Tag Nintendo

Capcom May Be Short On Cash…

Sean Alexander 1 Comment

News today has confirmed my beliefs: Capcom is running low on money.

 

In a statement to NintendoLife, Capcom revealed that Resident Evil Revelations Collection will NOT be receiving a physical release in the EU.

Capcom has to take various factors into account when deciding what format to deliver our titles to our fans. These can include but are not limited to overall production costs, manufacturing times, distribution, and first party regulations. In the case of Resident Evil Revelations, we’ve found that unfortunately it’s not viable for Capcom Europe to create a physical version of the title on Nintendo Switch for our territories, however we will be making this available as a digital release.

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Honestly though, breaking this down it reveals there is no real reason for this.

 

Here in Europe, you can get physical releases of both Revelations titles, readily available on Amazon, for other systems. If it was truly a cost measure, then maybe I could buy it. Cartridges are expensive after all, but the Collection only has the smaller first title on cartridge. The second game is a download code. Capcom can’t even print a half-assed attempt at a physical collection here! By all logic…this would be cheaper than printing two separate discs for other systems, two unique SKUs, and having both rated separately by PEGI.

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In fact, the cost issue is potentially true: PEGI costs a lot of money for submission and rating of physical games. Plus, the cost of printing Nintendo Switch games is also fairly steep, but then again, only one of the games is even physical anyway.

Plus, indie titles are going physical left and right. With the size of Capcom you would think their EU division could be better funded, but here we are. The truth is coming to light.

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I’ve noted this before, but Capcom, with the exception of Resident Evil 7, has had a rough time. Street Fighter V is being re-released. Marvel Vs. Capcom Infinite was a footnote in their financials and they even dodged questions about it. Their remasters and collections seem to be dodging more accepting platforms for those games (As historically noted with sales) in favour of keeping costs down. The leaked budget (If it can be called that…) for MVC:Infinite is laughable, and shows how tight the ship has become.

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I have said it before in another article but Capcom, I swear now more than ever, this better pay off. Monster Hunter World is throwing away your existing Japanese fanbase, and Western fanbase, in the hope you reach a bigger audience despite appealing to what will most likely be a smaller Japanese audience by sheer install base. To do this, you are spending more money developing the game. It better pay off Capcom, I sincerely hope so, because if it doesn’t, the writing is clear.

Personally, I’m also sick of Capcom giving Europe the shaft AGAIN regarding physical releases, like the Megaman Legacy Collections, almost every Mega Man Collection actually, and many, many more games we either didn’t get, or got digital only because “Cost”.

 

Tomorrow, there will be a bigger article about physical distribution across all platforms, because no system is sage anymore.

But until then, leave some comments, share with your friends, and I’ll see you all next time! Happy Gaming!

Review: Sonic Mania

Sean Alexander 1 Comment

Title: Sonic Mania

Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch

Reviewed On: Nintendo Switch

Developer: Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, Pagoda West

Publisher: SEGA

Copy Provided By: Bought it with my own money!

 

Sonic Mania is a fantastic game: A showing of true potential and design skills, held back from true greatness by technical and development choices.

 

Sonic Mania is a simple game. It asks nothing more than you enjoy 2D classic pixel Sonic with all its physics based platforming and speed. For a game attempting to relive and reinvigorate this branch of the franchise, it’s truly a great game.

The problem is it most certainly “Relives” a lot. But more on that later.

 

Whether you control Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles, it’s like jumping in to old games. All are fast, Sonic has a new Drop Dash for quick burst of speed and is a great way to keep flow going. Tails can fly, and even carry Sonic or Knuckles without a second player being present, and Knuckles can glide and has a slightly lower jump height, and can climb walls. It’s all as you knew it. You can even unlock the Super Peel-Out from Sonic CD or the Insta Shield from Sonic 3, but you can only use one of Sonic’s 3 abilities at a time.

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Before a patch however, there was an issue: To do any of them secondary abilities of any character, you had to press Jump in the air. This is also how you transform into your Super forms. In mid air, or if you need to glide with Knuckles as is often mandatory, prepare to fall to your death. A patch did recently fix this, and many other issues, by adding a dedicated separate button combination to transform.

