Let’s Play Affordable Space Adventures! (3/3)

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If you don’t like spoilers for this game, then… BUY IT ALREADY!


Part 3/3: Simeon and Scott take on their new favorite indie game, and it’s on Wii U! The game is Affordable Space Adventures, an asynchronous delight that will surprise you and challenge you. It’s a must own title, and this three part series is going to demonstrate just how hard the game can get toward the later levels!

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Let’s Play Affordable Space Adventures! (2/3)

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Enjoy a more uncut (less cut?) experience with this episode.


Part 2/3: Simeon and Scott take on their new favorite indie game, and it’s on Wii U! The game is Affordable Space Adventures, an asynchronous delight that will surprise you and challenge you. It’s a must own title, and this three part series is going to demonstrate just how hard the game can get toward the later levels!

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Let’s Play Affordable Space Adventures! (1/3)

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We warned you that this game was epic.


Part 1/3: Simeon and Scott take on their new favorite indie game, and it’s on Wii U! The game is Affordable Space Adventures, an asynchronous delight that will surprise you and challenge you. It’s a must own title, and this three part series is going to demonstrate just how hard the game can get toward the later levels!

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (Switch) Review

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Look what gem we dug up.


Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is available on Nintendo Switch, including the timed-exclusive Specter of Torment campaign! Ryan has been playing the title for review, and has completed the game and assembled all of his thoughts. Watch to see what he thought of this villainous twist on Shovel Knight!

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Important Staff Up and Coming at Nintendo

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Newbs.


Fresh blood is pumping in the Nintendo corporation. New staff members are being hired, given more creative freedom, and more responsibilities. Today, we take a look at some of the new faces behind the Big N and discuss what kind of impact they’re having on the company!

Corey Bunnell’s Story

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

How Should Nintendo Follow Up Breath of the Wild?

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The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has been out for a month and a half now and I still haven’t beaten it. That’s because after 70 hours I’m intentionally not finishing it quite yet as I don’t want this amazing experience to end. Even now, before experiencing the end-game, I have to wonder: how in the world will Nintendo follow up this masterpiece?

Dungeons

The few main dungeons BotW does have are really good and unique, but their lack of themes that we’re used to combined with overall length of dungeons is something that could be improved upon. Majora’s Mask and Wind Waker both had fewer dungeons than your average Zelda, but thy had more character and intricacy. This is a common thing I’ve heard from fans, and I expect Nintendo to step up the dungeon game in Link’s next open-air outing.

Weapons

I love the wide variety of weapons available, but they don’t last quite long enough. I appreciate the fact that it forces you to use different weapons and switch up your playstyle, but if I find a really great weapon it’s always so hard for me to use it as I don’t want it to break. I hope weapons continue to break in future games as well, but once you leave the beginning area of the game the weapons should last much longer.

Items/Abilities

You get all of your key ways of traversing and puzzle solving before you leave the tutorial area this time around. Once again, Nintendo did the right thing for this game by giving all control over to the player. Next time traditional items such as the Grappling Hook, Mole Mits and Ball & Chain make could a return while still giving the player freedom. The way they could do this is color code the key items, and the entrance to certain dungeons and mini-dungeons that require certain items will be color coded (think colored doors in Metroid). The players can still explore how they want, but will have to leave areas for later once they collect the right items.

Nintendo has already said that Link will continue his adventures in an open-air Hyrule, so here’s hoping they can change up a few little things that will make a huge difference in the future. Until then I’ll have to finish Breath of the Wild… someday.

Why We Are Nintendo Fans

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Because Nintendo does what everywon’t.


When is the last time you stopped and asked yourself the question: Why AM I a Nintendo fan? That’s exactly what we’re doing on the NF YouTube channel today – join in the comments!

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Pokemon TCG: Old Vs. New Cards

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Basic Pokemon Charizard, I choose you! Quick, use Fire Spin for 1 colorless energy!


Simeon and Scott are fans of Nintendo and Pokemon from the golden age. They’re “gen 1ers” if ever there were any. So, naturally, this episode is based entirely on singing the praises of the first few expansions of Pokemon cards and bashing everything that’s come out in the last decade… NO, not really, but there’s a little bit of that. ;) Game Footage Credit: CGRundertow, TheJWittz

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Yamauchi and His Enemies

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The Iron Fist in the Silk Glove.


Hiroshi Yamauchi was one of Nintendo’s former presidents, who oversaw the company through its formative years of becoming a video game powerhouse. His leadership style was harsh, and his legacy is controversial. He was a very different man than Iwata or Kimishima that we have come to know and love, so let’s take a look at how he differed and how he helped Nintendo become what it is today.

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

E3 2017: What Nintendo Needs to Do

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Anyone at Nintendo looking to hire a couple of professional E3 consultants?


E3 (AKA Gamer Christmas) is coming around the corner once again, and this year will mark the first time Switch content has been shown at the convention. Will Nintendo take this opportunity to get everyone on board the hype train, or will they play it too conservative? Scott and Simeon are presenting their wishlist, and if Nintendo were to follow it, their fans would be pretty happy.

