Wii U

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Review: A Breath of Fresh Air.

Posted on by astyahla

Platform: Wii U and Switch (reviewed on Switch)

Genre: Action Adventure

No. of players: 1

ESRB: E10+

Nintendo may be the target of criticism for their habits of adhering to the past and relying on the same IPs, there is a grain of wisdom in these actions. Their franchises have the ability to stand the test of time. This is proven by “The Legend of Zelda.” The long-standing formula of traveling between dungeons, getting new items and defeating the bosses is a solid formula that people respond well to. However, even the greatest of series run the risk of getting stale. Nintendo’s response? Reinvent the Zelda formula with the latest game, “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” And it works very well.

The game opens with Link waking up in a location called the Shrine of Resurrection with no explanation of how he got there. After getting some clothes and basic supplies, he learns his mission is to destroy Calamity Ganon, the being that destroyed the Kingdom of Hyrule 100 years ago. How you get to do so is up to you. Thanks to the new open-world gameplay, the player is given an unprecedented amount of freedom for this series. You can follow the main quest line if you want or just spend hours upon hours exploring the game world. There are many side quests to pursue, as well as 120 shrines to challenge. Completing these mini-dungeons grant Spirit Orbs that can be offered at Goddess Statues to increase health or stamina. You even have the option of just going straight to the final boss, despite being woefully under equipped and knowing nothing about the story.

The massive scale of the world is impressive, but it would not be worth much if the world was difficult to traverse. Fortunately, “Breath of the Wild” makes the journey just as enjoyable as the destination by giving plenty of ways of getting around. Most notably, Link can climb almost any surface as if he were Spider-Man. Climbing a large mountain is worth it for the view alone. When it is time to come down, players can use a paraglider to gently reach the ground. Players can even find and tame wild horses to ride, however it takes time and effort to reach the point they will perfectly obey the rider, adding a degree of realism.

Other more realistic part of the game include the need for specific clothing or potions to survive harsh environments, such as snow-covered mountains, a volcano or a massive desert; and how there is no way to save yourself if you fall from a great height, especially if you run out of stamina when climbing or using the paraglider. This even extends to objects reacting as physics would demand them to. Furthermore, players will no longer find supplies just by cutting the grass like in past games. They will need to sell various collectables to get rupees, eat food for health and buy supplies such as arrows and ingredients in town or scavenge for them. Furthermore, every weapon in the game has limited durability, keeping players from getting too comfortable using a single weapon and forcing them to try different kinds.

Weapons are an absolute necessity, as the enemies are even more relentless than ever. They will rush you in groups in hopes of overwhelming you with numbers, set wooden weapons on fire to increase their effectiveness, resort to throwing rocks if they cannot find a weapon of their own and even kick bombs back at you before they explode. This forces players to be smarter when it comes to facing enemies. Luckily, the game gives you plenty of options as well, such as using the Magnesis power to drop metal objects on unsuspecting enemies, shoot fire arrows to detonate explosive barrels foolishly left out in the open, or just plain sneaking up on the enemy and potentially kill them in one hit with a stealth strike. If all else fails, the player can just avoid enemy camps altogether.

In addition, there are various foods and potions that can be prepared at cooking pots around the world that can benefit the player in various ways, such as restoring health, increasing attack power and defensive strength, restoring stamina, proving resistance to heat or cold temperatures or a temporary increase in maximum health. Fortunately, experimenting with different ingredients is always an exciting diversion, with the benefits of increasing survivability and being hard to mess up.

If there is anything to complain about, it would be the lack of new abilities and tools throughout the game. In past Zelda games, items would be given to the player through out the game, which would also open up new hidden areas and just keep things exciting. In “Breath of the Wild,” players are given every ability they need during the first hour or two, which complements the open-world gameplay, but leaves people wanting for more in the middle of the game. The minimalist approach also means that fan favorite items, such as the hookshot, are nowhere to be found. Also, there are occasional, but brief, drops in the frame rate, which disrupts the flow of the game. Furthermore, the four main dungeons have a variety of puzzles, but all share the same machinery theme, making them feel a little too similar. But these are really just nitpicking and hardly make the game any less fun.

