The first official trailer for the next Pokémon film – Pokémon The Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back Evolution – has now been released, giving us a juicy tease of things to come. Make sure to check it out above.
This film will be the 22nd movie in Pokémon’s cinematic history and the third movie in the franchise’s recent alternate continuity, following on from Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! (which loosely followed the story of the anime’s opening season) and 2018’s Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us. This new adventure acts as a callback to the very first Pokémon film, Pokémon: The First Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back, which first released in Japan back in 1998.
As well as the trailer, two official images have also been released. The first is a screenshot from the movie which was shared just earlier today, and the second is an official poster for the film, boasting its ‘The Legend is Back’ strapline.
The film is set to debut in Japanese theatres on 12th July 2019 – if recent Pokémon movie trends are anything to go by, this means that we’d expect it to arrive in Europe and North America sometime around November 2019.
What do you think? Are you excited to see this one at the cinema? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
With 2018 coming to a close today, it’s time to look forward to the exciting possibilities of 2019. In many ways, we’re actually rather in the dark about what’s to come – we’d expect Nintendo to unleash some more big name reveals to fill current gaps – but we do know about several releases which have the potential to arrive on Switch over the next 365 days.
One of those titles – and one that many reading this page will be uncontrollably excited for – is Bayonetta 3. The game is just one of several currently in development at PlatinumGames (Babylon’s Fall is expected to arrive next year on PS4 and PC, and smartphone project World of Demons is in development, too, amongst others) and the studio is no doubt working incredibly hard to make it as strong as it can possibly be.
Speaking to 4Gamer (with a translation via Gematsu), Atsushi Inaba, Development General Manager and Executive Producer at PlatinumGames, has said the following about 2019, noting that the studio wishes to “step up” its work and that it’ll make some announcements along the way.
“Next year will be an intense year as usual. It seems like it will be a year where PlatinumGames aims to step up a few steps, so I’ll do the best that I can…. If I end it with something safe like that, then my statement won’t be interesting, right? So next year we will make various announcements!”
We’re still yet to receive a release window for Bayonetta 3 – it’s worth noting that it could well come after 2019 – but development was said to be going “very, very well” just a few months ago.
Are you hoping to see the game arrive next year? Do you think Nintendo players might be treated to even more goodness in the promised announcements? Let us know your thoughts below.
After an extraordinary first year on the market, which saw it smash sales expectations and play host to some amazing games, the Nintendo Switch could have endured a torrid sophomore slump in 2018. However, that wasn’t the case and the console’s commercial success was maintained for the majority of the year, and while the blistering first-out output arguably slowed somewhat, we still had more than enough amazing games to savour on the unique hybrid system.
Join us as we take a look back over the past twelve months, recounting the highs, lows and bits in the middle that were Nintendo’s 2018.
January – A Bold Beginning
2017 may have shocked pretty much everyone – including Nintendo itself – but that didn’t stop the Kyoto veteran from kicking off the year with a bold prediction; president Tatsumi Kimishima stated that the company expected to shift a whopping 20 million Switch consoles in 2018. Given that the console was breaking all kinds of sales records – including beating the PlayStation 2 for the title of most year-one sales in Japan and becoming the fastest-selling console in U.S. history – the prediction didn’t seem all that outlandish.
While some were concerned that the Switch would struggle when it came to software thanks to Nintendo’s policy of ‘front-loading’ the system’s first year on sale with amazing games, news that the legendary Dark Souls series was Switch-bound restored some confidence, although the game ended up shipping later than other versions.
Perhaps the biggest news in the month of January was the unveiling of Labo, Nintendo’s ‘New Way to Play’ that involved cardboard model kits which connect to the Switch in interesting ways. We were lucky enough to be one of the few outlets in the UK that were afforded pre-announcement access; we were excited then, but after months of unsuccessfully finding space in the house to store all of these boxy monstrosities, we’re slightly less enthused by the whole thing.
In somewhat less global news, we paid a visit to Rare’s local video game store in the sleepy British Midlands, which was facing an uncertain future at the dawn of 2018 thanks to the rise of the internet and digital sales. The store had weathered storms in the past but sadly, it would shut later in the year.
We were also gifted with what has to rank as the silliest accessory the Switch – or perhaps any console – has ever seen. While we’re on the topic of silliness, check out our review of the first video game ‘mockumentary’, Going For GoldenEye. It’s a hoot!
The month kicked off with the confirmation that Mario would be getting his second shot at silver screen success thanks to the peeps behind Minions – something that wasn’t positive news for many people. We were also hit by the news that hackers had discovered an exploit in the Switch hardware which apparently cannot be patched. Naughty.
The same month saw Billy Mitchell’s famous Donkey Kong high scores come under scrutiny in a drama that would continue to unfold throughout the year. Mitchell eventually proved he was capable of hitting his previous best later in 2018, but it sadly seems like his name is forever tainted; a sad chapter in the life of a man who has become one of the most famous games players on the planet.
