Posted on Leave a comment

DLC Review: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – The Champions’ Ballad + Expansion Pass

Last week Nintendo got into the Hollywood spirit at The Game Awards and dropped the second DLC pack (and final part of the Expansion Pass) for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. For many it’s been the addition we’ve been waiting for, offering new story content and a fresh dungeon in addition to the now-standard add-ons in the forms of outfits and items.

For those that like collecting every outfit for Link there are some new goodies, following a similar pattern to those in DLC pack one. You receive the quests and they start off by telling you to find clues in a specific location – you find the book, get more clues and then hunt for special ‘EX’ treasure chests. These extras certainly do no harm, and play into the simple joys of exploring and navigating Hyrule, including some of its most tricky and dangerous areas. It’s collect-a-thon busy work, which is pleasurable within this game’s world; there’s little more to say on that side.

Whereas DLC Pack 1 brought us ‘Master Mode’ and the Master Sword Trials, now we have ‘The Champions’ Ballad’, which is the focus of this review.

The Champions’ Ballad

As those that have beaten the game know, every time you defeat the end boss you revert to your save point just before that showdown, meaning you can replay it many times or – potentially – meet more requirements to clear it and then get the ‘true’ ending. The Champions’ Ballad is only available once you have freed all four Divine Beasts, and then kicks in as a ‘final trial’ to prepare you for the ultimate confrontation. It’s a smart narrative trick, though those that have cleared the game long ago will need to tune into the placing of the plot.

In reality, what this truly delivers is additional treats from the development team that follow the patterns we’ve already enjoyed, comprising of plenty of challenges along with some utterly charming new cutscenes. You work your way towards learning the ‘Champions’ Ballad’ from Kass the Bard, which takes the form of story scenes portraying Zelda’s recruitment of the four regional heroes. They give a little more insight into each character, are beautifully produced and reach a 10 on the charm scale during the final scene. For fans immersed in the world and its cast, this DLC delivers on that score.

Structurally, however, we’re still within the same Hyrule and playing as Link; there are no ultimate curveballs in the experience here. It starts off with a return to Great Plateau and the Shrine of Resurrection – we’ll be spoiler free as far as possible here, but we will say that this kicks off the first part of this DLC in the form of a tricky set of challenges called ‘Divine Beast Tamer’s Trial’. You have a weapon that can kill any foe in one hit, but the flipside is you can be killed in one hit. Your goal is to clear enemy camps one-by-one, each taking in a different part of the Plateau and some varied enemies. The camps all offer a different challenge, and ‘Game Over’ is to be expected – we found it interesting to try different approaches and tactics after failed attempts, utilising a mix of stealth, ranged attacks and frantic close-up fighting.

Tackling these camps is tough, and will certainly prove particularly tricky for some less experienced players. The reward for each cleared camp is a new Shrine, and these maintain the trend of keeping players on their toes. These first four are a nice reminder that the new Shrines are on par with some of the best original examples, offering tricky and generally decent-sized puzzles, and various spins on ideas we’ve seen before. All told it took us a while to clear this Plateau segment, before the new weapon split into parts and triggered new monuments in the four corners of the world.

The structure then goes the same way for a good few hours of play – you track down a monument at which Kass talks of writing a ballad for the Champions, and you can view three maps showing the locations of challenges. You find the spot and your task typically involves defeating some enemies, solving a puzzle or doing some smart manoeuvring through a course (in various ways). Once you do that a snazzy new Shrine begins – often themed on the area you’re in – and you clear three of these to trigger a notable fight. We won’t spoil that final part here, but it’s an interesting approach to sections you’ll have played in the main campaign.

We enjoyed working through these areas, particularly due to the quality of the Shrine designs, which have clearly been given plenty of effort and attention. It takes a little while, and then you get the new ‘Divine Beast’ dungeon that was promised. Nintendo’s been completely upfront about the fact this unlocks the Master Cycle Zero, and it’s a clever twist on the idea of that unlockable. Like other Divine Beasts you’re aiming to access terminals, and though it’s not the biggest in terms of pure size it’s well implemented, especially for fans of engineering puzzles. Once you ‘beat’ the dungeon there’s a final surprise that is rather enjoyable, and from start to finish most will be looking at 6-9 hours to work through Champions’ Ballad, potentially more depending on skill levels.

As for the motorbike? Well, it does eventually need to be refuelled with materials, and it’s silly fun. That’s it – in truth – when it comes to the bike, but that’s also fine. If you’ve played right through the game and the DLC it’s a fun addition to goof around with, and though some may get wound up about lore we feel there’s enough video game silliness in Breath of the Wild- in a very Nintendo way – to make it a suitable addition. Your mileage will vary (apologies), depending on how much you like to mess about on virtual vehicles.

