Mitch has written a total of 335,654 words on this site.

mitch@gamersushi.com Twitter: @mi7ch Gamertag: Lubeius PSN ID: Lubeius SteamID: Mister_L Origin/EA:Lube182 Currently Playing: PUBG, Rainbow 6: Siege, Assassin's Creed: Origins, Total War: Warhammer 2

Nintendo’s Financial Slump and Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire Announcement

pokemon omega ruby pokemon alpha sapphire

Today is a strange day to be a Nintendo stalwart and a Pokemon fan. Nintendo’s fiscal year ended on March 31, 2014 and the company is not looking good right now. Due to lower than expected sales numbers on both the Wii U and the 3DS, Nintendo has fallen below their projected income for the last fiscal year, and that’s even after taking into account the fact that they lowered their projections back in January of this year. With Nintendo once again skipping E3 and maintaining that they will not be showing off new hardware, one has to wonder what they plan on doing to right the ship.

Of course, if things are looking down a little Pokemon can always give you a nice bump. This morning, Nintendo announced Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, updated versions of the classic Game Boy Advanced titles that released in 2003. Promising an “epic new story” in a “dramatic new world”, both games will be hitting the 3DS/2DS this November. Long-time series fans will recall that the original Ruby and Sapphire games took place in Hoenn, but speculation about the potential Mega Legendaries on the game’s cover art has pointed to the fact that this game might be in a new location.

What do you guys think about this news? Sad for Nintendo? Excited for more Pokemon? Sound off!

Source – GoNintendo, Nintendo, Eurogamer, Pokemon.com

A Kotaku Reader Asks: Who is Samus Aran?

metroid samus aran

Of all of the characters in Nintendo’s stable of properties, there are none as intriguing as Samus Aran, the power-armor wearing space-faring bounty hunter from the Metroid series.

After 25 years it seems that not even the company that created her has a firm grasp on who they want Samus to be. She’s either a tough, no-nonsense ass-kicker or the person we saw in Other M. Kotaku reader InvadingDuck wrote up a decent sized essay on the history to the character and her portrayal from game to game and it’s definitely worth a read if you’re a fan of the series or the character of Samus.

Personally the Samus that always stuck with me was the one from Metroid Prime. As InvadingDuck mentions in his article, you can read Space Pirate data entries on Samus where she’s depicted as a nightmare-figure of sorts, a nearly mythological entity that can rip through their outposts almost unscathed. True, this version of Samus didn’t have much personality but it was certainly more palatable than the way Other M handled her.

So what do you guys think about InvadingDuck’s post? Who is Samus Aran to you?

Source – Kotaku

Bungie’s Destiny Will Cost Activision $500 Million

bungie destiny

According to a story published by Reuters, Bungie’s upcoming sci-fi shooter RPG thing Destiny could wind up costing Activision Blizzard $500 million in development and promotional costs when all is said and done.

The next game out Bungie in their post-Halo days is no doubt a big deal, but I don’t think anyone’s leaning on its potential success quite as hard as Activision. With Call of Duty: Ghosts’ weak showing last year, Activision is no doubt hungry for their next hit shooter. $500 million could wind up making Destiny the most expensive video game in history, which is a significant gamble for a company that often seems like it likes to play it safe.

$500 million is quite an insane number to be spending on development and marketing, but a lot of that is going towards the development of Destiny’s next-gen engine (which is in-house, a tradition for Bungie) and a lot of back end infrastructure costs. I don’t know about you guys, but with $500 million behind it, Destiny’s servers better not crap out on launch day.

What do you guys think? Is Destiny worth this price tag? Are you going to pick up the game on September 9, and for what platform?

Source – Reuters

Taking a Swing at Mario Golf: World Tour

mario golf world tour

It’s been a good ten years since we last saw a Mario Golf game, but longtime Nintendo sports collaborators Camelot are at it again with Mario Golf: World Tour, a 3DS title that came out on May 2.

