@Bakfug Sounds like you know better. I have tried the various Atelier post-Playstation 2 games and give up easily. So my recommendation wasn't a good idea.
Probably the best place to start on the Switch is Atelier Rorona: The Alchemists of Arland DX. This was the first Western Atelier to be released for the Playstation 3 and subsequently for the Vita, 3DS, Switch, Playstation 4, and Microsoft Windows.
If you like it, you can get the first three packaged together as Atelier Arland series Deluxe Pack, Of course that means you are buying Rorona over again. In general, Gust likes to produce three related Atelier games about a character and then go on to create three new related games about a new character. Someone else can compare and contrast the whole Atelier series. I've only played the first three (Atelier Iris for the Playstation 2).
Minor note for those of us who were unable to buy Japanese Playstation games in 1997. The first North American Atelier game was Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana, for the Playstation 2. Alchemy has always been a prominent feature of all Atelier games. The first five games were never released outside of Japan.
After 3 Atelier Iris games, Gust did a few Mana Khemia games where the setting was similar to Harry Potter and took place in a school for Alchemists, for the Playstation 2 (later ported to the Playstation Portable).
After that, Gust changed the series drastically when they went to Playstation 3. While the focus was still alchemy, the main characters were girls and ... well, um, frilly. Before that, the stories were more like other Playstation RPGs. Very different in tone.
I really wish they would bring back Atelier Iris 1 and 2 (the third in the series wasn't as good as the first two, and even the second wasn't as good as the first). Atelier Iris 1 had a fair amount of comedy and a stunningly beautiful soundtrack.
However, Atelier Iris has "mixed reviews" and when Gust switched to Playstation 3 and a new tone, sales were good and subsequent "frilly" Atelier games continued and continued and continued, featuring a dozen main games, all for world-wide distribution, and 16 more side games, mostly Japan-only. And of course lots of ports to Switch!
I apologize for using the term "frilly" and there may be a better way to describe the post-Iris/Mana Khemia games. The characters are girls and they wear skirts with frilly petticoats. I don't think they qualify for "fan service" and seem pretty clean. Please correct me because I'm pretty ignorant about Japanese games except for a few that I love, such as Atelier Iris, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Skies of Arcadia, and some of the Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Tales of ... series.
I found the Switch demo difficult to play. On the Wii U version, the left and right buttons are the same size and relative position, easy to use. But on the Switch, the left button is smaller and lower, making it hard to play (for me). This isn't a problem for, say, BOTW because the left button isn't used as often. But on Captain Toad, I need to constantly use the left button to rotate the view. I really wanted to buy Captain Toad, but it is just too fiddly. Well, back to BOTW (400 hours and counting), finding Master Mode not too hard, just different.
From the comments here, I guess I'll give up on hoping that Skies of Arcadia will ever be ported to Switch. Yeah, the graphics aren't realistic like BOTW, but the wonder, amazement, and humor have been missing for a long time in gaming.
I will definitely take the plunge on Ys VIII. Thanks!!!
Is there anything like BOTW? I've put in 300 hours but I'm finally burned out. The exploring and puzzles are cool but I've done it all and want something similar but ... different. Clearly Yonder isn't in the same category, but will there soon be something big and challenging?
This is pretty awesome. Gamemaker has been going from strength to strength the last few years and version 2.0 is very cool, offering you the choice of code or no-code!
Don't forget that Nintendo still has three requirements before your game can appear on Switch:
1. You have to become approved as an official Nintendo developer. This means you have to have a track record and pay a fee.
2. Nintendo has to like your game, or at least think it won't be too awful or embarrassing. Some of the games done for the 3DS using Construct 2 (an engine similar to Gamemaker) were kinda lame but still okay.
3. Your game has to pass through a lot of tests once it is finished to make sure it won't crash.
But definitely Gamemaker is a lot easier to work with than Unity or anything in C++. Let a 1000 games bloom!
I like the look of this. Reminds me heavily of The 2D Adventures of Rotating Octopus Character (PS3 and Vita). It is one of the two games I always keep on my PS3 (now only used as a DVD player). The other, of course, is Ni No Kuni. I suppose it is too much to hope that Ni No Kuni could come to the Switch (and bring the original).
I also wanted to say how much it reminded me of the Loco Roco series (PSP, PS3) and Downstream Panic (PSP). Where are the silly games when you need them?
Minish Cap, please! I still rate this as one of the best 2D Zelda games and feel that because it came out at the end of the GBA and the start of the DS, it was largely ignored. I know it was ported to the Wii U but I can only play portables, so I want Minish Cap on the Switch. Easy money for Nintendo.
Although a remake of Link's Awakening would be awesome on the Switch....
And ... why not remake the Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages? Very cool games but could profit from an upgrade to the art style of Link Between Worlds.
On the other hand, even though it was a snooze for me, I suspect that at some point they will want to port Skyward Sword. I don't know why, that is the only Zelda I can't get in to. Even Zelda II is more interesting.
But as soon as I finish Breath of the Wild, I want more Zelda. Personally I would love Wind Waker the most. But Breath of the Wild will keep me occupied for several months (at least all those years playing World of Warcraft now come in handy for Breath of the Wild).
