Mike Tyson- Mike Tyson’s Punch Out

Iron Mike’s legendary performance in the world of boxing is as well documented as his fall from grace and infamous tattoo, but his early appearance in the world of Nintendo has gone down as one of the moments that would define “Nintendo Hard”. In a display somewhat similar to the real life events, the AI was only able to deliver KO punches against the player character, Little Mac for the first round. His fast, hard to read movements made just surviving long enough to have a shot against Tyson difficult enough, but unless you were omnipresent, you weren’t going to last that long anyways.

Frankenstein – Super Castlevania IV

Taking place late into Simon Belmont’s Super Nintendo raid on the armies of Darkness holed up inside Castlevania, the Dungeons are a gruelling trek of spikes, bottomless pits and deathtraps that the gauntlet of enemies ahead of you would be more than happy to knock you back into. Not unexpected so late into a game like Super Castlevania 4. Make it to the end of Stage 8 however, and instead of climaxing with a major test of reflexes, you come face to face with Frankenstein’s Monster. The creature will slowly lumber back and forth, occasionally tossing potions your way that are easily sniped from the air with your whip, and Simon can without risk simply wale on the beast as long as he keeps sniping those potions, finishing the stage within seconds.

Nominees:

Nier: Automata

Platinum Games’ Nier: Automata was an unassuming enough announcement at E3. Of course, then the demo arrived, followed by the full release and we were blown away. Bullet hell meets hack and slash combat with a fairly strong degree of ability and weapon customization…and then there are the shoot ’em up segments which are their own brand of strange. Beyond the epic boss fights and perfect precision of the combat, Nier: Automata tells a wonderful tale of identity, humanity and existence that will simply tear you apart.

Horizon: Zero Dawn

It’s still surprising that Guerrilla Games, best known for the Killzone series, was able to produce such a compelling open world action RPG like Horizon: Zero Dawn. Plot has always been an issue in past Killzone titles but Horizon actually sports a good cast of characters, led by Ashly Burch’s performance of Aloy, and an interesting mystery. Everything else – from the lore and world design to the visuals, side quests and combat – is executed superbly. Even in a year with so many great role playing and open world games, Horizon: Zero Dawn more than held its own.

Divinity: Original Sin 2

Larian Studios earned a name for itself with the first game but Divinity: Original Sin 2 surpasses it in every single way. The utter scope of freedom and attention to detail, excellent script-writing and plot development, fantastic combat system and world building ensured one of the best role-playing adventures of the year. Plus any game that lets us drop hefty barrels on foes to kill them is an automatic win. Don’t let the strangeness of Rivellon scare you – there’s so much waiting to be discovered and each playthrough can compel you in ways that are fresh yet grim.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

While previous entries in the series always employed a faux-RPG approach, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild goes all in on elements like weapon damage, durability, armour stats, upgrading, cooking and whatnot. Though it prompted comparisons to Skyrim, especially with the more open world approach, Nintendo integrated all these elements seamlessly, living up the quality and sense of adventure that the Zelda series brings.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War

Though Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor had enough skill trees and loot, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War deepens this pursuit even further. There are Orc Followers, gems, gear sets, weapons and what have you to collect and customize. You can build entire armies, give them different bonuses and orders and spend hours just grinding levels. While the loot boxes are definitely a mark against it (especially when the highest tier of Orc Followers is tied to them), Middle-Earth: Shadow of War offers a nice action RPG experience with a fun core gameplay loop.

