Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Review – Deluxe Package
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch
ESRB Rating: E
Release Date: April 28, 2017
MRSP: $59.99
Mario Kart 8 was one of the first must have games on Wii U during the first half of the systems’ life cycle but there was always something missing that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe manages to fill with the revamped Battle Mode. Content additions weren’t the only focus of the game as Mario Kart Deluxe features native 1080p visuals at 60 frames per second for a sharper experience that feels good to play. From Joycons on their side to the preferred pro controller, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe offers one of the most diverse control schemes in any multiplayer game out there. This is, of course, on top of being one of the best racing game or party game experiences out there.
As always, the track design is outstanding and offers so many hidden details that add a sense of world building making the experience feel like a racing game set in the Mario World, rather than a racing game with Mario characters and some guests from other Nintendo franchises. Due to the appearance of Link, Isabelle, and the Inklings from Splatoon it almost feels like the game is trying to step away from the “Mario Kart” branding; but I doubt many would object if other characters manage to make their way into the franchise for the sake of variety.
The original release contained thirty-six playable characters, but seven of those characters were the Koopalings and that made the roster feel padded out compared to other entries where characters such as Diddy Kong and Petey Piranha were playable. In Deluxe there are over forty-two playable characters (unless you count Bowser Junior as a Koopaling,) making the roster will feel much more varied. The addition of King Boo in particular was the favorable choice due to how different he looks compared to the rest of the cast.
Battle Mode is the biggest addition to the remaster. In the Balloon Battle mode, two to twelve players battle it out in arena to score the most points and achieve victory under the allotted time given. There are many returning modes such as “Shine Thief,” where players have to try to hold onto the shine sprite until the time runs out to achieve victory; “Coin Runners” where players collect and steal coins from each other to achieve victory; and “Bob-omb Blast,” where there are explosions everywhere. There is a brand new mode in the form of “Renegade Runners,” which is essentially cops and robbers with Piranha Plants. The cops send the opponents to jail and the opponents can try to break free until no one remains. This new mode was probably the highlight of this new battle mode due to the excitement that can be had with a group friends.
All modes including the races can be played online with a very good experience. Every match tested was lag free and may just be one of the best online experiences Nintendo has ever created. Even with subtle changes such as allowing characters and kart changing between matches makes it a much smoother experience than the 2014 release. However, on the flip side, as a modern game it lacks various features such as voice chat and messaging making it too simple of an interface. This is a problem with the Nintendo Switch in general and, unfortunately, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is bogged down by this.
For those that played Mario Kart 8 back in 2014, maybe this may not be a reason to pick up a Switch or once again pay full price for this product. The package feels much more complete, and will be a satisfying purchase for those that have not played Mario Kart 8 before.
9.5/10
Pros:
+Beautiful visuals
+Great Track Design
+Frantic Battle mode
+A much more diverse character roster
+A control scheme for everyone
Cons:
-Online interface issues have not been addressed
Final Fantasy XV Review – A Fantasy Based on a Reality
Platform: *PS4/Xbox 1
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Rated: T
Release Date: November 29th, 2016
Final Fantasy. Whether you like Japanese video games or not, and whether or not you even play video games, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of this franchise somewhere. Each numbered entry typically takes place in a new explorable world and always gives a new cast of characters. It’s been a long time coming since the previous single-player main entry Final Fantasy XIII, and it’s been ten years since this game itself was announced under the name of Final Fantasy VS XIII.
Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey
Developer: Gust Co. Ltd.
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Platform: Playstation 4, Playstation Vita, and PC
ESRB Rating: T
Release Date: March 7, 2017
MRSP: $59.99
A review copy was provided by KT America
This game was ran on an i5 6600k with 16gb of ram and a Nvidia GTX GeForce 970
The second installment of the Mysterious arc in GUST’s annual series is by far one of their most ambitious takes on the franchise. “Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey” sets out to validate itself as a game that needs to be played by anyone who enjoys RPGs with a cute anime aesthetic. With a more in depth alchemy system and intriguing battle system, Atelier Firis seems to be a step forward in many directions whilst taking a step back in other areas.
