Twinworld Game Reviews

Archive for June, 2015

VANCOUVER, B.C., June 16, 2015 – This year Mario reaches an impressive milestone in video gaming: 30 years as a leading man in Nintendo’s timeless Super Mario Bros. series. At E3, Nintendo celebrates Mario’s longevity with a new installment in the franchise called Super Mario Maker, one of many games at the show that transforms familiar characters and their games with unique new looks, styles and game-play features. Players will see new installments of beloved franchises like Star Fox, Yoshi, Animal Crossing, Mario & Luigi, Xenoblade and Metroid, and enjoy the reimagining of Bowser and Donkey Kong as Skylanders figures that also have amiibo functionality with compatible Nintendo games.

During the Nintendo Digital Event video on the opening day of E3 2015 in Los Angeles, Nintendo announced games launching in the near future, with a focus on what fans can enjoy in the second half of 2015 and early 2016. To view the Nintendo Digital Event in its entirety, visit http://e3.nintendo.com. Nintendo will continue to share information on future games and initiatives in the months ahead.

“Millions of video game players worldwide look to Nintendo to deliver surprises and smiles,” said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. “That’s what we have on display at E3 – familiar characters and franchises transformed in unexpected ways that can only be found on Nintendo systems.”

Here’s a roundup of some of the news and games Nintendo is showing this week:

Wii U Games and Other News

• Super Mario Maker: The next evolution of the Super Mario Bros. series lets people’s imaginations run wild. For the first time ever, friends can have fun playing through levels they create for one another. The Wii U GamePad controller makes it so easy for anyone to create levels; it may feel like simply sketching out ideas on paper. Players can enjoy a seemingly endless supply of inventive Mario levels from players around the world. The game includes a book totaling about 100 pages that illustrates the boundless possibilities in Super Mario Maker. Nintendo will also release two special Mario amiibo figures to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the original Super Mario Bros. game. Tapping these amiibo in Super Mario Maker adds a Big Mushroom power-up to your course, allowing Mario to grow big and bust blocks from any direction, as well as adding a retro visual filter to the game, reminiscent of older cathode ray tube televisions. In addition, many other amiibo will also be compatible with Super Mario Maker through the use of a new item called the Mystery Mushroom. This item allows Mario to take the appearance of many other characters, such as Link, Kirby or Wii Fit Trainer, complete with character-specific animations and sound effects. These character costumes can be unlocked by completing the 100 Mario Challenge mode and many can also be unlocked if the player taps the amiibo of the character to the Wii U GamePad. To coincide with the Super Mario Bros. anniversary, theSuper Mario Maker game and the 30^th Anniversary amiibo launch the 11^th of September.

 

• LetsSuperMario.com Website: To continue the celebration of Super Mario’s 30^th anniversary, fans around the world are encouraged to create personal “Let’s Super Mario!” video tributes that showcase their love for the legendary franchise. The videos can be submitted to a dedicated website (http://www.LetsSuperMario.com) starting today and might be shared by Nintendo on the website. Whether it’s through song, dance or reliving favourite moments, Nintendo will honour Super Mario by showcasing the creativity of our fans. In the spirit of Nintendo’s mission of putting smiles on the faces of everyone that experiences our products, Nintendo’s share of any ad revenue generated from the Let’s Super Mario 30^th Anniversary videos will go toward a donation Nintendo is making to Operation Smile, a global surgical charity dedicated to healing the smiles of children around the world suffering from cleft lip and cleft palate. For more information, visit http://www.operationsmile.org.

 

• Yoshi’s Woolly World: Collect, cooperate and get crafty with Yoshi in a world made completely from yarn, felt and other fabrics and textiles. Pulling on strings in the game usually leads to discoveries, while new transformations include a motorcycle, mole and airplane. The game’s simple platforming adventure challenges players to find hidden secrets. Tapping select amiibo characters to the GamePad creates new patterns for Yoshi, while new Yarn Yoshi amiibo let players control two Yoshis at the same time. This first-ever two-player co-op Yoshi game includes Mellow Mode, which gives Yoshi wings, and is perfect for players who just want to hunt for treasure, or newcomers who want to get the hang of the game. The game launchesOctober 16.

