Messages

[Kevin Larrabee joins this week to talk about Mewtwo, Mario Kart 8, and more!]

201

TalkBack / Nintendo News Report: Guitar Hero Live...Live!

« on: April 16, 2015, 05:15:00 AM »

Kevin Larrabee joins this week to talk about Mewtwo, Mario Kart 8, and more!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/40102/nintendo-news-report-guitar-hero-livelive

Hey everybody! Didn't think Guitar Hero would be a story on this week's show, did you?

This week, Alex is joined by Back in my Play's Kevin Larrabee!

We talk about things like:

-Guitar Hero Live coming to Wii U!

-Guitar Hero Live vs. Rock Band 4!

-3D Fantasy Zone II!

-Donkey Kong 64!

-SEGA 3D Classics return!

-StreetPass Premium and new StreetPass games!

-Mewtwo comes to Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS!

-Mega Man Mega May comes back to the eShop!

-Why isn’t Pokemon Red and Blue on the Virtual Console!

-New Mario Kart 8 DLC feat. Animal Crossing!

202

TalkBack / Re: Nintendo Direct (4/1/2015) Reaction and Discussion

« on: April 02, 2015, 11:08:25 AM »

Soren is killing it lately. I'm thoroughly enjoying your posts, sir.

Nice discussion. I didn't finish the last half hour. Neal is hilariously curmudgeony, Zachary almost doesn't know what to say until Fatal Frame comes up, and Alex is enthusiastic but awful at segues. It was a good time. 7.5/10, would listen to again.

Haha, I agree with that! When you have 17 pieces of news to drill through, you kind of have to go "eff it, what's next?"

203

TalkBack / Re: Join Us Tonight for a Nintendo Direct (4/1/2015) Reaction and Discussion!

« on: April 01, 2015, 03:31:10 PM »

In other words:
"If watching a Nintendo direct wasn't enough stick around for the Treehouse live event and if that's still not enough come back in a few hours and listen to us retell you everything they said plus everything we wish they had said"

It's a companion! We aren't in the business of rundowns. We do these shows under the assumption that you've already seen the Direct, though we generally try to do a solid job of making a show for those who out of the loop too.

[In which we are joined by TWO members of the Player One Podcast!]

204

TalkBack / Nintendo News Report: Splatoon is the New Pikmin

« on: March 26, 2015, 07:56:00 AM »

In which we are joined by TWO members of the Player One Podcast!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/39928/nintendo-news-report-splatoon-is-the-new-pikmin

Hey everybody! There may not have been a Nintendo Direct this week, but there was still a ton of news!

Join us tonight at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST, as this week, Alex is joined by Greg Sewart and Chris "CJ" Johnston of the Player One Podcast to talk about new Splatoon details, LEGO's potential toys-to-life initiative, Hideo Kojima leaving Konami, and more!

And of course, you can watch all of the previous NNR episodes here.

[Those who weren’t grabbed by SteamWorld Dig may not want to count Image & Form out.]

205

TalkBack / SteamWorld Heist is the Worms Game I Always Wanted

« on: March 19, 2015, 08:09:00 AM »

Those who weren’t grabbed by SteamWorld Dig may not want to count Image & Form out.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/preview/39886/steamworld-heist-is-the-worms-game-i-always-wanted

SteamWorld Heist is Image & Form’s follow-up to SteamWorld Dig, a game I was not too fond of when it came out. Dig was extremely addicting, but it did not feel all that substantive or genuinely fun to me personally when I gave it a few hours of my time last year. But while SteamWorld Dig was more of a platformer, Heist is a turn-based 2D strategy game, and it seems way better.

Mechanically, the game reminds me of Worms in its level structure. You take turns with your robot crew moving throughout a level, getting from beginning to end in a semi-linear fashion, able to move a certain number of steps each turn and conduct battle against enemies. While doing this, you have to be smart about angling shots, getting behind cover, and knowing when you can use explosives in the environment to your advantage. Piper, the leader of the gang, utilized a single-shot pistol with a laser pointer, while other teammates carried a shotgun and an auto-fire weapon. In addition to aforementioned hazard shooting and enemy killing, you can also shoot the hats off of enemies and collect them.

Heist goes out of its way to make the gameplay more accessible than Worms, as before you even move, the game will point out where you can fire a shot from and where you are will be safe from enemy attacks using color-coded paths.

