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Messages - MegaByte

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1
TalkBack / Re: Undertale Director Releases PC Demo \
« on: October 31, 2018, 10:34:05 AM »
FWIW, Deltarune is an anagram of Undertale.

2
TalkBack / Nindies at GDC 2018 - More Direct Feed Video
« on: March 22, 2018, 05:02:17 AM »

Check out additional direct feed videos from GDC including Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes and Lumines Remastered.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/46793/nindies-at-gdc-2018-more-direct-feed-video

We've got more Switch direct feed footage from the 2018 Game Developer's Conference. The videos are available below, or can be found on our Youtube channel.


3
TalkBack / Direct Feed Video From The 2018 Game Developer's Conference
« on: March 20, 2018, 04:05:00 PM »

Even more Switch goodness awaits.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/46774/direct-feed-video-from-the-2018-game-developers-conference

At the 2018 Game Developer's Conference, we've been able to get some hands on time with upcoming Switch titles. The videos are available below, or can be found on our Youtube channel.

Desert Child

Next Up Hero

For the King

Zarvot

Shift Quantum

Kingdom: Two Crowns

Tunche

Windscape

Runbow

The Inner World


4
TalkBack / GungHo Interview with Kazuki Morishita
« on: July 26, 2017, 05:50:00 AM »

We talk Nintendo Switch and Puzzle & Dragons with the head of GungHo Kazuki Morishita.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/interview/45037/gungho-interview-with-kazuki-morishita

The transcription of this interview has been edited for clarity.

During E3 2017, Nintendo World Report was fortunate enough to sit down with Kazuki Morishita, GungHo’s CEO and president. Read the interview below.

NWR: We’ve heard that you may have a game in development for Switch. Can you please tell us a little bit about it?

Kazuki Morishita: So there isn’t anything we can officially say at the moment for a lot of it, but there are a few things moving forward in regards for Switch. All I can say right now is that internally we are developing an action game for Switch. So it’s actually a project that we’ve been sitting on for, developing, and incubating for the last 4 to 5 years, but once the Switch was announced and we saw what it could potentially do, we decided that’s the direction we want to go, we felt that it was the best fit for this project, around the time of the announcement, the official announcement.

NWR: So can we assume it’s a new IP?

Kazuki Morishita: A new ip, yes. If you’ve been following, we’ve made a few titles on the 3DS even the Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Edition so we had a collaboration with the Super Mario franchise, but putting that aside it’s something completely different, a new IP on the switch.

NWR: Let’s talk about Puzzle & Dragons a bit. How did the collaboration with Nintendo come about?

Kazuki Morishita: So first Puzzle & Dragons Z was released and after it came out and was quite successful in Japan we were thinking of making another spin-off and at that time we thought, what if we made it Mario-themed and we just kind of tried that. Let’s try to make a Mario version and see what happens. And then we brought it to Nintendo and also had Shigeru Miyamoto take a look at it too. And it became well that’s our next title, let’s make Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Edition. It was something we were working on internally and we figured we’d try putting it together. It’s the same puzzle action as Puzzle & Dragons, but with the taste of Mario and the elements from the Super Mario franchise in there and it just felt different. Because we worked on it on our own internally and gotten this far we decided let’s have them take a look at it and we brought it to Nintendo. And from then on it went into full production and there was a lot of help even from Nintendo on their end that they provided for the title and it was a very fun project to work on.

NWR: With the collaboration with Nintendo, how much design input did they provide versus the design of the original prototype? Were they heavily involved or was it more on the level of assets and understanding the characters and things like that?

Kazuki Morishita: So the game design itself was pretty much done at Gung-ho, but there was a lot of advice from Nintendo. What if you did this or maybe you should do this? It might be better if you did this in regards to other elements of the game? And they also provided a lot of help on the sound and music aspects. There’s a lot of sound effects from various Mario titles and they helped by provided a lot of music for the game as well. And it was really interesting and a fun experience that they were able to be there to provide advice to make sure that it still fit the Super Mario world.

NWR: How’s the reception been to the Mario inclusion and do you see a continuation or a series based on this in the future?

Kazuki Morishita: So Puzzle & Dragons: Mario Edition came out as it’s own version in Japan separately whereas in America it was bundled with Puzzle & Dragons Z. With different regions you get launches at different times. Japan had Puzzle & Dragons Z and then it had the Mario edition, but America and Europe got it as a bundle together. It might have been better if they had all released at the same time. It’s something we would have liked to have done. The greatest part of the project was that the puzzle action in Puzzle & Dragon on both mobile and 3DS, the core base game mechanics of the puzzle action are unique in that anyone can pick it up, play it, and enjoy it and the greatest thing with the Super Mario edition is that it even furthered the reach of Puzzle & Dragons to a lot of people that we were fortunate enough to reach because of Super Mario, the IP being so strong, and we felt that was great. People were able to enjoy Puzzle & Dragons especially with Mario’s help. And moving forward we would like to find ways and to keep the Puzzle & Dragons IP and put it on Nintendo’s platforms in some sort of way. At least for the game itself, Puzzle & Dragons, when making the smart conversion we had already decided we were going to put it on the 3DS at the same time so it wasn’t smartphone first and then 3DS, it was from the very beginning stages it was already planned to be on the 3DS. We think Puzzle & Dragons is made for smartphones & 3DS, not smartphones then 3DS. So the next one might not be 3DS, maybe Switch, we’ll see where Puzzle & Dragons will take on their next adventure.

