show to see who won.

If you’re enjoying NEP, please consider giving us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and share us with a friend. It’s incredibly helpful in getting us exposed to new listeners through algorithms, so we would greatly appreciate your help. Thank you for listening to our Nintendo podcast!

More: Cyberpunk 2077, highlight, Indie World, Super Nintendo World, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, top

Atelier Ryza 2 gets first review in Famitsu, full translation

Posted on 4 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 0 comments

Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy has another month or so to go until its ready for primetime in the west, but the RPG came out in Japan this month. As is tradition, Famitsu published one of the first reviews of the game. Between four reviewers, it earned scores of “8”, “8”, “8”, and “9” for a total score of 33 / 40.

We’ve now prepared a full translation of the review. Continue on below to read it in full.

More: Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy, Gust, highlight, Koei Tecmo, top

[Let’s Talk] Your highlight from the December 2020 Indie World Showcase

Posted on 4 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk, Switch | 0 comments

Just like in 2019, Nintendo decided to close out 2020 with an Indie World Showcase. Nearly twenty games were shown, and a few were announced and released on the same day. Among Us, Grindstone, When the Past Was Around, and Calico all dropped on the eShop. We also heard about titles like Spelunky 1 and 2, Gnosia, and Alba: A Wildlife Adventure. You can find the full recap here.

With everything that was shown, what was your personal highlight of the December 2020 Indie World Showcase? Have you tried out any of the new games that released earlier in the week? Let us know in the comments below.

More: highlight, Indie World, top

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin director on the possibility of a sequel

Posted on 4 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News | 0 comments

Nintendo Everything recently had the chance to speak with Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin director Nal and CG artist Koichi. Although the team at Edelweiss typically doesn’t pursue sequels, we couldn’t help but ask if we could see a follow-up to the Switch game one day. It’s impossible to deny Sakuna’s strong reception and sales, and we already know that it’s doing pretty well having sold over 500,000 copies in less than a month.

When asked if we could see more from the Sakuna universe, Nal had this to say:

More: Edelweiss, highlight, marvelous, top, XSEED Games

[Review] Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack

Posted on 4 years ago by Campbell(@CampbellSGill) in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments

System: Switch
Release date: December 3, 2020
Developer: Bandai Namco
Publisher: Bandai Namco

If you’ve ever longed to control a pair of sentient taiko drums and fight alongside Marie Antoinette to prevent the space-time continuum from collapsing on itself, then the Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure games were custom-made for you. Once exclusive to the 3DS in Japan, Bandai Namco has now brought its role playing taiko adventures to the west for the first time. Taiko rhythm gameplay and RPG mechanics might seem like an odd blend at first blush, so a major question naturally arises: are these roleplaying spinoffs an offbeat adventure, or do they stick to a solid rhythm? Let’s strike up a drum line and find out.

More: Bandai Namco, highlight, Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack, top

Super Nintendo World Direct live stream

Posted on 4 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, Videos | 0 comments

It’s been a busy past few days for presentations with the Indie World Showcase and Sephiroth presentation for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Nintendo is now ending the week with a Nintendo Direct dedicated to Super Nintendo World. The broadcast begins at 3 PM PT / 6 PM ET / 11 PM in the UK / 12 PM in Europe. It should last about 15 minutes and won’t cover game content.

You can watch the Nintendo Direct as it happens below. If anything noteworthy is shared, we’ll be sure to pass along the news on the site.

More: highlight, Nintendo Direct, Super Nintendo World, top

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mr. Sakurai presents “Sephiroth” live stream

Posted on 4 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 0 comments

Sephiroth was announced at The Game Awards 2020 last week, and we’ll now be getting a proper look at the fighter during a presentation with director Masahiro Sakurai. The broadcast begins at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET / 10 PM in the UK / 11 PM in Europe.

You can watch the presentation as it happens below. We’ll have our regular coverage going during and after the event.

More: highlight, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, top

Indie World Showcase live stream – December 2020

Posted on 4 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Switch eShop, Videos | 0 comments

Today’s Indie World Showcase will be starting not too long from now. The presentation kicks off at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 5 PM in the UK / 6 PM in Europe.

As a reminder, today’s presentation will cover upcoming indie games for Switch. It should last about 15 minutes.

You can watch the Indie World Showcase as it happens below. We’ll report on all of the news during and after the broadcast.