Sadly, this didn't make it. They only got to about half of the 120,000 pounds sterling needed by the deadline. The game is beautiful and so is the music. I'm hoping they'll make another try or get the backing of a publisher with deep pockets. There aren't many games coming from non-traditional markets, but there should be. Bummer!
As someone pointed out, this won't get me any closer to getting my copy of Panzer Dragoon Saga back, but I do remember that Skies of Arcadia was ported to the Game Cube, so it could, it could, it could (oh, pretty please) be ported to the Switch. I still play that once in a while, but I'd rather have it on my Switch!
At least I can listen to the sound track of Panzer Dragoon Saga. Percussive!
RPG Maker MV (the current one) for PC/Mac is much easier to use now. Instead of Ruby, it uses JavaScript, and exports games to Android and iPhone. You can buy it directly or on Steam.
But having it be on 3DS is a dream I would never have imagined.
I would buy the Switch just to be able to play Skies of Arcadia on the go. Really one of my top five games (Ni No Kuni, Dragon Quest IX, Final Fantasy IX, Panzer Dragoon Saga are the others). Skies on GameCube fixed some of the errors that were on the Saturn version!
Maybe I missed someone answering, but the switch from orchestral to MIDI is usually because of space. MIDI is much smaller. Since the recent 3DS Japanese version did have orchestral, could the English localization have eaten up more space than the Japanese? Any other differences in the English version?
The game sounds awesome. I played through DQIX twice, but DQVII fells like the older games (IV-VI), but with amazing graphics and unique plot.
This article actually does help to remind me of what many have said over the years about Nintendo. The key to understanding Nintendo is to realize that they are not just a Japanese company, they are a Kyoto company.
Kyoto is of historical interest because it has such a rich and important history, and that Kyoto residents are known for being culturally conservative. If Nintendo had been a Tokyo company, they might act very differently (say, compared to Level 5).
So in some way, this article does relate to Nintendo by saying that Stimson considered Kyoto culturally significant, not just economically significant. And that Nintendo is deeply rooted in the culturally conservative roots of Japan.
Whether the bomb should have been dropped or not is beyond my skill to say. I grew up in the 50's and every time I hear a sonic boom, I raced to the window to look for the mushroom cloud. The bomb brought fear to the world in a new way, a way that I thought might have been fading, but now with North Korea threatening to nuke the US, that fear may be with us a little bit longer.
Oh, and I have a degree in history, but all I learned is that no one really knows what happened beyond the facts. Yes, we dropped the bomb on two cities in Japan, but why one city and not another is not easy to find out and may never be known for certain.
In my not-very-humble opinion, Minish Cap is the best Zelda. The puzzles are awesome, but you also have some very difficult platforming. And an interesting story about the people who live in that world as well as the amazing mechanism where you have to become tiny to move through the Minish world. Worth it!
@maceng The answer is very simple. You can create Wii U games using products like Construct 2. No coding necessary, just drag and drop. Whereas programming anything on the 3DS requires actual coding, usually C/C++. You still need Nintendo's permission either way, but it is relatively easy to make a game and put it on Wii U ... and pretty hard to make any kind of game for the 3DS unless you are a very experienced programmer.
I might have missed it, but does anyone know if you can play the Wii U version in off-TV mode? My TV is dying and flickers badly. I'm really interested in this game because the graphics reminds me a lot of Skies of Arcadia, and I love that Saturn/Dreamcast era style of gritty 3D.
I'm getting used to bad camera work from playing Tales of Zesteria on (shhhh) PS3. That game is very playable and I haven't ever lost a battle yet from the camera work, but sometimes in the middle of a fight (where you can have 9 characters fighting) I can't see where I'm going or who I'm whacking! But still a Tales game and still cool. Tales of the Abyss on the 3DS is probably the best and I wish they'd bring more Tales to 3DS!
@Valedrel This reminded me of Ar Tonelico [which you allude to], a strange trilogy from Gust and Banpresto that involved music and going into the minds of wounded singing women to cure them. Very musical. Very, um, Gust! I would guess that even though Stella Glow is a new series, it clearly was inspired by Ar Tonelico. And for further obscurity, Ar Tonelico was succeeded by Surge Concerto: Ciel nosurge (Vita, Japanese only) with the same idea. I was a little surprised to see Nintendo bring it out, but I shouldn't have after Conception 2. I did enjoy Ar Tonelico but not as much as Atelier Iris, which was from the classic Playstation JRPG era.
@TerrapinJess Me, me, me! Yokai Watch looks to be cool for one reason: Level 5. Those guys know how to make a game! I'm still in love with Ni No Kuni, Dragon Quest IX, and Friday Monsters. Level 5 can do no wrong!
This is one of my very favorites!!! The "hopping" in the dungeons made sense, in a way that very few NES games did (to me). This is more like Frogger than Zelda, or maybe a mix of Zelda and Frogger. Really good puzzles, silly story. Oh, please come to the US, please, please, please.
Fantasy Life? Ni No Kuni? And farming! Where do I sign up??? Sounds like it won't be soon, so I'll have time to play all the old Harvest Moons (which I never finished not even one of). Any more suggestions of games to play to get ready? I've played Fantasy Life and Ni No Kuni to the ends, but this game looks really worth it as well. What a concept. You go around saving the world, but take time out to farm!
A lot of these look really great, but I liked the video for Steamworld Heist the most. I have to say that the Indies here are challenging Nintendo's own games for originality and creativity.
