Nathaniel
Feb 10, 2018
It’s almost as if TinyBuild Games wanted to keep up with NIS America’s press event. The publisher made a short presentation titled #HelloSwitch to show off games coming to the platform. See if you can guess the mystery game at the end. The name might just be a clue!
So this presentation is certainly shorter than many we’re accustomed to breaking down. However, in the interest of time for some of our readers, a short list can be found below. Then our thoughts on the announcements.
The six games announced are:
- The Last Station (Coming February 2018)
- Cluster Truck (Coming March 2018)
- Punch Club (Coming May 2018)
- Party Hard (Coming Summer 2018)
- Streets of Rogue (Coming “later this year”)
- Hello Neighbor (Release unspecified)
So for the most part, it’s the same kind of pixelated mayhem we expect from TinyBuild. There’s a bit of a violent theme through each of the games, barring Cluster Truck. (Not that Cluster Truck won’t make you violent with rage, but that’s a bit irrelevant.) Each of these games has a similar sense of humor, too. Whether you’re on a train in the zombie apocalypse, on a rampage trying to stop a noisy party, or tracking down your father’s killer, there’s plenty of low-resolution carnage to enjoy. The only game that really stands out from the rest is obviously the highlight of the night (err… morning?)
Yes, from keeping its art hidden on the list to naming the entire presentation after this game, TinyBuild wanted to be sure you knew that Hello Neighbor was the game they were really excited about. While we don’t have a proper release date, a game like Hello Neighbor could find itself right at home on the Switch. We’ll be sure to keep readers updated, should we ever hear of a release date for this outstanding title.
Always watching…
- Feb 10, 2018
Nintendo has been building up an impressive library of third party offerings on the Nintendo Switch. Every new announcement reminds us that Nintendo isn’t playing around. Nippon Ichi Software has been a notable supporter of the Switch. This can be seen in their early support with a complete edition port of Disgaea 5 way back in May. Even recently, we covered The Longest 5 Minutes. However NIS America had plenty more in store, which came out during their press event. Now we have word on tons of NIS America Games coming to Switch that will surely keep any fan busy.
NIS America Games Coming to Switch
Penny-Punching Princess is an action RPG beat’em up. You play as a princess who has been tricked into giving up her wealth and needs to reclaim it. Violently. You may also choose to play as Isabella the zombie. It comes out on April 3rd. (March 30th in Europe)
Happy Birthdays is an odd sort of combination of Spore and Viva Pinata. You are given a world to build and control where you may watch life grow and evolve. Readers may remember us briefly introducing this one a while back as Birthdays the Beginning. But starting this Summer, you’ll be able to take this previously PS4 exclusive title on the go with the Nintendo Switch. Trailer below.
Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory is a timer-based JRPG in which you may choose to either rebel against or support a falling kingdom. The game asks you to make frequent choices, which will have consequences. This one releases in the US on May 29th. (June 1st in Europe)
Touhou Gensou Wanderer Reloaded is a roguelike Touhou fangame-made-official. We were only given a vague release date of 2018, but if ridiculously over powered anime girls with silly, somewhat convoluted backstories strike your fancy, maybe this game is worth a look.
This series always had a unique and diverse cast.
SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy is a fighting game depicting female fighters from the many series SNK has worked on. This was also part of a recent Nintendo Direct, but the news here is the costume and customization options. Every character has a new outfit for this game and their classic outfit from their own game. This title is also planed for release in Summer 2018.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA was actually announced in the recent Mini-Direct. The game is the same as ever, but this version will include much of the costume DLC that was available to the PS4 version. The Switch port wil be released this Summer. New trailer below.
Labryrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk is a new game coming to Switch, PS4, and Steam. You play a witch with command over a team of puppet soldiers. The goal is to explore the massive labyrinth beneath the town of Refrain and learn its secrets. From what we can tell, it will be a dungeon crawler with either a procedurally generated map or a full on roguelike. We’ll find out, eventually, as it comes out in Fall. Trailer below.