NWR: With the wide variety of devices now available (3DS, Switch, and smartphones) how do you see the consumer space evolving in the future?

Kazuki Morishita: One isn’t necessarily going to overtake another device. There’s a way to play games on your smartphone and you can also play games on game consoles. Some people may say that mobile games are going to take over and consoles will be in trouble, but it doesn’t feel that way because the gameplay is so different. There are certain things you can only do on mobile and their are certain things on consoles. It doesn’t really seem like users are only going to go in one direction or the other if that makes sense.

NWR: If Nintendo we’re interested in bringing Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario edition to smartphones would you be open to such a collaboration?

Kazuki Morishita: I think if we were ever approached with that we’d really have to think about it. On a collaborative level, Puzzle & Dragons has already had numerous collaborations with various IPS in-game. If it was just a collaborative effort in that sense, it would be featured as a collab in the game, which is something that’s entirely doable. We already other game IPs like Final Fantasy and Monster Hunter in the smartphone version of Puzzle & Dragons. It kind of doesn’t feel realistic to have two games with the same kind of gameplay style to be lined up next to each other. So we feel that it probably makes more sense to make a Puzzle & Dragons that fits a Nintendo platform.

NWR: Is there any hope of seeing Let It Die on Switch?

Kazuki Morishita: Personally, there are reasons why I would like to bring it to Switch, but from a technological standpoint and a development standpoint it might be quite a bit difficult to do so. One of the hurdles that we see is that Let It Die is an action game that plays at 60 frames per second so that’s one of many hurdles in bringing it to another platform the frame rate could be greatly affected potentially. It’s a very heavy action game and quite punishing as well. So if these hurdles could be overcome, we’re not going to say never. Personally, if I was able to bring it to Switch that would be nice. There’s a reason why. I can’t really play the game in front of my family.

NWR: Do you feel the Switch moving forward will be a viable platform in both Japan and the rest of the world?

Kazuki Morishita: From the very beginning I thought the Switch would be a hit. Of course, part of that reasoning is because I really like Nintendo. So I may be a little biased in that, but I believe it will do well and I really hope that it does well. I want it to do well. Just in general for the console market, if it doesn't do well then it’s hard for us being game developers. Smartphone games are up and coming, but it’s not really where I personally see our field because I personally prefer console game over smartphone games. And in regards to smartphone games, the only smartphone games I’m playing are the ones that I’ve made. Usually when I’m playing games it’s on console.

NWR: Puzzle & Dragons pretty much exploded popularity wise in Japan. Why do think that occurred?

Kazuki Morishita: One thing is how you play the game. The puzzle action feature, the way you’re able to freely move the orbs and perform combos. This was a new kind of way to play a game. It was original and that’s one of the main elements for why it took off. We’re very particular in regards to game design and I feel like that’s something we brought to this title in regards to bringing things to the market that hadn’t been seen before. That rest of it we’ll say was luck. We were very fortunate with the timing among other things. And we were very fortunate to have the staff that worked on this title and that’s what we’ve been thinking and feel. We feel that timing and our philosophy of bringing things to the market that hadn’t been seen before and the blessing of our particular staff that helped make the game success as opposed to saying we know everything and we were successful just because of us. We don’t want to toot our own horn. We rather believe it was timing, our philosophies, and valuing the staff we were fortunate to have at that time. So just being a challenger to the market is what we like to do.

NWR: Thank you very much.

Kazuki Morishita: Thank you.


5
TalkBack / Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Interview
« on: July 06, 2017, 12:59:00 PM »

We talked about Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle with the game's Creative Director, Davide Soliani.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/interview/44949/mario--rabbids-kingdom-battle-interview

The transcription of this interview has been edited for clarity.

During E3 2017, Nintendo World Report was fortunate enough to sit down with Davide Soliani, Creative Director of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. Read the interview below.

NWR: Starting off, could you tell us how this collaboration came about?  

Davide Soliani: Sure. It’s a pleasure. So everything started because of the strong relationship that exists between Ubisoft and Nintendo during the last 20 years. We've done many games on Nintendo consoles. We have been one of the first developers participating at the launch of new Nintendo consoles, with Just Dance, Zombi U, Red Steel, and one day they told me that I had a chance to work on a project with Nintendo that could feature both Rabbids and Mario. We immediately understood this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

NWR: The gameplay is something that hasn’t been done with either Mario or Rabbids so how did that come about?