The game sees you chase Dr Robotnik all through…time and space I guess (Sonic Forces complicates how much of this game is real by trying to explain a core element) as he and his newly upgraded Hard Boiled Heavies play a game of keep away with the Phantom Ruby: A mystical stone that can warp reality. This leads to the Heavies being upgraded and Robotnik gaining control of Little Planet again, from Sonic CD.

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The Ruby is also how you get from zone to zone…though…not all zones have transitions between them. Some simply fade to black and you are back on a zone that was seen on Angel Island…after just being in a zone that’s on Little Planet. The inconsistency with continuity is jarring especially as the game, seemingly at random, decides whether or not to fade to black: As if they couldn’t explain the zones being in the game half the time.

With the zones themselves though, they all maintain the high speed, many different routes to take, goodies sprinkled all over approach that past 2D Sonic games also did. Find a giant ring in a zone and go to one of the Special Stages, and win a Chaos Emerald. These are fun little chase sequences and a fresh idea: Collect rings to extend your timer, and spheres to go faster and catch the UFO, though by the time you reach the final one the truth is you’ll find them rather easy.

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If you have 25 Rings and hit a checkpoint though, prepare to play one of over 30 Blue Sphere mini-games, returning from Sonic 3. These are far too long to be mere checkpoint mini-games that you’ll have the chance of doing multiple times per act, and frankly they are a bit boring. But they are they, if you want to flesh out that Extras Menu with goodies.

Back to the zones though, while the level design itself is top notch, the bosses can range from great call backs with new twists, great new ideas, or sadly, straight up repeated ideas. Part way through the game the bosses seem to start reusing a lot of past game ideas, without sprinkling in anything new. It’s as though the bosses range from great to seen it before. It’s a little disappointing, especially with how long some of them can potentially take.

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The zones themselves though, are actually my main point of contention for this game. The phrase “Missed Potential” will be used a lot on this site I feel, but here it goes. 4 of the 12 zones are totally new ideas and environments we have never seen in past games. 8 are stages returning from Sonic 1, 2, 3 and CD. After seeing the sheer brilliance of the 4 new stages and how unique and fun they are, it’s such a shame to see the game fall back on old ideas.  One or two old zones would have been fine, but this is a majority, and it does bog down the experience. The game very much does “Relive” the past.

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Visually the game is fantastic. Bright and colourful, wonderfully smooth and detailed, this is what a great 2D sprite based Sonic game can look like. Audibly as well, the game has a fantastic jazzy feel throughout, and it does scream Classic era Sonic. I couldn’t fault that aspect of the game at all.

Sadly though, the game even after patching is prone to some rather funny glitches and softlocks, though most have been removed at the time of this review, some persist. Some scripted events also fail to play out, and has happened a few times over a good 50 hours of play time.

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To be fair, this game is still an absolute blast to play, except when the occasional glitch rears it’s head. The gameplay is fun and very re-playable, even if the bosses are at times drawn out or unimaginative, and the zones, while screaming of missed potential, are still a treat to play. I can highly recommend this game to anyone interested: Just don’t expect the Sonic 4 you always wanted. It’s close, but it’s not nearly new enough.

If you are getting this game, I do highly recommend the Switch version. From what is seen it only missed Trophy/Achievement support, and the game looks just as good undocked as it does docked – I personally can’t imagine playing it any other way, though any version is fantastic – It’s all the same game after all!

 

As always, if you liked this review or have your own opinions, leave a comment down below about Sonic Mania – And share this with your friends and on social media – and as always: Happy Gaming!

Capcom, We Need To Talk…

Sean Alexander 2 Comments

Capcom has a bit of an odd relationship with the industry but recently they are not only banking big on one single release, but watching others flop and ignoring key markets…

 

So Capcom. Sometimes I do wonder if you don’t like money. I mean, Marvel Vs Capcom Infinite would have been a great deal and a big success if it was properly funded…

 

Street Fighter V could have been big if it was a finished game with balanced methods of unlocking content.

And what is this excuse regarding Nintendo Switch support?

According to a spokesperson for the company, it noted that it’s general procedure for third-party software developers to make re-releases for a new console within the first year of launch, mainly because there’s just not enough time to work on new titles within the timeframe.

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Come on Capcom. Every has seen your early support for other systems. We know that’s BS.

Why not localise Monster Hunter XX? In your recent earnings report you listed it as a reason you did so well, along with Ultra Street Fighter 2! Oh, is it because of Monster Hunter World? Don’t worry, I’ll get to that.

