All posts tagged: Nintendo

Snap Discussion: Nintendo Memories

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

It all started with speculation of the Nintendo Switch, which then lead us to take a long trip down memory lane where each of us shared our memories growing up with Nintendo systems. Looking back on it all, Nintendo certainly has been with us through the good times and bad, and now with the Switch that tradition continues stronger than ever. We all shared our favourite games, our treasured memories, the people we shared those with, and in the case of McGlone, he had to exploit the Multiverse Theory to extract memories. All compiled here for your convenience, revisit all of our Nintendo Memories. Nintendo Switch – Switching Up The Future of Gaming NES Game Boy SNES Nintendo 64 Game Boy Color Game Boy Advance GameCube DS Wii 3DS Wii U -30-

Nintendo Memories: Wii U

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

Kane Bugeja Bayonetta 2 Look! On the store shelves! It’s a Wii! It’s a new controller! It’s an entirely new console with a similar name! And so began the Wii U’s downfall. Which is a shame, because it’s not a bad console, it just had terrible marketing. Still, I have one and I enjoy it, so…that’s something. Though it is still objectively another quirky gameplay gimmick, it is one that…I was going to say “works in theory” but I just realised that I’ve never actively used the gamepad screen for anything. Barring my initial introduction to the system and a Mario hide-and-seek mini game, the Gamepad has more or less served as a large, unexpectedly comfortable controller. The simple fact that it is directly below a player’s normal range of vision prevents it from truly bolstering gameplay as a second screen and its limited range hinders its capabilities as a surrogate main screen, leaving the console as a shell of what it could be, living under the misconception that it is a small addition to …

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 …

Nintendo Memories: Wii

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

Kane Bugeja Red Steel 2 The Nintendo Wii, the experimental console with the funny name. You see, because Wii sounds like…you know, nevermind, you know what it sounds like. But what it also sounds like is a brand new gaming experience, full of movement and exercise and…sitting down lazily swinging your arms around, pretending that you’re standing up. Yet another gameplay element/gimmick subsumed by gamers overall aversion to physically enacting the movements of characters. You know, because if we could actually do the things videogame characters could do, we’d be doing them. Man I wish I could double jump. Digression aside, one of the most inherently Wii experiences I ever had was through Red Steel 2. One part Western, one part samurai film, this game brought forth the Motion Plus, an add-on designed to improve the Wii’s motion tracking. Which was somewhat of a success. Though Red Steel 2 was definitely one of the more complete motion gameplay experiences I’ve had, there were certainly times where swinging wildly outclassed intention and skill. Still, even ballistically …

Nintendo Reveals List Of Indie Games To Be Released On The Switch In 2017

Published by Frank Inglese

It scared me to think that the Nintendo Switch is only days away from an official release. Scares me only because it brings to light just how easily time can pass you by. Days roll into weeks, weeks roll into months, months roll into years, and the Nintendo Switch comes out in two days time! It’s simply far too exciting for words. Now we’re all very much aware of the Switch’s launch titles; The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, Super Bomberman R, 1-2-Switch, and a few more, but soon folks will be looking for something more to play as they begin finishing the games that game alongside the console’s launch. Nintendo, this time around, have put a great deal of their focus into cultivating a nourishing environment for indie developers and their interesting games with the Switch and, as a part of the Nindies Nintendo Direct that streamed but a day ago, they have revealed an extensive list of Indie video games that are set for a release across 2017. Unfortunately there really …

Nintendo Memories: DS

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

Luke Halliday Bomberman DS The Nintendo DS is a console I hold near and dear to my heart. Not only do I have so many fond memories playing with my brother and sister with the system, the Nintendo DS was the final gift I received from my grandmother before her passing. She has terminal cancer and the last gift she got for us all before her time had come was a Nintendo DS for each of us. She knew how much we loved gaming and she was happy to support our passions and was always a big proponent that what’s fun is good. With the Nintendo DS I got a few games; Nintendogs, Super Mario 64 DS, and Bomberman DS. The latter of which became the go to game for me and my siblings. We spent hours and hours blowing each other up, it was us against the COMs but it felt like us against the world. We use to pretend that we were playing online against people around the world, even though the game …

Nintendo Memories: GameCube

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

Luke Halliday The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker So finally we have made our way to the little purple box that could. The GameCube holds a very special place in my heart, in fact I still consider it my favourite video game console of all time. I spent countless hours diving into the wonderful worlds of the GameCube, I don’t really know quite where to begin even. My first interactions with the GameCube came with a display unit at my local Kmart, I watched on with keen fascination as kids lined up to play Smash Bros Melee on the system. Eventually me and my younger brother got our turn and were blown away by how much the game had improved upon the original. This would be a common theme for my other ventures on the GameCube. While the GameCube didn’t feature some revolutionary controller or gimmick, it revolutionized with its games, taking the familiar faces of Nintendo and doing something wildly different with them. Whether it be the water wonderland of Super Mario Sunshine, …

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild DLC Pass, Original Story and Hard Mode Added

Published by Jake McGlone

Nintendo often get criticised for their constant attempts to innovate, at the same time as being criticised for not being with the times as it is. You want a new console? Sure! You don’t want it to have new features? Who are you and why are you in my office?! At some point, the company cannot win. Fast forward to today where Nintendo has announced that they will be releasing an DLC pass, expansion pack for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The pack has three main sections and will begin to release coinciding with the games launch. The pack in total goes for $19.99 USD, which will most likely mean that Australia will be paying $25-$30. A reasonable price for what is on offer. Both the Switch and Wii U versions will be identical. The main downside to this is that the three packs will not be available for separate purchase. All or nothing, yo. The first pack, released with the launch, comes with three chests sprinkled around the large Great Plateau area, one of which …

Nintendo Memories: Game Boy Advance

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

Kane Bugeja Zoids: Legacy The Game Boy Advance was a console that certainly lived up to its name. Compared to its predecessor, the GBA was a powerhouse console. At least from the perspective of a child. The graphical upgrade was amazing and games utilised colours to a far greater extent than the console named after such a visual mechanic. Combine this with the cavalcade of games, both old and new, and you’ve got yourself a handheld that saw the Game Boy era to a powerful end. In the mix of awesome games that made this console, such as Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire and Emerald, Dragon Ball Z: Buu’s Fury, Sonic Advance 3 and (obviously) Bionicle: Maze of Shadows, there was one game that stood out to me more than any other: Zoids: Legacy. Terribly translated and damn near indecipherable for anyone who had not seen the series, Legacy was a hot mess of an adaptation. And boy did I love it. Still do. With Zoids games few and far between, I am so glad that I said …