 

• Star Fox Zero: Fox, Falco, Peppy and Slippy are back in a new adventure. Players pilot an Arwing in the traditional style of TV game play and, in a new twist, players can use the cockpit view on the GamePad to aim and shoot enemies using the gyro controls. Having two unique viewpoints offers distinct gaming advantages and frees up the TV for more cinematic moments in the title’s new all-range mode. Scheduled to launch during the 2015 holiday season, Star Fox Zero includes a new Walker transformation for the Arwing, a new Gyrowing vehicle and the return of the Landmaster Tank.

 

• Skylanders SuperChargers from Activision: Both Donkey Kong and Bowser guest star in the next Skylanders game complete with their own vehicles and move sets that celebrate the lore and legacy of their 30+ years in the video game universe. As an added bonus, the Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and Hammer Slam Bowser Skylanders SuperCharger characters also work as amiibo in compatible Nintendo games, so players can store their save data in both modes with a simple twist of the figure’s base. The game is anticipated to launch September 20.

 

• Just Dance 2016 from Ubisoft: Just Dance 2016 is the latest installment in the best-selling music game franchise of all time. Launching October 20, 2015, on both Wii and Wii U, the game features tracks from artists like Jason Derulo, Meghan Trainor and Lady Gaga. This year, the free Just Dance Controller app enables Wii U players to use their smartphones to play.

 

• Xenoblade Chronicles X: Amid an intergalactic war between aliens and human survivors, players fight for survival while exploring the massive expanses of an unknown planet. Weaponized mechs called “Skells” let players access every location they see. Players also can customize a lethal skill set of combat and defensive skills, called Arts, to strengthen their strategies and defeat enemies efficiently. The game launches December 4.

 

• Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival: Animal Crossing amiibo figures and cards get their own party game. Players are challenged to collect the most Happy Points by the end of a dynamic board game. The board layout can remain the same, but the spaces and even the environment change, depending on which month players choose for their game. As in other Animal Crossing games, players can buy turnips and use strategy to decide when to sell them for big money. Scheduled to launch during the 2015 holiday season, Animal Crossing: amiibo Festivalwill launch as a bundle that includes the game, two amiibo figures and three amiibo cards.

 

• Genei Ibun Roku #FE (name not final): Set in modern Tokyo, young people come together to weave an epic tale alongside heroes from an alternate world. This brand-new RPG, developed by ATLUS, is infused with elements of the popular Fire Emblem series. In the struggle between the worlds of glamour and darkness, these young heroes rise to face the challenge. The game is scheduled to launch in 2016.

 

• Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash: Up to four players can compete in tennis matches that could only take place in the Mushroom Kingdom. With the addition of Jump Shots to hit high balls overhead, or Giant Mushrooms that when picked up make characters bigger, this Mario Tennis is reborn with features enabling players to aggressively go after higher balls. The game is scheduled to launch during the 2015 holiday season.

 

Nintendo 3DS

• The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes: Three players take on the role of individual Link characters and team up to solve puzzles and battle bosses in dungeons. The game features the same top-down view and visual style of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. Players must work together, as the group shares all hearts. All three Links can stack on top of one another to create a Totem to reach new locations and solve puzzles or fight enemies. Different outfits offer unique abilities. The game is scheduled to launch this fall.

 

• Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon: The player transforms into one of 20 Pokémon as he or she sets out on an adventure in a world inhabited solely by the 720 discovered Pokémon, including Legendary and Mythical Pokémon. This game boasts hours of replay-ability by randomly generating each dungeon, so players will never explore the same dungeon twice as they unravel this tale of adventure and mystery. The game is scheduled to launch during the 2015 holiday season.

 

• Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer: One of the favourite activities in the Animal Crossing series now gets a full game. With more options than ever, players design interiors and exteriors of homes for hundreds of animal characters, and can even design a garden. They can choose where to place the home, and then pick out a house style and colours for the roof, door and fence before getting to work on the interior. Tapping compatible amiibo character cards brings favourite Animal Crossing characters with their separate personalities and design requests into the game, which launches with a complimentary amiibo card on September 25. A bundle will launch the same day and include the game, one amiibo card and the NFC Reader/Writer accessory.

