The Messenger was one of the indie highlights of 2018. The developer Sabotage poured a lot of love into this title while drawing inspiration from the original Ninja Gaiden game. If you haven’t already played it, you might want to hurry up. As previously announced, The Messenger will be embarking on a sunny holiday in the form of a free DLC pack titled ‘Picnic Panic’ at some point in 2019.
Based on a recent ‘Q&A’ video featuring the game’s director Thierry Boulanger, more content for The Messenger could also be on the way. The upcoming free DLC was described by Boulanger as an “experiment” to test the waters and was intended to be part of a bigger DLC pack, divided into three separate chapters.
If the free DLC pack ‘Picnic Panic’ can drive sales of the main game and increases its overall value, it could potentially allow the team to keep on releasing more DLC for the title. For more information about this content, view the full video below:
Are you excited to be going on a sunny holiday with The Messenger this year? Tell us in the comments.
We’ve already heard how Pokémon GO captured close to $800 million in global revenue last year and now the marketing analysis firm Sensor Tower reports Nintendo’s mobile games made a total of $348 million in 2018.
According to the firm, $117 million was made in the fourth quarter alone – resulting in a 47 percent increase compared to the same period in 2017. This surge is thanks to the release of Dragalia Lost in September, which made around $58.4 million, even though it had a limited launch in five territories.
Fire Emblem Heroes was still Nintendo’s top performing mobile game in 2018, accounting for 66 percent of the Japanese company’s mobile revenue. The game was originally released in February 2017 and has continually proven to be the biggest moneymaker out of all of Nintendo’s smartphone offerings.
Other Nintendo mobile releases include Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and Super Mario Run. Pocket Camp made an estimated total of $48.6 million in 2018 – with its revenue down by 44 percent exactly a year after its November release in 2017. Super Mario’s paid version of Run made around $10 million last year and originally arrived in September 2016.
In 2019, Nintendo is expected to release the Mario Kart Tour “service” on mobile before the end of March.
A famous melody which has appeared in multiple Nintendo games over the years is Totaka’s Song. It was originally created by Nintendo composer and sound director Kazumi Totaka and first appeared in X – a 1992 shooter on the original Game Boy – as a secret. Since then, it’s become somewhat of an iconic track added into nearly every game Totaka has worked on.
While it’s already common knowledge this song is in Pikmin 2, nearly 15 years after the original GameCube title was released, a second version of the Totaka’s famous song has now been discovered by a YouTuber known as Quote Balrog. It can now not only be heard on the treasure salvage screen if you wait for a number of minutes, but can also be listened to if you enter any cave in Pikmin 2 and unplug the memory card at the same time. Doing this will bring up the memory card warning screen and if you wait for around four minutes, you’ll eventually hear the song play. Have a listen below:
Are you surprised it took this long to locate this song (again) in Pikmin 2? What other games do you remember this classic tune from? Tell us below.
Shuntaro Furukawa replaced Tatsumi Kimishima last year as Nintendo’s global president. Shortly after he was appointed, Furukawa mentioned how he “grew up” with Nintendo and would respect its traditions: originality and flexibility. With this in mind, during a recent interview with Nikkei – as translated by Nintendo Everything – Furukawa touched on these company traditions when asked a series of questions about Nintendo’s past, present and future.
Responding to a question about the risk factors associated with console and software development, Furukawa said the following:
“We’re in the entertainment industry; there isn’t much we can do about that risk. To us, the guiding principle by which we operate is offering customers all around the world innovative and unique ways to play games.”
When queried further about innovation, Furukawa said how Nintendo wasn’t currently “fixated” on consoles, with the current focus on the unique Switch hardware and continuing to be as flexible as possible with the delivery of this as an experience:
“We aren’t really fixated on our consoles. At the moment we’re offering the uniquely developed Nintendo Switch and its software – and that’s what we’re basing how we deliver the “Nintendo experience” on. That being said, technology changes. We’ll continue to think flexibly about how to deliver that experience as time goes on.”
In regards to Nintendo’s future plans, the president said the company could one day permanently shift away from home console development, if necessary. He noted how more mobile games could also help increase the flow of revenue:
“In the long-term, perhaps our focus as a business could shift away from home consoles – flexibility is just as important as ingenuity…I’d like to increase the (amount of) games on smartphones that have a continuous stream of revenue.”
Do you think Nintendo should continue to cash in on the mobile games market? Would you be open to the company one day moving away from home console development? Tell us in the comments.
The organisers of the 19th Game Developers Choice Awards have announced this year’s nominees. The winners of each category will be announced on 20th March at the San Francisco Moscone Center during the 2019 Game Developers Conference (GDC) event hosted by Tim Schafer, founder of Double Fine Productions and LucasArts industry veteran.
On the Switch front, Nintendo Labo has been nominated for the innovation award and is up against the likes of Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption 2 and the tile-match puzzle game, Tetris Effect. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has also received an honourable mention in the game of the year category and Dragon Ball FighterZ got an honourable mention in the best visuals category.