@pardonme @Chanchozoka Yes, Witch and Hero is greatly underrated. I think it doesn't help that the manual leaves out a few things. But I love that little game! So original!!!
It's too early in the morning and I'm not awake. Further reading shows that the 93% vs 7% is for the Wii U, not the 3DS. I guess that says too much about how much I play the 3DS and I find it hard to find games I like on the Wii U.
My guess is that the split is more even for the 3DS.
Oops, reread the article and it looks like 93% of the eShop buyers are males after all. And I should add that I am male and I love those "cute witch" games. The world is weird, no doubt about it.
Even so, the Dan Adelman article is priceless. I don't even know where Kyoto is, but it doesn't sound like a fun place.
I don't get the comment that most eShop buyers are male. There are a lot of games on the eShop that clearly are aimed at women. You're going to tell me that all those "cute witch" games are bought by males? I think the point is that no one know who you are on the eShop.
I wish someone would rip off Star Tropics! It is one of the few games I remember from the NES era as fun and original. It is available on the Wii virtual console but I'd rather play it on the 3DS.
@dbobo Very interesting comment about Ni No Kuni vs. Pokemon. I haven't been able to get into Pokemon, but I absolutely loved Ni No Kuni (PS3 version), mostly for the art and story, but admittedly I enjoyed the extra perk of raising familars and battling with them. Looking back, that is one of the most enjoyable battle system I've ever seen. For those of you who haven't played Ni No Kuni, you run around in a circle with three characters and their three pets, battling monsters. Literally you feel like you are in a 3D space and you have to keep on your toes to either stay near or far from your friends and enemies.
Has anyone played the DS version of Ni No Kuni? Does that have the same battle system? Since it only came out in Japan, I haven't played it, but it is the first reason I've seen to learn Japanese.
Anyway, I'll give the new Pokemon a spin, but I'll still be wishing there was anything as cool as Ni No Kuni. But whether Level 5 and Studio Ghibli will ever collaborate again is a good question.
I really enjoyed this Let's Play episode, especially the honesty and surprises about how the game opens. Knowing that will make it easier to buy it and play it.
Quick question for anyone: this comes with Bayonetta 1. Can I play that off-TV with my GamePad? I'm assuming I can with Bayonetta 2, but what about Bayonetta 1 - is it "True Wii U"? (Be true to your Will U and it will be good to U"!
Agree with @unrandomsam and @Warruz. RetroGamer is just plain awesome. I honestly don't think there is a better magazine (except Nintendo Power) for games. If someone wants to read it, you can get it online from Zinio for $46.99. The print version for US folks is pretty expensive and I can't afford it!
How can you not love a magazine with the banner "OLD!" across the top?
This game is pretty cool, actually, as a variant on Tower Defense. I don't care about the graphics. Are there any other "tower defense" games for the Wii U? I felt this one was pretty original.
Has anyone been keeping track of which games are done with the Nintendo Web Framework? It looks like most of the ones I've seen were done with Construct 2.
I don't get why there isn't off-TV support for everything. I was ready to buy this but now I can't. Like if most everyone else can do it, why not these guys?
Did they ever get the off-TV sound fixed for Gianna Sisters Twisted Dreams?
The one thing I wish they would do is to let me buy and play (or at least play) Wii games on the Gamepad.
I understand this might not be easy because Wii games are designed to be used with a WiiMote, but many of the Wii games (and the Wii Virtual games) can use a regular constroller, and maybe the rest could let me remap the GamePad to emulate a WiiMote.
I have a crappy little TV and can't afford a big one so I wind up playing most of my Wii U games on a GamePad but there are plenty of Wii games I want to play there too!
Really nice article and I look forward to more on this subject. As someone who buys a lot of Wii U games, I have to say that the quality is much better than DSIWare/WiiWare (which I also bought a lot of). Over time it looks like a lot of the DSiWare/WiiWare folks learned their trade and are now doing better games for the newer platforms.
One thing I'm tracking is which Wii U eShop games are done using Nintendo Web Framework (and which of those are Construct 2) and which are Unity. Unity is certainly easier than writing native Wii U games, but Nintendo Web Framework (especially with Construct 2) are much easier. I've been surprised there aren't more NWF games since there are now tons of HTML5 games out in the wild.
@unrandomsam The game is about a kid who finds a wristwatch in the woods. The watch enables him to see ghosts. He uses this power to help people who are haunted by bad ghosts. But with a light touch and centered on the world seen by kids.
In the hands of Level 5, it can only be wonderful and great. Just look at the art and story for Ni No Kuni, Dragon Quest IX, Professor Layton, and Attack of the Friday Monsters. Stories with positive values for and about kids.
@DerpSandwich I really like Witch & Hero and already have bought it for my 3 3DS machines. It was this game that made me convinced that some games really need a better manual. If I hadn't read a specific tip on Witch & Hero, I wouldn't have figured out how to keep playing. It's really a unique kind of game and I keep going back to play.
With a little more care, this game could have found a wider audience!
Well, I liked the game I bought last night. I find it an interesting and innovative mechanic. I just wrote about it on the Construct 2 site at https://www.scirra.com/forum/another-c2-game-on-wii-u_t109799. So maybe you want to go over there and share your experiences. I'm sorry that Ashley hasn't been supporting the Wii U.
