Back in 1998, a small portable called Pokemon hit the gaming scene and ignited a phenomenon. Who knew catching, trading, and fighting adorable pocket monsters would become and stay popular among children and young adults for over 15 years? Many titles have tried their hand at usurping Pokemon off of its throne, but most have failed. Well, until recently.
Yo-Kai Watch, a multimedia franchise similar to Pokemon just replace monsters with ghosts, has blown up in Japan. Created by the well-respected Japanese game developer Level-5, Yo-Kai Watch has gone on the spawn games, toys, manga, anime, other forms of merchandise. Considering Yo-Kai Watch is such a hit in their home country of Japan, Nintendo and Level-5 are looking to recreate that success here in North America with the simultaneous launch of the toys, anime, and game.
To entice gamers to pick up the Yo-Kai Watch game upon release, Nintendo has a demo up on the eShop for all to enjoy. Funny enough, it had the adverse effect on me.
The demo gives the player one quest to complete: defeat three mischievous yo-kai and report back to the quest giver. Spoiler alert: turns out the quest giver is a yo-kai as well, and it's up to you to beat it or fight until the demo ending cutscene triggers. Outside of the quest, you are given a small section of Springdale to explore where you can talk to NPCs, find and fight wild yo-kai, and pick up random items (even though the demo doesn't allow you to use them).
Coming out of Fan Expo, I had a few reservations with Yo-Kai Watch, but was mostly pleased with the 10 minutes I played. The game has some unique systems in place when it comes to tracking down and fighting wild yo-kai that differentiate it from Pokemon, although not enough to stop comparisons from being made. After playing through the demo twice now, Yo-Kai Watch feels too shallow for my liking. While it may be easy to get into the game, there isn't anything beyond the surface. Simply, it lacks depth.
My problems with Yo-Kai Watch's lack of depth stems from its combat. Fights take place in real time, which means you have no direct control over what your party does. You only have control over switching your party mid-battle, who they target, and whether to unleash a special move or cure an afflicted party member. Using special moves and curing party members triggers one of three touch screen minigames: tapping the screen, rubbing the screen, or tracing lines. Thanks to the touch controls and minigames, I spent the majority of fights staring bottom screen. There were times I wouldn't even notice that a battle ended until I was booted back to the overworld.
This lack of agency during battles soured my impression of Yo-Kai Watch as a whole. I'm not going to spend 20 to 40 hours with a game, especially a RPG, if it's combat is this shallow. I might be wrong and Yo-Kai Watch adds plenty of depth the farther you get in the game, but I'm not spending 50 dollars just to find that out.
I can't seem to escape Nintendo's gravitational pull. For the past month, they have released a handful of great content for me to dissect and discuss here on Silver Bit like the Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart 8 DLC. Now, Nintendo goes ahead and drops a public beta for Splatoon. Considering my excitement for the game, I dived headfirst into the free Splatoon Global Testfire this past weekend.
Open to everyone who downloaded the free demo from the Nintendo eShop, the Splatoon Global Testfire gave Wii U owners three hour-long chances to play the game's multiplayer. Each hour-long opportunity was the same experience: pick your inkling, play the tutorial, pick your weapon set and jump right into multiplayer. The Splatoon Global Testfire offered four weapon sets to use, two maps to fight on and one mode to play. In between matches, you could play a retro-stylized Doddle Jump clone called Squid Jump.
After spending close to three hours with Splatoon, I found Splatoon's take on the multiplayer shooter to be a very enjoyable experience. Despite more developers focusing on team-based and asymmetrical skirmishes recently, the most popular entries in this genre try to make the player feel like a one-man army. On the opposite side of the fence, Splatoon's multiplayer only consists of four vs. four team battles, which focus on covering the battlefield with ink instead of blood. Focusing on teamwork and toned down violence makes Splatoon a more age-appropriate mutliplayer game than the military shooters like Call of Duty and Battlefield that kids find ways to play. This focus also shows that multiplayer shooters don't need to be extremely violent in nature to be fun.
The first thing you will definitely notice upon loading up Splatoon are the controls. The controls are very similar to other shooters with the left analog stick to move, the right analog stick to look left and right, and the triggers for weapons. The difference comes with how you control looking up and down. Instead of mapping it to the right analog stick like most shooters, you control looking up and down by tilting the Wii U Gamepad in either direction. This control scheme can be jarring at first, but was easy to grasp after a few rounds. While I did get use to these unique controls, they don't work for every weapon in the game.
The controls fell apart when using the Splat Charger, a weapon that works much like a sniper rifle. Accuracy and precision are key when using this weapon, which makes aiming incredibly frustrating when the motion controls pick up every slight movement. I found out from friends and other sources that you can customize the controls, but the option was never made clear during the beta or through Nintendo's vast amount of promotion material.
Aside from the inconvenience, Splatoon plays great. The weapons have their unique strengths and weaknesses. Sub-weapons and special moves offer tactical options for changing the tide of battle. The instantaneous jump into the heat of battle activated by tapping the Gamepad eliminates the downtime of travelling. Plus, transforming into a squid to hide from foes or escape from danger is exhilarating.
The Splatoon Global Testfire offered two maps to play: Walleye Warehouse and Saltspray Rig. Both maps are symmetrical, but different in their design. Walleye Warehouse is built for close-combat with tight alleyways and few open areas, while Saltspray Rig is an open arena with multiple elevations and central platforms to battle over. Compared to other shooters, the maps are small and compact. The smaller maps increases the tension as your opponents is always close by. The tension is heightened by the lack of communication outside of a few preset phrases. While it creates a tense atmosphere, the lack of voice chat between teammate is a missed opportunity on Nintendo's part.
Apart from a few failures to initially connect to a game or connection errors, I had little to no problems with the Splatoon Global Testfire. The game's multiplayer looks to be shaping up nicely and I look forward to spending more time with it in the near future. With this successful test into public betas, hopefully Nintendo will use this method of testing for future projects. Maybe even give Wii U owners a few more chances to play Splatoon before launch. Wink wink, nudge nudge.
Last Thursday, the second pack of DLC for Mario Kart 8 became available for download on the Nintendo eShop for eight dollars. If you didn't pick up the previous DLC pack, both packs are available in a bundle at the discounted price of 12 dollars. Each DLC pack offers three characters, eight tracks and four vehicles, which pulls some of its content from franchises outside of the Mario series including The Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, Excitebike and F-Zero.
While DLC and how game companies approach pricing and releasing it has become a hot topic in recent years, Nintendo has received a great amount of praise for their approach to these DLC packs. The reason behind the praise comes from the critical reception for Mario Kart 8 on its own and the timing of the DLC announcement.
First, Mario Kart 8 received universal praise from fans and critics alike. Both thought the game was packed with great amount of content to begin with and many were craving for more content for the game. Instead of feeling like Nintendo was adding content that should have already been in Mario Kart 8, the announcement of the DLC felt like a natural extension of the game and an evolutionary step for the whole franchise.
Second, most DLC announcements come well before a game hits store shelves. This practice can alienate consumers as it can be interpreted as game companies holding back content in order to extort money out of their loyal customers at a later date. Nintendo waited a good three months after the release of Mario Kart 8 to announce DLC for the game. Although Nintendo may have been working on the content at the same time as the game, the timing of the announcement, coupled with the affordable price, makes consumers feel that they are getting more bang for their buck and that the DLC content is in addition to the content already in the game.
