Category: Nintendo News

Nintendo News

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Mutation Nation Is Your Next HAMSTER ACA Release on Switch

Side scrolling beat’ em up fans can rejoice, because when it rains (Wulverblade, Robo Army), it pours. Next week HAMSTER is re-releasing Mutation Nation on the Switch through the ACA series, a tale of mutation and madness set in the now not-too-distant year of 2050.

As if we ever really needed any sort of plot to put down some quarters with a friend and cooperatively beat up anything else moving on the screen. You will be able to do exactly that again (minus the quarters) next week when Ricky Jones and Johnny Hart (could they be even more ’90s, we do wonder) come down “the hood” to clean up mutated freaks off the streets, fist-in-the-face style.

Did you play this one back in the day? Will you pick it up when it shows up next week? Will we ever dress as rad as Ricky Jones and Johnny Hart when 2050 hits? Tell us below, fellow mutants.

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Review: 88 Heroes: 98 Heroes Edition (Switch)

Apparently these new-fangled superhero movies are all the rage nowadays! People seem to really connect with demi-gods fighting insectoid aliens while destroying cities, and with such memorable characters how could you not? There’s Wonder Woman, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Batman, Glass Girl, Jim Nastics, The Great Bloctopus – all classics! Oh, and if you don’t recognise a few names from that list then you’d better get acquainted with a new wave of superzeroes, the only ones left who can save the day when things kick into 8th gear and calamity strikes.

88 Heroes: 98 Heroes Edition takes the superhero cliché and turns it on its head by simply asking – what if they all sucked? It’s fine and dandy when Superman is on call, but when the best are busy it’s a totally different story as a team of freaks and outcasts are sent instead. Bitmap Bureau has packed in ten extra characters and a new game mode for this Switch release, so without a doubt it’s a tempting deal, but can there be too much of a good thing?

First things first; yes there absolutely are 98 different heroes available to play as over the course of the game, each of them touting their own set of abilities with varying degrees of ineffectiveness. They aren’t the only stars of the show however, as the entire game is viewed from the perspective of its villain, Dr.H8. This tentacled creep keeps a watchful eye over everything from a gigantic monitor, and both he and his minions are a permanent fixture of the foreground. If his demands for $88 octillion aren’t met within 88 minutes, then he’s got 88 nuclear warheads ready to turn earth into space rubble, a grim f8 to be sure. Humour undoubtedly plays a huge part in proceedings, and even your death is celebrated as confetti falls in front of Dr.H8’s screen amidst his gleeful taunting. The unique perspective lends so much personality to the entire game that we struggle to imagine playing without that villainous alien sitting in our peripheral vision.

While your abilities will vary greatly from hero to hero, in general things play out as a standard platformer with traps, enemies, and pitfalls to avoid. There are several different modes to try out, the main event being 88 Mode, where you have to clear 88 levels within 88 minutes using 88 lives. Each life represents a different hero, who will randomly be chosen at the start of each level. Much of the game’s appeal comes from this random roulette of losers, as you wonder who on earth could be next up in your team and try to figure out what way each hero works. As you spawn there’s a brief explanation of their dubious powers, but putting that into practice is an entirely different matter.

Take Harley Trotter for example. He controls like a standard platform hero and can toss a basketball as his main attack, but is left absolutely powerless until you manually chase after the ball and pick it back up again. Drop it down a pit by mistake, and you’re stuck without any attack at all. Or MK Twice, a Miami cop duo who tote double the fire power, but can easily shoot each other by mistake if one gets caught in the crossfire.These simple little twists keep you on your toes and will easily result in more than a few accidental deaths, as you’re presented with a hero only to watch them crash and burn within seconds. There’s even one character who arrives holding an active bomb, forcing you to keep the attack button pressed for the entire level to avoid an untimely detonation.

There are some familiar faces amongst the lineup as well, with the addition of characters from other indie titles, such as good ol’ Rusty from SteamWorld Dig and the Conga Master from Conga Master Party. It’s a dubious honour to feature alongside thoroughly useless heroes such as Mr.Average, but it’s still a fun surprise to see them pop up every once in a while. Expect plenty of references to pop culture and internet memes as well, though thankfully the original characters shine through the most, with some fun voice acting for every single hero.

This undeniable variety keeps each new life feeling different and fresh, with new abilities to work with and a different way to tackle tricky situations. The levels are basic by necessity, as they need to cater for a multitude of playstyles, especially considering several characters can smash through walls, teleport around obstacles, or even fly around and skip entire sections. You’ll move from office blocks to sewers and beyond, but everything begins to feel uninspired and samey after a while due to the fairly rudimentary, blocky design which permeates each area regardless of the aesthetic. In an attempt to cater for every single hero, the game strikes a mediocre balance in level design that’s utilitarian rather than exciting. Each level runs on an 88 second time limit, so there’s an element of trial and error as you explore, with every hero dying after a single hit. You can look ahead to scope out possible threats, but with a timer ticking you’re far more likely to be caught unawares and watch that full team of 88 drop very quickly indeed.