The Mario Golf games have either been strictly arcade-like or had some light RPG aspects and World Tour seems to straddle both of these disciplines. Playing as your Mii in the “Castle Club” mode, you use the tried-and-true power bar to control your shots and for each course you complete (whether it’s a practice round or a tournament), you unlock a new piece of stat-altering gear in the pro shop which you can put on your golfer. Continue reading Taking a Swing at Mario Golf: World Tour

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Trailer Will Topple Your Expectations like a House of Cards

Originally the plan was for the newest Call of Duty game, made by Modern Warfare 3 collaborator Sledgehammer Games, to be revealed this coming Sunday, but you know how the Internet works. The official trailer for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is out now and it features Kevin Spacey (who is a Southern accent away from portraying Frank Underwood), drones, exoskeletons, hover bikes and much much more. If you thought Black Ops 2 was futuristic, wait until you get a load of this:

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare certainly looks nice, but there are also a lot of signs that point to it being on an upgraded version of the same old engine (I swear, I’ve watched the same running animation for the soldiers in slow-mo since 2007). What do you guys think of this reveal? Back on the Call of Duty hype-train? Can Advanced Warfare pick up after the post-Ghosts slump? According to the trailer, the release date for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is November 4, 2014. No consoles were specifically listed, except for the Xbox One version which provided the footage for the trailer.

The Hardcore Tactics of Insurgency

insurgency game

It just occured to me that I’ve been playing Insurgency for the past few months but never made a post about it, which is a shame because this is a damn fine shooter.

Insurgency is a “realistic” team-based first-person-shooter based on an old Half Life mod. You play as either Security or the Insurgents in several gameplay modes but the kicker here is that the game is pretty unforgiving if you’re used to kill feeds, regenerating health or hit markers because it doesn’t have any of that.

The UI in Insurgency is minimal to the point of being non-existent, but for some reason that wasn’t a real barrier for me and actually makes Insurgency one of the most thrilling mutliplayer shooters I’ve ever tried. Because enemies aren’t called out for you, you have to move carefully around the environment, using the lean ability to peek around corners because one or two good shots will end you. So far my favorite weapons are the single-shot designated marksmen rifles, but I’ve been just as effective with the assault rifles or even pistols. Continue reading The Hardcore Tactics of Insurgency

Get Your Mario Kart 8 Details From This Weird Nintendo Direct

I’m not going to lie, I really like Nintendo Directs, but I feel like this one for Mario Kart 8 is like one of those Internet videos that people find really funny for some reason but I just don’t understand the humor (this is how I feel about Mega 64, for example). This is one weird Nintendo Direct, but we’re getting some hot Mario Kart 8 info so I’m down with it. It’s almost 40 minutes long, so make sure you’re sitting comfortably.

I think the most appealing part about this is the free game that you get for registering Mario Kart 8 with Club Nintendo, although there’s plenty of great stuff coming in Mario Kart 8 as well. The game looks fantastic and I’m really glad Nintendo is moving towards fully orchestrated scores and away from the mostly-awful MIDI tracks that plagued Mario Kart Wii. How is Mario Kart 8 shaping up for you? Pre-order confirmed?

What Games Can We Expect to See at E3 2014?

games of e3 2014

E3 2014 is going to be a fairly exciting one as this is the first convention since all the next gen consoles have launched. Last year was focused on drumming up anticipation but now it’s up to Sony, Microsoft and the third parties to hawk their wares and get us all frothed up with excitement. Nintendo can come too, I guess.

If you’re wondering what games will be at E3 2014, IGN has a handy list which includes some obvious ones (Destiny, Dragon Age) a few unexpected ones (it’s too soon for a Battlefield 5 announcement, EA) and a couple obscure ones (although who isnt excited about Xblaze Code Embryo?).

Personally I’d like to see a bit more of The Division and Telltale’s Game of Thrones and Borderlands titles. I think it’s a bit too early still to see any of EA’s upcoming Star Wars efforts, but that would be a nice surprise. Which games are you excited to learn more about at E3?

Source – IGN

GamerSushi Asks: What Are You Playing Heart of the Cards Edition

hearthstone

It’s been a while since we’ve checked in with you, Sushians, to ask the age old question: what are you playing? We’re in-between bouts of big releases right now, so it’s a good time to take stock and see how your 2014 is shaping up.

Personally I’ve been playing plenty of Hearthstone: Heroes of WarCraft, Blizzard’s new online collectible card game (or CCG for the purpose of brevity). This is the first CCG I’ve gotten into in earnest and I’m starting to realize just how freaking bad I am at them. I’ve won one Ranked match in Hearthstone and other players regularly take me apart. I’m still learning the ropes though, so I’m confident I’ll at least get one other win soon.

