Tag: preview

The Spring 2023 Preview Episode!

by Waifusandweeaboos

On this episode of the Waifus and Weeaboos podcast I go over every anime airing in the Spring 2023 season! I discuss what I am looking forward to and which Anime you should be looking forward to as well!

I will be talking about some anticipated anime such as; Oshi No Ko, Hell’s Paradise, Dr. Stone, Demon Slayer and many many more!

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Could ‘Ring Fit Adventure’ Be 2019’s Best RPG?

by Josh Jackson

I know, when people think of video games and fitness, the Pavlovian response is often to retch at the thought. Usually when one thinks of the genre, they think of poorly made games with a ton of bulky equipment that barely works, or games that treat the exercise aspect of the game as secondary like Dance Dance Revolution. Even Wii Fit, easily the most successful blend of fitness and gaming, was a hard sell to gamers who saw it more as an exercise simulator than a video game despite the unlocks it offered. After Nintendo had largely dropped out of its fitness experiments six years after the commercially disappointing Wii Fit U, the company dropped a surprise announcement that a new fitness game was headed to the Switch less than a month after its unveiling. That game was Ring Fit Adventure.

At first glance, Nintendo’s latest fitness foray seemed to adopt the worst of the genre, with a large ring required to play that led to some ridicule from skeptics. Yet, as someone in the exercise field, the potential of its concept never escaped me as long as the execution delivered. After getting a chance to try out Ring Fit Adventure for myself, not only does it seemingly go above and beyond what a fitness game can offer, but it shows signs of becoming a truly memorable RPG that is carried by its unique mechanics, resulting in a hybrid experience that hasn’t been seen before.

Exercise is easiest to perform when it’s disguised as something else. Oddly enough, fitness games have had trouble emphasizing the game aspect over the workout without compromising either. Ring Fit Adventure changes that by creating a role playing quest that uses exercise as a means of exploration, combat and defense thanks to the innovative use of its titular ring. The game does have traditional exercise modes if you want to get in a workout without all the frills and mini games that test your physical prowess in a variety of ways, but the adventure mode is what brings it all together.

After calibrating the ring’s resistance to match one’s own strength levels, one joycon is placed in the ring while another is placed in a leg strap that goes around the player’s thigh. Once the game starts, the user takes control of a legendary fitness expert who is tasked with using the ring to defeat an army of demons. Traversing the map is done on-rails, with the player running in place to move forward. Twisting aims your ring while squeezing it together shoots a burst of air. Pulling it apart creates a vacuum used to pull in loose items, which help power up your player as the game goes on. If you’re reading this and thinking, “I live upstairs! I guess a game asking me to run in place will be a fast track towards eviction”, then fear not! A special setting can be toggled allowing you to replace running with squatting. You’ll have those massive hammies in no time! Other forms of movement in the demo included rowing by twisting from side to side, offering a full-body workout without realizing it!

Eventually, you’ll run into demons that must be dispatched in a traditional turn based combat mode, but with a special twist, (both literally and figuratively). Each monster is assigned a color which signifies a type of exercise they’re weak to. For example, one color may be weak to abdominal exercises while another may take more damage from yoga. Selecting the appropriate attack type deals more damage, with each rep weakening the opponents further. When its their turn to attack, holding the ring against your core and tightening your elusive six pack defends your character. Whether attacking, defending or traveling, you’re always moving.

Outside of what promises to be a lengthy story mode, a series of mini games can be enjoyed while giving you different ways to work out. If a traditional workout is more your thing, a standard exercise mode is also available, which prompts you to use the ring for a variety of fat burning movements. Among the options I tried however, my favorite one has to be a feature that strengthens you further when you’re away from the game. Say you’re stuck at a desk job for eight hours and can’t work out… You can attach a joycon to your ring and perform resistance reps whenever you can squeeze them in. Sure, you might get looked at a little funny, but each rep equals one experience point that will then be loaded onto your adventurer the next time you start the game up. Let’s see who’s laughing when the world needs saving and you’re the only one at the office with the biceps to get the job done!

I was thoroughly impressed with Ring Fit Adventure and can’t wait to see what the full version has in store. In the meantime, let us know what you think of Nintendo’s latest fitness experiment in the comments below!

‘Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020’ Is More Than Just Its Namesake

by Josh Jackson

Over the years, the Mario and Sonic Olympic series has gone through progressive change to make it more video game focused and less of a straight simulation. This was especially apparent with this year’s E3 demo, with events like skateboarding and surfing playing like a Tony Hawk-lite as opposed to the traditional sports we’ve come to expect from an Olympic themed game. Some recent hands-on time with the full version of the game takes this idea a step further, taking inspiration from video game history to provide a variety of activities that go above and beyond the scope of the Games.

Previous games had Dream Events, mini-games that put some fantastical spins on Olympic events. 2020’s edition already feels much more fleshed out, offering Dream Events that allow the standard games to be played in completely different ways. Take skateboarding for example. While a trick exhibition is expected, what we didn’t think we’d see is a racing event that plays like Mario Kart and Sega’s Top Skater arcade had a beautiful, digital child. Set on a futuristic track that wouldn’t look out of place in an F-Zero game, participants barrel towards the finish line on a downhill slope, grabbing Sonic themed item boxes to disrupt the competition. Popping an ollie at the edge of a ramp activates tricks, which give you an extra boost of speed as you fight for first place. Motion controls help simulate the skateboard feel, but I’m finding the traditional control stick option to be more stable. However you play, this mode alone is shows the versatility of 2020, establishing a fun, fast paced mode that could be its own game with enough content.

Taking this concept a step further, the Tokyo 1964 events put a retro spin on the Olympics. Highlights include the track and field events that play eerily similar to Konami’s 80’s classic of the same name. Playing as characters ripped straight from the NES version of Super Mario Bros and Sonic the Hedgehog on Genesis, these simple yet addictive games test your timing and button mashing skills in hilarious fashion. Seeing the two art styles side-by-side is absurd as it is, but watching characters like the lanky Eggman crash and burn on a high jump is something to behold.

These events are a core aspect to the game’s story mode, which we’re still working our way through. From what we’ve played so far, 2020’s take on this dream mashup is shaping up to be the series’ best so far. Keep an eye out for our full review in the weeks to come, and let us know what you think about the game so far in the comments below!

E3 2019: ‘Dead by Daylight’ Haunts The Switch

by Josh Jackson

Recently, the horror game genre has seen a creative resurgence. One of the games that has led that charge is Death By Daylight, a multiplayer slasher simulator where a team of victims must find a way to escape before a single killer takes them all out. Multiplayer gaming is where a platform like the Nintendo Switch excels, so seeing the demo at E3 made sense.

With the ability to play both locally and online, Dead By Daylight allows players to choose between original characters and high profile guests, (including Evil Dead’s Ash as a potential victim and Michael Myers as a killer). From there, the five players are dropped into a camp where the mostly defenseless campers must work together to activate a series of electric generators, creating a path to escape. This is all while the killer searches the grounds in an attempt to incapacitate the other players and hang their bodies on hooks. Whichever side achieves their goal first ends the bloody night victorious.

These goals aren’t as easy to accomplish as they seem, especially for the campers. Activating generators takes a long time alone, meaning it’s more efficient to tackle them alongside a partner. The thing is that these generators make noise, alerting the killer of their location. On the flip side, when encountering the killer or mortally wounded, teammates can call for help. This may allow the team to overwhelm the killer and revive their fallen partner, but with the imminent danger of losing more teammates in the process. The campers can also set traps and obstacles designed to slow the killer down, but these are all just temporary. It’s all like a gory version of PAC-Man.

Dead By Daylight on the Switch is shaping up well. Maintaining its visual and technical performance while playing locally among five consoles is no easy feat, so I left the demo impressed. Oh, and it manages to stay pretty creepy to boot. Be ready to grab some friends and slash them up when the game releases for Switch in September.

E3 2019: ‘Dauntless’ Is As Familiar As It Is Difficult

by Josh Jackson

When a game becomes a runaway success, it’s expected to see large and small developers alike try to build on that momentum in their own way. Capcom’s Monster Hunter series is no exception, leading to a variety of offshoots that feature demons, robots and the like. Then you have games like Dauntless, which takes a more straightforward approach. By trying to be a faster, more challenging version of the game its emulating, the Switch E3 demo showed that there’s room for more hunters on the platform.

Teams of up to four can get together and fight giant monsters by using a variety of classes and items. Sword and club users are expected, but some surprising weaponry such as pistols help Dauntless stand out. Once on the field, it doesn’t take much time for combat to take over since the map is much smaller, giving the monster fewer places to hide. All of this is displayed with a simplistic visual style that makes it look almost like it takes place in a neon wilderness. 

If players feel familiar with how Dauntless works however, they could be in for a wake-up call when up against some of its most imposing beasts.  The player does have many advantages compared to their Monster Hunter counterparts, such as faster item use, the limited ability to revive downed teammates and greater mobility. However, the monsters have nearly the same improvements, making it so they can leap right on you despite their massive size. Aside from their movement, the monster we fought had such long reach that it almost seemed unfair when being constantly pummeled. Needless to say, the enemy got the best of us, but for all its similarities, it was clear that Dauntless needs to be approached differently compared to other games in the genre.

With new monsters constantly being added to the existing versions of the game, the Switch version is expected to receive the same support after it launches this year. Those who want that portable hunting fix would do well to check this one out.

E3 2019: ‘New Super Lucky’s Tale’ Brings Microsoft’s Nintendo Style Platforming To Switch

by Josh Jackson

When one of the better collect-a-thon platformers akin to classics like Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie released a few years ago, it was peculiar when it was made an Xbox console exclusive. Games like this would feel right at home on the Switch, the platform made by the developers who put the genre on the map. With New Super Lucky’s Tale, the young fox is claiming his spot on Nintendo’s hybrid console. Based on the E3 demo, he doesn’t miss a beat in the transition.

