PikaPhantom

So Nintendo wasn't the one who pulled the plug on the project? I imagine they wouldn't be happy about that...

I think people are being too quick to assume that it had to be their 3D action game remaster project, since that would probably have been finished already or close to completion if they were hiring in 2022. It probably wouldn't be another Pokemon project, though, because I think The Pokemon Company would've had to commission that instead. It could've been something else entirely - there's been talk of Mario Baseball returning for a while, and Monolith Soft has seemingly been pushing for something to happen with Xenosaga again...
No matter what, this is horrible news. I can only hope that it was simply "put on hold" and not outright cancelled. If it was, and without it being at Nintendo's discretion...between this and Prime 4, I think Nintendo might slowly sever their ties with Bandai Namco. Outside of Smash, anyways.

@UltimateOtaku91 The "Splatoon-like" game is the ILCA PvP game. Further probing indicated it's not actually an MMO

@phartsy Alarmo's been in development since at least before the COVID-19 pandemic according to Nintendo and likely has its roots in the QOL initiative Iwata pushed for before his death. I do think it seems like a fairly unnecessary product, but it wasn't thrown together for the holidays. (And if it was, they wouldn't be waiting to give it a wider release until January.)

People don't seem to realize this game is focused on Bullet-Proof Software's Tetris games and is multiplatform. We were never going to see any Tetris game that had Nintendo's name on it

I managed to get in as soon as applications opened up.
https://x.com/PikaPhantom/status/1844401379504423234?t=x_lNeb6Ko-Pb8rfOpHRq3w&s=19
Hoping Nintendo doesn't pull a Sony and delete this from everyone's Switches once the playtest is done. I know they haven't done this in the past with their online playtests for games like Switch Sports, but this situation seems different. Would love to keep the app downloaded or archived just for the sake of posterity given how small this playtest is.

I do like the aesthetic of the Alarmo's own UI quite a bit. Hoping we see a bit of that at play with the Switch successor - would also be cool if the idea of themes directly themed around games, even pulling from their UIs, is carried over too

Kinda wish I'd waited to get it on Steam now. Oh well. May get the physical if it's confirmed the Switch 2 will be able to iron out the performance issues natively (though perhaps it'll get a Switch 2 port anyways?)

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2024/06/the-legend-of-zelda-echoes-of-wisdom-overworld-sure-looks-familiar-but-is-it
This could've just been an update to this article, going into greater detail on the connections people have found...

@XiaoShao If they don't already, they'll be bound to get one before launch, I'm sure. Plenty of indies were able to release on Switch in the first few months of its life, and I doubt that it can only be chalked up to the fact that third-parties were hesitant to support it very early on and so kits were thus fairly available to even less known teams.

@Oracles_fanboi The list is based on Nintendo Life's user scores.

@Tyranexx I would think the fact they took the criticism of Katrielle's game to heart and deliberately sought out a new puzzle designer (the team at QuizKnock, a prominent puzzle-designing company in Japan) to try and reach the bar set by the late Akira Tago means they're taking this game seriously

Didn't they say the last update would be the final one to introduce new courses? I haven't been playing much of 99, but I'm pumped to see them actually bring in Satellaview-exclusive content after it was seemingly scrapped

I have to wonder - is Nintendo going after these emulators because they want to tout improved performance for Switch games on the Switch successor as a selling point? Because at this stage, I don't think it's going to be another instance of them packing in old hardware and locking backwards compatibility to a separate mode of sorts (which was the case for Wii, Wii U, GBA, and 3DS, iirc). It seems like it's going to be entirely native. So I can see them not wanting any unofficial ways to play Switch games with greater performance than what the console itself can manage.

@Mgalens I'm surprised we never saw the game in a Direct like we did for Frontiers. Either way, I kind of want to hold out and see if they confirm a version of the game for the Switch successor, but I kind of doubt that would run at 60fps for Shadow Generations as well. I don't think Frontiers runs at 60fps on PS4/Xbox One, though Shadow Generations does have a more limited scope...even the Open Zone hub is lighter on detail

@Mgalens No. The trailers Nintendo has posted of the game claim to be the PC version running at the Switch's specs. Curiously, they didn't disable 60fps playback for them on YouTube, so there's maybe a slim chance Sonic Generations is 60fps on Switch? Definitely not Shadow Generations, though.