Aside from dissecting the wide acceptance of the Mario Kart 8 DLC, the content provided in these packs are superb. Playing through each pack gave me a greater appreciation for Mario Kart 8 as a whole. Certain aspects that I overlooked upon my initial playthrough, such as graphics, audio and track design, are brought to the forefront in unique ways.
Seeing the rain-soaked neon landscape of Neo Bowser City hits home how wonderful it is to see Nintendo properties in full HD glory. Hearing the unique audio cues from Animal Crossing and Legend of Zelda on their respective tracks along with the electric fences and healing pads in the F-Zero tracks shows Mario Kart 8's incredible attention to detail and the reverence Nintendo has to their properties. Pulling together old and new Mario Kart tracks, in addition to re-imagining tracks from both F-Zero and Excitebike, spruces up the tried-and-true formula of cups having all new tracks or all old tracks and injects a ton of variety into the track designs. Speaking of the track designs, the changing seasons of the Animal Crossing track, the randomized layout of mud spots and ramps on the Excitebike and even slightly tilting Baby Park on its side for the track to be raced entirely in anti-gravity are wonderful tweaks that make the tracks a lot more engaging and exciting to play.
Although the inclusion of Link, Villager and Isabelle open Mario Kart up to the possibility of becoming Nintendo Kart, the three other "new" characters are nothing more than new costumes for existing characters. They don't bring anything new to the game other than a cosmetic change. Nintendo could of easily added these new costumes by having the a separate menu pop-up when selecting either Mario, Peach or Bowser much like they did with the boy and girl Villager and the colour variants for Yoshi and Shy Guy. Adding these unnecessary characters brings more attention to Mario Kart 8's overinflated roster problem. Also including these variants on existing characters over brand new characters from either the Mario universe or Nintendo as a whole feels like a missed opportunity in my opinion.
At 12 dollars for both of packs, the DLC for Mario Kart 8 is must own. The amount of content packed into it is astonishing. You are literally getting another half-game of content for the price of movie admission. Hopefully, the success of these DLC packs leads for more content for Mario Kart 8 in the years to come.
Let's address the elephant in the room. I know I promised to have things back to normal by the end of March and it's now three weeks into April. I am sorry for the delays, but school consumed my entire life until last Wednesday. Between writing close to 20 pages for final essays and studying non-stop for exams that involved copious amounts of writing, I wasn't in much of a mood to write anything else at that point in time.
Although I originally wanted this edition of Bit by Bit to be the first post back from the hiatus, I am very happy that I got the Launch Station for Xenoblade Chronicles 3D up in time for its release this past Friday, especially considering my reverence for the Wii original. Since school is winding down for the year (only one exam left!), I will be able to once again post to Silver Bit on a regular basis. With all that being said, let us rewind the clock to last month and look back at the best and worst of March 2015.
Shame of the Month
Typically, I highlight the best game I played in the past month, but I think the game I am talking about today deserves an exception. While I critique games, I don't usually review games I find middling or bad because I don't spend enough time with them to justify a review. Personally, I like to experience everything the game has to offer before writing a review, including playing through the single-player portion and spending a good amount of time with the multiplayer. It is a time-consuming commitment that I don't usually make for a game that I despise playing. Now, I want to start playing a greater variety of games, in both genre and quality, to widen what I talk about on Silver Bit. Although too much time has passed for me to give a full review justice, I will still honour this game as the very first Shame of the Month.
In the middle of all the craziness that was March, I decided to download a little free-to-play game that was popular among everybody I met through StreetPass—Pokemon Shuffle. At the core of Pokemon Shuffle, there is an okay match-three puzzle game. Sadly, that core is wrapped in frustrating gameplay mechanics that are only in the game to make players shell out their hard-earned cash.
Unless you have a gripping need to spend real money to play Shuffle for hours on end, it is best to play for the short amount of time offered through the five regenerating hearts. You will see everything Pokemon Shuffle has to offer in the first 30 to 40 stages, leaving you over 100 stages of recycling the same challenges with increasing difficulty. What makes the game even worse are the mechanics, such as the catchability meter and enemy disruptions, that are tweaked in such a way that it forces players to pay money in order to advance in the game. Yes, there are ways around these frustrations by hording jewels until absolutely necessary, but the game continually tempts the player to use them for five more turns or 20 more seconds to catch their desired Pokemon. These deceitful freemium practices just put a bad taste in your mouth.
Hopefully with Nintendo producing games for mobile platforms, these cash-sucking titles will be exclusive for those markets instead of infecting the 3DS and Wii U eShops. Pokemon Shuffle is pretty much the exact same game as last year's Pokemon Battle Trozei with new Mega Evolution screen-clearing combos and tons of devious ways to steal your money. Pokemon Shuffle may not be that fun, but it is perfect start to Silver Bit's Shame of the Month.
Most Anticipated Game of the Month
This past March, Nintendo pulled the curtain back on Splatoon and does it ever look good. About midway through the month, Nintendo brought video game journalists from media outlets like IGN and Gamespot and Youtube personalities like ProJared and The Completionist to play the game at their American headquarters. The onslaught of videos and articles that came from this event highlight Splatoon's various single and multiplayer modes.
Back when the game debuted at E3 2014, I initially thought Splatoon wasn't anything special as it looked like a neat little downloadable title. I can say now that I was totally wrong and I am glad to be wrong in this case. Splatoon looks to be a very comprehensive game with a Mario Galaxy style Octo Valley single-player campaign and fully-fledged suite of online multiplayer modes like Turf Wars and Ranked Battles. I am especially looking forward to spending lots of time in Octo Valley launching from floating island to floating island, using ink in unique ways to battle enemies and finding interesting ways to traverse platforms with some cool ink-squid combinations.
If you would've asked me about Splatoon at the beginning of the year, I would've shrugged the game off as Nintendo giving the third-person shooter genre the good ol' college try. Now, all I want to do is play it. I know I overuse this saying, but I seriously can't wait until May 29th to play Splatoon. I am that damn excited.
Video of the Month
In 1987, Hironobu Sakaguchi was a young video designer for Squaresoft that just wanted to finish the final game in his contract to pursue the greener pastures of hip hop. Unbeknownst to Sakaguchi, his "final fantasy" spiraled into the long-running franchise many gamers know and love and a seemingly never-ending extension to his contract. How did the success and popularity of Final Fantasy affect the legendary game designer? Watch Mega64's totally real behind-the scenes look at the making of Final Fantasy to find out.
As the weeks pass, we continue to inch ever so closer to the end of the summer. For most including yours truly, the end of summer means the beginning of school. With a new school year, I move from the craziness of managing two jobs, this blog and life to insanity of managing four university courses, a volunteer position at the university newspaper and a co-op job search on top of everything else mentioned above. Before all that awesomeness becomes reality, there are two more weeks to relax and make the most of the summer. Among the large list of things to do in these two weeks, I am going to Fan Expo Canada this coming Friday, August 29th. It has been four long years since I last went to this event and things have really changed especially on the video game side of things. Expect plenty of impressions on Fan Expo and all the games I get a chance to demo at the event in the weeks to come. While all that amazing content is going to coming to Silver Bit in the near future, it is that time again to take our monthly trip down memory lane in Bit by Bit.