Lucky takes his cues from many of the tropes we’d expect from the games its emulating. A group of evil ninja cats have stolen valuables, leaving it up to Lucky to defeat them and recover the goods. This means exploring large, obstacle filled stages loaded with things to collect. Throughout the demo, accomplishing certain objectives would lead to stage transitions where a straightforward exploration level would turn into running from a living statue that you just woke up, combining what would usually be a separate objective into one big stage. 

From initial impressions alone, New Super Lucky’s Tale feels like a classic Nintendo 64 game with the refinements we’d come to expect in 2019. What was most noticeable was that the camera, an issue that has plagued even the best games of this kind, never became problematic. Lucky was responsive and easy to control, while the game popped with vibrant colors that gave the world so much personality. Overall, it’s a strong representation of what these types of platformers can be with enough care.

Xbox One owners can play Super Lucky’s Tale now through Game Pass, but Switch owners won’t have to wait too much longer. With extra content in tow, nostalgic gamers can look forward to New Super Lucky’s Tale this fall.

E3 2019: ‘The Elder Scrolls: Blades’ Is Off To A Rough Start

by Josh Jackson

Earlier this year, Elder Scrolls went the free-to-play route by releasing a  mobile beta for Blades, a first person spinoff and the microtransactions that come with the genre. Surprisingly, the game was announced for the Nintendo Switch and featured as playable during E3, highlighted by Bethesda’s keynote speech. We checked the game out on the show floor to see how the transition from mobile to console fared.

Much like Wii games like Dragon Quest Swords, The Elder Scrolls: Blades takes up a first person viewpoint as the player slashes through enemies while traveling along a set path. Using both a sword and shield, timing attacks to both avoid damage while delivering blows of your own felt like a rock-paper-scissors combat system. Encountering foes ranging from feral wolves to hostile soldiers, controlling your warrior was intuitive, if not a little slow to respond.

What wasn’t seen in the demo was how much of its mobile roots would surface in this console release. The ability to play this game on a big screen should be cool if the solid visuals of the handheld mode are anything to go by, but since Blades will also be free on the Switch, it’s hard to tell if mobile strategies like restricting play time without paying money will work out well on a platform typically free of such barriers. This game is already facing an uphill battle since games like the aforementioned Dragon Quest Swords didn’t exactly set the world on fire.

If nothing else, The Elder Scrolls: Blades could be a fun distraction as we wait on news regarding Elder Scrolls 6. Keep an eye out on the eShop for the full game later this year.

E3 2019: ‘Luigi’s Mansion 3’ Takes On A Haunted Hotel Mario

by Josh Jackson

While games like Pokemon and The Legend of Zelda may have been getting most of the attention at Nintendo’s E3 booth, I had high expectations for Luigi’s Mansion 3. The original was a fun, if not basic take on family friendly survival horror, but it was the second game that blew the lid off of the concept with an array of new features. With a much more powerful system to work with and a few years between games to reignite that creative spark, adding a little goo to the formula seems to be doing wonders for Luigi’s next adventure.

In a suspicious fortunate show of good faith, Luigi and his friends are invited to a new multi-story hotel. For whatever reason, it seems like Mario characters can’t help but be kidnapped. While Mario’s weakness seems to be haunted mansions, the entire Mushroom Kingdom entourage gets captured this time around aside from Luigi, including Mario, Princess Peach and her army of Toads. As the guy who’s deathly terrified of ghosts who coincidentally is never captured by them, Luigi is once again armed with the newest E. Gadd technology as he traverses the hotel and rescues his friends. Only this time, things are poised to get a bit more sticky.

At first glance, Luigi’s Mansion 3 follows many of the same beats as its predecessors. Returning to the roots of the original, this game focuses on one large environment rather than multiple smaller ones like in the 3DS sequel. Focusing as much on exploration as it does on fighting ghosts, Luigi will have to search every nook and cranny of the hotel to find switches, keys and lots of money that will surely play into the rewards at the end of the game. Using his flashlight and vacuum as his primary tools, they can be used for everything ranging from flipping money out of buckets to defeating an army of ghosts. This has been made even more fun by allowing Luigi to get more aggressive with his foes by allowing him to slam them on the ground to drain their health faster. In the past, ghosts were sucked in by stunning them with the flashlight, then holding the suction button while moving the stick away from the frantic ghost. If their health persists even with some expert suction, that slam can give the boost needed to finish off stubborn ghosts for good.

What made Luigi’s Mansion 2: Dark Moon such a great sequel is that it took everything that worked in the GameCube original and improved on it. New attacks, abilities and environments more completely realized the potential that the first game introduced, all with memorable enemies that made sure we used those techniques to the fullest. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is looking to take the puzzle heavy pseudo-survival horror franchise even further thanks to Luigi’s expanded move set. First, a plunger can be attached to his ghost sucking vacuum and used as a grappling hook. Often needed to grab hard-to-reach switches, pull down weakened structures or lower enemy defenses, this quickly became an essential tool in our ghost busting arsenal. If Luigi becomes too overwhelmed by enemies, he can put his cowardice to good use and let out a yell that repels surrounding ghosts. Who knew you could use a ghost’s greatest tool against them?

However, we can’t talk about this third game without touching on Gooigi, the highly promoted companion that Luigi can summon at will. Using a special fluid held in this new Poltergust G-00 model, it can craft a fully controllable copy of our hero, except much more permeable. This allows our goo copy to slide through obstacles such as spikes completely unharmed, which can either be controlled directly by the player or by a second player in co-op mode. Perhaps more important is the fact that Gooigi allows for multiple solutions to the puzzles presented. For example, during the demo, I had the option to either use the wind generated by my vacuum to turn a gear or have Gooigi stay behind and turn it while Luigi proceeded below. If the full game continuously provides options such as this, then the sometimes restrictive linearity of the previous games might be a thing of the past.

Once we reached the boss, an armor clad ghost in a gladiator type setting, it was time to put each of our new tricks to use. Using the plunger to remove his armor, charging up our flashlight to stun him once he was unable to reflect our light and slamming him to make his final defeat come faster, Luigi’s limited movement speed was made up for by the amount of tools he has at his disposal. It’s looking like we’ll have to use each one to their fullest if we want to survive this latest haunt.

As someone who has loved the previous games, Luigi’s Mansion 3 might be the game I was most impressed by at Nintendo’s booth. With so many improvements and additions on top of the amount of personality these games display, the demo shows that we’re on track to have a sleeper candidate for one of 2019’s best games. Let’s just hope this trend continues with the full campaign, the co-op mode and the online multiplayer modes that have been promised. Can Luigi overtake his brother as the dominant Mario Bro? Probably not, but at least we’ll have a good game to look forward to when Luigi takes the spotlight back this holiday season.

E3 2019: ‘Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3’ Unites The Defenders… Sort Of

by Josh Jackson

Ever since X-Men Legends surprised gamers 15 years ago, we’ve known that multiplayer superhero action RPG’s can be amazing. And yet, as Marvel has progressively permeated the worldwide public consciousness with phenomenons like Avengers: Endgame, we haven’t seen a new game since the original Iron Man film released. With Activision losing the license years ago and Square Enix’s Avengers game seemingly in limbo until recently, imagine how surprising it was to see that a third Marvel Ultimate Alliance was on its way. Not only that, but it was being published by Nintendo and developed by Team Ninja (of Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive fame) exclusively for the Switch! But the developer and platform was not the only thing that’s changed in the last decade, with a roster of characters who have since risen to prominence. But most importantly… is Jessica Jones in the game!?

The answer is yes… in a way. Like the past games, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 allows players to put together a dream team of four. With over 30 Marvel heroes and villains to choose from, the roster features mainstays like Wolverine, Captain America and Thor joining up with newly prominent heroes like Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Even Elsa Bloodstone made the cut! But unfortunately, while Jessica is technically in the game, it was only as an NPC, directing the playable characters towards their fight against The Hand. It’s better than nothing, but with Iron Fist, Luke Cage and Daredevil all playable, it would have been great to get the old Netflix team back together. Designing Jessica based on Kristen Ritter’s portrayal just feels like teasing at this point.

Each character has unique sets of skills, like the ability to fly, shoot or swing depending on the hero. As they progress, each earns experience through combat that leads to developing unique combat skills that can damage large waves of enemies or concentrate large attacks into a single strike. As a top-down brawler, the team can’t get too far from each other. The lack of freedom is made up for by filling the environments with plenty of enemies to defeat, which can be done in increasingly flashy ways thanks to the team up attacks. Once enough enemies are defeated, players can trigger an ultimate screen clearing attack, which can be amplified by having their partners activate it at the same time. With that said, while Ultimate Alliance 2 had some really cool specialized team attacks like Captain America reflecting Iron Man’s energy blasts towards enemies, the third game’s moves seemed more generic. Here’s to hoping that the final version will have more specialized attacks. Oh, and if you happen to be short on friends, you’ll be able to swap between CPU controlled heroes on the fly.

Overall, despite the change in developer and the 10 year layoff, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 seems to be in good hands. There are some concerns with the visual quality of some of the characters that the cell shaded look can’t mask, while crowded areas did lead to some slight slowdown, but the time until the final release might be enough to put down that extra layer of polish. Be ready to assemble when the game launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch on July 19.

E3 2019: Bow Hunting New Monsters In ‘Monster Hunter World: Iceborne’

by Josh Jackson

Last year’s Monster Hunter World went on to become Capcom’s best selling game of all time. It was such a massive hit partially due to the company’s continued support of the game long after release. However, after over a year of free updates that added new monsters, weapons, armor and missions, a full fledged expansion was announced last month. Titled Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, the reveal detailed how new abilities for old weapons, some brand new weapons, an uncharted arctic environment and some debuting monsters would breathe new life into the game. A playable demo was available on the E3 show floor, so we took the chance to try out some new techniques against the giant horned beast, Banbaro.

Hunters who have taken a break from their adventures will find that the game is easy to jump back into. Given the cold environment, hot drinks are a must before setting off to fight in order to stabilize one’s stamina for executing special moves. This is especially important since the new grappling hook will make use of the stamina meter much more frequently compared to the base game. Previously, the only way to get above a monster was to jump from above it or to vault yourself upwards using the Insect Glaive. For bow users like myself, that wasn’t a possibility, so the grappling hook is a much welcomed addition for increased mobility and combat options.

