Tag Archives: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

E3 2019: Nintendo

Ah Nintendo, it wasn’t too long ago that everyone made fun of you for making the most backwards decisions possible. While you still make some absolutely bonkers choices, you’ve earned a ton of goodwill since the Switch launched. Personally, I want to know more about Animal Crossing, Super Mario Maker 2, and hopefully some information on the future of Nintendo’s online service, whether that’s new NES games or even SNES or N64 stuff to their offering.

Well, let’s see how wrong I was about all of this, and shine the light on Nintendo, for this, the last of our conference coverage for the week.

SUPER SMASH BROS. ULTIMATE

What better way to kick off E3 than by announcing a new character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Or maybe 6 characters? They weren’t incredibly clear about how many characters are joining the fight, but my guess is it’s just one character with a couple of different costumes.

Oh, it’s a Dragon Quest character, probably should’ve mentioned that. For those of you still playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, I hope this is what you wanted. Another anime character in Smash. I hear the Smash community loves those.

LUIGI’S MANSION 3

I never had the chance to play the second Luigi’s Mansion on the 3DS, and in the face of this announcement, I now realize how upset I am by that fact. Luigi’s Mansion 3 looks so charming and pleasant, adding in a bunch of new features in terms of ghost hunting and multiplayer modes.

I always appreciated how Nintendo was able to make a lighthearted game in a spooky setting while also constantly just giving Luigi the short end of the stick. I look forward to it releasing later this year.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK’S AWAKENING

Here’s another one I never got to play, back when it made it’s initial debut. The top down, 2D Zelda games never did the trick for me like the 3D ones, but this one looks so darn cute and adorable, that I’m willing to give this game a shot.

Also, they’re putting in a dungeon maker mode? I hope this is the backdoor pilot to Nintendo actually releasing a full Zelda maker in the vein of Mario Maker. It’ll be out on September 20th, 2019, and I will certainly be getting it.

THE WITCHER 3

It’s impressive as hell that they managed to put The Witcher 3 on the Switch and I don’t want to detract from that. But I’ve spoken about The Witcher 3 before, and while I do genuinely like the game, I don’t know that the Switch version is going to be the best way to experience it. That game had trouble playing on modern consoles as is, and I can’t imagine what it will be like on the Switch. Otherwise it’s a fantastic game that I ended up turning on god mode for most of.

Hopefully it works great and people can enjoy that game on the go. It’s due out later this year.

NO MORE HEROES 3

I have a confession, I’ve never played a No More Heroes game, but I’ve always heard good things about the series, but never got a chance to play it. I have no idea what to expect from the third title, but from my understanding, they’re traditionally fun third person action games. I think it also is a game that has attitude, for whatever that’s worth. With a nebulous 2020 release date, we’ll see how it shapes up.

ASTRAL CHAIN

From what I can gather, in this cool looking action game, you capture the enemies you’re fighting to use their abilities in combat. It looks cooler than I’m describing. You’re basically fighting these big monsters, throwing a chain at them, and then taking control of them at utilizing their abilities in combat while you’re chained to them.

It sounds interesting enough. It comes out on August 30th of this year.

MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 3

I always had a hard time getting into the Ultimate Alliance games for various reasons, and lower on that list was the camera angle. I know that the point of the game is to see your allies and cooperate with them, but it always left me feeling a little disconnected from the action on screen. This one seems to have a more traditional 3rd person camera angle while continuing to trade in the same basic action loop the past games did.

Otherwise, I’ve always enjoyed the pitch of the Ultimate Alliance games. All of these superheroes team up to fight an even bigger baddie. It’s a simple concept, but one that manages to hook me every time.

It comes out on July 19th, and I will certainly be checking it out.

ANIMAL CROSSING NEW HORIZONS

Welcome to my deserted island that’s overrun by enterprising raccoons. Animal Crossing New Horizons looks incredible, not only visually, but mechanically. It seems like it’s going for a slightly more survival focused gameplay loop. The player crafted a “flimsy axe” which leads me to believe there’s gonna be some sort of item degradation in it. Also there seemed to be an emphasis on changing weather, which I’m into.

This is all just me speculating, but it seems like they’re trying to add more emphasis on moment to moment gameplay, making you think about your items and needs in the short term, as opposed to just thinking about long term goals.

