Sonic Forces Poll

So Sonic Forces has finally hit, well, basically every modern platform and its time to ask THE QUESTION

That question. Has the Blue-Blur finally ended his streak of sub-par games and kept the quality that Mania gave us? Well, judging from the critical reviews, that answer is probably not. However, since no one here at GK-UK has dared to grab a copy (honestly when we get that Sonic itch we just hop on Sonic Mania), we're reaching out to our fellow gamers and seeing how the good folk who paid for it found the game. Kind of like a blue canary down a coal mine situation.

So, without further ado: Did you play Sonic Forces? Was it everything you had hoped for or just another let down? Tell us what you think below.

What do you think of the new Sonic Team game - Sonic Forces?

A classic

Good solid fun

Could have been better

Abysmal

created with Poll Maker

ARMS Direct Incoming!

Nintendo recently released their E3 plans which involved a direct style "Nintendo Spotlight" so you'd think they would be done for the time being? 

WRONG! Upcoming motion (non-motion too) fighting game ARMS is getting a dedicated Nintendo Direct tomorrow (That's May 17th) at 23:00 for us in the UK, 00:00 CEST, 3PM PT and 6PM ET. Nintendo also confirmed Splatoon 2 will get a new trailer at the end of this Direct.

ARMS caused a quiet storm at the Nintendo Switch reveal event. It was at first dismissed as a possible Wii boxing follow up but somewhere between the reveal and the art style spawning metric heaps of fan art, the fighting game community started quietly talking about the game, that got a lot louder when Nintendo confirmed the title will also support traditional controls.

ARMS will launch exclusively on Nintendo Switch on June 16th.

Abe's Take
It's not surprising that ARMS is getting some attention, Splatoon followed a similar path when it was first announced. Can Nintendo pull it off again? Well, we have a month till we find out but regardless I sure hope Ribbon Girl and Spring-man appear in Smash.

Rumour: Nintendo bringing Zelda to Mobile?

Nintendo has had mixed success with its mobile games. The first Miitomo was nice but wasn't a true game, Super Mario Run was a quality release but it's price stopped mobile gamers picking it up, and Fire Emblem managed to do well with mobile and core gamers.

Nintendo's next mobile game is set to be Animal Crossing which seems like the perfect franchise to bring to mobile, the entire game is the perfect microtransaction bait but according to the Wall Street Journal, Nintendo is already working on a new mobile game and it is a big IP.

The Legend of Zelda. This would be Nintendo's and DeNA's biggest challenge in mobile space as anything short of a "proper" Zelda will anger fans, whilst a "free to start" game will scare of mobile gamers again, and it will be incredibly hard to balance the two. Of cause, there is no guarantee this is actually a "true" Zelda game and could easily be a Tingle game... *shudders* or one of them hyper frustrating town builders.

Abe's Take
I'm excited to see what Nintendo does next in the mobile space and I think once they get past Mario and Zelda I think we could start seeing more neglected IP appear.

Nintendo Switch eShop Content

Well merry Switchmas, Switchanukkah and Switchwali. As we wait for the entire staff to get their shiny new machine from Nintendo lets take a look at what's on offer on the eStore.

First, let's take a look at the retail games on eShop.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo, €69.99 / £59.99) - The big one, possibly THE reason to get Nintendo Switch.

1-2-Switch (Nintendo, €49.99 / £39.99) - A showcase of 28 mini-games to show off the new tech and to highlight just how awkward things can get (we're looking at you competitive cow milking.)

Just Dance 2017 (Ubisoft, €59.99 / £49.99) - The Switch version of this dancing title will include early access to some songs. Fun fact: This title was one of the first announced and was our first hint at motion controls for the (then) NX.

Super Bomberman R (Konami, €49.99 / £49.99) - Don't worry this isn't the weird hypersexual one. This is a classic return to form for the historic icon and should nicely showcase the Switch's multiplayer anywhere ideology.

next, it's the download exclusive Switch eShop titles.

Snipperclips - Cut it out, together! (Nintendo, €19.99 / £17.99) - A UK-developed co-op puzzle title where players must slice pieces off one another in order to solve each level's puzzle. There will be a demo available and a retail bundle with Joy-Cons.

