Category: Nintendo News

Nintendo News

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Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Gets Expansion Pass and Surprise Breath of the Wild Crossover

Nintendo has finished its Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Nintendo Direct, and it had a couple of surprises thrown in for good measure. Perhaps unsurprisingly, but still new for the series, is the announcement of an expansion pass.

The pass will have a relatively hefty price (EU below), but include five sets of content. When the game lands this’ll just be ‘helpful items’, but a new quest will arrive in January with regular updates through 2018 that’ll culminate in new story content in Autumn / Fall 2018.

Also confirmed is a rather quirky crossover with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, in which you can do a new quest to get a Rex outfit for Link. It arrives this week on 9th November.

You can see the video for these announcements below.

Are you looking forward to the Expansion Pass for Xenoblade Chronicles 2?

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Circle Is Resurrecting Wii U Title Koi DX For The Switch eShop

Circle Entertainment is bringing Koi DX to the Switch eShop this week.

Released on the Wii U a while ago, Koi DX places you in the role of a lone fish which has become separated from its owner and is tasked with purifying waters polluted by mankind. Naughty mankind.

To do this, you must explore the waters for other fish and guide them to flowers of the same colour while avoiding the malevolent black fish. The game includes “memory jigsaws”, new skins and alternative fish to control.

Did you check this one out on Wii U? Will you be giving it a spin on Switch?

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Out Today: Sonic Leads New Switch eShop Arrivals to Get the Week Started

As is now the norm the Switch eShop’s release slate for each week typically comes in a couple of batches. Beyond the usual Thursday update we also get retail and download-only titles earlier in the week, and as we’ve done in recent times we’re giving you a reminder of what’s out today. After all, we all need to budget and plan our purchases on the eShop.

This Tuesday brings four new arrivals, with a couple of download games making their presence felt along with retail titles. They’re all live now or due by the end of the day depending on your region, so let’s get to it.

Sonic Forces (SEGA) – $39.99USD / £34.99

The long-awaited next entry in the 3D Sonic series, drawing ideas from the likes of Generations and Colors. In this one there are wisp powers once again, and in addition you also create and control your own avatar characters in some stages. Reviews have been relatively thin online, which tells you how distribution of press copies went down, but we’re reviewing right now and will bring you our thoughts on it as soon as possible.

While it’s easy to dismiss a humble farming sim, this series is surprisingly popular. Farming Simulator 17 attracted a whopping one million players within the first month of its launch. Even the German Chancellor Angela Merkel can’t get enough of ploughing virtual fields. If that’s your thing, this may be worth a look.

This one picks up the style of old-school first-person dungeon crawlers, with a mix of classes, enemies, puzzles and plenty of combat to tackle. This is no doubt tempting for fans of the seminal Dungeon Master, and despite its modest appearance does a good job with the throwback gameplay; we gave it a recommendation in our Heroes of the Monkey Tavern review.

UNO (Ubisoft) – $9.99USD / £7.99

No, that’s not a typo, it is a Ubisoft game, and considering the fact that the company’s version of Monopoly costs a slightly ludicrous $39.99USD / £29.99 on the Switch, this is at least reasonably priced. This spin on the card game includes online play and various customisation options to switch things up.

Those are the latest Switch eShop arrivals – will you be buying any of these?

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Celebrate the launch of Sonic Forces with Sonic the Hedgehog My Nintendo rewards!

Celebrate the launch of Sonic Forces with Sonic the Hedgehog My Nintendo rewards!

Sonic Forces arrives on Nintendo Switch today. My Nintendo is celebrating the occasion with Sonic the Hedgehog rewards, including wallpapers, a Nintendo 3DS theme, and 50% discounts on some of Sonic’s greatest hits!  Redeem your points now and get set to go fast with Sonic on 11/7.


