Are Switch ports getting out of hand?
Posted on 6 years ago by Eric Zauch in Features, Videos | 0 comments
I’ve been a gamer since cartridges were the size of a Switch, and through those many nostalgic years, I’ve built up memories. Those memories are dear to me and though some may be more tinted by the goggles of time than others, reliving them in my adult years still brings back emotions I had all but forgotten. There is a part of my brain that wonders, “If I’m using precious hours playing old games, what new games am I not experiencing?” This dilemma has become even more apparent as we enter the age of “ports”. I love both new and old experiences, and now find myself torn by the two. These are some of my thoughts on the subject, what are yours?
World of Final Fantasy Maxima seemingly a digital-only release on Switch
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 0 comments
There’s been a quick turnaround between the announcement and release of World of Final Fantasy Maxima. You’ll likely remember that Square Enix revealed the game for Switch during a mid-September Nintendo Direct. It’s less than two weeks away at this point, as we’ll be seeing it on November 6. Yet despite being so close, there’s still some uncertainty surrounding World of Final Fantasy Maxima.
Head over to retailer sites like Amazon – or Square Enix’s own store – and you’ll see that World of Final Fantasy can be pre-ordered for Xbox One. However, the Switch version is nowhere to be seen. With such a short amount of time until launch, while nothing is official just yet, it’s essentially confirmed that World of Final Fantasy Maxima will be digital-only on Switch.
Bethesda says Switch is always being considered for its games, “next Wolfenstein” will be on the system
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 0 comments
During a panel at PAX Aus earlier today, Bethesda marketing executive Pete Hines commented on future Switch support and more. Hines ruled out Fallout 76 for the platform since it “wasn’t doable,” but added that the system is always being considered for its projects.
Hines said of Bethesda’s Switch support:
More: Bethesda, interview, Pete Hines, top
Octopath Traveler team looking to increase the pace of its releases
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 0 comments
Octopath Traveler was led by producers Masashi Takahashi and Tomoya Asano. As some dedicated fans may know, both of these developers were responsible for the Bravely games on 3DS.
Bravely Default came out in 2012. Its sequel, Bravely Second: End Layer, followed in 2015. Octopath Traveler then arrived in 2018. The pattern here is that the team behind these projects has been putting out games once every three years. The good news is that in the future, the wait between titles may decrease.
More: highlight, interview, Square Enix, top
Photos emerge of Wii Remote and nunchuck prototype for GameCube
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in GameCube, Images, Wii | 0 comments
The Wii Remote and nunchuck weren’t always intended to be a controller pair for a new Nintendo console. In fact, they were initially prototyped for the GameCube before they eventually turned into their own thing on Wii.
All of these years later, spmrp has managed to obtain those prototypes, and has shared a number of photos online. We’re able to see how their looks were quite different – especially the Wii Remote. Hit up the gallery below for a few different images.
More: top
[Let’s Talk] Predict the release months of these 2019 Switch games
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Let's Talk | 0 comments
If you thought 2018 was a bit slow in terms of big new Switch games published by Nintendo, there’s a good chance that 2019 will raise your spirits. We actually know about quite a few games that due out next year. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe kicks things off on January 11. Other confirmed titles include Yoshi’s Crafted World, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Daemon X Machina, Animal Crossing, and a new core Pokemon entry. Other possibilities include Bayonetta 3 and Metroid Prime 4. There have also been rumors about a Star Fox racing game from Retro Studios.
Nintendo should clarify its plans further in the months ahead – at least for the first half of 2019. No one knows if we’ll get another general Nintendo Direct before the year is over, but we could see a thing or two at The Game Awards, and January presentations have been a thing for the past few years.
While we wait, let’s play a little game. Try to predict the release windows of the games mentioned above. The likes of Yoshi’s Crafted World and Fire Emblem: Three Houses seem like games that could drop during the first half based on what Nintendo has said previously, but what about launch months? If you want to go further than that and take a random guess, you could even name a specific release date you believe would make sense. It might also be worth discussing if you believe Metroid Prime 4 and / or Bayonetta 3 will be 2019 titles. The goal here is to try and predict how Nintendo will structure its lineup for 2019.
First off-screen New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe footage
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in Switch, Videos | 0 comments
To our surprise, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is playable at PAX Australia this weekend with a few different levels and all of its characters. Eric is attending the show and managed to capture a few minutes of off-screen footage for us. Hit up the video below for a look at Toadette (and Peachette!), Nabbit, and more.
Mario Kart 64 devs on how mini-turbos were originally a hidden feature, cut “no item” racing mode and courses
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in General Nintendo, News | 0 comments
When Mario Kart 64 debuted many years ago, it was accompanied by a strategy guide in Japan. Several developers participated in an interview, which has finally been translated by shumpalations. For us, some of the most interesting comments came about when discussing original plans for the game.
We first get to hear from director Hideki Konno about how mini-turbos were originally intended to be a hidden feature. Furthermore, the color of the smoke initially remained the same.
More: Hideki Konno, interview, Mario Kart 64, Tadashi Sugiyama, top
Meet Ubitus, the company behind Switch’s cloud-powered games
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch eShop | 0 comments
Switch has seen the release of a few cloud-powered games. Phantasy Star Online 2 kicked things off, followed by Resident Evil 7 and most recently Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
There’s one company behind all of these games on Switch: Ubitus. Though the titles are only available in Japan, it’s worth getting some insight into how they’re running and the tech behind the service. For that reason, we’ve gone ahead and translated an interesting interview with director of game development Ko Midoro and SVP of global business development Ozan Kocoglu, which was recently conducted by Famitsu.
The Elder Scrolls Online dev says the game has been considered for Switch, but it “will not fit”
Posted on 6 years ago by Brian(@NE_Brian) in News, Switch | 0 comments
Bethesda has brought over past titles to Switch, and is also looking at the system when it comes to its future lineup. However, one game we’re unlikely to see on the system is The Elder Scrolls Online. In an interview with GameSpot, Bethesda explained why.
The bottom line is that, according to director Matt Firor, the game is simply too big. It stands at about 75GB, and Firor says “it just will not fit on Switch.”