Davide Soliani: We decided since the beginning to break the rules. First of all with the Rabbids, but then we spent night and day brainstorming on how to find something unique, how to merge those two worlds that seem separate together, in order to find something to use for both Mario and the Rabbids. As we are tactical fans, we said why not try to bring something completely new in the world of turn based combat, but at the same time we wanted to stay true to the Mario universe with exploration, the adventure, being able to immerse yourself in a colorful world with puzzles, mysteries, and fun new characters who could help along the way. So at that point we said why not mix the combat phases with the exploration phases, and try to propose something completely new.

When we felt that we had a solid idea throughout Ubisoft, we organized a meeting with Nintendo. We were not ready to have this meeting only three and a half weeks later, and when I finally presented the idea I was the one in front of Mr. Miyamoto and since he’s the creator of my favorite game, and he’s the inspiration of my career as a game designer I felt like I was divided in two, the Nintendo player, and the Ubisoft creative director. The urgency to ask for an autograph because I really wanted an autograph and the responsibility to present the idea on behalf of the whole team. But it worked out because Mr. Miyamoto said he was impressed and he asked me, “how did you have Mario and Luigi in your prototypes, who gave you those characters?” And the truth is, we were so crazy and we wanted this game to happen so much that even if we only had 3 and a half weeks, we recreated from scratch, Mario and Luigi, the models, the animation, the rigging, in order to transport the essence in our prototype and I do think that was the moment when Nintendo was really able to see our passion and commitment.  

NWR: Throughout the process, did Nintendo work closely with you on continuing to make the game?

Davide Soliani: Absolutely. After that meeting we met several times in Kyoto and we did several prototypes. When we finally had a go, we established weekly conference calls with Nintendo. Daily exchanges of mail. So the collaboration was mostly on a daily basis. And once in a while we were going to Kyoto, Nintendo, because the human contact is important to show the game.

NWR: Can you tell us a little about the exploration parts of the game?

Davide Soliani: Sure, I don’t want to spoil much, but I will say it’s 30 percent of the overall game. It’s needed to connect the combat phases, but I didn’t want to ever just have a hub where the player could load battles. I wanted to create an seamless experience and that’s why we said players should really immerse in the exploration, and you know every world is divided into 10 chapters, like the chapters of a book, you can read just a chapter, or you can read multiple of them. There’s are some secret chapters in each world. In each world there is a mid boss in the middle of it. There’s a boss fight at the end of it. There are secret chapters, and in between you have exploration where you can collect treasure chests in order to find collectibles, but also cool weapons that can upgrade your character. You can solve puzzles to advance and you can meet several other heroes that will start to be part of your roster. And each of the heroes has unique abilities; these will open up new possibilities in terms of strategy gameplay for the players to be applied on the battleground.

NWR: Can you tell us a little bit about how the strategy unfolds over the course of the game?

Davide Soliani: Sure. Players at the beginning will start with three characters. Those three are Mario, Rabbids Luigi, and Rabbids Peach. As I said, all the three of them possess unique abilities. Each hero on the battleground can perform three types of action, those actions are what we call 'MAT,' movement, attack and techniques. Techniques are a very indirect way to deal with an enemy, those are almost like spells, like powerful magic. There are techniques that allow the heroes to regroup the enemies in one zone, or you have techniques that scatter the enemies away. Attack phase; it’s a direct way to deal with the enemy, and each hero has a different weapon that can be categorized in a primary and secondary way. The primary are direct weapons that deal damage to a single enemy. The secondary weapons are more powerful, have cool-down, and they can create an area of damage. Then we have the movement phase where the player is able to really plan where to put his hero without the stress of synchronizing camera, dexterity, and all this stuff together. Whether that's being protected under cover, dash an enemy, team jumping, and as the player advances through the game he will be able to acquire new weapons, new heroes, and unlock the character skill tree.

The more secrets players find in the exploration phase, the more power-ups they will collect. And power-ups are the currency that the player will use to buy stuff on the character skill tree and upgrade each hero in different ways. So here's a small preview of what could come later on. You saw Rabbids Peach and witnessed the team jump and the dash. Later on in the game, Rabbids Peach can triple dash the enemy, run towards a teammate, team jump, and land behind cover and that's just in the movement phase. In the attack phase, she can shoot an enemy and her weapon isn't there to just deal damage. There are also super effects that can be applied. When they hit, they can for example apply the bounce effect so the enemies start to fly in the air. Mario could be nearby and he could use a technique called Hero Sight that activates as soon as there is an enemy near him. So at that point Mario shoots in the air, and maybe Mario hits again with another super effect such as the burn effect. With the burn effect, the enemy lands, and will start to scream on the battleground with their bottom on fire, and as the super effect features propagation, if that unit touches other enemies they will start to propagate fire.

NWR: Earlier you mentioned this is kind of an evolution for the Rabbids. How have they changed and where do you see them going?

