In this week’s Nintendo News, it looks like two big Switch games aren’t getting any further content updates… Breath of the Wild and ARMS are both complete games as of today. We also take a look at some rumored upcoming Switch games that Amazon partially leaked. Hype!
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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Author: Scott
Exploring SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition
SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition recently released on the Nintendo Switch eShpop! It’s a single-player affair, but that doesn’t mean Simeon and Scott can’t take turns and have just as much fun! This is a stretegy game along the lines of Mario + Rabbids or Worms. By the end of this video, you should know if the game is for you or not! We also have a review on our channel if you need more information!
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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TBC 007: Switch, Nintendo, and the New Year
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With 2017 coming to a close, it’s time to remember the year fondly. We’ll quickly set our sights on 2018 as well, theorizing what Nintendo’s next moves will be as well as discussing what needs to change about the current Switch situation. Happy New Year everyone, and thanks for being a part of the Podcast Crew!
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“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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Review // SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition (Nintendo Switch)
SteamWorld Heist is an indie game developed by Image & Form, who brought us the immensely popular SteamWorld Dig game and its sequel.
Heist takes place after the events of Dig 2, as our robotic characters struggle to cling to existence after Planet Earth has been shattered.
Resources are scarce, and that’s why our trusty Steambot pirate leader Piper and her scrappy crew are exploring space and raiding enemy ships for loot.
The objective of the game is to enter a series of procedurally generated ships, accomplish certain missions like obtaining epic swag, rescuing robots in distress, or destroying big baddies.
Combat consists of moving your characters behind cover, lining up shots, and firing weapons that you’ve collected from across space. Many times, destroying all enemies is not a requirement for success, so it pays to play smart and keep the mission in mind.
Along your journey, you will collect a plethora of weapons in many categories and a ragtag bunch of crew members with different abilities. It’s up to you to determine your loadout for each mission, and any characters that survive the ensuing encounters will gain more experience points and level up.
Controls are flawless. Whether you’re playing with Joy-Con, Pro Controller, or even touching the screen without the need for any buttons, the game adapts to the way you want to play. You can gain a bit more accuracy by aiming with the touch screen if you prefer, even if you play the rest of the game with analog sticks and buttons.
Gameplay in SteamWorld Heist is turn-based, but fast-paced and exciting during the player’s turn. Aiming is a nonstop challenge that gets easier with experience, and as you learn how your character’s “breathe” and move naturally as you line up a shot. Sometimes, I wished that I could speed up the enemies’ turn, especially when multiple Scrappers and turrets were on screen. A “zoom-out” button also would have been helpful for scouting a ship, but panning around works fine.
It’s hard to complain about the graphics in this game, which are high definition with a stylized art approach. Presentation is equally good, with quick load times, a driving atmospheric soundtrack, simple user interface, and genuinely funny and clever writing that endears you to the characters and their world.
SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition boasts a healthy amount of content, including DLC previously sold on other platforms. A large range of difficulty settings promises replayability, as well as New Game+ mode unlocked after beating the game (which took me over 10 hours). The downloadable content adds a playable character, interesting side-missions, and a load of hats with pop-culture references.
Simeon and I both played through this title simultaneously, and it was really fun to compare our loadouts, including all the optional characters Simeon unlocked while I was impatiently pressing through the main storyline. Exploration and strategizing is rewarded in this title!
SteamWorld Heist is easily recommendable to everyone that enjoyed Mario + Rabbids, the Worms series, or previous SteamWorld games. Heist has more limited movement options than Kingdom Battle, but is also available for the lower launch price of $20 on the Switch eShop, launching December 28th. To sum it up, it’s a challenging, rewarding, interesting, smooth, expansive game for a great value. Two Button Crew awards SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition an 8.25 out of 10. Buy it!
Online Infrastructure Scott's Thoughts
Forget my two front teeth. All I want for Christmas is a solid online infrastructure for Nintendo Switch!
Add Friends
Can friend codes please go die in a deep, dark, flaming, sulfury smelling hole? Thanks.
