Endless Ocean Luminous is meant to be a relaxing game where players can hang out underwater with their friends and other divers. The game features a vast ocean that changes every time players dive, with environments ranging from glacial waters to steep outcrops, to even pitch-black depths.

Throughout their time in the Veiled Sea, players will be able to encounter more than 500 different species of marine life. Players will have to gather light created by bio-luminescent algae, revealing the marine life’s form. The game also features ancient creatures and deep-sea life. Details on the marine life encountered by players can be checked out through an in-game log.

On the multiplayer side of things, players will be able to partake in dives with up to 30 players, which can be a mix of friends and other online divers. Players can also encounter new divers throughout their sessions and opt to become dive buddies, which helps players share discoveries with each other.

Endless Ocean Luminous is slated for release on May 2, exclusively for Nintendo Switch.

Dubbed “Sounds of the Sea”, the trailer does exactly what you’d expect, highlighting the sights and sounds you’ll be seeing as you scuba dive and explore the depths of the Veiled Sea. From gorgeous environments to a host of species of marine life – with over 500 being available in the game for players to find and catalog – there will be plenty to feast your eyes on in the game. Check out the trailer below for a glimpse of what that’ll entail.

Endless Ocean Luminous is set to launch for the Nintendo Switch in less than a month’s time, on May 2.

That last one is what Mega Man Battle Network was. Yet another sub-series reinterpreting the mythos of Mega Man through a role playing lens, Battle Network was created in the wake of Pokemon’s explosive success, even though in terms of actual moment to moment gameplay, the two series end up diverging a fair bit.

"What chips you get in battle depend on which ones you found in the world (either by exploring, or by beating enemies) and equipped to your character."

Like Pokemon, however, Mega Man Battle Network was created for Nintendo handhelds – the GBA at the time. Like Pokemon, the releases came in dual, split versions (well, the later ones anyway; the first two were singular releases each); like Pokemon, the series involved a significant collection element. However, the similarities end there, and the actual structure and gameplay of the two IPs is much more different than a lot of impressions would have you believe.

The chief difference was, of course, in the battle system, which plays like a simplified tactical RPG, and mixes in some real-time elements into the mix as well. In battles, you have a specific, limited range of movement, as do your enemies, and other than a basic, weak attack always available to you, your abilities and powers are dictated by the chips you have on hand. You get to change your load out every turn (itself governed by a meter that fills up in real time), and depending on the chips you use, you can end up with buffs, debuffs, damage dealing attacks, heals, support moves, or some combination and variation of those. Multiple rules govern what kinds of chips you can use, and when – for example, ordinarily you can only use one chip per turn, but you can stack multiple chips together in the same turn if they are compatible (denoted by them having the same letter rating), or if you forego equipping any chips for a turn.

What chips you get in battle depend on which ones you found in the world (either by exploring, or by beating enemies) and equipped to your character. It sounds like a lot to keep track of (particularly for a kid friendly version of an already kid friendly franchise) but the games all come with an excellent (if, unfortunately, unskippable each time, no matter your past experience with the franchise) tutorial to make sure you’re fully caught up on what’s going on.

"All of these were, at a bare minimum, good games – there is no obviously weak link in the package here, unlike, for example, the classic Mega Man series, or the Mega Man X games, and while there are some games that are definitely less beloved than others, all six of these are solid, satisfying, and fun RPGs. "

There is also very little variation in the battle system across the six games (and the dual versions of the latter four), meaning you only really have to play some of one of them, and you’re set in all six. Oh, sure, there are some differences – the ability to run from battles without using a specific chip didn’t exist until the second game, for some reason, and later games try to add some wrinkles to the mix, such as a synchronicity meter for critical hits and a charge beam for your basic attack; but by and large, these games all play the same.

Which contributed to the sense of sameness that originally did these games in to begin with. Between 2001 and 2005, Capcom released six of these games, and all of them shared their battle system, the same characters, the same locations, and even a lot of the same plot beats and themes. All of these were, at a bare minimum, good games – there is no obviously weak link in the package here, unlike, for example, the classic Mega Man series, or the Mega Man X games, and while there are some games that are definitely less beloved than others (the original and the last game are both considered weaker than, for example, the third game, which is a fan favorite), all six of these are solid, satisfying, and fun RPGs (albeit ones that should really not be played back to back). Their strong 16-bit art style and aesthetic, their strong soundtrack, their aforementioned unique battle system, and even their surprisingly prescient stories foreseeing the rise of smartphones and a constantly connected society (as well as the accompanying cybercrime that comes with that territory) all make playing at least one of them very much worth it for RPG or Mega Man fans.