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A collection of Mega Man games came out on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and later, 3DS. The 3DS version sold the most units. Where is the second Collection at, Capcom? If not on 3DS then why not Switch? In fact data was found pointing to the 3DS version existing.

A dataminer named Greigamaster recently found some code that indicates a multiplayer battle mode for a supposed 3DS version. Additionally, code was found referring to saves and replays for an SD card, and the 3DS has its own directory file, too. As the source article points out, this either means that the game is coming to 3DS, was initially coming to 3DS before getting canned, or it’s completely unrelated to the collection at all and is just simply code belonging to another project by the same team.

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What? Okami HD (Again.)? That did pretty well back on Wii. Why not make a Switch port? Easy money again right?

 

Capcom, I know for whatever reason, you don’t want to make money. I know that taking a game to it’s biggest market is alien to you. But come on. Someone there has to see the writing on the wall. There are markets, not even just Nintendo, that would do wonders for some of your games, and others that wouldn’t. And yet you do the opposite of the logical thing.

 

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Now let’s talk about Monster Hunter World.

You want your game to reach a global audience right? Increased revenue. Okay, fair enough.

This game will obviously cost far more to produce than the 3DS entries. It will need to sell far more to make back that investment. But part of me thinks this is a very dangerous move. Sure it could boost the popularity of the franchise internationally….but that will be at a cost.

The game is coming to PS4, Xbox One and PC. But only on PS4 in Japan. 5 million potential sales right there, in the biggest market for the game. Compared to the 20+ million for 3DS, but of a fall. We know Nintendo Switch is eating away at that too, already past 2 million units, but that’s neither here nor there.

But Japan isn’t really into stationary consoles. They want portable experiences, it’s part of their culture and lifestyle. You’re potentially alienating the domestic market, and largest market, for a franchise you just invested more than ever into.

And let’s not get started on the Western situation. The series hit untold highs in the West on 3DS, and it is well documented the series sells best on portables, even back in the days of PSP/PS2. Is there any guarantee that the Western console markets will pick this up and that fans will migrate from 3DS/Switch where the fanbase grew?

No. Not at all.

This is a huge risk Capcom, I hope you understand that. Taking the game from it’s proven largest domestic market, and it’s largest Western market, spending far more money to do so therefore demanding more sales…all in the hope of a bigger audience.

I hope you appreciate how insane that sounds.

 

Look, if it works it works. But for a company so averse to doing the logical thing and making more money than they would otherwise, this feels like a huge risk, and if it fails…well you better start rethinking your strategy at long last. I don’t think this can go the way of Street Fighter V.

Behind The Game: Splatoon 2

Sean Alexander 1 Comment

In this edition of Behind The Game we look at the sequel that many say isn’t a sequel to one of the surprise hits of the past few years: Splatoon 2!

Marketing

Revealed January 12th at the Nintendo Switch Event in Japan, showcasing the game, new hub area and characters. Response was positive, with lingering suspicion that it wasn’t unique enough or much of an upgrade over the original from 2015.

Playable at Nintendo Switch events worldwide leading up to the launch of the console, where feedback was positive, ringing along the lines of “It’s definitely Splatoon”, albeit most focus was on the hardware.

Late March brought the Splatoon 2 Global Testfire, following the trend from the original in creating a stress test in the guise of a playable demo for a weekend. This led to feedback directly from a wider range of fans on weapons and presented a limited taste of the game. This was later followed immediately before launch with a Splatfest World Premiere demo, acting as another stress test and highlighting the unique community battles aspect of the franchise, immediately before launch.

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The game was also highlighted in Nintendo Directs, first as a follow-up to a more general game showcase that focused heavily on ARMS, a new IP, and Splatoon 2, which was pushed as a duet of main events, highlighting the pulling power of the franchise.

There was later a full ARMS direct with a Splatoon 2 Story Mode teaser at the end, once again highlighting the two being marketed in tandem, and the promise of the game being used to push a new product.

Finally, a full Splatoon 2 direct aired showing the new hosts, story mode, weapons, update plans, Splatfest plans, and laying out the roadmap and what to expect over two years with the game, as well as new modes and features. This followed on from a large E3 showing highlighting the changes and promise of Splatoon 2 as a competitive spectator sport, with a live tournament of some of the best Squid Squads from around the globe.

