Finding out that The Moomins is not only still an active franchise but is in fact still doing quite well for itself is one of the more surprising things that has happened to me this year thus far. As a child of the 90s I have fond memories of The Moomins (both the novels and the 1990s TV series) and I was eager to revisit that world in Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley, which appeared to capture the essence of Tove Jansson’s original works perfectly through its beautiful hand-drawn art style and relaxed, adventure-focused gameplay with a melodic twist that complemented the titular Snufkin. The “cozy gaming” space is packed with top quality titles at this point, and although I couldn’t necessarily recommend Snufkin over some others to those without that sense of nostalgia that drew me to it on the basis of its gameplay, it is nonetheless a title I find difficult to fault and would urge people to pick up as few are as immersive or charming as this one.

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Examining the pros and cons of a Mother 3 localization

Posted on 1 year ago by Ethan in Features, GBA | 0 comments

The past couple of months have been both great and terrible for EarthBound fans. On one hand, we’ve received so much — a huge wave of Porky merchandise and plushes, a bunch of EarthBound icons for Nintendo Switch Online profiles, and even a release of Mother 3 on the Switch’s Game Boy Advance lineup. The problem is that Mother 3 release was only in Japan.

There’s a lot of discussion surrounding a potential Mother 3 localization – it seems to become a talking point every few years, mainly around the game’s anniversary in April. Though there are far more reasons why Nintendo wouldn’t want to release Mother 3 in the west, there are a couple of (admittedly quite hopeful) reasons that a localization is still possible. Today, we’re breaking down all of the reasons why. We’ll be discussing some light spoilers here, so if for some reason you’re avoiding them, please keep that in mind before you continue reading.

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How to 100 percent complete Side Order in Splatoon 3

Posted on 1 year ago by Ethan in Guides, Switch | 0 comments

If you’re willing to put in several hours for Splatoon 3’s new Side Order DLC, it’s possible to 100 percent complete the mode – and we’ve put together a full list of criteria. Be warned, however – while fully beating Side Order isn’t terribly difficult, it does rely on RNG somewhat. If that’s okay with you, then let’s get right into our Side Order 100 percent completion guide.

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How will Pokemon X and Y’s story tie into Pokemon Legends: Z-A?

Posted on 1 year ago by Ethan in Features, Switch | 0 comments

When you ask a Pokemon fan which set of games has the best story, they’ll probably say Black and White (or their sequels). You likely won’t get many fans telling you that Pokemon X and Y’s story is their favorite, and it’s easy to see why! It’s safe to say that a good chunk of X and Y’s development time was dedicated to the new 3D graphics — which meant a lower emphasis on story. That being said, X and Y does have some interesting lore that isn’t often discussed. With the recent announcement of Pokemon Legends: Z-A, we think lots of threads from X and Y are going to be fleshed out into something special. Today, we’re going over Pokemon X and Y’s lore and what kind of plot points you could expect to see in Pokemon Legends Z-A next year.

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[Let’s Talk] What are you playing? – March 2024

Posted on 1 year ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 0 comments

A new month just started up last week. Now that we’re in March, we want to know what you’ve been playing.

Have you played some of the releases from the new Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase? Are you now starting up Unicorn Overlord? No matter the case, let us know in the comments.

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How to clear Eight’s Palette with low hacks in Splatoon 3

Posted on 1 year ago by Ethan in Guides, Switch | 0 comments

Today, we’re going over some tips and tricks to clear Eight’s Palette with low hacks in Splatoon 3’s Side Order DLC.

Splatoon 3’s Side Order DLC has been available for a little while now, and many players are beginning its most challenging feat: clearing the Spire of Order with Eight’s Palette. After you clear the Spire with every other Palette, you’ll receive Agent 8’s Palette – an Octo Shot Replica with a Splat Bomb sub and Triple Splashdown special. There’s one key difference that only applies to Eight’s Palette, though. Unlike other Palettes, Eight’s loses Color Chip slots if you have many of Marina’s hacks active. In other words, if you have hacks active, you will only be able to equip a few Color Chips in the Spire of Order. And if you clear the Spire with four active hacks or less, you receive a special Badge for your profile. We’ll also be discussing techniques for the final boss, so you might want to bookmark this page for later if you’re looking to avoid spoilers.

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[Review] Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story

Posted on 1 year ago by Dawn in Reviews, Switch eShop | 0 comments

System: Switch
Release date: February 21, 2024
Developer: Lazy Bear Games
Publisher: Riot Forge

In the wake of its tenth anniversary Riot Forge Games has taken League of Legends into some interesting places with a variety of single-player games giving us some alternate (and for those of us not into the MOBA, far more palatable) looks at the expansive world of Runeterra and its Champions. Partnering up with Lazy Bear Games, the studio behind the delightfully macabre Graveyard Keeper, now comes Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story, a life sim that forgoes the frenetic combat synonymous with the IP in favor of a more relaxed and cozy experience. Within the confines of the franchise it is certainly a welcome and refreshing change of pace, but when compared to its peers in the genre there are a few knots that will test your patience if you choose to attempt to untangle them.

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[Let’s Talk] Pokemon Legends: Z-A hopes and dreams

Posted on 1 year ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk, Switch | 0 comments

Pokemon Legends is now officially a series of its own with this week’s announcement of Pokemon Legends: Z-A. There won’t be a big new Pokemon game this year, but we know that this new one will be arriving in 2025.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus, which launched at the very beginning of 2022, was a new take on the RPG formula we’ve grown accustomed to over the past few decades. There was more of an action element and it was even possible to catch different creatures simply by throwing a Poke Ball as soon as you saw it, which didn’t require you to enter the battle screen. A number of different features and changes were introduced, which seemed to be well received overall.

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[Review] Ufouria: The Saga 2

Posted on 1 year ago by Nicholas Serpa in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments

System: Switch
Release date: March 1, 2024
Developer: Sunsoft
Publisher: Red Art Games

Back in 1991, video game developer Sunsoft – perhaps best-known these days for its Blaster Master series – was trying to get a new franchise off the ground, in part to help cement a new mascot for the company. Ufouria: The Saga was the result – a quirky 2D platformer whose main gimmick was its ability for players to swap between four different characters. While the game did well enough to spawn a series of puzzle games featuring the same oddball cast and charming presentation, the original title been almost entirely unavailable for western players outside of a now-inaccessible Virtual Console rerelease and a limited run in Europe. That’s why it’s such a delightful surprise that now, over thirty years later, Sunsoft has released a sequel – and fortunately, an excellent one. Ufouria: The Saga 2 not only tightly modernizes the satisfying gameplay of the original, but imbues its world and characters with a sense of whimsy and humor that had me smiling from start to finish.

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Side Order rewards guide for Splatoon 3

Posted on 1 year ago by Ethan in Guides, Switch | 0 comments

Side Order, Splatoon 3’s new DLC campaign, is now available, and we have a full list of rewards players can obtain.

Side Order is a single-player roguelike mode that sees you climbing up the Spire of Order. You’ll take down enemies, earn a currency called Prlz, and then use that currency to claim exclusive rewards in the main multiplayer mode of Splatoon 3. We wrote a guide that includes some general tips and tricks for Side Order, and you can check that out here. Since we’ll be talking about Side Order rewards here, there are definitely lots of spoilers afoot. That being said, we won’t discuss the names of story-tied bosses and enemies. If you’re okay with that, then let’s get into the full list of rewards.