A little while ago a Nintendo Life regular sent us an email to ask where the ‘What Games Are You Playing This Weekend’ (WGAYPTW™) series had gone. Of course, our chums over at Push Square have never stopped doing it, but we drifted away from the series a few years ago here on Nintendo Life.
Why? Partly because it got a bit disheartening. We seemed to be playing retro and ‘other console’ games more than anything else, as Nintendo was in the midst of its ‘oh no what do we do about Wii U’ phase, and the 3DS could only offer so much. And so the series quietly got put on the scrapheap.
Yet times change and, to be fair, anyone with a Switch that can’t find something interesting to play must have insanely particular standards. There are normally 2-3 tempting retail releases every month (many more at this time of the year) and more high quality Switch eShop games than we can keep up with. Let’s not forget the 3DS either, which shouldn’t be cast aside quite yet.
And so it feels like a good time to bring the series back. Assuming enough of you care / bother to comment with your weekend plans we’ll re-introduce this with our staff’s weekly entries. As for this time around, because this writer is completely winging it this one is mostly down to you, our charming community.
I’ll go first person to get us started with my weekend gaming plans. I just bought Wulverblade and it’s terrific, and nice and different from anything else I have on Switch. Since doing an interview with the developer I’m also hugely intrigued by The Flame in the Flood, so I’m going to be a right big-spender and buy that for the weekend. Sure, I could get it on Steam, but the option to play it on the handheld is tempting – to be honest, as a Nintendo fan I also like to try and ‘support’ the eShop anyway, doing my humble part in making the store financially worthwhile for all these incredible indie devs. Beyond that I’ll also play a bit of MLB The Show on PS4, because it’s the post-season and I’m up until 3am (here in the UK) most nights watching baseball. GO CUBBIES!
Storage can be a bit of an issue on the Switch; the console’s internal capacity is only 32GB, with a portion already reserved for the operating system, and bigger micro SD cards can be very expensive. Thankfully, you can rely several of the smaller, more affordable cards with relative ease. For those of you getting to the point where your initial storage is filling up, and as an alternative to the ‘Archive’ option on the system, below is the step-by-step guide for keeping multiple cards on the go.
First of all, power off your console by holding the power button until the Power Options menu appears, and select ‘Power Off’. Do not just put your console into sleep mode, or you run the risk of causing irreversible data corruption.
Once your console is off, simply flip it over and lift the kickstand up to reveal the micro SD card within. Take it out and replace it with your new card and re-close the kickstand.
As far as the process goes, you’re basically done. The only thing to bear in mind is that of course none of the games from your other micro SD card will be present, but their icons will be accompanied by a little cloud icon.
To play any of the games you’ve purchased simply press the A button to download them onto this new card and start gaming to your heart’s content. Because all your save data is stored on the console’s internal storage it’ll still be there ready for you to use so you can dive right back into your games.
Of course, this can also be applied to new games you purchase from the eShop, allowing you to flip between SD cards depending on what games you want to play and when. This process becomes especially helpful when downloading larger games such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Just make sure you keep the little sods in a safe place.
For those of us that were immersed into the worlds of Xenoblade Chroniclesand Xenoblade Chronicles X, the upcoming Xenoblade Chronicles 2 on the Switch is an exciting release. Those that want to go all-in also have the option of a Collectors Edition and Pro Controller design, which are certainly tempting.
Now the Official Nintendo UK Store has opened various pre-order options, including the collector’s edition that includes a steelbook, a sound selection CD and a 200 page artbook. Details on the various options are below (the collector’s edition and Pro Controller are limited to one per customer, the ‘fan pack’ includes a poster and pin).
Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links. If you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale which helps support the site. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.
In todays episode of ‘Nintendo tweets the darndest things’, we have its plug of shu uemura’s Super Mario Bros. themed beauty products. It’s tempting to be bemused by this, but in reality it makes perfect sense – we’ve had Mario-themed shoes, toys, plushes and lots of other things besides, so why not beauty products?
Plus, you’ve got to love the attempt to turn makeup into an adventure (though it should really have been proof-read first):
For this beardy and hairy scribe the only potential product is the ‘Master Wax’ for styling ‘thick or unruly hair’. At about $40, though, let’s just stick to having thick and unruly hair…
It seems to be some nice stuff, though, so if this is your kind of thing be sure to check it out at the link below.
Fire Emblem Warriors is already out in Japan and is just a week away in North America / PAL territories. Of course, the Musou series is big business in Japan and we only get some of the games in the West; case in point, here are three Musou games heading to the Switch in Japan on 9th November.
We’ve recently seen a few games pop up on the Switch eShop from Nordic publisher 10tons. Next week, on 19th October, we’ll be treated to JYDGE; it’s a top-down shooter where you get to build your own cybernetic JYDGE and eradicate crime in the never-sleeping megacity of Edenbyrg.
Here are some of the features boasted by the game:
– Choose your cybernetics, items, weapon mods, and companions from over a billion different configurations – Deal ruthless Jystice with lead, rockets, lasers, electricity, and other deadly tools of the law – Perform heroic feats to get extra medals and unlock new equipment – Team up with your CO-JYDGE for local co-op
It seems good in principle, so here’s hoping the gameplay stacks up. Do you plan to check this out next week when it arrives on the Switch eShop?
