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Messages - Dangerface

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1
TalkBack / Etrian Odyssey V Hands-on Preview
« on: June 15, 2017, 10:26:45 AM »

Customize your character from the ground up! Almost...

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/hands-on-preview/44865/etrian-odyssey-v-hands-on-preview

Atlus is keeping their presence on the 3DS strong in the coming year with a couple of re-releases and the debut of a new Etrian Odyssey. Following a trend we’ve been seeing from many E3 titles this year, the latest entry in this dungeon-crawling series calls back to its roots for a more simplistic experience while maintaining challenging and fulfilling exploration.

Etrian V scales back on any side story and additional features and streamlines the entire game to once again focus strictly on the game’s main dungeon. The mechanics within the dungeon are very familiar for experienced Etrian players: random encounters, manual mapping, and minor bosses wandering around that will wreck you if you’re unprepared. The only major change appeared to be the addition of several new mapping icons to make your exploration a little more detailed and backtracking that much easier.

While the dungeon-crawling gameplay doesn’t seem to be anything new, Etrian does step it up in terms of character and class customization. Hair color, eye color, and skin tone are all yours to choose, as well as the character's voice. There are actually 40 voice options to choose from, the most out of any Etrian game thus far. Not all customization is just cosmetic, however. Racial choice actually affects how your class runs as well. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to play with this feature in the demo, but it will be interesting to experiment with the options further when the game releases.

Overall, our sneak peek was a pretty straight forward foray into the dungeon, but still satisfying in the way that an Etrian game usually is. Atlus doesn’t seem to be stretching themselves into unknown territory with this title, but the few upgrades we see should be enough to offer a new kind of challenge.


2
TalkBack / Harvest Moon: Light of Hope Hands-on Preview
« on: June 15, 2017, 01:55:18 AM »

Time to revive another failing town with your sheer awesomeness!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/hands-on-preview/44864/harvest-moon-light-of-hope-hands-on-preview

Natsume is turning the big 2-0 this year and is arriving on the Switch scene in style with Harvest Moon: Light of Hope. Simultaneously looking forward and stepping back to the roots of the series, Natsume crafts a title that's simple, yet enjoyable. On the E3 show floor, we got a chance to look at it ourselves!

Instead of debuting their new series entry on a handheld system like they have been since the Wii, Natsume is opting for a full-scale, multi-console release. However, Harvest Moon enjoys a little boost from the touchscreen capabilities offered by only the Nintendo Switch. Players can seamlessly transition from normal joystick and button inputs to touchscreen inputs with no trouble. It can even help modify your gameplay in small ways, such as allowing players to water plants in a more mapped trail rather than a straight line. Since they want to keep the game generally the same across platforms, the changes aren't major, but they are definitely fun to explore.

Like we mentioned before, this Harvest Moon is a return to the more classic form that the series developed in the early years: a monsoon has shipwrecked you on an island that's suffering from deterioration and depopulation. You must save them! Save them With your powers of gathering materials and building things! In short, it's up to you to revive this town by improving it as you build up your own prosperous lifestyle. Juggling your objectives, your relationships, and your story is where the heart of the series lies, and it's frankly something we never want to lose.

Natsume's intuitive tool system carries over into this game as well, and it's only gotten more intuitive to use. Honestly, one button can accomplish anything you need to do on your farm. This had some very minor issues with me wasting stamina as a result of using a tool I didn't intend to (targeting the wrong space), but hopefully it will have time to receive a little more polish before release.

While this Natsume game may not be stepping very far away from tradition, it has a clarity and refinement that is a step above their previous titles since splitting with Marvelous. The game plays fairly smoothly, and it's the same relaxing and chill farming simulator we've come to know and love. Natsume is currently aiming for the end of 2017 for a release date, but nothing definite has been reported as of yet.


3
TalkBack / Harvest Moon 64
« on: March 16, 2017, 05:32:21 PM »

A classic we thought would never come. Is it worth getting?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/44325/harvest-moon-64

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Harvest Moon series this year, Natsume released its classic Harvest Moon 64 on Virtual Console. The original is often hailed for its charm and addicting gameplay, and this port stays true to this legacy—glitches and all—with minimal loss of quality as it translates to the Wii U.

This third installment in the long-standing farming simulator series returned to the scope of the SNES original as opposed to sticking with the simplified version the Gameboy offered. Most of the major points stayed the same — raising crops and livestock, marriage, and the overworld — but the gameplay got a little harder as the stamina limit from the GB version returned. Players had to factor this in when planning their day and budgeting time, but it meant that the content lasted, and it meant we could sometimes overlook obvious spelling and translation errors since we were too busy having fun and whiling away hours trying to squeeze in everything we needed to do.

The game itself translates well to the Wii U, despite Natsume's original claims that the title couldn't be added to the Wii's VC lineup. The adapted controls are mostly intuitive and easy to pick up on, with a few exceptions. I initially had trouble remembering where the old C-buttons were relocated to on the Wii U GamePad; however, these buttons control just your TV channels and whistling for your horse and dog, so it didn't bog my game down until I could get the hang of it. The graphics also come out fairly clean in this new version, but the darkening of the Wii U version does get muddy if you try to play exclusively on the GamePad. This isn't recommended, though, as the GamePad's notoriously short battery life doesn't hold up for more than a couple of hours.

Despite these minor issues, this VC title is definitely worth its salt, especially considering how hard it is to find the original for the N64 and the fact that this title never released in the PAL region. For any Harvest Moon fan, it is definitely a must-buy.


4
TalkBack / Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale Review
« on: March 10, 2016, 05:51:31 AM »

Do you need a little dungeon crawling with your farming simulator?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/42246/return-to-popolocrois-a-story-of-seasons-fairytale-review

Not every game on the market has to be dark, gritty or excruciatingly difficult. There’s plenty of franchises that have that down pat. Some gamers want an experience to relax with and the farming simulator genre that Japan loves to put out is perfect. But, what do you get when you combine that genre with a JRPG? You might think Rune Factory, which is true, but you also get Return to PopoloCrois. Considering these two titles are actually developed by the same company, trust me, one is not a rip off of the other. There is actually an entirely different vibe to Return to PopoloCrois that gives us something a little unique to look forward to on the 3DS.

The story of this game harkens back to the JRPGs of the SNES like Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger. A brief recap at the beginning familiarizes the player with the general happenings of the series, based on a fantasy manga that’s been releasing in Japan since 1978. It flows well as a tiny prologue to the game, getting you up to speed without dragging out into too much detail. Then, you are immediately thrust into the thick of things as you control a knight, Gomer, who is responsible for finding the wayward Prince Pietro, your protagonist. This segment, including a short mission to deliver a gift to Pietro’s friend Narcia, serves as your tutorial to the game, but it moves so quickly and smoothly that only the pop-up menus give it away. It was a relief to get my feet wet doing something that felt actually connected to the story and the characters, instead of the obvious training missions or step-by-step battles against striking dummies that I usually slog through.

Pietro’s homeland of PoPoLoCrois may be peaceful, but before too long, he is thrust into a strange new place by an evil (though none too clever) sorceress. To get home, he has to help rid the country of Galariland of its Black Beasts and revive the land to awaken its protector. After all, what is an adventure without battles? RPGs are partially characterized by how intuitive and easy their specific battle system is to learn because—let’s face it—that’s half the game. Return to PopoloCrois uses a movement-driven, turn-based battle system, with a mixture of individual skills and pair techniques that depend on the composition of your party. Most of it is the pretty standard fare, but’s a fair bit of strategy beneath the simplicity. Positioning relative to the enemy is important, as attacks from the rear and flank do more damage and have a higher chance of critical hits, but knowing each character’s movement distance and strategizing how to position them becomes a little complicated depending on the number of enemies and the placement of any obstructions on the field. Placing yourself to one enemy’s flank could leave you open for an attack from behind, so you need to be paying attention and using each character’s specific turn to the fullest. Spells/skills also usually deal in an area of effect (AoE) and will need creative placement to get the best results. Spell cost is expensive, however, so more often than not, you’ll choose the “whack it to death” route and save yourself the trouble. It’s all quick to pick up on and fairly interactive so that the battle itself doesn’t become tedious to play.