The difficulty ramps up in later areas, but offers a substantial challenge even early on, as you adjust to the unique gameplay options and struggle to navigate around even simple hazards. Levels are dotted with keys, traps and coins, the latter of which is used to buy back your favourite fallen heroes from a limited selection. Having so many characters is both hilarious and unfortunately frustrating when some are objectively better than others, so losing them is a real blow. Once you’re out of lives there’s the option to continue with the last hero left alive, but attempting to clear the rest of the levels with just one remaining character is a tall order, making restarts downright inevitable. While playing through the exact same areas all over again, attempting to preserve the best heroes, it’s easy to feel irritation kick in and wipe away much of the fun.

88 Mode might be the main event, but there are variations on this with both Solo and The Magnificent 8 modes, which allow you to hand pick a single hero or a team of 8 to try and clear the game. There’s also the devious H8 mode included with this Switch release, a set of 8 additional levels which are designed to really test your skills by throwing extra spikes, extra lasers, and extra everything into the mix. If you’d like to get to grips with some particular characters then there’s a training mode available as well, which can provide a welcome bit of breathing room given the time constraint of the actual levels in-game. Also included are a few dozen token achievements, if you’re inclined to play long enough to earn them all.

All of these modes essentially work the same way, which makes for an extremely basic and frustrating platformer that relies on its charm and character to keep your attention. Due to the presentation, music and humour being so strong in this case, for the first couple of hours this actually pays off, and 88 Heroes can even work with a crowd watching on as you discover all the weirdo heroes, laughing at the bizarre voice work and the added fun of Dr. H8’s security camera perspective. Again, all of the emphasis has been placed on the 98 main characters, as the enemy designs are both repetitive and poorly animated, while the heroes themselves look and move a whole lot better. Some of the most half-baked examples are the bosses which cap off the final level in each area. They’re beyond lazy and feel like a useless inclusion, again due to the fact that they need to cater to 98 different playstyles.

Technically, it’s possible by design to clear the main mode within the 88 minute time limit, but it’s unlikely that most players will manage this on their first few attempts. The levels aren’t mixed up in any way on repeated playthroughs, so it does get stale before too long, giving little reason to play on once you’ve grown accustomed to all of the heroes on offer. If you come in expecting a fun two or three hours of gameplay then you won’t be disappointed, but for the asking price at the time of writing that’s a bit of a stretch.

Conclusion

88 Heroes: 98 Heroes Edition took on the gargantuan challenge of cramming 98 playable characters into a single game, and while we commend the attempt the results have been a little shy of heroic. There’s so much diversity to the size, shape, and moveset of each hero, that it comes at the cost of a more tightly designed set of levels and challenges. There’s a lot of personality to every aspect of its presentation, and the heroes themselves are fantastic fun to mess around with, so it’s just a shame that it falls a little short overall. If you’re looking for something thoroughly silly and don’t mind it being a short lived experience, then this is almost gr8, but don’t expect much in the way of replayability m8.

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Switch Video Capture May Go Beyond 30 Second Limit In The Future

You may already be aware that the Switch recently received a huge system update which, amongst other things, introduced the ability to use the Capture button to record the last 30 seconds of your gameplay on selected titles. Now, according to a report from Kotaku, we have learnt that this feature could potentially expand to allow recordings of one minute, three minutes, or five minutes.

The article mentions that Nintendo is reportedly planning to keep the feature restricted to 30 seconds until all first-party games support the new video capture function. From there, Nintendo will personally approach developers who have used its characters (such as Ubisoft with Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle) to get on board too. By having all of these games supporting the feature, as well as any from third-party developers who wish to utilise video capture too, Nintendo should receive solid information on how successfully it has been integrated into the Switch’s firmware. Once these conditions have been met, the possibilities for extra time allowances should become possible.

There is no saying when these changes might take effect; currently Nintendo is looking to ensure that the basic workings of the video capture feature are implemented into as many games as possible through patches. Future games on the system, potentially including Super Mario Odyssey which has already been confirmed to support video capture, will reportedly include the feature as standard without the need for any updates.

Have you tried out any recordings for yourself yet? Would you like the option to record longer videos? Let us know in the comments.

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Review: JYDGE (Switch eShop)

Imagine a bleak dystopian future where crime is rampant and multiple citizens are being held as hostages by dangerous people. JYDGE, recently launched on Steam  and now available via the Switch eShop, explores this exact scenario. When all goes to hell in the cyberpunk city of Edenbyrg, the local police department launches the JYDGE initiative to sweep the streets clear of crime.