E3 Footage Credits: Biased Gamer, NintendoCade Gaming, GameXplain

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
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How Long Until Game Spoilers Are Okay?

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Snape kills Han Solo.


Spoiler warning! Two words that can incite fear when heard or breed rage if forgotten. But at the core of the issue, what ARE spoilers? When do they need a warning? When are they okay? Who’s responsibility is it to watch out for them? Let’s look at the whole issue from top to bottom in this episode of the Two Button Crew show.

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Runner3 (Switch Bit.Trip Exclusive) Preview

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Can’t wait to play as the running cigarette!


Runner3 is an amazing indie title coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch, courtesy of Choice Provisions. You may also be familiar with this series and studio as Bit.Trip Runner from Gaijin Games, but things have evolved since then and this new entry in the auto-runner series is no exception. The main character, Commander Video, helped establish the genre of auto-running video games, and he’s back this year to redefine it with all new twists. Watch what Simeon and Scott have to say about it, and get hyped!

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Home of the Indies: Nintendo Switch

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After an incredible Indie Showcase that Nintendo aired before the launch of their new platform, the Nintendo Switch, I’m still left thinking about that reel of stellar indie software. The lineup looks fantastic, and in an otherwise barren stretch without software between Zelda and Mario Kart, the indies are going above and beyond in filling in the gaps.

Nintendo really stepped up their game in the way that they are courting independent developers this generation. You can tell. You can feel the excitement emanating from these smaller, self-publishing game creators. Not only is a slew of great games coming to Switch, but the indies are providing exclusives and timed exclusives by the handful.

Nintendo Voice Chat Indie Special

Recently IGN’s Nintendo podcast took a week off their normal format and interviewed some fine folks. They sat down and talked with many of the creators that were featured in Nintendo’s showcase, but also interviewed the employee of Nintendo in charge of managing these releases, all in one informative episode.

While you should definitely give the full show a watch or listen, I took two very important facts away from it:

1: Expect indie games to be enhanced with unique Switch features. Nintendo is helping indies implement the latest and greatest into their titles, and helping make these games more attractive on the Nintendo platform as well.

2: More selectivity is determining what appears on the eShop. It’s not an open invitation for indie developers anymore, but only the best of the best are being let in to the new eShop. This might seem like a step backward in Nintendo’s indie relations, but they’re really just taking an active step in keeping the shovelware out and wooing the best developers in. Damon Baker is the man in charge of Nintendo’s “portfolio management,” so he’ll be making a lot of calls, taking people out to golf, and not taking no for an answer when it comes to getting Nintendo fans access to the smartest indie titles.

Technology Implementation

Nintendo isn’t the only company taking advantage of HD Rumble or the other technologies packed into the Joy-Con controllers. Indies are crazy about this technology, and have reported that Nintendo’s documentation is off-the-charts helpful…

Let me say that again:

Nintendo’s development documenation for Switch is insanely good.

I know – sounds boring to you or me, but developers are going crazy about this. And it means we get better games, faster, so there’s that!

In one example of rapid technology implementation, Tomorrow Corp’s games (World of Goo, Human Resource Machine, Little Inferno) already take advantage of the IR-free Motion Pointer technology before it’s been seen from any other developer, first-party, third-party, or otherwise.

Indie games that allow full iPad-like touch-screen only controls as an option are also on the way.

Convenient Porting

Indie developers are having extremely efficient experiences in getting their existing games running on Switch hardware, which has historically not been the case with Nintendo platforms. In the IGN interview above, devs stated times between a single hour to two weeks when discussing port timeframes.

Not to mention that development kits are actually on the cheap end of the spectrum for indies! At approximately $450 per kit, it’s hardly a barrier of entry for anyone hoping to see their game running on Nintendo hardware. Finally, the Big N seems to have created a win-win situation with their development environment.

Support Them!

Switch is the perfect console for indie games. It’s easy to develop for, fully-featured hardware, that we can take with us anywhere! Let’s show independent developers that we respect their time and appreciate their efforts by voting with our wallets.

Watch for these upcoming (and some newly released) games:

  • Runner3 from Choice Provisions
  • SteamWorld Dig 2 from Image & Form Games
  • Yooka Laylee from Team 17 and Playtonic Games
  • Blaster Master Zero from Inti Creates
  • Pocket Rumble from Chucklefish Games and Cardboard Robot Games
  • Flipping Death from Zoink Games
  • Mr. Shifty from tinyBuild and Team Shifty
  • Wargroove from Chucklefish Games
  • Stardew Valley from Chucklefish Games and ConcernedApe
  • Shakedown Hawaii from vBlank
  • Graceful Explosion Machine from Vertex Pop
  • Tumbleseed from aeiowu
  • Overcooked: Special Edition from Team 17 and Ghost Town Games
  • The Escapists 2 from Team 17 and Mouldy Toof
  • GoNNER from Raw Fury and Art in Heart
  • Kingdom: Two Crowns from Raw Fury and Noio
  • Dandara from Raw Fury and Long Hat House
  • Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove & Specter of Torment by Yacht Club Games
  • World of Goo by Tomorrow Corp
  • Human Resource Machine by Tomorrow Corp
  • Little Inferno by Tomorrow Corp

Desert Island with One Video Game | NF + TBC

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Thank goodness for unlimited electricity on desert islands.