Despite this, the game was rather challenging. Every room in the demo gradually ramped up the difficulty with more and more enemies coming from all directions. When one of your teammates goes down in combat, they’re down for the rest of the mission. By the end of the demo, after several rooms of me losing allies and health, I was left with a low-health one-man army against a bullet sponge of a boss and his crew, in a room where there was minimal room to hide. The optimal strategy, of course, required angling trick shots off the wall into some explosive barrels in ways that barely seemed possible. I ultimately lost at the end of the demo, but I wanted to try again immediately. Finding the right strategic angle to approach each room was really fun and fairly challenging, and I’m hoping that Image & Form manages to make these enemy rooms even more devious as the game progresses.

The demo had quite a bit of dialogue, though the noisy PAX East environment made it challenging to gleam what exactly the plot was. However, the developer I was talking to made it sound like Heist was going to be a relatively lengthy, story-driven experience. The writing and sense of humor was one of SteamWorld Dig’s strong-suits, so if SteamWorld Heist can offer more of that with level-based Worms-like strategy gameplay, I’m in.

[Not really feeling it.]

206

TalkBack / Runs Good, Looks Bad: The Xenoblade 3DS Story

« on: March 15, 2015, 11:49:00 PM »

Not really feeling it.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/hands-on-preview/39859/runs-good-looks-bad-the-xenoblade-3ds-story

Before playing the demo at PAX East, I was so sure that Xenoblade Chronicles 3D was a day one purchase. Not only did I love the heck out of it when I first played, but I was looking forward to the novelty of owning a game exclusively on New 3DS. Now that I have tried the demo, I don’t know if I’m as excited anymore.

Monster Games, who did the competent 2013 port of Donkey Kong Country Returns on 3DS, came back to do this version of Xenoblade. If you remember playing Donkey Kong on 3DS, you’ll remember the game’s worst problem: it looked awful. Especially on 3DS XL, the textures looked bad and jaggies were rampant in what was otherwise a beautiful game. Monster Games made the game run well, but they made it look really ugly too.  

This is my biggest issue with Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, which as I noted in my review, wasn’t the most technically beautiful game to begin with (despite having an otherwise wonderful art design, like Donkey Kong). Don’t get me wrong – the fact that the game looks as bad as it does is surely the reason why the draw distance is good and there is so little slowdown during combat. Unfortunately, on New 3DS XL (the only way to play this game in North America), the faces look unrecognizable from all but the most zoomed angles, the character models look lifeless, the world is so stuffed with jaggies that it has none of the life it used to, and nothing of scale seems as impressive anymore. It simply didn’t feel like the same world I got entrenched in three years ago.

The game still controls fine on the New 3DS, the combat is still excellent, and nearly every other aspect of the game is intact (see our other previews for more on that). Even if this is the case, and even if this issue does seem like a huge nitpick, I don’t think I want to deal with a game that looks this bad for another 60 hours, let alone the 100-150+ some others have spent.

If you’ve never played the Wii game or now have no other means to play it, I’m sure there is still plenty to love. But for me, outside of the fact that setting up to play a Wii game is kind of a pain, why wouldn’t I go back to the vastly better-looking original version on a larger screen with better control options and (almost) identical content?

Of course, the answer is that I have no self-restraint, so I’ll likely buy this anyways the day it comes out then beat it again. But man oh man, it’ll be a bummer to look at the whole way through.

[The 3DS puzzle game double-pack shows a lot of promise.]

207

TalkBack / Puzzle & Dragons + Super Mario Bros. = A Pretty Good Time

« on: March 13, 2015, 04:22:00 AM »

The 3DS puzzle game double-pack shows a lot of promise.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/hands-on-preview/39849/puzzle-n-dragons--super-mario-bros--a-pretty-good-time

Puzzle & Dragons is coming to 3DS in May, and GungHo Online Entertainment, the original publisher for the series, had both Z and Super Mario Bros. Edition, which are being sold together in one package, at their PAX East booth this year. Even though my time with both demos was brief, it’s tough not to see a bit of promise in the double-pack.

Puzzle & Dragons is a match-three game with a nice coat of paint. In other words, on the bottom screen, the point of the game is to rack up points by matching three or more of the same color gem/orb/power-up (in Mario’s case). Rather than building points, the games are framed as RPGs; when you do a great job of matching your gems, you do element-based attacks with a team of monsters you collect and deal a certain amount of HP damage to your enemies. Combos deal more damage, and using special attacks that help clear the board result in more damage.