There’s no reason that friend codes should still exist. They’re long, impersonal, impractical, and not used in any other modern technological setting.
See Friends
Nintendo has historically been all about the “couch multiplayer” experience, but it’s time those sensibilities were extended to online play. Their preferences don’t excuse them for providing trash solutions over the Internet. When my friend comes online to play a game, I get a little pop-up in the top left corner of my screen… but that’s it! I can’t tap on it, can’t spectate their session, can’t send them a message… nothing. Nintendo could also bring competitive leaderboard features to the forefront by notifying me when my scores are broken by a friend, even before I pop the cartridge in!
Join Friends
It should be easy to play online with my friends, no matter which mode. It should also be painless to make sure we’re on the same Splatoon team, rather than randomly being pitted against each other. Nintendo has always brought friends together, so let’s write the extra lines of code necessary to facilitate that when we aren’t in the same room.
Talk to Friends
Tools. That’s all we need! We just require the tools to speak to our friends, the tools to monitor or restrict that usage for our children, and the ability to use our own equipment. You won’t catch me dead with that horrid squid dongle with a web of cables running every which way… keep it simple.
It shouldn’t matter if we’re playing the same game, either. System-wide party chat has been solved for a couple console generations, so the Big N needs to jump on the bandwagon.
I’m not being too demanding because Nintendo’s competitors have all of this covered already. This is nothing new.
Nintendo starts charging for online play in 2018, and the ramp-up hasn’t looked very promising with how they’ve handled their mobile app and voice chat so far. For crying out loud, Discord has even gone on record saying that Nintendo could contract them to handle this whole infrastructure! There are no more excuses. They have to get this right if they think fans will subscribe to their service.
Kickin it 8-bit: Super Mario Bros. (NES)
We’re throwing it all the way back to Super Mario Bros. on NES! The Nintendo Entertainment System: Classic Edition is getting busted out for some “not-so-speedy” speedrunning of this original 8-bit platformer that started it all.
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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Does This Game Bring me Joy? Scott's Thoughts
After multiple articles on downsizing your dusty gaming collection, you’ve probably gotten rid of a bunch of junk, right?
No?
Today’s thought is a simple one, and it can bring you a surprising amount of clarity.
When trying to decide what to keep, throw away, sell, or even what to play next… ask yourself one question:
Does this game bring me joy?
If yes, keep. If no, bye bye.
(Psst… this principal works on movies, clothes, books, pretty much everything. Except living human beings.) Here’s to decluttering!
YouTuber Given a Switch by his Audience!
We did it. We banded together in secret and set Simeon up with his own Nintendo Switch. Simeon is a faithful YouTuber who has been creating Nintendo content for years, day in and day out. But 2017 hasn’t been easy on him and he hasn’t been able to afford his own Switch console. We thought that was wrong; as someone who reports on the latest Nintendo news, we thought Simeon deserved the latest and greatest. That’s why TBC viewers from all over the world pooled their funds to buy him a surprise package including the console, games, and accessories. A sincere thanks to all of those who have supported Simeon (and Scott) over the years. The Crew is the best.
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Which Games are “Perfect for the Switch”? Scott's Thoughts
“That game is perfect for Switch!”
I’ve heard that phrase every day since the system launched. But what does it mean?
What makes a game perfect for Switch? I started getting a little confused when I heard it simultaneously applied to games like Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Picross. Two completely different, polar opposite experiences.
- Is the Switch perfect for long, single-player adventures because you can chip away at them whenever you have time, on the go?
- Is the Switch perfect for bite-sized games that you can boot up and score a quick-win in a couple minutes?
- Is Nintendo’s new console a match made in heaven for single player games that you can hold up close and personal?
- Or is it perfect for multiplayer, competitive games in a LAN setting?
The answer, of course, is yes. Yes to all of the above. Nintendo seems to have caught lightning in a bottle and created a piece of kit that’s begging to have every new release, multiplatform game, indie title, and definitive edition developed for or ported to it.
