Seeking a news writer!
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Site updates | 7 Comments
Hi everyone. Quick site update!
Kira is sadly stepping away from her main position on the site due to personal work responsibilities. That means we have an opening for a news writer.
We’re looking for someone to help out on Wednesdays and Fridays. You’d be posting news each week during the following times:
– 1:30 AM PT – 4:30 AM PT
– 4:30 AM ET – 7:30 AM ET
– 9:30 AM in the UK – 12:30 PM in the UK
– 10:30 AM in Europe – 1:30 PM in Europe
If this is something you’re interested in, get in touch here! I’ll follow up with everyone who sends in an inquiry.
Here’s a Podcast – Episode 121! (F-1 Race)
Posted on 9 years ago by Austin(@NE_Austin) in Features, Podcast | 4 Comments
I do not know what the hell happened to this episode, but the audio is an absolute mess, and for that I apologize. You’ll notice Laura’s audio cutting in and out, her microphone quality was totally mangled, and there are a few weird snags here and there. It’s still listenable, but it’s not perfect and there are some awkward spots here and there. In any case, here are the chapters for this week:
Chapters today:
Opening Shenanigans
00:00 – Intros, greetings, hello
02:54 – Game of the week: F-1 Race!
What we played
06:14 – Jack tests his nostalgia for Super Mario Sunshine.
21:40 – Laura is a Mojave Monster in Fallout: New Vegas.
37:01 – Austin says Star Fox: Assault is like a sneeze on a wall.
Shenanigans II
51:18 – Freetures
55:14 – Star Fox Zero music break.
55:49 – Question of the day: How would you like to walk 600 feet?
58:00 – SMTxFE music break.
58:56 – Book club, moving advice, etc.
Listener questions mail
1:03:09 – Using Splatoon’s girl characters for marketing, other questions about female characters, etc
1:11:57 – Do you have more fun with games if you stay up to date on news?
1:20:21 – How long should a game be? (“It depends”)
1:27:11 – A nice email from a nice person.
1:30:56 – Briefly touching on E3 2015.
Ending Shenanigans
1:37:16 – Nonsense time.
1:38:37 – F-1 Race QUIZ
Download this episode (click this link)
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More: E3 2015, highlight, podcast, Star Fox, Super Mario Sunshine
Monolith Soft: From A to Xeno (Part 2)
Posted on 9 years ago by Patrick(@Patricklous) in DS, Features, Game of the Month, Wii | 8 Comments
As June draws to a close, I’m back with a second look back at the history of Monolith Soft and the games they created over the last generation of Nintendo consoles – with the exception of the actual Game of the Month. This was a period of change for the company and saw the release of several more experimental titles. Bandai Namco sold the majority of their stock in Monolith Soft to Nintendo in 2007 and while they wouldn’t become a first-party developer until later, all games from this point on would be on Nintendo consoles. Despite this, Monolith would still keep close ties with their previous owner, who took on publishing duties for some of their more niche games. Following the release of Baten Kaitos Origins there was a gap of two years before Monolith Soft’s next title – Soma Bringer.
[Just a Chat] Nintendo Digital Event @ E3 2015 reaction
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, Just a Chat, Videos, Wii U | 0 comments
Jon and I are a bit late on this, but we’re both back to discuss the Nintendo Digital Event that took place during E3. That includes talk about Star Fox Zero, The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, Metroid Prime: Federation Force, and lots more!
Stuff:
[Interview] Zordix shares new details about Aqua Moto Racing Utopia, talks New 3DS
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS eShop, Interviews, New Nintendo 3DS, Wii U eShop | 10 Comments
Zordix announced Aqua Moto Racing Utopia for Wii U last February. We haven’t heard much about the game over the past year, so we reached out to the studio for a status update. Larsson revealed that the game has made the jump to Unity 5, discussed DLC plans, teased a probable New 3DS exclusive, and more.
Read on below for our full interview with Matti Larsson, CEO and creative director at Zordix AB. You’ll also find an exclusive new screenshot showing how the updated UI looks.
More: Aqua Moto Racing Utopia, highlight, indie, Matti Larsson, top, Zordix
Let’s get serious for a moment
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Site updates | 131 Comments
Let’s Talk is on a one week break so that I can give the spotlight to a very important site topic. The feature will be back in full force next week!
With each passing anniversary on Nintendo Everything, I’ve thought about doing this forever. I can’t properly express how much I love the site, and how it’s become extremely embedded in my daily life.
There’s very little that I won’t do for Nintendo Everything – whether that means putting it ahead of my personal life, sleep, health… you name it. For nearly eight years, that’s the way things have been. That’s largely because I love being in a position to write about Nintendo in some form. I also take great happiness in knowing that I’m able to share updates about the company with you all.
Everything sounds fantastic, right? Well, in reality, that isn’t entirely the case. I think I may have been in denial a bit in terms of how long Nintendo Everything can continue on. Okay, that probably sounds way too dramatic. Let me try to explain what’s been on my mind and why this post is even necessary.