Not long ago we told you about Poi: Explorer Edition, an adventure platformer that’s heading to the Switch later this month. “Inspired by the cheerful classics of 3D platforming”, it looks like an interesting addition to the system that’ll retail at $29.99USD when it lands on 23rd October.
Developer Polykid has now shared a video with us featuring the first 20 minutes of the game, and they’ve thrown in some developer commentary to give you more insight on the footage.
Let us know what you think of this Indie effort in the genre and whether you plan to try it out on Switch.
Interestingly this character has been designed by none other than Nakaba Higurashi; she has done a lot of work for Monolith Soft over the years and is the lead character designer for the Baten Kaitos series. Uka will be voiced by Mao Ichimichi (aka M·A·O.) who has done voice work in Monster Hunter Stories among many other things in her career.
We have to say we really like the character design of Uka, especially the fact that she has a duo of foxes riding on her shoulder. Let us know what you think with a comment below. Are you looking forward to Xenoblade Chronicles 2?
With Fire Emblem Warriors just a mere week away, you’d be forgiven for being so distracted with excitement that you’d forgotten all about Fire Emblem Heroes. If you are still enjoying everything the game has to offer, though, you’ll be pleased to know that three new characters from the fourth game in the series, Genealogy of the Holy War, are on the way.
The characters in question are Tailtiu, Deirdre, and Sigurd – the latter two of which also come bearing legendary weapons. You can see them in action in this new trailer below.
As the trailer states, these new additions will be added to the game on October 16th at 07:00 UTC / 12:00 PT. Until then, make sure to save up on orbs to ensure you can snag them for yourself!
If you’ve ever played an entry from PopCap’s ZUMA series, or the late ’90s Puzz Loop game by Mitchell Corporation, Sparkle 2 by 10tons falls under the same banner. For the uninformed, Sparkle 2 is a bit of a blast from the past, providing marble madness in the form of a puzzle match game. The fact this entry is a sequel is nothing to fear; Sparkle 2 welcomes newcomers as it’s both an independent and spiritual successor to the first instalment that – you may or may not be aware of – released in 2007.
Sparkle 2 is best defined as a marble shooter; the title’s inability to seriously differentiate itself from past interpretations of this genre doesn’t necessarily detract from the enjoyment you can find here.
You’re immediately dropped into a fantasy world and informed by the game’s narrator that you must reunite five enchanted keys created long ago in order to unlock secrets of the land. The mystery surrounding your journey is enough to briefly spur you on, but it’s the addictive gameplay that is the real driving force.
Despite the lack of context as to why exactly the on-screen action plays out as it does, the fantasy setting in Sparkle 2 still manages to provide a serene backdrop for each level. If the marble shooting is intended to have symbolic meaning, it’s not easy to interpret – regardless of this, the game still manages to unfold in a relatively straightforward manner.
You start your journey on the world map and travel from place to place. Along the way you’ll unlock new game modes, play through more than 90 unique levels and collect up to 16 different enchantments. Each level’s setting is defined by its name, with appropriately themed locations such as Firefly Meadow and Whispering Woods – both of which look as you would probably envision.
To play Sparkle 2 you must shoot coloured orbs from a spinning “orb slinger” at long lines of mobile orbs, in order to make a colour match of three or more. The main goal is to clear a long line of coloured marbles before it falls into the abyss at the end of the spiral trail. As you progress you’ll need to do this at a faster pace, all while dealing with additional lines for prolonged periods, and even a larger variety of coloured orbs. The overall execution of the core gameplay is right on the money; the controls provide a great sense of precision, and if you briefly hold in the button before launching an orb a guide line will appear on the screen to enhance the accuracy of your shots. The title also includes touch-screen controls, which makes it more approachable to players of all ages.
Like past releases within this genre, Sparkle 2 provides players with temporary power-ups in the form of rune rewards as well as enhancements to supercharge your “orb slinger” device. There are wild orbs that match-up with any orb colour, power-ups that reverse the direction of a moving line of marbles and a lot of others that will help you clear lines faster using a range of destructive methods. Launcher enchantments make each session a tad more manageable with permanent enhancements that can be applied to your “orb slinger” in between levels- each one has a unique effect. The tranquillity enchantment is one of the more enjoyable ones, making levels easier but longer. Others include the likes of “Eternity Swap”, adding an additional coloured orb to the launch mechanism. There are more unlocked as you level up and progress through the main game.
If this makes it sound like Sparkle 2 is too easy, for those of you seeking a challenge there are three different difficulties, including a nightmare setting. The additional game modes unlocked as you progress through the story include Survival, Challenge and Cataclysm. Collectively, these modes include more of the same in terms of content and provide a tougher challenge for more experienced players.
In contrast to the safe design of Sparkle 2, the soundtrack goes above and beyond all thanks to the award-winning composer Jonathan Geer. His previous work includes the likes of Cook, Serve, Delicious 2!! and Owlboy. All of the music in the game hits the right notes for a fantasy setting, ultimately finding the perfect harmony with the orb matching gameplay. It also manages to outshine the game’s artwork, which is pretty but too often uninspired.
Conclusion
Besides the optional touch controls that make this title accessible to all ages, Sparkle 2 doesn’t attempt to take this classic genre to new heights; instead it provides an experience that is mostly on par with past efforts – including the original Sparkle game. Fortunately, these development choices can only be commended as it is a well designed game with satisfactory production values; it’ll likely have you glued to the screen until you’ve lost your marbles.
