Feature
Nov 12, 2017
Here are some games to tide over avid Animal Crossing fans until the release of Pocket Camp.
✨ Enchanted Folk and the School of Wizardry (Magician’s Quest: Mysterious Times in US) ✨
This game is a must-play for fans of Animal Crossing. Animal Crossing meets Hogwarts, this game has all the favourite attributes of animal crossing such as animal residents, cute graphics (which are visually similar to animal Crossing), having your own room to decorate, fishing, bug catching and a variety of shops to browse. However, in this game there are unique perks such as: Being able to attend classes at the Magic school, being able to play instruments, being able to perform spells (such as invisibility, which is useful for eavesdropping) and the ability to date the other residents (which is alarming if you think about it, considering you’re a human and they’re animals/aliens/fruit, etc).
? Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns ?
This game is a great addition to the Harvest Moon series. The story is of two towns (Bluebell and Konohana) that used to have a connecting tunnel between the two towns and were friendly with one another. But as years went on, they fell out and become more and more isolated from one another, with the tunnel eventually becoming blocked, meaning a long trek is necessary to travel from one town to the other. You can choose which town you want to inhabit at the beginning of the game. Your character’s aim is to restore peace between the two towns. You can choose to fall in love with one of the residents from your own town, or from the other town. In addition to this, there are all the Harvest Moon perks that we all know and love, such as Animal farming (Bluebell) and Plant farming (Konohana), shopping, horse riding, gathering etc., as well as regular food festivals held by the goddess at the hill between the two towns. As your character participates in more competitions, the friendship between the two towns will increase.
Psst! There’s also rumours of a remake called Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns +
? Fantasy Life ?
Fantasy life is a game brought to us by Level 5, the company that created the infamous Professor Layton series. The beautiful unique graphics and music are a good indicator of this. In this game, after creating your character you get to choose a ‘life’ (basically what career you want). The 12 life classes to choose from are: Alchemist; Angler; Blacksmith; Carpenter; Cook; Hunter; Magician; Mercenary; Miner; Paladin; Tailor; and Woodcutter. After you have mastered one life, you can choose another. In each life, you learn a new skill and can make/obtain new items (dishes as a chef, clothes as a tailor, ore as a miner etc.), meaning once you’ve mastered all 12 lives, you are saving a lot of Dosh (the currency) and resources. Like in Animal Crossing, you can decorate your houses, engage with locals, as well as being able to take on quests, slay dragons, and complete the exciting storyline.
This game also has a sequel that will soon be released for mobile! You can check out a first Fantasy Online gameplay video right here.
? My Sims Kingdom ?
This was one of the first DS games I played and therefore sticks in my memory. I vividly remember retrieving it out of my stocking from Santa and spending Christmas day curled up on the sofa being even more anti-social than normal (if that’s possible?!). So good was this game that my mum decided to steal it (along with my DS console), create a save file of her own, and play it whilst I was in school. This game basically consists of following a storyline where the King gives your character the task of solving the mystery around who’s been stealing public works projects and houses from the Kingdom and causing chaos?! Alongside following the story, you get to decorate your houses (you get multiple), go shopping, play mini-games, complete mini quests (such as finding all the escaped zoo animals), create public works projects and place new houses.
? Stardew Valley ?
I haven’t actually played Stardew Valley in depth, but I’ve heard very good things and definitely want to put aside some time to play it properly. Stardew Valley is a Harvest Moon like, farming RPG game developed by ConcernedApe. Your character inherits a farm plot from your grandfather and your job is to create a successful farm and a thriving community. It has been well received and has been given a 10/10 rating by Steam! Nintendo have also released a version of it for Switch. 🙂
?️ The Sims 3 ?️
The Sims 3 is great fun. Don’t get me wrong, I like The Sims 4, but there is very little space for development in your town, EA received a lot of backlash for not including pools and toddlers (amongst other things) in their initial release of the game, which forced them to include them in updates, and it has more of a mobile Sims game feel than the PC Sims games I’ve grown up with.