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Right up to and after launch, consistent TV spots were played worldwide, highlighting the game to the general consumer, along with other multiplayer titles for the summer.

 

Critical Response

Critically Splatoon 2 fared well. Most loved the game, albeit the lingering feeling of not being fresh enough stayed, both visually and in terms of gameplay, as well as some nagging aspects that could have been better. This general response is an interesting change on the original which said there wasn’t enough content at launch, but the game was a shock the genre needed, and felt addictive to play, holding enough quick-fire gameplay in its matches to warrant returning again and again.

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With the content roadmap clearly laid out, critically the game had less focus on amount of content overall, but how much was new, however, in very few cases did that seem to detract from the game being fun, and a general air of don’t fix what isn’t broken surrounds the game.

 

Fan Response

In the eyes of fans, Splatoon 2 faced much of the same backlash. Visually similar, with the differences early on being visible only side by side. The feeling that it wasn’t worthy of being a sequel lingered right until launch, when new information was pumped out, showing the freshness of this new title in the now series.

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Post-launch the feeling changed, and the game is generally loved, though some fans of the original who played considerable amounts of the game, seem to feel a bit of burn out. Criticism is still levelled at how the game handles aspects like matchmaking and stages, and a lack of wholly original content, but the experience has been received as fun and again, just like with critics, an air of don’t fix what isn’t broken.

 

Sales

Despite being on a system only a few months old at the time of launch, compared to its predecessor, with less total users to possible sell to on launch, Splatoon 2 trounced the original game sales in both the UK and Japan. This shocked many detractors who, like with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, believed that being so soon after the original, who would buy it? This again stems from the “Undeserving sequel” stance many took with the game, however, just like with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, is already on its way to best its predecessor commercially, with over 3.6 million copies by the end of September 2017.

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Future

As an evergreen title, with a content roadmap of 2 years and long life ahead of that for general play, as well as a blossoming competitive scene, Splatoon 2 is one of the shocks of the decade, from a new IP in a genre Nintendo never touched, to a hit on Wii U (Even with its low sales), to a sequel that is already on track to best it’s predecessor and live a long life on Switch. The future of the brand is clear, though the confidence in Splatoon 2 from its reveal, mirrors the found confidence after the reveal of the original, an idea that is fun, and works well, that proves the series can grow and reach even more people within the genre, and the inevitable Splatoon 3 will be a hit on Switch or whatever is next, as the franchise cements itself as both a system seller and crowd pleaser.

 

 

As always if you enjoyed this article be sure to leave some comments below letting us know what you think of Splatoon 2 as a package, and share this article with all your friends! Until next time!

Behind The Game: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

Sean Alexander

As a fun concept, I thought we could take the lead-up to, and release of, a game and see how it shaped up commercially, critically, and with the fans! 

First up: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle from Ubisoft!

 

Marketing

Mario + Rabbids has had a very turbulent run up through its development. Initially leaked simply as a Mario and Rabbids crossover, it drew ire immediately, only compounded by later details like being an RPG, then a strategy RPG. The developers later revealed that this reduced moral, as the incredible pushback against the game, which they believed and cared for visibly post-reveal, was a demoralising worry to many staffers.

Compounding this was promo art and even internal slides revealing the schedule for the game, with a 3-month marketing turn around. What began to many as someone seemingly joking, became very real, and almost unanimously the concept of the Rabbids was a boiling point of contention, let alone working with Mario in an RPG.

Roll around E3, and the game is the opening act for Ubisoft. Shigeru Miyamoto rocks up on stage and the enthusiasm from the crowd, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, and those watching sparked a change. They showed lead developer Davide Soliani in the crowd, in tears at the immediate reaction to the enthusiasm around his creation, and then came the trailer. At that moment the charm, the humour, even (mostly) the fear of the Rabbids evaporated. Those opening 15 minutes of Ubisoft at E3 showed the commitment and passion into the game and the drive to do it right. Then the game was shown off alongside Nintendo, and press previews began pouring in, and the tune changed entirely.

While previous stigma against the Rabbids will likely never disperse, the gentle trickle of information, constant display of charm and humour, and numerous instances of the dev team explaining how, and why this game exists, what it means to them and what they want to achieve, relieved and resonated with the audience.

 

Critical Response

Critical response has been promising, with numerous previews from E3 and other events praising the depth and challenge of the game, including the simple yet deep combat and skill tree. Also of note is the fascination with characterisation and visuals, noting how it feels like a Mario game gone wrong, matching the invasion of the Rabbids.