Overall we were left satisfied at the end of our playthrough, and spending more time with the game (after 100+ hours previously) with new challenges was a treat. Though the story additions (through cutscenes) are pleasing and the new Shrines and Dungeon are of a high quality, it’s also not the content of our wildest imaginations. Various ‘triple-A’ DLC story add-ons in other games introduce new characters and even entirely new areas of the world, which this does not do. The add-ons in The Witcher 3 still set the standard here, and others deserve nods, whereas Nintendo has opted for small contained challenges within the same world. We had ideas in our head (pre-release) of playing as the Champions, or perhaps continuing the story as hinted by the ‘true’ ending. In hindsight some may say those were unrealistic hopes, but they wouldn’t have been unprecedented additions.

That said, what is here is still fantastic Breath of the Wild gaming, additional refined content for what some (including this writer) will argue is the best game of the year. On that score it delivers.

Is the Expansion Pass Worth It? 

Split into two packs, the Expansion Pass certainly offers a lot of busy-work in terms of collectible outfits and items. In the first pack the significant and more important additions were the challenging but addictive ‘Trial of the Sword’ and Master Mode for tough second play-throughs. We got a lot of mileage out of this – the bid to max out the Master Sword was particularly tough in the third set of levels, while a Master Mode playthrough can feel very different as caution trumps all-out bravery. We wrote about it in detail previously.

With this second pack we have the various collectibles and The Champions’ Ballad, which is probably a dozen plus hours at least for most players. Combine the two, along with the fan-service and added functions and goodies (like the travel medallion and ancient bridle / saddle) and there’s solid value for €19.99 / £17.99 / $19.99USD. As extras on top of a core game that can last a long time when seeking to clear all shrines etc, the expansion pass certainly turns Breath of the Wild into an even more engrossing and sizeable adventure.

As we close the book on the Expansion Pass, then, we’re generally very positive. The Champions’ Ballad doesn’t fulfil our breathlessly wild fantasies, but it is fun and full of smart design and charm – not to mention some notably tricky areas. Overall, then, it’s mission accomplished.

We feel pretty confident in saying that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild plus the Expansion Pass is utterly glorious and unmissable gaming – it’s a lot of a good thing, combining to deliver one of the greatest games of all time.

Posted on Leave a comment

Playing Super Mario 64 Could Help Fight Off Alzheimer’s Disease

Somehow, deep down, we knew all those years of playing the greatest 3D platformer ever made (no, we don’t mean Super Mario Odyssey, but that little beauty certainly came close) would pay off because a new report suggests playing Super Mario 64 could help keep your brain fit and healthy (especially in your later years).

No, you haven’t lost the plot – Super Mario 64 is actually good for you! The source of this Nintendo-branded healing comes from a new study published by the University of Montreal, where a gaggle of 33 volunteers aged 55 to 75 were split into three groups and each set a different challenge. One group had to learn to play piano on a computer, another didn’t have to do anything at all, while a third was tasked with completing the N64 classic in 30 minute sessions over the course of six months.

Can you guess which group ended up with the most positive results? Yup, those attempting to slide their way down Cold, Cold Mountain saw significant growth in grey matter in a parts of the brain known as the cerebellum and the hippocampus (with the former used for control and balance and the latter helps form long-term memories). The theory is 3D platformers are all about learning to navigate a new environment, which can help develop cognitive maps and improve brain function over all.

What do you guys make of this? Are there any other Nintendo games that could help keep your noodle in good nick?

Posted on Leave a comment

Guide: Super Mario Odyssey: Moon Kingdom Power Moon Locations And Walkthrough

Welcome to our ultimate guide for collecting every Power Moon from the Moon Kingdom in Super Mario Odyssey! Below, you’ll find maps detailing the exact location for all 38 of the Power Moons located in this Kingdom, as well as descriptions on how to get each and every one of them.

The numbers on the maps correspond to the relevant Power Moon listed below and, whilst most of them appear in that spot from the beginning (or after you’ve completed the story at least), it is worth nothing that sometimes you are required to perform a specific action to make it appear. Use a combination of our maps and walkthrough information to grab each of the Power Moons with ease. Enjoy!

Moon Kingdom Power Moons (1-27)

1. Shining Above the Moon: Just behind the Odyssey to the right-hand side you should find a small crater with a shadow in the middle. Stand on this shadow and jump directly upwards to reveal a hidden block – if you jump up onto this block, and then directly up again, you should also reveal a second one. Jump up onto that one and do the process once more to find a Power Moon floating high above you.

2. Along the Cliff Face: Head to location 2 on our map and spin the camera around to view the cliff face below and find a large 2D section inside the wall. You’ll find a small ledge with a green pipe to enter this section – head inside and make your way to the end for a Power Moon.

3. The Tip of a White Spire: For this Power Moon you’ll need to jump up onto the roof of the Wedding Hall. If you’re facing the hall from the front, head around to the right-hand side and jump up onto the roof, looking out for the white spires that are dotted around the structure. One of them on this side of the building will be glowing and, if you throw Cappy at it by holding down the ‘Y’ button for a few seconds, a Power Moon will pop right out.

4. Rolling Rock on the Moon: Search around location number 4 on our map to find a small rock in the middle of a crater. If you kick this rock around – you’ll need to do this for quite some time – it will eventually burst open to reveal a Power Moon.