Fighting in a full team of four, we used familiar strategies to track down the moose-like monster, exploring the snow capped map that serves as a stark contrast to the volcanic and forest inspired environments of the main game. Once combat started, it was easy to be caught off guard by Banbaro’s long range thanks to its massive horns. Even when at a safe distance, the monster could pick up boulders with its horns and hit us from afar with the resulting debris coming from its smash. This only became more frequent as it became more aggressive, which was a good time to try out Thousand Dragons, the new bow technique introduced in Iceborne.

In the main game, your Slinger is like a sub-weapon that can shoot various projectiles that are found in the environment. Thousand Dragons acts as a powerful arrow that uses up all of the hunter’s Slinger ammo to deal maximum damage to the target. This gambit can be a risky one, since missing could mean using up useful materials for your fight. On the flip side, it’s a great way to dump useless ammo that you may have picked up by accident. Either way, while I clearly need more time to get used to the new mechanics since 15 minutes isn’t nearly enough time to master them, I have trouble seeing how they will be as effective as the skills from the base game. Once I went back to those, the fight became much easier to manage, even with partners who had never played before.

Once the demo was over, I felt confident that Iceborne will be the shot in the arm that the game needs to continue to grow for another year and beyond. With new monsters, weapons and abilities, we’ll all have the chance to step back into this world with renewed vigor for that next piece of powerful gear. Until then, we still have the main game to sharpen our skills with as we prepare for the tundra that awaits us on September 6.

Geekscape Games Previews 11 Minutes Of ‘Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu’

by Josh Jackson

We at Geekscape Games never miss the chance to try out the newest games, so when we were fortunate enough to be invited by Nintendo to preview their holiday games, we made sure to be there!

After being announced, Pokemon Let’s Go has been a source of controversy with dedicated fans of the series. Leaning into Pokemon Go in terms of game play and connectivity, restricting the game’s roster to the original 151 Pokemon, and serving as a remake of a game that’s already been remade are just some of the concerns players have had. With the lack of traditional battles against wild Pokemon, online trades being impossible for the first time in over a decade, and an overall simplified version of an already simple game, the concerns were warranted. Fortunately, after playing the game for ourselves, we found that the blend of Go mechanics with a core Pokemon game makes for a promising spinoff that will do well to hold us over while we wait for the next main entry next year.

Exploring Viridian Forest showed instantly that the graphical upgrade makes this old environment look new, with random encounters being replaced with Pokemon on the field. The colored rings around them let you know how big or small they will be, while using berries once you encounter them will alter the difficulty of the catch or the rewards that come with it. Just like Pokemon Go, catching is determined by throwing the ball at the Pokemon, with additional point bonuses depending on whether or not you throw it within the progressively shrinking ring around them. Since battles aren’t possible in the wild, all Pokemon in your party get EXP just for catching, with bonuses being attributed to the previously mentioned timed throws, by catching them on the first throw, or if your throw was perfectly synchronized with your partner when playing with the jump in / jump out co-op mode. When encountering trainers however, the game was much more traditional, with the standard four attack setup per Pokemon with various strengths and weaknesses depending on the types of the Pokemon battling. Playing co-op almost felt like cheating when combat would turn into a two-on-one beatdown.

Our 11 minutes with the game was brief, but what we found was the foundation of a worthy entry for the long-running series. Check out our game play video below, and let us know what you think!

 

 

Additionally, here’s some direct capture footage of Let’s Go Eevee, courtesy of Bradley Yoshiller from GoNintendo.com! Which version are you all going with? Game play starts at the 3 minute mark.

I Played Four Hours Of ‘Fallout 76’, And Now I Can’t Think About Anything Else

by Derek Kraneveldt

October 23rd marked a pretty big day for Fallout fans. The date (59 years from now) marks the beginning (and ending) of the Great War – the day that nuclear bombs fell across the planet and essentially ended… well, everything. Fittingly enough, Bethesda chose this same day to begin the Fallout 76 B.E.T.A. (Break it Early Test Application) for Xbox One players. Anyone with a valid pre-order for the game was able to get their first taste of the hotly anticipated title that’s left Fallout fans everywhere highly wary since its initial reveal back in May.

Fallout is my favourite active video game series, and Fallout 3 is one of my most highly regarded games of all time. I put way too many hours into Fallout Shelter based on its branding alone, and I’ve even dedicated an entire shelf (singular) to some of my favourite Fallout merch (and some sweet rarities I snagged back at the Bethesda Gameplay Days at PAX West). As someone who nearly exclusively plays single player games, a Fallout title set so closely to the day that the bombs fell is unbelievably intriguing to me, but the revelation that I’d need to share that world with other players worried that hell out of me.

I wasn’t joking about the shelf.

Now that I’ve spent a few hours with the game, however, I really (mostly) have no freaking idea what I was worried about.

Vault 76 is located in Appalachia (West Virgina), and is the first of the Vault-Tec vaults to unseal its doors and let its dwellers out into the world, just 25 years after the bombs fell. You (and the other dwellers) are essentially tasked with ensuring that your great nation (America, obvs) can be rebuilt and recolonized. Rather than being a lone wanderer or a sole survivor with a highly personal goal in an unfamiliar world, this general goal means that having other dwellers in the world actually makes a lot of sense.

Bethesda has spent a ton of time detailing many of 76’s new mechanics, including the new card-based perks, the game’s unique PVP system, C.A.M.P., and so much more. Rather than focussing on things like that, I’d like to spend a bit of time detailing just what my time with the game has been like so far.

It’d be hard to do so without spoiling something, so consider this your warning.

Following the classic ‘War Never Changes’ video, you’ll jump right into the game’s character creator. Endlessly adjusting aspects of your character’s appearance is not something that I typically care about, and things didn’t change here. This looks like a slightly more powerful version of the character creator in Fallout 4, and while I simply chose one of the game’s default characters (which I found out later sported a man-bun), Mikaela’s eyes absolutely lit up when she saw just how easy it was to modify every piece of your character’s face.

After you create your character, you’ll awaken inside your private (roomy) room inside Vault 76 surrounded by party supplies and empty liquor bottles. An animated envelope on your nearby terminal catches your eye, and you soon learn that the previous night saw a massive vault-wide celebration take place. Apparently you drank too much and woke up late, as at this point the Vault is mostly empty – Reclamation Day is here, and it’s time for everyone to leave the Vault and begin to rebuild America. You leave your room, and while in past Fallout games I’ve loved spending as much time in the Vault exploring and absorbing the environment as possible (well, aside from Fallout 4 I guess), at this point Vault 76 is mostly locked down because, well, it’s time for you to leave it. A few other dwellers were running around the vault at the same time as I was, and while we tried to unsuccessfully punch each other (I had forgotten that PVP can’t even be enabled until you hit level 5) and traded emotes (I particularly like the Vault Boy thumbs up and vomiting options), at this point the game still mostly felt like a solo affair.

Before leaving Vault 76 you’ll head down a series of long hallways full of helpful robots that offer you your first supplies and introduce you to two of the new mechanics in Fallout 76: thirst and hunger. Here, you won’t just need to manage HP and Rads, but you also have a hunger and thirst meter that you’ll need to keep your eye on, and it’s pretty interesting to manage. Hunger and thirst are always visible in your Pip-Boy menu, but won’t show up on the main HUD unless either is low. Naturally, each depletes over time, and while I never felt like either meter became annoying, I was definitely more excited in 76 to come across any quality food or clean water than I had been in any previous Fallout game. Getting too hungry or thirsty will have some adverse effects, so there were definitely times that I chose to drink irradiated water, which in Fallout 76 not only increases your rads, but also has a chance of giving you a disease.

Yeah, you can get diseases in Fallout 76 too. They cure themselves over time, and there are items that you can use to instantly get rid of them, but they sound annoying as hell, which just adds to the risk / reward system of should I drink the water out of this toilet or not. I didn’t catch a disease from drinking bad water, but did catch ‘Swamp Itch’ from sleeping on a dirty mattress on the ground (resting on a mattress will slowly heal your HP). Swamp Itch gives you -2 Agility, which at this point in the game left me with -1 Agility, which had a huge effect of my AP (energy which is drained by attacking, or sprinting, or jumping, or doing pretty much anything), and just generally made exploring harder while I was suffering from it.

The moment you leave Vault 76 it’s clear just how different an experience Fallout 76 will be from previous Fallout games. This world feels lush and alive – you’re just removed from civilization instead of hundreds of years from it, so cities and buildings appear far less dilapidated than in previous games. West Virginia is a far cry from places like Washington D.C. or Boston, and I feel like I saw more foliage in my first hour of 76 than in the entirety of Fallout 4. Lighting systems have seen huge improvements (gorgeous god rays everywhere), and while it would be tough for Bethesda’s dated engine to hold a candle visually to many of the beautiful games that have released this year, the company has some of the best art direction in the business and I definitely stopped to simply stare at what was in front of me numerous times during my time with the game.

Fallout 76 also introduces a new mechanic called ‘Challenges’. To start, these kind of act like a guide of things that you should do in the game. You’ll complete a challenge for crafting your first item, roasting your first piece of meat, boiling your first pot of water, collecting X amount of wood, etc. Completing each challenge will reward you with Atoms, Fallout 76’s premium currency. At launch you’ll be able to buy Atoms with real money too, but it also seems like I was earning at least a few at a time (most challenges rewarded 10 Atoms) quite regularly. There didn’t seem to be a way to actually spend Atoms, or even see what was for sale at this point, so it remains to be seen just how many Atoms these premium cosmetic items will cost. Gamers were pretty up in arms to learn about the potential for microtransactions in Fallout 76, so I was definitely excited to see Atoms coming in at a steady clip during my time with the game, while also keeping in mind that any items purchasable through Atoms will be cosmetic only. As soon as we see some Elder Scrolls themed premium items come down the pipeline, you can bet I’ll be spending money on those.

