Stream Sniping – Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds

While the PC gaming world is going wild for chicken dinners in Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds, some of the more creative among the player base have been taking advantage of streamers, and the fact that they’re pretty publicly broadcasting their position to their viewers. “Stream-Sniping” is the act of using a livestream to locate the broadcasting player in order to kill them. While it can be hard to prove, recently a streamer called Lotoe received a ban for it after a fateful match with other streamers, kicking off a rather large tiff that eventually saw comments from Battlegrounds community staff.

So this should have been the perfect mix- Super Mario Maker on the Nintendo 3DS. That’s why we were so excited when Nintendo announced it earlier this year during a Nintendo Direct stream. However, it turns out that Nintendo have, for some reason that we cannot fathom, held back some of the most important features in the 3DS version of Mario Maker. You can still create levels and you can play through them. There is even almost full cross platform capability between the 3DS and Wii U version of the game (some of the more elaborate levels created on Wii U, that the 3DS wouldn’t be able to handle, aren’t playable on 3DS). But there is no way for you to upload your levels that you create in the 3DS game online- none. The only way for you to share your 3DS levels is via StreetPass (let’s get back to this in a moment).

"There is no way for you to upload your levels that you create in the 3DS game online- none. The only way for you to share your 3DS levels is via StreetPass."

Okay, but what about pulling from the Wii U levels, then? After all, the game is compatible with levels uploaded online from Wii U, right? Even there, Nintendo have gone out of their way to make the feature as deliberately crippled as possible. You cannot search for individual levels, like you can on Wii U. You cannot bookmark courses and return to them, like you can on Wii U. You can no longer follow creators, to be able to play their latest creations, like you can on Wii U. Most filters and search tools are missing, unlike on Wii U. All you get is a list of recommended levels, randomly generated each time, that you can organize and arrange by difficulty, as well as the 100 Mario Challenge. That’s it. That’s all you get.

This feels really confusing- it is almost as though Nintendo have deliberately gone out of their way to create as crippled a version of this game as is possible. It absolutely makes no sense, and is entirely antithetical to why Super Mario Maker took off last year at all. It’s not like the 3DS lacks online capabilities- it has a robust online suite, and it should have been able to tap into those for this game. Hell, even the fact that the game can’t piggyback off of the Wii U version of the game should you own it is frustrating. The two versions of the game are clearly compatible- why, then, can I not, for example, search for a level on my Wii U, and then have it sent to my 3DS where I can play it on the go? Why can I not create a level on my 3DS, then upload it online via my Wii U? This sort of solution would still have been cripplingly limited, but at least it would have been something, at least it would have promoted a kind of synergy between Nintendo products.

"All (well, most) of the creation tools from the Wii U are here, the interface is as intuitive here as it was then, and you can create some delightfully creative levels and courses."

But no, we’re left instead with- what? A level creator that won’t let you share levels? This is such a self defeating product that all these words honestly feel wasted on it. Anybody should know that this game lacks any clear or compelling reason to exist right as soon as the restrictions on sharing and uploading levels are made clear.

It’s a shame, too, because apart from this, the game works on 3DS, and it works as well as you would imagine. All (well, most) of the creation tools from the Wii U are here, the interface is as intuitive here as it was then, and you can create some delightfully creative levels and courses. There is even the 3DS exclusive Super Mario Challenge mode, which sees you go through a series of short, Nintendo created Mario levels, all of which implicitly teach you the fundamentals of good level design. As a matter of fact, between that, the 100 Mario Challenge, and just pulling from the courses randomly recommended to you an playing through them, Super Mario Maker on 3DS almost begins to make a case for itself- instead of looking at this as a level creator with crippled share functionality, look at this as a sidescrolling Mario game that has infinite content being generated for it, giving it a longevity beyond most Mario games, that also happens to have user content creation tools. In that light, the lack of sharing functionality almost wouldn’t matter as much, because the level creation is just a bonus feature, right?

