Just over three years ago this week, Xenoblade Chronicles for the Wii landed on North American shores. Xenoblade's release was extremely limited as it was only available through Gamestop and EB Games. Due to its rarity, Xenoblade Chronicles' resale value jumped well over 100 dollars very soon after its release and has been that way for the last few years. Unless you were willing to part with upwards of 100 dollars, many were unable experience to the best Japanese RPG of last generation. With Xenoblade Chronicles being represented by protagonist Shulk and the Gaur Plain stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS and Xenoblade Chronicles X coming out later this year, what a better time for Nintendo to re-release Monolith Soft's RPG epic for the New Nintendo 3DS.
Yes, you read that right. Xenoblade Chronicles 3D is coming to the New Nintendo 3DS, not any of the previous models. Due to the game's enormous scope, Xenoblade Chronicles 3D needs the power that only the New 3DS can muster. It is an impressive feat to see Monster Games fit everything contained in Xenoblade Chronicles from the massive world to the thousands of side-quests into a nice handheld package. Xenoblade Chronicles 3D is a straight-forward port of the original Wii release with a few new extras. These extras are unlocked by spending tokens, earned through StreetPass or placing the Shulk amiibo on the New 3DS' touch screen, on music tracks for the Jukebox or 3D models for the Model Viewer. Outside of these extras, Xenoblade Chronicles is now able to be played in glass-less 3D. For a more in-depth preview on the story and mechanics of Xenoblade Chronicles, check out the original Launch Station for the game.
In the annals of Silver Bit, I have spoken volumes about Monolith Soft's JRPG masterpiece. Despite the Wii's lack of sheer horsepower, Xenoblade Chronicles easily stands among the best games of last generation in terms of both graphics and gameplay. Standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking Gaur Plain and looking out at the horizon to see mountains, green pastures and a continent-sized titan in the distance is a breathtaking experience. The MMO-style combat and exploration is just as enthralling. I cannot praise Xenoblade Chronicles enough. No matter if you play it on a television screen or in the palm of your hand, Xenoblade Chronicles is a must-have. If you own a New 3DS, do not hesitate in picking up a copy because they will be gone before you know it.
February usually marks the beginning of the first quarter game rush. Despite not being as jam-packed with titles as past years, this February has been a good month for games. Nintendo launched the New Nintendo 3DS XL in North America with two highly anticipated portable games, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, and some big AAA titles like Evolve and The Order: 1886 dropped. It's easy to say February was quite an eventful month. As midterms and major projects will soon be a constant part of life, best to utilize the little free time I have to deliver another exciting edition of Bit by Bit.
Game of the Month
As much as I love the core Pokemon RPGs, I can honestly say Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire didn't excite me that much before their release. Nintendo and GameFreak have been releasing Pokemon RPGs every year since Pokemon Platinum released for DS in 2009 and I was starting to get sick of the yearly releases. Although I planned on buying one of the remakes no matter what (sorry, I'm a sucker for Pokemon), I seriously thought Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire were going to be as disappointing as Black and White 2. Much like past entries, differences between the two versions are relegated to minor story alterations and Pokemon exclusive to one version over the other. While I only played Omega Ruby, my opinions on the game can be applied to Alpha Sapphire as well.
It may have taken a few hours of play, but oh was I ever so wrong about these games. Applying the 3D graphics of Pokemon X and Y to the third gen Pokemon games may be the most noticeable addition to these remakes, but it isn't the biggest. First, story has become a bigger part of recent Pokemon games and Omega Ruby makes huge advances in this area. The story is far more engaging than any Pokemon game before it especially the Delta Episode. Unlocked after beating the Elite Four, the Delta Episode links capturing Rayquaza into a Hoenn-wide adventure that has major implications on the series as a whole. Instead of skipping through story moments, I felt compelled to read through all the lines of dialogue for once. The other big additions change the means of exploring the world and capturing Pokemon. The DexNav app of the PokeNav makes finding and capturing Pokemon in each route a lot more approachable as it tells what Pokemon are in the immediate vicinity and helps in finding rarer Pokemon. Also the Soar ability adds a new dimension to exploring as you get to see Hoenn from the skies. Soaring makes the act of flying far more engaging than the fast-travel of regular flying and allows trainers to go off the beaten path to find Mirage Spots, special locations that offer the chance to catch rare and legendary Pokemon. After experiencing the wonders of soaring, I hope that it replaces Fly as the prime form for aerial travel in future Pokemon games.
