[Review] Kirby: Planet Robobot
Posted on 8 years ago by Vincent Ward in 3DS, Reviews | 6 Comments
System: 3DS
Release date: June 10 2016
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Publisher Nintendo
For as long as I can remember, I’ve blindly followed Nintendo through all of their expenditures to varying degrees of success. I remember the times with my GameCube and Game Boy as vividly as the experiences I spent on my Wii U just yesterday. There’s always been a certain charm that has resonated with me in games by the big N, and most of that comes from not only the spectacularly well-designed games that come often enough to keep me hooked, but also from the lovable characters that inhabit them.
But Kirby has never been one of the characters that came to mind when I thought of what I love about Nintendo. During all my gaming experiences as a child it appears Kirby was all but completely absent from those memories, and that’s mostly thanks to me never actually picking up this side-scrolling mascot’s games. My logic has always been “what can Kirby do that Mario doesn’t already do better?”. After picking up Kirby: Planet Robobot, however, I soon fell in love with this puff of pink and understood what diversifies him from Nintendo’s other platforming greats.
More: HAL Laboratory, highlight, Kirby: Planet Robobot, top
[Let’s Talk] Splatoon, one year later
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk, Wii U | 24 Comments
One year ago, Splatoon launched around the world. Having sold over four million copies, it’s one of the most successful Wii U games, making it an impressive debut for a new IP.
Splatoon underwent an amazing transformation since its initial reveal at E3 2014. There were gamers who were on board with the concept to start out with, but there was definitely some skepticism surrounding the title. That started to fade away closer to release as Nintendo shared more information. You could even argue that post-launch helped since new features, maps, and weapons were added in addition to fairly regular Splatfests.
Now that Splatoon is celebrating its one year anniversary, how do you feel about the game? Has your opinion changed at all since the original announcement/after launch? Let us know in the comments below!
Highlights from last week’s topic: Nintendo and movies
Monster Hunter Generations dev tidbits – DLC, no console plans, more
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 22 Comments
German Nintendo outlet ntower recently had an opportunity to speak with Ryozo Tsujimoto and Shintaro Kojima from Capcom about Monster Hunter Generations. The interview is entirely in German, but the website was kind enough to pass along the most important points in English.
There are actually some very noteworthy tidbits here. For starters, we now know that the west is getting some exclusive DLC (such as the Fire Emblem and Okami costumes) in place of some downloadable content that won’t be making it over. Other tidbits were also shared such as how there are no plans to bring the series back to Nintendo consoles currently.
Here’s the full rundown:
DJMax Encore heading to 3DS
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 12 Comments
An unexpected 3DS title has been discovered at MCM Comic Con this weekend. Over at Rising Star Games’ booth, the unannounced DJMax Encore is playable.
The DJMax series, which features rhythm gameplay, kicked off over a decade ago. Players need to press buttons at the right moment as music plays.
As for DJMax Encore, Parallax Play speculates that it could be based on DJMax Portable 2 / DJMax Portable Hot Tunes given its menu and interface design. The site notes that the gameplay is similar to that of DJMax Portable 2, as you play songs in 4 Button, 5 Button, or 6 Button modes with the d-pad and A/B/X/Y buttons. The background animations for the various tracks play on the top screen, and the notes scroll on the touchscreen.
More: DJMax Encore, Rising Star Games, top
Update: June 7 in NA – Splatoon – Sheldon’s Picks Vol. 2 out on June 8
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 5 Comments
Update: The Splatoon Tumblr confirms Sheldon’s Picks Vol. 2 for the evening of June 7 in North America:
The long-awaited release of Sheldon’s Picks Vol. 2 is finally confirmed! Coming the evening of June 7th, we heard that the new weapon combinations may allow you to discover even more new battle strategies. We’ll let you know more details on the upcoming weapons once Sheldon gives us more info!
Splatoon will be adding a new batch of weapons in a couple of weeks. Nintendo has announced that Sheldon’s Picks Vol. 2 will be releasing on June 8 in Japan (likely June 7 in North America, but we’ll see). Specifics have not yet been posted, but we should be hearing more soon!
Thanks to LOLametro for the tip.
