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If you missed out on this year’s Gamescom, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. There were a lot of exciting reveals with loads of games and hardware being shown off. Here’s a list of the what was presented at Gamescom:
by Nolan Leahy Here’s a list of what was announced with the March Nintendo Direct: Nintendo 3DS Headlines WarioWare Gold arrives with 300 microgames on August 3. Dillon the armadillo returns to Nintendo’s portable consoles in Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers on May 24. A demo will be available May 10. An updated version of Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story arrives in 2019. Bowser Jr’s Journey is also included. Detective Pikachu arrives on March 23. The game will be supplemented by an extra large detective Pikachu amiibo. Luigi’s Mansion port arrives this year on Nintendo 3DS. The port includes a new Boss Rush mode. Nintendo Switch Headlines Kirby Star Allies is launching on March 16. The game features new playable characters that include: Meta Knight King Dedede Bandana Waddle Dee More characters will also be made available through free updates. A free update will available on March 28 to add new content to the game. A free demo is available now on the Nintendo eShop. Okami HD launches this Summer, enabling players to use motion controls or the touch screen to play. Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido, a sushi battle game, launches June 8 The game will launch simultaneously on the Nintendo 3DS. Octopath Traveler features new characters: Merchant Tressa Apothecary Alfyn New battle details were revealed. Octopath Traveler launches with an optional special edition on July 13. A free demo is available now on the eShop. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes launches this year. The game spans across 7 different game types. Dark Souls: Remastered is getting a Solaire of Astora Amiibo, allowing players to do the “praise the sun” gesture in-game. A free Network Test is coming soon, allowing players to try the game before buying. Mario Tennis Aces , launching June 22, had new gameplay details released including: Zone Shots will allow precise aiming before shooting. Getting hit with a Zone Shot can possibly break opponents’ rackets. However, it can be blocked by an opponent to protect their racket. Zone Speed, which creates slow motion to make it easier to block Zone Shots, was shown off. An energy gauge system was shown off. Energy can be gained quickly through risky trick shots. Special Shots are powerful shots that can break rackets in one hit, but cost high amounts of energy and can still be blocked. These features aren’t a required staple in the gameplay; traditional tennis gameplay is also available. Online gameplay will be included. Online tournaments will also be available online. Motion control options can also be used. Pre-launch online tournament announced. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker arrives on Nintendo Switch and 3DS on July 13. Undertale arrives on Nintendo Switch “eventually.” Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy arrives on July 10. Little Nightmares: Complete Edition includes all past downloadable content and arrives on May 18. South Park: The Fractured But Whole arrives on April 24. Downloadable content will be available in a season past and for separate purchase. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition releases on May 18. ARMS U.S. and Canada Online Open tournament starting on March 8. Look to the Nintendo online website for more details. Also announced were planned talks for the Game Developers Conference on March 21, detailing the development of ARMS and the Splatoon franchise. Splatoon 2 will get its 3.0 update in late April which will include: 100+ items of new gear will be added. More stages: Piranha Pit Camp Triggerfish Wahoo World Rank X was introduced for ranked playmodes, making for a new elite designation for the most talented players. The single player purchasable DLC “Octo Expansion” was revealed. The new content arrives this Summer. It is available for pre-purchase for $19.99. Super Smash Brothers was announced for a 2018 release, hinting that the Inklings from Splatoon are playable characters. The Biggest Announcements Starting out with the elephant in the room, seeing Super Smash Brothers announced is music to the ears. Unfortunately, this Nintendo Direct didn’t mention much other than the inklings becoming playable. Is it a port? Is it a fresh, new Smash Brothers? Only time will tell. The next most shocking announcement is seeing that Crash Bandicoot: The N. Sane Trilogy is coming to the Switch. While this title is also coming to other platforms like PC and Xbox One, the remaining editions are coming on the same release date. For months, it’s been a mystery if Activision would sell Crash Bandicoot on other consoles. Now, there’s no need to question. A humorous bit concerns the Pikachu in Detective Pikachu being voiced by what sounds like a grown man, even though it was shown before in previous trailers. The footage shown from the game seems to offer a platter of adult humor, which is odd considering Pikachu’s