Category: Nintendo News

Nintendo News

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Fate/Extella Link Confirmed For Western Release On Switch

XSEED Games has confirmed that it is bringing the action RPG Fate/Extella Link to the west.

The much-anticipated sequel to Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star, this new outing will launch on Switch, PlayStation 4 PS Vita and Steam in Q1 2019.

In other good news, Switch owners will be getting the same premium ‘Fleeting Glory’ special edition (which costs a cool $79.99) as their PS4-owning pals; this fancy box contains a soundtrack CD, a pack of 10 collectable 3” by 5” cards depicting each of the new Servants, a 17” by 24” cloth poster and a 3” by 4.5” acrylic diorama. Yum.

Switch players will also be able to engage in 4-on-4 online battles with up to 7 other players, just like in the PS4 version.

Will you be picking this one up? Tell us with a comment.

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Dragon Ball FighterZ Exceeds 3.5 Million In Worldwide Shipments And Digital Sales

Before arriving on the Nintendo Switch in September, Dragon Ball FighterZ was released on multiple other platforms at the start of the year. Bandai Namco has since worked on bolstering the fighting roster by adding in DLC characters such as Cooler and Android 17.

Shortly after the initial launch, Bamco revealed the game had hit two million shipments and digital sales worldwide. According to the title’s official Japanese Twitter account, figures have now exceeded the 3.5 million mark.

It’s not clarified how much the Switch release has contributed to overall sales, but we’re guessing it’s done relatively well being the only portable version of the game available. It must have sold to some extent, as Bandai Namco followed up the release of FighterZ on Switch with the announcement the card game Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission would be making its way to Nintendo’s platform in 2019.

Did you pick up Dragon Ball FighterZ on Switch? Are you still training hard? Tell us below.

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EA Has More Than 1,000 Employees And “Dozens Of Studios” Working On A Cloud-Based Future

Big-name video game companies are beginning to experiment with cloud-based gaming on a regular basis. Although the required technology and infrastructure might not be available in every location, that hasn’t stopped publishers like Ubisoft from testing the waters with special Japan-only cloud games including Assassin’s Creed Odyssey for the Switch.

Apparently, EA is now also working on cloud technology. In an announcement on Medium, EA’s Chief Technology Officer Ken Moss revealed the new platform Project Atlas. It’s being designed to harness cloud computing and artificial intelligence. EA has so much faith in the project, there is more than one thousand staff involved. Here’s what Moss had to say:

Today, I want to share an inside view of what we’re working on to bring together some of the most transformative technologies into an integrated “engine + services” game development platform. A platform designed from the core to harness the massive power of cloud computing and artificial intelligence and putting it into the hands of game makers in a powerful, easy to use, one-stop experience.

We’re calling this Project Atlas and we believe in it so much that we have over 1,000 EA employees working on building it every day, and dozens of studios around the world contributing their innovations, driving priorities, and already using many of the components.

Project Atlas is designed to seamlessly converge EA’s Frostbite game engine and game services as well as artificial intelligence — giving rise to a new game development platform, optimized for a cloud-enabled world. This will be a fully integrated platform, capable of building the scalable, social, and large-scale experiences of the future. So, while in the past, features like cloud hosting, matchmaking, marketplace, data, AI, achievements, and social were separate from the development tools in the engine, the Project Atlas platform will be able to implement all of these services natively within a unified solution

Moss went on to clarify what exactly cloud gaming meant by EA’s standards:

We’re referring to a game that resides on an EA server rather than on the gamer’s PC or mobile device. The gamer enters the game by installing a thin client that can access EA’s servers where the games are running. We’ve been developing software that utilizes the cloud to remotely process and stream blockbuster, multiplayer HD games with the lowest possible latency, and also to unlock even more possibilities for dynamic social and cross-platform play. Beyond that, we’re investing in cloud gaming to enable deeper personalization, and to eventually create a world full of user generated content — blurring the lines between the discrete domains of game engines and game services. In fact, it is the merging of these two formerly distinct domains, along with the paradigm of cloud gaming, that is a key driver of the next-generation unified platform from EA.

