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Nintendo Download: 22nd March (Europe)

Running out of things to play on your 3DS or Nintendo Switch? Well, we’ve got just the remedy – a brand new Nintendo Download update. This week’s haul is an impressive one, bringing with it a ton of new additions to the eShops, ranging from Neo Geo re-releases and indie curios to bigger titles from across the industry. We’d love to hear which games you’ll be downloading (or not), so feel free to contribute to the poll and leave a comment down below. Enjoy!

3DS eShop

Detective Pikachu (The Pokémon Company, €39.99 / £34.99) – Bonus until 22/04/2018, 22:59 UTC: Download code for the theme Pokémon: Detective Pikachu for Nintendo 3DS. The download code is valid until 31/05/2018. Game description: Detective Pikachu is on the case! Put your detective hat on – it’s time to crack the case of a boy’s missing father in Detective Pikachu, a unique adventure game filled with beloved Pokémon. – Read our Detective Pikachu review

Switch eShop

Attack on Titan 2 (KOEI TECMO EUROPE, €69.99 / £54.99) – Bonus AOC until 17/04/2018, 00:59 CEST – A.O.T. 2: Eren & Levi “Plain clothes” Outfit Early Release + A.O.T. 2: Mikasa & Armin “Plain clothes” Outfit Early Release Game description: Abandon all fear. A.O.T. 2 is the gripping sequel to the action game based on the worldwide hit anime series “Attack on Titan.” Read our review.

A.O.T. 2 Deluxe Edition (KOEI TECMO EUROPE, €109.99 / £89.99) – Bonus AOC until 17/04/2018, 00:59 CEST – Season Pass (includes all upcoming AOCs) / A.O.T. 2: Eren & Levi “Plain clothes” Outfit Early Release + A.O.T. 2: Mikasa & Armin “Plain clothes” Outfit Early Release Game description: “A.O.T. 2” Game ・20 piece additional outfit set

Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse (WayForward, €16.22 / £14.59) – Embark on an adventure with Shantae, the hair-whipping belly dancing genie. When she loses her magic, Shantae must team up with her nemesis, the nefarious pirate Risky Boots in order to save Sequin Land from an evil curse. As a pirate, Shantae gains new weapons to advance her quest, slay monsters, battle epic bosses…and hopefully get her magic back in the bargain! But can she really trust her deadliest enemy? – Read our Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse review

Swim Out (Lozange Lab, €5.99 / £5.39) – Over 100 levels nestled in carefully crafted landscapes, soothed by the sound of seagulls, frogs or water splashes.

EAT BEAT DEADSPIKE-san (ARC SYSTEM WORKS, €6.99 / £6.29) – “EAT BEAT DEADSPIKE-san” is a rhythm action game spin-off of the 2D-fighting game series, “BLAZBLUE”, that features Dead Spike-san in an eating frenzy.

Arcade Archives MOON PATROL (HAMSTER, €6.99 / £6.29) – “MOON PATROL” is a side-scrolling action-shooting game released by IREM in 1982. Control a lunar rover as you jump to avoid obstacles, and move forward while defeating enemies that shoot missiles from above or rockets towards you. The goal is to make it through the Beginner Course and Champion Course.

ACA NEO GEO WORLD HEROES 2 JET (HAMSTER, €6.99 / £6.29) – “WORLD HEROES 2 JET” is a fighting game released by SNK in 1994. It is the third title in the WORLD HEROES series. Sixteen heroes, villains, and other fighters have gathered to determine who is the strongest in the world. With dashes, back steps, and the addition of a counter system, you can enjoy speedy battles.

Gate Of Doom (FTE Games, €6.99 / £6.99) – Play with your friends and close the Gate Of Doom forever!

Gekido Kintaro’s Revenge (NAPS Team, €14.99 / £13.49) – A year has passed since the epic battle that decided the fate of mankind and claimed the life of the beloved Angela. Dark omens once again tell of the return of an evil presence. Ushi is the last remaining master of the ancient art of Shin-Ken, and he calls upon Tetsuo, his disciple and adopted son, to investigate some strange happenings in a faraway farming village outside the city.

OPUS: Rocket of Whispers (Flyhigh Works, €8.99 / £6.19) – Throughout OPUS: Rocket of Whispers you will play as two survivors of an apocalyptic plague. Help them achieve the unimaginable goal of building a rocket, so they can return the deceased to their cosmic homeland through the ancient tradition of space burials.