previous iconic high-pitched tone from past Pokemon and the anime series. Lastly, a big shock is seeing South Park: The Fractured But Whole coming to the Switch. Considering Nintendo’s family-friendly nature in the past, it’s been difficult to predict what mature games will arrive to the console. Sure, it has Doom, and L.A. Noire, but to see something as raunchy as South Park is surprising. This announcement displays the ever-growing relationship between Ubisoft and Nintendo. One definite staple of this Direct is the sheer variety of games that Nintendo is offering to various audiences. Got kids? Get Mario Tennis Aces. Tired of the simple childish challenges? Get Dark Souls: Remastered. Wanting a classic throwback? Get Crash Bandicoot: The N. Sane Trilogy. Further Questions As stated above, is the new Smash Brothers a port? Personally, I’m hoping for a new Smash, but I’m not keeping my fingers crossed. It would really be nice to see a new roster for the Switch. As great as the Super Smash Brothers for Wii U and 3DS is, it is coming up on four years since the Wii U version launched in September of 2014. The Switch is also getting the reputation of having exclusives being “littered with ports” despite the releases of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Super Mario Odyssey. With a new Smash instead of a port, it will help shed the porting reputation. There are different characters that can potentially be added to the Smash Brothers roster either returning or brand new that can make Smash feel fresh again. As seen in the Direct, the Inklings will be playable, but what about characters that didn’t return in the Wii U/3DS versions? Ice Climbers and Wolf definitely need to return. Pronto. In addition, why not make Solaire a guest character considering that he’s already got an Amiibo on the way? It will draw in the Souls fans and it can have a lightning moveset that can compete with Pikachu. Also, character moves can also be updated given the latest installments of the games. Mario could be changed around and have Cappy for special moves. What about Link with his runes? Another question is what about virtual console? There’s still no information on any possibility for the service. Sure, there’s the classic games service coming with the paid online subscriptions later this year, but that’s the closest information that even comes close to the idea of virtual console. Other games that have been announced were not mentioned leaving many Nintendo fans to wonder about the development of games like the Switch’s upcoming core Pokemon game or Metroid Prime 4? What other intellectual properties (IPs) will we see from Nintendo in the future for the Switch? Will the likes of Star Fox or Animal Crossing come to light? Mario Party seems like a perfect fit for the console, but the last several installments weren’t received well by critics. With all of these announcements spanning a multitude of IPs, Nintendo currently has an excellent momentum for exclusive games, but it will be curious to see how the company plans to keep it up. Source: YouTube Image: Game Focus
Last weekend marked Ball State’s 2nd annual participation in the Global Game Jam event, which sees contestants attempt to create a stand-alone game in just 48 hours. We (Eben Griger and Nolan Leahy) had a chance to playtest some of the final products and talk to some of those involved. Here’s what we tested and what the developers had to say:
by Nolan Leahy For those who missed the Nintendo Direct Mini on Thursday, here’s a summary of what was announced: The World Ends with You -Final Remix- releases this year on Nintendo Switch (Originally released on Nintendo DS in 2007). Pokken Tournament DX Battlepack DLC releasing new Pokémon in two different waves. Wave 1 will release Jan. 31. Wave 2 will release on Mar. 23. Kirby Star Allies new features revealed within the game. Such as four player cooperative combined abilities, artist ability, spider ability, and featured villains. Kirby Star Allies releases on Mar. 16, 2018. Kirby Battle Royale Demo currently available for Nintendo 3DS on the eShop. Dragon Quest Builders Demo currently available for the Nintendo Switch on the eShop. Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition arrives on Nintendo Switch this Spring along with Breath of the Wild skins and two player split screen in tabletop mode. It includes all of the DLC. Mario Tennis Aces video game arrives this Spring on the Nintendo Switch along with a story mode that is a first for the Mario Tennis games. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA releases this Summer on the Nintendo Switch. Super Mario Odyssey gets an update called Balloon World, which features a competitive online mode where players hide and find each other’s balloons. New in-game camera filters also added. The update releases in February. Fighting game SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy releases this Summer on the Nintendo Switch. ACA NeoGeo Art of Fighting 2 is available now for the Nintendo Switch on the eShop. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle DLC features Donkey Kong. The DLC is available this Spring. PAYDAY 2 exclusively premieres a new character on its port of the game. PAYDAY 2 launches on Nintendo Switch on Feb. 27. Fe platforming adventure game releases on Nintendo Switch on Feb. 16. Gameplay elements feature the Joy Con’s HD Rumble. Celeste platforming game releases Jan. 25. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze port releases on Nintendo Switch on May 4 featuring Funky Kong as an added character. Dark Souls Remastered is coming to the Nintendo Switch on May 25. The Good Excellent choice of ports and new games. A few superb details came out of this Direct Mini. Mario Tennis gets a promising new title to continue its spin-off franchise. The well-acclaimed Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is getting a port, which means that those who skipped the Wii U will have another chance to buy the game. Fans of the Soulsborne games will be content that Dark Souls Remastered will arrive on a portable device; however, whether or not this means that the game will implement local wireless coop between Switch devices is still unknown. The new information on Kirby Star Allies makes it look even more promising than before, and it encourages local coop more so than single player. It definitely looks like this generation’s version of what New Super Mario Bros. Wii was back in 2009. Currently available Switch games are still fresh Currently available video games on the Switch are also being kept fresh with the implementations of the DLC and update announcements. Seeing an update for a competitive mode for Super Mario Odyssey is slightly surprising. While the game offers competitively timed modes such as foot races and an RC race track, seeing Nintendo still push this competitive tone for a single player 3D platformer is entirely new to the 3D Mario franchise. Pokken Tournament’s DLC is also adding new fighters and support characters to keep players coming back, similar to how ARMS has also added new fighters to its roster in the past. The Bad The biggest projects weren’t shown Even though the showcase of updates and games arriving to the Switch were fantastic, the bigger questions still linger: How is Metroid Prime 4 progressing in development? Are competitive Smash Bros. players going to be able to bury the CRTs with a Super Smash Bros. Melee HD? Will the Wii U’s Smash Bros. be ported, or will there be a new Smash? What about the new Pokémon game that was announced last year? The Switch update leak wasn’t mentioned Within the past week, there was a video leak of what apparently was the next major Nintendo Switch update to improve the OS (AKA 5.0.0). The user who posted the leak has taken the video down, but can still be viewed here. What this video featured was virtual console, cloud storage, more streaming support (YouTube, Crunchyroll, Twitch) and a more customizable home menu. It’s been a constant debate amongst fans of whether or not this convincing leak is true, and the mini direct didn’t help its cause. Reflection Josh Gunn is a Ball State University Student whose been gaming on PlayStation consoles for the last 10 years. When talking about the games shown on Nintendo’s Direct Mini, he said that it does sway him more into getting a Switch, but at the same time it doesn’t. “I’ve wanted one. There’s already games out that I’ve known before that I would enjoy playing on the Switch, but with them incorporating more games it does make me think that I should try to get one soon. They’re porting these many games that are from other consoles; it seems like it’s going to a nostalgia thing because you’re playing old school games. [The Direct Mini] was a lot of remasters.” - Gunn When looking at the rest of 2018, there are still many gaps that need to be filled. Nintendo handled 2017 phenomenally with releasing a new exclusive game during every month after launch. Despite this factor, it’s questionable now if Nintendo can continue this momentum. For those who bought the Wii U, it would be disappointing to have another experience of “dry seasons” where big games aren’t being showcased, especially when considering exclusives. Even though this mini direct showcased a limited number of games, a video from the YouTube channel Nintendo Life made an interesting point about the previous Nintendo Direct Minis: whenever there was a Nintendo Direct Mini, a bigger Nintendo Direct followed shortly after. Following Directs have previously spanned anywhere between a day to twenty days after the Direct Mini. Historically speaking, a new Direct could be coming in the next few weeks. Sadly, nothing is confirmed at the moment for a new Direct. UPDATE: According to a report by Nintendo Life, the aforementioned Nintendo Switch OS update was proven to be fake. Source: YouTube, Nintendo Life Image: YouTube
Another year of Byte reviews allowed us to shine a light once again on a wealth of games worth playing. Sure, there were some duds, but the masterpieces far outweighed them. The year 2017 featured improvements on recent installments of the Destiny and Sonic franchises, plus a spectacular first-year showing for the Nintendo Switch including obligatory new beauties in the Mario and Zelda departments. And with Cuphead bringing some mainstream attention to a brand-new indie studio, the future of independent gaming has never looked brighter.