You exit Vault 76 with a mission to find your Overseer somewhere south of your starting location. I usually play games fairly linearly, but as I wanted to feel how Fallout 76 played out as a solo player (and this opening area was swimming with other dwellers), I decided to wander off in another direction instead. I briefly migrated west of the vault before running into some strong, scary robots – I didn’t think that my fists would be any match for them, so I changed direction to avoid them and came across a battered wood mill. The outskirts of the mill was patrolled by some unfriendly looking (different) robots, so I snuck past them into the mill and gathered some wooden scraps (which I assumed would be used to build my home, or CAMP, whenever I decided to do so), some health items, fought my first hostile creature (a gross, giant tick), and found a corpse sitting on a balcony with a note next to him. The note must have been written by a friend of the corpse, and it talked of a much better mill that had better pay and no robots, among other things. A location north of me populated on my map, and I decided that as this was the direct opposite direction of my current story mission it seemed unlikely that I would come across many other players, and that there could be some useful supplies there.

So, I walked North. And I walked and I walked and I walked. It’s long been known that the Fallout 76 map is four times (four freaking times) that of Fallout 4, but it was in trekking north to the other wood mill that it finally hit me just how expansive this region is. Sure, I was distracted a few times along the way – I found a cool amusement park (an event triggered while I was here that would have me hunting wolf packs, but as I still didn’t have a gun at this point I definitely ran away as fast as I could), some sort of drug production RV (yes, Breaking Bad style), an old provincial park gorge-like area with a ton of tree-laden Scorched (freaky, irradiated humanoids with guns) and a ‘plank’ overlooking a cliff that they’d used to kill their prisoners, a random Mr. Handy robot called Mr. Veterinarian that had a myriad of cats following it, and even a neat old plane that coincidentally featured Vault-Tec colours. I continued to traverse, received a notification that I’d been playing the game for an entire hour (it really didn’t feel that long), and at this point I realized just how differently I’d been playing than I would have in previous titles.

I played 76 differently, mostly out of necessity (at least to start). That hour passed, and the only weapon in my inventory was a board (well, and maybe a knife at that point). Just an old piece of wood (it didn’t even have a nail in it). At this point it was stained red from molerats, ticks, and the odd, thankfully weak Ghoul that I had encountered so far on my journey. I had collected a little bit of ammo and even some gunpowder, but trekking across the massive wasteland without a single projectile weapon felt incredibly tense, and simply scary. Enemies that you’d typically take out long before they’d ever know you were there actually felt dangerous, and seeing a pack of feral Ghouls running at you when you had no choice but to wait for them to get within swinging distance absolutely felt threatening. I spent much of this hour walking carefully, crouching often to ensure that I wasn’t detected, legitimately avoiding areas that looked to have too many enemies (or those damned fast shooty robots), and searching thoroughly for a gun so that I could finally feel some semblance of safety (this is ‘Murica after all). I was also legitimately excited each time I found some quality food or some clean water, and anyone that’s played a previous Fallout game knows that consumables like these would often just flood you inventory, and be more trouble than they were worth.

I finally made it to the other wood mill, which as it turns out was crawling with Super Mutants.  I had spent well over an hour in the world and still did not have a gun, and there was simply no way that I was going to take on a group of (even low level) Super Mutants without more firepower. I’d spent a ton of time getting here, and I simply couldn’t do anything about it. I decided to cut my losses and to fast travel closer to the actual missions on my Pip-Boy to try to get a sense of what the story in 76 felt like… but as it turns out, fast travelling in Fallout 76 costs a small amount of caps, and at that point I didn’t have any.

As I wandered back towards Vault 76 (which again, took a very long time) I finally found a gun, along with some caps, and fast travelled back towards the first mill where I had gone off the beaten path in the first place. I traversed south and came across a supply drop request holotape, which apparently can be used in radio towers to send supplies near your location. I then found the tower itself, killed some robots (which was much easier with a firearm), and called in some supplies. These landed in a small town not far from the tower, and once I hit the town I was introduced to some of the most interesting content that I would experience in my first beta session.

The supply drop was useful and gave me some much needed food, (clean) water, and even a few stimpacks, among other things. I decided to explore the town, and was introduced to something called ‘Survivor Stories’. These are found in the environment (I’m not sure if they’re everywhere, or just in this area), and are decent length holotapes that tell the history of a specific survivor. I listened carefully to the story of a scientist, of a priest, and others, and it’s here that I first noticed just how improved the voice acting is in Fallout 76 over previous games in the series. These stories are gripping and interesting, and I ended up scouring the town hoping to find more as these tapes tapes gave so much meaning to the degraded corpses and the remnants of lost lives. Carefully searching the environment will turn up a myriad of supplies necessary for survival, but after finding just a few of these tapes, more survivor stories are what I was truly hoping to discover.

While exploring the town, I was also introduced to one of the game’s factions, the Responders. Responders were once firefighters, police officers, and medical professionals, who post-war dedicated their lives to simply helping those in need. A self-serve volunteer kiosk offered an introduction to the group, and had me testing nearby water samples for contaminants and radiation, and searching for townsfolk that had been reported missing. It also introduced the ability to collect and boil water (which I’m sure was there prior, but that I wasn’t aware of until it became part of a quest). These Responders quests made me more familiar with this world, and the content and delivery was interesting, but it was at this point that I began to feel, ironically, a little lonely in this world.

The town had multiple, real people running around, throwing me emotes, inviting me to trade and to party up (which I declined as I wanted to be the one to control this session), yet I was missing the interesting NPC’s, the vast quest lines (which I certainly hope turn up once you’re more acquainted with the world), and simply seeing humans that were not taking part in the same journey that I was.

At the same time, this loneliness absolutely felt deliberate. Your vault was the first to open, and you’re still so close to bombs falling and to the world ending, that things simply haven’t had an opportunity to rebuild at this point. In fact, that is literally your job. I miss the NPC’s and their often expansive storylines, and at the same time, it just wouldn’t feel right if they were present.

As I continued to wander, I came across the CAMP of another player on the side of a cliff-face. The CAMP had some turrets that didn’t shoot at me (I’m not sure if this is something you get to choose or if they would have only shot if I’d attacked the CAMP, as I definitely didn’t develop my own CAMP this much during my time with the game). I used the stash box there to store my junk (all stash boxes are instanced to you, and only you can access them), and the CAMPS owner passed by just as I was leaving. I waved at him, a sort of “thank you” for being hospitable with his home, and continued on my way. I’m not quite sure why, but this throwaway moment so early on felt meaningful, and it even though I was playing alone in this session, made me excited to be a part of this shared world. I’m beyond interested in seeing just what CAMPS will look like when someone is 20 or 30 or 100 hours into the game.

Eventually, I received a warning that the game would be shutting down in just a few minutes. At this point, just off in the distance was a massive, incredibly elevated bridge. I decided to head to the centre of it and to end my session staring off into the distance, and soaking in a little more of Fallout 76’s lush greenery before the game forced me to stop playing. It was here that I realized just how vertical Fallout 76’s map is compared to that of Fallout 4 or earlier games in the series. In my four hours with the game I’d climbed massive hills and looked down off of giant cliffs, but this bridge, and the tiny, tiny, world below it reminded me more of the mountains and verticality of Skyrim than the cities and sewers of Fallouts prior. It was really a breathtaking view.

The servers shut down. I was kicked back to the main menu, and I simply sat there for a moment soaking in the game’s beautiful, best in the series score (even as Mikaela watched she noted just how good the music was), and wishing that it wasn’t over.

Most of my fears, and most of my potential qualms went unrealized very quickly. Fallout 76 is Fallout, through and through, in a different age and from a different perspective. The series has never looked or sounded better. Even in just a few hours of playtime I’ve seen some incredible environmental storytelling, and I cannot wait to see what else there is to discover in this unbelievably massive world.

The game’s main story (at least to start) has you searching for Vault 76’s overseer, who left the vault just before everyone else did. Things started out a little fetch-questy, and it felt a little hard to connect with a character you’ve never actually seen – hopefully this turns around as you learn more about your overseer. I also hope that without NPC’s there to offer quests and dialogue, that the quests continue to feel as interesting when delivered by notes or by robots. I also hope that a world without human-like NPC’s, especially one of this magnitude, doesn’t feel empty over time – this early on the lack of humans makes sense setting wise and feels deliberate, but how will this feel a few dozen hours from now?

Playing the Fallout 76 beta answered a lot of questions, and naturally raised even more. I think that most important question of all, however, is: does this weird multiplayer experience feel like Fallout? And yes, it absolutely does. I’m extremely curious to see just how much content the full game has to offer, how players will treat the endgame, and just how Bethesda plans to expand Appalachia as time goes on, but I think that running a beta like this, for so long (the game doesn’t actually launch until mid-November) and in such an expansive form (the beta is the entire game) shows without question that Bethesda wants Fallout 76 to release in the best form that it possibly could, but that it also shows an amazing level of confidence in the product, a level of confidence that couldn’t be shown to wary, distrusting players through trailers or interviews or preview articles, but that players and Fallout fans needed to experience for themselves.

If I know one thing about that game after spending four hours with it this week, it’s that I’m absolutely itching to play more. I was into the game before I played it, but now I feel obsessed. I’ve been reading countless player stories to see what they’ve discovered, absorbing all of the Greenbriar footage from a few weeks back that I possibly can, and the wonderful Copilot Music + Sound cover of ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ has absolutely been playing on repeat. I’ve spent just four hours with Fallout 76 thus far, and now I can’t think about anything else. That’s a damn good sign.

Fallout 76 releases on November 14th. Play the beta? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!

https://youtu.be/FRPeYP6gS-s

Flip Chairs And Get Trolled In The ‘Danganronpa V3’ Demo

by Josh Jackson

It’s been a struggle to stay spoiler free as we approach the much anticipated release of Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony. As the first original game being released for the PS4, excitement has been through the roof among fans like myself. So when I got a chance to play the demo to help tide me over until the September 26 release date, I was shocked when the game gave away the death of a major character from the previous games and anime! Not to mention the previous protagonists being locked into this new killing game with the new cast. Couldn’t they have saved such a big reveal for the real game!?

