Review Gal Metal - Wild, Weird And Cool, And Worth A Look For Music Fans
Beat it
It's tempting (if not inevitable) to start this review with an anecdote about that infamous E3 (which will be a decade ago by the time this year's event rolls around), and in particular, the oblivious flailing exploits of one Ravi the drummer. While maestro Tak Fujii's own meme-farming antics over the years live long in seasoned gamers...
Feature Cat-Based Metroidvania A Purrtato Tail Is Clawing Its Way To Switch Next Year
Potatoes + Cats = Purrtato
We like potatoes and we like cats, so when we were told by Colorado-based Drunk Robot Games that its upcoming adventure game about cat-potatoes, A Purrtato Tail, is headed to Nintendo Switch alongside other consoles and Steam in 2019, we were understandably excited. A Purrtato Tail is an open-world puzzle adventure about a...
Gallery The Best Cosplay From The Tokyo Game Show 2018
Mario! Link! Toad?!
As is often the case at Japan's premier gaming showcase, this year's Tokyo Game Show had some great cosplay from a variety of Nintendo (and non-Nintendo) franchises. All of the big names were represented, including some of the company's most famous faces - and a few cult favourites, of course. Here is some of the best cosplay...
News Nintendo Wins Big At TGS 2018's Japan Game Awards
Both hardware and software acknowledged at Tokyo Game Show
While Nintendo has been increasing their presence at consumer events in Japan - including Kyoto’s Bitsummit indie game show as part of their ”Hello Indie World” campaign - the company has never had an official showing at Japan’s flagship gaming event, the Tokyo Game Show. In 2018,...
Feature Velocity 2X Dev Opens Up About Publishing Woes And Chances Of A Sequel
"We need to make it happen"
Side-scrolling shooter hybrid Velocity 2X comes to the Nintendo Switch this week, after receiving critical acclaim when it was initially released back in 2014. Things took an interesting turn last month, however, as developer FuturLab suddenly became very vocal and honest about their publishing struggles in a series of...
Feature Creating A New Generation Of Indie Gems With YoYo Games' GameMaker Studio 2
Open beta paving the way for a full September launch
The Nintendo Switch has already become the place to go for indie games, with the recent prominence of Nindie Showcases maintaining the attention of both players and developers. Furthermore, the announcement that YoYo Games' robust engine GameMaker Studio 2 has been licenced on the console in March...
Feature Big In Japan - Investigating The Phenomenon That Is Monster Hunter
Our quest for merch, meals and more on the streets of Tokyo
The popularity of the Monster Hunter series has been spearheaded globally this year by the incredible success of Monster Hunter: World and the release of Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate on Nintendo Switch. Even with competition from other franchises like Pokémon,
Feature Doing The Rounds With The Videokid, A Paperboy And '80s Inspired Nostalgia Trip
"This was my chance to pay one big homage to all of that awesomeness!"
Inspired by score-chasing arcade classics and a heavy dose of popular culture, The Videokid skates onto Nintendo Switch next week. As you perform tricks and combos to earn crazy scores and bonuses, you can hitch and grind your way around town on your trusty skateboard while...
Feature A Day In The Life Of Manual Samuel With Dev Perfectly Paranormal
Dicing with Death, one step at a time
With an interesting combination of slapstick humour and dark themes, hilariously bonkers animated adventure Manual Samuel releases on Nintendo Switch today, 16th August. By performing everyday mundane tasks such as getting dressed and going to work, as well as basic human functions, Manual Samuel...
Feature Let's Go On A Parade With Pikachu And Eevee In Yokohama, Japan
Spectacular summer festival of Pokémon
The annual Pikachu Outbreak event held in Yokohama, a Japanese city south of Tokyo, had extra significance this year with the release of Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! coming up on Nintendo Switch in November. It should come as no surprise then, that the games' mascots Pikachu and Eevee were...
Feature How The Messenger Aims To Fuse Ninja Gaiden, Metroid And Castlevania On Switch
"This is truly the best I can do"
Announced during Nintendo's Nindies Direct in March, side-scrolling action platformer The Messenger has caught our eye by keeping a retro feel but subverting player expectations, using classic graphical styles to compliment a time-travelling narrative. When a small, isolated village is attacked by an army of...