Warning: This review contains minor spoilers for Super Mario Odyssey.
by Nolan Leahy Jeremy Piven took to Twitter Thursday evening to respond to the multiple sexual-assault accusations levied at the actor in the wake of the broadening scandal surrounding Harvey Weinstein. “Let me begin by saying that the accusations against me are absolutely false and completely fabricated. I would never force myself on a woman. Period. I have offered to take a polygraph to support my innocence. I keep asking myself, ‘How does one prove something didn’t happen?’” Piven said. “What I am not able to do is speculate as to the motivations of these women. As a human being, I feel compassion for the victims of such acts, but I am perplexed as to the misdirection of anger with false accusations against me and hope they do not detract from the stories that should be heard.” Piven added that we are heading into “dark times,” because the allegations are being taken as truth without going to court or going through what he referred to as “due process.” The three women accusing Piven of sexual assault are Reality-TV Star Ariane Bellamar, Longmire Actress Cassidy Freeman, and Advertising Executive Tiffany Bacon Scourby, Piven has acted in TV shows like Entourage, Mr. Selfridge and appeared in movies like Smokin’ Aces and Old School. Whether or not the accusations are true, the list of famous men being accused of sexual assault keeps getting longer. Source: Twitter Image: Chicago Sun-Times
by Nolan Leahy Warning: This review contains minor spoilers for Super Mario Odyssey. Super Mario Odyssey is the latest Mario title for the Nintendo Switch and it takes influences from 3D platforming games like Super Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie. This installment aims to give a special experience to newcomers while giving nostalgic euphoria to Mario veterans. The game’s visual pitch delivers high expectations but whether or not those expectations are met is entirely up to the player. Orbit, jump, throw, possess Within Super Mario Odyssey, the player encounters a ghost-like companion named Cappy soon after the game’s exposition. After Cappy initially offers his help, he rarely leaves Mario’s side and offers powers that are given to the player for liberal usage. Players can use Cappy as a projectile, jump on him as a platform or throw him against enemies or NPCs to possess and gain control of their bodies. With Mario’s basic physics and controls up to par, Odyssey feels like a worthy successor to Super Mario 64. The possession technique serves as the central thrust of the game. Each world that Mario enters offers at least one or two enemies to take control of which include classic Mario enemies like Goombas and Hammer Bros. Each possession has a specific usage that can be used to solve puzzles, fight enemies or complete specific challenges like fighting bosses or doing races. This mechanic is incredibly ambitious and pays off by encouraging a sense of curiosity and experimentation. In my personal playthrough, I raced to progress through each level because of my unending craving to possess new creatures. Cappy’s platform ability also serves as a fantastic tool to get to farther distances and make farther jumps. In some cases during the game, the player must abandon Cappy in order to complete challenges. The difference between having Cappy at hand and being alone is much starker than imagined at times and these moments highlight Cappy as a warm welcome addition to the Mario universe. (Nintendo, please let him come to a new Smash Bros. game.) The only minor downside to Mario’s basic mechanics is the motion controls that are used to execute certain actions, like the homing attack, which can hinder the experience at times. Moons for days To say that there are a ton of moons (Odyssey’s currency, similar to Super Mario Galaxy’s stars) in Super Mario Odyssey would be a massive understatement. There are hundreds of moons to collect within the game and by the time I finished the game’s story, I had only collected roughly 170 moons with many left yet to find. Many of these moons are incredibly fun to collect with excellent challenges provided. Some challenges include traveling across ice, using possession techniques to travel across ginormous chasms or are simply well hidden within the levels that may have you coming back later for a second glance. The greatest part about collecting these moons is that unlike the 3D Mario games that have come before, the collected objective doesn’t forcefully eject the player only to simply re-enter the world. Once a player has collected a moon within a