The Sims 3 has better graphics than The Sims 2 whilst also having super cool expansion packs such as The Sims 3: Supernatural (you can create and meet fairies, plant people, vampires etc.) and The Sims 3: Island Paradise where you can create and run your own resorts. In addition to this, The Sims 3: University Life offers a more realistic University life for your Sims (perhaps too realistic for some, the stress of getting them through university is unreal).
- Oct 14, 2017
[dropcap]Y[/dropcap]esterday we reported that Nintendo is currently busy teasing Animal Crossing fans with new artwork throughout the entire week. Today we learned that tons of new Animal Crossing Merchandise is hitting the market. The Japanese retailer SAN-EI CO., LTD is exclusively offering a great variety of Animal Crossing themed items. Pencils, notebooks, keychains and more will be available at 3 of their locations in Japan, some of it will be sold online as well. It is unclear at this point if these items will be sold in North America as well. However, the eager fan might turn to eBay to snatch up one of those exclusive Animal Crossing goodies! Check back for an upcoming giveaway of these items!
Check this list of available Animal Crossing Merch every fan must own!
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photo credit @saneiboeki - May 29, 2017
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nintendo Switch is on a path to success, as Nintendo managed to keep up the incredible sales in Japan, and remains to be the best selling console in the US in the month of April as well. Not a lot of new additions to the Nintendo eShop this week, as Nintendo prepares for the big E3 event in just a few short weeks. Check out the new 3DS and Switch Games coming to the Nintendo eShop this week below.
Astro Duel Deluxe
Battle your friends in space! (Then run over their pilots!) Astro Duel Deluxe includes new features and gameplay created for the Nintendo Switch! ASTRO DUEL DELUXE is a fun, frenetic same-screen local multiplayer party game for 1 to 6 play[dropcap][/dropcap]ers! Game rounds are quick and defeat is sudden as you blast enemy ships, or run over your friends’ shipless pilots. ( May 30th, $14.99 )
Astro Duel Deluxe Features
Play anywhere – On the TV, on the go, or even face up on a table or floor!
Play with multiple controller types (including touch screen)
Wipe out your friends’ squad in “Team Annihilation” mode
6-player “Chaos” mode (More open arenas support Free-For-All and 3v3)
Pilot Selection – Pick from 6 pilots to control, including Box Cat and Chomper
Instant Replay after completing each round
Additional music
Wacky “Touch” mode – Ships can only turn in one direction!
Battle your friends or team up to take on CPU opponents
Run over pilots in “Pilot Hunters” mode, battle for the most kills in “Ship Hunters,” or join forces in “Team Deathmatch”
Arm your ship with offensive and defensive powerups including missiles, lasers, jousters and shields
Dynamic arenas provide a host of hiding places and hazards – Avoid turrets, death beams, and black holes
Mix up play with Game Modifiers (enable asteroids, starting power-ups, super dashes, and so much more)Of Mice And Sand 3DS
By ordering the mice crew living in the Desert ship, you can build facilities on the ship and make food for breeding the mice with various items. With the development of the ship, more mice will join in and they can accomplish more jobs. Don’t let them starve and make them rich. Your final goal is to reach the other side of the desert and find the legendary land of gold to the east, El Dorado! ( June 1st, $7.99 )
Check out our Nintendo E3 predictions right here.
- May 21, 2017
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nintendo Switch is on a path to success, as Nintendo managed to keep up the incredible sales in Japan, and remains to be the best selling console in the US in the month of April as well. Here are this weeks New Nintendo Switch Games.
Disgaea 5 Complete – This classic Tactical RPG series finally makes its return to Nintendo consoles. The first time Disgaea was on a Nintendo system, it was a remake of the original game on the Nintendo DS in 2008. The game boasts hundreds of hours of gameplay and content that was DLC in the PS4 version as part of the complete package. Disgaea 5 Complete launches in both physical AND digital formats on May 23rd. ($59.99 USD You can buy it – here
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Here is our full review on Disgaea 5 Complete for the Nintendo Switch.
Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers – It’s become somewhat of a joke that SFII needs to be released on every system, but the game really isn’t any less amazing as an arcade fighter on the Switch than it was when it first showed up in arcades. This version includes Evil Ryu and Violent Ken as playable characters which represent the worst likely outcomes of their various trials. USFII: The Final Challengers will make its way to the Switch eShop on May 26th. ($39.99 USD You can buy it here
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You can find a list of the most exciting Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS games to be released in the month of May right here. More than 100 games are currently in development for the Switch, here is a list of the most exciting ones. Last weeks game releases can be found here.
- May 15, 2017
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nintendo Switch is on a path to success, as Nintendo managed to sell nearly four times as many systems as the competition. Even though the Nintendo Switch has become the center of attention, Nintendo is making sure the 3DS is receiving some love as well. With the newly announced 2DS XL, and plenty of more games to come, the handheld console is going to get support from Nintendo for the years to come. Here are this weeks most exciting new Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch Games.
New Nintendo Switch Games
Thumper – Thumper is rhythm violence: classic rhythm-action, blistering speed, and brutal physicality. You are a space beetle. Brave the hellish void and confront a maniacal giant head from the future.Scream down the endless track and crash through punishing obstacles with simple, airtight controls. Hurtle forward, master new moves, reach overwhelming velocities, and survive epic boss battles. Every crushing impact is interwoven with a pounding original soundtrack. To reach synesthetic bliss, you must survive rhythm hell. ($19.99 USD)
New Nintendo 3DS Games
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia – Between FE Warriors, FE Heroes, and FE Echoes, Fire Emblem is making a big showing, this year. And between this game and Disgaea 5, May really does seem to be the month for major Tactical RPG releases. This game seems to be a remake or reimagining of the second game in the Fire Emblem series. You can buy the normal game at full price, or you can get the Limited Edition for an extra $20. The Limited Edition includes an art book, a sound selection CD, a collection of character pins, and a reversible cover reminiscent of the original Famicom art for the game this was based on. Fire Emblem Echoes will be in stores on May 19th. ($39.99 USD You can buy it here
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Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop – The Cooking Mama series is a tried-and-true classic of the DS line. Play various minigames to help Mama make some delicious food and receive a rating based on your performance. If you’re a fan of the series, there’s no reason you should miss this one, either. Sweet Shop drops on the eShop on May 18th. ($29.99 USD You can buy it here
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Mysterious Stars 3D: Road To Idol –When you connect the stars that God of the Stars created in the sky with a line, items necessary for the girl are born. Let’s give that item, It will helps realize her dream. Items born in 3D can be laid out freely in the girl’s room. You can also increase the number of items in the room by gathering the stars you get when clearing. Let’s make the girl’s dream come true with God of the Stars! May 18th. ($5.99 USD
Drancia Saga – Chain attacks to get the coins! Upgrade the powers through the skill tree! Defeat the massive monsters with good pace to solve the mystery of Drancia! The playable characters are over 50! Furthermore, there’s a collaboration with the titles such as “The Legend of Dark Witch” “Gunman Clive” ! May 18th. ($5 USD
DodgeBox – A fun game where you use the Touch Screen to avoid falling boxes! It gets harder as it continues! May 18th. ($1.50 USD
You can find a list of the most exciting Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS games to be released in the month of May right here.
- May 9, 2017
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]o the Internet is talking and the rumor mill is spinning about a potential upcoming Direct. As we slowly make our way to June and the impending E3 conference, we wonder if we’re even gonna hear anything before then. After all, Nintendo hasn’t been a stranger to presentations in the month leading up to E3. Since they aren’t doing a physical presentation this year, we expect a wider spread of information density.
As such, it’s common around this time of year that we take a look at what might be just around the corner. Luckily, the internet already has some ideas. Nintendo recently updated their Direct page which can only mean that they’re planning a direct (or that we’re looking too deep into this.) Odds are that’s it’s coming very soon, which means we don’t have long to wait to see what’s next. In the meantime, let’s have fun speculating on what could be around the corner! Here are just a few possibilities we came up with or have heard.
Pokemon Direct
We’re starting with this, as it seems the most likely and because it’s the most popular theory. This week actually happens to be a hot spot for announcing new Pokemon games. As it happens, many Pokemon titles were announced on this week of the year in previous years. This happened with every major Pokemon title since Diamond and Pearl, barring Black 2 and White 2.