Fast RMX (Shin'en Multimedia, €19.99 / £16.99) - The expanded version of Shin'en's amazing "if Nintendo won't make an F-Zero we'll do it for them" Fast Racing Neo. This version has improved graphics, a steady frame rate, 4 player splitscreen, 8 player online, more tracks, more cups, and more vehicles. If you miss F-Zero or want high-speeded racer Fast RMX is an easy recomendation.

Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment (Yacht Club Games, €9.99 / £8.99) - A standalone download of the Specter Knight campaign, in which the character's unique moves and the campaign can be tackled.

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove (Yacht Club Games, €24.99 / £22.49) - This features all of the Shovel Knight campaigns and content, so that includes the Plague Knight, Specter Knight and King Knight campaigns.

I Am Setsuna (Square Enix, €39.99 / £29.99) - RPG that aims to bring to mind the classic JRPG titles of the 16-bit era whilst infusing it with modern designs. You'll notice the price is high but that due to it being a budget retail release in Japan.

VOEZ (Flyhigh Works, €20.99 / £18.99) - This is a music rhythm game that is also the first touchscreen-only title on the Switch. It features over 100 songs and has a strong following on mobile.

New Frontier Days: Founding Pioneers (Arc System Works, €9.99 / £8.99) - This former Android Free-to-play title in which you build a frontier town, colonising new land in the process; you're responsible for managing pioneers, gathering materials and even taming wild animals to be pets.

Vroom in the Night Sky (Poisoft, €8.99 / £7.99) - Imagine a "tricks" game like Tony Hawk but instead of a skateboard you have a big motorbike, instead of an ageing extreme sports star you play a anime "magic girl" and fly your bike in the sky.

Othello (Arc System Works, €4.99 / £4.49) - The famous board game comes to Switch with AI and multiplayer modes. It should be interesting how well this performs as the Switch could suit virtual board games.

The Switch is also seeing some SNK Neo Geo titles but to be clear these are not Virtual Console releases but are part of SNK's own version with added online functionality (sadly the leaderboard kind),

The King of Fighters '98 (Hamster, €6.99 / £6.29) - Well it might not be Street Fighter I've been desperate to play on Switch but KoF '98 is regarded as one of the best of the long series. I'm sure J Max may strike me down for that, but like SF KoF will match

Metal Slug 3 (Hamster, €6.99 / £6.29) - Honestly this is the only name I see in this section. The iconic series seems a perfect fit for the Switch's play anywhere multiplayer.

Waku Waku 7 (Hamster, €6.99 / £6.29) - Another fighting game... that I have no idea about. Wait, sorry, I know that it's colourful. That is all.

World Heroes Perfect (Hamster, €6.99 / £6.29) - This is the fourth instalment of the World Heroes series...

Shock Troopers (Hamster, €6.99 / £6.29) - This game is possibly the inspiration for every Micheal Bay film, admittedly in 16bit form.

To our friends in the US, I haven't been able to nail down a full list but it's largely the same but if anything is missing you can access the EU or Japanese eShops by creating new accounts "residing" in the retrospective countries.

Now if you'll excuse me I'll be staring out the window... for unrelated reasons

Breath of the Wild: Time line revealed?

We (like 98% of the gaming community) are very excited about the latest Legend of Zelda. Whether on Wii U or Switch the game looks great and certainly has people talking.

WARNING: Some might consider this article spoiler but we're only presenting officially released images via trailers and press releases. For the sanity of all involved, I'm not going to dive into the deep end of the lore and just focus on the visual reveals.

So you've been warned, still here? you sure? cool, lets jump right in.

One thing that has been a hot topic for fans ever since the initial announcement, Nintendo's promo materials has highlighted a... thematic similarity to the original NES Legend of Zelda. The wide open and seemingly unsettled Hyrule had players guessing the title could be set after Skyward Sword.

Then we started to see gameplay at E3 and suddenly we saw an interesting figure pop up, a Korok. A Wind Waker exclusive race and descendants of Ocarina of Time's Korai kids.

The post-Wind Waker theory gained more traction as a Rito appeared in a trailer. The Rito like Korok is a Wind Waker exclusive evolution of a classic (and in WW extinct) OoT race the Zora (still not happy about fish people becoming bird people when the world floods).

You add that one of the in-game items references "the great sea" it cements the post WW timeline. case closed then, sure Nintendo could release more nostalgia-infused artwork but that's just promo stuff, it's not like they could do anything to change our view of the timeline...

and... that is clearly a Zora and yes there was a Zora in WW but that was a ghost and so doesn't count.