Is there any way to summarize what you had to scale back and what you did? The game plays just fine in its present state. Did you have any problems with "lotcheck" or other Nintendo rules and regulations?
I'm looking forward to your new game. Will you still use Construct 2 and will you (I hope) do it for Wii U?
The other Construct 2 game on Wii U seemed to go through fine. Blok Drop U and just had an update recently.
Are there any more Construct 2 games on Wii U? I am very curious about this. I've been doing Construct 2 games for Firefox Phones with no problems, but that's a different animal.
@AnD4D You applied for your license in February and your game appeared in the Wii U eShop and I bought it yesterday. Your game is great and more than worth the price. Fun!
Why such a long delay?
I am a big fan of Construct 2 and have written some tutorials on using Construct 2 to create games for the Firefox Phones. Here are my first three tutorials:
Even though these are for the Firefox Phone, it is really just HTML5 and would be very similar to the Nintendo Web Frameworks. The screen size would be the only difference.
Construct 2 is very easy to use and doesn't need any programming experience. If you want to make a game for Wii U, this is probably the simplest way to go!
I just looked at Amazon in the US (where I live) and the reviews are very, very positive. Out of 155 reviewers, 122 rated MK8 as 5 stars (the best). The rest were pretty evenly split: 14 at 4 stars, 7 at 3 stars, 3 at 2 stars, and 9 at one stars. Amazon also has a flag on their page saying that Mario Kart 8 is the #1 best seller in video games!
So it looks like most of the US is buying the game, and there isn't a combo package for Wii U + MK8 yet.
I am super thrilled! This game is so cool and my favorite Zelda of any kind! I'm playing it right now on my GameBoy Micro and I'm almost through the Palace of Winds. If you've never played this one, you're in for a treat. The story is unique and so are the puzzles. You have to shrink down and use all kinds of weapons, sometimes switching them in rapid order.
And this game is TOUGH! Precise timing of flying jumps with crows trying to knock you down, gathering all kinds of kinstones to unlock things, and a really bizarre talking hat that gives you hints when not complaining about how dark or cold it is!
If I ever get into cosplay, I'd wear the hat!
@maceng - I've been thinking about seeing if I could buy a 3DS with Ambassador games on it.
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Re: Atelier Series Teases Six Exciting Projects For Its 25th Anniversary
@Bakfug Sounds like you know better. I have tried the various Atelier post-Playstation 2 games and give up easily. So my recommendation wasn't a good idea.
Re: Atelier Series Teases Six Exciting Projects For Its 25th Anniversary
@deluxxx
Probably the best place to start on the Switch is Atelier Rorona: The Alchemists of Arland DX. This was the first Western Atelier to be released for the Playstation 3 and subsequently for the Vita, 3DS, Switch, Playstation 4, and Microsoft Windows.
If you like it, you can get the first three packaged together as Atelier Arland series Deluxe Pack, Of course that means you are buying Rorona over again. In general, Gust likes to produce three related Atelier games about a character and then go on to create three new related games about a new character. Someone else can compare and contrast the whole Atelier series. I've only played the first three (Atelier Iris for the Playstation 2).
Re: Atelier Series Teases Six Exciting Projects For Its 25th Anniversary
Minor note for those of us who were unable to buy Japanese Playstation games in 1997. The first North American Atelier game was Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana, for the Playstation 2. Alchemy has always been a prominent feature of all Atelier games. The first five games were never released outside of Japan.
After 3 Atelier Iris games, Gust did a few Mana Khemia games where the setting was similar to Harry Potter and took place in a school for Alchemists, for the Playstation 2 (later ported to the Playstation Portable).
After that, Gust changed the series drastically when they went to Playstation 3. While the focus was still alchemy, the main characters were girls and ... well, um, frilly. Before that, the stories were more like other Playstation RPGs. Very different in tone.
I really wish they would bring back Atelier Iris 1 and 2 (the third in the series wasn't as good as the first two, and even the second wasn't as good as the first). Atelier Iris 1 had a fair amount of comedy and a stunningly beautiful soundtrack.
However, Atelier Iris has "mixed reviews" and when Gust switched to Playstation 3 and a new tone, sales were good and subsequent "frilly" Atelier games continued and continued and continued, featuring a dozen main games, all for world-wide distribution, and 16 more side games, mostly Japan-only. And of course lots of ports to Switch!
I apologize for using the term "frilly" and there may be a better way to describe the post-Iris/Mana Khemia games. The characters are girls and they wear skirts with frilly petticoats. I don't think they qualify for "fan service" and seem pretty clean. Please correct me because I'm pretty ignorant about Japanese games except for a few that I love, such as Atelier Iris, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Skies of Arcadia, and some of the Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Tales of ... series.
This message was produced with help from PoPo.
Re: Review: Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Switch)
I found the Switch demo difficult to play. On the Wii U version, the left and right buttons are the same size and relative position, easy to use. But on the Switch, the left button is smaller and lower, making it hard to play (for me). This isn't a problem for, say, BOTW because the left button isn't used as often. But on Captain Toad, I need to constantly use the left button to rotate the view. I really wanted to buy Captain Toad, but it is just too fiddly. Well, back to BOTW (400 hours and counting), finding Master Mode not too hard, just different.
Re: Review: Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (Switch)
@Alto Ni No Kuni 1 or 2 on the Switch. Yes!