While battling in Return to PopoloCrois does take more engagement than a standard turn-based system, the difficulty curve in this game is low—very low—and it can make a high volume of battles mind-numbing. On a normal difficulty, I found myself never having to use items to heal and rarely running low on MP as a result of spamming healing skills, even in boss battles. I never had to make risky decisions that might land a crucial character dead on the field because everyone was dying all at once. The curve does increase some if you raise the difficulty, of course, but it’s very clear that challenge is not the focus of this game. Fortunately, developers did offer and option to lower your monster encounter rate at any time from the menu. If I knew I didn’t need to level grind any more in an area, I often switched it to the lowest setting just to save myself from getting too bored.

The adjustable encounter rate was perhaps my favorite game feature, weird as that sounds, because it meant that I could alter my game depending on my current focus. Pietro has a world to save, but also a farm to tend and people to befriend/romance! How do you do it all? To start with, it’s actually very difficult to keep up. Traveling in the beginning of this game is almost painfully slow. Do you really want to visit Emilia in the village when it takes ten minutes or so in real time to climb down from the top of a mountain? She’s not that cute! Usually this dilemma left me really focusing on one thing at a time. If I was going to do things with my farm or try to meet up with people, I would lower my encounter rate to make it quicker to move around the map. On the other hand, if I was in the middle of doing a story quest, I would kick it up a notch again so I was adequately prepared to take down an upcoming boss. A fast-travel item is added within the first few hours of the game that takes the difficulty of traversing the map and throws it out the window, so while this wasn’t as important once I could teleport from place to place, it was still nice to have available.

Progression through the story of this title is marked by your gradual completion of dungeons. There are minor ones, called field dungeons, and major ones that serve as your story goals. I honestly found this part of be a lackluster blemish on what was overall an enjoyable experience. The first field dungeon I encountered, I enjoyed. But four or five of a good thing in a row generally makes it less fun. Aside from the variation in the scenery between fields and new versions of small, random maps, field dungeons just didn’t offer much; just more of the same easy battles with a marginally harder boss. Oh, and do hope you don’t miss anything in your first attempt. In order to grab any chests you might have accidentally passed by, you will have to start all over. It’s not hard, but it is tedious. On top of that, major story dungeons weren’t much different, just larger with more elaborate scenery—sometimes.

However, while Return’s appeal as a dungeon-grinder can be disappointing for some, most people will find its endearing story and accompanying visuals a highlight. Specific moments in the game, such as meeting the “blessed” girls of Galariland, have fully animated cutscenes. The art style, characterization and cutesy moments make these a welcome addition, even if the English voice tracks can sometimes be positively grating.

The incorporation of Story of Seasons’ gameplay becomes single-handedly one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game. At the beginning, it can almost be easy to forget about when you’re first trying to dig in to the story, but it quickly becomes more than just planting a couple crops to line your wallet. Acquire new items, fuse new recipes and products with the synthesizer or use them for gifts and side quests that pop up seemingly everywhere. Farming in this game could be its own separate title, unsurprisingly, and it doesn’t share in any of the same extreme-micromanaging and tedium pitfalls that Story of Seasons did. And Return ensures that you never miss a beat when it comes to your farm, giving you notifications the instant something needs care or harvesting.

If that’s not enough, bug-catching and mining elements are blended right into your main map exploration. As you’re on your way to the next village or dungeon, shining stones and patches of flowers off to the side yield up new products and resources, barely diverting you for more than a second while still adding to the experience.

Return to PopoloCrois creates a vibrant world full of charm, fulfilling achievement and classic storytelling. The two different play styles of the JRPG and farming sim come together for something with a surprisingly new feel, and while some components could have been developed better, other pieces bridge the gap to deliver an experience that is well-rounded and worth a look.


5
TalkBack / Yoshi's Woolly World Review
« on: October 12, 2015, 06:42:06 AM »

North America has waited four months since the EU release. Was it worth it?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/41294/yoshis-woolly-world-review

Delays and more delays have plagued the history of this new Yoshi title since its announcement. It’s seen playable demos at two different E3s and made it almost half way to a third before finally releasing in North America. But I have a lot of practice waiting and I enjoyed those demos at E3 two years in a row, so I was still pretty eager for this game. Good Feel’s track record with Kirby’s Epic Yarn gave me hope that Yoshi would be its spiritual successor, and it many respects, I was given more than I’d hoped for. While it unfortunately wasn’t a perfect experience, it is still well worth the money.

The story was simple enough to keep the playful feel the art style promises while adding its own appeal. This time, Yoshis’ home on Craft Island is under attack and his yarn friends unraveled and their yarn stolen by the evil Kamek. Two Yoshis manage to escape and go after Kamek, who has dropped yarn pieces of their friends in the worlds surrounding Craft Island. While they knit their friends back together one-by-one, they must keep following Kamek, defeating him and all the lackeys he throws their way until everyone is saved.

Admittedly, for the rage-quit enthusiast, Yoshi’s Woolly World might seem wholly unfulfilling. You won’t spend days on a single level, failing time and time again like platformers of the past. Bosses are nothing to write home about and level designs are not very technically challenging. Developers even opted out of the timed levels and limited lives that you expect to see from the platformer genre. You can spend hours on one level with no penalty, and while it’s still possible to die, you’ll only find yourself back at the last previous checkpoint, no matter how many times it happens. And there is even a whole mode of gameplay (Mellow Mode) that makes it even easier if it’s still too hard. No, instead it’s the collection aspect that makes up most of the game’s challenge. Level designs clearly focus more on exploration, on finding secrets and testing your environment until you find everything, as opposed to giving you a learning curve to test your skill. The goal to get every level’s bonuses and every unlockable Yarn Yoshi design drives this game rather than giving you a reason to come back after you’ve beaten the story, and while I found it enjoyable, it’s truly hit or miss with the larger audience.

I began playing Yoshi with the gamepad and the controls were very smooth, easy and enjoyable, even adjustable in some respects. But playing with the gamepad didn’t hold much appeal for long after playing with the Wii controller. While the gamepad’s layout made it easier to move while firing yarn balls, I much preferred the ability to freely tilt my controller for my firing lines as opposed to waiting for it to cycle to the angle I needed. Gamepad? No rapid fire. Wii controller? Throwing yarn exactly where I wanted at the drop of a hat.

Besides the focus on exploratory play in a platformer, the other standout component to Yoshi’s Woolly World is exactly what you would expect: the artistry. In some ways, I appreciated the lower difficulty of the game as a whole for the opportunity I had to delight in the game’s charming atmosphere displayed beautifully with the Wii U’s graphics. Visually, Woolly World never slacks, carrying the details from the level backgrounds and animations into the overworld and menu screens, and pairing wonderfully with a musical score that perfectly walks the line between playful and epic. I found myself wanting more to the game just to keep knitting together cute Boos and Chain Chomps, and seeing crocheted flowers bloom into view.