Admittedly, it all sounds incredibly ambitious. We’re also left wondering if EA would ever extend support to console. If you’d like to read more about it, check out the entire post. Later in the discussion, Moss talks about how to “unlock creativity” with the assistance of artificial intelligence.

What do you think about EA moving towards a cloud-based future? Is this the video game future you envisioned? Tell us below.

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Phantasy Star Joins SEGA Ages Line In North America And Europe Later This Month

After a short delay, earlier this week we found the Sega AGES version of Phantasy Star would finally be making its way to the Switch in Japan at the end of October. Now, in the same Game Watch interview that revealed Sega Naomi games could be revitalised, it’s been confirmed Phantasy Star will arrive locally in North America and Europe on 15th November. It turns out the wait won’t be as long as expected.

As previously noted, the game joins existing Sega AGES releases including Sonic the Hedgehog and Thunder Force IV on Nintendo’s new system. The series allows you to bask in nostalgia while at the same time enjoy a number of modern enhancements. These new features include additional text options, an FM Sound Unit music player and quality of life improvements to streamline the gameplay. Dungeons now also feature auto-mapping – for easier navigation, and monsters are added to a codex as you encounter them. There’s an item list as well, allowing you to view all of the abilities and equipment.

Is Phantasy Star a Sega AGES title you’ve been looking forward to playing? Take a look at the trailer above and tell us below.

[via game.watch.impress.co.jp]

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M2 Reveals Switch Can Already Run Sega Naomi Titles, Dreamcast “Definitely” Coming In The Future

M2 – the development team behind the Sega AGES line – is currently busy bringing Sega’s retro line of games across to the Switch. Sega itself even ran a poll not long ago asking fans what games they wanted to see added to the series in the future. Surprisingly, the Dreamcast classic Jet Set Radio topped the list – this doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen but the Japanese company is certainly looking into it.

While there’s obviously interest from both sides to see Dreamcast games up and running on the Switch, it turns out M2 has recently been researching other Sega technology. In an interview with Game Watch, courtesy of Nintendo Everything, M2 President Naoki Horii and Sega AGES Producer Kagasei Shimomura revealed the team had been looking into releasing games from the Sega Naomi arcade board which was first demonstrated in 1998.

Here’s what the pair had to say:

Horii: We’re actually in the middle of researching SEGA NAOMI’s* titles as opposed to those on Dreamcast, to put it precisely. Truth be told, there’s a NAOMI game that we’re working on at present just because we wanted to play it. We’re actually presenting it because it’s a title that has stuck with Shimomura-san – one way or another we were going to release it.

Shimomura: The Nintendo Switch can already run NAOMI titles, that much is certain. I want to make sure that SEGA AGES Vol. 1 is a hit.

*The SEGA NAOMI is an arcade board that shares a common “architecture” with the Dreamcast.

Horii: The Nintendo Switch is a console that can serve as a portable system – that being said we can still have the games run at a high resolution and run well.

As is explained in the interview, the Naomi arcade board shares a common architecture with the Dreamcast – with games like the original Crazy Taxi title appearing in both the arcade and on Sega’s home console at the time. There are plenty of other releases utilising this board as well. The Sega staffers are certain that Dreamcast games will be part of the AGES line at some point.

Would you like to see Sega Naomi titles added to the AGES line? Tell us below.

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Netflix Renews Castlevania Animated Series For A Third Season

The Castlevania animated series currently screening on Netflix is an example of how video games can be successfully adapted to other forms of entertainment. The first season comprised of four episodes left fans wanting more and the second season made up of eight episodes has proven to be vastly superior – with the tale arguably only just beginning.

For a while, we’ve known a third season has been in the pipeline and now Netflix has finally made it official. According to Deadline Hollywood, Netflix has ordered a 10-episode run for season three – making it the biggest season yet based on Konami’s classic video game series. Currently, there’s no word on when exactly it will premiere, but it’s likely to show up at some point in 2019. In case you missed it, read our review of season two.

Have you been watching the Netflix series of Castlevania? What do you think of it so far? Tell us below.

