All posts tagged: 3DS

Nintendo Memories: 3DS

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

Kane Bugeja Pokemon Rumble Blast Once touch screens and motion controls have come and…somewhat stayed, what is next in the world of gaming? 3D. Like in the movies, but also just as forgettable. Okay, maybe that’s a little unfair, but, from personal experience, 3D really did not change anything about my handheld gaming experience. Apart from the curiosity that spurs me to check each game’s 3D mode once, I almost exclusively plays sans this feature, despite owning a 3DS. Of course, as is probably the case for most people, I own it for the games, not the additional dimension. Thus, I will forever be thankful that there is a slider to easily remove this feature from any and all games. Handhelds are designed for travel play after all and being forced to hold one steady at an exact distance from your face is very counter-intuitive. Yes this has been fixed with the (poorly named) New 3DS, but still, you know what I mean. As far as games go however, I really enjoy the 3DS. As …

Pokemon Sun and Moon – Review

Published by Frank Inglese

In life, there is nothing sweeter than the sharing of experience. We as humans actively seek companionship from others as a trade for our own for more than basic primal needs to belong. There is a joy that comes with sharing that simply cannot be explained, but it is a necessary element of happy and healthy living. Pokemon was first conceived with this in mind: Satoshi Tajiri built Pocket Monsters on a foundation made up of interactivity. Swapping weird and wonderful creatures with friends new and old is the foundation on which Pokemon was constructed, and to see such a base concept come so far speaks volumes about the human mentality. Twenty years later and Pokemon is far more than what it once was, breaking through the proverbial ceiling and reaching higher into the stratosphere than anyone thought possible, and yet with this latest iteration we’re delivered something humble in essence. Even this far removed from the original games, Pokemon fans are still sharing experiences with one another, trading from across the globe and battling like never …

Coming In Fast! Dragon Ball Fusions To Be Released One Month Early

Published by Frank Inglese

I’m hard pressed to think of something more exciting than the early release of a much-anticipated video game. Bandai Namco truly know what gets people going, and it’s at times like these that we are reminded of how lucky we truly are. The upcoming Nintendo 3DS game, Dragon Ball Fusions, was set for a release on the 13th of December and has been that way since it was revealed, but Bandai Namco Entertainment have decided that waiting until the very end of the year to release this exciting title simply isn’t on. Instead, they will be releasing Dragon Ball Fusions across North America a month early, now being made available on the 22nd of November! While our friends living over in the United States are lucky to land this one early, us living in Europe and it’s attached regions will have to wait until the February of 2017 to get our hands on it, but my hopes are that Bandai Namco Entertainment decide to speed up the release of Fusions outside of the USA as well. …

Yo-Kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls – Review

Published by Frank Inglese

Think back to your Primary School days; it was a time in each of our lives wherein which making friends was as easy as sharing the same lunchbox contents. Perhaps you and your pal at the time had the same flavour of juice box which, for a pair of seven year olds, was more than enough to start what could grow to become a life-long friendship. One of my oldest friends and I have a relationship built upon what class we happened to be assigned to, and what desk it was that we were told to sit at. There was no preconceived notion of one-another’s character, there was no prejudice based on personal beliefs, it didn’t even matter that we came from vastly different home lives, all that mattered was our physical placement in the classroom and an inexplainable need for friendship. As a twenty-two year old, making friends is…much harder. Between my somewhat cynical outlook on life, and my constant quest for an easily-maintainable lifestyle, making friends as an adult doesn’t come easy. Now, …

New Pokemon Sun and Moon Trailer Officially Reveals Starter Final Evolutions

Published by Frank Inglese

Overnight, the Pokemon Company International released a brand-new trailer for Game Freak’s upcoming Pokemon Sun and Moon that just so happen to ultimately reveal the final evolutions for this generation’s starters which, despite having been leaked quite some time ago, people continuously hope for with the release of any new Pokemon Sun and Moon information. As it turns out, once again, the famous “Chinese Leaks” are almost entirely correct, the only thing missing at this point in time is the Water-Type Arcanine featured in said leaks, but seeing as all other information has been correct up until this point in time, I have high hopes. Decidueye, the final evolution of Rowlet, is based on an Archer and is a combination of Grass and Ghost-Type. It has the ability Overgrow, and it’s signature move is Spirit Shackle which disables the enemy from leaving battle. Incineroar, the final evolution of Litten, is based on a Professional Wrestler and is a combination of Fire and Dark-Type. It has the ability Blaze, and it’s signature move is Darkest Lariat which …

Rare and Expensive Nintendo Gems on the Virtual Console

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

It’s easy to take video games for granted when they’re on shelves and easily available, but next thing you know that once $10 copy of No More Heroes in the Wii bargain bins is no more! And finding a used copy $40 or so on a random Sunday trip to the mall is considered to be a lucky day. Same goes for video games available for purchase on digital outlets, sure the price never hikes and you can download any given time, but digital games do get delisted (I had no idea that Tetris of all games had been delisted from the eShop due to licensing issues!). Right now you can find some of the rarest and most expensive Nintendo games right at your fingertips on the Virtual Console. In the past you’d have to fork out hundreds, if not close to a thousand, dollars on these games, but thanks to the eShop you can download them right now for mere pocket change. Digital distribution has its blessings for sure. If you’re not fussy about owning …

Pokemon Sun and Moon – International Trailer Reveals Even More Unseen Evolutions

Published by Frank Inglese

It was only but a few days ago that the world was blessed with the much-anticipated monthly leaks of Japan’s CoroCoro magazine. This latest issue gave us a look at Type:Null and Jangmo-o evolutions, as well as a quick glance at an Alolan Grimer, but The Pokemon Company international have just released an English trailer that shows us all that and much, much more! Silvadi’s English name is Silvally, and it’s ability was changed from “AR System” to “RKS System“, inching closer to speculation that it has something to do with the God Pokemon Arceus. Jangmo-o’s evolutionary chain also got a name change; it’s middle form is now Hakamo-o, and it’s final is Kommo-o. There is also now a vibrantly-coloured Alolan Muk! In regards to new Pokemon; evolutions for Cutiefly and Bounsweet were also revealed. Cutiefly will evolve into Ribombee, and Bouncesweet will feature two evolutions that go by the names Steenee and Tsareena. The latter will learn a move unique to it called “Trop Kick“; this technique lowers the opponents attack whilst also dealing …

A Second Trailer Has Been Released For Upcoming Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters Game

Published by Frank Inglese

While many Digimon fans from across the globe are busy attacking and defending the new multimedia project Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters, many of us are just glad that such an addition to the long-running series exists. Scroll through any comment section of any given article regarding the new Video Game or Anime and you will understand just how divisive Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters is. There’s a clear three-way split in the fandom; a third of which will attack it for either been too different or not different enough, another that will defend it tooth and nail regardless of the facts, and a final that is simply happy that the franchise has yet to perish in the shadow of more popular franchises like Pokemon and Yo-Kai Watch. This particular piece of news goes out to the latter of the fanbase specifically: Bandai Namco Entertainment have released a brand-new full-length trailer for the upcoming Nintendo 3DS game, aptly titled Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters, that showcases many of it’s features, most of which have never been seen in previous …

Pokemon Sun and Moon – Middle Starter Evolutions Finally Revealed

Published by Frank Inglese

This is a crucial time in any Pokemon Trainer’s life; it’s the period prior to a new Pokemon video game being released, and it’s a point in each of our lives wherein which we live in a constant state of anticipation as we wait for more Pokemon to be revealed, periodically adding new ones to our, so far, fictitious team of six. Now, no matter how many Pokemon Game Freak reveals between the first trailer of the new game and it’s release, none will be more important than that of the starts and their evolutions. The starters were introduced to the Pokemon-loving world quite some time ago, which makes the reveal of their Evolutions as a part of this new trailer all the more sweeter. Yes, Game Freak and Nintendo have, overnight, released a new trailer for Pokemon Sun and Moon that finally reveals the middle evolutions of the starter Pokemon Rowlet, Litten, and Poplio. Their named are Dartrix, Torracat, and Brionne, and their designs somewhat match up with the final evolutions depicted in the …

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments Of A Forgotten Past – Review

Published by Frank Inglese

My level of historical knowledge is…trivial, to say the very least. It boggles my mind to think about the countless descendants of human kind, all of which made certain decisions that set our race on a path that lead us directly to this point in time and into the future as it continues ever on like a speeding locomotive. We, with the decisions we make in the present, will effectively become key factors in the world’s development, eventually become a historical point of interest for those in the distant future wishing to learn more about our time. There’s a saying that goes; “history is written by the winners“. As a result of my whimsical nature, this quote interests me to no end. Let us say that, yes, history is indeed written by the winner; the winner being the one to emerge victorious from, perhaps, a battle or farce that would have changed the records of time. One, when writing, has the freedom of interpretation and composition. They have the ability to delve into factual detail or, to …

Dragon Ball Fusions Confirmed For Western Release In February 2017

Published by Frank Inglese

Reader, you’re very much aware of this particular video game, right? Us at SnapThirty have been following it ever since it was announced for Japan, and we’ve been hoping for a Western release ever since. Dragon Ball is one of the most popular Anime of all time in Western regions so most games based on the much-loved series does indeed make it to local shores, but when we’re talking about a strange game like Dragon Ball Fusions it’s always hard to determine whether or not the same can be said for it. If you’re not aware of this game; basically it’s an RPG set in the world of Dragon Ball, with a strong emphasis on “Fusion“, meaning that most characters you will be able to encounter and recruit throughout the story can be fused together. Exciting, right? Heck yeah, it is! Bandai Namco Entertainment, being such a great company, have done us Western Dragon Ball fans a huge favour by today announcing that they will be localising Dragon Ball Fusions and releasing it in Europe, …

[UPDATE] Pokemon Sun and Moon – September CoroCoro Leaks Reveal Rockruff Evolutions

Published by Frank Inglese

Of course! Here we have another batch of leaks straight from the unreleased pages of Japan’s own toy and video game magazine CoroCoro. Before I officially move on to detail the contents of the most recent link, may I just mention that CoroCoro is the greatest source of any news, Pokemon or otherwise, because it’s most recent, unreleased issues clearly aren’t kept in as tight a vault as they should. Like water in a colander; it’s contents never stay contained. Ever since the introduction of the resent Alolan dog Pokemon, Rockruff, many news sources have explained that there’s much to be learned about it’s evolutionary tree, which today has been confirmed to have at least two branches, how about that? Yes, these particular leaks happen to focus on Rockruff and it’s dual evolutions; one which is altered because of the effects of the sun, and the other because of the effects of the moon. As many have speculated; Rockruff does indeed have a Werewolf-like evolution when exposed to the Moon’s rays, and a more “tame” …