Nioh

Team Ninja’s Nioh is so much more than a Dark Souls clone. In fact, it combines Feudal Japan, Japanese mythology, a Diablo-like loot grind, heaps of customization and weapons, numerous side quests, a sprawling campaign, plenty of difficult encounters and memorable boss fight. The excellent combat is backed by so much customization and content that it’s insane. More than just resurrecting the studio from the waning Ninja Gaiden series, Nioh is proof that Team Ninja can create an excellent action RPG worthy of your time.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2

Monolith Soft has done it again and while the jury is out on whether it’s better than its predecessors, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is still amazing. The series’ tradition of gorgeous open world exploration continues along with the satisfying, responsive combat and a suite of customization options for abilities and party members. The English voice acting may vary in quality and there’s an abundance of fetch quests but Xenoblade Chronicles 2 offers a great story with memorable characters and more than enough exploration to keep you busy for hundreds of hours on end.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

Ubisoft didn’t just want to revamp the core story and open world exploration with Assassin’s Creed Origins – it tore away many of the stealth mechanics and crafted a huge action RPG with compelling combat. Wouldn’t you know it but this worked. Despite the same trappings like tailing missions and bugs, Assassin’s Creed Origins offers a deep world with some great side quests and activities to pursue. Combat feels a lot better than previous games and while it may come at the expense of innovations in stealth, Assassin’s Creed Origins is a satisfying experience overall.

Pyre

In a year dotted with so many action RPGs, Supergiant Games’ Pyre is something…different. It’s full of colourful characters, immersing you in its dialogue and character interaction that make the oncoming decisions all the more intriguing. “Combat” is a wholly different affair, pitting teams of three against each other in sports-like matches where abilities, cohesion and movement play a big role. Did we mention the spell-binding art design and music? Pyre is everything that one could possibly love from a Supergiant role-playing game and yet, so much more.

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle

We initially had our reservations about this. A mash-up between Mario and the Rabbids? Mario using guns or energy blasters or what have you? Upon actually viewing it, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is a delightful romp full of excellent tactical strategy combat and RPG customization. The sheer range of tactics combined with the wackiness of both franchises provides for a fast-paced yet deeply thoughtful role-playing experience.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar

In this day and age, Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a treat. Inspired by classic console RPGs, it combines turn-based combat with an excellent aesthetic based off the comic books of the same name. The game itself is full of dungeons to explore, some of them randomly generated and thus offering a dungeon crawler to it all. Along with six heroes, some interesting combat mechanics and a unique old-school feel, Battle Chasers: Nightwar offered a fun experience in a year full of open world RPGs.

Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

Make no mistake – Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon are most definitely retreads of last year’s Pokemon Sun and Moon. However, they add so much more to the games, expanding them enough that they’re worth a look. New activities like Ultra Wrap Ride and Mantine Surf add some much needed spice on the side but you’ll be busy with the new locations, the new Z-Moves and new Ultra Beasts. It’s basically more Pokemon for those who love the games but with enough content and fun gameplay to justify the purchase.

Persona 5

Persona 5 is the epitome of style and substance. The world leaps out at you in vibrant colours, animated menus and sleek combat sequences that can be devilishly tough at times. Heist mechanics, dungeon crawling and an amazing story (albeit one with a slow start) make this stand out from previousgames. But when you talk about a game with an excellent cast, addictive combat and a top-notch story, Persona 5 stands so far above many other games this year that it’s not even funny.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia

While Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is a remake of Fire Emblem Gaiden, it still provided a great narrative and stellar tactical combat befitting the Fire Emblem name. In fact, the game is so good at balancing plot development with actual gameplay that it’s astounding and the production values, scope and exploration are simply top-notch. This is not Fire Emblem Fates but Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is still a great tactical RPG in a franchise that’s full of them.

Skyrim Switch Edition

It’s Skyrim but in handheld form. Well, Skyrim on the Nintendo Switch can also be played in docked mode but this is the same Skyrim. It has all the DLC, no mod support and pretty much all the same glitches as its 2011 release. Sure, the sheer range of the open world is amazing, the quest system and exploration is fun, you can pursue many different kinds of gameplay loops and it will go down as one of the best open world RPGs ever. But in 2017, the flaws inherent in 2011’s Skyrim go a long way to make it pretty good but far from perfect. At least it’s on handheld though.