Davide Soliani: We already decided from the beginning in this game to break many many rules. Many rules than what you saw today are already in the game later on. In other words, there will be surprises. We changed their size, we changed their psychology, we changed their behavior because we created archetypes so the player could find them in terms of strategy and tactical experience. We also created different kind of humor compared to the past. We are showing a different palette of emotion within the Rabbids. We hope that we’ve been able to create an honest and solid game and with the help of the players and their feedback I do hope we’ll be able to create something even more unique in the future.

NWR: I know the music composer of the game (Grand Kirkhope) is someone who’s worked on many great games in the past and was very interested in doing a Mario game. Could you talk about how he joined the team and how it’s been collaborating with him?

Davide Soliani: As soon as we understood that Nintendo was happy with what we were proposing, everything started to happen at light speed, and the team grew quickly, and after many meetings, we decided to call Grant Kirkhope, and he’s one of my, I would say my favorite video game composer apart from Koji Kondo, sorry Grant for that. He did many great scores such as Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, and GoldenEye. I have such a respect for that guy. When I was playing his game and hearing his soundtrack I was really a fan so it was a dream come true for me to be able to call him. The guy is so passionate and so crazy that when he understood the type of game and saw it, he fell in love. He’s so crazy that he started to, my mobile phone would ring at 3am in the night and I would hear “Hey Davide you should listen to the latest music I sent you it’s awesome.” “Okay Grant, but I’m in Italy and you’re in Los Angeles, that’s a seven hour difference.” So it was truly an honor to work with him. Actually the first month and a half I was almost ashamed and scared to ask for changes, give feedback because he was an idol to me, but it’s so easy to work with him and he’s so passionate that we are truly friends now.

NWR: That’s great.

Davide Soliani: Thanks a lot guys.

NWR: Thank you very much.  


6
TalkBack / Project X Zone 2 (3DS) Hands-on Preview
« on: January 26, 2016, 05:00:00 AM »

You got your chicken and waffles in my chocolate and peanut butter!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/hands-on-preview/41841/project-x-zone-2-3ds-hands-on-preview

Project X Zone 2 - that’s “cross zone,” is a follow up to the 2013 tactical RPG. Its name represents the fact that the game includes characters from a multitude of Bandai Namco, Capcom, and Sega franchises. New to the sequel, Nintendo’s Fire Emblem and Xenoblade characters are also thrown into the mix.

In total, 19 pairs battle it out, and another 19 solo units are available, which can combine with the pairs. Each player has a variety of special moves, and all of the characters and moves are highly animated with 2D sprites and artwork. Characters are heavily voiced and the game is full of dialog and banter.

Although moves are made on an isometric grid like many tactical RPGs, battles are more action-oriented than most, playing out more like a simplified brawler. Moves are performed by pressing A in conjunction with moving the Circle Pad in different directions. These moves should be timed properly to deal the most damage.

While the tactical gameplay remains similar to the original, several changes have made for a smoother experience. To facilitate more tactical planning, player and enemy turns now switch between each battle instead of all units on a force moving before the other group moves. Individual units now have SP, a meter for specials, in addition to XP that is shared across all characters. And units now have individual leveling so that players stay invested in each character.

The demo I played was limited to a single battle, however, the Bandai Namco rep described his favorite scene, which involves Japanese Sega Saturn mascot Segata Sanshiro and a reference to one of his famous commercials. With so many characters, you’re sure to find numerous humorous interactions and in-jokes.

Project X Zone 2 launches in North America on February 16.


7
TalkBack / Fire Emblem: Fates (3DS) Hands-On Preview
« on: January 26, 2016, 05:00:00 AM »

We take a look at one of the missions in the game, as well as the new "My Castle" mode and multiplayer!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/hands-on-preview/41839/fire-emblem-fates-3ds-hands-on-preview

Fire Emblem: Fates are a pair of games that have a lot to live up to. Considering the previous game, Fire Emblem: Awakening, was going to be the last one in the series unless it sold well, Fates is a game that shouldn’t have happened. Luckily, Awakening managed to greatly surpass all expectations, and we now have two games being released on the same day. Although these games are essentially two sides of the same coin, the coin itself is what’s most valuable.

We each got to play a single map on each version of the game, Birthright and Conquest. The primary difference between the two versions is how the the story plays out via a decision your avatar makes on which warring faction to side with. In Birthright, you side with your birthplace, the Kingdom of Hoshido, and in Conquest, you side with your adopted home, Nohr. While this decision happens during Chapter 5, you actually make the decision when you choose to buy one of the versions. If you choose the other faction at Chapter 5, you'll need to buy DLC for that route. A third route, Revelations, is also purchasable, though we didn't get a chance to see this version.