New Pokemon Sun and Moon Trailer Features A Vacational Professor Oak

Published by Frank Inglese

As of late, the Pokemon-loving audience have been forced to digest quite a lot of Sun and Moon-centric information, especially with the release of the last International trailer which introduced us all to Type: Null, Ultra Beasts, and the Aether Foundation; things never before seen in any other previous Pokemon title. Well, with so much information to store in your long-term memory, it’s sometimes hard to fully grasp all of what Pokemon Sun and Moon has to offer, at this point in time, so Nintendo have decided to release a new trailer that, more or less, revises everything we have seen up until this point in time. A fresh region, a lack of Gyms, a new team of antagonists, and a whole bunch of new Pokemon; Sun and Moon is set for a worldwide release this November and despite everything that HAS been revealed, we still have so much left to discover. Featured, ever so briefly, in this compilation trailer is a character yet to receive a formal introduction, but many of us veteran Trainers …

Pokemon Sun and Moon – New Trailer Introduces Alternate Versions Of Classic Pokemon

Published by Frank Inglese

Unlike what many have imagined, Nintendo and Game Freak’s upcoming Pokemon Sun and Moon video games will not just be featuring brand-new Pokemon specific to the Alola Region. While these new breeds are the most exciting, Game Freak have decided that the resurgence of love for Generation One Pokemon is something that is just as important as building popularity for contemporary Pocket Monsters, not that the classics need MORE love. In a new trailer, released on the official Pokemon Youtube channel, the world is introduced to a new batch of Pokemon from the Alola region that have never been seen before, but they’re also accompanied by some familiar faces that have gone through certain changes thanks to this region’s tropical environment. The trailer is featured just below: While the new Pokemon Oricorio, Minior, Gumshoos, Fomantis, Lurantis, and Mudbray have already won over the fandom’s audience, they’re overshadowed by the alternate forms of Vulpix, Ninetails, Sandshrew, Sandslash, and Exeggutor, who have not only gone through a physical change but also a drastic Type change. This new …

Yo-Kai Watch 2 Hits Australia And New Zealand This October!

Published by Frank Inglese

Yo-Kai Watch is one hell of a divisive franchise: You’re either unaware of it, or a die-hard fan. It’s quite rare to find someone who sits in-between. Not only has it taken over it’s country of birth, Japan, but it has now captivated the hearts and minds of many people from around the entire world. Despite the fact that many Western audiences negatively compared it to pioneering franchise Pokemon, the Nintendo 3DS video game and all it’s merchandise sold incredibly well in Western regions, especially SnapThirty’s home of Australia. Alongside great reviews, and even better sales, the Yo-Kai Watch Anime series, which airs on free-to-air TV, has also been quite well-received. Fans across the world still cannot get enough of Yo-Kai Watch, and being an audience dedicated to this franchise, many know that Japan is up to it’s third main Yo-Kai Watch game, not to mention it’s off-shoots. This is why Nintendo are excited to announce that Yo-Kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls will be released across Australia and New Zealand on the 15th …

Level-5 Reveal New Cross-Media Project: Megaton Musashi

Published by Frank Inglese

Overnight, Level-5 held a press conference titled “Vision 2016 -New Heroes-” wherein which they revealed to the world a couple of new projects that the company is currently developing, as well as brand-new strands of information regarding already-established franchises like Yo-Kai Watch. Level-5 attempted to break out into the mech market with their previous video game series Little Battlers Experience, and whilst it did quite well in Japan (yet not so much in the West) it was not the most well-received of their cross-media developments. The great thing about Level-5 is that they’re constantly changing, evolving, and developing, creating video games that blow audiences of all different ages away with just how engaging and enjoyable they are, so it only makes sense that they would, once again, try to take over a landscape such as science-fiction robot fighting. Revealed through their “Vision 2016 -New Heroes-” livestream is another cross-media endeavor titles “Megaton Musashi“. Revealed through a  thirteen minute pilot episode at their live event, Megaton Musashi that revolves around three young men piloting a robot …

Level-5 Deliver A Huge Snack World Update As Part Of Their Vision 2016 Livestream

Published by Frank Inglese

Overnight, Level-5 held a press conference titled “Vision 2016 -New Heroes-” wherein which they revealed to the world a couple of new projects that the company is currently developing, as well as brand-new strands of information regarding already-established franchises like Yo-Kai Watch. Snack World, which has been in development for quite some time now, is arguably the most exciting new project to be spearheaded by Level-5 games in recent times. If I know one thing for sure, it’s that I’m absolutely enamoured by this game, the new information revealed at the most recent Level-5 livestream has only made me come to love it all the more. Alongside the screening of a brand-new trailer for the game, that adds on to footage released previously, Level-5 also revealed that Snack World will not only be getting a release on the Nintendo 3DS but also on iOS-run SmartPhones. The iOS version of the game, alongside the television series, are set to be released/aired (TV Tokyo for the series) in the April of 2017, followed up by the release …

Level-5 Reveals Inazuma Eleven: Balance Of Ares Video Game And Anime Series

Published by Frank Inglese

Overnight, Level-5 held a press conference titled “Vision 2016 -New Heroes-” wherein which they revealed to the world a couple of new projects that the company is currently developing, as well as brand-new strands of information regarding already-established franchises like Yo-Kai Watch. As many of you may have guessed when, a few months ago, Level-5 CEO hinted at the development of a new Inazuma Eleven game, said game was revealed as a part of the exciting presentation. Titled “Inazuma Eleven: Balance Of Ares“, this game will be a direct yet alternate sequel to the original Inazuma Eleven game. Much like the chronology of The Legend Of Zelda, “Balance Of Ares” marks the first time that the series has branched off into another storyline, with this new universe never being confronted by the Soccer-loving extra terrestrials. Centred around new protagonist Asuto Inamori and his friends, the new game will, once again, take place at Raimon Junior High as the new cast of characters are forced to move from their home to play soccer after their local …

Pokemon Sun and Moon – CoroCoro Leaks Reveal Kiteruguma and Mimikkyu

Published by Frank Inglese

We’re at a critical point in Pokemon Sun and Moon’s pre-release stage wherein which you have to consider that, despite how legitimate sources seem, perhaps the leaked Pokemon you are looking at could be entirely false. In the past, many of us have been fooled by “leaked scans” from mysterious sources, and it has conditioned us to doubt everything we see on first glance, especially when what we’re looking at isn’t exactly what we thought the minds at Game Freak would produce. Take, for example, the two newly-revealed Pokemon, Kiteruguma and Mimikkyu, who have just been introduced to the world thanks to leaked scans of the latest CoroCoro magazine. Now, one of these Pokemon looks like something you’d find in a Japanese claw machine, whilst the other looks as though it was designed for nothing more than a gag. Despite this, it looks as though these new Pokemon have been confirmed as legitimate additions to the new generation, and no matter how odd I personally think they look, it seems as though they’ve taken the internet …

Level-5’s Snack World Returns To The Public Eye With Long-Awaited New Trailer

Published by Frank Inglese

Level-5, the genius developer behind such franchises as Inazuma Eleven and Yo-Kai Watch, revealed a new video game quite some time ago simply titled “Snack World“. Looking like a mix between Adventure Time and a Play-Doh Rainbow Starter Pack, this game instantly confused yet delighted audiences. After the game’s reveal and short video trailer release, Snack World faded into obscurity, only to now appear once again thanks to the release of another trailer! Level-5 held a live-streaming event over the past day wherein which they debuted this new trailer for Snack World. Showing only cinematics, the general public is still very much confused in regards to what kind of game this is going to be. Clearly it will involve a great deal of adventuring, which could be adapted into an RPG-style setting as well as a light action title. Regardless, the game looks like insanity wrapped in fun, and has me highly anticipating what’s to come next from the would-be multimedia franchise. Snack World’s combat will rely on the player collection keychains that can then be transformed …

Level-5 Japan Releases A Multitude Of New Yo-Kai Watch 3 Promotional Videos

Published by Frank Inglese

Would it be going to far to say that Level-5 is one of the most generous video game developers of this generation? I mean, they’re constantly updating us on their recent projects, never allowing us to wait too long without seeing what’s new. In my eyes, Level-5 cares for it’s audience, especially those of us out there that love Yo-Kai Watch! Speaking of which; Level-5 Japan has, over night, updated their official Youtube channel to now feature a set of new promotional videos, trailers, and television advertisements for their upcoming franchise addition; Yo-Kai Watch 3: Sushi and Tempura. Alongside a video showcasing the updated battle system of the new game, Level-5 have also released videos that show, in great detail, the “My Nyan” Yo-Kai creation feature of the game as well as two brand-new full-length trailers spotlighting the two title variations, and a set of three video advertisements that will now be appearing during television ad breaks across Japan. Now, you don’t want to have to sit here all day reading what I have to …

E3 2016 – Nintendo Reveals New Action/Adventure IP “Ever Oasis”

Published by Frank Inglese

For me, the most exciting news to come out of E3 is not additional information on titles the general public have already been aware of for quite some time, but reveals of brand-new video games that begin their illustrious development and release journey with the festivities of the expo as their starting point. It’s even more exhilarating when a big company like Nintendo partner up, once again, with a developer like Grezzo (The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 3D, The Legend Of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D) to conceive and create a brand-new IP that will, hopefully, have the world enthralled. The new title, that I’m heavily referring to, is that of “Ever Oasis“; a action/adventure game that puts players in the small but strong being known as a Seedling, who is tasked with developing a beautiful Oasis out in the harsh desert landscape. With your partner Isuna at your side, you as the Seedling will have to traverse the blazing planes of the desert while recruiting new friends and aiding in the prosper of …

Nintendo Releases Yo-Kai Watch 2: Boney Spirits and Fleshy Souls Premiere Trailer For E3 2016

Published by Frank Inglese

Us here at SnapThirty have followed the young life of Yo-Kai Watch ever since it was first announced for a Japanese audience. We waited patiently as game after game was released, none making it to the West until last year when Level-5 and Nintendo granted our wish and released the first of now three Yo-Kai Watch games outside of Japan. It’s now 2016 and we are once again waiting for when the second Yo-Kai Watch title will be within our reach, and thanks to the festivities of E3 2016 we now know when we can expect the game to hit Western shores, and exactly what to expect from it’s localisation. The premiere trailer for Yo-Kai Watch 2: Boney Spirits and Fleshy Souls (in the West) was hosted last night within the Nintendo Treehouse live stream, showcasing to audiences the return of a much-loved game alongside it’s new mechanics and slightly altered setting that will, as a part of the story, take players on a trip back through time to uncover the truth of a mystery …

Pokemon Sun and Moon E3 Trailer Reveals Pikipek, Yungoos, and Grubbin

Published by Frank Inglese

Nintendo has hit the Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3) in a big way this year, as they have in previous years, with the reveal of not only a couple of brand-new video games but also by introducing the audience to three of the new Pokemon set to appear in their highly anticipated duo of games; Pokemon Sun and Moon. Revealed a week ago by the Japanese video game magazine CoroCoro were Nekkoala and Iwanko, the Koala and Poi Dog Pokemon, and thanks to the E3 trailer for Sun and Moon the world has been introduced to three more; Pikipek, Yungoos, and Grubbin. Pikipek: Category: Woodpecker Pokémon Type: Normal/Flying Height: 1’00″ Weight: 2.6 lbs. Ability: Keen Eye / Skill Link Pikipek can strike 16 times a second with its beak. These strikes are powerful enough to not only drill through hard wood but even shatter stone. The noises made by their blows can signal others. Some of these signals have been identified as warning signals and greetings among allies. Pikipek Trainers have grown to recognize them as well. These Pokémon drill holes in …

