If you’ve ever taken a break from Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Odyssey and left either game running, there’s a good chance you’ve returned and seen Mario having a nap. In Odyssey, Mario could sleep wherever he liked. He was such a solid sleeper, in fact, he didn’t even need a proper ledge to fall asleep. It turns out his original 3D outing was a little more sophisticated, though.
As pointed out on the Twitter account, Supper Mario Broth, there was code in Super Mario 64 that made sure there was enough space behind the character before he could take a nap. You can see the differences between the two games in the below tweet:
Did you know this already? Do you appreciate this attention to detail? Which 3D Mario game is your favourite? Tell us below.
When Super Smash Bros. started out life in 1999 on the Nintendo 64, there were only 12 fighters to select from. As “all-star” as this original cast was, unfortunately, Link was unable to duke it out with Ganondorf.
Now, 20 years on, a modder by the name of JSsixtyfour has released a new ROM hack referred to as “Smash Remix” which replaces Captain Falcon with Ganondorf in the Nintendo 64 release. It’s not just a simple re-skin, either. This Smash Remix version of Ganondorf has drawn inspiration from future versions of the fighter and added in all of his trademark moves.
The Falcon Punch is swapped out with the Warlock Punch and the Captain’s A-button attack is now an electric jab. The weight, size, speed and jump have also been adjusted to better reflect Ganondorf in battle. JSsixtyfour intends to continue creating characters for the classic game, with hopes of eventually working out how to add them to the roster rather than replacing existing fighters.
Ganondorf originally made his debut in Super Smash Bros. Melee on the GameCube. Since then, he’s become a regular on the roster and has paved the way for various other antagonists such as Ridley from the Metroid series.
The makers of voice and text chat app Discord were vocal with their enthusiasm for bringing the service to Nintendo Switch back in 2017. It seems that they’re still keen to help out players who are perhaps less than happy with the Kyoto company’s official solution to voice chat on the console.
After the official Discord Twitter account posted an adorable Animal Crossing Mother’s Day pic, a fan asked when we’ll be seeing the app come to Switch:
Discord responded thusly:
So, although the company is still enthusiastic, a greenlight from Nintendo would be needed, and that doesn’t appear to be forthcoming. While it’s nice to see that Discord are ready and willing to integrate their solution – an app with which a great many people already solve their Switch voice chat woes – into the console itself, it seems that Nintendo is more than happy to continue using the convoluted Nintendo Switch Online app in supported games. Somebody there seems to think it ain’t broke, so a fix seems unlikely.
With Vivox, another voice and text chat specialist, having released an SDK for developers to use on Switch, some games are circumventing Nintendo’s convoluted system with titles like Fortnite, Paladins and SMITE all using the same tech to provide an in-game solution. We still dream of a slick, system-wide set-up, though! Is that too much to ask?!
What’s you experience with voice chat on Switch? Would you be happy to see Discord integrated on the console? Let us know below.
Originally kickstarted into life on PC back in 2013, Born Ready’s Strike Suit Zero was released to somewhat mixed reviews which most commonly cited problems with terrible checkpointing during missions, dumb squad AI and the late stage at which you get your hands on the eponymous suit itself. A Director’s Cut addressing these issues as well as enhancing graphics, reworking voice-acting and adding the ‘Heroes of the Fleet’ DLC was released on consoles and PC in 2014, and it’s this souped-up version which sees its way onto Switch this month.
Players assume the role a disgraced fighter pilot thrown into an ‘epic battle’ between Earth and Colonial forces (this may remind you of a famous Japanese anime series). A mysterious alien signal has granted humans the ability to travel beyond the confines earth, colonising planets as they go in search of the source of the origin of the power they’ve been granted. Fractures soon appear in the relationship between Earth and her colonies when they begin to demand independence and, absolutely inevitably, all-out war ensues. It’s run-of-the-mill space opera stuff which never threatens to develop into anything even remotely interesting, serving only to frame some very average space action which ultimately falls apart under the weight of a multitude of problems stemming from the implementation of the titular Strike Suit itself.