In terms of indie nominations, the challenging platformer Celeste has been nominated for the best audio, best design and for the game of the year award. It also received honourable mentions in the innovation and narrative categories. The developers Villa Gorilla (Yoku’s Island Express), Sabotage (The Messenger) and Nomada Studio (GRIS) are all up for the best debut nomination and Digital Sun (Moonlighter) received an honourable mention in this category. To top it off, Into the Breach has been nominated for best design and Wandersong has been nominated for the best audio award.
Here we are once again, happily lounging around for another weekend of gaming bliss. As always, team Nintendo Life has gathered around our enormously large table of chatter to discuss our weekend plans, sharing the games we hope to get stuck into and even some stories of picking up great games on sale. Feel free to read through our entries, and then submit your own via our poll and comment sections below. Enjoy!
Dom Reseigh-Lincoln, reviewer
This weekend I’m going to be returning to a much-loved game from over ten years ago in the form of Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition. The JRPG is about to sail into port on Nintendo Switch, and I can’t wait to see how well this old sea dog holds up a decade on. I’ll also be swinging various weapons into increasingly large crowds of goons in Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Definitive Edition. Presumably, I’ll be using that ridiculously overblown title as a weapon as well.
Alex Olney, video producer
For Christmas this year I got my other half Skyrim, and as a happy accident I’ve managed to get sucked back into the game as well. Since it’s not my first time playing by any means I thought I’d mix things up by attempting to play entirely unarmed, which is especially challenging given the skill for it is basically absent, unlike in Oblivion.
So, yeah. I’ll be doing that pretty much non-stop.
Gavin Lane, contributing writer
I’m away for the weekend, so I’m considering giving the Switch a well-earned rest and digging out my dust-covered 3DS. Chrono Trigger has been sitting in the cartridge slot ever since tracking down a US copy a couple of years back. It’s high time I started – I hear it’s pretty good?
I have a problem, though: Pocket Card Jockey. Every time I open the 3DS, I end up hitting that icon and thinking ‘oh, just a race or two’ and three hours go by. On a console with an incredible and substantial library, it’s the horse-racing Solitaire game that keeps me coming back. Every. Single. Time. Game of the generation.
Ryan Craddock, staff writer
I appreciate that this is more predictable than a predictable thing having a predictably predictable time at a predictable party, but my game of choice for the weekend will absolutely be more of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. I’ve already clocked in over 60 hours since it launched (which is a huge amount of time for me), instantly propelling into fourth place in my most-played Switch game list. (Others are Splatoon 2, Fortnite, and Zelda: Breath of the Wild in that order. Thanks for asking).
I’m having such a great time making my way through World of Light, playing multiplayer matches most nights with my partner (who’s starting to get scarily good now) and even doing pretty well online. More please!
Gonçalo Lopes, contributing writer
No better way to kick off 2019 than a triple dose of Nintendo online events! Expect me to sit at home in front of the TV fighting it out on the ongoing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Spirit Board event, splat for Team Family in Splatoon 2’s Frosty Fest, and still have time to represent Byte & Bark in the fourth round of the ARMS Party Crash Bash. Hopefully I will manage to stay away from first-party offerings long enough to do a few more Everspace: Stellar Edition hard difficulty runs and some lovely, better-late-than-never Pang Adventures tour mode progress.
Austin Voigt, contributing writer
With the start of the new year, I’m currently in completionist mode. It’s one of my resolutions to stop letting my backlog of games stack up – especially because I know 2019 is going to be huge for Nintendo. So, not only am I trying to juggle unlocking characters in Smash Ultimate with beating the Elite Four in Pokémon Let’s Go, I’m also working on finishing up Super Mario Odyssey, completing the Champion’s Ballad in Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and making more progress in Splatoon 2… along with many other games, on the Switch and beyond. There just aren’t enough hours in the day, man.
Liam Doolan, news reporter
Over the past week, I’ve added two new games to my Switch library. The first is ARMS – a title I never really intended to purchase because of my concerns regarding the online population in my region. However, when I saw this game for less than half its normal price, I couldn’t resist. The second game I’ll be playing this weekend is Fire Emblem Warriors. It’s another game I never expected to see in my own collection. I contemplated it on release but decided against it at the time due to more anticipated titles. As it was also less than half its regular price as well, I didn’t hesitate. I think this is the first time I’ve ever walked out of a store with more than one Switch game. It felt like Christmas all over again.
Which games are you playing this weekend? (243 votes)
NIS America has announced the western release of RPG Maker MV for the Nintendo Switch has been delayed.