Yarn Yoshi designs are one of two uses in this game for amiibo. Tapping amiibo to the NFC reader unlocks special designs of Yarn Yoshis, but not all existing amiibo are compatible. Not even all Smash Bros. amiibo, so this didn’t do a lot for me. The other use is “Double Yoshi”. In solo mode, you can tap a Yarn Yoshi amiibo into the game to play a double to use. He does nothing but mirror your moves, which—not surprisingly—doesn’t work well. But he’s much more use as a constant source of yarn. I spent all my time carrying this little guy around in yarn ball form and that was it. It is interesting to note that he can also serve as an extra life if he remains safe when you’ve fallen off a cliff or taken one too many hits. Your player will switch to this double while the additional Yoshi returns in a flying egg to fight another fight.

But in the end, without painstakingly collecting everything there is to get, Yoshi can feel like it stops short. The easier difficulty definitely contributes to this, because for those who don’t feel like a completionist run, breezing through six worlds doesn’t take much time at all. There are only a few obstacles in various levels that will slow your roll, but only for a few tries at most for the average gamer.

On the other hand, for the collector, this game is plenty long and fulfilling. Each level has four ranks to achieve stars in, three for your collectibles and one for full health, the last being fairly difficult in many cases. Each world has a special level to give based on finding all the smiley flowers for that world, and then four ranks still within that level to star. And so on. As I said before, this is definitely the real challenge, and also, the real length. It’s very rewarding to keep finding that last stamp time and time again, plus adding to your collection of Yarn Yoshi designs overall.

Yoshi’s Woolly World is game that doesn’t pretend to be anything that it isn’t. It capitalizes on cute and charming and creates a worthwhile game with plenty to look forward to. Its fatal flaw is only that its appeal runs short for gamers who look for the complexity and skill challenge Nintendo’s other platformers offer.


6
TalkBack / The Legend of Legacy Hands-On Preview
« on: June 19, 2015, 09:27:00 AM »

RPG fans unite! An all-star development team and interesting concepts make this game one to watch.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/hands-on-preview/40551/the-legend-of-legacy-hands-on-preview

Atlus is a company known for their RPGs and there has never been a shortage of them specifically for the 3DS. Another classically-styled JRPG called The Legend of Legacy was announced only recently but it arrived on the show floor in full demo style for E3. Core gameplay elements feel very familiar to seasoned RPG-gamers, but there are enough new features in the formula to present a new take with a lot of potential.

As you might expect of an RPG, there are seven different characters in the game that will form your three-person party at any given time, but the twist in this concept is that all seven are your main characters. Each player on the initial select screen has their own story to explore that will obviously intersect with the rest at varying points, and only when you've played all seven do you get the full picture The Legend of Legacy has to offer.

RPGs always require combining characters of various classes or elemental attributes in order to beat enemies. Your traditional tank-DPS-healer trifecta is a genuine staple, but Atlus has opted for something different. Instead your skills are dependent on the weapon your character wields. The more you use it, the more you level the character's proficiency in that weapon and gain new, more powerful skills. Unfortunately short play time with the demo meant I was stuck in a single weapon's skill tree and didn't get to mess with this option much.

Real-time and turn-based are the basic options for battle systems in game, and this title has opted for turn-based. I realized it had a bit more to it though when suddenly battle formations made a difference. Positioning in battle isn't new for RPGs, but The Legend of Legacy takes and combines positioning into its skills to change their effectiveness. The demo had me try out a Pegasus Formation first, with a shield-user using a skill to block for two damage dealers behind. It obviously adds something to the standard system when you're made to think about not only someone's skill potential, but also where in the battle they would be best served. I sincerely hope the game expands on this further as the skill trees grow.

Atlus is synonymous with its most popular series and one of those is Etrian Odyssey. That series is known mostly for its difficulty curve and the mapping requirements it brings to all its titles and spin-offs. Overall it seems well-received, so it's no surprise that a similar device shows up in The Legend of Legacy. You don't have to draw the maps this time (an improvement in my opinion), but as you explore, the map grows on the screen in front of your eyes and on your map screen. While it means there's less interaction, artistically, it looks awesome, and it takes away the tedium of sketching out wall after wall. In this game, it's what you do with the map becomes more important than the map itself. The more you explore, the higher value your maps are to NPCs, who will indeed pay for them. But, on the other hand, if you choose to sell a partially completed map to NPCs, there is a higher chance their own explorations will aid you in yours. For once, you might not actually have to do everything yourself.

I'm an avid RPG gamer and I love to see the classic formula get some new concepts to keep it fresh. I think so far The Legend of Legacy is doing just that.


7
TalkBack / Return to PopoloCrois Hands-On Preview
« on: June 17, 2015, 07:51:12 PM »

Adventure meets farming... again?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/hands-on-preview/40535/return-to-popolocrois-hands-on-preview

An old RPG gets new life in this mash-up title. PopoloCrois is an old RPG series that is almost virtually unknown in the west and Story of Seasons is the new western name for Marvelous’ Bokujo Monogatari series. The two meet in a combination that feels very much like Rune Factory.

I got a chance at an early build of the game on the show floor, so I mostly only got exposure to the RPG side of things. In the traditional RPG style, players control a four-person party to traverse towns, talk to NPCs, do quests and defeat monsters in dungeon-like settings. Battle is random and turn-based, with a mini strategic element since characters are slightly limited in how far they can move on a map to attack. As an RPG veteran, it was extremely easy for me to pick up. It was all very familiar, but that’s definitely the vibe they appear to be going for. Other RPG staples like quest logs and skill trees also feature in this game.

The farming element of the game is actually optional, although it is incorporated closely into your main protagonist’s story. The land suffers from a blight, and stuck in a new world not his own, Prince Pietro seeks to rid the blight to awaken a goddess who might help him return home. But Pietro does actually have to survive on his own, so he must work his own land to take care of himself in the meantime. Again, the reps stressed that farming is optional if players choose to ignore it, but it adds something to pull you away from straight dungeon crawling all the time.

For RPG fans that want something with more charm than straight challenge, Return to PopoloCrois deserves a good look. And frankly, Marvelous has yet to really disappoint too much with their Bokujo titles, so even though I didn’t get a shot at farming in the demo, I’m not concerned for that aspect. While the vibe of the farming meets fantasy feels very Rune Factory, I think there is enough difference in the RPG story that it definitely won’t feel exactly the same.


8
TalkBack / Disney Infinity 3.0 Hands-On Preview
« on: June 17, 2015, 07:23:00 PM »

Star Wars, Inside Out and bunches of improvements!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/hands-on-preview/40534/disney-infinity-30-hands-on-preview

If you think Disney Infinity 3.0 is just a Star Wars expansion, then you’d be wrong. Yes, there are several Star Wars Play Sets headlining the new game, but Disney has taken this chance to make tweaks and improvements on the game as a whole as well as throwing a lot of new content at us. I had a chance to demo three new Play Sets on the floor (two Star Wars and the one for Pixar’s Inside Out) and get an inside look at the additions to the Toy Box. I’m happy to say that Disney Infinity truly keeps getting better and better.

Disney has three definite Star Wars themed Play Sets: Rise Against the Empire, Twilight of the Republic and The Force Awakens. Twilight of the Republic will come in the starter pack with figures for Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano from Star Wars: Clone Wars. Rise Against the Empire is themed, of course, around the original Star Wars Trilogy and the last Play Set will arrive with the new Star Wars film. Each Play Set actually has a different gameplay focus that is made to match their styles. Space travel and vehicles are huge in the original films with speeders, X-wings, Tie Fighters and the iconic Millennium Falcon, so it makes sense that the Rise Against Play Set focuses on that more so than melee combat, which is the core of the Twilight of the Republic Play Set instead. But possibly the best feature of these new Star Wars additions—besides the figures—is that there is crossplay available! Want to play Darth Maul on Hoth? Done. Want to screw with your brain by playing co-op with Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader at the same time? Go for it.

