First Byte: Pokemon GO

Ever since someone picked up a Game Boy to play Pokemon Red and Blue, or watched Ash Ketchum's quest to become a Pokemon Master in the anime, the dream of interacting with these adorable pocket monsters in reality has been present. You could buy the merchandise, toys, or games as a way to satisfy those desires, but they could never truly replicate actually hunting through tall grass to find a wild Pikachu.

Over a year ago, the pranksters at Google tricked the world into believing they made the ultimate Pokemon experience, only to have it be an April Fool's Day joke. While the video was too good to be true, deep in everyone's heart they wanted it to be real. Well, the folks at Nintendo, the Pokemon Company, Game Freak and Niantic have joined forces to turn this dream into a reality with Pokemon GO.

Revealed early September 10, Pokemon GO is the brainchild of Ishihara Tsunekazu and the late Satoru Iwata. It is a free-to-play mobile title for iOS and Android that uses location data to actively catch, trade, and battle Pokemon on your smartphone. Releasing in 2016, GO forces players out of the house and into the world around them in order to become a Pokemon Master. In addition to the free download, players can purchase a peripheral called Pokemon GO Plus. The Pokemon GO Plus cuts out the need for players to continually stare at their smartphone by using vibration and a blinking LED to notify them about certain events happening in the game such as the appearance of a wild Pokemon. It also serves as a controller for the game by helping catch Pokemon and perform other simple actions.

After watching the trailer and conference for Pokemon GO, I am conflicted. The concept is great, but there are so many questions left unanswered that I can't help but be cautious. The conference did nothing more than introduce the idea and everybody working on the project, while the trailer is completely misleading. The trailer makes you believe Pokemon GO is an augmented reality Pokemon simulator when in actuality it is nowhere near that level of detail and involvement. From the screenshots and how the developers described the game, Pokemon GO is very similar to the Pokemon RPGs everybody knows and loves, just interchange running around Kanto or Johto as your avatar with running around locations in real life.

The problem with Pokemon GO right now is there isn't enough tangible information on the final product. There are too many what ifs, especially concerning the gameplay and pricing of both microtransactions and the Pokemon GO Plus peripheral, that it's impossible to get a true feel for what the game will be upon release. As a seasoned Pokemon fan, going off of the Pokemon name alone is not a wish decision. Just ask anybody whose played the thousand of Pokemon spinoffs not named Snap, Puzzle League, or Conquest.

In all honesty, I want Pokemon GO to fulfill the dream of interacting with Pokemon in real life. With names like Shigeru Miyamoto, Junichi Masuda and the late Satoru Iwata, I want to get behind this game and champion it as Nintendo's first major push into the mobile market, but I can't. I need to see and hear more about Pokemon GO's gameplay and pricing to form a genuine opinion about the game. As it stands, I fear the initial trailer combined with the promise of an innovative Pokemon experience will leave a lot of people disappointed.

Launch Station: Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

In the last couple of years, crossovers have become more common on Nintendo consoles.  From full-on retail releases such as Pokemon Conquest, Project X Zone and the upcoming Hyrule Warriors to smaller experimental pieces of downloadable content like Nintendo character costumes in Monster Hunter 4 and Bayonetta 2, or special Yoshi's Story and Legend of Zelda stages for Sonic Lost World, crossovers are seeing much more attention in the video game industry now than in generations past especially here in North America.  Continuing this large surge of video game crossovers is Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, a brand new 3DS adventure that brings together two franchises that made their names on past Nintendo handhelds.

Transported to the medieval city of Labyrinthia, Professor Layton, Phoenix Wright and company are tasked with solving puzzles and winning court battles in order to help Espella Cantabella, a girl who is wrongly accused of being a witch, prove her innocence and find a way back to their respective universes.  Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is divided into two distinct sections that coincide with each franchises respective gameplay.  The Adventure section of the game will be awfully familiar to Professor Layton fans as you are searching environments for clues and interacting with characters.  Through your interactions with the environments and characters, you open up a multitude of thought-provoking puzzles which earn Picarats, the currency from the Professor Layton games used for unlocking extra puzzles and buying hints, and advance the story.  The other section of Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is the Witch Trial.  This is the section where Phoenix Wright and the gameplay from the Ace Attorney series takes centre stage.  Using the clues from the Adventure section, Phoenix must cross-examine witnesses and find contradictions in their testimonies in order to pull out the not guilty verdict for Espella.  Although finding contradictions involves the standard pressing for information and presenting of evidence that the Ace Attorney faithful are accustomed to, there are a couple twists to the standard Ace Attorney formula which spice up the proceedings quite a bit.  These twists are the ability to cross-examine multiple witnesses at a time and the addition of presenting magic spells as evidence. After completing the main game, there is additional content such as special episodes and art galleries available for players to download for Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney via the Nintendo Network.

