Author: sick skills

We’ll spare you the traditional spiel about how the Neo Geo was the pinnacle of gaming back in the ’90s – if you own a Switch then chances are you’re already intimately familiar with the amazing library of this beast, thanks to the fact that Japanese firm Hamster has been pumping out a stream of Neo Geo titles on the Switch eShop practically since launch. Over the past months Nintendo fans have been exposed to the delights of Metal Slug, King of Fighters, Samurai Shodown, Super Sidekicks and many other fantastic 2D masterpieces, and if you’re keen to learn a bit more about this legendary system then the timing of Bitmap Books’ Neo Geo: A Visual History couldn’t really be any better.

Click the following thumbnails to enlarge the image. Go on, you know you want to.

UK publisher Bitmap has gained a enviable reputation for creating premium, image-led tomes which focus on all facets of retro gaming. Its popular “Visual Compendium” series has already touched upon the NES (and soon, SNES) and we’ve had the gorgeous Super Famicom: The Box Art Collection to gawp at, too. However, Neo Geo: A Visual History is something a bit different; not only is it a much larger book (not just in terms of thickness but in footprint, as well) than many of Bitmap’s previous offerings, it comes with the official blessing of SNK itself.

As a result, Bitmap has been granted privileged access to all kinds of exclusive material, including official artwork, patent designs, concept drawings and even interviews with key personnel, such as artist Tatsuhiko Kanaoka, better known as “Falcoon”, and Yasuyuki Oda, who worked on key SNK titles such as Real Bout Fatal Fury 2, Mark of the Wolves and (more recently) King of Fighters XIV. These interviews are incredibly insightful and will be fascinating for hardcore SNK fans, but it’s the visual side of the book which really impresses.

This 400-page book is packed with artwork, bespoke photography of hardware and software, high-quality promotional images lifted from SNK’s vault and much more besides. Carefully-captured screenshots show off the sheer beauty of the 2D artwork which populated so many Neo Geo games, while off-shoot projects – such as the ill-fated Neo Geo Hyper 64 arcade system and the plucky Game Boy rival the Neo Geo Pocket – are also included. There’s even a chapter which focuses on where SNK is at this moment in time, which serves as an interesting look at a company which, against all possible odds, is actually enjoying something of a resurgence thanks to a recent buy-out.

Neo Geo: A Visual History comes in two flavours – the Collector’s Edition (shown here and sadly now sold out) comes in a heavy-duty slipcase and includes some limited edition art prints, as well as a rather fetching metal pin badge, while a “Mega” edition packs in even more stuff, but is also sadly sold out. The readily-available standard edition lacks these bonuses but remains an imposing book. If you plan to make a purchase you’ll need to clear some space on your bookshelf – not that it will remain on it for very long, as there’s so much information and visual goodness to consume that we’d recommend you open it up every morning to put yourself in a good mood for the rest of the day; Neo Geo is life, some of the company’s more overzealous fans would say, but there’s some truth in that. In an age when gaming is becoming more and more preoccupied with window-dressing, loot-boxes and exploring social and political issues, this book reminds us of a simpler age where gameplay – combined with admittedly sublime 2D visuals – was all that truly mattered.

Being a Sonic fans means dealing with various highs and lows, with the franchise being – we think it’s fair to say – inconsistent over the years. In the past decade there have been excellent games, ok games and a couple that should never have seen the light of day. In recent years one thing has been constant, however – the Sonic the Hedgehog social team has had a good laugh.

Even when beset by technical problems in live events or pushing memes so baffling that most of us simply don’t get it, the Sonic social media team has nevertheless knocked it out of the park for a good while. On Twitter, for example, there are almost four million followers of the Sonic account.

The latest gimmick to promote the imminent arrival of Sonic Forces is an Eggman (ahem, Dr. Robotnik) takeover of the Twitter account, which has started with a video post.

If you’re a fan of the Sonic social media team’s work it’ll be worth keeping an eye on that Twitter account over the next 24 hours.

Still, here’s a more important topic – are you planning to buy Sonic Forces on Switch next week? There’s a slightly odd demo on the Japanese eShop if you want to try it out before its release.