Nintendo Memories: Game Boy Color

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

Frank Inglese Pokemon Crystal Pokemon is a franchise that I keep close to my heart even to this day because of its impact on my young life. As an only child with no Father and a Mother that had to work long hours to sustain our small family, it was Pokemon that gave me a strange, inorganic sense of companionship. I related to the young boy on the screen, travelling around the world with no-one but his trusty pets. It helped me deal with a lot of the trauma of my childhood and, in fact, still does so today. Pokemon Crystal, specifically, will remain my personal favourite Pokemon title to this day, it seems, not only because of its base excellence but because of the connection between myself and my now passed Father that it still represents. Prior to the release of the second generation, my Father took me on a trip into Sydney City to attend a small but impactful convention that revolved around Pokemon and the upcoming video game releases. For the life …

The New Nintendo Switch Trailer, Once Again, Shows Off Its Gameplay Versatility

Published by Frank Inglese

All, if not most, people now know about Nintendo’s next big home console/handheld gaming device the “Switch”, so I wont bother with any kind of recap. I’m sure that those of you out there who are reading this already know everything there is to know about the console, so there’s also nothing I could tell you here that you wouldn’t already know. In fact, I feel as though some of you reading this are the types to sit and rewatch a trailer again and again until you’ve properly digested every iota of information in it, so I’d imagine that there’s more that you can explain to me than me to you. Something you may not know about, though, is that today Nintendo released another trailer for their upcoming console that, although oddly like the reveal trailer, runs for about five minutes long and features some of the games revealed through the conference held just a few weeks ago. The trailer, as you may have already guessed, doesn’t necessarily show the games themselves, but instead it shows the …

Nintendo Memories: Nintendo 64

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

Frank Inglese Pokemon Snap My first true obsession, dating back to when I was far too young to be addicted to anything at all, was without a doubt Pokemon. My first ever Pokemon game was Blue, followed by Red and then Yellow. As I said; I was well and truly hooked. After receiving my Nintendo 64, it was Pokemon Snap that had me enthralled. My parents, being the ones who fueled the fire of my Pokemon video game dependency, didn’t necessarily know what the title was, but saw Pokemon and naturally believed it to be a good choice…it was! Pokemon Snap took players on a journey into the realm of Pokemon in a way unlike any previous game. It was NOT a turn-based RPG, for one, and you could not capture and collect Pokemon. It was, instead, a game about a young photographer who just so happens to live in the Pokemon world. For the very first time it felt like I, as the player, was directly interacting with the world I dreamed of being …

Nintendo Memories: Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Published by Luke Halliday

Jahanzeb Khan Street Fighter II Turbo Despite being a die hard SEGA fan and the Mega Drive (Genesis) being my unanimous 16 bit machine of choice, my very first foray into video games ever was through the Super Nintendo. The first video game I ever played was Star Fox (known in PAL territories as Star Wing). Star Fox didn’t necessarily cement my love for video games (the would be Sonic the Hedgehog) but it was still a hell of a way to get introduced to video games. I may love the Mega Drive more but I couldn’t overlook the amazing library of the SNES. There’s just too many quality games on the system, games that are still as relevant and playable today. Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, Earthbound, F-Zero, Mario Kart… the list just goes on. What do I consider as my FAVOURITE of them all? Well that answer changes every time I’m asked this question. For now, I’m going to mention the one game that made the SNES VERY …

Nintendo Switch Dark UI Possibly Leaked Via Deleted Tweet.

Published by Jake McGlone

We have all been there before. You have just finished working on something really hard and you can not wait to show it off to all of your twitter followers. However, in your folly you accidentally leak something from Nintendo that had only been shown previously for a whopping 3 seconds. This was the case for 1001 spikes developer Nicalis when they shared a picture on their twitter, which has since been deleted, of their games adorning the Switch. This wonderful act of sharing inadvertently gave Nintendo Switch fans a first look at a dark themed UI as well as a few hints into some other features. Via promotional photos we received a look at the base UI for the Switch, with the bottom 6 icons reading left to right: Game News, Nintendo E-Shop, Album, Controllers, System Settings, and Sleep Mode. Also in the photo are multiple user pictures, denoting multiple user profiles, and a logo in the bottom left hand corner showing whether the console is in Dock mode or Handheld mode. These are in addition to the standard fare, such …

Reggie Says Nintendo Has Learned From Wii U Mistakes

Published by Luke Halliday

Let’s be honest here for a minute guys, the Wii U was a bit of a failure for Nintendo. It sold poorly and never really became a mainstream console, forever in the shadow of its predecessor the Wii. There was a lot of reasons for why this happened, a terrible name, lack of third party support, an overconfident Nintendo and above all else a poor marketing campaign that ensured the console was dead on arrival. With all this taken into consideration, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime has claimed that Nintendo has learned from their mistakes with the Wii U and does not seek to repeat history with the Nintendo Switch. Reggie says that Nintendo ‘thought deeply’ on the failure of the Wii U and they feel that they did not communicate to consumers what exactly the Wii U was and what it was capable of doing. In relation to what they learned he says that they are doing things differently with the Switch, claiming that, “Nintendo Switch is a home console you can play …

V-Jump magazine Reveals New 3DS Title Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission X

Published by Frank Inglese

Dragon Ball Heroes is, arguably, one of the most popular arcade video games to be currently in circulation across the great country of Japan. It is, certainly, highly revered by fans of Akira Toriyama’s long-running Shonen series, and by those who follow it’s video game lineage. In an attempt to capitalise on it’s success even further, and to extend outside of arcades, Dimps (the developers) and Bandai Namco Entertainment conceived and released two titles for the Nintendo 3DS that took the Collectable Card-based system of the arcade game and reworked it to be all-inclusive. Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission 1 and 2 were just as well received as their arcade counterpart, perhaps due to the fact that you no longer had to collect physical cards to play, thus eliminating the need to spend further money. Some purists will say that the game then loses it’s heart, but others are just happy to have everything in one place. The latest issue of Shueisha’s V-Jump magazine is set to be released across the weekend, but some sneaky …