The game has struck a chord with critics for opening a genre such as strategy RPGs to new fans in an accessible and fun way, with the game’s humour sticking with many critics noting how crazy the game is, but how well it all sticks together, cementing the pre-reveal concern based on limited information as a needless concern.

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Upon release, the game scored exceptionally high reviews, especially given trepidation pre-release. Praise was aimed at the visuals and depth of gameplay, as well as surprising amount of content. Praise was also piled onto characterisation, an aspect many felt was weak in the Mario series of late, and of note, the Rabbids being reduced from the hated screaming punch lines in search of a joke, to actual personalities, often riffing on the Mario series counterpart.

 

Fan Response

Initial response to leaks was ire, chiefly for pairing Mario with the much maligned Rabbids, seen as flat comedy shoe ins. This persisted even as details trickled out, until E3, when along with critical reception, the opinion switched (ha) completely, minus, again, some disdain to Rabbids. High points include visuals, the effort and complex but simple gameplay, and many likened it to a beginners XCOM.

Some internet dwellers have been caught saying they will pick up the game even though they hate the Rabbids, showing that a book by its cover is one thing, but another is to see the contents, as many were put off just by the premise.

General community response is one of enthusiasm, for a project that was originally considered a hoax, this is perhaps the most promising aspect of the user response. For the developers especially, the relief must be extraordinary, as the community turns to the game as a tent pole release in both a unique genre but in concept and execution.

 

Upon release the game was still held in contempt by some who refused to see the Rabbids beyond their Wii era screaming, which is typical of any release with any existing character, as nothing is without detractors, but the buzz has been great, and of amusement, fun, and shock at the overall quality of the product, and how competent it stands for both strategy fans and now as a unique Mario RPG alongside existing series within the franchise such as Paper Mario.

Sales

This is already the fastest selling, and best-selling, non-Nintendo published title on the Nintendo Switch. And the word of mouth has been astounding. Certainly the genre isn’t for everyone, but sales have shown a strong appetite not just for a new Mario adventure, but a unique take on a tried and true genre. The rewards are being reaped for all the effort poured into this gem. This is a game that will easily sell later in life for the system both as a game on its own, and because of what it offers.

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The Future

The future is certainly bright for both Ubisoft and Nintendo, if nothing for strengthening the relationship between the two companies and the possibility of future franchise crossovers from both sides. As for Mario + Rabbids specifically, it has been new wind for the Rabbids as more detailed characters, and a new successful spinoff for Mario, entering the tactical genre.

The two major possibilities are more crossovers, perhaps letting Ubisoft take command with some of their specialised genres with Nintendo characters, or Nintendo doing the same in reverse. Certainly though, one can expect a sequel to Mario + Rabbids, when all the additional content into 2018 is said and done.

 

Frankly, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is fantastic. An idea so crazy that it was reviled on sight until the passion seeped out onto a stage and the world just stopped and stared: It not only legitimizes Nintendo’s trust in Ubisoft, and their talent to make incredible games, but also the old saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. This is a very meaty book.

As always, if you like what you read, leave a comment, share this article, and see you next time!

Can Multiplayer Focused Games Have Sequels?

Sean Alexander

The reaction to Splatoon 2 not being “new enough” makes us wonder…can these multiplayer focused games really get sequels?

 

So this is a strange topic. Multiplayer focused games, be it MMOs, fighting games, MOBAs, so on and so forth, build communities around themselves competitively, primarily from the mechanics being engaging and enjoyable to play.

In some franchises, such as first person shooters like Call of Duty, the frequent sequels don’t impact the game much. But for genres that exist with single entries for years at a time, a sequel is a big shake up.  Something like Super Smash Bros. for instance, only gets a new entry every few years. But with it comes a well documented problem: Change.

So within fighting games especially, mechanical changes are hot topics. To this day, there are known showings of events where Smash 4 is played, only for the crowd to demand Melee immediately after due to “Superiority”. Brawl is almost reviled by the community for its mechanics. The change was seen as a bad thing – Too far from Melee, is a bad game for those communities.