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Splatoon 2’s New Torpedo Sub Weapon Might Be More Dangerous Than The Ultra Stamp

Earlier this week, the official Japanese Splatoon Twitter account revealed the fun-looking Ultra Stamp special weapon was making its way to Splatoon 2 in the next update. That’s not all, though. Version 4.2.0 – dropping on 6th/7th November, depending on your region – will also be introducing a new sub weapon known as the Torpedo.

Nintendo has posted a short video clip on its Twitter accounts teasing the new weapon. It takes on the form of a homing missile and will track any opponent player in sight. It changes shape midflight and explodes on impact, splattering ink across the battlefield. As is noted in the official tweet, opponents can take aim to try and prevent the incoming attack. Check it out in action in the video below:

Over on the Splatoon Tumblr page, it’s also been announced a level will be under construction from now until 7th November. Here’s the post:

From the evening of October 31st, The Reef will be closed for a short while due to repair work. During construction, the stage will not be available in Regular, Ranked, and League Battles. We expect construction to be complete by Wednesday, November 7th. We apologize for the inconvenience during this construction work and thank you for your cooperation.

Have you been anticipating the next Splatoon 2 update? What do you think of this compared to the Ultra Stamp? Are you surprised Nintendo has a few tricks up its sleeve when it comes to this game? Tell us below.

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Direct unleashes new details

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Direct unleashes new details

In the final Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Direct video presentation before the game launches exclusively for the Nintendo Switch system on Dec. 7, Nintendo blew the lid off of many new modes, fighters and gameplay features of the massive video game crossover event, including details about upcoming DLC. With the reveal of new fighters Ken from the Street Fighter series and Incineroar from the Pokémon franchise, all playable fighters at launch – all 74 of them! – have been unveiled. But more fighters, stages and music tracks will be coming in the form of DLC, which was also announced in the video presentation. To view the Nintendo Direct video in its entirety, visit https://www.nintendo.com/nintendo-direct.

Nintendo also announced an incentive for fans to pre-purchase the digital version of the game (and avoid long lines and the holiday rush!). My Nintendo members who pre-purchase the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate game in Nintendo eShop or on Nintendo.com will earn a bonus of 300, or double, Gold Points. This limited-time offer runs now through 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 6. The bonus points will be issued on the game’s launch day.

“There are still elements of today’s presentation that hold a lot of secrets for players to discover, but with the launch of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate only a little more than a month away, this Nintendo Direct presentation is a final look at one of the most massive games Nintendo has ever produced,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “With so much to experience and discover in this game – and with a huge library of other games to choose from – we believe fans are going to be playing a lot of Nintendo Switch this holiday season.”

Some of the highlights revealed in the video include:

HadoKEN!: Hailing from the Street Fighter series, Ryu’s rival Ken joins the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster as an echo fighter. This Ken is based on his appearance in Super Street Fighter II Turbo. While he has some similar moves to Ryu, Ken is a slightly faster fighter and has a different shaped Hadoken.

Incineroar: The final fighter to join the battle in time for the game’s launch is Incineroar, the advanced evolution of Litten, who made his first appearance in the Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon games. Incineroar uses pro-wrestling moves, culminating in an epic Final Smash called Max Malicious Moonsault, based on his Z-Move from the Pokémon games.

Spirits: In the world of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, many video game characters lose their forms and become “spirits” that serve as a power-up of sorts for a player’s main playable fighter. There is a massive number of wildly different spirits, ranging from Chibi-Robo to Dr. Wily to Tails to Revolver Ocelot, with the giant list of characters going on and on. Players can equip primary and support spirits to power up or add additional abilities like speed or strength to their fighter during battles. Mixing and matching spirits will help players get the upper hand against certain opponents, adding quite a bit of strategy to battles. Equipping a spirit is similar to equipping a charm or accessory in an RPG. It’s a way for players to enjoy a massive amount of additional video game characters outside of selecting them as playable fighters.

Spirit Battles: The main way to acquire spirits is to win Spirit Battles. After winning a Spirit Battle, players will have to complete a roulette challenge to acquire that spirit.

Leveling Up Spirits: By battling with spirits by their side, players can level up spirits, giving them extra power and sometimes unlocking enhanced forms. The more leveled up and trained spirits are, the more powerful and useful they are.

