Category: Nintendo

Project Octopath Traveler demo out now on Nintendo Switch

by Nitchigamer, posted in Nintendo, Posts

One of the most impressive games on show tonight in Nintendo’s Direct was that of Square Enix’s Project Octopath Traveler. Don’t worry, that’s a working title.

The 2D-HD Effect

The visual style of the new adventure, now coined “2D-HD”, of course, evokes classic RPGs with a modern high-resolution approach. The effect is quite striking:

Luckily, you won’t have to wait until next year, its announced release date, to see it in action for yourself. That’s right, a demo is live on the Switch’s eShop right now.

It can be found in the “Coming Soon” section of the store. Need we say anymore?

Achievements might be coming to the Nintendo Switch – is it about time?

by Daragh Payne, posted in Nintendo, Posts

Another day, another juicy piece of information we’re probably not meant to know about yet. Could an achievements system be coming to the Nintendo Switch? It certainly looks like it.

The developers of Lichtspeer, an indie game just released for the console, recently conducted an AMA where “Redditors” could ask questions about the game’s development.

It was here that one particular question – whether the game had online rankings or not – caused a storm. The answer was quite revealing:

“Nintendo doesn’t have an official support for Achievements and Leaderboards, like Sony or Microsoft but we know that they’re working on it.”

Another user then highlighted the answer and asked if such knowledge was supposed to be, ahem, a secret. The devs responded, most likely realising that this information wasn’t, in fact, ready for the gaming public:

“Move along. Nothing to see here. Strong feeling [Nintendo] hinted it a few times”.

That last bit seems like damage control to us. Is this something we could see announced at the Nintendo Direct tonight? We’ll find out soon enough. Meanwhile, why not check out our piece on what to expect.

Would you like an achievement system on Nintendo platforms going forward?

Meet Red Dead Redemption 2’s understudy – L.A. Noire hits VR, Switch and more

by Tom Buxton, posted in Nintendo, Posts

As the hallowed philosopher Jagger – and Dr. Gregory House – once said, you can’t always get what you want. Until May of this year, Rockstar Games’ fan base was eagerly anticipating the autumn launch of Red Dead Redemption 2, the long-gestating follow-up to the hit 2010 Western shooter, only for the studio to delay the project that month to spring 2018.

But for better or for worse, we’ve now learned that Rockstar doesn’t plan to completely starve its community of new content during this extended wilderness period; instead, they’re reviving an arguably long-forgotten IP for mainstream current-generation hardware and emerging platforms alike, bringing period detective dramas back into cultural discourse…

Takeaways:

  • Remember L.A. Noire, the studio’s 2011 third-person-shooter centring on slow-burn detective investigations and packing some of the most uncannily realistic facial animations ever seen by the industry? If so, and if you’ve craved a return to WW2 LA but ditched the 360 / PS3 version when you traded in those consoles, then take solace in the news that the title’s making a comeback with a full-fledged remake. Just as we predicted!
  • Creatively dubbed L.A. Noire once again, the upgraded version of the mystery-driven thriller will launch this November on Nintendo Switch with bonus features like a gesture-based Joy-Con mode, touch-screen controls and widened camera angles, plus on Xbox One and PS4 in 1080p – and Pro / X in 4K – with “cinematic camera angles”, enhanced graphics, superior textures and more technical touch-ups.
  • Whereas both of those remakes will simply feature the title’s original campaign and all of its subsequent DLC, a VR edition – L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files – is also inbound with all-new re-workings of seven classic cases from the 2011 narrative, allowing budding detectives to solve heinous murders aplenty with a full 360-degree outlook on each crime scene.

Try as they might, it’s safe to say Rockstar will have a tough time at best to convince their most ardent sceptics of the value of a high-resolution but otherwise largely unchanged re-release of a half-decade old project, especially one which split opinion at the time of release – with some critics maligning its padded narrative – moreso than recent GTA or RDR entries.

That said, given the publisher’s statement back in February 2012 that they were “considering what the future may hold for L.A. Noire as a series” and the lack of subsequent updates on what lies ahead for the brand, those who did adore the original title six years ago might well have to make do with what they get here. As for those who didn’t contribute to its original 5m sales, they won’t find a better opportunity to discover what all the fuss was about than this.

Keep your magnifying glass trained firmly on D-pad Joy in the coming weeks and months for plenty more news on the return of L.A. Noire this November, the belated but no less anticipated launch of Red Dead Redemption 2 next spring and the all-but-guaranteed resurgence of the GTA franchise – no matter how much fake news surrounds its assured development – in the not too distant future.

Resident Evil Revelations 1 and 2 for the Switch includes HD Rumble and motion controls

by Nitchigamer, posted in Nintendo, Posts

Resident Evil Revelations Collection for the Switch will include HD Rumble support and optional motion controls, it has been revealed.