Game of the Month
License games do not have the best reputation among gamers. Most of these projects do a poor job in translating the properties they represent to the video game medium that many have soured to license games altogether. Every once and awhile, there comes a diamond in the rough to show us the great potential of coupling a huge license, be it a movie, comic or television show, with this interactive medium. The latest diamond comes from the fusion of Broforce, a side-scrolling action game made by Free Lives that honours and parodies 80s action films and unabashed American patriotism, and the Expendables, Sylvester Stallone's action movie franchise that plays with nostalgia for a bygone age of blockbuster action movies and their larger than life stars. From this match made in heaven came the Expendabros.
Expendabros is a free standalone expansion to Broforce which gives players a taste of Broforce's hectic gameplay with bro-ified versions of the Expendables 3 cast. To describe Expendabros' gameplay as anything short of insane would not do the game justice. Destructible environments, bombastic weapons, buckets of pixelated blood and enough explosions to bring a tear to Michael Bay's eyes kept a grin firmly planted on my face throughout my time with the game. As much fun as I had with with the Expendabros, I did run into a good amount of slowdown especially when there were lots of explosions on screen and while loading new levels or cutscenes that took away from my experience. While Expendabros has a few problems, the game has put Broforce on my radar of games I need to play and I highly recommend those who own a PC to give this free game a try because it is loads of fun.
Most Anticipated Game of the Month
I try not to have many repeats for Most Anticipated Game of the Month, but Azure Striker Gunvolt is the exception especially considering the game is less than a week away from release. Comcept and Inti Creates' spiritual successor to Mega Man Zero will be available to download from the Nintendo eShop this coming Friday, August 29th for 15 dollars. Those who purchase Azure Striker Gunvolt within the first three months of its launch will receive Mighty Gunvolt, an 8-bit side-scrolling crossover between Gunvolt, Mighty No. 9 and Gal Gun, free of charge. From the brief gameplay trailer, Mighty Gunvolt looks to be modeled after the NES era Mega Man games with some new gameplay twists such as character specific abilities. Seeing as Capcom will be sitting on Mega Man aside from re-releasing past games on new platforms for the foreseeable future, I am glad that Keiji Inafune, Comcept and Inti Creates are taking it upon themselves to fill the void with quality successors to the Mega Man name. I cannot wait to get my hands on the fruition of their hard work later this week.
Video of the Month
When was the last time a game legitimately scared you? For me, it was BioShock. The dark, unsettling setting of Rapture combined with its disturbing residents caused me to debate whether or not to venture further into the level or shudder over the haunting screams that echoed through those halls many times.
While I personally hate horror movies due to their predictable plots and over reliance on blood and gore, I find survival horror games and games with significant horror elements very engaging because I am directly involved in the horrific events rather than a passive observer. With the drop in quality among survival horror games (Resident Evil and Alone in the Dark) and the need to give players an overabundance of firepower and strength in action games with horror elements (BioShock Infinite and The Last of Us), games that truly scare are few and far between.
Konami looks to change that situation with its new additions of Silent Hill, which will be developed by Kojima Productions with the help of horror movie aficionado Guillermo del Toro and starring The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus. With a lot of big names behind these projects, it seems like Konami is finally taking the Silent Hill franchise serious once again, but that is not all Konami did. To show the new direction for these Silent Hills, Konami released P.T. (Playable Teaser) as a free download on PS4. The one-two punch of the announcement trailer and playable teaser has generated an incredible amount of excitement for these new installments in the Silent Hill franchise. I strongly encourage everybody to try out the unique yet incredibly scary P.T. for themselves or watch a walkthrough online if you do not own a PS4. While P.T. may be more of an interactive experience than a game, it is something that all gamers mature enough should take the time to experience.
March has always been a hectic month in terms of both gaming and schooling. March is the month that game publishers love dumping all the games that were not ready for the holiday. It is also the month, universities love dumping projects, tests and presentations on students as the semester comes to an end. Much of this month has been spent studying for a test or working on a project in between classes and shifts at work for yours truly. Even with all the craziness, I have luckily made time to relax by playing a game or watching some television. Although, relaxation was sometimes mixed with school work as I would do my anthropology readings during commercial breaks. While March is almost over, April will be just as crazy for this writer as things ramp up for final exams. Before we move on to the next month, let us look back at the month that was March 2014.
TV Show of the Month
Well, I spent the majority of my game time playing Bravely Default this past month. As it took up the majority of my time, it is easily my Game of the Month yet again. Instead of repeating myself by talking about Bravely Default (I will save it for the review hopefully), I wanted to share another facet of my passions this month--television shows. As I have grown older, my time watching television has cut down to just the shows I want to watch such as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Persons of Interest and Reviews on the Run. I barely spend time endlessly surfing through channels anymore. As I gravitate to the shows that interest me the most, there a few I do not get to watch when they first run or they never make it to television in the first place. One of those shows is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is an anime which adapts the story of the original Fullmetal Alchemist manga into glorious 2D animation. Brotherhood follows Edward and Alphonse Elric on their quest to acquire the legendary Philosopher's Stone in order to restore the bodies they lost when trying to resurrect their deceased mother. Ed and Al's journey is not an easy one as they get caught up in a conspiracy that engulfs the entire country of Amestris. I watched the first half of Brotherhood years ago when Funimation started releasing them as 13-episode DVD sets, but never got the second half of the series because how expensive each set was. Then I got the second season of the 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist series for Christmas. After watching that series over again, I got this huge urge to finish Brotherhood. When I found the Complete Collection Two for 30 dollars at The Beat Goes On, I did not hesitate to buy it. A week and a half later, I watched all the 31-episodes included in the set and it was well worth it. While I already knew the entire story of Fullmetal Alchemist from reading the manga, watching the same story play out in motion was just unbelievable. The mix of excellent voice acting, superb music composition and incredibly beautiful animation just made everything feel brand new. The devilish twists and turns of Fullmetal Alchemist's endgame were perfectly adapted for the animation. There were moments in the anime that just work better in motion than in the panels of the manga. I was literally blown away by Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. While I do not watch many animes, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is among the best I have ever seen and I highly recommend watching it.
Most Anticipated Game of the Month
I have shared my love for Mega Man here on Silver Bit on multiple occasions. Among the many Mega Man series Capcom has created over the years, the Mega Man Zero games are some of my favourites. Considering Capcom would rather keep the Mega Man franchise dormant than develop new titles starring the Blue Bomber, Mega Man fans have had to look elsewhere. In particular, they have gone to the Father of Mega Man, Keiji Inafune himself, to get their fix with Mighty No. 9, but it is not the only Mega Man-like title Inafune has in the works. Announced at the beginning of March, Azure Striker Gunvolt is a new 2D action-platformer from Comcept and Inti Creates coming to the 3DS Nintendo eShop this summer. Azure Striker Gunvolt looks very similar to the fast-paced action of Mega Man Zero just with a brand new character to control, psychic powers to acquire and crazy bosses to battle. As somebody who has fond memories of the Mega Man Zero series, I am really looking forward to what Comcept and Inti Creates has in store for Azure Striker Gunvolt.
Video of the Month
Ken Kutaragi was a dashing young man with a dream to revolutionize gaming. That dream was the PlayStation, but Kutaragi's dream was challenged by the corporate powers of Nintendo. The short film Kutaragi's Way from Mega64 chronicles the totally true personal story of Ken Kutaragi's trials and tribulations in becoming the Father of the PlayStation entirely filmed with classic 80s film grain. Enjoy.
