10 New Amiibo Released This Week. We Unbox All Of Them

by Josh JacksonJuly 28, 2017

The past seven days have been big for amiibo collectors out there. After over a year of anticipation, the Super Smash Bros line is finally complete with the release of Cloud, Corrin and Bayonetta. If that wasn’t enough, three new Inklings hit the scene day and date with Splatoon 2, while the Pikmin themselves made their solo debut in plastic form today, lining up with the release of Hey! Pikmin on the 3DS.

As if the addiction wasn’t apparent enough, we’ve gathered all ten and have unboxed them for your viewing pleasure. Check out the video below to see them up close, and let us know which ones are your favorites in the comments! Don’t forget to subscribe!

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

by Josh JacksonJuly 18, 2017

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!

76% Of Players Clicked The Wrong Button As Team Cake Wins More Splatfest Battles In ‘Splatoon 2’

by Josh JacksonJuly 17, 2017

The Splatfest World Premiere came and went, with a grueling battle between Team Cake and those other guys coming to a close. As the final results were tallied, it was clear that there was a big mistake somewhere in the voting, as Team Ice Cream technically won.

With Inkopolis clearly using hanging CHADS to calculate their votes, Team Ice Cream stole the popularity vote, coming in at 76% to Team Cake’s 24%. The actual in-game results were much closer, with Team Cake winning 53% of their team matches. The tie breaking vote came to solo players, where Team Ice Cream narrowly edged out Team Cake with a 51% win rate. With the new scoring system using a best two out of three rule rather than scoring wins differently than popularity, Marina’s tantalizing tentacles distracted people long enough to break the tie with her supposed popularity win.

Looking at the results, I’m choosing to believe there had to have been some kind of voter fraud since I can’t accept that so many people can be wrong after proving cake is objectively better. Even IF the voting was legit, it wasn’t like Nintendo didn’t sway voters by tainting the polls ahead of the game. Surely there’s some kind of collusion with the Octolings going on here. Thanks to our boots on the ground investigative journalism, we found an indisputable smoking gun.

It’s clear that Reggie’s influence rubbed off on his team both in voting and performance. If you remember his Smash Bros skills at E3 a few years ago, it’s the only way to explain why 76% of players can be so bad that they lost 52% of their total matches to 24% of the participants, but hey. Bad taste tends to go with bad playing.

Did you play on the right side, or are you reveling in your meaningless win? And are you a supporter of voter fraud? Let us know in the comments so we know to block you.

Splatfest Spoiler: Six Reasons Why Cake Is Objectively Better Than Ice Cream

by Josh JacksonJuly 15, 2017

As we approach Splatoon 2‘s first Splatfest, we felt the importance of making sure all the Inklings out there make an educated choice over which side to pick between team cake and team ice cream. While this summer weather might be blinding some of our fellow squids from the virtues of cake, I’m going to throw enough shade to keep you all seeing straight. Because you see, cake is the only objective choice, and here are six indisputable reasons why.

There are so many types of cake.

When you talk about cake, there isn’t just one kind that people refer to. Sure, a moist cake with just the right amount of frosting is just the best, but that’s only one piece of the equation. Have you ever enjoyed a cake donut? How about a brownie or a delicious breakfast muffin? Simply put, our lives would be fundamentally different without cake, whereas ice cream is just… Ice cream. Sure, you can mix in weird junk into it, but nothing that you couldn’t also do with a cake. Which is why ice cream tends to have an identity crisis…

Ice cream desperately tries to be cake.

All of ice cream’s greatest hits come in when you mix in cake with it. From ice cream sandwiches to ice cream cakes, even shakes and scoops have begun putting in pieces of cake or brownie bites into the mix just to make the stuff edible. Not to mention abominations like birthday cake flavored ice cream, which is about as shameless you can get.

An early attempt at ice cream cake.

Besides, ice cream would be nothing without cake, but we’ll get to why further down the list.

Ice cream lies to you.