Yooka-Laylee gets another set of fresh details
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U eShop | 6 Comments
EDGE has a lengthy feature on Yooka-Laylee this month. There’s talk about developer Playtonic, and plenty on the game itself.
One point brought up early on is that Yooka-Laylee felt “almost unrecognizable from the footage that convinced so many to part with their money.” The two main characters are essentially the same. However, EDGE says that “their world is a very pleasant surprise – significantly more substantial than we’d anticipated, with a scale and a level of detail belying the size of the team making it.”
Yooka-Laylee takes plenty of cues from the 3D platformers of old on the N64. Just like with Rare’s classic games, this one will feature spoken gibberish for the characters. It took director Chris Sutherland and composer Grant Kirkhope some time to remember how to come up with these sounds, with Sutherland noting that the team “spent a lot of time trying to figure out the timing and iterating regularly until it sounded just right.”
More: Playtonic, Team17, top, Yooka-Laylee
New Splatoon Wii U bundle coming to Japan on July 7
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Wii U | 12 Comments
Nintendo is planning on launching a new Splatoon Wii U bundle in Japan soon. Consumers will be able to pick up a package containing a white 32GB system, pre-installed copy of Splatoon, and the Squid Sisters amiibo on July 7. Pricing is set at 39,960 yen.
Here’s another look at the box:
Monster Hunter Generations localization blog #1 – planning started December 2014, name explained
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, News | 4 Comments
Capcom has published the first of what will surely be numerous localization blogs for Monster Hunter Generations. You can read it right here.
There is one excerpt from the blog that is worth highlighting on the site directly. Below, we learn that localization planning began in December 2014. Capcom also discusses why it changed the “Monster Hunter X” name and settled on “Monster Hunter Generations”. It’s rather interesting!
We started planning the localization for Monster Hunter Generations back in December 2014, as development on MH4U was winding down. We began having meetings with the development team to get an idea of the overall scope of the game, how much text there would be, what kind of time frame we had to work with, etc., so we could start mapping out our schedule. In the midst of all that, our first official request came from the producer. Our mission: localize the game’s title! We were given the following conditions for coming up with the international title:
More: Capcom, Monster Hunter Generations, top
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse story trailer
Posted on 8 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in 3DS, Videos | 2 Comments
Update: We also have a look at some pre-order armor from Amazon / Amazon.ca
, Best Buy, and GameStop / EB Games Canada:
The GSEB Power Suit is a bold red and black jumpsuit that will strike fear in the hearts of demons, and should effectively hide wounds sustained in battle!
The Prime Suit is a packaging-themed jumpsuit that lets demons know that their lives will be ended swiftly and without any hassle!
The sharp yellow, blue, and khaki colors of the Retail Hero jumpsuit are perfect for those who opt for a more professional demon-hunting look.
Original: A new Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse from Atlus has gone live focusing on the RPG’s story. You can give the video a look below.
For more on the story, read up on this overview from Atlus:
The story of Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is one of human pawns being shuffled across a chessboard by the higher deities. One lone Hunter, the game’s protagonist, meets an early demise and through a pact with a lesser god, is brought back to life in exchange for his pledge of servitude. From there, the protagonist allies with other Hunters in the ruins of post-apocalyptic Tokyo beginning a plot that crosses over with the events of the original Shin Megami Tensei IV.
[Review] Rynn’s Adventure: Trouble in the Enchanted Forest
Posted on 8 years ago by Jakob Vujovic(@jakovujo) in Reviews, Wii U eShop | 3 Comments
System: Wii U (eShop)
Release date: May 26, 2016
Developer: Arcane Four Studios
Publisher Arcane Four Studios
One criticism that’s tough to lob at the Wii U is to say that it’s lacking in good 2D platformers. From its best such as Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze to the more run-of-the-mill New Super Mario Bros. U, there’s consistently solid base-level mechanics and there’s fun to be had in just running and jumping. Unfortunately, I found even the simple act of controlling the character in Rynn’s Adventure miserable. It’s a reminder of how important it is to get basic movement to feel right in a platformer. When other issues are compounded on this basic failure, then the whole of the design feels anything but compelling.