Heck, port the DS version of Ni No Kuni and translate it for us poor folks who don't speak or read Japanese.
Ni No Kuni
Skies of Arcadia
Panzer Dragoon Saga
Re: Review: Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (Switch)
@rjejr Skies of Arcadia? I'm in!
From the comments here, I guess I'll give up on hoping that Skies of Arcadia will ever be ported to Switch. Yeah, the graphics aren't realistic like BOTW, but the wonder, amazement, and humor have been missing for a long time in gaming.
I will definitely take the plunge on Ys VIII. Thanks!!!
Re: Review: Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles (Switch)
Is there anything like BOTW? I've put in 300 hours but I'm finally burned out. The exploring and puzzles are cool but I've done it all and want something similar but ... different. Clearly Yonder isn't in the same category, but will there soon be something big and challenging?
Re: New Trademarks Suggest Nintendo Has GameCube On The Brain
Tales of Symphonia
Skies of Arcadia Legends
Windwaker
Paper Mario: 1000 Year Door
Baten Kaitos (x2)
All of these are GameCube masterpieces.
But even more important, these are among the greatest games ever made!
Re: GameMaker Studio 2 Comes To Nintendo Switch
This is pretty awesome. Gamemaker has been going from strength to strength the last few years and version 2.0 is very cool, offering you the choice of code or no-code!
Don't forget that Nintendo still has three requirements before your game can appear on Switch:
1. You have to become approved as an official Nintendo developer. This means you have to have a track record and pay a fee.
2. Nintendo has to like your game, or at least think it won't be too awful or embarrassing. Some of the games done for the 3DS using Construct 2 (an engine similar to Gamemaker) were kinda lame but still okay.
3. Your game has to pass through a lot of tests once it is finished to make sure it won't crash.
But definitely Gamemaker is a lot easier to work with than Unity or anything in C++. Let a 1000 games bloom!
Re: Muddledash Is Set To Bring Fast-Paced Octopus Racing To Nintendo Switch This Spring
I like the look of this. Reminds me heavily of The 2D Adventures of Rotating Octopus Character (PS3 and Vita). It is one of the two games I always keep on my PS3 (now only used as a DVD player). The other, of course, is Ni No Kuni. I suppose it is too much to hope that Ni No Kuni could come to the Switch (and bring the original).
I also wanted to say how much it reminded me of the Loco Roco series (PSP, PS3) and Downstream Panic (PSP). Where are the silly games when you need them?
Re: Video: The 21 Best GameCube Games Money Can Buy
Well, I am a big fan of Baten Kaitos, and there were two of 'em!
But it is a crime not to include Skies of Arcadia.
And what about Tales of Symphonia?
I'm keeping my GameCube forever just to play those.
Not to mention that there is a gadget you can plug into the GameCube that lets you play GBA games on TV.
Except for Mario 1000 Year Door, the rest of the "Top 21" was forgettable. Although I love your presentations and the recent 3DS list was awesome.
Re: Reddit Wonders If Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Is Coming To Switch
Minish Cap, please! I still rate this as one of the best 2D Zelda games and feel that because it came out at the end of the GBA and the start of the DS, it was largely ignored. I know it was ported to the Wii U but I can only play portables, so I want Minish Cap on the Switch. Easy money for Nintendo.
Although a remake of Link's Awakening would be awesome on the Switch....
And ... why not remake the Oracle of Seasons and Oracle of Ages? Very cool games but could profit from an upgrade to the art style of Link Between Worlds.
On the other hand, even though it was a snooze for me, I suspect that at some point they will want to port Skyward Sword. I don't know why, that is the only Zelda I can't get in to. Even Zelda II is more interesting.
But as soon as I finish Breath of the Wild, I want more Zelda. Personally I would love Wind Waker the most. But Breath of the Wild will keep me occupied for several months (at least all those years playing World of Warcraft now come in handy for Breath of the Wild).
Re: Feature: Nodding Heads Games and the Quest to Bring Ancient India to Consoles
Sadly, this didn't make it. They only got to about half of the 120,000 pounds sterling needed by the deadline. The game is beautiful and so is the music. I'm hoping they'll make another try or get the backing of a publisher with deep pockets. There aren't many games coming from non-traditional markets, but there should be. Bummer!
Re: Sega Dreamcast, Saturn And Mega Drive Hardware Coming From Retro-Bit in 2018
As someone pointed out, this won't get me any closer to getting my copy of Panzer Dragoon Saga back, but I do remember that Skies of Arcadia was ported to the Game Cube, so it could, it could, it could (oh, pretty please) be ported to the Switch. I still play that once in a while, but I'd rather have it on my Switch!
At least I can listen to the sound track of Panzer Dragoon Saga. Percussive!
Re: Hands On: Creating a Quest in RPG Maker Fes
RPG Maker MV (the current one) for PC/Mac is much easier to use now. Instead of Ruby, it uses JavaScript, and exports games to Android and iPhone. You can buy it directly or on Steam.
But having it be on 3DS is a dream I would never have imagined.
Yay NIS! Yay Kadokowa! Go Nintendo!
A triple marriage made in heaven!
