Tag Archives: wii u

Yoshi’s Woolly World Makes me Feel Warm and Fuzzy

November 3, 2015 Alex McCumbers

Nintendo has a way with creating wonderful settings with its characters. In the past few years, the company has enabled some of their franchises to change things up with new styles and art directions. Kirby’s Epic Yarn was one of those experimental titles, but suffered from harsh criticism for its lack of challenge. Good-Feel, the same developers of Epic Yarn, took its knack for handmade adventures and brought it into its newest title, Yoshi’s Woolly World.

From the onset, there is a clear difference visually between Woolly World and Epic Yarn. The Wii U’s high definition capabilities make every single asset stand out in Woolly World’s handmade style. The yarn-spun creatures and backdrops look tangible, with every fiber clearly visible, giving Yoshi’s environment a fuzzy feel. It’s hard not to smile while playing; even watching gameplay is a delightful experience as crocheted waterfalls and cotton ball clouds set the stage for Yoshi’s rescue mission. Yoshi must travel to each world to put together the other Yoshis, who have been unraveled by Kamek, all before Bowser Jr takes over the island. A simple story, but one that feels like a wonderful bedtime tale.

Yoshi's adventure through handcrafted levels is wonderful. — Yoshi’s adventure through handcrafted levels is wonderful.

Those expecting a casual experience should keep an open mind. There are over 2000 items to collect in the game and these items are well hidden from the beginning. Back on the SNES in Yoshi’s Island, I could usually snag all five flowers on the first run through, but in Woolly World, I’ve only managed to get all five flowers on a couple levels after two worlds. Players truly have to search each level thoroughly to succeed, but the drive to do so is built into the game’s premise. The main collectibles are bundles of yarn that, when collected, knit together a unique Yoshi that’s usually themed with the level. Players can then use these patterned friends as playable characters, including some that show off Nintendo’s legacy.

unlock_famicom_pattern_yoshi_woolly_world — Completing various challenges unlock console based skins! Image courtesy of NintendoNews.com

Woolly World can be described as an updated Yoshi’s Island in the best ways. The game challenges players to learn how the mechanics work, similarly to Yoshi’s Island, but the yarn-made aesthetics change up the way challenges are presented and approached. For instance, Yoshi now unravels his enemies and throws balls of yarn, which can bounce off of water to reach items that can’t be reached by swimming. Chain Chomps are now wire frames that chase the player, but can be covered in yarn to use as a boulder to reach new heights, crush enemies, and press weighted switches. The yarn-based physics creates new ways of thinking.
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Yoshi retains his strange ability to transform into various vehicles, but the forms make much more sense in this setting. In one level, Yoshi grows massive, stomping around like a Toho Kaiju. In another, Yoshi becomes a motorcycle for a high speed race across water spouts that look like blue, cozy blankets. Each form is used to break up the standard platforming gameplay in interesting, albeit brief, ways.

Some forms are stranger than others, but each section offers unique challenges.

Good-Feel has gone above and beyond with Woolly World. The entire game offers unique visuals and mechanics that are inspired by Yoshi’s Island, but add new layers of depth. Yoshi will forever hold his spot as a hero of one of the best Wii U titles in its sparse library. It’s a delightful experience for all ages, including veterans looking for a solid platforming game. Hopefully, Woolly Wold’s success will lead to more experimentation from Nintendo.

Game File, Games and Software

Mario Maker Hands Players the Keys to the Mushroom Kingdom

September 23, 2015 Alex McCumbers

Ever since my early days of squawking at my cousin Axl to let me play Super Mario Bros 3 during his summer visits, I’ve wanted to make my own Mario levels. I even drew out a few during those humid months, using crayons, markers, anything I could get my hands on. The toys in my room were usually arranged in some sort of level as well. Needless to say, Nintendo hit me in the childhood with Mario Maker.

Mario Maker has that weird Japanese feel to it. It’s off-beat with its menus and sound effects, but its goals of being a tool to make Mario levels are met with unprecedented success. Never before has the act of game design been so simple. A concept can rapidly become a product in a matter of minutes. Will the level make players cry for mercy or make them smile?

wiiu_supermariomaker_9uul0 — Enemies can be stacked to create towers of mayhem.