Atlus USA Eases Up on Streaming Restrictions for Persona 5
Back when Persona 5 came out earlier this month, Atlus USA had shared a warning for all streamers and Let’s Plays advising they do not stream beyond 7/7 in Persona 5. However it seems like Atlus USA is loosening up their grip on this.
When Persona 5 launched, we put out a set of video/streaming guidelines that we hoped would limit online spoilers for fans who have yet to play the game.
To our surprise, we then saw numerous reactive news articles go up, opinion videos post, and received many emails asking us to please change our Persona 5streaming/video policy. We recognize that our fans are the reason why the game is the major worldwide success it is, and we continue to want them to be able to enjoy the game without fear of being spoiled. However, we also heard your issues with the guidelines and have decided to revise them. Because we want to give players the most access to the game while respecting the original goal, we’re now asking players to refrain from streaming or posting video past the end of the in-game date of 11/19—when the main story gears up for the final act.
We also want to apologize to those of you who saw the previous guidelines blog post as threatening. We want to be transparent about what we do, and the reason we released the guidelines was to give streamers the right information up front. It was never our intention to threaten people with copyright strikes, but we clearly chose the wrong tone for how to communicate this.
Lastly, we want to thank our fans around the world for supporting Persona 5 and ATLUS. The game is a global success because of your passion for the series, and we’re happy that so many of you are enjoying it.
While it is unfortunate there are still some restrictions on the game, it’s good to see Atlus USA easing up on this. It seems like only a matter of time before the embargo is lifted from the entire game.
Yooka Laylee Review – The Return of Collectathons?
Developer: Playtonic Games
Publisher: Team17
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC*
ESRB Rating: E10+
Release Date: April 11th 2017
MRSP: $39.99
*The PC Version was used to review this game
A retail copy was purchased by the reviewer for this review.
Nostalgia is a powerful thing in the gaming community these days, as it serves as one of the main factors of success in most kickstarted games. A few examples of this are “Shenmue 3,” “Mighty Number 9,” “Bloodstained,” and the newly released “Yooka Laylee.” Yooka Laylee serves as a love letter to the late 90s era of 3D platformers, but does it show the age of the games it tries to imitate? Today we take a look and find out for ourselves.
Rose in the Twilight review: This Beautiful Rose Has Forgettable Thorns
Platform:Playstation Vita/PC
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software
Publisher: Nippon Ichisoftware America
ESRB Rating: T
Release Date: April 11th, 2017
Nippon Ichi Software has been on an interesting path where they decide to make “indie-like” titles. In 2014 (localized in 2015) there was the bizarrely gruesome 2D puzzle platformer, Firefly Diaries; in 2015 (localized in 2016) my new favorite adventure horror game, Yomawari; and in 2016 (localized in 2017) Rose in the Twilight follows Firefly Dairies as (despite the aesthetic,) it has no problem being gory while also being a 2D puzzle platformer.
Check Out a Ton of New Screenshots for Birthday the Beginnings!
NISA has just released a ton of new screenshots of the english version of Birthday the Beginnings check it out!
One of the features of the game is the “Challenge Mode” where you are given a set amount of years and special conditions to accomplish a challenging task, like creating and capturing a plesiosaurus or the infamous tyrannosaurus rex.
In Birthdays the Beginning, you accumulate dozens of items throughout the game to alter the topography, temperature, and moisture – but one of the more interesting items is the Mysterious Glass Jar. This item saves the genetic information of an organism and let’s you decide when and where to convert it back into an organism. What will happen when you force a creature into a habitat it’s not accustomed to?
Birthday the Beginnings launches in North America on May 9th on PlayStation 4 and on Steam.
Yakuza Kiwami Launches August 29 With an Awesome Steelbook
This morning SEGA has announced that Yakuza Kiwami will be headed westward on August 29th for $29.99, and will be sporting an awesome new steelbook case!