Winner: Persona 5

It’s the intro that catches you, that mix of groovy music and sleek animation. At the outset, the familiar school setting, managing one’s personal life, and anime-esque drama seemed typical for Atlus. Persona 5 immediately cast aside those doubts with emotionally effective stories filled with deep characters that you actually grow to care for over the course of the game. The various systems intertwine, making your social interactions enhance your overall effectiveness in combat. This makes the relationships formed with your Persona and comrades all the more personal.

Of course, the new hand-crafted Castles and intriguing combat hooks add even more stakes to the story as your rogue-ish band pushes forward. The fact that there’s so little Persona 5 gets wrong and so very much it gets right while having almost no bugs is simply astonishing. When you consider the amount of competition it’s had this year, that’s definitely no small achievement and we’re proud to crown Persona 5 as the Best RPG of 2017.

Note: GamingBolt’s Game of the Year categories, nominations and awards are selected via an internal nomination, voting and debate process. You can check the rest of categories and the respective winners here.

Fire Emblem Heroes, the Fire Emblem mobile game that tasks you with trying to get your favorite characters from all across the franchise, will be getting six new characters tomorrow from this year’s Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, the Nintendo 3DS exclusive remake of Fire Emblem Gaiden that launched earlier this year.

The new event will last until July 28, and be in two parts- Celica’s Army launches first, and brings Leon, Saber, and Sonya to the game. Alm’s Army comes second, and brings with it Mathilda, Gray, and Delthea. It is unclear if this event will stack with the currently ongoing swimsuit themed Summer event for Heroes.

Fire Emblem Heroes is available on iOS and Android smartphones, having launched in February of this year; meanwhile, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, launched exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS in May this year. Make sure to check out our reviews for both games.

The NPD Group submitted its report on console and software sales in the United States for May 2017. Unsurprisingly in the game sales department, NetherRealm’s Injustice 2 managed to emerge as the top selling game across all platforms.

It was followed by Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Grand Theft Auto 5 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Sadly, Arkane Studios’ Prey lagged behind in fifth place, though digital sales haven’t exactly been taken into account.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands was in sixth followed another new entry Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia in seventh. NBA 2K17, MLB 17: The Show and Overwatch rounded out the top 10 of the charts.

The report also noted that while portable spending on software was up by 10 percent year-on-year, overall software sales compared to last year remain the same with no growth. What are your thoughts on May 2017’s biggest games? Let us know in the comments below.

And yet, in all the new Fire Emblem fare that we are getting, it is Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, a brand new release in the franchise for the Nintendo 3DS, that probably is the kind of evolution of the franchise that fans were hoping for after 2013’s Fire Emblem Awakening. I say ‘new’ and ‘evolution’ here, of course, but the interesting thing is that Shadows of Valentia isn’t strictly speaking new- it’s a full reimagining of Fire Emblem Gaiden, an infamous entry in the franchise released on the NES that was such a huge departure from the franchise’s core gameplay that it is often considered to be the worst game in the series by long time fans.

However, by updating this older game and applying a lot of polish to its some admittedly ahead of their time ideas, Nintendo has created the freshest, most unique playing Fire Emblem game we have had in a very long time, and it has made Echoes a must play for everyone who found their hearts won by Awakening.

"There is a rich, melancholic texture to this story – the beginning of the game very strongly hints that their love story is doomed – and the mythology and polity of the kingdoms and warring factions seems to suggest that this is a world in decay, falling to ruin and crumbling apart."

Fire Emblem Echoes follows the story of Alm and Celica, two childhood friends, each of whom bear a similar mark on their hand, who were separated after a childhood tragedy. The entire game is framed following these two main characters and the massive armies they command, as they fight their way across a dying land in search of a reunion. There is a rich, melancholic texture to this story – the beginning of the game very strongly hints that their love story is doomed – and the mythology and polity of the kingdoms and warring factions seems to suggest that this is a world in decay, falling to ruin and crumbling apart. There are multiple dramatic twists and turns, and those, coupled with the excellent writing, and the incredible characterization, keep you invested in the story, and the game’s nearly 30 hour plus play time.

