Author: Dustin Murphy

Tom Clancy’s The Division Open Beta Starts Now

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Interested in some Tom Clancy’s The Division? Check out our video for some information!

The Division launches March 8th, 2016 on Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4.

 

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Review: Bombshell – Little Chick, Big Guns, and Lots of Explosives Part 1

/ Dustin Murphy / 4 Comments

 

Pros:
+Big weapons that pun the female life
+Amazing story that gives our heroine a 90’s video game start
+Map designs using top down design offer a delightful Diablo-esque experience

Cons:
-Requires a decently powerful PC to play
-Controls on keyboard may be slightly disorienting to non-PC gamers
-Quest NPCs can be difficult to find

 

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When looking at companies 3D Realms and Interceptor have been known some of their fantastic titles like Rise of the Triad, Duke Nukem, Shadow Warrior, Prey, Blake Stone, and many more. With their recent departure from Duke Nukem it was a wonder as to where Interceptor and 3D Realms would go. Their answer? Replacing Duke Nukem with a female character who is full of slap shot one liners, big guns, and an attitude to boot. Sherry is not your average female protagonist, instead she’s a bad ass who has weapons named things such as “The Motherflakker” and the “P.M.S.”. Names you’ll get used to as you go through the game.

The opening moments of the game go as expected. Our enemy force, in this case alien like reptiles are assaulting the White House, and our hero of the day is on her way. Driving like a mad woman we see her arrive at the scene of the “crime” and this is where our game begins. For many, Bombshell seems almost lackluster, if you read the reviews out there – it’s being compared to Duke Nukem quite heavily, and in turn this is where I’ll say stop reading if you are wanting a Duke Nukem style game, this isn’t that. Instead this is Interceptor’s adventure into a new terrain they haven’t been apart of quite yet, which is the birds-eye-view point while implementing shooter and RPG mechanics into a game.

While “boring” may come into mind to some people since the game does follow rather interesting enemy behavior’s, boss mechanics, and similar level designs; Bombshell has remained a game that is rather fun, interesting, and one of those where I’d not have minded if a story was not present in the slightest. Why? I’m a fan of these style games, I love to explore, blow things up, and even take on bosses that may, at times, present a level of difficulty, which they did not disappoint on the higher difficulties away from “Normal”. While missions will seem generic once players are taken to the alien worlds that Shelly aka Bombshell will traverse, the levels are still enjoyable and quite fun in comparison to what one may think. Ever played Diablo? The levels were pretty much the same in the first and second games, just a different paint job. While my biggest complaint with the title wouldn’t be the story or the level design, it’d be the fact that enemies didn’t variate much nor did they seem to want to do so. While enemy placements could have used a clever working to them, they still offered a challenge that lead me to dying more than once, and even throwing my hands up in pure frustration due to having died to thinks I knew I could have avoided. Things as simple as a few bullets that could have been dodged using Shelly’s abilities to my advantage.

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While reading many reviews out there, you’ll see that Bombshell has been getting nagged at for what may seem like a simplistic design, one that will take you back to the 90’s era of gaming, but the thing I’ve not seen mentioned is simple. Combat mechanics, the RPG elements or even the abilities that Shelly will use, which in truth – is frustrating, so our review? Won’t be focusing on the level designs, the monotonous story that may seem remnant to a Duke Nukem title (not saying this is bad at all) or even the fact we’ve encountered a few bugs we were able to bypass in the long run.

As stated, Bombshell at its core is a top-down RPG shooter, where our lead lady will grow more powerful as you play. This includes leveling up her health, energy, and even her armor. The one thing that stuck out about Bombshell is that the game is unique, it’s not trying to be another game, but instead is going with what 3D Realms and Interceptor know best. Fun, puzzling, and exploration filled titles that will drive players to pay attention to what they are doing, but also their surroundings as they undergo combat situations and explore. The most noticeable of all this is the fact that Bombshell’s abilities do play a rather large role in her combat situation. Things such as her dash or shoulder charge will quickly render her free of enemy damage for a moment. This will even get her away from combat long enough to recharge her armor and energy to provide another blast of combat prowess. Let alone do players level her up, they also level up her weapons, and in turn make them even deadlier in combat. All of this at the cost of the in-game currency called Ky.

While some of this seems simple, many of these mechanics began to shine during the boss fights. Players will find themselves constantly dodging, moving, and even switching up weapons as their ammo begins to go limited due to ammo being hard to find in boss fights. This means players will find themselves not just utilizing Shelly’s weaponry and gadgets, but also her abilities such as her Trap, her rush, and the previously mentioned charge, which knocks enemies back. Though players will need to cautiously navigate areas in order to not die during these fights as terrain can be just as deadly as the enemies they take on.

Bombshell – PC (Reviewed)
Developer: Interceptor Entertainment
Publisher: 3D Realms
Cost: 39.99 USD
Release Date: Now Available

This currency follows a similar situation with games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne where players will need it to by medpacks, ammo, and even weapon upgrades. All the while allowing players to button hammer away in order to stay alive and take out their enemy to the best of their capabilities. If one thing is true about Bombshell, it’s not that it’s a wasted game, it’s the fact too many walked in expecting Duke Nukem out of it. the game is challenging with some puzzles that require weapons to have certain upgrades or even for Shelly to have certain abilities unlocked in order to continue.

If you are one that likes to explore and find hidden collectibles for in-game missions and listen to some witty 90’s-like one-liners? Bombshell is right up your alley and is one that provides a rather enjoyable story as well as gameplay mechanics.

Stay tuned for our second review coming from David Murphy, which will cover his thoughts on the game in our duo review.

Our review is based upon the final version that the publisher provided us with.  For information about our ethics policy please click here.