Then I came to my senses and realized that the game was just messing with me, continuing its running gag of having Hagakure serve as the murder victim in the demo, only for him to survive all the way through the main game. But among the returning characters from the previous game is a whole new cast of ridiculous students with their own unique talents, with each of them suspected of this most recent murder. As the new lead, Kaede Akamatsu, we’re asked to take on the familiar task of searching for clues in the point and click sections of the game. It’s immediately apparent that the game is putting the extra horsepower of the PS4 to good use, with sharper, more detailed environments as well as character portraits that serve as charming, bright contrasts to the dreary backgrounds of the new academy.

This time, Kaede is going to have to work a little harder if she wants to load up her Truth Bullets, since the environment is far more interactive this time around. Important items can be found under tables, chairs and other obstacles, so what do you do when you need to move furniture around? You slap the crap out of it! The new ability to slap items out of the way is as hilarious as it is addicting, spicing up the sometimes tedious investigation segments.

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Demo_20170706142410

An investigation doesn’t mean much if you can’t put your findings into action, which is why the returning Class Trials continue to be the highlight of the game. In the past, you would shoot down contradictions or point out statements you agree with to discover who the killer really is. As with investigations however, this time is a little more complex. Mass Panic Debate does its best impression of the 2016 debates by having characters talking at the same time over each other, asking us to find the contradiction in a myriad of statements simultaneously. If snowboarding for the truth wasn’t weird enough, the new Psyche Taxi literally has you driving down a road to pick up the truth. Other new mechanics include an updated Hangman’s Gambit, team debates where two halves of the class take sides and argue back and forth, (which was a golden opportunity to call it a mass debate…), and the much touted ability to lie with the new Lie Bullets. How it will change the flow of both the story and game play is exciting, which is why I can’t wait for the next two weeks to pass!

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony Demo_20170706142720

With the game right around the corner, what characters have left an impression on you so far? What did you think of the demo? And who are you hoping to see return? Let us know in the comments!

SDCC 2017: We Tried The ‘Final Fantasy’ Trading Card Game! Did Square-Enix Summon A Hit?

by Josh Jackson

With as many properties that have developed card games over the years, it was only a matter of time before Final Fantasy got in on the action. With decades worth of characters, creatures and lore to pull from, it seems natural that players would want to gather their favorite heroes and do battle with fancy, glossy decks. At the Square-Enix booth at San Diego Comic Con, the company offered demos to new players who wanted to see how well the game translated to the TCG format. Not being one to shy away from a new card game, I took the time to see what kind of spells I could conjure the heroes from Final Fantasy IX.

Each player starts with a deck of exactly 50 cards made up primarily of Forward and Backup characters. Forward characters are your main line of defense, taking the front of the field as they use their abilities and strength to fight off the opposing deck. Except for the first turn, players can summon as many characters as they want as long as they have the CP for it. This number, which is at the top-left of every card, shows you how much you need to pay, as well as which element it needs to belong to. The exception to this rule are Light and Dark cards, which can use any element.  CP is gained by either dulling, (the FF equivalent to tapping), or discarding cards from your hand to gain 1 or 2 CP respectively. From there, your line of defense is set.

Fortunately, unless the character has the Haste ability, each new summon suffers from summoning sickness, which is TCG speak for not being able to act on the turn they’re summoned. When they can act, you have the option to either defend, which subtracts from their HP for that turn only, or take the damage, which results in you taking one damage point. The first player to deal seven points of damage wins, but each time a player takes damage, they get to draw one of seven damage cards that they set aside at the beginning of the match. If that card has an EX Burst ability however, they can trigger that move immediately without cost, potentially turning the tide of a game. Even when you see an opening, you might want to be careful about attacking with your whole party. Each Forward that attacks becomes dulled, meaning they can’t act until their next turn. So if you attack with everyone you have, that means you won’t have any way to defend yourself if the opponent mounts a comeback.

Aside from the main characters, Summons are one time use characters that disappear after being brought on the field to use their powerful abilities. Most Backup characters feature the DS remake versions of the Onion Knights from Final Fantasy III filling the roles of generic jobs like Monks, Thieves and Mages, with their own abilities to trigger if not being tapped for CP. This helped make every card feel special, even the ones that might serve as fodder for your Forwards. Speaking of special, although the cards that I’ve seen break away from conventional TCG thinking by having no holographic versions, each one uses thick, glossy paper with some of the most iconic art from the series taken from the games.

In my brief time with the game, the only major concern I have is the flexibility allowed to customize your decks. In the game that I played, many of the Final Fantasy IX characters relied on each other to get stronger. For example, Stiener’s strength increased depending on how many IX characters fought alongside him, while Zidane had a similar skill. In other words, they would be far less effective if paired with a mixed deck. I hope that the booster packs allow for more flexibility than I’m seeing here, but either way, the game was a blast to play.

I’m looking forward to seeing the game’s growth in North America and seeing what the cards can do once we have all of the expansions. For now, I’ll just wait patiently for a Final Fantasy VI deck and dream of the day I can clean house with Celes. Do you have room in your binder for the Square Enix’s card game? Share your thoughts with us below!

Anime Expo 2017: We Tried The ‘Dragon Ball Super’ Card Game Ahead Of Release!

by Josh Jackson

Much like the Dragon Ball series and its multiple iterations, fans have burned through more card games than Vegeta has gone through Scouters. With the latest series, Dragon Ball Super, reignighting the fandom in ways that hasn’t been seen in nearly two decades, it was only a matter of time before the show got a card game of its own. But right off the bat, it’s clear that the game is aiming to be more than just another anime card game. By combining eras spanning the entire Dragon Ball saga, featuring some unique mechanics and highlighting them with some of the finest artwork I’ve seen at this side of the world, and we have the beginnings of what can be the next big hit.

Naturally, the first DBS card game heavily features the new characters from the ongoing sequel series. Highlighting Super Saiyan Blue versions of Goku and Vegeta, newer fighters such as Beerus, Champa and Hit fill out the roster alongside old favorites like Gohan, Piccolo and Frieza. Cards are divided into different types, including support and energy cards used for summoning, new characters, many of which serve to power up your leader.

These Leader Cards are the centerpiece of your 52 card deck, cleverly designed as double sided cards that act as transformations. Each time a player’s leader is overpowered and defeated by an opposing leader with more attack power, you pull one of eight cards that are set aside at the start of a match. Serving as your Life Points, being defeated eight times results in a loss, but each point lost gives you an extra card to possibly mount a comeback. Once you take enough damage, your leader will awaken their true power, flipping to their ultimate form highlighted by some eye popping artwork. In fact, the gorgeous designs are a trait that most of the rare cards share.

Standard card designs aren’t anything special for the most part, primarily featuring images from the show. With this in mind, it helps the Super Rare cards stand out so much more. Leaders look especially great, but in a sea of card games with increasingly impressive artwork, the rest of the rare cards help provide that extra layer of excitement when drawing one of your ace cards. 

But more importantly than cosmetics, playing the Dragon Ball Super card game is lots of fun, with the novelty of creating your own super team and fighting it out with the universe’s strongest offering plenty of appeal. I’m excited to see how the game grows from here, but if the pre-release is any indication, then it’s off to a promising start.

Check out the trailer below to get caught up with all the specifics ahead of release! The Dragon Ball Super card game will be officially releasing on July 28.

E3 2017: We Went On A Salmon Run In ‘Splatoon 2’

by Josh Jackson

In case you didn’t know, I’m a huge fan of Splatoon. Since naming it my game of the year in 2015, I’ve only come to appreciate the game even more for how it made us rethink how a shooter could be approached. With Splatoon 2 right around the corner, I made sure to sit down with the game’s new Salmon Run mode at E3. Could the creativity Splatoon brought to team based shooters work its magic on the traditional Horde Mode? Let’s just say I got caught off guard by how much I got splatted.

As mentioned, Salmon Run is Nintendo’s take on the Horde Mode that was made popular by games such as Gears of War 2. In it, you and a group of friends will team up to take on endless waves of enemies, with each wave increasing in both amount of enemies and their individual ferocity. Of course, Splatoon isn’t going to devolve into a gory sea of dismembered limbs, but what we get instead are new fish based enemies with some surprising abilities. Just when I felt like I could use my skills to work my way through my enemies, the salmon began attacking with… my best abilities?

That’s right. As we progressed, the stronger enemies began attacking us with our own Special Attacks. As we learned during the Testfire, most of these attacks are easy enough to dodge when you see them coming from another player. But when you’re fighting multiple enemies and you find yourself getting caught off guard from an army of foes with their sites set on you? Yeah, you get the idea. Don’t expect the Salmon Run to be a walk in the park, because you’ll surely get taken out if you keep your guard down.

Overall, Salmon Run feels like it’ll serve its function just fine. While it’s a little more straightforward than modes like Turf War, it acts as a fun side mode for you and your friends to tackle in between those stressful ranked matches online. With the online modes, the story mode, and now, Salmon Run, it looks like Inklings around the world will have so much more to dig their tentacles into when Splatoon 2 releases in July.

What do you think of the game so far, and are you excited for Horde Mode to come to Splatoon? Comment below and share your thoughts with us!

E3 2017: ‘Fire Emblem Warriors’ Carries Over Some Of That Hyrule Magic

by Josh Jackson

Out of the many Warriors spin-offs out there, Hyrule Warriors particularly stood out thanks to its ability to seamlessly blend traditional Zelda mechanics into the army slaying hack-and-slash action we’ve come to expect from Koei Tecmo’s series. When it came to Fire Emblem Warriors however, knowing that this series is a lot closer to the core Warriors franchise led me to believe that we would end up with a much more traditional interpretation when it was Chrom’s turn to take up his blade. Once I got some time to play the E3 build of the game for myself however, I quickly learned how wrong I was. A little bit of creativity goes a long way, which is why Fire Emblem Warriors truly surprised me with how well it blends the hectic combat with the conventions of Nintendo’s strategy RPG series.