Games Rated:

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Nintendo spotlights Xenoblade Chronicles 2 before its launch on Dec. 1

Nintendo spotlights Xenoblade Chronicles 2 before its launch on Dec. 1

In just a few weeks, Nintendo Switch owners will leave the familiar behind and enter the fantastical world of Alrest – a world full of living lands known as Titans and the fabled paradise of Elysium. To get fans ready for the Dec. 1 launch of the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 game, Nintendo presented a deep dive into elements of the massive game, including the vast environments, battle system and characters. This special Nintendo Direct presentation also revealed upcoming paid DLC, a fun cross-promotion with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, as well as free DLC available to download on launch day that will allow players to also play the game with Japanese audio and English subtitles.

“With Xenoblade Chronicles 2, we are giving fans yet another engaging adventure that can only be found on Nintendo Switch,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “This sequel is perfect for playing at home or while traveling during the busy holiday season.”

To view the Nintendo Direct video in its entirety, visit http://xenobladechronicles2.nintendo.com/direct/.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is next in the series following the original acclaimed RPG that launched for Wii in 2012. This sequel features new characters and worlds, with an expanded battle system that will still feel familiar to fans of the first game. In Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Blades are artificial lifeforms that bond with Drivers to lend them their weapons and powers in battle. Main character Rex is a Driver and Pyra is a Blade. To help familiarize fans with main character Rex before the game launches, a new Side Quest will be available via a free update in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild game for both Nintendo Switch and Wii U systems, in which players will be able to obtain a Rex costume starting on Nov. 9.

In and out of battle, Blades have a wide array of support abilities. While adventuring, these abilities might increase the number of items that can be collected, open up new paths to explore or initiate other special effects. When players fight alongside their chosen Blade, they might trigger effects that protect the Driver, strengthen attacks and so forth. Abilities differ from Blade to Blade, so selecting different Blades adds to the strategy of battle.

Blades are just one form of life that players will encounter while journeying on the backs of the mighty Titans. In the vast world of Alrest, players will discover both peaceful and aggressive wildlife of all shapes and sizes wandering among giant plains, winding caverns, frozen kingdoms, scorched earth and sandy beaches. If players manage to defeat certain Unique Beasts, a tombstone will be left behind to commemorate the creature and allow players to relive those battles for additional rewards.

While traveling the massive world of Alrest, players will run into shining spots called Collection Points – which give players the opportunity to pick up valuable items or dive under the clouds to salvage hard-to-find treasures – or special landmarks that players can transport to at any time. Alrest is also teeming with bustling cities. From shopping districts to residential quarters, each Titan has its own unique layout and atmosphere.

Fans who want to expand their epic adventure can pre-purchase an Expansion Pass for the game in Nintendo eShop beginning today or pre-order it from select retailers shortly at a suggested retail price of $29.99. With this pass, players can enjoy DLC as it releases between the launch of the game and fall 2018, starting with quests and support items, and eventually including a challenge Battle Mode where they can face powerful enemies. This DLC will even include an additional adventure with a new side story set in the world of Elysium. Details about individual elements of the Expansion Pass will be released in the future.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 will launch exclusively for the Nintendo Switch system on Dec. 1 at a suggested retail price of $59.99. The same day, the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Edition Nintendo Switch Pro Controller will launch at a suggested retail price of $74.99. Launch day will also see the release of the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Special Edition. This special version includes the game, a beautifully illustrated hardbound art book filled with 220 pages of concept designs and artwork of the characters, landscapes and objects from the game, a sound-selection CD of many of the game’s memorable music tracks, and a special metal case containing the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 game card at a suggested retail price of $99.99. Players who prefer the digital version can pre-purchase the game from Nintendo eShop now, either standalone or as a bundle with the Expansion Pass.

For more information about Xenoblade Chronicles 2, visit http://xenobladechronicles2.nintendo.com/.

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/.

