Described as a “booze ’em up about waifus, technology, and post-dystopia life”, this one has already gone on to sell 300,000 copies on Steam. It’s set in a cyberpunk future, where capitalist forces drive the corrupt government of Glitch City, a place known for both rapid advancements in technology and a disregard for the ethical quandaries of nanomachine experiments on the general public.
That’s where VA-11 HALL-A comes in, a hole-in-the-wall dive bar providing solace for the lonely souls facing the brutality of daily dystopia. Here’s a little PR for more info:
Bartender Jill listens to everyone’s tales while mixing drinks for strangers and regulars alike. Engage in lively conversations with a humanoid robot popstar, the editor-in-chief of a prominent magazine, a boy-crazy hacker and others to unveil the society of Glitch City as seen through the eyes of its citizens. Jill pours libations, but her patrons pour out their souls.
VA-11 HALL-A puts a shaken-not-stirred spin on point-and-click games with mixology: characters react differently depending on the drinks served and how much alcohol they’ve had. Learn more about Glitch City through the lens of a resident doing her best to maintain a somewhat ordinary life in an extraordinary metropolis.
It has also been confirmed that Limited Run Games will produce physical editions for both Nintendo Switch and PS4; Switch is also getting a special Collector’s Edition boxset. Further details on these physical editions will be announced later this year.
VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action launches on Switch on 2nd May and will be available for $14.99.
Are you excited to get your hands on this one? Will you be waiting for the physical launch? Tell us below.
Launching next week on Nintendo Switch is The Padre, a retro-stylised 3D horror-adventure game inspired by classics of its genre.
We’ve got some info for you below, taken directly from the game’s press release, but we’d also urge you to give the trailer at the top of the article a watch. As well as showing off some gameplay footage, it talks you through what you can expect to find in the game. There’s a nice comedic twist in play here, with the protagonist wittering away to himself as he explores.
“On the trail of a lost cardinal, The Padre soon finds himself alone and without his demon-slaying tools inside a dreary mansion where a larger supernatural power is at play. But fear not! The dark and striking atmosphere is often cut by the wicked humor of the witty Padre.
You will need to use your brains to solve challenging puzzles, as well as your brawns to fend off monsters, all while trying to unravel the mysteries of the mansion and your own dark past.
Be wary though, if you fail enough times its permanent GAME OVER!”
The Padre will launch on 18th April for $19.99 / 19.99€ / £15.49, available directly from the Nintendo Switch eShop.
Do you like what you see? WIll you give it a go? Give us a fright in the comments below.
Yoshi’s Crafted World is, on the whole, a game on the ‘easier’ end of the difficulty scale. Not unlike recent Mario adventures, but perhaps to a more extreme extent, simply reaching the end goal of the game is relatively simple, with the main challenge for more experienced players coming from collecting every single flower.
In the latest issue of Nintendo Dream, assistant producer on the game, Nobuo Matsumiya, has discussed the reasoning behind its difficulty. He mentions “aiming for a difficulty that allows players to have fun”, and talks about how the game’s Mellow Mode helps all types of players enjoy the experience.
You can see his full comments below (translated by Nintendo Everything). Interestingly, he gives a small nod to players wanting a similar experience to that of Yoshi’s Island.
How difficult did you make the game? Matsumiya: Because we want people to enjoy the Yoshi world we have created, we were aiming for a difficulty that allows players to have fun. Even though the game is designed around collecting flowers in order to advance to the next area, within each course it’s not only about the flowers but also the Poochy puppies on the reverse side, as well as finding all those crafting materials. That means players can play the levels over and over to collect everything.
But finding everything is a challenge in itself. Matsumiya: That’s right. That’s why we have also added the Mellow Mode (where Yoshi can use wings to fly around the stage and takes less damage) and the ability to change the difficulty. While there may be some players wanting the same play challenge as Yoshi’s Island, I think there may also be players who want to enjoy the world but find the gameplay bewildering. Because of that, we thought about how we could help out those using the more casual Yoshi. So, for example we have a notification sound play when those players are close to flowers as a hint until they find it, so that we aren’t taking away that excitement of discovery.