It helps that the Legacy Collection itself seems to be a pretty good compilation of these games too. All the original games are emulated extremely well, with players also getting the option to play them through a high res filter that smooths out the look (why you would do that, I don’t know, but you can), the option to change the borders when you are playing, an optional “Max Buster” mode that greatly increases your damage and can be turned on or off at any time (except for during online battles, where it remains off), an art gallery, a music player, all the special tie-in and event cards that the original games had, and both versions of each game. In quite literally every way possible, this compilation is the definite way to play these games (unless you really prefer playing your games on original hardware, in which case good luck hunting down a GBA and a copy of all ten games included in here, I guess). 

"In quite literally every way possible, this compilation is the definite way to play these games."

Which means it comes down to the quality of the ten games (well, six, with four variations) included here; as mentioned, these are all, at bare minimum, good, and at their best, very good games. They are, however, very similar, and even though you get all of them in one go, you really would be advised to treat this as a multi-month, if not multi-year, long project. Not because the games are long (usually they take 15-30 hours to finish, meaning even the longest one would be on the shorter side for an RPG today), but because playing them without a break is the easiest and most effective way I can think of to get yourself to hate these games. And/or yourself.

These games aren’t great. They don’t hit the purity of design that Mega Man classic has, the fluidity and exciting kinetic dynamism that Mega Man X has, or the sheer highs that Mega Man Legends has. They are the Saturday morning adaptation equivalent (of a property that was already like a Saturday morning cartoon to begin with). You will like them, but they’re a bit like strongly scented vanilla ice cream. It makes an impression, but not nearly enough for you to try and parse the nuances to its flavour. 

But they are good – and this collection is the best way to play them, and a loving and reverential homage to them, adding a whole bunch of cool concessions and goodies without diluting the spirit of the original games. If you like Mega Man, get this collection. If you like RPGs, get this collection and play at least one of these games (preferably 3). You’re not going to fall in love, but you’re going to have a good time – and if you end up playing all the games over time, you’ll have a lot of it for a very low price of entry as well.

This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch.

According to its press release, Arika is contracted to handle “Any update of the Software including improvements, bug fixes, and usability improvements for online matches.” Bandai Namco is still in charge of game balance, though. In addition, the developer is providing “advice on our developed online battle algorithms and game response, as well as undertake production work to improve the user experience.”

The last bit is especially promising since Tekken 8 could support rollback netcode. Though Fighting EX Layer launched in 2018 for PS4 with delay-based netcode, a later update would add it to the platform and PC. Of course, the developer is providing “advice” in this regard, so the implementation in Tekken 8 could end up completely different.

Time will tell, so stay tuned for more updates. Tekken 8 is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Check out details on mechanics like the Heat System here. You can also learn more about the new Special Control Style here.

But while Fall Guys and Tetris 99 are both resounding triumphs of clarity of concept and execution, Super Mario Bros. 35 is less so. It is fun – the original Super Mario Bros. game is still compelling today, and when you throw in the pressure of a battle royale game and trying to stay ahead of your opponents while not rushing and committing a fatal mistake, it becomes even more so. However, the inherent problems of marrying a modern multiplayer game format to a singleplayer linear platformer from more than three decades ago, cause several problems here that are otherwise not present in Nintendo’s own Tetris 99 for example.

"However, the inherent problems of marrying a modern multiplayer game format to a singleplayer linear platformer from more than three decades ago, cause several problems here that are otherwise not present in Nintendo’s own Tetris 99 for example."

The pitch here is almost identical to Tetris 99 – it’s Super Mario Bros., but battle royale, with you facing off against 34 other players. You’re all playing through the levels, which are almost identical to the original, on very tight time limits. Any time you clear and obstacle or kill an enemy, you send it into one of the other players’ games. You also get small time boosts each time you kill something – both of which incentivize not just lazing around at the start of the level waiting for everyone else to die.

There are a few other changes: dying once, of course, means that you’re out. Collecting coins eventually grants you a random power up, while it also goes towards your overall total of coins. As with any multiplayer game, there is a metagame linked to your profile, with you unlocking more customization options for yourself the more you level up (which, in turn, you do by playing and doing well). There are even time-limited special battle modes, that mix up the rules for each level, and a practice mode. Plus, playing unlocks more and more levels, which means you can vote on them at the start of the game.

That change actually brings us to one of the issues of Super Mario Bros. 35 overall, but let’s start from the beginning on this. One of the reasons that a successful battle royale game remains engaging on repeated playthroughs is because it offers variation in each new game. Even when the map is the same, like in Fortnite, each game plays out differently, based on nothing but the players you are matched with, and how they play.

