All posts tagged in Minecraft
May 8, 2017
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nintendo Switch is on a path to success, as Nintendo managed to sell nearly four times as many systems as the competition. Even though the Nintendo Switch has become the center of attention, Nintendo is making sure the 3DS is receiving some love as well. With the newly announced 2DS XL, and plenty of more games to come, the handheld console is going to get support from Nintendo for the years to come.
Here are this weeks games we can look forward to on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS.
New Nintendo Switch Games
NBA Playgrounds – NBA Playgrounds has been covered primarily as a Playstation game, but it is, indeed, coming to the Switch (as well as Xbox One and Windows). This is a 2-on-2 competitive basketball game and includes an expansive roster with many real-world superstars. It’s being compared to NBA Jam but includes more features, like a leveling system and online play. Definitely check it out, if you’re a Basketball fan. ($19.99 USD)
Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition – It’s back. Minecraft is the same game you know and love, but now it’s very easily portable. As far as we can tell, this plays much like the other console versions of Minecraft but has even more Nintendo-based content than the Wii U edition did. Minecraft launches on the Switch on May 11th. ($29.99 USD – You can buy it here
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New Nintendo 3DS Games
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia – Between FE Warriors, FE Heroes, and FE Echoes, Fire Emblem is making a big showing, this year. And between this game and Disgaea 5, May really does seem to be the month for major Tactical RPG releases. This game seems to be a remake or reimagining of the second game in the Fire Emblem series. You can buy the normal game at full price, or you can get the Limited Edition for an extra $20. The Limited Edition includes an art book, a sound selection CD, a collection of character pins, and a reversible cover reminiscent of the original Famicom art for the game this was based on. Fire Emblem Echoes will be in stores on May 19th. ($39.99 USD You can buy it here
, and the $59.99 USD Limited Edition here
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You can find a list of the most exciting Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS games to be released in the month of May right here.
- May 7, 2017
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]taxel was developed by Indie Studio Plukit. Staxel is a sandbox farming game. In this game you can tend to crops, raise cute animals, and build a village. The game is currently in development as the developer will be adding more features in the months to come. This preview was played exclusively in single mode, however you can also team up with your friends in the multiplayer part of the game.
Staxel Character Creation
Before you begin the game, you must create your character. You choose the gender, race (human or elf currently), and personality on the first step. The next step is to choose the hair style. From the screenshot above, you can see that I chose the steampunk top hat. The customization of the head piece is neat and gives you other options such as a Jack’O’Lantern, a wolf, and Egyptian themed hair and more. The next step is to choose the face of your character. The face determines the shape and the eyes. This is also the step where you change your eye color as well. The last step consists of you choosing the color of the top, pants, and shoes. You do not currently have a huge selection in clothing styles but this might be added upon later in development.
Staxel Gameplay
After you create your character, you begin the tutorial. The tutorial starts off in your home. It is recommended that you first go to your bed so that your “home” is saved (you will see why this is important later). The first character you meet is Farm Fan. She helps guide you through the tutorial and the basic mechanics of the game. She asks if you are a dog or cat person which determines what pet you will receive. The look of the animal is randomly generated. For the first time I played, I had a Dalmatian and the second time I had a Beagle looking dog, so cute!
The next part of the tutorial is to explore town and the various buildings. The first building you explore is the tavern. Then the tutorial recommends you go visit the various Merchants in the town square. The town square is also where festivals are held (similiar to Animal Crossing). The first merchant you will be visiting is Morgan as she sells seeds. The Supermarket also sells seeds as well as a variety of goods. In a later tutorial quest, you will be visiting the supermarket so that you can buy a pet bowl and pet food. One feature that I find is nice is that no matter what you select it will tell you the cost in petals (currency of the game) as well as what the object is. You get a decent amount of money fulfilling tutorial quests so it’s recommended you do them.
In the top left of the screen, you can see where there is an indicator that lists the date (Season, number) as well as what time of day it is. There are two cycles to the typical Staxel day: Day and Night. However, what I find is neat about Staxel days is that the Day and Night cycles are split into smaller proportions. This gives you a better indicator of the time passing and how close you are to nighttime. A typical Staxel day is about ten minutes.
