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Fire Emblem Direct reveals new titles, reveals new information on existing titles.

Posted on by astyahla

Nintendo’s first “Nintendo Direct” of the year aired on January 18, and had a focus one of their franchises that has enjoyed worldwide success in recent years, “Fire Emblem.” In addition to information on two previously announced titles, Nintendo also surprised the fans with two completely new games.

The direct started with the reveal of “Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia” for Nintendo 3DS. It is a remake of the Famicom game “Fire Emblem Gaiden,” giving western players their first chance to enjoy this unique game in the series. The game is set on the continent of Valentia, in the same world as Archanea, where Marth’s games took place. Valencia is divided into two kingdoms. The first is Zofia, a prosperous and peaceful kingdom where the people have become irresponsible and hedonistic due to their goddess providing everything they need and the people do not have to work. By contrast, the kingdom of Riegel is a strong and militaristic nation where the people work hard, but are cold and devoid of compassion thanks to the teachings of their god. The two kingdoms shared a peaceful coexistence, until Riegel declared war on Zofia. The game focuses on two protagonists, the young warrior Alm, and the priestess-in-training Celica, as they fight back against Riegel.

“Gaiden” was known for deviating heavily from the “Fire Emblem”formula by introducing a world map, optional battles for more experience and branched promotional trees, that would not be seen again until “Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones” and later in “Awakening” and “Fates.” “Gaiden,” on the other hand, went further by introducing freely explorable towns and dungeons similar to a standard RPG. In the dungeons, the usual strategy battles begin when encountering an enemy. “Echoes” will keep these elements intact while updating the visuals to 3D graphics in a similar style to “Awakening” and “Fates.” In addition, Nintendo will release amiibo figurines of Alm and Celica, which currently serve an unknown purpose. Fans will not have to wait too long as “Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia” will be released on May 19, along with the new amiibo.

The Direct next revealed that a new “Fire Emblem” game is going to be released on Nintendo Switch. This is the first game in the main series to be released for a home console since the Wii game “Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn” in 2007. No details were given for the game, but it is planned to be released in 2018.

Next on the list of announcements was the reveal that “Fire Emblem Warriors” would be released on the New Nintendo 3DS, along side the previously announced Switch version. The game is a “Dynasty Warriors” style game with “Fire Emblem” characters, similar how “Hyrule Warriors” featured characters from “The Legend of Zelda.” The only gameplay shown so far was a brief clip of Chrom from “Awakening” cutting down an army. However the preview trailer also showed several swords from the series, such as Yato, Raijinto and Siegfried from “Fates” and the original Falchion from “Shadow Dragons and the Blade of Light, and its remake “Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon.” This implies that Corrin, Ryoma, Xander and Marth will also be playable. “Fire Emblem Warriors” will be released in Fall 2017.

Finally, viewers were given an in-depth look at “Fire Emblem Heroes,” a previously announced mobile title. Players take on the role of a summoner in the Order of Heroes in order to help defend the Kingdom of Askr against the invading Emblian Empire. In order to do so, players must summon the heroes of past “Fire Emblem” games to serve as units in their army. The game play is the same as past games in the series, but the maps are small enough to fit on a standard smartphone screen. The game has been confirmed to be a free download, but offer in-app purchases to get more orbs to summon heroes. The game was confirmed to be released on iOS and Android on February 2 after a vague statement that the iOS version would be released “soon.” Preregistration has begun on Google Play, but not on the App Store. In the meantime, players can vote on which characters they want to see in the game. Apparently it is not strictly limited to heroes, as villains are also present on the ballot.

Nintendo’s plans for the rest of 2016 to early 2017 are worrisome

Posted on by astyahla

Last week, Nintendo announced that their next console, codenamed NX, will launch in March 2017. While that in and of itself is good news, what was revealed around that statement shows that the company is in a dire situation.

