OPUS: The Day We Found Earth introduced me to the wonderfully talented SIGONO and the studio’s clear ambition to tell stories in a way that was equal parts refreshing, wholesome, and evocative. Roughly a year later and not long after its PC release, the developer brought us a follow-up of sorts (though not a direct sequel) with OPUS: Rocket of Whispers, which was more of an atmospheric point-and-click experience where you’d look through a telescope and locate different planets utilizing and coordinates and data you had at your disposal. The ambition for SIGONO was clearly to push their talents forward while still being able to tell this extremely palpable and moving story, and they excelled once again. Now comes along OPUS: Echoes of Starsong, which is once again vastly different from the other two entries in the series they’ve produced, but the gap in time and growth within the studio is put on display in such a way that the game is not only the best of an increasingly joyful series so far, but could easily be considered one of the most stunning, emotionally-driven, and unique visual novels of all time.

More: highlight, OPUS: Echo of Starsong - Full Bloom Edition, SIGONO, top

Triangle Strategy producers say HD-2D “costs more than you’d think”

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

In a recent interview with Japanese outlet 4Gamer, Triangle Strategy producers Tomoya Asano and Yasuaki Arai discussed how the team was able to implement Square Enix’s signature HD-2D art style in their latest release.

Despite the art style having a seemingly nature and straight forward implementation, they noted that it “costs more than you’d think” and required the help of teams who had previously worked with the tech to finish development in such a short amount of time.

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[Let’s Talk] What do you want to see from Pokemon Scarlet / Violet?

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

For Pokemon Day back in February, Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet were announced for Switch. Only a few details have been revealed thus far, including the starters: Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. The games are also said to have “an open world where various towns with no borders blend seamlessly into the wilderness.”

If Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet see the series’ traditional marketing cycle, there’s a good chance that we’ll be getting new information soon. And if that’s the case, it’s the perfect time to talk about what you’d like to see from the new titles. Are there any types of features you’re hoping will be in the games? Let us know in the comments below.

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

Triangle Strategy devs on how the game uses “accurate” HD-2D

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

Not too long ago, Triangle Strategy producers Tomoya Asano and Yasuaki Arai sat down with Japanese website 4Gamer to share some insights from their time making Square Enix’s latest Switch title.

The highly praised HD-2D art style made a return, and the pair talked about the challenges the team faced to make it work in a tactical RPG. Turn-based RPGs like Octopath Traveler, another game to make use of HD-2D, operate with a fixed camera. However, Triangle Strategy offered a fresh set of challenges to overcome thanks to the more expansive map designs in a tactical RPG.

More: highlight, Square Enix, top, Triangle Strategy

Why Nintendo should consider consistency over constant changes

Posted on 2 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Features, General Nintendo, Switch | 0 comments

Nintendo has a long history of sticking out in the video game business and in the tech space as a whole thanks to unique ideas that more often than not bring in new and innovative experiences. Whether it’s the design of odd controllers such as the N64, the motion and remote-like controls of Wii, or the hybrid nature of Switch, these ideas and philosophies have been a core part of what makes the company exciting generation after generation. More often than not, Nintendo’s games, while somewhat gimmicky, end up standing out and leaving behind a legacy in the medium’s history that we typically look back fondly at. Some if not most will dismiss Nintendo’s ideals whenever a new generation arrives with games that take advantage of showing off the new technology and hardware, but it more often than not works out. At the same time, even though the Big N has done well to come up with new ideas time and time again, the company tends to get ahead of itself by focusing on making everything a unique “experience”, even if it’s not something built around game design. This is arguably one of the most frustrating parts of Nintendo’s culture that brings this sort of yin and yang feeling of what works and what doesn’t.

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[Review] Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising

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

System: Switch
Release date: May 10, 2022
Developer: Natsume Atari
Publisher: 505 Games

CJ is on a coming-of-age quest handed down to her from her family’s storied history as treasure hunters. Seeking out fabled riches in the recently booming adventurer destination, New Neveah, she finds out that the town is in a bit of a pinch. Using her talent for fighting and exploring, CJ begins to chase not only treasure, but the sense of community in helping the town rebuild after a recent quake. Mending the town’s ties between the villagers and the newly-arrived adventurers, a story unfolds that introduces us to the Eiyuden Chronicle universe, which is set to feature a turn-based RPG, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes from a legendary development team featuring Yoshitaka Murayama (Suikoden I, II) and Junko Kawano (Suikoden I, IV,) of Rabbit & Bear Studios. While this is not the main feature, they do have a lot of fans picking up this smaller companion game. So how does Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising reveal to us this new frontier of adventure?

More: 505 Games, Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, highlight, Natsume Atari, top

Nintendo Everything Refresh Episode 009 – Predicting the (inevitable?) summer Nintendo Direct and more

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

The season for summer gaming reveals is upon us, but what will Nintendo have to show in their summer Nintendo Direct? Join your hosts Nick, Nicholas and Luiz as they try and predict what Nintendo might announce and showcase at its inevitable upcoming presentation, as well as their pie-in-the-sky dream game reveals. Then, stick around for some news about Sonic Frontiers, Fall Guys on Switch and more!

Our show is available on most major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and Audible, or you can check out the video version below:

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How Nintendo’s success may affect the future of Switch

Posted on 2 years ago by Luiz in Switch, Videos | 0 comments

At this point, it is undeniable that the Switch is a massive success. Each time that Nintendo announces its financial results, we see software and hardware sales growing at an impressive rate. It’s interesting because the last console, Wii U, was probably one of Nintendo’s biggest failures and now I’m very interested to see how they will handle the second half of Switch’s life.

In today’s video, I speculate about what the future of the console could be like, including the possibility of future hardware revisions. Feel free to check it out below.

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[Review] The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story

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

System: Switch
Release Date: May 12, 2022
Developer: h.a.n.d.
Publisher: Square Enix

Say what you will about Square Enix, but it’s impossible to deny that they’ve got a knack for publishing offbeat experiences that few other major publishers would touch. Their latest oddity, the lengthily named The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story, is an ambitious interactive detective story framed almost entirely through full-motion video (or FMV) – a style of presentation that really thrived in the 90’s but is only now experiencing a small resurgence in popularity. Despite its niche presentation, the game delivers an intimate and intelligent mystery that is well worth seeing through to the end, if players can endure its slow pacing and only moderately interesting characters.

More: h.a.n.d., highlight, Square Enix, The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story, top

[Let’s Talk] June 2022 Nintendo Direct hopes and dreams

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

E3 might be dead – at least this year – but June is still primed to be a big month for gaming news, announcements, and presentations. Summer Game Fest will be back in action and at least some companies are expected to host events.

The big question is whether we’ll see a new Nintendo Direct next month. Generally speaking, we get three of these events each year: in Q1, then in June, and finally September. The June presentation always ties in with E3. But even though there’s no E3 in 2022, there’s nothing stopping a Nintendo Direct from happening.

Assuming a Nintendo Direct is on track for June, what are you hopes and dreams? What sort of announcements would get you excited for the future of Switch? And which titles do you think would be realistically shown? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.