Overall, “Breath of the Wild” is a masterpiece that everyone should play at least once in their lifetime, like “Ocarina of Time” before it. It sets a new standard for the “Zelda” series at a point where things were getting stale. Which ever system you play it on, it is the perfect swan song for the Wii U and hands down the best launch title for the Switch.

Score 10/10

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Review: An unexpected melody

Posted on by astyahla

Publisher: Nintendo

Platform: Wii U

No. of Players: 1

ESRB: T

Atlus is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to RPGs. While it is known for localizing games that would otherwise be ignored, their own “Shin Megami Tensei” series has been one of the big names of the genre. The newest spin-off “Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE” is not quite as strong as past games in the series and has generated a lot of controversy over its idol theme. But once you get past the surface, you will find a solid RPG underneath it, complete with the difficulty you would expect from “Shin Megami Tensei.”

The story is not much to write home about. 18-year-old Itsuki Aoi and his childhood friend Tsubasa Oribe are pulled into the entertainment industry in order to fight against beings from another world known as Mirages by allying with benevolent ones. The Mirages are characters from the “Fire Emblem” series.  So the good Mirages include characters such as Chrom, Caeda and Cain, while the bosses include villains such as Gangrel and Aversa.

Beyond that the story advances through the interactions between Itsuki and his friends in the industry. The rest of the main cast, however, largely fulfill various personality archetypes that anyone familiar with Japanese media will recognize. Itsuki is a typical straightforward hero and he works with a ditzy girl, a hot-blooded hero wannabe, a cool reserved mentor, a mood-swinger, the token little girl and the cold loner. While the plot and characters are formulaic, the writing is flavorful and helps make most of the cast likable. It should be noted that the game does not have an English dub, so all of the spoken dialogue is in Japanese with English subtitles. While disappointing, the songs performed by the cast would likely have lost something in translation. It helps that the songs are catchy as is so it evens out.

Things pick up when the party enters a dungeon. Enemies are visible on the map and you are able to strike at them to stun them. After that, you have the option of running by or engaging them in battle. If you stunned the enemy before hand, there is a chance of getting a preemptive strike.

The battle system shares the usual “Shin Megami Tensei” emphasis on hitting enemies with spells and attacks they are weak to. This game takes it further by dividing up physical attacks by weapons and using “Fire Emblem’s” weapon triangle to determine weaknesses. Swords beat axes, axes beat lances and lances beat swords.  Where as previous games gave you extra turns for successful attacks, doing so here can trigger a Session attack. Depending on the attack used, another party member will follow up with an attack of their own, which can then trigger another follow-up attack in sequence. Eventually, characters outside of the active party can join in a Session attack. This makes it easy to take down enemies one by one due to you repeatedly chipping away at the enemy. This is good because the enemies tend to have really strong attacks unless someone in your party resists, is immune to or absorbs the element. Of course, the enemies have access to Session attacks as well, which punishes a poor defense as well. Unlike other SMT games, you are there are no special punishments for striking enemies with something they are immune to.

However, luck also plays a large role in the battle system. Outside of the usual critical hits, using certain attacks will trigger ad-lib performances. These flashy special attacks incorporate part of the users act into a move that hits all enemies and usually provides an additional effect. Similarly, session attacks sometimes provide an opportunity to perform a duo art. These attacks are based on the cast’s collaborative works, such as guest appearances on shows or a song by a duet which not only have additional effects, but can also extend the session beyond what was shown on-screen. Having one of these trigger can turn a losing battle around and have no additional cost beyond what the original attack required, but they can be inconsistent. For example, sometimes an ad-lib performances can trigger when you are down to the last enemy and the attack you were planning to use would have finished it off. Yet you would be struggling against the full enemy party and be up against the wall for the whole fight without being thrown a lifeline.