I have sincere doubts this is the first game to be officially confirmed for Switch 2. I've seen other indies claim they will release on the platform as well (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/natsukaze/maple-forest). Heck - weren't we just covering Starlair as the first confirmed Switch 2 game? This game was just the most high-profile one to see a Switch 2 version get confirmed.

I have a preorder of Echoes of Wisdom I'm picking up today, because apparently even doing order pickups at Best Buy over having items shipped to you is not a guarantee you'll get the game on time!

I happened to win Cash Cow DX in a Twitter giveaway hosted by @Shiryu and was able to download it a few days before the actual release date, so that was pretty neat! There are a few other games this week that intrigue me, like Exographer, Worms Armageddon, and The Holy Gosh Darn, but I don't think I'll be picking up any of them at this time

...Isn't this case unfolding in the Japanese court system, since both Nintendo and Pocketpair are based in Japan? Why would US patents be relevant to the case? I'm not an expert, but people I've seen touch on this say that this case won't be playing out in the US, and that Nintendo would have no standing trying to use patents registered after Palworld's release anyways. (Did see a throwaway line about the patents supposedly being filed for a few years ago in Japan, but I have no idea how true that is...) I don't know. I'm still just plain confused because of all the misinformation that's been circulating.

"It starts off on a slightly positive note, but things quickly descend into chaos with Shadow going head-to-head against a robot who's seemingly after Professor Gerald Robotnik. It all goes a bit wacky at this point before cutting to the 'present day' in which we find Shadow pondering the potential survival of Robotnik before heading off in seach of 'answers'."
Don't think we really needed a summary of the short - especially one that doesn't even recognize Emerl.

Nintendo To Go In 'Different Direction' To Current AI Trends, Says Miyamoto (except for when they use it to automate DMCA takedowns)

...Why should playing as Zelda in a Zelda game need to feel inherently empowering

Really burying the lede on the terrible precedent set by Nintendo using AI to automate takedowns, huh

@CupidStunt The general sentiment I'm seeing is that while puzzles are more trivial in Echoes of Wisdom, they balance that out with the combat being more difficult than usual, if that helps (and combat itself is more puzzle-like)

@Noelemahc Hasn't it been confirmed that they intentionally made the concept art a lot spookier than their vision for the final game just because they were worried Disney would reject it, so they really leaned into the creepy elements so Disney would accept their "toned-down" vision?

@BiscuitCrumbsInMyBed It was probably Jet Dragon, their Apple Arcade game. Echoes of Wisdom is not running on Unity.

@MSaturn I mean, we have no idea what to expect from the firmware yet. A lot of what sets Switch 2 apart might be tied more to its OS, especially because the substantial increase in power will likely let them get away with a more robust OS. And there's already a very substantial difference - you no longer slide in the Joy-Con from the top. They connect at the sides through a magnet mechanism. It presents some interesting questions for things like locking mechanisms for other peripherals and the reworked branding of the successor (which will at least need a substantially different take on the Switch click animation).

Preordered BZZZT - its reviews are all extremely glowing. Definitely some other games that I'm vaguely interested in this week (Epic Mickey, The Plucky Squire, Beyond Galaxyland, and Cricket - mostly because Tomoya Tomita's one of the composers), but they're either games I'd probably get on Steam instead or games I'm not really sold on

The suit's over patent rights and not copyright. I'm no expert, but that's a curious distinction that makes me wonder what evidence Nintendo and The Pokemon Company found to warrant filing a lawsuit. Especially because this is bound to be met with some backlash, given Palworld's success.

@MasterGraveheart Only Banjo-Kazooie was initially teased for NSO.

I still don't understand why this site continues to hold the online requirement against Jackbox. Not even Nintendo figured out a way to connect phones to the Switch without requiring an Internet connection with Everybody 1-2-Switch. It just isn't feasible. Also, I'd like to know how drawing on a phone screen is less than ideal. What's the alternative? Using a controller? (If it bothers you that much, I've found that using a laptop and mouse setup works alright.)