Here are all the new details:

Takeaways

  • Capcom is including optional Joy-Con motion controls and HD Rumble compatibility. For example, you can use the right Joy-Con to aim your shots and swing knife attacks and flick it up to reload.
  • You can shake the left Joy-Con to escape enemy attacks when grabbed.
  • The co-op Raid Mode can be played online in each game.
  • In Revelations 2, local co-op is also an option by passing a single Joy-Con to a friend.
  • All DLC and episodes previously released for both games are included.
  • At retail, in North America, the two games will be sold together as Resident Evil Revelations Collection for $40.
  • Revelations 1 will be on the cartridge while the sequel is a digital download. Boo…
  • Both titles are $20 digitally as individual releases.
  • The games will be released for the Switch on November 28th.

If the motion controls are anything like they are in Breath of the Wild, then we’re in for a real treat. It will be interesting to see how HD Rumble is used as well.

Does this tempt you to pick up the Revelations games again? Or, would this be your first time playing through them?

Yoshiaki Koizumi shows off Super Mario Odyssey’s Luncheon Kingdom

by Nitchigamer, posted in Nintendo, Posts

Gamescom 2017 is over for another year, but in case you missed it, there were some real treats in there.

One, in particular, was our first look at the Luncheon Kingdom in Mario’s latest AAA game for the Switch, Super Mario Odyssey.

The producer, Yoshiaki Koizumi, showed off the new culinary kingdom that looks as inventive and delightful as you might expect. You can check out the footage below:

[amazon_textlink asin=’B01MUA0D2A’ text=’Super Mario Odyssey’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’geali01-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’6afa53f7-95bc-11e7-b761-7785b974a607′] isn’t far away now, somehow, and launches for the Switch on the 27th October. It’s looking rather spectacular…

Sonic Forces spin dashes onto consoles with Bonus Edition in tow

by Tom Buxton, posted in Nintendo, Posts

What with nostalgic 2D platformer Sonic Mania’s sudden success in restoring the previously rock-bottom reputation of SEGA’s most prized mascot, earning itself a full 5/5 score from D-pad Joy and an 86% Metacritic average so far, one would’ve hardly blamed the publisher if they’d lounged out on a hedgehog-shaped reclining sofa for the remainder of 2017.

But even if Mania’s development team at PadogaWest Games intends to take a well-earned rest along those lines, that notion evidently hasn’t occurred to SEGA. Quite to the contrary, their game plan is seemingly to keep capitalising on the newfound success of gaming’s most iconic non-Italian protagonist, rolling out another AAA Sonic adventure before year’s end…

Takeaways:

  • Enter Sonic Forces, a current-gen hybrid platformer combining Mania’s side-scrolling escapades with the oft-explosive 3D hijinks for which the franchise has – for better or for worse – become known since its Adventures and Heroes iterations in the late nineties and early noughties.
  • This spiritual successor to 2015’s roundly applauded Sonic Generations will hit Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on November 7th worldwide, launching both in physical and digital form for a healthy reduced RRP of $40 / £30 rather than the usual $60 / £50 price tags most of the autumn’s big-hitters pack.
  • Anyone who pre-orders Forces in its boxed incarnation is in for a pleasant bonus surprise, though. On top of the main campaign, they’ll get Bonus Edition content such as a free themed controller skin and costumes for the title’s third playable hero – a customisable companion to Modern and Classic Sonic – based on classic SEGA characters like Super Monkey Ball’s AiAi and NiGHTS’ eponymous magician.

Make no mistake, launching in November presents SEGA with a huge uphill battle, even if they want to seize upon the substantial goodwill generated by their best Sonic entry in years. Between Call of Duty: WWII, Need for Speed Payback, LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon and The Sims 4’s PS4 and Xbox One ports, even the bravest studio might consider moving their release date elsewhere to save face.

There’s an admirable sense of carpe diem bravado about their move, though, and while we sincerely hope the franchise doesn’t once again fall flat on its face – critically or commercially – after finding such rare light at the end of the tunnel this summer, SEGA has just guaranteed that whatever happens, this’ll be an autumn for the industry to remember.

Take a gander at the full offerings of Sonic Forces’ Bonus Edition below. D-pad Joy will stay abreast of all the key news surrounding the project leading up to November 7th.

Worms W.M.D sneaks onto the Nintendo Switch this year

by Nitchigamer, posted in Nintendo, Posts

The Worms we all know and love, yes those ones, are coming to the Switch later this year in Worms W.M.D.

The latest in Team17’s turn-based strategy game series, W.M.D is, at least to this writer, one of the best Worms games in years.

