Nintendo made the announcement just moments ago that indeed there will be a SNES Classic! Rumors and speculations have been circulating lately but thankfully Nintendo has confirmed the systems existence. What a great set of games too including the officially unreleased game, Star Fox 2!
The SNES classic will be released September 29th and is listed as being $80 USD.
Here are the included games:
Contra III: The Alien Wars™ Donkey Kong Country™ EarthBound™ Final Fantasy III F-ZERO™ Kirby™ Super Star Kirby’s Dream Course™ The Legend of Zelda™: A Link to the Past™ Mega Man® X Secret of Mana Star Fox™ Star Fox™ 2 Street Fighter® II Turbo: Hyper Fighting Super Castlevania IV™ Super Ghouls ’n Ghosts® Super Mario Kart™ Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars™ Super Mario World™ Super Metroid™ Super Punch-Out!! ™ Yoshi’s Island™
Ever Oasis – The desert’s last safe haven is a lone oasis you call home. So draw a line in the sand and fight to protect it! As you explore the desert and solve puzzling dungeons, you’ll gather resources to build up your oasis with the water spirit Esna. Allies will join your cause, so equip them with weapons, and use their skills to slay towering bosses. The Ever Oasis game will be available on June 23.
RPG Maker Fes – Create the RPG you always dreamed of with the RPG Maker Fes game.RPG Maker Fes is game-creation software that lets you create your own RPGs without any programming knowledge. Customize characters, stories, combat and more. Then, upload and share your creations to play other users’ games with the free RPG Maker Player application, which can also be downloaded in Nintendo eShop on the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. RPG Maker Fes will be available on June 27.
New DLC
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia Season Pass($44.99, 22 pieces of content): The Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia Season Pass includes all five DLC packs. By purchasing the Season Pass, fans who want to receive all DLC will save more than 30 percent compared to purchasing all 22 pieces of content on their own. (All five DLC packs, as well as the individual components included in each pack, can be purchased separately, giving players the flexibility to buy as many or as few as they want.)
DLC Pack #5 – Cipher Companions Pack($5.99, two pieces of content): Each piece of content in this set for the Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia game for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems introduces two exclusive characters from the Japanese “Fire Emblem Cipher” trading card game. The four characters will also be usable in the main game and are fully voiced.
Niantic and Nintendo rolled out the recently announced Gym / Raid update for Pokemon GO on iOS and Android this afternoon. Trainers haven’t been able to go to their local Gyms for a few days now, simply receiving a message that “Gyms are currently under construction” – and as of the writing of this post, this is still true in North America. In their official announcement, which you can check out here, Niantic called this update to Pokemon Go “the biggest update” the game has received yet.
Raids
Remember that stunning moment in one of the Pokemon Go reveal trailers where dozens upon dozens of trainers got together in Times Square to battle Mewtwo? That dream is taking one step closer to reality with the addition to Raids in Go. Basically, a large egg will spawn above select Gyms with a timer. Trainers have until the timer reaches zero to assemble and prepare to work together to take down the Raid Boss. Each boss will be a surprise, and as of right now we don’t know if Raid Bosses will include legendaries but it is certainly possible.
Participating in the Raid events does come at a cost, either by collecting the one free “raid pass” that you are entitled too from a participating Gym or by purchasing a Premium Raid Pass in the Coin Shop.
Here is how Niantic explained the differences between the two passes:
“Before you can battle the Raid Boss, you’ll need a Raid Pass. You can get one free Raid Pass per day by visiting a Gym, but you can only hold one at a time. You can also get Premium Raid Passes from the in-game shop. “
New Items
Defeating a Raid Boss can reward a number of new items to the participating trainers including:
Rare Candy – Can be used to generate a single Pokemon candy of any kind.
Golden Razz Berry – Greatly enhances the capture chance of a wild Pokemon.
TMs (Technical Machines) – Used to teach a Pokemon a new fast or charged attack for use in Gyms.
Gym Enhancements and Badges
Gyms are receiving a massive overhaul in the latest version of Pokemon GO. No longer will Gyms be stacked with six unbeatable 3000CP Dragonites or Blisseys that you have no hope of defeating. Thanks to a new motivation system there is also a higher chance individual trainers will be able to contribute a Pokemon to their local gyms, rather than waiting on the sidelines. Special items, badges, and other incentives will also give trailers a reason for stopping by a Gym – rather than letting it literally pass them by.
Here is a quick rundown with how Gyms are changing once construction is finished:
Pokemon in Gyms is no longer tied to their Combat Power. Instead, each Gym has six slots available to the controlling team.