This announcement came as part of Nintendo’s annual financial reports. Once of the biggest take aways is that their profits are down 61 percent. Part of this is to blame on the lack of major, system-selling titles released toward the end of the year. For comparison, 2014 saw the release of major titles such as “Mario Kart 8,” “Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U” and “Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.”  By comparison, 2015 had some hits for the company, such as the surprise success that was “Splatoon” and “Super Mario Maker,” Nintendo’s holiday line up that year was lacking, with “Xenoblade Chronicles X” being the main triple A title at the time.

Even without considering the rough year, it is clear that Nintendo’s current home console, the Wii U is on its last legs. Despite having a head start of a year over the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One, the Wii U has only sold 12 million units world wide since 2012. By comparison, Microsoft has sold 20.7 million Xbox One units, while Sony has sold 39.8 million Playstation 4 units. Back in 2014, Nintendo made a huge push to turn the Wii U around. With the game lineup, it looked like it could make a comeback. Today, however, those hopes were for naught.

Now, the big question is, “Why did the Wii U fail?” For starters, the Wii U had very poor third-party support. At first, a lot of third-parties such as EA, Ubisoft, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Sega and Activision were on board, even if a lot of those games were ports of existing games. Most noticeably, Ubisoft brought two games in the “Assassin’s Creed” series to Wii U after skipping out on the Wii, and “Rayman Legends” was originally planned to be a Wii U exclusive. However, a lot of these companies either jumped ship or made inferior versions of games from other platforms when it became clear that their games were not selling. Now, the only major third party game on the horizon for the Wii U is “Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Other than that, the main sources of third-party games are indie titles. Excellent indie titles to be sure, but they are not as likely to gain people’s attention.

Also, there was a lot of confusion early on as to what the Wii U was. I remember talking to a lot of people who thought the Wii U was just the Gamepad and it was an accessory for the  Wii. Even after that confusion was cleared up, there did not seem to be any indication that third-parties knew what to do with the Gamepad. If Nintendo had just stuck to a normal controller, more people may have paid attention and supported the console.

Further evidence that Nintendo is giving up on the Wii U is that “The Legend of Zelda Wii U” has been delayed yet again. The game was originally announced at E3 2014 and was planned to be released in 2015. Early on in 2015, Nintendo revealed that the game was delayed into 2016 in order to ensure that the game was up to fan expectations. It looked like this would stick when the 2016 release was reiterated during the November 2015 Nintendo Direct. Not only has Zelda Wii U been delayed to March 2017, but the game is now going to have a simultaneous release on the Wii U and the NX. A similar situation happened with “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.” This game was originally going to be released on the Gamecube during the 2005 holiday season, only to get delayed and resurface as a simultaneous release for the Gamecube and the newly launched Wii the following year.

To make matters worse, Nintendo has confirmed that Zelda will be the only game they would have playable at E3 2016 in June, but they also have no plans to show the NX at the show. While it is nice to know the general release date, the fact that we still know next to nothing about the game or the system is worrisome. While Nintendo is known for taking their time, all of this silence is getting on my nerves.

In the meantime, there is a noticeably sparse release schedule for both of Nintendo’s current systems. To be sure there are still some games to be released for the Wii U. This June will have three noteworthy games for the system. First Comcept will finally release “Mighty No. 9” for all major systems including Wii U, along with PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, assuming they do not push back the date any further. However the 3DS and Vita versions will be released at a later date. Also Nintendo will release two games on June 24, “Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE” and “Mario and Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.” In addition “Paper Mario: Color Splash” will be released later this year. Finally, the Wii U will get a major indie title in the form of “Yooka-Laylee” in October.

The 3DS on the other hand is still going strong. The next major release for the system is “Kirby: Planet Robobot” on June 10. Also, “Ace Attorney 6” will be released in Japan on June 9. A worldwide release has also been confirmed. Neither of these compare to what is sure to be Nintendo’s biggest selling title this year. “Pokemon Sun and Moon” will release this Holiday season.