In the Conquest demo, we were presented with a mission to protect your base from the opposing army, which arrive via ships. The game looks and plays almost exactly like Awakening, as you’ll still be moving each member of your team on a grid, pairing them up with one another to provide stat boosts, and watching fights unfold once you’re in range of an opposing force. Birthright plays similarly to Conquest, but focuses more on traditional strategy with a full complement of attackers rather than having to play on defense. The demo featured a castle take-down with enemies both inside and out.

One of the new additions to the battle system are enhancements to the game’s “Weapon Triangle”, a system that determines how much damage swords, axes, and lances will do against each-other. In Fates, bows and magic (which previously had no strengths or weaknesses in this triangle), and the newly introduced kunai weapons are placed into the triangle as well. Swords and magic do more damage against axes and bows, axes and bows do more damage against lances and kunai, and lances and kunai do more damage against Swords and magic. This definitely took a lot of getting used to after playing so much of Awakening, but did end up making things way more strategic, albeit stressful, and made me think twice about how and where we sent out my mages and archers.

While the combination of highly polished 2D and 3D art may be familiar, battles have been enhanced graphically, and the 3D in particular has been improved. The game transitions smoothly from the 2D grid layout to 3D battles, and new to this version, scenery is actually consistent between the views. You can also switch between first and third-person perspectives within the battle.

After going hands-on with the game, we attended a play session with a Nintendo rep, where they showed off some of the game’s new features. In Fire Emblem: Awakening, you had a general barracks, where characters would banter, share random thoughts, and more. This has been vastly expanded in Fates with a new “My Castle” feature. Outside of battles, you can come back to this castle and build a surrounding village using special points gained in the story mode. The village includes areas like prisons that hold enemies that were captured in battle, arenas that let you gamble resources you’ve collected, an armory and item shop, and more. There’s also a designated place to meet the avatars of people you’ve met via StreetPass where you can choose to battle their army in their village, or battle them on your own turf. If you’re feeling peaceful, you can also just visit their village and see how they set theirs up, and get an idea of how you can improve your own, as well as buy items from their shops that you might not have.

Fates is also compatible with the Marth, Ike, Lucina, and Robin amiibo. When scanned, the characters will show up in your village. After speaking with them a few times, you can enter a special battle against them, and if you’re able to defeat them, they will join your army. The Nintendo rep couldn’t comment on whether or not the upcoming Roy and Corrin amiibo would be compatible with the game.

Fates also features a proper Vs. Multiplayer mode, both local and online, between two players. Each player can use their own army against one another and battle, or you can visit each-other’s castles, just like in StreetPass. You’ll also have access to the opposite game’s items and weapons via this mode. The battles work just like they would in the single-player campaign, but at a slower pace since both sides take their time planning out how and where to move. You’ll also be able to pair up your characters prior to the start of battle, rather than having to use a turn doing it on the battlefield. Players are temporarily leveled up to make battles more fair. I (Curtis) volunteered to help demo this feature, and everything seemed to work without a hitch. It did feel a bit weird to have to wait for each individual unit of the opposing army to move, but it did make it more suspenseful and personal, in a way. In the main story, the computer generally moves into the most optimal position and path they have, which can make some battles predictable, but playing against another person obviously adds more of a human element, and really encourages you not to just barge ahead.

Overall, Fire Emblem: Fates seems to be an absolute beast when it comes to content, even if it’s split between two different SKUs, and it looks like it’s going to be a worthy successor to Awakening. The game is scheduled for release in North America on February 19.


8
TalkBack / Bravely Second: End Layer (3DS) Hands-on Preview
« on: January 26, 2016, 05:00:00 AM »

A Second Layer refines that of the first. But now you can "bust some Ba'als."

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/hands-on-preview/41842/bravely-second-end-layer-3ds-hands-on-preview

Bravely Second is the follow up to Bravely Default. Taking place two and a half years after the first game, the original’s Agnes is now the leader the Crystal Othodoxy religious organization, but peace is short-lived as she’s been kidnapped by Kaiser Oblivion. Tiz returns, as well as Edea. They’re joined by Yu Geneolgia, bodyguard for Agnès, and Magnolia Arch, a demon hunter from the moon.

Like the original, Bravely Second is gorgeous. The art is intricate, particularly the 2D character drawings, as well as the citiscapes, which look like interactive illustrations. Each character has his or her own outfit for each job class, and the variety of costumes is extensive. The music is suitably epic, composed by one of my favorites, Ryo of Supercell. Both main characters and many NPCs are fully voiced, and everyone has a ton of personality, offering plenty (maybe too much) commentary about their situations. Magnolia sometimes slips into her native language, French (incidentally, it was English in the Japanese version).

Bravely Second brings back its unique Brave/Default turn system, in which you can queue up multiple attacks in a single turn at the expense of waiting multiple turns for your next go. The system is easy to navigate through once you get used to it, though there are a lot of menus for all of the different moves you can perform, but thankfully, you can speed up battle animations at will. In addition, at any time on the overworld, you can adjust both the encounter rate of the random battles. Going in the opposite direction, Bravely Second adds an optional “Consecutive Chance” system that allows you to replay more difficult versions of the same battle to gain better rewards.