Over the past year or two, I’ve been taking a serious look at Nintendo Everything’s (and my own) financial situation. I need to be completely honest here and admit that it’s not the best. It’s why I’m putting up this post today, and why I’d like to have a discussion about the site’s future.
Running a site, as rewarding as it is, can be very taxing. The financial aspect alone has been extremely stressful for me. Few people have known about this – maybe just a handful.
Nintendo Everything generates revenue through ads. Unfortunately, this is not at all the best/consistent source of income. The ads themselves cannot at all be relied upon. Companies act irregularly in terms of when they’re interested in advertising. The first half of the year is often filled with dead periods for ads. Throw in the fact that some people use Adblock, and the situation becomes a bit of a mess. Truthfully, the site isn’t exactly bringing in what it needs to right now.
Those are some of the reasons why I’m concerned about Nintendo Everything’s future. We’re not in an absolutely dreadful situation, but we’re not in a good one either. It’s very tough for the middle-of-the-road sites to survive. We’re not backed by any major corporation, we’re not part of a network, and I run everything independently.
At the end of the day, I don’t want anything to change. I don’t want us to have to team up with anyone else, sell the site, shut down, or anything along the lines. I just want to be in a position to continue doing what I’ve been doing for the past eight years or so.
So where does Nintendo Everything go from here? That’s what I’d like to talk to you all about today. I would really appreciate if we could have a discussion in the comments below about what I’ve tried to explain. Maybe you guys have some ideas about how I can go about things to improve the site’s situation. My ears (eyes?) are wide open, and I’ll be looking at everything you all have to say. Let’s turn this ship around!
[Let’s Talk] Your thoughts on Nintendo’s E3 2015 performance
Posted on 9 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, Let's Talk | 42 Comments
Let’s Talk #13: Your thoughts on Nintendo’s E3 2015 performance
Well, that’s it! Another E3 is in the books. Now it’s time to talk about it all.
Just like last year’s E3, Nintendo did quite a bit in conjunction with the show. The Smash Bros. presentation kicked things off on Sunday morning, followed by the Nintendo World Championships later that night. The Nintendo Digital Event was on Tuesday, and the Treehouse Live streams lasted for three days.
As it was where the big announcements were made, I’ll be focusing on the Digital Event. You guys can feel free to discuss any part of Nintendo’s E3 presence, however!
To recap, below were the big announcements from the Nintendo Digital Event:
Wii U
– Star Fox Zero revealed, PlatinumGames working on the project
– Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival announced, out this holiday, amiibo figures revealed
– Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash announced, out this holiday
– Skylanders SuperChargers is getting Bowser and Donkey Kong figures that also act as amiibo
– Super Mario Maker: out September 11, new amiibo officially revealed
– Xenoblade Chronicles X: out December 4
– Yoshi’s Woolly World: out October 16
– New Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem trailer, reconfirmed for 2016
3DS
– The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes announced, out this fall
– Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam announced, out spring 2016
– Metroid Prime: Federation Force revealed, out in 2016
– Hyrule Warriors Legends confirmed, out Q1 2016
– Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer: out September 25
– Yo-Kai Watch: out this holiday
– Fire Emblem Fates gets its final name, reconfirmed for 2016
So that was the big stuff. Looking back on everything, how do you guys feel about what was shown? I’ll kick things off with my own thoughts below.
Man, there is a whole lot to talk about concerning the Digital Event. The general impression, unfortunately for Nintendo, seems to be leaning towards the negative side.
Once the Digital Event ended, I was a bit disappointed myself. For a few reasons.
For one thing, there wasn’t much new announced for Wii U. Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival and Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash were the only games we didn’t know about before for the console. Both are due out later this year. What do we have to look forward to in 2016 aside from Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem? I hope we see some announcements later on in the year!
Metroid Prime: Federation Force is a strange thing for me. On one hand, I’m happy that we finally have a new Metroid. On the other hand, it doesn’t feel much like a Metroid game right now. I’m not personally liking how it looks currently, but I’m very much willing to give it a shot. Let’s see what happens as development progresses.
Looking back on it and really reflecting on things, the Digital Event wasn’t awful in my opinion. Don’t forget we had E3 presentations like in 2008, which featured a whole lot of Shaun White Snowboarding and Wii Music. It definitely wasn’t Nintendo’s strongest, and last year’s event was much more exciting by comparison.
Some other random thoughts: where was Devil’s Third? Did anyone else feel like the Digital Event was missing “one other game” or “one big title”? After the Mario Maker bit, I was hoping Nintendo would have one final title to reveal. The puppets were lovely, but some segments felt like they ran on too long. Considering Yoshi’s Woolly World was featured in last year’s Digital Event and is launching extremely soon in Europe in Japan, a trailer probably would have been enough.
Okay, that’s enough from me. I better stop now. My brain has melted from E3 coverage, so I’m probably just rambling on too much at this point. Let us know what you thoughts about Nintendo at E3 2015 in the comments below!
Highlights from last week’s topic: E3 2015 hopes and dreams
Timppis
In order of preference.
