Nintendo Direct - 03.8.2018

Last night, there was a Nintendo Direct special presentation which revealed a shocking teaser of Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo Switch.

The teaser provided a good look at the Inklings (from Splatoon) as they sprayed each other with ink along with closeups of Mario and Link (from Zelda: Breath of the Wild), as well as a brief glimpse of several other characters shrouded in shadow.

The last Super Smash Bros. game had 58 different playable characters total, so it's likely that the Nintendo Switch roster will be the same size or even larger. At the very least, we can confirm that the Inklings will be included the the fighting title.

As of yet, we don't truly know if this an enhanced port of the Super Smash Bros. Wii U version or a brand-new game entirely. If it is a port, it could follow the model of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Mario Kart 8 was originally released on Wii U before coming to Switch which featured more content. Both the trailer and a subsequent press release remain heavily ambiguous about what form this game will take.

Nintendo hasn't announced a specific release date yet for the Smash Bros. game, but they did indicate that it will arrive later this year.

Since everyone is going to be making fan rosters, I might as well start off with my own top 15. I think honestly, that the roster could use more playable female characters and representation. It's become increasingly difficult to come up with new, highly desired additions to Nintendo's wide list of original IPs (intellectual properties).

1. Crash Bandicoot -
   
   Crash Bandicoot: N-Sane Trilogy | July 10, 2018
   
   Following its release on PlayStation 4 last year, Activision's Crash Bandicoot remaster is coming to Nintendo Switch. As such, this can open up negotiations towards adding Crash to the third-party roster.
   
   

   

   
   
   
2. Magnus (Kid Icarus: Uprising) - The blade that Magnus uses is quite bulky in addition to being sharp, yet he can swing it with great precision. The end of the sword's hilt is also decorated with a curved piece of metal that matches the rest of the blade.
   
3. Knuckles (Sonic and Knuckles) - The current guardian of the Master Emerald, a powerful ancient relic which is his solemn duty to protect from anyone seeking to abuse it. He is also the sole remaining descendant of his clan. A trusted ally of Sonic the Hedgehog, he's gullible, but a fierce rival. He can trap the wind under his dreadlocks to glide through the air.
   
4. Krystal (Star Fox Adventures) - She made her first appearance in the series in Star Fox Adventures. Krystal is the latest recruited member of the Star Fox team. She joined the Star Fox team after the Plight of Sauria, taking Peppy Hare's place as the fourth pilot.  She serves as the team's main telepath, acts as an additional fighter pilot, and is Fox McCloud's main love interest.
   
5. Impa (The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time) -  She typically serves as a nursemaid and/or bodyguard to Princess Zelda and often offers guidance to Link. Impa is the Commanding Officer of the Hyrule Imperial Guard and a playable character in Hyrule Warriors. She is the attendant and vassal of Princess Zeld. That is the version I would like to play as she's got a giant sword.
   
6. Viewtiful Joe (Viewtiful Joe) - Viewtiful Joe is the red-costume Superhero version of Joe, an average movie lover whose world was turned upside-down when he found himself brought into the World of Movies.
   
7. Twintelle (Arms) - Twintelle is a dark-skinned woman with white hair and pink highlights. Her  hair consists of two ARMS arranged in pigtails. She wears a black mask, a white sleeveless top with her emblem on her chest, tight black pants with a purple sideline all the way down, and a pair of sneaker heels. She has an athletic yet curvy build. Twintelle is a mega celebrity, yet is unstatisfied with her awards and accolades, despite being a star of the silver screen.
   
   

8. Ribbon Girl (Arms) - She is a pop idol in the ARMS world. Her jumping ability has given her the nickname, "The Airess". Ribbon Girl has blue eyes, blonde hair, and a pink skirt. Both her hair and her arms are ribbon-like and she has a pink mask on the top of her face. Ribbon girl wears glowing dark blue earrings.

8. Spring Man (Arms) - Spring Man has blue hair stylized like a spring and blue eyes. He wears a red and white tank top with his logo in the center and dark blue trims, and his ARMS are composed of springs.

9. Shantae (Shantae) -The half-genie guardian of Scuttle Town, Shantae works tirelessly to thwart the plans of the nefarious lady-pirate, Risky Boots, or other forces threatening the town. The character was created by Matt Bozon and his wife Erin Bozon.

10. Geno (Super Mario RPG) - is a warrior from Star Road and one of Mario's partners in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. He is sent by "a higher authority" to restore peace to Mario's world. During the events of Super Mario RPG, he teams up with Mario's team, which consists of Mario, Mallow, Princess Toadstool and Bowser and helps them out on their quest to defeat Smithy, the main antagonist and final boss of the game. In battle, he has high attack, but lower defense.

11. Midna (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess) - Midna, a member of the Twili, teams up with the protagonist, Link, to battle Zant. She has a playfully mischievous sense of humor, and showed a somewhat cynical demeanor during most of the game.

12. Elma (Xenoblade Chronicles X) - BLADE colonel and the team leader of the Reclaimers Division. In the prologue, she is tasked with retrieving the Lifepods that were ejected from the United States Ark Ship, the White Whale.

13. Linkle (Hyrule Warriors) - Linkle has a courageous heart and heroic spirit, though she is far more talkative (in contrast to Link's traditional role as a silent protagonist), and has a deeply held belief that she is destined to be the legendary hero. Her grandmother, gave her a magic compass branded with the Triforce logo that Linkle considers to be proof of her status as the legendary hero, despite her fellow villagers dismissing the idea (by pointing out this is just a folkstory that everyone's grandmother says to their grandchildren). Upon hearing of the Dark Forces' attack on Hyrule Castle, Linkle quickly dons a hooded green tunic and equips herself with two crossbows that she normally uses to defend her Cucco flock from Wolfos, determined to aid Princess Zelda and the Hyrulean Forces as the legendary hero she believes herself to be.

