A Reddit user by the name of OldSoul 2 has apparently been accidentally sent an email by an EA employee which reveals the timing of the next Nintendo Direct, as well as confirmation that Fe is to be shown during the broadcast. Fe is also given a release date of February 18th.
While it’s hard to verify that the image is authentic, it’s incredibly elaborate – which would suggest that this is the real deal. Also, the timing for the Direct broadcast makes sense, although some were hoping that we’d get one in December.
Do you think this is official, or just a really good hoax?
MUJO hits the Switch eShop this week and, in terms of presentation at least, looks pretty appealing. It’s got a cool mythology theme going on and the puzzle-based gameplay is twinned with some neat, RPG-lite elements.
The big problem – as you can see from NintenDaan’s video above – is that it’s basically been ported from smartphones with little (if any) optimisation for Switch. The game is presented in a portrait fashion, just like it would be on a phone’s screen, leaving massive borders down the left and right sides.
Perhaps more egregious is the fact that the game includes premium currency which has to be purchased with real money, yet it costs $9.99. The mobile version has these in-app purchases too, but is free to download.
Tough-as-nails 3D brawler Furi is coming to the Switch next year, it has been announced.
Featuring character designs by Takashi Okazaki (Afro Samurai) and boasting a soundtrack which contains the likes of Carpenter Brut and Danger, Furi focuses on intense one-on-one battles and has been compared to Japanese titles like No More Heroes, Metal Gear Solid and Godhand.
Creative Director Emeric Thoa explains why this version is so special:
Furi is a game that’s constantly taunting you. There is something deeply personal about a boss fight: it’s just you against one opponent. And being interrupted is even more frustrating than losing. But with the Switch, you can take the game and all of its boss fights with you wherever you go.
The Switch port will have feature parity with other versions and will include all of the content and improvements released so far. The price will be 20/20€.
Our friends over at Push Square awarded the PS4 version 7/10, saying:
Furi excels when you’re in the heat of the moment, fighting for survival against great looking boss characters. Super responsive controls elevate the action, and a fantastic soundtrack only adds to the brilliant rush that the game’s capable of providing – it’s just a shame that everything outside of the crisp combat doesn’t quite measure up. When Furi’s on point, it looks, sounds, and feels incredible, but a little too often, it struggles to maintain its intensity.
Will you be laying down some cash for this when it arrives?
Limited Run Games is famous with collectors for its range of physical releases of digital titles, but the company now has some competition in this arena.
German-based Strictly Limited Games has announced its intention to publish a new physical game each month, with the exact print number of every release being disclosed openly, with no reprints likely. Strictly Limited will also offer original art prints and soundtracks, depending on the games.
The company’s opening releases are Tokyo 42 on PlayStation 4 and Umihara Kawase on PS Vita, but the most exciting news is that the company is working with Wonder Boy creator Ryuichi Nishizawa on the physical release of one of his “never before seen” games.
While confirmation is expected soon, we’d be willing to bet the farm on this being the legendary Aquario of the Clockwork, which, it was confirmed a while back, M2 has the source files for.
We approached Strictly Limit’s co-founder Dennis Mendel to ask if the firm had plans for Switch, and were told:
A few weeks ago we had the invitation to visit Nintendo of Europe’s Headquarter in Frankfurt, Germany. The next day we were officially licensed for Nintendo Switch.
There are several games that we intend to publish for Nintendo Switch, one of them is our yet to be revealed “mystery project” by the creator of Wonder Boy.
We also have plans to work with Toshinobu Kondo from Studio Saizensen on something related to Umihara Kawase (a series which started on Nintendo Super Famicom in 1994).
It seems that Strictly Limited has big plans for Switch, and if the “mystery game” does indeed turn out to be Aquario, then it will make a lot of Nishizawa fans very happy. What do you think the game will be? Let us know with a comment.
Plenty of publishers are recognising the merits of bringing download games to the Switch eShop, with a number of studios enjoying plenty of success on the store. Armor Games Studios is getting in on the act, confirming that it’s bringing the Massive Monsters-developed title The Adventure Pals to the Switch in Spring 2018 alongside PC / Mac, PS4 and Xbox One releases.
A sidescrolling action game with optional local co-op, it looks rather bonkers – check out a trailer and press release details below.
The Adventure Pals is a side-scrolling action-adventure platformer about friendship and exploration, featuring RPG elements and two-player local drop-in/drop-out co-op. Leap, slash and blast your way through increasingly madcap levels filled with dangerous traps, weird enemies, ridiculous bosses and glorious treasure. Visit friendly towns, unlock fun costumes and fill your scrapbook with secret stickers on a journey with a bizarre but lovable cast and colorfully animated storytelling.
Hop on the back of your giraffe, Sparkles, and discover 105 levels across five whimsical worlds filled with unique quests and characters, including zombie pirate cats, post-apocalyptic dinosaurs and hot dogs that poop explosive mines. Help a whale regain confidence, take a side in the battle between toast and dinosaur, travel to a legendary sunken city, decide the fate of a pirate election and more, all while leveling up to gain new and more powerful abilities!