SOL DIVIDE for Nintendo Switch (Zerodiv, €6.99 / £6.99) – Vorg heard a rumour that the army of Satan was searching for treasures called Seirei stones, which led him to think that the time for revenge has come. Vorg, who was a holy knight in Western Kingdom, Miltia, was in the forest town of Neraphai working for a mission when the king of Satan, Ifter, invaded the Kingdom of Miltia with Dhatilos armies.

Castle of Heart (7Levels, €14.99 / £13.49) – CASTLE OF HEART, available exclusively for Nintendo Switch, is a classic action platformer at the genre’s best… and most challenging, with plentiful new twists on the formula to experience. Players take control over a cursed knight, turned to stone by the evil sorcerer’s spell, but ready to prove that love and courage can conquer even the darkest magic. – Read our Castle of Heart review

Switch events

ARMS Global Testpunch (Nintendo, Free) – A new global Testpunch for ARMS, which lets Nintendo Switch owners try out select modes for free, will be running for three days starting on 31st March. To participate, players just have to download the Testpunch in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch.

Special Offers

Nintendo Switch

  • NO THING (Forever Entertainment) now €1.79 / £1.61 until Thu 29th Mar, normally €1.99 / £1.79
  • Slayaway Camp: Butcher’s Cut (Digerati) now €13.49 / £12.14 until Thu 29th Mar, normally €14.99 / £13.49

Other

Nintendo Switch

  • Deep Ones Demo (Sometimes You, Demo) – Free
  • Metropolis: Lux Obscura Demo (Sometimes You, Demo) – Free
  • EAT BEAT DEADSPIKE-san Demo (ARC SYSTEM WORKS, Demo) – Free

Switch Pre-Orders

Alteric (Sometimes You, €4.49 / £4.04 until 30/03/108, 23:59 local time Regular price €4.99 / £4.49, pre-order from 19/03/2018) – A single player 2D-platformer Bright minimalistic graphics Hardcore gameplay with physics, gravity and logic 2 interconnected parallel worlds A variety of obstacles and dangerous bosses Atmospheric soundtrack

Super Rocket Shootout (Plug In Digital, €9.99 / £8.99, pre-order from 22/03/2018) – Super Rocket Shootout is a frantic 2D pixel art brawler game, mixing platformer and fighting mechanics. Charming characters, destructible environments, cool weapons and awesome jetpack make this a blast to play alone or with up to 4 friends.

Super Chariot (Microids, €19.99 / £17.99, pre-order from 25/03/2018) – Designed for Nintendo Switch, Super Chariot is a 2D platform game that can be played through to the end in either solo or co-op mode. You play as either the brave Princess or her faithful fiancé in a subterranean fantasy adventure…

DLC / Add-On Content

Nintendo Switch

  • A.O.T. 2 : Additional Costumes 16 Piece Set (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – €37.99 / £34.19
  • A.O.T. 2: Additional Eren Costume: “Bad Boy Outfit” (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – €3.49 / £3.19
  • A.O.T. 2: Additional Mikasa Costume: “Chinese Dress Outfit” (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – €3.49 / £3.19
  • A.O.T. 2: Additional Levi Costume: “Leather Jacket Outfit” (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – €3.49 / £3.19
  • A.O.T. 2: Costume Set “Halloween” (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – €11.99 / £10.79
  • A.O.T. 2: Costume Set “Christmas” (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – €11.99 / £10.79
  • A.O.T. 2: Costume Set “Summer Festival” (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – Free
  • A.O.T. 2: Costume Set “Japanese New Year” (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – €11.99 / £10.79
  • A.O.T. 2: Mikasa Costume “Summer Festival” (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – €- / £- / CHF –
  • LEGO® MARVEL Super Heroes 2 – Cloak And Dagger Character and Level Pack (WB Games) – €2.99 / £2.50
  • WWE 2K18 Enduring Icons Pack (2K) – €9.99 / £7.99
  • WWE 2K18 NXT Generation Pack (2K) – €9.99 / £7.99
  • WWE 2K18 New Moves Pack (2K) – €3.99 / £3.59
  • Pokkén Tournament DXBattle Pack Wave 2 (Nintendo) – €- / £- / CHF –

Other

Nintendo Switch

  • Rocket League® – Unlocked Event Crates x1 (Psyonix, Item) – €2.11 / £1.87
  • Rocket League® – Unlocked Event Crates x5 (Psyonix, Item) – €8.45 / £7.52
  • Rocket League® – Unlocked Event Crates x10 (Psyonix, Item) – €16.91 / £15.04
  • Rocket League® – Unlocked Event Crates x20 (Psyonix, Item) – €33.83 / £30.09