 

• YO-KAI WATCH: This game sold millions and became a cultural phenomenon in Japan. Now North American players get to experience the fun of hundreds of sometimes cute, sometimes spooky, and usually mischievous Yo-kai that inhabit our world. Players explore using their Yo-kai Watch to find Yo-kai, then befriend them and turn them into a team to battle other Yo-kai. The game is scheduled to launch during the 2015 holiday season.

 

• Fire Emblem Fates: Two versions of the franchise’s new installment offer players an unprecedented choice: fight an opposing force or join the other side and try to make changes from within. For the first time in the series, players take on the role of the main character and command an army, while struggling to decide which path to follow: helping blood relatives or the family that raised him or her. The game is scheduled to launch in 2016.

 

• Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam: Paper Mario jumps out of the book and into the bizarre adventures of Mario & Luigi, resulting in hilarious and dangerous hijinks. Become the superstar team of Mario, Luigi and Paper Mario to take on quests, take down enemies and untangle these two unique universes in this playful new entry in the Mario & Luigi series. The game is scheduled to launch in spring 2016.

 

• Hyrule Warriors Legends: The Wii U version of Hyrule Warriors comes to the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. In the portable version, experience new story elements and playable characters inspired by The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. New features allow players to enhance their tactics and switch between different characters on the fly as they explore and battle in Hyrule’s most famous locales. The game is scheduled to launch in Q1 of 2016.

 

• Metroid Prime: Federation Force: Up to four players can connect online or locally to take on co-op missions in this first-person sci-fi adventure set in the Metroid Prime universe. Players don a mech suit and work together as a team to clear out enemy-infested bases and complete objective-based missions. After completing the missions, up to six players can compete inMetroid Prime: Blast Ball, a three-on-three game that requires players to shoot a ball into their opponents’ goal. The game is scheduled to launch in 2016.

 

Additionally, select Nindie developers will feature exclusive content and reveals on Nintendo Treehouse: Live throughout the week of E3. Titles include Runbow (13AM Games), FAST Racing Neo (Shin’en) and Typoman (Headup Games and Brainseed Factory) for Wii U, SteamWorld Heist (Image & Form) for Nintendo 3DS, and Mutant Mudds Super Challenge (Renegade Kid) for both Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.

For details about these games, the Nintendo Treehouse: Live programming and other Nintendo activities during E3 2015, visit http://e3.nintendo.com.

As a treat for fans watching all the E3 action from home, the Nintendo eShop is hosting its biggest sale of the year for both Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games. Players can get up to 30 per cent off select games related to some of the top franchises featured at the show, including Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda and Yoshi. The sale runs now through June 23 at 8:59 a.m. PT. For full details, check http://e3.nintendo.com/offers.

Wii U and Nintendo 3DS feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/en_CA/wiiu or http://www.nintendo.com/en_CA/3ds.

Like the Nintendo of Canada Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nintendoofcanada.

Follow Nintendo of Canada on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nintendocanada.

 

Source: Nintendo PR

It appears Bestbuy is taking pre-orders for Yoshi’s Woolly World for the Nintendo Wii U. The title is currently being listed for $69.99 CDN.

Make sure to get your pre-order in for this fantastic looking platformer by visiting here!

For those waiting on the Yoshi Amiibo bundle to appear, hopefully it will be available soon as well.

Not everyone is able to attend the E3 video game trade show in Los Angeles. That’s why the Nintendo eShop is offering a special deal so that people at home can be the first to play some of the hottest upcoming indie games on Wii U. For a limited time only, the Nindies@Home program lets people download free demos of nine upcoming Nindie games from the Nintendo eShop on Wii U between now and 8:59 a.m. PT on June 22. Best of all, once the full games launch, players get 15 percent off the price of each respective participating game they demo for up to one month after the full game launches. Note that the same Nintendo Network ID must be linked to the Wii U system and Nintendo eShop account prior to the download in order to be eligible for the offer.

“Independent developers continue to impress us with great digital games and experiences for the Nintendo eShop on Wii U,” said Damon Baker, Nintendo of America’s Senior Marketing Manager of Publisher and Developer Relations. “We want to give people at home a taste of the fun of E3, along with the chance to try some amazing games before they launch later this year.”