That wraps it up for NIS America games coming to Switch, but we’l be sure to update about any further news or reveals coming from NISA in the near future. If you’d like to watch the full NIS America press event, that can be found here.
- Feb 4, 2018
In a recent financial meeting, Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima announced that Nintendo would resume NES Classic production. This as well as continuing to produce the SNES Classic as they view it as a way to reconnect with older fans. This is a direct quote from the files:
We have announced that we will resume production
for NES Classic Edition this year. We plan to
continue selling NES Classic Edition and Super NES
Classic Edition this year. We view them as an
opportunity to garner interest in Nintendo Switch
from those who have not interacted with video
games in a long time, or ever.The pdf containing all of the information regarding Nintendo’s financial briefing can be found here.
It was actually announced that Nintendo would be picking up their NES Classic Production back in September. However, Kimishima explaining this in the financial briefing reconfirms that NES Classic Edition may once again see store shelves, later this year.
We’ll be sure to cover more news about Nintendo Classic Editions as we get updated on the subject.
- Feb 2, 2018
Game Freak has announced that they’ll be doing a yearlong parade of legendaries to revisit and celebrate some of their designs. Interestingly enough, this celebration will be beginning with Dialga and Palkia. These two represent space and time, and were the poster children for Generation 4. Developers Shigeki Morimoto, Kazumasa Iwao, and Shigeru Ohmori from Game Freak participated in an interview to mark the occasion.
Now, this gets our suspicions going. Of all the Pokemon to begin with, why Dialga and Palkia? If they were looking for a starting point, Arceus might have made more sense. Or Gen 1 legendaries, such as the elemental birds or Mewtwo and Mew. Naturally, we were tempted to think a remake might be coming, this year. And it very well may. However, it doesn’t seem likely Game Freak would announce that so early. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire didn’t get a reveal until May, and got its first real trailer at E3. Heart Gold and Soul Silver followed a similar trend.
Instead, we think that the rumored February Direct may feature an official reveal for the Switch Pokemon game. As we’ve recently discovered, Nintendo may internally consider this a 2018 title. The Switch game may have something to do with Diamond and Pearl’s legendaries, specifically these two. That would also pave the way for Diamond and Pearl remakes to hit the Switch in 2019. Coincidentally, that would line up perfectly with the trend of releasing a new set of remakes every five years.
Diamond and Pearl were the series debut on the Nintendo DS.
Only time will tell if anything comes of our wild speculation. Until then, be sure to stick around, as we’ll be covering any and all major announcements by Game Freak or Nintendo regarding the Pokemon series and the upcoming Switch title.
- Feb 2, 2018
So January is over and February is approaching. With January being a relatively slow month for gaming, many people may be looking for that perfect title to get their year going with some new games. While we may not be spoiled for major releases overall, there’s a number of ports, indie games, and other smaller games to look forward to, this month. We haven’t done one of these in a while, but here’s our February 2018 preview!
Most of the titles below are for the Nintendo Switch, but there are other games coming out that we figured we should highlight. We’ll be tackling them in release order and giving a quick description of each one. So with that, let’s get started!