Nintendo's current situation has been well documented for months now. The Wii U is currently the worst selling console on the market and despite incredible sales, the 3DS is not selling enough to make up for the Wii U's dismal sales. A part from those points, third-party publishers this side of the Pacific are abandoning Nintendo and their systems like they are a sinking ship. The talk surrounding Nintendo is in such an ugly place that an article that either praises or dismisses the Wii U is front page news on any video game website every week. As an avid fan of Nintendo, I personally do not like the battle between positive and negative press flying around all mediums of communication. Even if the Wii U does not pan out, Nintendo has an enormous amount of money saved from their successes like the Game Boy, DS and Wii to support themselves into the future. Another point, the Wii U is only in its second year on the market. There is still time for Nintendo to turn things around with the system. The 3DS is a prime example of the possible turnaround that could happen with the Wii U. With all that said, Nintendo's current situation is entirely their fault. While the marketing for the Wii U has been a mess since the very beginning, it is not the main cause of their situation. There are a good number of issues that Nintendo as a company has not been aggressive in tackling or have avoided altogether which have created this perfect storm. These issues are not independent to one of Nintendo's systems; they involve Nintendo as a whole.
1) No Party for Third-Parties
Nintendo's problems with securing third-party support has been an ever-present issue with their systems since the days of the Nintendo 64. One would expect this issue to be solved sometime between the three console generations since the N64. Funny enough, it has only gotten worse. Third-party support outside of Japanese publishers and Activision is nearly non-existent. Even Ubisoft, which has been a big supporter of Nintendo products the past couple generations, is severely cutting back their support aside from downloadable titles and yearly Just Dance installments. Third-party publishers seem to be moving away from Nintendo products because they believe they cannot make a profit on them. That impression is not one Nintendo should continue to let foster. The Big N has shown off some of the partnerships they have forged with Japanese companies like Sega, Atlus and Tecmo Koei, but Nintendo needs to make strides with the publishers in which they have had problems enticing in the past. First-party games, no matter their great quality, can only take you so far. Third-party games are needed to pad out the times where there are a lack of first-party titles. Better for Nintendo to aggressively seek fixing this issue now rather than let it fester any longer as it will be hard repairing these relationships later.
2) Stalling with Online Multiplayer
Nintendo has dabbled in online multiplayer with games like Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart. Compared to the efforts of their competitors, Nintendo's efforts have been lacking. More games in their portable lineup have received online multiplayer to great success. These portable games show the great potential of Nintendo-crafted online multiplayer. Now Nintendo just needs to start adding an online component to games that should have it. The lack of online multiplayer in games like Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros. U, Super Mario 3D World and Pikmin 3 is a missed opportunity in this writer's honest opinion. Personally, I am a huge advocate for local multiplayer, but those days have been replaced by playing with others without leaving the comforts of your home. Nowadays, online multiplayer is expected to be included in most games. Nintendo does not need to add online multiplayer to all their games, but they need to start adding some sort of online component to those which already include local multiplayer. I have had great times playing games like Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros. U and Super Mario 3D World with my friends locally. Just imagine being able to recreate that fun at anytime without the hassle of trying to gather a group of people every single time you wanted to play some multiplayer.
3) Stuck on Gimmicks
Nintendo has never been a powerhouse when it comes to graphics. Their strength has always been gameplay, but sadly the world has become obsessed with the amount of polygons you can cram on a screen. It is hard to communicate gameplay without giving people the game to actually play. Case and point, Super Mario 3D World. Upon first impressions, everybody thought 3D World would just be a up-scaled port of 3D Land. Once people got their hands on the game, their opinions completely changed for the better. Nintendo combated this superficial obsession with cutting-edge graphics by introducing unique gimmicks to their consoles and games from the two screens of the Nintendo DS to the motion controls of the Wii. Nintendo's focus on gimmicks did pan out with the DS and Wii, but they have become a little too reliant on gimmicks to push their games and consoles. Gimmicks work only when you design games that take advantage of those gimmicks in new and creative ways. In the Wii U's case, Nintendo has not made any games that truly take advantage of the hardware within the Wii U Gamepad which has caused it to backfire on them. Gimmicks are not a bad thing, they just become tiresome when you rely on them far too much. If Nintendo is going to stick with using gimmicks to separate themselves from the competition, they need to be more careful in adding gimmicks that truly institute creativity and innovation rather than just adding gimmicks for the sake of having them.
4) Wanted: New Blood
It is hard to think of the last new franchise Nintendo introduced on such a large scale. You would have to go back to 2006 with the introduction of Wii Sports. In all honesty, nobody thought Wii Sports would spawn into a franchise which would include Wii Play, Wii Fit, Wii Music and Wii Party. Looking at that fact, it has been eight years since Nintendo last introduced a major franchise. Nintendo has introduced new IPs such as Rhythm Heaven, Professor Layton, Pushmo/Crashmo and HarmoKnight, but they all have been confined to handheld or downloadable space instead of major releases on their consoles. Although it is only one game, there is hope in the mysterious new IP Shigeru Miyamoto is currently working on. Hopefully, the possible success of this unknown game could spur Nintendo into taking more risks in developing games outside their comfort zone of Mario, Zelda and Pokemon. Nintendo can even dive into their back catalogue and make new entries in series such as Star Fox, F-Zero, Earthbound or Metroid to alleviate some of the franchise fatigue affecting their most relied upon series.
“Life is like a hurricane, here in Duckburg. Race cars, lasers, aeroplanes, its a duck-blur. Might solve a mystery or rewrite history!”
When that iconic verse rang through the halls of PAX East, a chill formed down gamers’ spines both young and old in anticipation of the newest adventure with the greedy yet lovable Scrooge McDuck. From the charming 8-bit graphics to the beautiful chiptune music to the masterful gameplay, Capcom’s DuckTales for the NES has been revered as one of the greatest licensed games of all-time. To see such an iconic game be remade for a new generation of gamers to experience and older fans to lovingly revisit is simply amazing especially considering the NES original has never been released on any online service. Being developed by the wonderful team at WayForward Technologies, who are responsible for great titles like Shantae, Contra 4 and the Mighty series on DSi and 3DS, there are high expectations for the return of Scrooge McDuck.
DuckTales: Remastered is not a quick and dirty remake of the NES original. The team at WayForward has put their heart and soul into reimagining DuckTales for this modern era of video games. The 8-bit sprites have been replaced by beautifully hand-drawn and animated sprites that look straight out of the cartoon itself. Even with the limited bleeps and bloops on the NES processor, DuckTales’ soundtrack is held in high regard by most older gamers. Jake Kaufman, the composer of DuckTales: Remastered, did his best to preserve the original compositions of the soundtrack while taking a more orchestral approach on each track. The NES did not have enough processing power to convey a story through cutscenes like games do today so most of the storytelling was put in the game manual. With the extensive power of the game systems of today, WayForward expands on the original story of DuckTales with brand new cutscenes which add more context to Scrooge’s objectives in each level and explains some lingering questions such as how a duck is able to breathe on the moon. Along with the obvious additions to the presentation and audio, DuckTales: Remastered contains two new levels, new areas to explore in returning levels, the privilege to swim in Scrooge’s money vault, a map screen, an easy pogo jump setting and tons of unlockables such as concept art and music.