While the concept has clearly been inspired by Judge Dredd, the publisher and developer 10tons has clarified that its new title is both a prequel and spin-off to Neon Chrome. For anyone who didn’t enjoy the rogue-like elements of this recent eShop release, JYDGE is a top-down shooter that is intended to be a more streamlined, simplified and fun experience – comparable to the likes of Hotline Miami and even Mr. Shifty. The procedurally generated levels as seen in Neon Chrome have been replaced with preset levels and the difficulty is now far less punishing.

Taking control of the JYDGE, you jump right into the action as a law enforcer. Each level follows a similar pattern – eliminate all enemies in sight, neutralise a key target, save the hostages and then get out. As JYDGE borrows art assets from Neon Chrome, the level presentation is strikingly familiar with bright colours highlighting doorways, signage, collectables and other points of interest. Disappointingly, the futuristic theme still feels just as uninspired. While a bit more colour has been added to levels with the odd patch of greenery from time to time, the design of each stage still lacks variety in terms of layout. For the most part you’ll be breaching buildings that are made up of lobbies, boardrooms and bathrooms. You might find yourself in the occasional bar fight, but you’ll still be awkwardly navigating tight corridors and walking down dead ends into janitor cupboards.

According to 10tons, enemy bullets have been slowed to make fire fights more manageable. Sadly though, the shootouts in JYDGE just do not compete with more prominent top-down shooters. Even the generic but upbeat soundtrack promoting law and order doesn’t solve the case. Despite the slower pacing of gun fights, it still struggles when it comes to precision shot making – which severely detracts from the addictive nature and general satisfaction of this genre. The AI of the punk-like enemies in JYDGE don’t help the situation. While the JYDGE can take a stealthier approach to each level, if detected enemies will immediately shoot to kill and lack any further strategy against you. Bosses and special enemies like robots are much the same. As soon as the JYDGE is spotted, enemies will follow you around an entire level until the fight draws to a conclusion. The most strategy required is dancing about during fire fights or hiding behind walls until the enemy eventually blasts down your cover.   

Seek & destroy A.I. in this type of game is normally less of a concern, but in JYDGE it becomes a problem when the controls are often imprecise and sluggish – especially when many levels demand twitch reflexes. Fortunately, the environmental destruction offers a brash way to breach rooms within a building. Explosive barrels are also littered around levels allowing players to destroy large chunks of the environment. As minor as it may be, it’s handy to be able to shoot through a wall if your original tactics fail.  

The “Department of Jystice” is where you go in between levels to upgrade and customise JYDGE – along with the weaponised gavel – using the “confiscated” credits obtained during missions. In the cybernetics lab the “cyberware augmentation module” enables this customisation; with a total of four slots you can boost the JYDGE with extra health, boost citizens’ health, gain additional body armour and even provide the hero of justice with an assist drone. Additional tools such as hacking upgrades can also be unlocked to provide minor advantages in certain levels. The gavel can be upgraded as well, with changes to the type of ammo it shoots and the ferocity of the bullet storm it is capable of unleashing.

Unlocking new upgrades all depends on the amount of medals you earn in a level, which are objective-based. These objectives vary, with standard tasks including completing a level within a certain time frame, rescuing all the hostages to looting every container. If you shoot a hostage, or one gets caught in the middle of a fire fight, the outcome is a “mistrial” – essentially game over – and you’ll have to retry. Luckily some enemies won’t always be present on the second go if you’ve defeated them the first time round. 

The loop of medals and unlockable customisations encourages players to replay levels, while also earning more cash to buy these upgrades. A harder difficulty setting is also introduced early on in the game – offering even more objectives and medal unlocks. The title is not exactly short on content, and eventually you’ll have missions down to a fine art if you can forgive the relaxed pace of the game. If you’re finding the challenges a bit too hard, there’s also a two player mode where two judges can deliver justice together.

Conclusion

Much like Neon Chrome, JYDGE operates by the book. It’s a mediocre experience that fails to stand out within the top-down shooter genre. Looking beyond the uninspired themes and design – not to forget the excessive use of justice-related puns – the major problems can be linked to the casual tempo of the gameplay. Further issues come from the imprecise controls, leaving you lacking the necessary precision when moving and aiming. In a genre where you want to quickly and efficiently eliminate all enemy threats, this title rarely makes you feel like a hardened law enforcer. 

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Rumour: LEGO Dimensions Has Apparently Been Killed Off

According to a report by Eurogamer, the toys-to-life franchise LEGO Dimensions seems to have come to an end much earlier than first planned.

Released on Wii U, as well as various other platforms, the game has seen an enormous variety of licensed figures from franchises such as The Simpsons, Doctor Who, Ghostbusters, and Harry Potter, enabling players to not only collect and build miniature versions of their favourite fictional heroes but also see them come to life on the big screen. It launched back in October 2015 and, originally, was intended to be supported for at least three years; it would seem that a mixture of high production costs and disappointing sales means that this will no longer be the case, however.