14. Lana/Cia (Hyrule Warriors) - Cia was originally the Guardian of Time tasked with watching and keeping the balance of the Triforce, Cia eventually began to harbor romantic feelings for the hero Link. These affections turned into jealousy towards Princess Zelda, a close friend of Link's. As Cia's resentment grew, she became vulnerable to the will of an evil being that was thought to have been sealed away long ago. With the light half of her soul driven from her body, thus becoming Lana, Cia was corrupted by the darkness in her heart.

Lana is fiercely determined to put a halt to Cia's plans, even at the cost of her own happiness. Despite her overly optimistic nature, her natural athletic energy serves her well and allows her to quickly dive around her enemies and attack with her book of sorcery, which utilizes electrifying spells that her enemies never see coming. She has a bright spirit and positive energy, dancing and striking cheerful poses in battle.

Cia

Lana

15. Sans (Undertale) - Sans is the brother of Papyrus and a major character in Undertale. He first appears in the forest after the protagonist exits the Ruins. He serves as a supporting character in a Neutral and True Pacifist Route. is a short skeleton with a dimpled smile and large orbits. He wears an unzipped blue hoodie, a white t-shirt/sweater, black shorts with white stripes, and a pair of sneakers/slippers.

Dragon Quest X Expansion Details - Time Travel and the Return of the Druid Job Class

Dragon Quest X’s next expansion, The 5,000 Year Journey to the Distant Homeland Online will arrive in Japan on November 16, 2017. According to an issue of issue of Jump magazine, the story will take players into the world of the past.

The latest iteration of the game features two essential key characters, including the knight in black (who appears to be reminiscent of an evil version of Dragon Quest XI protagonist) as well as a mysterious fairy named “Kyururu” who lends his unique powers to the hero player.

Apparently players will have a "fateful encounter" at the Eterne Kingdom, featuring completely new areas including fields of flowers, fancy roads, and ominous buildings.

Some of the additional characters that the player encounters include:

Meleade: A female you first meet in the past world. She’s a softhearted noble with a black cat.

Chacol: Meleade’s mischievous pet cat. Her collar and ribbon matches that of her owner, both being red. The cat's collar and Meleade's choker collar have a yellow star tag.

Quord: The commander of the Eterne Kingdom army, and the younger brother of Meleade. He’ll defend against anyone who tries to harm his sister.

The Druid job that was last available in Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past also makes a reappearance. It's a vocation that allows players to target and attack numerous enemies at once using the power of nature. It used to be known as the "Summoner" class in the original Dragon Warrior VII translation for the PlayStation 1.


Author's Note:

It would be interesting to see the timeline and progression of events, especially considering how far into the past the players will travel. It's a pity that this game has not been announced for Western localization.


Works Cited
Dragon Quest X Expansion Adds Druid Job And A Story That Takes Place In The Past. (2017, August 17). Retrieved September 07, 2017, from http://www.siliconera.com/2017/08/17/dragon-quest-x-expansion-adds-druid-job-story-takes-place-past/

Dragon Quest X Reveals Two Key Characters And A Cat For Its New Expansion. (2017, August 31). Retrieved September 09, 2017, from http://www.siliconera.com/2017/08/31/dragon-quest-x-reveals-two-key-characters-cat-new-expansion/

Dragon Quest X’s Next Expansion, Dragon Quest XI Announced for the West, & More!

Square Enix has officially announced the fourth major expansion (or rather, "version") of Dragon Quest X: Rise of the Five Tribes Online titled "5,000 Year Journey to a Faraway Hometown Online", during the Dragon Quest Summer Festival 2017 in Tokyo on Saturday, August 5th, 2017. It will launch for Wii U, PC, PlayStation 4, and Switch on Thursday, November 16, 2017 in Japan for 3,800 yen (approximately $34.33 USD).

Pre-orders are available now apparently via the Square Enix e-Store. Japanese players who have previously purchased the Dragon Quest X: All-In-One Package, which includes Version 1, Version 2, and Version 3 of Dragon Quest X, from the Square Enix e-Store, will receive a 500 yen discount (approximately $4.52 USD) coupon to purchase the all new Version 4 update.

Image by Gematsu

Square Enix has also announced "Dragon Quest Rivals", a card based battle game which will be released for iOS & Android (in Japan) sometime this fall, and they have also stated that a PC version, currently in development, will also launch sometime soon.

Additionally, the publisher announced that the original Dragon Quest and Dragon Quest II will be available digitally for PS4 and 3DS in Japan on Thursday, August 10, 2017 for 600 yen (approximately $5.42 USD) and 850 yen (approximately $7.68 USD), respectively. Dragon Quest III will arrive later that month for 1,500 yen (approximately $13.55 USD).

The franchise's latest installment, Dragon Quest XI: In Search of Departed Time (or Echoes of an Elusive Age), launched last month in Japan and has sold incredibly well. Perhaps even more exciting is that Square Enix has confirmed that DQXI will be coming to the west in 2018.

Additionally, there is an early-access demo for Dragon Quest X on PS4 via a "Spell of Restoration" code (entered through Dragon Quest XI) which provides access to the demo available on Thursday August 10, 2017.

Players simply enter the Spell of Restoration code of “あすとるていあへたびだとう” to access the additional content. The demo is now available for download, but it’ll be available to play from Thursday, August 10, 2017 at 12:00pm JST through Wednesday, August 16, 2017 at 11:59pm JST.