Early February
Sky Force Reloaded (Feb 1st) – This mobile-app-gone-console, top-down, vertical-scrolling shooter has already made it to other systems. Now, it’s making its way to the Nintendo Switch! If games like Xevious or Ikaruga are your cup of tea, this might be one game to check out. (Launching on Switch; already on Xbox One, PS4, PC, iOS, and Android)
Night in the Woods (Feb 1st) – This indie hit from last year sees you exploring a town that has seen better days and trying to work out its secrets. It’s an emotional journey led by a group of older teens with nowhere else to go. February 1st marks the launch of this title on the Nintendo Switch. We have more on that in this article. (Launching on Switch; already on Xbox One, PS4, and PC)
We Were Here Too (Feb 2nd) – This game is a follow-up on free-to-play pilot from a year ago, We Were Here. The sequel (a chapter 2, of sorts), is an asymmetrical co-op puzzle game in which two players can solve puzzles by communicating via a walkie talkie. The two players must find a way to rescue each other. The original can be found here and played for free. (PC only)
Shadow of the Colossus (Feb 6th) – This remaster of one of Team Ico’s biggest successes is finally coming out. Climb massive behemoths in a quest to save someone you hold dear. This beautiful and thought-provoking game is worth it for anyone who sees games as art. (PS4 only – get it here)
Octogeddon (Feb 8th) – From the creator of Plants Vs. Zombies comes an absolutely absurd arcade-style game about a colossal self-genetically-mutating octopus that has taken it upon itself to destroy landmarks of every nation. You play the titanic octopus by rotating him left and right so that his tentacles block incoming threats. (PC only)
Octogeddon looks like a wacky game, to be sure.
Dragon Quest Builders (Feb 9th) – Dragon Quest Builders is an interesting side step for the series, giving players freedom to build a world Minecraft style. We have an article about that here, featuring the trailer for the game, if you want to know more. Get your copy right here.
Mid February
Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Video Game (Feb 13th) – Ever wanted to race dirt bikes? Well, here’s your chance. Gameplay in the video below, if you want to see it in action. (Switch, Xbox One, PS4, and PC – Get it here)
Owlboy (Feb 13th) – This indie adventure sees you playing as Otis, a young owlboy with the ability to fly and not much else. Using a cast of supporting characters, Otis must find his way around a series of dungeons, letting his partners do what he can’t. (Switch, PS4, Xbox One; already available on PC)
Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (Feb 13th) – Radiant Historia is back on the 3DS with a story about a hero who will lead history down the proper path utilizing another world known as Historia. It’s a JRPG, so expect it to keep you occupied for hours just to finish the main story. (3DS only)
The Longest 5 Minutes (Feb 13th) – What happens when a hero reaches the final boss only to realize he has amnesia and doesn’t know how he even got here? Nippon Ichi Software brings us a tale of just that. The five minutes in which a great hero must remember everything important to him or perish on the spot. (Switch, Vita, and PC – Get it here)
Bayonetta 1+2 (Feb 16th) – Bayonetta is proving herself as a part of the Nintendo cast with ports of her two big adventures to the Switch. Control the Umbra Witch with style by completing awesome combos and utilizing her powers to punish her enemies once again. (Switch only – Get it here)
Fe (Feb 16th) – Fe is an art-driven 3D platformer title that takes place is a dark world full of dense forests. EA is publishing this game, so we’ll be sure to keep a close eye on it to see how it turns out. (Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC)
Fe looks absolutely beautiful. We can only hope the gameplay holds up as well.
Late February
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus (Feb 22nd) – Pac-man, everyone’s favorite maze-crawling pellet muncher, is back in another trippy remix of his classic shenanigans. Make your way around brand new mazes with new challenges and even a mode that allows two players at one time! (Switch only)
Typoman (Feb 22nd) – Against all the odds, a hero emerges from the rubble. No really. The letters “H, E, R, and O) come together to form the protagonist of this off-beat, yet powerfully dark indie puzzle platformer about letters that come together to form the things they spell out is making its way to the Switch from the Wii U. (Switch only)
De Blob 2 Remastered (Feb 27th) – De Blob 2 is a 3D platformer in which you control a blob trying to bring color back to the world. This game boasts multiplayer and co-op, so friends you invite over can enjoy with you. The remaster launches soon. (PS4, Xbox One, and PC – Get it here)
De Blob is a game that gets more colorful the more you explore.