With cake, you always know what you’re getting. Regardless of the type of cake you’re indulging in, you always know that you’re setting yourself up for a 600 calorie plus intake. Sure, it’s not the most ideal, but at least cake never tries to pretend to be what it’s not. We know donuts are awful for you, and the chocolate on chocolate masterpiece isn’t named devil’s food for nothing.

All the probiotics in the world won’t save you from those 10 extra pounds.

Ice cream isn’t so honest, rebranding itself so many times with the goal of making you think it’s better for you. The biggest culprit is frozen yogurt, which has conned an entire population of college students into thinking its good for you. Sure, you feel good about the sign listing each ounce as 40 calories and five grams of protein, but as your cup piles high, so do the calories, sneaking more fat into your body than cake could ever hope to. There’s a reason why Burt Baskin, co-founder of Baskin Robbins, died of a heart attack. I’ll give you 31 guesses as to why.

Don’t succumb to this silent killer!

Cake is for celebrating. Ice cream is for sadness.

When I most commonly think of cake, I think of parties. Birthday celebrations are synonymous with birthday cake, complete with special candles with non-toxic wax for when your kids inevitably try to eat the oozing paste. Even our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gets in on the cake action every Marti Gras when He decides to just hang out inside of a King Cake every year.

But the son of God won’t be found anywhere near ice cream. And you know why? Because ice cream is associated with lives crumbling apart. If cake is known for celebrating, then ice cream is known for crying into while you binge watch Orange is the New Black after a bad breakup. We also can’t forget how much misery all those Bon-Bon’s brought Al Bundy back on Married With Children. How many times have we heard of kids chasing ice cream trucks and never being seen again? Ice cream, you’re looking pretty suspect right about now.

Ice cream is temperamental.

On the dessert scale, ice cream is the high maintenance one that needs everything to be just right before it will cooperate. If it’s too cold, it becomes impossible to scoop, forcing you to wait for it to thaw before digging in. If it’s too old, it gets freezer burned to the point of becoming nearly inedible. The only time ice cream MIGHT have a temporary advantage over cake is when you need something cold to give you some kind of relief from the sun. But you better not take too long, because your ice cream dream will quickly turn into a drizzling nightmare once the stuff starts melting all over you.

If only there was something that could hold ice cream to make it more manageable while eating. Oh wait, there is… And it’s CAKE!

Ice Cream Cones ARE Cake

Can you imagine ice cream without the cone? I mean you could, but ice cream in a cup is the lamest thing ever. Cones are practically a requirement for eating ice cream, but have you ever stopped to think about what an ice cream cone is?

Yup, it’s cake!

The truth is that ice cream would be nothing without cake to (literally) prop it up. Considering that the Splatfest icons show the ice cream IN A CONE, I’m accepting this as Marina’s silent form of resignation, making cake the only option in Splatfest history to be included in BOTH choices. So at the end of the day, every vote for cake is a vote for cake, but every vote for ice cream is a vote for ice cream AND cake, meaning Team Ice Cream has lost before the battle has even begun.

It’s true.

You can’t refute this logic, but if you want to try, make sure to comment below and try your hand at discrediting cake’s superiority. What team did you choose, and will you be playing the first Splatoon 2 Splatfest from 3-7 PST today?

The full version of Splatoon 2 will launch for the Nintendo Switch on July 21.

‘Splatoon 2’:Get Your Game On At The Shoal!

by The_aczJuly 6, 2017

During this mornings Splatoon 2 direct, Nintendo introduced a brand new area for local battles, The Shoal.

Here, you can host or join other local game modes either wirelessly or via LAN. This includes modes that may only be available at certain times like Salmon Run, and more! You’ll also be able to choose any stage you want without having to worry about that pesky rotation. Not only that, but there is also an arcade game stationed outside of the area that will allow you to play Squid Beats 2, A DDR inspired game. It’s nice to see that this is probably taking the place of that ghastly local 2 player mode that was in the original Splatoon, even if there is now way to play local multiplayer on one Switch. Are you excited for this new addition to the game? Tell us in the comments below!