 Final Score: 8 out of 10

 

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Tom Clancy’s The Division Beta Return This Week

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

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Tom Clancy’s The Division is one of 2016’s most anticipated titles to release after having been announced in 2016. Ubisoft has announced that starting Wednesday, if you have an Xbox One, the Open Beta will be hitting Xbox consoles for players to begin. For PC and PlayStation 4, you’ll be getting in on this starting Thursday. While not much has changed, we have learned that players who have tested in the beta previously will get to experience a new story mission sooner than those that haven’t. Players who also participate in this beta will receive a special in-game reward for their agent(s) when the game launches on March 11th, 2016.

If you haven’t had a chance you can check out our coverage for The Division here on our YouTube and catch a glimpse of some gameplay while you are at it. Will you be what the world needs to bring peace to a broken New York? Find out soon.

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

 

Hands-On Impressions: Hitman Beta – It’s Good to be 47

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

hitman_beta_1

Anyone that knows me knows that I’m always up for a good challenge. Hell, between me returning to Bloodborne and working on a review for the DLC titled “The Old Hunters” I decided to check the B.A.T.G.R. inbox. From there was a nifty little email from Square Enix that entitled us to playing the new Hitman Beta for PlayStation 4. With a grin on my face, I was eager to download the new entries beta to see just how IO Interactive would handle this new title. As someone who has never touched a Hitman title, I was quite interested in seeing just how well this remake could be, especially after watching plenty of YouTube Let’s Plays of the original titles. With my little bit of research done, I was on my way to downloading the 4GB beta.

Knowing full well how the series now played, I began the first mission with an eager mind. Being introduced to the control scheme was the first piece of the puzzle to tackle. After getting that out of the way, I was on my way to my first target. The most major change that I noticed was the ways for players to go about their missions. This included new approaches, but also the wide array of options that players can use as disguises. This isn’t to understate the fact that the A.I. and level designs aren’t superb. With a newly structured A.I. the difficulty from what videos I had seen was entirely a new beast. Guards would attempt to interrogate 47 if they thought him an impostor. One close enough and your disguise blown? It was time to fake an arrest and knock them out if it was only one guy. If multiple? Good luck, Chuck.

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Unlike what I would expect out of some games, I didn’t expect our handler, the famed Diane Burnwood to put her career on the line to bring Agent 47 into the mix of things. Our first mission was quite simple as she would outline it for us. We have a shady art dealer who needs taken out for specific reasons, the mission a simulation of one that could happen, and 47 is tasked with making sure this dealer doesn’t get out a live. Much like any Hitman game, there are multiple entry points, and for me going through the back seemed like the best option. Here I was able to take on a mechanics uniform, hide his body, and sneak into the underbelly of this makeshift boat. As the party went underway, it was time for us to locate our mark. With him found, it was also time for me to find a new disguise. With guards everywhere and guests busy, why not look for the cook? Well finding him and taking his disguise, hiding his body, and moving in on our target was quite easy. Thanks to a blend-in option like Assassin’s Creed, I was capable of having 47 act as if he were a bar tender. From there it was time to tail our target to his point, assassinate him and move to extraction.

After completing the mission it was time to move onto the next one. This one would truly put Agent 47’s skills to the test, most-of-all? Mine. As the mission began to go underway, I learned that I would take 47 on his path to assassinating a defector who would leave to team up with the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War. The mission was simple. Infiltrate in any means necessary to kill the target. Along the way I would be informed that there were multiple entry points as well as ways to assassinate him. Some would include poisoning him, dressing up as a KGB Captain in order to get close to him and shoot him, choke him, or even use the poison while he wasn’t looking. Another included using a ejection seat against him. My option? Plan F. All the above. My plan was simple. Prep the ejection seat for him to explode because of, become the KGB agent, infiltrate his room, and plant the poison in his consumables. I did all thee above, but the one that worked best was the looniest of them all. As you’ll see in the gameplay video, which was knock everyone that came around out, and then choke the target into submission only to drag him into the room, snap his neck, and head for extraction without ever being noticed.

While this is my first Hitman game, Hitman’s reboot will surely be getting my attention for hours thanks to its notorious way of sucking players in. I’m sure I’ll go back and give the others a try while I’m at it. Stay tuned for our upcoming review when the first portion releases on March 11th, 2016. Head on over to Hitman.com for more information.

 

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Review: Firewatch – Where Hearts Burn Slowly to Ashes (Spoiler Warning)

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

Pros:
+Beautifully crafted story and characters
+Graphics used are perfect for the game offering a departure from hyper-realism
+The use of colors is a superb choice from lush greens to vibrant oranges
+Story will break hearts and cause tears

Cons:
–Only characters actually seen in the game? Are a body and well your own character
–Very, very short for 19.99 USD

 

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There’s a point where I’ve begun to tell people that games can’t connect to us on a singular emotional level. That we are bound by our human nature into letting our minds play the tricks on us that we need. Want a good scare? Good. Go play games like Slender, Dead Space, DOOM 3 BFG, Outlast or any other disturbing game out there on the market. You’ll get the few cheap thrills you need to make your skin crawl. While being fearful is a natural emotion for us, so is the idea that it derives from our brains impulses to be scared. In ways, that is how we connect to some of the games we do. But the game I’ve decided to take on through my own wallet is not a game that derives from the use of fear or even the subtle hint of violence, but instead it derives from the heart. For me, it is rare that games can connect on an emotional level. Sure the death scene of Sniper Wolf in Metal Gear Solid worked up a few solid tears. If you’ve ever seen movies like Disney Pixar’s UP! or even the same companies film Inside Out, you already know the opening is going to hit you with an emotional punch. That’s what happened with Firewatch.

For many of you, you know the game just came out on Steam and PlayStation 4. You also know that the game is a rather story-driven, first person title, set in the year 1989. The game was developed by Campo Santo, and published by Panic. Panic being a Microsoft Studio, makes it interesting to let us even see the game hit PlayStation 4 versus Xbox One. In this title by Campo Santo, we take on the role of Henry, and overweight, bearded guy who is running away from his life. His problem becomes very real and one for many people to easily touch with. His getaway from these problems? A fire watchtower in the middle of the Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming. Henry isn’t the guy you’d expect him to be, with the voice talent of Rich Sommer in the place, we get a character whom has a deep,but gentle voice, one that is emotionally touched and leads us to believe Henry could be a very real person. For many of you, you may be stating in the back of your head that there is no way this could be your typical video game lead character. In truth? I’d agree with you to some extent, but not all of it.