The controls for Staxel are fluid using keyboard and mouse as well as a game controller (I used an Xbox One controller). The controls are listed clearly in the controls menu and there is no lag when switching between various items. I noticed that occasionally the game camera would move upwards when speaking with a villager but it was a minor annoyance. A neat feature that the developers added in was that by holding the default action button, you can increase the till size. For example, instead of tilling a field square by square, you can do a 3 x 5 field instead. It helps save time when wanting to plant a lot of crops.
Exploration
I took the liberty of exploring the world of Staxel instead of doing the quests. I found that Staxel is quite rich in pixellated detail but it was the vivid colors that really made it pop. It wasn’t before long that I found myself standing on a beach.
It is not clear yet whether standing on the water is intentional. Like other farming games, Staxel has weather as well. As you can see from the above screenshot, it is currently raining. Rain is neat since you don’t have to water your crops and you can devote yourself to exploring instead.
If you have played any open sandbox game, then you will know the importance of being able to fast travel back to your home base. As long as you get inside your bed, you will be able to “return to home” in the menu, no matter how far away you are. I went quite far into the ocean and instantly appeared back into my house.
Different playthroughs will not give you different areas to explore. This is subject to change as the Developers could add in a feature where the world you create is randomly generated each and every time.
Conclusion
Staxel is a neat mash up of Minecraft, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing. The developers have started off with a good platform to build off of. This game requires a lot of time but not a lot of effort. If you are looking for a game where you can have a lot of control and relax while doing it, Staxel would be the perfect fit.
For some Staxel Gameplay Footage, check out our article here. A special thank you to the developer for providing us with a copy to preview.
- Apr 30, 2017
[dropcap]M[/dropcap]ay can be a sleepy month in terms of game releases. Developers are saving up their big guns for E3 and the month tends to be more dedicated to the rumor mill than anything else. Even so, there are still plenty of Nintendo Switch and 3DS Games launching in the coming month that we think are particularly worth the time to look at each one. Here’s a list of games to look out for in May, and why:
Switch Games
Tumbleseed – This cute indie game looks to be full of charm and will likely be an interesting title for anyone willing to work with and learn an abnormal control scheme. Players will need to control a tilting bar to tumble the seed along and navigate around large holes. This game can be played with two players instead of one for extra challenge and chaos. Tumbleseed launches on May 2nd. ($14.99 USD)
Tumbleseed is just around the corner!
NBA Playgrounds – NBA Playgrounds has been covered primarily as a Playstation game, but it is, indeed, coming to the Switch (as well as Xbox One and Windows). This is a 2-on-2 competitive basketball game and includes an expansive roster with many real-world superstars. It’s being compared to NBA Jam but includes more features, like a leveling system and online play. Definitely check it out, if you’re a Basketball fan. ($19.99 USD)
Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition – It’s back. Minecraft is the same game you know and love, but now it’s very easily portable. As far as we can tell, this plays much like the other console versions of Minecraft but has even more Nintendo-based content than the Wii U edition did. Minecraft launches on the Switch on May 11th. ($29.99 USD – You can buy it here
Disgaea 5 Complete – This classic Tactical RPG series finally makes its return to Nintendo consoles. The first time Disgaea was on a Nintendo system, it was a remake of the original game on the Nintendo DS in 2008. The game boasts hundreds of hours of gameplay and content that was DLC in the PS4 version as part of the complete package. Disgaea 5 Complete launches in both physical AND digital formats on May 23rd. ($59.99 USD You can buy it – here
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Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers – It’s become somewhat of a joke that SFII needs to be released on every system, but the game really isn’t any less amazing as an arcade fighter on the Switch than it was when it first showed up in arcades. This version includes Evil Ryu and Violent Ken as playable characters which represent the worst likely outcomes of their various trials. USFII: The Final Challengers will make its way to the Switch eShop on May 26th. ($39.99 USD You can buy it here)
RiME – The long-awaited Adventure-Puzzle game is finally releasing on all consoles and Steam. This game has an art style reminiscent of Journey (PS3) and a sweeping, emotional score underneath the trailers we’ve seen, thus far. While little is really known about how the gameplay and story will progress, we are still very interested to see what the future holds for this title. Tequila Works claims their game will be available on May 26th. ($39.99 USD You can buy it here
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Some of these games look really good.
