Category Discussions

Featured Once again Nintendo says it's ok to be different

Nintendo Embodies The Rebel Teen In All Of Us

Sean Alexander

Everyone has a little rebel in them, right?

Back when I was growing up, I was always told to be unique. Being yourself and standing out in a crowded space has always been a defining aspect of my life. This fundamental difference between yourself and others helps you define what you are.

In a way, this is best seen in modern youth. The “Disenfranchised” and rebellious, the ones who don’t like the way things are and want to do something different and better than what came before.

Nintendo hasn’t always been about bucking the trend, but they have adapted to embody that way of thinking.

One of the many rebellious Nintendo moves.
Wii Fit is one of many breakouts from tradition and expectation.

Not Always So Out Of Line…

Nintendo hasn’t always been so out of line with expectations. In fact for the longest time the company was seen as overly conservative. A system and library for kids, playing it safe, while the “Big Boys” went mature.

It wasn’t until the Nintendo DS and Wii that we saw them break off into a new direction, one forged by desire to be different, seeing the writing on the wall: If you conform, eventually you will fade. This led to unprecedented success and while it alienated those who only wanted “The Norm”, it grew gaming to new heights.

As Reggie Fils-Aime once said, gaming wasn’t growing while everyone was chasing the same market over and over. Staying the same leads to stagnation, which leads to boredom and eventually the market would likely have folded. This was simply unsustainable. Without new ideas, new ways of playing, gaming would have continued down the stereotyped path, with everyone roughly in line trying the same things. Remember the over-saturation of shooters?

The new gaming world is adapting, and even then, Nintendo refuses to follow the path.
The Modern Gaming World has evolved, and change was inevitable.

But What Of The Modern World?

Previously it has been discussed at length about how Nintendo Switch and even Nintendo LABO push gaming into new frontiers.

But even then, this is how Nintendo has chosen to go through with evolution. Switch is the current pinnacle of gaming convenience in an always moving world. Where the young and old alike can’t be confined to one space anymore. Where the notion of everything being solely in one place is outdated: The under your TV box is archaic.

LABO exists as a testament to how gaming is more than just entertainment: It can be educational, inspiring and a lot more. These are moves other companies are often afraid to take. Even Sony with VR was very tentative and that is still an isolated, TV room experience, though Oculus and even Nintendo somewhat look to expand what is possible.

Microsoft and other companies are looking to game streaming as a future, where everything is with you always (Internet provided) and this enables so much more to be done in the industry. Perhaps it isn’t ready yet, but it will be eventually, and it won’t be the only way of playing games, you can guarantee that.

Sometimes following the trend isn't for you.
Nintendo broke ground with their attitude to monetisation in Dragalia Lost

Rebel Against Current Trends

Nintendo recently made waves with the reveal that they encourage their mobile development partners to be limiting with monetisation.

CyGames and their parent company expressed frustration at the idea of limiting revenue. They exclaimed had Nintendo not been involved, they would have made more.

This lines up with the established intent of mobile games by Nintendo. Unlike other companies who see a gold mine, it exists as advertising. Using mobile titles, in everyone’s hands, can invest people in IP, and move them to Switch and other systems.

The same is true of microtransactions and live services. Shigeru Miyamoto stated that developers need to be wary of how many live services there are, and how value is lost by them overcharging.

When seeking a partner for this, it’s important to find someone who understands the value of your software. Then customers will feel the value in your apps and software and develop a habit of paying money for them.

Source

Simply put, it’s the effect shown by games such as Destiny and Anthem: Overcharging for an underwhelming experience. If these models are to take off, they need to be fewer in number, higher in quality, and fairer in price.

In the end, everyone is a little rebellious. Seeing something succeed and show the way forward isn’t entrenched in tradition, greed, or follow the leader, calls to people who want more from gaming.

Nintendo has become the masters of defying expectations and making new ways to play. In the modern world of being different to survive, it’s success has come from playing to what the world wants.

Featured Nogalious is very much a retro styled game.

Impressions: Nogalious

Sean Alexander

Nogalious is a challenging and short platform puzzler from LUEGOLU3GO STUDIOS. What did we think of the opening title of this trilogy?

 

Free Product provided generously by LUEGOLU3GO STUDIOS!

 

Nogalious is a game that captures the essence of challenging retro titles, injecting some light puzzle elements. This classic design can lead to a sometimes frustrating but equally rewarding experience.

Nogalious is very much a retro styled game.

Nogalious proves to be a fun and challenging title.

 

How Does It Look?

