N5S Reactions: Nintendo E3 2015

Well, Nintendo E3 Direct came and went faster than a restock of amiibos, and naturally the team at N5S will give their two cents worth is how the show faired. Did we like it? Did we hate it? Well, some of both...

N5S Reactions: Nintendo E3 2015

Review: Super Smash Bros (3DS)

Review by EggBeatr8

title: Super Smash Bros. for 3DS
Developer: Nintendo
Platform: 3DS
Bottom Line: Minor shortcomings and unbalanced series representation still don't outweigh the replay value and extremely solid gameplay that can found in possibly the best Smash Bros experiences ever crafted.

WARNING: This review assumes that you've seen EVERYTHING that Smash Bros 3DS has to offer. If you somehow were able to avert your eyes from every major leak up to this point and don't want to spoil the game for yourself, then turn back NOW.

It seemed foolish to think that just mere weeks ago we were cursing Sakurai for possibly "ruining" the Smash Bros series by giving the option to make custom fighters, adding Dark Pit as a playable character, and removing the Ice Climbers entirely. It's almost damnable to call SSB3DS a bad game, but to call it a terrible game just because Ridely isn't in it (Spoiler #1: BOOM!) or just because it's not on a home console is done right unacceptable. SSB3DS pushes the hardware limits to the extreme: delivering one of the most fluid and solid Smash Bros experiences ever, that you can, for the first time ever, take with you in your pocket for that matter. It may not be perfect, far from it, but is it the best Smash Bros game so far? More or less, yes, yes it is. 

In some aspects, SSB3DS's gameplay could be compared with Brawl, albeit with some major design changes. For one, tripping is thankfully gone for good; no more must we submit to the frustration and slight disgust of tripping for no reason at the worst time possible. But that's not the only change to gameplay: probably the most shining achievement is the character balancing. Every fighter is fine tuned just so as to not be overly powerful (ex: Metaknight) or feel too sluggy (ex: Bowser), offering a near perfect battle experience every game. It takes a bit more powerful blows to send a fighter flying off screen as well, so items like Home-Run Bats and Golden Hammers feel a little more welcome on screen than being a cheap handicap item to give the user an uberly cheap advantage over the competition. In fact, the items players will most likely go for now are the new Galaga Ship and Beetle items, which drag opponents off stage indefinitely if they're at a certain damage percentage. All in all, I've never once experienced slowdown in my first week playing SSB3DS, no matter how much stuff was happening on screen at once. All in all the gameplay is absolutely fantastic, and only made better by the incredibly smooth local connection with multiple players. On-line connection, on the other hand, does have considerable lag, and the amount of error codes I got trying to play with players on my friend's list was astounding, but even then the game held up consistently even with four players on the screen at once.

If one thing is for sure, SSB3DS definitely has a larger assortment of fighters than Brawl. On first glance, the roster appears to be a ridiculous assortment of novelty fighters like Wii Fit Trainer and Dr. Mario, but personal tastes aside, every fighter plays just as powerful and unique as the next. Characters like Greninja and Little Mac provide a super fast and easy way to play Smash, perfect for novice players, while more complex characters like Villager and Duck Hunt that require careful set up time and placement are more catered to metagame pros. Zero Suit Samus and Sheik are separate fighters from their Samus and Zelda counterparts respectively this time around, but it actually was for the best in the long run: both Zelda and Sheik have their own much needed new unique down specials, and players can finally use Samus' Final Smash without being forced to play as Zero Suit Samus- so even if it means them taking up another character slot, both ZSS and Sheik feel more like new fighters than veterans, so it's a more welcome change and gives more series representation. Literally the only problem I have with the roster is Sakurai's favoritism for representing his own favorite characters. Granted, I don't care if Kid Icarus gets three reps (even if one is a Pit clone) or FOUR Fire Emblems reps, but the fact that DK only gets no new fighters, and Metroid technically having one is really unnerving. And judging by the alternate costumes, you can tell characters like Bowser Jr. with 7 Koopaling costumes each with their own individual voice overs, and Little Mac with 16 ALTERNATE COSTUMES (?!!?!) probably had a higher priority than fighters like Pac-Man, whose alternate costumes look practically the same. Nonetheless, even if some fan desires were undelivered, the roster is still flipping amazing, and no one can say that three measly clones (not counting returning clones) are overshadowing a beefy roster of 48 characters, plus Mii Fighters; allowing you to pit Morgan Freeman, Jay Leno, and Michael Cera in a brawling match to the death.

The stages, on the other hand, are a mixed bag. Some newcomer stages are amazing: including the chaotic Dr. Wily's Castle in which Yellow Devil comes down to wreck havoc on players, and the retro 8-bit Pac-Man stage with ghost stage hazards; while some are just okay like the awkwardly asymetrical Gaur Plains stage from Xenoblade Chronicles and the vertical Tomodachi Life Stage; while the rest are plain right out recycled stages from Brawl. No one really asked for Mushroomy Kingdom back, and to add insult to injury the ground portion has been removed, and the stage somehow looks even worse on the 3DS. Other lesser mentions are the Jungle Japes and Corneria Melee stages, which ended being the only stages to represent their respective series (again: favoritism). It almost feels like the Omega Forms for stages, ergo, Final Destination forms, were meant to compensate for the low stage quality- and while they do make some stages actually barable to play on, it's a somewhat boring and needless addition to tempt item banning fanboys into playing on other stages for a change.

Characters and stages aside, replay value and content are major factors for Smash Bros, and the 3DS version is no pushover. SSB3DS features an assortment of unique modes, including returning Classic and All-Star modes, an updated Stadium mode, and the brand new Smash Run mode. Out of the returning modes, Classic feels even better than before: giving the players the ability to choose their difficulty level and the enemies they encounter to reap the most rewards at the end. If you have the guts to try 7.0 difficulty or higher, you'll encounter the nefarious Master Core; a pants soilingly powerful final boss with five forms that will give any smash veteran a run for his/her money (or technically, coins). All-Stars on the other hand remains unchanged from Brawl, and for this reason feels slightly more tedious than the other modes; probably for the fact that this time you have to complete it with 20+ more fighters. Stadium mode however, has been improved, featuring more smaller cookie cut modes including 10-Man Smash and Rival Smash. Thankfully the grueling 15-Minute Smash is gone, hopefully for good this time. Target Blast, though trying to imitate Angry Birds' gimmick of destroying architecture, is only fun for about 2 minutes and won't hold your attention for long.