Perhaps you remember Tallowmere from its release on the Wii U eShop last year; we really liked it in our review. If you missed it, however, then we have some great news for you. Teyon will be taking on publishing duties this time and bringing Chris McFarland’s indie game to the Switch eShop on 9th November, priced at $6.99USD / €6.99.

The challenge is to see how far you can get into the dungeons. Each randomly-generated room gets bigger, harder, and more rewarding the further you go. You hunt for the key in each room – or die trying – with lots of enemies, bosses and treasure chests to discover. There are also various new weapons and armour ranging from Basic to Otherworldly. It aims to get you into the ‘one more go’ mentality, which it certainly did for us on Wii U.

Let us know if you will be picking up this lovely game on the Switch next week.

It’s another Nintendo Download Update for Europe, and it’s a rather interesting batch. We have some high profile pre-purchases along with varied games that are actually out this week, from promising Indie titles to a major first-party arrival on the 3DS. Let’s get to it.

Switch Retail Downloads

Monopoly (Ubisoft, €39.99 / £29.99) – One of the first games Ubisoft actually announced for the Switch, it’s now finally ready to make its entrance. Yep, it’s virtual Monopoly, though you can also customise rules and play shortened Special Goals games if you or the system’s battery are running out of time.

Cartoon Network: Battle Crashers (GameMill Entertainment, €39.99 / £35.99) – Previously on 3DS, this beat ’em up-style title takes various IPs from the famous network and mashes them up into one adventure; it can be tackled solo or in local co-op. 

Monster Jam: Crush It! (GameMill Entertainment, €39.99 / £35.99) – Based on the PS4 and Xbox One title from 2016, this chaotic racer features more than 30 maps covering forest, desert, winter and farm environments. You’ll also find 84 skill challenges and 12 “authentic” events. There are also 6 officially licensed Monster Jam stadiums included, if you’re keen on that kind of thing.

Switch Retail Download Pre-Purchase

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Softworks, €59.99 / £49.99)

Switch eShop

Morphite (Level 77, €14.99 / £13.49) – Described as an “atmospheric exploration sci-fi shooter with platforming elements”, Moprhite is a collaboration between Crescent Moon Games, We’re Five Games and Blowfish Studios, and follows the exploits of Myrah Kale, whose life “takes a sudden turn when a routine mission develops into an interstellar adventure revealing her mysterious past and connection to the coveted substance Morphite.” It looks intriguing and we’ll get cracking on a review; in the meantime you can read our interview with one of the developers.

Perception (Deep End Games, €13.99 / £12.99) – Released on Halloween, this was a definite win for marketing and savvy timing. This only arrived on other platforms earlier this year and was received quite positively; it takes the first-person scary house trope and adds a twist. The protagonist is blind, so you can only see the surroundings in limited details and outlines, effectively using sound as your guide. This is an enhanced edition that includes three options for playing the campaign and various adjustments designed to improve on the original.

Chess Ultra (Ripstone, €12.49 / £9.99) – This aims to provide Switch owners with a substantial option to fulfil their chess needs. There are various tutorials, challenges and a few different boards, along with a variety of online and offline modes. Cross-platform play and a Switch exclusive desktop local multiplayer option stand out, along with the ability to setup online tournaments. We’ll bring you a full review very soon.

Super Beat Sports (Harmonix, €14.99 / £13.49) – This shares a couple of modes from a motion-focused title previously released on Apple TV, albeit this version has additional and new minigames. There are five games suited for between one and four players, and as you’d expect from a studio that once produced Rock Band titles these quirky sports games utilise rhythm gameplay. We’ll get to the beat and bring you a review soon.

Sparkle 2 EVO (Forever Entertainment, €4.49 / £4.04 until 9th November, then €4.99 / £4.49) – A game that’s earned some acclaim on mobile, it’s focused on the gradual evolution you undertake as a small lifeform, with the goal being to ‘transform into a magnificent aquatic being’. It looks intriguing, with the idea being that you have the freedom to explore and develop at your own pace. We’ll evolve and let you know what we think in a review.