Of course, the difficulty of games has been a highly debated topic in recent times, mostly thanks to the release of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Having an optional easy mode in a game like Yoshi’s Crafted World definitely makes sense to us, and the Switch is hardly spoilt for choice when it comes to hard-as-nails platformers, so we’re all for it.
But what do you think? Should all games have adjustable difficulty settings? Do you find things like Yoshi’s Mellow Mode useful? Let us know in the comments.
Last week, EGX Rezzed – an indie-flavoured off-shoot of Gamer Network’s EGX show – took place in London. The event’s aim has always been to celebrate small-scale games and give indie developers a chance to get their titles in front of a receptive audience, and this year’s show certainly did that. Established names such as Cuphead, The Messenger, Inmost and Untitled Goose Game rubbed shoulders with more left-field releases, a great many of which are coming to Switch in the fullness of time.
We know this because, during our time at the show, we feel we may have annoyed a few of the developers present by starting each chat with “Is it coming to Switch?” The difference this year is that the answer was mostly positive, which shows just how effectively Nintendo has charmed the indie sector with its latest console.
If you’ve not attended one of the recent EGX Rezzed shows, it’s probably worth explaining the venue. Unlike most shows of this type, which traditionally take place in massive, featureless exhibition halls, Rezzed’s home is a Grade I listed warehouse in Wapping, East London known as Tobacco Dock. Constructed in 1811 to store – you guessed it – tobacco, it’s a totally unique setting for a games show. Set across two floors and crammed into cosy brick-vaulted rooms, EGX Rezzed is a lot more intimate than your typical game show.
The fact that Tobacco Dock is sub-divided into so many different rooms allows the organisers to create focused areas for each platform holder or developer. For example, Microsoft’s successful [email protected] indie brand had a sizeable room boasting titles such as Game Freak’s Giga Wrecker Alt., Dead Mage’s Children of Morta and Pathea Games’ My Time at Portia, all of which are also (haha!) Switch-bound. Sony had a smaller room, but devoted the majority of the space to Dreams, Media Molecule’s upcoming spiritual successor to LittleBigPlanet. While it’s not an indie title, this game-building tool was almost terrifying in its scope and potential; we imagine it will create a whole new generation of indie game makers, so we’ll let it slide.
But we weren’t at EGX Rezzed to look at things that aren’t coming to Switch – we were there to pester developers about games that are. Bloodstained was playable, and the massive indie room was packed with titles that proudly had Switch listed as one of their target platforms. The mech-based strategy title Warborn caught our eye, as did the utterly adorable Cat Quest II. In Devolver Digital’s room, Katana Zero certainly impressed, as did the delightfully silly My Friend Pedro. However, it was Nintendo’s stand which predictably drew us in for the longest amount of time.
Rather than taking up one of the snug rooms, Nintendo had opted for a courtyard in the middle of Tobacco Dock, and had arranged a series of Switch demo pods around this central structure. We got some hands-on time with Cuphead, which we’re happy to report runs absolutely beautifully on the console; it really does feel like a match made in heaven. The long-awaited Untitled Goose Game was present too, and looks better every time we see it in motion. We also got to sample SteamWorld Quest, which looks incredibly polished and very interesting indeed. Given the amount of interest in Nintendo’s stand, it’s fair to say that its policy of snapping up the finest indie offerings is working.
As a Nintendo-related footnote, we were fortunate enough to have a quick go on the Octopad, a unique creation by Patrick LeMieux. Billed as an ‘alternative interface’ for the NES, the Octopad is effectively an eight-player controller where each pad has only one option – A, B, Up, Down, and so on. We had a go on Tetris with some complete strangers, and it’s fascinating to see how a frantic dialogue is fostered when there are falling blocks at stake. Located in Rezzed’s Sega-sponsored Leftfield Room, Octopad is an intriguing social experiment which we hope we have a life beyond this single demo unit.