Eurogamer’s report highlights how the start of LEGO Dimensions’ second year didn’t go nearly as well as planned; sales didn’t meet expectations, and the studio behind the game was under more pressure than before. Ambitions for the project were high – a huge amount of content had been teased and promised to the public – and this ultimately left individual packs being released with a number of bugs and glitches that left fans of the game (understandably) annoyed. Initial hopes of a huge success were slowly starting to deteriorate at every turn.

It wasn’t just LEGO Dimensions that was suffering in this period, as other major toys-to-life games were experiencing similar issues; Disney Infinity was closed down entirely and Skylanders was slowly being surrounded by rumours of closure too. Despite all of this, though, the aspirations of LEGO Dimensions remained high for a period – at one stage a camera capable of scanning any small LEGO builds was in development, in theory allowing a player to build anything of a certain size and see it reproduced on the TV. Although the idea sounded promising, this product never entered the production stage.

The game still has some adoring fans, with avid collectors constantly making sure they have every last figure safely in their collection. It is a huge shame, then, that the franchise doesn’t seem able to realise its initial dreams. To make things absolutely clear – no official statement has been made about the franchise ending as of yet. A recent email sent from a TT Games’ manager to the studio’s entire workforce seems to confirm the news, however, with an emphasis on gratitude for “making Dimensions possible”.

We’ll keep an eye out for any further news on the matter but, until then, why not let us know your thoughts? Will you miss the release of new packs in 2018 if support is dropped? What do you think about the future of the toys-to-life market? Feel free to sound off in the comments below.

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Hardware Review: The Super Famicom Mini Is For Hardcore Collectors Only

Not all micro-consoles are created equal, the SNES Classic Mini being the perfect example of this (not-so-universal) truth. The western versions may have the same game selection but the North American and European editions showcase radically different case designs, which has led to some particularly dedicated Nintendo fans buying both, just so their lives can feel complete. 

However, we’d argue that picking up the Japanese model – dubbed the Super Famicom Mini in that region – is a far worthier objective, especially if you own the – let’s face facts – downright ugly North American SNES Classic Edition. Not only does it offer a gorgeous design, it actually boasts a slightly altered game lineup, too.

First things first however, this console is almost exactly the same as the European model in terms of pure aesthetics; the key difference being that it has the Super Famicom logo on the top, rather than the Super Nintendo one. The pads are a similar story, with the Japanese branding appearing in pride of place for all to see. The console’s packaging is – to our eyes, at least – far superior though; it’s a faithful replication of the box the original console shipped in all those years ago and makes excellent use of the system’s iconic red / yellow / blue / green colour scheme.

The menu system is pretty much the same as well, right down to the screen borders and music. The big difference is that all the text is in Japanese (as you’d expect) and the game lineup is changed. Gone are EarthBound, Kirby’s Dream Course, Super Castlevania IV, Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting and Super Punch-Out!!, with Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, Super Formation Soccer, The Legend of the Mystical Ninja / Ganbare Goemon: Yukihime Kyūshutsu Emaki, Panel de Pon and Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers taking their places. Box artwork is Japanese too, which is better in almost every respect; our only grumble is that the UI seems to have been built with western landscape boxes in mind, and the portrait-oriented Super Famicom offerings look a little odd.

Here’s the full list of the 21 games included on the Super Famicom Mini:

Some of these changes make sense; Super Street Fighter II is a more recent game than Street Fighter II Turbo, even though opinion is divided on which is the best outing. Ganbare Goemon is also an excellent title and one which arguably would have made more sense on the SNES Mini, perhaps in place of Kirby’s Dream Course. We can also understand Fire Emblem making the cut, given the popularity of that franchise in Japan, and Panel de Pun is simply brilliant. However, Super Formation Soccer isn’t exactly a classic – it’s not even the best soccer game on the console, for crying out loud – and losing Super Castlevania IV hurts, too.

With the option available to hack both the SNES Mini and the Super Famicom Mini, bickering over which games are included out of the box seems churlish, but there will be a great many buyers who won’t want to sully their system by mucking around with its internal memory, and will therefore be locked into the games which ship from day one. While the packaging is scrumptious and the case design amazing, we can’t see any real reason to pick the Super Famicom Mini over its western equivalents – unless you can read Japanese, in which case the addition of Fire Emblem and Ganbare Goemon will be most welcome (although to be fair, the latter is perfectly playable even if you can’t read Kanji).

If you still want one regardless, you’ll have to resort to using resellers online or import one directly from the Far East. While there’s little reason to own one if you’ve already got a SNES Mini, those of you who crave a complete collection may find the Super Famicom Mini impossible to resist – especially when you think about how lovely that box will look on your shelf.

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Nintendo Download: 19th October (Europe)

The latest European Nintendo Download Update is live, and it’s another busy line-up with lots of varied options. There are two retail releases on Switch alongside the usual inundation of download games, while there are also big arrivals on the New 3DS / 3DS. With plentiful discounts also available there’s a lot to get through, so let’s get to it.