The story is entirely unlike the well written but unremarkable Fire Emblem Awakening, and the trite and tiresome Fire Emblem Fates– the writing here is sharp, and the story is so well framed, with a premise so arresting, that you are invested in the game right away. But equally arresting is the gameplay, which seems to be like a take on Fire Emblem done by another developer, eager to leave their mark on the franchise by doing something different, but not messing with the core essentials so much. As a result, what we have here is the most different playing Fire Emblem game, but one that is still noticeably very much one recognizably from the franchise.

The most dramatic change you will notice from the other 3DS installments is the lack of the Pair Up mechanic- there are no more support conversations, no more marriages, and no more children. In a lot of ways, this is specifically the result of the game’s focus on Alm and Celica- other characters are strongly written and memorable, but the story is Alm and Celica’s, and theirs alone. This is not an ensemble game.

"Fire Emblem Echoes integrates and leverages these additions and changes so well, that it will almost feel like a downgrade if the next entry in the series doesn’t retain them."

But that apart, we also no longer have weapon durability (a change from Fire Emblem Fates), no weapon triangle (meaning swords, spears, and lances now fight on even footing), there is overworld movement and dungeon exploration, characters can now only hold one item of any type total at a time (meaning some hard choices need to be made about whether you want your character to be holding something that grants them buffs, or healing consumables, or something else entirely), your combat abilities are tied to the weapons you hold, reclassing is almost essential, you stop by towns to gather intel and complete side quests, characters on the field get fatigued, losing effectiveness in combat unless you feed them food, there are terrain effects for you to keep track of, and for mages, spells are learned by leveling up, and now use HP to cast. You even get an item that lets you turn back time for a few turns in every battle, so that if you made a mistake somewhere, you aren’t forced to either lose a lot of characters or restart a battle- you can try to contain the damage by undoing the mistake.

These are all major, dramatic changes – explorable towns and dungeons alone would be a banner feature for a new flagship entry at other times – but put together, they make for a vastly different, more strategic Fire Emblem game than any we have had in a very long time. It’s also a very hard game, all too happy to punish you if you are sloppy- though mercifully, the ‘Casual’ mode, which disables Permadeath, is still available here as an option if you would rather play without the stress of losing your beloved characters forever.

The most amazing thing is that these differences are all executed really well- they aren’t just there for the sake of it. Fire Emblem Echoes integrates and leverages these additions and changes so well, that it will almost feel like a downgrade if the next entry in the series doesn’t retain them. We are left with one of the most challenging, tactically demanding Fire Emblem game this side of Awakening (and really, in a very long time) as a result.

It’s hard not to recommend Fire Emblem Echoes to everyone. Even people who didn’t care for last year’s Fates will find something to love here, thanks to its dramatic changes to the formula, and its tight, exemplary writing. It’s 2017, and the 3DS is in its sunset years- but Fire Emblem Echoes stands as one of the best additions to its library yet, and one of the best games in a year that has so far been full of fantastic games.

This game was reviewed on Nintendo 3DS.

The UK charts for the past week are in and as per Gfk Chart-Track, NetherRealm’s Injustice 2 is on top. For publisher Warner Bros. Interactive, this their first number 1 in the UK for the year and the first fighting game to top charts since Mortal Kombat X released in 2015.

Even more interestingly is the second place debut – Farpoint for the PlayStation VR. Not only has it bested PlayStation VR Worlds which had debuted at seventh on release but it’s the highest charting VR title ever.

Grand Theft Auto 5 is in third place followed by Prey and another new debut Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has fallen down to sixth place while FIFA 17 is in seventh. Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Rocket League and the last new debut The Surge round out the charts.

What are your thoughts on this week’s top 10? Let us now in the comments below and stay tuned for more information.