What should hold your attention, however, is SSB3DS' spotlight mode, Smash Run. This mode pits you in an enclosed area as you fight your way through randomly generated enemies from Nintendo game series for three minutes, receiving power ups that in theory should give you an advantage once you enter the 'Final Battle' with your opponents who also went through the same process. To boost your chances of success even further you can also outfit your fighters pre-game with powers, tweak their stats, and giving them alternate special attacks (that is, if you found them playing in other modes or in Smash Run). This mode is the best way to obtain more customization items for your fighters and is ideal when you need more coins to attempt Classic on a higher difficulty. However, after a few rounds of Smash Run it's easy to spot its Achille's heel right away: the Final Battle. The Final Battle can be anything from 'Run faster than anyone else' to 'Team Smash' or to the baffling '300% Smash' which gives everyone 300% damage at the start which made the effort of collecting power-ups seem utterly fruitless. You have no idea which of these 'Final Battles' will take place, and since some characters clearly have overall stat advantages for certain Final Battles even without the power-ups, you'll either end up owning the entire game or lose absolutely by the opponent A.I. To be fair, regardless of its obvious faults, Smash Run is best when played locally with others. It's clear that it was meant merely for a fun mode to play with others and to collect customization parts, though I do wish it was less random.

To conclude my lengthy review, SSB3DS is the semi-best Smash Bros ever made (Yes, I'm calling the Wii U Version the better version), and you can't tell me otherwise. Yes, Smash Run can be broken, Little Mac will no doubt be banned within a week from now, the stage selection could've been better, and any fan will look at the roster of 48 and come up with a list of at least 10 fighters that the game should've had, but these objections should not deter anyone from enjoying one of the most essential titles on the 3DS.

Pros:
+Astounding production values and character roster 
+Superb running speed keeps gameplay smooth at a constant framerate
+Great Replay Value
+On-line runs with few lagging issues (sometimes) 

Cons:
-Smash Run can be frustratingly random
-Returning stages are a ho-hum affair
-Uneven series representation

    

Review: Super Smash Bros (3DS)

Nintendo @ E3 2014 Impressions

I'm not one to immediately jump to conclusions as to which big company "wins" E3 every year, so that's probably why you're reading this three days after the Digital Event, but now I've had time to come to a consensus and from what I've seen this year, Nintendo really knocked it out of the park. While Microsoft and Sony were catering to the teenage angst of fan services, glorifying 60 fps and exclusive DLC like they were the raining holy mana bread of gaming, Nintendo took the Digital Event and Treehouse after party as a means to showcase what games are truly meant for: fun. Here are the main highlights from this week's Nintendo @ E3:

Nintendo @ E3 2014 Impressions

3 Reasons Why Nintendo Not Holding A Big E3 Conference This Year Is A Good Thing.

Nintendo fans had woken up today with rather unfortunate news that the Big N won't be holding a big  conference for this year's E3, but would opt instead to host two smaller events to announce new software. Unsurprisingly, this has set off a disappointed outcry from the fanbase as if they were entitled from birth to get every Nintendo announcement in one day, because dammit, if Nintendo doesn't host a conference how the hell will we know if Mother 4 is announced?!

"I'm already half-dead, Nintendo, what more do you want from me?" 

But cry, rant, or say Nintendo has gone poor, because when you consider in the others factors, Nintendo not hosting a big conference this year is actually better for the gamers. You shouldn't complain, because: 

3. Big E3 Conferences Aren't For the Gamers. 

Reality check quiz: why doesn't E3 allow your average Joe to walk into the convention? Ding, Ding, time's up! If you didn't answer that question within ten seconds and/or your brain was genetically infused with a sloth at birth, you seriously are out of the loop. You either have to be an investor in the game's industry, are a part in the industry, or know a cousin's cousin who happens to be a game developer and invited you to E3 in order to set foot in the convention- and I might be stretching it there with that last one. E3 is not open to the public. The demos on the showroom floor are solely for the persons I mentioned above and are only there because if you're going to invest or be inspired in something it's better to actually see the fangled thing with your own eyes. E3 is only live-streamed to the public because you will be the one's that will be voicing your input about which hard/software is better, thus giving investors a somewhat clearer picture of what to invest in- and it's not even the biggest factor in their decisions. It's like watching the bigger kids ride a roller coaster and then having them asking you how the experience was.

"But lo!" you hark, "Don't the gamers matter more than that? WE buy the games, for crying out loud!" And that's the thing: if you did matter more E3 would be open for the public. Your pleas for another F-Zero are muffled out, because conferences are 45 minute bore trains to show how their new consoles can play movies on the internet while allowing you to simultaneously post dick jokes on your friend's FaceBook pages. By the time they get to the actual game(s) the whole f***ing process repeats again as we're informed how you can live feed your entire gaming chat adventures to other players like it's the gopdamn future of video games, and implying you poor sad sack of a human being will even have friends after you post "GAIS IS THER A CODE TO MAKE LARA CROFT NAK3D PLES I N33D THAT CODE?!?!!?!" for the tenth time in under three minutes. It is a tech show in soul, and your gut spilling reaction to last year's Microsoft conference is not going to change anything anytime soon.  

"Thanks, Microsoft, this is just what I f***king wanted." 