As a big fan of the show, DuckTales has been a game that yours truly has wanted to play for the longest time. I have listened to the music and watched quite a bit of gameplay from DuckTales, but I had never got the chance to play the game itself. Thanks to DuckTales: Remastered, this writer can finally experience this NES classic now in high definition. DuckTales: Remastered is available now for 15 dollars on PSN, Steam and the Wii U eShop. Sadly, Xbox 360 owners will have to wait until September 11th to join Uncle Scrooge on his globe-trotting adventure. For those who prefer physical copies of their games, a physical copy of DuckTales: Remastered will be available exclusively for PS3 on August 20th, which will cost 20 dollars instead of 15. No matter if you enjoyed DuckTales on the NES or never played the game before, put down your money and support DuckTales: Remastered in order to convince Disney to revisit more of their classic video game library and hopefully inspire them to start a new age of quality Disney licensed games.
Since the inception of the Virtual Console in 2006, there has been one game that Nintendo fans clamoured to see on Nintendo's online catalogue- Earthbound. Earthbound is a cult classic RPG from HAL Laboratory and Ape that released on the SNES back in 1994. When Earthbound initially released, it did not do well commercially despite how loved the game was by RPG fans and critics. Due to the poor sales, Nintendo kept future re-releases of Earthbound and its predecessor and successor in Japan. For a long time, the only way to get Earthbound was by buying an original copy for the SNES, which easily cost upwards of 100 dollars. After 19 years, Earthbound is finally being re-released for an affordable price in order for those who missed it to enjoy this classic. The launch date for the Virtual Console re-release had been shrouded in mystery until the masters at Nintendo of America surprised everybody with a Nintendo Direct Mini, which revealed Earthbound would be released today on the Nintendo eShop!
Earthbound follows four unlikely heroes, known as the Chosen Ones, as they fight off an extraterrestrial threat. These four heroes are small-town Onett native Ness, famous young physic Paula, child genius Jeff and mystic prince Poo. These four heroes must use their Psi powers to dispatch numerous strange monsters from dinosaurs to piles of vomit and even some human foes such as hippies. On their adventures, they will experience the quirky humour that Earthbound is known for firsthand as the game parodies American culture and many RPG tropes. The original Earthbound came with a strategy guide to help gamers if they ever got stuck. Considering this Virtual Console re-release is digital only, there is no way to get the guide when purchasing the Virtual Console version. Before you get depressed, Nintendo has made a digital version of the strategy guide available for free on Earthbound's official website. The guide is also optimized for use on the Wii U Internet Browser.
Earthbound is available now on the Nintendo eShop for 10 dollars, which is peanuts compared to the insane price the original SNES cartridge fetches nowadays. Personally, I never got the chance to play Earthbound for myself as I did not owned a SNES. Seeing Nintendo re-release this beloved RPG for fans old and new to experience is just wonderful. Hopefully if enough people purchase Earthbound on Virtual Console, maybe Nintendo will finally bring Mother 1 and 3 across the pond to North America. If you own a Wii U, it is time to make Nintendo notice that we want more games like Earthbound by talking with our money. Simply Earthbound is a must-buy for any Wii U owner.
Some games hold a special place in ones’ heart. For yours truly, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons are two
of those games. In my younger years, all
I played were handheld games. I did not
own a console until the Gamecube, outside of the Sega Genesis I got for my
birthday when I was four. Without a
console, I was not exposed to such excellent franchises like Castlevania, Final
Fantasy and Metroid until I was much older.
A lot of my exposure to these franchises came from my subscription to
gaming magazines like Nintendo Power and later portable entries in these
franchises. Before Oracle of Ages and
Seasons, I had never played a game in the Legend of Zelda series. In the rearview mirror, it was one of the best decisions of my
life. Oracle of Ages and Seasons gave
birth to my love of Nintendo and the Legend of Zelda series. Why am I spending all this time talking about
my past experience with these games as they are over a decade old? Well, last Thursday marked the release of The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons on the
3DS Virtual Console. Releases that this
writer has been looking forward to for a while now considering I no longer have
the means to play the originals. The Oracle of Ages and Seasons are parallel stories in the Legend of Zelda universe. Upon checking on the Triforce, Link is transported to either the world of Labrynna in Ages or Holodrum in Seasons. Soon after Link's arrival, he meets up with the titular oracles, the Oracle of Ages Nayru and the Oracle of Seasons Din. Everything may seem peaceful at first, but sadly that peace does not last long as the forces of evil kidnap the oracles and plunge their respective worlds into chaos. Armed with his trusty sword and shield, it is up to Link to rescue the oracles and put a stop to the chaos brought about by the forces of evil, Oynx and Veran. Oracle of Ages and Seasons play like your typical top-down Legend of Zelda as Link completes dungeons to gain valuable items that open more of the world to traverse and allow the hero to solve many skill testing puzzles. Aside from the different stories, there is one other major difference between the Oracle games. This difference being that Oracle of Ages focuses more on puzzle-solving while Oracle of Seasons focuses more on action. For those interested, The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons are available on the Nintendo eShop. For a limited time, you can pick up Ages and Seasons for 5 dollars each. Once this promotion is over, the games will be available for 6 dollars each. No matter the price, these games are definite downloads for any 3DS owner.
Monday saw Capcom confirm the newest entry in the Ace Attorney series, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney- Dual Destinies for a North American and European release this coming Fall on the 3DS. An announcement that would be the cause of celebration for any handheld gaming aficionado like yours truly has just as easily angered fans. How has Capcom managed to anger their fans this time? Well by announcing that Dual Destinies will only be available on the Nintendo eShop as a digital download. Considering that media in general is turning to purely digital forms of distribution, the up rage over Dual Destinies being digital only might seem like a non-issue for some gamers. For gamers that prefer hard copies of their games over buying games digitally not having a hard copy of Dual Destinies is upsetting especially considering that Capcom will be releasing Dual Destinies for both retail and digital in Japan. It is understandable to see that Capcom is trying to cover their loses as the Ace Attorney series has not been a commercial success outside of Japan, but it would be nice for Capcom to give 3DS owners a bone after all the ill will with the cancellation of Mega Man Legends 3. Do a limited release for the hard copy of Dual Destinies in North America and Europe to appease the gamers that prefer physical copies of the game and possibly test the waters for future Ace Attorney releases. There are other ways of limiting the costs than just going with a digital only release.
Personally, I have been a fan of the Ace Attorney series ever since it debuted in North America back in 2005. I was never into the courtroom dramas that the game seemed to be influenced by such as Law & Order, but there was something about Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney that made me gravitate toward the virtual courtroom. The fantastic humour, solid adventure game mechanics and beautiful music are the reasons I own every entry of this series to reach our shores. When I saw the announcement that Duel Destinies was releasing this Fall in North America, I was ecstatic. While I do prefer to have a hard copy of Dual Destinies, I am not upset with Capcom's decision. I believe there are better ways of dealing with potential losses on a physical copies of the game rather than alienating a good portion of Capcom's audience. Also I am concerned about how Capcom will price the digital version of tDual Destinies and how much memory will the game take up. Since Dual Destinies will be digital download, I do not want to see this game priced like a retail 3DS game. In my opinion, twenty five to thirty dollars will be justifiable for this eShop only release. Another thing, I do not want Dual Destinies to take up an entire SD card due to how big the game turns out to be. Capcom needs to understand that some gamers just cannot afford to buy the biggest SD card out on the market and should accommodate for these gamers by making the storage manageable or provide a physical copy of the game.