Both Z and Super Mario Bros. Edition structure this in different ways. In Puzzle & Dragons Z, the game is a full RPG with some kind of RPG story, leveling, monster collection and battling, and more. I fought one of the game’s main bosses, a wood-element dragon, and despite the fact that I was ostensibly playing a puzzle game, it really did feel like a challenging JRPG battle. There was no time in the demo to level or get a good feel for the story/dialogue, but the look of the game made me think it was going to have a light-RPG attitude similar to Inazuma Eleven.

Super Mario Bros. Edition uses the exact same style of gameplay, but rather than an RPG structure, the game is set up like levels in a Mario title, with a 1-1, 1-2, boss stage, and so on. You can choose a leader character like Mario or Luigi (as opposed to the protagonist of Z), and your team, made up of Bowser minions, can be customized and evolved (as in, Goomba would evolve into Paragoomba). You fight some minions, go through a beautiful, crisp looking visual approximation of a Mario level, and at the end you fight some kind of boss. I fought a big Goomba in the demo, but it appears that the Koopalings will be making boss appearances as well.

Because the RPG part has been diminished for the sake of Mario trappings, this one seems like it will be easier to get into. However, the second part of this demo, which took place in a darker, later world than the first (which was just a traditional Mario plains world), was extremely difficult, so it looks like the challenge of this series isn’t going anywhere. I liked this game a bit less than Z, as I felt the RPG mechanics suit this game more than Mario gameplay, but I definitely preferred the inspired aesthetic of Super Mario Bros. Edition to the monsters in Z.

I enjoyed my time with both. They are truly very similar games with a different wrapping, but I can see a little bit of the reason why these games are so popular. By taking a puzzle game and making everything surrounding it Pokémon combat, most issues anyone can have with puzzle games go away. I personally don’t play many traditional puzzle or matching games because I’m bad at them and they always tend to get repetitive to me after a while. I’m feeling none of that with these two games, and that’s really refreshing.

[Remember those MonoGame rumors?]

208

TalkBack / Dan Adelman Explains Why Axiom Verge is Not Coming to Wii U

« on: March 11, 2015, 07:29:59 AM »

Remember those MonoGame rumors?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/39830/dan-adelman-explains-why-axiom-verge-is-not-coming-to-wii-u

Axiom Verge has not been announced for Wii U due to technical issues, said Dan Adelman, former Nintendo executive now working on business and PR for the game, at PAX East.

“We obviously would love to bring it to Nintendo platforms at some point and we’re looking at ways we might want to do that,” Adelman told us. “Because of some technical reasons and the way the game was designed, it will take a little bit of time to get it ported over, so we’re looking into what that will cost us and how long it will take but that’s something we definitely are considering.”

The main technical issue is that Axiom Verge is made with MonoGame, a type of development software used to efficiently make games run on other platforms – software that, despite rumors saying otherwise, is not currently coming to Wii U.

@fidgetwidget No it did not. We spoke to the powers that be, but unfortunately it never went anywhere. Still waiting to hear back.

— MonoGame (@MonoGameTeam) January 27, 2015

Adelman told us that at this point, should the game come to Wii U, either MonoGame would need to come to Wii U or Axiom Verge would need to be ported to C++.

Axiom Verge is currently slated for release on PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita. Other titles made in MonoGame include Bastion, Fez, Skulls of the Shogun, TowerFall, and Transistor.

209

TalkBack / Re: Nintendo News Report: Investors Meeting Bonanza

« on: February 20, 2015, 11:03:47 AM »

When you're done making these, how difficult would it be to convert it to audio only and make it a podcast too? I ask because I'm not able to WATCH the full episode ever week, but I'd love to listen to it during my commute through my podcast app.
Thanks

We haven't decided on anything yet, but I'm pretty heavily thinking about how we would do an audio version of this. Thanks for the feedback, and I'll definitely update as soon as I know what's what.

[Featuring special guest Michael Cole!]

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TalkBack / Nintendo News Report: Investors Meeting Bonanza

« on: February 19, 2015, 03:12:58 PM »

Featuring special guest Michael Cole!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/39662/nintendo-news-report-investors-meeting-bonanza

Get your YouTube streams ready, because we got a hot new episode of Nintendo News Report this week!

On this installment, Alex, Scott, and special guest Michael Cole (from the excellent Radio Trivia podcast) talk about news from Nintendo's financial briefing, why the standard New 3DS isn't coming to North America, Amiibo crazy business, and more!

And of course, you can watch all of the previous NNR episodes here.