SplatNet 2 & Nintendo Switch Online App Are Launching On July 21st For ‘Splatoon 2’!

by The_aczJuly 6, 2017

Here we go. The day we’re all excited and scared for has finally come. During this morning’s Splatoon 2 direct, Nintendo announced that a very limited version of the Nintendo Switch Online app will be available to download the day the game comes out. This app will allow you to access an in-app app called SplatNet 2. This is a sequel to a very basic website created for the original Splatoon, but includes so much more: not only can you check stage rotation, but now you can also check previous turf wars, see team gear, and even order some if you so desire.

The app will also include the much anticipated and dreaded voice chat! While it still doesn’t seem all that convenient (quite the opposite in fact.), it could still pleasantly surprise us. Are you planning on using voice chat? Tell us in the comments below!

‘Splatoon 2’ Splatfest World Premiere Demo Launches Next Week!

by The_aczJuly 6, 2017

The Splatoon 2 direct just finished up this morning, and with that, a cavalcade of surprising and fun announcements. One of these announcements was from a new pair of hosts, Pearl and Marina, who revealed that there will be an inaugural Splatfest to commemorate Splatoon 2, one week before launch! The Theme? Which is better? Cake or Ice Cream? The demo will take place one week from launch on July 15th 2017 from 3PM-7PM PST. Well, what are you waiting for? Choose a side and let the smack talking commence!

‘Splatoon 2’ Focused Nintendo Direct Airing Later This Week!

by Derek KraneveldtJuly 3, 2017

Briefly: I’ve been so busy getting my assed kicked at ARMS that I almost forgot just how close we are to Splatoon 2‘s anticipated release.

Nintendo has revealed that this Thursday, July 6th at 10AM Eastern / 7AM Pacific, they will be broadcasting a Splatoon 2 focussed Nintendo Direct presentation, marking a “re-FRESH-er on some of the new features, weapons, and styles” that the game will contain.

Nintendo already has my money for this one (naturally) but I’ll definitely be tuning in. I’d love to see more on the game’s new co-operative mode, and hopefully we’ll see a few additional previously-unannounced features.

Here’s the link to the Direct, which will naturally just be a placeholder page until Thursday.

Judd And Li’l Judd Get Plush Counterparts, Now Up For Pre-order!

by Natalie KipperJune 2, 2017

Man, Nintendo is killing it with the marketing for Splatoon 2, which will be releasing on the Nintendo Switch in late July. Not only will English-speaking fans get a translation of Hinodeya Sankichi’s Splatoon manga in “late summer” but new plushes of characters from the series, manufactured by San-ei Boueki, are now up for pre-order from several import sites. Two plushes that are garnering a ton of attention are Judd and Li’l Judd.

Yes, I realize this is not Judd’s first plush rodeo. However, this time around he is substantially bigger, measuring 28 centimeters high and 26 centimeters wide. This size increase earns him his “M” (for “medium”) subtitle in store listings. Other details include embroidered paw pads on all four paws and his uniquely-shaped tail. Judd (M size) costs ￥3,500.

Li’l Judd is a newcomer to the Splatoon series. His origin remains clouded in mystery. All I can confirm is that the critter is unbelievably cute! Like Judd, he has embroidered paw prints and that recognizable tail. Li’l Judd is 13 centimeters tall and 13 centimeters wide. He costs ￥1,500.

You can find these plushes at AmiAmi (Judd, Li’l Judd), HobbyLink Japan (Judd, Li’l Judd), and Play-Asia (Judd, Li’l Judd). They are scheduled to ship this August.

[Header image via GoNintendo. Thanks for the tip, Loki!]

Nintendo Reveals E3 Schedule! ‘ARMS’ Tournaments, ‘Super Mario Odyssey’, & More!

by The_aczMay 12, 2017

It’s been 5 years since Nintendo stopped doing live E3 press conferences (never forget Nintendo Land fireworks), and ever since then, People still wish for Nintendo to return to that format every year (even though the Nintendo Digital Events are fine and better).