Nogalious aims to replicate the earlier days of gaming.

Nogalious captures the classic PC era of gaming perfectly.

Nogalious is a very simple game. Objects are defined and the character stands out. Enemies can at times blend in, red bats and red clouds for instance, but the aesthetic suits the game well.

Items are often obvious, though at times can be obscured by the low-level of detail making it hard to see what you need to do.

As the game is a puzzle platformer of sorts, you need to examine each screen carefully to identify your objective, usually a key, to be able to pass to the next screen. This can involve pushing or pulling graves to align them, or killing all the enemies.

Of course the soundtrack is suitably retro, and captures the gothic feel of each stage well.

 

How Does It Play?

Nogalious isn't always a pleasant walk.

Nogalious can sometimes be a bit challenging…

Gameplay is as noted above, find the objective to grab a key to move to the next screen. Progress through each screen in a stage and finish the stage.

Along the way will be special stones and weapons for Nogalious to use. These range from a sword, a boomerang, and even timed mines. Each of these works differently and can be cycled through, so finding the right one is key for each situation.

Sometimes the way forward isn’t particularly clear, and this can come down to either the visuals, or the translation. The translation for Nogalious is odd in that while it gets the basics across, the language barrier proves difficult when explaining finer mechanics. With experimentation though it doesn’t take long to grasp.

Nogalious himself is very easy to control, being able to attack, jump and pull or push objects. Oddly jump is assigned to pressing Up, but this is simply a matter of adjusting. You have fluid mid-air control, but be warned as some platforms are less solid than they appear.

 

Let’s Talk Problems

Sometimes the solution is hard to see.

What do you see on this screen? Do you see a way to lower the water?

Trying to find the solution to a screen requires precise assessment of the pixel art. On the screen above you have a branch on a tree that will lower the water level and let you find the key to progress. Of course, this isn’t immediately obvious.

Another problem with the above screen is the crows. Given Nogalious perishes in a single hit, and they can eat away at the respawning vines you need to climb and jump between, and contact damage is also fatal, care is required.

There is a degree of randomness to this all. How much of the vine they chop away depends on where they land. Further, jumping between vines requires you to first jump and then move, making it feel more awkward than need be.

The final issue is, unfortunately, overall difficulty. The challenge in each room can vary greatly, and your limited lives and fragility lead to using your limited continues at which point, well back to the start.

This is a game about mastery, so a lot of trial and error will get you to the end.

Expect to die. A lot.

I saw this a lot…

Overall?

Nogalious is a fun game held back by its reference material. It’s still a great time, but the less patient gamers may find it a bit much. It’s fairly short, but the amount of (Mandatory) replaying will leave you chasing that high score if you are persistent.

I recommend this quite easily to fans of classic challenging titles.

If you want to see the game in action, we have a short stream below:

Thanks for reading everyone, and don’t forget to share what you think of on social media or try it out for yourself on Steam. While you are here, check out our other Impressions pieces! Until next time, Happy Gaming!

Featured Sometimes simple is better than messy.

Impressions: Tiny Hands Adventure

Sean Alexander

Tiny Hands Adventure is a charming little romp of a platformer from Blue Sunset Games. What did we think of Borti’s debut adventure for bigger hands?

 

Free Product provided generously by Blue Sunset Games!

Sometimes simple is better than messy.

Tiny Hands Adventure is a nice and charming 3D platformer

Tiny Hands Adventure is a game that manages to evoke its reference material and present some new ideas to forge a unique identity. What you ultimately get is a solid experience full of charm and unique ideas, but nothing truly stellar. Good, but not super amazing.

 

How Does It Look?

Tiny Hands Adventure has a lot of variety!

Tiny Hands Adventure is actually a quite attractive game with a lot of variety.

Tiny Hands Adventure is a very charming game. Not confined the dinosaur appropriate locales, the games has you climb lighthouses, traverse swamps, top-down view mazes, inter-dimensional stairways and even a comic book. While it may seem to be a visual mismatch, the game maintains its identity even though different settings.

On PC the game runs perfectly fine. No issues with resolution of frame rate, that I can see. On Nintendo Switch, I cannot say, but it stands to a reason a fairly simple game should have no issues.

Sometimes the worlds may look a little empty or flat, and the text certainly isn’t as refined or well implemented as it could be, but it’s functional. Everything is appropriate and accounted for.

I also have to say, the soundtrack is really good. Not a dull track in there, a good range of styles and lively beats.

 

How Does It Play?