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For many of us, we get to take on the knowledge that Henry is a white, able-bodied, and male lead. One that has a bit of extra meat on him, but likes to take his long afternoon and morning hikes while doing his job as a Firewatch. At his side? We get his Firewatch leader, Delilah. Henry fortunately isn’t a character we can attribute to characters like Isaac Clark of Deadspace or even Jason Brody from Fallout 3. Instead? He’s just your average Joe, which lets us feel like we could know him in person. That’s where this games charm takes place.

Firewatch’s true charm isn’t the fact that our character is just running from his problems outside of what he is doing. It’s the fact that Henry is story driven when working with Delilah while exploring the National park. With the graphics being as stylized as they are, it didn’t take long to see why almost anyone could play this game, even people with a moderately low end PC. If you have either or just a PS4? You’ll be getting the maximum capacity out of the title when it comes to graphical prowess, which helps feed the games experience. The experience is unique as we trek through the woods, one where we find our characters discussing the reasons as to why they are even doing their job. Why the forest is the way it is and even discussing as to why Henry isn’t back home with his wife. While the narrative is rather immersive, the real charm as stated isn’t just our character development we get. Sure we have two very realistic characters, both featuring amazing voice talent and even chemistry, but we also get the idea that these two could be people we’ve known all our lives and just never really got to know.

While there were moments I found myself chuckling at the snarky conversations and the plot twists, I did find myself commonly wandering the simple thing – why didn’t we ever get to really see Delilah, but instead wandered mindlessly through the forests while trying to stop people from starting fires, uncovering age-old mysteries, and even finding missing persons letters? While the different landscapes are charming, and beautiful, the wildlife itself seemed lonesome; fire watchers must be a rather lonely bunch. If it wasn’t for the radios they keep on their person in order to communicate.

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As stated, much of our story comes to life through our characters Henry and Delilah, Delilah being voiced by Cissy Jones (Fallout 4’s Doctor Duff, The Wolf Among Us). We get the idea her character is a veteran fire watcher. One that has been there for some time and has even gotten to know the other watchers that have come in and out of the watch tower Henry has been assigned to. One that offers a very different scenery than his home back in Boulder, Colorado. While one would expect to see other people, our only human contact comes down to Delilah outside of the set of girls we get to rudely interrupt while they are swimming in the park causing trouble as usual. While the two girls offer a few chuckles, both Delilah and Henry (sometimes called Hank by Delilah), offer us an emotional spiral as the story tension begins to spike due to the events taking place. Some of it can be from her being genuinely upset by the choices made or even the fact that she has completely stressed out. Regardless, the game gives players a genuine since of anguish as we tug at her emotional strings. This is where the game finds its central lifeline anchored in; it’s only then do you realize just how important Delilah is to the Firewatch title.

When it comes to interaction choices with Delilah between each day on the radio, players are given a chance to pick their responses. These responses do matter and are critical to the character development, but also as to how Henry and her get to their endpoint. So time does matter as do your decisions. Miss something that may be an important part? Your conversations can change drastically as she may take your version of Hanks silence as an insult. Even then there is a chance she could just sign off her radio, and go silent for the day. This time leaving you to your devices. Like any game, however, it’s hard not to see that Firewatch starts off normally. Delilah works as your supervisor. From there she gives you a few tasks at hand to help clean up the park or patrol, only to eventually have you move carefully across the park in order to investigate things going on while learning both characters back stories all the while.

Viewing past this trailer contains spoilers. Reader discretion advised.

Firewatch – PlayStation 4 (Reviewed), PC, and Linux
Developer: Campo Santo
Publisher: Panic
Cost: 19.99 USD
Release Date: Now Available

What makes Firewatch unique isn’t just how the game deals with love, loss, and new friendship; instead it deals with being human. Making human choices. These choices are kicked off by us finding out that Henry’s wife is sick with Alzheimer’s. She has gotten to the point that she barely recognizes him. So to escape from her worsening condition he has taken up the job to help out at this park. In turn our character development takes the biggest twist when two young women go missing. Fires start and Delilah becomes Henry’s new interest based upon the choices you make. All the while she helps him come to terms with what is happening and giving him the idea that maybe, just maybe, he should stop running from his troubles in order to take care of his ailing wife. While many could frown upon the idea of infidelity towards his marriage, we are given characters that are unique, human, and are flawed instead of perfect. Their flaws are what makes their story twist around so perfectly as both characters secrets get flushed out closer and closer to the end. While the ending itself, based upon your choices, may offer a bit of an emotional punch to the heart as players find themselves in Delilah’s watch tower awaiting rescue as a raging fire tears through the park.

While the game does offer unique twists upon missing teen girls, the last firewatcher who was in your tower that just suddenly disappeared, and even the notion that the park in Firewatch truly has the mysteries it does. That being said, Firewatch is a gem, one that Campo Santo has carefully crafted to give players a taste of what true gaming can be like when stepping away from all the blood, the gore, and violence in order to tap into a true human existence. It’s hard to say that I’m not one that hasn’t played games a few times over. In truth I found myself sucked into for more than one playthrough just to see how diverse Delilah and Henry could be and I wasn’t shocked to see that the choices change their dynamics tremendously. If there is an appraisal, it’s the fact that Firewatch is unique, it is carefully crafted, and offers a very real human interaction through emotional aspects. This leads Campo Santo’s Firewatch to be one of the best stories I’ve played in years.

Firewatch is out for Windows, Mac, LINUX, and PlayStation 4 at an affordable 19.99 USD.