Author's Note:
If you want to let Square Enix know that you want Dragon Quest X to be localized, please send a letter to:

SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.
SHINJUKU EASTSIDE SQUARE
6-27-30 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku,
Tokyo 160-8430
JAPAN


Works Cited
S. (2017, August 06). Dragon Quest X’s Early-Access Demo For PS4 To Be Available Via Dragon Quest XI Spell of Restoration. Retrieved August 06, 2017, from http://www.siliconera.com/2017/08/06/dragon-quest-xs-early-access-demo-ps4-available-via-dragon-quest-xi-spell-restoration/

S. (2017, August 06). Dragon Quest X’s Next Expansion Announced, Launches November 16 In Japan. Retrieved August 06, 2017, from http://www.siliconera.com/2017/08/06/dragon-quest-xs-next-expansion-announced-launches-november-16-japan/

Osborn, A. (2017, August 06). Dragon Quest X Expansion, Rivals Card Game, More Coming to Japan Later This Year. Retrieved August 06, 2017, from http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/08/06/dragon-quest-x-expansion-rivals-card-game-more-coming-to-japan-later-this-year

Romano , S. (2017, August 06). Dragon Quest X Version 4 expansion announced. Retrieved August 06, 2017, from https://gematsu.com/2017/08/dragon-quest-x-version-4-expansion-announced

Dragon Quest X & Dragon Quest XI Crossover Event

Dragon Quest XI: In Search of Departed Time's release launch is drawing close in Japan (Expected to arrive on Saturday, July 29, 2017). As such, Square Enix is celebrating alongside the franchise’s previous iteration, Dragon Quest X. This event will start on Friday July 14, 2017 and end on Monday, August 14, 2017. The Dragon Quest XI character Silvia will appear in Dragon Quest X for a limited time. Engaging in conversation with Silvia will grant players a fabulous parade outfit, which you can see in action in the video towards the end of this post. Square Enix has released a Dragon Quest XI video showcasing the parade in-game.

The second part of the event will start on Saturday July 29th and end on Wednesday, November 15th. In Dragon Quest X players will use Dragon Quest XI‘s “Spell of Restoration” passwords to receive reward items. These unique items include a pet yocchi, a Dragon Quest XI poster and character figurines for the in-game housing, as well as a rather "engaged" gesture featuring a magazine (visible in a video located towards the top of this post). Gamers will have to approach a member of the Yocchi tribe at an in-game church in order to redeem the codes. The second part of the event is expected to run for a total of 110 days from the start date to the end date (or 3 months, 18 days including the end date). This leaves players with plenty of time to partake in the festivities. Apparently, the "Incarnation of Time" Kerucchi will also be making an appearance sometime during the commemoration.

Dragon Quest X will launch in Japan on PS4 on Thursday, August 17th, while the Switch version will release on Thursday, September 21st. It’s already available on the Nintendo Wii (services discontinued), PC, Wii U, and on the Nintendo 3DS, Apple iOS and Android mobile via streaming.

As always, you can read all of the latest Dragon Quest X: Rise of the Five Tribes Online posts here.

Works Cited

Duine, E. V. (2017, July 08). Dragon Quest XI details Silva's parade gameplay clip. Retrieved July 08, 2017, from http://www.novacrystallis.com/2017/07/dragon-quest-xi-details-silvas-parade-gameplay-clip/

Nelva, G. (2017, July 07). Dragon Quest XI Gets Fabulous PS4 Video Revealing Crossover Events with Dragon Quest X. Retrieved July 13, 2017, from http://www.dualshockers.com/dragon-quest-11-ps4-video-crossover-event-10/

Romano, S. (2017, July 07). Dragon Quest XI 'Silvia's Parade' gameplay. Retrieved July 13, 2017, from http://gematsu.com/2017/07/dragon-quest-xi-silvias-parade-gameplay

Dragon Quest X (Upcoming PS4 Version) Update and Beta Test Announcement!

Next month in Japan marks the release of the PlayStation 4 version of Dragon Quest X: Rise of the Five Tribes Online. Square Enix shared a brand new trailer (depicted below) that highlights scenes from the MMORPG title on PS4. The new “All in One Package” edition of the game, features enhanced visuals with improvements on facial textures and other parts of the game with 1080p resolution and 60fps performance on PS4 (which is a great improvement when compared to the original Wii version). It also contain the game’s first three expansions, or rather "versions" since it was launched back in August 2, 2012.

Dragon Quest X releases in Japan on August 17, 2017 for PlayStation 4 and Fall of 2017 (estimated September 21, 2017) for the Nintendo Switch. Both of which are priced at 4,800 yen (approximately $42.14 USD). The game is currently available on Wii U, PC, iPhone, and Android.

PlayStation 4 users will need to pay about 1,500 yen a month for five characters and the Switch version will cost around 1,000 yen (approximately $8.78 USD) to 1,500 yen a month (approximately $13.17 USD) for three to five characters.

A beta test for both versions was announced, and it will go live from Wednesday, July 19, 2017 through Thursday, August 10, 2017. Unfortunately, the Beta test application period ended Saturday, June 10, 2017 at 23:59.

The link to the BETA test can be found here: http://www.jp.square-enix.com/DQXBETA2017/

In order to participate, users must:

• Have a PlayStation® 4 / PlayStation® 4 Pro or Nintendo Switch ™ main unit 
• Have 16 GB of free space in their PlayStation® 4 / PlayStation® 4 Pro HDD
  
  OR:
• A Nintendo Switch ™ Main unit storage memory or microSD card with 16 GB of free space
  
  In addition:
• There must be an environment where you can connect to the Internet 
• Users must have a Square-Enix account
  
  If Nintendo holds up on their claim that their console is region free, the earliest Nintendo Switch users could see this game is September of this year.
  
  You can read all about my past posts regarding this title here.

Works Cited
Dragon Quest X Highlights Scenes In A New Trailer For Upcoming PS4 Version. (2017, July 06). Retrieved July 08, 2017, from http://www.siliconera.com/2017/07/06/dragon-quest-x-highlights-scenes-new-trailer-upcoming-ps4-version/

Dragon Quest X On Switch Gets Its First Footage, Release Dates For PS4 And Switch In Japan. (2017, May 27). Retrieved July 08, 2017, from http://www.siliconera.com/2017/05/27/dragon-quest-x-switch-gets-first-footage-release-dates-ps4-switch-japan/

My Review of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Hey everyone! This is your pixel pal Dave here with an update in gaming! I have recently completed the main storyline of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the Nintendo Wii U in less than a week of launch (I started on 03/03/2017 at approximately 12:33 PM). I have to say, overall, it wasn't a bad game. My only complaint is that the difficulty of certain fights needed a bit more balancing. Other than that, it's a fairly decent experience. Dungeons seem a tad smaller compared to say, the Wind Waker, but the puzzles typically found in them are now in shrines and there are more of them scattered about the realm of Hyrule. For every four spirit orbs obtained from these shrines, Link can trade them for a heart container or a stamina container.