The main problem with the Strike Suit here is that it just never seems absolutely essential to the run of play; it never fully embeds itself into the rhythm of combat or makes the sort of big splash you anticipate when you excitedly hit the transform button, which causes your spacecraft to come juddering to a halt, flipping and twisting like Michael Bay having a bad dream, into its robot form.
Instead of empowering you, creating a faster, deadlier, more awe-inspiring version of the threat you were, all the Strike Suit actually does is make you temporarily stronger whilst robbing you of your speed and agility; it’s also on a rather stingy timer. Killing enemies in normal form fills up a flux meter which you then, very quickly, expend whilst doing damage in mech form. Your time in Strike Suit mode is therefore always on a countdown; it never gives you time to feel comfortable, instead forcing you to do as much damage as you can – mostly in a blind panic – before returning to your normal state.
There are also control issues. Dodging from side-to-side in robot form is easy enough, but moving up and down requires the directional buttons on the D-pad, so too does switching weapon loadouts required to engage different types of enemies. It’s cumbersome, and feels the exact opposite of empowering. There’s also a bizarre issue in that if you transform whilst your fighter is upside down, you are then left stuck upside down in Strike Suit mode – there’s no way to correct yourself other than to flip back to ship mode, which is an odd oversight.
Moving away from the suit itself, Strike Suit Zero doesn’t help itself by being made up of extremely bog-standard mission types which repeat themselves ad-nauseum, getting more frustrating and difficult until the credits roll. Don’t like escort missions? Well that’s tough, because there’s even one in the opening tutorial mission and you’ll spend a lot of time in this game defending giant sluggish fleet ships against seemingly endless waves of enemy fighters. And when we say endless, we mean endless. By the time this game hits its third or fourth mission, you’re looking at sorties which can last in the region of around thirty minutes. Transports are escorted, waves of enemies dealt with and complexes assaulted, and when you think you’re heading home another load of the exact same objective types arrive. It’s tiresome.
A shout out must also be given to the bomber mission which arrives halfway through the game’s campaign. Stripping you of the ability to use your Strike Suit, this is a long and plodding mess, totally at odds with everything the game has been trying to achieve with its central mechanic, and very obviously thrown in as a desperate attempt to add some variety to proceedings. It’s a low point from which things never really recover.
Other small niggles include UI problems such as red targeting boxes which overlap and become confusing to parse, and, on one early mission set to the very red backdrop of the embers of a recently destroyed planet, become almost invisible, especially in portable mode. Cycling through targets is also confined to hitting X to target what is directly ahead or B to select the nearest enemy to your craft. It’s understandable that this is a streamlined system designed to suit console controllers, but it limits your ability to engage with your surroundings and create strategies to deal with enemies.
Having said all of this, the port that’s presented here is impressive in that it performs almost identically to its console and PC brethren. The graphics are, by and large, a match for all versions of the game, although it’s a shame that even in this enhanced Director’s Cut version ship textures are so uninspiringly dull and undetailed. Missions do play out against some lovely skyboxes though, and besides a stuttering issue during a handful of very large explosions (which, it should be noted, is also present on console and PC versions) the game handles very smoothly in both docked and handheld modes. Indeed, it’s surprising to find that this type of game plays perfectly well in the Switch’s portable mode; space combat games tend to be very busy onscreen affairs but, besides those aforementioned red targeting boxes niggles, everything is easy enough to follow and enemy targets aren’t blurred or hard to see.
Other positive elements here include the Heroes of the Fleet DLC, which fleshes out the game’s story somewhat by dropping you into half a dozen historical scenarios – some of which include better mission design than the actual main campaign – and a superbly atmospheric soundtrack by Paul Ruskay which mixes dark synth strains and ethereal voices to create a pleasingly bizarre backdrop to the action on-screen.