At its core, Fire Emblem Warriors is still a Warriors game, following the decade plus tradition of using a single character to wipe out hundreds of soldiers at once. Only this time, it’s with some of the most popular characters from Nintendo’s strategy series. Playing as Marth, Chrom, Corrin, Xander, and Ryoma felt distinct despite all of them being sword wielders thanks to the attention to detail that stays true to the series. For example, Xander fights on horseback while Corrin uses her dragon transformations to compliment her fighting style, complimented by some fantastic animations that need to be seen in action. The two new characters never felt out of place either, with some amazing looking shield combos put into action. Needless to say, the game looks beautiful in motion, oftentimes looking like the jaw dropping cutscenes that the 3DS games have featured.

Visuals aren’t the only piece of Fire Emblem to make the transition. Defeating enough enemies leads to a level up, with the stats gained being random. So yes, the heartbreak of getting one point up out of a potential six or so will be felt playing through this. While it was said that the weapons triangle would be in the game, meaning certain weapons are strong and weak against others, we weren’t able to put that in action when everyone in the demo used swords. It’ll make that character swap ability to take over any ally on the field at any time important when you find yourself in an unfavorable matchup.

Or you could just bring a partner with you, since the pair-up mechanic from Awakening makes the transition here as well. By linking up with a teammate on the field, you’ll gain a variety of options, including switching on the fly, creating opportunities for double team combos, or unleashing powerful ultimate attacks that combines the might of your paired warriors. In typical Fire Emblem fashion, consistently using the same pair and constantly fighting side by side will unlock special conversations, all the way up to S-Ranks. Does this mean we’ll be able to have Marth and Lucina have some kind of weird, centuries old incest going on? I doubt it’ll go deep enough to include marriage, but it’ll be interesting to see characters who would never be able to interact otherwise like Tiki and Corrin find their way to each other.

With so much of Fire Emblem‘s identity enveloping Fire Emblem Warriors, I find myself being even more excited than I was before I played it. The attention to detail will make this feel like a truly special love letter to longtime FE fans, and if it ends up being anything like its Hyrule counterpart, then we’re going to be playing this for a long, long time. Let’s just hope the roster lives up to its potential.

Fire Emblem Warriors will go to war on the Switch and 3DS this September.

E3 2017: Decidueye Locks Down Its Foes In ‘Pokken Tournament DX’

by Josh Jackson

Pokken Tournament DX will serve as a second chance for the Wii U’s Pokémon themed fighter to catch fire when it releases this September with a handful of new characters joining the fight. While almost all of them were additions to the arcade versions, one character that will be completely unique to DX is Decidueye, the final form of Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon‘s Rowlet. When I got the chance to try out the winged archer during Nintendo’s E3 demo, I realized that his ghost shots brought a lot to the table when it came to keeping opponents at bay in its own way.

If you couldn’t tell from its Robin Hood-esque motif, Decidueye is primarily a ranged fighter, using its bow and arrow to keep opponents at a distance. I found it to be a powerful fighter up close as well, using its large wingspan to push opponents back to a safe distance when getting pressured. More importantly than just its standard fighting abilities however, are its arrows unique ability to hold the opponent in place. Staying true to its signature attack in Sun and Moon, Spirit Shackle was a ghost type arrow attack that prevented enemies from fleeing battle. In Pokken, this attack acts as a trap, keeping opponents locked into place for Decidueye to get in a few extra hits. Considering that most characters are rewarded for fighting fast and aggressively, fighting Decidueye would force you to second guess the idea of charging forward with reckless attacks, since one wrong move means you’re giving up free damage to the archer.

From my brief time playing with Decidueye, I found that its biggest weakness was its lack of chainable attacks. While many of the other fighters can deal huge damage with multi hit combo strings, the owl was only able to put together a handful of hits before it was left vulnerable. If it’s unable to keep opponents at bay, the player will have to rely on their wits, baiting, and a well timed counter to create some distance. Otherwise, there’s not a whole lot you’ll be able to do to push the foe away. Basically, it plays exactly how you would expect a ranged fighter to play in a one on one fighter.

I’m looking forward to spending more time with Decidueye and the rest of the cast to learn more about the ins and outs of their playstyles, but from what I’ve seen so far, the game’s newest character is a welcomed addition to the cast. Will it be enough motivation to double dip for Wii U owners? That, I’m not quite sure of yet, but I have a few more months to be convinced.

Let us know what you think of Decidueye being added to Pokken, and let us know who else you’d want to see in the comments!

E3 2017: ‘Fifa 18’ On Switch Might Dodge The Pitfalls Of Ports Past

by Josh Jackson

As an avid Wii U fan, there was little more frustrating than the “third party support” the system failed to enjoy. Not so much because of the lack of it, but because what we did get was usually low effort, overpriced, and flat out better on other platforms. When I read that Fifa 18 for the Switch was going to release without the story mode and the Frostbite engine that have both become highlights of the game for the Xbox One and PS4, I figured EA was going to continue down this path that leaves Nintendo gamers in the dust. But after playing it for myself at E3, utilizing the Switch’s strengths give this version a good chance of avoiding the pitfalls that the Wii U was filled with.

Game play wise, if you’ve played Fifa in the past, then there’s not much to point out here. As the premiere worldwide soccer simulator, two players pick their favorite international teams and jock for position to create tense, exciting back and forth matches where one small opening can lead to that game winning goal, or that heartbreaking block.

Where the Switch version stand out however, is its portability. The DS family and Sony’s handhelds have had their shots, but they always felt like the expected lesser versions, sacrificing quality for the ability to play it on the go. This wasn’t the case when playing the Switch version, because while the visuals weren’t at Frostbite levels, the portable screen ran the game so well that it was barely noticeable. For the first time, a full console quality Fifa game could be played on the road, and I can see this being a big hit with the game’s worldwide fanbase.

It’s disappointing that a major feature had to be cut out at all, but considering most people buy Fifa for the multiplayer, the Switch’s inherent ability to have out of the box two player matches with the joycons make it an inexpensive way to keep the rivalries going away from home without compromising quality. Now, rather than gamers having to choose what platform they want the game for, I can see the most hardcore players buying one for home and one for the road. I’ve said in the past that third party versions on Nintendo consoles are at their best when they highlight the unique features of the system rather than trying to keep up with the competitor’s consoles, and this looks exactly like what Fifa is doing.

What say you, futbol fans? Can you see yourself picking up an extra portable copy, or will the Switch version be your only copy? Is the portability enough to forsake the story mode and Frostbite engine? Let us know in the comments!

E3 2017: ‘Fate Extella: The Umbral Star’ Goes Portable On The Nintendo Switch

by Josh Jackson

Last year’s Fate Extella: The Umbral Star brought the Fate universe to current gen gaming with a Musou style hack and slash. With the release of the Nintendo Switch, Sabre and her allies will get a second chance in the spotlight with a portable version of the crowd pleasing brawler. As usual when it comes to third party Nintendo games, we come in with skepticism, wondering if any concessions were made in the transition. After playing a build of the game, it’s clear that those concerns can be put to rest.

Outside of the cast of characters, Fate Extella is similar to most Dynasty Warriors inspired games on the market. By choosing from one of many characters from the Fate series, you travel from map to map effortlessly slaying hundreds of enemies at a time while you vie for control of the map. As you progress, more powerful foes will confront you, leading to some more challenging battles. Using unique combos, special attacks, and transformations that unleash your character’s full potential, seeing these moves in action are just as exciting to watch as they were last year. This is coupled with the fact that this game moves much faster than your typical Musou game, with the map being divided into smaller regions that you can transport to in what seems like an instant. I can see this cutting down on the monotony that games of this genre can face since removing the padding of travel can only work in its favor.

When it comes to the Switch version specifically, Fate Extella didn’t make any noticeable concessions when making the transition. The hundred plus characters on screen at once didn’t affect the game’s performance during my play session, and combat felt as fluid as it did when I originally tried the game on PS4. While the initial release was far from technically taxing, Nintendo third party titles have still earned a reputation of being inferior in some way, shape or form, so it was easy to see why some would be concerned. Thankfully, everything seems to be in order, offering fans of the original something that feels like a faithful port of the original so far. Only this time, the game doesn’t have to end when you’re away from the TV.

I’m optimistic about how Fate Extella: The Umbral Star will turn out on the Switch. With no noticeable shortcomings compared to its first go around, complete with the large amount of enemies on screen at once, let’s hope that this will be a sign of things to come when dealing with third parties in Nintendo’s new system. Any reason to get reacquainted with the cast is good enough for me, so I can’t wait to see if the full version holds up.

Fate Extella: The Umbral Star is scheduled for a July 25 release.

E3 2017: You All Owe ‘Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle’ An Apology

by Josh Jackson

When Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle was leaked a few weeks ago, the reaction was about what we would expect. Why is this being made? Who asked for this? Who thought this was a good idea? This was the basic sentiment shared by many, only using much more colorful language. Yet while the Rabbids haven’t always been synonymous with quality gameplay, titles like the first two Raving Rabbids games and Rabbids Go Home were proof that these psychotic bunnies could put together a great game when they need to. With a collaboration as big as one with Mario for the Switch, I had little doubt that they would knock it out of the park. Based on what I played of Kingdom Battle on the show floor at E3, Ubisoft is on their way to doing just that.

The comparisons that have been made with Xcom since its initial reveal are apt on the surface, with this bizarre mishmash of characters coming together in a turn based strategy game that involves the Mushroom Kingdom’s finest and cosplaying Rabbids getting into gun fights with the bad guys. I found myself mapping routes, sliding into cover, (and enemies for extra damage), exchanging Mario’s iconic golden coins for better equipment mid battle, and whittling down enemy HP with each shot. When you can’t quite reach that perfect position to wipe out your enemies from, teamwork goes a long way when two units make contact. Once they do, the non-active unit will spring the character you’re moving into a far off spot, allowing you to get some extra distance before launching your attack. Special abilities eventually come into play, such s Mario’s ability to increase his attack strength for a certain amount of time, or the hilariously creepy Rabbid Peach being able to heal allies in her, (its?), vicinity. A variety of objectives led to victory, between eliminating the entire enemy squad to positioning your squad to claim a section of the map.