Saying E3's main concern is the gamers is like saying G4 was totally about video games and not game shows about vomiting (also, I totally killed two birds with one stone with that last picture). Nintendo says they'll focus on games for the show and instead focuses on Miiverse like they invented social media, because that's unfortunately what you have to do when you host at E3. "But woooooooooooooe!" you insist on whining in my ear, "E3 gives us something to look forward to at least!" Yeah, and that's another problem, because:

2. The Pre-E3 Hype Is Awful. 

Don't get me wrong; I'm not dissing on the hype train photoshops (I mean, look at that), but sometimes I have to throw my arms in the air whenever I read lists (Yes, lists) of games people are expecting from E3 and just say, "WOW". I don't know if it's in spite of pessimism or a bad act of trolling, but it puts a dampers the whole E3 experience for everyone. We live in an age where someone can take a joke like Sonic appearing in Mario Galaxy 2, twist into a rumor, allowing everyone to grab hold of it until the facehugging rumor pandemic automatically becomes Biblical fact. E3 is the festering abysmal hole of tears and unanswered dreams, and we jump off the crazy cliff like figurative suicidal lemmings every year, believing this garbage, and the rest us are submitted to hearing disappointed fans complain how the new Zelda looks too childish or (do I dare say it?), mother of God, Nintendo revealed a casual game at the show. Gasp! Welp, time to return our Mario fanclub badges, guys, Reggie still hasn't broken his fanboy tear addiction.  

"Did someone say fanboy tears?! I hope they're grape flavored!"

First of all, you don't have a Mario fanclub badge, you sad sack, and stop lying- we can smell your fear. And secondly, Nintendo can release whatever they want, okay? You rubbing your lucky ball (or actual balls) to the melody of California Girls played backwards is going to get you F-Zero as much as flaming Nintendo's e-mail page with hatemail- because that Zelda game was too bright, dammit, are you trying to blind me?! You're as much as a psychic as I am, and I hate to break it to you, but no amount of holy optimism that makes you believe that you'll get everything you want from one show is going to make your dreams come true.  

Sure, we're finally getting Earthbound after so many years, you may point out, but not because we wished for it but because we repeatedly asked for it. We didn't make Operation Rainfall work by just hoping, we had to beg for those games to get localized. It's not entirely the same philosophy for games that don't even exist yet, and I'm not trying to tell you to not have a little faith, but Nintendo is a game company that sells games, and only releases games that they know people will buy, not some wild figment of your imagination. If you want a game to be released, form a vocal community; if you're just predicting what will be shown don't act surprised afterwards that Mario Sport Mix 2 was revealed instead of Mother 4, because Nintendo doesn't have a freaking sixth sense. 

  

 "We have no idea how to make you all you f***ing happy; here's a game where you stare at our logo. F*** you if you don't like it, we're rich." 

Granted, everything fuels some kind of hype, but when we expect something big like E3 how are we supposed to act? The wait period is brutal as it is, and it's bad enough that we end up watching a Miiverse TVii conference when E3 does happen. That's why there's a better alternative:

1. Directs Are A Better Way To Announce Big Titles.

  

 A years ago, a Nintendo Direct wasn't something to get extremely excited about. They were merely appetizers, there to make us hungry, but not enough to write home about. Non-Specific Action Figure skit was good, but something to look forward to as opposed to an E3 conference? Not happening. But then something did happened. Nintendo set off the year with a bang in January by announcing a new generation Pokemon game(s) out of nowhere. In February they surprise our butts off with a Wind Waker HD remake, a Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem crossover and a Xenoblade-style sequel for Wii U, while promising more games to come this coming E3 confer- (oh yeah). In came March and yet another amazing show revealing a new Mario & Luigi RPG and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3DS port among other things. And as if they were planning they're absence from E3 from the very beginning, they hosted a Direct this month again melting our faces off with A Link to the Past sequel, because gosh darnit, if you're going to melt fanboys' faces off always tease them with a Zelda game.

What makes Directs better than the biggest video game show ever is that you have no idea when Nintendo is going to announce one. There is no time for hype or speculation. Nintendo can host their own show on their own timeline without having to vigorously impress the media, in exchange allowing smaller game companies an opportunity to show their own games. It's a show especially for Nintendo gamers and the people that want to support them, and that's just awesome.

Did I mention they showed A Link To the Past sequel? Because they totally did. 

If E3 is out of the picture, we'll no doubt get more information about big game releases via monthly Directs. Everyone gets their big releases EVERY MONTH, and Nintendo can run a show without filler: everyone wins.

Nintendo's big absence doesn't mark the end of E3, but I sure hope it begins Nintendo's new line of independence from all that hooplah in the future. And I will be anticipating that future.

  

3 Reasons Why Nintendo Not Holding A Big E3 Conference This Year Is A Good Thing.

Top 5 Best Waluigi Games Of All Time

No Nintendo character gets as much love as Waluigi. Not only did he get a starring role on every Nintendo console to date, but his popularity spawned many spin-offs and crossovers. And who can deny that stache'?

Ladies? 

There was lot of great Waluigi games, and since Nintendo is dubbing this year the "Year of Waluigi" we decided it seemed fitting to sit down and discuss once and for all which of his games were the best. After a week of discussing it over (ergo; slap fighting) we have come to conclude that the following 5 are the best games the lovable purple plumber has starred in: 

5. New Super Waluigi Bros. 3 (Wii) 

While both previous NSWB games were good fun, they pale in comparison to the third game in the series. Actually adding "New" to the rebooted franchise, NSWB3 pits our four heroes (Waluigi, Wario, Dry Bones, and Birdo) against the evil king Wart yet again, but this time they have to collect radishes- lots of radishes. While some can argue that the radish collecting was a dumb gimmick, it at least proved to offered a fun challenge to beat each others' high score on Radish Rush Levels (though, it unfortunately capped at 30,000 radishes). On top of the already extensive content the game offers, new DLC packs will deliver more Waluigi radish-collecting action in the months ahead, so there's plenty to do in an already awesome game. Can't wait for the sequels! 