Conclusion
There’s no escaping the fact that Strike Suit Zero is a let-down, despite the promise of this enhanced edition. The Director’s Cut has fixed issues with checkpointing and, in terms of content, is certainly a generous package on Switch, but the game never escapes the fact that its central conceit isn’t satisfactorily delivered upon. With better mech controls and some more time and care put into delivering more varied missions this could have been a great little space combat game, but as it stands it’s hard to recommend to anyone other than diehard space jockeys.
Japanese developer Yuke’s – the studio behind the WWE 2K series of wrestling games – has created a second internal team which will develop a new wrestling IP.
The WWE 2K series has seen a pretty hefty chunk of backlash in recent years (the WWE 2K18 launch on Switch instantly springs to mind, for starters) with many believing that the games’ overall quality has been declining over time. WWE 2K19 faired better with critics – and skipped Switch entirely – but Yuke’s senior vice president and producer, Hiromi Furuta, has revealed that the studio isn’t best pleased about its recent output either.
Speaking to VGC, Furuta has said that the team has been frustrated with what it has been able to achieve with recent efforts, citing factors such as its relationship with publisher 2K Sports and a lack of competition in the wrestling genre as potential reasons for a lack of quality. She believes the answer to this problem could come in the form of this second internal team.
“We are trying to launch a new wrestling game. Of course, we will retain the WWE team, but we are also aware that our creators are beginning to lose sight of their passion and confidence and becoming focused only on completing assigned tasks. That’s not the direction Yuke’s wants to go in. So, in order to compensate, we’re going to start a new wrestling project.”
“We’re not chasing money or trends. We’ll go in whatever direction we feel is most interesting, combined with the passion of whoever leads the project. As long as whoever leads the project has enough passion, then I’m sure we will achieve our goals.”
It makes an awful lot of sense. Working on essentially the same project over and over again won’t do anyone’s creativity any favours, and a healthy dose of competition and a renewed focus on sharing new and exciting ideas around the team could work perfectly. For fans, there’s also the added benefit that we may well see a new take on the wrestling genre hit stores in the future.
Have you been disappointed with the recent WWE 2K games? Would you like to see something fresh, or are you perhaps happy with the standard formula as it is? Whatever your thoughts, let us know in the comments below.
Finnish developer 10tons has shared the news that its upcoming Switch release Undead Horde will arrive later this week on 15th May.
Receiving “very positive” reviews on Steam since its launch this March, Undead Horde is a combination of action-RPG, real-time strategy, and hack’n’slash genres. As you can see in the trailer above, this one stands out by having players resurrect the dead, going on to command them in all of their evil bidding.
There are true RPG-style features present, too, such as loot collecting, levelling up and questing. This synopsis should fill you in nicely:
You’re a necromancer – a re-animator of the dead. Undead Horde is a necromantic action game with elements from action RPG, strategy and hack’n’slash. Re-animate almost any enemy and build an army of dozens of undead minions. Take command and send your undead war machine against the living and their leader King Paladin Benevictor. Equip your necromancer with endless amounts of loot and lead your army to ultimate victory!
Available in just two days’ time, you’ll be able to snag Undead Horde for $16.99 / £14.99.
Will you be raising an army of the undead this week? Let us know in the comments.
Almost every day, we see waves of online users replying to game reveals with something along the lines of “yeah, but is it coming to Switch”, desperate for another game on their platform of choice. Isn’t it about time we started asking new questions instead of simply port-begging for more games on Nintendo’s newest machine? How about, “yeah, but is it coming to NES” instead? Much better.
That’s right, Soko Banana is a new game currently in development for the trusty Nintendo Entertainment System – a console which was discontinued almost 25 years ago. The game is a puzzler said to “bring hours of fun and challenge” as you make your way through dozens of levels. You visit banana warehouses on different islands, aiming to get all the banana crates to the exit using the environment to your advantage. Traps and enemies are also there to hinder your progress.
We’ve got a feature list for you below.
Features – A brand new game for the NES, playable on real hardware – Fun and challenging gameplay mechanics – 4 different islands – each one will have its own distinct feel, with unique graphics, music and environments – 10 regular and 2 bonus levels for each island (for a total of 48+ levels) – A bonus island
The team behind the game are generating funds on Kickstarter as we speak, aiming to make around £4,000. Anyone backing 300 SEK (approx. £24) or higher will receive a physical NES cartridge, with tiers below that getting a digital copy instead.
