Category: Nintendo News

It’s been immensely charming how Nintendo portables over the years have released in a broad variety of colors, giving consumers an opportunity to pick up hardware with a bit more of a personal flair. Much to Nintendo’s delight, it’s also been fairly common for people to pick up multiple different kinds of the same hardware, just because that new limited edition is so enticing. The Joy-Con on the Switch, then, have been an interesting iteration on this concept, as people can now deck out their hardware with whatever colors they like without breaking the bank.

When Splatoon 2 launched this summer, a special set of Neon Pink and Green Joy-Con released with it, though the distribution of this hardware was a bit hit or miss depending on your region. In North America, the only way to get your hands on them would be to pick up the Splatoon 2 Switch bundle, assuming you don’t want to import them. However, a new listing has appeared in the EB Games inventory that shows the Joy-Con will be released standalone on the 5^th, for the same price as usual Joy-Con. Whether the date is accurate still remains to be seen, but hopefully this means that we’ll be seeing them on store shelves soon.

What do you think? Have you already picked up these Joy-Con? What colors do you like to keep on your Switch? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Now that 2017 has been laid to rest, it’s finally time to turn our attention to 2018 and all the potential Nintendo goodness contained therein. Question is, how does Nintendo follow up a stellar nine-plus months of soaring Switch sales, renewed fan faith, red hot exclusives and (mostly) robust ports?

The answer is simple: it does the same thing, only bigger, stronger and even more confident than before. And, since the next Nintendo Direct showcase is heavily rumoured (but as yet unconfirmed) for 11th January, we’re fully expecting the Big N to come out fighting in 2018. So here are the things we think Nintendo could (and should) announce in just over a week’s time…

A solid launch date for the new online infrastructure

Okay, so let’s get the least sexy one out of the way from the off. As our very own Damien McFerran rightly pointed out in his 2018 prediction feature, buckets of praise and strong sales figures do not a robust online infrastructure make. Switch’s current online setup is half done at best, forcing developers to ensure their games launch with netcodes that can run without the solid matchmaking systems offered by Sony and Microsoft on their respective consoles.

So, we’re expecting Nintendo to banish this pretty considerable concern before it snowballs into a bigger issue by confirming a concrete release date for Nintendo Switch Online. The pricing will need to be in line with similar services offered elsewhere, with Nintendo soothing that cash request with a confirmation of some new free games. Which leads us into…

Virtual Console hits Switch (with added GameCube)

So we all know Virtual Console is going to hit Switch at some point, and what better time to make that arrival official than as part of the new Nintendo Switch Online account. With the Neo Geo ports having scratched that retro itch for a short while, we’re now ready for some suitably meaty dishes.

For a start, Nintendo really needs to announce Virtual Console, not just with the games you’ve already played on Wii U or 3DS, but those you haven’t had the chance to play in years. That’s right, we’re fully hoping that Nintendo goes all in and announces Virtual Console with some bona fide GameCube hits. Whether it’s Super Mario Sunshine, Luigi’s Mansion or Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Nintendo has so many first-party titles to choose from it’s a sure fire knockout. Whether you’re double-dipping from back in the day or experiencing these classics for the first time, it’s exactly the right kind of nostalgia to keep Switch’s good graces a-flowing.

Doubling down on ‘Nindie’ support

Much like Sony’s own wise choice with the indie scene in PS4’s rookie year, we’re expecting Nintendo to continue its embrace of the indie scene with a raft of new titles from smaller studios and developers. A recent Amazon listing (that was, naturally, subsequently removed) suggested 18 new titles were expected to be announced at a potential January Direct, so that leaves a big chunk of space for new games of an indie persuasion.

Expect games such as Super Meat Boy Forever (which just so happens to launch on the 11th January – coincidence?) to lead the way for more titles (including AWAY: Journey To The Unexpected and the newly-delayed Dragon Marked For Death). Nintendo went all out on its ‘Nindie’ announcements back in August 2017, so we’re confident of a similar result this month.