4. Wario is Missing! Starring Mickey Mouse (NES)

Considered by some to be the greatest educational piece of software in existence, Wario is Missing is Waluigi's fourth starring role in a video game, and is Nintendo's first major collaboration project with Disney (let's try to forget their later attempts with Disney Wii Sports Bowling) When Wario is taken away by evil Pete's henchmen for not paying his taxes, it's up to Waluigi and Mickey Mouse to save him by solving algorithm problems, learning about tax refunds, and answering pop culture questions about Madonna's new hit singles. Difficulty settings from Pre-school to college to "know-it-all" assure that everyone can enjoy the game and boost their I.Q. by 40 points. A thought-provoking storyline will keep you engrossed until the last tearful ending (I dare you to find a more perfect ending in a video game), while accompanied by some of the most epic music in video game history. Wario is Missing! should be part of everyone's childhood (if it isn't, stop playing video games right now, your childhood sucked). 

3. Waluigi Pinball (DS) 

Regarded as the best DS game of all time, Waluigi Pinball offered one pinball table (one was all you needed) of pure unadulterated fun. Unfazed by Mario's previous pinball adventure, Waluigi steps it up a generation later by cramming himself into a ball and delivering the most essential DS game you could ever own on the console. This game made Metroid Prime Pinball look like sh*t in comparison. In fact, it made all DS games look like sh*t. Do we really need all those Pokemon games? Throw that crap out, brother; the DS has only one cartridge slot after all. 

2. LEGO Waluigi Bros. Vs. Capcom (Gamecube)

Know why this game is on the list? YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY?! Where else can you pit LEGO Waluigi and Birdo against Ryu and Amaterasu?! NO WHERE, B*TCH. Think Contra made you a man, you punk hipster?!?!?!?! This game gives you more balls than Pokemon!!! The Water Level alone takes FIVE YEARS to beat, you momma's boy!!! Melee got sh*t to this game!!! Third-parties might as well stop developing Horzes 3D pock-sh*t and just start making HD ports to this game!!! If this game isn't part of your daily EVERY WAKING MOMENT routine stop playing video games right NOW and go back to your momma's uterus, because your brain needs more time to develop and appreciate ART when it's staring in your stupid face!!!! 

1. Super Final Waluigi Fantasy RPG DX (SNES) 

You know what went wrong with SQUARE ENIX? The moment they decided this game didn't need a sequel. That's like declining chocolate cake, because your dumbarse brain registered a Portal meme joke. YOU STUPID. Final Fantasy has gone to the dogs as soon as Waluigi stepped out of the picture. I hope you're happy playing All The Bravest and looking up Lightning's skirt you apologetic scorn sons of a !@#$%$ #$%#@ %$#$ and perpetual feces slinging #$%& #$@% because the FF you know is a lie to appease you fickle fats. You never played Super Final Waluigi Fantasy RPG DX because you're all too emo and your Macs don't support the emulator! You don't know how REAL RPGs should play like. You pay $15 for an iOS Rom dump you can play on auto you sad sack of sh*t. Super Final Waluigi Fantasy RPG DX has you starting at Level -40 and level grinding makes your level go DOWN!! Super Waluigi Fantasy RPG DX has NOT ONE stupid CGI cut scene- because the graphics couldn't render it, you uncultured stupid-y stupid's stupid!!! Crono Trigger has got nothing to this game!!!! Go back to playing Kingdom Hearts you #$%&@- your kind doesn't deserve to even look upon the godly pedestal this game is situated on for your stupid face would melt off like that Nazi from Indiana Jones!!!! 

Honorable Mentions: Waluigi's Mansion, Waluigi's Woods (A-Rated title),  Waluigi Time, Waluigi Touch and Go! (also an A-Rated Title), and Waluigi 2: Wario's Adventure. 

Happy Year of Waluigi, everyone!

Top 5 Best Waluigi Games Of All Time

Review: Adventure Time, Hey Ice King! Why did you steal our Garbage?!

Review by EggBeatr8. 

Title: Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why did you steal our garbage?!
Developer: Wayforward
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Bottom Line: Even if you don't watch the show, this game will keep you entertained at least until the Credits roll.

 For the sake of brevity I'll just call the sub-title "3DS" for this review. 

Many video game heroes have a good reason to set out on the adventure: princesses being kidnapped by fire-breathing turtles, finding some 16 year-old girl's memory because she has amnesia, to tracking down a maniacal warlord set on controlling all worlds (but first, let's go sing with Ariel!)- Finn and Jake are out on an adventure because a wizard stole their garbage. Now they have to trek the land of Ooo in search of Ice King to see what he's up to, while helping Princess Bubblegum find her stolen panty hose on the way. You can probably guess by now that this is based on a ridiculously weird Cartoon Network show, but it's just like any other Adventure Time episode, albeit in video game form. While licensed games are usually bargain bin material, WayForward steps in and makes a very decent game while retaining the odd charm of the show. The adventure lacks some depth, but it's still a very enjoyable game. 

Fans of Zelda 2: Adventures of Link* (*raises hand) will really enjoy the retro shout-out to that game, for Adventure Time 3DS is inspired heavily from it. On the map screen you'll travel top-down RPG style, while enemies appear randomly on screen, and you have the choice of either confronting them or avoiding them altogether. All battling/exploration turns the game into a side-scrolling action game, again, akin to Zelda 2. Rewarded items in random battles can be viewed on your BMO, the Game Boy look-like-alike that appears on the bottom screen, and any item can bee used by touching it twice or holding down L and using the D-Pad to help Jake rummage through the bag. Both method makes you a sitting duck, so using healing items early on is a much wiser tactic against boss battles. You can also mix and match items to make better items with even stronger healing properties. Some of the possible item combinations will produce some very weird concoctions that are surprising still edible. (Salt on their Ice Cream anyone?) 

Adventure Time 3DS captures all the goofiness of the show and adds much more than just used fart jokes. The writing is hilarious, though it may lead to a confusing adventure at the first half of the game when you get the Ragged Sock for instance: "Yeah give it to the elephant, Tree Trunks, to make a pie of course!", but even when the storyline is obscure as it is I couldn't help but to play it through just to see what happens next. I couldn't help but chuckle when "It's Dangerous to go alone, Finn" was quoted, and the amount of implied innuendos the game offers will make you wonder how this game got just an E+10 rating.