King Oddball (10tons, €4.99 / £3.99) – You take control of a boulder (the King of boulders it would seem) with the aim of using your ridiculously long tongue to lick up other, smaller boulders, before launching them at tanks and helicopters. We gave it a reasonable recommendation in our King Oddball review.

Wheels of Aurelia (MixedBag, €9.99 / £8.99) – A visually intriguing game that aims to blend a visual novel approach with 16 quickfire playthroughs. On paper it’s a fascinating idea, but the execution struggles to align an interesting concept with an enjoyable gaming experience. We feel it fails to hit its mark, and said as much in our Wheels of Aurelia review.

Art of Fighting 3: The Path of the Warrior (HAMSTER, €6.99 / £6.29) – Despite the cast continuing to endure within The King of Fighters franchise, this title from 1996 was the third and last standalone entry in this series. It might be hard to believe with the Neo Geo being mostly populated by one-on-one fighting games, but this one actually does quite a lot to distinguish itself from the norm, starting with the control scheme and the way you can seamlessly string combos together. We’ll let you know what we think of this ACA release in a review.

Switch eShop Temporary Discount

Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas (FDG Entertainment, €11.24 / £10.11 until 9th November, normally €14.99 / £13.49)

Switch eShop Demo

Heroes of the Monkey Tavern (Monkey Stories, free)

3DS Retail Download

Kirby Battle Royale (Nintendo, €39.99 / £34.99) – This left-field entry in the series puts the focus on battling using Kirby’s various copy abilities. There is a solo story mode to follow, but undoubtedly the main attraction is multiplayer brawling, both local and in regional online. There are various modes to add different spins to the battles; we’ll let you know what we think in a review. Available from 3rd November.

3DS Retail Download Pre-Purchase

Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon (Nintendo, €44.99 / £39.99) – Bonus until 16/11/2017: Download code for the theme “Pokémon: Pikachu & Poké Ball” for Nintendo 3DS. Bonus until 10/01/2018: Download code for 12 Quick Balls.

3DS eShop

Creeping Terror (Aksys Games, €8.99 / £8.09) – A spooky seasonal release on the 3DS, this one has you exploring an “abandoned mansion deep in the forest” while trying to survive being hunted by a beast.

Phil’s Epic Fill-a-Pix Adventure (Lightwood Games, €7.99 / £5.99) – From a studio that’s established a solid reputation for quality word and puzzle games, this focuses on picture logic. Described as a “mix of Minesweeper and Picross”, you try to reveal large pictures by solving one grid at a time.

New Nintendo 3DS eShop

Frutakia 2 (Crazysoft, €3.89 / £3.49) – Part slot machine, part puzzle game, in this one you try to match three or more animals as you have control over moving rows up and down. 

GALAXY BLASTER CODE RED (RCMADIAX, €1.49 / £1.39) – A basic shooter in which you try to hold off various foes descending from the top of the screen.

3DS DLC

Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond The Myth: New Explorers 6 (Koch Media, €1.99 / £1.79)

Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond The Myth: FM Synth Arranged Sounds (Koch Media, €4.99 / £4.49)

Culdcept Revolt – Bypass (NIS America, free)

3DS eShop Temporary Discount

Ambition of the Slimes (CIRCLE Entertainment, €3.00 / £2.87 until 16th November, normally €5.00 / £4.79)

Castle Conqueror Defender (CIRCLE Entertainment, €2.99 / £2.93 until 16th November, normally €4.99 / £4.89)

Puzzle Labyrinth (CIRCLE Entertainment, €3.00 / £2.57 until 16th November, normally €5.00 / £4.29)

My Little Baby 3D (Treva Entertainment, €7.99 / £7.99 until 23rd November, normally €29.99 / £24.99)

3DS eShop Permanent Discount

Battleminer (Wobbly Tooth, €3.99 / £3.99, previously €4.99 / £4.49)

New Nintendo 3DS Temporary Discount

GUIDE THE GHOST (RCMADIAX, €0.99 / £0.93 until 9th November, normally €1.49 / £1.39)