One of the nicer developments in recent times on My Nintendo has been the addition of full ‘Nindie’ games that can be picked up in exchange for Gold Points. Yes, they’re all Wii U and 3DS titles, but it’s a nice way to try something different for free.
The European service added its latest batch of free downloads last week, and now Nintendo of America has stepped in with four new eShop downloads to choose from. We had a sense of deja-vu looking at the list, and that’s because it’s very similar to previous European updates – check out the details below.
Those are all rather good games, so if any of them passed you by when they originally released they’re all worth consideration.
Will any of you in North America be picking up these My Nintendo rewards?
Get games with Gold Points, just in time for the holidays!
This holiday season, My Nintendo users can now redeem Gold Points for some of the hottest indie games on Nintendo platforms. For a limited time, you can redeem points to download select Nintendo 3DS and Wii U titles from our talented independent developers. Users will receive a download code that is redeemed in Nintendo eShop. Get it with Gold Points!
Toki Tori 3D (Nintendo 3DS)20 Gold Points The gameplay in Toki Tori is a blend of two genres. While it looks like a platform game, it’s a puzzle game at heart. To progress through the game, players will have to look and plan ahead carefully while using items such as the Telewarp, Freeze-o-Matic and InstantRock™. Additional tools are gradually introduced as the player progresses through the game’s 80+ levels covering five worlds.
Retro City Rampage: DX (Nintendo 3DS)80 Gold Points Rampage the open-world, steal cars and run missions — all while jumping on civilians for coins and outrunning the law with power-ups! This send-up to ’80s and ’90s video games and pop-culture includes both a full Story Mode of open-world adventure as well as an Arcade Mode for quick pick-up-and-play action. If that’s not enough, it also packs an interactive city full of shops, minigames, customizations, collectibles, special guest stars, and more.
Tengami (Wii U)80 Gold Points Tengami is an atmospheric adventure game set inside a Japanese pop-up book. Fold and slide the beautifully crafted paper world to solve puzzles and discover secrets. Discover the wonders of a folding world — go on a serene journey through Japan of ancient fairy tales brought to life through striking visuals, gameplay and haunting music. Experience dark forests, abandoned shrines and tranquil mountain waterfalls as you seek to uncover the secret behind the lone dying cherry tree.
XType Plus (Wii U) (Nintendo 3DS)30 Gold Points Take the pilot seat of the XType attack ship and defeat an ever growing enemy force in this uncompromising Shoot’em’Up. XType Plus combines classic arcade action with a modern look and feel. The procedurally generated boss battles always provide a new challenge. Each time you defeat a boss, the next one will come back even bigger and meaner. You have to evade hundreds of bullets, lasers and rockets while taking out the enemy part by part.
Super Mario Cereal from Kellogg’s makes breakfast a playful experience
With Super Mario™ Cereal, Nintendo and Kellogg’s® have teamed up to take fans on a breakfast odyssey that will continue long after the cereal box is empty. In addition to collectible Super Mario Odyssey™ box art, each Super Mario Cereal box functions as an amiibo™ accessory, making breakfast a more playful experience.
“This powered-up partnership with Kellogg’s is another exciting way for us to expand the Nintendo brand in unique and creative ways,” said Tom Prata, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. “We are always looking for new opportunities to bring smiles to people of all ages, and this is a fun way to kick off the day.”
The limited-edition cereal box will begin hitting store shelves across the U.S. as early as Dec. 11. Those playing the Super Mario Odyssey game can tap the cereal box on the Nintendo Switch™ system, like you would an amiibo, to receive gold coins or a heart in the game. Even the cereal itself has a Super Mario twist, with colorful power-up marshmallows and a blast of mixed berry flavor in every box.
“We are thrilled to pack so much fun into one box of cereal,” said Brad Schwan, Senior Director of Morning Foods Marketing. “The package adds value and excitement for fans, with marshmallow shapes in the cereal inspired by Super Mario power-ups to tie the theme together.”
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/.
HAMSTER has been rather busy with Arcade Archives titles on the Switch, with a lot of Neo Geo releases and a planned roll-out of Nintendo arcade classics. Now Irem’s debut title as part of the Arcade Archives line-up is on the way with Tate functionality (hold the Switch vertically); Traverse USA will be joining up with World Heroes this week on the Switch eShop.
Irem’s 1983 title (aka Zippy Race in Japan) is both a motorcycle overhead racing and sprite scaling hybrid game affair. In good OutRun fashion your quest is to race across the old U.S of A. from Los Angeles to New York. However, things are far from being a leisurely trek across the country, since every single other racer seems hellbent on trashing you and your bike. Any sane rider would slow down, but since you’re fighting your declining fuel gauge the game offers a very nice balance between risk/reward. You can even take a chance to try and grab some extra points, do slick maneuvers and even get some fuel cans along the way if you opt to race along the more dangerous bits of the track.