*******Spoiler Warning!!!*******

This is where I will discuss ALL aspects of the game. If you're still playing it and don't enjoy spoilers, please discontinue reading.

As the story goes, Link is awoken by a mysterious voice (later discovered to be Zelda herself) urging him to awake and be a beacon of hope for the kingdom of Hyrule. After an encounter with an elderly man (not surprisingly, the King of Hyrule himself.) he points you in the direction of the first four shrines, which (after completing the challenges accompanied by them) permit your tablet Sheikah Slate to perform certain functions necessary for Link to begin his journey. King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule reveals that he is actually a spirit long since past from this world, but could not pass on the the next realm until he had fulfilled his role. He proceed to give Link his paraglider (a nod to Skyward Sword, the previous game) and from then on, he is to travel to Kakariko Village to meet with Impa, a member of Zelda's former guard. Impa then tells him of the history of Ganon (10,000 years old) and how Link came to be placed in the Shrine of Resurrection. He is then told to free the Divine Beasts under Ganon's influence in order to rescue Zelda in Hyrule Castle. After that, he is sent to Hateo's Tech Lab to regain some of the "basic functions" of the Sheikah Slate. ("I'm going to save Hyrule, but first, let me take a selfie") Joking aside, the photo album hidden in the Sheikah Slate is Zelda's personal scrapbook of sorts and they're locations that Link can traverse the wilderness for in order to regain his lost memories (an unfortunate side-effect of using the Shrine of Resurrection). After that limited direction, players are free to roam about and do as they see fit in order to better prepare themselves for the final encounter with Calamity Ganon.

Defeated on 03/10/2017 at 6:53 PM

The last boss fight wasn't particularly difficult (I had thought it would be excruciating, especially after the torture I went through with Thunderblight Ganon) but, it was a tad underwhelming. I had hoped for a serious challenge and was met with minor inconvenience. If you manage to obtain the favor of all four of the Divine Beasts, their operators manage to blast Calamity Ganon from the start of the fight, down to half of his total hit point value. This alone would be an amazing boon, but in addition to that, if the player has yet to use any of the champion's abilities, he or she is able to do substantial damage to the final boss even without the Master Sword, so long as they continue to move away from oncoming laser blasts. The afterbattle was even easier as you are mounting your steed shooting light arrows at Ganon's monstrous beast form (with his attacks not specifically aimed at you but rather the landscape). Weapon durability was an interesting design choice and at times caused me a little bit of frustration, only in that my inventory was either constantly full, or barren when I needed it to be the opposite in either instance. Some weapons have become my favorite and so coveted that I didn't want to use them as often as needed...of course there were some that could be repaired for a fee and the acquisition of certain materials, but once say, the Ceremonial Trident was damaged, I'd move onto another weapon altogether. (It's costly to repair it).

Some of the places in Breath of the Wild are subtle nods to past adventures like the Springs of Power and Wisdom from Skyward Sword. This really intrigues me as a longstanding veteran of the series as I am now somewhat actively looking for more of these "Easter eggs". I'm not accustomed to many free-roaming games and ironically, growing up playing video games (and board games too I suppose) I've gained a subconscious "goal-oriented" mentality. So I tend to focus heavily on plot points and achievements. I tend to lack the capacity for the enjoyment of subtleness or the nuances that come with a vast, open world of discovery. I guess I just get rather bored without progress or some form of productivity...(ironic again as my parents both view gaming as childish and not a productive use of one's time...which I vehemently disagree on a number of levels, one of which being puzzle solving, but I digress...). Nonetheless, my opinion of such games should not influence another's expectations of this title. I'm just the kind of guy that can't figure out what to do in Fallout 4 after the major storyline is finished as it bears little weight on the finale...

Replayability/Replay Value: Questionable/Varies
Overall Score: 8.75/10.0 - Worth a Purchase
Grade Score: A-


Worth noting (perhaps...they don't really bother me all too much) were a few frame-rate drops (namely when I was working with explosives or running around Kakariko Village). That may frustrate players who are accustomed to a "standard" of 60 frames per second. In addition, some other reviewers have complained of inopportune instances of the "Blood Moon Rising" cutscenes interfering with puzzles in the outer world (not the shrines) and boss fights. In some instances, refreshing the boss fights to the very beginning...but I haven't experienced any such issues. Probably because I was doing a substantial amount of climbing during those times...I also avoided areas that I knew were going to be quite hostile. The motion controls for the Myahm Agana Shrine, weren't a challenge to me at all with my level of coordination, so I fail to see what all of the fuss is about (although the Nintendo Switch has been known at launch to have some synchronization issues, especially with the left Joy-con) with regards to that. At any point players could press the B button during the motion control portion, lay the controller on a flat surface, then re-attempt to maneuver the ball to the goal...the number of complaints to me seems a bit bizarre to be perfectly honest. The trick is to fling the ball upward on the last stretch so it can make the gap...

I think my biggest disappointment was that Ganon in this iteration had NO human form. No Ganondorf...no dialogue, no monologue about power or corruption. That, to me, was a huge letdown. A story's protagonist is only as impactful as the villain's ambitions...I enjoyed when Ganondorf had a grand speech in Wind Waker about his homeland and how envious he was of the land of Hyrule...it made him relatable, and I actually took pity upon him. It's reminiscent of Batman's rogue, Mr. Freeze in a way, a villain you can't help but feel empathy for. In this game, he is a "faceless" entity of destruction. It can't be reasoned with, it can't be understood. It just EXISTS. I'm still puzzled as to how he claimed the "guardians" that the Sheikah from 10,000 years ago crafted. That to me, was alarming. A neutral force that aided the Hero of Time more than a millennia ago...yet suddenly, it's under Ganon's control? That particular detail seemed really suspicious to me and I've wanted more information ever since.