Outside of battle, each dungeon has at least one gimmick to set it apart from the others, such as arranging a mannequin’s arms to move between floors or having to find the right door to proceed out of a bunch of others that would send you back to the entrance. While they keep things interesting, they tend to get boring by the tenth time you have to face the same obstacle.

Despite its flaws, “Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE” is a solid RPG that deserves far more than to be scorned for not being the “Shin Megami Tensei” and “Fire Emblem” crossover we expected. Don’t let the idol themes fool you. This game is worth your time.

Score 8/10

Star Fox Zero Review: Controls are a barrier to entry but pay off big

Posted on by astyahla

Platform: Wii U

Genre: Shooter

No. of Players: 1-2 local multiplayer

ESRB: E10+

It has been ten years since the release of “Star Fox Command” for the Nintendo DS. Aside from the 3DS remake of “Star Fox 64” the “Star Fox” series has been dormant until the newest installment for Wii U. For “Star Fox Zero” the developers worked to recapture what make the Nintendo 64 game a classic and modernize it for a fresh start. The game does a good job, but there are some issues that can get in the way of the experience.

As soon as the game starts for the first time, the player is thrown straight into a tutorial for the series familiar space fighter, the Arwing. Basically the movement is handled by the analogue sticks, with the left stick used for basic movement and the right stick for functions such as boosting, breaking, make sharp turns and do a barrel roll. Advanced maneuvres such as loops and u-turns are done with both sticks or the face buttons. The most important point about the controls is aiming, which is done by moving the Gamepad. While the TV screen shows a third-person view from behind the ship, the Gamepad screen shows a first-person view from the cockpit. While both screens show a targeting reticule, the Gamepad shows the more accurate view in terms of where your shots will go. The game expects you to shift your focus between the two screens based upon the situation. Because of this, the controls feel awkward when first starting out. It does not help that all-range levels, which give you free movement as opposed to directing you on a set path, tend to lock the camera onto a specific target, forcing you to look at the Gamepad to see what is in front of you.

Even if you wanted to use a more traditional control scheme, you are out of luck as there is no way to completely turn off the motion controls. The best you can do is stop the reticule from moving unless you are actively shooting. This poses a significant barrier to entry and will turn off some players. But those who stick with the game will find that the new controls are about as accurate as a mouse on a PC game and will end up making more shots than they would normally.

Once you get past the odd controls, the game gives you a lot of content with 12 main missions and eight bonus missions and plenty of challenges to complete for medals. Some of these require coming back once you unlock additional abilities, giving the game a lot of replay value. For example, the first mission requires you to stop a battleship by taking out its laser cannons. Doing so results in the commander being able to escape and only getting a Mission Complete for the level. Once you unlock the walker form for the Arwing, you can take out one cannon to open the door to the hanger, land and use the walker form to blow up the battleships core, taking the commander with it and getting a Mission Accomplished. In addition, there are alternate paths that lead to bonus missions which always require a second play through. While the alternate paths are not as drastic as the ones in “64,” they do lead to challenging missions which really push the player’s skill.

In addition to the normal Arwing missions, there are levels that require use of the walker form to explore indoor areas. You also have access to the Landmaster tank which also use the right stick to turn around during all-range stages that makes it harder to maneuver than the Arwing, but still handles well. The Landmaster can also turn into a flight capable form known as the Gravmaster which temporarily gives you more freedom. The third vehicle, the new helicopter-like Gyrowing, only shows up for part of a mission before being used for a full mission. Those missions are far more methodical, as you need both sticks to fly it and deploy a small robot to hack into computers. While interesting, the Gyrowing missions feel out-of-place compared to the rest of the far faster-paced levels “Zero” has to offer.

The game is quite challenging and the strange controls only compound that fact. Fortunately, the game offers a cooperative multiplayer mode in which one player mans the guns and the Gyrowing’s robot using the Gamepad, while a second player uses a Pro controller or a Remote and Nunchuck to fly the ship. This helps ease players into the game and encourages further playthroughs. Unfortunately, you need to complete each level solo before being able to play the levels with a friend.