Our review is based upon the final version that the publisher provided us with.  For information about our ethics policy please click here.

 Final Score: 9 out of 10

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Op-Ed: Why Returning to Bloodborne is Amazing After a Year

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

Bloodborne_SC01

There’s always something unique about games from the team at From Software as well as Sony Studio Japan. Both have created tremendously creative titles and ones that constantly pushed players to the edge of their seats. Even with some of the latest games, it’s hard to say that any of them have really done what titles like Bloodborne and Gravity Rush have done. Bloodborne of course being the one that both teams worked together to create in order to bring hardcore Souls franchise fans over to the PlayStation 4 due to the titles exclusivity.

Anyone that knows me, knows that I’m a glutton for punishment, more punishment, and even more punishment when it comes to difficulty. I spent days, if not weeks conquering Demon’s Souls only to forget to save my trophy progress, back-up my save data, and unfortunately lose it all. That doesn’t mean I haven’t put the game to the back of my mind, but it didn’t have the beckoning Bloodborne did after having been stuck at the notorious boss Gerhman. Having fallen many times to his blunderbuss or even his scythe in its heavy weapon mode, I resumed coming back a good 100+ times only to die in some other manner. Finally I found myself in frustration only to uninstall the game, open up some hard drive space on my PlayStation 4, and move onto other games I had backlogged from being busy as a journalist as well as an office aid.

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After spending almost a year away from Bloodborne and a 1TB HDD upgrade on the review PlayStation 4, I felt it was time to come back to the game since the DLC had launched. Last night was the adventure that I never thought I would have. Why? I didn’t play the game much in coop. I honestly didn’t find the need for it since at the time my internet router (luckily it wasn’t my ISP or the modem) seemed about as dependable as a car with little to no gas going down a highway. You see where this going, I can imagine. After a few small tweaks, new router, new HDD, and even an upgraded internet speed through the ISP, it was time to once more resume Bloodborne, but this time? In coop. As you can imagine, I did run into a few headaches where I found myself being kicked from the games server till falling upon a few suggestions to shut down my PS4 completely, and then restart it after a few minutes. After doing that I was once more on my way to attempting the Chalice Dungeon’s, farming up Blood Echoes, and even once more attempting to slay Gerhman once and for all. Sadly? I didn’t know the little trick about the umbilical cords playing a role into the games ending like I should’ve. Only having had my character use 2/3 needed for the perfect ending? I found myself with the “OK” ending and at the help of my buddy Garret Sullivan (thanks again, man!). After having killed him, it was time to head onto New Game+, but at a speedy pace with his help since I managed to pick up the DLC. 20 bucks for a bunch of new cool stuff and bosses that will make me break my teeth from clenching my jaw? Sounds like fun.

But returning to Bloodborne after a year was something different than what I thought it would be. Rather than being a small adventure of relearning everything, it was like riding a bicycle. Little by little, it all comes back, and players will find themselves once more accustomed to what they had been doing. Sure their sense of direction may be a little off, but not in the manner it might be a game breaker. We’ve all been there. Ever tried to go back to playing a game like Rainbow Six after a few hours of Call of Duty? Yea, doesn’t work out well for some. Trust me, I’d know. Heck even returning to Fallout 4 was a difficult after a few long sessions of Call of Duty or Battlefield. Though I know that is not the topic of today, but let that sink in a bit first.

When returning to Bloodborne there were a few difficulties I was faced with. One, I had to relearn the control scheme to some extent. Luckily I’ve played enough of the Souls games this wasn’t too hard to do, but figuring out a few special commands, that was a different challenge all together. Secondly, figuring out the areas I was using to farm in order to gear out. Thirdly, was the difficulty of re-learning my timing for Gerhman. Fourthly, trying not to walk away from the game again, and successfully not doing so. Fifthly, was talking myself into buying the DLC since my pal Garret has vowed to once more take my filthy casual self through the new content. But what made coming back to Bloodborne unique wasn’t like what you’d expect with games like Call of Duty where everything gets tweaked, rebalanced, and based on how players play. Instead Bloodborne finds itself with a few minor tweaks, upgrades, and eventually all new content, which it recently has. The uniqueness behind it is the fact the game is easy to come back to. While relearning your timing, footing, and pacing may be a bit disorienting at first, Bloodborne is one of those that comes back to you rather quickly once you remember where you were and through a bit of trial and error. If you can get past that? Bloodborne is a game that deserves the appraises it has gotten. It’ll be interesting to see what the future holds for the title.

IF you are interested in our review for the DLC “The Old Hunters” stay tuned to our website for it coming soon.

 

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Review: Megadimension Neptunia VII – Console Wars Gone Multidimensional

/ Dustin Murphy / 1 Comment

Pros:
+Insanely fun boss bottles
+New characters and zones add a good bit of comical hilarity to the game
+New battle mechanics for bosses recreate what a boss fight is for the series

Cons:
-Battles can be overwhelming for new comers

 

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If you are someone who has played any RPG, you know that things do change in the franchises first and foremost. You also know that the games will recreate themselves in subtle ways to make the games worth the while, but also to provide a unique twist to things players have become used to. The Hyperdimension Neptunia titles are not excluded from this trend. When the games first launched in 2010 exclusively on PlayStation 3, we were given a JRPG series that was noticeably not going to take itself seriously – it’s a direct pun at the gaming industry, more-so the “Great Console Wars” that many of us grew up to if you are old enough to truly remember them. If not, I’m sure you’ve become semi-familiar with the current day one, which is most commonly attributed to Sony and Microsoft firing shots at each other. Behind this concept the idea gave birth to a franchise that many have become fans of. More so to the fact these games are hilarious and intend to be while playing on simple mechanics. Over the course of the past few years, all this has been revamped, and meanwhile given birth to remakes of the original three titles that made the franchise known.