3DS Games
Infinite Golf – Not to be confused with Infinite Minigolf, this game does exactly what it says on the box. For a very low price, you can choose to play a three-per-hole arcade survival mode, or you can just play endlessly without any penalties. For the low price point, it’s a reasonable way to zen out. Infinite Golf will be available on May 4th. ($1.99 USD)
Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop – The Cooking Mama series is a tried-and-true classic of the DS line. Play various minigames to help Mama make some delicious food and receive a rating based on your performance. If you’re a fan of the series, there’s no reason you should miss this one, either. Sweet Shop drops on the eShop on May 18th. ($29.99 USD You can buy it here
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Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia – Between FE Warriors, FE Heroes, and FE Echoes, Fire Emblem is making a big showing, this year. And between this game and Disgaea 5, May really does seem to be the month for major Tactical RPG releases. This game seems to be a remake or reimagining of the second game in the Fire Emblem series. You can buy the normal game at full price, or you can get the Limited Edition for an extra $20. The Limited Edition includes an art book, a sound selection CD, a collection of character pins, and a reversible cover reminiscent of the original Famicom art for the game this was based on. Fire Emblem Echoes will be in stores on May 19th. ($39.99 USD You can buy it here
With that, we seem to be out of new titles for the month that we feel are worth a heads up. Each of these titles will be interesting in one way or another, and we hope to bring further coverage on all of them throughout the month. If any of these titles interest you, feel free to talk about it in the comments below.
- Apr 24, 2017
[dropcap]M[/dropcap]inecraft is one of the most popular games in recent years. The building game will be coming to Nintendo Switch very soon. A new video has been released showing some extensive Nintendo Switch Minecraft Gameplay Footage. The developers have made some great progress on getting the video game to run smoothly on Nintendos latest console.
If you want to learn more about different World Sizes for Minecraft Switch, and how players can transfer Wii U save games over to the Switch, you can check out our latest post on all of that here.
https://youtu.be/EWRIQPNW5W8
- Apr 18, 2017
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f Harvest Moon, would meet Minecraft and adds a bit of Animal Crossing then the result would be Staxel. This game is packed with features, not only will you be able to maintain and build your very own farm, but there are also tons of hobbies to get stuck with. Staxel offers a great variety of gameplay elements. You can even invite your friends and build your very own village together. It’s needless to say that Staxel is one the rising stars amongst fans of video games like Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing.
Enter to Win!
Staxel is currently in early development, but the team is hard at work at making this game as good as it can get. We have teamed up with Plukit the developer behind Staxel to give away a few early access download keys to the game! All you will have to do to participate in the giveaway, is leave a comment below, and let us know why you want to play Staxel, and what it is you are most excited about!This contest will close on April, 23rd – 9pm PT. Winners will be randomly selected and notified by April, 24th 9pm PT.
If you want to learn more about Staxel check out our preview here and some early gameplay footage here.
What is Staxel?
‘Staxel – Sprout Edition’ is now available! In this early version of Staxel you start with an overgrown, old farm which needs a lot of love. Grow crops, tend to animals, repair and upgrade your rundown home! Buy now, and watch your ‘Sprout Edition’ grow with Staxel’s continuous development and regular updates.Experience Village LifeAs the village’s newest resident there’s a lot to look forward to. The village is filled with all sorts of colourful characters to meet and befriend. Sure, they might have some favours to ask of you, but helping them out might bring unexpected rewards! When you’re not hanging out with the villagers or working on the farm, you could be pursuing a new hobby, completing one of many collections, spending your hard earned money in the local stores, or working on improvements to the village. Your new neighbors would certainly appreciate your help!Nurture Your FarmPut down your roots and settle into your life as the village’s new farmer. Starting out with an old, run-down home and farmland reclaimed by the wilderness, it’s up to you to turn this place around. Plant seeds, carefully tend to your crops, take care of your animals, and build improvements to your farm. Don’t forget‐if you look after your farm it will look after you!Customise Your SandboxStaxel is set in a voxel-based sandbox world. You can alter your surroundings in any way you like, and with a rich selection of in-game materials and a simple, easy-to-use approach to modding, you really can create your own unique world within the game. Will you grow the village while keeping its rustic charm, or take it in an entirely new direction? Perhaps you’d rather leave the village and focus on your own projects? It’s all up to you, and your creativity is just the tool for the job! - Apr 18, 2017
[dropcap]M[/dropcap]inecraft is one of the most popular games in recent years. The building game will be coming to Nintendo Switch later this year. A new video has been released showing some Nintendo Switch Minecraft footage. The developers have made some great progress on getting the video game to run on Nintendos latest console.