world, they can keep exploring the same world like in Banjo Kazooie. Even though many of the moons are fun to collect, others are a bit uninspired within their collection. A prime example of this is that within each and every clothing shop within the game, the player has the option to buy a moon for a considerably cheap price of 100 coins. Though this makes sense for the first clothing store to introduce the store’s role of cosmetics within the game, it’s unnecessary. I feel as though many of these moons could have made for additional moon challenges. Others may also feel a bit less thrilling because of the obvious nature of how they can appear. Thankfully, the well thought-out challenges outweigh the uninspired ones. On a final note, the bosses within the game offer multiple moons for their defeat. Initially, these bosses are silly and enlightening. However, after some time spent in the story, it would be nice to not have to rematch many of these bosses for a second time. The move sets of these bosses change slightly on the second encounter, but it doesn’t feel like a drastically different fight than the first encounter. Calm, yet also celebratory The level design within the game is the defining factor of what makes Super Mario Odyssey fantastic. Each level has its own themes that help flavor the challenges that come with gathering moons. One level leads the player into a forest with a splash of an industrial presence, while in another level the player may explore a small, uncharted island. Challenges seen in these worlds are reflected through the worlds’ enemies and NPCs with the possession technique, and they will often be able to deal with the world’s specific hazards and problems. My personal favorite level is New Donk City, the most frequently presented level throughout Nintendo’s marketing. This level has fewer enemies than the normal Mario level yet it has its own sense of charm in jumping up the large buildings and participating in challenges that reflect portions of human culture. Though I was hoping for the level to be bigger than what Nintendo provided, I always wanted to come back to New Donk City for the fascinating platforming and environment. On an additional note to these worlds, the art and music reflect these well-made levels with excellence. At times it’s difficult not to gawk at the serene nature of the skyboxes and stay to visit at the moments that call for celebration or deeply valued nostalgia. An additional point that deserves praise is that after the player completes the main story, a musical Toad will be located in each previously visited world so that the player can select their favorite music in the game as they search for more moons which can make the gameplay more enjoyable with a variety of tonality. With all of the moons available for collection, Super Mario Odyssey has enough content to keep the player busy for a couple dozen hours at least. Bowser has brought his best personality to this installment with his fighting style, dialogue and his motivational goal in marrying Princess Peach. Despite some moons being less ambitious in their design and some returning bosses lackluster, Super Mario Odyssey is a worthy addition to any Switch owner’s library whether they are a Mario veteran or a newcomer to the franchise. The levels are fantastic and inquire on player experimentation while the aesthetics of the environment do a swell job in selling a delightful experience to the newest generation of gamers. Featured image from The Daily Dot
by Nolan Leahy Bunkerville: A Post-Apocalyptic Musical is exactly as it sounds. No, it isn’t a spinoff from Bethesda’s Fallout franchise, but it has the same type of setting. The musical’s story follows Steve, a narcissistic journalist that leaves an underground city 200 years after a nuclear holocaust. Carson Crow is the assistant director for the musical and a theatre student here at Ball State. In the past, he was an assistant director for performances such as Boeing-Boeing, Everything will be Different: A Brief History of Helen of Troy, and Hairspray. He also directed a smaller scale musical John and Jenn in the Cave Studio Theatre. Crow said Bunkerville was chosen to be in the Ball State production season two years ago. Multiple workshops and script rewrites took place throughout the previous two years and that “there still might be before it opens.” Crow said that helping create this performance is an enjoyable challenge, and that the students he works with have “been on top of it.” He said the director –-Matt Reeder—wanted to bring out more of the comedic nature of the production. Through