Payday 2 (Feb 27th) – Ever wanted to go on a heist? Ever wanted to be armed to the teeth? Well, in case you missed this game before, Payday 2 is coming to the Switch so you can take your bank robberies on the go. Just please don’t rob any real banks. (launching on Switch; available on PC, PS4, Xbox One – Get it here)
- Jan 21, 2018
On January 11th, The Escapists 2 was ported to the Nintendo Switch by Team 17. This title, developed by Mouldy Toof Studios is a sort of prison escape simulator. Your goal as a prisoner is simply to escape, but any number of obstacles from fences to guards to walls can stand in your way. In order to get around this, you need to collect and craft materials and tools to help you get past. Of course, it’s never THAT easy, but the premise does remain this simple throughout all ten missions on offer. (I suppose that’s eleven, if you count the tutorial.) So let’s get deep into our Escapists 2 Review.
Escapists 2 Game Play and Mechanics
Overall, this game is pretty fun. Its wacky sense of humor and surprisingly interesting core game play offer more than enough to keep us playing. The game offers multiplayer or single player–online or local. The missions range from easy to hard to locked up tighter than an actual prison. There are loads of items to craft, stats you can raise to help you escape, and shenanigans to be had no matter how you choose to play.
Crafting allows you to make bigger and better items, but be careful. Many of these items are contraband and can get you in big trouble with the guards.
Most importantly, the game gives you creative freedom on how to make your escape. Are you a fan of the classic digging a tunnel? How about using wire clippers to get through the fence? Or perhaps you wanna do something wacky like escaping a prison camp on a motor cycle? The choices are yours, though unlike the first game, The Escapists 2 offers some objective-based escape options rather than just the sandbox that the first game had to offer. This may be one of the biggest points in the game’s favor, offering an option for people who like to make their own goals and people who prefer to follow some kind of checklist.
So while you’re playing, you are expected to follow a routine, as any prisoner might. For the most part, missing a routine will cause you to look suspicious, but the actual threat there is minimal. Your security rating will go up half a star, with each full star causing prison security to get a bit beefier. At worst, this will just make the game a little bit harder. However, if you miss roll call, the prison goes into lock down and the guards come looking for you. It’s in your best interest to keep to your routine. Just don’t be afraid to miss something if you’re working on something important.
The Trouble With Multiplayer
So in particular, multiplayer seemed more fun than single player, even online. There, you can’t talk to other players outside of the canned speech accessed via the directional buttons. It’s just more fun to interact with other players and their plans which may not line up with yours. In one instance, playing online, we were on a train mission where in multiplayer your only options are to break away the back car or take over the whole train. Well, after failing to take over the train, our teammate got discouraged and chose to just stay in bed and give up. We weren’t having that. So we collected the crowbars, knocked him out, and dragged him to the back of the train in order to break it off and complete the scenario on our own.
The best moments we’ve had happened to us in multiplayer. However, the multiplayer content is not without some issues. For one, it is possible to screw over your partners, opening the door to griefers and the like. That’s not always a bad thing. However, the biggest issue came when attempting local co-op. Local co-op in The Escapists 2 causes the screen to split vertically into two screens. This doesn’t sound too bad, except that the UI gets scaled down to match. What was once readable with a little difficulty became nearly impossible to make out. Occasionally, we’d get a weird bug where the text descriptions for stuff refused to even show up. It really made the game harder than it needed to be, forcing a lot of guess work on our part.
The text in these notices above becomes difficult to read. However, being in two places at once is very helpful, at times.
Still, despite flaws like graphics jumping around a little and some unusually long load times, nothing ultimately interfered with my play or enjoyment of the game more than this did. The core mechanics certainly get a passing grade.
Audio and Visuals
The Escapists 2 is a game that’s done entirely in basic pixel art graphics. As such, it’s already doing better than expected if you can tell everything apart. Mouldy Toof delivers on that front, providing something that doesn’t look out of place, but pops enough to give you an idea of where to look. It’s a massive upgrade from the predecessor, but ultimately, the visuals just do their job. Now, each location is distinct, and you’ll always know exactly where you are, which is a bit of good level design. Whether you’re at sea, in the desert, or the frozen tundra, each level has its own atmosphere, which is as good a reason as any to talk about the soundtrack.