Switch Retail Downloads

Fire Emblem Warriors (Nintendo, €59.99 / £49.99) – The latest Musou crossover with a Nintendo franchise, this offers a hefty campaign, attractive visuals (and an option to target 60fps) along with historical battles to take on. In addition to the usual Warriors brawling it adds some smart tactical play to honour the Fire Emblem IP; we were very impressed in our Fire Emblem Warriors review. Available from 20th October.

Fire Emblem Warriors Deluxe Edition (Nintendo, €79.98 / £67.98) – Also includes the Season Pass. Available from 20th October.

The LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game (WB Games, €59.99 / £49.99) – Released to coincide with the equivalent movie, this adds some ninja action to the LEGO formula, with ‘8 action packed locations’ included along with Battle Maps in which four players can duke it out. Unfortunately the end result is rather average, in our opinion. Available from 20th October.

Switch eShop

Rogue Trooper Redux (RebellionInteract, €24.99 / £19.99) – Based on the 2000 AD comic strip, this uses the 2006 original – which was ported to the Wii in 2009 under the title Rogue Trooper: The Quartz Zone Massacre – as its template, adding various upgrades for this HD remaster. It offers a solid and fun solo campaign along with some online options, as we explain in our Rogue Trooper Redux review.

Spelunker Party! (Square Enix, €29.99 / £24.99) – An early retail title in Japan, this arrives in the West with a new name and as a download-only release. Essentially a puzzle platformer, it can be played either solo or alongside up to three extra players with both local and online multiplayer modes available. We’ll dig into a review soon.

The Jackbox Party Pack 4 (Jackbox Games, €21.99 / £19.99) – With the Switch all caught up on the previous releases in this series, now we get to party with the latest version. As always it’s a collection of five varied games, and for the most part they’re good fun in the right company; we gave this a recommendation in our The Jackbox Party Pack 4 review.

The Count Lucanor (Merge Games, €13.49 / £10.79 until 25th October, normally €14.99 / £11.99) – This is a “mystery and horror adventure” that previously made its mark on Steam; it has a stylish look to go along with its suitably creepy (and potentially varied) gameplay. We’re still working on our review, but did get a good taste of what it’s all about in our recent hands on impressions.

Elliot Quest (PlayEveryWare Games, €9.99 / £8.99) – It opts for a simple look, but underneath that exterior is a rather accomplished adventure game. It was an impressive indication of what could be achieved through HTML5 technology on the Wii U eShop, before it was then ported to C++ and released on other systems – including the 3DS. It promises plenty of abilities to try out through five dungeons, with 16 ‘unique bosses’ and multiple endings also thrown in.

Syberia (Microïds, €29.99 / £26.99) – This adventure game was first released on PC way back in 2002, with this first entry kicking off a gradual roll-out of the series on Switch. For those that enjoy narrative-driven games with puzzles and adventure this could be tempting; we’ll see how it holds up in a review. Available from 20th October.

Party Golf (Giant Margarita, €14.99 / £13.49) – A lighthearted game promising 100 modes, randomly generated levels and support for up to eight players with a Joy-Con each. Its European eShop listing even outlines ‘Twitch integration’ that allows stream viewers to change gameplay through the app’s group chat, but the Nintendo of America page doesn’t mention this. We’ll see what the score is in our review.

JYDGE (10tons, €14.99 / £12.99) – A top-down shooter where you get to build your own cybernetic JYDGE and eradicate crime in the never-sleeping megacity of Edenbyrg. Basically, shoot all of the things, and even do so with a buddy in local co-op. We’ll see whether it’s a hit or fills us with DREAD in our review.

Putty Pals (Harmonious Games, €8.50 / £7.50) – In this colourful, feel-good adventure you can tackle colour-based puzzles with a friend; the co-op gameplay would seem to be a perfect match for the Switch. We’ll see whether it’s worth sharing with a gaming buddy in a review.

Don’t Knock Twice (Wales Interactive, €9.99 / £7.99 until 14th November, then €12.49 / £9.99) – Developed alongside a film with the same name, this is a first-person horror game in which you explore a ‘grand manor house’ and try to save your daughter. Unfortunately we were left rather disappointed by this in our Don’t Knock Twice review.

Robo Army (HAMSTER, €6.99 / £6.29) – Originally released in 1991, this side-scrolling fighter was a very early Neo Geo release but boasts some attractive and detailed visuals. The gameplay is rather basic however, so we can imagine this will only appeal to those players who have a nostalgic connection to it, or those who simply have to own every single Neo Geo game on the Switch.

Revenant Saga (KEMCO, €12.99 / £11.69) – A publisher that ported a notable range of RPGs (many previously on mobile) to 3DS and Wii U, it now makes its move onto Nintendo’s latest system. Previously released on Wii U, this is the tale of an immortal being seeking vengeance, which is suitably dramatic.