Being able to build levels in four different Mario styles is a blast. What’s interesting is that many assets mix into styles they were never in before. For example, Bowser Jr. is available by giving dear old dad a shake, which can make for an interesting boss fight or just an obstacle to clear. Even new ways to play emerge with items like the Clown Car or Latiku’s Cloud. These items open up free flight, giving a whole range of options to builders.

Making levels isn’t everything though. Players who seek insane challenges will also find enjoyment with Mario Maker. The game supports many of the Wii U’s controllers, so players can grab their favorite and have a go at some levels in Course World with comfort. Filters can be used to find the hardest or most appreciated levels. You can also follow Makers like any modern social media site. Personally, I enjoy finding my favorite YouTube personalities through Twitter; their levels are usually pretty cool!

wiiu_supermariomaker_o2ubt — Pipes are now the homes of all sorts of things. . .

Of course, the major complaint behind Mario Maker is how the assets are unlocked. The more time you spend making levels, the more you unlock. Supposedly, a patch was added to speed up this process, but no matter how many levels I made, it seemed like I still had to wait until the next day for the shipment of assets to arrive. This does, however, force the player to build upon schema by using what’s available. Sometimes, the best concepts would come to me by being limited. I don’t think I would’ve messed with the New Super Mario Bros U mode if it wasn’t for that initial limitation; however, by doing so, I made some interesting levels involving the wall-jump mechanics in that mode.

Of course! Now let’s compare that with another statistical data that says that 82% of married women prefer cunnilingus over any other sexual act! 82%!!!! A man dealing with erectile dysfunction viagra sale can bring so much pleasure to a female. You can easily get rid of this trouble such as teasing her while she is cooking, sending her/him erotic messages, snuggling levitra without prescription while watching television together etc. Watching Too Much Pornography A survey in 2013 disclosed that men who watch porn per hour, suffer from low self esteem, poor viagra prices performance in bed and low sexual satisfaction. Functions like muscle contractions, hormonal secretion, blood flow, emotions and vardenafil india above all, the brain. The absolutely seamless transitions between modes, backgrounds, and level types gives the game a fluid feel. It opens the door for experimentation, especially when makers can tap an icon to try a segment as a player or switch game modes altogether. There’s also a Mario Path that can be toggled when unlocked, allowing makers to build sinister, precise jumps. Just about any feature a maker could want is possible in Mario Maker.

There are tons of unlockable sprites for use in the original Super Mario Bros style. A mystery mushroom grants makers the ability to put one of a hundred Nintendo characters into play, each with their own sound effects and animations. Unlocking these quirky characters can take a lot of time by playing the 100 Mario Challenge in Course World, but every Amiibo currently available unlocks a sprite, which is great for those of us addicted to the hunt of plastic figures.

Well, some are more quirky than others. . .

All in all, Mario Maker is a charming game that gives players the chance to build levels for Mario to traverse. The excellent interface and flawless execution shows off Nintendo’s quality seal. There are tons of unlockables to find, and being that this is a community-driven game, it can hold unlimited hours of play. The joy of this game comes from its potential as millions of makers set out to create unique levels.

wiiu_supermariomaker_zou6k — Already, millions of levels have been made. Click this to play more!

Lastly, I challenge all of our Giga Makers to send us some levels. They could show up in a YouTube video or Twitch stream. I’ll be devising my own to share as well.

The future of Mario Maker is bright, but first, it has to be built.

Games and Software, Industry Now, Pop Culture

How Nintendo Could Make A MOBA

August 3, 2015 Alex McCumbers

Gaming trends come and go. Hell, when Doom appeared, developers frantically emulated that iconic first person style. For many years, FPS games were referred to as Doom Clones. When a game truly perfects a style and is wildly successful, developers will inevitably put their own spin on it or sometimes shamefully try to make a quick buck.

Nintendo seems to ignore these trends in the industry. In fact, it’s just now getting into the mobile-gaming scene, years after Apple and Google created an environment, which generates tons of revenue. What’s sad is that there are many Nintendo franchises that can easily be used in interesting ways. I’m not saying it should just copy everything that becomes popular, but there are whole genres being developed that could use that Nintendo touch, just for the sake of the genre.

This is why Nintendo needs to make a MOBA.

Before I go any further, let me first say that I am in no way a MOBA fanatic. In fact, the only MOBA I regularly play is Smite and its a prime example of what can be done with the style. That being said, I have immense respect for what MOBA games have done for that style of game, the heightened awareness of competitive gaming that comes with its popularity.