Even with a controller on PC the game was very responsive.

Tiny Hands Adventure is a very nice feeling game in the hand.

Gameplay in Tiny Hands Adventure is simple. Progress through each stage in a tier, in what order you desire, grab the main collectible and finish the stage. When all 4 collectibles are assembled you can take on the boss.

Boss battles are perhaps the weakest aspect of the game as a whole, lacking feedback to being hit and at times either being too long for a fight that has no checkpoints, or being simply a waiting and dodging exercise. They aren’t bad, but some fine tuning would have been nice.

Beating a boss awards you a “Hand”, an extension of Borti’s standard tail whip. These include a drill, plastic grab hand that doubles as a wider spin, and grappling arms. Each of these are used in various stages, some even requiring repeat visits later in the game. Beyond this though, they feel under-utilised, but give Borti more to do as the game progresses.

Strikingly, the game encourages repeat visits to stages by offering 5 collectible crystals. Some require certain Hands, so making note of the different environmental situations is key. Collecting all five unlocks the harder version of a stage, with a single white crystal to collect, for 100% completion and rewards.

This is a simple but effective way of improving replay value, and while the game isn’t too difficult, the harder stages are definitely where the greatest challenge lies.

Borti himself however, is a joy to control. His weight feels right and his movement, even when using a controller on PC, feels smooth. There were very few times I felt like a death was the fault of the game, and rather my own judgement. He has a wide range of moves including a spin and slide, so he comes well equipped, though these feel under utilised until later, as the level design is often rather basic and doesn’t require much use of these advanced moves.

 

Let’s Talk Problems

Sometimes you can make Borti a super T-Rex

This game does have some rather entertaining bugs

This release is by no means flawless. As a smaller title errors do slip through. Sometimes you may find something isn’t quite solid, or a hitbox is a little misaligned on some spikes. Regardless, the game still manages to be fun.

The aforementioned issues with boss battles stands out as a real low point, as does the lack of enemy interaction, instead acting as stationary obstacles.

The game could perhaps come off as boring to some with its relative ease and simplicity, but to others this may be a positive. That is for the individual to decide.

Finally, and this is a purely personal problem, the explosive boxes in the game aren’t distinguishable enough from their standard counterparts, with the explosive graphic only appearing on some sides and the colour (Because I’m colour blind) being near identical.

 

Overall?

Tiny Hands Adventure is a game that occupies the same space as Sonic 1 and Crash Bandicoot in my mind: A solid foundation. With that said, I can recommend the game to platforming fans, and the concept of a T-Rex looking to expand his reach is ripe for picking.

I can only hope like the aforementioned examples, a potential sequel to this game would take the concept and run with it, with crazier worlds and more varied and useful Hand upgrades to Borti. The concept has a lot of promise.

If you want to see the game in action, we have a forty minute stream below:

Thanks for reading everyone, and don’t forget to share what you think of on social media or try it out for yourself, on Steam or Nintendo Switch. Until next time, Happy Gaming!

Featured Paladins is an interesting release on Switch

Impressions: Paladins (Nintendo Switch)

Sean Alexander

Paladins manages to be a fun game on the surface and in gameplay, but it has a few steep cliffs.

Paladins is an interesting release on Switch

Paladins went free to play on Switch so we got a chance to try it out!

Paladins is an interesting title. A Hero Shooter with various modes and teams of 5 battling it out for supremacy. Each character is unique, each mode offers new challenges.

There are daily rewards, levelling up both your characters to unlock new skills and your general account for rewards. It’s all very progression based.

Which is exactly why this is a free to play game.

 

How Does It Look?

Paladins looks fantastic on the system

Paladins looks mighty clean on Switch

Paladins looks good on Switch. Nothing about it feels off, though the dynamic resolution can be very obvious in high density moments, but everything is smooth and fluid.

There are a variety of HUD options and placements, cursors and more. The UI is very customisable with one caveat.

As health bars of allies show up a “Sickly Green” when impacted with a status ailment, and enemies are red…a colour blind mode would have been very helpful!

 

How Does It Play?

Some of the load times are a bit extreme

Paladins can at times take a good while to get going however.

The gameplay itself is fairly simple, divided into 3 modes. Team Deathmatch where you compete to get the most kills, Siege where you battle to capture a point and then escort a payload to the enemy base, 1 point for each action, first to 4 wins.

Finally there is a standard Control mode, where you occupy a marked space and accumulate 400 points to win, fighting off the other team to do so.

These modes are all good fun, however the Siege mode lasts for far too long compared to the others, especially when wrestling for control.