Spirit Combinations: With an insane amount of spirits in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, thousands of combinations can be formed. Players will be constantly surprised and excited by all the spirits that pop up in the game. Because players might collect an abundance of spirits, the game will offer recommendations for primary and support spirits, making the selection process a little bit easier.

DLC: New fighters, stages and music will be coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate through the end of February 2020 in the form of paid DLC. For only $5.99, players can purchase one set, which includes a new playable fighter (not an Echo Fighter), a new stage and a variety of music tracks. By purchasing a Fighters Pass for $24.99, players will get access to five yet-to-be-announced sets, which is five new fighters, five stages and multiple music tracks, as they release. Players who purchase a Fighters Pass will also receive an in-game outfit based on Rex from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 starting Dec. 7. Pre-purchasing the digital version of the game with the Fighters Pass in Nintendo eShop or on Nintendo.com before 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 6 will earn My Nintendo members 425 bonus Gold Points, or double the usual amount. The bonus points will be issued on the game’s launch day.

Early Purchase Bonus: Piranha Plant takes root! The iconic enemy from the Super Mario series is coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for early purchasers. Players can purchase the digital version of the game or register their physical game card on a Nintendo Switch device by Jan. 31, 2019, to gain access to this new fighter when it is available around February 2019 at no additional cost. Piranha Plant, together with a new stage and music tracks, will be available for purchase as DLC in the future. Fans can pre-purchase the game and secure the Piranha Plant reward starting today by visiting http://smashbros.nintendo.com/buy/.

New amiibo: All the new fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – including DLC! – will get their own amiibo figures. This includes Ken, Incineroar and Piranha Plant, as well as the recently announced Simon Belmont and King K. Rool. The currently scheduled release timing is as follows, with details about future figures on the way:

  • Inkling, Ridley and Wolf – Dec. 7, 2018
  • King K. Rool, Ice Climbers and Piranha Plant – Feb. 15, 2019
  • Isabelle, Pichu, Ken, Young Link, Daisy – 2019

Adventure Mode: World of Light: There may not be a single-player adventure quite like Adventure Mode: Subspace Emissary from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, but something has caused the numerous video game characters in the game to lose their bodies and transform into spirits. While today’s Nintendo Direct video provides some sneak peeks, Masahiro Sakurai, the director of the Super Smash Bros. series, wants to keep parts of this new adventure mode secret until the game launches…

Assist Trophies: In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, assist trophies do exactly what their name suggests – they assist players in battle! Each assist trophy is based on a recognizable video game character and unleashes a variety of different powers, both offensive and defensive. The total number of assist trophies in the game is 59, representing characters like Guile from the Street Fighter series, Isaac from the Golden Sun RPGs, the Fly Swatter from Mario Paint and Spring Man from ARMS.

Mii Fighters: When playing as a Mii Fighter, players can customize their outfits and voice options. Some new Mii Fighter outfits have also been added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Wireless and Online Play: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate lets players battle together with friends and family members via local wireless* or online**. “For Fun” and “For Glory,” which existed in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, are no longer options. Instead, matchmaking is based on three factors: Preferred Rules, which lets players choose their rules for battle and pair up with others with similar preferences, Global Smash Power, an online leaderboard that pits players against others with a similar score, and Proximity, players who are close to each other geographically.

Two-Player Co-op: Two fighters are better than one! When playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate online, two players can team up on one Nintendo Switch system online and take on other teams with the same setup.

Smartphone Features: With the Nintendo Switch Online app*** on smartphones, players can voice chat with others in battle arenas. A mobile service called Smash World is also being developed. Instead of focusing on stats, the new service allows players to post and watch videos, as well as other fun features. More details about the service will be revealed in the future.

Elite Smash: Once a player’s Global Smash Power is high enough, she or he will be invited to compete in elite in-game battles. These VIP matches are for the best of the best and offer some serious competition.

Smash Tag: Everyone who competes online will need to create a unique Smash Tag. By beating a fellow fighter, players will receive their Smash Tag to display on their profile. Collecting a bunch of Smash Tags is a great way to show off high-level Super Smash Bros. Ultimate accomplishments.