Yesterday morning, Nintendo released their E3 2017 plans as well as tickets to board the Nintendo hype train. The Nintendo E3 2017 Spotlight will air at 9AM PST and will feature Only Nintendo Switch games heading towards the system this year. Afterwards, the stream will transition into Nintendo Treehouse Live where the Treehouse crew will non stop showcase the newly announced Nintendo switch games as well as 3DS games. There will also be live Splatoon 2 and ARMS Tournaments from the 13th to the 14th. Find out more below Are you excited for E3? Tell us in the comments below!

Here Are The Highlights From Today’s Nintendo Direct!

by Natalie KipperApril 12, 2017

This afternoon, a good portion of the gaming community tuned in to the latest Nintendo Direct presentation. For just a second shy of 11 and a half minutes, Nintendo bombarded fans with news of upcoming games for both the Switch and the 3DS. On the off chance you missed it, perhaps you had adult things to do or were napping, you can find the entire Nintendo Direct just below this sentence.

https://youtu.be/b0eA0AKk6wY

The video covered a ton of content so rather than go through it piece by piece, let’s take a look at the heavy hitters!

The headliners were ARMS and Splatoon 2. In the ARMS segment of the video (that I think kind of dragged on a bit), viewers were introduced to a new combatant, the Eastern culture-flavored Minmin. Along with Minmin, fans got a glimpse at different fighting strategies, such as equipping two different weapon types, as well as additional modes of play, like the 2-versus-2 matches. More information was also released about what makes each fighter different. Minmin, for example, can deflect projectiles with a timed kick as well as make use of a powered-up dragon arm to unleash extra damage. ARMS has a release date of June 16.

Out of all the games shown, I think Splatoon 2 is the one likely to produce the most buzz. The game’s segment showcased new gameplay mechanics, like reviving a teammate. The new mode shown was called Salmon Rush and focused on acquiring orbs dropped by enemies upon defeat. It looks like the big boss baddies yield the orbs needed to complete the main objective for the level. Splatoon 2 will ship on July 21 on the Nintendo Switch with an additional Direct leading up to the game’s release.

The Pikmin series makes its inaugural voyage to the Nintendo 3DS in Hey! PIKMIN. Players can expect the same alien-tossing and puzzle-solving they love but in a side-scrolling format. And for those amiibo maniacs out there (we are looking at you, Jonathan!), a special Pikmin amiibo will be sold the same day as the game’s release, July 28.

Speaking of amiibo, twelve additional figures are scheduled to be released this summer. First, The Legend of Zelda gets three more versions of Link on June 23. Those versions are Majora’s Mask, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword. And on July 21, there are amiibo for the three Super Smash Bros. fighters, Cloud, Corrin, and Bayonetta. There will be two versions of each of those three characters. Also coming in July are three Splatoon 2 amiibo, featuring an Inkling Girl, Inkling Boy, and you guessed it, an Inkling Squid.

One game I am particularly excited about is Ever Oasis, heading to the Nintendo 3DS on June 23. It is an Action-RPG by Koichi Ichii, the brain behind the Mana series. Nintendo will reveal more about this title as we get closer to June.

What announcements got your blood pumping? Let us know in the comments!

‘Arms’ And ‘Splatoon 2’ Headline Upcoming April Nintendo Direct This Week!

by The_aczApril 10, 2017

With just 2 months until E3, Nintendo has announced that they’ll be holding a Nintendo Direct this week on Wednesday, April 12th. The direct will air at 3PM PST and focus mainly on Splatoon 2 and ARMS with a couple of surprises thrown throughout the presentation. Hopefully we get some details on their E3 plans as well during this direct as they’ve remained pretty quiet on that front. Which game are you more excited for? Tell us in the comments below!

Nintendo Is Holding A ‘Splatoon 2’ Testfire Next Month!

by The_aczFebruary 12, 2017

Early Nintendo Switch adopters are in for a treat.

Last night, Nintendo announced that they’ll be holding another stress test also known as a testfire for Splatoon 2. Just like the first game, the testfire will span multiple days at different times for only an hour. This is to get player feedback and also to stress test the servers before the game launches this summer. The best part is that this is taking place at the end of March from the 24th through the 26th. Check out the times below! Are you picking up the Switch early? Does this make you want the system more? Tell us in the comments below!

