{"id":130774,"date":"2022-12-23T22:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-23T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/#article-126392"},"modified":"2022-12-23T22:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-12-23T22:00:00","slug":"best-of-2022-remembering-the-newest-nintendo-ip-youd-forgotten-all-about","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2022\/12\/23\/best-of-2022-remembering-the-newest-nintendo-ip-youd-forgotten-all-about\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Of 2022: Remembering The Newest Nintendo IP You&#8217;d Forgotten All About"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/4fdfb27b08203\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/4fdfb27b08203\/small.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n<p><em>Over the holidays we&#8217;re republishing some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/tags\/best-of-2022\">choice features<\/a> from the last 12 months. A mix of talking points, interviews, opinion pieces and more from<\/em> <em>NL staff and contributors<\/em><em>, you&#8217;ll find our usual blend of thoughtfulness, expertise, frivolity, retro nostalgia, and \u2014 of course \u2014 enthusiasm for all things Nintendo. Happy holidays!<\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<aside class=\"object object-youtube\">\n<figure class=\"youtube\" data-videoid=\"WOaD2AcP3wA\">[embedded content]<figcaption class=\"youtube-sub\">Subscribe to <a class=\"external\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/subscription_center?add_user=nintendolife\">Nintendo Life<\/a> on <span class=\"g-ytsubscribe\" data-channel=\"nintendolife\" data-layout=\"default\" data-count=\"default\"><a class=\"external\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/nintendolife\">YouTube<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Did you know that every year Nintendo publishes at least one new IP? It\u2019s true, they haven\u2019t missed a year since 1983, the year the Famicom launched in Japan. <em>[Editor&#8217;s note. Except for 2022, it seems. You were on a roll, Nintendo!]<\/em> In 2020 we had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/good_job\">Good Job!<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/astral_chain\">Astral Chain<\/a> in 2019, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/sushi_striker_the_way_of_sushido\">Sushi Striker<\/a> in 2018, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/3ds\/ever_oasis\">Ever Oasis<\/a> in 2017 \u2014 and that\u2019s only naming one each year. Given how only a few of them ever hit a mainstream audience though (like 2019\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/ring_fit_adventure\">Ring Fit Adventure<\/a>), it\u2019s no surprise if they slipped your mind.<\/p>\n<p>So what was Nintendo\u2019s new IP last year? Well, assuming <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/game_builder_garage\">Game Builder Garage<\/a> is actually a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/nintendo_labo_toy-con_04_vr_kit\">LABO<\/a> spin-off and not its own unique series (seeing as it\u2019s entirely based around the LABO Builder Garage), that honour goes to a game we think most people reading this article probably forgot all about until they saw the headline: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/buddy_mission_bond\">Buddy Mission BOND<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Announced in the Japanese <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2020\/10\/koei_tecmos_buddy_mission_bond_comes_to_switch_next_year\">September 2020 Nintendo Direct<\/a>, Buddy Mission BOND was a surprising reveal. In collaboration with Koei Tecmo, known for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/hyrule_warriors_age_of_calamity\">Warriors<\/a> series and making <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/fatal_frame_maiden_of_black_water\">Fatal Frame<\/a> (a series they also co-own with Nintendo), Nintendo published this original visual novel\/adventure game with artwork by the incredible manga artist Yusuke Murata, probably most well-known for drawing the One-Punch Man manga.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"picture\"><a class=\"scanlines\" title=\"Buddy Mission Bond\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/09125bcc667da\/buddy-mission-bond.large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA5MDAgNTA3Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" width=\"900\" height=\"507\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/09125bcc667da\/buddy-mission-bond.900x.jpg\" alt=\"Buddy Mission Bond\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"caption\"><em class=\"credit\">Image: Joshua Goldie<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The game released in Japan on 29th January 2021 and at the time of writing there has been no sign of a localisation. It\u2019s for this reason that we imagine many people \u2014 even stalwart Nintendo fans \u2014 may have forgotten the game exists, but as it hits its one-year anniversary we think it\u2019s time to change that. Buddy Mission BOND will never hit the heights of series like Metroid or Pikmin, but it at least deserves to be remembered and, given the chance, maybe even <em>played<\/em>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"right\">\n<p>It\u2019s a bit more action-focused than what the Ace Attorney series offers, and it can be a little easy, with visual novel and investigation segments<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><\/blockquote>\n<p>So what exactly is Buddy Mission BOND? Well, the game can probably be best compared to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/great_ace_attorney_chronicles\">Ace Attorney<\/a> series from Capcom but instead of a courtroom section being the pivotal moment of each chapter, you explore a 3D environment and solving puzzles. The objective is always to get from point A to point B, often with a buddy, and there are multiple ways to reach the objective \u2014 each way providing slight changes to the story beats of the game.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a bit more action-focused than what the Ace Attorney series offers, and it can be a little easy. This is due to the other two gameplay types: the visual novel segments and the investigation segments. The latter gives the player a limited number of actions to explore a map and look for clues through chatting it up with locals, while the former advances the plot and is where the main story lies. In both of these segments you\u2019ll get enough clues that you&#8217;ll nearly always know the solution to the 3D action section, but it&#8217;s meant to be a reward for paying attention. Like a real detective would do.