The project has already generated more than half of the total it’s hoping to raise with 20 days still to go. If you’re interested in learning more or pledging your support, make sure to head over to the Kickstarter page here.
Before you go, though, make sure to leave us a comment letting us know what you think? Do you like the sound of picking up a brand new NES game in 2019?
Warner Bros. and Legendary’s live-action film, Detective Pikachu, has defied the video game movie curse at the North American box office in its opening weekend, collecting a total of $58 million when it launched across 4,202 venues. Disney and Marvel’s all-star heroes in Avengers: Endgame managed to withstand the pocket monster assault, raking in $65 million in their third weekend in theatres. Locally – and not calculating inflation – this makes Detective Pikachu the biggest ever opening weekend for a video game movie, earning $11 million more than the 2001 Tomb Raider movie, starring Angelina Jolie.
Outside of North American cinemas, Detective Pikachu made $103 million across 62 international territories. China was the movie’s second-biggest audience, bringing in a total of $40 million, and the United Kingdom added a cool $6.6 million to the overall amount ($161 million).
Speaking to Variety, Warner Bros’ head of domestic distribution Jeff Goldstein said he was “giddy” and made it clear it was a “big weekend” for the film. Goldstein said the success was “because of the lighthearted nature of the film” and the fact it didn’t require viewers to be Pokémon fans. Critical reviews so far have been mixed. If you haven’t already, read our own written review or view the above video version.
Have you seen Detective Pikachu in cinemas yet? What did you think of it? Tell us below.
Earlier this year, the timeless tile-matching puzzle game was reinvented as a battle royale known as Tetris 99 on the Switch. Nintendo followed this up recently with the release of the paid Big Block DLC – adding two new offline modes. If you’re perhaps seeking more of a classic fix, how about Tetris on an old school flip-dot display? This outdated animated technology was once commonly used for outdoor signage and has since become replaced by modern LCD screens.
YouTuber sinowin has managed to create falling tetriminos with a flip-dot display made up of 210 plastic discs and the assistance of a small DIY joystick and computer. Although the grid isn’t the standard size, it’s still worth watching the video above for the sound alone. If you don’t happen to have a flip-disc display on-hand, why not take some time out next weekend to participate in the Tetris 99 competition – giving you the opportunity to unlock a special Game Boy theme.
Does this video make you want to play some more Tetris 99? How about some Tetris on an old flip-disc display? Tell us below.
Sonic the Hedgehog has struggled to live up to expectations for a long time now. Unlike Nintendo’s mascot, Mario, Sonic’s adventures haven’t always worked out, mostly because of his “gotta go fast” attitude and take on life. Fortunately, this all changed in 2017, when Christian Whitehead was given free run by Sega and reinvigorated the series with Sonic Mania and eventually the DLC add-on Sonic Mania Plus.
Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka didn’t take this for granted, either. During an interview with LadBible a few weeks ago, he briefly mentioned how important Mania had been to the Sonic franchise:
“Post-Mania, I feel the character, and the games, have really turned a corner, towards where we want it all to go.”
As for the Sonic movie, Iizuka has already clarified Sega is not involved. Iizuka is an adviser, but all this involves is the movie team showing him their work and then asking for feedback. He’s also listening to what fans are saying about the upcoming movie and is passing it on:
“It’s not a SEGA movie – we’re not making it, or anything – and I’m only an advisor, really. But I do get shown things, and the [movie team] ask for my opinion. I’m also listening to what the fans are saying, and I’ll feed that back to the director – he, and the producers, are very interested in receiving that feedback. At the end of the day, it’s up to the team at Paramount to make something successful, but we’re all looking forward to seeing the finished movie.”
Between Sonic Mania, the upcoming release Team Sonic Racing and the movie, how do you think Sonic is holding up? Tell us down below.