Finally, Nintendo also announced their next two Mobile titles. They will be new installments in the “Fire Emblem” and “Animal Crossing” series. Unlike “Miitomo,” they have been confirmed to be actual games. The “Animal Crossing” app has been confirmed to connect to other games in the series, but it is unclear if this means “New Leaf,” “Happy Home Designer” or a new game that has yet to be announced. Both apps will be released this Fall.

If anything, the failure of the Wii U shows that Nintendo is down but not out. They will focus on regaining their footing this year and come out swinging with the NX in March 2017.

Miitomo Impressions

Posted on by astyahla

Nintendo released their first mobile title, “Miitomo”, for iOS and Android on March 31. However, it is more of a social tool than a game, so I do not plan on giving it a formal review. Instead I will be giving my thoughts on the app.

“Miitomo” starts with you creating a Mii to use as your avatar. You can do this manually, auto create one by taking a selfie, use a preexisting Mii by scanning a QR code generated on a Nintendo 3DS or Wii U or using the Mii assigned to your Nintendo Network account or My Nintendo account.

Once you have created your Mii, it will ask you questions about your life. None of these are overly personal, but rather they are “icebreaker” questions meant to start conversations. Your answers will be shared with your friends. Like other social networks, you have to register friends to your friend list in order to see their answers. This can easily be done by linking your “Miitomo” account to your Facebook and Twitter accounts. Once you do so, any Facebook friends or Twitter followers who also have “Miitomo” will be automatically be added to your friend list. You can also register friends using what the app calls the “Face-to-Face method.” This will allow you to add friends by placing your smartphone or tablet close to your friends device.

In addition to sharing answers with friends, you can also customize your Mii’s outfit. The clothes can be obtained by purchasing them from the in-app store using Miitomo Coins obtained by answering questions and commenting on friend’s answers, or by purchasing coins with real money. You can also play a mini-game called “Miitomo Drop,” which is basically a game of Plinko, in order to get special themed clothes. However, the clothes are really hard to reach no matter where you drop the Miis.

The other major feature of the app is the ability to create Miifotos, pictures with your Mii and those of your friends in them. You can either use a background from the app or an actual photograph either saved to your smartphone or tablet. You can even take a new photo and add your Miis. You also have a variety of expressions and poses available. Once you are happy with your Miifoto, you can post it to Facebook or Twitter for all of your friends and followers to see, not just your “Miitomo” friends.

“Miitomo” does exactly what’s advertised, but your enjoyment will depend on how many friends have the app and who’s answering the questions. They can range from mundane to completely off the wall. If you do not have many people interested in the app, then it will be a lonely experience as you can only see comments from friends of friends, not their actual answers. At the end of the day, “Miitomo” is what it is. I only wish there was more to do. However, your activity in “Miitomo” will also earn you My Nintendo points, which count as platinum points, so I cannot complain about that. Just do not go into the app with unrealistic expectations.

“Final Fantasy XV” release date, spin-offs announced

Posted on by astyahla

Last night, Square Enix gave fans a long-awaited look at “Final Fantasy XV” at their Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV event. They showed several new trailers and announced an anime series, feature-length film, a mobile game, a demo and most importantly, the release date.

“Final Fantasy XV” will be released worldwide on September 30, for Playstation 4 and Xbox One, more than 10 years after its announcement. The game was originally revealed in May 2006 as “Final Fantasy Versus XIII” exclusively for the Playstation 3. Originally it was planned to be part of the “Fabula Nova Crysatallis: Final Fantasy” sub-series along side “Final Fantasy XIII” for the Playstation 3 and “Final Fantasy Agito XIII” for Playstation Portable and would have a similar mythology to the other two games. However, Square Enix was largely silent regarding the game, leading to rumors that the game had been canceled. The game was finally shown again at E3 2013, where the game’s current title was revealed and it had been moved to the then upcoming systems.

In the years since, “XIII” got a multi platform release on PS3 and Xbox 360 and spawned two sequels, “Final Fantasy XIII-2” and “Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII” Meanwhile “Agito XIII” was renamed “Final Fantasy Type-0” and released so late in the PSP’s life span that it took an HD remaster for PS4 and Xbox One to get it out of Japan.