We saw reboots on the PlayStation Vita known as the “Re;birth” series, which did a good job at rebuilding the franchise from the ground up. In turn we saw tweaks to combat mechanics, storytelling mechanics, and even character personalities that made the characters seem more alive and aware of their silliness. However, this latest title begins to break that trend rather carefully as it peels away from the focus upon a singular story plot to three separate story plots. Why is this? The answer is simple. They are shifting from the classic console war to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Wii U console war. More-so letting Nintendo sit this one out this time around. Much like in previous games, however, our goal is simple; players are once more helping these hysterical heroines save peoples to an entirely new dimension that Neptunia and Nepgear have been sucked into. This means their shares are gone, their CPU form is gone, and it’s time for them to become used to the CPU Shift Period, which changes some of how the CPUs will view their world. Fortunately this doesn’t rid us of our favorite antics or characters we’ve come to love, but it does introduce the new console war era into the franchise while breaking away from the console wars of the 90’s and 2000’s that the titles were renown for.

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While changes are present in the story, the game itself has seen a few tweaks behind the scenes when it comes to combat scenarios while the rest remains widely intact. The biggest change is that characters are given a movement bar for combat. Here each character is given a set amount of distance they can move. Once out, those characters can’t move forward, but only side to side or backwards. They are still able to attack if enemies are available to do so with or even use items or abilities. This all does play a major role in the fact combat has been heavily altered since players can also edit character combo’s, bonuses, and placement rows. This does help in the long run once combat starts as certain characters won’t be as vulnerable when leading the charge. Interestingly enough, the biggest thing that has changed is the new system where players can put their characters into a team-based attack mode that deals rather devastating blows to enemies if they are surrounded. This does, however, require each of the CPU’s to be in regular form or HDD form for it to work. Irritating as it sounds, it pays off during difficult battles. This can be rather irritating when needing HDD forms for certain fights and needing to switch to basic forms. This attack is better utilized when planned ahead of time.

While combat remaking has been in discussion, one of the biggest enhancements, and the biggest improvement is the boss encounters. While we are familiar with the bosses being big, we aren’t used to them being big enough we are actually forced into moving across multiple platform placements for our characters to attack on. Instead, now we are given that, but alas, much hasn’t changed outside of the core mechanics for this. Let alone do they still hit hard, this tweak is rather nice, but is not utilized outside of core bosses, which in a way is saddening as it adds a nice change to bosses. While the aforementioned changes are nice, we still get to see some rather common enemies we’ve grown familiar with. Saddening, huh? Well, time will tell if that changes in any form.

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While combat has seen a few changes, so has the overworld map as players will no longer find themselves simply clicking on the zone they want to go to, and warping in. Now they are challenged with going from node, to node, to node, and dealing with any random battles if they pop up. while this is fun, it is quite annoying int he long run, and will grow irritating when players just want to complete a mission or ditch a dungeon due to difficulty. If this becomes a core component? It’ll wear quickly on most players who liked the old system more. For now it’s up to players to voice what changes they did or did not like. At least the graphics have seen a rather polished look as the series have finally gotten what they want. A really, really, shiny anime style game, one that offers character sprites that look crisper, and sharper than in previous entries. While voice acting is unquestionably on par as usual, fans of the Japanese dub will be required to go download the add-on. As for Vita players? Those without a PS4 are being left in the dark if they are wanting to sample the new and some recycled music from previous titles that remain rather intriguing and all-to-familiar.

Megadimension Neptunia VII – PlayStation 4 (Reviewed)
Developer: Compile Heart, Idea Factory
Publisher: Idea Factory
Cost: 59.99 USD
Release Date: Now Available

With all this being said, it is hard to review the title since it focuses primarily on three things. Discussions in a graphic novel type setup, exploration, and exploring quite a bit to unlock new zones, abilities, and enemies that will be disposed of. If that’s your thing? This game is right up your alley and is a perfect addition to the console that is hurting for JRPG style games.

 

Our review is based upon the final version that the publisher provided us with.  For information about our ethics policy please click here.

 Final Score: 7 out of 10

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

QuakeCon 2016 Pre-Registrations Dated

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment
QuakeCon_2015_Entrance

Photo Courtesy of David Murphy Copyright Blast Away the Game Review

You may have seen the fact we cover Bethesda Zenimax’s event QuakeCon quite a bit. The why is undoubtedly because of how fun the event actually is. Let alone do you get to play some awesome games, join a massive LAN party, but you also get to spend some time with the developers from the company. Bethesda today, has announced that the online pre-registration details for QuakeCon 2016, allowing for fans to once more gather in Dallas, TX on Thursday August 4th through Sunday, August 7th. They will be offering a number of premium BYOC packages for purchase through the shows online pre-registration.

For those familiar with the registration process, the BYOC packages have been streamlined this year, and will open up with a series of three stages of pre-registration for general attendees. The full description for these packages offered by Bethesda can be found below, as well as the dates for those wanting to register for this years events.

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Photo Courtesy to David Murphy of Blast Away the Game Review Copyrighted 2015

This year is something a bit new to the process. This year pre-registered attendees will be able to build their own swag packages full of exclusive QuakeCon merchandise during the online registration process. Cool, huh? We think so. They will be limited in number for purchase on the showroom floor. Want to vote for the official QuakeCon 2016 T-Shirt design? By the way, you can do that this year at the official QuakeCon website!

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Photo Courtesy to David Murphy of Blast Away the Game Review Copyrighted 2015

Exhibitors will be able to begin registration on February 22nd while Press will be able to register on March 14th.