There has never been a home console or portable that draws games toward it with such a magnetic force, attracting a diverse collection of titles at that.
A new phenomenon has started to happen where multiplatform announcements are discussed as “coming to Switch and other platforms.”
For Real Though—The Joy-Con IR Sensor?! Scott's Thoughts
$50. That’s how much it costs to buy half a controller in the Nintendo Switch era.
Don’t get me wrong! I like the Joy-Con. They’re packed with a lot of technology with plenty of inputs, HD rumble, NFC read/write, and weirdest of all: an IR camera.
This useless feature was announced in January, and was shown off with the ability to detect rock-paper-scissors motions.
I don’t know about you, but I can play rock-paper-scissors in real life, and I’m not particularly eager to face off against a computer opponent.
Oh, and I can’t forget the 1-2-Switch implementation in Eating Contest, which totally works and no one is ever frustrated with.
Sigh.
As usual, Nintendo went overboard and had one too many ideas with their new hardware. The Wii Classic Controller clip comes to mind.
Infrared has been used successfully on Wii, for pointer controls, and on 3DS for amiibo accessory connectivity. This is not one of those times.
Prove me wrong, Nintendo! Your move.
Where the Metroid Series Needs to Go Scott's Thoughts
Samus has been all over the galaxy, answering distress calls everywhere from overrun space stations to giant baby bottles.
Her contemporaries (Mario and Link) have had huge shake-ups in their respective series, much needed to avoid fatigue and bring something fresh. Where does Samus need to go from here?
Earth.
Samus needs to land on planet Earth and defend it from invading aliens.
That’s how this series can mature and raise the stakes all in one fell swoop. It’s great that she’s a solitary and silent hero, and I know the Metroid series is lauded for its isolation and atmosphere. But…
We can’t just keep fighting Ridley and Space Pirates over and over, acting surprised when the Metroid race is not extinct (again).
The entire game doesn’t have to be set on Earth, either. She can speed off in her gunship to stop a planetary attack from being launched—that kind of thing!
I don’t expect a monumental shift like this to occur in Metroid Prime 4, because that wouldn’t be a logical way to proceed after the trilogy. However, the Metroid franchise will need to take a big step sooner or later.
Although this series of games was born at the same time that most of Nintendo’s IP were created in the NES era, Metroid titles always sell surprisingly low compared to their peers. The Big N needs to shake things up and attract mainstream attention to this series, or it will probably always exist in a state of sales flux with long periods between sequels.
Metroid could also benefit from dropping the “Metroid” name. It’s weird to have a franchise named after a common enemy (like Goomba Odyssey or Bokoblin of the Wild) and only serves to box in the developers’ creativity.
But now I’m just talkin’ crazy.
SteamWorld Heist, Street Fighter News!
SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition is coming to Nintendo Switch! Also announced as a multiplatform game from Capcom: Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection. Which announcement are you most of excited about? Let us know in the comments!
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Which Nintendo Character Am I? Scott's Thoughts
Today, I endeavor to discover which Nintendo character I identify with. I hope to find the perfect match, one that resonates and rings true. Without further ado…
Mario
I don’t think so. Mario is more like a father figure than an equal. He’s very sporty and multi-talented, which is in contrast to my narrow set of specialized skills. He wears loud clothing (especially in Super Mario Odyssey) and is a brave hero that throws himself into danger without a plan. All around: no. Not at all.
Link
Hyrule’s silent protagonist is a more likely match. He doesn’t waste any breath, which I appreciate, and he is guided by a strong sense of loyalty. Link always tries to do the right thing, and once he has found a noble cause, he applies himself and sees it through. These are all personality traits that I admire and (at least attempt to) share. However, Link is also quite the outdoorsy fellow, and can often be found traversing planes on horseback or scaling imposing mountains. He’s probably too adventurous to be considered my analog.
Donkey Kong
This big brown brute is way too strong to resemble me. He’s bigger, faster, and stronger, too, after all. I am none of those things.