The game also has a few customization options to make the journey feel a little less tedious. Jake's special powers like morphing into a bridge or an umbrella, and smashing road blocks with his fist are fun to use and makes backtracking less of a chore later in the game (though it can be tedious in the beginning of the game). Finn can't level up by just defeating enemies. You'll have to search high and low for stat boosting up stars in treasure chests in key locations in the land of Ooo. Leveling up gives you the choice of increasing either your Health, Attack, or Attack; at a maximum of four stat boosts for each stat. While this allows more experienced gamers to make the game a little harder, it still doesn't change the fact that Adventure Time 3DS is pretty easy throughout the whole game. Enemies always go down in a few hits no matter how great your attack power, and there is always an abundance of healing items- so great in fact, you'll fill up your bag in a matter of a few battles. I played almost the whole game with only two hearts, and I only died a few times at one boss fight and only because I was paying too much attention to the finicky item screen; the other instance where I failed was at the final boss fight the same way. The rest of the game was a pushover. Thankfully, a New Game+ offers a harder challenge, but it's a shame it's not an option at the beginning. 

While Adventure Time 3DS may not pose a huge challenge to some, it's still a very good game in my book, particularly for a licensed game. If nothing else, Adventure Time 3DS will give you a good laugh for your money (but maybe find it for cheap).

The Good:
+Gameplay inspired from Zelda 2 will make retro fans happy.
+Hilarious writing. SO SPICE! 

The Bad:
-An abundance of  health items and generous stat boosts make the game a little too easy.
-Backtracking at the beginning of the game is tedious.

Review: Adventure Time, Hey Ice King! Why did you steal our Garbage?!

Valentine's Day Nintendo Direct Impressions.

Nintendo Directs are a funny thing now. It's not common that we see so many new game announcements before E3, yet now we've had three full Directs, showcasing more new games than I have fingers to count. It's probably overwhelming for anyone with a wallet, and especially those anticipating more games in E3, which will we. That's why I loved today's Direct. Sure, it announced more games (wallet: eeek!), but its focus on new DLC was the deal breaker. It wasn't amazing, BUT THAT'S OKAY. You can view the whole Direct here:

And without a further ado...here's what we thought about it: 

THE AWESOME:

Luigi...wake up! You're the star now! 

 

Year of the Luigi: Luigi has always been something of a second fiddle gag for the Mario series, but this year Luigi is starring in no fewer than three games, as a great aspect in-game than just a supporting character. Seeing Iwata sporting a Luigi hat is probably the best justice for the Green caper. Better hang onto Peach, Mario, Luigi is the new man in the house! 

 

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D: At first I was disappointed with a port of a Wii game instead of a brand new adventure, but the 3D affects blew me away- this game was made to be on the 3DS. If you have a 3DS, I recommend downloading and viewing the trailer from the Nintendo eShop. 

 

Mario & Luigi gets a fourth installment: Tweaking Luigi's nose forms a staircase in the hilarious new trailer for the fourth M&L installment: Dream Team. The sprites, a combination of Mario RPG and 3D Mario style graphics, are sure to please. And who wouldn't want to tweak Luigi's nose? 

 

THE GOOD: 

 

Is your body Ready? 

 

Release Dates: HarmoKnight on March 28th, Animal Crossing New Leaf in June 9th, Pokemon Mystery dungeon and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon both released on March 17th, a Monster Hunter Tri Ultimate demo on February 21st, and many more 3DS games being released this Summer. Can you say: HELL YES? 

 

DLC done right: 80 full new levels for New Super Mario Bros. U?! More Fire Emblem: Awakening DLC maps at half price? This is how you do DLC. 

 

Waluigi: WALUIGI IS BACK, BABY! 

 

THE BAD:  

 

This makes somewhat sense now, maybe?

No mention of major titles: When are we going to see more NA screens for Project X Zone, or any other titles after the first Q1?  

Aren't Directs a little.................long?: It's great to watch Directs, but 40 minutes is still too long just to show a few new titles. Keep Directs shorter and avoid any more Miiverse updates- we had enough! 

- 

FINAL DIRECT: 3/5 STARS 

This was a decent Direct that gave me what I wanted and left without too many teases. The 3DS got it's spotlight, and E3 is just 4 months away to deliver more. Well done. 

Happy Valentines, and have a great Luigi year, everyone! 

-EggBeatr8

Valentine's Day Nintendo Direct Impressions.

Wii U Direct Impressions.

Nintendo has done it: they have convinced me to get a Wii U, and that is incredible. Even after their 2012 E3 conference I was still not convinced to get a Wii U. Sure, there were a lot of cool games to look forward to, but I was tired of buying new consoles. The post-launch list was also pretty shallow and full of vague promises. But then I watched yesterday's Wii U Direct, and all my irks about the console have long since disappeared:

Before any games are shown, Iwata literally apologizes to Wii U owners about the lack of content for January and February, and also for the long load times of the system updates. But like a crafty Nintenja, Iwata doesn't stop at apologizes, oh no, he delivered the games- E3 debut quality games. It's as if he literally said: "Sorry we couldn't give you any cupcakes- HERE'S YO BIRTHDAY CAKE INSTEAD! HO! NINTENDO CHOP!!!" First a system with an unclear dark future, now a bright light that shines so bright, that if it wasn't a metaphor it would melt your face off just like the Nazi from Raiders of the Lost Ark.  

The gravity of games announced was so vast I had to break down this article into three sections. Not all of the Direct was great, but at least we got the goods.

THE AWESOME 

 "Dear World, I'm playing this game until the end of time. I won't make it to the party next Tuesday" -Me 

The games: Did I just watch E3? Because I totally just watched E3. If Nintendo doesn't own this generation of gaming, it's either because everyone will simultaneously turn into radioactive butterflies and explode or that the screwcap on the universe is screwed on wrong. Pikmin 3 got to shine to show off new Miiverse snapshot capabilities. Mii Party U looks fun. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD broke the house and took everyone by surprise, and even more surprising is that it's being released this fall. Platinum Games' The Wonderful 101 and Bayontte got a spotlight. Yoshi returns in a Epic Yarn adventure. Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem, in whatever form it will appear in, is going to be awesome and INSANE. And finally, as if to bro-fist every person who supported Xenoblade's localization, Monolith Studios' new game, titled X, was revealed to be a spiritual successor to Xenoblade at the end of the show. Yes, I do believe I just watched E3. Don't wake me up from this dream, ever. 