The Octopad proved to be a highlight of the show for us personally
During the event, a series of talks took place covering a wide range of topics, including individual games (‘Nutshots & Nazis: The Sniper Elite Story’ wins the award for best title), pop culture (Nintendo Life contributor Mike Diver’s ‘Video Games Journalists vs The Transformers Movie was a highlight) and more pressing matters in game development (Designing Sex in Games). Many of these sessions overlapped with one another so it wasn’t physically possible to attend them all, but there was certainly plenty of stuff happening, even if you don’t include the actual games you could play.
EGX Rezzed certainly presents a much different atmosphere to the ‘normal’ EGX event, which is due to take place in London this October. It’s less about glitz, glamour and free energy drinks, and more about interacting with the people who actually make these games; the venue is also perfect, offering its own unique character which somehow feels perfectly attuned to the often wacky indie titles on display. There were some odd inclusions (Borderlands and Forza 7 aren’t really indie, are they?) but what really struck us this year is how good a job Nintendo is doing when it comes to winning the hearts and minds of the independent gaming scene; a far cry from the rather tempestuous relationship the company has had with indies in the past.
If you’re looking for something a little different to play on your Switch, Wales Interactive’s next project might just be the perfect thing.
As part of a collaboration with developer Superstring, the publisher will be bringing Headspun to Nintendo Switch this summer. It places live-action footage inside its gameplay (you can see it in action in the trailer above), making for an interesting and unusual hybrid of styles. We’ve got a description of the game for you below.
After waking from a five week coma, Theo Kavinsky finds his life in disrepair, and with no memory of the accident, it’s up to Ted and Teddy – the conscious and subconscious voices in his head – to work out what happened, and put his life back on track.
Combining live-action storytelling with elements of Adventure, Headspun puts players in the shoes of Ted: the Director of Cortex – the rational, intelligent voice in Theo’s head. What Ted thinks is best for Theo isn’t necessarily a view shared by Teddy, however, the primal, subconscious voice. In the process of repairing Cortex, re-hiring a team and finding out what happened the night of the accident, Ted and Teddy must cast aside their differences and learn to work together.
The game was fllmed on location in January 2018, telling a story of “recovery, discovery, and the ongoing battle between logic and emotion”. Here are some of the features you can expect to enjoy:
– Rich FMV story-telling – Branching dialogue – sway the outcome of your interactions – Rebuild Cortex – earn Neuros to hire staff and commission renovations – Retrieve Lost Memories and work out what happened the night of Theo’s accident – Original Synthwave Score from Soho Loop
Will you be keeping an eye out for this one as we get closer to its release this summer? Let us know your first impressions in the comments below.
Before the month of March, VR gaming was non-existent on the Switch. Nintendo then announced Labo VR and went on to reveal there would be entirely free game updates for Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. It’s all happening so fast, we now can’t help but think about what’s next.
After taking some time to let the most recent announcement sink in, our video producer Alex Olney is now confident Nintendo will be introducing a Switch pro model with superior specs, to support all of these lovely VR experiences. An improved system is also likely to help to encourage fans to get behind this new technology.
So, what do you think? Is Alex onto something here? Is VR on a new Switch model meant to be? Tell us down below.
It’s hard to believe, but a 25-year-old art graduate by the name of Micah Yates somehow managed to make the already stunning artwork featured on Pokémon Trading Cards even better.
The Kentucky-based Instagram artist, who also goes by the online alias Lunumbra, does this by removing the border on the card and painting over all the important information required to follow the rules of the game.
While her artwork has been around for a number of years now, Yates recently spoke to the BBC about how it all began.
“I always wondered what was behind the square on the Pokemon card. This is an opportunity to take the border off the artwork and see what’s behind it.
