Nintendo has announced its next online broadcast, but this time there’s a special focus on the smaller, indie games coming to the Switch. Or, as Nintendo likes to call them, ‘Nindies’.
Nindies Showcase Spring 2018
There’s not long to wait either, as you’ll be able to watch the spring Nindies Showcase at 9 am PST/4 pm GMT next Tuesday, March 20th:
Tune in 3/20 at 9am PT for a #Nindies Showcase highlighting the hottest upcoming indie games for #NintendoSwitch!
There’s a chance we’ll be seeing Oddworld: Soulstorm, the remake of Abe’s Exoddus, and the next title in the Oddworld series as one of these Nindies. It’s set to be a follow up to 2015’s New ‘n’ Tasty and has been teased for next week. Can you guess when? Yep, March 20th:
Sega has announced a new collection of Mega Drive games for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It’s aptly being called the ‘Sega Mega Drive Collection’ – or ‘Genesis Collection’ in the States.
Sega Mega Drive Collection
Now, we don’t believe we were meant to know about the news because a Twitter post was deleted with quite some haste. Luckily, fans, as always, noticed what was going on and here we are.
You can check out the rather cool trailer for the Collection below:
We can expect Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, Ecco the Dolphin, and Golden Axe obviously, but Shining Force (and its sequel) not to mention Phantasy Star 2 and 4 would be a real treat. Even if they were already in other collections.
The Sega Mega Drive Collection is out on the 29th May. Save those pennies.
It’s hard not to get excited by a slick announcement like that. Yes, a Super Smash Bros. game is making its way to the Switch, surprisingly this year, and we think it’s a new title too. Masahiro Sakurai is even onboard – presumably chained to the desk at this point and gasping for air:
With that said, it’s worth remembering that Nintendo announced a lot of other interesting games (quite a bit smaller) would be making their way to the Switch (and even the 3DS as well).
So reader, here are some of the other games that won’t get a spotlight compared to something as big as Super Smash Bros:
Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers – May 24th
Dillon is back again… Who? Yep. That’s why we’re covering it. The armadillo Dillon was the star of a few indie gems on 3DS, so it’s great to see a new instalment. It’s action meets tower defence with added racing.
Luigi’s Mansion Remake – 2018
We didn’t see this coming. If there was ever going to be a chance to play the classic game starring the forgotten brother, we thought it would be on a theoretical Switch Virtual Console.
Nintendo has decided otherwise and is remaking the game for 3DS. There’s a boss rush mode, and you can use the second screen as a map for the mansion. “Mario?!!”
Okami HD – Summer
Okami HD was released late last year (December) with the Switch initially missing out. We now have confirmation it’s on the way along with touchscreen controls in handheld mode, and Joy-Con motion support in console mode.
Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido – June 8th
Anime and lots of sushi battles? That’s The Way of Sushido. An original, quirky title where you shockingly eat sushi and match the colours to win – one that could be a surprise hit.
There are even super-powerful eating moves. Why not? It’s out this year for both 3DS and Switch.
Undertale – TBA
Critically acclaimed indie title Undertale is coming to Switch at some point this year. It’s one of the bigger indie titles out there, but we’re betting there’s a huge amount of people that still haven’t played it. Here’s another chance to do just that.
WarioWare Gold – August 3rd
The next entry in the WarioWare series, it promises to be the biggest collection yet. It’s significant because the series hasn’t had a new game in over 5 years. Not to mention that it’s exclusive to the 3DS, a console which, you would think, is on the way out.
Little Nightmares Complete Edition – May 18th
A Complete Edition of Little Nightmares is heading to the Switch. Essentially? All of the DLC content will be included. Using the Pac-Man amiibo with the game will also unlock the ‘Pakku’ Mask. Tanya from our site quite liked Little Nightmares…
Notable Mentions:
South Park: The Fractured But Whole is coming to Switch April 24th
Dark Souls is getting an amiibo: Solaire of Astora
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is multiple games in one. There’s a new story mode and local co-op play
Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story + Bowser Jr.’s Journey was announced, a remake of the DS classic – but where’s Partners in Time?
