Category: nintendo

Listen to Super Smash Bros. Music on the Go With Play in Sleep Mode

smash bros 3ds play in sleep mode

Super Smash Bros. for the 3DS (and Wii U!) is quickly approaching and like past versions of the games the famous music from each of the franchises represented will be lovingly updated for your listening pleasure.

While I wouldn’t get my hopes up for an official soundtrack, you can still listen to the music from the 3DS version when you’re not playing thanks to “Play in Sleep” mode. With this mode, you can listen to the game’s music while the 3DS is asleep, utilizing the L and R buttons to skip tracks. In addition to that, Smash Run will have a customizable soundtrack so you can choose which tunes you want to hear when you play that mode. As an added bonus, you can listen to some tracks from the game on the Smash Bros. website right now, with more to come!

I used to have a lot of the songs from Super Smash Bros. Melee on my an old playlist, so I’m thrilled that I’ll be able to use my 3DS to listen to the game’s soundtrack when I’m not playing it if I want. Super Smash Bros. is equal parts a fun fighter and a love-letter to every series involved and the music is no exception. This is a really killer idea, and I hope more games follow suit in the future.

Source – Miiverse

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 93: Not Afraid of Butt Stuff

gamersushi show e3 2014

Well here we are friends, at the end of our journey together for this season of the podcast. Over the last twenty episodes (and two Extra Bytes), we’ve laughed, we’ve cried and learned way too much about Eddy’s personal life.

In case you’ve missed out repeated warnings, this is the last episode of Season Three of the GamerSushi Show and we’ll be taking a break for the next few months to enjoy the summer and also not have to talk to each other on a weekly basis.

This is our E3 2014 wrap-up where we grade the conferences and talk about the third-party games, and we’d love to hear your thoughts on the whole shebang so chime in below!

Listen, rate and we’ll see you in September for season 4!

0:00 – 6:00 Intro
6:01 – 37:07 Microsoft presser and third party games
37:07 – 58:59 Sony presser
59:00 – 1:10:45 Nintendo presser
1:10:46 – 1:13:07 Outro

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Watch the Nintendo E3 2014 Digital Event Right Here!

While Nintendo’s E3 2014 Digital Even might have been short on surprises, it was full of absolutely adorable games that I want to play. The entire event is available to watch on YouTube so if you missed it this morning, check it out below.

The peek a the new open-world Zelda game and Splatoon were the highlights of the show for me. I don’t think this presentation sold anyone on a Wii U, but it definitely makes current owners feel better. I’m not quite sure of the Amiibos, but they don’t seem to be completely necessary for gameplay, either. What did you guys think of Nintendo’s Digital Event?

The Sheer Joy of Mario Kart 8

mario kart 8 impressions

Over the weekend I played a healthy amount of Mario Kart 8 and I can firmly say that this is the most fun I’ve had with the series in a long time. This game feels like a perfect evolution for the series with new features that make sense and a lot of returning mechanics from the previous games that are implemented in clever ways. The new hover segments, where the tires on your vehicle turn sideways and you float a foot or so off the ground, manages to feel like an integral part of how you play in Mario Kart 8 and not just a new gimmick to put on the back of the box. Hovering turns the gameplay on its head, sometimes literally, and forces you to think differently, like purposely bumping into other races to get a speed boost instead of avoiding them.

It helps that Mario Kart 8 is an amazing looking game and even in local two-player splitscreen it still delivers a 60 frame per second performance. Across the eight different cups are 32 tracks, 16 new and 16 returning and all have been tweaked to take full advantage of the different modes of transportation. In one race alone you might be underwater, gliding through the air and hovering upside down. Mario Kart 8 keeps you constantly engaged by changing up the progression of the race so you never feel like you’re just going through the motions. The soundtrack is nearly fully orchestrated this time and is a huge improvement over the music of Mario Kart Wii. Continue reading The Sheer Joy of Mario Kart 8

The Eternal War: A Look at the Repeating Console Cycle

Sega Logo

I’ve been reading Console Wars, a new book by Blake J. Harris that chronicles the rise of Sega during the 90’s. It’s a delightful book, full of endlessly fascinating details, such as how Target’s lenient return policy allowed customers to return years-old NES’s in order to get credit towards a SNES. Needless to say, this didn’t sit well with Nintendo and it led to Target pulling Nintendo products from the stores for a time. I lived through this era and reading the behind the scenes drama that went on has been very enjoyable. My nostalgia bones are all tingling right now. Continue reading The Eternal War: A Look at the Repeating Console Cycle

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

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

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?

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?

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

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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?

Little Known Nintendo 64 Facts

It’s so fascinating to hear bits of our gaming history these days, especially with systems that I was old enough to read about and care about in the days leading up to their release. Here’s a video about the development of the Nintendo 64, including a list of really cool tidbits such as why Nintendo claimed to stick to cartridges, the system’s original name, how Goldeneye was developed and more.

I’ve got some fond memories of this fine machine. Crazy to think that it came out almost 20 years ago. What are some of your favorite N64 memories?