I still hold that the Switch is the best platform for Jackbox if you're looking to play it locally, since you can take a Switch with you very readily. At least as far as actual consoles go, though if you're lugging an Apple TV or something around just for Jackbox, I respect it

They're never fixing the Wave 6 minimaps, are they

I think a system where developers can choose to bundle icon options in with their games might be the best call, as it would allow even the most niche of indies to get icons should the developer or publisher choose to include them.

Alternatively, integrating icons into a Nintendo Badge Arcade successor on the Switch 2 would be neat

Jason Momoa would've been a better fit for Steve than Jack Black. Why the hell did they make him an original character who looks like...that (and still apparently give him lead billing!)

Where's the poll option for "I'll be picking the game up via Steam?" Because that's what I'm leaning towards doing. The performance on Switch is a bit too rocky for my liking based on my time with the demo.
This will, of course, mean that when the Switch successor is formally unveiled later this month, it will be confirmed that the entire Switch library is natively backwards compatible and will play with boosted performance on the successor just because it'll have the power to keep things looking sharp and running smoothly. If this happens...you're welcome.

@Fizza I feel like that's selling the game short, especially since it's already clear Brothership is not pulling a Paper Jam and deriving everything from New Super Mario Bros. It's closer to Odyssey, putting its own spin on the tropes (Rumbla Island, for instance, is a fire/ice area, which I don't think we've seen since the Galaxy Games, while the desert seems to have a scrappy town theme and there's an entire city area)

@Uncle_Franklin @FantasiaWHT
I'm not too far in the game, but I feel like playing it by trying out every single option all the time is missing the point. You're supposed to consider what options make the most sense for the situation you're in; as this Twitter thread details, everything is like a puzzle to some extent, and going in with that mindset is likely to help.
https://x.com/TrainDetective/status/1824477993407799313?t=YU3S4_gK3jViHEp8VuLbsQ&s=19
There are also multiple subtle hint systems at play, like highlighting key words and the Think command. I'm not too far into the game, but they've absolutely helped me so far when I do get stuck. And I've seen a fair number of people say that, compared to the original Famicom games/their remakes, it is more intuitive to figure out what to do most of the time. I respect the developers for trying not to upend the design philosophy of the original games while still working to modernize them. Could they have done more? Perhaps. But I don't think everyone would like it if the game constantly highlighted what they had to do next at the cost of any flexibility (a toggle would probably be a good compromise, though...).

I think that ultimately, sometimes you just have to accept a game might not really be for you. Emio reviewed well with critics; it's been warmly received by many others. If you didn't enjoy the demo at all, then fine. It's not for you. That doesn't mean the game lacks merit and was a waste of resources (the only game it really could've detracted from is the next 2D Metroid, and considering that Sakamoto worked on the remakes of the first 2 Famicom Detective Clubs at the same time as Metroid Dread, it's not even likely it did that). I like to read, and I'm generally patient with my games - and so far, I've really been enjoying Emio. The demo helped sell me. It's fine if it didn't do the same for you - I'm not even trying to say you should try it again with a fresh perspective. But there's a reason why these games are clicking for a lot of people, and just because you aren't one of them doesn't make the game an objectively terrible release.

Not fond of the change. I get why they made it, but it still comes off as a relic of how they were founded even with Dentsu dropped from the name, doesn't sound like the name of a studio, and could actively be confused with the Nintendo GameCube. The new logo is also extremely bland. Just feels like a bizarre decision to not try and fully rebrand - NDCube has become the successor to Hudson Soft over the course of its life. Why stick with any trace of the name that was essentially formed out of a joint venture while cribbing part of Nintendo's home console name at the time?

