¿Quién es Emio? Esa es la pregunta que nos hace Nintendo en el inquietante teaser que han publicado de lo que parece un nuevo juego de terror.
Nintendo is not the first company we would associate with horror video games. Not the second, third, or fourth either. In their long history, you can count with one hand the number of horror games they have published or developed, and that’s why it’s so surprising when they decide to do it. It’s completely out of their comfort zone. But that’s exactly what they just did– in the strangest way possible.
Publishing a strange teaser on their website, the video shows a figure wearing a trench coat and a paper bag over their head. A text in Japanese tells us that this figure’s name is “smiling man”. The character’s name, Emio, seems to be the real name, as well as the name of the video, but no other information has been revealed so far. Except for an indication at the end of the video that the game will be released for Nintendo Switch.
From here on, everything else is speculation. There are those who believe that this will be a game by Bloober Team, since the CEO of the studio has stated that they’re working on a horror game with Nintendo, codenamed Project M. But we have no proof that it has any relation to Emio.
To learn more about Emio, we’ll have to wait for Nintendo to reveal more about it. What we do know is that we hope not to encounter it in our house in a dark hallway…
Consoles don’t last forever. Errors happen, parts wear out, and with use they can stop working. Normally there is nothing that cannot be solved. All consoles are made so that, by replacing the parts, they can work again unless there are catastrophic mishaps. Another issue is that the parts continue to exist. If not, just ask Nintendo.
According to Nintendo, since July 3rd, they no longer have available parts to repair damaged Wii U consoles. This means that they will no longer be able to offer the repair service as they did before, since they literally lack the necessary elements to ensure that they can return your console to you in optimal conditions.
This confirms the more or less definitive end of Nintendo’s previous console. A failure that only managed to sell 13 million consoles. In comparison, Switch has sold 141 million consoles and, while it is true that it is on track to become the best-selling console in history and is already the second, that does not mean that the numbers of its predecessor were not extremely poor. Something that has not prevented them from maintaining its maintenance for many years since it left the market.
Se especializó sobre todo en dos sagas: ‘Hamtaro’ y ‘Mario & Luigi’: ellos fueron quienes crearon el RPG de Nintendo y, con su cierre, el futuro de los hermanos quedaba en el aire.
AlphaDream was a dream (ha!) that lasted 20 years: On February 28, 2020, after going bankrupt, the studio closed down, leaving behind 16 games for Nintendo handheld consoles, from Game Boy Color to Nintendo Switch. They are probably best known for their two hit sagas: ‘Hamtaro’ and ‘Mario & Luigi’. They were the ones who created the beloved Nintendo RPG and, with their end, the future of the brothers was uncertain.
It looked like the end, until in the last Nintendo Direct, the Japanese company announced it would release a new game in the saga, ‘Mario & Luigi: Fraternal Connection’, the sixth title (not counting the compilations), which… we don’t know who’s making it. And Nintendo, of course, doesn’t clarify it, simply stating that we should pay attention to the credits when the game is released.
At least they concede that “some of the original developers who worked on the franchise are involved in its development”. Generally speaking, Nintendo seems to have an aversion to naming the studios that make their third-party games, even if they’re as prestigious as Good Feel, who created ‘Princess Peach: Showtime!’ and remained concealed until the game’s release. Perhaps it’s time to start giving credit where credit is due, right Nintendo?
Three iconic Game Boy games are coming to Nintendo Switch Online, and exclusively in Japan, a classic from the console that shaped one of the best Zelda games.
Nintendo seems to have decided to step up its Game Boy catalog. Being one of the least cared for consoles within the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service, today they have announced that they are going to release three classics from the platform. Moreover, they are already available for all interested parties. What are these games?
Alleyway was one of the games in the initial Game Boy catalog, which was also very successful. It is a game in the style of Breakout or Arkanoid, where we have to destroy blocks with a ball, and we control a bar to bounce that same ball. The peculiarity of Alleyway is that Mario is the protagonist of the game, although he never appears characterized that way in-game. But hey, it was ’89: the covers were the graphics of the time.
Another one of the games to arrive, also from the initial catalog, is the legendary Baseball. A fun recreation of this sport, much more popular in the US and Japan, which will probably be the one that goes unnoticed the most among the new additions.
The jewel in the crown of the new titles is, without a doubt, Super Mario Land. Published in 1989 and not only being one of the titles in the console’s initial catalog, but also its main selling point, it is an excellent 2D platformer that adapts Mario’s classic gameplay to the small screen of the Game Boy. All this while introducing new enemies, powers, and some small twists in level design that are still very original today.
In addition, in Japan they will also receive a fourth game, which never came out outside of Japan: Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru. Translated as “For the frog the bells toll”, this game inspired by “For Whom the Bell Tolls” by Ernest Hemingway, is heavily inspired by the second and third The Legend of Zelda, and in fact, it would serve as the basis for what would later become The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening.