the development, students designed all of the technical aspects including sound, lighting, “wacky” props, costumes, and the hair and makeup. “The lighting is so intense because you start in a bunker, and then we travel to the surface. So, contrasting the two worlds of that has been really exciting for the lighting designer,” Crow said. The only way Crow could describe the hair and makeup was with a chuckle. “When you see the show, you’ll understand,” Crow said. “I’m just thrilled to be working with Matt and literally everyone on that production. They’ve been great.” Bunkerville: A Post-Apocalyptic Musical premiered over the weekend and continues on until Oct. 28. The musical times are at 7:30 p.m. from Oct. 25 to Oct. 28 in addition to a 2:30 p.m. performance on Oct. 28. Tickets can be bought here. Image Gallery Click the image below to see more from the show! [ngg_images source="galleries" container_ids="4" display_type="photocrati-nextgen_basic_slideshow" gallery_width="600" gallery_height="400" cycle_effect="fade" cycle_interval="10" show_thumbnail_link="0" thumbnail_link_text="[Show thumbnails]" order_by="sortorder" order_direction="ASC" returns="included" maximum_entity_count="500"] Photography by Nolan Leahy
Bunkerville: A Post-Apocalyptic Musical is exactly as it sounds. No, it isn’t a spinoff from Bethesda’s Fallout franchise, but it has the same type of setting.
In last week’s Disney Parks’ blog post, editorial content director Thomas Smith announced that four Disney World Resort Hotels would start allowing dogs starting yesterday.
Apple has filed a smartphone patent in the shock of Samsung’s new direction for its smartphone lineup.
Warning: This article contains spoilers to ‘Cuphead’. Proceed with caution.
As of October 6, Nintendo’s stock market price (NTDOY) is at $48.67 per share, which is the best price since 2009, according to Nasdaq charts.
by Nolan Leahy Warning: This article contains spoilers to 'Cuphead'. Proceed with caution. Get every coin possible Within Cuphead, each Run N’ Gun level carries five coins for players to find as they jump, shoot and dash through the constant flow of enemies. Some can also be gained from exploring the worlds and talking to NPCs. These coins are used to purchase powers at Porkrind’s Emporium. Many of the shooters and charms can prove to be invaluable and allow for different styles of play. By possessing more powers, you can ultimately strategize for each level, which leads to tip number two. Experiment with different powers and charms Each available power allows for a different style of play. The Chaser shooter has homing bullets that don’t require aiming, which means that dodging can be your main focus for as long as you use this weapon. Although Chaser has the weakest attack-power per hit, it allows you to solely focus on dodging for those pesky levels that congest the screen immensely. The Charge shot, on the other hand, deals the most damage of all the shooters in the game. Some bosses are weaker to different shooters, and that can mean less time spent fighting them. Also, it’s highly recommended to swap charms around if you can. Bosses that have you play as an airplane, therefore, make the smoke bomb useless. Having extra heart charms might not be useful on the bosses because they weaken your attack power; however, they are excellent for the Run N’ Gun levels. Coffee is also the prime charm to have for the airplane levels as well. If you struggle with a boss early within a world, beat it on simple difficulty first and explore This goes back a little to the first tip. Beating a boss on simple won’t permit the player to collect the soul required to progress to the next world, but it will progress the player further within the current world by unlocking new routes. This can grant access to the Run N’ Gun levels that contain the valuable coins that unlock new strategies. In addition, each world contains a secret shortcut that also grants access to other levels without having to beat additional bosses. Obtaining the coins from the Run N’ Gun levels, getting the powers from Porkrind’s Emporium and coming back to beat the boss on regular difficulty with different powers can save some heartache. If all else fails, grab a partner and play it co-op This game is tough, but who says that you have to do it alone? In all honesty, playing Cuphead's local co-op is arguably the optimal experience for the game. Being able to revive one another can mean an extended boss fighting experience, and having an extra set of eyes can allow communication of fighting strategies facing certain opponents. If you aren’t going