[In which the big topic this week is unreleased Nintendo games.]

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TalkBack / Nintendo News Report: Know Your Friends, Metroid and Harry Potter!

« on: February 13, 2015, 11:06:02 AM »

In which the big topic this week is unreleased Nintendo games.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/39626/nintendo-news-report-know-your-friends-metroid-and-harry-potter

Hey everybody! This week on Nintendo News Report, Alex and Scott band together for a two man show!

On this installment, the duo talks about unreleased Nintendo games (Metroid!), those new New 3DS titles (Alex played Monster Hunter!), and way more.

And of course, you can watch all of the previous NNR episodes here.

[Every man a king, every boss a final boss.]

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TalkBack / Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS) Review

« on: February 09, 2015, 07:01:00 PM »

Every man a king, every boss a final boss.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/39608/monster-hunter-4-ultimate-3ds-review

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate follows a long line of games that manage to be legendarily popular in Japan while only capable of attracting a passionate cult following overseas. Whether this discrepancy was due to accessibility, stigma, cultural differences, or otherwise, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is the most accessible the series has ever been. While that might not translate into a smashing success, this is Capcom’s best chance yet.

Monster Hunter is a third-person action game in which you fight enormous monsters, kill them after long stretches of exciting combat, and then use their remains to make really crazy, awesome weapons – which then allow you to fight even crazier monsters, make even crazier weapons, and so on. You also do things like go out on quests, track monsters, capture monsters, craft armor and supplies, and more that, eventually, makes you better equipped to fight more giant monsters and repeat the beautiful cycle. Monster Hunter is wildly addicting, very challenging, and made for people like me whose favorite parts of video games are the boss fights above all else.

In Monster Hunter 4, these mechanics see huge overhauls, namely in the traversal department. You can now climb walls and ceilings, attack in midair by jumping from cliffs and off of walls, and mount monsters. By toppling a monster via jump attack, a mini-game begins in which you climb on a monster and stab wildly at its back to fill a meter, all while being careful to not fall off. Upon filling the meter, the monster falls over for several seconds, giving ample time to unleash a combo.  These vertical mechanics give Monster Hunter more of an action-adventure feeling, which is exhilarating and also makes for better questing areas that take great advantage of these new features.

In the past, massive monster fights were extremely confrontational, requiring blocking, dodging, and careful attacks with death only one wrong move away. It’s still possible to play that way, but these new mechanics allow you to effectively ‘hit it and quit it,’ jumping onto a monster, attacking it, and then running away to recover and prepare the next mount. Now, all of these changes make Monster Hunter easier for most of the early game, which is a slightly disappointing trade off. For reference, I barely had to block or roll during the main story.

The game’s single-player adventure is the other part of this game to see enormous change. In older Monster Hunter games, the single-player experience was simply going out on quests with just enough of a story to get by. Monster Hunter 4 is far more ambitious here, as the story progresses with you conducting quests and carrying out the story from multiple locations, like an underground lava city, a village in the sky, and a desert outpost, with all of these places having unique things to do and people to meet. The story is still minor – you go from town to town trying to discover the meaning of an artifact while trying to become a hunter of worth – but it’s nice that the game is trying to create a more RPG-like single-player experience.

Another change in the game’s solo department comes in the form of vastly improved tutorial sections. From collecting and crafting to fighting monsters small and large, the game holds your hand enough to make sure you know exactly what you’re supposed to do. The downside for veteran players is that this gives the first several hours a very low level of challenge; it doesn’t pick up fully for at least 10 hours. That said, the gentle-yet-practical tutorials are so well designed that it’s even possible to take the knowledge gained from this game to experience previous games in the series after the fact.

That’s not to say the game doesn’t get tough. The fights eventually get to the point where you’re stuck in 40-minute tests of might against enormous beasts that would be a final boss in most other games. These fights are when most of my problems with the difficulty go away, and longtime fans can get the excitement they deserve.

Even then, when the game gets too rough, you can summon up to two Palicoes, cat creatures that simulate multiplayer allies in the offline mode, to fight with and assist you in battle. They all level up, and have special abilities, attacks, and weapons exclusive to their type. They can also be outfitted with weapons and armor obtained by crafting materials gathered in a neat mode called Meownster Hunter. In this mode, you send Palicoes out into mini quests of their own where they fight bosses off-screen and come back with goodies. It’s generally not necessary, but it is another well-made mode on top of what is already a mountain of content.