“Star Fox Zero” is far from perfect but it manages to stand on its own as a decent game. The comparisons to “Star Fox 64” turn out to be superficial, giving the game its own identity. While the controls may scare off people, those who stay with the game will find a very satisfying experience.

Score 7.5/10

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.

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.

Super Mario Maker Review: A constant stream of excellent content

Posted on by astyahla

Platform: Wii U

Genre: Platform/Creative

Number of Players: 1

ESRB: E

“Super Mario Bros.” is an important part of gaming history. It was the game that revitalized the video game market and the series has been going strong since 1985. This is largely due to the excellent levels the experts at Nintendo have created. However, there has been no official way for players to try their hand at creating Mario levels. Nintendo has remedied that with “Super Mario Maker” and it is a blast.

The game is exactly what it sounds like, you can create your own Mario levels. While you do start with a small selection of objects to place, you unlock more as you spend more time in the editor. What starts with simple ground, blocks, pipes and basic enemies such as Goombas and Koopa Troopas expands to include more advanced tools such as P-Switches, doors and more advanced enemies such as Lakitu, the Hammer Bros. and even Bowser and Bowser Jr. These are unlocked by spending five minutes each day with the newest tools or by placing enough objects in your levels, allowing you to choose the pace at which you create more and more advanced levels.

You can even choose from six different settings, including ground, underground, underwater, castles, airships and ghost houses, across four different graphic styles based off of the original “Super Mario Bros.,” “Super Mario Bros. 3,” “Super Mario World” and “New Super Mario Bros. U”. While some objects may change between graphical styles, such as Goomba’s Shoe from the original and “3” being replaced by Yoshi in “World” and “U,”the game gives you everything you need to create your own masterpieces and a lot of freedom to do so. You can give Super Mushrooms to enemies to make them bigger, add wings to anything, put enemies, items or obstacles in Clown Cars and many other challenges you may wish.

One cool addition is the Mystery Mushroom, which changes Mario into different characters or objects. The all control the same and the costume even lets you take a hit. These costumes are not just limited to the Mario universe, you can play through the level as Link, Samus Aran, Isabelle, Pikachu and many others. You can unlock most of these costumes by scanning the corresponding amiibo. But even if you cannot track down a particular one, all of them are unlockable by playing the game. The 100 plus costumes are not limited to characters with amiibo so you will have to work for a lot of them even if you are an obsessive collector.

Once you have created a level, you can play it to make sure everything functions as you intended and can even back out into the editor to make changes at anytime. Once you are satisfied you can upload the your course to the internet for other people to play. In order to keep impossible levels from showing up, everyone is required to be able to complete their own levels before uploading them. While this is reasonable, it is common for people to make really hard levels and put a short cut in somewhere to say that it is beatable.

You can play other people’s levels by choosing them individually, or in a series of eight to 24 in the 100 Mario Challenge. Playing individual levels gives you infinite lives, while the 100 Mario Challenge gives you 100 lives to last through the entire challenge. You may not exceed 100 lives and you may only gain back three lives per level. In this case the levels are randomized and you are given the option to skip a level if it is too difficult and get a new level in its place. Your efforts are rewarded, as you unlock a random Mystery Mushroom costume every time you complete the challenge, however the game stops giving you costumes on easy and medium difficulties after a while, requiring you to play on expert difficulty to get the rest.

Once you have completed a level, you have the option of giving the level a star as praise and comment on the level. The more stars you earn on your levels, the more levels you are allowed to upload to the server. Unpopular levels are delisted over time, so it behooves you to improve your design skills to send out more levels. However, you are forced to give a star every time you comment on the stage, so giving criticism forces you to say you like a subpar level.

For those who do not have a stable internet connection, “Super Mario Maker” includes 100 pre made courses that you can play through the 10 Mario Challenge. They are just as creative as the levels in previous games so they are worth looking at. They can also help give ideas for user made levels.

Finding a specific level is easy as each level comes with a course ID number. Everytime a course is posted, it is shown on Miiverse along with the ID number so you can enter it to find it. You can also use the search function in game, or check the companion website “Super Mario Maker Bookmark.” Once you log in with your Nintendo Network ID, you can bookmark levels you wan to play and they will show up on a list in the game. These options make it easy to find specific levels. The portal can be found here.