We’ve all been asked some form of this question before: If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you take with you? This time, your only choices are video games, and you have unlimited power supply but no WiFi. Yes, the choice is tough. But Simeon and Scott thought this through and have come up with some of the strongest candidates. What game would you take? Comment below!

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Making Friiks in the New Switch Mii Maker

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Rectangular heads, PLEASE!


This video is brought to you by our Patrons, who challenged us to create some incredible ugly Miis on the Nintendo Switch! There are a few new tools built into this version of Nintendo’s Mii Maker, so we’re putting them through their paces and seeing what kind of monstrosities we can produce. Sound like fun? Good, because it’s Fun Friday!

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Wii U Masterpiece: Affordable Space Adventures

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You DON’T own this game?! Are you even human???


Of course, it’s spring 2017 and the hype is centered in on Nintendo Switch… but there’s an indie Wii U game that we just couldn’t help but tell you guys all about. It’s called Affordable Space Adventure, and it DESERVES you to play it! We can’t speak highly enough of it, so we’ve bestowed upon it the rare designation of “masterpiece” and this video practically begs you to give it a download! Footage Credit to DreamcastGuy!

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

What’s New in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe?

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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, home of the lone cheap Switch accessory.


Mario Kart 8 is getting a facelift, and it’s coming to Nintendo Switch! In another show of Nintendo listening to their fans, they’ve completely updated Battle Mode in this entry of their kart racer series, while throwing in a bunch of extra characters, karts, and modes. All of the changes can be a bit hard to keep track of, and that’s why Simeon and Scott have gathered a comprehensive list for your convenience!

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Reactions: Making of – Breath of the Wild

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Maybe Nintendo will make a Nintendo Reacts video to our reaction video reacting to their Making Of video!


Nintendo put out a short series of videos documenting the development process of their latest and greatest title: Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. We watched all of them and took down some notes to discuss, like what the biggest takeaways were and what some of the coolest ides were that got cut from the final game. Did you enjoy this behind-the-scenes look from the Big N? Let us know in the comments!

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Zelda Escape Room Experience (VLOG)

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Wait… if they didn’t solve the last puzzle, how did they get OUT of the Escape Room?


Recently, Scott was fortunate enough to make it to one of the Zelda Escape Rooms put on by SCRAP and Nintendo. He traveled to Seattle with his friends Joel and Meagan, and Vlogged the whole way! Well, no cameras were allowed during the puzzles themselves but you’ll still get lots of cool glimpses into their adventures. Music: Saria’s Fairy-Go-Round | ZipZipper & Harmony of Heroes

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Nintendo Experience: Powerful Portables

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Nintendo not only revolutionized the home console market, but time and time again, they’ve proven to be the best in the portable sector of gaming. We’ve already talked about several landmark portable titles for the Nintendo Experience: Pokemon Red and Blue and Pokemon GO. These games shaped the way we game on the go (pun intended), and reached far beyond the game to rock the shape of pop culture. These two games were not an isolated incident, and I would like to showcase two more games that are near and dear to my heart.

The first is one of the first games I ever owned personally: Game Boy Camera. To many, even those who loved it in its time, the Game Boy Camera is a joke. Compared to what we have at our disposal nowadays, it is. The resolution was bad, everything was in grayscale, the editor was primitive, the memory was limited to 30 photos, and, if you were looking for it to be a game, you would be sorely disappointed.

Something I will never forget, however, is reading my brother’s copy of “The Guinness Book of Records 1999” and seeing that this odd-looking Game Boy cart was currently the smallest digital camera in the world! I felt like a spy as a kid! It was a novelty, and there were enough menus in the game to navigate and not use (because I was never able to get my hands on a Game Boy Printer) to keep me occupied for a long time. Also, Miyamoto dancing!

If that’s not revolutionary enough to make it a must-play for Nintendo fans, I don’t know what is.

I think it’s time we talk about the real game-changer: Tetris. Tetris was a system seller, plain and simple. It got everyone who touched it into mobile gaming. It was accessible to people of all walks of life… unless you shun technology… I suppose. It’s simple, easy to pick up, and tough to put down. It is one of the best games ever. That is, until, Nintendo outdid themselves.

Here’s that 8-bit-“ish” art style that worked so well.

Tetris DS is the best game ever. I mean, Tetris was already the best, but they found a way to improve it. It had all of the puzzling proficiency of its previous iterations, but they made it streamlined. The multiplayer was great, the art style was perfect… What more could you ask for? I consider it the best version of the best game hands down, and I urge you: if you haven’t played it, pick it up. Like, right now. Why are you still reading? Oh, you already have it? Good.