Pokemon taking up the six slots will lose “motivation” over time or when defeated. As their motivation drops their Challenge Points will also decrease, making them easier to defeat.
Once a slotted monster is defeated that slot becomes open again for new trainers to park their favorite little mon.
Gyms can now be spun like PokeStops to reward trainers for visiting them.
Badges have been added that will give players a visual memento for the contributions they’ve made to Gyms during their journey.
So, how do you feel about the latest Pokemon Go update? It may not be the huge fad it was one year ago but millions of trainers still play the game – myself included. Badges and free items could be an interesting incentive to visit Gyms and I’m glad that Niantic has provided a way for everyone to participate in raids. I haven’t owned a Gym in mooooonths, since other trainers starting stacking them with so many Blisseys.
Perhaps this will spark huge crowds like in the video above? What do you think? Leave your comments below!
Nintendo’s action-RPG Ever Oasis is about to bloom on the 3DS and based on the demo released last week it’s a pretty fun little title to play.
The game is developed by Grezzo, the studio that rebuilt multiple Legend of Zelda games for the Nintendo 3DS, and producer/director Koichi Ishii, creator of the Mana series. Ever Oasis offers a unique mix of oasis building and dungeon exploration.
In the game your oasis in the desert is the last safe haven. As you progress you’ll try to draw in visiors to call your oasis home, thus growing and expanding your oasis with the help of the water spirit Esna. The larger your oasis becomes, the more visitors that will arrive. You will need to complete a variety of quests to recruit new villagers, each with their own unique weapons and skills.
Nintendo has plans for three more amiibo to coincide with the release of Super Mario Odyssey in October. The three amiibo will be of Mario, Peach, and Bowser decked out in wedding garb.
In Super Mario Odyssey you will join Mario on a massive, globe-trotting 3D adventure and use his incredible new abilities to collect Moons so you can power up your airship, the Odyssey, and rescue Princess Peach from Bowser’s wedding plans! This sandbox-style 3D Mario adventure—the first since 1996’s beloved Super Mario 64 and 2002’s Nintendo GameCube classic Super Mario Sunshine—is packed with secrets and surprises, and with Mario’s new moves like cap throw, cap jump, and capture, you’ll have fun and exciting gameplay experiences unlike anything you’ve enjoyed in a Mario game before. Get ready to be whisked away to strange and amazing places far from the Mushroom Kingdom!
Check out some features from the game which were revealed at E3.Read More
Another E3 has come and gone and now all of the developers and publishers have packed up from the LA Convention Centre for another year. After a week of impressions, live streaming videos and major announcements – what games & announcements can we can put in the ‘win’ column and which left a sour taste in viewers’ mouths? Here are three of the biggest wins and fails of E3 2017. Let us know your pick the for win and fail of E3 in the comments section!
Win
Michel Ancel Finally Gets To Debut Beyond Good & Evil 2
BG&2 has become somewhat of a running vaporware joke at this point, with 13 years separating us from the original’s release it is no surprise fans have let this one go. Ubisoft shocked everyone when Michel Ancel took the stage after a CG trailer that introduced us to a brand new rag-tag group of bounty hunters. Instead of the sequel, starring Jade, that everyone was expecting – we’re getting an expansive game with a diverse cast of characters like Knox the chimpanzee. In the most tear jerking moment of E3 2017 – Ancel was joined by the entire BG&E 2 team who were at E3 after the trailer rolled, for an on-stage embrace that will be remembered for some time to come.
Samus Returns, Not Once But Twice
Metroid fans have waited a long time for their heroin to return to her space bounty hunting ways on a Nintendo platform. After missing the Wii U generation entirely, Samas Aran is coming back to Nintendo’s consoles in two big ways: The unexpected announcement of a Metroid II: The Return of Samus remake for 3DS due out this Fall and the news that development of Metroid Prime 4 has begun with the help of an unnamed development studio that is not Retro Studios. Here’s hoping that Prime 4 brings the excellent atmospheric First Person Adventuring that we’ve come to expect from the series. With more than a decade of anticipation behind it, Prime 4 is going to have some big boots to fill when it arrives sometime in the future.
The Force Is Strong With Battlefront II
A gameplay reveal for Star Wars Battlefront II could have been a by the numbers amalgamation of pre-recorded gameplay footage combined with fake e-sports commentators but EA went all on one of this Fall’s biggest shooters. By bringing together 32 of e-sports most talented players and live commentators EA created a sense of authenticity and excitement for Star Wars Battlefront II’s first time in the spotlight. Sure there were some cheesy moments like a commentator announcing “this is why people play Star Wars games” as two ships circle each other in a dogfight that contained absolutely zeros shooting but the smiles on player’s faces and the on-screen action told a different story: that Star Wars BattleFront 2 is a blast to play and even as a pre-alpha early E3 build.