It’s a shame that it isn’t coming this year, but it won’t be too much longer of a wait, considering it releases in March of 2020.

BANJO KAZOOIE!

They’re putting Banjo-Kazooie in Smash. Everyone can finally shut up and be cool for once… right? This is great, everyone has been clamoring for this for a long time, and it was this inevitable thing that just needed to happen already. They’ll be added to the game this fall.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD SEQUEL

In what could be the spookiest announcement of the conference, a sequel to 2017’s monumental Breath of the Wild, was announced to be in development. It’s safe to assume that it’s going to play just like Breath of The Wild, so if you didn’t like that, too bad. That’s really it for info, but it’s exciting nonetheless.

More exciting is the prospect of how Nintendo hopes to recapture what made Breath of The Wild so engaging in the first place. The sense of discovery and exploration was incredible, but if we’re traipsing around the same map, I wonder how that sentiment holds up. I’d like to see maybe a new map, or a map so remixed it’s barely recognizable. Also, I think it’s time to let us play as Zelda.

Without a trace of Bayonetta, Metroid, new hardware or any info on their online service, some could look at this presentation as a whiff. I thought this presentation was great though. Still upset about Animal Crossing and it being delayed, but whatever. Nintendo’s lineup for this year looks great.

And that’s it folks. Thanks for riding with us for these conference overviews. There should be some more E3 coverage this week, but not a ton more. After all, I am in New York and can only do so much, but thank you again for sticking with us. See you around.

Blog: Nintendorama – 01/09/19

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I’ve been toiling away in the Nintendo mines lately, chipping away at some of my ever expanding backlog when I came to the incredibly rare and never before talked about realization that those folks at Nintendo know how to make fun games. This may come as a surprise to some of you, but I’m serious. I think they might be onto something.

In all seriousness, I’ve been grinding my way through some Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and am having the most fun I’ve had with that series in ages. I know a lot of people didn’t like the concept of having to unlock most of the 7000 characters in the game, but it’s kind of kept me on the hook longer than I expected. I don’t know what will happen when I unlock everyone, but for the moment it’s enough motivation to keep me coming back.

Speaking of getting them all, I’ve also been playing Pokemon: Let’s Go Pikachu and am having a similar experience to Smash Bros. Ultimate. I’ve never been a huge Pokemon guy, but this game is so darn delightful that I can’t help but be charmed by it. I think my favorite part about it might be all the bullshit they’ve cut from the Pokemon formula. Random encounters are gone now that you can see all the little critters rustling around in the bushes, swapping Pokemon in and out of your party is no longer something you need to return to a town for, and all your little Poke-pals get experience just for being there after a battle. Although I guess I don’t know for sure if these are new changes to the series, but they’re new to me. The game thus far is a low stress experience and I hope it remains that way.

2019 seems like it could be a big year for Nintendo with upcoming titles like Animal Crossing and Metroid Prime 4, and I can’t wait to see how it pans out. Like tons of people my age, I grew up with Nintendo, and after seeing the disappointment that was the Wii U, it’s nice to see them back on top with the Switch and it’s lineup of fantastic first party games, as well as overwhelming indie support.

Blog: Hey December, Can You Chill? – 12/19/18

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Hey, what the actual fuck is going on? December has been popping off in a way I wasn’t entirely prepared for in regards to game releases. It’s borderline irresponsible how many really good games have come out this month. See, traditionally game releases slow the hell down once Black Friday passes us by, but this year isn’t playing by the rules. Let’s go ahead and take a quick gander at some of things I’m talking about.

Just Cause 4 (12/04/18)

Just Cause 4 came out to a pretty mixed reception, but it’s still worth mentioning. What’s more interesting about this is that Just Cause 3 also pulled this stunt 3 years ago on December 1st.

Ashen (12/06/18

I wrote about Ashen and how updates about it were oddly silent. Turns out, it just wanted to surprise everyone with a surprise launch at The Game Awards this year. While I’ve been pretty excited to play it in the past, I’m finding it hard to get excited about it the more I see of it.