"The pitch here is almost identical to Tetris 99 – it’s Super Mario Bros., but battle royale, with you facing off against 34 other players."

This concept also translates well over to a puzzle game like Tetris, or something like Fall Guys, which aims for a manic, party game like intensity anyway. However, Super Mario Bros. is Super Mario Bros. The game always plays the exact same way. The levels are always the same, the powerups will always be the same ones hidden in the same places, the enemies are in the same spots with the same behavior patterns, the coins are in the same places. Even with Super Mario Bros. 35 adding the enemies and obstacles others are defeating in their games into yours, this is inherently far more repetitive than something like Tetris 99 ever would be.

It appears as though the developers had an insight into this problem, because one very cool thing they did is allow players to vote on which stage will be played at the start of the game, with the winner being chosen at random from the votes. The problem is, to be able to vote for a level, you have to unlock it first. This means that for a while, and really, in general, you are going to be seeing a lot of the early levels in the game – particularly World 1-1 and World 1-2, because those will be the ones that most players will have unlocked. This can further exacerbate that feeling of repetition that I have been talking about.

These problems do admittedly hold Super Mario Bros. 35 from achieving the greatness that the pitch of “Mario, but battle royale” might otherwise evoke’ however, in spite of these problems, Super Mario Bros. 35 is fun and engaging, if with caveats. One part of this is because it works on the same level as watching a speedrun of the game, for example – it is inherently fun trying to balance just blazing through the level as fast as you can, and getting ahead of the obstacles the other players will throw your way, with trying to score more coins and points as well, and trying to slow the other players down by sending as many obstacles their way as you can. It’s fun, because Super Mario Bros. 35 remains fun. Though, again, the fact that you are playing with only one life (because this is a battle royale, obviously) and that the levels are often full of enemies that they were not designed or balanced around, means that you will often only be adding further to the sense of repetition that already plagues this game in other places.

That’s where the caveat comes in – Super Mario Bros. 35 is actually a lot of fun, but in very small doses. The more you play it, the more the repetition sets in, and the easier it is to just burn out on the game. Playing a few rounds on the quick is basically the ideal format for this game; thankfully, its quick matchmaking and loading facilitate easy jumping into the game, even if you’re booting up from scratch. The netcode is surprisingly stable as well, arguably more so than many full priced flagship Nintendo games.

"The problem is, to be able to vote for a level, you have to unlock it first. This means that for a while, and really, in general, you are going to be seeing a lot of the early levels in the game – particularly World 1-1 and World 1-2, because those will be the ones that most players will have unlocked."

With the whole bevy of issues and shortcomings with this game that I have raised, it is hard to actually take too much issue with it, because it is very literally free. And not free in the free-to-play sense, where you have ways to spend money on the game in-game. It is literally free with no monetization, as long as you are a subscriber of Nintendo’s Switch online gaming service. It’s totally fine for what it is, which is a free, time-limited celebration of an older game. And while that doesn’t negate the flaws, it at least contextualizes them a little bit.

There is, of course, an inherent appeal to a full-fledged Mario battle-royale game, and maybe one day we will get to see that. Super Mario Bros. 35 is not that, and once you accept that, it is easier to enjoy it for the flawed game that it is, in short doses. Coming into this review, I had expected my biggest criticism to be for this game’s time related nature, questioning why Nintendo would do that at all; now, after having player Super Mario Bros. 35, I think I understand why. It is a game that remains fun, but can outstay its welcome very quickly. Best to quit while you’re ahead, then, so that people can remember you more for being fun and unique.

This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch.

This year is a special one for Super Mario, being the series’ 35th anniversary and all, and Nintendo, it seems, are celebrating that milestone event with all the pomp and style that a gaming icon such as this deserves. Recently, Nintendo held a Direct presentation dedicated entirely to Mario, announcing everything from Super Mario 3D All Stars and Super Mario 3D World’s long awaited Switch launch to Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit and the original Super Mario All Stars being added to Nintendo Switch Online.

Another announcement that caught the attention of many was the appropriately named Super Mario Bros. 35. The game is out in less than a week from now, and as we gear up for its launch, in this feature, we’ll be going over everything you need to know about the game. Without further ado then, let’s jump in.