The bizarre Detective Pikachu is out on 3DS March 23rd – no Ryan Reynolds
RPG throwback Octopath Traveler is out on Switch July 13th + there’s a special edition
Overall it was a strong showing from Nintendo on some of the more niche titles out there. The continued support of the 3DS is rather curious though. It might mean they have no plans to replace the handheld and are giving it one last hurrah. Or, they are quietly working on a new handheld altogether, but are keeping the 3DS going until then.
Considering the Switch is a handheld as well, it may well be better to go with the former…
Lunar Great Wall Studios has revealed Another Sight, a rather surreal, dreamscape fantasy game. The title is set to launch on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch this year.
Here’s a very brief trailer for you:
Neil Gaiman And Urban Fantasy
Another Sight is a fantasy adventure with steampunk elements set in 1899 towards the end of the Victorian era in London. It’s a world inspired by writer Neil Gaiman’s urban fantasy “Neverwhere”.
The story features two leading characters: Kit, a bold teenager, who loses her sight after the under-construction London Underground tunnel she was exploring collapses, and Hodge, a mysterious red-furred cat she meets in the darkness.
“The world we’ve created for players to explore in Another Sight is so rich and engaging, filled with heart and discovery.”
Naturally, they team up, with Hodge an essential companion upon whom Kit comes to rely on. You’ll be using each of their talents to tackle the environments and will solve ‘intriguing’ puzzles together.
Another Sight launches in 2018 on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch, and more details will be revealed at GDC.
Aspyr Media has announced Torn, a ‘dark’ science fiction mystery inspired by The Twilight Zone and Black Mirror (the TV show, not the game). It’s coming to PS VR, Oculus, and Vive this spring.
Torn VR – It’s Not Doctor Who
Here’s our first look at the peculiar world, which features what appears to be a sonic screwdriver, although we’re not sure it’s meant to be one:
Every science fiction mystery needs a good story: we begin the journey in 1953 when on the brink of a major scientific breakthrough, the renowned physicist Dr Lawrence Talbot has vanished. For 64 years, his mansion remained hidden away from the world, his eerie laboratory and work all but forgotten. Until now, of course.
Torn is the first VR game developed in-house at Aspyr Studio and was written by Neill Glancy (Stranglehold), Susan O’Connor (Tomb Raider, BioShock), along with an original orchestral score composed by Garry Schyman (BioShock, Middle Earth: Shadow of War). The title has its credentials then.
We’ll find out soon whether it’s worth your time (and money) when it releases this spring.
Indie studio Hungry Pixel has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund NetherWorld, its dark adventure full of “excesses” and “outlandish” characters.
The NetherWorld creators hope to raise enough money to finish the title’s development. If the Kickstarter campaign overcomes the initial goal, the studio wants to make the PC game compatible with other platforms, including the Switch. It will also allow them to add extra features such as new scenarios, characters and storylines.
NetherWorld is a 2D side-scrolling pixel art adventure game, with, we’re told, an irreverent and sinister plot.
The protagonist will be involved in a surreal story after being abandoned by his wife. There’s some misfortune with alcohol, drugs and lust too:
According to the developer, the main purpose of NetherWorld was to create something different, an unusual story with deeply eccentric characters. Count us in!
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, from Japanese giant Capcom, was produced for the Nintendo DS in 2005, or rather, an enhanced remake was. While it’s not all that common knowledge, the game was actually first conceived for the Game Boy Advance in Japan, way back in 2001. There was also a popular port of the title on Nintendo’s archaic, yet somehow fondly remembered WiiWare service in 2010.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
The first game in the series centred on the eponymous Phoenix Wright, a budding new attorney learning the ropes of the courtroom. What struck many, myself included, was that the story was good – really good. This was essentially a lawyer simulator turned into a game but, arguably, (and in this writer’s opinion), the title features some of the best writing in one to date.
A Nintendo DS screenshot showing both screens in use.