Despite my early skepticism, Pokemon Omega Ruby turned out to be a great game that I gladly sunk my precious time into. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the game, enough to pick it for Game of the Month over The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, I still feel I am at my wits end with these yearly releases. I love Pokemon, but Nintendo and GameFreak please give us a year off!
Most Anticipated Game of the Month
It seems Intelligent Systems is dominating my Most Anticipated Game of the Month section this year. Last month, I gushed over the announcement of a new Fire Emblem for the 3DS. This month, I am eagerly anticipating Intelligent Systems' new intellectual property, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. First announced at last year's E3, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. along with Splatoon represent the first new properties for the Big N since the early years of the Wii. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.'s interesting look and the pedigree of Intelligent Systems sold me on the game initially then the demo came out and everything changed for the better.
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is one of those games that you can't capture the quality in screenshots or trailers—you need to get your hands on it. The demo takes players through the first few missions of the game, which slowly teach you the core mechanics of the game. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. takes aspects from both Valkyria Chronicles and the newest X-Com and blend them into an extremely engaging turn-based strategy game with turns that play like a third-person shooter.
After getting hands-on with Code Name: S.T.E.A.M., I have a feeling this will be one of those great titles that gets lost in the shuffle because its a new IP and doesn't have much marketing from Nintendo. I highly recommend 3DS owners download the demo and give Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. a chance. It is well worth it
Video of the Month
There are times when a trailer comes around that just sells you on a game. It may only be a few minutes long, but everything contained in that video just leaves you in awe and wonder. That happened this past month with the newest trailer for Persona 5.
In all honesty, I am still fairly new to the Shin Megami Tensei franchise as I have only played the fourth entry in the main series. Despite my current unfamiliarity with the franchise, the trailer caught my full attention with its stylish UI, jazz soundtrack and unique gameplay mechanics. Seriously, traversing through the world like an action-platformer or sneaking up on enemies using cover in a JRPG is freaking awesome!
Thanks to this trailer I want to dive headfirst into the world of Persona. Be it Persona 3, 4, Q or Arena, I am really excited to get into this series when I have the time. Also I will definitely be there day one to buy the newest entry when it releases later this year.
Although we are already a month into 2015, the year is still young. As each day passes, we move one step closer to the next big game release or product launch. After how disappointing 2014 was, the video game industry will be trying to bounce back in 2015 with grander spectacles, shocking surprises and innovative concepts. While we may not know everything that is coming in the next 11 months, I want to share, in no particular order, the games and other products I am looking forward to in the coming year.
Amiibo
Yes, I know it's not socially acceptable for a 23 year-old adult male to be collecting little "children's" toys, but I honestly don't care. Nintendo and their games have and always will be a significant part of my life and the ability to get physical statues of the characters I love without spending an entire paycheck is incredible. I want to own them all, but things haven't been going to plan considering the low supply and the insanely high demand. With their cool designs and extra functionality, I am excited to buy future waves of Amiibos, but I am not going to let these toys consume my life like they have for many others.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
If it wasn't for the additional delay, it would only be weeks between me and Geralt of Rivia instead of months. The delay may be for the best considering all my responsibilities with school and work at the moment. No matter when The Witcher 3 drops, I know it consume a gigantic portion of my time. The scope and scale of The Witcher 3 is just mesmerizing as you can literally go anywhere and do anything you want in its open fantasy world. Every new piece of information, be it a trailer or news story, gets my blood pumping to play this game. On May 19th, the rampage of the Wild Hunt begins.
Mighty No. 9
Everybody and their mother has been clamouring for a new Mega Man game for years now. No matter how loud and boisterous people get about the severe lack of the Blue Bomber, Capcom just doesn't want to give their mascot any love outside the occasional cameo or guest appearance. While Capcom may not be listening to their fans, Keiji Inafune, father of Mega Man, took the opportunity to capitalize on the high demand with Mega Man's spiritual successor, Mighty No. 9. Launched via Kickstarter back in 2013, Mighty No. 9 easily demolished its goal and has gone onto entice millions to donate money even after the initial funding campaign. What Inafune and his studio Comcept have shown off of Mighty No. 9 through trailers, closed betas and previews has looked outstanding. The game has similar elements to past Mega Man games, but combines them with some unique mechanics, such as dashing as the main way of dispatching enemies, that sets protagonist Beck out of his older brother's shadow. With Mighty No. 9 coming to every system on the market today, there's no way you should miss out on the biggest platforming games of the year.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Back in 2012, Xenoblade Chronicles impressed with its humongous vistas and superb adaptation of MMORPG gameplay into a single-player experience and on the Wii no less. Sadly due to a limited production run, many people were unable to experience one of the best JRPGs of the last generation. For those who purchase the New Nintendo 3DS, a port of the original Xenoblade Chronicles is coming in early April, but, in my opinion, the smaller screen of the 3DS will not do the magnificence of Xenoblade's incredible scope justice. Fortunately, Monolith Soft and Nintendo are joining forces once again to deliver a sequel for the Wii U later this year. Xenoblade Chronicles X looks to have even larger environments to explore, more refined RPG mechanics and the addition of mechs! As much as I love giant robots, the added mechs makes the scope of the combat feel as awe-inspiring as the environments. If you aren't convinced, take some time to watch the 24-minute gameplay trailer Nintendo released a few weeks back and see for yourself.