Fail
We’ve Seen Sony’s E3 2017 Line-up Before
Sony’s E3 2017 press conference almost felt like the greatest hits of games they’ve already revealed in years past. Sure the Shadow of the Colossus complete remake is pretty cool, but that game has been available on two generations of Sony hardware already. God of War and Detroit both got new gameplay demos, but those titles won’t be out until at least the 1st quarter of next year if not later. The only true surprise was the extended gameplay demo of Spider-Man but that doesn’t have a release date except for a vague ‘2018’. It wasn’t so much that Sony put on a bad show, it’s just that outside of a few smaller reveals and the wow of Spider-Man we’ve seen these titles before in extended on-stage demos. They do get a number of points from me for putting PlayStation VR up and center in a concise and easy to understand way. Shame they didn’t speak the word, PS Vita, even once, perhaps the time has passed for the 5-year-old handheld.
Destiny 2 Was Missing In Action
I’ve already shared most of my thoughts on Bungie’s next FPS being absent from major coverage despite being playable on the show floor. It seems that the content that Bungie brought to E3 this year was the same sing-player mission and strike that we saw raw gameplay of during last month’s reveal. The only new pieces of Destiny 2 information we got through the course of this year’s show was a month and a half delay for the PC version and the expected reveal of PlayStation exclusive content. Sony and Bungie could have done so much more here.
X Doesn’t Mark The Spot For The Xbox One X
Microsoft’s job at their E3 2017 press conference was to convince both existing Xbox One owners and those of us who haven’t picked one up that the Xbox One X (formerly Project Scorpio) would be worth the cash. Thankfully they spent a good amount of time prior to E3 2017 detailing the hardware specs and capabilities of Xbox One X with Digital Foundry. Rather than dedicate a good chunk of time going over numbers that didn’t mean anything (6 tera-flops anyone?) – Microsoft had to focus on games that would convince viewers that Xbox One was worth the wait. What they delivered was… well… I doubt Forza 7 and the promise of Bioware’s Anthem in 2018 are going to convince people that they should pick up an Xbox one right now. Microsoft showed a lot of games, but nothing really screamed “you MUST play this in 4K” – and considering the Xbox One X is $100 USD more than the comparable PS4 Pro without demonstrable difference between the two – it feels like Microsoft kinda blew it with the Xbox One X reveal.
When it was first unveiled in Japan I was hoping that Nintendo’s latest vehicle for the Miis would make its way stateside and now we have more information, a release date, and even a demo for the upcoming Nintendo RPG.
In the game you will journey with Mii characters based on your friends and favorite people and save Miitopia! Assign jobs, manage their friendships, and embark on a quest to defeat the Dark Lord and restore the stolen faces of the people. Mii characters mingle over food, camping, exercise, sleeping arrangements and, yes, combat! In these wild, yet traditional RPG battles, your party’s relationships affect the outcome. For more customization options, tap compatible amiibo figures: some yield in-game Mii costumes, and let you dress like Mario in your adventure!
Features:
Embark on your own personalized journey with Mii characters based on your friends and favorite people.
Guide a team of Mii characters on a quest to defeat the Dark Lord and restore the stolen faces of the people of Miitopia!
Manage Mii friendships to increase their might in traditional turn-based battles.
As your Mii characters interact, watch their hilarious scenes unfold.
Assign your Mii allies jobs with specific abilities, stats, gear, and custom looks.
Cast Mii characters in roles across the world of Miitopia.
Use the SpotPass functionality to connect to Mii Central to download Mii characters created by other players to fill in your world.
Tap compatible amiibo figures* to unlock special outfits.
Nintendo demoed the game during E3 in their Treehouse LIVE segment, which you can see over on their YouTube channel. You can download the demo in the eShop right now. Your saved data from the demo will carry over into the full game as well.
Miitopia will be released on the Nintendo 3DS on July 28th.
ARMS – Fighting superstars from around the world share one thing in common: extendable arms! Fight as never before: equip each arm of each fighter with a super-powered weapon to create a slew of unprecedented combinations. Then use simple motion or button controls to dish out highly strategic beatdowns in 1-on-1 or even 2-on-2 battles! The ARMS game will be available on June 16. (Additional accessories required for multiplayer mode. Sold separately.)
Cave Story+ – A young boy wakes up in a cave with no memory of who he is or how he got there. Join him in an action-packed adventure of thrills and discovery: Cave Story+, the definitive edition of the classic game, will be available on the Nintendo Switch console on June 20.