Nintendo 3DS

  • ARCADE (Umusic online France, Theme) – €1.99 / £1.79
  • HELLO SPRING (Umusic online France, Theme) – €1.99 / £1.79
  • UNICORN (Umusic online France, Theme) – €1.99 / £1.79
  • WILD MUSIC (Umusic online France, Theme) – €1.99 / £1.79
  • PACK #5 (Umusic online France, Theme) – €3.99 / £3.59

What are you downloading this week? (18 votes)

Detective Pikachu

6%

Attack On Titan 2​

11%

Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse

22%

Swim Out

  0%

EAT BEAT DEADSPIKE-san

6%

Arcade Archives MOON PATROL

11%

ACA NEO GEO WORLD HEROES 2 JET​

  0%

Gate Of Doom

  0%

Gekido Kintaro’s Revenge

  0%

OPUS: Rocket of Whispers

6%

SOL DIVIDE for Nintendo Switch​

11%

Castle of Heart

6%

Deep Ones

  0%

Metropolis: Lux Obscura

6%

Nothing for me!

17%

Please login to vote in this poll.

So that’s your lot for this week’s EU-centric Nintendo Download update. Be sure to leave a vote in the poll above, as well as a lovely comment or two below…

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Deals: This Dark Souls: Remastered Metal Plate Looks Tasty

It’s almost time for the Nintendo Switch to visit Lordran, a Gothic kingdom filled with dangers and creatures in all manner of monstrous forms. It’s a place where you’ll almost certainly die, over and over again. Okay, that might not sound like an attractive premise for a video game, but its war of attrition makes for one of the most rewarding experiences you’ll ever play. From memorable boss designs to terrain that wants to kill you as much as its vicious denizens, Dark Souls: Remastered is a game like no other on Switch.

If you plan on picking this up for your new favourite handheld device on the 25th May, you might be interested in this cheeky bundle from the Nintendo Official UK Store which gives you not only a copy of the game, but an exclusive collectible metal plate as part of the deal. Not too shabby.

The Nintendo Official UK Store was also offering a bundle with the metal plate and the lovely Solaire of Astoria amiibo… but of course that sold out almost immediately! 

Please note that some of the links on this page are affiliate links. If you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale which helps support the site. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.

The nice folks at the Nintendo UK Store are currently running a prize draw where you could win a SNES Mini pack also. That’s definitely worth a punt.

Let us know if you plan to pick up Dark Souls with this charming metal plate with a comment below…

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Review: Detective Pikachu (3DS)

We’re now just over a year into the Switch’s life and, despite knowing that the core Pokémon franchise will make the leap from 3DS to the new hybrid console at some point in the future, we know absolutely nothing about how the series might evolve with the huge system differences. Keeping the Poké-dream alive on the dedicated handheld, however, is Detective Pikachu, and between its fresh approach to storytelling and wonderful visual presentation of the franchise’s world, we’d be more than happy to see some inspiration be taken from this spin-off for future titles.

The game seems to be the beginning of a new side to the franchise that The Pokémon Company deeply believes in – we already have a live-action film in the works with some pretty big names on board – and rightly so; we haven’t really seen a Pokémon game quite like this before and it shines brighter because of it. Sitting somewhere between the likes of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games and the core series, Detective Pikachu gives you a great sense of how humans and Pokémon live together, allowing you to properly see both sides of that dynamic.

Detective Pikachu himself is undoubtedly the star of the show. While the initial shock of seeing that cute little mouse we’ve adored for 20 years suddenly turn into a gruff, heavy coffee-drinking sass machine took us slightly off guard, he soon had us chuckling away at his little patronising comments. Working alongside Pikachu is Tim Goodman, the human hero in the story, and together they make a truly likeable team that could easily work well on the big screen. There’s a bucket-load of charm shared between the pair of them, usually appearing during mini cutscenes, with Pikachu comically stealing the limelight wherever possible. You won’t be able to trigger every single one of these scenes in a single playthrough, but the giant Pikachu amiibo will allow you to unlock them all, should you be lucky enough to have one at your disposal.

The gameplay itself sees the two tackling cases together, with Tim talking to humans and Pikachu talking to other Pokémon as they explore Ryme City to find out what has happened to Tim’s father – and solve a variety of criminal mysteries along the way. Tim can understand what Pikachu is saying which, aside from working as a comedic effect, also plays a part in the grand scheme of the plot. You can ask potential witnesses questions from a menu of options, gathering little nuggets of information that will later be used to crack each case, and as you discover more and more info, you’ll also be able to go back and talk to the same people (or Pokémon) to ask them new questions based on your latest findings. Talking to everyone is key as you’ll always be able to find out the information you need from those around you.