Since June 2013, Square has produced a steady stream of news regarding “XV” plus a demo titled “Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae” which came with the Day One Edition of “Final Fantasy Type-0 HD.” All of this culminated with the Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV event.

In addition to the game’s release date, several tie-ins were announced. First, the game will have a five-part anime series called “Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV,” which focuses on the interactions between the protagonist, Noctis, and his friends. The first episode was released following the event and can be viewed on Crunchyroll and other video streaming services. The remaining episodes will be released leading up to the game’s release.

There will also be a CGI film called “Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV.” The film will focus on Noctis’ father, King Regis Lucis Caelum and his bodyguards. It will serve as a prequel to the game and is set to be released sometime in 2016.

Beyond that, Square Enix will also release “Justice Monsters Five” for iOS, Android and Windows 10. The game is a pinball game with RPG elements based upon a machine that Noctis and company can play. Thus it is also available as a mini-game in “Final Fantasy XV” The mobile version will be available in 2016.

Its been 10 years since “Final Fantasy XV” was announced and the end is in sight. While the game will not be released until September 30, players who want a taste of the game now, whether or not they missed out on “Episode Duscae,” can download “Platinum Demo: Final Fantasy XV” for both PS4 and Xbox One. The demo was released immediately after the Uncovered event. It gives players a scenario not found in the full game, taking place within the dreams of young Noctis. Those who complete the demo will also get Carbuncle as an extra summon in the full game. Players will also be given the option to pre-order the digital version within the demo.

The game will also have a day one edition and two collector’s editions available. The day one edition will come with an in-game Masamune sword at the usual price of $59.99. For $89.99, you can get the Deluxe Edition which comes in an exclusive steelbook case and includes the game, a copy of “Kingsglaive” on Blu-Ray, an in-game alternate costume for Noctis based upon his appearance in the film, an alternate platinum paint job  for the party’s car and the Masamune from the day one edition.

Finally, there is the Ultimate Collector’s Edition, of which there are only 30,000 copies available worldwide and had sold out in minutes. This bundle went for $269.99 and included everything from the day one and Deluxe Editions, along with a second steelbook case containing Blu-Rays of the game’s soundtrack plus songs from “Kingsglaive” and “Brotherhood,” and the “Brotherhood” anime, including an exclusive sixth episode. To top it all off, the Ultimate Collector’s edition also includes 192-page hardcover art book, an exclusive figurine of Noctis created by Play Arts Kai and four in-game item packs.

Milestone Anniversaries abound in 2016

Posted on by astyahla

It was only last year when Nintendo celebrated the 30th anniversary of “Super Mario Bros.” Yet this year there are at least three noteworthy series hitting a milestone.

The first and most visible celebration is “Pokémon’s” 20th anniversary. This being one of Nintendo’s most popular franchises, they are going all out to promote it. For starters, two new games are set to be released worldwide in 2016. First, “Pokkén Tournament” will be released worldwide on Wii U on March 18. This fighting game from the creators of “Tekken” sees a handful of the series most recognizable creatures enter more intense battles than have ever been seen before. In addition, Pokémon Go will be released in early 2016 for iOS and Android. This augmented reality based app allows players to find and catch Pokémon in real world locations. They will also be able to connect with other players to battle and trade. In addition, there will also be an accessory called Pokémon Go Plus that notifies users of in-game events through a multicolored LED and vibrations. It will connect to the users phone via Bluetooth.

In addition to the new games, Nintendo will also re-release “Pokémon Red Version,” “Pokémon Blue Version” and “Pokémon Yellow Version” on the Nintendo 3DS  eShop on February 27, exactly 20 years after the original Japanese release of “Pocket Monsters Red and Green Versions.” Unlike other 3DS Virtual Console titles that have been stripped of their multiplayer features due to the lack of a link cable, the “Pokémon” titles will keep the ability to trade and battle with others using the 3DS wireless features. Nintendo will also rerelease a special New Nintendo 3DS with both Red and Blue preloaded and face plates of Charizard and Blastoise as they appeared on the original box art.