That brings us to 'now' we've had Miyamoto and Aonuma answer some quick fire questions, they confirm some stuff (some seem jokey) and one such detail was that Breath of the Wild does take place after OoT

Watch us ask Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma 51 rapid-fire questions about Zelda, Mario, and the Switch. https://t.co/p0aJ2hdNlA pic.twitter.com/5KQJvm6cqv

— Game Informer (@gameinformer) February 8, 2017

We now seem to have some pretty final confirmation as Gameinformer has unveiled a returning character from WW which counter-intuitively suggests the gap between it and Breath of the Wild isn't that extreme.

The floating merchant Beedle returns, this time switching (HA) out his boat for giant beetle themed backpack. Now is this the original Beedle or is he one of his descendants? This question is instantly dismissed as we now must ask is THIS Link a new hero or his he the adult form of WW/Toon link? guess we'll find out in a few weeks.

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launches March 3rd on Wii U and Nintendo Switch.
In related news, Amazon has fresh stock of both the Grey and Neon version.

Abe's Take
I need to play this game, like right now!

Is the Nintendo Switch Expensive?

There is a narrative forming around the Nintendo Switch, according to online commentators and gaming sites the Nintendo Switch could be the "most expensive system" 

Now odds are you thinking on of two things, "it is expensive" or but it's cheaper" so I've decided to take a look at what I've spent on consoles I've bought on day 1 (would be wildly unfair to compare an post launch purchase vs preorders). Traditionally I have bought consoles with the intent of playing with someone else day one, whether it was when I was living "at home" it would be with my brother or "nowadays" with my wife. Regardless of "who" I intend to game with day one my plan is always the same. "grab a mixture of games and a pad"

Xbox One
The most recent purchase on my list, which was bought using a mixture of online preorder (so a little cheaper) and walking in my local GAME on launch day.

 

Day One Edition console: £429 (online)

Dead Rising 3: £49.99 (online)

Forza 5: £54.99 (retail)

Controller: £55 (retail)

Battlefield 4: £44.99 (online)

Total: £633.97 for 3 games, the system (+ Kinect), and two controllers

Nintendo Wii U
Nintendo's last system I picked up from my local HMV, frankly their prices for games was all over the place with Ninja Gaiden III for £59.99 but Sonic was £42.99

Premium console + Nintendoland: £299.99 (retail)

New Mario Bro's U: £39.99 (online)

ZombiU: £49.99 (retail)

Sonic All-Star Racing: £42.99 (retail)

Pro Pad: £29.99 (online)

Total: £462 for 3 games, console and two controllers (plus the hundreds of Wii accessories)

Nintendo Switch
Now I'm going to break down my Nintendo Switch preorder, which includes 4 games like the X1 but some are smaller titles thus cheaper.

Grey Switch: £279.99 (online)

Breath of the Wild: £48 (online)

1, 2, Switch: £34.99 (online)

Bomberman R: £44.99 (online)

Sniperclips: $20 UK price unconfirmed (digital)

Total: £382.98 for 3 games, the system and two controllers.

And that right there is what I suspect is tripping people up, They seem to be rushing out to grab additional Joy-Cons (£74.99 for a pair) and Pro-Controller (£64.99) because that's what we gamers do but, the reality is that the launch line-up hasn't justified the need for 4 Joy-Cons (ARMS isn't out till the spring) and the pro-controller isn't mandatory.

I've seen people's online lists include things like the charging grip (£27.99) stating it as a 100% necessity but again that's not true (yet). The Joy-Cons last 20 hours off a single 3-hour and 20 minutes charge. Only the person this effects is a super hardcore who wants to game for 20 straight hours in console mode but didn't buy the Pro-controller. The reality is a lot of us gamers have our controllers on charge when they are not in use often in accessories like this.

Which retails at £19.99

The Nintendo Switch has one of those built-in and even when ARMS launches and we decide the motion controls are the only way to play it (Nintendo has CONFIRMED it will also 'normal' controls) we aren't going to need both sets of controllers in play 100% of the time.

You'll also see peoples lists containing 256GB SD cards for the system, again saying it's a 100% requirement. Yes 32GB isn't a lot but neither is the 4GB found in the 3DS, or even (in contrast to their game sizes) is the 500GB in the X1/PS4. 32GB should do for day one and should even last us to payday.