Nintendo Memories: Game Boy

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

Jahanzeb Khan The King of Fighters 96 One of the coolest things about portable consoles back in the day was that despite them being technologically inferior to home consoles (and significantly so), developers still challenged themselves to bring 16 bit or even 32 bit video games to the confines of the 8 bit monochrome Game Boy. More often than not these transitions weren’t always ideal, but when developers were able to the successfully bring the home console and/or arcade experience to the handheld it was one hell of an achievement. Back in the day SNK and Neo Geo were the absolute kings of 2D sprites and animation, with their arcade technology being the cutting edge of 2D graphics, so much so that systems like the PlayStation and even Saturn struggled to run the highly detailed 2D engine of Neo Geo. SNK’s The King of Fighters series was red hot, and having The King of Fighters 96 on the Game Boy should have been a disaster, but it wasn’t. The game was re-imagined and optimised for the …

Nintendo Switch RRP in Australia is $AU 469.95

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

The Nintendo Switch will launch in Australia on 3 March 2017 for a RRP of $AU 469.95. This confirmation comes from Nintendo Australia. Stay tuned for more information of different bundles and deals as we head towards the worldwide launch of the system. -30-

Super Bomberman Gets Revived For Nintendo Switch

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

Super Bomberman was a series that had not one but a total of five entries on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It had a bit of a Mega Man thing going for it with each game exploring new level themes and importantly introducing a new cast of boss battles for its single player campaign. Of course, Super Bomberman was mostly about the multiplayer, making great use of the SNES multitap device. Super Bomberman 2 was where this series peaked, and we have not heard from the series since 1997… until now. Announced as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch and commemorating 33 years of the franchise, Konami will be bringing the brand new Super Bomberman R on March 3 2017. Bomberman will always be Bomberman, but it’s not a bad game to own when you get your new system because it still stands as one of the most enjoyable multi-player offerings. Plus it has got this cool new aesthetic going for it as a well as a single player mode featuring huge bosses. -30-

Nintendo Switch January 2017 Presentation Highlights: THE GAMES!

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

What an incredible showing by Nintendo! What a great time to be alive! Nintendo Switch is set to launch on 3 March 2017 with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, ARMS, and 1, 2, Switch! confirmed as launch titles with more to be announced as we quickly head into the historic release. Demo events are planned worldwide so we should be able to try the system over the next couple of months. The price point is $US 299.99 and hopefully we will get a confirmed $ AU price point soon. I’m sure the stream gave you all the info you needed, so here are some quick and dirty game highlights from the stream! Splatoon 2 I honestly would have settled for an enhanced expanded release of the original Wii U Splatoon but it’s a full fledged sequel folks and it’s set for 2017! Looks great from what we can see and the added mobility and portability of the Switch system will certainly make Splatoon 2 a title we can enjoy all day every …

Hori’s Nintendo Switch Accessories Revealed Through Online Leak

Published by Frank Inglese

Avid fans of not only the video game industry but of Nintendo specifically will know that tomorrow marks Nintendo’s live presentation of their upcoming console, the Switch, across the globe. Having known about this for a little while now, anticipation within the gaming community is at an all-time high, so the news of image leaks regarding the console’s first wave of accessories has come at arguably the most opportune time. As with any good handheld release, the likeliness of there being peripherals to help not only protect the console but to make it more comfortable for the player is quite likely, and as such, seeing as though the Nintendo Switch does indeed fit the category of “handheld device“, it was only a matter of time before products like this were to be revealed. Surfacing online are a series of images depicting accessories for the Nintendo Switch developed by well known video game accessory company Hori. Most of the peripherals revealed are based, aesthetically, on what we can only imagine to be a launch title for the …

Nintendo Memories: Nintendo Entertainment System

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

As we count the weeks, days, and three months or so leading up to the launch of the Nintendo Switch, we at SnapThirty are going to take a stroll down memory lane and revisit each of Nintendo’s legendary system (except for The System That Shall Not Be Named). Starting off with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), we reminisce on our fond memories and favourite games. Jahanzeb Khan Castlevania Castlevania is best described as a video game that is far greater than the sum of its parts, and the debut title on the NES ranks comfortably with the likes of Mega Man, Contra, and Metroid as one of the leaders of 2D action platforming. Castlevania introduced a methodological combat mechanic situated in a ingeniously designed action platformer. Perhaps among the earliest horror video games, the original Castlevania had you take control of a tough as a tank Vampire Hunter by the name of Simon Belmont. Castlevania had all the right ingredients: unique personality and mechanics, sound level design, brutal and satisfying boss battles, distinguished aesthetics, and above …

First Line Of Generation Two Pokemon Now Available In Pokemon GO

Published by Frank Inglese

Niantic, the developers behind the once-explosive, Pokemon GO have always had plans to distribute Pokemon from the series’ second generation across the world of the augmented reality video game, but specifics on when that would come about were never revealed. Educated speculation dictated that once the developers saw a decline in the popularity of the title that they would begin with the rolling out of the next generation, and it seems as though now is the appropriate time. It’s close to the end of 2016 and it is looking as though Pokemon GO has quickly run out of steam, lasting but a few months before simmering down to what it is now. Granted, those few months were absolute lunacy, with many non-players hoping that the craze would fade away sooner rather than later. Personally, I thought the game would remain far longer in the public eye but it is now little more than a memory, hopefully the introduction of baby Pokemon from Generation Two will help fuel the the train of popularity once again. The …

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. …

Niantic Nerfs The Rattata And Pidgey Population With New Pokemon GO Update

Published by Frank Inglese

As a man living in the suburbs of Sydney, it was the high rate of Rattata and Pidgey appearing in my area that somewhat turned me off of Niantic’s Pokemon GO. Well, that and the fact that everyone around me was far better at it and, me being quite the bad sport, chose to forgo developing my virtual Pokedex early on. It’s become somewhat of a running joke that Trainers living in the suburbs are the metaphorical Kings and Queens of rodent Pokemon because unless you’re venturing into more population dense areas like major cities chances are you’ll not be catching anything more than a purple rat or a brown bird; two of the most boring Pokemon to ever be designed. Niantic have recently revealed that, with the new update of the game, the population of Rattata and Pidgey across the board is going to be reduced heavily. Finally! Rattata, Pidgey, and Zubat will now be far more difficult to come across, though you can still expect some, and they will no longer hatch from …