While I do have some concerns over the next entry in the Ace Attorney series, I am a fan of this series no matter what. I am very excited to see Dual Destinies come to this side of the Pacific in some capacity later this year. Hopefully the release of Dual Destinies will inspire Capcom and Level 5 to bring over Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney to our shores as well. Now before we end things, check out the first trailer for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney- Dual Destinies.
Sometimes things do not go as planned. Originally, I wanted this edition of On the Download up much sooner, but when a two hour nap turned into a ten hour sleep plans changed. On the topic of plans changing, earlier this week I could not think of any downloadable games coming out this week to warrant a new edition of On the Download. Then I saw all the coverage for Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon and well my plans changed. Sometimes downloadable games can sneak up on you like it did to me this past week if you are not on top of them. Over the past few weeks, there has been a whole slew of noteworthy downloadable games to hit market such as Fez, Papo and Yo, Dyad and Monaco all for PC. It is a good time to be a gamer with an internet connection.
Last week I looked at the launch of the Wii U Virtual Console, well more games came out for the service this past Thursday on the eShop. These aforementioned games are Mega Man and Pac-Man. While the releases have been cut back from the last week's launch, it is very nice to see Nintendo show continued support for the Virtual Console considering how poor the support was for it during the later years of the Wii's life cycle. As long as Nintendo keeps releasing Virtual Console games on a regular basis, hopefully once a week, it will provide a good library of games for a system in dire need of them. While Mega Man and Pac Man may already be on many other platforms, the Wii U versions of these games include all the bells and whistles like restore points and Miiverse support that are included in Wii U and 3DS Virtual Console games. For 5 dollars apiece, these are two classic games for gamers both young and old to download for the Wii U.
It is 2007. The world is left in shambles of nuclear fallout after Vietnam War II. You play as Cyber Commando Rex Colt as you set out to kill enemies, rescue a damsel in distress and ultimately save the world like Cyber Commandos do best. The game I am talking about is Ubisoft's standalone downloadable expansion to Far Cry 3 called Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. Blood Dragon's only tie to Far Cry 3 is that they both use the same game engine. Ubisoft Montreal has crafted an insane game that looks to parody what people love about 80s action movies: inane plot; cheesy one-liners; unnecessary sci-fi elements and; tons of explosions. You do not need Far Cry 3 to experience the insanity of Blood Dragon, only 15 dollars or 1400 Microsoft Points and a Xbox 360, PS3 or PC.
After months of patiently waiting, Wii U owners have finally received the massive update needed to solve the load time problems the system has had since launch. While this update does drastically decrease the load times between running games and applications, it is not the only feature that Nintendo has added to the Wii U through the update. Wii U owners can now boot right into the Wii Menu by holding the B button during start-up, download and install games and applications in the background and when the system is turned off and transfer data between two USB storage devices. Along with the update came a few new games to download in the Wii U eShop. For the first On the Download of 2013, let us get on with the show.
Wii U owners have gotten a little taste of the Wii U Virtual Console through Nintendo's 30 cent trial program on the Wii U eShop. Now with the release of the spring update comes the official launch of the Wii U Virtual Console. While Nintendo's 30 cent program on select Virtual Console games will continue until July, Virtual Consoles will be released much more frequently now that the service has officially launched. For those looking at what to download for the Virtual Console launch, there are eight games to choose from. These games are Super Mario World, F-Zero, Punch-Out, Balloon Fight, Excitebike, Kirby's Adventure, Ice Climbers and Donkey Kong Jr. The prices for Virtual Console games range from 5 dollars for NES games and 8 dollars for SNES game, but Kirby's Adventure is on for 30 cents until May 16th. For Wii U owners who have moved their Wii Virtual Console library to the Wii U, you will be able to download the Wii U Virtual Console versions of these games for either 1 dollar for NES games and 1 dollar and 50 cents for SNES games.
While the delay of Rayman Legends and loss of exclusivity made a lot of Wii U owners very angry, Ubisoft has been trying their best to make it up to these gamers. First, it was announced that the extra time has allowed the developers up to 30 new levels into Rayman Legends. Second, Ubisoft planned to release the multiplayer portion of Rayman Legends exclusively for Wii U owners before the launch of the actual game. There was a vague mention of a spring release for this feature, but nothing was ever set in stone. It was to many gamers surprise to see the Rayman Legends Challenges App up on the Wii U eShop ready to download this past week. This free app allows gamers to play through the final versions of the demo levels along with the online challenge mode. There are daily and weekly challenges for gamers to test their platforming skills against people from all over the world. Win trophies in these challenges in order to boost your awesomeness level and unlock more extreme challenges. Personally, I have enjoyed my time with the Rayman Legends Challenges App and will easily spend more time with my Wii U because of it. The app is free so Wii U owners should have no excuse to download it while we all wait for Rayman Legends' September release.
It has been an exciting two months. Things have been falling into place in my life and for this blog. This Sunday is WWE's Elimination Chamber PPV, the final PPV before WrestleMania, and that marks the return of my Road to WrestleMania series on my wrestling blog, The Silverdome. I would love to have a weekly post on both blogs, but with all my school work I cannot get around to writing two blog posts a week. For the time being, I will be taking a little hiatus from Silver Bit. I will most likely try to put up previews for Tomb Raider and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, two games I am personally excited for, next month. Things will return to normal once WrestleMania has past. Now without any further ado, let us get down to business.
Game of the Week
Game of the Week, Game of the Month and a possible frontrunner for Game of the Year. I am talking about Fire Emblem Awakening for the 3DS. It has been a while since a game has blown we away like Awakening has done. Intelligent Systems has improved their already masterful strategy series to astronomical heights. The excellent pair up system, a support system that adds much more than bonus conversations and a seemingly endless supply of missions to play, teams to fight through SpotPass and StreetPass and bonus challenges and maps to complete. I have played Fire Emblem Awakening for close to 30 hours and I am only halfway through the main story of Awakening. On top of all that, Nintendo is releasing new DLC missions every week for gamers to buy that adds much more value to this incredible game. The more I play Fire Emblem Awakening, the more I love it. It is a masterful game and possibly the best game on the 3DS and the best game in the Fire Emblem series.
Most Anticipated Games of the Week
I have two Most Anticipated Games this week. Both games have out for a while, but this week they will be going on sale. They are F-Zero for the Wii U Virtual Console and Crashmo for 3DS. The former will be on sale for only 30 cents, while the latter will be on sale for 6 dollars. It is a no brainer for someone who has been wanting to buy these game for a while now. I highly recommend also checking out these deals if you own either a 3DS or Wii U.
Video of the Week
The Nintendo dominance continues here in this week's Bit by Bit. This past Thursday, Nintendo gave us the best Valentine's Day present we could of ever asked, a brand new Nintendo Direct. This Nintendo Direct focused on the 3DS games that will be released later this year and it was amazing. Announcing Mario Golf World Tour, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D was the most newsworthy announcement from the show, but we also got a plethora of information on new eShop games for both 3DS and Wii U and some smaller Wii U announcements. If Nintendo keeps releasing these Nintendo Directs at a regular pace, it could be an excellent year for us Nintendo fans.