Without MOBAs like League and DOTA 2, this wouldn't be possible. — Without MOBAs like League and DOTA 2, this wouldn’t be possible.

While trying to come up with the general concept for a Nintendo MOBA, I spent hours thinking of how it could be done without it being too much like Super Smash Bros. Using that sort of model, a MOBA by the Big N would simply be an extra mode for Smash, something that wouldn’t really take advantage of the mechanics of the genre, a rushed multiplayer mode on a clearly single player experience if it were.

That's right Bioshock 2! I'm looking at you. — That’s right Bioshock 2! I’m looking at you.

Then, a revelation occurred while playing my DS. What other Nintendo franchise has a vast history, tons of characters, and a strategy-centered gameplay? Fire Emblem.

Fire Emblem has a vast history and cast that can be pulled from to make a truly awesome MOBA experience.

Think of it this way. How simple would it be to replace all the characters in Smite or League with characters from Fire Emblem? Even that simple act alone would still be an interesting way to play. Add in some locales from various games and let the money roll in. However, something that simple wouldn’t take advantage of the concept, even though it would inevitably be profitable.

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This Fire Emblem title could also make interesting use of the Wii U gamepad or the dual screens of the 3DS. Not only could maps be presented, but players could also ping locations, and mark out strategies; pretty much anything that could be done with a PC is possible. This would also give Nintendo a chance to add more voice chat support to its games.

One of the defining features of Fire Emblem is that characters can upgrade their class. This could be done mid-game, allowing players to choose to upgrade after reaching level ten. Players could also hold back on upgrading for the extra stats as well, just like in the source material. This could create many interesting decisions from players and develop unique abilities for characters. Add in characters that can choose between a few classes will make things even better.

As another interesting spin, most MOBA games are played in real time, while every Fire Emblem title is turn based. Thus a MOBA could be created in a turn-based system, fitting more with the style of the source material, while experimenting with the genre. This could also be played against friends similarly to the Civilization series that enables players to play a single game over several days, if not longer. That sort of play could also be ported over to smart phones with little difficulty.

A Fire Emblem MOBA could also give players a chance to create their own champions, due to the classes of the games each having unique looks and skills. Players could choose a class, edit a model, and gank lanes as their own characters. Most characters would be the iconic characters throughout the series and could have powers unique to their stories or design, retaining the general idea of their respective class.

Even though I can see this sort of project being immensely amazing for fans of Nintendo, MOBA games, and the Fire Emblem franchise, I don’t see this sort of thing happening for a while. Nintendo really doesn’t like to take risks with its franchises. Although, sometimes those titles such as Metroid Prime or Wind Waker, prove to be some of the most interesting. In fact, maybe Retro Studios need to head this project. Seriously guys, this could be a great chance to get Nintendo into MOBA games or even the PC market. Call me if you need a project leader.

Or fans should start making this a reality. Of course Nintendo would cancel it, but hey, it’d be fun for a while.

Until I can have Lyn take out monsters in the jungle, I can be found putting some serious hours into Shadow Dragon on the DS.

Games and Software, Industry Now, Pop Culture, Tech World

Nintendo Direct: January 2015

January 14, 2015 Alex McCumbers

Nintendo Direct videos are becoming one of the highlights of gaming news. The newest video to arrive featured some interesting news from Nintendo.

Nintendo 9 — What’s with Link and going into impossible dungeons of water? Prepare to feel true anger again.

Software

Several previously announced games recieved more news during this event. The remake of the N64 classic Majora’s Mask will be making use of the New 3DS’ C Stick, allowing players to rotate the camera a full 360° around Link. While this may not seem substantial, this could completely change the way the game is played.

Another interesting feature comes from the folks behind Code Name STEAM, a strategy game that mixes action with traditional turn based combat. Fire Emblem characters can be unlocked via their Amiibo figures. Ike, Marth, Lucina, and Robin will all be available as playable characters with their own unique weapons and play styles.

Nintendo 4 — In a game with assault rifles, aliens, and Abraham Lincoln, Ike actually fits pretty well with a unique approach to combat.

Nintendo also announced that Wii titles will soon be available for download on the Wii U. These games will no longer need to be played in Wii Mode for players to access some amazing titles. In fact, Super Mario Galaxy 2 should be available now, while the Metroid Prime Trilogy and Punch Out!! will be released in the coming months. Many games that were playable with the Wii Classic Controller will also be fully playable with the Wii U Game Pad. If this means Metroid Prime will finally be playable with two analog sticks, minds will be blown.