Pokemon Sun And Moon – CoroCoro Scans Reveal Nekkoala And Iwanko

Published by Frank Inglese

Usually, waiting for a video game’s release is a hellish time for die-hard fans looking to get their hands on the latest and greatest titles. For Pokemon fans it is a time to reflect, theorise, and speculate, taking into account the snippets of information they’re delivered systematically from the moment the game is announced to the moment it is released. The latest title that has audiences in grand anticipation is that of Pokemon Sun and Moon; a pair of games that, much like previous titles, will take players on a journey unlike the last, always pushing for us to experience bigger and better things. A few weeks ago the world was introduced to Rowlett, Litten, and Poplio; the starters of the new generation, but they’re not the only Pokemon to be featured in the game, no way! As the months and weeks pass, Game Freak and Nintendo will be introducing us to more and more of the new generation’s long list of new Pocket Monsters with the latest being a narcoleptic koala called Nekkoala, and a …

Yo-Kai Watch 3’s New Information Update Introduces Us To Agents Marder and Kakurii

Published by Frank Inglese

There’s something undeniably charming about Level-5 video game productions that goes much deeper than cute visuals and heart-warming storylines. Whether it be Inazuma Eleven, Professor Layton, Ni No Kuni, or any of their other beloved games, it seems as though Level-5 has the strange ability to develop games with an certain sense of heart. Yo-Kai Watch, to me, seems as though it is the franchise that portrays this in the clearest of ways and, once again, not just for superficial reasons. This is why new Yo-Kai Watch information is always exciting, and despite the fact that the West is now two games behind Japan, I feel as though audiences outside of the great country can’t help but embrace the news regardless of it’s region-based exclusivity. Overnight, Level-5 released a major update of information regarding the upcoming Yo-Kai Watch 3: Sushi and Tempura titles that shows a few of the new features alongside some of the new characters that will accompany you throughout the story which, at this point in time, is actually still a mystery. Yo-Kai …

Fire Emblem: Fates – Why You Should Purchase All Paths

Published by Frank Inglese

Intelligent Systems’ latest work of brilliance, Fire Emblem: Fates, has just been released across Australia and New Zealand, and fans living on the underside of the Earth could not be happier to finally get their hands on the game the rest of the world has been enjoying for quite some time now. Few retailers across our great country offered a special edition pack that featured both the Birthright and Conquest editions of the game accompanied by the third path Revelations, this limited edition pack was sold worldwide so chances are no matter where you’re reading from you’re well aware of this incredible release. I, being someone who mostly leaves things to the last minute, never pre-ordered the special edition triple pack, so upon the games release only a few days before the writing of this article I spent most of the morning ringing local retailers in the hopes that someone was silly enough NOT to pick up their pre-order copy. I am hopeful, if anything. Unfortunately I was unsuccessful in my quest, but this experience did …

Yo-Kai Watch 2 Heads To North America This Semptember

Published by Frank Inglese

When you co-run a website dedicated to Japanese Pop Culture, you tend to be somewhat ahead of the curve when it comes to localised releases of video games that have, for all intents and purposes, been released for quite some time. Prior to the first Yo-Kai Watch game being made available in the West, us here at SnapThirty were already very much into the game’s sequel which, thanks to Nintendo who released this information today, will be making it’s way to North America on the 30th of September with a yet undisclosed release elsewhere to come sometime after that.  Yo-Kai Watch 2 will hit local shores alongside the second Anime season which should, once again, air on Disney X D much like that of the prior season. Reminiscent of Pokemon, the sequel will come in two different versions; Boney Spirits, and Fleshy Souls. Each of the different versions will come with over one hundred new Yo-Kai to befriend, with certain Yo-Kai only being available on one of two of the different versions. Hasbro, already having …

First Combo Characters Revealed For Upcoming 3DS Game Dragon Ball: Fusions

Published by Frank Inglese

The last time I wrote a news piece regarding this particular video game, it’s official name hadn’t even been revealed. All we knew about it is that it happened to be a Dragon Ball video game for the Nintendo 3DS that revolved around the varying fusions of many characters. With the announcement of the game came an interested piece of promotional art that showed series protagonist Goku partaking in the Fusion Dance with sworn enemy Broly, who happens to be one of my favorite characters. Bandai Namco Entertainment have revealed more about the game in the latest issue of V-Jump magazine that not only shows the product of Goku and Broly’s fusion, but also a few others, each of which happen to be a combination featuring Krillin…of all characters. Starting off; it has been revealed that you will be able to create and customise your very own character, choosing from five different races much in the same vein as the previously released Dragon Ball: Xenoverse. The races are as follows; Namekian, Spirit Worldian (Majins and …

It’s A Big World, And It’s Time To Start Discovering It – Final Fantasy: Explorers Launch Trailer Released

Published by Frank Inglese

Square Enix are very happy to announce that their latest handheld Final Fantasy title, Final Fantasy: Explorers, has now been released across Australia and New Zealand. Hooray! Finally, those of us living “Down Under” will get the chance to truly explore the vast world of a franchise that has been around since, well…perhaps the beginning of time. In fact, I remember reading segments of the Bible that detailed times wherein which some of the apostles had to take breaks from their holy work to level grind. This may be strange, but some of you reading this may not know exactly what Final Fantasy: Explorers is, and that’s fine because Square Enix have you covered with the release of the video game’s launch trailer which takes audiences through each and every aspect of the game, making sure to inform people of what exactly they’ll be in for when starting up the new title. A Final Fantasy game the likes of which you’ve never before experienced; Final Fantasy: Explorers ditches the turn-based RPG setup of previous games and instead …

My Hero Academia Is Getting It’s Very Own Video Game!?

Published by Frank Inglese

Look, it’s no secret that My Hero Academia (Boku No Hero Academia) is quickly becoming one of the most popular Shonen Jump Mangas of recent times. It features an incredibly detailed story with amazing characters and a protagonist that really puts all other who’ve come before him to shame. The Manga has just earned itself an Anime adaptation to be spearheaded by Studio Bones and now, as it has just been announced in this Week’s Shonen Jump over in Japan, the hit Manga will be getting it’s very own videog game for the Nintendo 3DS.  It’s called My Hero Academia: Battle For All and it’s currently in early development stages. It was only a matter of time before this superhero series got itself a video game and that time will surely be in 2016, though nothing was confirmed by Bandai Namco Entertainment who are publishing the game in Japan. Battle For All is said to be a battle title that will feature most, if not all, of the main characters from the Manga series, giving …

Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final’s Key Visual Features A Familiar Face

Published by Frank Inglese

There’s nothing more exciting than a Nintendo Direct presentation. Nothing. Not a single thing. Well, maybe a few things, but it’s definitely close to the top of the list! While everyone is reeling over Cloud’s addition to the Super Smash Bros. roster, or the re-release of Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow, there’s a whole bunch of us out there who paid close attention not to the Western presentation but the Japan-only presentation that featured some pretty exciting little additions of which were left out of the stream only made available to us video game fans living outside of glorious Nippon. After going through the motions of a standard Nintendo Direct presentation, the video game juggernaut decided to throw us Shin Megami Tensei fans a little bone in the form of another trailer for the upcoming sequel Shin Megami Tensei IV: Final, which had only been announced a few weeks ago. Alongside this trailer, which doesn’t reveal TOO much about the upcoming game, the Nintendo Direct presentation also gave audiences a nice look at the game’s key visual …

Breaking News: Yo-Kai Watch Isn’t Pokemon, So Let’s Stop Comparing Them

Published by Frank Inglese

As many of you long-time readers would know; us here at SnapThirty set our sights on Level-5 and Nintendo’s “next big thing” Yo-Kai Watch for as far back as we can remember. Ever since it first hit the big time over in Japan, we’ve kept a close eye on it, making sure to keep tabs on the “goings on” of this, at the time, exciting new franchise. It’s now been something along the lines of a year and a half, since the beginning of the website, and only now after all this time has the first of a series of many Yo-Kai Watch video games hit the West. North America is the first Western continent to get their hands on a localised version of Yo-Kai Watch and, like any die-hard fans, us here at SnapThirty have scoured the web in the hopes that the North American gamers who’re currently playing through the new game are enjoying it. Yo-Kai Watch is a Japanese role-playing game that revolves around battling and befriending quirky creatures, and it seems as though many …

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker – Review

Published by Frank Inglese

Believing all apocalyptic preachers; the world we live in is perpetually on the verge of utter annihilation. If it isn’t a global zombie scare brought about by drug addicts eating each other, it’s a holy deity coming down from on high to take the chosen people to salvation, leaving us sinners behind for what is essentially Hell on Earth. I couldn’t count on two hands the amount of times, in my lifespan alone, the world has been under threat of complete destruction. Meteors, economic collapse, black holes, Satan’s arrival, the Rapture…all within the short span of twenty years, and that’s only an abridged version of the extensive list. The point I’m trying to make is; depending on who you ask, the eradication of all life on our planet is only ever just around the corner. In one of ATLUS’ many new video game releases, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker, you play as a young man thrown into a realm of utter chaos and destruction after coming into possession of a strange new …

Cracka-lacka Boom Boom! – Level-5 To Release The Yo-Kai Watch Demo Very Soon

Published by Frank Inglese

You seriously cannot wait to play Yo-Kai Watch, can you? Yeah, me neither. I’d give my soul to be able to have a full copy of the upcoming game early but unfortunately no otherworldly entity has appear to fulfil my wish. We can’t all be as lucky as Luke Halliday and Kane Bugeja who attended this years EB Expo and were given the chance to play the game long before it gets a release down here in Australia, but Level-5 and Nintendo are doing something pretty awesome; they’re planning on releasing the Yo-Kai Watch demo across North America during the new 3DS update which is to come on the 22nd of the month. This means anyone with a 3DS living in the USA can download their very own demo copy of the game and play to their hearts content. Nothing has been said regarding when a demo will be released outside of North America but, chances are, it will come around the same time. Unfortunately nothing has been confirmed by either of the two companies …

Prematurely Rock The Dragon – Pre-Launch Trailer For Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden Released

Published by Frank Inglese

Bandai Namco Entertainment hopes you’re all ready to play a damn good Dragon Ball Z fighting game the likes of which we havn’t seen on a handheld title for quite some time. As you probably already know; Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden is about to be released around the world for the Nintendo 3DS. For us living in what is considered to be European regions, we’ll be getting the game on the 16th, but if you’re living in North America and surrounding area…you’ll have to wait until the 20th. Sorry, everyone. That’s okay though! Because Bandai Namco Entertainment have given the whole world the ability to prematurely rock the dragon with their latest trailer for the upcoming game being released only briefly before that of the video game. The new trailer pretty much goes over all the features of the game that we’ve come to know and love by this point in time but that doesn’t make it any less exciting, in fact, it works brilliantly to remind us all of why we should be overly …