In a news announcement on the company’s website, it was revealed the game’s launch was being pushed back in order to deliver the best product possible. The update cited ongoing issues with development as the main reason behind the delay. Here’s the post:
“We always strive to deliver the best product possible to you, the fans, with each title we release, and RPG Maker MV is no exception. With this goal in mind, we wanted to give you all an update on the current state of this title. Due to ongoing issues with development, the release RPG Maker MV will be delayed. We are working to resolve these issues, we anticipate the release date to be later in 2019. We apologize for any inconveniences caused to those who were looking forward to the release of RPG Maker MV, and when a new release date is confirmed, we will be sure to update our channels accordingly.”
The Nintendo Switch version of the game was originally due out in North America on 26th February 2019. The European release was also scheduled for a 2019 release. As noted in the above post, NIS will lock in a new release date in the near future. Hopefully, it’s not too far off.
Have you played the RPG Maker series previously? Were you looking forward to playing MV early this year? Tell us below.
For the first time ever, the Nintendo Switch version of Diablo III: Eternal Collection will play host to the Darkening of Tristram anniversary event. This limited-time event – which runs until 31st January – allows veterans and newcomers alike the chance to explore the franchise’s past history by playing through the original Diablo levels and slaying multiple classic bosses.
The anniversary event will give you the chance to unlock unique transmogrification effects, achievements, portraits, pets and more. Some rewards will be harder than others to find and may require you to unlock multiple achievements before they can be obtained. Here are some of the rewards on offer:
Below is Blizzard’s official rundown of the event:
Your journey begins on the trail of a group of mysterious cultists causing trouble in Sanctuary. As you hunt them down in Adventure Mode, you’ll uncover clues leading to a portal into Tristram’s past, and the terrifying darkness that took hold of the town so many years ago. . . .
Follow the clues and you’ll soon find yourself in a realm of glorious RetroVision™, where an all-too-familiar cathedral looms. Explore the depths and you’ll discover familiar enemies and iconic items, all brought to life in the Diablo III engine. Meanwhile, deep beneath the catacombs, the Dark Lord himself awaits any intrepid adventurer who dares to challenge him. . . .
Will you be returning to Hell to participate in this event? Tell us in the comments.
In what is surely the most important news of the day so far, we now have confirmation that Bowsette is technically impossible and will absolutely not be appearing in the upcoming New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe on Nintendo Switch. Gah.
We imagine most of you remember last year’s social phenomenon Bowsette, but for anyone who missed that particular period of time, make sure to check out this (perfectly safe) gallery of fanart images. Essentially, Bowsette is an alternative version of Princess Peach who has been merged with Bowser, dreamt up thanks to the inclusion of the transforming Super Crown item in Mario’s next adventure on Switch.
The official site for the game has a special section dedicated to this Super Crown, however, confirming everyone’s suspicions that only Toadette can wear it. The site even goes as far as to apologise to Luigi for not being able to wear it, but we all know Nintendo really meant “Sorry Bowsette fans – but there’s absolutely no way that character’s making its way into our game”.
So there you have it, Bowsette is no more (apart from in those corners of the internet, of course).
Now, carry on with your day as you were, and make sure to drop us a comment below sharing your thoughts on the whole thing.
A mock-up of how a Switch Mini or ‘Lite’ model could look
In March, the Nintendo Switch will have been on the market for two whole years. With advancements in technology being as fast as they are, and with demand for bigger and better gaming experiences growing at a similar rate, seeing console revisions midway through a system’s life has become almost guaranteed in recent years.
Of course, it’s impossible to know for sure whether or not Nintendo is planning to release a revised edition of the Switch in the near future; we certainly expect to see something in the next year or two, but that would be pure speculation on our part. We’re not alone in these predictions, though, as gaming analysts appear to be thinking the same thing, albeit with much bolder claims.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, and Michael Pachter, analyst at Wedbush Securities, have shared what they think Nintendo will do in 2019. Toto expects to see ‘Pro’ and ‘Lite’ models of the system (or at least a price cut), while Pachter expects to see a revision which does away with the switching nature of the console altogether.
Dr. Serkan Toto: Switch Pro and Lite – “While the 2019 Switch Pro has been already reported to be in development by the Wall Street Journal, I also think Nintendo will offer a “Switch Lite” (or just keep the current version at a lower price) to cover the lower end of the spectrum and offset sinking 3DS sales.”
Michael Pachter: Nintendo will launch a fully handheld version of the Switch at $199. “I expect the device to have the same screen, but with Joy Cons built into the body and no docking station. Since it can’t “switch” from handheld to console, it’s hard to guess what they will call it, but let’s assume Game Boy (kidding).”
Dr. Serkan Toto also believes that the Switch will benefit from “at least one new game from the mega-franchises owned by EA, Activision or Take-Two” as part of his expectation that the console will see “a lot more games” from third-party developers this year. You can read the full thoughts of both analysts here if you’re interested.
Do you agree with any of these predictions? Do you think Nintendo will release a new Switch in 2019, similar to how the 3DS has seen multiple revisions over the years? Let us know in the comments below.