The Legend of Zelda
The release of a brand new Zelda is always a highly anticipated event. This time around, the anticipation is at a fever pitch. Nintendo has shown only two short trailers for the game yet they have been enough to send gamers into a frenzy of speculation. The reason for this frenzy comes from the significant changes to the formula in the way of progression, combat and exploration. The most significant change being the creation of a fully realized open-world Hyrule where you can complete dungeons however you choose. Since Nintendo is aiming to have this new Zelda out by the end of 2015, there is still plenty of information to be revealed in the months ahead.
With Silver Bit's Year in Review 2014 ending last week, it is time to look forward to everything coming out in the next 12 months. Aside from a few games, most being re-releases, this January has been slow on the games front. On the news front, there has been a steady flow of new information on upcoming games already known or recently revealed. An onslaught of news came from Nintendo as their January Nintendo Direct revealed their entire winter line-up from the launch of the New 3DS to Mario Party 10. Keep reading for more on the latest Direct. Also keep reading as I have lots to cover in the first Bit by Bit of 2015.
Game of the Month
When I write The Games I Missed article of the Year in Review, it takes me a while to actually start playing any of them. Thanks to the Steam Holiday Sale and a greater desire to play games on my computer, things were different this year as I jumped into playing a couple games on the list. Playing one game, in particular, would go on to influence my decisions for the Game of the Month. The Game of the Month was about to go to Pokemon Omega Ruby before I got into The Wolf Among Us. While I spent a shorter amount of time with The Wolf Among Us compared to Omega Ruby, it left quite a impact on me.
The Wolf Among Us is Telltale's Game first game after the incredible The Walking Dead Season One. Coming after such a lauded game by both gamers and critics alike, Wolf Among Us had high expectations to live up to. After beating the game, it is safe to say that Wolf Among Us demolishes those expectations. Although it has some beautiful character moments that bring to light the intricacies of Bigby, Snow White and other fables, the game is a lot more plot-driven than The Walking Dead. Speaking of the plot, The Wolf Among Us delivers some mind-blowing twists that had my mind racing in speculation for hours on end. While story takes centre stage, the conversation-based gameplay and quick-time action sequences brings the entire experience together. Despite needing to complete school readings, each episode had me eager to sit down and play more, the one thing all episodic games should do.
Most Anticipated Game of the Month
Last week, Nintendo delivered their first Nintendo Direct of 2015. The 45-minute presentation was great as the Big N announced their entire line-up for the first quarter of the year including release dates (something they usually withhold until the very last minute). While the New Nintendo 3DS's reveal for North America headlined the show, I am not as enamored with the update as the vast majority. Personally, I am not spending upwards of 200 dollars to get new features which can be added to my 3DS through peripherals. It is a wise choice for those with the original 3DS, but not for those with an XL. I can continue with this tangent, but it is time to get down to business.
My favourite piece of news from the Direct was the announcement of the new Fire Emblem for 3DS. From the trailer, the new Fire Emblem looks to be very similar in gameplay and art style to Awakening, which isn't a bad thing considering Awakening is, in my opinion, the best 3DS game released to date. Also the rumours about Fire Emblem's potential release in 2015 has spiked my anticipation for the game tenfold. More Fire Emblem is always a good thing in my books. Now, if we can only get an update on Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem from Nintendo.
Video of the Month
Usually when a Nintendo Direct is released, I am hard pressed to include a video of or from the event as the Video of the Month. This time around that precedence isn't the case as there is a video even better. Funny enough, my video of choice is Nintendo related as well. It comes from a great Youtube show called Game Theory, a show which seeks to use video games as a tool for education. The episode dives into the tragic hidden lore of the Super Smash Bros. series. It is quite fascinating especially when MatPat looks at the lore's connections to creator Masahiro Sakurai and the possible inner dilemma the famed creator faces with Smash Bros. If you enjoy this video, I highly encourage watching past episodes of Game Theory. You might learn some interesting connections between academic theories and video games such as applying multiverse theory to Pokemon.