PREMIUM BYOC PACKAGES | DESCRIPTIONS & AVAILABILITY

Monday, March 14th at 7pm CT/8pm ET
Round 1 | BYOC Select-a-Seat with UAC Command Center Seating
Includes Fast Passes for the Duration of the Event
$400 (Limit of 32 packages available)
· Select and reserve a VIP seat at the Network Operations Center (NOC) in the BYOC
· Express lane fast-pass registration for the BYOC
· Express lane fast-pass to every panel, presentation, and public event at QuakeCon
· Limited reserved access seating for all panels, presentations, and events
· Direct access to plug your PC into the NOC’s core
· Official QuakeCon 2016 UAC Lanyard

Thursday, March 17th at 7pm CT/8pm ET
Round 2 | BYOC Select-a-Seat with QuakeCon done Quick
Includes Fast Passes for the Duration of the Event
$140 (Limit of 300 packages available)
· Select and Reserve a guaranteed seat of your choice in the BYOC area
· Express lane fast-pass registration for the BYOC
· Express lane fast-pass to every panel, presentation, and public event at QuakeCon
· Limited reserved access seating for all panels, presentations, and events
· Official QuakeCon 2016 QdQ Lanyard

Wednesday, March 23rd at 7pm CT/8pm ET
Round 3 | BYOC Select-a-Seat
Includes Guaranteed Reserved Seating
$40 (Limit of 2,100 packages available)
· Select and Reserve a guaranteed seat of your choice in the BYOC area
· Official QuakeCon 2016 Lanyard

Thursday, March 24th at 7pm CT/8pm ET
Round 4 | General Attendee Pre-Registration

More Information from Bethesda:
While general attendance remains free, attendees wishing to participate in the QuakeCon 2016 BYOC must pre-purchase one of the ‘BYOC Select-a-Seat’ packages through our online registration site to guarantee a spot in the BYOC. As ‘BYOC Select-a-Seat’ packages are limited and all seats will be accounted for prior to the show, we won’t have seats available on-site or on a first-come-first serve basis. Once the packages sell out, we’ll be giving people the opportunity to win a limited number of BYOC seats via social media giveaways, contests, and via our event partners leading up to the show. Be sure to keep an eye on our QuakeCon Twitter account and QuakeCon Facebook page for all the details on how to win!

About QuakeCon
QuakeCon, the ultimate video game festival, will take place on-site at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, TX on Thursday, August 4th – Sunday, August 7th. Doors to QuakeCon will open on Thursday, August 4th at 10:00am CT and will remain open through 12:00pm CT August 7th. For more information visit: www.quakecon.org.

We’ll see you there folks!

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

The Weekly Rant: DOOM Doesn’t Need a Story to be Successful

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

Before I begin on my rant this week, I want you all to know that every Saturday or Monday we will be doing a new topic called “The Weekly Rant” and this one just happens to focus on one of the most anticipated games of 2016: DOOM.

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DOOM, when you hear the name you already know the franchise is one of the founding fathers of the FPS genre. The game back in the 90’s was known for its grim music and Hell like settings that ranged from UAC bases clear to the very landscapes of Hell. This trend has been on going for more than 20 years and is one that hasn’t come to a halt. For fans the past ten years have been agonizing as leak after leak of DOOM 4 had gotten released, the game we know went into development Hell, and for all the fans knew – it was done for. John Carmack departed from the company and went on his own way to work on Oculust RIFT, which he had become renowned for by making VR possible with DOOM 3. Lets not forget the fact the man along with Adrien Carmack, Ivan Punchatz and his son Greg, and John Romero became iconic founders of Horror FPS as a singular genre. They made creatures and gameplay that would give anyone nightmares. The franchise itself inspired musicians, artists, gamers, and even modders in the early age of PC gaming.

What DOOM wasn’t known for was a campaign. The series had never been known for one as the surroundings told you a story more than anything else. All you needed to know then? You’re a marine. One of the last ones on the UAC base you were put on, and now you are fighting your way through tight corridors with big ass weapons, and a blood soaked suit of armor. What you also knew was the fact there were demons galore for you to simply walk up, punch to a visceral pile of bone and organs or simply hunt down the BFG 9000 or as my generation called it… The Big F**kin’ Gun. Why? Anything in its scope was just going to be a giant pile of ashes. Was there a quarrel with this? Nope. But when DOOM 3 wandered around? This did become a problem. Why? The series went from a push forward premise where you didn’t want to stop running from side to side and never stop moving forward. Why? Your guns were huge, your enemies were bigger, but they were no match for you with a little bit of patience.

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Fast forward a good generation of consoles ahead? That changed tremendously as fans were getting their hands on DOOM, which embraced the Halo-like atmosphere of dark corridors, flick aiming, and backtracking from enemies in order to stay alive. Let alone was it inspired by its classic creatures and origins, it embraced a newer approach to a generation that had story elements, voice acting, and a want to push graphics to a whole new forefront. Interestingly enough? It did, but if you ask any fan out there the response will be the same: DOOM 3 is not a DOOM game in comparison to the past titles. Instead it was a step towards games like Fatal Frame, Silent Hill, with a touch of Halo. Reason I use Halo as an example? It was a bullet Hell title. DOOM 3? Followed the route as a Bullet Hell title and went in to incorporate many elements that can be compared to Halo. Now that’s not to say that DOOM 3 was inspired by Halo, we know it wasn’t, but there are many comparisons we can make to the Halo franchise in the overall approach of gameplay execution. But that’s not what we are discussing today.

As stated previously, DOOM has never been known for its campaigns, and honestly? It shouldn’t be. After taking in many hours of DOOM footage, gameplay mechanics, and even the closed Alpha, my lips have been tightly sealed on what I saw in the Alpha. After all, NDA’s, sorry folks. We love our partnership with Bethesda too much to break our NDA’s, so our lips are sealed. If you haven’t seen gameplay mechanics? Go ahead and head to the official Bethesda Zenimax YouTube and soak in all the videos you can. Just note you have to be 18+ to view the content. With that being said? I’ve been questioning for some time if DOOM would have a narrative as a story and even beating in my own skull for even thinking that. Why? I realized that it doesn’t need a story. Who the Hell cares if it has a story. Do we really want to be bogged down by finding datapads and documents again? I sure don’t want to be. I’d rather be ripping off the heads of Demon’s, Zombies, and making crap explode like a Michael Bay film. Just with more blood and targeted towards an adult audience. Not the crowd that wants more booms and lens flare. This time around? I’ll be the first in the entire room to stand up and scream if I get a narrative. Why? I’m all about Classic DOOM gameplay. The more blood, the better. The more demon’s for me to stomp the heads off, rip the eyes out of, and crap down their throats? The better. Why? That’s the DOOM I know and love. After all I’ve seen at events like E3 and QuakeCon? I really hope there isn’t a story. If there is one? I’d be fine if it was radio chatter versus DOOM 3’s backtracking and hiding to find the narrative. The crap got old and fast.