Katamari Damacy Reroll (12/07/18)

Katamari Damacy got a remaster this month, which while it isn’t a new game technically, it’s still a fucking awesome game that is worth playing. It’s definitely one that’s fun to zone out with.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (12/07/18

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the biggest Smash Bros. fan, but it’s still a really novel game in my eyes. There’s something wonderful about getting all of these Nintendo properties fighting each other alongside some other notable characters from across the gaming landscape. There’s something cozy about Smash, that is until you take even the slightest of peeks into the competitive scene. That place is a nightmare.

DayZ (12/13/18

This isn’t a joke. DayZ is a real game and not just the prime example of why early access is a dangerous bet. I have zero interest in playing DayZ nor have I looked up anything about it, but I’m just amazed it exists at all.

GRIS (12/13/18

GRIS does the thing that I like where it looks fucking awesome. I’m a sucker for style and GRIS is oozing with it to an unhealthy degree. While some of the footage I saw about it made the platforming seem a little stiff, I’m still more than willing to give it a shot. It’s a puzzle-platformer too, which is also kind of my jam.

Below (12/14/18

As if DayZ coming out wasn’t enough of a sign of impending apocalypse in 2019, Below actually releasing should definitely tip you off. Like, I had no idea what Below was before it released, and even now that it’s out I’m pretty unclear. I think it’s a rogue-like experience, but I can’t say for certain. I’d say I’m going to give it shot, but I genuinely don’t know if I’ll ever get around to it.

2018 has been an unruly year that just wont end. I’d say that this was it for games, but apparently stealth releases are in vogue this month and maybe tomorrow Half Life 3 will just appear on Steam. Who fucking knows anymore? Knock it off 2018, go to bed already.

Blog: Off-Week – 10/24/18

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So here’s the thing, I didn’t really prepare much of anything to write about this week and I don’t quite feel like phoning it in more than I already am. But there is a reason for all of this, something I’m sure I’ve spoken about before. I just haven’t really played anything of note since last week.

Well, that isn’t entirely true. I did play some Call of Duty Black Ops IIII which was a lot of fun for the few hours I spent with it, but it didn’t leave me wanting to return to it in a meaningful way. Like, it’s fun in the way that Call of Duty always has been, but it didn’t manage to grab me the way the older games did. I know exactly why that is too.

The simple answer is that I don’t have the time or the desire to really get into Black Ops IIII. It’s a really fun experience that I wouldn’t mind dipping into from time to time, but the military shooter genre itself isn’t really doing it for me the way it did ten years ago. I have plenty of good memories of playing these types of games from the past, but these days I find myself wanting a more insular and solitary experience.

It’s why games like Super Smash Bros Ultimate and Fallout 76 are doing absolutely nothing for me. It’s because I just want to play a game by myself, and experience it at my own pace. I almost made the mistake of buying the latest Jackbox Party Pack because I wanted to play the game where you make robots rap battle, but then I remembered that I’d never get the chance to actually play it.

More to the point though, I think the real reason I haven’t played anything this week is because of what is arguably the biggest release of the year being so close to being out. With Red Dead Redemption 2 mere days away, I’ve found it hard to want to play anything but that. It’s one of the first times in a long while that I’ve felt this “hype” for a game that’s demolished my will to touch anything else. I’m sure by next week I’ll post something about Red Dead Redemption 2 and title it in a ridiculous fashion. Something like, “Yeehalloween” or some shit.

Blog: The Big Hitters – 09/05/18

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September is finally here, and with it comes the annual dump of video games that we all know and love. This isn’t a comprehensive list of releases by any means, rather it’s a list of the bigger games that I’m personally keeping an eye on.

Marvel’s Spider-Man [09/07/18]

Like a lot of people, my memory of Spider-Man games gets real blurry right after the 2004 release of Spider-Man 2 for the PS2 and Xbox. There are a lot of reasons people consider that one to be the most memorable, but all I really remember is that the web-swinging felt really good. All I know is that there’s a new Spider-Man game that looks like it’s combining the feeling of moving around as Spider-Man with Arkham Asylum-style combat, which seems like a match made in heaven for me.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider [09/14/18]

I’ve been really impressed with the rebooted Tomb Raider games we’ve gotten thus far, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider seems to be building upon the already solid foundation its predecessors have laid down. I may not know anything about what’s actually going on in the story of Lara Croft over the course of these games, but playing them has been an absolute blast, and I look forward to eventually getting to shoot arrows at dudes who wander too far into the woods.