When crossing over two completely different franchises, you always wonder how their signature elements such as gameplay, audio and art style will co-exist.  In the careful hands of both Capcom and Level 5, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney looks to strike a careful balance between the unique gameplay, art styles and designs of each franchise in a way that truly compliments one another.  Although it took four long years since its initial announcement to reach North America, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney should be a quality third-party title to keep 3DS owners satisfied until major titles like Pokemon and Super Smash Bros. release this fall.

Sonic & Mega Man: A Crossover of Epic Proportions

Sorry in advance that there will not be a Hump Day Music this week due to an announcement of epic proportions.  Crossovers are common in video games and comic books.  They answer tons of what if questions fans might have and offer an excellent chance to have the audience of one franchise be exposed to what makes another franchise so great.  Some of the most notable crossovers are Capcom's VS. Series, Super Smack Bros., Alien VS. Predator, the Mario & Sonic games and the recent Pokemon Conquest.  Just in time for the San Diego Comic Con, easily the biggest and most popular comic convention in the world, Archie Comics has announced a crossover that should get any gamer excited.  Across 12 comics, 3 series and 2 franchises, two gaming icons will join forces for the very first time next year.  Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man will team up in this 12 part comic event spanning Sonic, Sonic Universe and Mega Man comics.  This crossover will be handled by Ian Flynn, one of Archie's best writers, and feature the art of Patrick "SPAZ" Spaziante.  Right now, the finer details of this crossover are under lock and key, but more shall be revealed at Archie's Sonic & Mega Man panel at Comic Con this weekend.

As a big fan of both franchises, I am very excited.  I have been reading Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog comics for well over a decade and I did pick up the first seven issues of Archie's Mega Man series, so I do have a history with both series.  Personally, the Sonic comics are my favourite as they deviate from the story of the games and have it govern every story in the comics much like the Mega Man comics.  At the moment, I have not picked up a Sonic comic in months because the grocery store that I would buy my Sonic comics each and every month stopped selling them.  It is a bummer considering the series has really gotten good these last few arches.  I have not picked up a Mega Man comic because I do not like the direction Archie is taking it.  Like I mentioned before, the Mega Man comics followed the games too much with little to no deviation to create it's own identity much like the Sonic comics have.  With this crossover, I am really going to enjoy the new material for Mega Man as it will not be filler or another adaptation of a classic Mega Man game.  Also with Archie's top talents on this project, I know this crossover is in good hands.  While some might saw it is hard to this crossover working because there is not much similar between Sonic and Mega Man, some of the most unlikely crossovers are some of the best.  Just look at Pokemon Conquest for example.  Who would have thought Pokemon and Nobunaga's Ambition would ever work?  No one, but look at how great of a game it turned out to be.  We can speculate all we want, but we will not know for sure until we have the result in our hands.  Right now I just got to say,  great move Archie.  You got this fan excited.

Launch Station: Pokemon Conquest

There are certain crossovers that you do not think will ever happen.  Well nobody saw Pokemon being mixed with a feudal Japanese setting and historical figures.  First released in Japan as Pokemon + Nobunaga's Ambition, many people including yours truly had their doubts that Pokemon Conquest would make it to our shore.  Well Nintendo must have saw the incredible amount of interest the game got when it was announced in Japan that they decided to bring it over to North America.

Pokemon Conquest is a crossover between Nintendo's Pokemon franchise and Tecmo Koei's Nobunaga's Ambition series.  Pokemon Conquest is a turn-based tactical strategy game much like the Final Fantasy Tactics games.  The player takes control of a young Warlord linked with a Eevee on a quest to conquer and unite the Ransei Region.  On your way to completing your quest, you will befriend Pokemon and rival Warlords to build your forces and fight the evil Warlords that currently rule the Ransei Region.  The battles in Pokemon Conquest are 6-on-6 turn-based skirmishes that will have you on your toes as you choose the right Pokemon for the every-changing battle conditions.  Every Warlord both friend and foe has a special ability that can be used to boost their Pokemon's powers, which can turn the tide of battle when in a tough spot.

The more I read up on and talk about Pokemon Conquest, the more I want to go out and buy it.  The Pokemon franchise has been taken in so many different directions with so many lacklustre spinoffs that many fans including myself have strictly stuck to the core RPGs.  Pokemon Conquest looks like the best Pokemon spinoff in ages.  It has incredible potential to sell very well as there are millions of 3DS and DS owners.  If you are a fan of tactical strategy games or Pokemon, Pokemon Conquest is game that will definitely find a home in your DS.