The bottom screen of the 3DS houses menus that keep all of the information you’ve uncovered safely written down for you; if you forget what someone has said, you can just check back through all of the notes there. Once you and Pikachu have collected enough information, your electric buddy will prompt you to solve the case, tasking you with remembering what has been said and piecing different bits of the puzzle together. For the most part this is all very standard, easy stuff, but you do have to pay attention to what’s going on unless you want to just guess your way through Pikachu’s quizzes; there were times when we weren’t 100% confident on our answers, even with this approach.

Aside from this gameplay loop there are also sections that contain quick time events, tasking you with pressing the ‘A’ button at the right time to trigger the next cutscene or mashing the button to interact with objects. There is no real penalty for missing these, though, as you’ll usually just be treated to a slightly different scene if you mess up. One early example sees Pikachu falling from a great height and, should you leave it too long before pressing the button to catch him, he’ll simply bounce off you safely and carry on regardless.

The game is split up into nine different chapters, tripling in size from the initial Japanese release’s three. These vary in length from anywhere between 40 minutes and a couple of hours’ worth of playtime, and showcase a great variety of locations such as caves, laboratories, a cafe, a beach, and more. The tasks you’ll be completing over the course of the game feel pretty repetitive, so the differences in scenery are welcome – especially in certain chapters which provide you with a much larger area to explore.

Some chapters have quite a limited, linear feel to them, seeing you explore back and forth, left to right through sectioned-off areas, but the larger ones open the game up a little further, often containing maps to help you get around. The larger chapters tend to offer a wider variety of gameplay styles, too, with some traditional-feeling point-and-click style action being present on occasion where you’ll need to examine crime scenes for key evidence.

The game isn’t without its problems, though; that sense of repetition we mentioned is an ever-present issue that naturally builds and builds with each passing hour. The story is truly gripping and, when you couple that with the constant location changes, you’ll definitely want to see the game through to the end, but with most cases being a little too simple for mature audiences, you might start to lose a little of the initial excitement later on. Similarly, making any wrong guesses – or doing anything incorrect at all, in fact – has absolutely no consequence on the game. This is great for younger players who will need second chances, of course, but it means that you can just keep pressing every dialogue response with no thought whatsoever until you pick the correct answers, if you so wish.

There are moments where you’ll figure out cases early on, too – and you might even spot key items that will play a central part of the chapter – but until the game formally directs you towards that particular goal, you’ll be unable to do anything about it. It makes sense, being a narrative-driven game, but occasionally this feels like sections are being stretched a little to push up the game’s 10 to 12 hour length.

Despite these little niggles, though, we couldn’t help but come away from the game with ridiculously wide grins on our faces (even if we were surprised to see everything end so soon). Detective Pikachu presents the Pokémon world in the way many of us dreamt about growing up; people and Pokémon interact with each other just like in the anime series, with each monster having their very own unique and wonderful personality, and it is this aspect that we’d love to see make its way to the main series.

The visuals only boost the magic and wonder, too, with some of the most gorgeous character models we’ve seen in the series appearing throughout. Watching a Ludicolo waitress perform an adorable little song and dance, as well as carrying coffee mugs on her lily pad-style head, is a true wonder to behold. The game doesn’t contain any 3D visual support, which is a shame considering how pretty it can be, but you’ll likely be too soaked up in the storytelling to care. 

Conclusion

Detective Pikachu might be described as a spin-off, but the visual and narrative direction the game has taken is an incredibly welcome one that we would love to see again. The gameplay can be a little too easy and repetitive at times, and we were surprised to see the ending appear so abruptly, but everything is presented within a very solid package that will have kids and adults alike hooked. Dedicated fans of the series will likely get the most out of the experience, with the game’s art, storytelling, and genuinely likeable cast showing the world of Pokémon in a great new light, but we’d urge anyone interested to give this one a go. Our adventure only just ended but we’re missing our Pika-pal already.

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Nintendo Download: 22nd March (North America)

Thursday is here, yet again, and with it, another Nintendo Download update for North America. As per usual, it brings a whole host of new games, extra bits of DLC, demos and maybe the occasional discount and deal. As always, be sure to add your votes to the poll below and leave us a comment sharing the games you’ll be picking up (and why) this week. Enjoy!