I started with Luke during the Battle of Hoth and promptly died. Getting used to the jump mechanics (a small jet pack-like boost verses a straight double jump) proved to be my undoing, but once I restarted with Leia, I slowly got the hang of it. The demo featured two approaches to the mission. First I had to take down an AT-AT Walker manually in order to get access to a ship for the rest. Trying to climb their legs with a whole battle going on around me felt very Star Wars, but Disney Infinity still put this stamp on it by making things more toy-like. Instead of carving holes in the walker with a lightsaber or blaster, it was opening a hidden battery compartment and getting rid of the battery that netted me the ship I needed. After the usual fuss of learning the flight controls and failing almost as badly as I did at the start, everything came together in a fun, clever little package.

Disney and Pixar’s new Inside Out themed Play Set shows a different side to Disney Infinity altogether. More melee battle? Nope? Vehicles? Well... no. This Play Set actually takes place in the world of Riley's nightmare (the child whose mind Inside Out takes place in), and is set up as a puzzle-platformer. Each of the emotions from the movie have different abilities and must work together cooperatively to get through levels. In our shot at the game, two of us played Sadness and Disgust. Sadness could walk across clouds without them disappearing while Disgust would get a jump boost from clouds because she really hated fluffy things. So when we needed to reach a high place, Disgust had us covered, but it took some serious team work and carrying Disgust across clouds to get what we needed done. Coordination is big in this Play Set, but this is probably some of the best co-op I've seen from Disney Infinity to date.

Play Sets aside, the Toy Box sees two new add-ons and several changes this time around. For those who always liked the concept of the Toy Box but never had any clue how to get the ball rolling, Disney has added guided tours in their new hub. It gives players the basics of building and takes them through building simple designs with the freedom to stop whenever the player chooses. Revamped gameplay for weapon usage and vehicles have also found their way into the Toy Box straight from the new Star Wars Play Sets. Disney decided to improve upon the old systems, contracting other companies to better develop these parts to the games, and made sure to make those available to everything in the Disney Infinity library.

And in case you still didn't have enough to do, Disney has created two new "game-within-a-game"s: Toy Box Speedway and Toy Box Takeover. Speedway is your standard racing title but with the added Infinity spin. All the game's vehicles are free to use and customize for racing. Takeover heads the adventure route. Syndrome has taken the magic wand from the Toy Box and it's up to you to use your figures to defeat him and his lackeys. They're said to be pretty extensive in and of themselves, so Disney has slapped a $19.99 price tag on them. If these extra games have as much as to offer as they say, then I might be persuaded, but there is certainly more than enough going on in Disney Infinity that they might not be missed.

Star Wars fan or not, Disney Infinity 3.0 is definitely the best version of the game we've seen yet, and Disney continues to think of ways to connect with fans and improve this growing world. From what I got to play on the show floor, they're on the right track and 3.0 is worth a shot, especially for those who might not have Disney Infinity yet.


9
TalkBack / Etrian Mystery Dungeon Review
« on: April 07, 2015, 04:32:00 AM »

Something new in familiar wrapping.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/40035/etrian-mystery-dungeon-review

On the tail end of the successful Persona/Etrian mash-up that was Persona Q, Atlus and Spike Chunsoft combined efforts are bringing Etrian Mystery Dungeon into the 3DS RPG line-up. Although Etrian has known success thus far in the west, Spike’s Mystery Dungeon has mostly become known outside Japan through their collaborative titles like Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. RPG fans can sate their Etrian cravings and get to know a more distant acquaintance at the same time with this enjoyable marriage of familiar dungeon crawl with randomization and tactical switch-ups.

This time, prospective adventurers find themselves in the town of Aslarga, whose famed shifting ‘mystery dungeons’ are raking in a host of competent warriors with the allure of treasure and glory. But the charming town has a problem—namely, impending doom. The only remedy? A brave, selfless RPG protagonist who happens to arrive and gather a guild of rather proficient companions with a thirst for doing exactly what everyone needs.

The story itself is basic, but it never pretends to be more than a straightforward direction in a game with a different focus. While competition in the genre grows increasingly complex, Etrian Mystery Dungeon relishes in this simplicity. It’s one driving goal after another that keeps your guild delving further into the mystery dungeons, but there are many other motivations such as loot, experience, and fulfilling quests that keep you going back and expanding your exploration further. While there is still a little story to be had, the game never strays far from the dungeon-crawling core.

Most of the player’s time is spent in a recurring cycle surrounding the exploration of each new dungeon. True to Etrian titles, players create their own guild roster from traditional classes and three new ones thrown in a little later. Once you’re done selecting your party, updating their gear and managing your item storage in town, a Skyship will transport your party to your choice of dungeon out of those unlocked. Inside, every single step taken factors in to the tactical approach this title brings to the table.

Mystery Dungeon’s contribution to this game comes most prominently in dungeon exploration, which has largely been revamped from the Etrian style to feel more interactive than the old turn-based staple. 3D chibi character sprites are controlled from a top-down perspective and move around each randomized floor of a dungeon, encountering enemies and loot as they continue. Players will always control only one character in the party, although the leader can be swapped at any time with a single click, while the rest of the party is controlled by AI. Fortunately these AIs are mostly intelligent in their choice of skills and attack and are usually more helpful than hindering when they are not locked on to a fleeing monster like a dog after a squirrel or spamming skills and squeezing their TP for all its worth. Control freaks might have problems with this system and find themselves constantly flipping between leaders in an attempt to balance their members as much as possible. The game attempts to alleviate the issue some by allowing an automatic switch to an AI when there is a crucial decision to be made, such as which enemy to target when multiple are in range or whether to heal someone whose health has fallen dangerously low. This system cuts down on wasted time in simple enemy battles, but can be extremely stressful when players pop into a horde of six or seven enemies. Boss fights do thankfully change however, allowing for full control of each character’s action like a more traditional RPG.

Switching between party leaders also proves useful when trying to extend your time in the labyrinth as much as possible. A new mechanic introduced requires the use of FP (food points) to move, but each character has their own set of 100 FP to exhaust that are not used while they are not party leader. You do run the risk of throwing a healer or caster into a sticky situation when using them as leader, but it can be just the thing you need to make it through the last floor or two as opposed to leaving the dungeon and having to fight through the upper floors all over again. Items can also be carried in to restore FP, but the trade off is eliminating space in your already very limited inventory.

Inside the dungeon, each step taken, skill used or attack launched counts as a turn. While it doesn’t matter much until enemy encounters, it becomes important to get a handle on very early because fatal mistakes can be made in a single turn. This sensitivity can really work against you at times. Even trying to change the direction a character is facing can lead to accidentally wasting a turn. Running from battle is also made nearly impossible, so items can become your best friend when trying to save your loot and experience from wipe.

Battle flow can be very hit or miss. Because enemies and three of your characters run on AI, turns swap faster than you can often keep track of and it can be disorienting when it finally arrives back at your party leader’s turn, and taking care to glance over everything each turn is really the only way to bounce back. Even though movement keeps everything up with an almost real-time feel, skill and item drag it right back down. There are shortcuts to utilize, but these slots quickly cannot keep up with the growing skill tree and flipping between menus in battle becomes more common. The only battles with reliably comfortable pacing are boss battles, even if they are a little slower thanks to more control in the player’s hands.

But just in case this dungeon crawl was feeling too different for comfort, Etrian Mystery Dungeon sees the return of FOEs in the form of new DOEs. These super-monsters will put an early end to your entire adventure if left to their own instead of wandering aimlessly in a labyrinth waiting to ruin your day. DOEs crawl up through the dungeon toward the town and can only be stopped by building a fort to stand in its way. Forts have many other uses, such as leveling unused guild members, but this is the big one. If your fort is manned, a battle with this enemy will ensue, but if not, the fort will just be destroyed before the monster skulks back to the depths. Naturally, loot provides incentive to battle and some quests require it for completion.