I've decided to purchase the DLC Season Pass for the additional $19.99 (+Tax) but my concern is that it renders 100% completion moot now because if Nintendo updates the game with the new mode, presumably, all progress would be reset to begin the game anew on the harder difficulty (which is mind-boggling, especially when there are 900 Korok Seeds...).

I hope you've all enjoyed my review of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and I hope to continue to keep you all posted on upcoming games!

Shantae: Half Genie Hero - All the Fun with Half the Fat!

Hey everyone! I hope you're all enjoying the holiday season! I'm back to drop a quick post regarding the release of Shantae: Half-Genie Hero. The game came out officially on December 20, 2016 for PlayStation 4. The Wii U version will also be available on December 27, 2016.

I was fortunate to have gotten my backer code about a week earlier, so I made sure to hit it hardcore and I have to say that I truly enjoyed every moment of it, even the parts where I got slightly frustrated trying to figure out how to progress. (A platformer actually challenged me! Gasp!) Utilizing Shantae's transformations in tandem is absolutely crucial and from time to time, you may forget that she has a specialty for certain situations. (At one point in the final level, I kept trying to do a "Flappy Bird" subtle tap through a spike death trap using the harpy dance, failing spectacularly, each time I might add, for several minutes...forgetting I could've used another transformation entirely specific for that EXACT scenario saving a boatload of time...).

The music composed by Jake Kauffman is absolutely brilliant, catchy, and upbeat. I started humming the theme as I went along. There is a fair bit of backtracking throughout the levels, but the warp dance makes it far less cumbersome to explore the new areas you could not reach before and there were some really clever level design mechanics. There were plenty of comedic moments and times where I wished the game had been a wee bit longer. Overall, it's a fantastic adventure.

The only thing I could think of that I would have liked to have seen would have been Shantae doing an aerial somersault. I think that should be a move in her repertoire *wink* *wink* *nudge* *nudge* (I wanted SO badly to do one...).

In all seriousness though, I felt that a mild in-game tutorial of sorts would've benefited newcomers to the series. (It took me about an hour or so to realize that Shantae had a menu option using the PS4's touchpad...and the game completely floored me when there were options to deselect power-ups and that there were consumable items). Also, I wish that if there was only one thing only to take away from the Mighty Number 9 project, it would have been the search-and-highlight option for backer's names. Other than that, this was an excellent game and I heartily encourage everyone to give it a try!

Review Score: 9.0/10.0 A-
Definite Buy!

Please take a moment today (and perhaps a few throughout the week, if you can manage it) to post or retweet videos, fan art, reviews...or make use of the Fan Kit available here. Anything you can do to help promote the game that WayForward has worked so hard on, would be greatly appreciated!

Dragon Quest X’s Development For Nintendo NX Alongside The PS4 Version - A Formula For Success

For those of you that have been reading this blog which I started back in 2011, the first post I did for the new year (2012) was regarding Dragon Quest X Online: Rise Of The Five Tribes (Dragon Quest X: Mezameshi Itsutsu no Shuzoku Online). It was a game I was eagerly awaiting here in the United States, but in never got localized. However, a recent article by DualShockers (and reposted by Siliconera), has rekindled my interest in this game due, in part, to the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu which included an interview with Dragon Quest X Producer Yosuke Saito and Director Chikara Saito, giving several updates on the state of the game.

The online MMORPG is currently in development for Nintendo NX, alongside the already confirmed PS4 version. This has me absolutely ecstatic as my friends and I can all play this on the PS4 (although, if I really enjoy this, I might purchase it for the Nintendo NX as well, assuming that I'll be picking up that console and the game makes it over to North America...)

Even if Dragon Quest X is only released in Japan, it may be possible to import a copy as the PS4 is region-free (unlike most of Nintendo's consoles which are region-locked).

Fingers crossed that we'll finally be able to play after a four to five year wait!!!




Works Cited

Nelva, Giuseppe. "Nintendo NX Version of Dragon Quest X Confirmed in Development Alongside PS4 Version | DualShockers." Nintendo NX Version of Dragon Quest X Confirmed in Development Alongside PS4 Version | DualShockers. N.p., 7 Aug. 2016. Web. 13 Aug. 2016.

Mighty No. 9 - Is it Truly Mighty, or is it a Feeble Folly?

Mighty No. 9 , a game developed by Keiji Inafune and his new company Comcept, has finally launched after a lengthy series of rather frustrating delays and a distasteful commercial pitch. However, does it live up to all the hype?

The short answer to that question is a depressingly solid "no". As a backer (or "becker" as we we were called) supporters of the Kickstarter campaign were well knowledgeable about Inafune's past successes with Capcom and their famous blue bomber Megaman. So, suffice to say, we were eager to support him with his new spiritual successor.

The game was crowdfunded with nearly $4 million dollars worth of funds collected in 2013. All of the stretch goals were met, but with frequent delays and the promise of multi-platform compatibility across last gen as well as current gen consoles, Inafune ended up biting off more than he could chew. With such an ambitious undertaking, there were bound to be complications.

Unfortunately, the reviews that have come in after Mighty No. 9's launch have been far from pleasant. I myself felt no emotional connection to the characters. We're sort of jettisoned from the start into fighting as Beck without much knowledge of his creator, his female counterpart Call, or any of the other characters (at least in the opening level) let alone what motivates them or why. Voice acting in particular for Beck's (potential) rival Ray was, from my perspective, a rather poor performance.

One of the most concerning aspects of the game though is that there are long, black loading screens (on the Wii U version at least) which occur for extended periods of time even after you've died and are waiting for the last checkpoint. These constantly remind me of the sad emptiness that is the void of life.