MIGHTY GUNVOLT BURST – Rather than make a direct sequel to its bite-sized 2D action game Mighty Gunvolt from 2014, Inti Creates has made the next installment in the Mighty Gunvolt series. MIGHTY GUNVOLT BURST is a new full-sized game that features characters from multiple universes, with Gunvolt (Azure Striker Gunvolt) and Beck (Mighty No. 9) taking the stage once again.
A brand-new classic Metroid adventure returns, rebuilt from the ground up and it’s headed to the Nintendo 3DS.
In Metroid: Samus Returns, you’ll brave the hostile terrain of an alien planet teeming with vicious life forms as legendary bounty hunter Samus Aran. Her mission? Terminate the Metroid menace in this masterful reimagining of her 1991 Game Boy adventure. Samus Aran’s arsenal has been enhanced with new moves and abilities that are sure to help her face the deadly surprises that await. This intense, side-scrolling action platformer is a great entry point into the Metroid franchise and perfect for returning fans as well.
The game follows the idea of the recent Fire Emblem Echoes, which was a full remake of the original NES game.
Ubisoft announced on Monday during their media presentation that they are teaming up with Nintendo to bring a new game to the Switch. The game has been a work in progress for about three years and was finally unveiled today.
The world of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is full of zany characters, luscious environments, and crazy worlds to explore. Today, we’ll be giving you a glimpse of the Ancient Gardens world.
Ancient Gardens is the first world that you’ll encounter on your journey through Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. As its name implies, it is a mystical place full of foliage, creatures, gorgeous water and well….since the Rabbids came to town, a few funky structures, amongst other oddities.
The Garden itself used to be a peaceful, tranquil place, where Goombas would roam the lands in grumpy bliss. Now though, the pesky Rabbids have stormed the place and painted the area in their specific brand of chaos, and of course, it’s up to you and your squad to take the power back!
Cars 3: Driven to Win – Start your engines and gear up for the ultimate racing experience in Cars 3: Driven to Win, inspired by Disney Pixar’s upcoming film Cars 3. Train and advance your abilities in six game modes and challenge your family and friends in the Battle Race to become the Ultimate Champion. Cars 3: Driven to Win will be available on June 13. (Additional accessories may be required for multiplayer mode and are sold separately.)
Also announced today was another couple of Pokémon titles headed to the Nintendo Virtual Console. The second titles in the Pokémon series, Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver, will be making their way to the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console.
Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver were released in Japan on November 21st, 1999, as the second set of titles in the Pokémon series. These games, which debuted as Game Boy Color-titles in Japan, are being recreated into Virtual Console versions such that their screens appear just as they did on the Game Boy Color.
During Pokémon Direct, we got to see footage from the newest titles in the Pokémon series, Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon. Two new Pokémon forms were shown resembling that of the Legendary Pokémon Solgaleo and Lunala.
Take on the role of a Pokémon Trainer and uncover new tales, and unravel the mystery behind the two forms reminiscent of the Legendary Pokémon.
New Pokémon forms have been discovered in the Aloha region in Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon. In this expanded adventure, you’ll get to explore more of the Alola region, catch more Pokémon, and battle more formidable foes. The games have been powered up with new additions to the story and features from Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon.
During today’s Pokémon Direct presentation, Tsunekazu Ishihara, president and CEO of The Pokémon Company, and Junichi Masuda, Director of GAME FREAK, announced upcoming Pokémon titles for Nintendo consoles.
Included in the announcement is the news that Pokémon is making its way to Nintendo Switch later this year with Pokkén Tournament DX. Along with all the content from both the Wii U and arcade versions of Pokkén Tournament, the Pokémon fighting game also introduces an array of exciting new features to create the ultimate Pokkén experience.
Dispatch Games, a new publisher based out of California announced today that they will be bringing Soldam to North America. It looks like the game is potentially an import of Soldam 2: Blooming Declaration which is available on the Japanese Switch eShop. The art seems to match up so if you’d like to see some gameplay, check out the video below. Just remember that it’s what we assume the game is.
Here’s what Dispatch has to say about Soldam:
Play one of the original tile-matching games from the 90’s. Dispatch Games brings back the Jaleco arcade classic with, Soldam: Drop, Connect, Erase. The game has been refreshed with updated graphics and gameplay, but retains its arcade charm with its catchy music and unique style that have been fan favorites for many years.
Players rotate and drop the Soldam fruits to match colors. Keep connecting the same colored Soldam to form an entire row and erase. Use flanking methods to change the colors of previously dropped Soldam to your advantage. Strategize your next move and maximize that score.
Looks interesting! Like if Othello and Puyo Puyo had a baby. The game will be available at E3 and is coming to the Nintendo Switch eShop this Fall!