"Super Mario Maker almost feels like a deliberately stripped down, hastily slapped together port of the game."

Sadly, however, the game is called Super Mario Maker, and it boots you right into the level creation screen. Creating your own courses isn’t a bonus, it’s the reason for Super Mario Maker‘s existence in the first place, and the sharing functionality being gone is a major, fatal knock against this game. It’s especially sad, because the sharing functionality the game does have is great- StreetPass sharing works as well as you would expect, and gives you a taste of what being able to share levels with others would be like. But StreetPass, while perfect for a densely populated country like Japan that also has a lot of people buying and owning a 3DS, does not work in the west as well- there is no reason for it being the only way to share your levels in the game at all. StreetPass in addition to online sharing, sure, that would have been great. StreetPass with online sharing enabled via the Wii U version of the game, annoying, but I at least could have dealt with that. Just StreetPass? That kills this game dead in its tracks.

Super Mario Maker almost feels like a deliberately stripped down, hastily slapped together port of the game. It’s a 3DS game with no 3D functionality, a Wii U and 3DS cross platform game with no way for the user to interact with the Wii U version of the game directly, and a level creator with no level sharing. It is a thoroughly self defeating product in every sense of the word, and as it exists, it simply should not have been pushed out to the market.

This game was reviewed on Nintendo 3DS. 

Super Mario Run, Nintendo’s very first game for smartphones (Pokemon GO was not developed by Nintendo, and Miitomo isn’t a game, strictly speaking), is almost here- it launches next week on iOS devices, and that’s a big deal. And to promote the game, Nintendo now have two new videos for the game out.

The first one is an advertisement- it’s live action, showing players around the world enjoying the game. The second one shows off several minutes of in game footage from the upcoming game, which should get everyone who has even the faintest of memory of Mario excited to pick up the game on their iPhone. You can check both of them out below.

Super Mario Run is going to be a level based 2D platformer- in it, Mario will run automatically, and players will have to time his jumps to be able to get through levels. It will be launching on December 13 on iOS devices, but an Android version may come later.

The Dwarves

KING Art’s crowd-funded tactical RPG The Dwarves arrives on December 1st and along with some much needed fantasy role-playing goodness, we’ve got a huge variety of weapons, pitched battles and a swathe of environments to explore. It looks good but will it play good, especially on consoles? Stay tuned when it’s out in the coming days and don’t worry – it’s coming to PC, Linux and Mac OS as well.

The Walking Dead: A New Frontier – Episode 1

Clementine is back and has kept that hair short. Also, she’s all grown up and traveling with the relatively new Javier. What’s going on and what has Clementine been up to? All we know is that society is slowly starting to rebuild itself among the undead ruins. Themes of family are once again prominent and the game questions how far you’d go to protect your loved ones. How will it ultimately pan out? We’ll find out when episode 1 premieres on December 20th.

Steep

Ubisoft’s final title for the year is the open world extreme sports title Steep. The game is most interesting because along with the ability to ski, snowboard, para-glide and fly with wing-suits, the Alps are completely open for exploration. Players are encouraged to share their accomplishments and feats throughout the game world, use different tricks to rack up points and engage in four different styles of play. Whether it’s exploration, cool tricks or outright self-devastation, Steep is worth checking out on December 2nd.

The Last Guardian

The eagerly awaited action adventure/platformer is finally upon us. The Last Guardian has been in development for almost a decade and for that long, we’ve been wondering about Trico the guardian and the boy. Initial impressions are interesting because they reveal that moments where the boy can latch onto Trico’s tail after risky jumps are very much part of the gameplay. We’ll finally get to experience it ourselves on December 6th for PS4 so buckle up.

Dead Rising 4

Zombies? Check. Frank West? Check. Total mayhem with tons of customization, an open world and lots of zombie killing? You know it. Frank West returns to Willamette as another outbreak grips the populace. Thankfully, Frank will have his fair share of weaponry to fight back including elemental weapons, an exo suit and of course, plenty of vehicles that can be tricked out for maximum zombie pain. Dead Rising 4 is out on December 6th for Xbox One and Windows 10.

Space Hulk: Deathwing

Space Marine Terminators vs. Tyranid Genestealers in an all-out battle royale. Who emerges victorious? In Space Hulk Deathwing, it will be you and up to three other players engaging in Left 4 Dead-like skirmishes against the alien freaks. Thankfully, you’ll have four different classes to choose from, wielding swords and shotguns alongside gatling guns. Fun for the whole crew? Stay tuned for its PC release on December 9th to find out.

Super Mario Maker For Nintendo 3DS

You’ve tortured thousands, perhaps millions, of random strangers with Super Mario Maker on the Wii U. Now you finally have the chance to do it on the go with the Nintendo 3DS. Though some elements have been changed in the transition, Super Mario Maker for the 3DS will still allow you to create your own courses and share them with others. In fact, you can exchange courses through StreetPass if anyone close by is feeling especially masochistic. Super Mario Maker on the 3DS releases on December 2nd in North America and Europe.

Yakuza 6

Kazuma Kiryu is in a bad mood and out to protect the Tojo clan. It also doesn’t help that he wanted to retire from the whole Yakuza business but you can never keep a good mobster down. Yakuza 6 will see players return to the same open world action adventure that characterized previous classics and the world looks better than ever on PS4. Yakuza 6 is out on December 8th for PS4 In Japan and, surprisingly, features working versions of Puyo Puyo and Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown with mutliplayer support.

Wild Guns Reloaded

You’ve probably never heard of Wild Guns on the NES. While not an all-time epic, this classy little sci-fi shooting gallery from Natsume combined the best aspects of light gun titles with third person shooters. What’s more, it has cowboys. Wild Guns Reloaded seeks to recapture that magic when it arrives on December 13th in Japan for PS4 and will feature four player co-op, more characters, enemies, stages and a lot more to engage in.

Arizona Sunshine

Ah, Arizona. If the overbearing heat doesn’t get you, the undead will in Vertigo Games’ Arizona Sunshine, an upcoming FPS survival horror title for HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. The objective is pretty simple – survive against an onslaught of the undead and use various weapons to do so – but the addition of VR makes it all the more tense. Arizona Sunshine allows you to freely move around, which is great for all those times a zombie could potentially sneak up on you. Look for its release on December 6th.

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.

Looks like Nintendo weren’t kidding about proper 3DS support even with the impending launch of the Nintendo NX. This was one of the more obvious games Nintendo could have put on the 3DS, so I am honestly surprised it took this long- Super Mario Maker, the hit Mario level creation tool that launched exclusively on the Wii U last year, is going to be launching on Nintendo 3DS later this year.

The 3DS version of the game features some reduced functionality over the Wii U game, including some tools that are omitted, as well as significantly pared back online functionality (while local sharing of courses and levels is supported, it sounds like direct online sharing of courses is not permitted), although it does sound like most Wii U levels will be playable on 3DS via online servers.

Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS is scheduled for December 2, 2016, exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS.

Mamma mia! #SuperMarioMaker is coming to #3DS! #NintendoDirect pic.twitter.com/Ks7jUNDbE3

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 1, 2016

Nintendo’s Super Mario Maker, one of its most successful titles on the Wii U, has reached an intriguing new milestone of sorts. According to the company, players have managed to create more than 7.2 million courses which have been played more than 600 million times.

Offering a bit of perspective, Nintendo stated that, “If you played every level in Super Mario Maker for 1 minute each, it would take you nearly 14 years to play them all.”

And that number is still growing.

Super Mario Maker has sold more than 3.5 million units on the Wii U till now and seen much critical praise for the ease of its toolsets. The sheer variety of courses available, ranging from classics with twists to utterly nightmarish levels, has had players continuously coming back for more. To its credit, Nintendo has offered more items and updates since the game’s release, expanding on its features even more.

What are your thoughts on the scope and scale of Super Mario Maker‘s courses? Let us know in the comments.

Another day, another Nintendo NX rumor. This one, however, comes from at least a somewhat believable source- a poster on NeoGAF, 10k, was apparently verified by the moderators on there, and he has posted some information about Nintendo’s mysterious upcoming system.

According to this new rumor, the NX, which runs on an x86 architecture (similar to the PS4, Xbox One, and PC), is noticeably more powerful than the PS4 in every metric- at this point, this is something we are hearing a lot, and where there is smoke, there is fire. So let’s just jump ahead to the next part of the rumor, which is more exciting.

The next part of the rumor states that the NX has ports of at least four Wii U games in development- this includes The Legend of Zelda, which has been widely assumed and accepted by everyone for almost a year now, as well as Super Smash Bros., which was leaked some time ago as well. The other two games are Splatoon, last year’s hit shooter for the Wii U, as well as Super Mario Maker. The ports of Super Mario Maker and Splatoon, however, are currently facing some problems, and may not release in the end.

With that said, with the Wii U being Nintendo’s least successful console of all time, whilst simultaneously having some of their best games ever, it does make sense for Nintendo to port some of its best efforts to their new console.

Is this rumor true or not? As with each rumor, we can’t say we know yet. Nintendo is widely rumored to be holding an event later this month, when they might take the wraps off of the NX. Let’s wait till then, and we will know for sure.

This week’s Media Create charts are now available, indicating software and hardware sales in Japan for the past week. To the surprise of none, Capcom’s Monster Hunter X sold 65,227 units with total lifetime sales of 2,587,086 units.

Monster Strike was still in second place with 38,795 units this week (lifetime sales of 738,231 units) while Splatoon sold 28,945 with a total of 1,182,934 units sold since its release date. Super Mario Maker has also been doing good numbers with 25,854 units sold this week, bringing its total sales to 752,739 units.

For the PS Vita, there was Minecraft: PlayStation Vita Edition selling 23,161 units (607,878 units for its lifetime) and Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs Force selling 13,643 units (lifetime sales of 121,406 units). Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam was in tenth place with 9,497 units sold with the total lifetime sales of 207,812 units. Considering that it released in December, it’s interesting to see it so low in the charts. What are your thoughts on this week’s sales? Let us know in the comments.

Nintendo’s Super Mario Maker is, for a company that is famously bad at handling online functionality and community content, far better a game than it had any right to be. The best part is how Nintendo keeps the title alive, with frequent updates, free additions, sponsored levels, and community events.

The latest of these is a new sponsored level that Southwest Airlines has created for the game- sponsored levels are levels that other companies make in the game using Super Mario Maker‘s tools (Mercedes has already made one before this). Southwest’s level is based on the Sky Pop plane from Super Mario Land which was released on the original Game Boy.

It’s a blast from the past, and something that long time fans will really enjoy and appreciate. You can check the level out for yourself below. It’s even got a neat surprise for you at the end.

Super Mario Maker is available now, exclusively on the Wii U.

After the reported success of the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo Wii U, especially the latter which saw Super Mario Maker and Splatoon average more than 60K units each, Media Create’s charts revealed the best-selling games and consoles for the week past in Japan.

Monster Hunter X is on top with 149,587 units sold followed by Monster Strike with 140,479 units (and no, there’s no relation between the two). Super Mario Maker sold 68,523 units on the Wii U while Splatoon sold 60,991 units for the week. Yo-Kai Watch Busters: Akaneko-dan/Shiroinu-tai on the 3DS managed to sell 56,819 units this week.

Hardware sales were also exceptionally strong for the New Year. The New Nintendo 3DS XL sold 82,675 units followed by the PlayStation Vita with 77,926 units, the PlayStation 4 with 70,596 units, the Nintendo Wii U with 55,798 units and the New Nintendo 3DS with 23,895 units.

What are your thoughts on sales in Japan with the start of 2016? Let us know in the comments.