Wii U players are able to transfer over worlds to their Nintendo Switch Save Game. However, this feature will not be available once the game launches in May, but should be added at some point after the release. On the technical side of the game, Minecraft Switch Edition will run at a smooth 60 Frames Per Second ( FPS ). Updates to the game are promised to come quickly, and the Switch version should be on par with other platforms fairly soon.
In terms of the world sizes the Nintendo Switch version comes in a lot bigger than the 864×864 Wii U version, with a rather large map at 3072×3072. This is a little smaller than the 5120×5120 Playstation 4 and Xbox One Minecraft map.
The off screen gameplay shows the game to be running extremely well, keep in mind the game is still in development, and performance and graphics may change during this time. Have a look at the Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition footage in the video below.
- Apr 15, 2017
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nintendo Switch has been criticized for it’s expensive prize tag including all of it’s accessories. But how does it really stack up against its competition? Is Sonys Playstation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One really that much cheaper? We are taking a look at what console offers the best value.
Let’s begin by taking a look at the base console price. Currently the Nintendo Switch comes in at $299. Compared to the Playstation 4 Slim that is currently being priced at $249 on Amazon. The Xbox One remains in the same league as Sony, and also costs around $249. However, to make a fair comparison we will have to look at the official retail price, which is $299 for the PS4 as well as for the Xbox One. It is not surprising that the Switch is currently not on sale like the other two consoles, given the novelty of the console. Both the PS4 and Xbox One have been around for years, and have seen several price reductions since then. Still both consoles can often be found $50 cheaper than Nintendos hybrid console, and on top of that often come bundled with a game like Uncharted 4 on the PS4 or Minecraft on the Xbox One.
The Joy-Con controllers have frequently been highlighted for its innovative HD Rumble, but also been criticized for the high price tag. The two pack will cost you $79.99 while a single joy-con controller can be purchased for $49.99. Sony and Microsoft sell their controllers for about $50 each, which is on par with the single joy-con controller.
Getting the formalities out of the way, let’s look at a break down at what a starter kit of each console would cost you. Let’s assume you will buy one console with one triple-A video game, and an additional controller.
Nintendo Switch
Console (comes with 2 joy-con controllers) – $299.99
One Game – $59.99Total: $359.98
Playstation 4
Console ( Comes with 1 Controller + Uncharted 4 ) – $299.99
One additional Game – $59.99
Optional second controller $50total: $359.98
total with 2 controllers: $409.98Xbox One
Console ( Comes with 1 Controller + Minecraft ) – $299.99
One additional Game – $59.99
Optional second controller $50total: $359.98
total with 2 controllers: $409.98While the Playstation 4 and Xbox One are nearly identical for the base models, the Nintendo Switch comes in a little bit higher when compared to the common sale price of the other two consoles. However it is important to note that the Switch already comes with two controllers. Many couch coop games can be played in multiplayer right out of the box. The PS4 and Xbox One would require the purchase of an additional controller, though they usually already come packed with one game – that you may or may not want to play.
The power difference between the PS4 and Xbox One are minor, while the Nintendo Switch clearly lacks the horsepower the other two next-gen consoles have. One could argue that based on this fact the Nintendo Switch should be a lot lower in price. But is horsepower really more expensive than innovation? Or is Nintendo just trying to make a quick dollar out some highly outdated hardware? According to a recent report, the Nintendo Switch cost $260 to manufacturer and $90 of that are the joy-con controllers alone. Which would mean that even though the controllers are considered overpriced, Nintendo is selling them at a loss. It’s common practice in the gaming console business to remain competitive with the competition.