So the music in this game can actually be pretty closely compared to the visuals. There are different tracks for each part of your routine in each level, but there aren’t any major standouts that’ll find their way into playlists. However, the amount of music made is pretty impressive. After all, what was stopping them from making one track per level and simply altering the tempo to suit the time of day? For everything “just doing its job,” it really comes together to make something truly solid.
Content
Finally, that brings us to the meat and potatoes of the game. The Escapists 2 overall isn’t really brimming with content, but it does offer plenty of replay value. There are eleven compounds to escape, with the first being a tutorial and the rest unlocking in groups of three. The final one, of course, unlocks on its own. Each group has two regular compounds you can escape by simply finding a way out. Each group also has one timed mission that requires you to track down certain objectives. If you escape three times, either using different methods or in different compounds, you’ll unlock the next set.
As we mentioned before, the game offers the different objective-based escape missions. These include dressing up as a mike operator to escape with the crew that’s filming the prison, building an aircraft and busting through the wall to fly out of there, and even hijacking a helicopter in order to make your escape. Escapists 2 does this part really well, giving you many options to keep it interesting for another play through. On top of this, the game gives you a score and rank, based on how fast you made your escape and what way you chose to do it. So even score chasers will find something to love about this game.
There’s also some amount of customization to the player characters and even the other prisoners and security guards. This is great because the game already encourages some amount of individuality. You unlock more customization options as you play the game, but realistically, you can already make your character look unique without any of that.
Everything isn’t perfect, however. Again, going back to the UI, there’s a lot of items in the crafting menus that are there only for specific missions. As cool as that is, you can’t find the materials to craft a lot of these in other prisons. This means that leaving them in the crafting UI for other missions just makes them feel like an annoyance more than anything else. Still, this is a relatively minor gripe with everything else right with the game.
Rifling through other people’s desks can help you with quests and finding weapons or components. This can get you in a little trouble, though.
The Escapists 2 Review Conclusion
The Escapists 2 is a very fun game that offers players freedom, co-operation, and most likely a few funny stories to tell around the campfire. While it may be far from perfect, even the issues we did have with the game seemed to be just minor gripes. The biggest hindrances to enjoying this game are the UI in local co-op and single player feeling less interesting overall.
Players can freely take their time on a level, speed through it, or co-operate with friends for something crazy. There really is something for just about everyone here. However, the issues with the game do stop it from achieving the highest heights. On top of that, while the game is a lot of fun, there’s nothing here that’ll make players come back after they’ve had their fill. It’s not anything breath taking, but a solidly competent game that deserves a little of your time. So with all things said, we can honestly recommend this game to just about anyone. Just don’t punch your friend for trying to fight all the guards and making everything harder for you.
Big thanks to Team17 for providing the Nintendo Switch review copy of The Escapists 2.
- Jan 11, 2018
Yesterday morning, Nintendo gave us a rapid fire update on new games, ports, and updates coming to the Nintendo Switch and 3Ds. The January Nintendo Direct Mini was only 14 minutes long, but covered a lot of news. With a pace like that, it’d be difficult to shorten it much for a recap. Instead, we’re going to order the announcements based on the release dates given during the Direct. Then we’ll discuss what that may mean for Nintendo in 2018. You can watch the recap of the entire Nintendo Direct below.
January
Calendar (Based on the January Nintendo Direct Mini)
Dragon Quest Builders (Demo) – January 11th (Now)
As the legendary Builder, you’ll construct rooms, towns, and defenses while fighting monsters. In Terra Incognita, build freely, share creations online, battle in an arena, and access exclusive content to the Nintendo Switch version of the game! You’re the only one in Alefgard who can rebuild and level up its ruined towns to attract new residents and raise their strength. But be wary: increasing a town’s level will also lure the Dragonlord’s monsters! So, join residents and fight back! When you defeat monsters and break blocks of the environment, you’ll earn materials for crafting items and building structures. Enjoy content exclusive to the Nintendo Switch version in Terra Incognita: ride a Great Sabrecub, slay foes for Pixel Blocks, and use them to build a Dragon Quest Game Pak so you can access more items for building! The land is yours to rebuild… The goddess Rubiss has spoken!
