I like it when Nintendo gets weird. It’s usually at about this point in their consoles’ lifespans, well after they’ve sold roughly a bajillion Mario and Zelda titles, when we see them start to resurrect dormant franchises and experiment in genres that other platform holders are ignoring. So, here we are – it’s 2024, and Nintendo decided now is the perfect time to release a new entry in in the Famicom Detective Club series of visual novels, which hasn’t seen a new entry in 27 years. Emio – The Smiling Man has some compelling ideas driving its core mystery about a serial killer with an unsettling modus operandi, and initially, it had hooked. Unfortunately, this story’s lethargic pacing, tedious writing, and general lack of meaningful character development fails to live up to the high bar set by earlier entries in the series.

More: Emio: The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club, highlight, top

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

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

A new month just started up a few days ago. Now that we’re in September, we want to know what you’ve been playing.

Are you going through some of the releases from the Indie World + Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase like Castlevania Dominus Collection or Pizza Tower? How about Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club? No matter the case, let us know in the comments below.

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[Review] Ace Attorney Investigations Collection

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

System: Switch
Release date: September 6, 2024
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

Although it has been several years since we’ve had a brand new instalment in the franchise, there’s no denying that fans of Ace Attorney have been fairly well catered-to over the last few years. With the arrival of Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, we now have every title in the series (except for the Professor Layton spinoff anyway, which will probably be the next thing we get before a new game) available to us on Switch, including the three that were never released in the West. This collection brings us two entries that take a refreshing approach to the gameplay formula that is definitely worth investigating for fans and newcomers alike.

More: Ace Attorney Investigations Collection, Capcom, highlight, top

The hardest Shiny Pokemon to get, ranked

Posted on 1 month ago by Ethan in Features, General Nintendo | 0 comments

Today, we’re listing off some of the hardest Shiny Pokemon to get. Most of these are from games prior to the Switch generation, but can still be transferred over to modern games.

At the time of writing, Pokemon Bank is still open for business – at least for those who’ve already downloaded it. In the past, we’ve discussed easy Shiny hunts you can do on DS and 3DS-generation Pokemon games. But how about some of the most difficult? Indeed, all of the Pokemon games prior to X and Y have a decreased Shiny rate of 1 in 8000 (roughly), which means there are plenty of tough and time-consuming Shiny hunts to do before Pokemon Bank eventually closes. Get ready for some tough hunts!

More: Game Freak, highlight, Pokemon, top

[Preview] Reynatis

Posted on 1 month ago by Elias in Previews, Switch | 0 comments

Battling through modern-day Shibuya may seem like a fantastical story to some, but for fans of Japanese games, Reynatis may not be their first battle down the iconic streets of Japan’s most cutting-edge cultural hub. The region’s layout is as true to the real Shibuya as possible – and traversing its streets might just feel a bit more magical than usual this time, though maybe not as flashy as one might expect, unless of course you feel like spending some time in Wizard Jail, or whatever its called.

More: FuRyu, highlight, NIS America, Reynatis, top

Ideas for the future of Xenoblade Chronicles

Posted on 1 month ago by Ethan in Features, General Nintendo, Switch | 0 comments

By all (or at least most) accounts, the Xenoblade series sort of peaked with the release of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and its DLC, Future Redeemed. The base game told a completely new story that could technically be understood without playing the prior games (but was enhanced by doing so) while also tying together the futures of the worlds from Xenoblade Chronicles and its sequel. Without going into too much detail right off the bat, Xenoblade 3’s ending is said to have wrapped up the series – or at least the Klaus trilogy. That being said, there are a few loose ends introduced in Xenoblade Chronicles 3 that weren’t fully tied up – and today, we’re going over which of these plot points we can expect to see in future games, if any at all. Do keep in mind that there are spoilers ahead.

More: highlight, Monolith Soft, top, Xenoblade Chronicles

[Let’s Talk] Indie World Showcase + Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase reactions

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

Nintendo fans tend to go by the company’s patterns, but every now and then, the company throws a curveball. That’s exactly what happened this week. We’re generally used to getting a Nintendo Direct before the Tokyo Game Show in September, but we instead saw a new presentation to end August. On top of that, it was shown right after an Indie World Showcase. We’re not used to seeing back to back presentations from Nintendo, but again, you can’t always predict what the Big N will do.

There were so many games between the two presentations – over forty in fact – that we can’t possibly mention them all here. For the Indie World Showcase through, a big highlight was the announcement and release of Pizza Tower. Meanwhile, the Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase featured Capcom Fighting Collection 2, Castlevania Dominus Collection, The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 1st, Atelier Yumia, Tales of Graces f Remastered, Tetris Forever, MySims: Cozy Bundle, Star Overdrive, and more.

More: highlight, Indie World, Nintendo Direct, top

[Review] Castlevania Dominus Collection

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

System: Switch
Release date: August 27, 2024
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami

Since the surprise release of Castlevania Advance Collection I’ve had the question “are we getting a port of the DS titles?” sitting in the back of my mind and surfacing to the forefront every time a Nintendo Direct aired. Of course bringing the DS titles across to the Switch wouldn’t be as simple a task, so it is perhaps understandable that it’s taken three years for Castlevania Dominus Collection to finally make it onto the system. However, now that it’s finally here, the end result is more than worth the wait.

More: Castlevania Dominus Collection, highlight, Konami, top

[Review] Gundam Breaker 4

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

System: Switch
Release date: August 29, 2024
Developer: Bandai Namco
Publisher: Bandai Namco

Although I’ve always appreciated the complex political machinations, emotionally charged character dynamics, and poignant themes of war that have defined a lot of media in the Gundam series, it’s often the designs of the Mobile Suits that have determined just how much I enjoy any one particular entry. If, like me, you’ve ever wanted to make your own Mobile Suit, or thought that one might look just a little better if a few tweaks were made, then Gundam Breaker 4 is the game you’ve been waiting for. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the franchise, the depth of customization on offer makes this worth looking into if you’re in the market for something that will let you test the limits of your creativity.

More: Bandai Namco, Gundam Breaker 4, highlight, top

Indie World Showcase and Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase live stream

Posted on 1 month ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Switch, Videos | 0 comments

The Indie World Showcase and Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase is starting not too long from now. Nintendo’s stream kicks off at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET / 3 PM in the UK / 4 PM in Europe. Remember that the Indie World Showcase is first, and then Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase begins right after.

Everything covered here will be for upcoming Switch games. Nintendo will not be discussing the Switch successor.

We’ve included the official Indie World Showcase and Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase live stream below.