Super Ping Pong Trick Shot (Starsign, €4.99 / £4.49) – On the surface this is a rather simple puzzle game in which you, unsurprisingly, try to trick shot a ping pong ball into a glass, with 80 challenges and varied stages promised.

Switch and New 3DS DLC

Fire Emblem Warriors Season Pass (Nintendo, €19.99 / £17.99, purchase separately for each system) – Will include three DLC packs as they arrive and will unlock a Lucina Bridal Costume.

Nintendo Switch DLC

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle – Ultra Challenge Pack (Ubisoft, €6.99 / £5.80, also included in the season pass)

Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle – Koishi Komeiji (NIS America, €0.49 / £0.40)

Switch eShop Temporary Discounts

Vaccine (Rainy Frog, €6.99 / £6.29 until 2nd November, normally €9.99 / £8.99)

New Nintendo 3DS Retail Download

Fire Emblem Warriors (Nintendo, €44.99 / £39.99) – Aiming to be essentially the same game as on Switch, this is naturally trying to give the same experience on weaker hardware. You can see how performance between them both compares in this video. Available from 20th October.

3DS Retail Download

Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth (SEGA, €39.99 / £34.99) – The DS and 3DS have been lucky enough to have plenty of these RPG titles from Atlus, with this fifth main entry giving us another taste of its cartographic exploration and adventure. We enjoyed some time with it in this first impressions article.

3DS DLC

Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond The Myth: New Explorers 1 (Koch Media, €1.99 / £1.79)

Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond The Myth: New Explorers 2 (Koch Media, €1.99 / £1.79)

Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond The Myth: New Explorers 3 (Koch Media, €1.99 / £1.79)

Culdcept Revolt – Avian (NIS America, free)

3DS eShop Temporary Discounts

Gunman Clive (Hörberg Productions, €0.99 / £0.99 until 2nd November, normally €1.99 / £1.99)

Gunman Clive 2 (Hörberg Productions, €1.49 / £1.25 until 2nd November, normally €2.99 / £2.50)

Kung Fu FIGHT! (Nostatic Software, €1.68 / £1.49 until 26th October, normally €2.25 / £1.99)

Ash (CIRCLE Entertainment, €1.99 / £1.99 until 2nd November, normally €3.99 / £3.99)

Glory of Generals (CIRCLE Entertainment, €3.49 / £3.04 until 2nd November, normally €6.99 / £6.09)

Glory of Generals: The Pacific (CIRCLE Entertainment, €3.49 / £3.44 until 2nd November, normally €6.99 / £6.89)

Karous – The Beast Of Re:Eden (CIRCLE Entertainment, €2.99 / £2.94 until 2nd November, normally €5.99 / £5.89)

Toy Defence (CIRCLE Entertainment, €1.99 / £1.59 until 2nd November, normally €3.99 / £3.19)

Wakedas (CIRCLE Entertainment, €1.49 / £1.49 until 2nd November, normally €2.99 / £2.99)

Johnny’s Payday Panic (Office Create, €1.99 / £1.49 until 2nd November, normally €3.99 / £2.99)

Coaster Creator 3D (Big John Games, €4.99 / £4.19 until 16th November, normally €7.25 / £6.00)

Cube Creator 3D (Big John Games, €4.99 / £3.59 until 16th November, normally €7.50 / £5.25)

Fantasy Pirates (EnjoyUp Games, €1.80 / £1.80 until 16th November, normally €4.50 / £4.50)

RV-7 My Drone (EnjoyUp Games, €1.19 / £1.19 until 16th November, normally €2.99 / £2.99)

Toys vs. Monsters (EnjoyUp Games, €1.59 / £1.59 until 16th November, normally €3.99 / £3.99)

Van Helsing sniper Zx100 (EnjoyUp Games, €2.66 / £2.66 until 16th November, normally €6.66 / £6.66)

3DS eShop Permanent Discounts

Langrisser Re:Incarnation -TENSEI- (Aksys Games, €24.99 / £22.49, previously €34.99 / £28.00)

Moco Moco Friends (Aksys Games, €24.99 / £22.49, previously €36.50 / £26.98)

Elliot Quest (PlayEveryWare Games, €9.99 / £8.99, previously €14.99 / £13.49)

3DS eShop Demos

Nintendo Presents: New Style Boutique 3 (Nintendo, free)

Kirby Battle Royale (Nintendo, free)

Wii U eShop

SWAP BLOCKS (Wizbyte Games, €4.99 / £3.99) – This looks like a rather simplistic game where you match up tiles by, well, swapping the blocks around.