There is no shortage of appeal to this game for those who can appreciate a classic dungeon crawler. Unfortunately for non-fans, there isn’t much else on the table. Story is simplistic and most of the game focuses on time spent exploring and clearing your way through these randomized labyrinths, with only small details like side quests and weapons forging to take up your time outside. While a spinoff title, it still finds its home in the same niche that Etrian has dug for itself already. But added elements from Mystery Dungeon give us just enough variation to change up the formula while holding tight to what we love from Etrian, and their marriage is beautiful. The game does not polish perfectly and has its share of pitfalls, but it is a more than worthwhile addition to the 3DS RPG library.


10
TalkBack / Etrian Mystery Dungeon Hands-On Preview
« on: April 06, 2015, 04:31:00 AM »

Etrian: Light Mode

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/hands-on-preview/40027/etrian-mystery-dungeon-hands-on-preview

Spin-offs are tricky. Alternate storylines or crossover titles like this one can be amazing or the kiss of death for an upward climb of success. Etrian Mystery Dungeon is another collaborative title of the Mystery Dungeon series, following in the footsteps of others like Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, pulling gameplay mechanics from both series to generate something familiar with a splash of new.

The game starts with a fairly interactive tutorial, throwing you into your first dungeon almost immediately with the goal to reach the bottom floor. Your guide gives you voice-over explanations throughout the level, but the biggest notable change right from the get-go is the difficulty level. Etrian is known for giving you a run for your money, especially at the beginning, and it’s not uncommon to spend half of your first dungeon going back and forth to town to heal repeatedly and buy every piece of new gear you can afford to better your chances at survival. But even after the tutorial dungeon, I didn’t find myself losing a single character even once until the second true dungeon where an unfortunate ambush that took my under-geared Runemaster. Boss battles can be tricky with positioning, but once you’ve found a rhythm, even they meet their maker with relative ease.

Other than difficulty, the Etrian core of this game is definitely still there, throwing back to the style of the classic play as opposed to the story-centric revisions of the Untold branch. Customized characters are back in your hands, the power to choose name, gender, class from one of seven to start (three are added a little ways down the line), and one of four palette swaps per gender, per class. The vibrant art-style and music still feel like we’re walking familiar territory, and on top of that, dungeon crawling is still the name of the game. However, once inside the dungeons, players finally get exposed to more of the Mystery Dungeon alterations, and it works swimmingly.

The first person, random encounter battles are gone, replaced by third person player and monster sprites interacting on a map. In prior Etrian titles, we had the old standby RPG system: select an attack for each character as their turn arrives and watch the cycle of attacks to inform your strategy. But the Mystery Dungeon changes to this Etrian add map movement into the mix for a whole new piece to the strategic puzzle. Spreading out to tackle four or five enemies might seem like a good idea, but if a weaker party member is left too far away, you might find yourself with a corpse for a healer and have to end your dungeon foray early to bring them back to life. It’s very active and engaging, making players take extra care in their decision-making and extra care to avoid accidental button mashing that might be their undoing against a boss.

While I admittedly miss some of the difficulty I’ve come to have a love-hate relationship with, Etrian Mystery Dungeon is a worthwhile addition so far. I’m eager to see how the difficulty might change as the game progresses and whether it will catch up to me and beat me with a crowbar in a back alley. Other than that, as far as I’ve seen, it takes best pieces of the Etrian series and safely leaves out those that are a little less important, for a more active RPG with gameplay that feels less like a prettier, fantasy version of Wolfenstein 3D. It truthfully wouldn’t hurt my feelings if I saw some of this spin-off’s changes reappear in future Etrian titles.


11
TalkBack / Story of Seasons Review
« on: March 31, 2015, 02:51:30 AM »

Proving that a name isn’t as important as some people think.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/39955/story-of-seasons-review

So the long-awaited answer to the Marvelous vs. Natsume question has finally arrived. Story of Seasons, for those unaware, is the next in Japan’s Bokujō Monogatari series, known in the in other parts of the world as Harvest Moon. One complicated split and licensing issue later, we are seeing this as a “new” series of a separate title. But true to form, Marvelous rises to the challenge to create a game simultaneously familiar and new. Story of Seasons is an ambitious undertaking into undiscovered, complex territory whose ideas seem to be taking a turn down the right path.

Several features that first made an appearance in Harvest Moon: A New Beginning are rehashed for this title, partially as a result of popularity with fans. Carpentry returns as a personal skill, while the Carpentry Shop in town exists only to provide players with some materials and blueprints for their projects (others have to be purchased from visiting traders). Players can also still customize the layout on their farm, moving fences, fields, and even buildings to suit your individual tastes. This used to be a feature that extended to towns, but although your god-like powers over people’s lives have been scaled back, the game does not suffer for it.

Character customization is back with the extended family in tow. It is everything a player could want and then some. Options for your character’s basic appearance are extensive to say the least and only grow as your closet becomes available shortly after the game’s week of tutorial ends. Any time you grow bored of your look, the option to change is readily at hand, and most importantly, completely free. At least until you get into clothing and accessories. Additionally, options for clothing and appearance are not limited to male and female options, so everything is always available regardless of your avatar’s gender, which does remain unchangeable after the game starts. The choices are virtually never ending in this respect, and gathering all the clothes and accessories you want will likely take far more game time than building a successful farm and family.

Where is there ever a rural town with only one resident farmer? Nowhere. And for once, we have a farming game that more accurately captures this. Your home in Story of Seasons is actually surrounded by farmers who are far more successful than you by the time you arrive, and your job is to play catch up and eventually blow them out of the water. Seriously. In a new twist, players are actually required to compete with four rival farmers for the use of rental fields, which expand the diversity of one’s crops immensely. Each field has a specialty that it is best for and it’s your job to nab what you want, though you can admittedly rig this competition in your favor. Once the rental period for land has expired, farmers must visit the guild in town to apply to compete for the next round of plot rentals. However, it is the player who decides the parameters of the competition, from things such as quality of items shipped to yearly results, and as time goes on, more parameters open up and it becomes much easier to tip the scales using your own personal strengths.

Growth on your farm is kept slow to begin with due to a combination of all these factors and it keeps this competition from losing its edge very quickly. Being gifted a barn and a cow right off always seems to start players on a “very easy” difficulty straight from the get-go, but in this game, there is too much else going on for it to take this route. Buying blueprints to expand your livestock holdings are a necessity and they are expensive. Then, once the blueprints are yours, materials are not always readily available and impatience means they must be purchased. And then finally there is the fee for the animal itself. When you finally have a grip, that’s when your farmers’ rivalry begins. The game admittedly does have plenty of resources at hand for a farmer to make the most of, opportunities for gathering and swimming in rivers for valuables to supplement your farm’s fledgling income, and it makes this initial struggle more bearable. It’s an uphill battle to begin with but as always, it still feels like the challenge balances out all too soon. Marvelous admittedly tries to counter this with increasing an already fairly extensive amount of obtainable content as the game progresses, but collecting animals in your safari and clothes in your closet does eventually lose its shine.

Streamlining controls in some aspects of this game makes for a smoother experience in the tedium of your daily chores. Old Harvest Moon titles had us running from plant to plant watering each and harvesting individually. Often, this kept players from expanding their agriculture later in the game simply because no one wanted to sit and water 40 plants a day, every day. Trenches appearing on the DS started to take steps toward eliminating this boredom, but while useful, they were cumbersome to create at best. Now, fortunately, we have a magical square that automatically tills, plants and waters a 3x3 plot of land for each action. Even harvesting is a simple two-click process: one boxes the entire 3x3 plot, and one places the box of crops in your bag. Simple, efficient, and it allows you to spend your time on way more interesting things.