Worms W.M.D for the Switch will feature all the campaign missions, levels, customisations and updates, including Liberation and Forts Mode.

It also gets some exclusive content, to help persuade those silly people (like me), who are wondering if they should double-dip or not. Here’s the new stuff coming to the Switch version:

  • A new theme set in Space
  • New Mushroom and Tree forts
  • New customisations including three new outfits, and three new gravestones to mourn the passing of your pals

Support for single Joy-Con play, local wireless multiplayer as well as local and online multiplayer, out and about, is all there.

You can play Worms W.M.D on PS4, Xbox One and PC right now. The Switch version will launch in “Q4 2017″… Worms at Christmas anyone?

Nindies Summer Showcase 2017 – Nintendo Switch indie games galore, plus No More Heroes 3

by Sally Mettson, posted in Nintendo, Posts

In case you missed Nintendo’s Nindies Summer Showcase 2017 today (that’s a mouthful), you can catch the full stream here.

Lots of new indie games were shown off for the Switch (20 games in fact!), including:

  • Super Meat Boy Forever – 2018 (coming first to the platform)
  • Shovel Knight: King of Cards – Early 2018
  • Mom Hid My Game! – Late 2017
  • Golf Story – September 2017, (exclusive)
  • Floor Kids – Holiday 2017
  • Wulver Blade – September 2017 (coming first to the platform)
  • Poly Bridge – Holiday 2017 (exclusive)
  • Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition – Early 2018 (exclusive)
  • Earth Atlantis – Fall 2017 (coming first to the platform)
  • Next Up Hero – Early 2018
  • SteamWorld Dig 2 – September 21st
  • Mulaka – Early 2018
  • Yono and the Celestial Elephants – October 12th (exclusive)
  • Dragon Marked for Death – Winter 2017 (exclusive)
  • Battle Chef Brigade – Holiday 2017 (coming first to the platform)
  • Morphies Law – Winter 2017 (exclusive)
  • Sausage Sports Club – Fall 2017
  • Light Fingers – Early 2018 (coming first to the platform)
  • Nine Parchments – Holiday 2017
  • No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Again – 2018 (exclusive)

Not a bad line-up. It’s clear that Nintendo is taking quality indie games seriously with the Switch. You can see them all below.

SteamWorld Dig 2 can’t come soon enough. As for a third No More Heroes game? Count us in.

Miiverse is closing on November 7th, forever

by Nitchigamer, posted in Nintendo, Posts

Sad news today folks: Nintendo is shutting down the brilliant Miiverse on November 7th. The Wii U era really has come to an end.

What’s more, the company has stated that there are no plans to offer a future version of Miiverse on the Switch, or indeed, a similar service down the line.

Nintendo of America answered the following questions about the end of Miiverse on their site:

Why are you shutting down Miiverse?

We started the Miiverse service in 2012 along with the launch of the Wii U system because we wanted to provide a space where users could share their feelings about games with each other. Thanks to users’ support throughout the years, we think we were able to achieve that goal. We decided to end the service at this time because, among other reasons, many users are shifting to social networking services.

Users can download their old Miiverse posts (without comments or messages from others) by visiting http://miiverse.nintendo.net and registering before the Miiverse service ends on Nov. 7, 2017 at 10 p.m. PT. Once registered, users will receive an e-mail via Nintendo Account mail a few weeks after the Miiverse service ends, which will include a unique URL to download their past Miiverse posts.

When will the Miiverse service end?

  • Nov. 7, 2017, at 10 p.m. PT
  • Once the Miiverse service ends, users will not be able to access Miiverse on Wii U, any of the Nintendo 3DS family of systems or an Internet browser on PCs and smart devices.

Will the Miiverse icon still be displayed on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS Home Menu?

  • Yes. The Miiverse icon will continue to appear, but an error message will be displayed when it is pressed.

Many games use Miiverse as a major gameplay feature, including Super Mario Maker for Wii U. What happens to those games when Miiverse shuts down?

  • Super Mario Maker (Wii U): Users will still be able to share levels, but will no longer be able to comment on them.
  • Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars (Wii U, Nintendo 3DS): While users will still be able to play Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars and complete all 88 levels in the main game, the Community feature will be discontinued, preventing players from sharing levels and receiving additional Stars. As there will be a limit to the number of Stars that can be obtained, not all objects may be unlocked from the Workshop.
  • Splatoon (Wii U): Miiverse posts will no longer display in Inkopolis Plaza or the game’s stage maps.
  • Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (Wii U, Nintendo 3DS): The Miiverse stage will still be playable, but Miiverse user posts will not display in the background. Players will also be unable to post replays to YouTube/Miiverse, share stages or create tournaments.
  • Mario Kart 8 (Wii U): Players will not be able to upload game-play videos to YouTube since they also post to Miiverse at the same time. The tournament function will also not be available.
  • Super Mario 3D World (Wii U): In Super Mario 3D World, the Miiverse posts that appear on the course select screen and when selecting courses will disappear. Players will still be able to collect in-game stamps, but not post them to Miiverse.
  • Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U): In Xenoblade Chronicles X, the BLADE report feature will no longer be available.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars will be losing major features. Will you continue selling the game?