InuJoshua’s 13 Most Anticipated Games Of 2017

by Josh JacksonJanuary 19, 2017

It may have taken a few years, but 2017 is looking like the year where the big consoles will finally hit their strides with a strong lineup across the board. From action games to RPGs, sequels to new IPs, and some recent surprises, there won’t be a shortage of quality content for gamers to enjoy throughout the year. Yet, we can’t play it all, which is why I narrowed down the thirteen games I’m most anticipating in 2017, which reflects the variety of content on every platform. Without delay, here we go!

Honorable Mention: Mass Effect Andromeda

It’s odd what difference a few years will make. Not too long ago, I would have considered Bioware to be one of my favorite active developers. But after Mass Effect 2 almost completely gave up on the first game’s RPG elements to become more of a straightforward shooter, the debacle that was Dragon Age 2, and the disappointing Mass Effect 3, I haven’t been all that up on Andromeda. With that said, I’m looking forward to giving this universe another chance, but I’m hoping we can up the RPG side of things while bringing back the interesting characters and alien sex that has become synonymous with the series.

13. Horizon: Zero Dawn

As the first new IP from Guerrilla Games since coming off of their mostly successful Killzone series, Horizon has a lot to prove. Based on everything we’ve seen so far though, it looks like it’s on track to go above and beyond expectations. As if fighting off robotic dinosaurs on horseback with a bow and arrow wasn’t crazy enough, the game is promising a strong narrative to match up with its incredible visuals. The only reason the game isn’t higher is because I wasn’t the biggest fan of the team’s previous games, but with something that looks so well done, Horizon has the potential to change all that.

12. South Park: The Fractured But Whole

Forrowing up on the laugh out loud hilarious Stick of Truth, The Fractured But Whole will take us back into the world of South Park, as the kids switch from their fantasy game to their super hero personas. Being tasked with once again creating your own kid to join in on the hilarity, the sequel is promising to deliver a more refined battle system to match up with what will surely be a hilarious script. Let’s just hope that unlike the first game, that Fractured ends up being free of game breaking glitches, features ways to re-visit past missions, and offers more content than an afternoon’s worth of adventuring.

11. Fire Emblem Warriors

I can’t say that I was ever a particularly big fan of Warriors games, but Hyrule Warriors taught me that the games are way more exciting when you’re playing as your favorite characters from other properties rather than fictional takes on historical figures. Transitioning from the land of Hyrule to the world of Fire Emblem, the franchise has hundreds of characters to choose from when putting together an all star cast, many of which will have unique abilities that fit in perfectly with the one vs. all style of these games. Corrin’s dragon abilities, the expert swordplay of characters like Marth, and flying in on a pegasus are just some of the possibilities we can expect, especially if there’s a small chance that we can have some of our favorite Tokyo Mirage Sessions characters make their return. Can I PLEASE wipe out armies with Tsubasa while she sings Feel?

10. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia

From one Fire Emblem game to another, 2017 is looking like a fantastic year for a franchise that was considered dead in the water a few short years ago. While I knew next to nothing about Fire Emblem Gaiden before the announcement of Echoes, I’m thrilled to see how Nintendo is adapting everything that made the cult classic unique. We’ll have dungeon exploration for the first time in the West, a more focused story that won’t rely on a create your own character to drive the narrative as your main lord, and optional battles as you explore the two kingdoms. Two new gorgeous looking amiibo give me even more of a reason to be excited for May 19th, and I’m hoping that this won’t be the next game in the series that I buy and never finish…

9. Persona 5

This one has been a long time coming, with Atlus’ most popular RPG series relying on some fantastic spinoffs and remakes to keep the name out there. But after nine years, Persona 5 will finally find its way into our hands, as the Phantom Thieves take center stage. Since the third game, Persona has featured strong storytelling mixed with some of the finest turn based combat you’ll find, and wrapped it up in a high school / dating simulator where you can put the moves on your party and important NPCs in exchange for new abilities. Expect the same dark themes and haunting imagery to follow along with some of the finest role playing on the market, because after such a long wait, it just has to deliver.

8, Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite

Here’s another game that seeingly came out of nowhere towards the end of 2016. Promising more of a focus on the Marvel Cinematic Universe side of things and rumors swirling that the X-Men will be completely absent, we’re almost promised a mostly unique cast of characters. It’s a shame since X-Men: Children of the Atom was the game that really kicked off this series, but if losing Wolverine means we can get characters like Black Widow, Ant-Man, Groot, Star Lord, Vision, Scarlet Witch and Loki to make their debuts, then it will almost make up for it. I’m just hoping that the return of the 2 on 2 format will make the game much harder to break compared to MvC2 and UMvC3, but I’ll never underestimate the fighting game community’s ability to scrub every nook and cranny of the game.

7. CyberDimension Neptune: Four Goddesses Online

There’s two comments I have to make about this entry. One, it’s not actually scheduled to come out this year. Two, if it had a confirmed date, it would be much higher on the list. BUT… The reason why I have the long awaited journey into Vert’s favorite MMORPG near the halfway point of this list is because much like Neptune vs. Sega Hard Girls last year, that game also wasn’t scheduled, but found its way onto the Vita by the end of the year. In other words, I fully expect this out before 2017 is over. CyberDimension will take the girls of the Neptunia series to uncharted territory in more ways than one, making their debut in the simulated MMORPG realm as their first game made with Unreal 4 and placing them in roles that are brand new to each character. Uni as a thief? Neptune as a paladin? Noire as a Dark Knight? Get me that lifelong subscription!

6. Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony

Last year marked the end of the original Danganronpa story, with the third installment being told through an anime with mixed reception. Starting with a clean slate, V3 places us in a prison with 15 other inmates, with the same goal of getting away with murder in exchange for their freedom. The biggest reason why I named the first games my game of the year in 2014 was because of how creative it got with a genre as rigid as the point and click adventure series, so I’m anxious to see how Killing Harmony will continue this trend with the ability to lie. Expect plenty of heartbreak, despair, and many a waifu candidate this year. Now, excuse me as I go on a media blackout ahead of its Western release to avoid spoilers.

5. Gravity Rush 2

Gravity Rush 2 was a shoe in for a top three slot on this list… Until the Nintendo Switch conference happened and blew my expectations out of the water. Even still, Kat’s big return is easily my most anticipated game on the PlayStation 4 this year, which will deliver a much larger world for the Gravity Queen to manipulate with her incredible powers. We got a taste of her new ways to control gravity during the E3 demo last year, so the idea of taking such a creative premise and essentially tripling the possibilities is something I’m beyond excited for. Throw in Raven as a playable character, an expanded story that will hopefully fill some of the first game’s gaps, and multiple missions to tackle, and we’re left with PlayStation’s most can’t miss game this year.

4. Splatoon 2

We talked a little bit about 2014’s game of the year, so we can’t leave out 2015’s top game! Splatoon left a strong impression on me because of how different it was for an arena shooter. To think Ninendo’s biggest new IP in years would be an online shooter where the goal is to shoot everything BUT your opponent! Yet, here we are, getting ready for our second trip to this world where squids take human forms and pass the time by shooting each other with ink all day. From the small amount of footage we’ve seen so far, an expanded set of new abilities, weapons and gear will help make this sequel worth visiting, all while hopefully packing in a much more fleshed out single player mode. Trust me, I won’t sleep well until I learn why Marie is all alone in that reveal video…

3. Xenoblade Chronicles 2

As far as I’m concerned, the original Xenoblade definitely belongs in the discussion as one of the greatest RPGs of all time. Taking Western exploration and combining it with a more Japanese blend of combat and storytelling, I’ve still yet to play a game with such scope as either the original, or Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Wii U. The surprise reveal left us with plenty of questions, but one that was answered incredibly quick was when it would be released. Promising a 2017 launch, XC2 looks like it’s picking up in a post Monado… And post Shulk world, with a more cartoon-y cast to accompany that beautiful world. At this point, I trust anything that Monolith Soft does, so I’ll continue to let the intrigue build as we trudge through the year. One thing is for sure though, I’m fully expecting to be wowed yet again.

