Category: Nintendo News

Last December, First 4 Figures revealed it was collaborating with the iconic UK developer, Rare, to release a new line of collectibles based on the Banjo-Kazooie and Conker game series. Fast forward to several months later and the first statue in this new line – Banjo-Kazooie – has now been unveiled. Sporting a classic look reminiscent of the bird and bear in the original Nintendo 64 title, the unlikely duo has arguably never looked better. 

Estimated to be released in the second-half of 2019, pre-orders for both the exclusive and regular edition can be officially validated on the 10th July, with the exclusive version available until 7th August. The fancier one features a gold chrome plated base and also includes a special gold Jiggy and musical note. Based on the provided product information, this is easily one of the larger First 4 Figures, which explains why it costs a grand total of $429.99.

Exclusive edition (above):

• Banjo-Kazooie™ – Banjo-Kazooie statue
• Highly detailed base capturing the exact same Jiggy (Jigsaw Puzzle) straight from the original Banjo-Kazooie™ game (Gold Chrome Plated)
• Gold Jiggy (Material: Diecast – Chrome Plated)
• Gold Musical Note (Material: Diecast – Chrome Plated)
• Authentication Card

Regular edition (below): 

• Banjo-Kazooie™ – Banjo-Kazooie statue
• Highly detailed base capturing the exact same Jiggy (Jigsaw Puzzle) straight from the original Banjo-Kazooie™ game
• Authentication Card

Are you a fan of Banjo-Kazooie? Do you like First 4 Figures? Would you consider adding this to your collection? Tell us below. 

Ever since the almighty rocket launch event that took place in Fortnite a week ago, strange cracks and rifts have been appearing all over the map, seemingly changing and evolving with each day. This has evolved into specific locations being sucked out of the game through what appears to be some kind time vortex – and things are getting really weird.

One such location is the Durrr Burger mascot which can usually be found on top of a restaurant in Greasy Grove. As you can see in the clip below, the giant sign simply disappeared a couple of days ago, and no one knew exactly why or where it went.

As it turns out, the Durrr Burger seems to have wound up in a real-life desert. Yes, in our real-life world. Twitter user @selashiloni was “scouting shoot locations for an upcoming photoshoot” when he stumbled across a giant burger sitting in the middle of nowhere. Signs are scattered around the site mentioning an “anomaly”, and there’s even what appears to be a Fortnite police car.

So how did it get there? Well, it could be an enormous stunt pulled by some very dedicated fans, or it could be – and we hope this is the case – a next-level bit of marketing from Epic Games. Other locations such as the Tomato Man head at Tomato Town, the motel sign, and the Lonely Lodge sign have also been destroyed by the strange swirling vortex – perhaps we’ll see these pop up in real-life places soon, too?

Do you think this is a genius marketing ploy? Or do you think fans have taken it upon themselves to add a humorous twist to the Season 5 tale? Let us know with a comment below.

Bandai Namco’s video game adaptation of the popular Weekly Shonen Jump manga and anime franchise, My Hero Academia, was already locked in for an October release in the west and now a new clip has revealed the exact date of its arrival.

My Hero One’s Justice is officially scheduled for 26th October. Anyone who pre-orders the game before then will be able to fight as Endeavor. This hero is best known in the series for his fire-based quirk. 

As previously noted, the game takes on the form of an outlandish brawler where you team up in a three-person squad comprised of one main fighter and two sidekicks who can be called on at key points during a battle to perform their own signature moves. 

Take a look at the brief clip above and tell us in the comment section if you’ll be picking this up on release.

During the same panel at the 2018 Anime Expo in Los Angeles, Aksys Games revealed the scary 2D side-scrolling adventure, Ghost Parade, would arrive on the Nintendo Switch in 2019.

Developed by the Indonesian-based studio, Lentera, Ghost Parade tells the story of a girl named Suri who is lost in a forest and must find her way back home. Mythical ghosts offer to aid her, provided she helps them stop a bunch of humans who are attempting to destroy the forest. Throughout the journey, you’ll take control of many different ghosts – all with unique abilities. There are also combo skills to master, item crafting and a variety of bosses to take on.  

Aksys Games also announced Experience’s horror adventure title, Death Mark, is currently being localised for the Switch and is expected to be released soon. This latest iteration is based on the PS Vita release and will include all content plus an additional episode. 

In this universe, unknown body markings are killing people, with the belief an individual who came into contact with a ghost gave humanity the curse. The game takes place in a mansion said to protect those who have been marked and you, as the protagonist, have lost your memory.  

Let us know if either of these games would be of interest to you in the comments below. 