Back in 2006, Nintendo revitalized classic 2D side-scrolling Mario with New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS. New Super Mario Bros. was so popular for Nintendo that they brought it to the Wii in 2009. Now 2012 marks a rare occasion that sees two 2D side-scrolling Mario games release in the same year, New Super Mario Bros. 2 and New Super Mario Bros. U. Today, we are looking at the direct sequel to New Super Mario Bros. for the original DS, New Super Mario Bros. 2. While New Super Mario Bros. 2 does mark the first 3DS entry of this type of Mario game, New Super Mario Bros. 2 is also the first 3DS game to release in both digital and physical forms simultaneously. Come midnight Sunday, you will be able to download New Super Mario Bros. 2 from the Nintendo eShop for the same price as the retail copy of the game will be sold for. While quite late in the game, it is a pretty big step in the right direction for Nintendo to say the least.
Bowser has kidnapped Princess Peach yet again and it is up to the Mario Brothers to save the monarch of the Mushroom Kingdom once again. There is a huge emphasis on coin collecting in New Super Mario Bros. 2. While your main goal like all Mario games is the save Princess Peach, the ultimate goal of New Super Mario Bros. 2 is to collect one million coins. There are a few new items such as the Gold Flower and the Gold Block to help produce large amounts of coins for Mario and Luigi to collect. Aside from the main game, there is the new Gold Rush mode for gamers to sink their teeth into. In Gold Rush mode, you play a set of three levels collecting as many coins as you can possibly collect with one life and challenge other gamers to beat your high score through StreetPass. Sometime after the release of New Super Mario Bros. 2, Nintendo will be releasing brand new levels to play in Coin Rush mode that you can buy as DLC. As long as you have two copies of New Super Mario Bros. 2, you can play two player co-op throughout the entire game.
When Nintendo first announced New Super Mario Bros. 2 back in April, I was very excited for a brand new entry in the New Super Mario Bros. series. Come August, I not as excited as I once was. The more I have seen of the newest Mario side-scrollers, the more it feels like the same. Do I plan of ever picking up New Super Mario Bros. 2? Yes, I do plan on picking it up, just not now. I have other big games to pick up this month and sadly New Super Mario Bros. 2 does not fit into the equation. As much as I love classic side-scrolling Mario games, it is time for Nintendo to shake things up before I really get excited for another one. Everything here is just one mans' opinion. If you are looking for a 3DS game that will certainly be worth the money or just a big Mario fan, definitely pick up New Super Mario Bros. 2. You can never go wrong with Mario.
It is sad to see things to slow down this much on the downloadable front. I can expect it from the retail side of things, but there has been a relentless slew of new quality downloadable games all competing for our hard earned cash as of late. It is rather sad to see things slow down this much. There was not even any new games released for the 3DS Virtual Console as part of their 8-Bit Summer initiative or a Game of Weekend deal on the eShop as well. I am still hoping either Pushmo and/or Dillion's Rolling Western to get discounted a few dollars one of these weekends. Even with the lack of noteworthy downloadable games being released at this very moment, there are a couple noteworthy ones that people should consider pre-purchasing. You can pre-purchase Symphony, a very interesting musical shooter that I have actually picked up, on Steam for 8 dollars (20% off the regular price) or Sound Shapes, a platformer where the actions make the music, on PSN for 15 dollars (12 dollars if you have PlayStation Plus) both of which come out next week. Also the first piece of Skyrim DLC, Dawnguard has been released for PC for those PC Elder Scrolls fanatics that have been waiting what to them must seems like ages for this big add-on. This week there might not be a lot of games releasing on the downloadable side of things, but next week looks to shaping up to be one big week for downloadable games. Might be big enough to warrant another two part edition of On the Download. We will have to wait and see. Before we can get to next week, we still got to take a look at the lone downloadable offering from this week, Deadlight.
Microsoft's Summer of Arcade continues with the release of Deadlight. Deadlight is a puzzle platformer much like Limbo and Shadow Complex, which both debuted in one of Microsoft's Summer of Arcade promotions from years past. Set in 1986, the world has been ravaged by a zombie plague. Deadlight casts you as Randall Wayne, a survivor of this perilous plague. After his wife and daughter go missing during the beginning of the outbreak, Randall sets out for Seattle to possibly find refuge and hopefully, if they are still alive, find his family. Each enemy encounter in the game plays out like a puzzle. You have to expertly use the environment to your advantage in order to get by zombies and other obstacles. While you are given access to weapons such as an axe and guns to combat the zombie horde, the best solution is to avoid combat unless it is absolutely necessary. It seems like every other game that releases nowadays has zombies in them in some shape or form and it is getting very tiresome. While Deadlight is yet another game set in a zombie apocalypse, it looks to be an unique enough experience to make it standout among the horde of zombie games. If you are interested in Deadlight, you can download from XBLA for 1200 Microsoft Points.
While there were no games that came out this week, there are a few new downloadable games to dive into. During the dog days of summer, you can always find something new to play during the seemingly annual gaming drought from one of the many downloadable services. From demos to DLC to full games, there is always something new for release on PSN, XBLA, iOS, Steam and the Nintendo eShop.
Nintendo's 8-Bit Summer continues to roll along with the release of Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 for the 3DS Virtual Console. Along with Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, Mole Mania has also been released for the 3DS Virtual Console. Surprisingly for the third Super Mario Land for the original Game Boy, Nintendo had Wario take the spotlight from his good-doing counterpart, Mario. After being kicked out of his castle by Mario at the end of Super Mario Land 2, Wario hears rumours that a group of pirates have a golden statue of Princess Toadstool hidden somewhere on Kitchen Island. Wario decides to turn his luck around after facing such a devastating defeat at the hands of Mario and goes to Kitchen Island to steal said statue. You take control of Wario as he fights his way through platforming level upon platforming level, crushing foes and collecting treasure. Along the way, you can find different hats (Bull, Jet and Dragon Hats) that give Wario special abilities such as temporary flight. Much of Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 is about collecting as much treasure as possible because the more treasure you collect, the bigger the castle you receive upon completing the game. For all those interested, Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 is available to download on the Nintendo eShop for 4 dollars.
This PSN game was released last week, but I sadly forgot to cover it in the last On the Download so I have decided to highlight it today. Dyad is a very stylistic game that should remind many gamers of games like Rez and Child of Eden. Dyad is a tunnel racing puzzle shooter. You control this little ship as it travels down a tube. By using momentum in beat with the psychedelic visuals and the trance music, you can hook, graze and lance enemies in order to propel yourself further down the tunnel. Dyad has 27 levels for players to enjoy and master. Dyad also offers two other modes aside from the main game, Trophy and Remix Mode. Trophy Mode is a sort of mission-based mode where you have to complete different tasks in certain levels to advance and Remix Mode is more a free play mode where the focus is more on relaxing than getting the highest score. If you want to dive in an incredible unique and stylish download, Dyad is available exclusively on the PSN for 15 dollars.
There is a lot to enjoy in the downloadable space. There are sales on almost every major downloadable platforms, summer downloadable game initiatives are in full swing and unlike at retail, there are a steady stream of games being released each and every week. And it is all at a click of a button.