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 …

Home and Away – The NX is Now the Nintendo Switch

Published by Kane Bugeja

It’s been quite the wait, hasn’t it folks. From rumours, to hints, to secrets, mysteries and all manner of speculation, people the gaming world over have pondered what the letters NX will bring to the console realm. Well, now we have our answer; portability. Yes, rumours regarding this specific feature have been on the forefront of speculatory news for a manner of months now, but we have confirmation now, which makes all the difference. Trust me. The Nintendo Switch (nee NX) will centre around the concept of alternating between a home console and handheld gaming device. With the “console” seeming to comprise of a charging dock and relay point, the heart of this machine is a portable screen larger than (but still comparable to) the Wii U GamePad. It is this screen that seemingly holds the inner workings of the Switch, as the trailer showed brief focus on the insertion of a cartridge, which is the confirmd manner in which physical games will be presented. Digital versions of games are still said to be another …

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 …

Pokemon Sun and Moon – CoroCoro Leaks Reveal Type:Null and Jangmo-o Evolutions

Published by Frank Inglese

Type:Null is, arguably, the most intriguing Pokemon since Mewtwo, and that is perhaps because of their similar backstories. While Mewtwo wasn’t necessarily created to destroy Legendary Pokemon, it WAS cloned with ultimate power as the basis. Type:Null, upon reveal, quickly rose to the top as favorite among fans anticipating the new game. Speculation developed regarding just what this creature is under that intense mask, and with the new CoroCoro magazine leaks, well…we finally find out! Yes, it’s that time of the month wherein which the news that is supposed to be broken with the physical release of Japan’s own CoroCoro magazine is instead leaked online thanks to an unknown citizen of the internet with early access to the new issue. This month’s is quite exciting considering it has not only revealed a new Alolan form, a Poison/Dark-Type Grimer, but the aforementioned Type:Null Evolution, Shiruvadi, and the entire Evolutionary chain of possible Pseudo-Legendary Jangmo-o: It’s middle Evolution is named Jarango, and it’s final is named Jararanga. The two latter Pokemon will be a mix between Dragon-Type …

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 …

New Pokemon Sun and Moon Trailer Reveals Passimian and Oranguru

Published by Frank Inglese

Game Freak have today released another trailer for their upcoming Pokemon Sun and Moon duo of games that, as well as formally introducing us to two previously-revealed Pocket Monsters, give audiences a look at the Pokemon Passimian and Oranguru. Ever since the infamous “Pokemon Sun and Moon Chinese Leaks” fans have been waiting on bated breath to see just how accurate they are, and as more official information has been revealed it has begun to seem as though the details present in said leak are almost all correct. With the reveal of Passimian, the “rugby monkey“, just another feature of the “Chinese Leaks” is confirmed to be completely legitimate. Alongside Passimian, audiences are introduced to Oranguru, and both forms of Rockruff’s evolutions, now called Lycanroc. Passimian and the Midday version of Lycanroc will be exclusive to Pokemon Sun, whereas Oranguru and the Midnight version of Lycanroc will be exclusive to Pokemon Moon. The trailer also features a look at the game’s character customisation capabilities which are far more extensive than the previous games, and also …

Pokemon Company Reveals Youtube-Exclusive Anime Series “Pokemon Generations”

Published by Frank Inglese

Three years ago, Pokemon Generations was seen for the very first time on Japanese television. Exploding in popularity, this short series reminded Pokemon fans of all ages just how epic and heart-pounding the events of the original games were, so it only makes sense that, a few years later, Pokemon would once again attempt to bring such events to the Anime medium albeit on quite a larger scale. The Pokemon Company International have just revealed their new Youtube-exclusive, for now, Anime series titled “Pokemon Generations” that will take key moments from the games spanning all generations and showcase them to anyone willing to watch. This series will consist of eighteen episodes, each ranging from about three to five minutes long, starting with events from the original generation of games and making their way up to the more recent titles. The Pokemon Company International had this to say: Pokémon Generations looks back at each generation of the Pokémonvideo game series, diving into the stories of the games more deeply and getting to know characters and Pokémon better. …

[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 …

Olimar is Back, Baby! Pikmin Side Scroller Heading to 3DS

Published by Luke Halliday

During their 3DS Direct conference, Nintendo revealed a brand new Pikmin game for the 3DS, a first for the series which has traditionally been a home console game. On top of that, the game will also be challenging the formula of the series in a rather intriguing way. Unlike previous Pikmin games this title will be a side scrolling adventure game. It will still feature the core elements of the Pikmin series but it will now take place in a 2D field. You can check out the trailer for the new Pikmin game below. It currently has no official title with Nintendo simply referring to it as Pikmin for the 3DS. Let us know what you think in the comments section below. -30-

Pokemon Sun and Moon – World Championship Trailer Reveals Crabrawler

Published by Frank Inglese

Over in San Francisco, the Pokemon TCG World Championships have officially begun, and what better way to celebrate the start of such an event than with a lively opening ceremony featuring a brand-new trailer for Game Freak’s upcoming Pokemon Sun and Moon? The answer; there is no better way! This new international trailer features a few Pokemon that have been previously revealed through Japanese-only outlets, but alongside the reveal of their English name comes a Pocket Monster we’ve yet to see until now: Crabrawler is a Fighting-type Pokemon that is based on both a Crab and a Boxer, hence the name. It can be caught with either Hyper Cutter or Iron Fist as it’s ability. Both the sandcastle Pokemon now have English names; Sandygast and Palossand, both of which feature the ability Water Compaction which allows the user to double it’s defence when hit with a Water-type technique. The pre-evolution of Bewear now too has an English name, and it is just as cute as the Pokemon itself: Stufful. Judging by what looks to be …

UPDATE: Full Trailer Released – Pokemon Sun and Moon – Leaked Trailer Screenshots Introduce Us To MORE Pokemon

Published by Frank Inglese

Hah! I bet you think that CoroCoro scans are the only Pokemon-related leaks to populate the web pre-new game release! Well, if that IS indeed the case, prepare to be surprised! As it turns out, Nintendo international are set to release a new trailer for the upcoming Pokemon Sun and Moon Game this weekend, but some lucky citizen of the world was able to get a look at it early. Instead of releasing the trailer early, which is what many others would have done, this mysterious person has simply taken a myriad of screenshots and posted them instead. The screenshots show Pokemon already revealed, alongside images of Team Skull, the new region’s antagonist team, but as well as what we saw in the latest CoroCoro leaks comes three new Pokemon; one of which is an Alolan Form of a Generation One favorite. It seems like many older Pokemon are receiving the “Alolan Form” treatment, with the latest being that of Raichu who has taken on somewhat of a surfing gimmick. Morelull is a Fungus-based Pokemon that …