‘Gameplay’ wise, you were tasked with finding contradictions within a witness’s testimony. This started off simple, but quickly became complex, with players often running the scenes through their head and asking questions such as: “How did they get there if they were also somewhere else at the exact same time? Something doesn’t add up.” Then, once you were sure enough of your own conviction, you could make yourself feel stupid/empowered and shout “Objection!” at your DS, or TV, depending on which version you played the game on. (Fear not, you could also just hit a button if you were feeling a little bit awkward on that crowded bus to work).
It was this spark of simple genius that made the game so compelling. If you were W-right (see what I did there? Ok, I’ll grab my coat), you saw your witness squirm in front of you, trying anything to convince you that they didn’t kill him or her. What made it even better was when the opposing prosecutor, Miles Edgeworth, came into the fray with a smart ‘get out’ for the witness – upping the ante considerably. Ensue a battle of wits until the very end, all in the name of justice. Like a Sherlock Holmes vs Professor Moriarty encounter. And really, there isn’t much better than that.
The visuals were blown up on WiiWare.
Tie all this in with the aforementioned sagacious writing, sometimes silly, often hilarious, thought-provoking and incredibly dark when it wanted to be, and what you had was a game many had not ever experienced before. (It would be remiss of me not to mention the music that plays when Wright brings the justice):
But it wasn’t just the cases which were superbly put together in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, it was the surprising depth of the characters as well – each had hours of intriguing backstory that would deliciously expand over the course of the game(s).
Nick himself, for instance, was a captivating protagonist. His quirky, yet determined to succeed and find the truth manner (something his creator Shu Takumi once admitted was based on himself) made the journey a truly thrilling ride. Wright’s character and position would subtly continue to develop over the games, from rookie to outright veteran in the later adventures. (Sorry, no major spoilers here!).
Let us not forget Miles Edgeworth either, a fan favourite of the series, and rightfully so. Edgeworth would end up becoming the anti-hero construction we all know and love in fiction. He would help Phoenix in the courtroom, but would nevertheless remain a formidable opponent who Wright had to prove himself to again and again; however improbable the events that unfolded!
That’s without mentioning the rest of the cast: the loveable yet struggling to achieve Gumshoe, the endearing and curious Maya. Manfred von Karma… All of these characters felt alive.
Ace Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth.
This writer remembers getting to the last case of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney for the first time (many years ago), not knowing the series always ended on such an epic dénouement; the scale of it all hit me. That final case (and just wait until you play the others) is something to see; tense, absorbing and yes, moving. It’s comparable to the final court scene in the film A Few Good Men.
Admittedly, never having played Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney on the DS, it was a series I had always wanted to try, but never got around to. Bigger names always stole my attention whenever I got close. For me then, it was on WiiWare where the natural love began. The rest is history: Ace Attorney remains one of my favourite games (and series) to this very day. There’s no doubt it gets more attention than ever, but it’s still a pretty niche series.
‘Rise from the Ashes’ was a bonus case created for DS.
So, you’ve never played it? That’s ok, it’s never too late! Copies for the DS can be few and far between nowadays, so the best bet is to pick it up on 3DS or on iOS devices. As for the future of the series, we now know that Capcom is working on a new Ace Attorney title for the Switch. There are rumours circulating that an ‘Ultimate Edition’ of sorts is in the works too. But, as ever, we’ll have to wait and see on that.
Indeed, while we wait, if you’ve played the masterpiece that is Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney already, why not share your memories with us below? With that said, I think it’s time to finish Spirit of Justice myself. Have a good weekend all.
A new game for the Sega Mega Drive (also known as the Sega Genesis in North America) has been developed – what’s more, the technical feat was achieved using original development tools. And yes, that’s 20 years after the console was discontinued.
Tanglewood: The Sega Mega Drive Returns
The game, Tanglewood, will be released on cartridge following its successful Kickstarter campaign. It’s a 16-bit, nostalgic platforming experience running on genuine Sega hardware.
The UK based developer Matt Phillips spoke to the BBC in the (low-quality) video interview below:
Sega’s classic console lives on, it would seem. And there’s nothing wrong with that, is there?
Publisher Focus Home Interactive and Deck13 are working together once more to bring a sequel to last year’s Souls-like action RPG The Surge.
The Surge 2
Currently, there isn’t much to go on – just the single image above – but Focus Home Interactive has said The Surge 2 will be keeping what everyone loved from the first game while expanding upon the formula in larger environments in the improved game engine.