Overall, Super Mario Maker goes above and beyond in its function as a level editor. The many ways to get involved in the community and potentially endless stream of content is more than worth the retail price even for those who are not as creative as most people. Even so, I recommend going into the editor as much as possible. The user interface is very simple, yet the possibilities are endless. You may make the next great Mario level.

Score 9.5/10

Three new fighters revealed for Pokken Tournament

Posted on by astyahla

Nintendo revealed three new playable characters for the “Pokemon” fighting game “Pokken Tournament.” The first of the new characters is Braixen, the evolved form of Fennekin. According to the site serebii.net, Braixen specializes in ranged attacks. Its appearance goes against the trend of fully evolved Pokemon as playable characters, as Braixen evolves into Delphox.

Another new character is Garchomp, the “pseudo-legendary” of Generation IV. It is said that Garchomp is more of a close-range fighter and will be able to Mega Evolve as its Burst Mode.

The final Pokemon revealed today was Mewtwo, known for being the strongest Pokemon in the original games. It is unknown how Mewtwo will differ from the previously announced Shadow Mewtwo, which serves as a secret boss, but can be unlocked as a playable character by fulfilling currently unknown conditions in-game or scanning the Shadow Mewtwo amiibo card that comes with first edition copies of the game.

It is known that one more playable character will be revealed on Friday, Jan. 15.

“Pokken Tournament” is a fighting game developed by Namco Bandai, and is based off of their own fighting series “Tekken.” The influence can be seen in certain move sets, such as Pikachu using a similar fighting style to the Mishima family, namely Heihachi and Kazuya, and Gardevoir having similar moves to Jun and Asuka Kazama. The game was released in Japanese Arcades on July 16, 2015, while Dave and Buster’s had a limited run of the Arcade version in North America. The game will be released for Wii U on March 18, 2016 in Japan, while North America and Europe will get the game this Spring and Australia will get it this Fall.

The roster so far includes Charizard, Pikachu, Pikachu Libre, Machamp, Gengar, Mewtwo, Shadow Mewtwo, Suicune, Sceptile, Blaziken, Gardevoir, Garchomp, Lucario, Weavile, and Braixen.

Corrin and Bayonetta coming to Smash Bros., Cloud now available

Posted on by astyahla

Yesterday’s “Super Smash Bros.” Direct revealed that Corrin from “Fire Emblem Fates” and Bayonetta from the action game of the same name will be the final two DLC characters for “Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.” Previously announced character Cloud from “Final Fantasy VII” was released on the Nintendo eShop shortly after the presentation.

The presentation began with the reveal of Corrin, “Fire Emblem Fates'” Avatar. While the character is shown as a boy by default, the female version is also available as a palette swap. Armed with the sword Omega Yato, Corrin relies heavily on his ability to transform into a dragon, with most attacks involving a partial transformation. His neutral special attack, Dragon Fang Shot, has his hand change into a dragon’s face to fire a ball of water at the foe to stun them, then bite them if they are close enough. The attack can also be charged. Corrin’s side special, Dragon Lunge, causes him to jump, then lash out and pin the foe to the stage. He can hold it as long is the button is held and then follow up with a forward or backward kick, a jump, or just cancel out of the move. The up special, Dragon Ascent, has Corrin sprout wings and rise upward, striking anyone in his path. Corrin make a complete transformation for his down special, Counter Surge. Unlike his fellow “Fire Emblem” fighters in “Smash Bros.,” Corrin blasts away the offending party with a blast of water instead of simply slashing at them. As a result, Counter Surge, has high launch power, making a botched attack on Corrin very risky. Finally, Corrin’s Final Smash is Torrential Roar. For this attack, Corrin transforms and anyone standing next to him as a dragon gets attacked with a torrent of water.