Games and developers participating in the Nindies@Home program this week include:

• Extreme Exorcism from Ripstone: In this paranormal Wii U platformer, every move players make comes back to haunt them. After each round players survive, a ghost will appear to mimic their every move from the round before. The longer a player survives, the more extreme the game becomes. The game offers 20 ghostbusting weapons, 50 challenges and co-op or deathmatch battles for up to four friends. The full game is scheduled to launch in Q3.
• forma.8 from Mixed Bag: In a distant future, the small exploration probe forma.8 is stranded alone on the surface of an alien planet. Players must explore a huge open world to help the probe acquire 10 different power-ups and recover a powerful energy source deep under the surface. The game includes an area exclusive to the Wii U version. The full game is scheduled to launch this fall.
• Freedom Planet from GalaxyTrail: Players fight their way across the celestial world of Avalice, where cats are green, motorcycles drive up walls and monster girls do most of the butt kicking. This cartoony, combat-based platform Wii U adventure pits a spunky dragonoid and her friends against an alien attack force. The full game is scheduled to launch in August.
• Lovely Planet from tinybuild and QUICKTEQUILA: This first-person shooter gun ballet for Wii U is set in a cutesy abstract world. Players jump and shoot their way through five worlds full of treacherous enemies with your trusty semi-automatic. The game offers 100 levels to master and five worlds to discover, with multiple secrets hidden deep within each world. The full game is scheduled to launch in December.
• Mutant Mudds Super Challenge from Renegade Kid: This platformer picks up right where the original Mutant Mudds left off. The game, which is exclusive to the Nintendo eShop on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, includes 40 new dimension-bending levels and epic boss fights designed for super players. The full game is scheduled to launch this summer.
• RIVE from Two Tribes: This metal-wrecking, robot-hacking Wii U shooter combines old-school gaming values in a new-school execution. With intense 360-degree shooting and platforming action, players learn to alter the behavior of their robotic enemies by collecting and uploading hacks. The full game is scheduled to launch in November.
• Runbow from 13AM Games: Up to nine players can join in the colorful chaos in this Nintendo eShop exclusive. The world transforms before players’ eyes with each swipe of color, so think fast to stay alive. Go head to head in Run, Arena and King of the Hill, or play as the ColorMaster and manipulate the environment on the Wii U GamePad controller. Players can take on challenges alone or with friends in Runbow’s Adventure Mode. The full game also features guest characters from other Nintendo eShop titles. The full game is scheduled to launch in Q3.
• Soul Axiom from Wales Interactive: Soul Axiom is a haunting cyber-thriller, combining elements of exploration and puzzle solving with a compelling storyline. In first-person, the player will explore more than 40 unique locations, using powers to interact with cryptic logic puzzles and making psychological decisions to unlock the secrets of your identity, your story, your mystery. The full game is scheduled to launch in December.
• Typoman from Headup Games and Brainseed Factory: Change Words, Change Worlds!Typoman is a two-dimensional puzzle platformer distinguished by a unique game world. Be the HERO and set out on the journey to become whole and gain the powers you need to defeat the giant evil demon that rules the world you are trapped in. The full game is scheduled to launch exclusively on Wii U in Q3.

For full details about Nindies@Home, visit the Nintendo eShop on Wii U.

Source: Nintendo

The Nintendo World Championships run from 3pm – 5:30pm PST today. You can watch the feed above.

Make sure to check out Youtube’s Live@E3 channel for full coverage on the event over the next few days!

Nintendo’s E3 Events Bring the Show to You – Get the Schedule

Nintendo will showcase its 2015 and select 2016 software lineup this year at E3 and will kick off the video game trade show with insider access events that extend to fans following the show from afar. Our play-by-play reference guide below lets you track Nintendo’s live E3 coverage, the thrilling return of the Nintendo World Championships and special game sampling events, so you won’t miss a minute of the fun. We will continue to share information on future games and initiatives in the months ahead.

 

Sunday, June 14

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS & Wii U – New Content Approaching! 6.14.2015:

Tune in to a special Super Smash Bros. video presentation at 7:40 a.m. PT at http://e3.nintendo.com. Masahiro Sakurai will detail content arriving in the new update for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS & Wii U.

 

Nintendo World Championships 2015 Pre-Show:

A special installment of Nintendo Treehouse: Live will preview all the action of the Nintendo World Championships 2015. The show runs approximately 2:25-3 p.m. PT on http://e3.nintendo.com.