Showing its Final Fantasy V roots, the game is heavily job-focused, and while a number of jobs return from the original, new jobs, such as the Catmancer and Time Mage combine to form 30 jobs in total. We saw the Catmancer in action, which acts as a Blue Mage of sorts, able to take on abilities of animals similar to the Vampire class of the previous game. The Wizard class can create spells that perform different styles of the same attack. The Bishop’s attacks get stronger when used in succession, while the Astrologian increases elemental abilities. The Fencer can change stances to modify stats, and the Charioteer can equip three or later four weapons at the same time. The Charioteer can throw weapons as a heavier attack and retrieve them at the end of battle. Each character can take one job and one extra skill type, which can add powerful buffs to various moves. You can save sets of configurations to make switching much less cumbersome.

In the demo, Nintendo showed off the infamous Ba’al in a fierce battle. But the leadup to the battle was a lighthearted conversation, typical for the game, packed with a bunch of ball jokes (e.g. Magnolia is a Ba’al Buster). I guess it would break all the ball jokes, but when referencing mythological dieties (as Square-Enix often does), it bothers me that they’re using a less-traditional pronunciation.

The game is utterly packed with content. The main game, spanning Luxendarc, is expected to take dozens of hours to complete -- which could be good or bad, after seeing how the previous game’s later content was executed. And peppered throughout are tons of subquests. Additionally, a number of extras are included such as a U’s journal (replacing D’s journal), which serves as a bestiary and glossary for completionists. A separate minigame involves rebuilding Magnolia’s hometown on the moon, mimicking the reconstruction of the village in the first game.

­­­­

Bravely Second continues the long journey of the original, while adding a ton of customization options and gameplay tweaks that are consequential, but relatively uncomplicated. The game arrives in North America on April 15.


9
TalkBack / Upcoming Nintendo 3DS RPG Direct Feed Round-up
« on: January 26, 2016, 05:29:00 AM »

Check out footage from a variety of RPGs coming soon to Nintendo 3DS.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/41843/upcoming-nintendo-3ds-rpg-direct-feed-round-up

We've got direct feed footage of four of the biggest games from the 3DS RPG showcase: Project X Zone 2, Fire Emblem Fates, Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow and Bravely Second: End Layer. Check it all out below!

Project X Zone 2:

Fire Emblem Fates (Birthright version):

Pokémon Yellow (3DS Virtual Console)

Bravely Second: End Layer


10
TalkBack / Fire Emblem Fates Getting New 3DS, Season Pass
« on: January 19, 2016, 10:44:41 AM »

If you're not spending enough on the limited edition...

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/41803/fire-emblem-fates-getting-new-3ds-season-pass

Nintendo has confirmed the DLC plans for Fire Emblem Fates as well as a New 3DSXL with Fates badging.

The hardware will launch at standard New 3DSXL pricing on February 19, and will not include the game as a result. The season pass will be available on day 1 that will give 11 new maps at a price of $17.99, with each map coming out weekly. The Revelations (3rd) version will launch on March 10.


11
TalkBack / Re: Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival Hands-on Preview
« on: November 11, 2015, 06:28:19 PM »
Just to follow up, Villager is not compatible.

12
TalkBack / Re: Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival Hands-on Preview
« on: November 09, 2015, 11:25:51 PM »
I'm not sure if/how the Villager works, but you don't need Amiibo figures to play -- you can play as generic villagers.

13
TalkBack / Yo-kai Watch Demonstration
« on: October 30, 2015, 08:18:38 PM »

Ali Rapp from the Nintendo Treehouse introduces Yo-kai Watch.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/41405/yo-kai-watch-demonstration

Yo-kai Watch has been called the next Pokémon. And though there are superficial similarities, there are also vast differences, especially when it comes to battles. Watch as Ali Rapp from the Nintendo Treehouse introduces the game while completing a side-quest.

A demo for Yo-kai Watch is available in the Nintendo eShop, so check it out for yourself.


14
TalkBack / Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash Direct Feed Video
« on: October 30, 2015, 08:21:00 PM »

Aaron challenges Nintendo Treehouse's Ali Rapp to a few games of tennis.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/41404/mario-tennis-ultra-smash-direct-feed-video

I recently had a chance to play the latest Mario Tennis iteration, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash. Ultra Smash's Mega Battle was first shown off at E3.  A new character to the series, Rosalina, doesn't even touch the ground, floating along with grace. I decided to try her out for my first game. Nintendo's Ali Rapp chose the happy-go-lucky Yoshi.

It took the first game to get into the groove, getting used to the Mega Mushroom transforms that periodically interrupt the gameplay. Unchanged since E3, the activation of a Mega Mushroom turns back time a little, making what seemed like an impossible to reach shot, possible.

By the second game, I had things under control, though the pushback from the Mega shots was palpable.