Although we can only enjoy the first three, it is an excellent selection that shows that Nintendo is paying more attention and care to the Game Boy. Even if we have had to wait for the Switch 2 to be on the horizon.
Nintendo has announced Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, a game that aims to recreate the 1990 competition hosted by Nintendo of America.
The Nintendo World Championship is one of the biggest curiosities in Nintendo’s history. It was a competition that took place in 1990 and was repeated in 2015 and 2017, organized by Nintendo of America, where they were looking for the best player in the country. To achieve this, they had to compete to obtain the highest possible score in three different Nintendo games. This became a small milestone, especially due to the existence of a very limited edition of NES cartridges called Nintendo World Championships 1990, which have become some of the most sought after in the company’s history.
Nintendo Switch Online is an essential application if you want to fully enjoy multiplayer games on Nintendo Switch, such as Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, ARMS or Pokkén Tournament DX.
Now, Nintendo brings back the idea of the Nintendo World Championships, but not only limited to North Americans. Because the Japanese company has announced Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, a compilation of NES games with multiplayer features, challenges, and global rankings.
To be precise, it is not a collection of NES games. It is a collection of fragments from NES games. The enjoyment of this game lies in attempting to achieve the highest scores possible within each of the various challenges. Whether it be personal, global, or among our friends. In this manner, each of the thirteen games has specific challenges, represented by a specific fragment from each of them.
In this sense, it reminds us of NES Remix. A compilation of games that created different challenges based on different classic NES games, introducing elements from different games. However, Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition seems to be more focused on all competitive aspects and achieving the highest possible scores. A slight variation of the same formula they already tested in the popular Wii U and 3DS game.
The games included in Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition are Kid Icarus, Ice Climber, Excitebike, Kirby’s Adventure, Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, The Adventure of Link, Metroid, The Original Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros. 3, and Balloon Fight. An excellent selection of Nintendo’s main first-party games. And some of the most well-known and played games from the company’s first console.
Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition will be released on July 19th. Its digital version will cost €29.99 and can already be pre-ordered. Its physical edition can only be purchased through the Nintendo store, it does not have a price or date yet, but you can already express your interest in it.
Nintendo Switch Online is an essential application if you want to fully enjoy multiplayer games on Nintendo Switch, such as Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, ARMS or Pokkén Tournament DX.
Nintendo has issued one of its Indie World presentations, and although it’s true that it didn’t showcase what we were expecting, there have been some interesting announcements.
Hoy Nintendo ha lanzado una de sus presentaciones Indie World. En estas presentaciones dan espacio a juegos más pequeños e independientes para llegar a una audiencia más amplia. En ese sentido, nunca son presentaciones grandes. Nunca veremos juegos AAA. Como mucho, encontraremos nuestro nuevo juego favorito que no esperábamos.
Ahora bien, es cierto que este Indie World ha sido particularmente relajado. Con muchos anuncios de fechas que ya conocíamos y solo un puñado de títulos nuevos, no ha sido especialmente emocionante. Especialmente porque el juego que todos esperaban ver, Silksong, no hizo acto de presencia. Sin embargo, todavía hay algunos anuncios interesantes que vale la pena revisar.
The first big announcement of the day was Yars Rising. A metroidvania game by WayForward, creators of the Shantae and River City Girls series, and Atari. In the game, we will embody Emi Kimura, a young hacker facing off against a mega corporation named QoTech. How this game connects with Yars Revenge, the 1982 game for Atari 2600, is not clear. Yars Rising will be released on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC, and Atari VCS.
Another big announcement has been Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate. With a graphic style inspired by the current Nickelodeon animated series, the game is a roguelike where we will have to save Splinter after being kidnapped by The Foot Clan. With a cooperative mode for up to four people, it will arrive at some point in July 2024 exclusively for Nintendo Switch. And now available on Apple Arcade subscription.
Entre los juegos más singulares que se han anunciado se encuentra Refind Self: Personality Test Game. Una mezcla de exploración en 2D y elige tu propia aventura, es un juego que analizará nuestras decisiones a lo largo de la aventura para darnos un perfil de nuestra personalidad. Disponible ahora en PC, se lanzará en algún momento del verano de 2024 para Nintendo Switch.
Another game that was already announced, but didn’t have a release date, is Little Kitty, Big City. En este juego, encarnaremos a un pequeño gatito que está perdido y buscando su camino a casa. Teniendo que ayudar a otros animales en pequeñas misiones, el objetivo final es regresar a casa. Little Kitty, Big City será lanzado para Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, y PC el 9 de mayo.