Re: Rumour: GameCube Virtual Console Coming To Nintendo Switch
@Great_Gonzalez
I would buy the Switch just to be able to play Skies of Arcadia on the go. Really one of my top five games (Ni No Kuni, Dragon Quest IX, Final Fantasy IX, Panzer Dragoon Saga are the others). Skies on GameCube fixed some of the errors that were on the Saturn version!
Re: Review: Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past (3DS)
Maybe I missed someone answering, but the switch from orchestral to MIDI is usually because of space. MIDI is much smaller. Since the recent 3DS Japanese version did have orchestral, could the English localization have eaten up more space than the Japanese? Any other differences in the English version?
The game sounds awesome. I played through DQIX twice, but DQVII fells like the older games (IV-VI), but with amazing graphics and unique plot.
Re: Feature: How One Man Saved Kyoto - And Video Games - From The Atomic Bomb
This article actually does help to remind me of what many have said over the years about Nintendo. The key to understanding Nintendo is to realize that they are not just a Japanese company, they are a Kyoto company.
Kyoto is of historical interest because it has such a rich and important history, and that Kyoto residents are known for being culturally conservative. If Nintendo had been a Tokyo company, they might act very differently (say, compared to Level 5).
So in some way, this article does relate to Nintendo by saying that Stimson considered Kyoto culturally significant, not just economically significant. And that Nintendo is deeply rooted in the culturally conservative roots of Japan.
Whether the bomb should have been dropped or not is beyond my skill to say. I grew up in the 50's and every time I hear a sonic boom, I raced to the window to look for the mushroom cloud. The bomb brought fear to the world in a new way, a way that I thought might have been fading, but now with North Korea threatening to nuke the US, that fear may be with us a little bit longer.
Oh, and I have a degree in history, but all I learned is that no one really knows what happened beyond the facts. Yes, we dropped the bomb on two cities in Japan, but why one city and not another is not easy to find out and may never be known for certain.
Sigh....
Re: The North American eShop Winter Warm-Up Sale Concludes With 15 More Discounts
@Darknyht
In my not-very-humble opinion, Minish Cap is the best Zelda. The puzzles are awesome, but you also have some very difficult platforming. And an interesting story about the people who live in that world as well as the amazing mechanism where you have to become tiny to move through the Minish world. Worth it!
Re: Review: Super Destronaut (Wii U eShop)
@maceng The answer is very simple. You can create Wii U games using products like Construct 2. No coding necessary, just drag and drop. Whereas programming anything on the 3DS requires actual coding, usually C/C++. You still need Nintendo's permission either way, but it is relatively easy to make a game and put it on Wii U ... and pretty hard to make any kind of game for the 3DS unless you are a very experienced programmer.
Re: Review: Rodea the Sky Soldier (Wii U)
I might have missed it, but does anyone know if you can play the Wii U version in off-TV mode? My TV is dying and flickers badly. I'm really interested in this game because the graphics reminds me a lot of Skies of Arcadia, and I love that Saturn/Dreamcast era style of gritty 3D.
I'm getting used to bad camera work from playing Tales of Zesteria on (shhhh) PS3. That game is very playable and I haven't ever lost a battle yet from the camera work, but sometimes in the middle of a fight (where you can have 9 characters fighting) I can't see where I'm going or who I'm whacking! But still a Tales game and still cool. Tales of the Abyss on the 3DS is probably the best and I wish they'd bring more Tales to 3DS!
Re: Stella Glow Introduces Players to the Fine Art of Witch Tuning
@Valedrel This reminded me of Ar Tonelico [which you allude to], a strange trilogy from Gust and Banpresto that involved music and going into the minds of wounded singing women to cure them. Very musical. Very, um, Gust! I would guess that even though Stella Glow is a new series, it clearly was inspired by Ar Tonelico. And for further obscurity, Ar Tonelico was succeeded by Surge Concerto: Ciel nosurge (Vita, Japanese only) with the same idea. I was a little surprised to see Nintendo bring it out, but I shouldn't have after Conception 2. I did enjoy Ar Tonelico but not as much as Atelier Iris, which was from the classic Playstation JRPG era.
Re: Video: Nintendo Digs Out an Old Favourite for Halloween New 3DS Commercial
@TerrapinJess Me, me, me! Yokai Watch looks to be cool for one reason: Level 5. Those guys know how to make a game! I'm still in love with Ni No Kuni, Dragon Quest IX, and Friday Monsters. Level 5 can do no wrong!
Re: Review: StarTropics (Wii U eShop / NES)
This is one of my very favorites!!! The "hopping" in the dungeons made sense, in a way that very few NES games did (to me). This is more like Frogger than Zelda, or maybe a mix of Zelda and Frogger. Really good puzzles, silly story. Oh, please come to the US, please, please, please.
Re: First Impressions: Heading Back to the Farm in Return to PopoloCrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale
Fantasy Life? Ni No Kuni? And farming! Where do I sign up??? Sounds like it won't be soon, so I'll have time to play all the old Harvest Moons (which I never finished not even one of). Any more suggestions of games to play to get ready? I've played Fantasy Life and Ni No Kuni to the ends, but this game looks really worth it as well. What a concept. You go around saving the world, but take time out to farm!
Re: Feature: Ten Upcoming Nindie eShop Games to Watch on Wii U and 3DS
A lot of these look really great, but I liked the video for Steamworld Heist the most. I have to say that the Indies here are challenging Nintendo's own games for originality and creativity.