The month had a few juicy rumours, one of which related to the next entry in the Sonic racing series. The word on the grapevine was that the next speed-fest from Sega would focus solely on Sonic and his chums, rather than pulling in all manner of characters from other famous Sega IPs. This proved to be true as Sega would later announce Team Sonic Racing, which sadly would slip into 2019, missing its original launch window. Sticking on the topic of the Blue Blur for one second, we were also tickled by the idea of his creator doing an impression of the late, great Michael Jackson.
In the realm of retro gaming, the big news was the release of the Analogue Super Nt, a FPGA-based clone of the SNES which we can’t recommend highly enough. We also took a good, long look at how to get the best picture out of your N64 using an RGB mod.
Those of you who are old enough to recall the days of the NES and SNES will no doubt have fond memories of Toys R Us, the toy giant which specialised in video games for what felt like forever. The company collapsed in March, triggering an outpouring of nostalgia. We’ll ignore the fact that the firm appears to be on the verge of relaunching and keep those rose-tinted specs firmly in place.
Dodgy hardware also made headlines in March, with the news that some third-party Switch docks had been bricking systems, with Nyko’s products coming in for serious criticism. The issue appears to have been related to the latest Switch system update, and caused headaches for those players who lost all of their progress thanks to the fault. Gulp.
Perhaps the biggest reveal of the month – if not the year – was the confirmation that yes, Switch would be getting a Smash sequel later in 2018. We also found that there was life in the 3DS yet, with the welcome news that the GameCube classic Luigi’s Mansion would be resurrected for the plucky handheld, giving players the chance to experience it in 3D – which Nintendo wanted back when the title was originally launched, but couldn’t achieve.
We also covered a few interesting topics in March, including the tragic tale of the man who helped to co-create Tetris, arguably one of the most significant games in the history of Nintendo thanks to the way in which it effortlessly sold the Game Boy to millions of people all over the world. Elsewhere, the games industry reacted passionately to a showreel issued by The White House on the hot topic of violence in video games.
Oh, and March was also the month in which Luigi’s crown jewels became a topic of conversation over the water cooler. Yes, video game journalism is very strange sometimes.
April kicked off with plenty of jokes, and we joined the party by suggesting that Nintendo had gone cardboard-crazy with its next Labo efforts. Were you one of the few that were fooled? If so, you should feel utterly ashamed of yourself. Tut.
Meanwhile, rumours of new Nintendo hardware were sparked by Shinya Takahashi, and we took the time to speak to professional Smash Bros. players to see what they wanted from the upcoming Switch instalment. You may also remember that Nintendo got a new president in the form of Shuntaro Furukawa. Talk about stepping on board at the right time; in the same week, Nintendo revealed that Switch had sold over 15 million units since launch.
Sega also revealed it was bringing a host of classic games to Switch under the Sega Ages banner, and that it would be creating a Mega Drive Mini console to rival the likes of the NES and SNES Classic Editions. AtGames – which, if we’re being honest, does a pretty shoddy line in clone consoles despite having well over a decade of experience – claimed it was helping out before the tweet was deleted and the console delayed until 2019. SNK also got in the act, announcing it was making its own classic system based on the Neo Geo.
At the random end of the scale, F1 fans were overjoyed to learn that the Sonic trophy given to the legendary Ayrton Senna still exists – but they were less pleased to know it had been relegated to a dusty store cupboard at McLaren’s HQ. Given the current sorry state of this legendary racing team, you’d think McLaren would want to show off as many past glories as possible. Perhaps even more random was the news that drugs had been found inside NES cartridges. Eek.
One of the weirder stories to pop up during 2018 was the recent Soulja Boy saga, in which the rapper decided to try his hand at flogging knock-off game consoles which came pre-loaded with hundreds of unlicensed ROMs. Originally, this business venture comprised of just two different machines, but this soon expanded to include the ‘SouljaBoy Mini’ – a remodelling of an already-existing Game Boy clone.
Well, you may be surprised (or not surprised at all) to learn that Soulja Boy has now taken down all product pages for the consoles. Not much has been said on the matter in any official capacity, but the rapper’s tweet below suggests that some form of legal action has likely taken place. Nintendo has always been incredibly protective of its IP, and several other game publishers would also have been affected by Soulja Boy’s products; it’s easy to imagine that at least one company would step forward and take action.
In an interesting turn of events, though, a website under the name ‘SouljaGame’ now redirects visitors to Nintendo’s very own 3DS store. You can try it for yourself – simply visit http://souljagame.com/ and enjoy looking through some great 3DS and 2DS bundles.
And so, the moral of the story here is that stealing other people’s work and selling it off as your own to make a profit is rather frowned upon. Who knew?
2018 has been another stellar year for gaming with a mixture of major releases, remakes, and more indie gems than we know what to do with all clamouring for our attention (and our hard-earned cash). To celebrate, Nintendo has put together this short video, showcasing some of the very best Nindies to grace the Switch this year.