Yes, the game will continue to be sold. Users will still be able to complete all 88 levels in the main game, and create and play their own levels locally.

Will Miiverse posts still display in Wara Wara Plaza on Wii U?

Moving forward, default Miiverse posts that appear during offline mode will be displayed in Wara Wara Plaza.

Will Wii U Chat still function after the closure of Miiverse?

The Wii U Chat service will be discontinued with Miiverse on Nov. 7, 2017, at 10 p.m. PT.

Can users still view their old Miiverse posts once the service is shut down?

Users can download their old Miiverse posts (without comments or messages from others) by visiting http://miiverse.nintendo.net and registering before the Miiverse service ends on Nov. 7, 2017, at 10 p.m. PT. Once registered, users will receive an e-mail via Nintendo Account mail a few weeks after the Miiverse service ends, which will include a unique URL to download their past Miiverse posts.

Will there be a similar service to replace Miiverse on Nintendo Switch?

Currently, Nintendo has no plans to implement any services to replace Miiverse, but the Nintendo Switch system includes features for connecting with Facebook and other social networking services.

END

There you have it. What a brutal end to one of the friendliest virtual places on earth. Make sure you register ASAP to have a copy of your old Miiverse posts, and silly drawings, before they’re gone forever.

It’s a piece of gaming history after all…

As for the decision from Nintendo to do this? In our view, it’s way too soon considering the Switch has only been out since March. Miiverse was an innovative take on social media, and it deserved a lot more than this. The fact there seems to be no future plans for the service, in any form, only makes it worse.

SNES Classic Mini ‘console of a generation’ trailer shows rewind feature, more

by Nitchigamer, posted in Nintendo, Posts

Nintendo has released a snazzy new trailer for the SNES Classic Mini that shows off what the console can do.

One of the new features is the ability to “rewind” a game should you mess up. Modern gamers eh? They don’t make them like they used to etc. You can rewind up to five minutes of gameplay from your last save point, and each game can save up to four suspend points. Handy.

The trailer also shows off the never-before-released Star Fox 2, sure to be one of the key reasons to pick the system up. If you can, that is. Scalpers are everywhere.

On top of that, we have the ability to choose display modes, 4:3, CRT filter, and Pixel Perfect, along with customisable frames.

The SNES Classic Mini comes with 21 pre-installed games and every single one of them runs at 60hz too. Good news.

Overall, it’s looking like a compelling buy indeed, it’s just a shame there doesn’t seem to be enough of them to go around. Nintendo really needs to sort out this ongoing situation. Make more of them and people won’t get exploited. It’s pretty simple…

Fancy Streets of Rage on the Switch? Meet The Takeover

by Nitchigamer, posted in Nintendo, Posts

If you were craving a side-scrolling beat-‘em-up game that encapsulates Streets of Rage for the Nintendo Switch, then good news. Meet The Takeover.

While an official release date hasn’t been announced, and details are rather thin at this point in time, the new game is coming to the Switch.

It seems like the perfect platform too, what with its two detachable Joy-Cons and the portability factor. Co-op mode anyone?

The Takeover is currently available on Steam through the “Early Access” program, if you want to see how it’s shaping up.

Take a look at the trailer below. You’ll probably get excited… Could this be the true spiritual successor to Streets of Rage?

That new character in Arms is called Lola Pop – she’s a deadly French clown with nunchucks

by Nitchigamer, posted in Nintendo, Posts

Grab your Switch. Arms has a new character for you to try out: Lola Pop, a French clown that uses nunchucks to take her opponents down. Why not?

Lola Pop comes with three Arms and a shiny new stage to play on. She’ll be available as part of “v3” of the game, which is expected very shortly. Although we don’t know when that is…

Meanwhile, you’ll be able to catch her in action on a livestream from Nintendo of Europe’s YouTube channel at 9 am (BST) tomorrow.

That’s not all though, Arms is also getting another “Global Testpunch” this weekend. You’ll be able to try it out with a free demo available to download on the Nintendo eShop. It’s going live from 3 pm (BST) this Friday to Sunday at 8 pm.

You can view the reveal trailer for Lola below. The stage music sounds like French Mario Kart at certain points. No surprise, considering it’s the same team.