Hablando de gatos y fechas de lanzamiento, también hemos podido averiguar cuándo se lanzará Cat Quest 3. La tercera entrega de este único RPG de acción, con dos entregas muy aclamadas por críticos y público, cuya principal novedad es un estilo gráfico mejorado y un entorno pirata. Algo que incluye intensas batallas en el mar. Cat Quest 3 se lanzará para Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One y PC el 8 de agosto. Con una demo ya disponible.
In the game roundup, we have also seen a couple of games without a release date. Until now. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, the new game from the creators of Sayonara Wild Heart, will be released on May 16th. And those who have tried it say it’s a strong candidate for GOTY. Additionally, Schim, the game about a frog that can jump between shadows, has announced its release for July 18th.
El último gran anuncio de Indie World ha sido la secuela de SteamWorld Heist. En SteamWorld Heist 2, nos encontramos en una aventura steampunk donde controlamos robots, con escenarios de aventura de desplazamiento lateral y combate por turnos generado de forma procedural. Esta entrega, con temática de piratas, nos promete más armas, más objetos y más robots. Además de un sistema de trabajos y la posibilidad de hacer amigos con PNJ, lo cual no estaba en el título original. SteamWorld Heist II se lanzará el 8 de agosto para Nintendo Switch.
Algunos de los enlaces agregados en el artículo son parte de campañas de afiliados y pueden representar beneficios para Softonic.
Nintendo Switch Online continues to grow, this time adding three very particular Super Nintendo games, but excellent ones.
The Nintendo Switch Online catalog continues to grow. Being able to play classic Nintendo games is one of the main selling points of this service, but for many people, they already have the essential games from their first consoles. However, for many others, this is where things get interesting. What titles will they choose when they have to make a less obvious selection? And the answer is excellent games and interesting rarities.
This time, Nintendo Switch Online has received three Super Nintendo games. But far from being the typical titles that everyone has played, or at least knows, this time they are three more particular games. Because Super R-Type, Amazing Hebereke, and Wrecking Crew 98 are coming.
Super R-Type is a shooter game by Irem that is a partial port of R-Type II. Taking four stages from that game and adding three new ones, the result is a very different and much more difficult game. Partly due to the absence of save points, partly due to slowdowns when there were many sprites on screen. Now, without any of these issues as it doesn’t run on original hardware, the result is an excellent game that is an extraordinary successor to the first two R-Type games.
Amazing Hebereke is a game that would never leave Japan, until now. Part of the Hebereke! series, whose first title has recently received a sequel called Ufouria: The Saga 2, this is a unique fighting game with characters from the franchise. In 2D, it has important similarities with Super Smash Bros, as the goal is to defeat our opponents by throwing them off the stage. Not the best fighting game from Sunsoft, which is Waku Waku 7, but a very fun game to play in multiplayer.
Finally, Wrecking Crew 98 is another exclusive from Japan that is coming to the West for the first time. A puzzle action game, with a clear competitive tone, where we have to align three or more blocks to throw them at our opponent. With Mario characters as the main attraction, it is an extraordinary curiosity. Like all these games that Nintendo has introduced, right now, in Switch Online.
PlayStation Vita is a console to be vindicated, as it laid the foundation for what portable consoles are today, even if it didn’t achieve the success it deserved.
Today we are witnessing an evident rebirth of portable consoles. Thanks to Nintendo Switch first, and then the Steam Deck, we have seen the emergence of numerous alternatives, both on the console side and on the laptop side in the form of a console. Retro lovers have Analogue Pocket, those who want something more unique have Playdate, and in between there are all kinds of consoles for each person’s preferences.
It is undeniable that we live in a golden age of laptops. Also, now is the perfect time to reclaim some of the ones that, at the time, we should have appreciated more.
One of those portable devices is the PlayStation Vita. Released on February 15th in North America and February 22nd in Europe, the PlayStation Vita was the successor to the PlayStation Portable, focusing on its large OLED screen, dual touch screens, two joysticks, and a more modern and elegant design. These aspects may sound uninnovative today, but at the time they made it a revolutionary handheld console.
In fact, Sony’s marketing was based on talking about PlayStation Vita as the portable version of a home console. A monster that could play the same games you played in your living room. But many people misunderstood what they meant by that. Although it also has great graphics power, especially compared to the Nintendo 3DS, the revolutionary aspect was in its design and controls.
PlayStation Vita was the first console that had an identical layout to a modern controller. Playing Sony’s handheld console was like holding a PlayStation controller with a huge, high-quality screen, on which you could play the same games as the home consoles. Something absolutely revolutionary, considering that, at that time, the majority of the public associated handhelds with Nintendo. That is, a different style of gameplay than you would have on home consoles, due to both hardware and design limitations.