<\/p>\n<p>Another reward (other than getting to experience what is a pretty good narrative) is filling up your Hero Gauge, which essentially acts like a mix between HP and EXP. Every time you do something wrong, whether it be picking the wrong moral choice when talking to your superiors or getting a puzzle wrong in the 3D action scenes, you lose some of the Hero Gauge. You want to end a level with as much as possible so you can unlock new side missions and get to learn about the characters more.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"cols\">\n<div class=\"col\"><a title=\"Buddy Mission Bond\" class=\"scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/481451466723e\/buddy-mission-bond.large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0NDUgMjUwIj48L3N2Zz4=\" width=\"445\" height=\"250\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/481451466723e\/buddy-mission-bond.445x.jpg\" alt=\"Buddy Mission Bond\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"col\"><a title=\"Buddy Mission Bond\" class=\"scanlines scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/6151b8a8935f8\/buddy-mission-bond.large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0NDUgMjUwIj48L3N2Zz4=\" width=\"445\" height=\"250\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/6151b8a8935f8\/buddy-mission-bond.445x.jpg\" alt=\"Buddy Mission Bond\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"caption\"><em class=\"credit\">Images: Joshua Goldie<\/em><\/figcaption><\/aside>\n<p>As with many successful visual novels, the characters are the most important aspect to Buddy Mission BOND&#8217;s story so these side missions are a must. The game is voiced (outside the investigation dialogue) and, as mentioned before, all drawn by Yusuke Murata. This really sells the game&#8217;s aesthetic and style as the art is slick, full of emotion, and just all-round superb. It looks like a manga and is aesthetically themed like one, with each \u2018chapter\u2019 feeling like an episode of an anime adaptation.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"left\">\n<p>It looks like a manga and is aesthetically themed like one, with each \u2018chapter\u2019 feeling like an episode of an anime adaptation<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>It\u2019s common for visual novels to have very static characters but the amount of different poses, action shots, expressions and reactions for each character is impressive. Each one of the game&#8217;s four principle heroes that make up Team BOND \u2014 Luke, Aaron, Mokuma and Chelsey \u2014 have so much personality and much of that comes from the art; the side missions to flesh them out more also help. We don\u2019t really want to compare it to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pushsquare.com\/games\/ps4\/persona_5\" class=\"external\">Persona<\/a> because that feels a little played out online, but the dedication to developing its characters definitely brings that series to mind (the incredible jazz soundtrack might also have something to do with it).<\/p>\n<p>Overall, Buddy Mission BOND is a really stylish game with a great story, only really brought down slightly by getting repetitive gameplay-wise \u2014 although that&#8217;s arguably par for the course for many a visual novel, so it&#8217;s hard to hold it against the game. It certainly doesn\u2019t feel like a Nintendo game, even if the company has published (and developed) this brand of game in the past \u2014 last year&#8217;s brilliant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/famicom_detective_club_the_missing_heir_and_famicom_detective_club_the_girl_who_stands_behind\">Famicom Detective Club<\/a> duology, for example. For the Nintendo Switch, it feels like the type of game that will be a hidden gem rediscovered in 10 years&#8230; but we could make that sooner if we shine a spotlight on it now!<\/p>\n<p>To really accomplish this goal though, Nintendo really needs to put the time and energy into localizing it and, unfortunately, we don\u2019t know how likely that is. Maybe Nintendo will surprise us by announcing it in the first Direct of 2022, but we have our doubts. The company has a decent track record in recent years when it comes to worldwide releases \u2014 and the localisation of the aforementioned Famicom Detective was a lovely surprise \u2014 but for a year to pass without a word doesn\u2019t provide much hope.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gallery\">\n<div class=\"cols\">\n<div class=\"col\"><a title=\"Buddy Mission Bond\" class=\"scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/7b5ffed7b28e9\/buddy-mission-bond.large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0NDUgMjUwIj48L3N2Zz4=\" width=\"445\" height=\"250\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/7b5ffed7b28e9\/buddy-mission-bond.445x.jpg\" alt=\"Buddy Mission Bond\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"col\"><a title=\"Buddy Mission Bond\" class=\"scanlines scanlines\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/651f69f13081c\/buddy-mission-bond.large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0NDUgMjUwIj48L3N2Zz4=\" width=\"445\" height=\"250\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/651f69f13081c\/buddy-mission-bond.445x.jpg\" alt=\"Buddy Mission Bond\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"caption\"><em class=\"credit\">Images: Joshua Goldie<\/em><\/figcaption><\/aside>\n<p>You never know, though. Nintendo could pull a Famicom Detective Club and release it as an eShop-only title in the West. Likewise, the voices could remain in Japanese with the focus kept on localising the text. It&#8217;s a neat little game that&#8217;s dripping with style and potential \u2014 we&#8217;d love to see it given a chance outside Japan. Fingers crossed.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, we can at least say Happy 1st Birthday to Buddy Mission BOND, perhaps the Switch\u2019s stealthiest debut franchise.<\/p>\n<p><em>Would you be interested in seeing this come to the West? Have you played it already? Let us know below.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over the holidays we&#8217;re republishing some choice features from the last 12 months. A mix of talking points, interviews, opinion pieces and more from NL staff and contributors, you&#8217;ll find our usual blend of thoughtfulness, expertise, frivolity, retro nostalgia, and \u2014 of course \u2014 enthusiasm for all things Nintendo. Happy holidays! [embedded content]Subscribe to Nintendo [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-130774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130774"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130774\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}