Gallery Splatoon 2, Super Mario And Nintendo Switch Take Over A Balmy Tokyo
Hot town, summer in the city
The Nintendo Switch has been doing gangbusters all around the world, but none more so than in the console's backyard, Japan. Furthermore, 'pop up' stores are very popular among prominent franchises and dedicated fans alike, with Kirby and Pokémon regularly having exclusive goods available for a limited time, as well as
Review Super Destronaut DX (Switch eShop)
Get the duck (and 3D) out
Some say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and one of retro gaming's founding fathers Space Invaders has endured plenty of sycophancy over the last four decades. After appearing on the Wii U in 2015 and proclaiming the inclusion of a pixelated duck in its 2016 sequel before utilising the 3DS hardware a year...
Feature Concluding An Epic Trilogy With Banner Saga Developer Stoic
"It all falls into place and ends the way we know it should"
The Banner Saga trilogy is almost as epic as the development of the games themselves, from starting out as a Kickstarter campaign six years ago to the series concluding with the release of The Banner Saga 3 at the end of July. With an interesting combination of multiple characters,...
Review Touhou Genso Wanderer Reloaded (Switch)
Time to shrine
Ah, The Touhou series. Well, depending on your experience and exposure, the ‘project’ is either a long-standing production line of ‘Danmaku’ (curtain fire) bullet hell shmups, a vast array of parody and homages ranging from Castlevania clones to 3D fighters (in the form of Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle), or a vast,...
Review Bomber Crew (Switch eShop)
Look at my machinery!
Bomber Crew - from British studio Runner Duck - is a half flight/half management simulator set during World War 2, complete with frequent references to planes, events and locations from the conflict. Going up against stellar games such as Rogue Aces and Skies Of Fury DX on the Nintendo Switch is no easy task, but Bomber...
Feature Taking A Trip To Another World With Creator Éric Chahi
Lester we forget
Plenty of games are getting the re-release treatment on Nintendo Switch, and while some definitely don't deserve a second shot at stardom, one recent addition to the console's library definitely does: the sci-fi adventure that is Another World. It was well ahead of its time when it originally launched in 1991, and it's managed to...
Feature Fighting For The Featherweight Title With Pato Box
Duck and cover
Comic book violence collides with the world of boxing in Pato Box, an unusual one-two that's made it one of the most intriguing indies to hit Nintendo Switch this year - in fact, we rather liked it in our review. But with a memorable anatine lead character and a twisted story to tell, we just had to find out more. So we took the...
Review Mushroom Wars 2 (Switch eShop)
Fungus among us
Considering the influx of titles to the Nintendo Switch, one genre that is very under-represented so far is real-time strategy. Normally associated with PC and popularised recently on mobile devices, the balance of depth and accessibility to attract both veterans and newcomers is a lucrative combination and one that’s arguably even...
Review PixelJunk Monsters 2 (Switch eShop)
Turning defence into a Tikiman
PixelJunk Monsters first appeared in 2008 and was instrumental in Kyoto-based developer Q-Games and talisman Dylan Cuthbert establishing a ’brand’ that would spawn several titles across different genres. After taking a break to develop the glorious remake Star Fox 64 3D on 3DS in 2011 as well as releasing Monsters...
Review FRAMED Collection (Switch eShop)
Hideo Kojima's a fan, you know
It has become inevitable that ports of mobile games will continue to come thick and fast to the Nintendo Switch eShop. If you’re accustomed or well versed in playing games on your smart device, chances are you’ve already dug deep and come across the odd gem among all the clones and shovelware. Originally released...
Feature Nicalis On The Timeless Allure Of Physical Games And Bringing More Treasure Titles To Switch
"We're always listening to fan requests"
American publisher Nicalis has been around for longer than you might think, and has recently gained recognition for its efforts to publish physical versions of Switch games with extra treats for fans. Such goodies often include delightful trinkets such as soundtrack CDs or retro inspired instruction manuals;...
Feature Unravelling The Crossover Fisticuffs Of Blade Strangers
Diverse roster aims to cut its teeth among the genre's elite
Studio Saizensens new fighting game, Blade Strangers, brings together a diverse and interesting mix of established characters in their own respective universes, but are new to the fighting game genre. Teaming up with publisher Nicalis has further bolstered the roster to include the...
Soapbox Why A Nintendo 64 Classic Edition Might Not Be Such A Good Idea
Not so 'Ultra' this time round?
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, our 'Man in Japan' Jon explains why Nintendo continuing the ‘classic mini’ line of retro consoles with the N64 may be one step too far... First...