While Corrin does not have his own stage, those who download him will also get two songs for the existing “Fire Emblem” stages, Coliseum and Castle Siege, in the Wii U version, while the 3DS version will get two extra trophies of “Fates” characters Ryoma and Xander.  Corrin is planned for a February 2016 release. He will cost $4.99 to be downloaded for a single system, or $5.99 for both systems.

Next, the presentation talked about Cloud’s fighting style. Like Little Mac, Cloud has a Limit Gauge that builds up as he takes and deals damage. Unlike Little Mac, the gauge is not visible unless you use Cloud’s down special move, Limit Charge. As the name suggests, the move allows you to manually charge the Limit Gauge, but you are left wide open. Once the meter is filled, Cloud’s Limit Break will activate, bringing an overall increase in performance and powered up special moves, which are derived from Cloud’s Limit Breaks from “Final Fantasy VII.” His neutral special is Blade Beam. It is normally a standard projectile, but with a Limit Break, the beam hits multiple times and has heightened launch power. For Cloud’s side special, Cross Slash, you have to press the special move button several times to slash out a Japanese character as a combo. It is similar to Marth’s Dancing Sword, but the damage and launch power is increased during a Limit Break. The up special, Climhazzard, has Cloud leap into the air, sword first. Press the button again to come crashing down, so you should only press it once when trying to get back to the stage. During a Limit Break, the move travels higher than normal. In addition, Cloud’s down special changes to Finishing Touch when the Limit Break is active. It is a spin attack that only does one point of damage, but has killer launch power. Obviously, Cloud’s Final Smash is Omnislash. After dashing forward, Cloud takes the opponent he hits into the air and slashes them repeatedly before slamming them back the ground, where they will likely bounce off the stage. Cosmetically, Cloud can be played in his original outfit from “Final Fantasy VII” or his outfit from the film “Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.”

Cloud also comes with the stage, Midgar. It is the starting location of “Final Fantasy VII. While the layout is similar to Battlefield, Midgar has Summon Materia floating around. When some one touches it, one of four summons will attack the stage. Ifrit unleashes flames to move the stage, either tilting it or moving part of it off screen. Ramuh electrifies the smaller platforms which hurts anyone who stands on them but the summoner. Leviathan will flood the stage, sweeping anyone who falls in off the side of the screen in a similar manner to the stage Jungle Japes. The difference is that any resulting K.O.s count as points for the summoner. Odin cuts the stage in half with Zantetsuken. Staying true to the “Final Fantasy” series, any one who stands in the way of Odin’s blade is immediately knocked out. The stage eventually repairs itself, but any one in-between the halves of the stage when they come back together gets crushed, counting as a K.O. for the summoner. Finally , Bahamut ZERO unleashes its Tera Flare, which takes the form of a giant laser that focuses on a specific part of the stage. Anyone who gets caught in it will suffer heavy damage.

Cloud and the Midgar stage are available together for $5.99 for a single system or $6.99 for both systems.

Finally, Nintendo revealed that Bayonetta was the winner of the Smash Ballot due to being the most requested character the developers could realistically put in the game and get the rights to. One of the last Umbra Witches, Bayonetta has a very combo-heavy play style, similar to her home game. For example, holding the button after any of her attacks will have her follow up with shots from any of her four guns. The bullets do not stop the opponent. Even with out the shots, all of her attacks hit the opponent multiple times. Meanwhile, Bayonetta’s neutral special is Bullet Climax, a barrage of bullets fired from the guns either in her hands or on her heels. This attack can be charged for more damage. Her side special changes depending on if she is in the air or not. On the ground, Bayonetta performs a Heel Slide, a sliding kick followed up with a launching kick if the button is held down. Hold down the button even further to shoot. If Bayonetta is in the air, the move becomes the Afterburner Kick, a diagonal upward midair kick that can be performed twice in a row or changed into a diving kick. The up special is the Witch Twist, which is a spiraling upward attack that hits multiple times. It does not go very high on its own, but Bayonetta is not left helpless afterwards and can even use a second Witch Twist if she uses a double jump. Bayonetta’s down special is Witch Time. It works like a counter. If she times it right, Bayonetta will dodge the attack and slow down the offending enemy. The effect lasts longer the more damage the enemy has accumulated, and the move becomes less effective the more frequently it is used. If Witch Time is activated too late, Bayonetta instead uses Bat Within, which turns her into a swarm of bats to get out of the way and reduce damage. Bayonetta’s Final Smash is Infernal Climax. Upon activation, Bayonetta applies Witch Time to the entire stage and must attack enemies as quickly as possible to fill the Climax Gauge. If you are successful, Bayonetta will summon the demon Gomorrah to attack everyone she hit. All victims will accumulate a large amount of damage and, if they exceed 100%, are instantly knocked out. Anyone with less than 100% damage will be sent flying.