5. Caught Hopping on the Moon!: At location 5 on our map you’ll find a rabbit bouncing around. As always you’ll need to capture the rabbit for a Power Moon, using Cappy to stun it if necessary.

6. Cliffside Treasure Chest: Way out to the west you’ll spot a treasure chest sitting on its own distant platform. Capture one of the Rocket Flowers sitting on the mainland nearest the platform and use the speed it generates to perform a super-long long jump. Open up the treasure chest for this Power Moon.

7. Moon Kingdom Timer Challenge 1: At location 7 on our map you’ll find a scarecrow sitting on a slightly lowered ledge. Throw Cappy at the scarecrow, and then perform a series of long jumps over the platforms that appear, to grab the Power Moon waiting for you.

8. Taking Notes: On the Moon’s Surface: Head to location 8 on our map on the eastern side of the middle part of the Kingdom to find a glowing treble clef. If you touch this treble clef, a series of music notes will appear – you’ll need to collect all of these before the timer runs out to get this Power Moon. If you can execute two perfectly positioned long jumps, you should be able to collect all of the notes with two swift movements.

– The next five Power Moons are all located in the magma-filled section just beyond the Quiet Wall checkpoint flag. The location for this area is marked as ‘X’ on our map above. As this area has no map within the game, we’ll guide you through these ones with descriptions alone.

(X) 9. Under the Bowser Statue: As you drop into this area right at the very beginning, look closely at the Bowser statue on the right and you’ll notice that it can actually be captured. Jump up to its head and throw Cappy at it to take control, moving it forwards slightly to reveal a Power Moon underneath.

(X) 10. In a Hole in the Magma: On the lowest level of the area, capture any of the Parabones flying around and fly to the far end with the Spark Pylon inside a cage. To the right of this cage you should be able to spot a round hole in the magma on the floor – fly down this hole to collect a key which will unlock a Power Moon right beside the cage.

(X) 11. Around the Barrier Wall: In the area with the Banzai Bills, capture the first one that appears and fly to the right, following the golden rings until you make it past the first long wall. If you quickly turn to the left here to examine the back of the wall you just flew by, you’ll notice a Power Moon sitting on a small ledge.

(X) 12. On Top of the Cannon: In the area with the Banzai Bills, capture the first one and follow the path through the golden rings and breakable walls until you come across the second Banzai Bill cannon. Crash directly into this cannon, making sure to land Mario safely on the top. If you perform a ground pound in the centre of the top of this cannon, a very sneakily hidden Power Moon will pop out.

(X) 13. Fly to the Treasure Chest and Back: Whilst standing at either of the Bonzai Bill cannons, look over to where you first entered the area (made obvious by the large green pipe and Bowser statues). You’ll notice an alcove that is exactly level with the height of the Banzai Bills. Capture one and fly over to this alcove, using the boosts available to ensure you make it in time. Break open the treasure chest in the alcove for a Power Moon.

14. Up in the Rafters: For this Power Moon, you’ll need to climb all the way to the very top of the Wedding Hall building from the outside. You can achieve this by using backflips, wall jumps, and Cappy dives, or alternatively you can capture the frog sitting behind the hall in the northwest for added height in your jumps. Make your way up to the giant golden bell and drop through the hole in the floor directly underneath it. You’ll find yourself on top of some rafters inside the hall – walk over these rafters to collect the Power Moon in plain view.

15. Sneaking Around in the Crater: If you look in the large crater near the Odyssey (at location 15 on our map) you should notice a glowing bump moving around in the ground. Stun the bump with Cappy, and then perform a ground pound on it, to reveal a Power Moon.

16. Found on the Moon, Good Dog!: Right next to the Crazy Cap store in this Kingdom you should spot a dog in a space helmet (as you do). Befriend this dog by playing with it and get it to follow you. As you walk around it will find hidden goodies underground – usually within craters. Eventually it will dig up a Power Moon for you – it found ours at location 16 on our map in the northeast corner of the section with the store.

17. Moon Shards on the Moon: At location 17 on our map you’ll find the first of five Moon Shards that you’ll need to collect for a Power Moon. The other four are all located in various places on the roof of the Wedding Hall. Jump up onto the roof – using the frog sitting behind the hall in the northwest if necessary – and explore every nook and cranny to find them all.

18. Moon Quiz: Amazing!: To get this Power Moon you’ll first have to complete the task for Power Moon 24. When you’ve done that, return to the Sphynx to answer a series of questions. If you answer of all the Sphynx’s questions correctly, it’ll reward you with a second Power Moon. The answers to the questions are: Sheep, Moon, Below the bell, Floating on airship sails.

19. Thanks, Captain Toad!: Just to the south of the Odyssey, you’ll spot a whole bunch of characters from various Kingdoms all hanging out together to look at the Earth. Just behind them, and behind a small ridge, you’ll also find Captain Toad – chat to him for a Power Moon.

20. Shopping in Honeylune Ridge: You can purchase this Power Moon in this Kingdom’s Crazy Cap store for 100 gold coins.

21. Walking on the Moon!: At location 21 on our map you’ll find a Koopa who will offer you a walking challenge for a Power Moon. The trick to being successful is to use the scenery to remember the walking path – make sure to memorise the parts of the ridge on the right hand side where you’ll need to cross over, and also remember that you’ll need to walk directly around the top-left edge of the crater on the opposite side as reference points.