Here is the official announcement:
“The Surge 2 keeps what fans and critics loved about the original – hardcore combat utilizing a unique, dynamic limb targeting system and deep character progression – while also expanding greatly upon the formula.
“It takes place in a brand new environment: a sprawling, devastated city with larger and more ambitious level design, made possible by Deck13’s upgraded and improved engine. Combat is more brutal and tactical than ever, with even more options thanks to an expanded limb targeting system.
“In addition, more abilities, weapons, implants, and drones give players a vast arsenal to build their character with, in their fight against the array of diverse new enemies and bosses.”
It’s coming to PC, PS4, and Xbox One next year. We expect to hear some more details soon.
Nuclear Studio’s new VR game, Innocent, will go into Early Access via Steam on February 26th.
VR Game Innocent: What’s It About?
Innocent is not the developer’s first VR game, but they have stated it’s their biggest project to date. Many a late night has occurred during the creation of the title then. But what’s it all about?
Fundamentally, it’s a puzzle adventure game with an ‘intense’ storyline and a bit of a twist:
“This is not a typical room escape game – you don’t just escape from one room – you escape from the run-down earth and find a way to survive.”
What about that story?
In the year 2218, Earth has been devastated by disasters caused by excessive logging and destruction of natural resources. Unknown viruses have filled every corner of the world with raging “mutated creatures”.
The most terrible of such viruses is known as “carbonized disease”. It’s the greatest threat to humanity that has ever been seen. Infection with the disease will cause a human to carbonize from the inside out:
A few days back Nintendo released its earnings report, giving us a look at the lifetime sales of all of its hardware launches. It was unsurprising to see that the Switch is doing extremely well, however, what was a little surprising is that it has sold more in ten months then the Wii U did during its entire run. That’s in 5 years.
Nintendo Switch Sales VS. Wii U
This can be explained by the differences in titles and features that both systems had: the Switch launched major first-party titles early that are open world and frankly rocked just about every review site there is, with Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild selling 9 and 6.7 million respectively.
The Switch also has a solid selection of third-party titles to go along with a growing list of download only games. The Wii U never really seemed to get off the ground and was always waiting for the major titles – it also placed a lot of focus on the second screen gameplay of its tablet. A concept that was, to me, pretty clever, but it was difficult to market and certainly hard to use, even for more experienced gamers. Most thought the Wii U was an attachment for the original Wii.
The Switch is on pace to pass the GameCube’s figure of 21.74m and it may well overtake the Nintendo 64 at 32.93m as well. However, it is still a long way off from the PS4, which Sony believes sold 18 million alone in 2017 bringing its total sales to 73 million. (The PS4 has been on sale since 2013).
With that said, it’s early days yet and the Switch is proving to be a great place for indie developers to get their games noticed in a marketplace that isn’t supersaturated – at the time of writing anyway.
There have been some solid Steam indie games released recently, so here’s a few we selected for this week:
In Death
In Death was created exclusively for the amazing immersion of VR – so you’ll need a HTC Vive, Oculus Rift or Windows Mixed Reality headset to play it. The game is a roguelite shooter set in the afterlife.
Tangledeep combines 16-bit graphics from classic SNES-era RPGs with elements from roguelikes and dungeon crawlers to create an experience for players of every skill level.
Anchorhead is a text adventure game in the style of old Infocom games from the 1980s. That means no graphics, no menus, no point-and-click – you navigate a written story using typed commands, and read what happens next. Sound intriguing?
The quite literally named Martial Arts Brutality is a F2P (Free-to-play) turn-based tactical card fighter. In the game, you will learn the secrets of Kung Fu while ensuring you maintain some good ‘Chi’ Energy.
Dust and Salt is a text-based narrative adventure which features turn-based tactical battles. It’s set in a medieval fantasy world, but one in which there’s sadly no Aragorn or Gandalf.
This can be explained by the differences in titles and features that both systems had: the Switch launched major first-party titles early that are open world and frankly rocked just about every review site there is, with Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild selling 9 and 6.7 million respectively.