for perfect grades, then figure out when NOT to parry With Cuphead, parrying is mostly beneficial, because it gives you an extra card for your super meter. Despite this factor, it’s sometimes best not to parry because of the surrounding foes around the pink object/enemy. Parrying can do more harm than good if it means losing a hit point. Value your hit points, and don’t waste them on a parry that may be unsuccessful. Enjoy the game, be patient and take breaks There’s no secret that this game has some frustratingly difficult bosses. Just be reminded that this game is unique in its art style and music. Sit back; listen to the music on YouTube or during the boss fight, take a break from the game or go back to an easier boss fight to get your fighting spirits up again. Many are comparing this game to a platformer version of Dark Souls because of how often the player dies. In my own personal playthrough, I’ve died over 750 times. This game is intended to be a challenge in its greatest moments and at its worst. Going in expecting to beat the game within the first three to five hours is an expectation that will be demolished. The game may have a childish and friendly aesthetic, but it ultimately demands your respect. Have fun, laugh a little and smile. There’s no game quite like Cuphead. Images: Polygon, Gamerant, GameCrate, YouTube, Indie Obscura
by Nolan Leahy As of October 6, Nintendo’s stock market price (NTDOY) is at $48.67 per share, which is the best price since 2009, according to Nasdaq charts.
After roughly 58 people died and around 500 people were injured from Sunday night’s Las Vegas shooting, Netflix and Marvel decided to not show The Punisher at the New York Comic Con.
by Nolan Leahy After roughly 58 people died and around 500 people were injured from Sunday night’s Las Vegas shooting, Netflix and Marvel decided to not show The Punisher at the New York Comic Con. The Punisher stars Frank Castle, an anti-hero vigilante that’s out to seek revenge on mobsters by using all the militaristic skills and equipment he possesses. The companies released a combined statement saying, ““We are stunned and saddened by this week's senseless act in Las Vegas,” Netflix and Marvel said Thursday. “After careful consideration, Netflix and Marvel have decided it wouldn't be appropriate for ‘Marvel’s The Punisher’ to participate in New York Comic-Con,” according to the Los Angeles Times. Firearms and gun control are such a sensitive subjects right now that even the White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president wants to focus on “healing and uniting the country.” https://youtu.be/lIY6zFL95hE The official trailer for The Punisher was released back in September and the full show is expected to release later on in the fall. Sources: IGN, YouTube (CBS), LA Times Image: YouTube (Netflix)
by Nolan Leahy This review is based on the Xbox One version of Cuphead. A blob, an acorn-bomb machine, giant invincible woodpeckers and an evil flower with salsa hands: these are foes and obstacles to overcome within the initial world of Cuphead. This game comes from a small development team known as Studio Moldenhauer and is the first video game developed by the company who initially gave a debut trailer during E3 2015. Despite the long wait, Cuphead’s old-fashioned 1930s style arguably makes it the best game to come to Xbox One. Oh, to be a kid again As soon as the title screen pops up, the player is introduced to some of the most ambitious art to come to video games. All of the art is hand-drawn using the techniques of the traditional 1930s cartoon, which is one of the main selling points of the game. The protagonists, Cuphead and Mugman, both have curved legs with the upward and downward animations like that of Steamboat Willie and borrow artistic inspirations from other classic cartoons like that of Warner Brothers or Metro Goldwyn Mayer. These animations are flawless. Each enemy, NPC, and boss have their own movements that give them personality, facial expression, and characteristics that feel unique. To simply ignore this game would be an atrocity. It’s difficult not to start up the game and be giddily awestruck while looking at the drawings hidden behind the classic film grain. In addition, the soundtrack is a treat to listen to even outside of the game. The game features classic-style jazz that dives between swing and big band, sometimes even delving into other genres like samba and marches. The songs also feature saxophone, trumpet, clarinet, piano and trombone solos. The brass section is exceptionally fun to listen to for their sheer talent. Many of these songs