Other than that I tried out a couple conversion mods for Sins of a Solar Empire. There’s the always classic Star Wars mod Sins of a Galactic Empire but I also tried out Dawn of the Reapers, a Mass Effect-themed one. Dawn of the Reapers is in very early alpha but the Reaper models are in there as well as most of the Council/Cerberus ships. I’m definitely looking forward to the end product on that one.

So what are you guys playing?

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 90: Alan, Please Add Title

gamersushi show ep 90

After an unexpected week break we’re back in your digital media player with an episode of the GamerSushi Show. I couldn’t think of a clever title this week, but Jeff, Anthony and I talk some video game news and give thoughts on what we’re playing. You know, the usual deal. We also find time to bust out a few impressions at the end.

Just in case you forgot, this is how it goes: listen, rate and we’ll catch you next time.

0:00 – 3:06 Intro
3:07 – 18:53 Watch Dogs multiplayer video (and other stuff)
18:54 – 30:10 Dark Souls 2 and Trials: Fusion
30:11 – 37:41 Marty O’Donnell terminated by Bungie
37:42 – 40:10 Snoop Dogg Call of Duty: Ghosts announcer pack
40:11 – 42:54 Outro

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Watch Dogs Walkthrough Video Shows off Competitive Multiplayer

Watch Dogs will be upon us very soon, and as such Ubisoft is rolling out walkthorugh videos detailing what you’ll be doing in the game come May 27. The most recent video showcases the multiplayer modes, which range from asymmetrical mobile app versus in-game combat (which I saw at last year’s PAX Prime) to a four-on-four objective-oriented mode. Check out the multiplayer offerings of Watch Dogs below:

Is it just me or does Competitive Decryption Combat look like a ton of fun? What do you guys think about this glimpse at Watch Dogs’ multiplayer modes?

The Game Boy Turns 25 Today

game boy 25 years old

Today the Game Boy, Nintendo’s handheld gaming brick, turns 25. While the use of the name was discontinued with the introduction of the DS, for a lot of us the name “Game Boy” will forever by synonymous with handheld gaming.

I owned both an original Game Boy and one of the transparent versions. I never owned a Game Boy Color, Advanced or any of the other models, but I’ll always remember playing Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow or Super Mario Land on long road trips, watching in horror as the battery indicator on the side slowly faded.

While Nintendo has struggled in the home console space for a while, they’re always brought their A game to handhelds, and the Game Boy was a fine start to that tradition (I may be viewing the Game Boy through rose-tinted glasses). Do you have any fond memories of the original Game Boy? What was your favorite game on that system?

Halo and Destiny Composer Marty O’Donnell Terminated by Bungie

marty odonnelle terminated by bungie

Yesterday was a sad day for gaming soundtrack aficionados and Halo fans everywhere. Marty O’Donnell, the composer of the soundtracks for Halos Combat Evolved through Reach and the upcoming Destiny, was “terminated without cause” by the Bungie board of directors on April the 11, according to his Twitter account. Bungie released their own statement titled “There are those who said this day would never come” on Bungie.Net, saying that Marty had parted “as friends” and wished him luck in his future endeavors.

While we might never know the full story behind this, it’s a shame to see Marty let go from the company that made him a household name to millions. Marty’s score for the Halo games that Bungie developed will always have a place in my music collection and I’m sure that Destiny’s music will be just as iconic.

What do you guys think about this? Are you sad to see Marty go? Do you think he’ll land on his feet fairly quickly?

Sources – Marty O’Donnell’s Twitter, Bungie.Net

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 89: Super Sushi Bros.

gamersushi show ep 89

Fans of Patrick‘s last appearance in the days of yore of the GamerSushi Show (well, episode 83 actually) will be overjoyed to learn that the site’s most Easterly Canadian is back for another go.

Given Patrick’s stance as a Wii U supporter, it’s fortunate that we brought him in to discuss the massive Super Smash Bros. info-dump that came out this week. We also talk about out impressions of the Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number trailer and break down the beneficial changes Blizzard has brought to Diablo 3 for the new expansion, Reaper of Souls.

So listen, rate, give us five stars on Twitter and we’ll be back in your ear holes soon!