Level-5 Announces Yo-Kai Watch Busters: Moon Rabbit Team

Published by Frank Inglese

Video game franchises like Pokemon have taught us that most games coming with two different versions will, eventually, spawn a third. We saw this originally with Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow, and we’re beginning to see it in other franchises too, most notably is that of Yo-Kai Watch who’s second game has more than one version, each with differentiating Yokai to befriend. You may have heard of Yo-Kai Watch Busters; it’s the pair of spin-off titles that introduce the world of Yo-Kai Watch to the gameplay mechanics of an old-school beat em’ up title that has you beating enemies, meeting friends, levelling up, and everything in between. At first, as mentioned, there were just the two games; Red Cat Team, and White Dog Corps, but now Level-5, through the pages of CoroCoro magazine, have announced that there is going to be a third game in the Yo-Kai Watch Busters series with it’s main Yokai being USApyon, and it’s called Moon Rabbit Team. The new game will launch in December of this year alongside a free …

Sega’s Promotional Character Segata Sanshiro Revealed For Project X Zone 2 

Published by Frank Inglese

Here’s a real Japanese pop culture knowledge test, one that I failed, and one that I think will put a smile on your face regardless of whether or not you’re aware of this particular character. In Japan, from 1997 to 1998, there was this television marketing gimmick organised by Sega to advertise their powerful new product of the time; the Sega Saturn. Like many advertising campaigns throughout history, this particular Sega Saturn line of comedic commercials featured a legendary, fictional, Judo master that went by the name Segata Sanshiro who, for that two year period, was essentially the face of the Sega Saturn. This hard-core fighter would travel the land, literally punishing those who would not play the Sega Saturn, as if it was by law. This video game vigilante was seen as one hell of force to be reckoned with, and seemingly the perfect promotional character for the Sega Saturn; a system that, apparently, demanded to be enjoyed. It’s now 2015, and there’s a video game sequel on the way called Project X Zone …

A Phoenix Wright Game Like No Other – Ace Attorney 6 Revealed

Published by Frank Inglese

Here’s some amazing news for your Wednesday morning: Not only have Capcom just revealed the very next instalment in the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney series of video games, but they also confirmed it’s Western localisation. This type of thing doesn’t always happen, especially when it comes to Japanese titles like Ace Attorney. Simply titled Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 6, this upcoming game finds titular character Phoenix Wright heading off-shore to a mysterious country where people insist on believing in the supernatural powers of those deceased. Surely this will come into play during the many long trials ahead for this Ace Attorney who gets roped into a series of cases almost instantly upon arrival in the mysterious land. Much like the other games in the series, Ace Attorney 6 will feature an updated set of gameplay mechanics, none more exciting than that of the Water Mirror feature that, although yet to be properly detailed, is assured to be of great help during most trials. Speaking of help; Wright will make himself a new friend in a …

Shovel Knight Amiibo Announced Thanks To Leak Courtesy Of GAME Brighton

Published by Frank Inglese

We all know what Shovel Knight is. Even if you’re someone like me who hasn’t played it, it’s kind of hard not to know about this hugely-popular indie platforming title which has just risen to an incredible level of worldwide fame thanks to, well…who the heck knows. I just suppose it goes to show that if you make a good enough game, people will indeed play it. The game has recently been picked up by Nintendo for a release on both the 3DS and Wii U, and like most Nintendo titles it has now received it’s very own Amiibo…which has been accidentally leaked thanks to a UK GAME store’s website. Yes, the GAME in Brighton over in the United Kingdom Tweeted from their official account that Nintendo have just announced a Shovel Knight Amiibo that already has a release date, that being the 27th of November this year. Not long after this mishap, the GAME store deleted the Tweet and made no statement to rectify what they had done, choosing to instead sweep it under …

Save The Date – Yo-Kai Watch Hits North America This November

Published by Frank Inglese

The West has been waiting for Yo-Kai Watch to hit local shelves ever since it first became popular over in Japan, so you’ll excuse me for skipping the formalities of an informational article, going straight to the news at hand which is…Level-5 announced an official North American released date for the very first Yo-Kai Watch Nintendo 3DS title, and it’s the 6th of November. Nintendo and Level-5 have only just revealed that the game will be getting a full release short of the Christmas holidays this year, which works for me seeing as I’d actually sell my soul to the devil to get my hands on this game even sooner than that. Originally Yo-Kai Watch was set to be released “Holiday” of this year but thankfully the powers at be have decided that the general public are in need of some specificity right about now. Thank the S-Rank Yo-Kai that they did because I don’t think I could have handled another month of mystery. The game’s release comes at a perfect time too: Not only …

Inazuma Eleven GO: Shadow Review

Published by Frank Inglese

I’m an Italian man, it’s true. With a last name like Inglese (the Italian word for English), it’s kind of hard NOT to tell that my cultural origin is that of the mediterranean variety. Being Italian, many people expect a certain few things of me: They expect me to express my words with the motions of my hands, which I do, they expect me to be an expert when it comes to the country’s cuisine, which I’m not, and they expect me to be good at soccer, which is understandable seeing how enjoyed the sport is over in the country shaped like, well…a big boot. Fact is…I’m not that big a fan of the game. Never have been and, until I started playing Inazuma Eleven GO, I never thought I would be, but here I am writing a review of the soccer video game that, without giving too much away, will most likely be my personal video game of the year, so long as Level-5‘s other title Little Battlers Experience (set for a release in …

Inazuma Eleven GO: Light Review

Published by Luke Halliday

Thank you, Level-5. Thank you so very much. It’s a sentiment I feel compelled to express after playing each and every title this developer produces because they really are just that damn good. Be it the Guild series on the Nintendo eShop providing us with classic games such as Attack of the Friday Monsters and Crimson Shroud or whether it is the unforgettable Professor Layton series or even the PS3 JRPG fantasy epic Ni No Kuni, Level-5 always produce imaginative groundbreaking video-games and Inazuma Eleven is no different. Now before I get into the thick of things, I’d like to preface this review by saying that I am a pretty hardcore Level-5 fan and have experience with the Inazuma Eleven franchise having played previous installments of the game and immersing myself in the anime and even manga iterations of the series. I mean it is pretty great afterall. So this review is coming from the perspective of a fan of these titles and the franchise itself. Right from the get go Inazuma Eleven GO: Light …

We All Need A Little Support – Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden AU/NZ Pre-Order Bonuses Revealed

Published by Frank Inglese

Come on! Surely you know by now that there’s a new Dragon Ball Z video game for the Nintendo 3DS that’s only a few months away! It’s called Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden and it’s going to bring the incredibly face-paced action of Dragon Ball Z to the most popular handheld system of the new age. Bandai Namco Entertainment are bringing this game down to Australia and New Zealand, and with it they’re also bringing some pretty exciting preorder bonuses that will surely be must haves for fans of the long-running series and it’s video games. Head into local video game retailers now to pre-order the game because doing so will get you some pretty nice in-game bonuses: Not only will you be given a download code for a previous Dragon Ball Z fighting title Super Butoden 2, which is making it’s way to the West for the very first time thanks to the new game, but you’ll also be getting six support characters that can each be added to your Dragon Ball Z dream team. …

Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden – European 3DS Bundle Announced

Published by Frank Inglese

We Europeans are a lucky bunch! Sure, I live in Australia and it’s not technically Europe but we tend to get a lot of the same things as the great continent so when I see video game news pertaining to it I automatically include us Aussies! Bandai Namco Entertainment’s European branch have today revealed a fantastic Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden bundle for Europe that’ll send you Euro Dragon Ball Z fanatics up the proverbial wall. What’s better than the release of an Arc System Works-made Dragon Ball Z title that throws back to older video games yet still has enough meat on it’s bones to keep you playing for hours on end? How about a version that also happens to come with it’s very own Dragon Ball Z-theme Nintendo 3DS? Yeah, that’s much better! Actually, you may have to flip that around: Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe have announced a special edition DBZ-themed Nintendo 3DS that is set to be released on the 16th of October; the same day as the game’s solo release. This …

Welcome To 2015 – Fire Emblem Fates To Include Same-Sex Relationships

Published by Frank Inglese

Despite what many people believe, I truly do think we live in a great time. One of unparalleled acceptance that encourages individuality and proper freedom of choice. Though there’s still much to be changed, and many eyes that need opening, I think we’re all doing a pretty good job at making this world safe for almost anyone to live in no matter who they are, where they’re from, and what they do. Nintendo and Intelligent Systems have now hit the same page as the rest of us, announcing that the upcoming Nintendo 3DS title Fire Emblem Fates will indeed feature same-sex relationships, a feature not present in the most recent title Fire Emblem: Awakening. This confirmation comes from an interview Nintendo had with news site Polygon wherein which this was said: “We can confirm that Fire Emblem Fates for Nintendo 3DS, which launches in Japan on June 25, 2015, and is coming to the U.S. and Europe in 2016, includes the possibility for a same-sex marriage to take place between the main character created by …

Yo-Kai Watch To Air On Disney XD Later This Year, Celebrate With English Theme Song

Published by Frank Inglese

Yo-Kai Watch has been on the minds of the SnapThirty crew for quite some time now. We’ve kept up with it since it’s conception and have followed it through all the way to it’s almost Western release. Luke Halliday, fellow writer and good friend, recently went to Japan wherein which he spent a great deal of his money eating, sight-seeing, and buying Yo-Kai Watch merchandise much like any other smart man would. It’s safe to say that we literally cannot wait for this franchise to hit the West. I’ve begun buying and building Yo-Kai Watch figurine kits, Luke has purchased trading card game decks despite not being able to read Japanese, and a lot of what comes our of our mouthes are either the Japanese theme song from the Anime or Whisper’s very own “sou desu ne“. We’re hooked, so you can see why we’re so excited that Densetsu Entertainment USA in conjunction with Level-5 Inc. have just announced that the English version of the Anime will be airing on Disney X D sometime later …

Leaked Videos Confirm Roy And Ryu As Upcoming Playable Characters In Super Smash Bros. For Wii U And 3DS

Published by Frank Inglese

The Electronic Entertainment Expo, also known as E3, is coming up and with the large event comes a whole bunch of exciting video game news from across the board. Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, they all bring their best to the yearly exhibition which means they usually save the very best news to release it when the whole gaming world is watching, but no company is safe from leaks and the general gaming audience loves it when a huge piece of news drops before scheduled time. Two short videos have now begun circulating the web which show both Ryu from Capcom’s incredibly popular fighting series Street Fighter and Roy from Intelligent Systems‘ famed RPG Fire Emblem going head-to-head with the already sizeable cast of the new Super Smash Bros. title which has been available for the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS for quite some time. These videos have come about thanks to the early release of the game’s next big update which has now been made available in Japan…not on purpose, of course. As with any added content, the …