Nintendo 3 — Arguably one of the best Mario games ever made. Now let’s hope it will be available for less than fifty bucks.

As far as new games, only a few were revealed. At the start of the event, a new Fire Emblem game was teased for the 3DS. Following on the heels of Fire Emblem: Awakening’s success, this isn’t a huge surprise. However, I expected the next Fire Emblem to be on Wii-U. Yet, they always seemed to be more popular on handhelds.

Nintendo 11 — This dancer was one of the highlights of a gorgeous trailer for the new Fire Emblem. Expect cosplays next week.

A series that’s seen quite a bit of popularity in Japan is coming to the states in May. Puzzle and Dragons Z is a quirky puzzle game in the style of Bejeweled, combined with RPG elements. If that wasn’t enough, Nintendo is also packaging Puzzle and Dragons: Super Mario Edition with it. Both look like fun and addictive puzzle games.

Speaking of puzzle games, Nintendo is apparently keeping tabs on the wildly successful Candy Crush Saga. Pokemon Shuffle is coming to 3DS in February and will feature limited moves, a timed energy system, and collectible Pokemon that effect how the game plays. The game will be free to play.

Nintendo 2 — Gamers everywhere will soon be able to shuffle with the master for free, unless you get stuck and can’t take it, then you can pay Nintendo a dollar.

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While Nintendo’s main focus for this event was the New 3DS (I’ll get to more on that later) it did announce several new Amiibo Figures. In Spring, Nintendo plans on releasing a Super Mario series of toys to coincide with the release of Mario Party 10. Most of these figures are just different models of those already available (Mario, Luigi, Peach, etc.); however, Toad will be released for the first time and he will have compatibility with last year’s Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.

Nintendo 7 — Expect Ike to sell for way more than intended a month after being snatched up by scalpers. No Toy R’ Us is safe.

Amiibo collectors should also be happy that Nintendo isn’t ignoring desperate pleas and ridiculous purchases of Marth. For some reason, Marth is one of the rarest characters so far, selling way above 13 USD. Nintendo will be shipping more Marth figures soon, hopefully diluting the rarity and the feverish collection.

One of the main reasons for today’s post is the new 3DS. This system boasts more processing power than the rest of the 3DS family, alongside several hardware features that most gamers are already aware of. The console will be releasing February 13 alongside Majora’s Mask 3D.

This system will be compatible with NFC figures, so in theory Skylanders and Disney Infinity could be compatible as well without peripherals. Oddly enough, Nintendo revealed that the New 3DS will not be coming with an AC Adapter. Don’t worry, all previous adapters will work with the new system. Why they chose to do this is an obnoxious mystery.

Other than that, it’s strange that Nintendo is only releasing the XL versions of their new consoles. What bothers me is the Gamecube and Super Famicom models of the new 3DS are more appealing to nostalgic geeks and collectors like myself. Whether these are even coming to the states is a mystery, but it may have to do with their relatively low price point of 153 USD after conversion. Come to think of it the New 3DS LL is only 180 USD in Japan, while the suggested retail is 199.99 USD in the US.

Nintendo 5 — But Nintendo, what if I want the cheaper, more nostalgic version?

The final bit of news is of two special editions of the New 3DS, one being the already leaked Monster Hunter 4 version.

The other version is none other than a beautiful, golden Majora’s Mask edition. Presumably these two 3DS systems will have their respective games loaded digitally, but that’s yet to be confirmed.

All in all, Nintendo continues to impress and baffle with their online press events and decisions. I’ve already planned on pre-ordering the Majora’s Mask edition of the New 3DS later today. What did you think of Nintendo Direct this time? Leave a comment below or on any one of our social media pages.

Until next time, stay cool.

Watch live video from Nintendo on Twitch

Game File, Games and Software, Industry Now

The Spoiled War: Super Smash Bros. Not as Shiny as It Used to Be

September 29, 2014 Alex McCumbers

Super Smash Bros. comes out for the 3DS October 3, and while I am pumped up for the release, I feel less pumped than usual. I’m all about importing games. I think there’s nothing better than snagging up a game from Japan, usually one that will never be in the English language. I’ve known many a gamer who learned Japanese, just to play some obscure title or a hidden gem in a franchise, but for once, I have a bit of a problem with importing. It’s great that gamers all over the world get to see Super Smash Bros. early, even before the demo arrives; however, the internet has become incredibly saturated with leaked character rosters and popular YouTubers streaming the game.