 

Nintendo World Championships 2015:

For the first time in 25 years, a Nintendo World Champion will rise. Eight winners from regional qualifying events will meet eight invited competitors at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles for a multi-round Nintendo game competition, but only one will be crowned the 2015 Nintendo World Champion. Tune in to the main event 3-6:30 p.m. PT on YouTube, Twitch, and at http://e3.nintendo.com. Listen in for additional announcements between matches. Los Angeles-area fans hoping to attend the competition can visit http://e3.nintendo.com for details about free tickets.

 

Tuesday, June 16

Nintendo Digital Event:

Get Nintendo news about upcoming games and experiences straight from the source via the Nintendo Digital Event online video program. Tune in to http://e3.nintendo.com at 9 a.m. PT for the live coverage.

 

Nintendo Treehouse: Live @ E3:

Watch Nintendo Treehouse staff live from the E3 show floor as they deliver in-depth coverage of Nintendo’s lineup, including live game play and appearances by Nintendo developers. This interactive show kicks off immediately following the Digital Event live stream at http://e3.nintendo.com and is scheduled to run daily throughout the show.

 

Wednesday, June 17

Nintendo Access: Mario Maker at Best Buy:

In celebration of the upcoming Mario Maker game for the Wii U, Nintendo and Best Buy have partnered to bring fans hands-on sampling events at 23 locations across Canada. Drop by 4-9 p.m. local time to play through levels in a variety of Super Mario Bros. styles. Everyone who plays the game will receive a button commemorating the 30^th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. (while supplies last).

Also, when fans pre-order Mario Maker along with one other Nintendo title from a select list, they’ll receive a free limited edition Mario Maker seven button set. Check Nintendo.ca on June 17^th for qualifying games. The seven button set will be included in the same shipment as Mario Maker. Offer available online only, while quantities last.

 

Nintendo Treehouse: Live @ E3:

The second day of the Nintendo Treehouse: Live broadcast featuring more games and content not shown in our E3 booth is scheduled to begin at 9:55 a.m. PT. Watch live at http://e3.nintendo.com.

 

Thursday, June 18

Nintendo Treehouse: Live @ E3:

The final day of the show kicks off at 9:55 a.m. PT. Staff from Nintendo’s Treehouse will be joined by Nintendo game developers for last looks at our E3 lineup. Visit http://e3.nintendo.com to watch live, and then relive Nintendo’s E3 2015 show highlights.

 

Saturday, June 20

Nintendo Access: Mario Maker at Best Buy:

The second hands-on event for Mario Maker runs at participating Best Buy locations noon-5 p.m. local time. The Commemorative button offer applies, while supplies last.  Find a location near you at Nintendo.ca.

 

Fans can follow all of Nintendo’s activities on Facebook, Twitter,Google+, Instagram, Snapchat, Periscope and Vine. For more information about Nintendo at E3 2015, visit http://e3.nintendo.com.

 

Source: Nintendo PR

ZaciSa’s Last Stand was a quirky but addictive tower-defense style game on the Wii U eShop at a budget price, and the developer has been working hard at creating new free content for the game.

Zenfa Productions has announced that included in the patch will be the upgrading of graphics to 60FPS, 4 new maps including maps from other eShop games like Ping 1.5+, online leaderboards, and much more. The developer is also offering a sale of ZaciSa’s Last Stand to coincide with the new content, and the game will be available for just $1.19. The sale will last 4 weeks.

Source: Nintendo Enthusiast

This new patch is now available for download. If you don’t currently have this game installed on your console, make sure to download it again to check out the new content!

Curve Digital announced this morning that they will be bringing Pumped BMX + to a number of home consoles, including Nintendo’s Wii U. The game is an enhanced version of the successful IOS and Android game, Pumped BMX 2. The Wii U version will feature enhanced HD visuals and a brand new soundtrack. The game is slated for release on the eShop some time this summer.

Originally developed by one man studio Yeah Us!, Pumped BMX + will feature an array of levels which gradually increase in difficulty. The game challenges players to complete these levels, all while pulling off the best tricks they can. The game also features leader boards, though Curve has yet to clarify whether these are online or local.

Source: 8-Worlds News

Spotlighting Activision’s classic game, Plaque Attack, for the Atari 2600!

If you’d like to see us play more of this game, let us know in the comments below.