Capcom Announces Mega Man Legacy Collection, Fans Not Impressed

Published by Frank Inglese

Talk to enough people about Mega Man and you’ll soon come to realise the Blue Bomber is close to being pretty much dead. Fact is; it has been this way for quite some time, which makes it even more unfortunate. Some will say the kid robot still has what it takes to match more contemporary video game mascots but Capcom has already replaced him with Street Fighter’s Ryu and the man that created him no longer works for the company…so yeah. Capcom, in an attempt to satiate the fans’ need for the side-scrolling legend, have announced a new video game collection that compiles the first six Mega Man games in the series’ lineup. You’d think this would be pretty exciting for those of us out there who still very much love the series, but…you’d be wrong. After surfing the web for a bit, scouring comment sections and forums, I’ve come to understand that this attempt at reviving Mega Man has not worked entirely in Capcom’s favour. While few people showed genuine interest in the collection, …

New Fire Emblem If Characters Revealed – Mercenary, Samurai And A Fox-Eared Man Join The Cast

Published by Frank Inglese

One of the most anticipated upcoming 3DS titles would have to be Intelligent Systems’ Fire Emblem If, which is what it has been titled in it’s country of origin; Japan. The franchise was reborn not too long ago with the release of Fire Emblem: Awakening; a game that had people fall in love with tactical role-playing games all over again. This is why the new game has people in such an anxious uproar. Set for a release in Japan on the 25th of June, those of us living outside of Japan are going to have to wait until next year to get out hands on what will surely be the Nintendo 3DS’ greatest JRPG title to date. It is fine though…because of the internet: Thanks to this wonder of science, news shared anywhere in the world will travel to all other parts of the world for the rest of the Earth’s population to see. This means any information released regarding Fire Emblem If over in Japan will quickly fall into the laps of those looking for …

A Mystery No More – First Promotional Trailer Released For Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon

Published by Frank Inglese

There was another Nintendo Direct Presentation over the weekend, and you know what that means don’t you? Yep! More awesome news from an even awesome-er video game company! With the release of Splatoon this weekend, love for Nintendo is at an all-time high, so the latest presentation came at a perfect time. Out of everything shown through the video event, one of the more exciting items on the list was that of the first promotional trailer for the upcoming Pokemon spin-off title Super Mystery Dungeon for the 3DS which was only announced about a week or so ago. Nintendo work fast, baby! The new video only goes for a short minute but that’s fine because it tells us everything we need to know about the new game at this point in time, and what’s that exactly, Frank? Well, the video revealed that every Pokemon will be fightable or recruitable in this new title…yeah…literally every single Pokemon. At the beginning of the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games, much like in the mainstream titles, you’re asked to pick a starter Pokemon …

X Marks The Spot – Capcom And Nintendo Announce Monster Hunter X

Published by Frank Inglese

 You somehow made your way through Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, good on you! I couldn’t. I tried…but I simply wasn’t good enough. You though, you’re something else! You’re a G-Rank Hunter and you should be proud of that. Like any industry veteran, you decide that it’s time to retire now that you’ve reached the top. You hang up your greaves and you start living the life of maybe a successful shop owner instead. It’s now time for you to relax. The months go buy and all of the sudden you hear word of a new Monster Hunter title…what? You thought you were out of the business for good, but this new game…this new Monster Hunter game…it’s hooked you. You thought you were out but it’s pulled you back in! You grab your previously hung-up greaves and rush out the door ready for new adventures! Once a Hunter, always a Hunter! Nintendo and Capcom, over the weekend, revealed that there’s a brand-new mainstream Monster Hunter title in the works that goes by the name Monster Hunter X. …

More Mystery, More Dungeons – Nintendo Announces Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon For The 3DS

Published by Frank Inglese

Work sucks right? Yeah, it totally does. Imagine, if you can; you’re a standard human being making his or her way to your workplace on a Monday morning…the WORST work day of the week. You sit on the train, maybe make small talk with some of the other commuters, and come to the realisation that normal life kind of sucks. Immediately you’re teleported into a magical world wherein which you’re no longer the normal human you once used to be…you’re a Pokemon! Maybe you’re even a Pikachu; the most loved Pokemon of all! Other monsters confront you, some looking for a fight, others looking for help. Of course you choose to lend a hand and in that moment you officially become one of the good guys. If you’ve ever played a Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game you’d know that’s exactly there way it usually goes. You’re a human-turned-Pokemon that must set off on a mission to save the world you’ve just entered. Well Nintendo have just announced that you’ll be able to do this all once …

Guess Who’s Back, Back Again – Dragon Quest VIII Announced For The 3DS

Published by Frank Inglese

How’s this for a resurrection story: Dragon Quest VIII was released on the Sony PlayStation 2 some eleven years ago and was met with legendary success. Yep, audiences absolutely adored the Dragon Quest title but it took Square Enix and the team behind the great series a decade or so before they even thought about re-releasing it. It’s initial revival came not too long ago when Square Enix released a more condensed version of the highly-revered title for both Android and Apple smart devices. Ditching things like the voice acting and an actual engaging control system, this game still did very well…somehow. I suppose, despite what it lacked, it was still mostly the same game people enjoyed all that time ago. Well Square Enix have gone and done it again, today announcing that they now plan to bring the title to the Nintendo 3DS. Unlike the last time it was re-released, this iteration of the game will bring about certain upgrades like updated visuals, soundtracks, new storylines and even a new character. Set to hit …

First Batch Of Screenshots Released For Project X Zone 2

Published by Frank Inglese

People love crossover titles. This is something I’ve always believed. The fact that Project X Zone is getting a sequel is just another sign that my belief is one that is more concrete than many others. There’s no one on the face of the Earth that doesn’t enjoy a bit of cross series, cross platform, cross generation battling, and anyone that days they don’t like that is a damn liar! Excuse my little rant, I get very passionate when it comes to games like this. Monolith Soft, the company behind the development of the game, have today released the very first batch of screenshots from the upcoming crossover sequel. Looking similar to the original game but sporting some nice new differences, Project X Zone 2: Brave New World looks like it’s going to feature a bunch of new characters from video games not featured at all in the first game. The most noticeable is Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima from Sega’s Yakuza series. Alongside the new characters there are some old favorites like Megaman X, …

“ETRIAN ODYSSEY 2 UNTOLD: THE FAFNIR KNIGHT” COMING TO AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND IN 2016!

Published by Frank Inglese

This truly is the age of RPGs and, as a huge fan of the genre, I cannot be more excited! We all know the Etrian Odyssey series of adventure games right? Yeah! You know the ones! Well there’s another release on the horizon and today NIS America in conjunction with ATLUS have announced that it will be making its way to Australia and New Zealand in 2016! Now I know what you’re thinking; “that’s so far away!”, fair enough, it is a little far away at this point in time but aren’t you just glad to hear that it’s actually getting a release this side of the world? Surely you have to be! Bandai Namco Games will be handling the distribution across the pair of countries which should give you hope that you’ll be knowing exactly when this game is set for a release as soon as you possibly can. Bamco don’t usually keep their audience waiting and I don’t think anything will change this time with Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight. As mentioned; the game …

A Cute Look At A Harsh World – “Monster Hunter Stories” Announced For The Nintendo 3DS

Published by Frank Inglese

Hey, wussies! Is Monster Hunter a little too hard for you huh? Oh you need something that’s a little easier for you? That doesn’t hurt your hands when you play it? That doesn’t make you cry like a little baby when you botch a Hunt? Well Capcom have just announced a new Monster Hunter spin-off that’ll have you counting EXP instead of how many deaths you have until mission failure. Monster Hunter Festa’ 2015 was held in Tokyo over this past weekend and it was at the tournament finals that this new game was announced. Titled Monster Hunter Stories, this new RPG title will take the world of Monster Hunter to a place I don’t believe it’s ever been before. Capcom stated that this is going to be an RPG title unlike any other and I think it’s simply because of the Monster Hunter setting. Unfortunately not much else was said about the game apart from that it will revolve around a different type of Monster Hunter class, the Monster Rider. These Riders are skilled but have chosen not …

Azure Striker Gunvolt – Review

Published by Frank Inglese

Let me tell you a little story, reader: As a young lad I would always do my best to be good. Sometimes though, my behaviour would result in some time to play with our old computer. My father had three games available to play on his desktop: Some side-scrolling “Duke Nukem” title, a golf simulator loaded onto a floppy disk, and a demo of “Megaman X”. Each time I’d jump onto that hunk of junk I’d cycle through the three games always ending with “Megaman X”. It was, by far, my favorite. Fastforward to this very day, the day of writing this review, and I’m still a huge fan of “Megaman”, anything created by Keiji Inafune, Inti Creates, and anything else related to the Blue Bomber. “Azure Striker Gunvolt” interested me at a powerfully visceral level. At the beginning of the month (April, 2015) Nintendo hosted another one of their presentations. Alongside some other announcements that had me shaking in my seat, it was that of “Azure Striker Gunvolt” which had on my 3DS and …

Rodea: The Sky Soldier – European Release Date Announced

Published by Frank Inglese

There’s something so exciting about the open sky. Humans, without the aid of high-powered machinery, have never been able to soar through the vast openness of the sky. We have always dreamed of being able to lift off the ground and, with our own spirit and will, be able to glide through the clouds like birds. At least, I know this of myself. I mean, surely we all think about this time and time again? People like me turn to things like movies and video games to try and, for just one moment, experience the feeling of free flight and it is games like “Rodea: The Sky Soldier” that really get the feeling right. NIS America have today announced the official European release date for the upcoming Wii U and 3DS action/adventure game, and it’s coming sooner than we think! September the 25th is the day that this mighty video game will hit shelves and on that day the masses will celebrate. Look, I know September isn’t as close as I made it seem BUT, …

New “Fire Emblem” Game To Get Western Release In 2016

Published by Frank Inglese

Today saw the airing of the latest Nintendo Direct Presentation which, as you already know, almost always brings about some sort of good news. Today we were given a new look at some of the upcoming Amiibo, it was announced that Lucas will be coming to the new “Super Smash Bros.” as a DLC character, and we were given a bunch more information on the upcoming IP “Splatoon”. Just making the entire presentation better was, without a doubt, the appearance of some new “Fire Emblem” footage which is set to star in the upcoming Nintendo 3DS title that has yet to be named. Alongside what you can only call another teaser trailer is a little bit of information regarding the new game, the most important of all being that it is set to be released in the West sometime next year. Yes, Nintendo are going to make us wait an entire year before we’ll be able to get our hands on this incredible title but it’s always better to look on the bright side so …

“Attack On Titan: Humanity In Chains” Announced For A Western Release

Published by Frank Inglese

An announcement that took me very much by surprise during April’s Nintendo Direct Presentation is that of a Western release of the Anime/Manga-based Nintendo 3DS game “Attack On Titan: Humanity In Chains”. For a while now Japanese Pop Culture fans and lovers of the series “Attack On Titan”, or “Shingeki no Kyojin” for you purists, have been hearing news and seeing trailers of this action/adventure 3DS game that puts players into the very high boots of their favorite Titan-killers. Up until today we had all only thought this game was going to get a Japanese release but, thanks to Nintendo, “Humanity In Chains” will indeed be making its way to the West come May. Only set for an eShop release, this 3DS title follows the story of the recent Anime series and allows you to join together with three friends and slaughter Titans as a team. I never thought I’d get the chance to say this but; I actually cannot wait to get my hands on this title. Digital-only or otherwise, I think this is …

Is “Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate” Really Coming To The Wii U Or Is This Just Another April Fool’s Hoax?