DK is also easily pleased. All he needs is a pile of bananas to be content. First of all, I hate bananas because they make my mouth itchy. Second, I’m not in touch with the “simple pleasures” of life. I require technology, innovation, and the cutting edge. I wouldn’t no what to do with a stack of fruit in the jungle. Donkey kong can keep his lifestyle and I’ll keep mine, thank you very much!
Samus
Another strong contender, because like Link, Samus doesn’t say a whole lot. This is pleasing to my introverted tendencies. We’re both completely happy with alone time; in fact, this bounty hunter pretty much blasts anything alive until it stops moving. She doesn’t spend a lot of time outdoors, and she’s on top of the latest tech. I think we’d get along well.
There’s a pretty big difference that separates us, though. Samus is compassionate, and when push comes to shove, she lets even the most vicious creatures live when it means that their race will be spared. I don’t share that same level of empathy, unfortunately. But she’s currently leading the pack!
Captain Falcon
Captain Falcon enjoys everything I don’t; cars, speeding, rivalries, working out, yelling loudly, taunting people, wearing skin-tight unitards, and I could go on. Suffice it to say: FALCON NO!
Kirby
While I do enjoy eating a lot of food, the similarities end there. I am not round, cute, smiley, or cuddly, and I don’t look like a girl.
Tom Nook
Okay, this is a possibility. I do have an affinity for money, and I enjoy some aspects of business and entrepreneurship. But I hope I don’t match this raccoon’s level of greed, because he’s gone so far as to break child labor laws and employ underage animals at his store. He’s also after your real life $ bills now in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. Please tell me that I am not like Tom Nook.
Captain Olimar
He traverses alien planets and commands little living plants around all day (until the annoying timer runs out). I don’t think I’ve ever done anything like this.
Fox McCloud
I’m running out of options here, but Fox is promising. He also likes technology, leads a team, accepts missions and gets them done, etc. He’s got this huge amount of self-confidence and determination though, that I’m not sure I measure up to. Fox also spent a long leg of his life outside the cockpit, galavanting around Dinosaur Planet and acting like a low-rent hero of Hyrule.
However, there was one man (bird) that refused to leave the cockpit…
This guy knows what up. He prefers the air, and that’s where he stays (when he’s not shooting people up in Assault or smacking them silly in Smash Bros.). He has a narrow but deep skillset and can always be relied upon for bombs. He has a quick wit and isn’t afraid to crack a joke even in the face of danger. He appears cold on the outside, but deep down he cares for his friends and is always bummed when they get shot out of the sky. Falco is a loyal, skilled, sarcastic and cool wingman. I am Falco Lombardi!
Nine Parchments – Can We Work Together?
Simeon and Scott tackle the brand new Switch eShop game, Nine Parchments! Spoilers: It’s great for two player co-op. This is an unusual twin-stick shooter, not taking place in outer space but grounded in the world of fantasy. Check the demo out for free on Switch eShop!
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Switch 2.0 Inbound Scott's Thoughts
I’ve seen the pattern.
Nintendo releases a new console, which is disruptive and revolutionary in the gaming industry (innovate).
Next, they follow it up with a system that refines and advances their previous console (iterate).
Then the cycle repeats.
- NES: brought arcade-level gaming to the home | SNES: improved graphics, added buttons
- N64: introduced 3D gaming, rumble, 4-player | Gamecube: improved graphics, added a c-stick
- Wii: debuted motion control, wireless gaming | Wii U: improved graphics, had some good games
Switch followed in the footsteps of NES, N64, and Wii, changing the way we think about and interact with games.
It’s also experiencing an outstanding amount of success, with a warm reception from core gaming enthusiasts.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Nintendo will continue the trend and stay on the trail that Switch is blazing. Their next console will be a Switch 2.0.
It will be more powerful, will have a few of those features that we wanted but did not get, and will be an easy upgrade. VR is a no-brainer, but time will tell if that’s the main focus.
Mark my words!