Most morbidly perhaps is that I somehow never got notified that the survey for entering your name into the credits had even been sent. Apparently, the e-mail was dated Friday November 21, 2014 at 3:49 AM. I had gone all this time under the assumption that I had already completed the survey and everything was set in motion. However, considering the length of time it took to produce, one would've thought a reminder e-mail or some sort of official announcement would have been made ensuring that fans who donated towards that reward tier were getting what they were paying for. I'm partially at fault for not checking my e-mail inbox for it specifically, but the message was sent on the week of my birthday so arguably, I would've been far more preoccupied with the celebration than my spam filter. (I'm sort of hoping that I am not the only person who did not get their name featured and I'm hoping that future updates may provide the opportunity to correct this predicament, but considering the negative backlash from the gaming community, maybe it is best for me not to have my name listed as a supporter at all.)

I'm right there...and I paid to have my name included...*sigh*

For what it's worth (to me at least) the game still plays like a traditional Megaman game. The nostalgia is still there, but it just seems a bit unpolished. (I've never been very good at Megaman X or the classic 8-bit series) It's not as aesthetically pleasing nor does it have the same charm, but it has the same gameplay mechanics.

Comcept previously spoke of a possible anime or sequel based on Mighty No. 9. It may not get that depending on how well the game sells.

The Underrated Underdog Console: Wii U

So the Wii U has been out in the U.S. since November 18, 2012. It's barely even three years old yet and people are tossing it aside like it's not worth making games for...it's gotten to the point where even Nintendo has started to convince themselves that the console is a sinking ship and that everyone should move on to the next project, codenamed: NX.

Developing software for the Wii U is a Catch-22 situation: Publishers and developers seem to think that they will not make much profit on the fledgling console, but by not developing for the system at all, Nintendo will never truly grow outside of their first party franchises.

What irritates and frustrates me the most is that these companies are often providing "half-assed" games when they do decide to contribute to the Wii U library because on the competing platforms (PC, XBOX 360/XBOX ONE and PS3/PS4, respectively) the games have all of their original features intact. As such, players that pick up a copy of the game for the Wii U are not getting the full value of what they initially paid for.

Warner Bros. for instance, did not include an online multiplayer mode for Batman Arkham Origins, while Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist has an online multiplayer mode, but no local split screen co-op.

Granted, this isn't the first instance of companies applying this "laissez-faire" (or "do-nothing") type of approach to Nintendo's platform. However, this practice has become far worse due to the sheer number of companies hopping on this informal policy bandwagon.

Treyarch, (and by the transitive property, Activision) in my opinion, is one of the worst offenders of this nonchalant apathy towards Nintendo and is guilty of making false promises on more than one occasion. This was evident during the Wii era with Call of Duty: Black Ops lack of DLC (although, that console's limitations were clearly evident) and with Call of Duty: Black Ops II on the Wii U now. It took Treyarch two years after the game was released to develop the Nuketown 2025 map, which was long overdue. Call of Duty: Ghosts by Infinity Ward in comparison managed to finally get the Freefall map several months after the other consoles received it.

Ubisoft proved that DLC was possible on Nintendo's latest hardware by offering transactions for Assassin's Creed III. Sources reported however, that these options would not be available for the latest installment of the franchise, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.

On a much more positive note, Ubisoft creative director Jonathan Morin had briefly discussed his latest title, Watch_Dogs, stating in an interview with CVG (ComputerAndVideoGames) that it is "...a beautiful game on Wii U and it's cool to play it just on the GamePad". In addition a comparison between that version and the other on PS3 and XBOX 360 was made of Morin and he claimed that "On the Wii U, you can play on the GamePad screen. There are no new features or anything like that - it's the same game, but we're optimizing the controls for the beast that is the Wii U GamePad".

So there is some hope for the Wii U considering that a few (if not many) games will have all of the bells and whistles that the other platforms come with naturally. (You can read the conversation in its entirety here.)

That's not to say that all of the blame is on the third-party developers. Au contraire! Nintendo has not exactly done an optimal job of generating public awareness of what the Wii U actually is, or what it is capable of either. Initially, many folks believed it to be an add-on to the existing Wii console (perhaps due to the name). Thus, perhaps folks viewed it as an unnecessary peripheral rather than an entirely new home console.

The sad thing is that most companies are advertising that their games will be on "next-gen" consoles, but they deliberately exclude the Wii U. As such, it's fallen into this abstract, unknown, unspoken category.

How can Nintendo get back on top? I would suggest just belting out as many games as possible. There has been a positive shift since Mario Kart 8 was released and even moreso with Super Smash Bros. Wii U. Hopefully, with the sales of the Amiibo figures, profits gained from those sales can apply to some of Nintendo's major financial losses.

How this information will affect other publisher and developer opinions remains to be determined, but it does not bode well in this economic climate. On one last positive note, Nintendo's latest intellectual property, Splatoon for the Wii U is doing quite well as a third person shooter. It's a game where characters known as "Inklings"— beings that can transform between humanoid and squid-like forms, hide or swim through colored ink sprayed on surfaces using gun or brush-based weaponry. The object of the game is not to score points via kills, but through covering territory with the most amount of ink. It's a game that has become quite popular despite the sluggish sales of the home consoles themselves.

We as gamers need to be patient and keep watching to ensure that Nintendo gets its fair share of publicity and we need to stop treating it like the third political party in an election. The more competition between the three major competing companies, the lower the prices will be for the consumer.

Splatoon Global Testfire

In the upcoming title Splatoon, players will be shooting colorful ink blots at opponents as well as surfaces, which the player characters, known as "Inklings" can swim through, in order to hide from enemies, increase movement speed, or climb up walls. In the online multiplayer mode, two teams compete to cover the map in most of their color of ink. In the single-player campaign, the player infiltrates an enemy octopus army that uses its own arsenal of various ink weapons.

During a very special Nintendo Direct presentation, Nintendo announced the Splatoon Global Testfire, an open beta test for the upcoming Wii U action-shooter game.