August CoroCoro Leaks Reveal More Pokemon And Region Antagonists

Published by Frank Inglese

While seeing actual brand-new Pokemon is what keeps the fandom in a constant state of excitement during this pre-release period, there are a great deal of other interesting elements to a Pokemon game that make up the entire experience, and therefor are just as intriguing, if not moreso. The August issue of CoroCoro was set to officially reveal a batch of four new Pokemon, alongside two more Alola variants of first generation Pocket Monsters but, as usual, a great citizen of the world has gotten their hands on the issue early and posted pictures online. Nuikoguma (Japanese name): The pre-evolution of Beware. It is Normal and Fighting-type. Sunabaa and Shirodesuna (Japanese name): An evolutionary line based on sandcastles. They are both Ground and Ghost-type. Yowashi (Japanese name): An aquatic Pokemon that can change forms, joining with a school of other Yowashi to create a larger creature. It is a Water-type. Alolan Meowth: This particular breed of Meowth comes from a long line of royalty, and is now a Dark-type Pokemon. Alolan Marowak: This particular Marowak was …

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 …

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE – Review

Published by Frank Inglese

Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei are two long-running Japanese Role-Playing Game series’ that I never thought would meet each other in this capacity, and yet I’m overjoyed that such a conglomeration has taken place. I remember, in the May of 2014, it was announced that these two beloved series’ would come together to form a singular video game for the Nintendo Wii U. Simply called Fire Emblem X Shin Megami Tensei, my mind raced in anticipation of what this game would be. Alas, none of my assumptions lead me down the road of what we in the West now know to be a video game called “Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE“. It has been a long two years since the announcement of Fire Emblem X Shin Megami Tensei but, like all of us, it is a video game that has come quite a long way. Now released worldwide, fans of both franchises are able to explore the combined wonder of both Fire Emblem and Shin Megami Tensei as they do battle with creatures who’ve come …

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 …

The Magnificent Seven – New Pokemon Revealed In Japanese Sun And Moon Trailer

Published by Frank Inglese

I feel as though I say this every single time I write an article regarding new Pokemon but; there’s nothing more exciting than such a reveal. The period leading up to the release of a new Pokemon game is perhaps the most thrilling time for fans of the long-running franchise, and such a delightful lead-up to the release has not been changed with the upcoming Sun and Moon. While, up until this point in time, we’ve seen a few fairly interesting new Pokemon, this batch of seven revealed through a Japanese trailer for the game have me, once again, excited for this new generation…that’s not to say I wasn’t excited previously. Drampa, Togedemaru, Charjabug, Vikavolt, Cutiefly, Bruxish, and Tapukoko are the names of the newly-revealed seven that have just been introduced to the world through this new trailer. A set of Pokemon the likes of which we’ve never seen before, this group features not only a larva that resembles a small bus, a Dragon-type that looks as though it belongs in the film The …

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 …

Check Out Kotobukiya’s New Trainer Red ARTFX J Pokemon Figure

Published by Frank Inglese

Everybody seems to know who Ash Ketchum is, but all the true fans of Pokemon know who the true master is, and he doesn’t get handouts from his Mum back in Pallet Town that’s for sure! He’s a rough customer that, after his Pokemon journey came to an end, decided to traverse the harsh elements of Mount Silver, only to call the peak of said mountain his home. Many courageous trainers would follow in his footsteps, literally, just for the chance to challenge him, often loosing and perhaps perishing on the way back down the mountain. Red is the truest champion of the Pokemon world, and now thanks to Kotobukiya’s upcoming figure release, you will be able to harness his ultimate power and show it off to your friends. Japanese retailers have now opened up pre-orders for this new item which is set for a November release. The Trainer Red ARTFX J figurine, which is accompanied by an equally bad-arse Pikachu, will set you back 9,180 Yen (about US$88), but it will be worth every penny …

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 …

Straight From E3 2016 – Nintendo Reveals The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Published by Frank Inglese

What do we know about Nintendo’s upcoming video game The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild? Well, we know that it’s been in development since 2013, and that we didn’t see anything of what it has to offer until 2014. We know that it was delayed three times, originally intended to be released in 2015 but now slated for release in 2017. We know that it will feature a new Link, who was a given to appear in this title, albeit in a form that we have never seen before. What’s funny is, until today, we had no idea what this game is called…that is, until Nintendo decided to release several videos of the new project, revealing it to be the game we now know as The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild. This new addition to the long line of The Legend Of Zelda titles looks as though it’s set to take players on a wild journey through a new and exciting land featuring game mechanics reminiscent of older titles in the …

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 …

Australian Retailer EB Games To Premiere The Legend Of Zelda Trading Card Game

Published by Frank Inglese

Most big franchises have their own TCG: MegaMan, Pokemon, Dragon Ball Z, Yo-Kai Watch, each of these fan-favorite franchises has their very own collectable Trading Card Game. The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess did feature it’s own Trading Card Game, but unfortunately it’s run was only short-lived. Excitingly, especially for those of you out there who are fans of the video game series, there’s going to be a new The Legend Of Zelda Trading Card Game that will feature more than just the contents of a single game: Revealed through Australian retailer EB Games’ online store; The Legend Of Zelda TCG will hit shelves on the 30th of June and will be sold in three different booster designs; one portraying Link, the other portraying Zelda, and the third portraying Ganondorf. EB Games has also listed a special edition Trading Cards Value Box which will contain four random booster pack, one random decal/tattoo, a poster, and one of three random metallic pins. This Trading Card Game, which was first announced at the last New York Comic Con, …

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 …

Yo-kai Watch 3’s Second Promotional Video Shows Off It’s New Mechanics

Published by Frank Inglese

Nothing warms my heart more than seeing something new from the world of Yo-kai Watch. Here in the West we’ve only received the first game in a series of, soon-to-be, three money-making Yo-kai Watch titles that have taken Japan, and the world, by storm. While us non-Japanese residents are sitting here waiting for Yo-kai Watch 2 to get it’s very own localised release, those lucky many living in the great land of Nippon are gearing up for the third game in the series that will take protagonist Keita (Nate) out of his hometown and send him all the way to the fictitious town of St. Peanutsburg in the United States of America. Fact is…we know all this stuff already. It was revealed a while ago that the third game will feature some drastic changes to the story, but it’s only now that it has been revealed that the game’s mechanics will also feature a nice change, but from what I can tell…it looks like it’s for the better! Level-5 have just recently updated the game’s official …