22. Moon Kingdom Regular Cup: At location 22 on our map (just in front of the Wedding Hall) you’ll find a Koopa who will challenge you to a race to win a Power Moon. The race isn’t too much of a challenge if you make sure to consistently use long jumps to travel – they can help you to dive from higher sections to lower ones very quickly, and are also much quicker than running on flat sections.

23. Doctor in the House (see location 14): For this Power Moon, you’ll first need to be wearing the Doctor Headwear and Doctor Outfit (if you need help with this, check out our Super Mario Odyssey Outfit Guide). When you have this complete outfit equipped, head inside the main room of the Wedding Hall and talk to the Shiverian who mentions that he’s feeling ill. Seeing you in your doctor’s outfit will magically make him feel better and he’ll give you a Power Moon for your troubles.

24. Sphynx’s Hidden Vault: Warp to the Quiet Wall checkpoint flag and run around the structure in front of you to the right to find a Sphynx. If you answer its question correctly, you’ll gain access to a treasure vault containing a Power Moon. If you’re struggling, the answer you need is ‘Rocket Flower’.

25. A Tourist in the Moon Kingdom!: For this Power Moon, you will first need to have spoken to the Tostarenan in the Sand Kingdom who was hoping for a taxi. If you have done this, you may have noticed him (and his taxi) sitting in obvious spots in various Kingdoms. Each time you talk to him, he’ll move to a different Kingdom (giving you a hint as to which one each time) and eventually, he’ll wind up here. If you’ve found him enough times, he’ll be waiting for you at location 25 on our map.

26. Peach in the Moon Kingdom: For Peach to appear in the Moon Kingdom, you will first need to make sure that you have already found her in every one of the previous Kingdoms. If you have, she’ll be waiting for you beside the giant golden bell on top of the Wedding Hall. Use backflips, wall jumps, and Cappy dives, or alternatively capture the frog sitting behind the hall in the northwest to jump up there and chat to her for a Power Moon.

27. Found with Moon Kingdom Art: You’ll find this Kingdom’s hint art wall inside the Wedding Hall. When you enter, look to the right of the door ahead of you which takes you to the main room and check the art on the wall. You’ll recognise the Wooded Kingdom – fly there and warp to the Iron Road Entrance checkpoint flag. From there, head up the steps and walk around to the left of the red metal structures. You should come across the scarecrow in the picture and, if you ground pound the exact spot that is indicated, you’ll reveal the Power Moon.

Moon Kingdom ‘Moon Rock’ Power Moons (28-38)

These Power Moons will become available to you when you have smashed the Moon Rock located in this Kingdom.

28. Mysterious Flying Object: Head beyond the Wedding Hall to the northeast to find a glowing UFO. You’ll need to sneak up close to the UFO and hit it with Cappy to get the Power Moon – it can be incredibly tricky to find the exact location from which to throw Cappy, so you may need some patience for this one. If the UFO flies away, simply walk a few steps away from its original location and move the camera away from it, then look back again to reset everything and try again.

29. Hidden on the Side of the Cliff: Warp to the Ever-After Hill checkpoint flag and walk directly northwest. If you look over the cliff here, you’ll see a Power Moon floating above the Sphynx below. If you can, jump down to make contact with the Power Moon from above – don’t worry if you fail, though; you should be able to jump up onto the Sphynx’s head, backflip, and then wall jump from the wall behind it to make contact from the ground.

30. Jumping High as a Frog: Your first step for this Power Moon is to capture the frog that is sitting behind the Wedding Hall in the northwest. When you have your frog, make your way south, and then east, until you reach location 30 on our map. In this location, a Power Moon is hovering high up in the air over a platform that is slightly separated from the mainland. You’ll need to shake the controller to make use of the frog’s highest jumping ability to reach it.

31. Moon Kingdom Timer Challenge 2: Head south along the bridge from the Ringing-Bells Plateau checkpoint flag to find a scarecrow at the other end. Throw Cappy at the scarecrow and then perform long jumps to make it across the slanted platforms to the Power Moon.

32. Walking on the Moon: Again!: Head to location 32 on our map and chat to the Koopa there to start a second walking challenge for another Power Moon. As before, the trick to being successful is to use the scenery to remember the walking path – make sure to memorise the parts of the ridge on the right hand side where you’ll need to cross over, and also remember that you’ll need to walk directly around the top-left edge of the crater on the opposite side as reference points.

33. Moon Kingdom Master Cup: Head to location 33 on our map (just in front of the Wedding Hall) and talk to the Koopa there to enter a second race to win another Power Moon. The key to the race is to consistently use long jumps to travel – they can help you to dive from higher sections to lower ones very quickly, and are also much quicker than running on flat sections. When you are travelling up the wall-jumping section, make sure to turn your body at the top, using a Cappy dive to throw you towards the goal rather than loitering in the air for several valuable seconds.