It’s been a while since the legendary Kazuma Kiryu, the Dragon of Dojima, first graced PlayStation 2 systems in 2005’s Yakuza, and it’s time to return to where it all began. Get ready to relive the legend, because the “extreme” HD remake Yakuza Kiwami will be available in the Americas and Europe on Aug. 29 for PlayStation 4! Besides completely recreated graphics and fully re-recorded Japanese audio by the original voice actors, the game also features added distractions and ~30 minutes of new cutscenes! The game will be coming out physically and digitally for $29.99/£29.99/€34.99, and pre-orders/first run copies of the physical version will come packaged in a stunning SteelBook®. Take a look at the glamshot below!
-PR
To get newer fans ready, SEGA has also revamped their Yakuza website to become a database of all things Yakuza! This will also include a 10 issue comic to get fans up to speed of everything between Yakuza 0 and Yakuza 6 (which launches in the west early next year).
BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE! We also launched the Yakuza Experience website, an all-new Yakuza portal where the world of Yakuza can be explored via an interactive timeline and character map. It’s a great resource to use if you want to learn about the history, characters, and families in the series. Right now you can check out everything leading up to 1995, where Yakuza Kiwami starts! The site also features the first issue of a 10-issue digital comic, starting with some of the key events of Yakuza 0 and taking you along for the ride all the way up to Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, coming to PS4 early next year. Veterans of the series can expect some surprises in store for them in the comic!
It’s great to see SEGA is putting a lot of commitment into the Yakuza series in the west again after the success of Yakuza 0! If you haven’t done so already be sure to check out our review of Yakuza 0.
Superdimension Neptune vs. SEGA Hard Girls hits Steam this Summer
After a long wait, the latest released Hyperdimension Neptunia spin-off game finally will be hitting Steam this summer!
It’s time for Steam users to save Time itself! Superdimension Neptune VS Sega Hard Girls brings its action-packed JRPG gameplay to Steam this Summer 2017! With lustrous, updated 1080p graphics, you’ll get to experience Iffy’s timetraveling adventure in a whole new way. Originally available on the PlayStation®Vita system, this RPG has everyone’s favorite chuunibyo Iffy riding with motor-mouthed (and motorbike’d) Neptune to save history! She’ll team up with personifications of the Sega console known as the Sega Hard Girls to climb, dash, and crawl through dungeons, fighting in intense turn-based battles where character classes, battle gems, and the special Fever Time mode can change the course of battle!
–PR
It’s good to see that this Compile-Heart/SEGA cross over is hitting Steam in the next few months! Check out some of the first screenshots for the PC release
To see our full thoughts on the Vita version of this game check out our review here.
Trails of Cold Steel and Trails of Cold Steel II head to PC
Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel will be coming off of PS3 and Vita and onto PC this summer and it’s sequel sometime down the line. The PC version will have 5,000 more voice lines (a 50% increase) as well as run at 60 frames per second.
Here’s a comparison video between the PS3 and PC version. Please note that the footage was shot at 30fps, but the game itself was running 60fps.
Here’s what XSEED has to say on the title
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel builds on Nihon Falcom’s beloved Trails franchise, improving on the series’ formula while delivering an expertly told, standalone narrative that both series fans and newcomers alike will enjoy. Taking place on the same continent as fan-favorite Trails in the Sky, Trails of Cold Steel further explores Erebonia and gives players a chance to delve deep into the inner political conflicts of this oft-mentioned and powerful empire. Players take on the role of elite military students at a time of great turmoil, who enjoy school life as they bond with fellow students to earn new abilities in battle, and then utilize those abilities via tactical turn-based combat. In between skirmishes, players can upgrade their party members with the “ARCUS” system – a streamlined version of the classic “Orbment” magic system from previous titles – allowing for greater access to abilities and quicker customization.
Screenshots:
The Gaming Gamma 