Short Messages: Players can select pre-determined short messages, assign them to the control pad and send them to other players before and after battles. The game offers a wide selection of varied preset messages.

Spectator Mode: As in previous games, players can watch other players battle in Spectator Mode. Analyzing the battles of other players can be helpful in learning new strategies and techniques.

Background Matchmaking: Players can play other modes while they search for an online battle. Not every mode will be available while waiting, but it’s a great way for players to keep occupied between online battles.

Battle Arenas: Players can create custom battle arenas when playing online that allow them to compete against other players in a more intimate setting. In a battle arena, there are options to join a battle, wait in line or spectate.

Other Features: There is a wide variety of other modes and settings in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, including:

  • Help – Living in the easy-to-access dashboard, Help mode offers in-game guides and tips.
  • Mob Smash – This mode lets players battle an army of fighters on different stages. Players can even select the music tracks associated with a given stage that they want to listen to while battling.
  • Replay – Players can save replays of their battles and even create shareable videos from them.
  • Tips – This menu offers quick tips and tricks that players will see on loading screens. When viewing, the tips can be sorted by category or fighter.
  • Challenges – By completing specific challenges, players earn in-game rewards. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the challenges are arranged to look like a comic book.
  • Battle Records – The Records menu tracks battle history, with the option to view battle data separately for online and offline play.
  • Shop – Players can redeem in-game currency for music tracks, spirits and a variety of different items.
  • Language Support – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate supports 11 different languages. Applicable fighter voices and names are specific to whatever language is selected.
  • Custom Balance – When battling against other players on the same system, players can adjust the strength of their fighters. This completely optional feature comes in handy if players want to adjust strength to ensure a fair fight.

Early Hands-On Events: Fans can check the game’s site for information about a variety of upcoming hands-on events. At these special events, players will have the chance to choose from all 74 fighters.

For more information about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, visit https://www.smashbros.com.

Remember that Nintendo Switch features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about other features, visit https://www.nintendo.com/switch/.

*Additional accessories may be required for multiplayer mode. Sold separately.

**Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) and Nintendo Account required for online play. Not available in all countries. Internet access required for online features. Terms apply. nintendo.com/switch-online

*** Nintendo Switch Online membership, persistent Internet and compatible smartphone required to use app. Data charges may apply. Nintendo Account age 13+ required. The Nintendo Account User Agreement, including the Purchase and Subscription terms, apply. nintendo.com/switch-online


Cartoon Violence
Comic Mischief
Suggestive Themes

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Video: Settle In For A Nintendo Story Most Spooky With Grimwald Gutfright

If there’s one thing that’s historically saturated the internet, it’s horror stuff. More specifically, the entire subgenre known as creepypasta, a style of story that is infamously cliché and poorly written to the point that it’s actually quite amusing.

So in the name of Halloween, snuggle up and dim the lights as you watch the video above, featuring the definitely real Grimwald Gutfright, as he conglomerates all these stories into one for your temporary amusement.

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Switch eShop Pre-Load Listing Reveals File Size For Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu And Eevee

The upcoming Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! are now available to pre-load on the Japanese Switch eShop, revealing the game’s file size and other little bits of info in the process.

Yes, both versions of the game can now be found on the eShop (at the time of writing, most regions can’t access the pre-load function just yet), giving us a chance to take a good look at the game’s specific details. The game will support Japanese, English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Korean, and Chinese languages, support 1 – 2 players (which we already knew), and that all-important file size stands at 4.1 GB.

Thankfully, 4.1 GB shouldn’t be enough to cause too much concern, even for those without a micro SD card. For the sake of comparison, Super Mario Odyssey takes up 5.5 GB, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild takes up 14.3 GB, and the closest title we could find in terms of size (without slowly wasting away in the depths of the eShop) was Snake Pass which takes up 4.2 GB.

Hopefully, a quick shuffle of any larger games should be enough to comfortably fit those pocket monsters into your Switch, but if not, our guide to suitable micro SD cards for your Switch should come in handy.

Are you planning on buying the games in digital format? Or will you be treating yourself to a physical copy? Let us know with a comment.