34. Taking Notes: In Low Gravity: Enter the green pipe that is sitting on a ledge just over the cliff to the west of the Odyssey. Make your way over to the left side of this section and, from there, turn around and jump up to get yourself on top of the rock that is at the very top of the screen. You’ll notice that a treble clef has appeared there – touch it, and then collect all of the music notes that appear, to receive a Power Moon.

35. Center of the Galaxy: Run around to the back of the tall column to the east of the Odyssey to find a flower trampoline that will take you to the area above. When you get there, enter the grey warp pipe and make your way around the circular, gravity-based 2D section. Right in the centre, you should spot a Power Moon.

36. Edge of the Galaxy (see location 35): In the same area as Power Moon 35, make your way to the ledge that you would use to drop down to the first Power Moon (at the top of the circle) and then jump upwards to spot two spinning planets above. There is a Power Moon in between these planets and, if you can make clever use of the gravitational force between them, you should be able to jump in a path that takes you directly through the Power Moon.

37. Navigating Giant Swings: At location 37 on our map (on top of a tall section that requires wall jumps to access) you’ll find a grey warp pipe. Enter the pipe and make your way right to the end of this area, timing your jumps so that the moving platforms come to meet you as you land, to find this Power Moon.

38. A Swing on Top of a Swing (see location 37): In the same area as Power Moon 37, make your way through the room until you pass by the second Astro-Lanceur enemy (space-octopus-things). A Power Moon is sitting just above the blue swinging platforms just beyond this enemy. To reach it, you’ll have to jump up onto the first blue platform and then perform a backflip at just the right time to land safely on the upswing of the platform above it. When you manage it, hop over to the gold platform nearby to collect the Power Moon.


We hope that you have found this guide on collecting all Power Moons in Super Mario Odyssey’s Moon Kingdom useful. Let us know if you’ve managed to grab them all with a comment below.

Posted on Leave a comment

Out Today: Pinball Galore and Edmund McMillen’s Latest Arrive on the Switch eShop

As is now our routine we have a mini Nintendo Download Update on a Tuesday, due to the crowded Switch eShop line-up now typically bringing us some goodies a little earlier in the week.

This time around it’s no different, with some rather tempting and even high profile arrivals on the store. Without further unnecessary pre-amble, let’s get to it.

The End is Nigh (Nicalis) – £13.49 / €14.99 / $14.99USD

A game by Edmund McMillen, this follows protagonist Ash and his attempt to navigate a post-apocalyptic world packed with hazards and enemies. A mature hardcore platformer that boasts of “600+” levels and lots to collect, fans of McMillen and Team Meat’s previous work in the genre will no doubt be very tempted.

Pinball FX3 (Zen Studios) – Free-to-start

An exciting arrival for pinball fans, it’s a platform / community with a whole lot of tables and packs to buy. Aside from that it’s all about the infrastructure to add a competitive element to the play, with various online options, multiplayer and challenge modes. You can get three tables for free (though two are only free for a limited time, so be sure to grab the Carnivals and Legends pack right away from the eShop), with many more available to buy, while the TATE vertical layout will be worth trying out.

Stern Pinball Arcade (FarSight Studios) – Free-to-start (PAL only)

Yep, it’s a battle of pinball games. In this case the focus is realism and accuracy, with this game seeking to digitally recreate classic real-life tables. As with Pinball FX3 there are lots of options to buy individually, with two distinct price brackets of premium and slightly less expensive tables. You get Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein included with the free download.

Plantera Deluxe (Ratalaika Games) – £4.99 / €4.99 (Previously released in NA)

A rather cute and relaxing game in which you tend to a garden and some animals; it’s rather simplistic but can be a pleasurable game with the right mindset. We gave a modest recommendation to the Wii U version.

Party Planet (Mastiff) – $39.99USD – $39.99USD (North America only)

The big offering here is 30 minigames for multiplayer shenanigans, including the likes of Fruit Invaders, Viking Defence and Super Vegan Anaconda – the latter of which wins the award for best-named mini-game of all time.


Those are the new games out today, while the slate for 14th December is looking rather busy once again. So, will you download any of these titles?

Posted on Leave a comment

Review: 80’s Overdrive (3DS eShop)

Franchises like Gran Turismo and Forza may rule the roost these day but whisper the name Out Run or Top Gear into the ear of a seasoned player and they’ll gladly forget all of those hyper-real visuals and authentic physics engines and reminisce instead about the good old days when blue skies and sprite-scaled cars were the pinnacle of the racing genre.

Those nostalgic individuals are the target audience for 80’s Overdrive, a 2D love-letter to the arcade driving simulations of yesteryear. The objective is simple – finish each race ahead of 9 other opponents – but there are some welcome wrinkles in the template which allow this seemingly straightforward speed-fest to draw you in for much longer than you might expect.

80’s Overdrive will certainly strike a chord with fans of coin-op racers from the 16-bit era; the pixel-rich visuals look amazing and the autostereoscopic 3D effect works brilliantly, giving real depth to the fast-moving cars, gloriously undulating hills and plethora of trackside objects. Sprite scaling is smooth and convincing, while the cars which populate each circuit are packed with detail. The controls are precise and responsive – even if it’s not true analogue control we’re talking about here (you’re just as well off using the D-pad) – and even novice drivers will be expertly dodging and weaving in and out of traffic after a few races.