A first glimpse of Metroid Prime 4

Now that Mario, Link and the Inklings have had their mainline fun in 2017, it’s time for another member of the Nintendo royalty to have her triumphant return. Metroid Prime 4 was a huge announcement back at E3 2017, and since it’s been a long six-plus months since that fateful day in June, we’re ready for a proper showcase from Samus.

There’s been a lot rumours from various sources surrounding Metroid Prime 4, mostly centered around a trailer debut at the January Direct and the supposed involvement of Bandai Namco on development duties. We know that Retro Studios – the dev that developed the first three Prime games – isn’t working on the project, so having ‘Bamco’ on board is certainly feasible considering its strong history with Nintendo. We’re not expecting a firm release date at this stage, but a tentative ‘2018’ would do us just fine.

Expect Nintendo to go all-in on mobile

Nintendo may have arrived fashionably late to the smartphone/tablet market with its licensed properties, but that hasn’t stopped it from stealing both headlines and chart top spots. We’re pretty confident Nintendo will drop some more news on upcoming season events in Pokémon GO and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, (especially with the news that the former is finally coming to China in 2018) with some content potentially going live during the Direct itself.

Some new mobile titles may get also get an airing, but the question is, which ones? With AR having proved a sweet spot for Nintendo and other publishers before, there’s a chance we could see a Kirby-based title or even something with a splash of Yoshi. It’s almost certainly going to head down the free-to-play route, considering the mixed reception to Super Mario Run’s price tag. 

A Smash Bros. tease

While the likes of Brawlout have helped wet our appetites for some four-player fighting madness, it just serves to remind us that no one does salty dust-ups quite like the crew of Smash Bros. Whether this takes the form of a Deluxe version of Super Smash Bros For Wii U or a full-on sequel (we’re really hoping it’s the latter of the two), it stands to reason there’s a Switch-based version in development somewhere at Nintendo; it’s just a case of when it’ll come up for air.

We’re not expecting any sort of proper gameplay, or a release date of any kind, but a final tease to close out the direct on a high would give Switch just the right kind of hype to keep new Switch owners happy and prospective ones even more tempted to join the club.

So there’s some of our hopes and dreams for the rumoured Nintendo Direct this month, but we’re more interested in hearing your thoughts on the first big showcase of 2018. Make some noise below…

Kaiju and/or wrestling fans rejoice because Hamster is kicking off 2018 with quite the monster bash. SNK’s 1992 The King Of The Monsters will bring pixelated city wide destruction this on 4th January to the Switch eShop. Take control of a giant reptile not named Godzilla, a gigantic ape not called King Kong or even Ultraman wannabe Atomic Guy and use major Japan cities as improvised wrestling rings and you have the perfect setup for some mindless destruction. Bring a friend because the game supports tag team play, something rather handy when you’re being pinned by a Kaiju from the other team.

Sadly, we’ll need to wait until the superior sequel (King Of The Monsters 2: The Next Thing) to show up so we get to play fan favourite and memorably named Cyber Woo. Considering the current state of the only other wrestling option currently available on Nintendo Switch, you could indeed do worse.

Will you be stomping Tokyo buildings and throwing air planes, trains and tanks at each other this coming Thursday? Shake that comments section with your favourite Kaiju memories.

The latest offering from Dallas-based developer PolyKnight might not feature Dennis Quaid or an ’80s journey into Martin Short’s body, but it will take you on an interstellar trip into a universe where reality is collapsing in on itself. This galactic odyssey is none other than InnerSpace, and it’s set to be one of the most exciting – and the most visually striking – titles coming to Switch in 2018. In the shoes of the Cartographer – a space-hopping archaeologist, no less – you’ll fly your ship through empty oceans and abandoned skies as you document civilisations seemingly lost to time.

With a release date pencilled in for 16th January, we sat down with PolyKnight co-founder and producer Eric Brodie to talk building a flying game set amid inside-out planets, building a mysterious new lore for its Inverse setting and what it’s like to develop a game for Nintendo Switch.