That's not to say the accessories are cheap but considering each Joy-Con is own fully functioning controller, as well as unique features not seen in other pads like HD rumble, NFC, IR sensor and motion control. The premium price of £74.99 (for two and bumper rails) is warranted, but it is only after launch will see if it's justified. It is a similar story for the  Switch Pro controller at £64.99 but it features all the same tech as the Joy-Cons bar the IR sensor.

Of cause we're still in the pre-order land where prices are sky high, it only takes a look at the non-launch games prices to see we're still dealing with full RRP placeholders. By Christmas 2017 I'm sure Joy-Cons will be down to £59.99, Pro pads at £49.99, and the games will sit at the same price as the other two systems.

Abe's Take
The Nintendo Switch hits stores in less than a month and as we've seen today the Switch is only as expensive as we make it. Trust me I  know the temptation to buy everything we'll probably could need right away, Hell I nearly bought an arcade style fight stick for Xbox One on launch day and that would have been embarrassing as A)it was expensive as the console and B) Only 3 fighting games hit the Xbox One and none of them is Street Fighter

Switch Day: Games

It wasn't all about the machine at the Nintendo Switch event, we even saw a LOT of games. Some new IP, some old, some first party and some third.

Legend Of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 3rd March

There isn't much to say here other than the usual "Zelda continues to impress", the Switch reveal trailer gives us our first look at the story and her ladyship herself. Oh, the trailer seems to confirm fully voiced NPCs and it is coming out worldwide with the Switch 2017.

Super Mario Oddyesy - Christmas 2017

Billed as a successor to Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. After exploring microgravity worlds of Galaxy and the 3D sprinting levels of 3D World, Mario returns to his exploration driven sandbox worlds. As you can see it all looks promising. EXCEPT for Mario mingling with "real world humans" and let's not forget/remember what happened the last time a mascot did that.

1, 2, Switch - 3rd March

An interesting party game where the Joy-Cons are the stars and the console and screen are simply the referee. Instead of competing "within" the game players face each other in real life. This looks like a hybrid of Wario Ware and the Wii/U Play series. 1,2, Switch seems like the perfect pack-in game (like Wii Sports/Nintendo Land but regardless we think this could be hit at parties... perhaps as casual gamer guests "hydrate".

ARMS - Spring 2017

Now this is something that caught our eye here at GKUK as it looks like an awful lot of fun and appears to feature a good amount of challenge and skill involved. Nintendo is planning to reveal more later but promises the games has depth. Looking online it appears people would of preferred the fighters to use Dragonball Z energy blasts, personally I am shocked this hasn't been attached to Mii's or Mario

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - TBA

Surprisingly, the only Wii U port for Nintendo Switch announced today was "MK8 - Deluxe" whilst Nintendo didn't go into details as what exactly was added we can pull some things from the trailer. Battle Mode is fully restored to its glory with custom-built arenas and several new characters, vehicles and tracks such as Inklings and Inktropolis.

Splatoon 2 -TBA

Yeah, we totally thought this was just going to be a "remix" of the original game with some minor add-ons. Instead, we appear to be getting a full-fledged sequel wit more maps, more weapon types (actual different classes), voice chat and local multiplayer modes.

Super Bomberman R -TBA

Bomberman is back baby! It has been awhile for the little guy after his god awful 360 reboot but he's back on Nintendo Switch for his 33rd anniversary. The classic gameplay returns but with new twists, campaign and boss battles.

Puyo Puyo Tetris - TBA

Prepare for a puzzling nightmare as Puyo Puyo and Tetris join forces to take on four players at once, TOGETHER. featuring multiple games modes almost certain to give you some form of PTSD. Check out the trailer and feel you brain ooze.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - TBA

Yes apparently Xenoblade Chronicles X on Wii U is not the second Xenoblade Chronicles... moving on. XC2 does look like a true sequel to the first game in terms of tone and style. Here's hoping the British accents return in this one.

Fire Emblem Warriors - TBA

Can anyone hear that? Does it sound like a phone? oh, it's me! because I FRAKING CALLED IT!
Sorry, smug mode cancelled. Not much to go on here other than Koei Tecmo are returning to the land of "warrior" Nintendo spin-offs with the ever so perfect fit of Fire Emblem.