3DS eShop

Detective Pikachu (Nintendo, $39.99) – Crack the case in this new detective adventure game by interacting with a unique, fully voiced Pikachu. As Tim Goodman, you’ll partner with self-proclaimed “great detective” Pikachu to solve strange occurrences all over Ryme City. Together you must investigate, take notes and meet up with other Pokémon to unravel the city’s greatest mysteries! The Detective Pikachu game will be available on 23rd March. Game in 2D. Read our review.

The Alliance Alive (ATLUS U.S.A, $39.99) – One thousand years ago, Daemons invaded the world of Humans. They subjugated Humanity and created the Great Barrier to separate the realms. Now the time for resistance has come. The Alliance Alive game evokes the nostalgia of JRPG greats with huge world exploration and intertwining stories of nine protagonists. The Alliance Alive launches on 27th March.

Switch eShop

Outlast 2 (Red Barrels, $29.99) – The Outlast 2 game introduces you to Sullivan Knoth and his followers, who left our wicked world behind to give birth to the Temple Gate town deep in the wilderness and hidden from civilization. Knoth and his flock are preparing for the tribulations of the end of times and you’re right in the thick of it. Outlast 2 launches on 27 March.

Castle of Heart (7Levels, $14.99) – CASTLE OF HEART, available exclusively for Nintendo Switch™, is a classic action platformer at the genre’s best… and most challenging, with plentiful of new twists on formula to experience. The players take control over a cursed knight, turned to stone by the evil sorcerer’s spell, but ready to prove that love and courage can conquer even the darkest magic. Available 23 March. Read our review.

Warp Shift (Isbit Games, $9.99) – Warp Shift is a unique puzzle game set in a mysterious world. It takes you on a marvelous journey that challenges your mind and stimulates your senses. Experience beautiful visuals, challenging puzzles and intriguing sound design. Available 27 March.

ACA NEO GEO WORLD HEROES 2 JET (HAMSTER, $7.99) – “WORLD HEROES 2 JET” is a fighting game released by SNK in 1994. It is the third title in the WORLD HEROES series. Sixteen heroes, villains, and other fighters have gathered to determine who is the strongest in the world. With dashes, back steps, and the addition of a counter system, you can enjoy speedy battles.

Arcade Archives MOON PATROL (HAMSTER, $7.99) – “MOON PATROL” is a side-scrolling action-shooting game released by IREM in 1982. Control a lunar rover as you jump to avoid obstacles, and move forward while defeating enemies that shoot missiles from above or rockets towards you. The goal is to make it through the Beginner Course and and Champion Course.

EAT BEAT DEADSPIKE-san (Arc System Works, $6.99) – “EAT BEAT DEADSPIKE-san” is a rhythm action game spin-off of the 2D-fighting game series, “BLAZBLUE”, that features Dead Spike-san in a eating frenzy.

Gekido Kintaro’s Revenge (Naps Team, $12.99) – A year has passed since the epic battle that decided the fate of mankind and claimed the life of the beloved Angela. Dark omens once again tell of the return of an evil presence. Ushi is the last remaining master of the ancient art of Shin-Ken, and he calls upon Tetsuo, his disciple and adopted son, to investigate some strange happenings in a faraway farming village outside the city.

NO THING (Forever Entertainment, $1.99) – NO THING is a minimalistic surreal action game set in a totalitarian regime of future. Tells the story of an office clerk who is sent with an important message to the Queen of Ice.

OPUS: Rocket of Whispers (Flyhigh Works, $8.10) – Throughout OPUS: Rocket of Whispers you will play as two survivors of an apocalyptic plague. Help them achieve the unimaginable goal of building a rocket, so they can return the deceased to their cosmic homeland through the ancient tradition of space burials.

Slayaway Camp: Butcher’s Cut (Digerati, $14.99) – A killer puzzle game where you control Skullface, a psychotic slasher hell-bent on revenge. Slide this adorably demented murderer around hundreds of isometric puzzle levels to squash, flay, and decapitate hapless victims in this darkly comic homage to 80s horror movies. Read our review.

SOL DIVIDE -SWORD OF DARKNESS- for Nintendo Switch (Zerodiv, $7.99) – Vorg heard a rumor that the army of Satan was searching for treasures called Seirei stones which led him to think that the time for revenge has come. In addition, he also knows that one of the Seirei stones was entrusted secretly to King Silverna from Vorg’s homeland, the Kingdom of Miltia.

