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Super Mario Party lets you connect multiple Switch consoles to expand your screen
Super Mario Party is coming to the Nintendo Switch, but alongside the new party gameplay, there appears to be an interesting new use of the Switch hardware for multi-player purposes.
It appears you’ll be able to modularly connect at least two Nintendo Switch consoles to expand the size of the screen you’re working with. In gameplay it seems actions will be able to seamlessly move from one screen to the other after users draw where the connection between the consoles are.
This orientation calibration mechanic for Mario Party is currently front runner for Interaction Design of the year. Shut it down folks. pic.twitter.com/kHl7GsBEcX
— Jim Toepel (@jimtoepel) June 12, 2018
Mario Party has long been a Nintendo franchise that pushes the technical limits of the systems in their most gimmicky capacities. It seems that the Switch will gain some cool applications of the controllers’ motion capabilities for the wide variety of party games.
This really seems like the idealized use for the Switch’s controller system, and while Mario Kart 8 offered a lot of tabletop fun for using controllers on the tiny screen, Nintendo is really letting loose here bringing multiple Switches together and all of the controllers that they can handle.
How much a feature like this would actually be used in real life is a little dubious, but we’ll find out how much the mechanic fits into gameplay October 5.
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Fortnite arrives on the Nintendo Switch today
After days of press conferences teasing games arriving in some time within the next decade, here’s a refreshing bit of news. As previously rumored, wildly popular sandbox survival game Fortnite is, indeed, coming to Nintendo Switch. Not only that, it’s available starting today as a free download from the Nintendo eShop.
Epic’s title will be available at 10AM PT today (a little under an hour from now), bringing the battle royale mode that has made it such a massive money maker on the PC, consoles and iOS, which arrived in March. An Android version of the title is also in the works for later this summer.
The game is a perfect fit for console. Nintendo’s long time focus on all ages entertainment certainly lines up with the title, which skews younger than many of the titles on display at the show this week, along with the (perhaps litigiously so) similar Player Unknown Battlegrounds (PUBG).
The battle royale game play means Switch players will be able to play against a gamers and the growing number of devices Fortnite is currently available for.
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How (and when) to watch the E3 2018 press conferences
Sure, E3 doesn’t actually officially start until Tuesday, but the big news kicks off this weekend. Here’s a quick overview of some of the biggest new titles we expect to be shown off at press conferences from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, but there’s a lot more to the show than just the big three.
EA started several days of big announcements with a press conference in downtown L.A. this morning, focused on Battlefield V, Fifa 2019 and a bunch more. Microsoft, meanwhile, will be the first of the big hardware companies to hold court with an early afternoon event on Sunday, followed by Bethesda that night.
Monday is the most packed day of the week with events from Square Enix, Ubisoft and Sony. Nintendo, meanwhile, has Tuesday morning to itself, opting to again return to its pre-recorded streaming format in lieu of renting out a larger hall.
Here’s the full break down.
SUNDAY, JUNE 10
Microsoft: 1PM PT, 4PM ET
What to expect: Crackdown 3, Gears of War, Forza and (maybe?) a new Halo.
Bethesda 6:30PM PT, 9:30PM ET
What to expect: Rage 2, Fallout 76.
MONDAY, JUNE 11
Square Enix 10AM PT, 1 PM ET
Watch live video from Square Enix on www.twitch.tv
What to expect: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Kingsom Hearts 3, Final Fantasy VII.
Ubisoft 12:30PM PT, 3:30PM ET
What to expect: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, new Splinter Cell.
Sony 6PM PT, 9PM ET
What to expect: Death Stranding, Last of Us Part II, Marvel’s Spider-Man
TUESDAY, JUNE 12
Nintendo 9AM PT, 12PM ET
What to expect: Super Smash Bros
What to expect: Super Smash Bros, Pokemon and (maybe) Fortnite
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What to expect from Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony at E3 2018
It’s June, so that means it’s time to spend some quality time in downtown Los Angeles. E3 doesn’t actually begin in earnest until next Tuesday, but much of the big news will actually drop over the weekend, during press conferences from Microsoft, EA and Bethesda.
Starting Saturday, the video game news will be arriving fast and furious. We’ll be on the ground at the Staples Center to cover all things E3, but in the meantime, here’s a breakdown of what we expect to see at one of the gaming world’s biggest events.