Dragon Quest - TBA

Speaking of Koei Tecmo they are also working with square and bring their OTHER 'warrior' spin-off to a long-running game to Switch. Yep, Dragon Quest Heroes I + II are on their way along with Dragon Quest X (the MMO) and Dragon Quest XI (still no idea which version).

Sonic and SMT

Sega confirmed multiple titles for Switch. Both 'Untitled Sonic 2017' and Sonic Mania (the all new classic Sonic game. Sega and Atlus also showed off a teaser for Shin Megami Tensei 5, which interestingly appears to be set in the modern day and ISN'T a Persona game.

"Project Octopath Traveler"

Not a lot to go on here. Well, other than the interesting 2D-3D-2D art style and is being brought to us by the excellent team that brought us the Bravely Default series.

Skyrim

Yep, Skyrim is 100% coming to Switch, allowing you flee your family as they attempt to force you and the Skyrim apart. It's unknown if Skyrim Switch is the legendary edition or if there will be mod support.

Capcom

Capcom managed to surprise us by quietly announcing "Ultra Street Fighter II: The Last Challengers". USF2 is being billed as a new game by Capcom. however, it appears to be an expanded version of the brilliant Street Fighter 2 HD Remix. Which features lovely new art from Undon the makers of the Street Fighter comics and manga.

USF2 adds in two 'new'  characters "Evil Ryu" and "Violent Ken" (one evil with the Dark Hadou, the other twisted by M. Bison), and a new 2v2 co-op mode, unleashing 4 players on the screen at once.

Ubisoft

Ubi confirmed their open world winter sports title "Steep" will be coming to Nintendo Switch and that Rayman Legends is getting a super special edition with "plenty of surprises"

Others
There's also a bunch of other games shown (and confirmed) in montages.

Has-Been Heroes (March 2017)

Disgaea 5 Complete (TBD)

LEGO City Undercover (Spring 2017)

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers (TBD)

Fast RMX (TBD)

RIME (TBD)

I am Setsuna (March 2017)

No More Heroes: Brand New Title (TBD)

Minecraft Story Mode: The Complete Adventure (TBD)

Minecraft (TBD)

Just Dance 2017 (March 2017)

Dragon Ball XENOVERSE 2 (TBD)

nipperclips – Cut It Out, Together! (March 2017)

Arcade Archives (TBD)

Farming Simulator (TBD)

Skylanders Imaginators (TBD)

Syberia 3 (TBD)

NBA 2K18 (September 2017)

FIFA (TBD)

Redout (Spring 2017)

Check out: Switch Controller - Switch Pre-order

Switch Day: Controllers

So Nintendo finally blew the lid off their new machine, The Nintendo Switch. The Big N showed off the new machine, some new games, and finally the secrets of the Switch's Joy-Cons.

I've decided to start with the controllers as they turned out to be rather surprising. Even though some of the functionality was leaked or was expected thanks to previously announced games. Let's take look at the new guys.

Evolution.

The Nintendo Switch is the evolution of the entire Nintendo system line and the controllers have certainly picked up some tricks from is forebearers.

Things to be noted; The little black square on the left pad IS a 'share' button allowing players to take screenshots (video to come later) which ca,n be shared via "social media". If you look a,t the two black interior sides of the joy-cons, you will spot 2 silver buttons, there are shoulder buttons for when one joy-con is used. These buttons can be enhanced with grips (included in the box). Nintendo also revealed the Joy-Cons will have colour options, Either separately or with the console. Neon Blue and Neon Red.

The Joy-Cons also house two bonus secrets. First, it appears the NFC Amiibo reader is IN the R-Stick. Secondly, the right Joy-Con features and nifty IR camera (currently isn't used to replace touch controls) that can gauge distance and even tell hand signals.

The Joy-Cons are also full separate motion controllers (as Just Dance's presence suggested) and feature super interesting 3D rumble that somehow (we assume magic) is able to give the impression the Joy Con is a "glass with an ice cube" reacting to the movement of the user. This effect was demonstrated as being able to simulate two cubes, three cubes, even three cubes suspended in water.

Options.
If you're the type of person who shudders at the term "motion controller" then you'll be happy to hear that Nintendo is billing the new system as one of "options". The Joy-Cons can be used like "a normal controller" mounted in the controller mount (also included), separately (one person using both pads), independently (one person/one Joy-Con) and up to four of them can be linked to one machine.