Story of Season’s introduction of a simple economic system is one of the new highlights to this game. Traders from foreign countries come on specific calendar days, several days a month, and this is your only way of selling your products. This can be a little cumbersome, but it’s easy to track when traders arrive, so overall it didn’t feel like it weighed negatively on the experience. Each trader also has commodities higher in demand and things they will sell to you for a reduced cost and this changes each visit. Fortunately the information is easily attainable, but virtually useless to you in the beginning of the game. Since you can produce tools and objects alongside your crops and animal products, there’s a wide array of things for you in sell in the long run. However, that means that almost every visit in the beginning will be conducted regardless of supply and demand. It’s an engaging aspect, but it does little to hook you in the beginning.

Another thing that hurts rather than helps in Story of Seasons’ initial moments is the slow momentum of the game’s beginning. Not only is the tutorial a grueling week-long ordeal, but the story itself takes a whole season to even kick into gear. New players might enjoy the month to get their bearings, but vets will find themselves slogging through their first spring, entering festivals with no hope of winning and spending all of their days gathering to throw as much product at Silk Country as they can for money toward their farm’s development. If players aren’t hooked by cute art and the hope of something better, there’s a high risk they will set this down in favor of something with a bit more get-up-and-go.

While the split with Natsume might have been confusing and a bit rattling to begin with, Story of Seasons comes out with a noticeably valiant effort from the Marvelous team. Extensive in-game content and its new ideas attached to series’ staples give us an accomplished beginning to a new name. The game does turn out to be a somewhat light on top, commanding little attention at all in its first month, but with eventually engaging gameplay and overall appeal, it will undoubtedly hook players with its charm in due time. Marvelous hasn’t lost their spark for creating a farming game worth picking up, and for that, we’re grateful.


12

If you want Rock Band on Wii U you gotta want it, and Aonuma talks about his influences for Link to the Past.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/39805/newsletter-more-amiibo-waves-incoming-aonuma-interview-no-rock-band-4-for-wii-u

Today's news features more on Amiibo, why Rock Band 4 isn't heading to Wii U, and a Game Informer interview with Legend of Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma talking about his influences as well as Majora's Mask.


Game Informer Talks with Eiji Aonuma

In a recent interview with GI, Eiji Aonuma talks about how it was The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past that influenced him to be a part of the Zelda team. "I eventually reached the point where I wanted to make my own game," said Aonuma, "this was around the time A Link to the Past had come out. Playing that game really made me realize there were lots of different sorts of feelings you could convey in a game; it opened up some new horizons."

He also talks about the three-day cycle found in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask and how controversial it still is, years after release. You can read the excerpts from this interview here and here.

Our Take: "Some people like the three-day cycle, others hate it. But I thought it was a clever mechanic, and something different. I think Aonuma wanted to go in a different direction for this Zelda, and definitely succeed in that regard. It's pretty out there. " - Bryan Rose

"With something that started as completely open as Zelda did in its first installment, I can see how a time limit mechanic being imposed turned off a lot of fans. There was more confinement than there had ever been. But with the fact that Majora's Mask was going for a totally different feel, I think the three-day cycle actually rounded it out perfectly. It was supposed to stand out in the world of Zelda and it did, for better or for worse. Also, A Link to the Past was such a huge starting point for a lot of Zelda fans. It's pretty cool to hear that it was Aonuma's entrance into this world too." - Becky Hollada


More Amiibo Waves Incoming

If you think the Amiibo craze will end at the fourth wave, then think again.

Someone on NeoGAF recently sent a message to Nintendo regarding the scarcity of certain Amiibo, and after weeks of waiting for a reply, they finally got their answer. Following the usual rigmarole, the representative had this to say:  "We are continually aiming to always have a regular supply of Amiibo in the marketplace and there are many waves of Amiibo to come."

Our Take: "I'm just hoping at this point I can get Ness and Charizard before Best Buy's online pre-orders sell out in 3 minutes." - Bryan Rose

"Nintendo knows exactly what they are doing; if people want to spend money, they'll get more Amiibo out there. I don't think any sought after character is ever truly going to be inaccessible." - Kimberly Keller

"Let's be honest. Whether or not we get excited for this depends on who they release as figures and who they eventually relegate to cards." - Becky Hollada


Harmonix Talks About Lack of Rock Band 4 on Wii U

Today's announcement of Rock Band 4 for the PS4 and XB1 consoles brought good news for those who had been eagerly awaiting a new sequel to the franchise. However, the lack of a Wii U version was very apparent, and soon Harmonix Project Manager Daniel Sussman gave a response as to why there would be no version coming to Nintendo Systems.

"The Wii U is a really hard call for us, but from our initial research the audience is not there yet, and I would be really psyched for there to be this public outcry of “Where is the Wii U? I will absolutely throw money at you and I wanna buy it and preorder it!” and all that."

You can read the full interview over at HardcoreGamer.

Our Take: "I was hoping that if there were more music titles coming that it would arrive on the Wii U, but sadly it's not the case. It's another example of third parties continuing to express a complete lack of interest in the Wii U, and it's getting depressing at this point." - Bryan Rose

"Someone get petition going, let's get some Wii U love over here! - Kimberly Keller


And some other news for the day:

  • Nintendo of America announced today that the voice of President Abraham Lincoln in Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. will be provided by none other than Wil Wheaton.
  • Stopping by a participating Best Buy on March 7 between 1-4 pm will net you a special Mii for Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma.
  • Zelda fans in the UK are having problems with getting the wrong Zelda-themed face plates for their New 3DS. The face plates come in two designs, one a black Triforce version and the other a Majora's Mask version, and customers are reporting getting the opposite design instead of the one requested. The online listings on the UK store appear to have been switched. Some customers have supposedly been offered replacements while others have been offered refunds, but no official statement from the Nintendo UK store as been issued on the matter.

13
TalkBack / Nintendo Europe Offering New 3DS to Select Club Members
« on: January 06, 2015, 10:40:25 PM »

Are you the chosen one?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/39332/nintendo-europe-offering-new-3ds-to-select-club-members

According to Nintendo Europe, special Club Nintendo members in Europe will receive the opportunity to purchase a special Ambassador Edition of the New Nintendo 3DS before the official launch.

Details about how these special members were chosen will, however, remain secret. In a statement to Eurogamer, Nintendo declined to elaborate on their selection criteria. "We are unable to disclose such business information, however we would like to reassure you that we are continually looking at different promotional offerings we can bring to consumers at various times throughout the year," said a spokesperson, "the terms and conditions for such promotional activities are individual to each promotion, but we will endeavor to bring you more promotional activities in the future, which we hope you will be able to take advantage of."

Ambassador bundles will cost members £179.99 and are ready to ship within 3-5 days of purchase. These bundles include the following:

  • New Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Edition Bundle system in White - Valued at £155.99
  • An exclusive set of front and back Ambassador Edition Cover Plates - Valued at £7.67
  • New Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Edition Bundle stylus
  • 4 GB microSDHC memory card
  • A set of AR Cards
  • A Quick-Start Guide
  • An Operations Manual
  • A set of front and back Super Smash Bros. cover plates - Valued at £7.67
  • A charging cradle for the console in White - Value of £7.67

14
TalkBack / GameStop Giving Away Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire-Themed 3DS XL
« on: December 08, 2014, 07:53:10 PM »

But a little bit of unfortunate news for those who already pre-ordered ORAS.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/39185/gamestop-giving-away-omega-rubyalpha-sapphire-themed-3ds-xl

From December 8 through December 31, GameStop is holding a promotion called MegaStop in celebration of the release of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

To enter, buy participating Pokémon products either at your local GameStop or online at GameStop.com and then enter the code on the receipt at the official website. Every code redeemed will enter participants to win one of the Evolved prizes: one of 50 special edition Pokémon ORAS-themed 3DS XLs. Each code will also unlock a digital booster pack for Pokémon TCG Online from the new XY: Phantom Forces TCG expansion. And for a chance at the grand prize, the Mega-Evolved eight day, seven night trip for four to Hawaii, just redeem two or more of these codes during the event.