A challenging and fairly colourful game by 1983 standards, and a curious insight onto Irem’s early days. Will you pick this up tomorrow? Were you already born in 1983? And how long until R-Type shows up?
Keep a lookout for more Irem-related news in the Nintendo Life retro coverage, because we here know that there is no better school than old school.
Put down those pens; when it comes to traversing dangerous towers it’s the wand that’s mightier than the sword. Blending together Scrabble and sorcery, Spellspireis the latest title from prolific indie developer 10tons. Light on story and setup, it relies on its central concept to hook the player in for shorter play sessions that are ideal for a handheld. But is there enough magic here to make it last in the long run?
Whether you fancy yourself as a wordsmith or a wizard, there’s a tower full of monsters to conquer across 100 different floors. Our brave hero totters from left to right, pausing in front of enemies to attack before moving on to the next. You never assume direct control of the little guy, rather you get an overall view of the floor and a bundle of ten random letters to the bottom right of the screen. Your job is to select any of the available letters and form them into a word that’s comprised of at least three, which is then cast as your attack. Enemies will only offer a brief window of opportunity before they retaliate, so you’ll need to think on your feet and throw out as many words as possible within that time.
By defeating any monsters in your way you’ll eventually make it through to the end of the floor, earning a chance to rest your weary brain before jumping into the next. In between levels you’re also able to visit the shop, where gold pieces you earn from fallen enemies can be spent on upgrading your equipment or buying entirely new gear with different stats and abilities. There are stats determining your health, your attack rating, and even status ailments you can inflict by using certain wands. Enemies will also randomly drop usable items – such as health potions – but for the most part there isn’t too much in the way of decision making before simply continuing on. Just equip your strongest gear and hope the letters land in your favour.
Similarly, there isn’t really any thematic rhyme or reason to what you’re doing or why – other than the fact that goblins and skeletons are just evil by default – so your journey to the top of the tower is fueled only by the simplistic gameplay itself. While things start off relatively easy, it quickly becomes apparent that replaying older levels is downright inevitable in order to grind for coins, as later gear becomes all the more necessary and all the more expensive. Thankfully this repetition is alleviated by extra challenges to complete, and the fact that your selection of letters is totally randomised every time you enter a floor.
Difficulty is also somewhat anchored around which random letters you receive. Things get pretty tricky, and while initially confident, later levels left us wondering if we could ever spell at all. Having a nice mix of vowels and consonants makes for a varied selection of words, but it’s also possible to be stuck with three ‘O’s or too few vowels to work with. This can be a bit frustrating, especially against boss enemies which can easily kill you in one hit, so we’re happy to report that you can use some not-so-nice words and they’ll be recognised in-game. If you’ve ever wanted to shout abuse at a persistent enemy and have it do some actual damage, now’s your chance.
All of this in practice makes for a bit of a grind, but there’s a breezy interface that cuts down on loading and trims most of the fat. It’s easy to revert back to word stems to jump around more complicated combinations. ‘Door’ for example can quckly be recalled and expanded into ‘Doorway’ if the letters fit, and the ever-adaptable letter ‘S’ comes in handy to squeeze a few more uses out of words with plurals. You’ll need to pull tricks like this in order to survive, and opting to use the game’s touchscreen controls while in portable mode can speed up your word-wrangling in a pinch. Traditional controls also work fine, though you’ll need lightning reflexes to cope. At the end of a stage the game automatically tells you the longest word possible from the available letters, which is an exercise in learning dumb words you never knew existed. Like Jentacular.
Spellspire definitely works better in shorter bursts, given that each floor only lasts a couple of minutes, and you’ll likely be replaying previous levels to gather coins. There are hours of content here but it’s basically the same routine on a loop, with different enemy types and new gear to break the monotony. Clearing all 100 floors unlocks an additional mode to test your skills further, but learning to adapt and work with the 10 letters you’re dealt is as far as the gameplay really goes. If you like word puzzles then this is great, and the fantasy setting lends a nice overlay to proceedings at the very least. The game runs smoothly, and the music sounds straight out of a spooky cartoon castle, which is perfect. If you definitely don’t like word puzzles then this will likely fall short for you.
Conclusion
Spellspire is simple, unique, and will make you feel like your English skills are on par with a 10-year old. The fun blend of word puzzle and fantasy adventure is enough to flesh out hours of content, and the snappy interface makes it easy to jump in for a few floors of spellbinding action. Longer play sessions wear a bit thin due to the need to grind, and the inconsistent difficulty makes progression feel less satisfying than it really should. It’s not out to impress with its story or visuals, but if you want something quick and easy to play in handheld mode then it’s a pretty solid choice. At its current price we’d only really recommend it to players who enjoy word games in general, and maybe keep a dictionary close to hand…