Another cool feature comes in the form of Expeditions, which replace Free Hunts in previous games. Expeditions are quests that task you with hunting monsters in the Everwood, a forested ruin that offers a one or two monsters to hunt (sometimes more) and a new randomized map layout every time you enter. The monsters in this mode are unique in that they can run away, and need to be hunted in time in order to get the most loot possible. There is also unique, “rusted” equipment in this mode to discover that is similar to equipment you can craft normally only with randomized, often superior traits. It’s an exciting challenge to enter a quest and have no idea what the area is going to look like, and the new variables on top of that make the mode even more enticing.

In addition to all of this, other things worth noting include the game’s new monsters and new weapons. The monsters introduced in 4 are among the best in the series, my favorite of which being a six-limbed purple wyvern, who spews disease and destruction everywhere he goes. As for weapons, there are two introduced this time around. The Charge Blade is a versatile weapon that can switch between a sword-and-shield or a large two-handed weapon at any time, and is also capable of utilizing a series of charge attacks. The Insect Glaive, meanwhile, is a staff-based weapon that can summon a flying insect to assist its user in battle by flying around and stealing energy from monsters – boosting the user’s stats. Both of these weapon types are viable, but neither of them kept me away from my tried-and-true Great Sword.

For a game that has to worry about enormous creatures, beautifully detailed monsters and quest areas, and depth-centric 3D that thoroughly shows off some crazy battle spectacles, it’s amazing that the game runs as well as it does. No matter what was on screen or how many monsters there were, I never noticed any slowdown whatsoever. Some solid new songs complement the pretty visuals as well, but none of the new tunes manage to stack up to the best returning theme in the game.

Outside of that, it’s a Monster Hunter game, with all of the wonderful and not-so-wonderful things that come with it. There are still tons of great boss fights organized into hundreds of quests online and off, the online (which works perfectly well barring a regrettable lack of in-game voice chat) is sure to be exactly as rewarding with friends as always. The fact that it’s a Monster Hunter game, however, also means that those playing solo will sooner or later hit a wall. When quests get tougher and more repetitive, it’s important to have buddies with you to break the monotony of killing the third unique form of a monster you’ve fought six times previously.

For newcomers, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is the ideal starting place, with more accessible combat than ever, a vastly improved single-player experience, and some endlessly gentle tutorials. For veterans, the game’s less difficult introduction may prove less enjoyable at the outset, but some extremely fresh evolutionary steps ensure that those feelings are fleeting at best. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is a great experience through and through – it just might take a little while to see that.

213

TalkBack / Re: Nintendo News Report: Xenoblade Chronicles X

« on: February 08, 2015, 02:57:57 PM »

Scott and I are planning to talk Xenoblade more formally on Connectivity next week.

[Featuring Chris Johnston of the Player One Podcast!]

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TalkBack / Nintendo News Report: Xenoblade Chronicles X

« on: February 06, 2015, 08:56:00 AM »

Featuring Chris Johnston of the Player One Podcast!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/39577/nintendo-news-report-xenoblade-chronicles-x

Because of the Xenoblade Chronicles X Nintendo Direct happening tomorrow in Japan, we've decided to hold off on doing the show for a day so we can talk about all of the big news that comes out of it!

In this episode, Alex C, Alex O, and special guest Chris Johnston of the Player One Podcast for all of the Xenoblade discussion you could ask for, but we also talk about that crazy Club Nintendo stuff, Splatoon's (maybe) lack of voice chat, and the Zelda TV show!

And of course, you can watch all of the previous NNR episodes here.

[Time to play a few rounds of "is this game cancelled?"!]

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TalkBack / Nintendo News Report: Earnings Release Blitz

« on: January 29, 2015, 03:14:00 PM »

Time to play a few rounds of "is this game cancelled?"!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/39536/nintendo-news-report-earnings-release-blitz

There was no shortage of news this week thanks to Nintendo's new earnings release, and we're here to talk about it!

In a brand new NNR, Alex, Neal, and special guest Alex Osborn discuss sales, shifting release dates, new releases (it's a big week!), and more. Does that Fire Emblem/SMT crossover still exist? We'll try to figure it out!

And of course, you can watch all of the previous NNR episodes here.

216

TalkBack / Re: Join Us Tomorrow for Nintendo News Report: The End of Club Nintendo!

« on: January 22, 2015, 01:46:31 PM »

Just updated the article. Sorry about that! 10 p.m. EST tonight.

[Yes, we use the phrase Nintendo+.]