Re: Nintendo Download: 5th March (North America)
@pardonme @Chanchozoka
Yes, Witch and Hero is greatly underrated. I think it doesn't help that the manual leaves out a few things. But I love that little game! So original!!!
Re: Former Nintendo Indie Champion Discusses the Company's Decision Making and the eShop Gender Divide
It's too early in the morning and I'm not awake. Further reading shows that the 93% vs 7% is for the Wii U, not the 3DS. I guess that says too much about how much I play the 3DS and I find it hard to find games I like on the Wii U.
My guess is that the split is more even for the 3DS.
Sorry for the noise. I think I need a nap!
Re: Former Nintendo Indie Champion Discusses the Company's Decision Making and the eShop Gender Divide
Oops, reread the article and it looks like 93% of the eShop buyers are males after all. And I should add that I am male and I love those "cute witch" games. The world is weird, no doubt about it.
Even so, the Dan Adelman article is priceless. I don't even know where Kyoto is, but it doesn't sound like a fun place.
Re: Former Nintendo Indie Champion Discusses the Company's Decision Making and the eShop Gender Divide
I don't get the comment that most eShop buyers are male. There are a lot of games on the eShop that clearly are aimed at women. You're going to tell me that all those "cute witch" games are bought by males? I think the point is that no one know who you are on the eShop.
Re: Review: Jett Rocket II - The Wrath of Taikai (3DS eShop)
@WaveyChristmas
I wish someone would rip off Star Tropics! It is one of the few games I remember from the NES era as fun and original. It is available on the Wii virtual console but I'd rather play it on the 3DS.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo Offers the Best of Both Worlds with Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
@dbobo Very interesting comment about Ni No Kuni vs. Pokemon. I haven't been able to get into Pokemon, but I absolutely loved Ni No Kuni (PS3 version), mostly for the art and story, but admittedly I enjoyed the extra perk of raising familars and battling with them. Looking back, that is one of the most enjoyable battle system I've ever seen. For those of you who haven't played Ni No Kuni, you run around in a circle with three characters and their three pets, battling monsters. Literally you feel like you are in a 3D space and you have to keep on your toes to either stay near or far from your friends and enemies.
Has anyone played the DS version of Ni No Kuni? Does that have the same battle system? Since it only came out in Japan, I haven't played it, but it is the first reason I've seen to learn Japanese.
Anyway, I'll give the new Pokemon a spin, but I'll still be wishing there was anything as cool as Ni No Kuni. But whether Level 5 and Studio Ghibli will ever collaborate again is a good question.
Re: Video: Let's Play Bayonetta 2 With Lydia
I really enjoyed this Let's Play episode, especially the honesty and surprises about how the game opens. Knowing that will make it easier to buy it and play it.
Quick question for anyone: this comes with Bayonetta 1. Can I play that off-TV with my GamePad? I'm assuming I can with Bayonetta 2, but what about Bayonetta 1 - is it "True Wii U"? (Be true to your Will U and it will be good to U"!
Amelia Pond?
Re: RETRO Game Magazine Well On Its Way To Funding Another Year Of Issues
Agree with @unrandomsam and @Warruz. RetroGamer is just plain awesome. I honestly don't think there is a better magazine (except Nintendo Power) for games. If someone wants to read it, you can get it online from Zinio for $46.99. The print version for US folks is pretty expensive and I can't afford it!
How can you not love a magazine with the banner "OLD!" across the top?
Re: The Club Nintendo Rewards for October Have Been Confirmed
STAR TROPICS! STAR TROPICS! STAR TROPICS!
Wii U, please!
Re: Review: ZaciSa's Last Stand (Wii U eShop)
This game is pretty cool, actually, as a variant on Tower Defense. I don't care about the graphics. Are there any other "tower defense" games for the Wii U? I felt this one was pretty original.
Has anyone been keeping track of which games are done with the Nintendo Web Framework? It looks like most of the ones I've seen were done with Construct 2.
Re: Feature: We Go Hands On With SteamWorld Heist, The Next Image & Form Game
I'm really looking forward to this game! For some reason I am reminded of an old PC game called Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace that had cool boarding of spaceships. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelljammer:_Pirates_of_Realmspace
Re: XType Plus Arriving Today on North American Wii U eShop
I don't get why there isn't off-TV support for everything. I was ready to buy this but now I can't. Like if most everyone else can do it, why not these guys?
Did they ever get the off-TV sound fixed for Gianna Sisters Twisted Dreams?
Re: Review: Blaster Master (3DS eShop / NES)
I just bought it today. Can anyone recommend any other good space shooters for the 3DS?
Re: Nintendo 64 Titles Heading to the Wii U Virtual Console
@eltomo
You must live in a small house with paper walls. If I take the GamePad into the other room, it loses the signal!
Re: Nintendo 64 Titles Heading to the Wii U Virtual Console
@chesipin1234
How do I watch Wii games on the GamePad? Am I missing something?
And when are we going to see Blast Corps! A rare game indeed!
Re: Latest Wii U System Update Allows Console To Console Data Transfer
The one thing I wish they would do is to let me buy and play (or at least play) Wii games on the Gamepad.
I understand this might not be easy because Wii games are designed to be used with a WiiMote, but many of the Wii games (and the Wii Virtual games) can use a regular constroller, and maybe the rest could let me remap the GamePad to emulate a WiiMote.