Search Smash on Twitch right now, I guarantee someone is playing it.

I had to avoid one of my favorite Youtubers for a while. . .

While I love gaming personalities like Jwittz, I feel that these streams have jaded my relationship with the game. I’m incredibly passionate about the franchise, so settle in, because it’s Anecdote Time with Alex.

When I was a kid, my father agreed to buy me one of the newest game consoles for my birthday: the PlayStation or the N64. I was also made aware of how expensive the games were for each system: PlayStation games were about $30 – $40, while every N64 game was $60. Not only that, but the consoles themselves shared a similar price ratio. My dad practically begged me to get the PlayStation, but my Nintendo blood had already chosen for me.

The problem with that day was that we couldn’t afford a game, and this was before the days of trial versions being packed in with the system or before a bundle was released. I was left to stare at it for months. Then, a mystical game appeared and Christmas was steadily rearing its head.

Super Smash Bros. had a few familiar faces for me like Mario, Pikachu, and the hero from Zelda (for I had yet to learn his name). Yet, there was also this cool dude with an arm cannon and there was this fox. Playing that game was seeing parts of Nintendo I had no idea existed before. Note, these were the days when dial-up internet was the norm and in my rural area we couldn’t even get that for another 5-6 years. Turns out, the green guy is named Link and Samus is a girl. Not only that, but there are games like Earthbound out there that I had never heard of before.

His name is Link?! But for years his name was Alex, Zelda, or Fopquarf. . .

For me, and I’m sure many gamers, that was the magic of Smash Bros. Players would initially choose to play as their favorites, but then slowly learn about the strangers. This, of course, led me down a path to find those weird games and play them. Super Smash Bros. Melee had a similar effect on me. I had no idea who Roy was or why he talked in Japanese, but through Melee I learned that there are several other Fire Emblem games out there. This and the chance discovering of Mewtwo was the best for me and my friends. The trophy gallery quickly became an encyclopedia of Nintendo. It was all new, interesting, and a bit overwhelming.

Brawl did an okay job at hiding things, like epic boss battles and cool cutscenes. I did feel that game had way too many clone characters, or characters who fight in a similar fashion to others. I hated Wolf with every fiber of my being, seeing as there were hundreds who could’ve taken his place. Nevertheless, I had tons of fun with Brawl and it was one of the few reasons my household owned a Wii—and for the archery aspect of Wii Sports Resort. My dad is obsessed with bows and is one of the best mechanics in the area for the sport, so we spent many a happy hour trying to beat each others’ scores.

Dad, my step-brother, and I spent a lot of time perfecting our shots.

My point is that Super Smash Bros. used to be a series about surprises, mysteries, and discoveries. Sure, it’s a great party game and a rather deep fighter, but learning about those obscure characters is where I’ve always thought it shined.

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There is an equal amount of awesome and disturbing in this screenshot.

What’s worse is that Nintendo claims that the Wii-U version will have the same features. So, my hopes of something new on that console have also been dashed against a brick wall.

My culminating questions for the gaming community are thus, what are we losing when we choose to stream games that have yet to come out? Has the internet ruined that childhood-esque discovery and wonder? Do modern children even have those feelings?

Will these thoughts deny Nintendo a sale from me? No, I have big plans for the game; my step-brother and fellow lets player are going to play while on Skype. I expect that October 2nd will be a long, long day with me dragging ass at work on Friday.

Sakurai is enjoying my business a little too much.

In a way, I can’t really blame Nintendo. Its advertisement campaign is great, especially in the past couple years. Can I blame the streamers and YouTubers? No, not really. Everyone wants to have a ton of views and getting stuff early can skyrocket those numbers. I’ve been there and the drive is astounding.

Oooooh — It’s the simple things that are worth slowing down to look at.

What I can do is try to make the community more aware of what it has lost. Maybe this article will help change the minds of an indie developer who could release the coolest game out of nowhere. I can only hope.

I just miss that sense of surprise.

Title image by Marcos-Inu

Forever Classic (my Youtube gaming team) will also be having a little Skype party with the game after its release. More than likely we will be streaming the fun on our Twitch channel. Follow our Facebook Event Page for more details.