But outside of combat is where the mashup really comes together. Battles start when your team is ambushed on the world map, which you travel through in real time as if it were a typical Mario adventure. Scanning the environment led to finding bonus coins, extra items that you could take into battle, and bonus sections in the environment where you could observe the Rabbids as they interact with your favorite Mario environments in some hilarious ways, all while your annoyed narrator explains how truly obnoxious these things can be. That’s not to say that your references stop once the action starts. Maps become even more interesting when explosive crates, warp pipes and chain chomps all become strategic elements of this wacky war you find yourself caught in. Luring enemies into the Chomp while trying to avoid it myself was especially fun, knowing that this indiscriminate animal would attack whoever came near it. This was especially useful when the stronger units started to overwhelm us, forcing us to use our wits to get us out of some tough situations.

We were promised that the full game would have even more depth, so expect genre staples like terrain, additional hazards, and character growth for more strategic options. At the conclusion of the demo, I left feeling even more excited for what a full campaign would be able to produce, with local co-op expanding the possibilities of the game to an even wider scope. Many doubted this seemingly nonsensical combination of characters, but it’s safe to say that we all owe Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle an apology. It’s looking damn good.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle will launch exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on August August 29.

E3 2017: ‘Senran Kagura Peach Beach Splash’ Is Much Better Than It Has Any Right To Be

by Josh Jackson

You probably know the deal with the Senran Kagura series by now. If you need to be brought up to speed, the series is typically a hack and slash action game staring four groups of high school kunoichi, or female ninja. As they tear through their opponents, the one thing that surely won’t survive their battles are their clothes, since the game’s gratuitous slow motion zoom ins under their skirts and at their chests as their outfits disintegrate makes sure to alert you every time a new inch of skin has been shown. After all, this is the game that infamously started out on the 3DS as an attempt to get 3D boobs onto the system. Yet despite the very obvious gimmick, the games somehow managed to be solid games behind all the behinds.

No one can hide from my sights.

Shifting the focus from boobs to butts slashers to shooters is Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash, the latest spin-off for the PS4 that trades in the girls’ swords and kunai for water guns. In the three-on-three mode that was featured in the demo, we were thrust into a fast paced third person arcade shooter where the goal was to douse your opponents in water until their health drained. Tying the mechanics back to the series’ roots are slower melee attacks that allow you to knock opponents away with their traditional weapons, one example being Shiki using her scythe between her legs to deal extra damage. Once the enemy is downed, rather than stomp them before they can be revived like in Gears of War, approaching them switches to a first person perspective where you proceed to spray their boobs or butts until that piece of clothing comes off, forcing them to flee in shame. Of course, if you want to be a gentleman about it, you could douse their face and keep their clothes intact. The winning team was the first with a certain amount of KO’s, so using special items, coordinating with your team to back you up as you finish off wounded enemies, and having them protect you when you need to refill your water all comes into play, giving Peach Beach a layer of depth that you wouldn’t expect on the surface.

But most of all, I was taken aback by how much fun the game was. Honest to God, it was probably the most fun I had with a single game at the entire show! Feeling like a weird cross between Tracer’s gameplay from Overwatch with the fast moving dual pistols, Splatoon‘s focus on spraying your opponents into submission and Senran Kagura‘s trademark presentation, and I’m finding myself very interested at how well this game turns out. Will it be the next eSport spectacular where gamers from around the world can watch South Korea strip the opposing countries naked in giant arenas? Probably not. But if the game develops a small following of cooperative teams, I could see this being a blast online. With guest character DLC, a full single player story mode and multiple ways to customize your ninjas, I’m hoping that the final version lives up to its promising start. But me? I just want to be reunited with my Renka.

Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash is set for a summer release.

E3 2017: ‘Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age’ Improves A Fatal Flaw In The Original

by Josh Jackson

Final Fantasy XII seems to be a polarizing game among fans, with the crowd split between thinking it’s one of the best games in the franchise to calling it one of the worst. I fell in the latter group, because despite its streamlined gameplay, more intimate story that focused on individual conflicts over a world altering calamity, and bringing MMO inspired combat to mainstream RPGs in a way that set the foundation for titles like Xenoblade Chronicles, the level up system was atrocious. After a good 15-20 hours in, the open ended License Board, which consisted of upgrades that you couldn’t see until your position on the board was adjacent to them, led me to unlocking so many useless stats and abilities that nearly my entire party was unusable at key points in the story. Picture Final Fantasy X‘s Sphere Grid, but instead of being on a set path until you could unlock special items to infiltrate other boards, every grid was open, connected, and you couldn’t see what each stat boost did until you were pretty much on it.

I couldn’t have been the only person with this complaint, since the international version of FFXII added the Zodiac Job System. This revamped format essentially revived the Job System, asking you to assign each new party member a specific job, each of which has a specific License Board to ensure that you’ll only unlock upgrades relevant to their role. Unfortunately, this version never saw the light of day outside of Japan until The Zodiac Age, the upcoming HD remaster of the last sixth generation Final Fantasy game.

On top of bringing over the improved leveling system, The Zodiac Age includes the ability to fast forward gameplay. Since most battles are fought in real time, with your AI party members acting on their own based on the instructions or “Gambits” you assign to them, level grinding could become an automated chore. Now that you can speed up your actions, simple to moderate encounters will be a breeze as they speed through. You might want to be careful using this against the higher ranked opponents however, since you’ll want to maintain your utmost attention when every move counts.

All in all, I’m excited to step back into Ivalice and give Ashe, Vahn, Balthier and Basch a second shot, especially since the original License Board was the only thing keeping me from enjoying the game the first time around. With that obstacle out of the way, I’m looking forward to experiencing what can be another top notch RPG experience, only this time with the benefit of the PS4’s power. What were your feelings about the original License Board, and where does Final Fantasy XII fall on your list of the best games in the series? Be heard in the comments below!

E3 2017: Blast Processing Through ‘Sonic Mania’!

by The_acz

After a delay or 2, Sega’s highly anticipated Sonic Mania will finally be releasing on August 15th, 2017.

Developed by a highly respected Sonic fan game community member Christian Whitehead, the game is a celebration of everything Classic Sonic. This week at E3 I got the chance to play the game and can easily say that this game has shot up my most anticipated list for 2017. Not only is this a great tribute and celebration to Classic Sonic, but just Sonic as a character in general. Let’s quit stalling and get into it!

The demo allows you to choose any of the 3 characters in the game: Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. You also get the choice between Green Hill Zone Act 2 and the new Mirage Saloon Zone Act 2. I was able to try out both levels and loved both of them! The characters feel exactly how they felt in Sonic 3 + Knuckles. It’s as if they were ripped right out of the classic genesis games and placed directly into this new iteration. Of course the sprite work and animation for the characters look better than ever!

 

Mirage Saloon is the new zone in the demo and is really fun. You’ll be racing through sand loops that disintegrate when you run over them, jumping off swivel chairs in bar that propel you across the screen, and get shot out of a gun at high speed. There’s tons of alternate routes to take, and there are even some references cameos that are sprinkled throughout the level that reference some forgotten Sonic characters (see image above). Green Hill Zone 2 is also a great stage.

You don’t expect much since by now people have played through Green Hill Zone, but the difference here is that the layout is completely different! This is not the same Green Hill Zone from the Original Sonic. It’s completely different  and feels great to re-experience an old zone with new life.  even the music is different. The theme has a bit more synthetic/techno feel to it now and sounds wonderful still. The zone ends with a boss fight against Dr. Eggman in the Death Egg Robot. All you need to do is hit the top of the robot a couple of times, but it’s not exactly a walk in the park. Not only do you need to hit the top of his head, but you only have limited space to run away. Once you reach the ledge, you better hope you have one hit left because you might die the first couple of times trying to take him down.

At the end of the day, I can’t recommend Sonic Mania enough. This is the Sonic game that fans were hoping they’d get when Sonic 4 was originally announced. Everything from the physics, to the speed, and the sprites just feel right. both Modern and classic fans will find a good challenge with this game. Hopefully the game does well enough that maybe we can get a sequel? Only time will tell.

E3 2017: ‘Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy’ Looks Beautiful, But Feels Off

by The_acz

Last year people were jumping for joy when Sony announced that they’d be remastering the first 3 Crash Bandicoot games for an HD trilogy collection back at E3 2016.

Flash forward a year to E3 2017 and there are only 2 weeks left until the game game CRASHES (pun very intended) onto store shelves. People have also gotten the chance to play numerous demos which have left a lot of people. . . . . . mixed. I myself recently got the chance to sit down and try the game, and what did I think? Ehhhhhh.

My play time was spent on Crash 3: Wrapped since it’s my favorite out of the trilogy. I played Orient Express and Midnight Run, The Coco tiger levels where you play on the great wall of china. The first thing I have to say is that I absolutely love the graphics. Everything is colorful, vibrant, and has some sort of energy to it. Even Coco herself is more expressive as she has more facial animations, and even victory poses just like Crash.

So both the music and graphics are ace, but sadly the most disappointing part of N. Sane is the fact that the gameplay feels. . . . . off. I’ll be the first to admit that while I love Crash 2 & 3, the first one is a tad dated and doesn’t feel nearly as good to play as 2 and 3. With this trilogy, it feels a bit like they took the physics from the first game and just transferred them to the other titles without realizing that they had a much faster and different physics than the original. As a result, the levels end up feeling slower and the characters end up feeling a bit heavier than what they originally were.