The free demo is available today in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch.
ACA Neogeo Art of Fighting 2 – January 11th (Now)
Play as iconic heroines from SNK’s history in a new, two-on-two tag-team fighting game. Players can activate a variety of Special Moves with the press of a button, and make use of special items to turn the tide of battle. One of the competitors will be Yuri Sakazaki from ACA NEOGEO Art of Fighting 2, which launches today in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch. SNK HEROINES ~Tag Team Frenzy~launches on Nintendo Switch this summer.
Celeste – January 25th
A platformer about climbing a mountain, from the creators of TowerFall. Unravel the secrets of the mountain and overcome your limitations to reach the summit.
Pokken Tournament DX DLC Wave 1 (Aegislash) – January 31st
The Battle Pack is now available for purchase in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch and includes two Waves of Battle Pokémon and Avatar items. Wave 1 of the Battle Pack contains Battle Pokémon Aegislash and a new Support Pokémon Set featuring Mega Rayquaza and Mimikyu. Aegislash can change between two formes, and players can wield them both. Wave 2 includes the new Battle Pokémon Blastoise and a new Support Pokémon Set featuring Mew and Celebi. Wave 1 will be available Jan. 31, and Wave 2 is scheduled for Mar. 23.
February
Fe – February 16th
In this new type of platforming adventure, players run, climb and glide their way through a dark Nordic forest to explore its living, breathing world. Use the motion controls of the Joy-Con controllers to sing in tune with creatures and plants to unlock new abilities. Each song has a distinct sound and feel thanks to HD Rumble. The game launches digitally for Nintendo Switch on Feb. 16.
Super Mario Odyssey Update – “February 2018”
A new mini-game called Balloon World is coming to one of the highest-rated games of all time. Once players download the free update and complete the main story, Balloon World will become available. In “Hide It” mode, players have a certain amount of time to hide a balloon. In “Find It” mode, players have the same amount of time to locate balloons hidden by other players from around the world. Players can move up the rankings** by finding hidden balloons and becoming expert hiders. The free update will be released in February with new Snapshot Mode filters and new outfits.
Payday 2 – February 27th
As players join with friends* locally or online to execute elaborate heists, full touch-screen support makes menu navigation easier than ever, while the HD Rumble feature lets them feel everything from explosions to weapon recoil right in their hands. Debuting in the Nintendo Switch version of the game, a new playable character named Joy will be introduced. Joy is a Japanese computer whiz who wears a custom LED light mask that changes her appearance as she sees fit. PAYDAY 2 launches for Nintendo Switch on Feb. 27.
March
Kirby: Star Allies – March 16th
Pokken Tournament DX DLC Wave 2 (Blastoise) – March 23rd
The Battle Pack is now available for purchase in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch and includes two Waves of Battle Pokémon and Avatar items. Wave 1 of the Battle Pack contains Battle Pokémon Aegislash and a new Support Pokémon Set featuring Mega Rayquaza and Mimikyu. Aegislash can change between two formes, and players can wield them both. Wave 2 includes the new Battle Pokémon Blastoise and a new Support Pokémon Set featuring Mew and Celebi. Wave 1 will be available Jan. 31, and Wave 2 is scheduled for Mar. 23.
May
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze – May 4th
Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong and Cranky Kong return for the franchise’s debut on Nintendo Switch. This title includes all the fun and challenge of the original game, plus a new beginner-friendly mode that lets players enjoy this critically acclaimed adventure as groovy surfing simian Funky Kong. Funky Kong can double jump, hover, perform infinite rolls and even perform infinite underwater corkscrews. Thanks to his sturdy surfboard, even spikes can’t slow him down. The game launches for Nintendo Switch on May 4.