Controls are snappy and responsive, and nothing feels out of reach. Interestingly you can get battle buffs by performing well during matches, earning credits to spend for that match. This is best done while respawning of course but it keeps things dynamic and allows you to adapt.

Of course this all comes with a downside: Load Times. Loading can take a while and especially getting into a match. It’s nothing major but for something on a console known for being snappy, this is a bit surprising.

Stage variety also seems a bit light, but that could just be bad luck during matchmaking. It’s hard to tell.

 

Let’s Talk Progression

Sometimes simplicity is best.

Paladins is an absolute behemoth of monetisation, and it’s confusing.

Progression in Paladins is strange. You level up characters and unlock cards and new abilities for battles, clear daily challenges to earn Gold and maybe even Crystals…but getting more from the game is hard.

You have a very limited number of characters initially, and this makes choosing one difficult since the game doesn’t allow duplicates on a team. Further to this, finding the characters in the store is difficult, and expensive in terms of Gold, as they are buried amongst voice samples and outfits etc.

But most egregious is a Battle Pass, akin to Fortnite with challenges for rewards, that you pay for with Crystals, a Season Pass, that gives you all Battle Passes, and various chests of randomized items.

Crystals are the premium paid for currency and the sheer wealth of options for expanding what you can simply do in the game is insane. It’s a complicated and frankly worrying mess that so much is gated off, as the game is genuinely fun.

But if this seems like an issue, there is a Buy All option with the Founder’s Pack. For a fee you unlock everything and this is how the game initially launched. I would recommend that over the restrictive Free To Play release.

 

Overall?

Paladins is an excellent game marred by some weird choices for monetisation. It tries to accommodate every model known to the industry at once.

This is the biggest downfall of the game, as what is a very fun time is locked behind a grind and premium rewards.

If you want to see the game in action, we have a two hour stream below:

 

Thanks for reading everyone, and don’t forget to share what you think of Paladins on social media or try it out for yourself, it is free to start after all. Until next time, Happy Gaming!

Featured We discuss Xbox Scarlett, Streaming, Ys VIII and more!

Behind The Game Podcast – Ys VIII, Xbox Scarlett and more!

Sean Alexander

Our fifth podcast is now live! This edition includes the rumoured Xbox Scarlett!

Thoughts on comments from Nihon Falcom and reports on Xbox Scarlett being a streaming service! Mega Man X and Sonic Mania Plus! How many Nindies per week?!

Plus, hear what we have been playing this week. Then our thoughts on Octopath Traveler Sales and Ys VIII and more Nintendo Labo?!

Check it out below, and Happy Gaming! Remember to check up with us on Twitter and Discord!

Featured Crash on Switch is the de facto portable experience.

Impressions: Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy on Switch

Sean Alexander

Crash Bandicoot on Nintendo Switch is a perfectly serviceable, graphically sound port. However, it has an air of laziness around it.

 

Crash Bandicoot on Nintendo Switch is perfectly fine. These remakes of the original trilogy comes over, gameplay intact from PS4.

Naturally the resolution is lower at 720p when docked, and lower in handheld mode. With this comes graphical downgrades. Some expected, like shadows and the fur textures being limited or removed. Some however, like reflective surfaces, are omitted entirely.

These missing aspects certainly stand out, even compared to the PS1 originals. It’s no deal breaker, but in certain stages like the future themed areas from Warped, lot of charm is lost. This was clearly in the name of smooth performance, as the game maintains a fairly constant 30fps.

Reflective surfaces are missing...for some reason.

Reflective surfaces are completely missing in the Crash Trilogy.

 

So What’s In The Box?

 

Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy is a collective remake of the original Crash titles. With this comes various improvements, notably to Crash Bandicoot (The Original), such as better game design choices. This includes making Gems easier to get, forgoing the No Deaths requirement outside of Colour Gems.

Not all changes are positive. The use of one unified physics scheme across all 3 games (Based on Crash 3) leads to conflict with level design in Crash 1 and 2. This is simply due to level design in a platformer being built around what the character can do, with Crash 1 and 2 at times simply not being built for Crash 3 controls.

Additionally, some vehicles control with unusual weight and slow turning that limits mobility, adding frustration to Crash 3.

Further, the DLC stages Stormy Ascent and Future Tense are included as standard alongside various Quality Improvements made since the initial PS4 release.

Ultimately, this is the definitive way to experience all 3 games. As the de facto portable experience, this release is excellent.