0:00 – 1:06 Intro
1:07 – 13:19 Super Smash Bros. Nintendo Direct
13:20 – 17:49 Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number trailer
17:50 – 26:07 What we’re playing
26:08 – 37:05 Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls
37:06 – 39:50 Jeff’s Titanfall obsession
39:51 – 42:10 Outro

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Review: Titanfall

titanfall review

The tumultuous fracturing of Call of Duty creators Infinity Ward in 2010 represented a significant shift in the first person shooter landscape. Free from Activision, IW founders Jason West and Vincent Zampella and a team of former employees founded Respawn Entertainment and joined forces with EA to create a new franchise.

The result of that union is Titanfall, a multiplayer-only FPS where players can control either the agile Pilots or utilize one of three giant robot suits, called Titans, to duke it out. With a massive groundswell of anticipation surging it to the forefront of the collective gamer consciousness, is Titanfall the new king of first person shooters? Continue reading Review: Titanfall

Get All Your Super Smash Bros. Info in This Nintendo Direct

Ever since the Nintendo 64, each new Nintendo console has brought us a new Super Smash Bros., Nintendo’s hot franchise-on-franchise brawler. We’ve known that a version of Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U has been in the cards for a while (along with a 3DS version), but thanks to this new Nintendo Direct with Smash Bros. series director Masahiro Sakurai we now know that we’ll be seeing the newest iteration in Winter of 2014 (I assume they mean Q4) with the 3DS version hitting this Summer.

In addition to the release dates, this Nintendo Direct features information on new characters, online play,the 3DS-exclusive Smash Run mode and a few new characters, so check it out!

If this trailer is any indication then the music in the games themselves will be straight bangin’. Smash Bros. games are always good nostalgia trips, and I think that the tripping mechanic has been removed this time around and that makes me a happy camper. What do you guys think? Is Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U and 3DS shaping up pretty nicely?

The Impossible Architecture of Monument Valley

monument valley game

This post was written by my girlfriend, Laura, who is a long-time gamer. She mostly plays on Nintendo platforms, but enjoys the occasional iOS title as well. She’s currently working as a web developer and enjoys many nerdy things including Doctor Who. You can follow her on her Twitter account, @euphorialjc.

Monument Valley is a charming iOS puzzle game from a London developer called ustwo. It was released last Thursday (April 3) and features levels inspired by MC Escher drawings.

The game is fairly short, with a very minimal story and only 10 levels, but what it lacks in length, it makes up for with beautifully crafted sound and crisp, colorful visuals that feel almost reminiscent of TGC’s 2012 hit, Journey. Each level could easily stand alone as a fantastic piece of art for your living room, and there is something very smooth and serene about how the levels move and shift as you work your way through its puzzles and optical illusions. Continue reading The Impossible Architecture of Monument Valley

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 88: Come on Baby, Light My Fire

gamersushi show ep 88

An unusual three-man assortment of Anthony, Jeff and Nick head up the GamerSushi Show this week as Eddy and I were off discussing shirtless Henry Cavill, because really, why wouldn’t you?

Despite wavering for a moment in to Extra Bytes territory, the gang rights the Sushi ship and talks about Amazon’s recently unveiled Fire TV, some Dark Souls 2 and Nick’s experience with his new PlayStation 4.

Show these guys some love by listening, rating and coming back next time. Auf Wiedersehen!

0:00 – 1:06 Intro
1:07 – 22:05 Amazon’s Fire TV
22:06 – 26:22 Dark Souls 2
26:23 – 47:12 Nick buys a PlayStation 4
47:13 – 49:33 Outro

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Here’s a Megalodon in Battlefield 4 for Your Friday Afternoon

A couple months ago the Battlefield 4 community went crazy over the netcode the possibility of a megalodon existing on the Paracel Storm map. Well, four days after the release of the newest expansion Naval Strike on the PC, YouTuber and professional Battlefield 4 Easter Egg hunter JackFrags has found the giant shark and it is beautiful. Check out his video below:

What’s your favorite Easter Egg? This ranks pretty high up for me.

Optimus Prime in Titanfall is the Greatest April Fools’ Joke Ever

April 1 is probably the worst day of the year for a frequent Internet browser. You can’t believe most of what you read and sometimes the hoaxes are actually kind of rad and make you wish they were real. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon started out as an April Fools’ joke, but somehow I don’t think this trailer for Titanfall DLC which brings in Optimus Prime will become a real thing, which is a shame. Take a look at what the greatest Autobot would look like in Titanfall below.

I’ll admit I thought this was real for a second before I watched it because it seems like such a natural fit. Would you guys want to transform and roll out in Titanfall?