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But the question I know many will ask me? What will we do if we don’t have a story or narrative to drive the gameplay so that our marine is trekking through this Hellish life of his trying to survive? Guess what kids? Daddy’s got a secret – your imagination works wonders here. I know as a kid I grew up writing stories in my head about what DOOMs narrative would be, why the marine was fighting what he was, and why Hell broke out the way it did. The simple explanation behind it all was? UAC did a craptacular job containing a extra-dimensional rift and let Hell into our universe and in turn the universe has literally gone to Hell. Now? Our character is tasked with eliminating the source of it. Some demon that is unleashing its armies or we are simply trying to find the device that caused the entire scenario. Regardless it didn’t matter to me all that much in the end. I had nightmares, I loved the game, and to this day I still play it with a grin on my face to the fact that the original team didn’t need a story to make a game that has had over 20 years worth of replay value for me. I still go back to this day, go to Steam, and turn DOOM on. Why? It’s just that game that is always there no matter how old it gets, it still challenges, and it’s a visceral blood bath. Something that we know from the new DOOM trailer that we will see happen in May thanks to the new brutal system that will allow players to kill a demon in all sorts of cruel and unusual ways. All of them legal in all 51 states as well.

While we know DOOM’s story hasn’t been the focus of the game after a Q&A with Marty Stratton stated that the story itself was second focus with combat coming first. This means DOOM seems to truly be going back to the roots of the series. The game will be heavily supported post launch as well, which shows that the team is dedicated to the fans. Hell even with the snap map editor we know the game will see plenty of downloaded maps, pieces of content, and even fan created

If you haven’t seen the release date, DOOM is set to release on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on May 13th, 2016. Stay tuned for our review coming this May.

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

Op-Ed: Nintendo Needs to Stop Consoles and Focus on Handhelds

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

New_Nintendo_3DS_XL05

You might already know that earlier I ripped into the one console developer I’m a fanboy of. Not the obnoxious kind that will defend them into a six foot grave, but the one that will prove you wrong when you need it. One secret is, I have a love affair with two companies, and the second one is Nintendo. How might this be? I grew up to Nintendo. My first console played was my dads launch-day NES that he brought home on his way from work. Yes, I remember it, and I was one years old when he did it. I still remember sitting on his lap as he played games like Bubble Bobble, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros., and Galaga. To me? This was my childhood and over the years? I’ve never abandoned Nintendo as they remain a part of me that has become sentimental. If they make a bad console? I’ll buy it. If they make a great one? I’ll buy it. I’m a loyalist. Much like I am to Sony and Microsoft, but not a fanboy to Microsoft.

Over the years, I’ve made the debate a few times over that Nintendo needs to leave the home console market. Their three last consoles have bombed, that being the Gamecube, Wii, and now their failure of the Wii U that has become much like Sony’s Vita. Not a lot of support and what little it got has been fantastic. Again, some of it isn’t even first party. Titles like Xenoblade Chronicles X, Resident Evil Revelations, Shovel Knight, and even my beloved Bayonetta 2 aren’t first party. While I do enjoy titles like Yoshi’s Woolly World, Super Mario Maker, Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival, and Super Smash Bros. But when it comes down to third party support? Nintendo has been weak on that aspect for years, it’s no secret, and because of it? It’s honestly hurt them in the long run since they have very few IP’s that are new. While new ideas for old IP’s are great, you can only flog that same dying cow for so long before you’ve beat it to death. Unfortunately? This is where Nintendo has seemingly gone with consoles. I’m not saying they haven’t been ahead of the curve. They are truly ahead of the curve, but there’s only so much you can do before approaching the technological brick wall and slam into it.

This is where Nintendo has seem to go with the Nintendo Wii U. While we’ve seen plenty of ideas of what the Nintendo code-named “NX” could be, we already know that it’s going to focus heavily to an online service, that the console itself will be, if rumors are true, more powerful than the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. If the rumors are true this means that they will be putting some pressure on both Sony and Microsoft to push their hardware to the limit. Meanwhile while that is a nice thing, we all know that when there’s a new piece of home console out of Nintendo, that means a handheld isn’t far along. Even with the launch of the New Nintendo 3DS XL last year, it’s still a bit dumbfounding as to why they would release a new handheld already with the NX. Perhaps they are taking a PlayStation Vita route where they want a handheld to coincide with their console. However, whatever they do, it’ll be no surprise if they are forced to keep both first and third party support focus for both pieces of hardware in order to keep fas interested.

Nintendo Should Focus Solely on Handhelds – It’s Their Best Demographic of Players

If the totals according to Nintendo is true, the Nintendo 3DS has sold roughly 57.94 million units since its launch and well… The Wii U hasn’t done even a quarter of that sitting at only 12.6 million units sold since its launch. The numbers are devastating from a marketing perspective. If it puts anything into perspective since it’s launch the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One both have broken 30-40 million units each since their launch two years ago back in November. While the Wii U had come out before them, this means the console has become a literal failure, the Nintendo 3DS however, isn’t doing much better in comparison to the handheld it succeeded, the Nintendo DS/DSi, which combined sold 154.01 million units.