The great virtue of the PlayStation Vita is that it did twelve years ago what is now valued in the Nintendo Switch or the Steam Deck. Being a home console or a mid-power computer, but portable. The huge screen, the possibility of playing everything anywhere, and the control scheme were already present in Sony’s console. It just arrived ten years too soon.
Because the problem with the Vita was not its catalog. It had all the PlayStation Mobile games, a lot of PSX classics, Sony’s own spinoffs of the big franchises, and all the indie games of the moment. Even today, many people consider that games like OlliOlli or Hotline Miami have their true home on this handheld console. And some classics from the first PlayStation, like Vagrant Story or Final Fantasy VII, have never been played better, legally, than on the Vita.
In addition, being backward compatible, it could also play PlayStation Portable games. And thanks to Remote Play, you could play through streaming on your PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 consoles. One of the great virtues of current handhelds, thanks to programs like Chiaki, but already supported natively in 2012.
Although it is still alive today thanks to the modding community, which keeps it alive and has turned it into everything that the Steam Deck is celebrated for today, the PlayStation Vita ceased production on March 1, 2019. Selling around 16 million units in its lifetime, it fell far short of the 80 million units sold by its predecessor, the PlayStation Portable.
What caused this failure? The use of proprietary memory card system, the perception that PlayStation Portable was a secondary console compared to Nintendo DS, and a marketing campaign that failed to communicate the true virtues of the Vita, did a lot of damage to Sony’s console. This has led to, twelve years later and even after demonstrating that it paved the way for a new boom in portable consoles, Sony still hasn’t dared to release a successor to it.
Because while Sony released PlayStation Portal on November 15th, what the audience really wants is a PlayStation Vita 2. What would have been its successor if they hadn’t let it die. But since that’s impossible, here, today, we celebrate the path that PlayStation Vita opened. Even if it came too soon to succeed.
They have dusted off the ‘Pokémon Legends’ franchise, aimed at experimenting with the saga, and after ‘Arceus’ we have… ‘Z-A’. We’ll have to catch them all, there’s no other way.
We were not few who were going around the new Pokémon that was due for 2024. Would it be a remake? A ‘Let’s go’? Or maybe they were ready to let go and announce a new game in the main series? Well, in the end, neither one nor the other: they have dusted off the ‘Pokémon Legends’ franchise, destined to experiment with the saga, and after ‘Arceus’ we have… ‘Z-A’. Gotta catch ’em all, no other choice.
While in ‘Pokémon Legends Arceus’ we traveled to the past of the world, in ‘Z-A’ we see the urban plan of Lumiose City, which served as the center of ‘X/Y’ and will now be bigger than ever. So much so, that we won’t even leave the city itself to search for new creatures on the routes: everything will take place throughout the streets of the capital of Kalos.
And perhaps the most interesting thing about the trailer is the announcement that it will be released in early 2025 and that it will be playable on Switch. What they are hiding and is quite clear is that, like ‘Zelda Breath of the Wild’ did in its day, it will serve as a perfect bridge between the console we know and Switch 2. Obviously, they cannot say it yet before the big presentation, but it is starting to become obvious.
‘Pokémon Legends: Arceus’ also marks Game Freak’s return to the helm of a game outside the main series, so we can deduce that this one will have juicy news beyond mega-evolutions. Maybe we will be able to build part of the city ourselves? What will be the mechanism? Will there be badges? And wild Pokémon? Many questions still to be answered that we will know within a year. It’s time to catch them all again!
The Nintendo Switch 2 would be backward compatible, and we could have confirmation very soon, as according to rumors, it would be announced in just over a month.
Nintendo Switch will turn seven years old in less than a month. This means that its natural cycle is coming to an end, making it logical to think about a successor. Although its sales have been and continue to be absolutely spectacular, placing it in the top 3 best-selling consoles of all time, Nintendo has to move forward. And meanwhile, the leaks multiply. The latest one, giving us exactly the information we wanted to hear.
According to the Portuguese podcast X do Controle by PH Brazil and as shared on social media by Centro Leaks, Nintendo Switch 2 would be backward compatible with both physical and digital Nintendo Switch games. In addition, developers would have the possibility to enhance their Nintendo Switch games to take advantage of the increased processing power of Nintendo Switch 2, if they choose to do so. This could allow some games that currently do not perform well on the console to achieve the expected performance on its successor.
They have also taken the opportunity to reveal that these are not the only surprises that Nintendo has up its sleeve. A Nintendo Direct is about to take place, during the week of February 19, which would fit with the rumors we have heard about it. This would focus on third-party games and not on Nintendo games or indies.
While all of this is still just rumors, they fit quite well with everything we know so far about this hypothetical Nintendo Switch 2. In addition, Centro Leaks has been right on numerous occasions about when the Nintendo Directs would take place and what they would show in the past. Therefore, Nintendo fans, it seems that we have a very eventful first quarter of the year ahead of us.