The game’s Career Mode is where you will undoubtedly be spending the majority of your time. You purchase a car and then take it out to compete in a range of ranked road races. Each one carries an entry fee, but the cash prize for winning is more than worth the initial outlay, and from time you time you’ll get the chance to earn bonus money by collecting items, causing a certain amount of damage to a rival or – most usually of all – finishing dead last. These variables add a little spice to the racing action.

Finishing in the points boosts your global ranking which not only pushes you up the leaderboard but also unlocks other races around the world. The cash you earn can be used to enhance your current vehicle, giving it a faster top speed, better steering and more stability – the last one being especially important as it reduces your recovery time should you get into a bump. It’s also possible to equip nitro boost which can be deployed a limited number of times per each race, provided you’re hitting your top speed.

A range of cars are available which are based on real-world vehicles. With names like the Testosterando and De Loan you’re left in no doubt exactly which famous four-wheeled steeds these are supposed to be imitating, and even those with more ambiguous names are clearly modelled on famous rides from the likes of Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini. Buying every car in the game costs a lot of cash and upgrading them all to the maximum is similarly expensive; for a long time we stuck with the cheapest car and simply boosted its performance in every possible area, but the allure of owning a Countach-lookalike proved to be too much and we eventually caved. In-between races you’ll also have to replenish your fuel and repair any damage you may have sustained during your previous races.

Progression through the early stages of the Career Mode is relatively easy; should you find yourself in a position where you don’t have enough cash to enter a race then you’ll endure the ignominy of having to clean your rival’s cars using the touch screen, but this doesn’t happen often. The easier tracks can be conquered without too much trouble, but later circuits introduce tighter bends and faster opponents, as well as police cars which attempt to ram you off the road when you overtake them. It’s here that 80’s Overdrive begins to reveal its rather cheap side; rather than give the other racers (some of which are hilariously based on famous ’80s icons, it should be noted) smarter AI, the developer simply turns the tables against you. 

Police cars ignore the other drivers and dart in front of you in an attempt to slow you down, which of course means you fall way behind the rest of the group – which is almost always tightly packed together, so you can find yourself going from first to dead last in the blink of an eye, with no chance of regaining the lead. Colliding with trackside scenery often means the contest is effectively over (thankfully you can restart the entire race without any penalty so you don’t lose money) and it’s not uncommon to see other racers drive clean through traffic – however, for the most part, it should be said that your rivals do slow down and react to oncoming cars, giving you the opportunity to dart ahead. However, to counter this, it’s also abundantly clear that they’re capable of taking even extreme corners at full speed while you have to either take your foot off the gas or tap the brakes.

Unfair AI is hardly new in this genre – Mario Kart has been pulling this trick for decades – but here it feels especially unfair, particularly on the later races. Upgrading your car is essential for success in the latter stages of the Career Mode, and there are strategies you can employ to ensure you keep ahead of the pack and out of trouble. But even then, all it takes is one chance encounter with the police to send you to the back of the grid and totally ruin what was an otherwise fine driving performance, and while this doesn’t break the game as such, it does become moderately annoying over time.

In addition to the Career Mode there’s also a Time Attack feature which takes inspiration from the branching pathways seen in Out Run, as well as a Level Editor. You’re able to select the “theme” of the circuit, its length, the number of straights, bends and hills included, as well other aspects. You can share these tracks with other racers using a code, all of which adds a welcome degree of longevity to the game once you’ve finished all of its other modes.

It would be remiss of us to conclude this review without also mentioning the excellent soundtrack, which contains suitably atmospheric tracks from the likes of Angst78, Aceman, Karolis, Vectorwolf and Vocoderion. Some of the songs featured here even come dangerously close to matching Sega’s MIDI-based masterpieces from its coin-op days, which is high praise indeed. Elsewhere, sound effects are workmanlike rather than striking, but the engine sounds are decent, conveying a good sense of the power contained within these fictional beasts.

Conclusion

80’s Overdrive really nails the presentation side of things with its eye-catching 2D visuals, superb 3D effect and pumping soundtrack. It also controls well and the Career Mode is challenging enough to keep you glued to your 3DS for quite some time. The Out Run-style Time Attack mode and the Level Editor extend the lifespan of this title further, but the occasionally cheap difficulty level has an annoying habit of ruining your race as well as your mood. This is a relatively minor complaint in the grand scheme of things however, and fans of old-school arcade racers will almost certainly forgive this issue in order to play a true tribute to the classics of old.

Posted on Leave a comment

The Detective Pikachu Movie Has Received a Release Date

Last week, we received the news that Ryan Reynolds would be voicing the starring role of Detective Pikachu in the upcoming movie. Following on from previous news, it seems that the film has more or less filled out its cast and is nearing the production phase of development. To back this up, word has recently broken that the release date has been set.