Nintendo confirmed that the Pro pad will be available for a separate purchase and can be used on anywhere "normal" controls are used.

Check out the Joy-Con segment.

Check Out: Switch Games - Nintendo Switch pre-order

Abe's Take
I've got to admit I wasn't expecting to be excited about the Joy-Cons, I desperately love being able to relax my arms and play. Playing MH with the Wiimote was probably the least tense I've been on MH ever.

I a,m hyper curious on just how the "ice cube in a glass" vibration works and feels

Rumour: Switch UK price, US Zelda & Mother 3

Well looks like there is more retailer fun regarding Nintendo Switch and Ms Dale is still leaking (rumours, not bodily fluids), Lets hope these retail rumours are unlike yesterdays.

First up we have UK retailer Argos has put an price on the Nintendo Switch, an actual one and not some super place holder like GAME's £999.

Is the price an simple place holder or has Nintendo already passed on details to retailers? It's certainly a fine guide price and we have heard previous rumours that there would be £299.99 bundle. Its worth noting that price is cheaper than a PS4 Pro but more expensive than an Xbox One S (though that appears to be more to do with an Amazon sale)

Next up we have Laura Dale saying she has access to Nintendo Switch's US launch promo materials and it clearly states Breath of the Wild as a launch title. This puts an end to her previous on/off report that Zelda: Breath of the Wild was delayed for Switch.

Contrary to my past report on BOTW release date it is 100% coming at Switch launch in North America in March. Have seen finalised materials.

— Laura Kate Dale (@LaurakBuzz) January 2, 2017

What about UK release? Well some Amazon UK pre-order customers are reporting emails confirming an change of release date from "2017" to "31st March 2017"

The release date for the video game listed below has been changed by the publisher, and we want to provide you with a new delivery estimate based on the new release date:

"The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild"

Estimated arrival date: March 31, 2017

The Japanese magazine CoroCoro has had an upcoming issue leaked and that too confirms a spring release.

Ms Dale also claims that Mother 3 will finally see a western launch as part of the Nintendo Switch's Virtual Console. Now excuse me whilst I roll my eyes. not that I don't believe her but "MOTHER 3 COMING WEST!" has to been the most persistent rumour over the last 5 years or so. Before every Direct, E3 and TV appearance the Mother 3 rumour has appeared. This rumour has, in the past claimed the credibility of several "insiders" such as Ms Emily Rogers.

Mother 3 VC Switch Q2 2017. Will be announced Jan 12 event.

— Laura Kate Dale (@LaurakBuzz) January 2, 2017

Abe's Take
I'm hesitant to believe these, rumours simple because of yesterday's burn but that is mostly because I really wanted those red cases. I also refuse to believe Mother 3 is actually coming to the west until the game actually loads on my TV.

Nintendo Switch Rumour Dump

So something odd happened, Youtube streamer OBE1Plays was 'Intensely' streaming a Splatoon match when it was interrupted by now famous Nintendo Switch leaker Laura Dale.

Suddenly the stream ended and a Nintendo rumour fest began. OBE1Plays claims to have exclusive leaks for his "12 days of Switchmas" and this starts with both confirming that the next Assassin's Creed game will see 'release parity' across X1, PS4 and Nintendo Switch, which would be nice as on the Wii U version of Assassin's Creed III arrived 5 weeks later than is 360/PS3 cousin. The Wii U's gamepad made the poorly built wilderness map a lot easier to get through and reach the actual fun parts of the world. ODE1 also confirms the AC game in question is Egyptian themed, which could mean some Aladdin flashbacks.

@OBE1plays @YouTube I've heard as much on AC release parity, Ubi want day one release. Good luck on your 12 days. Fingers crossed for you.

— Laura Kate Dale (@LaurakBuzz) December 28, 2016

The two's live stream can be viewed here but the stream is 30 minutes long and so here is the cliff notes created by Nintendo Life's Dan Thompson. You'll all so see some notes by me in Bold.