2. Super Mario Odyssey

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is one of three games that I go back and forth on regarding what my favorite game of all time is, so whenever a new 3D Mario game is announced, you better believe that I will be paying close attention. Not that I needed much convincing after watching Super Mario Odyssey trailer, because it’s already looking like a joy to play. The big draw when it comes to mainline Mario games is experiencing how the team at Nintendo EAD manages to find a way to make the formula feel fresh despite continuously using a now 21 year old game as its foundation. This time around, it’s looking like a free roam city inspired by the real world and the ability to use your hat as an additional platform seem to be the most noticeable changes, with plenty more to come I’m sure. Odyssey has some legendary shoes to fill, but it might be able to do so with a living hat!

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Breath of the Wild at number one should come as no surprise to anyone. Easily the most ambitious title in the franchise since Ocarina of Time, Link’s Switch debut is taking the series in some bold, new directions. Forsaking linear progression for an enormous version of Hyrule to explore, our hero will have to prepare for new threats, different terrains, and the harshness of nature as the world is literally his playground. With statements being made saying that the game is possible to complete very early if you explore thoroughly enough, early word makes it sound like the game will be open ended enough to let each and every one of us carve out our own experiences. We can approach dungeons in different ways. We can prioritize resource gathering. We can give up our trademark sword and shield in favor of a broadsword or an axe. And yet, it still retains that whimsical charm and loose basis in reality that has made the series beloved for decades now. So while we have numerous games both on and off this list that will surely be fantastic, Breath of the Wild is the only one with the potential to change how we view a franchise. And that’s why it places as my most anticipated game of 2017.

Now it’s your turn! What games are you most looking forward to in 2017, which ones should have made the list, and which ones don’t belong? Let us know in the comments!

‘Splatoon 2’ Splats Onto The Switch This Summer, With New Weapons, Abilities, And 100% Less Callie!

by Josh JacksonJanuary 13, 2017

Splatoon 2 was teased during the Nintendo Switch’s initial reveal, so we know something was coming. During the big Nintendo Switch conference however, the game was confirmed to be a full sequel as opposed to an updated port like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe! Set for a summer release, the new trailer shows off plenty of new content to look forward to… Along with one noticeable omission.

In the minute and a half of footage included in its first full trailer, there’s plenty of new content to sift through. First of all, those dual pistols are look pretty sleek, covering more ground while affording speed. Inklings can now dodge roll out of danger while leaving a trail of ink behind them, although we have no way of knowing if this is a standard move, or if it’s exclusive to a new weapon type such as the dual pistols. Special attacks are also getting a ton of new versions, including a multi rocket that rains exploding ink bombs on the opponent, a sustained beam that drenches its path while taking out anyone in its way, a Super Mario Sunshine-esque jet pack that sprays ink below, and a literal rain cloud that travels across the stage with its own inky downpour!

Outside of the core game, it seems like Inkopolis has gone through plenty of changes since the last time we visited. The city looks different, and the Inklings look like they’re enjoying their lives outside of shooting each other to death. The city definitely looks more alive, with characters both Inklings and otherwise occupying the streets. But two of our most beloved citizens seem to be missing. So we have to ask… Where are Callie and Marie!? Towards the end of the trailer, we see a stoic Marie staring off into the distance without her partner. What does this mean? With the Octolings back, did they kidnap the purple Squid Sister? Will the pair no longer introduce the game to us when we log on? Or is the position of squid idol like being a Highlander, and Callie was unapologetically slain so Marie could gain her power after the final Splatfest?

Let’s hope we find out from the game’s story. Dissect the trailer with us below and try to pick out more details, then let us know if you’re as excited as we are for the follow up of my favorite game of 2015!

Splatoon 2 is scheduled for a Summer release, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch!