Fire Emblem Warriors, on the other hand, cannot. It’s not a bad game- indeed, there’s no part of the experience that is unenjoyable at all, and even at its nadir, you will be actively having some mindless fun with the game, if nothing else. But where Hyrule Warriors felt like a (tongue in cheek) celebration of Zelda‘s history, and went crazy with trying to keep players engaged, Fire Emblem Warriors feels curiously subdued.

Consider, for instance, the fact that the bulk of the characters in the game come from Fire Emblem Awakening and Fates. On some level, this makes sense- Awakening and Fates are where the series broke out into the mainstream, and saw the success that has made it the major brand it is today. Consequently, most fans will be most familiar with those games’ characters and settings. I have to imagine those fans will actually be reasonably happy with what they get here, though even then, some flaws begin to emerge (I’ll get to those later).

For others, who are more familiar with Fire Emblem, this game is actually heart breaking in terms of its missed potential. Almost none of the major characters from the franchise pre-Awakening have made it here- Ike and Roy are missing. To be clear- Ike and Roy. They’re arguably the most popular characters in the series (apart from Marth)- they were representing the franchise in Smash Bros. before it hit it big. It feels like some of the most popular characters are cynically being held back for DLC.

"Griping about the characters aside, the game plays well- it is thoroughly mindless, and you shouldn’t even bother trying to keep up with its increasingly contrived narrative that really only exists to justify all these disparate characters coming together for epic battles."

Griping about the characters aside, the game plays well- it is thoroughly mindless, and you shouldn’t even bother trying to keep up with its increasingly contrived narrative that really only exists to justify all these disparate characters coming together for epic battles. But it’s fun, and slicing down waves of enemies as Lucina never quite got old for me. It’s especially fun because the game runs great, the animations are amazing, and the special attacks are spectacular- and in a sense, the endorphin rush from unleashing those contextualizes the otherwise mindless slashing and makes it all thoroughly worth it.

The interesting thing is that Warriors tries to integrate some more strategic elements from the actual Fire Emblem games, too. Warriors games have always had an element of strategy and battlefield troops management simulation- they’re just a bit more pronounced in Fire Emblem Warriors. They don’t change the mindlessness of the moment to moment action, but it adds a layer and element of nuance to the larger metagame (although the management of placement can become tedious, forcing you to pause the action and go through the menu each time).

Warriors fluctuates wildly in terms of the quality of its stages, however. This is important, because these stages are not just backdrops- they are actual physical locales you battle in, meaning their layout and geography matters in terms of the action, and the flow of a battle. This is where we return to the problem I brought up earlier regarding the game choosing to source most of its material from Fates and Awakening– Awakening in particular wasn’t known for having the most varied maps, so a lot of the stages feel repetitive. Fates was better in this regard, and I guess the Fates stages work better than the Awakening ones do- but on the whole, I did find myself wishing for better stages. Going to some of the older games in the franchise would have fixed this issue. Admittedly, the incorporation of Fire Emblem‘s classic weapon triangle leads to some interesting considerations about positioning that keeps maps more interesting than they otherwise are, but on the whole, they feel like a missed opportunity here.

"In what has to be the most asinine decision surrounding this game, there is no online play."

Fire Emblem Warriors also features another of the joys of the Warriors franchise- multiplayer. Partner up with a buddy and take on hordes of enemies together, which remains as fun as always. Performance and graphics both take a severe hit when you do, but it’s compensated for by just being able to take on these armies with a friend by your side- but they need to be by your side because, in what has to be the most asinine decision surrounding this game, there is no online play.

Now, let’s consider the fact that Warriors games usually have online play. Let’s consider that the Switch is more than capable of online play. Why does Fire Emblem Warriors not have online play, then? I don’t know. I mean, I laud its support for local multiplayer, and for the Switch’s out of the box multiplayer capabilities- I really do. But I see no reason why that had to come at the expense of support for online play.

That apart, the game actually looks pretty- the artstyle pops, it runs fine (you even get an option to focus on framerate), the geometeries are elaborate enough to support some good battles, and the animations are spectacular. Things take a decided hit for the worse with the co-op mode, but on the whole, the game looks fine. It sounds good too, and makes some good use of the sweeping scores that Fire Emblem has been known for. It’s not the most high budget or best looking and sounding Switch game, not even for the month of its release, but it’s good enough to get the job done.

Good enough to get the job done can be the game’s motto, actually. It’s not a bad game at all, but it never feels like it goes the extra mile, either. It’s an alright game with some good fan service especially for more recent Fire Emblem fans, and some fun gameplay, but some extremely poor choices, mostly pertaining to map design and multiplayer, hold back a game that otherwise could have been far more than it turned out to be.

This game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch. 

One of the big surprises at the previous Nintendo Direct was Minecraft coming to the Nintendo 3DS; while the absence of the world’s most popular game with kids was keenly felt on the world’s most popular gaming platform for kids, by this point, people had long given up hope on Minecraft ever actually coming to the system.

Not only is the 3DS very old (and technically incapable of running the game- or so we were told), but it is also on the way out, and Minecraft already got a great Switch version earlier this year. Why bother with the 3DS? But Mojang and Microsoft did, and Minecraft was announced for New 3DS hardware, and released soon after.

However, it was released only digitally, and a retail version was confirmed to follow shortly afterwards. Shortly afterwards is November 10, because Nintendo has confirmed on its Twitter that Minecraft: New Nintendo 3DS Edition will be available at retailers on that day.

So, if you have a son or daughter, or nephew or niece, who likes playing Minecraft, but only has a 3DS or 2DS- this might be a good Holiday present for them this year.

https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/923602647596326914

Fire Emblem Warriors is soon to be released, and we’ve now got more information about the three DLC packs that were announced. We have now learnt that each of the DLC packs will bring with it three new playable characters, three new history maps, additional costumes, additional weapons and additional bond conversations.  

They will cost 8.99$ at retail, and alternatively, players can purchase a season pass that will include all three of these packs at 19.99$. Additionally, players can also download a Japanese voice pack for free along with the game.

The game is set to release on the Nintendo Switch as well as on the New 3DS. The game has been available in Japan since September 28th and will have its Western release on October 20th.

You can read more about the three packs below:

• December 31st  – Fire Emblem Fates add-on pack
• February 28th- Shadow Dragon add-on pack
• March 31- Fire Emblem Awakening add-on pack

However, an interesting point of discussion came up during the presentation. It was an old point – would the Switch replace the 3DS, especially given its power and improved portability? This has been discussed to death and had Nintendo priced the Switch at $249, I would have been more inclined to agree.

"However, Nintendo’s pricing strategy for the Switch is pretty smart in the handheld context."

With the $299 announcement, it’s now become an entirely different topic of discussion. We could have argued about Nintendo bringing all of its video games, from console to handheld, under one common umbrella. The Nintendo 3DS is still selling well even if it won’t ever soar to the same heights the DS or Gameboy Advance did. Lo and behold though, the Switch is a different platform with its own high profile exclusives.

However, Nintendo’s pricing strategy for the Switch is pretty smart in the handheld context. Do you want to spend $200 on a New 3DS with a touch-screen, stylus and solid selection of games? Or do you want to invest in a Nintendo Switch with its hybrid functionality, HD Rumble, party game functionality, two controllers and so on for just $100 more?

You could also consider that many top-tier series on the Switch are shared by the 3DS. Xenoblade Chronicles 3D players will be interested in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (as they should because the franchise is one of the best JRPGs of this generation). Shin Megami Tensei IV players can look forward to the next big chapter in the franchise. Anyone who’s enjoyed a Zelda title will be amazed (hopefully) by Breath of the Wild.

"It wouldn’t be all that far-fetched to think that it will try and appeal to all kinds of audiences as well"

Granted, many of Nintendo’s franchises like Zelda, Mario and Mario Kart are common among home systems. For instance, it’s easy to see that Super Mario Odyssey appeals to the Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine crowd than the New Super Mario Bros.  or Super Mario 3D World crowd with its huge open environments and less linear platforming. Then there’s Mario Kart 8 Deluxe which is meant to appeal to the Wii U fan base with its extra content.

But when you consider that the Switch is meant to combine all of Nintendo’s past designs, it wouldn’t be all that far-fetched to think that it will try and appeal to all kinds of audiences as well. That’s obvious with the motion controller mini-games and hardcore releases but offering a more premium option for its established handheld player base isn’t a bad way to go either. It has been one of Nintendo’s most consistent sources of revenue after all.

Of course, there are plenty of problems with this theory. Despite the 3DS launching with a fairly average line-up of titles in 2011 for North America, it still received games like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, Super Mario 3D Land, Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, Mario Kart 7 and Star Fox 64 3D before the year was up. Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch has The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at launch, 1-2 Switch, Has Been Heroes, ARMS and a bunch of ports for when it’s out on March 3^rd.

If Nintendo can’t even sell the assurance that the Switch will be receiving regular amounts of content, then its 3DS players are unlikely to rally around it.

Super Mario Odyssey is due for Holiday 2017 and there are no release dates for Shin Megami Tensei 5, the next No More Heroes, Fire Emblem Warriors and so on. How many handheld players are going to hop on board with this other portable option when there aren’t all that many new high-profile releases to justify their purchase? There’s also the worry that Nintendo will try too hard to space out its bigger exclusives, replicating its biggest failing with the Wii U.

You could make the argument that many of the big 3DS games were ports as well with a fairly unreasonable price tag of $249.99 at launch. Aside from the fact that it was the first time that handheld fans would get to experience legitimate Nintendo console experiences on the small screen, it was still building off of a very strong DS fan base and it received a hefty price cut three months after launch. The Nintendo Switch will be trying to appeal to several different audiences at once but is positioned as a home console. A price cut in the first three months doesn’t seem likely.

At the end of the day, it’s hard to say what Nintendo’s plan is for the Switch. We have some idea of who the platform could truly be for and it’s not all dismal. The question is whether this level of support and pricing will be enough to lure arguably Nintendo’s biggest ally, the handheld crowd, to the fold. Maybe acting a premium option isn’t all that bad but just like with many other big console launches, it’s all about the games at the end of the day. If Nintendo can’t even sell the assurance that the Switch will be receiving regular amounts of content, as the company’s handhelds have done in the past, then its 3DS players are unlikely to rally around it. Yes, even if Shin Megami Tensei, Zelda and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 look really sweet.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

The Binding of Isaac Rebirth, the gory and incredibly disturbing roguelike platforming game from Edward McMillan (one of the brains behind the incredible Super Meat Boy on Xbox 360), was announced to be coming to Xbox One, Wii U, and New 3DS systems back on April 1; now, we know exactly when it will be releasing- The Binding of Isaac Rebirth launches on these systems on July 23.

The game will launch feature and content complete on all of these systems, although the stuff from the new expansion won’t be included in any version. Also important to note, the game will only run on a New 3DS system- if you have any of the older Nintendo 3DS models, you can’t play the game on them.

In addition to these systems, The Binding of Isaac Rebirth is also currently available on PS3, PS4, PS Vita, and PC. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more coverage and information.

Hoping to leverage the fan hysteria around the title, Xenoblade became reborn as the first New 3DS exclusive title. It is questionable whether the stopgap handheld can handle the power of Xenoblade; however, despite the shortcomings, I was really feeling it.

"It might be a fairly trite tale within the realm of the Japanese Role Playing genre, but the tight writing permeates the game and brings the player along the emotional ride "

The story is an old one, both in universe and in reality. An ageless war between two giants, the biological being known as the Bionis and the mechanical counterpart known as the Mechonis. Once the giants freeze in a stalemate, and a few millennia pass they give rise to many kinds of races who live off the bodies of the giants and carry on this timeless conflict.

Its during this time period we meet Shulk, an engineer living peacefully in one of the Hom colonies on the Bionis, studying the legendary Monodo blade that was said to be the one wielded by the Bionis in the old war. A surprise attack by the robotic Mechon turn the world of Shulk and his friends upside down, and usher Shulk into his destiny as the wielder of the Monado.

My plot summery unfortunately can’t ever do the story any justice within the body of this review. It might be a fairly trite tale within the realm of the Japanese role playing genre, but the tight writing permeates the game and brings the player along the emotional ride with the diverse cast. It really earns that constantly misused adjective “Epic”, with the hundred hour plus story matching perfectly with the expansive world.

"The New 3DS version sacrifices several lighting effects and general texture quality, on top of the already abysmal resolution the New 3DS maxes out at. The result leaves Xenoblade Chronicles 3D looking no better than a Playstation 1 game. "

Expansive is really the only word to describe it too. Singular maps are simply massive, not knowing the meaning of the term “draw distance”. Stunning vistas and gorgeous fields stretch for miles before you, delivering on the feeling of being a tiny creature living on the back of a giant.

Load times are minimal, maybe a few seconds long between map transitions and cutscenes, but never take you out of the absorbing world. Battles take place in real time and are fashioned almost like MMO combat, meaning the transition between exploring the world and fighting is seamless.

Truly, Xenoblade is one of those games that doesn’t simply give you a skybox of lies. If you can see it, you can probably go there. But what sacrifices they made to force it all into the handheld form. Resolution was never Xenoblade’s friend on the Wii, with the game leaning on art design to make the world both cohesive and easy on the eyes. The New 3DS version sacrifices several lighting effects and general texture quality, on top of the already abysmal resolution the New 3DS maxes out at. The result leaves Xenoblade Chronicles 3D looking no better than a Playstation 1 game.

"Positioning is paramount in Xenoblade, with skills like Shulk’s backslash having alternate or bonus effects when delivered from the proper location on the foe. "

While it doesn’t look the best, it does still play smooth as butter. Framerate rarely drops without a ton of action on screen, and the new 3DS controls are put to the limit, especially during battle scenes. The score is simply engrossing throughout, with big orchestrated pieces and somber melodies slotting in perfectly to every scene and environment. 3D is put to OK use by the game, but given the lengthy sessions it sucked me into, I turned it off in favour of battery.

As mentioned before, Combat is more reminiscent of MMO titles. Less Persona, more WoW. A battle pallet opens along the bottom of the screen upon engaging an enemy, with the arts of whomever you happen to be controlling at the time. Basic attacks happen automatically once you get in range, allowing you to focus on positioning and art usage.

Positioning is paramount in Xenoblade, with skills like Shulk’s backslash having alternate or bonus effects when delivered from the proper location on the foe. Finding that opening comes from managing the enemies attention in the form of “aggro”. Certain party members are better at drawing that aggro and taking knocks than others, but you don’t want to let them take a beating sight unseen. How you manage that can depend on the situation, whether that’s healing arts or moving the aggro around to different party members.

"One might go into Xenoblade considering it to be Shulk’s story, but while a central character, it really isn’t all about him. Not only is the diverse cast to the benefit of the story, but you can play as every party member to your liking. "

Shortly into the game, the Monado grows in power and adds an additional wrinkle to combat with visions. Deadly blows become revealed to you ahead of time with premonitions, and giving you a chance to prevent the attack through your own skills, or asking another party member to use theirs. Different types of enemy arts demand different techniques to change the future such as moving their attention around or shielding the target from the attack.

One might go into Xenoblade considering it to be Shulk’s story, but while a central character, it really isn’t all about him. Not only is the diverse cast to the benefit of the story, but you can play as every party member to your liking. This allows a change up in both your personal play style and party flow depending on situation or personal preference. In fact, it’s to ones benefit to switch up party members frequently in order for party members to build affinity between each other.

Affinity ties into skill trees, of which each character has three. You can focus on one tree at any time, and once leveled sufficiently it unlocks a permanent skill for that character. Skill linking though is something that can take place between party members once they’ve fostered their relationship, and quite basically means they can share skills between each other. It’s yet another layer onto the massive control you have over party building.

"The fact remains that Xenoblade is a massive, massive title. Its greatest asset, and quite unlike anything else in its genre, is the expedience of it all. "

Equipment both unique and regular, gems, affinity with areas of the map, the fact remains that Xenoblade is a massive, massive title. Its greatest asset, and quite unlike anything else in its genre, is the expedience of it all. The best example is questing, where most of the time you need not return to the quest giver to hand it in. There are a handful of story driven ones where you return to the same named NPC a few times, but the majority can be tackled passively as you play the game normally.

Fast travel is also open from the outset, cutting any tedious backtracking through terrain or enemies way below you out completely. NPC characters run on a schedule much like Majora’s Mask did, but Xenoblade one ups it by including a clock you can manipulate down to the hour, preventing busywork like tracking down a quest giver during their day or waiting for them to show up.

Xenoblade is a particularly special experience, though the new 3DS does make it a little harder to swallow. If one can get past the enormous visual downgrades, there is still a massive, breathing world to explore, just filled with great characters. If you’ve been sitting on the Wii version of the game, or are thinking about dropping for the New 3DS to play it, the Wii one is far and away the definitive edition. If you have the system, and want an experience that makes the most of it, and something pretty amazing on its own merits, it’s Xenoblade time.

This game was reviewed on the New Nintendo 3DS.

One of the detriments of April Fool’s Day is that legitimate news often slips through the cracks. One such item is the announcement that Edmund McMillen’s The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth will be releasing on the Wii U, Xbox One and New 3DS. The demented rogue-like title was originally released in 2011 but saw a remake last year that was even more critically acclaimed.

It should be noted that there won’t be any censorship in the game. If you’re on a Nintendo platform and are worried about the same, then rest easy. Of course, it should also be noted that the old 3DS models and 2DS will not receive the game, making The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth yet another New 3DS exclusive.

There’s no release window currently aside from “soonish” so stay tuned for more information. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is already available on Steam for PC, PS4, PS Vita, Mac OS X and Linux.

All eyes are on Monolith Soft’s Xenoblade Chronicles X for the Wii U but if you haven’t had a chance to experience the original game, then one should check out Xenoblade Chronicles 3D for the New 3DS/3DS XL. It’s a port of the original game for the handheld and still contains roughly 100 hours of gameplay.

Unfortunately, those who pick up the downloadable version will need a big microSD card. Xenoblade Chronicles 3D will require a microSD card that’s 8 GB or larger according to Nintendo UK. You could also pick up the retail version, of course, but those making a digital purchase should pay heed.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3D is out on April 2nd in Europe and April 10th in North America. Xenoblade Chronicles X, on the other hand, will be out on April 29th in Japan for the Wii U. Stay tuned for more information on a Western release in the coming months.

Set to be published by Nintendo on the Nintendo 3DS and the Nintendo New 3DS, the game is currently slated to be released in Japan on May 14th of 2015, Europe on May 15th of 2015 and in North America on March 13th of 2015. Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is exclusive to Nintendo’s handheld system and will be available at retail.

• 1. Development
• 2. Story
• 3. Gameplay
• 4. Characters

Development

Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is a game that Nintendo are investing heavily in, promoting it at most trade shows they have attended and even going so far as to include exclusive camera control on their New 3DS handheld.

Hitoshi Yamagami, the popular game designer who has, in the past, worked on games such as Fire Emblem, Xenoblade Chronicles and Pokémon, will be assisting in the games development alongside Intelligent Systems and Nintendo’s Software Planning & Development.

As part of the ongoing marketing push for the amiibo system that is supported by a number of games by way of NFC chips in Nintendo themed figurines, Code Name S.T.E.A.M. features amiibo support. Gamers who are in possession of Marth, Ike, Lucina and Robin amiibo’s (all of which are based on the Fire Emblem series, which Hitoshi Yamagami worked on) can use them to make use of those characters in the game world.

Said to be visually inspired by the artistic stylings that were used most notably in the silver age of comic books, (that is to say, a type of artistic renaissance in the comic book scene) the game has taken on a decidedly colourful and highly stylised visual aesthetic. Specifically, the game draws inspiration from Jack Kirby, the creator of renowned super hero Captain America, and Bruce Timm who is well known as the co-creator of the hugely popular Batman series, Batman: The Animated Series.

The enemy aliens are also thought to be inspired by the works of the now famous writer and creator, H.P. Lovecraft who, in his death, helped spawn the genre of cosmic horror that is today known as Lovecraftian Horror.

In Japan, the game isn’t called Code Name S.T.E.A.M., it is instead called “Lincoln Vs. Aliens.

Story

Set in a steampunk inspired alternate history version of London, Code Name S.T.E.A.M. will see the player take control of Henry Fleming, a man that serves in Unit S.T.E.A.M.

Despite being set in London, the man leading the defence of earth against the encroaching alien threat, is Abraham Lincoln. An American president of old. The game is expected to feature notable characters from popular pieces of American Literature.

Gameplay

Code Name S.T.E.A.M. is a turn based strategic game that is played from a third person perspective. This third person perspective is used to infuse the game with third person shooter elements that the player uses to combat the alien enemy menace.

Players begin each match in the game with their team and from their they must out manoeuvre the enemy aliens as well as out gun them in a strategic battle as the turns pass.

When players make their move, they use up an allotted amount of Steam. It’s this Steam that determines how much and how often the player can move and fire. Much in the same way as games like Space Hulk, this resource can be used to move, fire but also activate a number of special abilities that can interrupt enemy attacks amongst other skills. Each player also has access to a special ability that can only be used once per battle. These special abilities are special however, they don’t consume Steam when they are activated.

It’s not yet entirely clear whether or not the game will feature a perma-death mechanic that’s similar to that found in Fire Emblem. What is known however is that players can revive fallen comrades with “medals”. If all the team members may fall, it is game over.

Characters

Outside of the characters that have been confirmed to make an appearance in the game by way of amiibo functionality, little is known about the games other characters.

Abraham Lincoln is set to make an appearance as the man tasked with defending the earth from an Alien invasion. And Henry Fleming is likely the games main antagonist.

Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game.

Nintendo had a bumper Holiday season in Japan with the New 3DS XL. This carried over into the first week of the New Year but some of that momentum seems to have died down according to the latest Media Create sales charts.

From January 5th to 11th, the New 3DS XL sold 30,455 units. Compare this to the prior week when the handheld sold 76,439 units. That’s a more than 50 percent drop off in sales but it still reigned supreme in platform sales. The New 3DS did relatively less well with 14,226 units sold compared to the prior week’s 40,338 units. Altogether, it seems that the market is quickly adopting the new handheld in a hurry.

The PS Vita wasn’t too far behind – it sold 21,536 units compared to 56,700 units the week prior. This was followed by the PS4 which sold 19,118 units. It’s a large drop-off from the prior week’s 42,216 units.

What are your thoughts on hardware sales in Japan? Let us know in the comments.