Published by Frank Inglese

Today IS April Fool’s Day which ultimately means that anything you hear about, read about or are simply told about could possibly be just one huge lie. This is fantastic for those of us who report on Pop Culture news because it means that, chances are, on this day we’re more than likely totally wrong about everything we spend time writing about. April First is a day of pranks and laughs but it’s also a day of broken hopes and dreams. Why say all this? Well, to cover my own arse if I’m being entirely honest. There’s nothing more unforgivable than unreliable information delivered as God’s honest truth so in an attempt to close the gap between me, the article writer, and you, the reader, I have said what I have said. Now onto the actual news: A little image has surfaced today that could possibly mean the arrival of “Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate” to the Wii U. This image, which you can see to your left, is a crude photograph of what looks to be …

Dragon Ball Z: Super Extreme Butoden Announced For The Nintendo 3DS

Published by Frank Inglese

In my humble opinion; the more contemporary handheld consoles like the PlayStation Vita and the Nintendo 3DS don’t get as much “Dragon Ball Z” love as they should. Yes, it’s true, “Dragon Ball Z” games for the 3DS over in Japan aren’t as “rare” as I made them sound but they don’t necessarily get as much publicity as those that get a release on bigger consoles like the PlayStation 3, 4, the Xbox One and the 360. This is always a huge disappointment for people like me who love handheld gaming and want to see the titles released specifically for the consoles shine. This is why I’m very excited about the upcoming Nintendo 3DS fighting game “Dragon Ball Z: Super Extreme Butoden” which has only just been announced through the latest issue of V-Jump. Boasting a roster of one hundred plus characters, I have a feeling deep in my gut that this will be the game to break the localisation barrier and get a release the world over. Why? Not only does it resemble older “DBZ” …

The Legendary Pokemon Hoopa Finally Gets An Official Western Reveal

Published by Frank Inglese

Now we all know that my fellow writer Luke Halliday absolutely hates Hoopa. What I want you all to know is that I, Frank Inglese, am on the total opposite side of the spectrum: I love Hoopa, and I’m so glad it’s finally getting the official time of day it deserves. For so long now the world has been well-aware of Hoopa thanks to some sneaky citizens of the Earth we call game hackers. Back when Pokemon X and Pokemon Y were released people had already found out who Hoopa was. The legendary has recently been officially revealed over in Japan and now it is time for the West to officially meet Hoopa. The thing is…we know who Hoopa is. We know this Pokemon very well. Heck, we even know it’s “Unbound” form! I’m not going to repeat what everybody already knows. Instead, I’m going to direct you to the official video that the Pokemon Company has just released. Why not get to know Hoopa even more, despite the fact that you already know it pretty …

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate – New 3DS Bundle Announced

Published by Frank Inglese

Special edition bundles make my heart go “Doki Doki” and there’s no other out there that will make it beat faster than a “Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate” New 3DS which has just been announced! Yes, Capcom and Nintendo came together and announced last night through the first Nintendo Direct video presentation of the year that, come the 13th of February, G-Grade hunters will be able to get themselves both a styling New 3DS with the latest of the “Monster Hunter” franchise “MH 4 Ultimate” which, unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’d know is looking to be one hell of an exciting video game release. Gamestop in North America has the sole rights for the distribution of this bundle but, as far as we know, Europe has no singular seller so, Euro Gamers, you’ll just have to check out your local retailers to see just who’s going to be releasing the bundle. As far as pricing goes, nothing has been specified. Even if Nintendo and Capcom did slap a price on the bundle, it …

Nintendo Announces The Next Wave Of Amiibo Intractable Figures

Published by Frank Inglese

Last night the first Nintendo Direct presentation of the year aired and with it came some fantastic news that has indicated to as all that 2015 may truly be another ripper of a year for Nintendo. Not that anyone truly thought differently. The Amiibo craze has picked up heavily around the world with most, if not all, players of the new “Super Smash Bro.” literally sprinting out of their houses to grab themselves a figure of their favorite character. Too bad Nintendo has chosen to spot production on certain characters which has now made them extremely hard to find. Heading down to the local store the only characters purchasable now are Mario and Luigi so as soon as you read the news I’m about to type, I suggest you begin making preparations for how you’re going to grab yourself the figures from this new batch. You’re not going to want to miss out. Hitting shelves on April the 24th in Europe and Japan on April the 29th is the next wave of Amiibo figures which …

Persona Q: Shadow Of The Labyrinth – Side:P3 and Side:P4 Manga Series’ Announced

Published by Frank Inglese

Just incase you thought the world doesn’t have enough “Persona” media floating around. At the end of last year the crossover RPG title “Persona Q: Shadow Of The Labyrinth” was released and the “Persona” fandom went absolutely ballistic. Finally the two most popular instalments of the series have been brought together for one hardcore romp through the fields of fan service. Featuring a whole bunch of awesome characters alongside some interestingly old-school gameplay mechanics, “Persona Q” was a hit! Not that anyone thought it wasn’t going to be. It’s pretty much guaranteed, at this point in time, that if a “Persona” game gets released people are going to like it. Now, much like the rest of the video game series, “Persona Q” will be getting it’s very own Manga series. No, actually, it will be getting TWO new Manga series: One for Persona 3 and one for Persona 4. The assumption is that, although separated, the Mangas will still follow the story of “Q” rather than the individual stories of “Persona 3” and “Persona 4” that …

One Piece: Super Grand Battle! X – More Amiibo Costumes Revealed

Published by Frank Inglese

A few days ago, fellow SnapThirty writer Kane Bugeja reported on a piece of news that detailed the newly released “One Piece: Super Grand Battle! X” fighting game’s ability to use the recently released line of Amiibo intractable figurines to change the costumes of certain characters to resemble the character model connected to the game. Luffy can be dressed up as Mario and Luigi, Zolo can be dressed as Link and Sanji can be dressed as Fox McCloud. Well, Nintendo and Bandai Namco Games have gone ahead and revealed the rest of the Straw Hat crew and their Amiibo costumes and they’re looking just as good, if not better, than the ones revealed three days ago. In the image you can see Nami as the Wii Fit Trainer, Franky as Donkey Kong, Brooks as Marth, Chopper as Kirby and Robin as Samus Aran. As of right now, this game has only been announced for Japan and has already been made available in the great country. We don’t know whether or not the game is going to get …

Persona Q: Shadow Of The Labyrinth – Review

Published by Frank Inglese

For me, there’s no greater video game than a crossover video game. If you sit back and think about it, it’s basically a fan fiction story come to life. I cried when “Marvel VS Capcom 3” got released, “Street Fighter X Tekken” had me naked by the title screen and “Project X Zone” made me wet my pants. Yeah…I love crossover titles THAT MUCH. When I heard about “Persona Q: Shadow Of The Labyrinth” I was institutionalised for a period of three weeks but I managed to get myself out of the straight jacket and back at my work desk with enough time to research the characters of “Persona 3” just so I’d be able to enjoy the game a little more. Having only played “Persona 4 Golden” but absolutely loving it, I was very much excited for “Q” but still felt as though I needed to do my homework before jumping in “half prepared”. North America, those lucky bastards, got the game before us here in Australia and an influx of reviews flooded the net. …

Square Enix Announces “Theatrhythm Dragon Quest”

Published by Frank Inglese

For every good video game, there’s an equally as enjoyable soundtrack. This is something I’ve believed for the entirety of my career as a critic and it’s not a mindset I’ll be dumping anytime soon. Any game that lacks good musical style is a game not worth playing in my opinion and I think it’s safe to say that Square Enix has this aspect of video game making mastered. “Final Fantasy” games almost always feature a booming orchestral sound that fits the “high fantasy” style of story that has been around for countless years but it’s not just “FF” that features the good stuff. Oh no! If you’ve played any game from the “Dragon Quest” series you’d understand that each and every Square Enix game is done to the highest calibre and that always includes a damn good soundtrack that fits like a surgical glove. While a little different from the tracks heard in “FF” games, “Dragon Quest” titles feature lovely songs that will now be compiled and made playable thanks to the upcoming Nintendo …

“Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 – Record Breaker” Coming to The West Early 2015

Published by Frank Inglese

We all know who ATLUS is don’t we? Yeah, they’re the Japanese video game publisher and developer famous for the “Shin Megami Tensei” series of dungeon crawlers and RPGs but lately it seems they’ve really only been focused on their “Persona” series of games what with the latest addition to the already extensive catalog “Persona Q: Shadow Of The Labyrinth” being released. Well, according to the PR e-mail we were sent, they want to make a little bit of a change and instead bring the world news of a different video game…”Devil Survivor”. More specifically; “Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 – Record Breaker” (“Break Record” in Japan). It turns out this Nintendo 3DS remake will not only be getting a Japanese release but a Western release too! So far it has only been announced for North America but recent history has proven to me that whatever America gets, the rest of the Western world gets. It’s especially reassuring in this day and age where Japanese games are hitting local shelves around Europe and the …

“Etrian Mystery Dungeon” Is Coming To The West!