Legendary, Sony, And Warner Bros. In Bidding War Over Pokemon Live-Action Film Rights

Published by Frank Inglese

You’re a fan of Pokemon, right? Of course! We all are, this much is true. Because of this, we’re not necessarily going to jump at the prospect of there being a live-action adaptations of the 90s video game of the same name. We’re not silly, we’ve seen previous attempts at this kind of the thing, the writing is on the wall, chances are if it were to happen…it wouldn’t be good. Well, according to source Hollywood Reporter, juggernaut studios Legendary Entertainment, Sony, and Warner Bros. have been fighting a secret bidding war for the rights to a live-action Pokemon film adaptation. It has been proven that no company should attempt to develop live-action film adaptations of much-beloved television series’ from our childhoods. Have we not learned from the past? Despite the fact that Pokemon would make an absolutely atrocious live-action film thanks many, many obvious factors, those vying for the rights to it will do absolutely everything in their power to make it because, well…it’s Pokemon! It’s going to make money regardless of the film’s quality, …

Level-5 Reveals Yo-kai Watch 3: Sushi And Tempura Versions Alongside Official Release Date

Published by Frank Inglese

It seems as though Level-5 have remained somewhat silent for quite a while now. With the release of the first Yo-kai Watch video game in the West way behind us at this point in time, everything went dark, even on the Japanese front. After a few months of nothing but radio silence, Level-5 have revealed through the pages of the latest CoroCor0 magazine issue that the upcoming addition to the series, Yo-kai Watch 3, will come in two different versions; Sushi and Tempura. Despite the fact that the latest game will take place in a fictional American town populated by overtly American Yo-kai, the third in the series of Yo-kai Watch games will still remain inherently Japanese. Alongside the announcement of the two different versions, the magazine also revealed that the game will be released across Japan for the Nintendo 3DS on the 16th of July this year; only a few months away. The most exciting thing about this, in my humble opinion, are the images of some of the new Yo-kai that have accompanied …

Rumour Has It THIS Is The Controller For The Nintendo NX

Published by Frank Inglese

Supposedly, the next Nintendo console to be released has been titled the NX, well…not officially, but that’s what many people in the industry are currently running with. We’re all excited for it. Not just us here at SnapThirty, I’m saying that the world is excited for what Nintendo has to offer with their next console, not just because it is a brand-new home console release but because of the rumoured possibilities of it’s ground-breaking potential. Most of the information revealed regarding the Nintendo NX, at this point in time, is simple speculation. Word is that, sometime this year, Nintendo will be officially revealing the system and either confirming or denying most of what has been said about it. It appears as though, depending on your level of belief, that a certain Reddit user has posted a small set of images that shows what looks to be an early development model of the console’s controller which, to me, looks more like the rearview mirror of your standard sedan rather than that of a console controller. The …

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 …

Pokken Tournament – Review

Published by Jahanzeb Khan

Pokemon Stadium on the Nintendo 64 was an awesome concept back in the day, given that the main games were confined to a tiny 8-bit handheld, having a console game that allowed you to engage in glorious 3D battles was godsend, allowing players to transfer their Pokemon team onto the N64 for some visually dazzling battles that pretty much played out the exact same way as the traditional turn based battles. Still, it was nice to see Pokemon come to life and fully animated. Now this concept probably has lost its appeal in this day and age given that the 3DS has provided gamers with a fully 3D Pokemon adventure in Pokemon X and Y, with the upcoming Pokemon Sun and Mon hopefully raising the bar higher. Still, back in the day we dreamed up a Pokemon game where battles would be a lot more versatile and free flowing than the restrictions of turn-based, something that would be more akin to the way battles were depicted in the Pokemon anime. When it was first announced that …

The Pokemon Center Japan’s 20th Anniversary Merchandise Is Rocking An Old-School Vibe

Published by Frank Inglese

Twenty years, huh? Twenty long years filled with nothing but critical success, franchise-expanding opportunities, and financial gain the likes of which you’ve simply never seen before. Pokemon is arguably history’s most breathtaking success story, and twenty years later we’re remembering it as the breakout star of the nineties will reminding ourselves that it’s reign over the pop culture world has not yet come to pass. Pokemon is a juggernaut in the industry, and it will continue that way for many years to come, but it is times like this that allow us the perfect opportunity to reminisce about the “good ol’ days” of the original Pokemon generation: One that featured, in my personal opinion, some of the most likable Pocket Monsters, and paved the way not only for future series games to come, but games of similar type to spread their creative wings and fly. Like any good anniversary celebration, what comes as part of the festivities is new merchandise. Well…more like old merchandise. The Pokemon Center stores across Japan have, starting just a few days …

CONFIRMED: Pokemon Sun And Moon – Could They Be The Names Of The Next Generation?

Published by Frank Inglese

2016 marks the year of Pokemon’s 20th anniversary, and like any landmark event…it’s to be celebrated in some big ways! Many fans around the web understandably speculate that, to celebrate this momentous occasion, Game Freak will be releasing their most ambitious Pokemon video game to date, and for all intents and purposes…the upcoming pair of celebratory games could be titled Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon. It appears as though Nintendo have filed two trademarks through the European Union’s Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) for the names Pokemon Sun, and Pokemon Moon, both of which happen to feature two very distinct logos that look, to say the very least…overtly Pokemon. Now, considering tomorrow’s Nintendo direct is focused entirely on that of Pokemon, chances are Game Freak and Nintendo are preparing to unleash something amazing on the world. If that were to be the case, something like this is pretty standard; they’re just preparing to rock the world, in a safe way. Some other publications have reported that these two names are confirmed as …

Detective Pikachu is the Private Eye in Demand

Published by

No one cares about the next Pokemon game or any of the recent spin-offs right now, as all they want is a title that doesn’t even bear the Pokemon name, but stars a very unlikely variation of the beloved Pikachu: Great Detective Pikachu. It’s clear by now that this is no joke, as an adventure game starring a talking Pikachu with a deep manly voice, and wearing a classic Sherlock Holmes hat, does indeed exist in the Japanese eShop. Not to mention it’s not too expensive a release either. As for the thought process and discussion that lead to the inception of this game, and helped make it all the way as a complete product… I can’t even fathom. As strange as the game is, fans all over the world want it badly. There’s been petitions begging not only for a localisation, but to have none other than Hollywood legend Danny DeVito provide the English voice for Detective Pikachu. He’s done some great voice work in the past, and if this petition works and Nintendo get …