Wii U eShop Temporary Discounts

Gunman Clive HD Collection (Hörberg Productions, €1.99 / £1.79 until 2nd November, normally €3.99 / £3.59)

Stick it to the Man (Ripstone Publishing, €4.79 / £4.19 until 26th October, normally €7.99 / £6.99)

Kung Fu FIGHT! (Nostatic Software, €1.49 / £1.11 until 26th October, normally €1.99 / £1.49)

Mr. Pumpkin Adventure (CIRCLE Entertainment, €1.99 / £1.99 until 2nd November, normally €3.99 / £3.99)

99Moves (EnjoyUp Games, €0.99 / £0.91 until 16th November, normally €2.49 / £2.29)

Abyss (EnjoyUp Games, €0.99 / £0.89 until 16th November, normally €1.99 / £1.79)

Hurry Up! Bird Hunter (EnjoyUp Games, €3.19 / £2.87 until 16th November, normally €7.99 / £7.19)

Rock ‘N Racing Off Road DX (EnjoyUp Games, €3.99 / £3.59 until 16th November, normally €7.99 / £7.19)

Drop It: Block Paradise! (ZeNfA Productions, €4.99 / £4.49 until 16th November, normally €9.99 / £8.99)

That’s the full Nintendo Download line-up for this week – let us know what you’ll be downloading in the poll and comments below.

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Pokémon GO Halloween Event Introduces Gen 3 Ghost Types

A few days ago we reported on the Gen 3 monsters revealed in a leak for the upcoming Pokémon GO Halloween event. 

Now the official PR is here, we can confirm that a number of Generation III ghost-type Pokémon “originally discovered in the Hoenn region” are coming to the game, including Sableye and Banette.

Here’s some more info:

Niantic, Inc. and The Pokémon Company International today announced an upcoming Halloween celebration in Pokémon GO with an in-game event that will herald the arrival of a number of Ghost-type Pokémon originally discovered in the Hoenn region, including Sableye, Banette, and others. From October 20 at 8:00 p.m. BST to November 2 at 9:00 p.m. BST, players will begin to see these mysterious Pokémon from the Hoenn region out in the wild, while also encountering an increased number of spooky Pokémon such as Gastly, Cubone, Misdreavus, Houndour, and more. We hope Trainers enjoy this special Halloween treat! Look forward to arrival of the rest of the Pokémon first seen in the *Pokémon Ruby* and *Pokémon Sapphire* video games, starting gradually as early as December.

For the duration of the Halloween event, special Pikachu will also be out and about, celebrating in costume and available for Trainers to catch. Candy rewards for catching, hatching, and transferring Pokémon will be doubled throughout the event, and your buddy will find Candy twice as fast. Trainers will also have the opportunity to stock up on special boxes from the in-game shop, featuring items such as Raid Passes and Super Incubators. Finally, players will be able to wear the all-new avatar item, Mimikyu’s Disguise Hat, created in the likeness of the mysterious Disguise Pokémon Mimikyu.

This will no doubt be exciting news for fans of Pokémon GO. Are you looking forward to Gen 3?

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Nintendo Download: 19th October (North America)

It’s another Nintendo Download Update for North America, and as is now the norm it’s absolutely jam-packed with content. The Nintendo Switch eShop accounts for most of the options, again, with a first-party retail title being joined by some download-only gems; the New 3DS doesn’t entirely miss out, either. Let’s get to it.

Switch Retail Downloads

Fire Emblem Warriors (Nintendo, $59.99USD) – The latest Musou crossover with a Nintendo franchise, this offers a hefty campaign, attractive visuals (and an option to target 60fps) along with historical battles to take on. In addition to the usual Warriors brawling it adds some smart tactical play to honour the Fire Emblem IP; we were very impressed in our Fire Emblem Warriors review. Available from 20th October.

Just Dance 2018 (Ubisoft, $59.99USD) – The popular series (we assume) continues with this latest entry, including over 40 tracks at launch on the cartridge and over 300 more through ‘Just Dance Unlimited’. Available from 24th October.

Switch eShop

Spelunker Party! (Square Enix, $29.99USD) – An early retail title in Japan, this arrives in the West with a new name and as a download-only release. Essentially a puzzle platformer, it can be played either solo or alongside up to three extra players with both local and online multiplayer modes available. We’ll dig into a review soon.

This is the Police (Nordic Games, $29.99USD) – A strategy and adventure game set in the crime-ridden city of Freeburg. You assume the role of Police Chief Jack Boyd – voiced by Jon St. John (Duke Nukem) – and have to tackle a wide range of crimes, assigning officers to certain jobs and facing numerous moral dilemmas along the way. The ultimate aim is to raise $500,000 in 180 days, but you can choose to do that in any way you wish. Also coming to retail on 5th December, the download goes live on 24th October.

The Mummy Demastered (WayForward, $19.99USD) – Sure to be tempting with Halloween around the corner. Forget the questionable movie, this promises “a 16-bit-inspired battle against the undead in a 2D, nonlinear, action-packed adventure”. It looks rather neat and we’ll wrap it up in a review. Available from 24th October.