Published by Frank Inglese

Maybe you’ve yet to hear, but there’s a new “Etrian Odyssey” game on the horizon for the Nintendo 3DS that is set to get a release in the Spring of 2015. This new game, titled “Etrian Mystery Dungeon”, is going to be a mix between both the “Etrian Odyssey” and “Mystery Dungeon” series of RPG-style video games…just in case the name didn’t quite give it away. This was recently announced for Japan but, in even more recent times, it has been announced for North America which means, like many other games, there’s a very high chance it will be making its way around the rest of the Western world. ATLUS announced this just today and with that they also released a bunch of screenshots from the English version of the game for us to all enjoy. If you’ve played any of the games from either of the series’ you may have a pretty good idea of what’s to be expected with this new title. Hell, if you’ve played games from BOTH of the series’ you …

Persona Q: Shadow Of The Labyrinth – Now Available Across Europe

Published by Frank Inglese

Well, friends, it is finally here. “Persona Q: Shadow Of The Labyrinth”, the much-anticipated “Persona” cross-over title, has now reached the shores of Europe and is now available across the continent. North America got themselves the game sometime last week but now it is the European gamers’ turn to try their hand at some old-school dungeon crawling on a contemporary console. Are you a fan of “Persona 3”? Awesome! Your favorite characters are in this game! Are you a fan of “Persona 4”? Even awesome-er! Your favorite characters from THAT game are also in “Persona Q”! Are you a fan of original characters created for specific cross-over title! Wow! So awesome! Those types of characters are also in this game! “Persona Q” practically has everything and it’s not now across Europe, so heading into your local video game distributor and grab this new Nintendo 3DS title before the limited edition tarot card version gets sold out. If you don’t know what this version is, it’s actually no different from the standard version of the game …

Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire – Deoxys Returns Alongside Something Called The “Delta Episode”

Published by Frank Inglese

Be honest, reader, have you ever wanted to jump onto the back of a Rayquaza and shoot of into space like an astronaut hitching a ride onto the outside of a speeding rocket ship? Oh, you have?! Well damn, it looks like today is your lucky day! The Pokemon Company, over night, released a brand-new trailer for the upcoming Game Freak remakes “Pokemon Omega Ruby” and “Pokemon Alpha Sapphire” that re-introduces audiences to the mighty galactic force known only as Deoxys. Actually, to be honest, it may be known by more names than that but I know it as Deoxys so that’s what I’m going to be calling it. The new trailer confirms that the intergalactic psychic-user will make a return, just in case you didn’t already assume it would, but it also introduces audiences to something brand-new, something called “Delta Episode”. This new storyline will have players fight for not only the safety of the world but for the safety of the Hoenn region but for the safety of the entire world. Pokémon Omega …

One Piece: Grand Battle! X – Ten Minute Gameplay Video Released

Published by Frank Inglese

Oi! You there! Scurvy sea dog! Did I just hear you say you want to see MORE gameplay of the upcoming Bandai Namco Games 3DS title “One Piece: Grand Battle! X”?! Well that’s good because it turns out Bandai Namco are willing to oblige. It’s a great Thursday because the video game developer/publisher juggernaut has just released a brand-new trailer for the upcoming Shonen Jump video game that goes for a whopping ten minutes. Yep, that means you’ll be seeing ten whole minutes of all new footage from the game and most of it will be gameplay. There’s absolutely nothing better, except for maybe a Western release date which we’re still yet to get. That’s OK though because at least it will be getting a release somewhere and that somewhere just so happens to be Japan…as usual. With a heart full of jealousy I say this; the game is set for a release on the 13th of November which, for those of you following the calendar…is today. This means the video is more for us …

Yokai Watch 2 Ships Three Million Units In Japan Alone

Published by Frank Inglese

This game has been on my mind quite a bit as of late. I don’t exactly know what it is that’s keeping thoughts of playing this game thrashing around in my brain. It could be the cute visuals, it could be its similarities to the “Pokemon” franchise, it could even be because it’s a game that focuses on Japanese mythology. Let’s just say, as of right now, it’s a mix of all of those things and it’s driving me crazy because it’s not gotten a release in the West…yet! Level 5, the team behind the game, must be going absolutely bananas over in their development office because this game has taken Japan by storm. Already there are two titles in the series of 3DS games: “Yokai Watch” and “Yokai Watch 2” with a third on the way titled “Yokai Watch 2: Headliner” which is more of an upgrade on the previous title rather than a brand-new game in the series. Similar to how “Pokemon Yellow” is almost the same as “Pokemon Red” and “Pokemon Blue” …

Persona Q – Fuuka, Koromaru, Kanji and Rise Trailers Released

Published by Frank Inglese

ATLUS are back at it again with the releases of five new characters trailers for their upcoming dungeon-crawler “Persona Q: Shadow Of The Labyrinth”, well…four character trailers and one other one which takes viewers through the party building system. Fans of the series and big followers of Japanese pop culture will know that, every couple of weeks, ATLUS releases new trailers for “Persona Q”, most of which happen to feature singular characters…this week is no different. The characters put on show for this batch of videos are Fuuka and Koromaru of “Persona 3” alongside Kanji and Rise of “Persona 4”, as well as the one I mentioned just above. I’ve provided all of these videos below so sit back, relax, press play and enjoy what ATLUS has to offer. North America will be getting the new 3DS title on the 25th of November, Europe will be getting it on the 28th of November and Australia will be getting it on the 4th of December. That’s not too far away so begin preparing for what is …

Persona Q – It’s Time To Meet The Occupants Of The Velvet Room

Published by Frank Inglese

ATLUS knows that a lot of us already know the characters of both ‘Persona 3’ and ‘Persona 4’. They’re games based around two things; fighting and making friends, so it’s obvious that once you come into contact with another character, you’re probably going to know them very well by the end of the game. For the sake of those who’ve not played the games and for the sake of those who have terrible memories and need a bit of reminding, ATLUS have released a set of four trailers for their upcoming dungeon crawler, RPG ‘Persona Q: Shadow Of The Labyrinth’. These four videos will spotlight the four inhabitants of the Velvet Room. Yes, all four of them! You’ve got Marie, Margaret, Elizabeth and Theodore. The whole team is here to play! Even better than just simply having them around is that they all play quite an important role in the events of the game both story-wise and gameplay-wise. Margaret spends most of her time in the Velvet Room. She can help you and your party …

One Piece: Grand Battle! X – Doflamingo Battle Trailer Released

Published by Frank Inglese

OK, so, reader…I’m in a little bit of trouble right now. I’ve decided to take my boat out for a spin and it looks like I’ve ventured into dangerous waters. I can hear screaming and chanting from outside and I haven’t bother to stick my head out of my cabin to look just in-case I see something I really shouldn’t have. Luckily I have this super awesome, high-powered internet connection so I can write an article about it. OK, I just looked and I think those sounds are coming from…pirates! Oh no! Not pirates! Anything bu-wait…wait, I think they’re ‘Once Piece’ pirates. That means, that means they’re the good guys! ‘One Piece: Grand Battle! X’ is the upcoming 3DS game based on the Anime/Manga series of similar name. It features a combat system much like that of the older ‘Jump Superstars’ DS title and chibi-style graphics that look as though they pop on the 3D screen of the handheld console. Any good Anime fan will know of this game and any great Anime fan will …

Sin Like You’re Supposed To With The Upcoming ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ Video Game

Published by Frank Inglese

We’ve now officially entered the age of ‘Seven Deadly Sins’. In Australia, the Manga releases have just kicked off with most graphic novel retailers already selling the third volume. The Western fandom for the critically acclaimed Shonen series is slowly but surely growing bigger and bigger with each passing day. Recently, the Manga has been adapted into what looks to be a well-animated and wonderfully paced Anime series. Unfortunately for the aforementioned Western fans…it has yet to have been picked up by any simulcast distributor. Surely you understand we’re not too happy about that. That’s OK though because we know that, sooner or later, the series is sure to be picked up and released locally. To add to the burning passion of the series’ fans, Bandai Namco Games recently announced that there is a ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ Nintendo 3DS game in the works but showed nothing of this game as part of the announcement…until today. The beautiful people over at Bandai Namco Japan have released the very first trailer for the upcoming beat-em-up game alongside …

Persona Q – Naoto Shirogane and Ken Amada Character Trailers Released

Published by Frank Inglese

ATLUS have today released two more character trailers for their upcoming Nintendo 3DS video game ‘Persona Q: Shadow Of The Labyrinth’ and they just so happen to focus on the smallest of the two groups that make up both the ‘Persona 3’ and ‘Persona 4’ cast respectively. Naoto Shirogane, the literal shortest of the ‘P4’ team, is a self-proclaimed ace detective and one hell of a gunfighter. She, together with the Persona Sukuna-Hikona, is a perfect backup brawler that can dance with the best of them and isn’t one to back down prematurely. Though her everyday life is filled with gender confusion and questions that need some serious answering, she wont let that effect her in battle. Ken Amada from ‘P3’, on the other hand, is just a kid so it’s understandable if he doesn’t feel as ‘at home’ on the battlefield as the rest of the cast. That doesn’t mean he wont do his all to protect his friends. With a spear in hand and Nemesis the Persona at his back, this young man …

Terra Formars Video Game Announced – Riddled With Censorship?

Published by Frank Inglese

This definitely seems to me like the worst time to announce something like this for the newly adapted Anime series ‘Terra Formars’. Based on a much-loved Manga series of the same name, the new Anime has only just begun airing and, to the surprise of everyone involved…it kind of sucks. Why though? Because, seeing as it’s Japanese time slot is quite early in the night, it is absolutely riddled with censorship which means we’re not seeing the things that made the Manga so gripping. More specifically; the death and destruction. It was just announced over the weekend that a ‘Terra Formars’ video game has been in the works for quite some time and is set for a release on the Nintendo 3DS in 2015. Being developed by a seemingly unknown studio, ‘FuRyu’, I’m not sure hopes are high for the success of this game considering the bad taste left in audiences mouths after the first few episodes of the Anime. Being someone trying to stay positive about all things, I hope the game comes out …

Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire – Mega Beedrill and Pidgeot Revealed

Published by Frank Inglese

Two more generation one Pokemon have been revealed to be able to Mega evolve in the latest issue of Japan’s much-loved gaming magazine ‘CoroCoro’, neither of which us here at SnapThirty saw coming. Representing Viridian Forest of the Kanto region, the two latest Mega evolutions are none other than Beedrill and Pidgeot. Revealed alongside them is the Mega Evolutions of Latios and Latias but any true Pokemon fan would have already known about them seeing as they were leaked many months ago back when Pokemon X and Y was first released. Though that doesn’t make it any less exciting. After Mega Evolving, Pidgeot gains the ability ‘No Guard’, an ability that acts exactly how it sounds; it makes it so enemies can always be hit, even during invulnerability periods like when a Pokemon uses Fly. Beedrill, also retaining its type combination of Bug and Poison, gains the ability Adaptability which changes STAB moves from a 1.5x buff to a 2x buff. Not much has been revealed about Mega Latios and Latias apart from that you …

Super Smash Bros. For The 3DS – Review

Published by Frank Inglese

Arguably, the latest addition to the ‘Super Smash Bros.’ series of crossover fighting video games is the most anticipated of its legendary lineage. It may be that the internet has grown and hype is now something that explodes and expands beyond all fathomability. It may be that we’re just more excitable in this day and age. It may also be that Nintendo have been secretly drugging us to become more addicted to their games. Regardless of all that, I believe it’s that it is the first of the series to come to a handheld console. That, alongside some other seriously impressive factors like upgraded graphics and large character roster, has made the game so sought after and, now that it is released and I’ve been playing it, I can see exactly why. Not that I didn’t have an idea about it beforehand. The original ‘Super Smash Bros.’ hit the Nintendo 64 just over fifteen years ago back in 1999 and ever since then the series has just gotten better with each new title. Featuring fan …

Pokemon: Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire – Mega Rayquaza Confirmed