Dark Souls Remastered – May 25th
The first title in the genre-defining action role-playing franchise is coming to Nintendo Switch. DARK SOULS: REMASTERED includes the Artorias of the Abyss DLC, as well as improved framerate and resolution from the original DARK SOULS game for an exhilarating return to Lordran. This marks the franchise’s debut on a Nintendo platform, and now for the first time ever, this revered (and challenging) game can be played on the go. DARK SOULS: REMASTEREDlaunches on May 25.
This Spring
Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition
A new, ultimate version of the exhilarating action game set in the Zelda universe will include every map and mission, plus all 29 playable characters from both the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS versions of the game, along with all of the previous paid downloadable content. Play as Link, Zelda, Midna, Skull Kid and dozens more in action-packed battles at home or on the go. Additionally, the game includes new outfits for Link and Zelda based on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild game. This new version launches for Nintendo Switch in spring.
Mario Tennis Aces
A new Mario Tennis game is bringing a new level of skill and competition to Nintendo Switch. Mario steps onto the court in classy tennis garb for intense rallies against a variety of characters in full-blown tennis battles. New wrinkles in tennis gameplay will challenge your ability to read an opponent’s position and stroke to determine which shot will give you the advantage. And this time the game adds the first story mode since the Mario Tennis game on Game Boy Advance, offering a new flavor of tennis gameplay, with a variety of missions and boss battles. The game launches for Nintendo Switch this spring.
Mario + Rabbids DLC Pack (Donkey Kong)
A new hero swings into action! Donkey Kong is headed to the game as a playable character, complete with an exclusive new storyline and world to explore. The DLC pack will release in spring and will be available for purchase individually, or as part of the Season Pass or Gold Edition of the game.
This Summer
Ys VIII : Lacrimosa of Dana
When the passenger liner he was aboard sank, the adventurer Adol drifted to a deserted island inhabited by vicious creatures that have evolved in many different ways. To survive, Adol must gather fellow shipwreck survivors and build a base. High-speed battles require players to change between three types of characters at a moment’s notice. The epic RPG launches for Nintendo Switch this summer.
SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy
Play as iconic heroines from SNK’s history in a new, two-on-two tag-team fighting game. Players can activate a variety of Special Moves with the press of a button, and make use of special items to turn the tide of battle. One of the competitors will be Yuri Sakazaki from ACA NEOGEO Art of Fighting 2, which launches today in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch. SNK HEROINES ~Tag Team Frenzy~launches on Nintendo Switch this summer.
Later
The World Ends With You Final Remix – “This Year”
This 2008 Nintendo DS game has been updated for Nintendo Switch with HD visuals and a new epilogue that sheds new light on the game’s story. Players can join rhythmic battles using either Joy-Con controllers or the Nintendo Switch touch screen. The game is scheduled to launch this year.
- Nov 22, 2017
It’s been years since Nintendo released a new 3D Mario collect-a-thon, but now we have one in the form of Super Mario Odyssey. This is the first time since the GameCube where Mario is being given a series of levels to explore and root out secrets. Super Mario Odyssey came out on October 27th, so our take is a bit delayed. Still, we’re here to give our thoughts and opinions on the game and how it holds up to the series as a whole.
Super Mario Odyssey follows Mario through another adventure to rescue the perpetual damsel, Peach. As always, the story is very loose and serves more as justification to get Mario moving. The levels are the main draw, but this game really has a lot of appeal to it. Worlds have exploration in mind, just like in SM64 and Sunshine. There is still linearity to the plot, though. Each level is a self-contained world where you can explore as much as you want and find moons in any order. However, you go to the levels in a set order.
With all that said, let’s dive into the meat of the review.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Nintendo has stated time and time again that they begin work on a game by refining a core mechanic. Once they’re certain that core mechanic works perfectly and is inherently fun to use, that mechanic informs the rest of the game design. Never has that felt more true than when playing Super Mario Odyssey. The basic mechanics of movement are naturally fun to use. On top of that it seems like an incredible amount of thought went into the design of things, making certain jumps and skips just barely possible, if you know the advanced jumps that make them possible.