Life is Strange 2 [09/28/18]

Set in the same universe as the first Life is Strange, the upcoming sequel is also angling to pinpoint my heart and viciously attack it until I feel like an angsty and confused teen once again. I haven’t been looking at any pre-release materials because I’d just like to experience it at my own pace, but from what I gather it revolves around two brothers and a murder. But even without knowing anything about the plot, I was so taken with the first game that I’m onboard for whatever they would do with a sequel.

Red Dead Redemption 2 [10/26/18]

Do I really need to write anything about why I’m excited for Red Dead Redemption 2? At the bare minimum I’ll say that I really enjoyed the tone of the original Red Dead Redemption and think the overall game was a triumph in game design. It’s refreshing to see Rockstar make a game that isn’t all about being satirical and lampooning some aspect of our society. Red Dead Redemption 2 looks like an incredibly ambitious game and I can’t wait to get to spend time with it.

Hitman 2 [11/13/18]

It seems surreal that a sequel to Hitman 2016 is right around the corner. That game was so damn good and I really don’t know how you’d make that experience better, but the folks over at IO apparently have found a way. My only reservation with Hitman 2 is the fact that they’re ditching the episodic model in favor of a traditional release. That’s totally valid, but I feel like some of the appeal to the 2016 release was the fact that because there were limited levels, you’d replay them over and over and try to exhaust every option available to you. But hey, I’ll take Hitman 2 any way it’s offered to me.

Fallout 76 [11/14/18]

I don’t like Bethesda RPGs, and I strongly doubt this game is going to convert me, but boy howdy am I curious to see what the reception to Fallout 76 is. From everything I’ve heard about the way it works, it seems iffy, but I’d love to be proven wrong on this.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate [12/07/18]

I mean, I really don’t care about Ultimate, but I’m a really big fan of how Nintendo went ahead and got every character from past entries as well as added some heavily requested ones, while making sure not to let Waluigi be a full character. Waluigi sucks.

Blog: Me3 – 06/13/18

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There is so much other stuff that didn’t make conference stages that I’m sure will be in my lane, and I can’t wait to hear about them. But from what I saw over the past few days, these were some of the notable games that caught my eye at E3 2018.

Battlefield V

I’ve had a weird relationship with Battlefield over the years. I really enjoy it conceptually, but the actual playing it part usually is hit or miss for me. Part of why I enjoy it so much has to do with the memories I have of playing past entries with my friends. Having reconnected with one of my old Battlefield 3 buddies might be the reason why Battlefield V is so enticing to me, but I hope that game itself can stand on its own merits.

Halo Infinite

I have no idea what this game is going to be or why it isn’t called Halo 6, but I do know that as a long time fan of the Halo franchise, I’m excited to see what this one does differently. I personally wouldn’t mind if this turned out to be an evolving platform for the Halo series going forward, but I’m curious either way.

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit

I really, really enjoyed Life is Strange and am onboard for anything that expands that universe. I felt that way even before I learned that it was a prequel to the upcoming Life is Strange 2, so knowing that all of these games weave into each other is just icing on the cake. And honestly, this game looks whimsical as hell and evokes a weird Calvin and Hobbes vibe with the main character losing himself in these imaginary worlds he’s conjuring. Also it’s free.

After Party

The people behind Oxenfree are making a game about having to out drink the devil to regain their mortality and be returned to the world of the living. I can’t wait to see more of it and eventually play it next year.

Tunic

I written about Tunic before, and all of my feeling about it then still ring true. It’s adorable, it has an awesome aesthetic, and it looks like the combat is going to be challenging and rewarding enough to pull me through the entirety of it.

Dying Light 2

I loved the first Dying Light and seeing the systemic changes they’re making to that game gets me even more excited. I love concept of being able to shape the world and story based on your decisions, and mixing that with the already great mechanics of the first Dying Light is a home run. The only thing I wish I could change about these games is the zombies. I would love this exact game even more if no zombies were involved. But hey, I’ll take this either way.