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 …

Bandai Namco Announce Dragon Ball: Project Fusion Nintendo 3DS Game

Published by Frank Inglese

What is your favorite thing about Dragon Ball, reader? Personally, I enjoy seeing two characters fuse together, simply because I’ve always been a fan of the staple fusion characters Vegeto and Gogeta. I mean, what’s better than a character with the overwhelming power of Goku combined with the devastating arrogance of Vegeta? Simply…nothing. That’s why the prospect of a Dragon Ball video game that relies heavily on the fusion aspect of the series excited me to such a large degree! Bandai Namco Entertainment have announced this week, through Japan’s V-Jump magazine, a brand-new Nintendo 3DS title called Dragon Ball: Project Fusion that, as I mentioned previously, is an RPG that gives the spotlight to the fusion ability introduced late in the series’ run. So far, not a lot has been revealed regarding how this game will play. All the V-Jump announcement detailed was that it is an RPG and that it will revolve around fusion, backing it’s statement up with an image of life-long enemies Goku and Broly partaking in the Fusion Dance; something many …

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 …

Xenoblade Chronicles X Shows Its Sense Of Humour In New Trailer

Published by Frank Inglese

Nintendo Of Europe recently posted a brand-new Xenoblade Chronicles X trailer online that shows both the upcoming video game’s quirkiness and it’s more action-packed side. Titled the “Do Something A Bit More Exciting” trailer, the video showcases just how open world the game is and how unique an experience it will be for individual players the world over by highlighting just a few of the features that, previously, weren’t shown. Catching a sleeping enemy monster, going for a dip in the New Los Angeles bay, catching your friends cooking another of your friends; it’s all a possibly in Monolith Soft’s Xenoblade Chronicles X…but then so is slaying said giant monsters, incredible weapon play, and over-the-top mech battles, so…it’s got a little of something for everyone. Xenoblade Chronicles X will get a release for the Wii U across both Europe and North America on the 4th of December. -30-

The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess To Hit The Wii U As HD Remake

Published by Frank Inglese

Usually I begin articles like this with some sort of preamble, detailing the history of the piece of media in question, but for news regarding The Legend Of Zelda…I don’t think any preamble is necessary. By this point in time, everybody’s very much aware that Nintendo hosted one of their Direct presentations today, using it as a chance to blow the minds of gamers all across the world. As a part of the mind-blowing, Nintendo announced that they will be re-releasing the much-loved Wii title The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess, this time as a HD remake to be released on the Wii U. Set for a release in North America on the 4th of March, the Twilight Princess HD re-release will come bundled with the newly-announced Wolf Link Amiibo which depicts the animalistic form of the Hero Of Time as he was shown in the aforementioned video game. As it turns out, the new game will not only allow the use of this particular Amiibo, but all of the other The Legend Of Zelda …

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 …

Best Buy’s Pre-Order Bonus For Xenoblade Chronicles X Is High On Taste But Low On Nutrition

Published by Frank Inglese

Most, if not all, video game retailers like to give small gifts as incentive for pre-ordering upcoming games. We call these pre-order bonuses, and they’re usually pretty sweet. Some new titles come with full-sized replicas of in-game weapons, others come with a redeemable voucher that unlocks extra download content for zero the cost. Whatever the case, the extras are usually good enough to entice you into sinking money into a title early. Nintnedo’s upcoming Wii U title, Xenoblade Chronicles X, is an Action/RPG about gigantic mechs fighting grotesque beasts on a planet in the process of being terraformed…so why is it that Best Buy is giving away ten dollar pizza vouchers to those who pre-order the game now? No, you didn’t misread: Best Buys all across North America, as a pre-order incentive, are giving away coupon codes that can only be redeemed through this website: Click Here. Instead of offering players a small figurine, or some extra costumes for characters, Best Buy feels as though the ultimate way to enjoy Xenoblade Chronicles X is by being …

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 …

Two New Gameplay Videos Released For Shin Megami Tense X Fire Emblem

Published by Frank Inglese

A new ATLUS game is always exciting, especially when it is an addition to the long lineage that is Shin Megami Tensei. The exact same thing can be said for Intelligent Systems’ Fire Emblem series of tactical role-playing games. I’m sure I don’t have to explain why a combination of these two popular video game series’ is going to set the world of Japanese pop culture ablaze with elation. Not only is it self-explanatory, but the recent update of the game’s official website features two new videos that give audiences a glimps at the game in action, showing us all that this is one title to absolutely not miss out on. The story is simple, yet mostly unexplained at this point in time: Basically, you play as a young man who wants to be a popular entertainer of sorts. Your party members; they also want to be entertainers of sorts. Something crazy happens one day and, much like that of Persona, you and your friends come into contact with beings of pure malice called Mirages, …

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 …

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 …

Hands On With Star Fox Zero – EB Expo 2015

Published by Kane Bugeja

“Hey Einstein!” “Do a barrel roll,” and many more wonderful earworms are sure to have burrowed into your brain at the very mention of that most spacefaring of vulpes vulpes, the one and only Fox McCloud. Heck, even I knew those quotes and I’ve never played any of the previous Star Fox titles. As such, my hands on had less to do with nostalgic resurgence, and more to do with the intention of satiating a prolonged curiosity. Blasting off mid-mission, as per the demo norm, Fox and allies are traversing a swerving canyon on their way to rescue a particular canid commander. To that effect, gameplay takes the form of a continuous push forward, with the player controlling direction, speed and the amount of lasers currently being propelled into enemy forces. Of the demo, this was the simplest part to maneuver, with the main obstacle being stationary forces pinned to cliff faces. You don’t even have to defeat them to progress, just survive. The demo’s second portion switched things up a little by placing you …

Imagination And Reality Combine Thanks To Nintendo’s Pokemon GO

Published by Frank Inglese

Fans of Nintendo’s monster-raising franchise Pokemon have always dreamed of a reality wherein which they could capture and train their very own fighting creatures, living a life revolving solely around travel and adventure. Up until this point in time, barring the actual Pokemon video game releases, we’ve never really gotten close to seeing this dream become a reality, in fact…I personally never thought such an abstract idea could ever become real. Despite this, there’s a company out there who is trying to make it a reality, and that company is, you guessed it, Nintendo. Announced overnight (for us here living in Australia), the upcoming SmartPhone app Pokemon GO combines the forces of ones own imagination with the reality of which we’re all a part of. Nintendo, who has now partnered up with video game developer Niantic, Inc; who you may know is famous for their similar augmented reality video game title Ingress, plan to release this new app, partnered up with a nice wearable peripheral to help with the immersion, sometime next year, but before you get …