New IP – Large scale JRPG but with more fantasy settings than Xenoblade games. FF9 or White Witch -style.
Paper Mario – Have to have this. The rumors must be true
Star Fox open world game – Not going to happen unfortunately
New line of Mario Sports games, highlighted by Mario Strikers 3 with HUGE career mode – Also not going to happen.
Mario sports games in general – Baseball, Rugby/American football mashup, Basketball, anything. -Not happening
Super Mario Sunshine HD – Plausible
Resurrection of any of these franchises – Waveracer, Golden Sun, 1080 Snowboarding, Advance Wars, Earthbound… – Also not going to happen
Im going to be so disappointed this year… I just know it ;_;
AJK
A new Metroid is the dream really. Ideally a new Prime type game.
Also please please please don’t let Starfox be underwhelming. I have waited since Starfox 64 for a decent Starfox shooter. My fear is that they might try something gimmicky instead of sticking to what made the first 2 games so great.
My final wish would be a new Golden Sun game on 3ds.
Vorsun
I’m probably alone on this, but I really wanna see more of Devil’s Third. That game is shaping up to be a really fun 3rd-person hack-and-slashooter. And of course I want Nintendo to be playing another trick on me and show a trailer for Zelda U, even though I’m sure there won’t be one.
As far as games I want them to announce, I would love for Retro’s new game to be Metroid Prime 4/Dread/whatever, but I’m torn because I also want them to do their own IP. I want Platinum’s game to either be Vanquish 2 or Wonderful 102 or… dare I ask for God Hand 2? With Bayonetta 2 being Wii U exclusive, the possibilities are astounding. And of course, as always, my greatest desire is Custom Robo U/3DS. I will not be satisfied with some cardboard cutout trying to be Custom Robo. I need the real steel deal.
icecreamperson
So I want a couple of things….
An hd remake for zelda for wii u
a new big 3d mario game announced in the vain of galaxy, sunshine or 64 fr wii u
a new paper mario announced for wii u
diddy kong racing for wii u announced
Here’s a Podcast – Episode 120! (Balloon Kid)
Posted on 9 years ago by Austin(@NE_Austin) in Features, Podcast | 3 Comments
E3 2015 has come and gone. This is our E3-themed podcast where we were all really tired. I’m still tired so this is all I’m going to write on this post.
Chapters today:
Opening Shenanigans
00:00 – Intros, welcomings, etc
03:41 – Picture of the day
04:54 – Game of the week: Balloon Kid!
Other stuff
08:49 – E3 2015! Our gut reactions.
55:30 – Our secret E3 2015 predictions. How’d we do?
Ending Shenanigans
1:10:04 – Balloon Kid quiz + ending
Download this episode (click this link)
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More: highlight
[Review] Lord of Magna: Maiden Heaven
Posted on 9 years ago by Patrick(@Patricklous) in 3DS, 3DS eShop, Features, Reviews | 6 Comments
System: Nintendo 3DS
Release: June 2nd, 2015
Developer: Neverland, Marvelous
Publisher: XSEED, Marvelous
Author: Patrick
Though I haven’t had much experience playing their previous work, I’ve always had a lot of respect for Lord of Magna’s original developer, Neverland. Whether it’s the intricate puzzles of Lufia, the DIY dungeons of Dark Seed or the laid-back life simulation of Rune Factory, their games always find some way to put a unique spin on the role-playing genre. What a shame then that what is likely their final title lacks this same creative spark, with a story that falls back on tired tropes and a blend of strategy RPG and dating sim mechanics that fails to capture the appeal of both genres. It’s nice that the game even exists following Neverland’s declaration of bankruptcy, but Lord of Magna’s troubled development is very much apparent in the final product, and I wonder just how finished the game actually is.
More: highlight, Lord of Magna, Marvelous AQL, top, XSEED
The Awakening of the Giant – A comparison of Xenoblade Chronicles’ and X’s soundtracks
Posted on 9 years ago by Jarop(@gamrah) in 3DS, Features, Game of the Month, Wii, Wii U | 2 Comments
Xenoblade Chronicles X has been out in Japan for quite some time and while the rest of us gaze enviously at the latest Xeno entry before it comes our way, it’s interesting to note some of the changes that have been made possible thanks to the Wii U. The boost in graphical power allowed Monolith Soft to flex their artistic muscle and craft a gorgeous open world, the improved online infrastructure allowed not only for interactions with other players but also the means to push out additional content (which is a staggering thought for a game with a story up around the 70 hour mark) and the most striking change came thanks to the dense, orchestral based soundtrack, which harvested a very different tone to Xenoblade Chronicles back in 2010. Moving away from the smaller ensembles covering any combination of rock, pop and classical tracks, Xenoblade Chronicles X was scored by Hiroyuki Sawano, renowned for more grand compositions focusing on a full orchestra sound, a stark contrast to the ensembles players had been exposed to previously. It was a different sound that was needed to accommodate the new direction of the game, but it was a fairly big risk to take as Xenoblade Chronicles’ soundtrack was so endeared by fans.