While it is hard to say that Nintendo has had great marketing in the past, it comes to show that some gamers feel that the 3D effect is just a cheap gimmick. Speaking for myself? I don’t use it. I find it mildly irritating to my vision as well as my Nintendo 3DS’s battery life since it does deplete my battery at a bit quicker rate than when it’s on. If Nintendo wants to do anything successful to succeed the 3DS and the Wii U? Go back to the basics. Go for high quality graphics in a handheld. There’s plenty of focus there as fans are big for handhelds since many gamers do find themselves on the go. Even if they are in public places it’s not hard for friends to get together and even gaming together through the Nintendo 3DS. If sales say anything though, it’s that Nintendo’s handhelds have always outsold their consoles and still continue to-do-so today. While that would be a sign to some, it seems the executives at Nintendo want to try and bring console gamers over to their side. It’ll be a tough road to recover from due to the Wii U’s current status in total sales.

 The NX Rumors of a Console and Handheld Combined Could Spell Trouble

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While it’s hard for people to not point out my love for my PlayStation Vita and my PlayStation 4, the same can be said about my Wii U when I get in the perky mood to play it. That means I have to be willing to sit in my V-Rocker and paying attention to the TV in front of me for hours on end at eye level since I sit on the floor to primarily play my Nintendo. Force of habit after having sat on the floor playing NES/SNES for so long as a kid. While those reflections are nice, it’s hard to say that the combination of the two could spell trouble for Nintendo. With Satoru Iwata no longer around to share his vision with his fans in his beautifully charismatic way – it’s hard to see what Nintendo’s future is like since we haven’t seen the new Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima has had a rather successful career at Nintendo, we haven’t seen many of the amazing things that Iwata managed to pull off. Things such as Iwata asks, Nintendo Direct, and the likes, Nintendo’s new president Mr. Kimishima, has been silent since he took the seat at Nintendo on September 14th, 2015.

While there have been write-up’s from such as Nintendo’s Investor Relations, we know that Kimishima is planning to keep the same course that Iwata has. The only hope here is that he has a strong idea of how to market the possibility of a home console and handheld console duality. With them depending on one another we could see Nintendo and DeNA pushing hardware and software sales next year assuming Nintendo doesn’t pull a Wii U and launch it the same year they announce it. Then again this is Nintendo we are talking about. We’ve known them to be sporadic in the past.

Third Party Support Matters for the NX – This is Why New Nintendo 3DS Focus Will Help

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When looking at the Nintendo 3DS library of games we see the same thing that the PlayStation Vita has been going through, but in an opposite direction. Instead of fantastic third party support, we’re seeing minuscule amounts of big name titles hitting the Nintendo 3DS. While we do have games such as Yokai Watch, Etrian Odyssey, Shin Megami Tensei, Fire Emblem and such leading the way, the third party support is bleak. We’ve seen few games coming out of anyone, including XSEED Games, Koei Tecmo, Atlus, NIS America, Bandai Namco or anyone really trying to make an impact. To be honest? It feels as if the handheld is dying, almost hemorrhaging for some solid third party support.

While it’s hard to say that the Nintendo 3DS family deserved a more powerful successor to the family, we got one known as the New Nintendo 3DS XL. It sports faster hardware, processors, and even went to Micro-SD support for larger memory and faster memory access. Let alone did the screens get updated, we also get the circle pad built in through the handhelds c-stick function, which has helped tremendously with functionality. What is hurting this handhelds justification of being made is the fact it has received only one exclusive since it’s launch last year; Xenoblade Chronicles 3D. While I can say I love the game, it has been a hard to justify purchase since the handheld hasn’t seen much in the means of pure exclusives like it should have been getting already. This means Nintendo could be readying its last hurrah for the hardware so they can ready up for their next hardware line. While I’d love to see the NX succeed, Nintendo does need to remember that the New Nintendo 3DS family does have a lot of support, and will for years to come as has all their hardware.

Family Games Can’t be the Focus Anymore

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If you look at the Nintendo 3DS, you won’t be surprised to see a lot of the games are focused on family or kids. With a few sparse games for adults such as Fire Emblem Awakening, Shin Megami Tensei IV or the Devil Summoner series, the handheld family has very few games in line for adults who do own the handheld and do want adult games. This is where Nintendo will need to be shifting its focus if they plan on going towards the portable gaming hardware that the NX is rumored to have. Especially since the console is supposed to be able to go on the go with its handheld counterpart so that fans can, well, take it with them if they decide to leave. IGN even had a video supporting a supposed patent that actually demonstrated a hardware that looked a lot like what we have now with the Nintendo Wii U game pad that serves as a second screen functionality or even a second screen all together.

While Nintendo has relied heavily on its first party support and kid friendliness, it’s time for Nintendo to lace up their boots and provide a bit of diversity. Especially if they are going to attempt to compete with both Microsoft and Sony in the gaming market. While Nintendo took over the handheld market with a single hand, it’ll be hard for them to maintain their current run without pulling a few tricks up their sleeves to compete with Sony and Nintendo’s first party franchises such as Halo, Quantum Break, and even Kojima’s upcoming new titles. Nintendo, diversify a bit more. It won’t hurt, we promise.

Nintendo Rocks the Handheld World Already – Closing Thoughts

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While it seems Nintendo may not notice that their handheld focus would be their best choice, it seems they are wanting to focus on both home console and handheld. While it may all be good on pen and paper, we all know in recent years that Nintendo hasn’t done the best in moving units since the Wii U struggled to break even 10 million units while their amiibo’s have been the largest selling product of theirs since the Nintendo DS/DSi and Wii. While Nintendo’s chances of coming back as a mainstream console developer is possible, their future outlook might just depend on how well their handheld sales do if the console ends up being like the PlayStation 4 and Vita ordeal. Till then? I will still enjoy both my Wii U and NN3DS while they’re current.

Stay tuned for our upcoming news as we get it about the Nintendo NX.

 

About the Writer:

dustin_batgr_prof

Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the boarders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter, Google+, and or you can find him on PSN with RaivynLyken.

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