Prey

Arkane Studios didn’t exactly have a great 2016. Despite Dishonored 2 launching to great critical praise, much of it was over-shadowed by PC issues. It’s since reassured players that Prey won’t suffer the same problems. As a re-imagining of sorts for the classic franchise, Prey takes place on-board the Talos I space station with protagonist Morgan Yu. Morgan is trying to figure out why he’s there while also battling the mysterious Typhon. The game presents a System Shock 2-like vibe (which is understandable since it was inspired by the same) and promises a strong narrative. Dishonored players can expect the same open level design but with more guns, shape-shifting and weirdness. Prey releases on May 5^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Strafe

Fancy some old-school, 16-bit Quake-style shooting? Pixel Titans’ Strafe may be just what you need. Delayed to May for additional polish, Strafe mixes the bloody mayhem of Quake with a rogue-lite approach. Upgrades are to be had among four unique zones with randomly generated levels on each play-through There are more than 30 guns to be had and +20 enemies to slaughter and the game is incredibly generous about leaving the fruits of your slaughter all over the walls. Strafe will release on May 9^th for PC and will head to PS4 later this year.

Injustice 2

Get ready to choose a side as NetherRealms’ Injustice 2 arrives on May 16^th for Xbox One and PS4. Taking place directly after the first game with the despotic Superman’s regime in shambles, Injustice 2 features several new heroes and villains this time around. Gorilla Grodd, Atrocitus, Braniac, Captain Cold and Poison Ivy will tussle with the likes of Supergirl, Robin, Firestorm and Cheetah. There’s also a pretty complex gear system, allowing players to increase their overall base stats, learn new moves and even utilize powerful set bonuses. How this will be balanced in multiplayer remains to be seen but for the most part, there’s tons of possibility for customizing one’s fighting style.

The Surge

Deck13 Interactive already tried its hand at a Dark Souls-style action RPG with Lords of the Fallen. The Surge goes back to the same well but has a dystopian future as its setting. You play as an average worker with a mega-corporation that happens to be having a bad day. Robots go rogue, exo-suit wearing employees vie for your blood and things are generally just terrible. Fortunately, you also have an exo-suit and it can be upgraded by dismembering foes and taking their limbs. This helps encourage a somewhat different play-style from Dark Souls but we’ll see how it pans out when The Surge releases on May 16^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia 

A remake of Fire Emblem Gaiden, Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia will feature the contemporary battle system that’s defined titles like Fire Emblem Awakening. Otherwise, many of the strange (at the time) elements of Fire Emblem Gaiden are intact including an overworld and towns that can be navigated. The romance options are fairly limited (read: not included at all) but this is Fire Emblem. There will be plenty of tactical RPG goodness to embrace when it arrives on May 19th for the Nintendo 3DS.

Friday The 13th: The Game

Jason’s coming to town and he’s more than a little bloodthirsty. Based on the revered horror movie franchise, Friday the 13^th: The Game will be an asymmetrical multiplayer title pitting seven Crystal Lake counselors against one Jason Vorhees. The goal of the counselors is to survive while Jason must eliminate them. Brutal execution moves can be used to dispose of the counselors but if escape isn’t an option, the latter can use a special “victory condition” of sorts to beat Jason. Friday the 13^th: The Game has made waves for its unrelenting brutality and quite frankly, we can’t wait to see how its multiplayer handles when it’s out on May 26^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Get Even

Part psychological journey, part stylish shooter, Get Even comes from the minds at The Farm 51, who also developed Painkiller: Hell & Damnation. The game itself has you rescuing someone but not everything is so cut and dry. The limits of reality and perception are tested throughout. If you’re not in the mood for philosophy, Get Even’s gameplay revolves around bending bullets and decimating your foes. It’s out on May 26^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Rime

Long in development, controversial and pretty abstract in its own right, Tequila Works’ Rime will finally be out in May for Xbox One, PS4 and PC (the Nintendo Switch version arrives in Q3 2017). There’s not a whole lot we know about the game aside from it centering on a boy who must escape a curse and the island he’s inhabiting. That means lots of puzzle solving and exploring the open world among a wordless narrative. Interestingly, light have some role in the gameplay. We’ll find out how that works when Rime releases on May 26^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Farpoint