Qualifying purchases must be made after December 8 and before December 31. Code redemption, however, will be active until January 15.


15

Becky misses a cool feature introduced in Pokémon X and Y.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/editorial/39155/thoughts-on-the-lack-of-character-customization-in-pokemon-omega-ruby-and-alpha-sapphire

Now Pokémon X and Y has its fans and its critics, but arguably one of the best new features in the game was the ability for players to customize their own trainer. At first, I didn’t know what to think of it since my character’s appearance doesn’t make even the top fifty most important things in a Pokémon game (right up there with each new generation’s version of Rattata). But in the end, I didn’t spend countless hours in the Battle Chateau earning money to buy actually useful items. That money went to new outfits and hairstyles.

So I was sorely disappointed to find out that Game Freak decided against keeping this feature in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (OR/AS). It can be argued that the decision to be faithful to the original trainers was made in part because OR/AS were remakes as opposed to new entries, but for a game that chose to blend new features, like the Super Training and Amie, with the Ruby/Sapphire standbys, that’s hardly an argument to hide behind.

I didn’t know how much customization’s disappearance would affect my opinion of this game until I actually started playing and realized how little I cared. All of the personality in my own trainer was gone and, after the first two towns or so, the only use I had for all my money was buying up dozens of Poké Balls to waste throwing at Kyogre. And with the Game Corner also axed, developing an unhealthy Pokémon gambling obsession was an impossible substitute.

Sure, the story was still fun and I thoroughly enjoyed the redesigned landscape, characters, and 3D environment, but I started to realize I was only enjoying it on a nostalgic level. Hoenn wasn’t my favorite generation to begin with, so nostalgia didn’t hold out long and I was putting it down with ease before the fourth badge. OR/AS was a game that felt like it was moving forward by building off of what made Pokémon X and Y so enjoyable and making it better. But where the characters were concerned, it came to a grinding halt.

Customization in X and Y immersed players in a way that Pokémon had never done before, replacing the same old binary selection with hundreds of possibilities. This was right at home in a game that gave us more ways than ever to connect around the world with thousands of other players at once. Every person we battled looked different  and player icons scrolling past on the touch screen showed dozens of fresh faces online at once. For the first time, it really felt like you were in a world with thousands of other real trainers and not just dumb NPCs. So why did Game Freak revisit that connectivity concept in a world that no longer allows the same diversity? Being stuck as the same two characters as everyone else localizes the game to you and your NPCs. It makes it so everyone is playing as the exact same person in the same story. With thousands of Brendan’s and May’s wandering around, the world felt a whole lot smaller.

On a pragmatic level, character customization could have nicely complimented Pokémon contests. Since the developers chose to give trainers contest clothes, then it’s not a stretch to wonder if they would have made a trainer’s own custom outfit factor into their Pokémon’s contest performance. Certain trainer looks could boost a Pokémon’s appeal just like feeding them Poké Blocks. It would be another dimension of difficulty to master for those who enjoy competing, as well as just personalizing the contest further.

Hopefully, in future installments, trainer customization will make a comeback. And if there are going to be more remakes, developers shouldn't shy away from this feature in favor of the old two-character selection. Despite falling short with character customization, OR/AS showed us that even a remake can keep moving forward.


16
TalkBack / Re: Zelda Symphony of the Goddess is Going on a Master Quest
« on: December 04, 2014, 12:44:32 PM »
A link to the schedule would be helpful...

Thanks for that! I actually did originally add it but forgot a space in the code and it didn't show up. Added it back in anyway.

Anyone going to Nashville?!?  It's on my to-do list.

Hopefully I'm going to Nashville! I plan to stalk tickets when they go on sale tomorrow morning on the Nashville Symphony website.

17
TalkBack / Zelda Symphony of the Goddess is Going on a Master Quest
« on: December 03, 2014, 07:16:00 AM »

World Tour dates announced and beginning in January 2015.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/39143/zelda-symphony-of-the-goddess-is-going-on-a-master-quest

The Legend of Zelda concert series is returning for a worldwide tour starting in Nashville, Tennessee in January 2015.

For its third installment, fans will see new artwork and musical inclusions from new games like A Link Between Worlds and future releases like the upcoming Majora's Mask 3D. Concerts will be performed by full orchestra and choir at venues around the world. The tour begins on January 21 and 22 in Nashville and includes performances through October 22 in cities around the world such as London, Tokyo, Mexico City, Milan, and Boston. Tickets are not yet on sale for all performances, so be sure to check back with ticket providers for exact sale dates.

While new selections are being added, music from previous installments will return. Symphony of the Goddess refers to the concert program as well as the four-part symphony that makes up a large part of the show, recounting storylines from four of Zelda's biggest games: Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess and A Link to the Past. Music from other games such as Link's Awakening and Spirit Tracks will also reappear.

To check the show schedule and find links to make ticket purchases, head to the Zelda Symphony website.


18
TalkBack / Life of Pixel Headed for Wii U
« on: December 03, 2014, 07:13:41 AM »

Coming soon to fill the retro-inspired hole in our hearts left in the wake of Shovel Knight.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/39144/life-of-pixel-headed-for-wii-u

Super Icon Ltd. recently announced via Twitter that their retro-inspired, 2-D platformer Life of Pixel will be coming to Wii U soon.

Originally released on Mac and PC, Life of Pixel offers over 80 levels and unlockable content and features a large variety of level designs, gameplay and power-ups. While the graphics and sound bring to memory the old days of the NES, gameplay gives a wider picture of other platform styles as well.

Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think in the comments.


19
TalkBack / Wii U Basic Gets Prices Slashed in the UK
« on: December 03, 2014, 07:09:54 AM »

Retail source says Nintendo is trying to clear the old system from shelves.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/39142/wii-u-basic-gets-prices-slashed-in-the-uk

The trade price of Nintendo's white, 8 GB Wii U Basic has been slashed in the UK by £70. The UK first saw these price cuts in late October, but they continue to extend into new deals and bundles for the holiday shopping season.

Bundle offers for the Wii U Basic console include a £199.99 deal from Amazon featuring Mario Kart 8, Super Mario 3D World, Wii Party U and NintendoLand as part of the package. Zaavi is offering a £189.99 bundle including Super Smash Bros and NintendoLand while GAME has an assortment of £159.99 bundles to choose from including two games and an Amiibo. And for those who are only in it for the system, ShopTo has a deal for a game-free system at £149.86.

All of these deals pertain only to the Wii U Basic systems. The trade price of the Wii U 32 GB model hasn't budged and likely will not in the near future.


20
TalkBack / New Splatoon Details Shared Via Twitter
« on: November 26, 2014, 11:37:17 AM »

Developers elaborate on story, single-player mode and more.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/39101/new-splatoon-details-shared-via-twitter

Recently Splatoon developers have taken to Twitter to share some details and new information regarding the new Wii U title releasing next year.