The announcement trailer is gorgeous and pretty mysterious. Is there a lore, narrative or specific characters in the game?

Yeah, definitely! Because it’s a game about exploration and finding artifacts, we spent a great deal of time writing the history of the world. We wanted to make sure that everything you saw had a reason for existing, but also keep it at arm’s length so it would take some thought to discover its meaning. As far as characters, it’s a story about you and the Archaeologist in your journey to eventually leave the Inverse. The entirety the Inverse is dying, and discovering the reasons why makes up the bulk of the story.

Tell us a little more about the concept of InnerSpace and what players will experience once they venture into the Inverse?

We like to think of InnerSpace as a mix of ‘lean in’ and ‘lean back’ moments of gameplay.  During the lean in times, you’re solving puzzles in encountering each world’s demigod, flying through tight corridors and other challenges the test your flying skills. Then, juxtaposed with that are moments where you lean back in your chair and relax. During these moments you’ll collect relics, which not only give you some insight into the world and help to color your interpretation of the events that take place during the story, but also provide upgrades and unlocks. It’s this back and forth between these two modes that I think makes InnerSpace fun – moments of chill, book–ended by epic story moments.

Switching between oceans and skies plays a big role in the game. Is there an emphasis on one or the other and how does each affect the game in terms of the story or objectives?

Making the underwater sections feel right was definitely really important for us. We didn’t want for players to completely ignore the water, especially if they found flying more fun than swimming. So, the airframe controls a little differently in the water, and I think is really fun to control in its own right. Various worlds will provide reasons to go underwater, but other than that, it’s wholly of your own accord, depending on how much of the world you want to explore and how many of the relics you want to find.

To us, the game tonally and aesthetically reminds us of titles such as Rime or Abzu. How important is the art style to the feel of the game?

Very important!  As a game about exploration, it was really important that we made a place that people wanted to spend time in. For example, even though we’re telling a story about a dying world, we opted to choose a depiction of decay that was still beautiful. That not only presented a unique challenge for us both aesthetically and narratively, but I’d also like to think provides a refreshing take on that type of setting.

Did it develop organically or was it decided early on?

A little bit of both.  Some early decisions were out of technical constraints, such as deciding to forego textures and rely entirely on shaders, while others were to achieve the look and feel that we wanted.  An example of this is how we looked to impressionist paintings to inspire how we handled our level of detail – as you play, you’ll notice that objects in a distance slowly fade into flat colors.

What are your influences from games or other media?

I think ideas for games can come from anywhere. For example, Super Mario Galaxy kind of spurred our thinking about designing games that utilized gravity in unique ways. Over time, we thought about what it would be like to fly in a space where gravity behaved differently. As we thought about where a game like that would take place, we initially put the setting underground, taking inspiration from the anime Gurren Lagann. Of course, that setting changed pretty significantly as the idea matured.

What was your knowledge and interest regarding the rumors surrounding the console that would eventually become Nintendo Switch?

I was really interested to see what they were going to do next. From the moment I heard it was possibly a portable device, I was stoked because, honestly, the DS might be my favorite system.

While you were working on your game, when did the Switch become a platform of interest?

From the moment it was announced. From the very first days of working on InnerSpace, I think every single one of us at some point mentioned how cool it would be to have on a portable system. The Switch really offers the best of both worlds.

What was the Switch like to develop for?

Really great! Without getting into the weeds, the code team has told me that, as far as ports go, it was relatively painless. The biggest challenge was optimising for it so that it ran as smoothly as possible, but there was plenty of that to do, anyway, at the end of development that it fit pretty neatly into the pipeline.

What was your exposure to Nintendo growing up and do you have any favorite games/ franchises?