When Yates started painting cards in 2014, she was attending art school and actually wanted to be an animator instead. This all changed when her artwork for ten painted Pokemon trading cards went viral on Reddit overnight and people began paying her. Each card now fetches a reasonable sum:
“They usually go for between $70 and $90, but my Snorlax card went for $300. I don’t know why – I think people just like Snorlax!”
She once a sold an Umbreon and Espeon pair for $400 and also gets sales from her paintings as well, which sometimes sell for upwards of $300 (£230). Take a look at all of Yates’ borderless Pokémon TCG artwork below:
No, you’re not misreading the above headline. A retail version of Panty Party for the Nintendo Switch is indeed on its way to the west.
The game’s publisher Cosen has announced the Switch eShop version will be made available in late April or early May for $14.99, and a physical release is also “planned” for outside of Japan.
Panty Party is described as a fast-paced battle game where you fly about “as a panty” on the street searching for fights against “enemy” panties. It promises plenty of comedy, love, passion and a dance-inspired soundtrack.
As badass as it all sounds, don’t expect this game to be filled with adult imagery. As noted by the official game page:
“All you get is funny and stupid panties!”
The Switch version of this title will also include multiplayer battles for up to four players. Below is a trailer leaving very little to the imagination:
What do you think about a local retail release for a game like this? Will you be picking it up yourself? Tell us in the comments section.
You might recall a story during the Wii U generation about how the British-based developer Criterion Games – best known for its work on the Burnout and Need for Speed series over the years – was supposedly asked to work on Nintendo’s futuristic racing game F-Zero.
In the end, nothing came of it, with Criterion Founder Alex Ward explaining back in 2015 it was one of many licenses the studio had allegedly been offered over the years. However, during an interview on last week’s Game Informer Show, the host Ben Hanson asked again about this opportunity the developer had and Ward responded by saying it was completely false. Here’s the full transcript (thanks, Nintendo Everything):
“Once and for all, Nintendo didn’t come to Criterion and ask us to make F-Zero. Nothing of the sort at all. Complete false. “
“Somebody quite junior in Nintendo in Europe, who isn’t there anymore, sent me an email and said, ‘Hey, some of us were talking.’ Some of us – what does that mean? That could be the water cooler… And this guy just sent me an email out of the blue, so then I take that email and I replied and said, ‘Well, he must have maybe thought we were an independent company and we weren’t.’ We were wholly owned by EA. One we’re owned by EA. Two, if you want to talk to EA – and those companies have all those discussions all the time – you have to contact this guy in EA and I gave him the email address. And that’s it.”
It wasn’t as if Shigeru Miyamoto had personally contacted Criterion. Ward went on to explain how this Nintendo representative was “very junior” and would have never been able to reach out to a senior staff member at EA. To further clarify. he said it was “never a formal thing” and was more of a pipe dream.
Even though Ward now runs his own independent studio Three Fields Entertainment, he’s “not really big” on F-Zero, saying how he would be the “wrong person” and it’s never really been “his thing” or goal to leave a corporate company and then work on licensed games.
Super Rare Games has teamed up with Italian developer Forge Reply to physically release Joe Dever’s Lone Wolf on the Switch. Pre-orders open next week on 11th April for $32.54 / £29.99 / €33.99 and there’ll be a total 4,000 copies available.
The Super Rare edition of this game will include a gorgeous cardboard slipcover, 20-page full-colour artbook, interior artwork, exclusive sticker and three trading cards selected from a five-card set. Take a look below:
Here’s a bit about the game, from the Super Rare PR:
With Joe Dever’s Lone Wolf, Forge Reply has evolved the classic “choose your own adventure” format enhancing non-linear narration with actual role-playing game elements, such as a unique turn-based combat system, inventory and upgrade mechanics, as well as an interactive world map. The story fits within the official continuity of Joe Dever’s beloved fantasy saga, with a brand-new adventure in four acts. In order to prevail over his enemies, Lone Wolf will have at his disposal a diverse arsenal of weapons, powerful magical disciplines and his signature sword, the fabled Sommerswerd.
Will you be adding this one to your Switch library? Tell us down in the comments.