For those interested in participating, you must download the beta demo from the Wii U eShop, which is available now. Splatoon’s Global Testfire will run during specific dates and times in the United States. These times are listed in the schedule below:

May 8 from 8:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M. PT / 4:00 - 5:00 A.M. GMT / 11:00 P.M - 12:00 A.M EDT
May 9 from 4:00 A.M. - 5:00 A.M. PT / 12:00 - 13.00 P.M. GMT / 7:00 A.M. - 8:00 A.M. EDT
May 9 from Noon to 1 P.M. PT / 16:00 - 17.00 P.M. GMT / 3:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M. EDT


Participants that work for Nintendo will have their Inkling avatars wearing Lab Coats during the event. Nintendo has not indicated any additional dates or hours for the worldwide Splatoon Global Testfire at this time.

The Nintendo Direct Presentation revealed a plethora of information regarding the central hub, Booyah Base. It also provided an in-depth look at the vendors and types of equipment available for purchase. The Splatoon Amiibo set will unlock three NES-style mini-games when the game launches on May 29, 2015.

Smash Bros. Fighting Ballot - Cast Yours Today!

"Who's the manliest man to ever wear a red-clad clad outfit with a pink cape? Viewtiful Joe of course! He's the embodiment of every wannabe superhero out there. With the mystical V-watch given to him by Captain Blue, he fights to save Movieland! He's perfect for the Smash Bros. battlefield because of his signature moves of slowing down or speeding up time (something that the timer item already does!). He would look great on the big screen with his catchphrase transformation, "Henshin-A-Go-Go, baby!". Joe would just be a perfect fit for the franchise. Please give him his shot in the spotlight!"

 

This is the message I sent to Nintendo regarding my pick as the next Smash Bros. Character. Submit your vote here: https://cp.nintendo.co.jp/us/

Please only one vote per person.

Shantae: Half-Genie Half-Hero ALL AWESOME

I have some exciting news for those of you that are interested in the upcoming Wayforward game, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero! According to Siliconera, the action platformer has hit another of its extended stretch goals, and will now include three more playable characters—Rottytops, Bolo and Sky—each with their own unique stories and abilities. The following is the tweet from Wayforward themselves acknowledging this momentous achievement:

#FUNDED #ShantaeHalfGenieHero : Hero Modes!! Expect to see something fancier Monday ^_^ Congrats Tinkerbackers! pic.twitter.com/ls8anZHo0A
— WayForward (@WayForward) August 24, 2014

There is a video available right now detailing some of the gameplay we will come to experience soon.

I find myself extremely pleased to have supported this title and I heartily look forward to its completion. Once again, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero will be available on the Nintendo Wii U, Sony PS3, PS4, VITA & VITA TV, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Xbox One and Steam (Windows PC).

Is there a Hyrulian Warrior in you?

Hello everyone! How've you been? Three days ago (August 4, 2014) Nintendo had a Hyrule Warriors Nintendo Direct presentation which aired 8:00 p.m. PST (11:00 p.m. EST). It can be viewed here for
those of you that missed it the first time.

Some of the highlights include the announcement of two-player co-op, additional playable characters including Ghirahim, Zant, and the ultimate face of villainy for the Zelda series, Ganondorf himself. Also, some other familiar faces made the roster such as the Goron Darunia, Princess Ruto of the Zora, and Sheik.

Lana, the White Sorceress (shown above), seems to be the most refreshingly new character (at least from my personal perspective) because she's key to the main plot of Hyrule Warriors and not much is really known about her motivations or backstory at this time. A majority of the Nintendo Direct presentation exposed more playable characters, but didn't touch up too much on the main villain for the game, the dark sorceress, Cia (shown below).

Image borrowed from IGN.com 

This is merely speculative on my part, but I would not be surprised if it were revealed that both Lana and Cia were related in some way, shape, or form (I'm predicting that they might actually be sisters). I have no real evidence to support this claim, but I'm putting this out there in the event that my theory proves to be true.

If players register the game with Club Nintendo between 9/26/14 and 10/23/14, they can receive a free download code for the Demon King Costume Set DLC (Downloadable Content), which contains two costumes for Ganondorf that you can use interchangeably.

There will be additional costumes that are specific to certain retailers, so be on the lookout for more information as it is made available. Hyrule Warriors will be available in North America starting September 26, 2014

Thank you for reading, your support, and comments! Please, if you are responding to a post, put a hashtag saying #Legit or #TrulyNotSpam because (as you might have surmised) I've been getting a lot of spam lately despite the word captcha tests I have put in place. It will help me to address your concerns or questions more efficiently. I apologize for the inconvenience, but it's been a bit of a nuisance.

New Nintendo Direct -- It's going to be a real SMASH hit!!!

A brand-new Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS oriented Nintendo Direct presentation will be streamed from the official website on Tuesday, April 8th, 2014 at 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (3:00 p.m. Pacific Time). It will be available 23:00 UK time.

Nintendo Direct Video Link Featured Here

In addition to this important update, I have posted my personal top twelve desired fighters list for the new Super Smash Bros. IV game.

(Please note: Recovery moves HAVE to be kept in mind when picking characters. B+↑ not only has to fit the character, do some damage, and propel them upwards, but it's best if it is thought of as something from the character's universe.)

1. Viewtiful Joe (Nintendo Gamecube, Viewtiful Joe 1 and 2, Wii, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom) - Henshin A Go-Go Baby!!!
   
2. Krystal (Nintendo Gamecube, Star Fox Adventures, Star Fox Assault, etc.) - My only stipulation is that she keep her staff for combat. Other than that, Nintendo could use the more modern costumes/outfits that she's worn in the Star Fox series and I wouldn't mind.
   
3. Geno (Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Mario RPG)
   
4. Lucina (Nintendo 3DS, Fire Emblem: Awakening) - More strong, independent female fighters are desperately needed in the series and I for one, think Lucina would fit the bill nicely.
   