Switch demos

Metropolis: Lux Obscura – Demo Version (Sometimes You, Free) – Jon Lockhart walked through the prison gates a free man, after spending years imprisoned as the supposed murderer of an old friend. He returned once more to the city where it all started intent on figuring out who it was that framed him for the murder and make them pay in blood for the crime. It’d take some work with the key witness dead, but that just meant he’d have to flush out every rat from hiding. Available 27 March.

Switch DLC

Pokkén Tournament DX Battle Pack Wave 2 – The Pokkén Tournament DX Battle Pack grants immediate access to Avatar items upon purchase and two waves of DLC as they are released. The Battle Pack contains two new Battle Pokémon and two new Support Pokémon Sets. With these Pokémon joining the fray, the battle is just getting started! Wave 1 released on 31 Jan, 2018, and contains Battle Pokémon Aegislash, a new Support Pokémon set featuring Mega Rayquaza and Mimikyu, and additional Avatar items. Wave 2 releases on 23 March, 2018, and contains Battle Pokémon Blastoise, a new Support

What are you downloading this week? (121 votes)

Arcade Archives MOON PATROL​

12%

EAT BEAT DEADSPIKE-san

2%

Gekido Kintaro’s Revenge

4%

NO THING​

3%

OPUS: Rocket of Whispers​

3%

Slayaway Camp: Butcher’s Cut

2%

SOL DIVIDE -SWORD OF DARKNESS-

4%

Detective Pikachu

9%

The Alliance Alive

2%

Outlast 2​

3%

Castle of Heart​

6%

Warp Shift​

  0%

Metropolis: Lux Obscura​

6%

Pokkén Tournament DX

8%

Nothing for me!

36%

Please login to vote in this poll.

So that’s your lot for this week. Be sure to leave a vote in the poll and a comment down below with your hot picks from this week’s Nintendo Download haul…

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Video: Nintendo Shows How To Create Your Own Labo Remote Control Tank

Nintendo’s running a series of videos on YouTube which looks at the ways you’ll be able to create cool toys using Labo, which arrives next month.

This week, it’s the turn of the RC Tank. This demonstration shows how you can start with a very basic concept – such as the Joy-Con’s IR camera “seeing” some reflective tape – and add layers of complexity, such as sound effects and even a “Hit” sign.

More of the Toy-Con Garage’s programming system is shown here, which hints at just how deep and involving Labo is going to be when it launches. 

Let us know if these videos are building your excitement by posting a comment below.

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Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana Secures Late June Release Date On Switch

NIS America has revealed that Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana will be arriving on Switch on 26th June in North America, and 29th June in Europe.

The JRPG series is returning with a brand new adventure for the first time in 8 years. Adol awakens shipwrecked and stranded on a cursed island where he, and the other shipwrecked passengers, must challenge fearsome beasts and mysterious ruins. Amidst this, Adol begins to dream of a mysterious blue-haired maiden living in a unknown world, with players left to unravel the mysteries of the isolated isle and the blue-haired maiden Dana.

The game is set to feature multiple protagonists; deep battle action including attacks, guarding, evasion, and ‘EXTRA’ skills; quests; and even some recreational fishing to pass the time.

Are you a fan of the series? Are you looking forward to exploring the game this summer? Let us know in the comments.

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Super Smash Bros. Switch And Splatoon 2 Tournaments Will Take Place At E3 This Summer

Nintendo has confirmed that it will be hosting both the Splatoon 2 World Championship 2018, and Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018, in an E3-related event in Los Angeles, CA on 11th – 12th June.

This will be the first exhibition tournament featuring the recently announced Super Smash Bros. game coming to Switch in 2018, and suggests that the game may well be making its first grand appearance during the event. This is an invitational competition, with an undisclosed number of the game’s best players set to be invited by Nintendo. 

The Splatoon 2 World Championship will feature four top teams, each of which will qualify for the event from Japan, Europe, U.S./Canada, and Australia/New Zealand. Prior to this Championship, Nintendo will host U.S./Canada online qualifiers which will allow teams of four, ages 13 and up, to try and earn their place in the grand finals. These qualifiers will take place on 21st April starting at 11am PT, and finals will take place on 28th April at 8am PT. If you’re interested, you can find out more here.

Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, has said the following:

“Nintendo always takes an original approach to video game competitions, and the portability of Nintendo Switch enables unique gameplay possibilities. We’re looking forward to watching some of the best players in the world test their skills against each other in these two uniquely competitive games.”

The competitions will be live-streamed, allowing viewers at home to soak up all of the action, and there is no doubt that some ridiculously high levels of play will be on show.