Crash on Switch is the de facto portable experience.

This is a very feature rich package!

 

It’s Not All Sunshine in Wumpa Island…

 

So let’s address the downsides of this port. First, as noted, it doesn’t look as good. I feel as though some cutbacks aren’t necessary but if it’s in the name of smooth performance, it’s agreeable.

Now we know this port only exists because of a sole engineer proving the game would run, on their own time. 

This lack of interest in even attempting to get the game running by the development staff hints at corporate apathy. There are Switch specific issues that hint at a lack of care on various parties.

Firstly, using any controller other than Joy-Con while docked, before undocking the system, leads to the game being unable to recognise the Joy-Con in Handheld mode. This means using a Pro Controller on your TV before swapping to handheld mode, means you need to reboot the game.

Further, swapping which wireless controller you are using, at least when undocked, leads to the same problem. The game doesn’t respond to swapping controllers or modes unless you use the Joy-Con.

Who holds responsibility for this we will never know. Is it Nintendo for not performing adequate checks during the Lotcheck process? Is it Toys For Bob, the team behind the port? We may never know, but Crash Bandicoot on Switch doesn’t support these basic aspects of the system.

 

So What Do We Think?

 

I am extremely mixed on this release. On one hand, the game is smooth, responsive and absolutely worth a purchase for fans. If you have another console, this becomes a tougher sell, but for a portable Crash experience, this is fantastic.

The catch is some cutbacks feel extreme, and the lack of Switch functionality including screen recording (though this may be tied to CPU usage by the game) and controller swapping leaves a sour taste.

This feels like the most basic of ports. Its solid, it’s a great game, but it doesn’t react to the basic functionality of the system. As noted, it’s like the port was rushed and not intended.

But that doesn’t deter that this is a great way to experience the game. If you can overlook the cutbacks and system specific issues, this is an absolute must for platformer fans.

 

That’s all for this Impressions piece! Crash is back (Again!) and we hope you have fun wumping from islands and through time. Let us know what you think on social media, and Happy Gaming!

Featured Can Mario Tennis Aces take the top spot?

Nintendo Switch eShop – UK Sales Charts (24/06/2018)

Sean Alexander

With Mario Tennis out now, and the winding down of E3 sales, how are the UK Charts this week?

Numbers in brackets are previous positions based on: 17/06/2018 (Unless they haven’t moved) in the UK eShop

Can Mario Tennis Aces take the top spot?

Mario Tennis Aces debuted this week!

 

All Games Charts (Including Retail Releases)

 

1: Minecraft (NEW) – £19.99
2: Hollow Knight (NEW) (Down from 2nd) – £10.99
3: Mario Tennis Aces (NEW) – £49.99
4: Splatoon 2 (Up from 6th) – £49.99
5: Astro Bears Party (Down from 2nd) (80% OFF) – £0.89 (Usually £4.49)
6: Golf Story – £13.49
7: FIFA 18 (Down from 3rd) (67% OFF) – £18.14 (Usually £54.99)
8: Overcooked: Special Edition (Up from 10th) – £17.99
9: Rocket League (Down from 9th) – £15.00
10: Arcade Archives: Donkey Kong (Up from 14th) (NEW) – £6.29
11: Stardew Valley (Down from 4th) – £10.99
12: Paladins: Founder’s Pack (Down from 9th) (NEW) – £24.99
13: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Up from 21st) – £59.99
14: Ultra Street Fighter 2: The Final Challengerss (Up from not Charting!) – £34.99
15: Football Manager Touch 2018 (Up from 17th) (33% OFF) – £20.09 (Usually £29.99)

16: Darkest Dungeon (Up from 23rd) – £17.99
17: Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn (Down from 5th) – £17.99
18: Arcade Archives: Vs Super Mario Bros (Down from 15th) – £6.29
19: Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (Down from 13th) – £8.99
20: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Up from 22nd) – £49.99
21: Resident Evil Revelations (Up from 26th) – £15.99
22: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Down from 19th) – £49.99
23: The Sexy Brutale (Down from 18th) – £17.99
24: Sonic Mania (Up from 28th!) – £15.99
25: Wizard of Legend (Down from 16th) – £13.99
26: Robonauts (Up from not Charting!) (80% OFF) – £2.69 (Usually £13.49)
27: Super Mario Odyssey (Up from not Charting!) – £49.99
28: Violett (Up from not Charting!) (80% OFF) – £1.79 (Usually £8.99)
29: Resident Evil Revelations 2 (Up from not Charting!) – £19.99
30: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Up from not Charting!) – £49.99