Meanwhile, Nintendo will be distributing various event Pokemon throughout the year. Each one will be available from the 1st to the 24th of each month from February to December and is obtainable in “Pokémon X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.” Gamestop is currently offering serial codes for Mew while supplies last. The remaining event Pokémon are Celebi in March, Jirachi in April, Darkrai in May, Manaphy in June, Shaymin in July, Arceus in August, Victini in September, Keldeo in October, Genesect in November and Meloetta in December. Darkrai, Arceus and Genesect will be available through serial codes from Gamestop, while the rest will be obtainable through the Nintendo Network.

“Pokémon” is not the only series to celebrate a milestone this year. 2016 also marks the 30th anniversary of “The Legend of Zelda.” While there is not as much fanfare at this point, Nintendo has three “Zelda” games set to be released before the year’s end. First, “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD” will be released on Wii U on March 4 in North America and Europe, and on March 10 in Japan. Originally one of the last major games on the Gamecube and a launch title for the Wii, the Wii U version of the game offers more than just a visual upgrade. On normal mode, the world is arranged like it was in the Gamecube version. In the new, more challenging Hero Mode, the world is flipped 180 degrees like it was in the Wii version, and you will take double damage. In addition, amiibo functionality has been added. By scanning the Link or Toon Link amiibo, you can refill your quiver with arrows anytime you wish. The Zelda and Shiek amiibo will completely restore your health anytime. The Ganondorf amiibo, on the other hand, will make you take double damage for the remainder of your play session. This will also stack on top of the Hero Mode damage multiplier, potentially making a single hit spell certain doom. The new Wolf Link amiibo will open a new challenging dungeon called the Cave of Shadows, which features several floor of enemies that can only be challenged by Wolf Link with no hearts available. Fortunately, once per attempt, you can scan the Wolf Link amiibo again to heal yourself. If you beat the dungeon, you will receive the Colossal Wallet, which allows you to carry up to 9,999 rupees, and you can save a record of how many hearts you had when you finished the dungeon and restore that amount on subsequent scans. Said data can also be carried over to “The Legend of Zelda Wii U,” which is due for a 2016 release.

In addition to the Wii U games, “Hyrule Warriors Legends” will be released on March 25. It is a re-release of the Wii U game, “Hyrule Warriors” for the Nintendo 3DS. It has all of the content of the Wii U game, plus five new playable characters: Tetra, the King of Hyrule and Toon Link from “The Wind Waker,” the Skull Kid from “Majora’s Mask” and Linkle, a original character who believes she is the current incarnation of the hero. The game will be able to connect to the Wii U version to unlock the new characters in the original game.

While no attention has been given to it so far, “Sonic the Hedgehog” will also celebrate its 25th anniversary this year. No official announcements of any celebrations have been made, but at least two games are scheduled for release. “Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice” is due out sometime this year for the 3DS. Meanwhile, “Mario and Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games” will be released on Nintendo 3DS on March 18th in North America, April 8 in Europe and April 9 in Austrailia and on Wii U later this year before the actual Olympics start.

New Nintendo account system launches in Japan

Posted on by astyahla

Nintendo launched its new account system, My Nintendo, in Japan. This service will serve as a successor to their previous customer loyalty program, Club Nintendo.

My Nintendo will keep track of online purchases on Wii U and 3DS and grant members points that can redeem for digital content, physical merchandise and discount coupons. The service will also allow you to transfer data between consoles and mobile devices. This implies that Nintendo’s upcoming mobile apps will be connected to their usual console games.

In addition to connecting to pre-existing Nintendo Network IDs, My Nintendo will also be able to link to users’ social media accounts, with Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus being confirmed to be supported so far.

It has been confirmed that the service will be available worldwide, but there is no word on a Western release date.