So jump ahead to Splatoon. A game that absolutely lives on its mechanics. But the sequel released 2 years later, most likely to bolster the console it was on early in its life, was met with near universal complaints that it “Isn’t new enough”. But the thing is, how much could they change? Too much, it falls into the Brawl trap. Too little, and this complaint arises. With Splatoon, a game so focused on it’s mechanics to stand out, if too much is changed…is it even the same game?

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With other games like this, such as League of Legends, or Overwatch, try to consider a sequel. How much would they actually be able to evolve the gameplay, while keeping it the same game, before hitting the Brawl problem? These games, like Splatoon, live on expansions, some paid and some free.

But then we hit another issue – World of Warcraft is getting expansions-less servers! A basic experience is being touted as a good thing, in the face of how much the game has evolved and changed.

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This is a delicate balance – Multiplayer focused games really can get sequels, but the balance between keeping it similar enough for the community while also doing enough to make it new…is difficult. Who knows, maybe Splatoon 3 will be a big hit and change a lot. Maybe an issue with Splatoon 2 was how quick it arrived in stores?

 

All I know is it will be very interesting to see how other game in the field evolve – if sequels ever come on new consoles like the PS5 or if the game just gets re-released.

 

Review: Super Mario Odyssey

Sean Alexander

Title: Super Mario Odyssey

Platform: Nintendo Switch

Developer: Nintendo

Publisher: Nintendo

Copy Provided By: Bought it with my own money!

Super Mario Odyssey is a fantastic game, with few problems, and is simply a joy to play.

And frankly, isn’t that the best recommendation a game can have? The latest 3D Mario adventure returns to a more “sandbox” style with open areas to explore, challenges in each hidden away in separate little areas, with other objectives strewn about for good measure. That is also very clearly selling this adventure short.

To say it has returned to the sandbox 3D roots of Mario is true, but it took the idea and ran with it, introducing so many new ideas at every turn that amazingly don’t clash horribly and form a cohesive experience. Every kingdom you visit is its own quirky world, some big and some small, with its own unique denizens and culture, and of course, challenges.

The main objective: Power Moons to power your Hat Ship, The Odyssey, and rescue Princess Peach and new character Tiara, from Bowser, along with your new companion: Cappy. Cappy is a great addition, capturing enemies as a form of power-ups, giving you situational abilities to collect Moons and explore for other secrets, hidden areas and find Regional Purple Currency.

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Purple Coins are plentiful, either 50 or 100 to a kingdom and they are…optional. Actually a lot of this game is. Purple Coins can only be spent in their respective kingdom for costumes and souvenirs. Regular coins can be spent anywhere on other costumes, Power Moons (Multiple ones post-game!) and extra hit points.

Power Moons however, are for progression. While a few are locked until you beat the final boss for when you return to the world later (And even then a load more are unlocked at that time too, so that checklist you see isn’t the whole story!), most Moons can be found right away. Go explore. Some areas are locked until you beat the main “Story Quest” for the world, and then things open up. This is great, as it shows you around the kingdom and the environment before fully opening up and letting you run wild, and even then, a lot of Moons are still available right away!

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This game is constantly rewarding you, for looking, searching, even collecting coins.  From beating just simple objectives there are over 850 Moons to collect, and you only need 500 to unlock every kingdom, less to beat the game. A lot of this game is entirely optional, and for most players even the mission based objectives will be enough. But if it isn’t, you can max out your Moon counter for a final secret reward at 999 Moons, which you need to grind coins to buy multiple of.

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Frankly that is tedious and the reward is in no way worth it, unless you are absolutely a completionist. But that’s okay. Say for instance there are some Power Moons that are just too tough for you to get, you can always just buy a Power Moon to cover for it. That’s entirely an option. The game is incredibly accessible and while the sheer volume of Moons may dilute the experience into mindless collecting, and difficulty and obscurity of some collectibles almost necessitate guides, the game still rewards you regardless of what you do, and even through tedium, or difficulty, the game is designed to push you onwards.

Amazingly, the game isn’t too difficult. It has moments, mostly after the final boss and a few select mini games, but the game is comfortable. The only part I admit I didn’t like, was the start, where the Sand Kingdom (Seen below) is very early in-game and does feel overwhelming, too sparse and open for so early in the game. Thankfully, missing Purple Coins can be found by scanning any Bowser amiibo, and every amiibo gives you little rewards. Plus, nothing is locked behind amiibo, so those extra costumes you want can just be picked up at a moments notice once unlocked and ready to buy with coins.