Oh man, how much time you have? I think that question differs depending on who in the studio you ask. Steve, our art director, is probably the biggest Metroid fan I know. Metroid Prime had a particularly significant impact on him. Tyler, our creative director, is a huge fan of Rare’s N64 games from the late 90’s, like Banjo-Kazooie (he also has a yarn Yoshi amiibo on his desk, for what it’s worth). I think both of those games, along with plenty of others from that time period, can be seen in the games we make.

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We would like to thank Eric for his time. InnerSpace lands on the Switch eShop on 16th January 2018.

Do you find it hard to resist picking up the controller, even when it’s at the cost of other important things in your life? You could be suffering from a mental disorder according to the World Health Organisation, which has just published its 11th International Classification of Diseases – the first of its kind since 1992.

The BBC reports that in the new guide, gaming addiction has been listed as a mental health condition for the first time ever.

According to the guide, symptoms of this ailment include:

• impaired control over gaming (frequency, intensity, duration)
• increased priority given to gaming
• continuation or escalation of gaming despite negative consequences

The guide comes at a time when many nations are struggling to deal with the issue of increased levels of game time among its younger citizens. In South Korea for example, where online gaming is incredibly popular, the government has introduced a law banning access for children under 16 from online games between midnight and 06:00 AM. Meanwhile in China, internet giant Tencent has introduced limits on the number of hours children can play its games.

Despite these moves, there is still some doubt as to whether gaming addiction is as widespread an issue as some would have us believe. The University of Oxford in the UK recently conducted a study which suggested that increased screen time didn’t stop children from successfully managing other aspects of their lives.

Researcher Killian Mullan said:

People think that children are addicted to technology and in front of these screens 24/7, to the exclusion of other activities – and we now know that is not the case.

Our findings show that technology is being used with and in some cases perhaps to support other activities, like homework for instance, and not pushing them out.

Just like we adults do, children spread their digital tech use throughout the day, while doing other things.

Where do you stand on this issue? Do you think gaming addiction is a real concern, especially when you consider how much time we spend glued to screens watching TV, surfing the web or posting on social media? Given that gaming has positive benefits too, do you think this new guide could cause more harm than good, or do you feel (as with many things in life) too much of a good thing can be harmful? 

Let us know with a comment.

DOOM recently launched on the Nintendo Switch and while technical compromises had to be made in order to get it to run on Nintendo’s portable platform, we nevertheless praised it in our review for being a quality port that had enough of a flavour of the full-fat version of the game to be worthwhile.

It’s amazing to think that more than 24 years ago in 1993, a similar miracle took place when the original PC game of DOOM was ported to none other than the SNES. If only Digital Foundry had been around at the time to evaluate what an impressive port this was! UK-based publication Nintendo Magazine System gave the SNES port of DOOM a mighty 95% in their review and praised its use of the FX2 chip to make the magic happen.

So why bring this up now? Good question! Randy Linden was a programmer on the SNES port of DOOM and recently did an interview which sheds some light on just how challenging this project was:

I started the project independently and demo’d it to Sculptured Software when I had a fully operational prototype running. A bunch of people at Sculptured helped complete the game so it could be released in time for the holidays.

The development was challenging for a few reasons, notably there were no development systems for the SuperFX chip at the time. I wrote a complete set of tools — assembler, linker and debugger — before I could even start on the game itself.

The development hardware was a hacked-up StarFox cartridge (because it included the SuperFX chip) and a modified pair of game controllers that were plugged into both SNES ports and connected to the Amiga’s parallel port. A serial protocol was used to communicate between the two for downloading code, setting breakpoints, inspecting memory, etc.

As if all that wasn’t impressive enough, when asked if there were features which Randy wanted to include but couldn’t get working on the SNES he said:

Sure! More levels for starters — Unfortunately, the game used the largest capacity ROM available and filled it almost completely. I vaguely recall there were roughly 16 bytes free, so there wasn’t any more space available anyway!

However, I did manage to include support for the SuperScope, Mouse and XBand modem! Yes, you could actually play against someone online!

It’s kind of insane to think that somebody could play DOOM online on the SNES back in 1993, but there we are. Let us know what you think about these impressive ports of DOOM with a comment below.