Nintendo's 8-Bit Summer continues this week with finally the release of Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters for the 3DS Virtual Console. Also this week sees the another 3DS Virtual Console game, Tumble Pop, released and Mario Picross go on sale for 3 dollars, but I am not here to talk about those games. Today I am looking at the game that I have wanted on the Nintendo eShop since the release of Kid Icarus: Uprising. Kid Icarus: Of Myth and Monsters is the sequel to the NES classic. Angel Island is in peril once again. This time around it is the demon Orcos and his minions who threaten Angel Island. It is up to Pit to find the three Sacred Treasures in order to defeat Orcos. The levels in Of Myths and Monsters allow players to freely scroll in all directions, which add more exploration elements to the game. Also Pit is able to use his wings to slow his descent and extend his jump. Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters is available for download on the Nintendo eShop for 4 dollars.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, in the eyes of most gamers, is the ultimate skateboarding game in existence. When this extreme sport was just gaining popularity, Activision and Neversoft made a game that did it justice. Yes, it was a pure arcade-style skateboarding game more than an actual simulation of the sport, but it really did showcase how spectacular of feats these tricks can be. Sadly when Tony Hawk's Pro Skater got really popular was when Activision decided to shove it down our throats with yearly sequels, which eventually killed the series for a bit. Funny how Activision has not learned from those mistakes, but that is not the point. Looking for a fresh new start to the Tony Hawk franchise, Activision and Robomodo have released Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD, a re-release of the best levels from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2, as part of Microsoft's Summer of Arcade. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD has the same gameplay from the first two games in the series. Robomodo is working on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 DLC for the game that will add new levels and new tricks like the revert. While not every skateboarder or song return from the classic Tony Hawk games, Robomodo has tried to take the best from the first two games in order to provide a nice nostalgic trip for veterans and a fresh start for new players. Right now, you can only download Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD on XBLA for 1200 Microsoft Points, but it will be coming to both the PSN and PC in the coming weeks.
There are sales galore this weekend. Thousands of games are being discounted on Steam while you can grab Mighty Switch Force for the discounted of price of 3 dollars this weekend on the Nintendo eShop. Along with the sales, a couple of big downloadable games are coming to different platforms. The every popular Tiny Wings is getting an HD port for the iPad, which you can find on sale for 3 dollars on the App Store and Airtight Game's first big downloadable project has been released for XBLA and PSN this week for 1200 Microsoft Points or 15 dollars respectively. Re-releases were not the only thing this week as we got a few notable games to download.
While Nintendo's 8-Bit Summer continued with the release of Kirby's Pinball Land and Sword of Hope II for the 3DS Virtual Console, there is a 3DS download that should get a little more attention than it already has. The game is called Johnny Kung Fu and comes to us by the talented people at UFO Interactive Games. The local crime gang run by the notorious Mr. Wang has kidnapped Johnny's girlfriend. Knowing what needs to be done, Johnny dons his Kung Fu grab in order to save his girlfriend, who is being held at the top of Mr. Wang's tower. Johnny Kung Fu is a unique 3DS download that mixes old and new. The game jumps between side-scrolling brawling segments to Donkey Kong-esqe platforming levels reminiscent of the games found on Nintendo's old Game and Watch handhelds. Things start to ramp up as Johnny only has a hour or two to save his girlfriend. If you like to pick up a game that bridges the old and new in the way Johnny Kung Fu does, you can pick this game up for 6 dollars on the Nintendo eShop.
Made by small indie developer SideQuest Studios, Rainbow Moon is a strategy RPG exclusive to the PS3 which has a strong emphasis on exploration, character development and turn-based combat. In Rainbow Moon, you start out playing as Baldren, who has been warped to the world of Rainbow Moon by his arch-rival. Trapped in this unknown realm, Baldren has accidentally opened up a dimensional gate which has freed a full army of monsters. These monsters overwhelm Rainbow Moon thus turning the once peaceful realm into a living hell. Now it is up to Baldren to seal the dimensional gate and find a way back to his home world. Rainbow Moon is packed to the brim with content. There are six playable characters including Baldren that can be customized with upgradable weapons, armour and other accessories. There are over 100 special skills that you can teach one of the six playable characters, more than 20 dungeons to explore and a compelling story that will last you over 40 hours. If you are interested, you can download Rainbow Moon off of the PSN Store for 15 dollars.
Konami has tried many times to bring Frogger into the modern age of gaming, but every time they failed. Taking a page from what Namco did with Pac Man, Konami has released the classic Frogger gamers know and love with modern graphics and new game modes with Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition, available on XBLA, PSN and WiiWare. Along with the classic Frogger game mode, there are a brand new game modes such as Tile Capture, Battle Royal and Freak Out for gamers to play through. In the Hyper Arcade Edition of Frogger, you can customize the graphics through different skins. Some of the skins you can use are the modern neon skin of Hyper Arcade or classic 8-bit skins and sprites from Frogger, Castlevania and Contra. Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition also includes 4 player competitive multi-player so friends can compete to see who is the best at Frogger. Looking to relive the glory days of Frogger, Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition is available for 10 dollars on PSN, 800 Microsoft Points on XBLA and 700 Wii Points on the Wii Shop Channel.
It has been one busy Thursday for the video game industry. I turned on the computer today and was bombarded with at least four big news stories. Two of these stories relate to my weekly post on the newest downloadable games. First, Capcom and Marvel are joining forces again to bring both Marvel Super Heroes and the original Marvel vs. Capcom to XBLA and PSN this coming September in the Marvel vs. Capcom Origins. Next story is Sega's announcement that their iconic flying platformer from the Sega Saturn, Nights into Dreams will be getting a HD remake for XBLA and PSN releasing this Fall. Two big games you will definitely see me covering here in On the Download come their release.
July 5th marked the start of Nintendo's 8-Bit Summer initiative on the Nintendo eShop. Throughout the month of July, there will be two new 3DS Virtual Console games released on the eShop each week. The first two games released for the 8-Bit Summer are The Legend of Zelda and NES Open Tournament Golf. Both games were released to the 3DS Ambassadors just under a year ago for the NES wave of free games. For those who already own these games for the 3DS, you are able to update them, which adds the restore points feature found in all other Virtual Console games among a few other upgrades. If you are not a 3DS Ambassador, you are able to pick up these NES games for 5 dollars each.
Made by two people, Spelunky was originally released free for the PC in 2008. Spelunky is a 2D platformer where you journey through ever-randomizing levels on your way to the end of the game. This week an HD version of Spelunky has been released exclusively for XBLA. While Spelunky HD does have more polished animated graphics than the PC original, it is not a mere port. Spelunky HD has new graphics, music, weapons, items, monsters, traps, zones and secrets for gamers to experience. Spelunky HD has also been tailor-made for the 360 controller as the controls are much smoother and easier to get use to than in the original. Even though the levels are completely randomized, you are able to navigate the levels any way you want. Also each level is fully-destructible. You can compete with gamers across the world with online leaderboards or through Spelunky HD's Deathmatch multi-player mode. Spelunky HD's Deathmatch plays a lot like a platformer version of Bomberman as you use weapons and other items, possibly even bombs, to take out your opponents in small little arenas. If you want to play Deathmatch alone, you can play against AI bots. Also you are able to play through the entire game with co-operatively with three other players. Spelunky HD can be picked up on XBLA for 1200 Microsoft Points for those interested in picking it up.