Game Rated:

Language
Suggestive Themes
Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
Violence

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Review: Splasher (Switch eShop)

There’s no shortage of platformers on the Switch eShop nowadays, but that certainly hasn’t done anything to deter Splasher from carving out its own niche in the library. Created by some staff that worked on the likes Rayman Legends and Rayman Origins, Splasher works as a brilliant callback to that style of twitch platforming while adding in a little bit of Splatoon to make something that’s rather fresh.

The premise of the game is simple: you’re a common worker of the evil Inkorp who has realized the company’s sinister intentions. Utilizing the might of your paint gun, you’ll run, jump and splash your way to freedom, freeing your fellow workers from captivity along the way. It’s fun, irreverent and weird, perfectly fitting the style of gameplay by keeping the tone light and upbeat throughout.

Gameplay is reminiscent of the above mentioned Rayman games and Super Meat Boy, aiming for a decidedly rapid pace that encourages constant retries. Your character is precise but slippery; this isn’t a deliberately paced platformer, it’s one that actively encourages you to keep moving. The gimmick here is that ink plays a significant role in both the obstacles and the way you navigate levels. Red ink makes you stick to surfaces, yellow ink acts as a bounce pad, and water can wash both types of ink away.

Levels are designed in a brilliant fashion that somehow strikes that balance between being fast-paced while still taking the time to teach you mechanics by way of showing and not telling. Nothing in Splasher comes at you as a surprise, obstacles and mechanics are introduced in a safe environment and then the game gradually takes the training wheels off as it steps up the difficulty. On top of that, levels are made with the idea of flow; there’s really only one way to get through any given set of obstacles and the game encourages you to keep retrying until you can find the right moves. Checkpoints are plentiful and there are no lives – when you die you quickly reset and have another go.

Splasher excels at providing the right amount of difficulty at the right time, and manages to feel fresh throughout its run. Though there are several recurring themes and obstacles in levels, it’s quite keen on introducing alternative spins on old ideas and bringing in new ideas at a decent clip. You’ll rarely find yourself bored while working through the campaign, and just when you find yourself becoming familiar with its tricks something new gets tossed in to re-engage you once more.

The campaign is relatively short, but this is because of the game’s broader focus on replayability. Every stage has an optional seven workers to save, each of which spells out a character in “SPLASH!”. You’ll find these workers scattered about levels in hard to reach places or in special Quarantine Zones that act as Donkey Kong Country-style bonus levels. Beyond this, however, there is a speedrunning focus. Beating the game once through is essentially just a long training run for the speedrun modes, which task you with beating the game as fast as possible for glory in the leaderboards.

This is where the real beauty of Splasher emerges – every level is fine tuned for you to blast through, and you’ll gradually drop time as you get the muscle memory worked out, much like a 2D Sonic game. It takes practice and work to get right, but there are few things more satisfying than shaving some extra seconds off your time and knowing that you completely mastered a given level’s challenge. It’s here that players will likely invest the majority of their gameplay time; there’s always something that could be done just a little bit faster or tighter to shave off some extra time.

From a presentation perspective Splasher doesn’t necessarily have a wow-factor, but it gets the job done. The artstyle adopts a quirky animated 2D look that utilizes bold lines and simple colours, perhaps evoking memories of mid-2000s Flash games. It’s not exactly a stand-out in this regard, but it looks quite smooth in action and the levels are all designed to have lots of activity and weirdness going on in the background and foreground. The soundtrack opts for an industrial dubstep sound, which somehow manages to feel both fitting and strangely out of place. It doesn’t sound half bad, though, and there are some tracks that bring to mind the music of David Wise’s Donkey Kong Country soundtracks, which is a nice bonus.

Conclusion

All told Splasher is a smartly designed, tight platformer that offers up hours of replay value on top of the creative ideas it delivers. It takes the Super Meat Boy template and builds upon it in a notable way, creating an experience that feels just the right amount of familiar and fresh. Though there isn’t a whole lot to write home about when it comes to the presentation, the core gameplay is more than enough to keep you engaged.