 

Download Exclusive Charts

 

1: Hollow Knight (NEW) – £10.99
2: Astro Bears Party (80% OFF) – £0.89 (Usually £4.49)
3: Golf Story (Up from 5th) – £13.49
4: Arcade Archives: Donkey Kong (NEW) – £6.29
5: Stardew Valley (Down from 3rd) – £10.99
6: Paladins: Founders Pack (NEW) – £24.99
7: Football Manager Touch 2018 (Up from 12th) (33% OFF) – £20.09 (Usually £29.99)
8: Darkest Dungeon (Up from 15th) – £17.99
9: Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn (Down from 4th) – £17.99
10: Arcade Archives: Vs Super Mario Bros – £6.29
11:Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (Down from 8th) – £8.99
12: Resident Evil: Revelations (Up from 17th) – £15.99
13: The Sexy Brutale – £17.99
14: Sonic Mania (Up from 19th) – £15.99
15: Wizard of Legend (Down from 11th)– £13.99

16: Robonauts (Up from 21st) (80% OFF) – £2.69 (Usually £13.49)
17: Violett (Up from not Charting!) (80% OFF) – £1.79 (Usually £8.99)
18: Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (Up from 24th) – £19.99
19: Celeste (Up from 20th) – £17.99
20: The Sparkle 2 Evo (Up from not Charting!) (80% OFF) – £0.89 (Usually £4.49)
21: West of Loathing (Down from 16th) – £9.00
22: Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together! (Up from 27th) – £17.99
23: Uno (Up from not Charting!) (30% OFF) – £5.59 (Usually £7.99)
24: Nine Parchments (Up from 30th) – £17.99
25: Subsurface Circular (Up from 28th) (20% OFF) – £3.83 (Usually £4.79)
26: Jackbox Party Pack 3 (Up from not Charting!) – £20.03
27: Ikaruga (Down from 18th) – £13.49
28: I Am Setsuna (Up from not Charting!) (50% OFF) – £14.99 (Usually £29.99)
29: OwlBoy (Up from not Charting!) (30% OFF) – £13.29 (Usually £18.99)
30: Kamiko (Up from not Charting!) (40% OFF) – £2.69 (Usually £4.49)

 

 

UK eShop Analysis

So this has become a bit of a mess to read. First of note – Mario Tennis came in behind Hollow Knight and the new update for Minecraft.

Secondly, most movements are simply readjustments based on sales. The stories are the return of Mario + Rabbids and Mario Odyssey, alongside some games on sales in the lower ends of the charts. Interesting, Ultra Street Fighter 2 has reappeared despite a better value Street Fighter Collection being available.

In the Download Exclusives charts, things remain mostly the same in order, minus retail titles, until the lower ends, as usual. Here we see resurgence from Kamiko, OwlBoy and I Am Setsuna, all on sale.

The real story is the domination of sales once again, with new sales filling the lower charts and old sales leaving lingering effects.

 

Next week we will see the three-way battle between Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana and Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy! Happy Gaming!

Featured E3 2018 is a wrap and of course in our podcast we get to talk about it all, including Smash!

Behind The Game Podcast – E3 2018, Fortnite, Cross Play and More!

Sean Alexander

Our fourth podcast is now live! This edition includes the reveal of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate!

Thoughts on Fortnite! Cross-Platform Play shenanigans and Mega Man 11 absolutely not coming to Europe at retail too! Everyone is Here in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate!

Plus, hear what we have been playing this week. Then our thoughts on E3 2018 and Sony does….what to your Epic Games account?!

Check it out below, and Happy Gaming! Remember to check up with us on Twitter and Discord!

 

Featured The UK Charts received a slew of new games over E3.

Nintendo Switch eShop – UK Sales Charts (17/06/2018)

Sean Alexander

With E3 now over, games like Hollow Knight released and a whole plethora of sales, how are the UK Charts this week?

Numbers in brackets are previous positions based on: 03/06/2018 (Unless they haven’t moved) in the UK eShop

The UK Charts received a slew of new games over E3.

Fortnite: Battle Royale launched on Nintendo Switch this week.

Note, the charts now have TWO categories: Games also at retail, and eShop exclusives. Both will be covered here, and there are now 30 games per list. However, as the Download Exclusives chart is new, there will be no chart placement shifts this week.