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Looping back like a hat throw back to Cappy: What a joy this little guy is. He is such a great addition to the game for both aerial mobility and jumps, combat, exploration, everything, and such a welcome addition. The only downside is some moves via motion controls don’t work quite as well using regular controls or, for instance, in handheld mode, and a few straight up refuse to work using motion controls, but they are never mandatory. Everything can be done with a press of a button should you wish, save for the occasional shaking of a Joy-Con for a captured enemy.

Speaking of “Cap-turing”, this is such a great mechanic for both exploration and combat, with 52 different creatures and even objects to control and utilise in your quest of simply exploring. None of them feel out-of-place in their respective worlds, and each adds something different: Impressive for such a large roster.

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And this would be a mistake to not mention Mario himself. What an absolute dream to control with fluid movement, acrobatics, momentum and more. Playing a game in a 3D space has never felt so fun and joyous just from the HD Rumble through the controls from landing from a jump, or the feedback from an attack or getting hit, or riding a motor scooter. The game makes it feel fun to play, either through immersive technology inherent to the console itself, or just the pure feeling of play.

Visually, what a beauty, both docked and undocked! Stunning sprawling vistas, snowstorm flooded caves, dense forgotten jungles, ominous stormy towers, and a whole range of art styles that may seem odd, but mix so well into a fully comprehensive look at Mario’s World, in a way that one kingdom feels out-of-place being just a fly away from Peach’s Castle. So many of these worlds are so far from “Standard Mario” that it defies belief that creativity can run rampant even 30+ years after his introduction.

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Audio is also a stunning highlight, with a post game option to play whatever tune you want at any time, being a standout feature. Each world is captured perfectly by audio and the jazzy vocal tunes don’t feel out-of-place. Every kingdom has its own distinct style and while some areas (Particularly a large open desert) generally lack music, the ambient noise is still wonderful.

Even every little attention to detail is wonderfully crafted and a labour of love for what could just be a footnote from a promotional material for a past game, represented musically or visually here. It’s such a wondrous thing how all the other Mario games can seemingly connect so effortlessly together, like something on this scale was always planned, showering years of characters and themes into one big package to sugar coat something almost entirely new.

Super Mario Odyssey is pure bliss from start to finish, and while that start may be coarse and a little rough around easing you into the adventure, the rest of the story is just the tip of the iceberg for an unforgettable adventure around the globe. Any gripes I have are simply minor at best, as this is a title you definitely want to pick up for your Nintendo Switch – And we can only hope the next adventure is as grand as this.

EA Conferences typically put people to sleep.

EA and Nintendo: Is It Time To Give Up?

Sean Alexander

Let’s be honest: Nintendo and EA are two companies that don’t really sit together. There is a long myriad history stemming from Nintendo’s approach to their hardware, and EA’s approach (Oft noted for being less than flattering) approach to software. The two simply don’t mix.

 

With Nintendo Switch, back in January at the reveal in Japan, onto the stage trots EA executive Patrick Söderlund with Bill Trinen to translate to the Japanese crowd: A show of commitment that EA will support the new hybrid platform…with FIFA 18. He really doesn’t look happy to be there does he?

Baby steps then, and after the Wii U rightfully so, but as weeks turned to months and E3 finally rolled around…it became clear: A custom built version of FIFA 18 that runs very well for what it’s worth, missing key things that apparently can only be done in their custom Frostbite engine. Yet the hype maintained, the best portable FIFA ever (Which objectively is the case).

EA kept making the case for the game, saying “we want you to try it, we have faith in it”, but there was no demo. There were no review copies sent out until launch day (Other platforms got both of these a fortnight or so in advance!) and things felt off.

And for some reason, despite Sony having a marketing deal with EA for the game (And most multi-platform games as it happens), Nintendo somehow got away with advertising the game themselves (Frankly, more than EA did!) at their E3 Spotlight, in Nintendo Directs, and on TV in advertisements or social media:

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Then it comes out. Some bugs aside, it was exactly as advertised. Except you couldn’t play with friends online, and where the blame rests for this is unclear. On one side, yes the Switch online infrastructure isn’t ready yet. On the other, plenty of other countless games on the system manage that feature. When asked by Eurogamer, EA gives a complete none answer, touting portable play and local multiplayer as a replacement:

FIFA 18 on Switch offers Local Seasons allowing friends to play against each other across two consoles in close proximity to one another, and we encourage those looking to compete online to take advantage of online modes on Switch including FIFA Ultimate Team, Online Seasons, and Online Tournaments.