If you’re familiar with First 4 Figures, you’ll know that the company produces beautifully detailed figures of characters from the gaming world. The latest star to get the First 4 Figures treatment is Conker (of Conker’s Bad Fur Day fame) with the usual high level of detail – and high price – perfectly intact.
The figure is available in three different options: Definitive Edition, Exclusive Edition, and Standard Edition. The video above should give you a good look at each option, but we’ve included some details for you below.
Standard Edition: Conker: Conker’s Bad Fur Day – Conker RESIN statue A Glass of Milk A Classic Golden Crown for Conker the King Exquisite Conker on Throne inspired by the game Authentication Card
Exclusive Edition: As above, but also comes with a Commemorative Metal Coin
Definitive Edition: Everything mentioned above plus: A richly embellished Modern Golden Crown A Silver Goblet of Milk A Bejeweled Throne Footstool A highly detailed Dais of which the throne is placed on
If you want to snag one for yourself, pre-orders are open between now and 1st February 2019. You can grab the Standard and Exclusive versions for $429.99, and the Definitive Edition for $549.99, with all orders expected to be shipped in Q1 2020.
In case you want a slightly closer look at the figure before handing over such a large sum of money, we’ll leave you with this ‘Making Of’ video below:
Will you be forgoing this month’s rent to get one? Did you treat yourself to the Banjo-Kazooie model earlier this year? Let us know with a comment.
Another day, another rumour. This latest one is somewhat different and arguably more believable, as it’s not about a specific game series making its way across to the Nintendo Switch and the source is a Japanese media outlet rather than a random listing by a distributor or retailer.
The rumour stems from the delays of Yo-Kai Watch 4 and Inazuma Eleven Ares – two of Level-5’s biggest projects in recent times. According to Nifty News via Nintendo Soup, a massive “employee exodus” may have recently taken place at the Japanese publisher and developer, resulting in a shortage of staff and the inability to release games on time. Unfortunately, no exact reason as to why staff have left has been provided. As this is the only source discussing the matter in Japan right now, it’s being classed as a rumour.
Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa recently spoke with the Japanese publication Sankei about the success of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and the Switch.
He believes the strong launch sales for Ultimate can be credited to returning fans who may have played certain entries throughout the history of the series and also mentioned how he hoped the game would maintain long-term sales momentum rather than short-term success. Here’s part of the translation courtesy of Nintendo Everything:
“The people who’ve played Smash before are coming back for this one; that accumulation of players contributed to the initial push [in sales]”
In regards to the Switch, Furukawa said again how Nintendo was aiming to shift 20 million Switch consoles by the end of the financial year in March 2019. He thinks the goal is within reach and noted how the success of the new Smash Bros. game and holiday period would help drive sales.
Do you think the Switch can shift enough units for Nintendo to reach its financial year goal by next March? Were you one of the people who perhaps skipped the Wii U and 3DS version of Smash Bros. and has now returned for the Ultimate version? Tell us in the comments.
Reflect on the indie releases of 2018 and one of the standout games was the roguelike action title Dead Cells by French-based developer Motion Twin. The title was praised by critics and sold incredibly well, especially on the Switch eShop where it managed to outsell the PlayStation 4 version.
When a game has this level of success, normally a sequel is expected. In the case of Dead Cells, this might not be the case. Speaking to Game Informer, Motion Twin game designer Sébastien Bénard said it was best for the studio not to dwell on its success:
“If you create a big hit, it’s best to use this energy to make something different. I don’t think we’ll make a Dead Cells 2. We’re more open to creating more content and opening the game up more to the community. If we did make a Dead Cells 2, it’s because we really need the money (laughs). We don’t want to stick to the same thing though, so I think if we did come back it would be something quite different, not a platformer or roguelike along these lines.”
Would you like to see a sequel to Dead Cells? Did you download the game on release? Tell us below.
Earlier in December, when it was revealed Joker from Persona 5 would appear as a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate during the 2018 Game Awards, rumours about the game itself coming to Nintendo’s hybrid platform began to surface. These rumours only intensified as the month went on and now we’ve finally got some more information.
Atlus has at last confirmed the existence of Persona 5 R with the above teaser trailer and by also launching the game’s website. It’s worth noting the name has not been confirmed yet and is still referred to as “P5R” by Atlus. According to Gematsu, no platforms have been officially revealed, but it seems like the PlayStation 4 is highly likely to receive the title, as the logo is at the beginning of the trailer.
Still, don’t let this dampen your spirits, as we’ve seen other games such as Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled at the Game Awards revealed with only PlayStation on display and confirmed for multiple other platforms, including the Switch. During the brief teaser clip for P5R, “new projects” flashes up on the monitors in the background as well.
The “P5R” teaser trailer followed on from the Persona 5 animation broadcast. Based on a Persona News Channel post, more information about this new title will be revealed in March 2019.