Either way, you are not just buying a piece of hardware, you are buying into an eco system. If you decide to go for the Playstation 4 you are ultimately deciding to buy into an eco system of games like Little Big Planet, Uncharted, Horizon Zero Dawn, the last of us and more. While going for the Nintendo Switch will offer you games like Smash Brothers, Animal Crossing, Pokemon, Mario, Splatoon 2 and many more games that can only be experienced on the Nintendo console.
Whatever system you end up getting, don’t only look at the money it will cost you upfront, but look closer at the kind of video games you will be able to play on it.
- Apr 8, 2017
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]nimal Crossing Switch at this point is unavoidable, there have been many signs pointing at the upcoming village simulation to be released on Nintendos latest console. Reggie the president of Nintendo North America announced in a recent interview that all of Nintendos big game franchises will essentially see a Switch release sooner or later. Animal Crossing has grown to be one of the biggest Nintendo games.
While no formal announcement has been made, the presence of the game on the Switch in various forms such as the user icons, the images in the news section of the console – and more, it is save to assume that a new Animal Crossing has been in production for several years. From a business perspective the next logical step would be to release a new Animal Crossing on Smartphones and the Nintendo Switch. The last installment in the series was released in 2012, a new game is overdue. Furthermore the Animal Crossing Smartphone version has been announced and is set to release anytime after April 2017, the game is supposed to tie in with a Nintendo console based version such as Animal Crossing: New Leaf Welcome Amiibo or an entirely new game, like Animal Crossing Switch.
While waiting for Nintendo to step forward and finally announce and release a new Animal Crossing, we are looking at some Animal Crossing Alternatives that you should play while waiting for the new video game in the village simulator franchise to come out.
Stardew Valley
One of the biggest farming simulation games to hit the market in the last few years. Stardew Valley combines the best out of Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon and creates something very unique. Exploration, Mining, Fishing, Farming, Dating and so much more make this game an absolute must play. Stardew Valley is available on PC, Mac, Playstation 4 and Xbox One. The video game is even set to be released on Nintendo Switch in Summer 2017, and will be the first console to feature the brand new Stardew Valley Multiplayer experience, although the coop mode is also going to be released on PC,Mac, PS4 and Xbox One after.
Starbound
Chucklefish the publisher behind Stardew Valley has also released Starbound. This game shares some similarities to Minecraft. You will be digging and building, but furthermore, there is a huge exploration aspect to it. You can travel from planet to planet, and each has it’s own look and feel to it. You can plant and farm, build houses, and populate each and every planet to your own liking. Starbound really shines when played with friends in the multiplayer coop mode. You can work together to collect materials, explore the different worlds and more. This video game is one of the most exciting and well executed indie games. If you haven’t played it yet, you should watch the gameplay trailer below. Starbound is available on PC, Mac, Playstation Vita, Playstation 4 and Xbox One.
Store of Seasons: Trio of Towns
Story of Seasons is considered the new Harvest Moon, and done so rightfully. The 3DS Game is a perfect replacement for the once so successful Harvest Moon series. It features Farming, dating, crafting and more. If you haven’t played the newly released Trio of Towns, then you can watch the gameplay trailer below. The game is now available on Nintendo 3DS.
The Tomorrow Children
This one is a unique, but tremendously exciting Open World MMO experience. The Tomorrow Children is a free to play video game on the Playstation 4. The MMO looks and feels like something never seen or done before. This video games puts you in an empty city, that can only survives if you keep providing the things it needs. As you provide power, collect materials, build shops and housing, you will also randomly encounter other online players who help to make the city thrive. The Tomorrow Children can hardly be put in words, so we will let the trailer below speak for us. If you have not played the game yet, we strongly recommend to give it a try. While it is a free to play game with in-game transaction, it is easily being enjoyed without having to spend any money on it. The MMO video game is currently available on Playstation 4.
Rune Factory 4
This game is as close as it gets to Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon. While it features farming, and some building elements the video game also focuses on exploration and adventuring Rune Factory 4 has been a fans favorite for a good reason. The game is available for Nintendo 3DS.
These Animal Crossing Alternatives should help you fill the gap between now and a new Animal Crossing. Rumors are circulating that the frequent delay of the Animal Crossing Smartphone version is due to the fact that Nintendo is holding back until they are ready to announce the all new game in the franchise for the Nintendo Switch. We will update on the topic as soon as there are news to report.
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, and the $59.99 USD Limited Edition 
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