BATTLE ROYALE

In February 2019, Nintendo surprised one and all when they announced and released Tetris 99, a game that ingeniously combined the classic puzzle gameplay of Tetris with a battle royale framework, of all things. It sounded bizarre on paper, but it worked surprisingly well. In fact, it may very well be one of the best versions of Tetris we’ve seen in years. Now, Nintendo are teaming up with Tetris 99’s developers Arika once again to deliver Super Mario Bros. 35, which is going to do something similar. And how exactly is that going to work? Well, if you’ve played Tetris 99, the central gameplay premise will be familiar to you.

Super Mario Bros. 35 is a battle royale platformer, and like Tetris 99, its name is rather descriptive, in that each match sees a total of 35 players battling against each other. Also similar to Tetris 99 is how that is actually shown on your Switch’s screen. Your own gameplay takes centrestage, of course, while your competing players appear in small picture in picture images along the sides.

Your goal, as in any platformer, is to be the last man standing (or the last Mario standing, in this case). Every player plays through a stage whose design will be themed around the original Super Mario Bros. from 1985, and the player that survives the longest and is left as the last one standing wins that match. You’ll be collecting coins, stomping on koopas and goombas and what have you, and racing against time as the clock counts down to zero, which is something all Mario fans will be very familiar with.

ATTACKING OTHER PLAYERS

But every battle royale has to have major competitive elements, right? If you’re fighting to be the last man standing against 34 other players, you need to be able to do something to ensure that they fall before you do. And how exactly are you supposed to do that when you’re so focused on getting through your own platforming stage? Well, similar to Tetris 99, Super Mario Bros. 35 employs some clever tricks.

Every enemy you kill in your own stage is essentially sent into some other player’s stage. That’s your primary means of attacking other players- the more enemies you kill, the more you bother and harass your competitors. And you will also have the means of choosing who you’re attacking with the enemies that your knock out in your own stage.

In Super Mario Bros. 35, you will essentially have four choices for whom you want to attack: you can simply attack players at random, you can attack whichever player currently has the most amount of coins, you can attack the player that currently has the least amount of time, or you can attack the player that’s attacking others the most.

POWER UPS

But what’s a good Super Mario game without power ups, right? Power ups, whether its something as simple as the classic fire flower, have been integral to the Super Mario experience for as long as the experience has been around. Super Mario Bros. 35 may not be a typical Mario game, but make no mistake- power ups are still going to be an important part of the gameplay.

All power ups will be purchased through currency during gameplay, and that currency will, of course, be the coins that you collect while you’re running, jumping, and stomping your way through levels. Players will be able to spend coins to spin an “item roulette” that will grant you with a random power up item, which you can then use whenever you want.

What power ups will be included in the game isn’t something that Nintendo have talked about yet, but given the fact that Super Mario Bros. 35 seems to be sticking closely to the original Super Mario Bros. in terms of everything from its look to its stages, it seems likely that you should only expect power ups from the first game. Combined with the ability to attack players, be attacked by other players, and having to contend with your own platforming stage though, the power ups should add a nice layer of strategy and variety to the proceedings.

LAUNCH AND AVAILABILITY

Super Mario Bros. 35 launches exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on October 1, but there’s a few curious things to speak about as far as its release and availability are concerned. For starters, just like Tetris 99, the game will only be available to those who have a Nintendo Switch Online account. If you are a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber though, you get Super Mario Bros. 35 for free.

What’s more interesting (and not exactly in a good way) is the game’s availability beyond launch. You’re only going to have half a year to play the game, which means you’ll have to cram all of your gameplay time into that period. Why is that the case? Well, because Nintendo have made it clear that the game is only going to be playable up until March 31, 2021. And that doesn’t mean you will only be able to get the game until that day- no, as soon as we get to April 1st, Super Mario Bros. 35 is more or less going to get nuked. No one will be able to play it.

This, of course, is what Nintendo are doing with Super Mario 3D All Stars as well. The remastered collection of mainline 3D Mario games is available right now, both digitally and physically, but will only be available up until March 31, 2021 (though unlike Super Mario Bros. 35, those who purchase the game will, of course, still be able to play it after that). It’s a decision for which Nintendo have been receiving plenty of criticism (and rightly so), but for now, it doesn’t seem like they’re going to budge on it.

Ring Fit Adventure became something of an unexpected hit for Nintendo. The fitness game was a pseudo-follow up to the popular Wii Fit series, and had you exercising in various ways within a RPG setting. With a lot of people being stuck at home, it also has lead to a shortage of the game. While there doesn’t seem to be a lot of relief for that right now, you can get some Ring Fit in Tetris 99.