Microsoft
Microsoft’s press conference is the first of the big three. The bad news: The company just confirmed a recent report that Crackdown 3 has been delayed until February. Bummer. Bad news for those aching to get their hands on the open-world action-adventure, but the title will almost certainly get some love during the event, regardless. After all, Microsoft has been talking up the title since way back in 2014.
It wouldn’t be a proper Microsoft E3 event without a Halo title of some kind. Halo 6 seems like a possibility — if not a certainty. The latest rumor has the upcoming game titled Halo Infinity, which may or may not be the first direct follow-up to 2015’s lukewarmly received Halo 5: Guardians.
New Gears of War and Forza titles have also been rumored for the big show.
Microsoft’s event kicks off at 1PM PT on Sunday.
Nintendo
One thing we know for sure: A Super Smash Bros. title is coming to the Switch. Based on Nintendo’s recent habit of focusing on a key game at E3, it seems a safe bet that the beloved fighting game will get the lion’s share of the company’s attention.
Metroid Prime 4 and Yoshi seem like no-brainers for the big event, along with recently announced Pokémon titles Let’s Go, Pikachu and Let’s Go, Eevee. Oh, and did someone say Fortnite for the Switch? The rumor mill has also suggested a Star Fox racing title and even an N64 Classic Edition.
Nintendo is set to open the show at 9AM PT on Tuesday with a pre-recorded presentation.
Sony
Sony has already curbed speculation by announcing to the gaming world that there will be no hardware news at this year’s event. That said, there’s still going to be plenty of software firepower.
Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding has been appearing at these shows since way back in 2016. Even so, the game remains something of a mystery. Expect to see a fair bit more next week, as the title becomes something of a tentpole for Sony’s presentation. Kojima has certainly been talking it up on social media, including, compellingly, a tribute to late Joy Division frontman, Ian Curtis.
After debuting it at last year’s show, Sony has confirmed that Last of Us Part II will be making another appearance at E3. The eagerly awaited sequel appears to be largely focused on Ellie’s quest for revenge.
With a slated September release, Marvel’s Spider-Man also seems like a no-brainer for some serious stage time. Peter Parker will return as the webslinger this time out, and there will be a number of notable cameos for Spider-Fans, including Miles Morales and Mary Jane Watson, who will serve as a playable character.
Sony gets started at 6PM PT on Monday.
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Pokémon Quest hits the Nintendo Switch with two more Pokémon titles on the way
Much like the unique and forking joy of catching an eevee you plan to evolve, Poké trainers have some exciting branching paths ahead of them.
In a dedicated press event in Tokyo, the Pokémon Company, Nintendo and Niantic announced three new Pokémon games, with another on the way in late 2019. The first game, a casual “free to start” RPG called Pokémon Quest, is already available for download on the Nintendo Switch.
With a team of up to three Pokémon, you can explore the secrets of Tumblecube Island. Battle wild Pokémon, gather treasure, and even befriend new Pokémon—if you have the right ingredients, that is! #PokemonQuest puts the power in your hands. pic.twitter.com/BuVVenFAYR
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) May 30, 2018
Pokémon Quest revisits the well-loved core cast of ‘mons from the Kanto region (think Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow era) but with a cubist twist. The game will hit the Switch first (it’s already there!) before expanding to iOS and Android later in June. Cube charizard, be mine.
Beyond the cute cubey apéritif, a beginner-friendly set of games called Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! will hit the Switch on November 16. According to its creators, the two titles “bring the experience of a classic Pokémon RPG to Nintendo Switch with gameplay that is easily approachable for newcomers to the series, but is also deep enough to keep veteran Trainers on their toes.” We’ll see about that.
Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!, and the #PokeBallPlus will be released on November 16, 2018 worldwide! https://t.co/kXLdxUMjjA #PokemonLetsGo pic.twitter.com/bUU3ZcnApi
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) May 30, 2018
The Pokémon Company also explained that the two games will tie into the hit mobile experience of Pokémon GO, though we don’t know the full extent of what that looks like yet:
There is a deep connection between Pokémon GO and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! For one thing, Pokémon originally discovered in the Kanto region that you have caught in Pokémon GO can be brought into these two new Nintendo Switch games. That’s not all, though. Look forward to more details at a later date.
Beyond the crowd-pleasing option to center either pikachu or eevee (let’s be real, you’re picking eevee), the Let’s Go games will showcase a new peripheral for the Switch known as the Poké Ball Plus that’s designed to simulate the evocative gesture that seasoned trainers know so well. Apparently, Nintendo put plenty of thought into that experience, so we’re hoping that it really brings to life the sensation of a wild animal wriggling rhythmically as its freedom seeps away, second by second.