• There's a record button on the left Joy-Con. We've previously assumed that button to be an NFC reader.
• There will be no friend codes, DeNA is helping Nintendo with the networking. 
• The leak from Reddit user 'Genos' is fake.
• Laura was asked if there was the possibility of Red Dead Redemption 2 or Overwatch coming to the Switch. Regarding Red Dead, she stated that there's almost no way it's going to happen due to Rockstar's relationship with Nintendo. She assures that Overwatch wouldn't be there at launch, and the two stated that it would require a massively overhauled port due to the 'always-online' nature of the title. This bit seems off to us if Overwatch can't come to Switch that rules out other every MMO and "always online" titles like Destiny, Division and others like Rocket lead. The 3DS doesn't feature mobile internet but that hasn't stopped two MMOs in Japan (Monster Hunter Frontier and Dragon Quest X)
• Don't expect a delay for the Nintendo Switch.
• Laura was asked about voice-chat, before she was going to answer she asked if she could say anything due to OBE1 releasing a video detailing it out soon. This basically confirmed the fact that it's going to be included, smooth move guys. This isn't too helpful as the Wii U supported voice chat but not as a system wide feature.
• The system will have Bluetooth, not sure to what extent. One assumes the Pro pad and Joy-Cons are not wired USB devices.
• The Joy-Cons will be available to be purchased separately at launch date. Docks will be purchasable after 6 months and will be 'cheap'.
• There won't be a bundle that includes the Pro Controller, they will be purchasable separately.
• The battery will last around 3 hours with everything at maximum. We know from Unreal code that the Switch can throttle performance to 60% in portable mode so if 3 hours at max, then 5-6 hours at 60% is possible
• The charging port is USB and will easily and quickly charge the system. Yay, power banks!
• Only expect three virtual console Gamecube games at launch, they will be optimised for their original resolutions.
• At launch, there will only be one colour of the Switch, and it will be the default grey. However, there's a slight chance that there will be multiple colours after launch. Pretty sure every Nintendo system after the SNES got multiple colours after launch.
• The right Joy-Con has an IR pointer akin to the Wiimote, this will allow touch-screen functionalities while docked. 
• The entry bundle for the switch will have 32GB of onboard storage, Micro SD card support will extend to 128 GB. hard limit or will players be able to risk larger cards? also, yay Micro SD!
• When asked about Mass Effect Andromeda, she brought up the point that Mass Effect 3 sold horrendously on Wii U and that there are no plans to release the title. This isn't exactly a 'rumour' as the developers have already ruled out a port. I'm sure EA knows full well why ME3 sales was low on Wii U *cough* trilogy *cough*

Separately Ms Dale is still unsure on whether if the Breath of the Wild will be on the Nintendo Switch at launch, From her sources she believes that Mario Switch will be a launch title whilst Breath of the Wild will hit later. Whilst I don't have the sources of Ms Dale, the fact that Tantalus has games in development for Switch does make my "Zelda-delay-sense" tingle. (Tantalus are the studio behind the HD remakes of Wind Waker and Twilight Princess) though it would seem utterly bizare to rob the Switch of all that "wild hype" in favour of any brand boost from Super Mario Run.

Abe's Take

It's not long before we can call time on these rumours as we're less than a quarter of a month away from the full reveal by Nintendo. 

Check Out This Legend of Zelda 3D Map

Some time ago you may remember someone created the entire world map of the original NES Legend Of Zelda in Minecraft? Well, you should, here let's remind you of what it looked like. 

Well via Mike Matei on Twitter (one-half of Angry Video Game Nerd) has shown of what happens when you take 6 months of Minecraft work and send it to a 3D printer. Spoiler alert! it is 'the glory'!

That beautiful piece took a solid 24 hours to print and then took a further (probably frustrating) 6 hours to paint and has apparently been sold for $100, which in the humble rambler's view is devastatingly cheap. Gaming collectables are insultingly expensive at the best of times, let alone custom item that represents over half a year's worth of effort

Check out the rest of the pictures on Mike's Twitter page.

Abe's Take
I sure hope more of these get into the wild. I would happily pay $100 for stuff like this. I'm not 100% sure if it's because A) it's really good for the price or B) I'm just used to the $500+ price tag of other collectables like THIS GUY or THAT GUY

Dragon Quest XI Reconfirmed For Switch... Again

So after a lengthy absence thanks to a minor technical fault with my personal PC... a small fire made its home in it. Now that's all sorted we're back with Nintendo Switch news.