However, Nintendo also believes in accessibility, which we can confirm is present in Super Mario Odyssey from the moment you start up the game. Not only are the advanced mechanics and motion controls almost entirely unnecessary to complete the game, but even the very little ones won’t have too much trouble, if they use the Assist Guide, which lays arrows on the ground to guide you and makes bottomless pits no longer lethal.
Assist Mode shows you which way to go and when you fall off a ledge, you bounce back with one damage instead of starting over.
Assist mode in Super Mario Odyssey also affords you an extra three hit points.
Motion controls are present, and while they do afford you some new techniques you couldn’t get without them, there’s only one or two moons where they become even remotely necessary. In case motion controls in aiming bother you, this can be turned off in the settings menu, but we found the motion controls were good enough they didn’t mess us up at all.
With all the thought that went into the core gameplay mechanics and the level designs revolving around them, we can happily say this aspect of the game is nearly perfect.
Graphics and Sound Design
Super Mario Odyssey boasts a brand new soundtrack of original BGMs and a few beloved classic remixes. While the remixes of old songs are a staple, the new music is where the sound designers get to shine. Nearly every track is immediately recognizable and totally unique from the rest of the OST in a way we haven’t seen since the Nintendo 64. Nintendo’s always been known for their music, but this time they’ve really knocked it out of the park.
Meanwhile the graphics are less on the impressive end, but the game still looks great for what it is. Everything is so crisp and clean, with the toony graphics matching the feel of the game. We didn’t personally find the juxtaposition of Mario next to regular humans to be so off-putting, but it could easily bother some players who get caught off guard by this.
There are some gorgeous landscapes to see in Super Mario Odyssey.
Altogether, the game provides a package of audio and visuals that perfectly compliments the adventure that we’re sending Mario through. As an added bonus, the entire soundtrack is available to you after putting in some work and beating the final boss. You can choose to play any song you’d like from the entire game instead of what normally belongs there. It’s the perfect way to drive home the stronger pieces in your soundtrack, leaving us with nothing but good memories.
Content
It might be entirely fair to accuse Super Mario Odyssey of having too much content. Overall, there’s over 800 moons to collect regularly and 999 total after buying the rest. Moons can be collected for clearing an insane gauntlet of challenges or simply ground pounding a glowing spot. This actually creates a bit of an inconsistent tone. Easy moons you get for wandering into the right room or wearing the right clothes make harder moons feel a bit undervalued.
Even so, that range of difficulty is more to allow players of all skill levels to reach a reasonable point in the game. Even the hardest moons in the game didn’t leave us feeling too defeated, anyways. Aside from that, there’s purple regional coins to collect along the way. They allow players to buy new outfits for Mario, or souvenirs and stickers for the Odyssey. That becomes another collection criteria, later on.
Nintendo split every level into four sections. A story segment comes first where only a few moons along the game’s intended path are available. Next, the open exploration where routes that were closed to you are now available. Worlds open up and most moons become available. Third, there’s a post-game segment where elements start popping up that only work after the conclusion. Finally, there’s a moon block in every level that can be opened to release even more moons to collect. Some levels have well over 100 moons, which may get a bit overwhelming.
In all honesty, these are just minor nitpicks. We do still feel it stops the game from netting that perfect score. Even so, you shouldn’t run out of things to do too soon. Assuming you don’t just reach the end of the game and stop there, that is.
Conclusions about Super Mario Odyssey
Without question, Super Mario Odyssey is a masterpiece. We will remember this game for its stellar game content, amazing new soundtrack, and inherently fun gameplay mechanics. There are a variety of challenges for all players ranging from just barely old enough to hardcore veterans. This isn’t the most difficult game to grace the Super Mario franchise, but it delivers for hardcore players, too. Granted, some objectives may cheapen the experience of harder ones via similar rewards. However, Super Mario Odyssey still lives up to the Super Mario reputation. It may even be the best one to date!
