The original Wii launch of Kirby’s Return to Dream Land has always felt like a particularly important game for the franchise; at the time it released, it had been in development in some form for over a decade, after multiple attempts at creating a new mainline Kirby game never reached fruition. That’s a big part of the reason why Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe, a remaster of the 2011 original, feels like such a fitting way to wrap up the pink puffball’s 30th anniversary celebrations – it’s a testament to just how much the franchise has grown and evolved since then. But how well does this classic Kirby game hold up after all these years, and is the new content added into this remaster strong enough to justify a full-price rerelease?

More: HAL Laboratory, highlight, Kirby's Return to Dreamland Deluxe, top

[Let’s Talk] February 2023 Pokemon Presents reactions

Posted on 2 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk, Switch | 0 comments

Pokemon Day happened this week, and alongside that a new Pokemon Presents presentation was delivered. It contained a few announcements and a bunch of news about the franchise as a whole.

Probably the biggest reveal – which has been expected – is that Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet are getting new DLC. We don’t actually know too much currently, but it’ll be split into two parts. New Pokemon and a ton of returning creatures are coming. The first part has players going on a fieldtrip to Kitakami while the second features an adventure at Blueberry Academy as an exchange student.

The February 2023 Pokemon Presents did have other news as well, such as the return of Pokemon Sleep, Pokemon Concierge show from Netflix, and more. You can read the full recap here.

So what’d you think of the February 2023 Pokemon Presents? What are your initial thoughts on the Pokemon Scarlet / Violet DLC? Let us know in the comments.

More: highlight, Pokemon, Pokemon Scarlet, Pokemon Violet, top

Virtuos talks about its approach to Switch ports

Posted on 2 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 0 comments

There are a few go-to studios for Switch ports these days, including Virtuos. The company has been around since the console released with new versions of games like L.A. Noire, and has continued to support the console since then. Some of its recent work, including Dying Light and NieR: Automata, are said to be among the more impressive ports on Switch.

Virtuos CEO Gilles Langourieux opened up about the team’s approach to Switch ports in a recent issue of Famitsu. Here’s what was shared on that subject:

More: highlight, top, Virtuos

6 great games coming to Switch in March 2023

Posted on 2 years ago by Tom in Features, Switch | 0 comments

While March may not feature any major Nintendo first-party releases, there are still quite a few Switch games to look forward to.

In a new video we’ve put together, Sam highlights six great looking games that are coming to Switch this month. Things are looking a bit quieter in March, but there are still notable releases with Atelier Ryza 3, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania, and more.

Here’s the full video:

More: highlight, top

Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe, Octopath Traveller 2, and more! | Nintendo Everything Refresh Ep. 045

Posted on 2 years ago by Nicholas Serpa in Podcast, Switch | 0 comments

It’s a big week for Switch releases! On this week’s episode of Nintendo Everything Refresh, we’ll be sharing our hands-on impressions of two MAJOR games, Kirby’s Return to Dreamland Deluxe and Octopath Traveller 2. We’ll also dive deep into the major stories from last week, including Call of Duty’s (confirmed) return to Nintendo platforms, insight from Miyamoto on his philosophy on narratives in games, and more!

More: highlight, top

Pokemon Presents February 2023 live stream

Posted on 2 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, Mobile, Switch, Videos | 0 comments

The new Pokemon Presents event for February 2023 will be starting soon, and we have the official live stream ready to go. Remember that the fun begins at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET / 2 PM in the UK / 3 PM in Europe.

The only tidbit shared thus far is that the new Pokemon Presents will contain “about 20 minutes of exciting Pokemon news in celebration of Pokemon Day 2023”. We could hear about currently-released games like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and perhaps some new stuff as well, but fans have thus far been left to speculate.

Here’s where you can watch the Pokemon Presents February 2023 live stream:

More: highlight, Pokemon Presents, top

[Let’s Talk] February 2023 Pokemon Presents predictions

Posted on 2 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, Let's Talk, Switch | 0 comments

In just a couple of days, a new Pokemon Presents will air for February 2023. We’ve become used to seeing one of these events once per year on Pokemon Day, which happens on February 27. This day celebrates the launch of the series’ very first games in Japan.

What predictions do you have for the upcoming Pokemon Presents? Do you think we’ll be getting DLC for Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet? Let us know in the comments below.

More: highlight, Pokemon, top

Octopath Traveler II guild locations guide

Posted on 2 years ago by Tom in Guides, Switch | 0 comments

Now that Octopath Traveler II is here on Switch, we’ve put together a new guide that should come in helpful to find all of the game’s guild locations.

Similar to the first game, Octopath Traveler II provides licenses to outfit your party members with secondary jobs. These jobs allow them to access the abilities of other classes, giving your party more variety when in combat. One way to obtain these licenses is by finding various class guilds spread throughout the world.

The guide below will provide the location for each of the main eight class guilds. We also have a video version at the very end of this post.

More: highlight, Octopath Traveler II, Square Enix, top

Retro’s Star Fox Armada pitch, Switch’s lifecycle, Super Nintendo World and more | Nintendo Everything Refresh Ep. 044

Posted on 2 years ago by Nicholas Serpa in General Nintendo, Podcast, Switch | 0 comments

Did you know that we could have gotten a totally different Star Fox game on the Wii U? In this week’s episode of Nintendo Everything Refresh, we’ll share details about Star Fox Armada, a game pitched by Retro that could have been the direct sequel to Star Fox 64 that fans have been craving. (Visit DidYouKnowGaming for the full story!) We’ll also talk more about Splatoon 3’s upcoming expansion pass, Super Nintendo World, and much more!

More: highlight, top

[Review] Octopath Traveler II

Posted on 2 years ago by Elias in Reviews, Switch | 0 comments

System: Switch
Release Date: February 24, 2023
Developer: Square Enix / Acquire
Publisher: Square Enix

The original Octopath Traveler inspired me to create a now sprawling fan group on social media, one that morphed over into a Switch RPG community when the original game’s fire finally died down. Personally, I loved the unique art style the most – beautiful 3D backgrounds and windswept plains, icy tundras and winding cities each punctuated with cute 2D sprites that felt alive in this strangely unique world. Octopath Traveler II is much of the same, but does this entry simply continue with the formula of the first one, or are the changes enough to keep one immersed more than its predecessor?