aren’t just simple slow jazz either; they are fast-paced and make the levels much more fun to play. Excellent examples of this music can be heard in the Floral Fury song and the Carnival Kerfuffle song. Dealing with your inner demons Cuphead is incredibly difficult. The standard amount of health allotted to the player is only three hit points. During the majority of the game, there is not a way to regenerate these hit points within a level attempt. In other words, death is incredibly common in the game’s punishing levels. Each attempt is a learning experience for the player, who must learn to overcome obstacles and carefully observe attack patterns from bosses. Expect frustration from being stuck on a boss for more than an hour. Despite the difficulty, it’s addictive, fun and easy to pick up. The controls feel great and are quickly demonstrated in the game’s starting tutorial. Not all of the Xbox One controller's functions need to be used considering the actions are very basic. Jump, jump parry enemy attacks, shoot, dash, switch weapons, or use a super power. This is as simple as it gets, yet the game takes time to master - fans of classic run-and-gun games like Vectorman, Metal Slug, or Megaman will likely get their fill of enjoyment here. The boss fights are the central focus of the game. While there are levels without boss fights, they serve a different purpose than the bosses who serve as the conduit of player progression between the game’s three worlds. These bosses are challenging, but rarely are they cheap. Each boss fight is significantly different from the last and offers new threats that may be obvious, but can be surprising as a small change can affect the player's priorities. This is especially noticeable when switching difficulty settings on each boss fight. The game treats the player as a smart individual and doesn’t hold hands. A minor complaint with the game is that during a couple of bosses within the game, there are randomly generated platforming elements that can sour the experience as a whole. It’s frustrating to know the exact attack pattern of a boss and when he’s attacking, but not have a place to escape. This results in loss of a hit point as a consequence of bad luck rather than lack of skill. Another minor complaint is that invincibility frames when parrying are inconsistent. There are times where parrying an enemy might succeed, but still makes the player take a hit point of damage, which discourages parrying in particular levels. The primary complaint with this game is the lack of online cooperative. When playing local co-op, it feels as though cooperative is the ideal experience for the game because of the interaction and constant teamwork. Reviving your ally when down feels gratifying, and both players will share the intense suspense of surviving. Without online matchmaking and forced couch co-op play, some players may have difficulty finding another person to play. After all, this game is intended for the hardcore market. Run ‘n gun for coins The game’s economy runs through Porkrind Emporium shops found in each world of the game. Weapons and charms can be bought here with coins. These coins are either found by talking with NPCs between levels or doing the challenging Run ‘n Gun levels. These items can affect the difficulty of each boss and allow the player to strategize in his or her attempts rather than all the experience to become mindless with potential capabilities in range. What makes purchasing these items interesting is that not all of the items in the game are immediately present to the player. When one weapon or charm is bought, another replaces it until the stock is empty. This can change the original priority purchases when one has much to spend. It’s a small feature, but an interesting new approach that’s more engaging than traditional in-game stores. The Run ‘n Gun levels are just as difficult as the bosses. There are roughly six of these levels within the game in comparison to the nearly 20 boss fights, but the true purpose behind the Run ‘N Gun levels is to obtain coins. This is where the majority of the platforming occurs within the game. Hordes of enemies spawn throughout each level and each level remains unique with obstacles like changing gravity or having to blast through multiple varieties of barricades. These levels are fun to an point, but they should have been a bit more fleshed out because of the potential for other level possibilities. It would also be nice if there were a couple of simpler Run ‘N Gun levels to take a break from the consistently intense difficulty. Featured image from IGN YouTube