Bayonetta also comes with her own stage, the Umbra Clock Tower. This recreates the opening scene from “Bayonetta” It starts out flat with the fighters battling each other on free falling debris from a clock tower, but other fragments will drift by, adding additional platforms. During a brief trip through Purgatorio, you can see angels in the background such as Inspired and Fortitudo. Bayonetta and the Umbra Clock Tower will be available in February 2016 for $5.99 for a single system, or $6.99 for both systems.

Final Super Smash Bros. presentation scheduled

Posted on by astyahla

Nintendo announced the “Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U” Final Video Presentation will be streamed Tuesday Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. Pacific Time. This event was teased at the end of the November 11 Nintendo Direct.

The presentation can be watched on Nintendo’s web site in the Nintendo Direct section. “Smash Bros.” director Masahiro Sakurai will host the event and will discuss the details behind the upcoming DLC character, Cloud, along with other, currently unknown, information.

I believe that the other information Sakurai will talk about will include the results of the Smash Ballot, a poll regarding which characters players want to see in the game. The winner would definitely be added to the roster as DLC. The poll opened last June and continued until early October.

Personally, I have several characters I would like to see in the game. First and foremost is Lloyd Irving from “Tales of Symphonia.” The game was originally released for the Gamecube and the battle system already seems like it would lend itself to “Smash Bros.” well. Other characters I hope to see include an Inkling from “Splatoon,” Isaac from “Golden Sun,” Chibi-Robo from the series of the same name, and Wonder Red from “The Wonderful 101.

Minecraft is coming to Wii U this month

Posted on by astyahla

After much speculation and teasing, Mojang will bring their hit game “Minecraft” to Wii U. 4J Studios, the company behind the Xbox 36o version, will be in charge of the Wii U version.

A Wii U version of “Minecraft” has long been speculated, but the idea was seemingly killed when Marcus “Notch” Persson, the game’s original creator, said Mojang had no plans for a Wii U release. Things went further against the Wii U’s favor when it was announced that Microsoft had bought out Mojang. However, Telltale’s “Minecraft: Story Mode” was announced for release on Wii U, despite the original game’s absence. Fortunately, Nintendo and Mojang announced the Wii U version of “Minecraft” on December 7.

What make the Wii U version stand out is the use of off-TV play on the gamepad. In addition, the game will be available for $29.99, the same price as the Xbox One and Playstation 4 versions, and come with six DLC packs.

Battle and Beasts Skin Pack

Battle and Beasts Skin Pack 2

Natural Texture Pack

City Texture Pack

Fantasy Texture Pack

Festive Mash-Up Pack

In addition, 16 DLC packs will be available for purchase on launch day.

Festive Skin Pack

The Simpsons Skin Pack

Doctor Who Skins Volume 1

Doctor Who Skins Volume 2

Star Wars Classic Skin Pack

Star Wars Rebels Skin Pack

Star Wars Prequel Skin Pack

Mass Effect Mash-Up Pack

Skyrim Mash-Up Pack

Plastic Texture Pack

Candy Texture Pack

Cartoon Texture Pack

Steampunk Texture Pack

Pattern Texture Pack

Greek Mythology Mash-Up Pack

Halloween 2015 Mash-Up Pack

“Minecraft” will be released exclusively on the Nintendo eShop on December 17.