Are you ready to see Super Smash Bros. at E3? The countdown begins.

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Double Dose Of Sengoku Arriving Next Week On Switch eShop

Next Thursday there is much to rejoice if you are looking to expand your virtual Switch arcade salon since there not one, but two, Sengoku games releasing on 22nd March! But don’t get confused: Both are not only from completely unrelated series, but they are are also top tier within their own distinct genres.

Still with us? First, there’s the regular HAMSTER Neo Geo Arcade Archives weekly release: Sengoku 3 (Sengoku Denshõ 2001 in Japan). Not only does this 2001 game – developed by now defunct Noise Factory -close up the side-scrolling fighting trilogy, it’s also one of the finest showcases of what could be achieved with what was, by industry standards, obsolete MVS hardware. Huge, detailed and lovingly-animated sprites plus revised gameplay not only made sure this was the best of the Sengoku games, but also one the best side-scrolling beat-’em-ups in the entire Neo Geo library. Yours to keep forever for the regular $7.99/€6.99/£6.29 price point.

Moving on to Zerodiv, the other Sengoku we are getting on the same day for the same price is none other than the sequel of Psikyo’s Samurai Aces. This is, however, far from a by-the-books sequel, going as far as turning the original TATE gameplay into a horizontal side-scrolling shmup – and doing away with flying machines completely (yet it does keep the whole steam-punk Edo Japan period setting). Sengoku Blade: Sengoku Ace Episode II (or simply Tengai outside Japan) gives you a choice of five characters (plus a hidden one) with a radical redesign.

There you have it, another exciting week for Switch retro gamers looming on the horizon. Will you be picking up either one or both these games next Thursday?

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Review: Castle of Heart (Switch eShop)

While the developers of Castle of Heart have done little to encourage it, it’s easy to see why this Switch eShop release is being dubbed “the Dark Souls of platformers” by some in the Nintendo community. It boasts a very similar medieval aesthetic to the beloved Souls series and contains gameplay that is often punishing and infuriating; however, it doesn’t quite match up to FormSoftware’s sadistic masterpiece in terms of balance and nuance, and the end result is an action title that is only likely to entertain those with incredibly high thresholds for frustration.

Placed in the boots of a brave knight who has been turned into stone, Castle of Heart is a 2.5D platformer which sees you stalking through abandoned villages and ruined fortresses with the aim of rescuing your sweetheart and putting an end to the malevolent plans of an evil sorcerer. Your troubling affliction serves as a way of ratcheting up the tension; health slowly depletes as your character crumbles to dust, and it’s only by collecting health icons (which are dotted around the landscape and dropped by fallen enemies) or passing through a checkpoint that you can restore your vanishing vitality. This curse is reflected in other ways, too; should your health drop below a certain point you lose one of your arms, which predictably limits your combat options.

Speaking of combat, you have a few choices available to you when it comes to dealing with the many antagonists standing in your path. Melee attacks with your sword are fine for dealing with enemies in close proximity, but one-on-one battles rarely end without you taking some damage – and when you consider how delicate your health situation is, that’s not always a welcome scenario. Thankfully, you can collect various limited-use ranged weapons – such as spears, crossbows and knives – which allow you to keep foes at a comfortable distance. The downside to this approach is that some enemies also have ranged attacks, and its during these stand-offs that you’ll want to make use of your block command. You can also perform a dodge roll which is handy for getting out of the open and into cover. Other items – such as bombs – allow you to destroy obstacles and you also have access to a powerful (but slow) sword attack that achieves much the same effect, but depletes some of your precious health.

Castle of Heart leverages pretty much every button available on Switch, and the controls do take some getting used to. Another issue is that jumping is quite floaty, and this can make judging some of the harder leaps quite difficult. Environmental features such as crates, ropes, lanterns and other objects can be used to both help and hinder progress; for example, cutting the rope of a lantern with an arrow will cause it to plummet earthwards, creating an inferno that damages nearby enemies (and you). The level design is more complex than screenshots might suggest and often you’ll find there’s more than one option when trying to overcome a particular choke-point. Exploring off the beaten path is always a good idea; each level has plenty of bonus items to find, including five purple gems on each stage – only when you found all of these can you consider the level truly complete.

Visually, Castle of Heart is an impressive achievement. The backgrounds are rarely less than stunning, and feature little details that stretch all the way off to the horizon. The character models are slightly less striking; while they’re nicely detailed, the animation looks a little stiff and unconvincing. The audio is a similarly mixed bag; the music is neatly understated and does a good job of setting the scene, but the grunts and moans made by the game’s cast become quite annoying after a while. Everything moves along a decent pace, with smooth scrolling and generally impressive effects.