And wrapped things up in the third. We had some great volleys going there.

Next, we switched over to Classic Tennis mode, which is billed as back to basics Mario Tennis 64. This time, I chose Waluigi a representative first introduced in the Nintendo 64 title. Though he's labelled as a defensive player, I opted to take it to the net, with pretty good success. Again, we had some exciting back-and-forth.

As in Super Smash Bros., you can train up your Amiibo. You can even play doubles matches online with your Mario character Amiibo, a first. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to try out that functionality myself due to the unavailability of pre-trained Amiibo. Removing all the craziness that has been tried in more recent games, Classic mode was a nice callback to tennis games of old. The simplicity yielded a more intense game than the Mega Battles.


15
TalkBack / Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival Hands-on Preview
« on: October 30, 2015, 07:41:07 PM »

A strange amalgam for serious Animal Crossing fans.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/hands-on-preview/39742/animal-crossing-amiibo-festival-hands-on-preview

Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival is a strange bird. When it was first revealed at E3, it was made out to be a digital board game in the style of Mario Party. Yet, there are a number of other modes within the package. Above all, Amiibo Festival seems tailored to hardcore Animal Crossing fans. And while typing “hardcore” and “Animal Crossing” together seems strange to me, the type and density of content packed into the game will be most appreciated by truly dedicated fans of the series.

Board Game is the mode that’s been shown off the most. By tapping an Animal Crossing figure Amiibo on your turn the die is rolled. If you don’t have any Animal Crossing figurines, it turns out that the card Amiibos are detected differently and will not work. However, you still have the option to play as a generic villager. The physical edition comes with Isabelle and Digby Amiibo figurines Each space represents a vignette of an event that leads to the gain or loss of bells or happy points. The vignettes include a text-heavy description and are specific to the character whose Amiibo you’re using. For instance, business-tanuki Tom Nook’s events always involve trying to make money, while Isabelle’s involve things like taking a correspondence course. In deepening their stories, the vignettes are humorous and endearing if you know the characters, but probably less so if you don’t.

There isn’t a ton of variation in traversing the board itself, but various events take place as time elapses, introduced by the varied Animal Crossing cast. One particularly neat event is the “stalk market.” Here, you can buy turnips with the hope of selling them for a profit, depending on the space you land on. But the market fluctuates, meaning potentially large profits or losses. Ultimately, the goal is to collect the most happy points, which can be used to buy decorations. Happy Home Designer designs can also be imported into Amiibo Festival, and will appear integrated into the Board Game.

In Desert Island Escape, you choose three Amiibo cards to send three characters, each with their own special abilities, to a desert island. The island is made up of hexagonal tiles reminiscent of Settlers of Catan. The game proceeds like a mini strategy game where characters take turns exploring and taking actions. The map starts out obscured by clouds and areas are revealed through exploring. Items can be found on various tiles and can even be crafted into tools. The characters must escape in seven days by finding materials to build a raft.

Quiz Show is where the truest of true Animal Crossing fans can prove themselves. This mode features questions about various Animal Crossing items and fauna that only experienced players would be able to answer. Turns flip back and forth between the players and when your character is highlighted, you have to tap the Amiibo to answer (or else be penalized). If you miss, you’ll be locked out for a turn. The multiple choice answers on the touch screen slowly disappear in order to help with the real stumpers. You can use the card-based Amiibos to “phone a friend” -- however, the actual help you get from the characters is pretty limited, if not amusing.

The collection of minigames is polished, yet unconventional, almost as if the Animal Crossing developers were tasked with making fan games based around the series, which was packaged together as Amiibo Festival. More mysteries remain as I only experienced three of the modes that Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival has to offer.


16
TalkBack / Pokemon Go Mobile Augmented Reality Game in Development
« on: September 09, 2015, 07:39:00 PM »

Partnership with Ingress's Niantic Labs brings Pokemon to the real world.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/41127/pokemon-go-mobile-augmented-reality-game-in-development

A new mobile Pokémon game is under development by Niantic Labs in a partnership with The Pokemon Company, Nintendo, and Game Freak to bring an augmented reality game to mobile. A surprise press conference hosted by Pokemon president Tsunekazu Ishihara showed a sneak peak of the game.

Pokémon Go brings Pokémon to the real world, encouraging players to capture virtual Pokémon by visiting real life places. The game attempts to capture the feeling of looking for Pokémon while also getting people to explore the real world.

Niantic Labs was founded within Google in 2010 with the goal of encouraging people to explore the world in a fun way. Niantic was spun out of Google with the Alphabet reorganization last month. Niantic's first game, Ingress, is an augmented reality sci-fi game that has players visit real world locations as a member of one of two competing factions to take control of geographical areas. Pokémon's goal of bringing players together to explore and battle fits well with the Niantic mission.

As Pokémon Go is meant to get players to explore the world, an optional watch-like accessory called Pokémon Go Plus will be available, which has simple LED and vibration functions and pairs via Bluetooth Low Energy. The device activates to notify players to check their phones.