Considering I can't even vote for it as a game you guys missed this month, I think Phantom Spark flew way under Nintendo Life's radar

The website has also confirmed that some minigames will be returning from past Mario Party games again. Shy Guy Says and Bumper Balls appear to be part of some other mode now, as they support over 4 players (likely up to 8, as the website shows a number of minigames with 8 players duking it out or working together), but the main party mode has a lineup of returning minigames as well, and notably, they weren't in Superstars (and many weren't even in Top 100). These include Treasure Divers from Mario Party, Platform Peril from Mario Party 1 and 2, Three Throw, Domination, Blame It on the Crane, and Stamp Out! from Mario Party 4, Defuse or Lose from Mario Party 5, and Jump the Gun from Mario Party 6. Other minigames appear to take cues from ones previously featured in the series - one on the website appears to be inspired by Globe Gunners from DS, but instead of revolving around shooting your opponents, you're collecting flags while walking around a giant sphere).

Doesn't seem like there are any performance improvements listed in the patch notes. Hopefully those are on the way

Picking up Emio physically, as well as Pizza Tower and Can of Wormholes...and Crypt Custodian from last week's Nintendo Download...and the Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus developers are finally able to roll out updates to the game on consoles, with the first one already being released (yesterday, seemingly), so I will likely be getting it as well. Expensive week for me.

A rare instance of Nintendo Life's review of a Nintendo project scoring the game lower than most.

@Uncle_Franklin Nintendo just put out an interview with Yoshio Sakamoto and another key developer involved with Emio at Nintendo, Kaori Miyachi, where they reveal that it was their development partner MAGES that pushed to revive Famicom Detective Club with the remakes so strongly that Nintendo recognized their passion and approved the project. From there, Sakamoto felt they could work on a new entry. Nothing about Emio detracts from Nintendo reviving other franchies like Star Fox or F-Zero. It happened because another developer wanted to do so, got approval from Nintendo, and paved the way for a new entry.

Bit of an odd decision to not get Kate Gray back for this review, since she still does review games for NintendoLife occasionally despite no longer being a full-time employee, and she reviewed the Famicom Detective Club remakes. Just seems a bit odd that the reviews of those games were more positive despite them being more archaic, and now Emio's score is lower because it's not modernized enough, even though there are hint systems at play to alleviate some of the confusion.

I think it makes sense why they combined these presentations, because both were not great - the worst Indie World in quite some time (which is what I thought about the last one as well) and the weakest Partner Showcase since 2020. I'm interested in a fair bit of what was shown, but the only new announcements I'm genuinely excited about are Pizza Tower (which I already own on Steam) and Tetris Forever (finally, a Digital Eclipse project that I'm really intrigued by, even though it's seemingly more collection than interactive documentary).

I think my main issue boils down to generally just finding Nintendo's Indie World selection poor now. There's so many neat indie games on the horizon. I've been keeping tabs on a ton of them, even if just by wishlisting them on Steam. So why in the world are they showing me a game where I can date human household appliances when there are all sorts of other great-looking games that could make it into the presentation on paper? I get that it's not like anyone can get their foot in the door, and some projects might just be further out. I'm not here lamenting the lack of Silksong or Mina the Hollower. But rarely does Nintendo bring indies I genuinely want to check out to my attention or spotlight anything that's already on my radar. There were a lot of shadowdrops today, and yet if it wasn't for Pizza Tower, my sole pickup releasing today would be Crypt Custodian. At least Moth Kubit, Morsels, and Peglin look intriguing

I've been following Thinky Games for a while now, and their GOTY award is definitely a reason for this to be on the radar of anyone who likes puzzlers. Looks like it's running great too!

@NFrealinkling What the Car? from the same developer releases on Steam next week on September 5th, so maybe there's a slim chance it'll be announced for Switch tomorrow?

@Serpenterror Intelligent Systems is deeply intertwined with Nintendo, but they're not directly owned by them. They're much like HAL Laboratory in that regard (being in exclusive partnerships, contributing to hardware and pack-in software, etc.). And seeing as HAL was in a Partner Showcase in 2020 for the Switch version of Part Time UFO, Intelligent Systems showing up is not impossible.

The proportions look really odd on the Western boxart, so I voted for Japan's.

@Zeebor15 I see. It's the only EA game I have on Switch, so it came to mind quickly for me