The future: If Nintendo achieved anything in this Direct, it was to put the naysayers for the future of the Wii U console to bed- and they did so with a semi-automatic...to the head. As with the announcement of the remake for Wind Waker, a second Zelda game is in development for the Wii U as I write this. A new Mario Kart and 3-D Mario (from the team of Mario Galaxy/3-D Land fame) are also planned, and will be in playable form this E3. Smash Bros. 4 will also be finally revealed in June. Sure, these are Nintendo staples, but I'm sure they got some more surprises up their sleaves.  

It's getting better: Those experiencing problems with long Wii U load times may not fret, because Nintendo will solve the problem in the form of two updates: one in Spring and the other in Summer. Instead of just providing false promises, Nintendo is determined to fix it's problems and provide better entertainment experiences. I only wish for more game companies would follow suit.

THE GOOD 

 You can never play too many NES games. 

Wii U Virtual Console: VC titles on the Wii U have been extremely stagnant. But luckily, Nintendo is not only offering a new NES title every month for only 30 cents each for a limited time, but also letting past Wii owners to tansfer their NES and SNES VC library to the Wii U for a reduced price per game. The price isn't frivolous money grabing either: Nintendo is tuning up every VC game headed to the Wii U, and allowing you to play them on the Gamepad with the ability to save at any point.  

Miiverse: Nintendo is forming it's own Facebook-esk gaming community with new filtering features, and the results are quite surprising. Hopefully I new art studio will come into place as well. 

GBA is coming to Wii U VC: Hey look, GBA games! 

THE BAD 

 Nope. 

GBA is coming to Wii U VC: Wait, what? Why snub the 3DS owners? 

"Now that we're done talking about Miiverse, let's talk about Miiverse": "And while we're talking about Miiverse, here's more pictures of Miive-" okay, we get Miiverse is great and all, but have we already exhausted this topic in last E3 AND in a past Direct? Show new features about Miiverse, good, but can we move it along after that? 

- 

FINAL VERDICT: 5/5 STARS 

Nintendo has convinced me that the Wii U is capable of producing top notch games with brilliant production values. I'm also convinced the future for console is going to produce some of the best games I ever played, and if not, I always have Xenoblade 2, I mean LOOK AT IT. This with the Pokemon X/Y unveiling are making me hyped ever so much for what Nintendo has next in store. 3DS Direct, please. 

-EggBeatr8

Wii U Direct Impressions.

The Big N5 of the Week - Brave LEGO ninja soldiers know the Force

It has happened. We are all scavenging survivors of the apocalypse: never to know the life we had before and forced to eat each other once our Twinkie supply has run out. ...Wait...what's that you say? We're still alive? Well, I guess this would be a good time to reflect on what happened in the past week, before we resort to cannibalism...because you're looking mighty tasty... 

5. Swords and Soldiers coming to 3DS eShop. 
The WiiWare cult hit Swords and Soldiers is coming to the 3DS eShop next year. No word on a release date, but a Demo was hinted for next year. New DLC was also confirmed for all you viking mercenaries who want more post-game content. 

4. Senran Kagura Burst Localization teased? 
This busty ninja 3DS game from Japan (courtesy of XSeed) might be getting a Western eShop release. Producer Kenichiro Takaki, hoped to bring the game westside in downloadable format. The game is already on the Japanese eShop, and while it may never reach the West, Takaki had this to say: "I'll wrap the world in happy bobs next year." Well, that could mean many things, but it still gives hope for future localizations.

3. LEGO Zelda was almost a reality.
Sadly it was debunked at the last second in favor of Back to the Future. It was so close too. This would've been incredible as an actual game, but now we at least get to cheer on LEGO Mario or LEGO Metroid in the future. (Come on, make it happen!)



 

 2. Animal Crossing New Leaf outsells in Japan (Over 2 Million copies!!) 
Every copy sold in just one week: both retail and in pre-paid cards. New Leaf outsold more in Japan in one week than any other game released during or prior to it's launch, also boosting 3DS sells, outselling the Vita 46 to 1. Game sales now reach just over 2 million copies, both physical and digital. Judging by the size of Japan, I'd say literally everyone with a 3DS has AC: NL- or five 3DS's each, yeah that could be it. I can't wait to see how well it does worldwide! 

1. NP spiritual successor Nintendo Force Magazine! 
With the closing of Nintendo Power magazine, came the loss of a great childhood memory to all of us. But luckily for you, it is not ending: the internet's most faithful Nintendo fans are coming together to bring you the spiritual successor to the magazine, called Nintendo Force. You can view their home page to learn more of this exciting new project. May the Force be with you.

In other news, a new Mother (Earthbound) re-release is in the making, and GameFreak will reveal big news concerning Pokemon on January 8th! We'll be sure to bring more info once we learn more! 

Happy New Year, Everyone!  

~EggBeatr8

The Big N5 of the Week - Brave LEGO ninja soldiers know the Force

The Big N5 of the Week - Over Ruled!

Hello everyone! Welcome to another edition of the Big N5; where we bring you the best news of the week while Japan is busy whipping fingers screaming "Objection!" to men wearing top hats! 

5. Nintendo reveals the crazy beta prototypes for the Wii U Gamepad. 
What you're staring at is not GE microwave cover from the 80's, but the actual first prototype for the Wii U Gamepad. It looks...futuristic? A Wii Zapper with a video screen was also considered for Nintendo Land. You can read and see all the craziness in the Iwata Asks Interview link I just provided. 

4. One man sets out to make a full 3D first-person Pokemon game.
It might seem too impressive (especially incorporating a Minecraft Pokemon mod in it's design), but this is shaping up to be an interesting fan made game - made by one person nonetheless. The music needs some work, but for a game that's going to be free, you got to give the guy a nod for trying.