During a panel at the 2018 Anime Expo in Los Angeles, Aksys Games announced the positively-received shmup – Stardust Galaxy Warriors: Stellar Climax – would be making its way across to the Nintendo Switch in the near future.

As a member of the new Galactic Police Force, your task is to restore peace and order to the universe by unleashing bullet-hell in a gigantic mech suit. The 2015 release featured local co-op for up to four players, five unique mechs, 49 weapon combinations, a 10 level campaign, endless gauntlet and challenge modes, customisable gameplay and an amazing soundtrack. 

Take a look at the original trailer below and tell us in the comments if you’re at all interested.

Mitsuhiro Arita might not be a name that you’re instantly familiar with, but you’ll definitely have seen dozens of pieces from his impressive portfolio of work, and you may well have several of them stored safely away in your home right now. One of the most prolific illustrators in the history of the Pokémon trading card game, Arita has been illustrating cards for over 20 years now – including that Charizard card that seems to bring back waves of nostalgia with a single glance.

The official Pokémon website has shared an interview with Arita, going into detail about the design process, his work with developer Creatures, and how Pokémon became the global phenomenon as we know it today.

“When I first began working on the Pokémon Trading Card Game, I had no expectations I’d be working on it over 20 years later,” he said. Asked if he would he have charged a little more for his work had he known what Pokémon would become, he jokes, “Of course!”

It’s clear that Arita is proud of his achievements with the franchise, bringing along a complete binder full of the cards that he’s worked on to the interview. It features 537 cards, all in chronological order, with the famous Charizard and Pikachu cards from the Base Set visible in the very first page. “Going through it, I really have a lot of memories of these, and I really like all of them,” he says.

The process behind the creation of the cards has apparently remained the same from the early days, right through to the present day. He starts things off with a hand-sketched draft to set the scene, creating a few versions for Creatures to choose from. Once a general direction has been decided, he moves through black-and-white and full-colour versions, edging towards the final product. The planning, illustration, and approval phases take around seven weeks for just a single piece of art for one card.

“For example, maybe they want a spot in the Alola region, and will maybe provide information about that place. Also, sometimes Creatures will have a specific pose or attack in mind that they want me to do… One thing I always try to focus on in my illustrations is to think about what that Pokémon is, and to not think about what I’ve done with other Pokémon. I’ve always tried to observe reality and nature and try to reflect that when portraying the Pokémon as if they could be realistic creatures.”

If you’d like to check out the full interview, make sure to give it a read on the Pokémon website.

Do you have a collection of Pokémon cards? Do you fondly remember these early, classic designs? Let us know with a comment below.

Could the motion-controlled fun/utter gore of Surgeon Simulator finally be making its way to Nintendo Switch? A short yet sweet trailer suggests just that, with some ‘bone-shattering news’ that shows the game’s wobbly, player-controlled hand flicking a switch.

Of course, we got the same thing from a Diablo-style ‘switch’ some months back, and that turned out to be nothing more than an actual switch and some wishful thinking? Will Bossa Studios see it through? Watch this space…

Check out the trailer above. What do you make of the potential news of Surgeon Simulator on Switch? Sounds like a good fit to us…

Go Vacation is fast approaching, so it’s time to get in the mood for a good holiday with a new video that shows off the game’s impressive 50+ events. With up to three other players you can do practically every pastime known to man, ranging from surfing and skydiving to off-road racing and golf.

With a whole island to explore, you can take photos of local wildlife one second and go skateboarding around a park the next. It’s pretty eclectic to say the least and it’s already got us hankering for a week off in the sun! Check out the overview trailer below.

Go Vacation arrives on 27th July. What do you make of Go Vacation’s vast world of activities? Share your thoughts in the comments section below…

Nintendo UK has launched a brand new series on the Nintendo Labo UK YouTube channel that will provide fans with weekly content on everyone’s favourite cardboard and gaming mash-up.

The new hosts of the channel will be there each week, delving deeper into each of the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con, sharing ideas, hints and tips, and launching exclusive competitions. Tom, Jamie, Frankie and Nimmerz will take you on a journey through the main principles of Make, Play and Discover, hopefully inspiring you or your friends and families to make your own creations.

Of course, Nintendo recently announced the Nintendo Labo Creators Contest for Europe, which is looking to find Europe’s greatest Nintendo Labo creations and customisations from 19^th July, and a brand new video from Tom and Jamie has now appeared to provide you with all the details you’ll need to enter.

Have you been letting your creativity run loose with Nintendo Labo? Hopefully this new series will help you if you’re feeling a little stuck.