Wii U eShop Temporary Discounts

Master Reboot (Wales Interactive, €4.79 / £3.99 until 30th November, normally €11.99 / £9.99)

Soul Axiom (Wales Interactive, €4.49 / £3.59 until 30th November, normally €14.99 / £11.99)

Back to Bed (Bedtime Digital, €2.49 / £2.24 until 25th November, normally €9.99 / £8.99)

Armored ACORNs: Action Squirrel Squad (Nexcra, €4.40 / £3.96 until 16th November, normally €6.99 / £6.29)

Spy Chameleon (EnjoyUp Games, €2.49 / £2.24 until 30th November, normally €4.99 / £4.49)

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That’s your lot for this week – let us know what you’ll be downloading in the poll and comments below.

Not long ago Nintendo of Europe confirmed a November release for Nintendo Presents: New Style Boutique 3 – Styling Star, the latest entry in the surprisingly accomplished series. The good news is that North American gamers won’t miss out, even if they have to wait a bit longer before they play it.

Eagle-eyed readers will have spotted a demo for Style Savvy: Styling Star in this week’s download update, which is the localised name in North America. It’s worth highlighting, then, that Nintendo of America has confirmed the full title will arrive on 25th December. It’s not often we see a game arrive bang on that date, but there you have it. [Update: that’s likely due to this being eShop-only, which we initially missed].

It looks like an ambitious entry in the series, and we’ll be reviewing the European version when it arrives later this month.

It’s safe to say that Super Mario Odyssey has been a hit so far, both critically and commercially. It’s been clocking up impressive sales in all territories, and now Nintendo of America has confirmed a notable landmark for the US market.

In its first five days on sale Odyssey sold over 1.1 million units in the US, making it the fastest selling US launch in the Super Mario franchise – its early momentum has beaten New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which is impressive when you think back to how hot that game was.

The press release also reiterates that Nintendo is ramping up Switch hardware supplies for the Holiday season, and Reggie Fils-Aime is quoted as saying the following.

The public continues to respond positively to Mario’s latest adventure. We’re also seeing sales momentum for Nintendo Switch thanks to an ever-growing catalog of games from large publishers and indie developers.

Were you one of the early adopters of Super Mario Odyssey on the Switch?

Team Rocket boss Giovanni – who appeared way back in Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue – will appear in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon, it has been revealed today.

Giovanni has assembled a team of bosses from past games in the series, dubbed Team Rainbow Rocket. These include Ghetsis of Team Plasma and Lysandre of Team Flare, amongst others. What this new team of bad guys is up to is anyone’s guess.

That’s not the only new piece of information revealed today. It has also been confirmed that classic Legendary monsters will be included in the game, such as Mewtwo, Ho-Oh and Lugia. By travelling through an Ultra Wormhole you can encounter these famous beasts and catch them, if you’re skilled enough. Every Legendary Pokémon will be up for grabs.

We’ve also got information on the Battle Agency:

The Battle Agency is a new facility in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon where players can easily rent powerful Pokémon for battling. When players don sunglasses and become an agent at this facility, they can take part in Single Battles using rental Pokémon. They’ll have three such Pokémon to command as they try to defeat the three Pokémon in their opponent’s team. The goal: try to win their way to being the best of all the agents!  As players progress through battles, they can receive cool items such as Gold Bottle Caps. The variety of Pokémon that can be rented for these battles increases as players mingle with other players locally or on the internet. By connecting with strong Trainers, players will be able to rent powerful Pokémon to use in battle.

And Totem Stickers:   

In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon, players will be able to collect stickers called Totem Stickers, which are located all around the Alola region. Players will be able to get huge totem-like Pokémon for their teams based on how many stickers they have collected. The totem-like Pokémon that players can obtain differ based on whether they are playing Pokémon Ultra Sun or Pokémon Ultra Moon.

Finally, the QR Scanner will return:   

Players will be able to use the Island Scan to encounter Pokémon that did not appear in Pokémon Sun or Pokémon Moon, such as Charmander, Grovyle, Greninja and more.

That’s a lot of info to digest – are you even more excited about this game now?