As if that wasn’t enough, the update to the Direct page actually took down the most recent Pokemon presentation. And with the rumors of Pokemon Stars running wild, it’s looking extremely likely. Even basic pattern recognition backs this up. Game Freak made announcements in early May in the years of ’06 (D/P), ’08 (Plat), ’09 (HG/SS), ’10 (B/W), ’13 (X/Y), ’14 (ORAS), and ’16 (S/M). Since years always seem to group up by at least two, the pattern suggests an announcement this year.
There’s one problem with that pattern, though. Platinum took two years after D&P. Many suggest that Stars is a remake of Sun and Moon for the Switch, but it’d be a year early. However, if Stars was a code name (like Rainbow for Sun and Moon), it may be intended to throw us off the trail of a Pokemon Platinum remake for Switch or 3DS. (Because at this point, Game Freak probably expects their projects to leak, anyways.) Of course, that’s just speculation.
This is just a mock-up of a potential logo for the third title.
Regardless, this definitely seems the most likely topic for a potential direct. It may be a glorified reveal like with Sun and Moon which would leave the meat and potatoes for E3. After this point, though, expect less evidence and more speculation.
Upcoming Games/General Direct
Now, you’re likely thinking this would be a bit odd. Sure, the last Direct was almost entirely focused on Splatoon and Arms. They still did a wonderful job of rounding up titles that would be coming out soon for both the Switch AND 3DS. So why would they do another Direct just to reannounce that same stuff?
We think it’s possible that Nintendo might see this as “getting the E3 ball rolling early.” Nintendo could use this opportunity to announce some titles that are on their way, soon. Perhaps the rumored remake of Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga? They could use this opportunity to remind us the system has third-party support, too. They’d give us a list of major multi-plats headed the system to avoid taking up time in an E3 presentation.
There are also plenty of games coming out this month that could use some attention from Nintendo. Games such as Disgaea, RiME, and Fire Emblem. Not to mention it’d be a good opportunity to reveal another Arms fighter. They could also put some focus on DLC for Zelda (and perhaps other titles, like Mario Kart 8 or Fire Emblem.) What we’re suggesting is more or less a general direct. This could clean up the mess before E3 so that Nintendo can focus on the big releases at the big show.
Another Fire Emblem Direct
This would be another odd decision. The last Fire Emblem Direct doesn’t seem that long ago. However, with Fire Emblem Echoes releasing in less than two weeks, it’s not too far-fetched. Fire Emblem Heroes could always use more coverage from the big N and Fire Emblem Warriors is closing in, too. The biggest kinks are that FE Warriors and the upcoming Switch title might be best saved for the big presentation. Still, it’s worth noting that there is still something to talk about!
New game coming out gives them plenty to talk about, we bet.
Pre E3 Direct
This time, we’re suggesting that Nintendo has big plans for E3, similar to their Best Buy demos from 2013. Nintendo would need a platform to properly announce this, after all. Honestly, this could just be rolled up into the general direct idea from before. We’d still like to acknowledge that Nintendo could be calling our attention just to announce E3 plans.
It’s also worth pointing out that Nintendo could actually give us an idea of what we’ll see at E3. Games that will be on the show floor like Arms, Splatoon, and Super Mario Odyssey. Of course, this doesn’t really suit their hush-hush attitude they usually take with these events. Therefore, it seems very unlikely that this would happen at all. We could only see Nintendo talking about E3 plans if it involved the viewers who can’t attend the show.
Nindie Showcase
Once again, this seems like a category you could slip in with “general Direct.” Only this time the Direct would focus on indie games coming to the Switch and 3DS. These are games that might not see much spotlight at E3 alongside bigger AAA Nintendo titles. They could even use this opportunity to announce that they’re bringing back Nindies at Home for this year’s E3. This one actually doesn’t seem so unlikely, in the end.
Final Thoughts
Nintendo likes their secrets. We’ll likely be told just days in advance if we’re gonna see a new Direct. We may not even know the actual subject matter until the Direct airs! Even so, no amount of speculation removes the seemingly high possibility of a Pokemon Direct within the next week. Only time will tell if we’re onto something or just complete lunatics, but it doesn’t seem like the wait will be too long.