Published by Frank Inglese

Let’s be honest, reader: Mega Rayquaza being a ‘thing’ comes as no surprise, seeing as Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre have already been confirmed…it doesn’t make it any less exciting though! Yosha! Here it is, finally confirmed, it’s Mega Rayquaza! Fellow SnapThirty writer and friend Beau was right when he speculated about this particular evolution in a previous article and now he can brag about it until the cows come home. This new evolution was confirmed through a huge Nintendo livestream focusing entirely on the upcoming Pokemon video game remakes ‘Omega Ruby’ and ‘Alpha Sapphire’. For the most part, the stream just featured gameplay footage of the things we’ve already seen about the game…but then came Mega Rayquaza. This bad boy (or girl), once Mega Evolved, gains the brand-new ability Delta Stream which brings about a weather effect that cancels out all other weather effects and makes it so flying types are no longer prone to the moves that they’d usually be weak against. That’s not all though, not by a long shot; Mega Rayquaza …

Persona Q: Get To Know Junpei And Newcomer Zen With These New Trailers

Published by Frank Inglese

ATLUS, you magnificent bastards! You’ve gone and delivered us another set of trailers for your upcoming ‘Persona’ title ‘Shadow Of The Labryinth’ and us fans of the series love you for it! Yes, you read correctly, ATLUS have today released three new trailers for ‘Persona Q: Shadow Of The Labyrinth’ and this time they focus on the cap-wearing superstar himself Junpei Iori as well as an original character for the game, a man they call Zen. Alongside these two trailers comes another video that shows us the ‘Persona 3’ side of the story. It shows all of our favorite ‘Persona 3’ characters in one place as well as their initial meeting with the cast of ‘Persona 4’. The main focus though are our friends Junpei and Zen who will star in the game alongside a whole bunch of other ‘Persona’ favorites all of which can be added to your team and used as you see fit. It’s the ultimate ATLUS crossover title! ‘Persona Q’ is set for a release, as mentioned, on the Nintendo 3DS …

Persona Q – European Release Date Announced

Published by Frank Inglese

ATLUS, alongside their European distribution partners NIS America, are extremely excited to announce the official release date for their upcoming ‘Persona’ Nintendo 3DS title ‘Shadow Of The Labyrinth’. ‘Persona Q’, the new game that combines the characters of ‘Persona 3’ and ‘Persona 4’, will be hitting video game retailer shelves across Europe on the 18th of November this year! In just a couple of months this game will be made available both digitally and physically to all European gamers and those of you out there who pre-order the game from participating vendors will receive eleven tarot card replicas of which have featured in both the ‘Persona 3’ and ‘Persona 4’ video games. These cards also come with the special ‘Wild Cards Premium Edition’ but for those of you who don’t want to spend all that money yet still want these cards, this is the perfect offer. ATLUS suggests you get in as early as possible with your pre-orders because these tarot cards are limited so it’s first come first serve. Persona Q takes the beloved …

Persona Q – Shinjiro Aragaki and Yukiko Amagi Character Trailers Released

Published by Frank Inglese

Both dressed in red; one’s a stone cold beast and the other is a bodacious babe. Isn’t it obvious who I’m referring to? It’s Shinjiro Aragaki from ‘Persona 3’ and Yukiko Amagi from ‘Persona 4’. They’re just two of the many stars of the upcoming ‘Persona’ Nintendo 3DS title ‘Shadow Of The Labyrinth’ and ATLUS thinks it’s about time they get their chance to shine bright with their very own character trailers. Aragaki and his Persona pal Castor are head-to-head brawlers. They take no back seat to the action and are always willing to act as any team’s vanguard duo whereas Miss Amagi and her Persona Konohana Sakuya prefer to take a stand somewhere in the rear guard, using magic to back up their teammates. Both characters will be able to work together brilliantly with one backing up the other as they mow down the enemies that stand before them. Don’t take my word for it though because, who knows, I could be wrong. What you should do is check out the two character trailers …

Spike Chunsoft Announces New “Kenka Bancho” Game

Published by Frank Inglese

Here’s the deal: If you’re a constant reader of the site than you’d know how big a fan of the video game series ‘Kenka Bancho’ I am. The first and only time the West was able to legally get their hands on a video game from this series was all the way back in 2009 with the release of ‘Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble’ on the PlayStation Portable thanks to the wonderful people over at ATLUS. Ever since then there’s been a hole in my heart than can only be filled by experiencing the punky action of juvenile Japanese delinquents going head-to-head in fist fights. About a month ago, in the last ‘Nintendo Direct’ video presentation, a new game was teased that had fans of the series the world over scream out in hopes that what they were seeing was a new ‘Kenka Bancho’ title, well thanks to the latest issue of Famitsu online publication it has finally been confirmed. The game is called ‘Kenka Bancho 6: Soul & Blood’ and it is going to be …

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call – Review

Published by Frank Inglese

Music really does make a video game. There are some titles out there that are absolutely brilliant: They’re exciting, they’re engaging, they’re simply fun to play BUT they’re also missing something fatal…music. A good soundtrack could turn an ‘OK’ game into a ‘great’ game but I feel as though it is a video game aspect that is sometimes overlooked. I’ve seen plenty of games fail due to a boring or badly composed soundtrack but one series that doesn’t fall victim to this is ‘Final Fantasy’. Back in 2012 we saw the first culmination of the great series’ music. It came in the form of a spin-off title called ‘Theatrhythm Final Fantasy’. Playing like a typical rhythm game, ‘Theatrhythm Final Fantasy’ featured an abundance of songs from many of the different ‘Final Fantasy’ games and also played host to odd but interesting gameplay mechanic that made it feel more like an RPG. Well the game did very well and Square Enix decided that maybe they should go ahead and develop another one. This game is called …

Bravely Second – Meet The Three Musketeers

Published by Frank Inglese

Seeing as how well Square Enix’s ‘Bravely Default’ Nintendo 3DS video game sold, it’s no surprise that a new one had already already announced to be in development only a few months after initial release. With new games, obviously, comes new stories and the tale that is prepped to be told in the upcoming sequel ‘Bravely Second’ is one that centers around three skilled warriors who call themselves the ‘Three Musketeers’. Yuu, Jean and Nikolai will occpy most of your team in ‘Bravely Second’ and will be utilizing their combat training to help you cut down every enemy that stands in your way. Square Enix have today released a new Japanese trailer for the game that introduces you to these three men. Though entirely in Japanese, I’m sure you’ll all somewhat understand what it is that’s being said. It helps that information regarding these characters have been floating around on the web for a while now. Japan will be getting ‘Bravely Second’ sometime this Winter and us in the West will hopefully be getting it …

Persona Q – Chie Satonaka and Akihiko Sanada Character Trailers Released

Published by Frank Inglese

What’s more exciting than one protein junkie? How about TWO protein junkies?! It’s a beautiful morning in Sydney Australia and I’ve woken up, much like many others, to a new pair of ‘Persona Q: Shadow Of The Labyrinth’ character spotlight trailers courtesy of ATLUS themselves. I tell you, there’s no better way to start the day. Both ‘Persona 3’ and ‘Persona 4’ feature a character type that are focused on one thing and one thing only; one of them happens to be a freak for meat and the other surely spends most of his free time at the gym. I think you all know who I’m talking about…it’s Chie Satonaka of ‘Persona 4’ and Akihiko Sanada of ‘Persona 3’! One is a world renowned ‘kick chick’ and the other could definitely give Rocky a run for his money and they’ve both come together today to share the spotlight in their very own character trailers. ‘Persona Q: Shadow Of The Labyrinth’ isn’t too far away from being released but that doesn’t matter to ATLUS, they’ll keep …

Persona Q – Yosuke and Mitsuru Character Trailers Released

Published by Frank Inglese

We all know the drill by now right? ATLUS, the Japanese video game developer and publisher, have a huge audience and they’re not the types to leave their fans wanting more for too long. That’s why almost every single week they release something new regarding their upcoming video game releases. While most publishers do this, none do it as frequently as ATLUS and I think it’s safe to say that’s why we love them. Well ‘Persona Q: Shadow Of The Labyrinth’ – the ‘Persona 3/Persona 4’ crossover title for the Nintendo 3DS – is only just around the corner and ATLUS have today released two new English trailers spotlighting just two of the many characters to take center stage in the upcoming RPG. Yosuke Hanamura and Mitsuru Kirijo have returned for this new game and they’re looking cuter than ever! Along with the return of the characters themselves comes the return of their voice actors and actresses, of which you’ll be able to hear in the do of trailers we’ve provided for you below. ‘Persona …

The Great Ace Attorney – Very First Trailer Released

Published by Frank Inglese

Don’t listen to those other people, reader. Christmas is not the most wonderful time of the year, Tokyo Game Show weekend is the most wonderful time of the year! Capcom’s upcoming title ‘The Great Ace Attorney’, the next video game in the ‘Ace Attorney’ series of games, was announced a little while back to the delight of fans the world over. Not but a week ago it was revealed that the game’s protagonist Ryuunosuke will be partnering up with none other than fictional history’s greatest detective Sherlock Holmes. Set during the Meiji Era of Japan, this upcoming game is definitely on the radar for fans of the series and, in fact, most video game fans invested in Japanese pop culture. ‘The Great Ace Attorney’ will take the series back to a time not yet explored in any of it’s predecessors so, as you can imagine, it has got a firm grasp a large audience’s attention. Capcom has today, as part of TGS celebrations, released the first ever trailer for the game and it is looking …

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call Is Now Available Across Australia and New Zealand

Published by Frank Inglese

Hey, ‘Final Fantasy’ fans! Listen up because this ones just for you! Square Enix are extremely proud to officially announce that their rhythm game sequel ‘Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call’ is now available across Australia and New Zealand for the Nintendo 3DS. Sugoi! It has been one hell of a lead up to this game and I know there are a bunch of you out there ready to get your hands on what is looking to be a fantastic sequel to a fantastic ‘Final Fantasy’ spinoff title. To celebrate the occasion and to entice those of you out there who are still ‘on the fence’ about whether or not they want to buy this game, Square Enix has released a launch trailer which we’ve provided for you just below. A sequel to the first rhythm action game released in 2012, THEATRHYTHM FINAL FANTASY® expands on the original in every way, with over three times as many songs and twice as many playable characters as its predecessor. The sequel also boasts two new game modes: Quest …

Super Smash Bros. For 3DS and Wii U – Let’s Check Out The Full Roster

Published by Frank Inglese

Today started off really well, reader. I woke up, I had myself a coffee and some toast, I started answering e-mails and then I remembered that Japan will be getting the new ‘Super Smash Bros.’ game for the 3DS on Saturday…yeah, what a way to wreck what would have been a nice morning. Don’t get me wrong; I love Japan and the Japanese people, my gripe comes from the deep and violent jealousy I feel because they’ll be getting the new ‘Smash Bros.’ a month before everyone else. I thought I was a grown up and I could wait for things like video games but it turns out when it comes to titles like this…I want to be the first to have it. Putting my petty  envy aside, the real point of this article is to detail the leaked character roster image which has come straight from an unknown Japanese gamer who has managed to get themselves an early copy of the game. Not only that, they have also already finished the game and unlocked …