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze 3DS Easter Egg

In the upcoming Wii U platformer Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, DK will play with a 3DS if you leave him alone long enough. YouTube Channel GameXplain shows you a clip of this as well as analyzing the sounds the 3DS makes to figure out exactly what games the platforming ape is playing!

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 83: The Year of Birdo

the gamersushi show ep 83

The GamerSushi Show is back for another week, but this time the intrepid boys from the States are hosting a different Canadian: Patrick, friend of the show, joined us this week to try and defend Nintendo against our usual merciless onslaught.

Since Patrick is a long-time friend of Eddy, Jeff and Nick, he fits right in. In fact, you might not even notice that a certain other Canadian is missing. *sniff*

So, if you enjoyed the cast, why not let Patrick know by rating it? Thanks for listening, and see you next time!

0:00 – 9:51 Intro
9:52 – 23:23 Titanfall and EA
23:24 – 29:21 Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes
29:22 – 32:40 Square Enix
32:41 – 40:03 Bravely Default
40:04 – 59:50 Nintendo
59:51 – 1:16:25 GTA 5 and games as cultural events
1:16:26 – 1:18:30 Outro

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Zero Escape and Replayability

Zero's Escape

One of my favorite games on the DS, 999 was a mystery game that placed 9 people on a cruise ship to solve Saw-type puzzles. If you could stand to read lots of text, it proved to be a gripping, heart-pounding visual novel that really knew how to tease your brain. Zero Escape, its sequel, is no different, and in many ways might be better than the original.

As I’ve been playing Zero Escape, however, I’m noticing something about myself as a gamer these days. Continue reading Zero Escape and Replayability

The GamerSushi Show, Ep 81: This Isn’t Even My Final Form

gamersushi show ep 81

What ho, podcast faithful! We’re two casts into this new year and 2014 has been kind to us with many topics to converse about. It’s a three-man cast this week as Anthony and myself were off doing secret best-friend stuff (Askarnian handshakes) so Eddy, Jeff and Nick shared the load. Well, Jeff and Nick tried to, but Eddy was dishing out some USDA-choice trolling. Seriously, it’s kind of ridiculous.

There were also some interruptions which I tried to cut around, but you can probably tell at a couple points that “real life” was calling on our intrepid heroes. Anyways, you know what to do, listen, rate and be merry. See you next time!

0:00 – 3:12 Intro
3:13 – 10:54 The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
10:55 – 18:04 Don’t Starve
18:05 – 47:07 Nintendo in trouble and the Wii U’s development
47:08 – 51:24 Joe Staten leaves Bungie
51:25 – 56:10 SimCity’s Offline mode
56:11 – 1:12:19 DayZ and Early Access
1:12:20 – 1:15:13 Outro

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Inside Look at Wii U Reveals Development Woes

Wii U

We’re sometimes hard on Nintendo around here, but it’s (for the most part) out of love for what Nintendo was and could be. The Wii U, Nintendo’s latest stab at relevance in the gaming world, has been met with a lack of enthusiasm embodied by abysmal sales.

So how does something like this happen? If you’ve ever wanted an inside look at the development process of an entire console, EuroGamer presented the latest in its series, The Secret Developers. The premise of this feature is that developers write candidly and anonymously about particular subjects. This edition of the Secret Developers just happens to focus on the genesis—and troubling development— of the Wii U by a major third party developer.

And it’s certainly…interesting, to say the least. Continue reading Inside Look at Wii U Reveals Development Woes

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone with Fire Emblem: Awakening

fire emblem awakening

As a gamer I’d like to think that my tastes are fairly diverse. Sure I enjoy a good dude-bro shooter every now and then, but I also appreciate stretching my wings, so to speak, and trying something different when given the opportunity.

One genre I’ve never managed to get into is the Strategy RPG (although I suppose the most recent XCOM game might qualify). I’m remedying this right now with Fire Emblem: Awakening, the latest entry in Nintendo’s long-running portable series. Anthony put up a review of the game last year, and I’m finding myself hard-pressed to disagree with him.

While I enjoy the battles in the game, my favorite aspect is purposefully trying to pair up units to get bonuses to my stats; it’s satisfying to have two people back each other up while enemy after enemy kill themselves trying to take my heroes down. I’m really liking the cast of characters as well, as the writing is fairly humorous at times and the anime cutscenes are rather thrilling. Fire Emblem: Awakening is quickly becoming one of my top 3DS games, which is saying something considering the additions to the library of that system in 2013.

What this game is making me want to do is dig deeper into this genre. I hear Valkyria Chronicles is pretty good but I doubt I could find a copy anywhere around where I love. Does anyone have some SRPG suggestions for titles I should check out?

Review: Super Mario 3D World

super mario 3d world review

There’s something sublime about a 3D Mario game. Whether its the subconscious association with Super Mario 64 or the fact that almost every 3D Mario is really damned good (I put in the caveat for those Sunshine haters) you can’t deny that putting a Mario game into your system is a recipe for a nostalgic smile.

Super Mario 3D World does what 3D Mario games have been doing for the past while: taking an established formula and adding on just enough twists and tricks to make something really unique. While this particular series might have started on the 3DS, this Wii U sequel truly shines. Continue reading Review: Super Mario 3D World