3. Nintendo blocks European gamers from buying 18+ Rated content at certain times of the day. 
What the heck, Nintendo? The blocking is due to parental controls, which Nintendo stated further with this statement: "We have thus decided to restrict the access to content which is unsuitable to minors (PEGI) to the 11pm - 3am time window." At this time Nintendo assumes that all adults only play games at late nights and early mornings, and won't say whether they'll take down the parental block or not. Hopefully the outcry from angry gamers will put sense into their heads: We need sleep!! 

2. Nintendo Direct: Pikmin 3, bells n' whistles, and delays. 
Last week's Nintendo Direct gave us more images and gameplay videos for Pikmin 3; showcasing the game's beautiful graphics and detailed environments. That's all the Pikmin 3 you'll see for awhile however, since the game has been delayed until Q3 2012. Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon has also been delayed for Q2 2012. Ouch. On a better note, Harmo Knight has been slated for localization in NA and Europe sometime in Spring 2012 on the Nintendo eShop. 2012 is looking to be a good, though late, year for Nintendo gaming. 

1. Capcom releasing Street Fighter X Mega Man for FREE this month! 
Miss your Mega Man fix? We all do, son don't worry. But get ready to control your body, because Capcom is releasing Street Fighter X Mega Man on the PC FOR FREE on December 17th! Granted, it started out as a fan game, but Capcom took it under it's wing and gave it a touch up- and what am I kidding, IT'S FREE. IT'S OFFICIAL. IT'S MEGA MAN. IT'S STREET FIGHTER. IT'S FREE. DO YOU NEED ANY OTHER REASON TO NOT BE EXCITED?!?! Merry Christmas Mega Man! Great to see you back in action!


And Merry Almost-Christmas to all of you! Join us back next week for another installment!
 

The Big N5 of the Week - Over Ruled!

The Big N5 of the Week - We Want U!

Well Nintendo held another Nintendo Direct last week, which makes it the 39th show this year (I kid). A lot of exciting news was showcased, and we FINALLY got the official Wii U price and release date! But that's just only the tip of the iceberg!

5. Wii U games will be $59.99 each.  
Better break open that piggy bank, because Wii U games will be officially $59.99 at release. While that's $10 more than Wii games, hopefully Nintendo won't wait 5 years to introduce a "Nintendo Select" for these games or at least lower the prices.

4. Monster Hunter Tri 3G HD Ver. coming to Wii U! 
It's a surprise in itself that Capcom actually announced something for the Wii U, but even more surprising is that it's getting localized for America and Europe! The 3DS version is also being localized, and both versions will be able to connect and share save data. Tri 3G will be a Wii U launch title for Japan and is scheduled for a Spring release everywhere else.

3. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon headed to the 3DS! 
Mystery Dungeon returns to the 3DS as revealed last week. This time around your default character is Pikachu (as opposed to starting out as a random starter based on your answers to some in-game questions) and you can pick from 5 starter partners +Axew and journey through 3-D environments in the series first new look overhaul. An interesting new feature has you takine AR pics of objects and turning them into dungeons (lucky sweater dungeon Ho!). Watch the trailer and see for yourself!

2. Bayonetta 2 revealed as Wii U exclusive! 
Probably the most surprising news of this week is the unveiling of Bayonetta 2, an Xbox360 hit, being a Wii U exclusive! This has been met with extreme hate comments from previous fans of the first game, but it's worth noting that Nintendo is the only reason this game is being released, since SEGA was going to cancel the series. Better throw Nintendo the bone instead of hitting them with it!

 1. Wii U 

Price: $299.99 

Release: November 18 

IS. YOUR. BODY. READY? 

Have a great week everyone!

The Big N5 of the Week - We Want U!

The Big 5 of the Week - Farewell my friend...

It's the Big 5 of the week! Grab a chair and read on what's happening in the world of the big N!

5. Someone just got a million coins in under 5 hours in NSMB2. 
Have you beaten the million coin challenge? Well this guy did it in under 5 hours! Use the video as reference and you'll be able to pull this off yourself. Who needs the stock exchange?

4. Nintendo wants to create a Gamer Facebook. 
Accompanying Miiverse, Nintendo wants to bring a social on-line forum to the 3DS for all Nintendo gamers to connect. "We have reached an era where even a single-player game experience [can] have a social component that is very important. And I think, again, that social component is mandatory." Iwata explains. "Early on, when I played a Mario game, it was really fun for me to sit and chat with my friends about, 'Hey I found coins over here, there's a hidden place.' [or] 'This is how far I got.' That interaction was great. It was really a lot of fun, and I think you'll agree that [it was also great] to help your friends in playing a Zelda game by saying, 'Hey, this is how you get past this boss or solve this puzzle.' We'll have to wait and see how it plays out, but knowing Nintendo, they'll do something extra special.

3. Iwata: Handheld consoles aren't going away. 
Tired of people predicting the doom of handhelds because of iPhones/iPads? Iwata is backing you up:
“I think that consumers who are willing to pay money for a gaming experience are looking for something that is more rich and are willing to spend some of that valuable time on that experience,” he said. “I don’t think we’re going to see the desire to have, again, rich and deep sort of gaming experiences – we’re not going to see that vanish. That’s not going to go away.” Yes! Thank you, Iwata for giving the iOS the what-to! The gaming industry would be nothing without the 3DS and all of Nintendo's handhelds! 

2. Fanmade Super Mario Galaxy 2.5 in the making! 
With full video AND a link to the demo! What you just saw there was fanmade - polished to near realistic perfection. The hack requires Riivolution in under to run, but anyone wishing for SMG3 would be more than happy to play this. Just look at Bowser's Castle!

1. Nintendo Power is no more. 
On the saddest note of the week, Future magazine is ceasing publications of Nintendo Power due to lack of new subscribers. It's sad news for all Nintendo fans, including me, whether we were the first to grab the magazine along with a free Dragon Warriors cartridge, or newbies waiting for the latest news on Twilight Princess - it was a perfect magazine. Sadly, expect your last in November. We'll miss, good ol' friend...










