Tag: nintendo direct

TLDW: Splatoon 2 Nintendo Direct. July 6, 2017

Today’s Nintendo Direct was focused on Splatoon 2. The direct included more story, guns, and gameplay. It also included more online social features and is the first game that will use the Nintendo Switch Online App.

New Equipment:

Gears are the new equipment which will include buffs for each style of clothing. There are hats, shirts, and shoes! They will affect aspects of the multiplayer game. Some examples include faster respawn time, faster movement, and adjusted speed. Gear will be sold by fun characters called: Jelfonzo, Flow and Bisk! Murch the Urchin can add more buffs to your gear or remove some as well. Clothing is more important than ever in Splatoon 2.

Weapons will still be sold by Sheldon from Splatoon. You can fast-forward through his dialogue. There are three types of weapons: Main, sub, and Special! Some of the guns have been readjusted for Splatoon 2.

  • Standard Shooters now include a dodge roll!
  • Rollers can be used vertically
  • Chargers can now store the charge while becoming a squid
  • Splashers throws a bucket of ink
  • Blasters shoot blasts of ink

New Weapons:  The Clash Blaster-short range gun that leads to explosions. Flingza Roller: It can change shape and throw even further. Goo Toober is a charger that can charge for a longer time. Dapple Dualies: lighter guns which mean more manoeuvrability around the map.

New Subweapons: Autobombs that can track enemies and Toxic Mist which creates a poison Area of Effect. There are more to come

Special: Fill the gauge to use the special. You can now see if enemies have their specials to prepare yourself ahead of time but looking at the scoreboard.

Tetra missles: lock on missile barrage. Ink Jet: Fly and shoot blasts of ink. Sting ray: a charger that can shoot through walls. Splashdown: Aoe downward smash. Inkstorm: rains ink around the map. Bomb launcher: throws a array of bombs. Ink Armor: Armors up you and nearby allies with Ink. Negates damage. Baller: giant explosive hamster ball.

Game Modes:

There are new and returning game modes for Splatoon 2. Turf War still exists and focuses on inking as much of the territory as possible. There is also a new Dancing/Rhythm game in Inkopolis Square, the new hub. Amibos will give you access to new gear and save your Squids/Kids gear setting. A horde mode called Salmon Run will grant you access to new gear if you can survive. It’ll also include unique bosses such as Steel Eel, Flyfish, and Steel Head that were revealed during the direct. During this mode, the environment, weather, and light will change.

Ranked Battles:

Ranked Matches will be held in three game modes.

Tower Control: Stay on the moving tower platform to move it towards the goal. It’ll stop at designated areas which will make for some intense action. Splatzones: King of the Hill mode. Rainmaker: Capture the flag but it’s a super weapon. Protect the weilder at all cost to earn points. Each mode will have its own rank and if you’re really good, you can move up two ranks! You can team up with friends as a pair or as a team of 4.

Of course, there are new maps: The Reef, Mussleforge fitness, Inklet Art Academy, Starfish Mainstage, Humpback Pump Track, Sturgeon Shipyard, Port Mackerel and Moray Towers. I hope you enjoy the Marine based puns as much as I did.

Two new girls: Marina and Pearl. They’ll be your new SplatFest host! In fact, the next SplatFest will be on July 15th in the free online demo. It’s Ice Cream vs Cupcakes!

The Online App: SplatNet 2

Nintendo will launch a companion app with Nintendo Switch Online App called SplatNet2. It will co-release with the game on July 21st exclusively on smartphones. The app will include online features for Splatoon 2‘s online multiplayer such as:

  • Rank Listing
  • Stats
  • Different Stage Schedules
  • How much your characters “Inked”
  • Voice Chat
  • Create Private Lobbies with friends

The service is free for the rest of the year. Once 2018 beings, it’ll cost $19.99 annually which is cheaper than Xbox and PlayStation. More info regarding the service will be announced over the upcoming months.

MiiVerse 2?

Players can send each other pictures that they’ve drawn into private mailboxes. They can also be displayed in the game similar to Splatoon on Wii U. They’ll be displayed Inkoplis Square and certain maps in the game. The pictures can be shared across connected social media as well.

Future Content

Splat Brella Gun which can shield and dash all in one weapon. Bubble Blower that creates floating landmines that can spread the ink around the map. Of course, there will be new gear and new stages. There is scheduled to have about a year of updates and 2 years of Splatfest! Nintendo has been doing a great job of keep their IP’s fresh and keeps fans in for a longer time than most companies these days. So this game will continue to be updated so don’t get cooked…Stay off the hook!

 

Sources:

Splatoon 2 Direct

Nintendo’s Twitter 

Kotaku

Polygon

E3 Wrap Up

E3 2017 is officially over. With so many trailers and gameplay videos out there already, I am only going to write about games that I am looking forward to. I will post an article soon about all the games coming out in 2017 so come back soon!