 

All Games Charts (Including Retail Releases)

 

1: Hollow Knight (NEW) – £10.99
2: Astro Bears Party (Up from not Charting!) (80% OFF) – £0.89 (Usually £4.49)
3: FIFA 18 (Down from 1st) (67% OFF) – £18.14 (Usually £54.99)
4: Stardew Valley (Down from 2nd) – £10.99
5: Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn (NEW) – £17.99
6: Splatoon 2 (Up from not Charting!) (33% OFF) – £33.49 (Usually £49.99)
7: Golf Story (Up from not Charting) (34% OFF) – £8.90 (Usually £13.49)
8: Rocket League (Up from 11th) (25% OFF) – £11.25 (Usually £15.00)
9: Paladins: Founders Pack (NEW) – £24.99
10: Overcooked: Special Edition (Up from not Charting!) (40% OFF) – £10.79 (Usually £17.99)
11: Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition (Down from 6th) – £19.99
12: Mario Tennis Aces (Pre-Order) – £49.99
13: Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (Down from 3rd) – £8.99
14: Arcade Archives: Donkey Kong (NEW) – £6.29
15: Arcade Archives: Vs Super Mario Bros (Down from 12th) – £6.29

16: Wizard of Legend (Down from 4th) – £13.99
17: Football Manager Touch 2018 (Up from not Charting!) (33% OFF) – £20.09 (Usually £29.99)
18: The Sexy Brutale (Up from not Charting!) (50% OFF) – £8.99 (Usually £17.99)
19: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Down from 9th) – £49.99
20: Mecho Tales (Up from not Charting!) – £7.49
21: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Up from not Charting!) (25% OFF) – £44.99 (Usually £59.99)
22: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Up from not Charting!) – £49.99
23: Darkest Dungeon (Up from not Charting!) (25% OFF) – £13.49 (Usually £17.99)
24: West of Loathing (Up from not Charting!) – £9.00
25: Yoku’s Island Express (Up from not Charting!) – £15.99
26: Resident Evil: Revelations (Up from not Charting!) (25% OFF) – £11.99 (Usually £15.99)
27: Ikaruga (Down from 10th) – £13.49
28: Sonic Mania (Up from not Charting!) – £15.99
29: Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (Down from 8th) – £49.99
30: Celeste (Up from not Charting!) – £17.99

 

Download Exclusive Charts

 

1: Hollow Knight (NEW) – £10.99
2: Astro Bears Party (80% OFF) – £0.89 (Usually £4.49)
3: Stardew Valley – £18.14 (Usually £54.99)
4: Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn (NEW) – £17.99
5: Golf Story (34% OFF) – £8.90 (Usually £13.49)
6: Paladins: Founders Pack (NEW) – £24.99
7: Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition – £19.99
8: Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon – £8.99
9: Arcade Archives: Donkey Kong (NEW) – £6.29
10: Arcade Archives: Vs Super Mario Bros – £6.29
11: Wizard of Legend – £13.99
12: Football Manager Touch 2018 (33% OFF) – £20.09 (Usually £29.99)
13: The Sexy Brutale (50% OFF) – £8.99 (Usually £17.99)
14: Mecho Tales – £7.49
15: Darkest Dungeon (25% OFF) – £13.49 (Usually £17.99)

16: West of Loathing – £9.00
17: Resident Evil: Revelations (25% OFF) – £11.99 (Usually £15.99)
18: Ikaruga – £13.49
19: Sonic Mania – £15.99
20: Celeste – £17.99
21: Robonauts (80% OFF) – £2.69 (Usually £13.49)
22: ICEY – £7.59
23: Plague Road – £11.99
24: Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (28% OFF) – £14.39 (Usually £19.99)
25: Legendary Eleven (NEW) (11% OFF) – £7.99 (Usually £8.99)
26: Hollow – £17.99
27: Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together! – £17.99
28: Subsurface Circular (20% OFF) – £3.83 (Usually £4.79)
29: SteamWorld Dig 2 – £14.99
30: Nine Parchments (50% OFF) – £8.99 (Usually £17.99)

 

 

UK eShop Analysis

So this has become a bit of a mess to read. First of note – Sushi Striker is nowhere to be seen.

Secondly, E3 sales have propelled games right up the charts, disrupting the usual flow. Paladins has had a successful launch and due to the new nature of the charts we can see many first party titles filling out lower areas of the charts.

Interestingly, the pre-load for Mario Tennis Aces is charting. Indie gem Hollow Knight has taken the top spot.

In the Download Exclusives charts, things remain mostly the same in order, minus retail titles, until the lower ends, where Snipperclips, Hollow, and more reside. This added exposure will likely help sales along in future.