Just over a year ago, Nintendo surprised everyone with the reveal of the 2DS, a value-priced model of the 3DS without the system's signature glasses-less 3D feature. While the opinions on the 2DS were polarizing upon its initial announcement, the system has by no means been the flop like many suggested. In fact, the 2DS has sold well over two million units since its launch back in October of last year. Seeing the success of the 2DS must of inspired the decision makers at Nintendo announce yet another model of the 3DS before the end of August because the Big N is at it again.
In the wee hours of the morning last Friday, Nintendo announced the New Nintendo 3DS during a Japan-only Nintendo Direct. The New Nintendo 3DS is very similar in design to past models, but there a significant amount of additions to the hardware that justify the title of "New". The most noticeable features of the New 3DS are the additions of a small analog nub referred to as the C-Stick, the ZL and ZR shoulder buttons, coloured face buttons and a volume slider located on the top screen. The other features of the New 3DS include built-in NFC functionality in the touch screen for use with Amiibo, facial tracking via the inner camera to improve the line of sight for the glasses-less 3D effect, the use of Micro SD cards instead of SD cards for storage and more processing power to improve download speeds and graphics capability. With the additional processing power, Nintendo has confirmed there will be exclusive games, such as an enhanced port of Xenoblade Chronicles, coming to the New 3DS. Sadly, these games will not be compatible with previous versions of the system. The New 3DS is currently set to release in both standard and XL versions on October 10th in Japan with no official announcement on worldwide release at this time.
The announcement of a brand new system, be it console or handheld, is suppose to bring excitement and joy for the next advancements in video game software and technology. When I saw the announcement for the New 3DS, I was stunned and not in a good way. In all honesty, I love Nintendo and the 3DS XL is one of the best designed handheld systems on the market today, but I do not understand Nintendo's incessant need to annualize the release of 3DS hardware especially when it alienates owners of previous versions. Video game handhelds are in a completely different beast than smartphones and tablets because people look for a dedicated system to take the quality gaming experiences on the go rather than a multipurpose machine where gaming is not much of a focus. Due to these opposing mindsets, there is no need to adapt the practice of updating hardware (no matter how minor) annually that is so prevalent in the smartphone and tablet market into Nintendo's handheld strategy.
Although I do fear Nintendo is looking at smartphones and tablets as influence more than they should, my main problem with the New 3DS stems from the exclusive games for the device. In no way has Nintendo officially confirmed if the New 3DS is their next generation handheld, which leaves the system feeling like it is caught between the current handheld generation and whatever Nintendo creates next. Considering the New 3DS sits amidst two handheld generations, it begs the question: why should someone buy a New 3DS when the next generation of handhelds is maybe two to three years away? The exclusive games seems like Nintendo's way to elicit people to ignore that question, yet the install-base of the New 3DS will never reach a point where it is more viable sales-wise to release large portable franchises like Pokemon exclusively on it. With that thought in mind, I do not see the New 3DS's exclusive games being more than Nintendo-published ports like Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story, and experimental titles such as WarioWare. In my opinion, the whole exclusive games conundrum will cause more division between the 3DS consumer base than unity because there will be two groups of gamers with systems that are compatible in some ways and incompatible in others. Much like Nintendo's missteps with DSiWare during the DS era, it is a short-sighted move by Nintendo to coerce people into buying a New 3DS with exclusive games.
While the New Nintendo 3DS adds some highly requested features like a second analog stick and improved stereoscopic 3D, it is not needed at this point in time. The 3DS is the most successful console on the market today. There is no need to change up the formula or make significant changes to this system to ensure success other than continuing to release compelling software for the 3DS on a regular basis. Gamers would rather see a remake for Majora's Mask or a new 2D Metroid over a brand new 3DS with the processing power of the Wii. I may sound like a broken record, but Nintendo needs to focus on improving the sales of the Wii U over anything else. The poor sales of the Wii U is the main cause of Nintendo's current financial woes, so it is better to right that ship than meddle with the one that is raking in all the money. The final verdict on the New 3DS will have to wait until it reaches North American shores sometime in 2015. Right now, I am no where near convinced that the New 3DS is worth my hard-earned cash especially after buying a 3DS XL earlier in this year.