Detective Piakchu will be releasing on 10th May, 2019. It stood to reason that this would probably be a summer blockbuster, though the timing of its release certainly raises some eyebrows. Marvel’s Avengers 4—the conclusion of the current Marvel Cinematic Universe—will be releasing one week earlier, and that likely will dominate the box office for weeks. Hopefully, Detective Pikachu finds its niche, because if it does succeed, perhaps more Pokémon movies could be made.

What do you think? How will this movie perform? Will you go see it when it releases? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Posted on Leave a comment

Happy Holidays, Animal Crossing fans!

Happy Holidays, Animal Crossing fans!

Did you already download the Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp game on your mobile device? If not, you can build your own dream campsite and invite adorable animal friends to hang out! You can also visit your friends’ campsites, craft your own furniture, and lots more.

Now is the perfect time to join in the fun, as a limited-time holiday event just started. Unlock seasonal outfits and collect in-game candy canes to craft cute holiday-themed items.

Find out how to craft furniture and decorate your campsite in festive colors.

To help everyone get into the holiday spirit, we’re giving away a Santa hat for your campsite manager. . Be sure to check your in-game mailbox!

By the way, did you know that linking your Nintendo Account to the Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp game can help save your in-game progress? Sign up today and keep your camp safe!

My Nintendo is also offering some fun Nintendo 3DS Animal Crossing rewards this month.

Cute Animal Crossing HOME menu themes:
Animal Crossing – Winter Frolics theme
Animal Crossing: New Leaf – Jingle’s Toy Day theme
Animal Crossing: Isabelle theme

Want to catch up on other Animal Crossing games? You can redeem your My Nintendo points and get the following discounts to help you get started:

20% discount on Animal Crossing: New Leaf
40% discount on Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer

You can also redeem your Gold Points to get this full digital guidebook, too!

Online Access – Animal Crossing: New Leaf Prima Official Game Guide

Game Rated:

Posted on Leave a comment

Nintendo Switch sells 10 million worldwide

Nintendo Switch sells 10 million worldwide

Despite launching in March, a month not usually reserved for home console launches, and with the busy holiday shopping season still in full swing, the Nintendo Switch system has already sold 10 million units to consumers around the world, according to Nintendo’s internal sales figures.

Nintendo Switch is a home console that can be played on a TV, and also taken instantly on the go – it lets people play their favorite games anytime, anywhere and with anyone. And since every Nintendo Switch system comes bundled with two Joy-Con controllers, players can easily share the fun of compatible multiplayer games with friends and family* right out of the box.

The robust and diverse library on Nintendo Switch features two of the most acclaimed video games of all time in Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. At The Game Awards last week in Los Angeles, Super Mario Odyssey won the award for Best Family Game. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was honored with the awards for Game of the Year, Best Action/Adventure Game and Best Game Direction.

Nintendo Switch is also home to fun multiplayer games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2 and ARMS that can be played online** or with friends and family in the same room, as well as an ever-growing list of great third-party games like Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, FIFA 18, Rocket League, L.A. Noire, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Golf Story and Stardew Valley, Nintendo Switch is truly for any player.

“As you can see in people’s living rooms, on a plane or riding the subway, fans all over the world can enjoy playing Nintendo Switch wherever they go,” said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. “The response from fans has been great, and we’re doing our very best to satisfy demand during the holiday shopping season.”

After a record-breaking 2017, Nintendo Switch will continue its momentum in 2018. The system will see the launch of Nintendo-published games like Kirby Star Allies, Bayonetta, Bayonetta 2 and a new game in the beloved Yoshi franchise, in addition to big third-party games like Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus from Bethesda, Mega Man 11 from Capcom, PROJECT OCTOPATH TRAVELER (working title) from Square Enix, Shovel Knight: King of Cards from Yacht Club Games and Runner3 from Choice Provisions.

Nintendo Switch is available at a suggested retail price of $299.99. For more information about Nintendo Switch, visit https://www.nintendo.com/switch/.

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

*Additional games, systems and accessories may be required for multiplayer mode and are sold separately.

**Nintendo Account is required. Online services and features, including online gameplay, are free until the paid Nintendo Switch Online Service launches in 2018.

Games Rated:

Posted on Leave a comment

Review: Mutant Mudds Collection (Switch eShop)

The Mutant Mudds series has seen its fair share of love from critics and players alike over the last few years; the wonderful Mutant Mudds won us all over when it originally released on 3DS (and then again in a deluxe version for Wii U), and then Mutant Mudds Super Challenge came along, taking everything we already knew and loved and turning every aspect up to eleven. Now we have Mutant Mudds Collection on Switch – a package which includes both of these games in their entirety and throws in a brand new puzzle game for good measure. Lovely stuff!

From the main menu you’ll have the option to jump into any of the two previously released titles as you see fit; there are online leaderboards for each game and you can have up to three save files on them, too. If you’re unfamiliar with the series, the Mutant Mudds games are retro-inspired platformers that are essentially moulded around a very simple set of controls and rules. You work your way through a number of levels with only a hover jump, three lives and a water gun to see you through, jumping back and forth between sections at different levels of depth from the screen.