Off the Newsstand: Nintendo Power Issue 279

Have faced a little drought of magazines this last little while.  It has taken a few weeks to get ahold of my newest issue of EGM and I am still waiting for the newest Game Informer, which I can buy in store yet I have not received my copy the issue as a subscriber.  Finished my latest issue of Nintendo Power, just before the craziness of E3 so I did not get a chance to publish my thoughts on their pre-E3 issue.

As the pre-E3 issue Nintendo Power had one big surprise with the cover story.  There will be a new Castlevania exclusive to the 3DS coming this Fall.  Called Castlevania: Lords of Shadow- Mirror of Fate (was that ever a mouthful?), this new entry in the Lords of Shadow lore follows four different characters as they venture through Dracula's castle during different time periods.  Nintendo Power's cover story revealed that you will get to play as Trevor and Simon Belmont.  Mirror of Fate looks to merge the great combat of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow with the structure of past handheld iterations in the Castlevania series such as Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin.  This cover story is the main reason why I am so excited for this 3DS game as it looks great.  The cover story was followed by a list of the greatest and worst moments in the Castlevania series to celebrate the franchises' 25th anniversary.    Other noteworthy articles found in this issue of Nintendo Power were the Essential Games for the Wii article that listed the games that Wii owners should have in their collection, a fascinating look into how the team at Mistwalker created the cast for The Last Story, interviews with Masahiro Sakurai and Jools Watsham and a review of Pokemon Conquest.

Overall, Issue 279 of Nintendo Power was another great issue.  It had one great cover story, a reveal that no other magazine or gaming site that was exclusive just to Nintendo Power, some excellent articles and a solid selection of previews and reviews.  Also as a pre-E3 issue, it did not take away any thunder from the big show unlike another magazine by the name of Game Informer.  While I have not received my issue yet, I have looked through the newest issue at my local video game store.  Enough of my little tangent.  Issue 279 of Nintendo Power is a great read for any gamer and a must-read for Nintendo fans.

Off the Newsstand: Nintendo Power Issue 278

It has been a busy month of gaming and reading for yours truly.  I honestly plow through video game magazines like nobodies business.  Maybe it is just years of reading them cover-to-cover or that magazines are very easy reads because I have never thought of myself as a fast reader in any way.  Now here is my quick look at the newest issue of Nintendo Power, which I finished reading a few days ago.

Many people were surprised to hear last month that Nobunaga X Pokemon was coming to North America as Pokemon Conquest for the DS this coming June.  With the game just announced, it is a cool coincidence (or maybe was it planned?) that the cover story for Issue 278 of Nintendo Power be on Pokemon Conquest.  Even though it was not my personal favourite cover story in recent memory, the cover story on Pokemon Conquest was a solid preview nonetheless.  The cover story look at Pokemon Conquest's story, the basics on Pokemon Conquest's tactical gameplay, how to recruit new party members and Pokemon and how preparing for battle is just as important and maybe even more important than the actual battles themselves.  Having never played a tactical RPG in the vein of Pokemon Conquest, which looks to share a lot of similarities with the Final Fantasy Tactics series, it all seems pretty daunting, but I am looking forward to this game as it is actually a spinoff to the Pokemon series that looks to be worth playing.  My favourite article from this issue goes to the preview of The Last Story, a new type of RPG created by Hironobu Sakaguchi's Mistwalker studios.  Much like Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story looks to advance the Japanese RPG in new innovative directions that revitalize a genre that has not really resonated in the past few years.  Nintendo Power's preview takes a look at The Last Story's real-time battle and cover system, the story which avoids all the JRPG and anime story tropes and a quick asides on The Last Story's multi-player modes.  The article also includes on great two-page interview with great Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the iconic Final Fantasy series and one of the forefathers of the JRPG genre.  Issue 278 also includes ranking of all 14 Super Mario games from the less favourable to the best in the series of excellent platformers, an interesting preview of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, a music game in the vein of Elite Beat Agents where you can play through all the excellent music found in the Final Fantasy series, and an interview with Ben Bateman, a Localization Editor for Aksys Games.  The only disappointing part of Issue 278 of Nintendo Power was the lack of reviews.  There were only two reviews in this entire issue, one for Mario Tennis Open and one for Roller Coaster Tycoon 3D both for the 3DS.  In all my years of reading Nintendo Power, I cannot remember a review section this small.  It was very surprising to say the least.

I always have a lot to talk about after reading an issue of Nintendo Power as you can see above.  While I did enjoy this issue of Nintendo Power, I do not think it is a must read for the average Nintendo fan.  If you are a huge Pokemon fan, Issue 278 is a must read.  For everybody else, it would be easier to check it out at your local library.