217

TalkBack / Nintendo News Report: The End of Club Nintendo

« on: January 22, 2015, 03:10:00 PM »

Yes, we use the phrase Nintendo+.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/39478/nintendo-news-report-the-end-of-club-nintendo

Club Nintendo has ended, and it's on Nintendo News Report to pick up the pieces!

In this brand new NNR, Alex, Neal, and Scott discuss the end of Nintendo's reward service, Wii U and Amiibo sales, this week's big new releases, and more!

And of course, you can watch all of the previous NNR episodes here.

[Detective Alex is on the case to ask: Why aren't these games on 3DS yet?]

218

TalkBack / The Missing Nintendo Games on 3DS

« on: January 19, 2015, 10:30:00 AM »

Detective Alex is on the case to ask: Why aren't these games on 3DS yet?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/editorial/39459/the-missing-nintendo-games-on-3ds

We’re almost four years into the system’s life, and most major Nintendo franchises have shown up on 3DS. We have two Pokémon games, two Mario games, three Zelda games (counting the remakes), soon-to-be two Fire Emblem games, Animal Crossing, Kid Icarus, and more.  Even otherwise console-exclusive games like Luigi’s Mansion, Paper Mario, and Super Smash Bros. have found a handheld home in 3DS. So the question remains: what’s left?

After scouring a few Wikipedia pages and looking at the Super Smash Bros. character select, I think I’ve found a mostly complete list of 14 missing franchises (that aren’t completely uncalled for) that have some chance (even 1%!) of getting a 3DS entry. And like my last editorial, I’m dividing my predictions into categories of likelihood, though there are only four this time: Probably, Maybe, Probably Not, and Definitely Not. If you see anything I’ve missed or have speculation of your own, feel free to sound off below.

Probably:

WarioWare

This one seems like a matter of time. Whether it’s this year or next, WarioWare 3DS is made for a fun, off-the-cuff Nintendo Direct announcement. As for what it will actually be like, hopefully the eye-tracking 3D on the New 3DS will allow the game to get more creative with moving the system while keeping the 3D on.

Advance Wars

We’ll probably get one of these. Plenty of people want one and it feels like the next game Intelligent Systems is going to focus on after they finish this new Fire Emblem and finish cancelling Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem. Is this what’s next for the Code Name S.T.E.A.M. squad?

Metroid

There’s no real argument for putting this here other than “I can feel it,” but a 2D Metroid title seems like a real possibility. I have no idea who will make it or what it will be like, yet it just feels like it’s going to happen. Either way it would be a nice 2016 holiday title for the system.

Dr. Mario

We’ll probably get one on the eShop this year or next. Why wouldn’t we?

Maybe:

Pikmin

The New 3DS has a lot more potential for a Pikmin game than the regular 3DS did thanks to its added controls. This one might be far less deserving of having faith in, but this seems too perfect as a New 3DS exclusive. It wouldn’t sell anything, and I know this, though wouldn’t it be a ballsy move of them?

Punch-Out!!

I think Next Level Games is working on a new Punch-Out!!, and I think it’s for 3DS. No proof, though Punch-Out!! seems ripe for a Luigi’s Mansion-style handheld shift in terms of its bite-sized gameplay potential and lack of needed gimmicks. I also think Punch-Out!! would look amazing in 3D. Then again, the re-release of the Wii game on the Wii U eShop could point to Nintendo’s new console as the home for the next Punch-Out!! game.

Puzzle League

This would be an eShop game like the last one if it came out, but the chances of a new Puzzle League don’t seem terrible.

Custom Robo

The last Custom Robo was released in 2006, so who knows the odds of a new one? Developer Noise’s latest work was on the Japanese-only 3DS title Gyrozetter: Wings Of The Albatross in 2013 – which carries a somewhat similar style to the Custom Robo games. Maybe we’ll be lucky a Japanese Nintendo Direct later this year. Alternatively, the series could be silent because, as they say, “dead men tell no tales.”

Probably Not:

Donkey Kong Country Returns

I wanted Monster Games to work on Donkey Kong Land Returns after doing a good job on those new Donkey Kong levels, though the fact that they’re on the Xenoblade port makes me think they’re mostly considered a port team now.

F-Zero

Until F-Zero is actually announced, I doubt its odds.

Big Brain Academy

Brain Age was enough and the “brain games” fad seems to be a thing of the past.

Star Fox

We already got the Star Fox 64 port and there’s no way we get another Star Fox game until we see how Miyamoto’s game does sales-wise.

