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In an interview with Nintendo Everything, Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster producer Koji Nakajima spoke about the process of updating the GameCube graphics for Switch and challenges involved with the project.

Nakajima told us that the main characters, battle backgrounds, and bosses were either “re-modeled or brushed up from the original models, and the towns and dungeons which are expressed in 2D, have been remade in a higher resolution so that they can be displayed beautifully on the Nintendo Switch while keeping the original art materials.” He also stressed that the team wanted to ensure that it did not “destroy the atmosphere and image of the original game. ”

Lets Talk Xenoblade future

One of the news topics circulating this week is Xenoblade Chronicles series director Tetsuya Takahashi saying that if there’s another entry in the franchise, it would probably be pretty different. In a way that seems like something obvious to mention, but it’s also an interesting point of discussion.

There are many similarities across the Xenoblade games, but plenty of differences as well. Perhaps the most unique of the bunch was Xenoblade Chronicles X, which put a focus more on quests and less of a story plus rideable mechs. For the most part though, the series has been about exploring big worlds, getting wrapped up in the world and story (unless you want to discount X), appreciating the music, and taking on enemies in the real-time action-based battle system.

Having said that, where should Xenoblade go from here? What would you like to see in a theoretical new game? Let us know in the comments.

New Xenoblade

According to Xenoblade Chronicles director Tetsuya Takahashi, assuming we see another entry in the series, it “will likely be something vastly different from what came before.”

A message from Takahashi was included in the recently-released Xenoblade Chronicles 3 soundtrack release. Xenomira has since provided a translation.

Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster physical

With Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster set to launch on Switch in less than two months, we thought now would be the best time to clarify what’s happening in terms of the physical release. Things are a bit all over the places across regions.

In North America, it actually looks like there won’t be any boxed version at all. The obvious sign here is that there aren’t any retail listings. We did reach out to Bandai Namco in hopes of receiving official clarification, but we didn’t hear back. Regardless, don’t expect to see it in store shelves in the states.

Xenoblade 3 Mio scale figure prototype

It was this time last year that a couple of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 figures for Mio were revealed, including a scale figure. Now thanks to WonHobby 37, we’ve gotten our first proper look. 

You can see the new Mio figure above. Right now it’s in prototype form, so it’s lacking color. The production process will continue to move along and we’ll eventually get a more final look.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 update 2.1.0

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 just got a new update, and version 2.1.0 is available. The official patch notes have been released.

The big highlight this time around is support for the Pyra and Mythra amiibo. As part of this the Nopon NPC, Miibomii, has been added at Llyn Nyddwr Camp in the Fornis region. Also worth noting, a few bug fixes have been implemented for the Future Redeemed DLC.

Here’s the full rundown:

Ahead of its release on Switch in a couple of months, Bandai Namco have shared a new trailer for Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster. The “Story from the Guardians” trailer gives us a brief overview of the story of the two titles included in the collection, as well as another look at the card-based combat system.

Catch up on the collection with the overview below:

Baten Kaitos name

The Baten Kaitos series is set to return with new Switch versions later this year, but you might be interested to know that Bandai Namco wasn’t originally on board with the name.

Yasuyuki Honne, the director of the series, recently reflected on Baten Kaitos in light of its comeback. He revealed that “there was a lot of opposition”, but the name got passed through in the end.

Monolith Soft 2023 fiscal profit

Xenoblade developer Monolith Soft just experienced a very good year, as for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023, the company saw a big increase in profits. According to Gamebiz, profit came in at 800 million. That’s an increase of 97.8 percent year-over-year.

2022 was big for Monolith Soft as Xenoblade Chronicles 3 launched that July. A few months ago, the game wrapped up its Expansion Pass with new story DLC titled Future Redeemed that essentially wrapped up the series’ saga that started with the first entry on Wii.

Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster release date

Bandai Namco just announced a final release date for Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster. The collection will be released exclusively for Switch on September 15, 2023.

Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster was previously announced for Switch this past February in a Nintendo Direct. Bandai Namco initially committed to a Summer 2023 launch window.


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