Assassin’s Creed Origins: After taking a year off to create a full game, Origins is the new title in the Assassin’s Creed series. It will take place in Egypt and you can see through the skies with a hawk! There is a big emphasis on the new weapon: a bow. Melee combat looks more interesting than the previous series. It will be released October 27, 2017. If you pre-order it, you get a bonus DLC.

Anthem: A new Space RPG from Bioware. It looks amazing and it is a 3rd person shooter with customization mech suits. There seems to be an emphasis on Co-Op and is meant to be a rival to Destiny. There’s plenty of space animals and exploration. Visual impressive and something to look forward to.

Dragon Ball Z Fighter: Capcom take notes! This is how a fighting game should look! Dragon Ball Z Fighter is made by Arc System Games who makes the Guilty Gear and Blazblue fighting game series. They are specialist in anime fighters and using 2D – 3D animation look amazing. A 3v3 fighter. So far, the only characters are Goku, Vegeta, Teen Gohan, Buu, Cell, and Frieza. Environments are destructive based on certain moves and deflections similar to the anime itself.

The Evil Within 2: Another game with an American environment. Not much was shown about the game but the Main Character will need to go back into his insane mind to find his daughter.

Kirby: The new Kirby will have a bigger focus on multiplayer. You can create allies by absorbing your enemies and using them to combine your absorbed abilities. You can also play with 4 Kirbys at once!

Metro Exodus: The 3rd entry in the Post-Apocolpytic first person shooter. This will be an open world game. There are a ton of rats and dark environments. Resources are rare and survival is 1st priority.

A Way Out: A Co-Op focused game regarding two guys trying to break out of prison. This game has cut scenes where the players have to agree on certain choices. The story revolves around them breaking out of prison and accepting their past.

Mario Odyssey: Mario’s hat possesses people? It does and the environment looks beautiful. Plenty of 3D platforming and fun based on what I see in trailers. Some of the environments are realistic which is a strange twist. There are still fun worlds that are very Mario-y if that’s a word.

 

TLDW: POKEMON DIRECT June 6, 2017

The Pokemon Team and Nintendo held a Direct specifically for Pokemon today. They announced:

Pokken Tournament DX:

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An updated version of Pokken for the Nintendo Switch. It will come with 5 new characters. 4 Pokemon that were only released in Japan’s Arcade: Darkrai, Empoleon, Scizor, and Croagunk and the new addition is Decidueye from Pokemon Sun and Moon. They will also include new support Pokemon as well. The game will also include a 3v3 mode, Daily Challenges, and everything will be unlocked. If you are attending E3, you can play the demo available there. Pokken Tournament DX will release September 22, 2017.

Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon: Not much was revealed but it is an alternative story from the original Pokemon Sun and Moon. There will be new Pokemon, moves, and a new form for Solgaleo and Lunala. The forms are shown on the image below and you can see influences from Necrozoma, the Legendary Ultra Beast Pokemon. The game will be released November 17th, 2017 worldwide.

pokemonultrasunandultramoon.jpg

Pokemon Gold and Silver will be released on Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console on September 22nd. The Pokemon can also be transferred into the Pokemon Bank which will allow you to transfer them into the current generation games.

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For the Entire stream and my source, you can check out the Nintendo Direct below.

NINTENDO’s Online Service Date Announced!

Nintendo’s Upcoming Network Plan

If you own a Nintendo Switch and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, you’ve been appreciating the free online multiplayer. Well, a countdown to the end has begun. Nintendo will release its premium online service: Nintendo Switch Online by 2018. Similar to Playstation Network and Xbox Live, this will be a paid monthly service.

Pricing*

1-Month Membership
$3.99 (USD)
3-Month Membership
$7.99 (USD)
12-Month Membership
$19.99 (USD)

Enjoy online services for free until the paid service’s official launch in 2018.

Features:

An Online lobby and voice chat through a dedicated phone app.  You can invite friends to play online, set play appointments and chat with your friends. The phone app will be released during summer 2017 for free in a limited form.

You will also gain access to “Classic Game Selections” that will include online play for certain games. Whether these last as long as you have the subscription or you have to pay for them, remains to be seen. You’ll also have more deals for eShop. This will not be replacing the Virtual Console.

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Opinion

In the end, it is cheaper than PSN and Xbox Live currently but the Switch still has limitations. There is no Netflix or common apps that most modern consoles have and only a few games for the Switch warrant the online service. Whether or not Splatoon 2 or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe holds your attention online will dictate how valuable the service will be. While popular online franchises like Call of Duty or Battlefield may release on the Switch in the near future, Nintendo doesn’t have the back catalogue for most gamers to invest in the service. We’ll see how popular the Nintendo Online Service will be. I think it’ll do well depending on the “Classic Game Selection,” especially if they offer the games fans have been asking for. This includes the Super Nintendo, N64, and GameCube titles.

 

Sources:

Nintendo

IGN