In single player mode, or "Hero Mode", it's the Squids versus the Octopi. A mysterious squid-man has discovered the Octopus Army Corps secret plan to invade the surface world from their underground facility. It's up to your Squid hero to infiltrate their base and take them down.

Several specific details about the gameplay in Hero Mode have already been laid out. Protagonists will don a special Hero Suit for this battle and be able to make use of devices in the underground base, like an ink bullet cannon, to fight and navigate their way through enemy territory. Other pieces like Sponge Blocks that expand when hit with Squid ink and contract when hit with Octopus ink will be features of single player levels.

Developers also gave us a little more elaboration on some of the tools and controls of multiplayer mode. Players will be able to customize their Squids with various items like t-shirts, hats and glasses as well as choosing from three different weapon types: the Paint Gun, Charge Gun, and the Roller. The Paint Gun is a player's standard primary weapon, while the Charge Gun and Roller are made more specifically for distanced and close-range combat specifically. Players will also have access to sub-weapons and special weapons. Some sub-weapons like the Splash Bomb can be used to not only increase a team's ink in a single burst, but it can damage opponents and reveal hidden enemies as well. Special weapons have to be acquired through claiming territory. There are several types of these too, like a Barrier to reflect enemy attacks or a type a super cannon that makes all your enemies suddenly have a very bad day.

Check out some of the pictures below to see a lot of these new details in action and be sure to let us know what you think of Splatoon in the comments!


21
TalkBack / Nintendo eShop Deals Starting Thursday
« on: November 25, 2014, 10:24:00 AM »

Check out some awesome deals before your Thanksgiving food coma hits.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/39094/nintendo-eshop-deals-starting-thursday

Beginning on Thursday, November 27 and running though Tuesday, December 2, Nintendo will be offering select titles on the eShop for up to 30% off. The sale will start at 9 am PT and end that following Tuesday at 8:59 am PT.

Some of the titles on sale will be as follows:

For Nintendo 3DS:

  • Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
  • Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
  • Wario Land 2
  • Wario Land 3
  • Metroid II - Return of Samus

For Wii U:

  • The Wonderful 101
  • Wii Party U
  • Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
  • Wario Land 4
  • Metroid Fusion

For more details about the sale and what all will be available, go to the eShop on the 3DS or Wii U and check the Price Drops section.


22
TalkBack / Re: Five Things to Know About Harvest Moon Vs. Story of Seasons
« on: November 11, 2014, 07:37:09 PM »
This seems like it could devolve into a Guitar Hero-Rock Band situation, where the market for this kind of game isn't big enough to sustain two series and it wrecks both of them.

The competition between them could yield us some awesome new ideas, but I could see it going this direction really quick if they get lazy and stagnate. Crossing my fingers for the former!

23
TalkBack / Five Things to Know About Harvest Moon Vs. Story of Seasons
« on: November 11, 2014, 05:50:50 AM »

Make more informed decisions about how to satisfy your farming needs.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/38994/five-things-to-know-about-harvest-moon-vs-story-of-seasons

Shortly before E3 2014 back in June, the so-called farming war began between Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons. Two farming simulator games of similar styles were set to come out around the same time and no one was quite such what was going on. So now with the recent release of Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley, and the impending release of Story of Seasons early next year, it’s about time to set some facts straight.


1. These games are being produced by two different companies: Natsume and Marvelous AQL.

If you have ever played a Harvest Moon game before, both of these names should look familiar. Natsume and Marvelous are responsible for Harvest Moon as we know it here in the west, with Marvelous being the series developer and Natsume being responsible its for western localization.

In an E3 2014 interview with Marvelous’ head of development, Yoshifumi Hashimoto, it was stated that both Marvelous and Natsume had different visions for the future of the series.  For this reason the companies decided split from their collaborative work to each pursue their own path. Natsume went on to create Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley while Marvelous is responsible for Story of Seasons, which will be localized for western audiences by XSEED Games.


2. Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley is a new entry in the North American series, but not the original Japanese.

Every former entry in the Harvest Moon series has been a renamed and localized version of the Bokujō Monogatari series which was developed in Japan by Marvelous. However, since Natsume owns the Harvest Moon IP, it is impossible for Marvelous and XSEED to localize their new title under the same series name. So, while Story of Seasons is still a Bokujō Monogatari game in Japan, it is technically part of a separate series in the west, and conversely, Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley is a Harvest Moon game, but not a Bokujō title.


3. So long as Marvelous is making Bokujō Monogatari games, Story of Seasons will grow into its own series.

Over the next few years we may see not one, but two cutesy farming simulator games hitting western shelves. Hashimoto confirmed in his interview earlier this year that as long as Marvelous keeps making their Bokujō games and working with XSEED, Story of Seasons will become a series in its own right, a competitor in the west to Harvest Moon. Natsume has yet to confirm or deny if they will continue with the Harvest Moon series on their own, but judging by their move this year, it’s very likely.


4. While both games are still farming games at their core, they have two completely different approaches.

It’s easy to equate these two games with one another since the farming sim genre isn’t very widespread. However, when Hashimoto said Natsume and Marvelous saw their series going in completely different directions, he meant it.

Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley harkens back to its roots with a simple story. Players must find out why the seasons in their new home are messed up and save the valley by finding a way to fix it, all while maintaining their own farm. But The Lost Valley’s main focus and biggest new feature is world-building customization, ala Minecraft. Players can explore and modify terrain in this game to completely change the way they play it. Different terrains and elevations affect crops, and one’s farm can be altered to reflect the player’s priorities, like adding more water for lots more fishing instead of farming.

Story of Seasons chooses to take and run with the other element their series has always been known for: connections. In past games half of the battle was to make friends with townsfolk and Harvest Sprites to solve the mysteries of life, the universe, and farming. Getting married to the bachelor or bachelorette of your choice was integral to the game’s experience as a whole. Story of Seasons takes this whole concept a step further with their economic approach to farming. In this title, it’s all about trade and forming relationships with other countries around you to move your farm’s products and expand your world.


5. They both look pretty fun.

There is certainly controversy over which of these games to choose, with loyalty to the original series’ developer being at the core of the issue. But both games have something to offer and these features are pretty appealing. With these games now releasing several months apart (Story of Seasons has an initial release date for February 2015), there is a good opportunity for fans of Harvest Moon to give both a shot and make their own judgments. Twice the farming might just end up being twice the fun.


24
TalkBack / New Link Statue from First 4 Figures for Pre-Order Soon
« on: October 24, 2014, 02:04:00 PM »

You didn't actually think they would let you save your money for the holiday game season, did you?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/38827/new-link-statue-from-first-4-figures-for-pre-order-soon

A new Link on Loftwing statue from First 4 Figures will be up for pre-order from their website on Tuesday, October 28.

First 4 Figures is known for making high-quality collectibles of many fan favorite franchises in the gaming industry such as Megaman, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario and Kirby. Their work also includes statues from previous Zelda titles including Darunia and Dark Link from Ocarina of Time, and Wolf Link and Midna from Twilight Princess.

This statue will only be produced in a very limited quantity, as most of them are, and will be sold first come, first served.


25
TalkBack / National Streetpass Weekend Rises Again
« on: October 24, 2014, 01:19:22 PM »

Nintendo helps gamers around North America make Halloween plans.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/38825/national-streetpass-weekend-rises-again

Halloween weekend, from October 31 until November 2, North America will see the return of National Streetpass Weekend.

Visit any one of 29,000 Nintendo zone hotspots Friday through Sunday and you will receive up to six Streetpass tags. Collect some new Miis for your Streetpass plaza, some new puzzle pieces, or even get some new enemy tokens to use in Super Smash Bros. 3DS.

To find a Nintendo Zone hotspot in your area, check out the links to Nintendo's partners here.


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