Virtual reality games may have somewhat cooled off since PlayStation VR launched last year but Farpoint still looks awfully compelling. As a first-person shooter, Farpoint has traversing an alien environment and battling swarms of ugly aliens. Perhaps the most significant factor that differentiates Farpoint from other VR shooters is your ability to move within the game. With sleek visuals and high octane action, Farpoint looks to deliver the goods when it launches on May 16^th for PlayStation VR.

Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2

Though not quite a sequel to Revelator, Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 is a pretty meaty update. Along with the customary balance changes, each of the previous 23 characters will be receiving new moves. Two new characters – Baiken from previous games and the brand new Answer – are also being added while Jam, Raven, Dizzy and Haehyun get new episode story scenes. There will also be a new After Story that takes place after the main story. Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 is out for PS3, PS4 and PC on May 26^th in North America and Europe so if you haven’t had a chance to play the original, it’ll be worth picking up.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, the newest installment of the Fire Emblem series, and a remake of an older Fire Emblem game, is out today on the Nintendo 3DS. In celebration of its launch, Nintendo has released a brand new, ‘fanfare’ trailer for the game, showcasing clips from its story, with tragedy, romance, and epic battles all on display here.

Fire Emblem Echoes has multiple changes from Fire Emblem Awakening and Fate– the pair up and romance mechanics are gone, for instance, with more of an emphasis placed on unit placement on maps and actual strategy. Dungeons, overworld exploration, and interaction are all in the game, too.

You can check out the trailer for yourself below. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia launches exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS today. Stay tuned to GamingBolt, and we will have more on the game, including our thorough and extensive review for it, soon.

Nintendo’s Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, a remake of Fire Emblem Gaiden, will be quite the experience. Along with full voice acting, revamped visuals and the classic battle system that’s defined the series, it will have a Season Pass that costs $45.

The Season Pass includes a whopping five DLC packs, each adding new maps, dungeons, classes and story missions. Each pack can be purchased separately and retails from $7.99 u to $14.99. Interestingly, the fifth DLC pack is yet to be outlined with more information promised in the future.

The first DLC pack arrives on May 19th with the game’s release. The second and third packs release on May 25th followed by the fourth on June 1st. That’s quite a bit of Fire Emblem content to go through in a month and Nintendo is also promising some free DLC at launch. It will apparently be a “special gift from Goddess Mila”, whatever that means.

For more information on each DLC pack, see below:

• DLC Pack #1 — Fledgling Warriors Pack (May 19, $7.99/£7.19/€7,99, three pieces of content): Ideal for early- to mid-game adventurers, this pack includes a new dungeon (The Astral Temple) and two new maps, great for gaining more items, money and experience points.
• DLC Pack #2 — Undaunted Heroes Pack (May 25, $9.99/£8.99/€9,99, three pieces of content): In addition to a new dungeon (The Inner Sanctum), this pack also includes two challenging new maps that stronger, more seasoned heroes will want to tackle.
• DLC Pack #3 — Lost Altars Pack (May 25, $14.99/£13.49/€14,99, 10 pieces of content): The mysterious dungeons included in this pack hold the power to upgrade characters to exclusive classes that don’t appear in the main game.
• DLC Pack #4 — Rise of the Deliverance Pack (June 1, $12.99/£11.69/€12,99, four pieces of content): Discover the previously untold history of Valentia in this Prologue pack. Complete with new story content and additional voice acting that details the rise of the Deliverance in Zofia, this collection of challenging maps includes new support conversations between selected heroes, as well as the ability to take command of a character players won’t be able to control in the main game.
• DLC Pack #5 ($5.99/ £4.49/€4,99, two pieces of content): More information about this final DLC pack will be revealed in the future.