The real story is the domination of sales though. Interesting, Free To Play titles like Pokemon Quest, Fortnite and Fallout Shelter aren’t included here.

 

Next week we will see if Mario Tennis Aces can prove a hit, and if any other classics reappear in sudden sales or pre-loads! Happy Gaming!

Featured Sony, Sony please stop being hostile.

Sony Is “For The Players”, and Now Incredibly Hostile!

Sean Alexander

Sony has become a bit of a standout in the industry, with a new display of hostility towards developers bringing fresh outrage…

Sony, Sony please stop being hostile.

Time to bring this up again…

Sony has a history of pro-consumerism. The PS4 is built upon this logic. Just like I have noted in the past however, it’s not holding up. It only took a few years to break down into hostility.

Cross Platform What?

Hostility prevents the PS4 from joining in

This is the future?

Hop back to E3 2017 for a moment.

Unfortunately it’s a commercial discussion between ourselves and other stakeholders, and I’m not going to get into the detail of that on this particular instance. And I can see your eyes rolling.

We’ve got to be mindful of our responsibility to our install base

Everybody has to take their own decisions. We’ll do that. Like I say, we have no philosophical stance against cross-play at all.

That said, to my knowledge, there is no live conversation ongoing at the moment.

Source (Seriously read it all, it is pure gold!)

This is how Sony’s Jim Ryan responded to Eurogamer about not allowing cross-platform play with other consoles in both Rocket League and Minecraft. No one consistent answer was given.

Yeah this isn’t a good look but wait, there is now more.

This was based, we assumed, on fear, and wanting to keep their install base. A company that built a base on pro-consumer moves in the wake of the Xbox One now does the things they said they wouldn’t.

Now however, we see what it is truly based on.

 

Sony Is Acting on Pure Hostility

Fortnite is blocked to PS4. Not a good look.

Do you like Fortnite? Got some bad news…

Fortnite just released on the Nintendo Switch! This would be great news. Turns out, if your Epic Games account has ever touched a PS4, that account can now never be used on Xbox One or Nintendo Switch. No, deleting the link doesn’t work. Once it’s been there, it’s locked away forever.

The same is true in reverse. If you link an account to Switch or Xbox, it won’t work on PS4. This is a huge problem, as Fortnite links progress to your Epic account, which we should stress is a third-party account.

Many PS4 users have found this to be an issue, wanting to play on Switch. This has gone beyond simply not allowing play between systems. This is now wrestling a third-party account and wanting you to only play on PS4.

This is hostility towards other systems. They want to be the only place you ever play games, and they are doing their damnedest to keep their users to them, by inconveniencing them going elsewhere.

It Makes Business Sense…Briefly

Hostility will end the PS4's Dominance it would seem.

The Best Place to Play No Longer

So the constant lies about why they don’t want cross-platform play. The newfound hostility towards the other systems. This all stinks of what we know now as “Arrogant Sony”. Remember the PS3 launch? Top of the world, can do no wrong, and it backfired. They believed consumers had no choice in who they went to, they thought they were on top of the world. Then they fell.

Now the PS4 bounces back, pro-consumer for all of what seemed like 20 minutes. Sure, they want to keep their lead, but now, what benefit is there to playing third-party games on a PS4?

On PC, you get mods. Xbox One X, you get the best console performance. Switch, you get portability. On PS4, you get tied to the system with a brick around your ankles.

Across all of the above, except PS4 of course, you can all talk, play against or with each other in games. In Fortnite, your progress even carries over. This is the future. Developers want it. Epic Games wants it. But the dinosaur that is Sony will not let it happen.

They want control. But the power is with the players now more than ever.

 

So What Do We Do?

 

Some believe the one with the largest install base has nothing to gain. But they do. In the (Increasingly likely if you pay attention) scenario where the PS5 launches and falls behind the next Xbox, these past practices will have caused people to move away. Sure, it’s fine now, but people don’t forget. Especially now the biggest game in the world is the subject.

The answer is simple, play where you want, but remember that the noise will only grow as more and more games adopt this approach. There will be a time where they have to allow it. If not, the mantra of the PlayStation falls apart at the seems.

This is more than Microsoft taking shots at Sony. This is consumers not being treated fairly, and developers not being given the freedoms they deserve.

 

Thanks for reading, and this is an issue that now more than ever needs to be scrutinised. Perhaps the future will change things, but Sony is in a position of power to abuse now…but anyway, go boot up Fortnite and play with whoever YOU want! Happy Gaming!