What a Wonderful (Super Mario) World
Super Mario Odyssey might be all the rage right now, but Super Mario World was also released this year! On the SNES Classic Edition, of course. Simeon and Scott are taking a trip down memory lane to a game that many still consider the best of its class. Super Mario World changed things dramatically for the Mario series, and introduced many beloved mainstays.
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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The Devolution of Paper Mario Scott's Thoughts
I remember being drawn to the first Paper Mario like a magnet.
It was in a video rental store, and I saw the N64 cartridge sitting on the bottom shelf. I didn’t know why Mario was paper, or why it was turn-based, but I immediately brought it home.
Of course, an RPG like Paper Mario can’t really be explored and beaten during a rental period, so I ended up buying it. I had to! The story, the characters, and the gameplay were so compelling that I had to see the adventure through to the end.
The Thousand Year Door was a beautiful follow-up on GameCube, which I first laid eyes upon at a WalMart. It was one of those demo kiosks where you had to stare up at the ceiling and snap your head backward to see. It continued the wonderful characterizations, thickened the plot, and introduced exciting new transformations for Mario that shook up the gameplay.
Super Paper Mario was memorable. Although stripping out the beloved traditional RPG elements, the game introduced a compelling tale of love and tragedy, alongside an interesting 2D-to-3D mechanic.
And then it all went downhill.
Unique, lovable, captivating characters were replaced with gimmicks of stickers and paint.
The modern entries have their own merit, and bring some amount of charm. But along the way, the franchise lost focus. Paper Mario became more about churning out a quick win for sales and marketing than it was about world-building.
It might have been when the father of Mario gave the Sticker Star team these directions:
There were two main things that Miyamoto-san said from the start of the project—”It’s fine without a story, so do we really need one?” and “As much as possible, complete it with only characters from the Super Mario world.” –Iwata Asks
Miyamoto was wrong.
Dear Pro Controller… ?
Caution: You may tear up as you behold the pure love shared in this video, from Scott to his faithful Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.
“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Nintendo’s Job ≠ Parents’ Job Scott's Thoughts
I grew up with three parents: Mom, Dad, and Nintendo.
My mother and father were great—kept me out of trouble, let me earn trust, and gave me some slack on the leash.
Nintendo, on the other hand, has always been the stereotypical helicopter parent.
And still is.
When I moved out of my Mom and Dad’s house, I took my Nintendo games with me. Along with them, I brought some overbearing restrictions along for the ride.
I got my own place to live, my own car to ride, and my own job to cover my bills. That’s what we call “adulting.” Unfortunately, I still feel like a kid when I try to play online and use the limited internet services built into Nintendo systems.
This company from Japan thinks it’s their job to raise me. It’s not, and it never was.
If Nintendo wants to provide a parental control app—great. The one for Switch has some neat features. That needs to be the end of their responsibilities, so parents can do the rest.
It would sure be nice to talk to my friends… or even my competitors if I want to!
Innovation vs. Iteration Scott's Thoughts
Innovation: to revolutionize, change, transform, or evolve.
Iteration: to repeat, improve, patch, or expand.
Historically, Nintendo is a very iterative company. Most of their characters and concepts came from the mid-80s, when the company created its first batch of games for NES.
For many subsequent generations, they’ve followed the formulae, making a Mario game. A Zelda game. A Metroid game. Sequels got marginally better, improving upon past issues.
They’ve been honing their craft. Perfecting.
The only problem with this tradition is that it’s not very exciting. People start saying things like “if you’ve played one, you’ve played them all,” and “they keep recycling the same story over and over again.”
Nintendo Wii was the company’s first major hardware innovation in a long time—and they knew it, naming it codename “Revolution.” We were starting to see a brand that was ready to transform the gaming industry. Funny enough, the console’s success caused the console-maker to follow up with a safe “half-step” successor, but the masses weren’t listening anymore.
The good news is: innovative Nintendo is back, and that culture is seeping into their most beloved franchises. Breath of the Wild and Odyssey took a big leap in evolving the gameplay front. Next, we’ll see bigger shifts in story and presentation.
Buckle up! Your responsibility is being open to the change.