You can use the #PokeBallPlus as a Joy-Con in #PokemonLetsGo! Good things may happen if you place one of your favorite Pokémon into the device and walk around with it in the real world. It will be able to connect to Pokémon GO as well! pic.twitter.com/I18Y55odpp
— Pokémon (@Pokemon) May 30, 2018
Pokemon CEO: Nintendo engineers helped make the Pokeball. The idea was to create the closest thing possible to an actual Pokeball that really felt like it has a Pokemon inside. Bless
— Yuji Nakamura (@ynakamura56) May 30, 2018
Again, these games aren’t the core handheld title that diehard pokéfans are after, but if you’re going to have to wait until 2019 for a proper main series Pokémon RPG experience on the Switch, today’s news should offer plentiful snacks to tide you over.
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NES Classic loaded with classic manga games raises hopes for other special editions
Japanese gamers and manga aficionados and every combination thereof will get a treat this summer with the release of a NES Classic Edition loaded with games from the pages of Weekly Jump. The beloved manga mag is celebrating its 50th anniversary and this solid gold Famicom is part of the festivities.
There’s basically no chance this Jump-themed NES will get a release in the US — first because hardly any Americans will have read any of these manga (with a couple exceptions) and second because even fewer will have played the Famicom games associated with them.
Familiar… and yet…
That said, this nurtures the hope inside me that we will at some point see other themed NES Classics; the original has, of course, a fantastic collection — but there are dozens more games I would have loved to see on there.
You can hack the thing pretty easily and put half the entire NES library on it, but Nintendo’s official versions will have been tested and perhaps even tweaked to make sure they run perfectly (though admittedly emulation problems aren’t common for NES games).
More importantly it’s possible these hypothetical themed consoles may come with new accessories that I desperately need, like a NES Advantage, Zapper (not sure how it would work), or NES Max. Perhaps even a Power Glove?
In the meantime, at least if you missed the chance to buy one the first time around, you can grab one come the end of June.
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Nintendo’s NES Classic will return to U.S. retail stores on June 29
Rejoice Nintendo fans: the Japanese gaming giant is bringing the NES Classic back to retail stores this summer.
Nintendo said the console will go on sale again across the U.S. on June 29, with the SNES Classic also set to be available until the end of this year. It isn’t clear what the situation will be outside of the U.S., however.
#NESClassic Edition will return to stores on June 29! This system and the #SNESClassic Edition system are expected to be available through the end of the year. https://t.co/LclbG5m4ta pic.twitter.com/1PcXBI5qJC
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) May 14, 2018
The news is welcome but not entirely a surprise. Nintendo said last September that it would bring both consoles — which were originally supposed to be one-offs — back in 2018 following a positive reception and strong sales.
The company originally killed off the hit NES Classic Edition with an announcement last April and it had originally said that the SNES version would not live beyond 2017. The NES system was a surprise hit last year, but the SNES version was even more popular. Nintendo previously revealed that it sold more on launch day in August than the NES sold in the whole of last year.
“Fans have shown their unbridled enthusiasm for these Classic Edition systems, so Nintendo is working to put many more of them on store shelves,” Nintendo said last year.
The two classic systems are part of a new focus for Nintendo, which includes the top-selling Switch console and its first moves into mobile gaming via Pokémon GO and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. The company recently clocked impressive financial returns — including a 500 percent jump in annual profit — as the strategy begins to pay off.
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Nintendo’s $20 charging stand finally fixes the Switch’s kickstand problem
Versatility has also been on of the Switch’s best features. The latest Nintendo system is a fascinating hybrid device that skirts the line between home and portable gaming. Still, there are some in-between scenarios the console didn’t get quite right out of the box.
The kickstand problem has plagued the otherwise well-received device since its earliest days. It falls over often, it’s puts the device at a weird angle, and worst of all, the charging port is on the bottom, so you can’t play the system in table top mode while it’s plugged it.
Just ahead of E3, the company’s showing off a $20 solution. The simply named Adjustable Charging Stand props the system, while keeping it plugged in, via an AC adapter port on the side.
An adjustable kickstand on the back, meanwhile, means you can change the viewing angle, depending on the height of the surface it’s on. That’s good news for those times when you don’t have a TV set to plug into, but still want to pull out the Joy-Cons to get the full experience — be it on a desk or an airport tray table.
The peripheral hits stores July 13.