The controls also feel slightly delayed. Many times when I tried to move out of the way of an oncoming barrel it felt like Coco was moving a second or 2 after I actually moved her. Same thing happened when I tried jumping over dragon or a piece of broken road. This threw me off a good number of times, and even caused me a game over with at least 6 lives. Obviously I don’t want to say the devs didn’t care about what they were making because I’ve seen many interviews and can tell that they’re very passionate about this project, and that they want Crash to have a future.

The ability to play as Coco fully in the previous 2 games (bosses excluded) is a really cool addition and shows how much they care about making this a great package, but at the same time, it’s very important for those games to still feel like those games. Perhaps they’re still working on the game right up to its release and are still trying to nail down the physics, but in the end, the game was a bit disappointing to me. That’s not to say I don’t want it to succeed though. If you’re not bothered by how the gameplay in Crash 1 feels, you should be fine and will love this collection. I still wish the best for this game and hope it sells well so we can see Crash return with a brand new game, but for me, I’ll stick to the originals.

E3 2017: Lick Your Way Through A Living Prison In ‘Mary Skelter: Nightmares’

by Josh Jackson

As most of us know by now, Japanese RPG’s can get pretty weird. Last year alone, we took a return trip to a world where game console goddesses saved the world from the disgruntled spirit of the Sega Dreamcast, and became pop stars who defended Tokyo from the evils of the entertainment industry. But I can comfortably say that I have yet to play anything like Mary Skelter: Nightmares, a new dungeon crawling RPG by Compile Heart that tasks you with leading a party full of gothic lolita versions of our favorite fairy tale heroines to freedom as they fight their way through a living prison. Except they’re hardly the prancing, singing princesses you might be picturing, because their insatiable blood lust leads them to go wild as they soak up the blood of their enemies. What’s the best way to bring them back to their senses? Naturally, you lick them clean.

Trust me when I say that you’re going to to need to get used to the trying act of making these attractive anime girls lick each other, because your success in battle directly correlates with how close they get to losing control. Doing damage, landing critical hits and finishing off strong opponents leads to larger blood splatters. Once one of the girls absorbs a certain amount of blood, they transform into their most powerful state, greatly improving their damage and abilities in the process. If that blood continues to pile up however, the girl will eventually go berserk, forcing her to lose all control and attack friend and foe alike. Licking has the added benefit of healing the affected party member, but when the rest of your girls are tied up with casting support spells, attacking enemy monsters or taking advantage of elemental weaknesses, Jack, your character, has a special weapon that can calm the girls down instantly. Don’t draw too much attention to him though, because if he’s out of commission, there will be no one to control the girls, leading to a game over.

Monsters and blood aren’t the only dangers in the prison, because the prison itself serves as both a lethal opponent and a helpful ally depending on the situation. Each area in the prison is guarded by a boss that hangs around outside the prison walls. These cheaters can attack you from the outside without allowing you to fight back, forcing the team to be on their toes as they dodge incoming hazards during exploration, all while avoiding the traps that the prison itself holds. The benefit however, is that some traps can be used to your benefit. Activating the right ones at the right time can damage the boss, bringing them down to your level and allowing you to battle them with a more traditional turn based system. As you play, the dungeon will also have its own set of desires that you’re asked to fulfill for combat bonuses. For example, if its feeling lustful, continuously licking will satisfy its need for waifu on waifu action. And you thought the showers were the only place that you had to worry about perverts in jail.

What made Mary Skelter stand out to me more than anything was its ability to keep you on your toes at all times. I’ve played plenty of first person dungeon crawlers where traveling becomes a chore after awhile since you can only look at the same walls for so long before it gets old. This game doesn’t give you the chance to get worn out out since you’re constantly under attack. With its unique mechanics, the ability to take characters like Alice, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella and customize their classes and abilities to make your custom fairy tale fighting squad, being able to de-level your characters to power up low level classes, and the focus on the dungeon as its own entity, and its easy to see why such an interesting take on the genre has piqued my interest. Besides, haven’t you always wanted to taste Snow White?

Mary Skelter: Nightmare will release on the PS Vita this summer.

‘Splatoon’ Manga To be Brought West, Courtesy of Viz Media

by Natalie Kipper

Whether you are a squid, kid, or just a plain old lover of manga, you are sure to be excited with what VIZ Media has planned. The publishing house has teamed up with Nintendo to bring the manga novelization of the family-friendly shooting game, Splatoon, to English readers. Created by Hinodeya Sankichi, the series follows four Inklings – beings that can switch from humanoid to squid forms at will – as they are swept up in the turf war that encompasses the majority of the video game’s content.

The series is scheduled to launch later this year, exclusively in print form (sorry, Kindle readers!). I would not be surprised if the first volume’s release was timed with the launch of the game’s sequel, Splatoon 2, coming to the Nintendo Switch. It is also expected to ship in late 2017. I would be interested to see if the manga covered the story through the sequel as well. Only time will tell!

Are you excited about this upcoming release?

The NES Classic Edition Gets A Wireless Controller Thanks To Nyko!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: We’re so freaking excited to get our hands on the NES Classic Edition. Josh has already gone hands on with this Holiday season’s hottest new console (and loved it, naturally), while the rest of us peasants will need to get in line on November 11th to pick one up.

One of the only complaints that we’ve been (constantly) reading about the Classic is its lack of wireless controllers. Sure, it’s more authentic with wires, and probably (definitely) keeps the cost of the thing down, but we’ve been spoiled by wireless controllers for years and we want them here too, damnit.

Thankfully, Nyko has the answer with the Minibus for NES Classic Edition. The controller comes in at a cool $19.99USD (compared to $9.99 for its Nintendo brethren), and brings with it the space-aged ability to play up to 30 feet away from the console.

If the $19.99 is a little rich for your blood, $9.99 will net you the Extend Link for NES Classic Edition, which is a simple extension cord that adds 6 feet to your existing NES Classic edition controllers.

Both items will be available alongside the NES Classic Edition when it launches on November 11th, and… November 11th simply can’t come soon enough.

nyko

‘Mario Party Star Rush’ Focuses On The Fun With Its Coinathlon Mode!

by Josh Jackson

From the beginning, the mini-games were the star of the Mario Party series. Oftentimes, the board game aspect would just be a formality in between that moment where you were waiting to gang up on that guy who’s three stars ahead of everyone else, removing most of the luck from the equation. When Mario Party Star Rush was revealed to cut out most of the waiting, allowing everyone to act at the same time, it was a needed step in the right direction. This is taken a step further in Coinathlon, an extra mode that’s all about the mini games. We got a chance to try out the game and see how crazy things can get when the restrictions get thrown out the door.

Rather than move your characters with a traditional dice roll, Coinathlon is all about skill. Choosing from a pool of about three mini games, each of its boards have a certain amount of spaces that the character moves depending on how many coins they collect during the mini-games. The first player to circle the board a certain amount of times wins, while each player tries their best to sabotage their competition in a way that’s very similar to Nintendo’s popular kart racing game.

From activities ranging from hammering enemies on a set path, fishing for golden Cheep-Cheeps, and avoiding obstacles that slow you down with nothing but your reflexes, these games can get hectic pretty quick. To make things worse, after a player achieves enough success, a meter charges that lets them unleash a random weapon attack on a random opponent. Finally making the Blooper useful, the squid can ink an opponent’s screen, obstructing their view. Other items can stun, slow down or confuse opponents, hopefully leading to them falling further behind in your quest for board game supremacy.

To make things a little more fair between the skilled vs. the newbies, these games will begin to get more difficult for players who are closer to the finish line. Of course, if that player is REALLY good, this gives them the chance to rake in the coins even faster, leading to an ensured victory. This high risk, high reward style ramps up the stakes in a way that builds real tension when you’re close to winning, making the slightest mistake mean so much more. It truly has the potential to be some of the most fun I’ve had with the games in a long time, especially when you consider that this mode is one of the ways four players can get together and play with just one copy of the game.

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And of course, we can’t forget the new amiibo that are launching alongside the game. With Wario and Boo being two highlights, we’re going to have to find more shelf space to give these guys the space they deserve. Especially Boo, who glows in the dark.

Mario Party Star Rush does away with the shared car and the wait in between turns and replaces it with the most fast paced version of the game to date. Is this enough to get you to join the party one more time? Share your thoughts with us in the comments, and check out the amiibo in action courtesy of the game’s latest trailer!

We Went Hands-On With The NES Classic Edition! Here’s What To Expect

by Josh Jackson

Since it was announced, one of the most anticipated gaming products this holiday season has been the NES Classic Edition. As a literal blast from the past, this mini console comes pre-loaded with 30 games from years past, including games from the Super Mario Bros., Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy. Packaged with an HDMI cable for modern TV’s and capture devices, it looks to deliver a way to bring classic gaming into the modern era with ease.

Once I got the chance to sit down and actually play with it, the late 80’s came rushing back, as if the time where controllers only had two buttons and 1080P was replaced with 8-Bits never left. Playing the classic Castlevania, the emulation was picture perfect, fitting just right with these modern HDTV’s. The controller felt lighter than I remember, with the same rectangular block so many of us grew up with, to the point where it feels awfully weird not to have shoulder buttons anymore. That didn’t keep me from slaying Dracula’s worst minions with ease, but making the switch after so many years definitely takes a slight mental adjustment.

For those who want to switch up their viewing experience, the unit will have three different aspect ratios to choose from while playing. The standard mode is a pixel perfect recreation of the old days of gaming, meaning there will be a ton of empty space towards the left and right side. If you want to make sure no space is wasted, you can opt for the full screen option in exchange for some stretched out models, or an in between mode that keeps the characters more proportioned while using up more of the screen.

Using an AC adapter that can plug in to either a wall socket or a USB charger, you should never have trouble finding a place to power the thing. Keeping in mind how many games that the $59.99 price point gets you, I can see this being the perfect travel companion when you’re traveling to a hotel, a friend’s place, or if you just want to show off the mini console. Throw in the fact that the controller works as a Classic Controller for Wii and Wii U Virtual Console games means you’ll get even more mileage out of your purchase.

What games are you most looking forward to re-playing, and will you be with us in line when the unit releases on November 11? Share your thoughts below!