We give this one a strong recommendation, especially to those who are looking to dip their toes into the twitch platforming genre. Splasher is easy enough to pick up, yet difficult to master, and stands as a worthy addition to the Switch eShop.

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Video: Get Up to Speed With the Sonic Forces Launch Trailer

Sonic Forces is out on 7th November, and plenty will be hoping that Sonic Team’s release will bring us the second top-notch title for the mascot this year, following in the footsteps of Sonic Mania. For those eagerly jumping in on day one the wait is almost over.

To get people in the mood the official launch trailer has been unveiled, which goes big on drama and set pieces while also including a decent amount of gameplay among the cinematics.

As for our review, you’ve likely noticed that not many have popped up online as yet; in our case we’ll bring that to you as soon as we possibly can.

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DOOM Pre-Purchase is Now Live on the European Switch eShop

There are some heavy-hitters arriving on the Switch over the next few weeks, one of them being DOOM. It’ll be fascinating to see how this one is received on Nintendo’s system, and those eager to jump in as soon as it lands on 10th November may be looking into pre-orders.

Just last week Nintendo of Europe confirmed that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is now available for pre-purchase / preload on the eShop in the region, and now DOOM is also up for grabs. With the download clocking in at 21.3GB in the EU those looking to get started right away at midnight on 10th November should perhaps consider ordering ahead of time.

At the time of writing the eShop pre-purchase options for these two titles aren’t available in North America, but we’ll keep an eye out for any updates.

Are you planning to pre-purchase many eShop games on the Switch?

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There’s Plenty Of Retail Opportunity For Third Parties On Switch, Says Sold Out Boss

The Switch continues to sell like hot cakes the world over but amazingly we’re still seeing some reluctant publishers, such as EA, playing the waiting game when it comes to supporting the system. As a result, Switch is given less shelf space within retail stores than the PS4 and Xbox One, which seems to have created a vicious circle where big third party publishers see little in the way of physical retail opportunities on the system – despite the fact that indies are reporting massive success with downloads on the eShop.

One company which has bucked this trend is UK firm Sold Out, which recently announced that it is working with Team17 to bring Overcooked and Worms W.M.D. to physical retail.

Speaking to Gamesindustry.biz, Sold Out CEO Garry Williams stated that there is a greater chance of success on Switch than many third party publishers assume:

There are many companies who have managed to earn really good revenues through Nintendo hardware sales to consumers. When I worked for Imagineer in Japan we made some very welcome revenues making Sim City SNES, many of us also did well on GameCube, Wii and DS. The opportunities are there. Nintendo does not exclude you, it just asks you to ‘up your game’. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.

Williams argues that finding the right game for the audience is key:

The boxed retail model is a tough model on Switch so you need to feel pretty certain your title works before entering the market. Luckily for us, the Team17 Switch releases are tried, tested and proven on the Nintendo decks. Overcooked, for example, is a double BAFTA-winning title and already successful on the Nintendo format.

Sold Out is not in the business of ‘vanity publishing’. If we were not certain we could generate profits, we would not enter the Switch boxed retail market. Nintendo simply delivers the platform for success and it is up to third-party publishers to decide how best to either get on board or to watch the sales juggernaut leave the depot.

He also feels that the Switch’s current lowly status in the picking order when it comes to physical shelf space is down to the poor performance of the Wii U, and that this situation will change over time:

If Switch continues at it’s current pace then it will receive the same space in store. Content is king and retail will support whatever the customer is choosing to buy as long as there are significant revenues delivered in the process.

While EA may be keeping its powder dry, we’re certainly seeing a notable increase in the number of games getting physical releases on Switch. Do you think by this time next year the console could command more shelf space in your local game store than the Xbox One, or even the PS4? It sounds silly, but cast your mind back to the Wii era and that was the case in many outlets. 

Let us know with a comment.