Try to cheer up and have a great week, guys! 

The Big 5 of the Week - Farewell my friend...

The Big N5 of the Week - Fox! Items! Final Destination!

The Big N5 returns this week with more Nintendo news! Let's get down to it:

5. Miyamoto wants Metroid and Star Fox on Wii U. 
Good news for Metroid and Star Fox fans: Miyamoto has recently quoted that he'd love to see these series on the Wii U. "With Metroid it's very easy to imagine some interesting implementation for Wii U. I think that having another screen with the gyro built in really gives you a lot of interesting opportunities for development, and we can bring a lot of our games to life in a completely unique way with that. I feel like the possibilities of the GamePad for Metroid could be really fantastic. There's certainly a lot that you could do there for that game." You can read the quote about Star Fox here. While this doesn't confirm anything yet, you can bet we'll be seeing these titles in the near future.

4. Club Nintendo yearly Gold and Platinum rewards revealed. 
If you were lucky enough to hit Elite status on Club Nintendo this year, you can choose a free item from an assortment of free games from Majora's Mask and Metroid II, to posters and playing cards. Most of the items are available for both Elite status members, so make sure to check it out and snag a free gift.

3. Majora's Mask Record breaking speedrun. 
In one playthrough a loyal gamer has beaten the speedrun of Majora's Mask by completing the game in just 6 hours 6 mins 26 secs. You can view his performance here if you have 6 hours to spend at least.

2. New Pokedex 3D Pro Japanese Trailer. 
A  new trailer for the upcoming Pokedex 3D Pro has been revealed via the Japanese Nintendo Channel. The updated application will feature no fewer than 727 Pokemon sprites with animations (No, it's not a Gen 6 preview, it's all the Pokemon and their alternative forms). Boasting also a new Challenge Mode to test your knowledge on Pokemon trivia and an updated AR viwer to view all the present Pokemon, Pokedex 3D Pro proves to be greatly improved from the last application. The application will be released in Japan on July 14, and a Fall release date is slated for everywhere else.

1. Mighty Switch Force HD announced for Wii U eShop.
View full image.
The 3DS eShop hit Mighty Switch Force is coming to Wii U eShop, courtesy of WayForward. With beautifully redrawn graphics, Wii U controller support (you can even play the game on the Wii U pad alone), and bonus new content, it's shaping up to be a completely new experience. The game is being aimed at the Wii U launch, so you won't have to wait long to play this beauty. Also worth noting that another WayForward title, Shantae, will be re-released on the 3DS Virtual Console! A release date has not been determined yet, but expect a release this summer.

 Thanks for reading and catch us back as Sunday; same place...hmm, maybe not the same time. Have a good one!

The Big N5 of the Week - Fox! Items! Final Destination!

The Big N5 of the Week - Reggie has FURY!

Huge stories for our Big N5 today. Let's see what happened in the world of Nintendo this week: 

5. Pokemon Global Link 2.0.  

After a two week hiatus of site maintenance the Pokemon Global Link is now back up and running, with exciting new features. Pokemon Black and White players can now instantly connect with other players without a Union Room, and use the new XTranseiver and Entralink to play new mini-games with other people from around the world, which boosts prizes and EXP, while increasing the number of people in the Black city/White Forest. And lastly, players can connect to the dream World seamlessly via Wi-fi. Be sure to check it out! 

 

4. Reggie calls out unsatisfied fans. 

Didn't like this year's E3? Reggie has something to say about that: "One of the things that, on one hand, I love and, on the other hand, that troubles me tremendously about not only our fanbase but about the gaming community at large is that, whenever you share information, the perspective is, 'Thank you, but I want more.' 'Thank you, but give me more.' I mean, it is insatiable. And so for years this community has been asking, 'Where's Pikmin?' 'Where's Pikmin?' 'Where's Pikmin?' We give them Pikmin. And then they say, 'What else?' For years, this community have said, 'Damnit Reggie, when you launch, you better launch with a Mario game.' So we launch with a Mario game, and they say, 'So what's more?' I have heard people say, 'You know, you've got these fantastic franchises, beyond what you're doing in Smash Bros., isn't there a way to leverage all these franchises?' So we create Nintendo Land and they say, 'Ho-hum, give me more.' So it's an interesting challenge." Take it however you must, but you have to give him credit for having guts. 

3. Two games coming to 3DS VC every week in July! 

Nintendo hosted a post E3 conference on Nintendo Driect on Friday revealing some juicy new info on 3DS titles. But it wasn't just new titles that getting the spotlight: Nintendo also announced that two VC titles will be released every week for the 3DS, through July 5th to August 1st. The first title will be the classic Legend of Zelda, followed by The Sword of Hope IIand Kirby's Pinball Land the following week, with the next two weeks titles including Tumblepop, Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters and Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 at the rear of the current release list (wait, isn't that three in one week?) Sonic Blast and Sonic Labyrinth from the GamGear are also scheduled for a Summer release, but no specific release dates are given.  Please consider releasing GBA titles next, Nintendo!  

2. Namco-Bandai co-developing the next Smash Bros. 

Nintendo also revealed on Friday that the next Smash Bros. game will be co-developed with Namco-Bandai. Nintendo didn't reveal too much after that, but they did specify that the staff teams that worked on popular franchises Tekken, Tales, and Soul Calibur are the one's in the development working on the new Smash Bros. Will we see characters like Klonoa, Nightmare, or Pac-Man duke it out on the field? Cross your fingers and hope for more info come next E3.  

1. 3DS XL announced! 

And finally, Nintendo revealed the new 3DS iteration: 3DS XL. With a 1.5x bigger screen, it will make your 3DS games come to life like never before. Unfortunately, it does not have a right analog stick and it will not support the current accessory already out in GameStop, but luckily it isn't necessary if you're already used to using one analog stick. The system will cost $200 and will released in Europe on July 28th. NA release date is still TBA. 

Thanks for reading, and join us next week for 5 more reasons to be a Nintendo gamer! 

  

The Big N5 of the Week - Reggie has FURY!