The next Maximus Cup for the battle royale themed Tetris title will crossover with Ring Fit Adventure with a new theme based around the exercising title. You can see the theme in action via the official Japanese Nintendo Twitter below. Like previous Maximus Cups, you’ll need to earn 100 points to earn the theme.

Tetris 99 is available now exclusively for Nintendo Switch, and the Maximus Cup will run from April 24th to the 27th. Ring Fit Adventure is also available for Switch, but has suffered shortages over the last month.

[トピックス]無料で遊んで特別コラボテーマをゲット！ 「テト1カップ リングフィット アドベンチャー コラボ祭！」開催https://t.co/QftczNIJP1 pic.twitter.com/ueomnHLChO

— 任天堂株式会社 (@Nintendo) April 21, 2020

The battle royale genre got a very unexpected new entry when Tetris 99 came on the scene for the Nintendo Switch. The game is a new twist on an old favorite and Nintendo and developer Arika have continued support for it with their Maximus Cup tournaments, and this month it’ll get a special crossover.

Luigi’s Mansion 3 is also coming out this month, right on Halloween in fact, and it seems the two games are smashing into one another. Players who complete online battles scoring at least 100 points during the event will earn a Luigi’s Mansion 3 theme. The rules of the Maximus Cup is the same as it has been for previous events, and if you’re not familiar with them you can check the link in the tweet below.

Tetris 99 is available now for Nintendo Switch. The Luigi’s Mansion 3 crossover will run October 25th  through October 28th. Luigi’s Mansion 3 will release on October 31st exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.

A spooky #Tetris99 MAXIMUS CUP has appeared! Ring in the release of #LuigisMansion3 next week by participating in this special crossover event. Be sure to earn at least 100 event points to unlock a ghoulish theme! @Tetris_officialhttps://t.co/jrWEmtmcey pic.twitter.com/cVjtvqQ20f

— Nintendo Versus (@NintendoVS) October 21, 2019

If you thought that the Nintendo Switch September release calendar couldn’t get anymore crowded, well, Nintendo has taken up your challenge. Despite already publishing three separate games this September (not to mention potential third party releases), Nintendo has announced that Tetris 99 will get a physical release in the month. That’s not all, however, as they also announced that new offline modes will be coming later this year.

As announced via Nintendo of Europe’s official Twitter, the physical release will come out among the super crowded September and will include the Big Block DLC that introduced offline play to the unique battle royale game. They also confirmed right after that more offline play modes will come later this year with Local Arena mode, where up to 8 friends can battle together, and 2 Player Share Battle where two players share joy cons in the game’s standard mode.

Tetris 99 is available to download now on the Nintendo Switch eShop with the physical release hitting on September 20th.

Later this year, two offline local multiplayer modes will be added to #TETRIS99's Big Block DLC. Up to eight friends can battle together in Local Arena, while two players can share Joy-Con controllers in 2P Share Battle! @tetris_official

See DLC info: https://t.co/94kn9sRela

— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) July 9, 2019

Of all the battle royale titles to be released, one of the most bizarre and out of nowhere ones to come about was Tetris 99 for the Nintendo Switch, a game that pits one player against 98 others in a game of sped up Tetris. Up until now, the game has been free to play and online-only, with need of a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. A new update is available now that brings the game offline, and a new contest is coming up as well.

As you can see below, Nintendo has announced the update, called Big Block. For a one time price of $9.99, the game will allow you to play offline with 98 CPU opponents or in a marathon mode that plays like traditional Tetris. You will still need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play the online component.

In addition to that, the 3^rd Maximus Cup, an online event available to all players starts later this month, has also been announced. The higher that players place at the end of each match, the more event points they earn. Participants that earn 100 event points during the three-day period will unlock an in-game theme inspired by the original Game Boy Tetris release.

Tetris 99 is available now for the Nintendo Switch. The Big Block DLC is live now, with the next Maximus Cup starting May 17^th.

The #Tetris99 Big Block DLC is available on Nintendo eShop for $9.99 and adds offline modes! Battle 98 bots in CPU Battle, and survive in Marathon mode to clear the most lines possible! Stay tuned for more on additional upcoming game modes. https://t.co/t6cp0KnJLT pic.twitter.com/VKvai3xRCe

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) May 10, 2019

The #Tetris99 3rd MAXIMUS CUP is set for 5/17, 12 AM PT – 5/19, 11:59 PM PT! Celebrate the @tetris_official 35th anniversary with this special event! All participants who earn 100 event points will unlock an in-game theme inspired by the original Game Boy game! pic.twitter.com/80Ndphbaib

— Nintendo Versus (@NintendoVS) May 10, 2019