Golden Sun

Looking at Camelot’s release schedule, they seem to put out a game about once every two years. Mario Golf: World Tour came out last year, so 2016 could be a good time for this game to come out. Of course, they could redirect their efforts toward a Wii U sports game instead, and they probably will, considering how lukewarm the reception of the DS game was.

Definitely Not:

Mother

Nintendo of America doesn't seem interested in the series' potential growth in the West, and creator Shigesato Itoi has been quoted flat-out saying, "I’m not going to release a MOTHER 4; MOTHER is over now." This is never going to happen.

219

Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 163: Nontendo Contenders

« on: January 14, 2015, 04:24:12 PM »

Is anybody else having trouble listening to this episode? I've downloaded it four times now and it sounds like everybody is slowed down 5x.

Addy and I naturally speak a little laid back, but the speed seems normal. Anyone else hearing this?

220

TalkBack / Re: Nintendo Direct (1/14/2015) Predictions

« on: January 13, 2015, 03:26:29 PM »

YOU FORGOT YOSHI

I'm so ashamed of missing that! Good call. Added a quick prediction to "Probably". It's kinda goofy I missed that too because I'm really interested in it.

[The brave and the bold...and Metroid.]

221

TalkBack / Nintendo Direct (1/14/2015) Predictions

« on: January 13, 2015, 04:16:00 AM »

The brave and the bold...and Metroid.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/editorial/39370/nintendo-direct-1142015-predictions

To the surprise of no one and excitement of everyone, a new Nintendo Direct is happening this Wednesday morning, January 14. Some things are pretty much a lock – we’re going to get Majora’s Mask 3D and we’re going to get New 3DS talk for sure. But what about the rest of the announcements? That’s where I come in.

For these Nintendo Direct predictions, I’m dividing them into five categories: Definitely, Probably, Maybe, Probably Not, and Definitely Not. Leave your predictions in the comments below – we’d love to hear them.

Definitely:

New 3DS Release Date and Price

Australia and Japan already have the New 3DS, and some Europeans already have the special Club Nintendo edition. Everyone knows the New 3DS is coming and coming soon to North America, and Nintendo likely doesn’t want too wait too long to release this when so many potential system owners are saying, “I’ll just wait for the New 3DS.” Late January is a fun idea, but mid-February is more realistic. As for price, $169.99 for New 3DS and $199.99 for New 3DS XL – replacing the original models fully.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D Release Date

This game was announced for the early part of the year, has had a complete box art and ESRB rating for some time, and has a limited edition bundle announced and sold out. Okay, so maybe those are not all the best reasons, but this won’t be out later than March. The New 3DS is definitely coming out in the next month or two and it needs a launch game. It’s not going to be Xenoblade and Monster Hunter will not cut it for a Western audience. If I was a betting man, I would say that Majora’s Mask and the New 3DS come out on February 13 – exactly one month from this writing (also, check out Neal’s editorial where he discusses exactly this).

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse/Code Name S.T.E.A.M/Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate/Mario Maker Trailer

Kirby will likely get a game overview trailer, S.T.E.A.M. will likely get some New 3DS support and characters revealed, Monster Hunter will probably get its New 3DS features detailed, and Mario Maker will probably see the full reveal of its online modes. Either way, these games will show up somewhere.

Another eShop Indie Reel

This one speaks for itself. Lots of independent games will surely be shown, as always.

Probably:

Mario vs. Donkey Kong/eShop Announcements

We’re just about due for another first-party eShop game on Wii U and we know this one exists. January/February makes sense for this one. Another announcement of a Nintendo-published eShop game seems to make sense too.

Splatoon

This game is aiming for a spring release, and Nintendo needs to discuss this game a little more today for April or May to be more believable. The details they announce probably won’t be too crazy, though we’ll see a better picture of the game for sure.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3DS/Xenoblade Chronicles X

You’re not going to get one of these without the other, and there isn’t a better time to show off Xenoblade Chronicles 3DS than with the full reveal of the New 3DS. Don’t expect we’ll get much from Xenoblade Chronicles X for a few months, but a trailer is likely. Nintendo is also probably going to release the 3DS game earlier than the Wii U game to give people an opportunity to play one and then get excited for the other.

Amiibo in Captain Toad/Other Games

The support in Captain Toad should probably be ready about now. Maybe it unlocks new power-ups or levels? They will probably detail Amiibo usage in other games too.