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 …

Pokemon’s Misty: The Tomboy Mermaid Classic Gym Leader Figure Now Up For Pre-Order

Published by Frank Inglese

It was a while ago but I feel as though you’d all still remember: Bandai, in conjunction with Game Freak and Nintendo, released a nostalgia-inducing figurine that showed Pokemon’s Brock in his original Gym Leader attire…which was barely anything, mostly just pants. Fans of the franchise went wild! Especially those who grew up playing the very first generation of Pokemon video games. Not long after that, the same companies came together and announced a second figurine from the same collection. This time it was Misty; the second Gym Leader from the first set of Pokemon games. Much like Brock, Misty’s classic attire had a serious lack of actual attire, with her being in a simple bikini set. Now, some time after it was announced, those same trie of companies have once again surfaced to reveal that the Misty figurine is now up for pre-order. Alongside alerting the world of it’s purchasability, they also revealed exactly what the figurine will look like, as I’m sure you can already see by the images I’ve provided in this …

Nintendo Releases Xenoblade Chronicles X: Survival Guide Episode One

Published by Frank Inglese

You may not be entirely aware of this but Nintendo will be releasing a series of five videos across the next five months all detailing the most exciting focal points of the upcoming action-RPG Xenoblade Chronicles X. It’s now the 1st of September which means the very first of this short series has just been released online. I honestly don’t know too much about this title. I’ve been excited about it for a while simply because it’s a Wii U game that doesn’t revolve itself around already established Nintendo characters and that’s basically all I need nowadays to get excited. This new series of short, information-filled promotional videos has been perfectly designed to educate people like myself who’re interested in the game yet not so sure about why they should absolutely get it on release. Episode one details three key features of the upcoming title: The world of the game, the organisation your character will be a part of, and the types of missions you’ll take on throughout the game. To say the very least; there’s …

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 …

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata Passes Away at 55

Published by Luke Halliday

As I am writing this I feel short of breath because this is not like any other news piece on this website, this news pains me to write. A man who changed gaming for ever and represented something wonderful and larger than life to many gamers around the world has passed away today far too soon at the age of 55. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has passed away on the 11th of July, 2015, after dealing with illness related to a bile duct growth. Satoru Iwata was a man who lived by the principles of fun, innovative thought and bringing happiness into people’s hearts that Nintendo stood for through and through. To many he was the face of the legendary gaming company and he himself a legendary figure in the gaming industry as such. He stood by the belief that Nintendo should always be about fun first and everything else second. A belief that endeared him to Nintendo fans around the world. The gaming industry and its community are at a stand still today because …

Have The CoroCoro Leaks Revealed A Brand-New Pokemon?

Published by Frank Inglese

You may not have already known this but the world will eventually see the release of a THIRD Pokemon XY film, CoroCoro’s leaked scans from the August issue have today confirmed. The upcoming movie, which has yet to be named, already has itself a trailer which will be shown after the latest film Hoopa And The Clash Of Ages opens across Japanese theatres this coming weekend. The leaked scans show a few simple screenshots of the mysterious film that just so happen to feature what looks to be a new Pokemon, though many people across the internet are speculating that this dark figure shown in the images is instead a new Pokemon form. More specifically; a new form of Zygarde who’s Pokedex entry mentions the ability to draw out a “Secret Power” when absolutely necessary. I was very much hoping for some news regarding a brand-new Pokemon video game at E3 and that was not delivered, so the prospect of a new Pokemon, evolution or otherwise, is very much exciting for someone like me. Until the …

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 …

Second Classic Pokemon Gym Leader Figure Announced – Misty: The Tomboy Mermaid

Published by Frank Inglese

Chances are, if you’re a fan of Japanese pop culture in this day and age…you were a fan of Pokemon as a kid. Almost every single person I know used to play and has continued to play Pokemon ever since they were but a young child, and all of them now are fans of Anime, Manga, Video Games and Japanese pop culture as a whole so I feel as though my statement isn’t too exaggerated. As a generation of people that grew up alongside video game franchises like Pokemon, it sometimes pains us to see that the powers at be are only directing their new merchandise towards the newer, younger fans. Almost every conversation I have with my same-aged friends about Pokemon usually turns into a pitch meeting no-one of importance will ever hear. “They should bring out this“, “They should bring out that“, “How about a remake of Pokemon Yellow“…most conversations go along that line. Not but a week ago, long-time Pokemon artist Ken Sugimori released pictures of his original character sketches for four …

Platinum Games Working with Nintendo on Star Fox Zero

Published by

Star Fox and Metroid have been relatively quiet compared to other Nintendo IPs, and this year Nintendo revealed a new title for each franchise at the E3 conference. Metroid Prime on the 3DS was an unexpected surprise for sure, but we knew about the existence of Star Fox since last year, we just didn’t know what it was going to be like. Well this year Nintendo showcased a mouth watering gameplay trailer for the upcoming iteration of Star Fox, and also announcing the involvement of ace developer, Platinum Games. This isn’t the first time that Nintendo has collaborated with a third party developer to produce a Star Fox title, as Star Fox Assault on the GameCube was a joint effort by Nintendo and BandaiNamco. Platinum Games have been the developer to watch out for ever since they made their mark in the last console generation, and Nintendo and Platinum Games forged a special alliance when they unleashed the Wii U exclusive, Bayonetta 2. This partnership makes perfect sense, and given the track record of Platinum …

Crash landing – Nintendo Announces And Releases EarthBound Beginnings For The Wii U

Published by Frank Inglese

Coming straight out of left field is another one of Nintendo’s pre-E3 announcements, this time of a classic video game title never released outside of Japan…until now. One of the few video games that possessed me to buy myself a Wii U console was none other than Earthbound. It, alongside games like Mega Man Battle Network and Splatoon, justified paying full price for a console I didn’t even know I’d enjoy…well I’m even more delighted now that Nintendo and video game industry great Shigesato Itoi have announced that they have now released the original Mother game on the Wii U Virtual Console in both Europe and North America. Both announced and released on the same day, the newly titled EarthBound Beginnings is a direct port of the fantastic RPG from twenty six years ago but now in full English. For the first time legally, players from outside of Japan will be able to finally experience the journey of Earth’s original psychic saviour Ninten. They can then follow their playthrough of EarthBound Beginnings with EarthBound, both of …