5. Gaius (Fire Emblem: Awakening) Gaius was a thief in Fire Emblem: Awakening with a sweet tooth like no other. He's got a great personality and I for one, would really like to have him playable as a character. At the very least, he should be an assist trophy.
   
6. Owain (Fire Emblem: Awakening) I really liked this character. When I was reading his speeches about his legendary sword hand, I got really pumped up and I wanted to make sure he joined my team in the game. Unfortunately, that never came to pass as no matter how many times I tried, he'd always die in the end. Still an awesome wielder of the "legendary" blade Mystletainn.
   
7. Magnus (Kid Icarus: Uprising) - He's got a big sword, he's pretty much a mercenary with a mouth (No, not like Deadpool), but I figure this recommendation will most certainly satisfy those Cloud (Final Fantasy) fanboys.
   
8. Amazon Pandora (Kid Icarus: Uprising) -  She's a stunningly gorgeous fighter, and she's got *drumroll* A SWORD!!! 
   
9. Mii Avatar - Would be sort of neat to see yourself in Smash Bros. I'm a bit concerned over some of the Miis created though (a lot of those created have inappropriate faces and you can download quite a few of them online) but if the movesets are customize-able, that would only further my desire for a Mii character option. I could visualize a B+↑ move being somehow related to Pilotwings: Resort in some manner, most likely a jetpack or something.
10. Shulk (Xenoblade Chronicles) - Although I've never been given the opportunity to play Xenoblade Chronicles, this blonde haired, blue eyed hero has a pretty killer looking sword. I happen to really like swords. I also like RPGs. BAM! He's made my list.
    
11. Fawful (Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga): He was a brilliantly hilarious villain and I would constantly taunt people saying "I have...FURY!"
    
12. Prince Fluff (Wii, Kirby’s Epic Yarn) - It would be nice to have a yarn looking character in Super Smash Bros. because you get to pummel string. Plus, it might get people more used to the idea of Yarn Yoshi coming out soon.
    

Honorable mentions:

1. Hades (Kid Icarus: Uprising) - He's a fun villain character because of the dialogue in the game. However, due to his standing (being a deity of sorts and his gargantuan size) he does not make my list. Palutena in Super Smash Bros. Brawl was part of Pit's Final Smash, Palutena's Army where he calls to the goddess Palutena for her army of Centurions. She was a large image in the background. If Sakurai intends to keep that attack the same for this new game, it would set precedent for her not to appear AND for Hades to be larger than life. I suppose he could be shrunk to the same height as the other fighters (like how Olimar from Pikmin was heightened to be relatively average to that of the other fighters but even so, it's way beyond what Ridley sized shrinking would be). In hindsight though, Palutena was normal sized in-game when you fought against her with the parasitic Chaos Kin so it's not too difficult to imagine a similar situation...
2. Zoroark and/or Mewtwo (Pokemon) - With Lucario and Pikachu returning, these two fighters would be a nice fit (I'm still dreaming of a Lucario vs. Mewtwo battle). With Zoroark in particular, it's a new pseudo-legendary Pokemon and would have the ability to look like other player characters. That could add an element of surprise. Maybe utilize their movesets perhaps?
3. Groose (The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword) - He was a jerk in the beginning, but ends up a pretty solid hero in the end of the game, but as to his moveset I wouldn't have a clue as to what his B+↑ would be, so he makes my honorable mention list.
4. Knuckles the Echidna (Sonic The Hedgehog 3) - He's got SPIKES on his huge knuckles. If he's not a "brawler" I don't know what is. Just don't put in the new version of him in Smash Bros. that makes him look like a buffed out Hulk or Crunch Bandicoot. I would love to glide with him (because his dreadlocks help him do so in previous games) and it would be interesting to see if some sort of digging move could be incorporated into his skill set because he's a treasure hunter.
5. Isaac (Golden Sun) - He was an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and if Little Mac went from that to a playable character, I don't see why Isaac can't make the cut either. Once, again, this is another character from a game & franchise I've never played before, but I would be more than happy to welcome him to the roster.

Wii U Call of Duty: Ghosts - The Dead DLC Has Risen and It's Free(Fallin')!!!

The Wii U FINALLY has the FreeFall Map as of March 4, 2014.

@A_Trey_U posted at 4:26 PM - March 4, 2014: "Free Fall is now available to Wii U players in #CODGhosts and has been added to various playlists!"

This is the original YouTube Trailer that was shown for the PS3 and Xbox 360 version:

The map is absolutely free and comes with an update. You can see all the details of the most recent update here.

It's a 130 MB download for the Free DLC Map Free Fall and it's mandatory in order to play online multiplayer. All I can say is that it's about time that Treyarch and Nintendo got their acts together. For a VERY long time, the Nintendo versions of Call of Duty titles have been absent of downloadable content and maps from Treyarch/Infinity Ward/Activision. Now players can breathe a small sigh of relief that they'll be able to at least try one of these nearly exclusive stages. Hopefully, this will be a stepping stone towards future third party support and integration. Nintendo desperately needs all the help it can get right now.

One of Swords: Playing With Swords: COD Ghosts Game Day

One of Swords: Playing With Swords: COD Ghosts ... | Community

It looks like on Friday, February 21 from 6pm PT to 8pm PT (9:00p.m. -11:00p.m. EST) there will be an event hosted by OneOfSwords (That's his Nintendo Network ID) for Call of Duty: Ghosts on the Wii U. The link is enclosed above if you are interested. Basically it will be friendly matches in core objective playlists, mostly Domination.

Now, I know for some of you this is a bit short notice and I do apologize, but this knowledge did not come into my possession until this very morning. The original post was made on Feb 18, 2014 5:35:16 PM and wasn't brought to my attention until today. Nonetheless, I will try myself to make an appearance online if time permits. My Nintendo Network ID is Supergamesniper9.

You can follow Treyarch specifically for the Wii U version of Call of Duty: Ghosts on Twitter by following
@A_Trey_U