The Nintendo Switch is selling incredibly well worldwide, and Nintendo has made bold predictions based on this amazing first year, with 20 million consoles predicted to be sold in the next financial year alone.

That might seem like a bold projection, but consider this – the Switch has just beaten the PS2’s year-one sales in Japan, and Sony’s console went on to become the best selling home gaming system of all time, with 155 million units sold globally. According to Famitsu, Nintendo has now sold just under 3.3 million Switch consoles in its homeland, while the PS2 sold 3 million.

The comparison with PS2 is an interesting one; both machines launched in early March (2017 for Switch, 2000 for PS2) rather than the more traditional Christmas window. Switch shifted an impressive 520,000 units in its first month, but the PS2 sold an amazing 900,000 consoles. 

However, Nintendo’s console has benefitted from a solid first year of games, while the PS2 arguably suffered from a lack of titles which truly showed off its potential, at least in the first 12 months on sale. Sony also cited a production shortage as a key problem during most of 2000, which meant it couldn’t meet demand. Nintendo has had similar issues with supply over the past year.

While year-one sales hardly paint the definitive picture, it’s nevertheless interesting that the Switch has sold so well when compared to one of the most commercially successful gaming platforms ever; suggestions that it could potentially overtake the PS2 in terms of lifetime sales seem a little hasty, but it should be remembered that Nintendo’s console is a hybrid that offers both portable and home play – a fact which could potentially give it the edge when it comes to total units sold.

WiiWare wasn’t exactly inundated with quality games but it had a few solid-gold gems, three of which were part of Konami’s ReBirth series.

Developed by emulation experts M2, Gradius ReBirth, Castlevania The Adventure ReBirth and Contra ReBirth adopted a classic 16-bit visual style and aimed to replicate the look and feel of each respective franchise.

With WiiWare’s time now numbered (Nintendo is pulling the plug on the Wii eShop in 2019), it would make sense for Konami to find another digital storefront on which to sell these titles. The Switch eShop is perhaps the most obvious candidate. The rumour also states that a fourth game is in development.

While this rumour is a long way from being confirmed, we’d personally love to see all three games get a “rebirth” (ho ho!) on Switch. What about you?

We’ve seen some crazy third party accessories for the Nintendo Switch so far, with ‘The Switch Visor’ being one of our favourites for lazy players. 

However, the ‘Comfortable Hands Free Stand’ as spotted by eagle eyed game developer Jake Kazdal in Japan might take the biscuit.

Judging from the photo, the stand is suspended on a metal band which sits comfortably on the player’s neck. The stand offers between 7 to 14cm of movement and can be rotated in 360°. What more could you ask for?

If you could get over the sheer embarrassment of using it on a crowded tube, it might actually be quite practical when you think about it, but no, this is just plain ridiculous. It also reminds us of the equally silly mount for the Virtual Boy. Shudder.

Let us know if you’d give this Switch accessory a try in public with a comment below.

It seems like Christmas has been a strong sales period for the Nintendo Switch in the UK, at least from anecdotal evidence. The UK software charts for last week seem to back this up, with key Nintendo Switch games holding their own against PS4 and Xbox One behemoths such as Call of Duty: WWII, FIFA 18 (nobody seems to be buying the Switch version!), Star Wars Battlefront II and Assassin’s Creed Origins.

Based on the combined charts, the unstoppable juggernaut that is Super Mario Odyssey jumps from 7th place to 6th place this week. An impressive feat given the very strong multiformat competition at this time of year.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe powerslides into 9th place from 11th and the mighty The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild makes the leap from 20th place back to a respectable 10th. Of course, if you were lucky enough to find a Nintendo Switch under the Christmas tree this year, these are the must have games to go along with it.

We’re also seeing good momentum with sales of Splatoon 2, 1-2-Switch and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle in the UK, too. Let us know your thoughts on the UK software charts with a comment below.