While Castle of Heart clearly sees itself as an old-school action title, there are a few things that prevent it from living up to its promise. Combat is clunky and unsatisfying, despite the range of options available to the player. Enemies take multiple hits to kill with your sword, which – as we’ve already mentioned – makes close-quarter fights a massive risk to your health. It feels similar to the combat seen in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate on the 3DS, but there’s none of that game’s clever combo work on offer here; as a result, it becomes frustrating, fast. All too often you’ll find yourself surrounded by enemies – both above and below – and in some of the trickier levels, just taking a few hits means you won’t be able to make it to the next checkpoint. The levels are massive and checkpoints are spread out quite thinly; expect to repeatedly play many of these sections over and over until you finally (somehow) make it through.

Dark Souls is, one could argue, a very similar proposition; you fail a lot, but it’s part of the appeal. The issue is that with Dark Souls, even when you fail there’s a chance to dust yourself off, spend some of your hard-earned souls and try again, blessed with more experience and better stats. In Castle of Heart, hitting a bottleneck requires you to painstakingly pick your way through that particular section, finding the right route and making sure you take as little damage as possible. On paper, this sounds like a pretty engaging cycle of risk and reward, but the issue is that it’s almost impossible to avoid taking damage through your own skill. Some enemies are unavoidable, and engaging them in combat usually means taking more damage than you can heal with the resultant health item they drop. Granted, getting to the next checkpoint by the skin of your teeth is exhilarating – and there are neat little tricks to discover, like jumping onto an enemy’s head and using them as a platform to escape from combat – but there’s ultimately too much frustration blocking the way to give these brief moments of reward any lasting impact.

Conclusion

Castle of Heart looks great and offers a stern challenge to those who don’t mind repeatedly playing the same level over and over before finally beating it and moving on. There’s definitely some fun to be had finding the best route through each stage and delicately picking off enemies, but the constantly-depleting health bar and frustrating combat will have many players giving up and moving onto games which are less harmful to their general well being.

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Nintendo hosts Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018, Splatoon 2 World Championship tournaments

Nintendo hosts Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018, Splatoon 2 World Championship tournaments

On June 11-12 in Los Angeles, an invited group of players will gather to play Super Smash Bros., and qualified teams will compete in Splatoon 2, as Nintendo hosts an event featuring high-level gameplay on these two games for Nintendo Switch. This will be the first-ever exhibition tournament featuring the recently announced Super Smash Bros. game coming to Nintendo Switch in 2018. Additionally, this will be the first world championship for Splatoon 2 after the game’s launch. The gathering will be a celebration of fun for all ages, and will highlight Nintendo’s unique approach to competitive play. The event will be just one of Nintendo’s activities at the E3 video game trade show, which runs June 12-14 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Additional details about Nintendo’s E3 plans will be announced at a later time.

The event will showcase players from around the globe in the Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018 tournament for the newly announced Super Smash Bros. game coming to Nintendo Switch this year and the Splatoon 2 World Championship. The competitions will be livestreamed.

Prior to the Splatoon 2 World Championship, Nintendo will host U.S./Canada online qualifiers. The U.S./Canada qualifier will be the Splatoon 2 U.S./Canada Inkling Open 2018 hosted by Battlefy. Open qualifiers for teams of four ages 13 and up will take place on April 21 starting at 11 a.m. PT, and finals will take place on April 28 at 8 a.m. PT. Teams will compete in Turf War during the open qualifiers and in Ranked Battle modes during the finals. Players can learn more about the qualifiers at https://e3.nintendo.com/splatoon-2-inkling-open/. Players from around the world competed in their region’s qualifying events for a spot at the Splatoon 2 World Championship, and those in Japan (Splatoon Koshien 2018), Europe (Splatoon European Championship) and Australia (AUNZ Splatoon Cup) should check information from their local regions regarding these qualifiers.

“Nintendo always takes an original approach to video game competitions, and the portability of Nintendo Switch enables unique gameplay possibilities,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We’re looking forward to watching some of the best players in the world test their skills against each other in these two uniquely competitive games.”

For additional details about the Nintendo Switch event, visit https://e3.nintendo.com. Visit https://battlefy.com/splatoon2 to register for the Splatoon 2 U.S./Canada qualifiers. More details about the Los Angeles event will be announced in the future.