I have a crappy little TV and can't afford a big one so I wind up playing most of my Wii U games on a GamePad but there are plenty of Wii games I want to play there too!
Re: Talking Point: The Wii U eShop is Raising Tough Questions on Quality Control
Really nice article and I look forward to more on this subject. As someone who buys a lot of Wii U games, I have to say that the quality is much better than DSIWare/WiiWare (which I also bought a lot of). Over time it looks like a lot of the DSiWare/WiiWare folks learned their trade and are now doing better games for the newer platforms.
One thing I'm tracking is which Wii U eShop games are done using Nintendo Web Framework (and which of those are Construct 2) and which are Unity. Unity is certainly easier than writing native Wii U games, but Nintendo Web Framework (especially with Construct 2) are much easier. I've been surprised there aren't more NWF games since there are now tons of HTML5 games out in the wild.
Re: Yokai Watch "In Consideration in a Big Way" For Release in the West
@unrandomsam The game is about a kid who finds a wristwatch in the woods. The watch enables him to see ghosts. He uses this power to help people who are haunted by bad ghosts. But with a light touch and centered on the world seen by kids.
In the hands of Level 5, it can only be wonderful and great. Just look at the art and story for Ni No Kuni, Dragon Quest IX, Professor Layton, and Attack of the Friday Monsters. Stories with positive values for and about kids.
Re: Nintendo Download: 10th July (North America)
@accc Yes, the two previous Rabi Labi games were enough reason to make Rabi Labi an instant buy. If another Witch's Cat comes along, I'd buy that too!
There are really cool innovative games hidden among the lower-priced indie games.
Although, are these Indie games or just games from a not-well-known developer in another non-US/UK country?
Re: Nintendo Download: 10th July (North America)
@DerpSandwich I really like Witch & Hero and already have bought it for my 3 3DS machines. It was this game that made me convinced that some games really need a better manual. If I hadn't read a specific tip on Witch & Hero, I wouldn't have figured out how to keep playing. It's really a unique kind of game and I keep going back to play.
With a little more care, this game could have found a wider audience!
Re: Scirra's Construct 2 Engine to Support Wii U Nintendo Web Framework Development
Well, I liked the game I bought last night. I find it an interesting and innovative mechanic. I just wrote about it on the Construct 2 site at https://www.scirra.com/forum/another-c2-game-on-wii-u_t109799. So maybe you want to go over there and share your experiences. I'm sorry that Ashley hasn't been supporting the Wii U.
Is there any way to summarize what you had to scale back and what you did? The game plays just fine in its present state. Did you have any problems with "lotcheck" or other Nintendo rules and regulations?
I'm looking forward to your new game. Will you still use Construct 2 and will you (I hope) do it for Wii U?
The other Construct 2 game on Wii U seemed to go through fine. Blok Drop U and just had an update recently.
Are there any more Construct 2 games on Wii U? I am very curious about this. I've been doing Construct 2 games for Firefox Phones with no problems, but that's a different animal.
Re: Scirra's Construct 2 Engine to Support Wii U Nintendo Web Framework Development
@AnD4D You applied for your license in February and your game appeared in the Wii U eShop and I bought it yesterday. Your game is great and more than worth the price. Fun!
Why such a long delay?
I am a big fan of Construct 2 and have written some tutorials on using Construct 2 to create games for the Firefox Phones. Here are my first three tutorials:
http://firefoxosgaming.blogspot.com/2014/04/bouncing-ball-in-construct-2-game.html
http://firefoxosgaming.blogspot.com/2014/05/paddlefox-for-firefox-os-in-construct-2.html
http://firefoxosgaming.blogspot.com/2014/06/platform-game-using-construct-2-game.html
Even though these are for the Firefox Phone, it is really just HTML5 and would be very similar to the Nintendo Web Frameworks. The screen size would be the only difference.
Construct 2 is very easy to use and doesn't need any programming experience. If you want to make a game for Wii U, this is probably the simplest way to go!
Re: Mario Kart 8 Sells More Than 1.2 Million Units in Opening Weekend
I just looked at Amazon in the US (where I live) and the reviews are very, very positive. Out of 155 reviewers, 122 rated MK8 as 5 stars (the best). The rest were pretty evenly split: 14 at 4 stars, 7 at 3 stars, 3 at 2 stars, and 9 at one stars. Amazon also has a flag on their page saying that Mario Kart 8 is the #1 best seller in video games!
So it looks like most of the US is buying the game, and there isn't a combo package for Wii U + MK8 yet.
Re: The Legend Of Zelda: Minish Cap Will Be Sizing Up The Wii U eShop Soon
I am super thrilled! This game is so cool and my favorite Zelda of any kind! I'm playing it right now on my GameBoy Micro and I'm almost through the Palace of Winds. If you've never played this one, you're in for a treat. The story is unique and so are the puzzles. You have to shrink down and use all kinds of weapons, sometimes switching them in rapid order.
And this game is TOUGH! Precise timing of flying jumps with crows trying to knock you down, gathering all kinds of kinstones to unlock things, and a really bizarre talking hat that gives you hints when not complaining about how dark or cold it is!
If I ever get into cosplay, I'd wear the hat!
@maceng - I've been thinking about seeing if I could buy a 3DS with Ambassador games on it.