Cyberpunk 2077

The reveal trailer alone was enough to solidify my excitement, but the additional details that came afterwards make it all the more tantalizing for me. CD Projekt Red confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 is a first person RPG that allows you to customize a character with various stats, “Cool” being one of them. It’s an open world where you drive around (I’m assuming exclusively in a DeLorean) and shoot people. There’s more details here that should get you just as pumped as I am.

Starfield

I don’t know what it is, or when it’s coming, but the concept of a big Bethesda RPG in a sci-fi setting that doesn’t suck (Fallout) is something I’m interested in.

The Quiet Man

I’ll be real here, I mostly included this because the name is so dumb, but the little tiny glimpse of combat we saw was pretty captivating for me. I’m always down for some good punching and kicking in games.

Beyond Good & Evil 2

Another one of those “what even is this game” games, BG&E2 looks impressive visually and mechanically, I just want to know what I’m doing and what the structure is. But that world seems pretty cool to me and that’s enough to keep this game on my radar.

Trials Rising

Trials is fun, you should play a Trials game. That is until you reach the last few levels where the impossible is asked of you. With alleged better tutorialization, maybe I can finally beat the final levels of a Trials game. Probably not though.

The Last of Us II

Games are too happy these days. I need a good ol’ fashioned romp through the morose to bring me back down to Earth. Nothing like a sequel to the heart-wrenching Last of Us to fill that void. Seriously, fuck this game for looking so amazing and making me want to play it. I know how this ends, and it most certainly is in tears.

Ghosts Of Tsushima

Just watch the trailer Sony showed off for Ghosts of Tsushima. That should be all you need to know about why I want to play this game so badly.

Spiderman

I feel like with the popularity of the Marvel movies over the past few years, I should be up to my ears in good superhero games to play. Unfortunately, since the Arkham games wrapped up, I’ve only been left with Lego-based options. Then you got Spiderman over here, shooting his hot webs all over the place, and I’ll admit it – I’m impressed.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

I think what I enjoy most about Smash Bros. isn’t the actual gameplay, but the absurdity of its roster. Seeing shit like Solid Snake punching Sonic in the mouth, or Ryu uppercutting Cloud into space just fills me with a joy that I had long forgotten. Smash Bros. just seems like Nintendo got a hold of a bunch of 80’s and 90’s kids and asked them who would win a fight, over and over.

We Watched The Nintendo Press Briefing | E3 2018

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Nintendo invites us to have a smashing good time today.

Super Mario Party

Mario Party is a virus that somehow managed to spread to the Nintendo Switch. Make sure to get your Switch vaccinated to prevent any life threatening symptoms.

In theory Mario Party is neat, but in execution I think it’s been mostly terrible. It looks like a return to form for the series, but that form has never been something I’ve been enthused about in the first place. But this is great news for people who do.

Captain Toad Treasure Tracker

Yeah it might just be an updated version of the original Wii U release, but that game was so good and deserved better. I’m really happy that it’s getting a second chance on the Switch.

Overcooked 2

Overcooked 1 was a chaotic nightmare that was a blast to play with friends. Overcooked 2 looks like more of the same but with some extra features and scenarios bound to make you yell at the person sitting next to you.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Everyone is confirmed for Smash. Snake, Cloud, Sonic, you, me. We’re all confirmed. Your cousin, he’s confirmed for Smash as well. Smash Bros Ultimate, as the title implies, is the most comprehensive game in the series, bringing in characters and modes from all the previous entries. There’s a luchador Pikachu too, which might be the best inclusion I’ve ever seen.

But really, this trailer has just been the equivalent of a YouTube video of patch notes. It’s informative if you’re an active follower, but I really don’t care about the mechanics of Pichu. There are about 65 characters in this game, and each of them had a talking point to go over. This combined with the focus on the more advanced fighting techniques seems like Nintendo is leaning very hard into the competitive scene.

This looks to me like Nintendo is using Ultimate as a Smash Bros. platform that can be updated for the rest of the life cycle of the Switch, which is smart. Put out a comprehensive platform for one of the most popular Nintendo games.

Also, I guess that after more than twenty years of asking, they’re finally putting Ridley in the game. So now everyone will shut up I’m sure. And also it’s launching December 7th of this year, so get to preordering everyone.

Well that was sure something.