Yoshi's Wooly World Release Date

There's a solid chance of us getting a date alongside a trailer for this. It seems like a good April/May release.

Maybe:

Game Freak’s New Game

A recent story came out that Game Freak is getting ready to announce their new game to the world, and this might be the time to do so. I hope it’s another cool non-Pokémon game.

Mewtwo

Nintendo is probably going to wait until Mewtwo is ready to release before showing him off in a Nintendo Direct, but the possibility for Mewtwo discussion now exists.

Fossil Fighters: Frontier

This seems like a good spring or summer game, though it’s up in the air what Nintendo’s plan with this is either. They simply haven’t shown off much of the localization.

Yokai Watch

This is definitely coming this year to North America, but there’s a chance Level-5 and Nintendo wait until the next Nintendo Direct to fully unveil this unless the game comes out before April.

Zelda Wii U Talk

Until we get past E3, all Zelda Wii U Nintendo Direct talk has a likelihood of “maybe”. It’d be nice if they show off some approach to multiplayer and it’d be nice if they explain how dungeons work, but there’s not a ton to say this early on.

Mario Party 10

It might get a trailer now, but it’s doubtful we’re seeing this game again for a few months. Still, it’s possible.

Probably Not:

Star Fox Wii U

This probably isn’t the time to show off Star Fox. In a few months, sure, but now seems a bit early for that game.

Pokémon

Unless it’s an off-year, Pokémon XZ and YZ is happening in 2015. However, announcing it now wouldn’t really do that much good when there are so many Nintendo games to focus on right now. Either other games would diminish Pokémon’s impact or Pokémon would diminish the potential impact of other announcements. The pre-E3 calm is a better announcement period for this game.

Devil’s Third

As you may remember, it was said recently that Devil’s Third is almost done. Now could be a decent time for a trailer, though again, it seems too early.

Definitely Not:

Mario Kart 8 Animal Crossing DLC

There’s going to be a late April or early May Nintendo Direct. That’s when you see more of this.

Animal Crossing Wii U

This is the last huge established series Nintendo has to put on Wii U. Either the system is dying next year or this is the big 2016 release. Regardless of whether it comes out this year or next, this is an E3-level announcement.

Project Guard/Project Giant Robot

It just doesn’t make sense for these to get the spotlight unless they’re coming out very soon. Next Nintendo Direct is when we should see more of this.

Metroid 3DS/Wii U

No.

[Nintendo News Report back at it again.]

222

TalkBack / Nintendo Direct (1/14/2015) Video Podcast Discussion

« on: January 14, 2015, 08:45:00 AM »

Nintendo News Report back at it again.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/39044/nintendo-direct-1142015-video-podcast-discussion

Want to hear more Nintendo Direct talk? Then do we have the Nintendo News Report episode for you!

We normally record on Thursday, but big Nintendo news doesn't always wait until Thursday. So Alex, Neal, and Scott went ahead and spent the entirety of this week's episode discussing the Nintendo Direct in all of its glory. Watch us talk about all of the big news below!

And of course, you can watch all of the previous NNR episodes here.

223

Podcast Discussion / Re: Episode 163: Nontendo Contenders

« on: January 10, 2015, 09:35:16 PM »

Nontendo was cool because I don't think there was any overlap between our three lists. 9 different games from pretty much every platform represented.

[All news this week!]

224

TalkBack / Nintendo News Report: 1/8/2015

« on: January 08, 2015, 01:37:00 AM »

All news this week!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/39340/nintendo-news-report-182015

This week, there's a lot of news, and we're here to break it down for you!

On this installment, Alex, Neal, and Scott come together to discuss the New 3DS, the Majora's Mask Limited Edition Bundle, this week's new releases, and more. You can watch it at the YouTube link below. Additionally, if you want to watch any of our previous episodes, you can do so here:

12/11

12/18

12/25

1/1

[Game of the year time!]

225

TalkBack / Nintendo News Report: 1/1/2015

« on: December 31, 2014, 11:48:00 AM »

Game of the year time!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/video/39315/nintendo-news-report-112015

So maybe there hasn't been a ton of news lately, but that doesn't mean we still can't have a good time, right?

This week, Alex, Neal, and Scott come together to discuss Amiibo usage in Kirby, Sakurai Smash Bros. interviews, this week's new releases, and their favorite Nintendo games of 2014. You can watch at the YouTube link below. Additionally,if you want to watch any of our previous episodes, you can do so here (12/11), here (12/18), and here (12/25).