Since we’re sure the readers will have some ideas, we encourage you to discuss them in the comments below. We’d love to hear what you think the Direct could be about.
- May 8, 2017
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nintendo Switch is on a path to success, as Nintendo managed to sell nearly four times as many systems as the competition. Even though the Nintendo Switch has become the center of attention, Nintendo is making sure the 3DS is receiving some love as well. With the newly announced 2DS XL, and plenty of more games to come, the handheld console is going to get support from Nintendo for the years to come.
Here are this weeks games we can look forward to on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS.
New Nintendo Switch Games
NBA Playgrounds – NBA Playgrounds has been covered primarily as a Playstation game, but it is, indeed, coming to the Switch (as well as Xbox One and Windows). This is a 2-on-2 competitive basketball game and includes an expansive roster with many real-world superstars. It’s being compared to NBA Jam but includes more features, like a leveling system and online play. Definitely check it out, if you’re a Basketball fan. ($19.99 USD)
Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition – It’s back. Minecraft is the same game you know and love, but now it’s very easily portable. As far as we can tell, this plays much like the other console versions of Minecraft but has even more Nintendo-based content than the Wii U edition did. Minecraft launches on the Switch on May 11th. ($29.99 USD – You can buy it here
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New Nintendo 3DS Games
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia – Between FE Warriors, FE Heroes, and FE Echoes, Fire Emblem is making a big showing, this year. And between this game and Disgaea 5, May really does seem to be the month for major Tactical RPG releases. This game seems to be a remake or reimagining of the second game in the Fire Emblem series. You can buy the normal game at full price, or you can get the Limited Edition for an extra $20. The Limited Edition includes an art book, a sound selection CD, a collection of character pins, and a reversible cover reminiscent of the original Famicom art for the game this was based on. Fire Emblem Echoes will be in stores on May 19th. ($39.99 USD You can buy it here
, and the $59.99 USD Limited Edition here
You can find a list of the most exciting Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS games to be released in the month of May right here.
- May 5, 2017
[dropcap]N[/dropcap]intendo recently held events in New York and London to allow the press to get a first look at the New 2DS XL that has recently been revealed. We weren’t able to go ourselves, but thankfully, videos and articles describing these events are not hard to find. So there wasn’t really a lot to look at that we couldn’t already figure out from the images. Still, we’d like to give a basic rundown of what to expect from this system. Check out our Nintendo 2DS XL Preview below!
So many to choose from!
So the New 2DS XL turns out to be roughly the same size as the New 3DS XL. It’s only a little bit slimmer, but surprisingly, it’s very light. Nothing like the brick that 3DS XL systems have been in the past. It outsizes the original 2DS by a longshot. Also, it can fit the original 3DS long ways between the circle pad and face buttons with ease. Now, the system IS dwarfed by the original 3DS XL, and the whole system, when closed, fits inside the area of the Switch’s screen.
Silly size comparisons aside, there are some other differences with the system. The stylus pen that comes with it is shorter, for one. There seems to be a focus on shifting most of the tech to the bottom half of the system. The volume slider, speakers, and cameras have all been moved down with the speakers now resting a the very bottom with the charger port and cartridge slot. The speakers also seem to be a bit quieter. The cartridge slot also has a plastic cover, similar to the Switch, which will likely help avoid accidentally removing your game.
All in all, the changes seem minimal. It’s a 2DS with a clamshell design and the extra power of the New 3DS. The advantages here will be similar to those provided by the original 2DS. It’ll be cheaper than a New 3DS while still allowing you to play all the same games. Its lighter design makes it more convenient for travel and probably more resistant to falling, which makes it great for kids.
These changes are also mentioned in GameXplain’s hands on video, as you’ll see here.
With that in mind, it looks like a great system to pick up if you need a New 3DS but would like to pay a little less for it. It’s also great if you don’t have a 3DS, yet or if you have children that want one of their own. The New Nintendo 2DS XL will sell for $149.99 in the US and release on July 28th. The Japanese will get the system sooner on July 13th. Australians will get it first on June 15th.
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