So the result? Well critically…the game didn’t do so hot, scoring below the Vita version from years past. Fans generally liked the game though, niggles aside, and for what time the developers in Romania (Yes, really) had, it’s a very valiant effort.

Sales wise, the game sold through its allotment of physical copies in the UK and other countries with outlets like Amazon promising more stock. And concurrently the eShop showed FIFA 18 sitting high on the charts for a good few weeks too, riding the digital waves on the new platform.

 

Considering that and the sellout of physical shipments that EA themselves determined and shipped out…it must have met expectations right? Apparently not. EA, in a statement to Wall Street Journal, announced the following:

So, I only have educated guesses here – based on the history of EA – as to why this is. First is that they genuinely produced as many physical copies as they needed to meet expectations and that sold through, with digital filling a big hole in those figures. Or they produced a bare minimum (As again, EA dictates shipments) and threw it out due to obligation. Of course, this is the company that said Dead Space 3 had to sell 5 million units to secure a future, so for all we know their expectations could have been to match Xbox One sales on a smaller install base: They have a history of being unreasonable with expectations.

The other question is what are they waiting for? They put their game out with their assigned shipments. Was it not enough? Do they want to see how other third party titles sell? This is certainly a strange situation but they haven’t actually said what it is they are waiting for specifically, just waiting to see what the demand is for the system in general.

 

But a little history. Who remembers the “Unprecedented Partnership” for Wii U? Gamers got Mass Effect 3, the conclusion to a story focused trilogy, out of that deal. Except no one had a reason to buy it, given that ecosystem had missed the prior two instalments of the story. And there was an at the time newly launched and cheaper Trilogy release on other platforms and in the power of the internet age they knew that was a thing.

So that game didn’t sell: Cue Shock and horror. FIFA came and went, becoming (And not in a sarcastic way, a quite literal way) roster updates of existing games, no mechanical or visual adjustments whatsoever, and then EA walked.

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What did they do wrong? They supplied the wrong games to the wrong market. If it was the Trilogy release? Probably would have been fine. Not amazing, but fine. The same mistake was taken with Switch.

 

EA is well noted in the industry for being a “Minimal Effort, Maximum Profit” kind of business, like any business wants to be really, so this stance isn’t exactly new. Back in the days of the Dreamcast it is documented EA wanted SEGA to let them have the monopoly on sports titles on the system: This didn’t happen, EA walked. And with the expectations EA frequently has on it’s games? Man, who knows what they thought FIFA 18 would do.

 

This wait and see approach is, unfortunately, damaging. Looping back to the question of Should we just give up on EA?, at this point I want to say no.

Come a year or so of the Switch being on the market I want to see what EA has to say before bringing a decision on them. But I see three possibilities:

 

1 – EA just walks away. This wouldn’t be new, and frankly is most likely depending on if they are looking for profits equal to other platforms rather than something supplementary, and that can also potentially factor in the cost of tweaking games for the system: Does it make sense for them?

2 – EA brings some games, misreads the market again, and walks. This is also very likely, as again, EA and their noted expectations for games would make anyone on any platform nervous.

3 – EA brings games, does them right for the market, and sticks around. This really is the best case scenario: More games for a platform are good for everyone, especially with the heavy hitter franchises being locked squarely under EA. Those are names you won’t get from anyone else.

 

But the reason this question popped into my mind in the first place is that is this the straw that broke the camel’s back? Has EA finally just nailed the coffin shut? After some pretty lacklustre cash ins on DS and Wii, the Wii U and it’s hilariously bad marketing (From both Nintendo in hardware and EA for just throwing whatever and expecting it to sell) and now this.

After leaving the ecosystem behind; promising a single game; stating that single game will be used to judge future support; evading questions about said game and in some ways sliding some missing features under a rug; asking people to try it but mandating they buy in first; and then back peddling on using the game to test the market and instead waiting for “Something else” to judge demand instead, at what point do the consumers just say enough is enough?

 

But in the end, Koei Tecmo said it best:

“We bet big on the Switch as a game changer so we began making games before the Switch’s launch, but many software companies showed reluctance in releasing Switch games before they witnessed the current success.”

Something is going to give, and gamers aren’t ones to forget.