Game Freak's Junichi Masuda will be working with Niantic on various aspects of the game, including game design and music composition. Before his passing, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata had been working on the project, and Shigeru Miyamoto is also involved in developing the Pokémon Go Plus.

The game will launch next year on Android and iOS smartphones.


17
TalkBack / Re: New Details Announced For Super Mario Maker
« on: August 13, 2015, 01:39:24 AM »
Ah, I was just guessing based on the icons, I don't actually know what they do. Which of those objects is it then? Oh, is that grey ?-block an invisible block? There's one of those in 1-1. It's insignificant, but technically correct.
Yes, the grey block represents the invisible block.

18
Similar, but I think of it as closer to crab soccer.

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TalkBack / E3 Live: Day 3 at Nintendo's Booth
« on: June 18, 2015, 11:55:00 AM »

Aaron braves the show floor and maybe hits a few third parties nearby.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/40552/e3-live-day-3-at-nintendos-booth

As E3 winds down, we're going to try one more tour of the Nintendo booth and maybe hit a few other booths along the way.

Check it out below:


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TalkBack / LIVE STREAM: NWR at the Indie MIX Event
« on: June 17, 2015, 04:34:00 PM »

Hanging out with some of the eShop's finest.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/40528/live-stream-nwr-at-the-indie-mix-event

Nintendo World Report is live at the MIX event at E3; we've got a mobile phone camera and we're not afraid to use.it.


21
TalkBack / Project X Zone 2 Footage of Sheer Insanity
« on: June 17, 2015, 02:39:00 PM »

See the latest footage from E3 of Japan's greatest non-giant robot crossover.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/40521/project-x-zone-2-footage-of-sheer-insanity

Project X Zone always seems like a project that defies description. The fact that it got a sequel? Sheer madness. Check out a few minutes of gameplay with direct feed audio.


22
TalkBack / A Guided Tour Of E3!
« on: June 17, 2015, 01:02:00 PM »

Aaron live-streams right from the show floor! UPDATE: Now archived.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/40520/a-guided-tour-of-e3

We're coming to you live from the show floor of E3! Pardon the choppiness, it's hard to get mobile signal there.


23
TalkBack / 45 Minutes of Tri Force Heroes
« on: June 18, 2015, 05:36:00 AM »

You gotta know when to totem and know when to fold 'em.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/40504/45-minutes-of-tri-force-heroes

UPDATE JUNE 18: Even more Tri Force Heroes action is coming your way! First up, we dive into a rampaging volcano.

Next, some off screen footage. It's a three way dance on the show floor!

Original article follows

We've got a couple of extended looks at The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes for you straight from the show floor.

First up, we have ten minutes of gameplay with direct feed audio:

Then, Neal, Becky, and Aaron team up to take on the world, or at least a temple:


24

Flash-inspired OpenFL framework gaining support for Wii U and 3DS.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/40455/papers-please-defenders-quest-and-yummy-circus-may-be-coming-to-wii-u

At WWX2015, a Haxe developer conference, Lars Doucet revealed that OpenFL, an open implementation of the Adobe Flash API is coming to consoles. With OpenFL running on consoles, ports of Flash and Haxe games will be much less work and much cheaper to produce.

The first three games to be ported will by Defender’s Quest HD by Level Up Labs, Paper’s Please by 3909, and Yummy Circus by Puzzl.

Other games that may be ported in the future include Anodyne, Rebuild 3, Telepath Tactics, Rydmkapsel, Incredipede, Ghost Song, Neo Scavenger, Cursed Treasure 2, and Evoland.

OpenFL, cross-platform Lime layer, and 2D engine HaxeFlixel are being ported to work on consoles natively, but a little help was needed with programming libraries, asset processing and rendering. Veteran console developers WayFoward are providing their wfEngine middleware in order to glue it all together.

Currently, Wii U support is working, and plans are in place for Nintendo 3DS support, as well as PS4, PS3, PS Vita, and Xbox One. Several tech demos already work, such as MODE, PiratePig, 3D Cubes, and BunnyMark. Videos of the demos can be seen below.

Papers, Please, Defender’s Quest HD, and Yummy Circus are tentatively set for release by the end of the year. Interested developers are encouraged to fill out this form if they want to bring their Flash games to consoles. Doucet reports that the demand since his announcement has been high.


25
Nintendo Gaming / Re: "New 3DS" model
« on: February 20, 2015, 11:56:56 AM »
For charging i recommend getting USB cable for DSi (3DS has the same charging slot). I got a cable for both DS Lite and DSi for like 2 bucks on play-asia or dealextreme when i left my OG 3DS charger in a hotel.

Shipping takes weeks though.

They should have done slot compatible with mini-USB and saved everyone a lot of headache...

Yeah, I got one of those and it blew the fuse on my DS Lite.

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