The general layout of each level is fairly similar; with a limited set of actions you’ll never be left wondering what to do and even the enemy types don’t vary all that much. Despite this, things get fiendishly tricky rather quickly and reaching the end of each level with all 100 golden diamonds in your possession can be a huge challenge. The difficulty comes in the precision that you must achieve and the need to master your hover jump and water gun skills to absolute perfection.

The first game, Mutant Mudds Deluxe, is made up of an initial twenty levels – each containing hidden exits that make you play through harder sections to reach a second end-goal – as well as a kind of alternate universe which sees you play through much harder versions of the original twenty levels. The game starts with a tutorial to help you to learn the basics (you’ll definitely want to start with this game if you’ve never played any entries to the series before), and then you’re away – running and gunning your way through various muddy monsters.

Mutant Mudds Super Challenge is a completely different beast entirely; the basic idea, controls, look, and feel are identical to the first game in many ways, but the overall difficulty is increased to a rather staggering degree. This game also introduces boss fights (which add a nice – but challenging – change to the usual gameplay), more collectables to find in each level, and twenty unlockable characters for you to find within the game’s courses. We should point out that we’re not exaggerating the difficulty level here in any way; the first game was already tough in its later stages, but Super Challenge is really designed for the hardcore platforming fans out there – you should expect to die a lot.

There is also a third option to select on the main menu: Mudd Blocks. This is a puzzle game that has been newly released for this collection and features several ways to play. The basic idea is to create chains of coloured blocks that will all explode and clear from the screen when a bomb is thrown down towards them and, if you love your old school-styled vertical monitor displays, there is also support for a TATE mode layout. There is an ‘endless mode’, where you simply aim for a high score, two-player versus and co-op offerings which see the game be played in split-screen, and several different other ways to play which are easily the best of the bunch.

‘Rescue’ has you trying to break someone out of a cage in what turns out to be a rather stressful back and forth of making sure to damage the cage when possible, but also keeping the surrounding blocks safe from reaching the top of the screen and ending the game. Another of our favourites, ‘Numbers’, sees you having to blow up particular blocks in a set order – the moment you destroy a block that isn’t next numerically, you lose. If you already own both of the main games Mudd Blocks might not be quite enough to warrant another purchase to those inclined not to double / triple dip, and we would say that more detailed in-game instructions showing how the game actually works wouldn’t go amiss. It is, however, a very welcome addition that makes this collection just that little bit more special.

The overall aesthetic of this package is as wonderful as the games have always been; the retro feel has been captured perfectly with bright, vibrant, sprite-based visuals and a cracking chiptune soundtrack. The game feels particularly good in handheld mode, although it does also work absolutely fine on the TV; it’s just a shame that the 3D display features can’t be realised on Switch. It is evidently clear that the levels were made for the 3DS – the changes in depth worked wonders with the stereoscopic display of that console – but, of course, this just isn’t possible on Switch.

In a way, Mutant Mudds shouldn’t be as great as it is. The levels are arguably quite repetitive (particularly in the first game), and the lack of new enemy types or changes in the actions that you must perform is something that we’d usually consider for criticism. However, everything about how this game plays is marvellous; the tightness of your character’s controls and the satisfaction you feel from jumping around each level give it that quality it needs to be considered a truly great platformer. The games are super tough, and many players will struggle to see them through to 100% completion, but they are pure, addictive fun.

Conclusion

Mutant Mudds Collection gives Nintendo Switch owners the chance to own two fantastic platforming games in one handy, portable package, as well as a nice extra in the new puzzle game, Mudd Blocks. The difficulty of these games may well put a reasonable amount of players off – Mutant Mudds Super Challenge in particular is one nasty fiend – but the overall quality of the two original titles places this collection amongst the best within its genre that the eShop can offer. If you love platformers, and you don’t mind a hefty challenge, do yourself a favour and buy this game.

Posted on Leave a comment

Capcom Could Be Bringing Even More Ports To Nintendo Switch

It was only a few hours ago we reported on Square Enix expressing renewed interest in opening up its digital back catalogue to Switch thanks to a very strong first nine months for the console, and now it looks like it’s not the only Japanese publishing powerhouse potentially planning exciting things for Nintendo’s premier hardware.

According to a tweet by Dr Serkan Toto – the Tokyo-based CEO for games consultancy firm Kantan Games – Japanese financial newspaper The Nikkei conducted in an interview with Capcom CEO Kenzo Tsujimoto in which the big cheese revealed Nintendo Switch’s handheld/tabletop premise has turned out better than expected. More importantly, he added that Capcom is now considering bringing even more titles to the platform – more specifically, those that have yet to make an appearance on a Nintendo console.

With Capcom already digging deep into its portfolio with the very successful ports of Resident Evil Revelations Collection and the 12-game-strong 30th Anniversary Street Fighter Collection (due out next year), it’s clear Capcom is all in when it comes to Switch.

So what franchises could Capcom be potentially considering? We’re quietly hoping for the first two Dino Crisis because dinosaurs, but what do you want to see it bring in 2018 and beyond? Sound off, below!