Nintendo has reconfirmed Dragon Quest XI for the Nintendo Switch, for those keeping score this being the third time DQXI has been confirmed for the Nintendo Switch. The first time Square-Enix confirmed both DQ X and DQ XI would come to the (then) NX during a live stream for the franchises 30th anniversary but shortly afterwards (precisely the length of time for an angry call from a Nintendo lawyer) retracted the announcement. Then after the Switch's reveal SE officially confirmed DQXI was coming to PS4, 3DS and Switch all at the same time.

So why this third attempt at confirming the title? Well, Square has been showing off the PS4 and 3DS version (video below) and did not mention the Nintendo Switch version, which led to fans pressing Nintendo for confirmation that a version was still coming and of cause it's now been confirmed by Nintendo.

Check the video out, the 3DS version starts after the PS4 version at 2:11

As you can see the two versions of the game are shaping up nicely. The ps4 version looks really nice, like Akira Toriyama's designs are given a more "realistic" makeover (interesting to see if it gets a PS4 Pro mode). Whilst the 3DS version has a rather interesting take with a dual 2D sprite & 3D model presentation (something tells me there might be a Pokemon game like that before the Switch takes over full time).

Abe's Take
Questions still hang over Dragon Quest XI as there is no confirmation about which of the two versions will come to Nintendo Switch and whether it'll even come west, though the chances are good as Dragon Quest Heroes and the two 3DS remakes have been localised.

Point and click mania - Clock Tower

“Raised in the Granite Orphanage, Jennifer and her friends

were wanted as adopted daughters.

It happened in September…”

It’s hard to be objective to a game I ritualistically play every Halloween much less to a game that practically redefined the survival horror genre overnight. Clock Tower is a forgotten gem which has no right to be as good as it is. It does everything wrong. An action driven game that pits you against only one enemy whilst offering no weapons to defend yourself against it. Check. A 90’s point and click adventure that can be finished in less than an hour. Check. Small children killed in a Nintendo exclusive. Check. Yes, Clock Tower truely offered the unseasoned survival horror market an experience quite unlike any other.

Inspired by the giallo work of Dario Argento and video nasties such as The Burning, Clock Tower puts you in control of orphan Jennifer as she attempts to navigate an isolated mansion whilst she and her young friends are routinely hunted and butchered by a serial killer. You win the game by hiding in any space you can find hoping to be quick enough, lucky enough - the killers appearance is randomized - to escape some unfortunate end. Help does not come.

While you run, Jennifer panics. If she panics too much she will begin to fall over. Her killer closes in. If you reach a dead end, the game continues letting you simply wait knowing there is absolutely nothing you can do. Then you are schewered like a pig.  You will see Jennifer die a lot in Clock Tower. Suprisingly, this game never made it out of the Japanese market. 

Here’s a typical event that may happen in Clock Tower: I run into an outhouse with the pulsating John Carpenter music revibrating down the coridors after me. I climb a ladder onto a balcony and duck down. The killer enters and I push the ladder over preventing him from reaching me. He leaves. The music ends. I suddenly realise the drop is too far for me to return to the ground floor and I am stuck up there. Suddenly, the roof caves in and the killer is up there with me. He advances.

It is this psychology of uncertainty and vulnerability that makes the atmosphere of Clock Tower work so effortlessly. You are in danger from the moment the game begins to the moment it ends. There are no powerups, no cheats or saves and later games in the series wouldn’t even have canonical endings. Pick your favourite said the director [in the sequel manual] there’s the “Hollywood” ending, the “franchise” ending; he continues to list them off as if he really doesn’t care. The game over screen is termed “dead end” perhaps ironically. There are nine endings in total to Clock Tower and many of them are not pretty.

The popularity of the game continued to grow years later thanks to internet piracy and elements of the game found its way into populrar cultue, the panic system was incorporated into the original Dino Crisis and online cult legend Benjamin Yahtzee of Zero Punctuation fame developed a video game trilogy inspired by the game beginning with “5 Days a Stranger.” Now the series has finally been revived thanks to a kick starter campaign.

Will Jennifer and her friends escape from The Barrows Mansion? This time perhaps, and there are three endings in which the escape can tie into a direct seuel, but in future games - all endings are equivocal. It is this open endededness and lack of concern with an overly rewarding or punishing game experience that allows players the freedom to interpret the game as they see fit.

The game was later ported to Windows but once again failed to acquire interested publishers outside of Japan. I wonder why.

If you like this try:

5 Days a Stranger, Broken Sword (series), Silent Hill (series), Dark Seed (series).