The Jackbox Party Pack 4 (Jackbox Games, $24.99USD) – With the Switch all caught up on the previous releases in this series, now we get to party with the latest version. As always it’s a collection of five varied games, and for the most part they’re good fun in the right company; we gave this a recommendation in our The Jackbox Party Pack 4 review.

The Count Lucanor (Merge Games, $13.49USD) – This is a “mystery and horror adventure” that previously made its mark on Steam; it has a stylish look to go along with its suitably creepy (and potentially varied) gameplay. We’re still working on our review, but did get a good taste of what it’s all about in our recent hands on impressions.

Elliot Quest (PlayEveryWare Games, $9.99USD) – It opts for a simple look, but underneath that exterior is a rather accomplished adventure game. It was an impressive indication of what could be achieved through HTML5 technology on the Wii U eShop, before it was then ported to C++ and released on other systems – including the 3DS. It promises plenty of abilities to try out through five dungeons, with 16 ‘unique bosses’ and multiple endings also thrown in.

Knight Terrors (Nicalis, $2.99USD) – This budget title offers simple controls but arcade-style challenge; you have to dodge dangers and also destroy any creatures that come your way. It could be a bit of fun for Halloween, but we’ll brave the horror and let you know what we think in a review.

Syberia (Microïds, $29.99USD) – This adventure game was first released on PC way back in 2002, with this first entry kicking off a gradual roll-out of the series on Switch. For those that enjoy narrative-driven games with puzzles and adventure this could be tempting; we’ll see how it holds up in a review. Available from 20th October.

Party Golf (Giant Margarita, $15.00USD) – A lighthearted game promising 100 modes, randomly generated levels and support for up to eight players with a Joy-Con each. Its European eShop listing even outlines ‘Twitch integration’ that allows stream viewers to change gameplay through the app’s group chat, but the Nintendo of America page doesn’t mention this. We’ll see what the score is in our review.

JYDGE (10tons, $14.99USD) – A top-down shooter where you get to build your own cybernetic JYDGE and eradicate crime in the never-sleeping megacity of Edenbyrg. Basically, shoot all of the things, and even do so with a buddy in local co-op. We’ll see whether it’s a hit or fills us with DREAD in our review.

Robo Army (HAMSTER, $7.99) – Originally released in 1991, this side-scrolling fighter was a very early Neo Geo release but boasts some attractive and detailed visuals. The gameplay is rather basic however, so we can imagine this will only appeal to those players who have a nostalgic connection to it, or those who simply have to own every single Neo Geo game on the Switch.

Revenant Saga (KEMCO, $12.99USD) – A publisher that ported a notable range of RPGs (many previously on mobile) to 3DS and Wii U, it now makes its move onto Nintendo’s latest system. Previously released on Wii U, this is the tale of an immortal being seeking vengeance, which is suitably dramatic.

Super Ping Pong Trick Shot (Starsign, $4.99USD) – On the surface this is a rather simple puzzle game in which you, unsurprisingly, try to trick shot a ping pong ball into a glass, with 80 challenges and varied stages promised.

Switch and New 3DS DLC

Fire Emblem Warriors Season Pass (Nintendo, $19.99USD, purchase separately for each system) – Will include three DLC packs as they arrive and will unlock a Lucina Bridal Costume.

New Nintendo 3DS Retail Download

Fire Emblem Warriors (Nintendo, $39.99USD) – Aiming to be essentially the same game as on Switch, this is naturally trying to give the same experience on weaker hardware. You can see how performance between them both compares in this video.

New Nintendo 3DS eShop

GALAXY BLASTER CODE RED (RCMADIAX, $1,49USD) – A basic shooter in which you try to hold off various foes descending from the top of the screen.

Wii U Retail Download

Just Dance 2018 (Ubisoft, $59.99USD) – Available from 24th October.

As always Nintendo of America wants you to browse the eShop and check out the official sales and deals website for discount details.

Plenty of options this week – let us know what you’ll be downloading in the poll and comments below.

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Spelunker Party! Launches With a Snazzy New Trailer

In recent weeks the Switch has been getting bombarded with so many new releases that we’ve started to think there are almost too many. Thursdays are when we see the vast majority of these titles hit the eShop and one of today’s new offerings is Square Enix’s Spelunker Party!

You can check out a brand new trailer celebrating the game’s release below.

The game can be played either solo or alongside up to three extra players with both local and online multiplayer modes available. You follow the story of Spelunkette and her friends, exploring their way through mysterious caves, challenging enemies, and traversing over gaps and platforms. The whole thing has an attractive, ‘cutesy’ vibe to it that looks like it has great potential as a co-op adventure.

Spelunker Party! will cost you $29.99 USD / £24.99 and, if you want to give it a try before splashing out the cash, there should be a demo available to download very soon. Do you plan on picking this one up today? Let us know in the comments!