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Nintendo Switch Online costs $20 per year and comes with 20 online-playable NES games
Nintendo has finally revealed the details of its paid online service after months of speculation by fans. The pricing is pretty much as expected ($20 per year), but the additions of online save game backups and NES games with added online multiplayer sweeten the deal.
We first heard the pricing last June, including the $3.99 monthly and $7.99 3-month options, but the announcement then left much to the imagination. This one makes things much clearer, but there are still a few mysteries it will perhaps clear up at E3 or closer to the September launch.
Save data being backed up online is perhaps the most asked-for feature on the Switch, and one other platforms have provided for years. So its official announcement will surely be greeted with cries of joy. The exact details are coming soon.
But it’s the online play for NES games that really caught my eye. Officially called “NES – Nintendo Switch Online,” it will be a collection of 10 games to start and 10 more to come, all of which can be played in both single- and multi-player modes online. How that looks exactly isn’t quite clear; the Nintendo release says “Depending on the game, players can engage in online competitive or co-op multiplayer, or take turns controlling the action.”
Does that mean we’ll have leaderboards? Ghost runs in Super Mario Bros 3? Low-latency battles in Balloon Fight? No clue.
At least the first 10 games are confirmed: Balloon Fight, Dr. Mario and Super Mario Bros. 3, Donkey Kong, Ice Climber, The Legend of Zelda, Mario Bros., Soccer, Super Mario Bros. and Tennis. The other 10 will supposedly be announced soon, with more added “on a regular basis.”
Those are of course all Nintendo-made games, suggesting licensing negotiations are still underway for classics like Final Fantasy and Double Dragon. For now it’s a package deal, you can’t just buy Soccer and play it unless you go for the full online experience.
The $20 per year subscription will also be necessary starting in September for online play. It might be a bit much to ask if you don’t play a lot of Splatoon or Mario Kart 8 or aren’t so into retro NES games, but it’s sure cheaper than the competition.
If you want to talk with your friends while trading off Zelda dungeons, you’ll still need the smartphone app, though. Perhaps a chat service will be announced another time.
A couple technical notes: the subscription is tied to an account, not the hardware, so if you and I shared a Switch and only I paid for the online aspect, you don’t get it when you log in. On the other hand, when I go to a friend’s house, I can log in to their device and use online services there. There is a $35 yearly option that lets you authorize up to 8 accounts though, for families with multiple users.
The Switch Online service isn’t needed for system updates or buying games online or anything — just online play, the NES games, and save game backups.
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Nintendo’s new president aims to build a billion-dollar mobile gaming business
It’s a time of optimism and transition at Nintendo, where brisk sales of the Switch have bolstered its bottom line and new leadership signals a fresh approach to the market. Shuntaro Furukawa, the new president, told the Nikkei that one of his plans is to pursue mobile gaming with more vigor, aiming to build it into a billion-dollar business.
Furukawa is taking over from Tatsumi Kimishima, who took the helm temporarily after the tragic and sudden death of the beloved Satoru Iwata in 2015. He’s only 46, and clearly as a member of the younger generation has a different outlook on mobile, which the company completely avoided until very recently.
“The idea that something will emerge that transforms into something big, in the same manner as game consoles, is the defining motive of the Nintendo business,” he told the Nikkei. “From what I can see, smartphone games are the ones I want to expand the most.”
He said he envisions the smartphone side of the game company to become a 100 billion yen business — short of a billion at the present exchange rate, but why not round up? The company did a trillion yen in sales last year, so it’s not like we’re going to run out of zeroes.
The company’s tentative forays into the field have been a mixed success. Pokémon GO was, of course, a worldwide phenomenon, but widely criticized for half-baked gameplay and other issues. Mario Run was a perfectly fun game, but many mobile players balked at its high up-front price. Then Fire Emblem: Heroes has proven popular and a financial success — but its reliance on “loot box” mechanics and in-game microtransactions soured the experience for many.
A new game and franchise, Dragalia Lost, is coming this summer.
Clearly Nintendo is still finding its feet in this relatively unfamiliar territory, though long practice with the DS (in many ways very like a smartphone) means that mobile gaming, if not a core competency, is at least core-adjacent. And popular franchises like Advance Wars and Professor Layton are great matches for mobile.
No one should expect a smartphone equivalent to sprawling, beautiful games like Breath of the Wild, but Nintendo has handheld fun in its blood, and there’s no reason to think they won’t nail it after a few tries.
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